At this moment, Jiang Ning had a rough understanding of what the fragment of the Inner Alchemy Nourishment Technique meant by "unleashing hidden power."
The human body's internal organs hold many secrets.
For example, in his previous life, he had heard of a mother who, upon seeing her son trapped under a car, unleashed her latent potential and lifted the car to save him.
Such examples were countless.
If the body's latent potential could be unleashed, it could produce strength far beyond the ordinary.
These hidden powers, such as adrenaline, are stored within the internal organs.
Therefore, Jiang Ning was well aware that if he could achieve this, it would undoubtedly become a trump card for him.
"However, grinding through these 1,000 experience points won't be an overnight task!"
Jiang Ning muttered to himself as he looked at the progress of the Inner Alchemy Nourishment Technique on his panel.
After a short rest, once he no longer felt any abnormalities in his organs, he continued to practice the breathing technique described in the Inner Alchemy Nourishment Technique, facing the newly risen sun before the Mao hour ended and the Chen hour began.
[Inner Alchemy Nourishment Technique Experience +1]
[Inner Alchemy Nourishment Technique Experience +1]
[...]
He continued until the Chen hour was about to begin, then stopped.
[Skill]: Inner Alchemy Nourishment Technique (Mastered: 6/1000)
That night, Jiang Ning took out two silver ingots from his pocket, his expression complex.
Each ingot weighed ten taels, so two amounted to twenty taels.
These twenty taels of silver had been given to him earlier that afternoon by his elder brother, Jiang Li, through a former colleague who was now a constable. The colleague had delivered the silver to the martial arts school's gate.
Jiang Ning's eyes showed a hint of guilt.
"Twenty taels of silver... I wonder where my brother borrowed this from."
He shook his head, sighing.
"Forget it, no point dwelling on this."
"The top priority now is to improve my strength. Only by becoming stronger can I change my fate and that of my brother's family."
"Once I achieve the rank of a martial artist and join the Inspection Bureau, I'll move my brother and his family to the inner city."
"As for the kindness my brother and sister-in-law have shown me, I'll repay them slowly in the future."
Jiang Ning made this decision silently in his heart.
He then put the twenty taels of silver away and continued grinding his fist technique experience.
The next day, at the fourth mark of the Chen hour, after the martial arts school opened, Cheng Ran entered and left the front courtyard with Jiang Ning, heading toward Jiang Ning's small residence.
Once they entered the courtyard, Jiang Ning spoke.
"Senior Brother Cheng, how did it go?"
Cheng Ran nodded. "You guessed correctly. There are indeed two people keeping watch at the school's gate. They're members of the Green Snake Gang."
"The Green Snake Gang?"
Cheng Ran nodded again. "There are three major gangs in Luoshui County: the Green Snake Gang, the Black Tiger Gang, and the Bamboo Gang. Each of these gangs is backed by certain families. The Green Snake Gang is involved in water transport and human trafficking, and they're backed by the Cao family."
"Just as I thought," Jiang Ning said, not at all surprised.
Cheng Ran looked at Jiang Ning. "As for the other matter you asked me to investigate, I've also found out some information."
"A few days ago, the yamen took the initiative to suppress the Worship God Cult but ended up suffering a setback. As a result, the cult's influence in the outer city has grown stronger recently."
"However, your brother and sister-in-law are safe for now. The patrols around their home have increased significantly, with constables passing by regularly. There hasn't been any trouble."
Hearing that his brother and sister-in-law were still safe, Jiang Ning felt a wave of relief.
"That's good."
Cheng Ran continued, "As for Xu Yunfeng, whom you asked me to investigate, I've also found some results. Xu Yunfeng doesn't have many recorded actions, but his last known feat was capturing a criminal who had fled after committing a violent crime. That criminal was no weakling he had achieved major progress in qi and blood and had successfully circulated it through his limbs."
Jiang Ning said, "So, Xu Yunfeng is likely at the same level as you, Senior Brother someone with full qi and blood circulation, on the verge of becoming a ranked martial artist?"
Cheng Ran nodded. "Most likely. He's a subordinate of Cao Bin and backed by the Cao family. If he achieves the rank of a martial artist, his position and status in the yamen will undoubtedly rise. As the saying goes, 'The common people don't fight with officials.' It's indeed troublesome for you to be targeted by him."
Jiang Ning sighed. "There's nothing I can do about it."
"True," Cheng Ran agreed. "Cao Bin suddenly taking an interest in your sister-in-law is just bad luck."
He then added, "Unfortunately, I don't have much influence. I can't ask my father to intervene and persuade Cao Bin to leave your sister-in-law alone."
"Senior Brother Cheng, I appreciate your kindness," Jiang Ning said, cupping his hands in gratitude.
However, in his heart, he shook his head. After analyzing the situation multiple times, he realized that this matter wasn't as simple as Cao Bin's desires.
It was likely tied to the power struggle between the county magistrate, an outsider, and the local forces.
His brother and sister-in-law had been dragged into this vortex, perhaps partly due to Cao Bin's motives, but more so because of the conflict between these two factions.
Since his brother had been chosen as a pawn in this struggle, even if Cheng Ran's father were to intervene, the Cao family wouldn't easily back down.
"Everything still depends on me."
"Becoming Wang Jin's true disciple can alleviate the initial crisis."
"Joining the Inspection Bureau and gaining the backing of that powerful organization is the only way to completely resolve this situation."
Jiang Ning silently reaffirmed his resolve.
Cheng Ran then said, "As for the other matter you asked me to look into finding suitable medicinal supplements for your training I did some research. A ten-year-old wild ginseng is the most suitable and cost-effective option for you."
"On the market, a ten-year-old wild ginseng costs about fifteen taels of silver, but you might as well go to Senior Brother Zhou Xing."
"I've heard that any disciple of our martial arts school can buy a ten-year-old wild ginseng from Senior Brother Zhou Xing for ten taels of silver, which is about five taels cheaper than the market price."
"Senior Brother Zhou Xing's family is one of the largest medicinal merchants in Luoshui County. The ten taels of silver are likely their cost price, making it a very good deal."
"This afternoon, during the 'Tiger Out of the Cage' event, Senior Brother Zhou Xing will most likely come to the martial arts school. You can approach him then to buy the ginseng."
After listening carefully, Jiang Ning cupped his hands again. "Thank you for your help these past few days, Senior Brother Cheng."
Cheng Ran laughed. "Junior Brother Jiang, you're being too polite. If you hadn't intervened the other day, I wouldn't be standing here talking to you now."
"The opportunity to join the Inspection Bureau would have been even more out of reach for me. You've truly done me a great favor, giving me a chance to compete with Xiao Peng for that spot."
Seeing Cheng Ran speaking with such vigor, Jiang Ning couldn't help but ask, "Senior Brother Cheng, you sound full of energy. Has your injury healed?"
"That's right!" Cheng Ran smiled and nodded. "When my father heard that I wanted to join the Inspection Bureau, he knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He spent a fortune to buy a Great Recovery Pill, and within a day, my injuries were completely healed. My qi and blood have even grown stronger by more than ten percent!"
As he spoke, Cheng Ran clenched his fist. "When the time comes, I'll make sure Xiao Peng tastes the bitterness of injury too."
"Senior Brother Cheng, you have great spirit!" Jiang Ning praised.
Cheng Ran chuckled. "I just can't stand that Xiao Peng. He's too sneaky, hiding that move of his. I almost fell for his trap."
"Speaking of which, it's a pity," Cheng Ran said, looking at Jiang Ning with a hint of regret. "Junior Brother Jiang, your talent for learning fist techniques is the most outstanding I've ever seen. To reach this level in just a few days of training if you had started a year or two earlier, that spot would never have gone to Xiao Peng. Of course, it wouldn't have gone to me either, so in a way, it's to my advantage!"
Jiang Ning smiled and shook his head. "There's no need to feel regret. Who can predict the future? The fact that I can practice martial arts at all means I've already escaped the fate of an ordinary person. I'm satisfied with that. How far I can go in the future depends entirely on my efforts."
"Junior Brother Jiang, you're truly open-minded. I admire that!" Cheng Ran cupped his hands in respect, then patted his chest. "Don't worry, Junior Brother Jiang. As long as I'm here, Xiao Peng won't have an easy time securing that spot. I'll compete with him for it!"
Jiang Ning smiled but didn't say anything more.
He had never told anyone about his intention to compete for the spot in the Inspection Bureau, and he wasn't about to start now.
-support me in Patreon for more chapter, 150+ chapters
patreon.com/LordoftheReader