Outside the courtyard.
"Master Xie, come in!"
A voice suddenly rang in Xie Zhengtian's ears.
His entire body trembled at once.
Transmitting sound directly into one's ear!
His heart grew even heavier.
As the head of the Xie family, he naturally understood this technique.
It was typically a skill mastered only by those who had reached the Fifth Rank Inner Strength Realm.
To use this ability, one had to control their inner energy and possess a strong enough spiritual force to project their voice outside their body.
Because of this, transmitting sound directly into someone's ear was usually a technique exclusive to powerful experts of the Fifth Rank Inner Strength Realm.
"This is someone I absolutely cannot afford to offend!"
Xie Zhengtian couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Only then did he step into the grand courtyard where Jiang Ning resided.
As soon as he entered, he saw Jiang Ning, dressed in a loose-fitting white training robe, slowly rising from his meditation cushion.
"Meditating and training… Was Jiang Ning just cultivating an Inner Strength technique?"
This thought crossed Xie Zhengtian's mind as he instinctively glanced up at the blazing sun in the sky.
He suddenly recalled seeing Shen Congyun practicing a similar meditation and breathing technique before.
And in that instant, he made the connection between Jiang Ning and Shen Congyun.
"That explains everything!"
A realization dawned upon him, and he felt like he had figured out where Jiang Ning had learned his Inner Strength technique.
"If this is true, then it's terrifying!"
His heart filled with even greater apprehension toward Jiang Ning.
Inner Strength techniques typically required years of slow, meticulous cultivation.
The older one was, the more profound and abundant their inner energy tended to be.
He had never heard of anyone who, in less than a year, had reached such an advanced level in Inner Strength cultivation.
At that moment, Jiang Ning glanced at Lü Yi and instructed her to head to Wanhua Pavilion to purchase the exfoliating sand and skin-nourishing cream she needed.
Women, when undergoing exfoliation, always had to be more cautious than men.
No woman wanted her skin to become rough and dull due to improper exfoliation.
Thus, most women not only used exfoliating sand but also applied skin-nourishing cream afterward to maintain a smooth and delicate complexion.
Jiang Ning cared about this as well.
Now that Lü Yi was serving by his side, her appearance mattered after all, having an attractive presence around could certainly brighten one's mood.
A beautiful woman was, in itself, a pleasant sight to behold.
A short while later.
In the pavilion.
Xie Zhengtian sat across from Jiang Ning.
"Commander Jiang, allow me!"
Seeing Jiang Ning about to pour tea for him, Xie Zhengtian hurriedly stood up, his face full of a flattering smile.
Jiang Ning didn't insist.
With Lü Yi attending to him, he had grown increasingly accustomed to the comfort of having someone take care of mundane tasks.
"Doubt the landlord, understand the landlord!"
Thinking of this phrase, Jiang Ning couldn't help but chuckle.
Now, he understood why wealthy people in his past life always hired housekeepers.
Given the choice, who would want to handle trivial chores every day?
Wouldn't everyone rather enjoy the luxury of having everything prepared for them, freeing up their time for what truly mattered?
At the same time.
Seeing the smile on Jiang Ning's face, Xie Zhengtian felt his nervousness ease slightly.
The better Jiang Ning's mood was today, the higher the chances that the Xie family could survive this crisis.
With that in mind…
After pouring tea for both himself and Jiang Ning, Xie Zhengtian took out a thick dossier and placed it in front of Jiang Ning.
"Commander Jiang, this is the result of my thorough investigation over the past half month."
"I have compiled a full record of the crimes committed by all 247 members of the Xie family."
"Among them, 109 individuals are guilty of major crimes, while 73 individuals have committed lesser offenses. All are documented in this dossier."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning raised his eyebrows in surprise and took the dossier.
Flipping through the pages quickly, he scanned the contents.
After just a few moments…
As he reached the later sections, he couldn't help but marvel.
"Damn!"
"Now that's ruthless!"
A glance was enough for him to see that Xie Zhengtian had gone to extreme lengths this time.
According to the records, nearly a hundred people in the Xie family were sentenced to death.
Beside him, Xie Zhengtian, seeing Jiang Ning had reached the final pages, spoke up.
"Commander Jiang, I have already submitted a copy of this dossier to the government office."
"Every crime committed by the Xie family will be dealt with according to the Great Xia Law, without leniency."
After that, he exchanged a glance with the dark-faced man beside him.
The dark-faced man immediately stepped forward and placed a redwood box on the stone table.
Noticing Jiang Ning's gaze shift toward the box, Xie Zhengtian swiftly opened it.
Inside, bars of gleaming gold reflected the sunlight, shining brilliantly before Jiang Ning's eyes.
"Commander Jiang," Xie Zhengtian said with a serious expression,
"This is a small token of my appreciation."
"Previously, you stopped the Black Mountain Army from breaching the inner city, saving the lives of more than three hundred members of the Xie family."
"You also preserved the foundation our family has built over the past two hundred years."
Looking at the gold ingots in the redwood box, Jiang Ning said calmly,
"Patriarch Xie, you've already expressed your gratitude before."
"No, that wasn't enough!" Xie Zhengtian said firmly. "If the rebels had entered the city, who knows how many would have died? How much of our family's foundation, built over two hundred years, would have been destroyed? This is not just gratitude from my Xie family, but from the hundreds of thousands of citizens of this city as well!"
"This gesture represents the gratitude of my entire Xie family, as well as the gratitude of all the people in the city."
"I insist that Commander Jiang accept it!"
Xie Zhengtian looked at Jiang Ning with a sincere expression.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning glanced at him, letting his gaze linger for a few breaths.
It wasn't until he noticed Xie Zhengtian's breathing becoming irregular and his heartbeat quickening that he finally spoke.
"Alright, I'll accept it!"
Hearing this, Xie Zhengtian's tense heart finally settled, and he almost felt his legs go weak with relief.
At this moment, Jiang Ning placed the dossier in front of Xie Zhengtian.
"Patriarch Xie, you just said that all the crimes committed by your family members will be dealt with according to the laws of Great Xia, with no leniency. Can you go through with it?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhengtian patted his chest and said,
"Commander Jiang, rest assured, I have already made up my mind! If I continue to let these parasites wreak havoc within my family, disaster will eventually come knocking."
"For a family to prosper long-term, it must endure periods of painful reform."
"These people are nothing but a burden to the Xie family's future prosperity."
"I have already submitted these case files to the government, and justice will be served by the laws of Great Xia. No leniency will be shown!"
"Moreover, my Xie family is the largest grain merchant in the county. I have made up my mind soon, we will open our granaries to provide relief to the entire city and help the people survive this harsh winter!"
At this moment, upon hearing Xie Zhengtian's final statement, Jiang Ning nodded approvingly.
"Good! I hope you will keep your word and open the granaries to aid the people of the city."
Xie Zhengtian once again patted his chest and assured,
"Commander Jiang, rest assured! Since I have made this promise, I will see it through!"
"The people of this county are my fellow townsfolk. In times like these, as someone with wealth and resources, my Xie family must contribute."
A short while later.
After seeing Xie Zhengtian off, Jiang Ning looked at the neatly stacked gold ingots on the table, feeling deeply moved.
He had never expected that after Xie Zhengtian had previously given him banknotes worth twenty thousand taels of silver, he would now bring an additional sixty-six taels of gold.
It was important to note that in Great Xia, gold was a consumable resource and highly valuable one tael of gold was equivalent to one thousand taels of silver.
Sixty-six taels of gold, based on the official exchange rate, equaled sixty-six thousand taels of silver.
If exchanged privately, it would usually have a premium.
This meant that these sixty-six taels of gold were worth approximately seventy thousand taels of silver.
"With this money, I can finally purchase the last rare treasure stored in Wanhua Pavilion!"
Thinking of this, Jiang Ning felt a surge of excitement.
His Five Animal Fists technique had already accumulated enough experience for four breakthroughs the only thing missing was the required source energy points.
But with this newfound wealth, combined with the gifts he had received from various factions in the city on the first day of the new year, his total assets would exceed ninety thousand taels of silver.
Thanks to the VIP token that Shen Congyun had left him, Jiang Ning could purchase anything from Wanhua Pavilion at a twenty percent discount.
This meant that the rare treasure, originally priced at one hundred thousand taels of silver, could be bought for just eighty thousand taels.
With Xie Zhengtian's additional sixty-six taels of gold, he now had more than enough, with plenty to spare.
"I'll have to visit Wanhua Pavilion in person this afternoon!"
"That way, by tomorrow, my Five Animal Fists technique should complete its fourth breakthrough!"
"This will not only grant me new abilities but also significantly increase my vitality through training, allowing me to absorb even more of the Five Elements Spiritual Essence to nourish my internal organs!"
"This Xie Zhengtian… truly knows how to act wisely!"
Thinking of Xie Zhengtian, Jiang Ning couldn't help but smile.
To be honest, he found the man quite ruthless.
According to the case files, if the Great Xia legal system was strictly followed, over a hundred members of the Xie family would be sentenced to death.
In addition, dozens more would face severe punishments, including imprisonment or exile.
In the end, only a few dozen members of the Xie family would remain unscathed.
From Jiang Ning's perspective, even if Xie Zhengtian had hidden some truths, it wouldn't have been much.
And on top of that, the Xie family was now opening its granaries to aid the city's people an undeniable act of great kindness.
This winter was harsh; from Jiang Ning's experience, the average temperature must have dropped below minus ten degrees.
While not an extreme disaster, it was still a terrible ordeal for the poor who lacked food and warm clothing.
Especially since the previous summer and autumn had both suffered severe droughts.
Even though the fields around Luoshui County could be irrigated with water from the Luo River, the harvest had still been significantly affected.
As a result, this winter had become even harder to endure.
Especially as time goes on and the reserve grain decreases, it will become even harder to endure.
Now that the Xie family has decided to open their granaries widely, things are different.
The Xie family is the largest grain merchant in Luoshui County.
Their stored grain is more than sufficient to help the townspeople who would otherwise not survive make it through the harsh winter.
This is a great act of kindness.
On the other side.
After stepping out of the gate with the black-faced man, Xie Zhengtian let out a deep breath.
His expression showed a sense of relief.
Although the price he paid this time was significant, he felt it was worth it.
If the Xie family were to fall into the same situation as the Liu family, all his careful calculations would have been for nothing.
At this most critical moment for the Xie family, he dared not take any chances.
Today's actions were the best he could do.
"Luckily, this crisis has been averted!"
He murmured under his breath.
At that moment, the black-faced man behind him spoke.
"Big Brother, I've been thinking about what Jiang Ning just said."
"What did he say?" Xie Zhengtian turned his head and asked.
"Why did Jiang Ning tell you to mix sand into the porridge when distributing it?" The black-faced man looked puzzled.
Hearing this, Xie Zhengtian's expression showed admiration.
"That remark shows that Commander Jiang not only has a kind heart but also great wisdom!"
"Great wisdom?" The black-faced man looked even more confused. "Big Brother, why do you say that?"
Xie Zhengtian explained, "If I gave you a bowl of porridge mixed with sand, would you drink it?"
"I'm the second master of the Xie family! How could I drink such a thing?" The black-faced man widened his eyes.
Xie Zhengtian continued, "But what if you were starving, barely able to stay conscious?"
"Then, of course, I wouldn't be so picky!" The black-faced man scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
"There you have it!" Xie Zhengtian chuckled. "People who have enough food wouldn't be willing to drink porridge mixed with sand. But for those who are truly starving and can't survive the winter, even half a bun from the slop bucket would be a treasure."
Hearing this, the black-faced man suddenly understood, his eyes widening.
"I get it! No wonder you say Commander Jiang is a man of great wisdom!"
"Exactly!" Xie Zhengtian sighed. "If we were to distribute porridge freely to the entire city, even with the Xie family's grain reserves, they would be emptied in no time."
"But this way, only those who are truly in need will come for the porridge mixed with sand!"
"This way, most of them should be able to make it through the winter!"
At midday.
"Young Master, I'm back!"
Lü Yi appeared in front of Jiang Ning just as he finished his boxing practice. She stood before him, breathing slightly heavily, her forehead glistening with sweat.
"Have you eaten yet?" Jiang Ning asked.
"I was in a hurry on the way back, so I haven't eaten yet," Lü Yi replied.
"Perfect. Come eat with me." Jiang Ning stood up.
"You... Young Master?" Lü Yi looked surprised, then said, "But Lady Liu hasn't called you for the meal yet."
Jiang Ning said calmly, "They're all waiting for you."
"Young Master..." Lü Yi's eyes instantly reddened.
Watching Jiang Ning walk out of the courtyard, she quickly followed behind him.
After leaving the courtyard, Lü Yi adjusted her emotions and spoke.
"Young Master, just now, Master Lin told me to let you know that if you have time, you should visit her place. There's a letter for you."
"A letter for me?" Jiang Ning paused, looking puzzled. "Who would send me a letter?"
"I don't know either," Lü Yi said.
"Stop calling yourself a servant."
"Yes, Young Master!" Lü Yi immediately corrected herself, suddenly startled, then covered her mouth.
"It's fine," Jiang Ning chuckled. "You're not used to it yet it's normal."
Lü Yi nodded and continued, "Master Lin emphasized that the letter is definitely for you and told me to make sure I informed you."
"Then this afternoon, come with me to see Master Lin," Jiang Ning said.
He then glanced at Lü Yi. "Did you buy everything needed for skin polishing?"
"Young Master, I bought the polishing sand," Lü Yi answered.
Hearing this, Jiang Ning stopped walking. "What about the skin protection balm?"
"That was too expensive..." Lü Yi lowered her head, looking as if she wanted to bury her face in her chest.
"Come with me to see Master Lin this afternoon, and I'll buy it for you," Jiang Ning said. "Without it, your skin will deteriorate, and I wouldn't like that. I prefer you to look fresh and radiant."
Hearing this, Lü Yi bit her lip slightly, her face turning red.
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