Outer City.
Jiang Li stared at the deed in his hands, his eyes widening in disbelief. His gaze was fixed on one particular line the one indicating the size of the main residence.
After several breaths, he slowly looked up. "A property spanning over five mu... Did you buy this, little brother?"
Jiang Ning smiled. "Big brother, it's all written in black and white on the deed, and it bears the official seal. How could it be fake?"
Hearing this, Jiang Li's expression softened. After a moment, he exchanged a glance with Liu Wanwan.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning spoke again, "Big brother, sister-in-law, there's no need to hesitate. I can't live in such a big house alone. Besides, you can see for yourselves that the world is becoming more unstable. The outer city is much more chaotic than the inner city. Even if you don't think about yourselves, think about the safety of Little Doubao and Jiang Yiming!"
Jiang Li and Liu Wanwan exchanged another look, and Jiang Li nodded firmly. "You're right, little brother. The world is indeed becoming more dangerous, and the inner city is much safer."
Liu Wanwan also spoke up, "Aning, thank you."
Jiang Ning smiled warmly. "Big brother, sister-in-law, there's no need to be so formal. I've been living off you for so many years, and you never complained."
Liu Wanwan, recalling the nights she had vented her frustrations to Jiang Li, felt a pang of guilt.
Soon, the family began packing their belongings, preparing to move.
Ten Days Later.
Over the past ten days, Jiang Ning had been traveling daily between the martial arts school and his newly purchased mansion by the Luo River. The mansion, now officially named "Jiang Residence," had become home to Jiang Ning, Jiang Li, Liu Wanwan, and their children.
Living in the spacious mansion, Jiang Ning finally experienced true peace of mind. The property, spanning over five mu, was divided into three large courtyards east, west, and north. The high walls and tall trees ensured complete privacy, allowing Jiang Ning to refine his skin without any interruptions or awkwardness.
With his mood improved, Jiang Ning felt that his martial progress had also accelerated.
During these ten days, Luoshui County had remained relatively peaceful. The only notable event was the arrival of an elder from the Medicine King Valley, accompanied by several skilled martial artists. According to the discussions among the martial arts school disciples, the elder, a seventh-grade martial artist, had come to capture the notorious bandit Tian Buyi, who was rumored to be hiding in the county.
Tian Buyi, known as "River Dragon Tian," was an eighth-grade martial artist. The Medicine King Valley had sent not only the elder but also three other eighth-grade experts, showing their determination to capture him.
Jiang Ning was particularly interested in the bounty on Tian Buyi. Providing credible information about his whereabouts would reward one with a hundred taels of silver while capturing him would yield a hundred taels of gold equivalent to a hundred thousand taels of silver.
Such a high bounty naturally caught Jiang Ning's attention. Capturing Tian Buyi would mean instant wealth. However, Jiang Ning also sensed that there was more to the story. Why would a mere eighth-grade bandit warrant such a high bounty and the personal attention of a seventh-grade elder?
In Jiang Ning's estimation, there had to be more to Tian Buyi's story. After all, even someone as formidable as Wang Jin, one of the top experts in Luoshui County, had a fortune of only around ten thousand taels of silver. A bounty of a hundred taels of gold ten times Wang Jin's wealth was unheard of for an eighth-grade bandit.
Martial Arts School.
[Five Animals Fist experience +1]
[Five Animals Fist experience +1]
[Five Animals Fist experience +1]
Jiang Ning practiced his fist techniques repeatedly in the front courtyard. With each repetition, his qi and blood surged, increasing by five strands.
Qi and blood were the foundation of martial arts. Without strong qi and blood, martial progress would be slow. The stronger one's qi and blood, the stronger their physique, and the more efficient their refinement of skin, muscles, and other aspects of the body.
Thus, Jiang Ning still placed great importance on the Five Animals Fist. Not only did it strengthen his qi and blood, but once it reached the breakthrough level, it would grant him new traits, which he eagerly anticipated.
The Five Animals Fist was the closest of his martial skills to reaching the breakthrough level.
As he practiced, the surrounding disciples stopped their training to watch and learn from Jiang Ning's movements. His mastery of the fist technique, with its perfect balance of form and spirit, hardness and softness, movement and stillness, was a rare opportunity for them to gain insights.
They knew that Jiang Ning's visits to the school were becoming less frequent as he spent more time at his new home. This made his demonstrations all the more valuable.
After several repetitions, Jiang Ning felt his stamina depleting. The intense refinement of his qi and blood had left him feeling somewhat drained. He stopped practicing and picked up a piece of wild ginseng, chewing it to replenish his energy.
Once he felt his strength returning, he checked his system panel.
[Name]: Jiang Ning
[Source Energy]: 53.8
[Skills]:
Literacy (Second Breakthrough 811/3000) (Traits: Photographic Memory, Enhanced Senses)
Five Animals Fist (Perfection 533/1000)
Firewood Chopping Technique (Third Breakthrough 4000/4000) (Traits: Versatility, Swift as the Wind, Mastery of the Blade)
Internal Elixir Cultivation Art (Proficient 807/2000)
Canglang Blade Technique (Proficient 1/200)
Indestructible Golden Body (Beginner 721/1000)
Jiang Ning nodded in satisfaction. Over the past ten days, his Source Energy had grown from a few points to 53.8, a significant increase. This was enough to allow for the third breakthrough of his Firewood Chopping Technique and Literacy skills.
However, while his Firewood Chopping Technique had already reached its third breakthrough, the fourth breakthrough would require a hundred Source Energy points, which he still lacked. As for Literacy, it was still far from its third breakthrough, requiring over two thousand experience points.
The real bottleneck for Literacy was the slow growth of experience points, which made a third breakthrough unlikely in the short term.
Jiang Ning was particularly pleased with the progress of his Five Animals Fist, Internal Elixir Cultivation Art, and Indestructible Golden Body.
The Five Animals Fist had gained over four hundred experience points, bringing his total to 533. This meant he had practiced the fist technique over four hundred times, each time increasing his qi and blood by five strands. In total, his qi and blood had grown by over two thousand strands, a fifty percent increase since he first entered the ninth grade of martial arts.
The Internal Elixir Cultivation Art had also progressed significantly, from under four hundred experience points to over eight hundred. This improvement strengthened his internal organs, increased his stamina, and brought him closer to the next level of the art.
But the most impressive progress was in the Indestructible Golden Body.
[Skill]: Indestructible Golden Body (Beginner 721/1000)
With only two hundred more experience points needed, Jiang Ning was close to reaching the Stone Skin level. Through internal observation, he could see that the membrane beneath his skin had gradually turned from a dark red to a pale white.
Once he achieved Stone Skin, his skin would become as hard as stone, making him nearly impervious to ordinary blades and weapons. This would mark a qualitative leap in his martial prowess, significantly enhancing his physical resilience and combat capabilities.
Jiang Ning felt a surge of motivation. At his current rate, he was only eight or nine days away from reaching Stone Skin. Once he achieved this, his strength would undergo a massive transformation.
With Stone Skin, his body would be able to withstand more powerful bursts of energy, allowing him to frequently use double-layered energy bursts from the Ninefold Energy technique. This would at least double his combat strength, giving him the confidence to face even eighth-grade martial artists.
-support me on Patreon for more chapters, 405+ chapters in there
patreon.com/LordoftheReader