Front Courtyard of the Martial Arts School
As everyone saw Zhou Xing and the towering Zhang Tiesheng entering the courtyard, they all greeted them warmly.
Hearing the voices behind him, Zhao Hu turned around and immediately spotted Zhou Xing and Zhang Tiesheng.
Zhou Xing, with a smile on his face, walked straight toward Zhao Hu and Cheng Ran.
"Ah, all the junior brothers are here! It seems I'm a bit late. What's going on? I thought I heard something about Junior Brother Zhao wanting to spar with Junior Brother Cheng?"
He then turned his gaze to Li Qing, the lone woman among the crowd. "Junior Sister Li, you're here too! Have you officially stepped into the ninth rank of martial arts?"
"Senior Brother Zhou!" Zhao Hu greeted.
Li Qing also spoke up. "It went smoothly. I officially stepped into the ninth rank yesterday."
"Congratulations!" Zhou Xing said with a smile.
His eyes then shifted between Cheng Ran and Zhao Hu.
"I just walked through the gate and vaguely heard some words between the two junior brothers. Junior Brother Zhao, are you planning to spar with Junior Brother Cheng?"
Zhao Hu snorted. "I've had enough of Cheng Ran! I just wonder if he dares to accept the challenge."
Cheng Ran looked helpless and turned his gaze to Zhou Xing.
Zhou Xing chuckled and said, "Junior Brother Zhao, asking Junior Brother Cheng to spar with you is a bit unfair."
"Junior Brother Cheng has only been at the martial arts school for less than half a year. You, Junior Brother Zhao, are at the minor mastery level of the ninth rank, and your Tiger Fist has reached perfection. You've already mastered the Tiger's Force. How can Junior Brother Cheng possibly match up?"
Li Qing, who wasn't foolish, also understood the situation. She knew Zhao Hu had feelings for her.
She looked at Zhao Hu with a hint of disgust.
"Senior Brother Zhao, you're going too far!"
"Me? Going too far?" Zhao Hu's eyes burned with anger as he glared at Cheng Ran. "Fine! Cheng Ran, I'll remember you!"
Seeing this, Cheng Ran could only sigh helplessly.
Jiang Ning, watching from the side, couldn't help but think to himself, "Beauty truly is a curse. The ancients weren't lying!"
"Thankfully, it's Senior Brother Cheng who's being targeted, not me."
At this moment, Jiang Ning had already made up his mind to keep his distance from women, especially those as attractive as Li Qing.
As Zhao Hu left, Zhou Xing smiled at Cheng Ran.
"Alright, Junior Brother Cheng, the matter is settled."
Cheng Ran cupped his hands in gratitude. "Thank you, Senior Brother Zhou, for helping me out."
"It's nothing!" Zhou Xing said with a smile. "Zhao Hu is stubborn and only sees things his way. Junior Brother Cheng, you'll need to be more careful in the future."
"I understand," Cheng Ran said, cupping his hands again.
Zhou Xing smiled in response.
He had previously tried to recruit Zhao Hu privately, but after failing, he naturally chose to side with Cheng Ran today.
In his eyes, Cheng Ran came from a wealthy family and had decent martial talent.
His chances of competing with Xiao Peng for the spot in the Inspection Bureau were about even, with both having a fifty-fifty chance.
Therefore, Zhou Xing had no intention of letting Cheng Ran slip away.
For him, the most important thing about joining the Inspection Bureau was power. The authority of the Inspection Bureau was immense.
They could inspect the people, patrol the land, and even execute nobles and commoners without prior approval.
Zhou Xing understood just how significant this power was.
For the Zhou family to prosper and become a force like the Cao, Liu, and Xie families or even surpass them to become the local rulers of Luoshui County the key lay in the Inspection Bureau.
The unique circumstances of the Great Xia Empire created this special government institution.
Thus, Zhou Xing aimed to befriend anyone who had a chance to join the Inspection Bureau.
However, recruiting Zhao Hu had proven impossible. Zhao Hu came from a humble background and harbored deep resentment toward wealthy families like Zhou Xing and Cheng Ran.
Zhou Xing then pulled out a few invitations from his pocket.
"Junior Brother Cheng, would you be willing to come to Fenghua Tower three days from now?"
"What's this?" Cheng Ran asked, looking puzzled.
Zhou Xing smiled. "The Inspection Bureau will open in three months. I have high hopes for you, Junior Brother Cheng, and would like to work alongside you. Inside the invitation are the terms I'm offering. Feel free to take a look."
Cheng Ran smiled knowingly. "Senior Brother Zhou, please give me some time to consider."
"No rush! No rush!" Zhou Xing shook his head with a smile. "You have three days to think it over."
He then turned to Li Qing and pulled out another invitation. "Junior Sister Li, your family is well-off, so you might not care much for my offer. But I'd still like to work together with you."
Li Qing took the invitation, glanced at it, and then closed it.
"Senior Brother Zhou, I appreciate your kindness. As fellow disciples, we should naturally support each other."
Hearing this, Cheng Ran understood Li Qing's stance and smiled.
"In that case, with Junior Sister Li's words, that's enough for me."
Zhou Xing then said, "Junior brothers and sisters, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now."
"Senior Brother, take care," Cheng Ran said.
Li Qing also nodded.
At this moment, Jiang Ning cupped his hands and said, "Senior Brother Zhou, please wait a moment."
"What is it?" Zhou Xing stopped.
Jiang Ning said, "I'd like to buy some wild ginseng from Senior Brother Zhou to replenish my body's energy."
"Oh, that's all?" Zhou Xing smiled. "I usually charge ten taels of silver for a ten-year-old wild ginseng. How much are you looking to spend?"
Jiang Ning took out the silver notes from his pocket, along with the twenty taels of silver his brother Jiang Li had sent him. "Senior Brother Zhou, here's fifty taels in notes and twenty taels in silver. I'd like to exchange all of it for wild ginseng."
Zhou Xing took the silver notes without even checking them and pocketed them directly, showing his straightforward nature.
"Since it's Junior Brother Jiang asking, I can't charge you the usual ten taels per ginseng. I'll have someone deliver ten wild ginsengs later. The extra three are a gift from me."
"Thank you, Senior Brother Zhou!" Jiang Ning said, cupping his hands in gratitude.
Zhou Xing chuckled. "We're fellow disciples, and as your senior brother, it's only natural for me to look out for you. No need for thanks it would make things too formal."
After speaking, he glanced at Jiang Ning and thought for a moment before deciding against investing in him.
He remembered Jiang Ning from their first meeting, where Jiang Ning had left a small but notable impression.
At the time, Jiang Ning's performance had only stood out for his exceptional memory.
Now, in Zhou Xing's eyes, Jiang Ning had been practicing martial arts for too short a time and was too weak to have any chance of joining the Inspection Bureau when it opened soon.
Missing this opportunity to rise to power and authority meant that Jiang Ning's future achievements would be limited, no matter how talented he was.
Therefore, while Zhou Xing saw some potential in Jiang Ning, he felt that a simple gesture of goodwill was enough.
The current Jiang Ning wasn't worth the significant investment of resources.
After all, while the Zhou family was wealthy, their expenses were also substantial. Recruiting and investing in the people he valued required a great deal of wealth and resources.
If he didn't make a substantial investment, how could he earn their gratitude?
Once the investment succeeded, and the person he supported seized the opportunity to join the Inspection Bureau and rise to prominence, the Zhou family would also benefit greatly.
The favor of a powerful martial artist or someone in authority wasn't something that could be measured in mere gold and silver.
Investing in someone when they were weak and hadn't yet achieved success could yield immense rewards if it paid off.
Even if they didn't rise to great heights, having someone trustworthy in the Inspection Bureau would be invaluable for his future promotions.
Thus, Zhou Xing wasn't willing to waste resources on someone with no chance of success.
In his eyes, a person's opportunities in life were limited. Once missed, they were truly gone, and their future would be entirely different.
Luck and opportunity were also part of one's strength, and Zhou Xing firmly believed in this.
Having made his decision, he waved his hand and turned to leave.
Seeing this, Li Qing also said, "Junior brothers, I'll go pay my respects to Master now."
"Senior Sister, take care," Cheng Ran said.
Jiang Ning also spoke up. "Senior Sister Li, take care!"
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