https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-6-Killing-the-Chicken-to-Warn-the-Monkey/12959599/
Chapter 7: Divine Worship Sect
Chapter 7: Divine Worship Sect
As Jiang Ning's gaze suddenly fixed ahead, he noticed a group of people marching with gongs and drums on the street.
"Elder Brother, what's this?" Jiang Ning's eyes revealed his confusion.
Jiang Li glanced around and, upon spotting a familiar symbol, explained, "This must be the followers of the Divine Worship Sect in the secular world, on their way to the City God Temple to offer sacrifices and pray for blessings."
Jiang Ning's expression turned to one of surprise. "Divine Worship Sect? Isn't it the target of the government office's crackdown? How can they be going to the City God Temple for sacrifices and prayers?"
Jiang Li shook his head. "I'm not sure either, but according to the higher-ups, it seems that ordinary followers are not to be bothered, and the task is to target the sect's members for elimination."
Jiang Ning couldn't help but silently shake his head at this.
Such a method would never suppress the Divine Worship Sect. This kind of tolerance would only allow the sect to become more rampant.
He was all too aware of the sect's formidable power, as history in his previous life had repeatedly demonstrated its strength.
Whether it was the Yellow Turban Rebellion that swept through the late Eastern Han Dynasty or the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement in the late Qing Dynasty, the sect had displayed its terrifying might.
Even in that advanced society with its developed civilization and technology, the distant Western world also had the world's largest religion, with countless fanatical followers.
In this world, perhaps once inhabited by gods and filled with extraordinary powers, any church would become even more powerful, gathering the hearts and strength of the people to an even greater degree.
Jiang Ning couldn't believe that the three major families and the County Master of Luoshui County were unaware of the dangers of such tolerance towards the Divine Worship Sect.
At this moment, he was more certain than ever about his previous judgment and the information implied in Xu Yunfeng's words.
It was clear that Luoshui County was now a battleground between outsiders and local powers.
His elder brother, elder sister-in-law, and even himself had been drawn into this struggle.
He had no doubt that the County Master valued relationships and righteousness, but he had to find a third party to escape this vortex and save his elder brother's family.
Wang Douzhang, stationed outside Luoshui County, was that third party, holding military power and providing the confidence to remain uninvolved.
To escape this vortex and save his elder brother's family, he would have to rely on the relationship of Wang Jin, the master of Waveflow Martial Academy.
Both shared the surname Wang, indicating a blood relationship.
All he needed to do was pass the academy's test and become a true disciple, and he would have the qualification to leverage their influence.
"I just hope the board is amazing enough!" he muttered to himself.
Soon after, the two men passed by the group of Divine Worship Sect followers and headed straight towards the inner city along the wide avenue.
Half an hour later, thanks to Jiang Li's status as a sheriff, they effortlessly passed through the walls separating the inner and outer cities and entered Luoshui County.
Luoshui County was divided into the inner and outer cities. The outer city was where the commoners, merchants, and laborers resided, and the security situation was relatively chaotic.
The inner city, however, was different. Those who lived there were either wealthy or noble, and the security was far superior to that of the outer city. Waveflow Martial Academy was located within the inner city.
Upon entering the inner city, Jiang Ning felt as if he had stepped into a new world.
The wide roads on all four sides were lined with towering, robust trees and vibrant flower beds that complemented each other beautifully.
Even the air carried a faint fragrance of flowers, and the roads were clean and wide enough for five carriages to drive side by side.
"To Waveflow Martial Academy!"
The two men boarded a carriage, and Jiang Li, as a sheriff, paid one qian to the driver, saying, "Let's go."
"Yes, sir!" The carriage driver nodded and bowed.
The next moment, the carriage sped through the inner city.
After a full incense stick's worth of time, the carriage slowly came to a stop in front of a large compound.
Waveflow Martial Academy.
Looking at the four large characters above, and considering the size of the building, no one would doubt the strength of this martial arts academy.
The inner city was known for its high land value.
Having struggled for so many years, Jiang Li had never been able to afford to move his entire family into the inner city, which spoke volumes about the prices here.
And Waveflow Martial Academy, at a glance, was clearly vast in size, with just the front wall measuring around fifty to sixty meters!
"Halt, intruder!"
As the two approached, they were stopped by two men standing on either side of the main entrance.
"Please announce your presence," Jiang Li said, cupping his hands, "I, Jiang Li, have come as promised, accompanied by my younger brother."
The two guards at the entrance gave Jiang Li a once-over, and even though he was dressed in an officer's uniform, they remained unfazed, showing none of the fear that commoners might exhibit at the sight of an officer.
Then, one of them turned and walked into the academy.
After a short while, the man came back out.
"Master Wang says that only your younger brother needs to enter," he said.
Hearing this, Jiang Li nodded, "Understood!"
Then he turned to Jiang Ning, "Younger brother, I've already paid your tuition fee. Once you're inside, Master Wang will teach you martial arts. But to pass the test and become a true disciple of Waveflow Martial Academy, everything will depend on you!"
Jiang Ning nodded, "Elder brother, rest assured! I will definitely become a true disciple of the academy."
Their conversation was clearly heard by the two guards at the entrance.
Hearing this, the guards showed a hint of disdain.
However, they didn't say much more.
After all, they had seen it all before.
During their time guarding the academy's entrance, they had encountered countless ambitious young men with dreams of joining Waveflow Martial Academy.
Before entering the academy, each of them was filled with confidence.
Most of these young men were from wealthy families in the inner city, and some were even from noble clans.
It was well-known that scholarly poverty and martial riches were a reality.
These young men had abundant resources, nurtured by valuable herbs from a young age, and their constitutions were exceptional. In the martial path, they were naturally gifted and easily outperformed ordinary people.
But up until now, only a few had truly become disciples of Waveflow Martial Academy.
For the wealthy and noble clan's sons, passing the test to become a disciple was already difficult, let alone for someone like Jiang Ning, who appeared to be from an ordinary family.
For ordinary families, even paying the tuition fee was extremely challenging.
The fee was one hundred taels of silver, enough to feed a well-off family for three to five years.
And this was just the registration fee; there would be more expenses for martial arts training.
Not to mention other costs, the daily intake of meat was a basic necessity for martial cultivation. Without it, one's body would eventually be ruined.
So, at this moment, they had no faith in this slightly frail-looking young man.
"Follow me!" said one of the bulky guards to Jiang Ning.
Then, as Jiang Ning's figure disappeared through the side entrance of Waveflow Martial Academy, Jiang Li left with peace of mind.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
