Wanhua Tower.
At the open-air pavilion on the top floor.
When Lin Qingyi uttered those words, Lin Jia'er's heart trembled.
In the next moment, Lin Qingyi continued, "Lin Jia'er, you took items from the tower without permission. Go kneel under the sun for three hours."
"Yes, Aunt," Lin Jia'er replied, her body trembling slightly as she obediently complied.
Then Lin Qingyi turned to Xiao Lu. "Xiao Lu, you violated the rules. Go kneel outside for two hours."
"Yes, Tower Master," Xiao Lu replied respectfully, kneeling.
Jiang Ning, seeing Xiao Lu's lowered head, felt a pang of sympathy.
Under the scorching sun.
Kneeling for two hours might be manageable for someone like Lin Jia'er, who practiced martial arts.
With a strong physique, she could endure it.
But for someone like Xiao Lu, who had never practiced martial arts, kneeling under the blazing sun for two hours could lead to heatstroke or even shock, potentially endangering her life.
Jiang Ning hesitated, wanting to speak up but holding back.
This was Wanhua Tower's internal matter, and as an outsider, he had no right to intervene.
He sighed inwardly and tucked the silver notes into his pocket.
"What? Do you want to plead for them?" Lin Qingyi glanced at Jiang Ning, noticing the concern in his eyes and expression.
Hearing this, Jiang Ning spoke frankly, "Sister Lin, I'd like to plead for Xiao Lu."
"You know how to cherish beauty," Lin Qingyi said with a slight smile. "Fine, since you call me 'sister,' I can't refuse you this favor."
Then she called out to Xiao Lu, who was heading toward the scorching sun. "Xiao Lu, considering Jiang Ning's plea, you only need to kneel for half an hour before coming back."
"Remember, you are part of the tower. From now on, tower items must not be handed over to outsiders."
"Yes, Tower Master," Xiao Lu replied respectfully, kneeling on the ground. "Thank you, Tower Master, for sparing my life."
She then turned to Jiang Ning and knelt again. "Thank you, Young Master Jiang."
"No need for such formalities," Jiang Ning shook his head.
Xiao Lu didn't say more but stood up and silently walked into the sun.
At this moment.
Lin Jia'er also stopped and looked at Jiang Ning with hopeful eyes.
Kneeling under the sun for three hours.
Although her ninth-rank strength would prevent any serious harm, she cared deeply about her appearance.
Three hours of direct sunlight would undoubtedly darken her skin.
Witnessing this, she realized just how highly her aunt regarded Jiang Ning.
With just a few words from him, her aunt had lightened the punishment for a mere servant.
If Jiang Ning could speak up for her, perhaps her punishment would also be reduced.
However, at this moment.
Jiang Ning said to Lin Qingyi, "Sister Lin, you truly have a beautiful heart."
Lin Qingyi chuckled.
"Since you're so sweet-talking, I'll give you another piece of information. About the Inspection Bureau."
With that.
Lin Qingyi waved her hand toward her room.
A piece of paper flew toward her.
"The mysteries of Internal Energy are truly profound!" Jiang Ning thought, filled with longing.
This kind of mystical power held an irresistible allure for him.
Because it was so unscientific!
It was precisely because it defied science that it was so captivating.
No matter how strong, fast, or durable he became, he was still flesh and blood, a mortal body.
But Internal Energy, in Jiang Ning's eyes, was a true supernatural power.
A tangible, visible supernatural power. Having seen so many fantastical works in his past life, how could he not desire it?
Then.
The paper Lin Qingyi had summoned floated gently into her hand as if held by an invisible force.
"Take it. This is something I prepared for you earlier. It contains most of the information about the Inspection Bureau. If you can reach the eighth rank before then, you'll have a chance to become a captain."
"According to the structure of the Inspection Bureau, any captain is a ninth-rank official of the Great Xia Dynasty, with a real official title."
"This should be quite appealing to you!"
Hearing this, Jiang Ning immediately took the paper Lin Qingyi handed him.
"Thank you, Sister Lin!" he said gratefully.
At this moment.
"Jia'er, why are you still standing there? Go kneel outside," Lin Qingyi said to Lin Jia'er.
Lin Jia'er, seeing Jiang Ning finally look her way, couldn't help but feel a surge of anger.
Being ignored for so long would make anyone unhappy.
Especially someone like her, who had always been pampered and admired.
"Aunt, I'll go now," Lin Jia'er said.
With that, she lowered her head and walked into the sun.
"Alright, you should head back now," Lin Qingyi said to Jiang Ning, yawning.
"Then I'll take my leave," Jiang Ning cupped his hands and bowed.
Lin Qingyi waved at Jiang Ning and turned gracefully toward her room.
Her thin gauze dress accentuated her figure perfectly.
But Jiang Ning didn't notice this, as his attention was completely captured by the words on the paper in his hand.
"Eighth rank, eligible to take the captain's exam for the Inspection Bureau."
"Passing the exam not only allows you to join the Inspection Bureau but also grants you a ninth-rank official title!"
"Moreover, there's also the position of deputy commander to compete for!"
Jiang Ning murmured to himself as he read the paper.
His eyes gleamed with determination.
He immediately set his sights on the deputy commander position.
Securing the deputy commander role would grant him an eighth-rank official title.
Although it was a deputy eighth-rank position, not a full eighth-rank, in Luoshui County, even a deputy eighth-rank was a significant figure.
The chief constable of the county office was only a deputy eighth-rank official.
True eighth-rank officials in Luoshui County were few and far between.
The county captain was one, holding a full eighth-rank position.
The commander of the city guard was another, also a full eighth rank.
As for officials above the eighth rank, there were only two in Luoshui County.
The garrison commander outside the city and the county magistrate inside.
And who were these two?
One was a powerful figure with military authority, commanding the garrison and able to mobilize the city guard.
The other was the supreme authority of Luoshui County, the local emperor, a true dragon who could force the three major families Cao, Liu, and Xie to unite against him.
This showed just how significant an eighth-rank official was.
They were only below these two figures.
If he could secure the deputy commander position and obtain a deputy eighth-rank title, it would be a meteoric rise.
After all, the Inspection Bureau was a true enforcement agency.
From what Jiang Ning understood, it could be compared to the Imperial Guards of his previous life.
But in reality, the Inspection Bureau's authority far surpassed that of the Imperial Guards.
This was because the Inspection Bureau was under the control of the Martial Saint, who had dominated the world for eight hundred years.
The only Martial Saint in the world.
Thus, any official of the Inspection Bureau held real power.
And with real power came status.
But Jiang Ning also knew that securing a deputy eighth-rank position would be difficult.
According to the information, these positions were almost always reserved for the descendants of noble families from the Martial Academy.
The Martial Academy was located in Dongling City, the capital of Dongling Prefecture.
It was the Great Xia Dynasty's institution for cultivating martial talent.
Only those of noble birth or with exceptional martial talent could join the Martial Academy.
Even wealthy families found it difficult to gain entry.
In the path of martial arts, background was extremely important.
Lacking talent?
There were rare medicines to compensate.
Weak bloodline?
There were potent elixirs to strengthen it.
But these precious resources were not easily obtainable without status, even with money.
Take, for example, the Leopard Fetus Body Transformation Pill from the Medicine King Valley.
Thus, even the most ordinary person from a noble family could become extraordinary.
In such a context, for an ordinary person to join the Martial Academy and become a student was a testament to their exceptional talent.
Such talent would inevitably attract the attention and cultivation of powerful figures.
Jiang Ning understood this deeply.
If it weren't for his extraordinary talent, how could he have gained the favor of Wang Jin, Shen Congyun, and Lin Qingyi?
So he knew very well that competing for the deputy commander position against the elite talents from the Martial Academy would be no easy task.
Moreover, competing with them for the position would not be fair.
But no matter how difficult it was, Jiang Ning wanted to try his best.
Holding an official position came with immense benefits.
In this world, the Great Xia Dynasty still ruled supreme.
Within the Great Xia, being an official meant representing righteousness and truth.
Without invincible strength, righteousness and truth were crucial.
Moreover, joining the Inspection Bureau and securing the deputy commander position would mean that even if the Medicine King Valley incident came to light, he wouldn't have to worry too much.
The issue could be resolved because he would then be backed by the Great Xia and the Inspection Bureau, a towering tree.
How could the Medicine King Valley dare to touch an official of the Great Xia court?
Especially an official of the Inspection Bureau.
After all, this world still belonged to the Great Xia.
Messing with a court official could easily make one an example for the Inspection Bureau to deter others.
Jiang Ning was confident about this.
Furthermore, joining the Inspection Bureau would ensure he had access to advanced martial arts techniques.
This was why Jiang Ning was so eager to join the Inspection Bureau.
The benefits were too great.
The only downside was that joining the Inspection Bureau meant he couldn't remain completely detached. He would have to take on responsibilities.
But there were other benefits, such as having a true place of security.
No matter how chaotic the world became, places under the Martial Saint's protection would be the last to fall.
A secure place would give him more time to grow.
Time was what he lacked most.
With enough time, his techniques would continue to break through, gaining more and more special traits, and his strength would grow to unimaginable levels.
Comparing himself now to a month ago, the difference in strength was like night and day.
After bidding farewell to Lin Qingyi and leaving Wanhua Tower.
Jiang Ning glanced back at the top of the tower.
He could see Xiao Lu and Lin Jia'er kneeling outside the pavilion.
After a brief look, he turned away.
Originally, if Xiao Lu had to kneel for two hours, he had considered using his Cloud-Rain Summoning divine ability to save her life.
After all, he had known Xiao Lu for a while, and she had always been attentive whenever he visited Wanhua Tower. He couldn't help but feel sympathy.
But now that Lin Qingyi had reduced the punishment to half an hour, it wouldn't be life-threatening.
Thinking this, Jiang Ning decided to let it go.
Then.
Jiang Ning headed straight home.
This trip had been successful, and he wanted to return as soon as possible to digest the resources he had gained and improve his strength.
The stronger he became, the greater his chances of securing the deputy commander position.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
[Name]: Jiang Ning
[Source Energy]: 143.7
[Skills]:
Literacy (Second Breakthrough 1833/3000) (Traits: Photographic Memory, Enhanced Senses)
Five Animals Fist (First Breakthrough 322/2000) (Trait: Essence Storage in Organs)
Firewood Chopping Saber Technique (Fourth Breakthrough 5000/5000) (Traits: Versatility, Swift as the Wind, Mastery, Unity of Man and Saber)
Internal Alchemy Cultivation Technique (Proficient 1644/2000)
Surging Waves Saber Technique (Mastery 48/1000)
Vajra Indestructible Body (Minor Mastery 453/5000)
Water Affinity (Fourth Breakthrough 3873/5000) (Traits: Underwater Breathing, Water Manipulation, Water Spirit Affinity, Cloud-Rain Summoning)
These past two days had been incredibly productive for Jiang Ning.
Every day, aside from training, he focused on digesting the resources he had acquired.
The Vajra Pill had long been fully absorbed.
And he had witnessed the potency of this pill.
It had directly increased his strength to 3,500 pounds, a testament to the Vajra Pill's effects.
Now, his strength had reached 3,700 pounds.
At this level, he realized that the muscle groups in his arms had been tempered to their limit.
To increase his strength further, he would need to temper other muscle groups in his body.
Strength permeated the entire body, and the human body was a unified whole.
The transformation of all muscle groups would naturally allow his arms to reach new heights of strength.
Over these two days, aside from the significant increase in strength.
The most notable improvement was the growth in Source Energy points.
From the previous 51.8 Source Energy points, it had surged to 143.7.
This dramatic increase was due to his relentless consumption of resources over the past two days.
The White Dragon Fish meat, which he had been eating, was now mostly gone, with less than thirty pounds remaining.
Additionally, he had been soaking in water constantly, nourished by the water spirits.
His physical condition was continuously recovering, allowing him to use supplements without fear of depletion.
Although his bloodline energy was consumed rapidly, his physical recovery was equally fast.
His stamina and energy were nearly inexhaustible, pushing his efficiency to new heights.
Even when his bloodline energy was depleted, it recovered at an extraordinary rate.
Thus, every day, he visualized the cauldron, using his bloodline energy as fuel to refine the pills in his body multiple times with the Cauldron Pill Refining Secret Technique.
As a result, not only had the Vajra Pill been fully refined, but the Strength Enhancement Pill had also been completely absorbed.
However, he noticed that once his strength exceeded 3,000 pounds, the effects of the Strength Enhancement Pill had diminished significantly.
In contrast, the Vajra Pill's effects remained remarkably potent.
At the same time, the Vajra Pill had another effect.
While digesting its energy and tempering his skin with the Vajra Indestructible Body, he achieved unexpectedly good results.
His Vajra Indestructible Body experience points skyrocketed by over 400 points.
Although these 400 points didn't bring a qualitative change, he noticed that his skin's toughness had increased by at least 30%.
A 30% improvement was undeniably significant.
Ordinary weapons could no longer pierce his skin.
He was truly invulnerable to blades and spears.
Additionally, the Leopard Fetus Body Transformation Pill in his body had also been partially refined.
By tomorrow, he will fully refine the first Leopard Fetus Body Transformation Pill, further boosting his strength.
It was precisely because of this that his Source Energy points had increased so dramatically over the past two days!
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