On the Arena.
"Come and collect your identity tokens!"
Hearing the referee's words again, Lü Renyao realized that he wasn't hallucinating.
He had indeed passed the assessment without a fight.
"How is this possible? We haven't even fought yet. Why is the assessment over, and everyone passed?" Lü Renyao couldn't help but voice his confusion.
"Who said you have to fight to pass the assessment? If an arena can't gather ten people to start the battle, then those in the arena automatically pass," the referee glanced at him. "This is also part of the rules. Understand?"
Feeling the referee's gaze on him, Lü Renyao's heart tightened.
He bowed respectfully. "I understand!"
"Good, you're sensible," the referee nodded slightly, a smile on his face.
He couldn't help but inwardly praise his quick thinking.
What rules?
It's all up to me, isn't it?
Two eighth-rank martial artists as potential assistants how could I let you ruin this?
If you really knocked them off the arena, according to the rules, it would be troublesome to bring them back into the Inspection Office.
The referee silently complained in his heart.
Meanwhile.
"It can be like this?" Zhou Xing murmured, his face lighting up with joy.
The worry in his heart was instantly swept away.
Since the referee had spoken, it meant the assessment was settled, with no further changes.
"Junior Brother Jiang, it seems our luck is quite good!" Zhou Xing, having regained his composure, was visibly excited, no longer as calm as before.
Months of preparation had finally paid off, and he had leaped through the dragon gate.
Commoners and officials were two completely different classes.
Even becoming the most ordinary patrol guard in the Inspection Office was a ninth-rank official position.
An official was an official, even if it was only the ninth rank.
Moreover, the Inspection Office held the power of life and death. Such a powerful institution naturally stood above others.
Even a constable of the same ninth rank would naturally be inferior to a patrol guard with greater authority.
Furthermore, by crossing this threshold, he was now eligible to compete for the squad leader position.
If he secured the squad leader position, not only would he be promoted to the ninth rank, but he would also command a squad of ninth-rank martial artists.
Such a position would truly make him a significant figure, capable of elevating the Zhou family to new heights.
Thinking of all this, how could Zhou Xing not be extremely excited? How could he suppress the surging emotions in his heart?
At the same time.
Hearing Zhou Xing's comment about their good luck, Jiang Ning smiled noncommittally.
"Senior Brother Zhou is right!"
"You two are indeed lucky!" Lü Renyao said with a half-smile.
Then he added, "Later, you'll realize that joining my team is a truly wise choice. If you have any thoughts about it, my door is still open to you."
"Especially you," Lü Renyao's gaze fixed on Jiang Ning. "Jiang Ning! I admire you! At your age, reaching the eighth rank in Luoshui County is impressive! If you join my team, we can become friends, comrades, even brothers!"
After saying this, he didn't wait for Jiang Ning's response and turned to the referee.
"Sir, I'm here to collect my identity token!"
"Here you go," the referee tossed a black token, which flew into Lü Renyao's hand.
Then he added, "Report to the Inspection Office tomorrow morning and exchange this temporary token for the official one."
"Yes, sir!" Lü Renyao bowed respectfully.
He didn't dare to act presumptuously toward the referee.
Unlike He Jinyun, who treated the referee casually, Lü Renyao knew better.
From what he understood, this man was one of the four great commanders of the Inspection Office.
Holding the eighth rank and possessing peak seventh-rank strength, or possibly even sixth-rank, his position and power demanded respect.
Shortly after.
Jiang Ning, Zhou Xing, and Zhang Tieshen also stepped forward to receive their temporary identity tokens.
Meanwhile.
Below the arena.
Zhao Hu, watching the scene in the arena, felt a surge of regret.
"Damn it!!"
"Is this how it works?"
"If I had known, I would have gone up with them. No fighting and I'd have gotten into the Inspection Office."
"With how things played out, even if Jiang Ning wanted to pull something, he wouldn't have had the chance!"
A surefire opportunity to join the Inspection Office had slipped through his fingers. The more Zhao Hu thought about it, the more regretful he became.
In the wooden shed.
The disciples of the martial school were abuzz with discussion.
"Brother Jiang Ning, Brother Zhou Xing, and Brother Zhang Tieshen are lucky!"
"Yeah! They didn't even have to fight and automatically passed the assessment, becoming patrol guards. From now on, they're in a completely different class from us!" One disciple's eyes were filled with envy.
"True! From now on, we'll have to address them as 'sir'!" Another disciple sighed in agreement.
"On the other hand, the three brothers had a close call! That Martial Academy student looked terrifyingly strong. If he had made a move, the three brothers would have been in trouble!"
"No doubt! The Martial Academy students are from Dongling City. Even though he's also eighth rank, if he had acted, Brothers Jiang Ning and Zhou Xing would have been no match!"
"I think so too. Just look at that sallow-skinned Martial Academy student earlier. He swept through everyone like a storm."
"Exactly! That sallow-skinned Martial Academy student looked malnourished and physically weak, yet he was so terrifying. This white-robed Martial Academy student must be even stronger!"
As the disciples in the wooden shed continued their lively discussion, Jiang Ning and the others descended from the arena and walked toward Wang Jin's shed.
In the wooden shed.
"Good!"
"Good!!"
"Good!!!"
Wang Jin's face was filled with joy as he looked at the three who had returned.
He continued, "You three have now successfully leaped through the dragon gate. From now on, wearing official uniforms and with the resources of the Inspection Office, your martial paths will be limitless."
Jiang Ning clasped his hands. "This is all thanks to Master's guidance!"
These words came from Jiang Ning's heart.
He knew that without Wang Jin, he wouldn't be where he was today.
Zhou Xing also bowed.
"Thank you, Master, for your past guidance!"
Zhang Tieshen quickly added in a deep voice, "Thank you, Master, for your guidance!"
"You've all done well!" Wang Jin nodded with emotion.
Then his gaze swept over Zhang Tieshen and landed on Zhou Xing. "Zhou Xing, Tieshen is your junior brother. Since he's following you, I hope you'll treat him well in the future."
Zhou Xing immediately clasped his hands. "Master, don't worry! I will treat Junior Brother Tieshen well!"
"Then I can rest easy," Wang Jin nodded with satisfaction.
Then he added, "You all are my last disciples. From now on, the Canglang Martial School may close and no longer accept new students."
"Master, why is that?" Jiang Ning asked.
Wang Jin chuckled. "It's not a bad thing it's a good thing! I want to focus on pursuing martial arts."
At this moment.
Yu Yuan, who had been watching the arena, turned his head sharply upon hearing Wang Jin's words.
"Master Wang, does this mean... your martial arts have progressed?"
"Exactly!" Wang Jin laughed heartily. "Master Yu, you understand me well!"
"At your age, how did you manage this??" Yu Yuan stared at Wang Jin in astonishment.
"Congratulations, Master!" Jiang Ning said, offering his congratulations.
"Congratulations, Master!"
"Congratulations, Master Wang!!"
"Congratulations, Master Wang!!"
For a moment, the disciples' congratulatory voices filled the air.
Wang Jin couldn't help but laugh heartily.
Seeing this scene, Jiang Ning roughly understood.
Wang Jin's Internal Alchemy Cultivation Technique must have improved, enhancing the functions of his internal organs.
With this, Wang Jin was confident he could reach new heights, hence his decision to stop accepting new disciples.
"That's good," Jiang Ning thought to himself.
Wang Jin's progress in strength was undoubtedly a great thing for him as well.
With his master's strength improving, his backing would become stronger.
At the same time.
Yu Yuan, the master of the Shenwei Martial School, looked on with envy.
If Wang Jin's strength improved further, he would step into the sixth rank.
This had been Yu Yuan's long-cherished wish.
For veterans like them, if their physical condition hadn't declined, causing their strength to regress, who would choose to open a martial school and prepare for retirement?
Wang Jin, you're really lucky!
Not only are your disciples stronger than mine, but your strength is also about to break through.
I wonder what kind of fortune this old guy stumbled upon?
Yu Yuan silently complained.
A moment later.
The commotion in the wooden shed quieted down.
"Brother Jiang, I'm so envious of you!" Cheng Ran, standing beside Jiang Ning, said with a look of envy.
Faced with Cheng Ran's emotional sigh, Jiang Ning opened his mouth but didn't know how to comfort him.
He knew that joining the Inspection Office and becoming stronger through martial arts had been Cheng Ran's only goal.
Later, when Cheng Ran said he would give up martial arts and turn to business, it was only because he had seen the reality.
Cheng Ran wasn't like him, blessed with the opportunity to change his fate.
No matter how hard Cheng Ran trained, due to his innate bone structure, comprehension, and family background, he was destined to achieve little.
How many martial artists were there in the world?
Among them, many were diligent and hardworking.
But becoming a ninth-rank martial artist was one in ten or even one in a hundred.
Although Cheng Ran was different from them, as long as he continued, he still had a chance to reach the ninth rank.
But going further would be too difficult for him.
The eighth rank required mastering internal force.
Mastering internal force required high martial comprehension.
Or an absurd amount of wealth.
Cheng Ran had neither.
It was precisely because Cheng Ran realized this that he chose to give up the path of martial arts.
After a moment of silence, Jiang Ning patted Cheng Ran's shoulder.
"Brother Cheng, you can still choose to practice martial arts."
"The Inspection Office I might have a way to get you in."
"Really?" Hearing Jiang Ning's words, Cheng Ran's eyes lit up, shifting from dim to bright.
Jiang Ning thought for a moment, recalling what Liu Sansheng had said during his visit, and nodded slightly.
"Perhaps there's a way! But I can't guarantee it."
"No problem!" Cheng Ran's face broke into a smile. "Brother Jiang, just having this intention is enough! As for whether it succeeds or not, I've come to terms with it."
"If it doesn't work out, I'll focus on managing the family business. That's also a good choice!"
"With money, I can still hire ninth-rank martial artists to protect the family's foundation."
Jiang Ning patted Cheng Ran's shoulder again and said nothing more.
Although Liu Sansheng had said that once he secured the squad leader position, he would have the ability to bring Cheng Ran into the Inspection Office.
But how exactly this would work, and whether it would succeed or not?
He couldn't make any promises now.
Meanwhile.
On the training ground.
The arena battles were now in full swing.
After seeing Jiang Ning and the others' example, some people tried to prevent others from stepping into the arena, hoping to pass the assessment without a fight due to insufficient participants.
But the referee showed no mercy.
He angrily swept them off the arena.
Facing their protests, he left them with one sentence.
"My rules are the rules!"
Seeing this, everyone understood.
As long as they followed the previous rules, honestly gathering ten people on the arena and fighting it out, the last five standing would pass the assessment.
By midday.
Gurgle
The sound of hunger echoed from Jiang Ning and the others' stomachs.
Martial artists, with their strong bodies, had faster digestion and greater appetites than ordinary people.
When mealtime came, the sounds of hunger were constant.
Just then.
A slight commotion came from the wooden shed in the distance.
"Is this the source of the earlier commotion?" Wang Jin opened his hand, revealing a green pill that had just been distributed by the soldiers.
"Yes, Master!" Zhou Xing nodded, his spirits high and full of confidence.
Then Zhou Xing continued, "Master, I asked earlier. This is a Marching Pill, refined by alchemists from the essence of meat and mixed with several medicinal herbs."
"One pill can satisfy a ninth-rank martial artist for a meal."
Jiang Ning tossed the Marching Pill into his mouth.
As he swallowed, the pill entered his stomach.
Soon, he felt the pill slowly dissolving in his stomach, and the hunger gradually subsided.
Wang Jin also swallowed the pill.
Then he opened his eyes and nodded slightly.
"It's indeed effective. The hunger is fading!"
"It's somewhat similar to the Fasting Pill recorded in ancient texts."
"Though the Fasting Pill in ancient texts could sustain a person for three days, far surpassing the Marching Pill."
Zhou Xing said, "Master is right. This pill is likely modeled after the legendary Fasting Pill."
Fasting Pill?
Hearing these words, Jiang Ning was slightly surprised.
Just then.
Boom
Boom
Boom
The sound of drums suddenly rang out, like thunder echoing across the training ground.
"This is... the official end of the assessment!" Wang Jin stood up abruptly.
Then he looked at Jiang Ning and Zhou Xing. "Next is the competition for the squad leader position! Both of you are eighth-rank martial artists and are qualified to compete for the squad leader position in the Inspection Office."
"If either of you is lucky enough to secure the squad leader position, it will be a true rise to prominence!"
"In the Inspection Office, ten people form a squad. As the squad leader, you will command nine ninth-rank martial artists."
"This will allow you to act with impunity in Luoshui County, not to mention the other benefits this position brings."
Zhou Xing clenched his fist. "I understand! Master, rest assured, I will spare no effort to secure the squad leader position."
"What about you?" Wang Jin looked at Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning smiled. "Master, don't worry! I will secure the squad leader position and bring honor to you!"
"With your words, I can rest easy!" Wang Jin laughed heartily.
Beside them, the master of the Shenwei Martial School couldn't help but glance at Jiang Ning.
"Master Wang's disciple has quite the bold tone!"
"What, do you have a problem with my disciple?" Wang Jin scoffed.
"Master Wang, with that tone, are you planning to continue our earlier bet?" Yu Yuan asked.
"Don't try to trap me!" Wang Jin glared at Yu Yuan. "I won't fall for your tricks!"
Just then.
Heavy footsteps sounded outside the wooden shed.
"Master, I have not failed you. I have successfully passed the assessment and become a patrol guard!"
Before the voice fully reached their ears, Zhao Hu rushed into the wooden shed, announcing triumphantly.
"You passed?" Wang Jin stood up, astonished.
"Of course, I passed!" Zhao Hu declared proudly.
"Good! Good!! Good!!!" Wang Jin patted Zhao Hu's shoulder heavily in encouragement.
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