Chapter 808
Zhou Xing's Ambition!
Guangning City.
In front of the mansion.
"When did you arrive?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, we arrived yesterday evening," Zhou Xing replied.
"What rank are you now?" Jiang Ning asked as he turned and knocked on the door.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, I have reached the peak of the fifth rank!" Zhou Xing replied.
“My lord, I am also a fifth-rank official!” Feng Jiuge said.
"My lord, you've just entered the fourth rank," Xie Xiaojiu said in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning immediately turned around and his gaze fell on Xie Xiaojiu.
Dressed in a black outfit, with sharp, sword-like features, he exuded a heroic air.
His eyes were brighter than before, and he looked energetic and in excellent condition.
"Not bad!" He nodded to Xie Xiaojiu in approval.
"It's all thanks to Lord Marquis's cultivation!" Xie Xiaojiu said calmly.
Jiang Ning smiled. Compared to Feng Jiuge and Zhou Xing, he had indeed poured more resources into Xie Xiaojiu.
Furthermore, Xie Xiaojiu's talent surpasses that of Zhou Xing and Feng Jiuge.
Therefore, he was not surprised that Xie Xiaojiu's martial arts level was higher than Feng Jiuge's and Zhou Xing's.
Then, his gaze fell on Feng Jiuge.
"You are the weakest, which is not right."
Upon hearing this, Feng Jiuge couldn't help but shrink her neck and secretly stick out her tongue.
Before last year, she would have stubbornly refused to listen to Jiang Ning's rebuke.
But things are different now.
Looking at Feng Jiuge's posture, Jiang Ning shook his head helplessly.
Zhou Xing, Feng Jiuge, and Xie Xiaojiu.
He could clearly distinguish the difference in talent among the three.
Xie Xiaojiu is the best, his talent far surpasses the other two.
Next is Feng Jiuge. Her family background is already quite prominent in Dongling County. Her father is a military officer, and she received excellent upbringing from a young age, laying a very good foundation for her career.
Zhou Xing came second.
Like him, Zhou Xing came from Luoshui County, and his family only owned an ordinary pharmacy.
Although he was much better off than ordinary people from a young age, with no worries about food and clothing, he was still somewhat inferior to truly wealthy merchants.
Not to mention compared to Feng Jiuge.
Whether in terms of innate conditions or talent, he is inferior to Feng Jiuge.
But now his strength surpasses that of Feng Jiuge.
There is no other factor besides redoubled efforts.
Zhou Xing was ambitious, and he knew it too.
At the same time, he didn't mind.
Because only those with ambition can be used effectively by him, obey his arrangements, and do so properly.
Without ambition, it's difficult to possess sufficient ability.
Just then.
The bolt behind the door fell down.
The commotion drew their attention, and the group looked toward the main gate ahead.
The mansion gates opened, revealing a pretty little face.
Her eyebrows and eyes were like a painting, and her skin was as white as snow.
The visitor was none other than Ji Mingyue.
Upon seeing Jiang Ning's figure, Ji Mingyue's eyes immediately curved slightly, like a crescent moon.
At this moment, Zhou Xing had already lowered his head.
He knew perfectly well what he should and shouldn't do.
He won't look at things he shouldn't.
He knew that for the Zhou family to rise and prosper, they needed to achieve their goals.
He must hold Jiang Ning firmly in his arms.
Jiangning was his only hope.
No matter what storms the outside world may bring, he has already brainwashed himself not to waver in the slightest.
Because he understood that very few ordinary people have the opportunity to fight for immense wealth and fortune in their lifetime.
Most of the masses are ordinary people, mediocre individuals whose fates are uneventful and whose destinies are uneventful.
Now, following Jiang Ning, his fate is fluctuating like a turbulent sea.
The mountain peak and the abyss may only be one in front of the other.
But he had already obtained an opportunity that most people could only dream of, and he didn't want to miss it or give it up.
He knew exactly what he wanted.
Apart from Jiang Ning, there was no one else who could give him this opportunity.
at the same time.
Xie Xiaojiu's eyes dimmed slightly as he looked at Ji Mingyue appearing behind the door.
She had already guessed the identity of the person in front of her.
"My name is Ji Mingyue. May I ask how the three of you are addressed?" Ji Mingyue's gaze fell on Xie Xiaojiu and the other two.
"Just as I thought!" Xie Xiaojiu thought to himself.
"Your humble servant Zhou Xing greets the Seventeenth Princess!" Zhou Xing was the first to bow and pay his respects.
"This humble official, Feng Jiuge, pays respects to the Seventeenth Princess!" Feng Jiuge immediately bowed in return.
"This humble official, Xie Xiaojiu, greets the Seventeenth Princess!" Xie Xiaojiu also bowed in return.
“No need for such formalities, you three. In public, you don’t need to worry about my status as a princess. Just treat me as a friend of Jiangning,” Ji Mingyue said.
"Your humble servant understands!" Zhou Xing bowed.
"Please come in, all three of you!" Ji Mingyue gestured.
"Come in! Let's talk!" Jiang Ning said.
Then, the three followed Jiang Ning and Ji Mingyue, stepping over the threshold into the front yard of the mansion.
The moment I stepped into the front yard.
A strange look immediately appeared in the eyes of the three people.
Because it is still winter, the grass and trees outside are withered and yellow, with no greenery in sight.
The front yard, however, was a riot of color, with morning glories climbing up the window frames and the fence, creating a vibrant spring scene.
"Please have a seat, all three of you! I'll go get some tea." Ji Mingyue said to the three of them after closing the door slightly, and then walked into the building ahead.
"Please have a seat!" Jiang Ning said.
"Yes, Lord Marquis!" the three replied, and then sat down around the stone table.
"Do you know why I summoned you here?" Jiang Ning asked.
"Please give your orders, Your Excellency!" Zhou Xing stood up and clasped his hands in a salute.
"No need to be so formal!" Jiang Ning gestured for Zhou Xing to sit down.
Zhou Xing sat down again, his back ramrod straight.
"You know something about the situation in Guangning Prefecture, right?" Jiang Ning asked again.
“I know a little!” Zhou Xing nodded.
Jiang Ning said, "Now that the situation in Guangning Prefecture has been stabilized, the Duxian Sect has been destroyed, the Yingtian Alliance has almost collapsed, and the Chaosheng Pavilion has also surrendered! With the two Grandmasters who have surrendered to me, we are more than capable of sweeping away all the major sects in Guangning Prefecture."
Just then, Ji Mingyue came out of the house carrying tea.
"Have a cup of tea to soothe your throat first!" Ji Mingyue said with a smile, adopting the demeanor of a hostess.
Upon seeing Ji Mingyue approaching, Zhou Xing quickly stood up.
"Thank you, Seventeenth Princess!"
"Sit down!" Jiang Ning said calmly.
Zhou Xing felt a chill run down his spine and immediately lowered his head.
"Yes!"
Then they took their seats.
Jiang Ning picked up the tea that Ji Mingyue had placed in front of him and took a small sip.
Where were we?
"Your Excellency, you just said that with those two Grandmasters who have submitted to you, you are more than capable of sweeping away all the major sects in Guangning Prefecture," Zhou Xing replied, following Jiang Ning's lead. At this moment, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.
The surrender of the two grandmasters instantly put him under immense pressure.
Compared to such people, he knew he had no advantage.
The only advantage is that he has a simple kinship with Jiang Ning.
"Then loyalty is the only option!" he thought to himself, further solidifying his decision.
Jiang Ning nodded and continued, "Although the situation in Guangning Prefecture has been initially stabilized, remnants of the forces still exist. I need trustworthy people to handle the subsequent investigations, reorganization, and the guarding and transportation of sect supplies."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xing cupped his hands in greeting.
“If Your Excellency has any orders, I will obey them wholeheartedly.”
Jiang Ning nodded.
"The three of you came with me from Luoshui County, and I trust you three more than the others. So I will need your assistance in what follows."
“Feng Jiuge!” Jiang Ning said again.
"Your subordinate is here!" Feng Jiuge stood up, clasped her hands in a fist and accepted the order.
"You are a woman, so be meticulous and careful. You will take my order to Chaosheng Pavilion later. You will lead your people to check all the books, account books and property lists that Chaosheng Pavilion and the sect have subsequently seized. If there are any doubts, investigate them thoroughly without showing any leniency. If there are any issues that you cannot handle, you can notify me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Ning took out his Marquis's Seal.
Feng Jiuge's expression turned solemn, and she knelt on one knee to accept the Marquis's Seal handed over by Jiang Ning.
"Your subordinate obeys! I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations, Lord!"
Jiang Ning nodded, then looked at Zhou Xing.
"Zhou Xing".
"Your subordinate is here!" Zhou Xing stood up and clasped his hands in obeisance, accepting the order.
“You are quite capable. You went to Chaosheng Pavilion with my envoy's token. All members of Chaosheng Pavilion and subsequent sects who are not good people should be investigated and dealt with according to the law. You are given the right to act first and report later.”
"Yes, Lord Marquis!" Zhou Xing knelt on one knee and accepted the patrol envoy's identification token handed to him by Jiang Ning with a solemn expression.
He held it in both hands, as if holding a rare treasure.
He understood that accepting this identity token meant wielding immense power.
Within Guangning Prefecture, holding this token signifies that Jiangning himself has arrived.
He carefully put away the patrol token that Jiang Ning had given him.
"Please put it down, my lord. I will do my utmost to live up to your expectations."
Seeing Zhou Xing's expression, Jiang Ning nodded.
Then he looked at Xie Xiaojiu.
"Little Nine," he said slowly, "you are the strongest, wielding Sword Nine. With your strength, you are no match for ordinary fourth-rank cultivators. You will be in charge of transporting resources for the major sects. Are you confident?"
"Yes!" Xie Xiaojiu also stood up, embraced his sword and accepted the order from Jiang Ning.
The longsword she held in her hand was the family heirloom that Jiang Ning had previously seized from the Shangguan clan of Divine Sword Manor.
Jiang Ning looked at the three of them and nodded.
next moment.
He lifted the lid of the three cups of tea on the tea tray.
Then dip your index finger into the clear tea and stir it gently.
As he stirred the tea with his fingers, the clear tea turned golden, with wisps of gold swirling in the teacup.
He stirred the three cups of tea one by one, turning them into a golden liquid.
"Drink it!"
Jiang Ning waved his hand, and three cups of tea were placed in front of the three people.
Without hesitation, Zhou Xing picked up the teacup containing the golden liquid in front of him.
goo-dong-
He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
Feng Jiuge and Xie Xiaojiu also picked up their teacups and drank one sip after another.
"Go back and practice for a day, digest the knowledge, and tomorrow you two should be able to enter the fourth rank." Jiang Ning said to Zhou Xing and Feng Jiuge.
Then he looked at Xie Xiaojiu.
"I can still help you with the fourth-grade Marrow Refining stage, but if you want to advance to the third-grade Grandmaster stage, you'll have to do it yourself!"
"Understood!" Xie Xiaojiu nodded.
At that moment, a light suddenly shone in Zhou Xing's eyes.
Third-rank Grandmaster.
The four words Jiang Ning mentioned instantly stirred his emotions.
Before, he never imagined that he would have the opportunity to reach such a level one day.
But at this moment, Jiang Ning mentioned this realm to Xie Xiaojiu.
He immediately understood that, according to his lord, Xie Xiaojiu would soon be able to reach the Grandmaster realm.
He also understood that this would mean he could also reach the level of a grandmaster.
He knew that although his natural talent and potential were not as good as Xie Xiaojiu's.
But when it comes to hard work, he is confident that he far surpasses Xie Xiaojiu.
Now, with Jiang Ning's guidance, he is confident that he can keep up with Xie Xiaojiu's pace.
The thought of one day reaching the level of a grandmaster filled him with excitement.
"Take these things. If you want to make rapid progress in martial arts, you can't do without resources."
As he spoke, Jiang Ning waved his hand, and a stack of silver notes and a gold note floated down in front of the three of them.
The gold notes also had a face value of one hundred taels.
Silver notes, on the other hand, had face values ranging from one thousand taels to ten thousand taels.
"Thank you, Lord Marquis!!" Zhou Xing picked up the gold notes and the stack of silver notes in front of him, his eyes filled with barely concealed excitement.
These days, he dared not use his status to seek any personal gain, for fear that one day Jiang Ning would discover this, lose Jiang Ning's trust, and thus lose this opportunity.
Therefore, he is currently in dire need of money and resources for spiritual practice.
The gold note and the stack of silver notes in front of him could solve his immediate problem.
Feng Jiuge and Xie Xiaojiu also picked up the gold and silver notes in front of them and thanked Jiang Ning.
"Alright, you may leave now! We will set off for Chaosheng Pavilion tomorrow."
"Yes!" the three responded.
Then he bowed and took his leave.
After a while.
The mansion returned to silence, leaving only Jiang Ning and Ji Mingyue.
"With the help of these three, you can relax a bit from now on." Ji Mingyue nodded.
Jiang Ning held the teacup and nodded.
"Things should be fine for the next while."
"That's good!" Ji Mingyue nodded, then asked, "How did things go at Chaosheng Pavilion?"
"Successfully!" Jiang Ning said, "That Black Flood Dragon King has ultimately fallen from the Unity Realm. Without the support of the domain, he is no match for a first-grade martial artist! In addition, the injuries he sustained back then should have caused his physical functions to decline, and with his advanced age, his combat strength has declined even more."
"What is the current situation of the Black Flood Dragon King?" Ji Mingyue sat down, poured herself a cup of tea, and asked Jiang Ning.
"Sell yourself to me for ten years!" Jiang Ning said.
"How could someone of this stature bow down?" Ji Mingyue asked in surprise.
“It can only be said that Chaosheng Pavilion is his Achilles’ heel!” Jiang Ning took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and continued, “I traded the survival of Chaosheng Pavilion with him. If he wants to save the inheritance of Chaosheng Pavilion’s lineage, he has no choice but to bow his head.”
"With someone like him around, you can really rest easy from now on!" Ji Mingyue nodded in approval.
Then he added, "But you must also be careful that the Black Dragon King may feign compliance and stab you in the back one day."
"Understood!" Jiang Ning nodded.
After a while.
"Alright!" Jiang Ning stood up. "I need to go practice my martial arts!"
"What do you want to eat for lunch?" Ji Mingyue asked quickly.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning stopped and pondered for a moment.
"I'd like a bowl of braised beef noodles! I'm really craving my sister-in-law's braised beef noodles."
"Beef noodles with soy sauce?" Ji Mingyue murmured softly, then said, "Okay! I'll go out and buy some condiments right away."
"And," Jiang Ning added, "we also need to fry a few poached eggs. Poached eggs soaked in broth are especially delicious."
“No problem!” Ji Mingyue smiled at Jiang Ning and then walked outside.
Jiang Ning also got up and walked towards the backyard. (End of this chapter)