At the entrance of the martial arts school.
Cao Bin lay on the ground, unconscious and his condition was unknown.
Wang Desheng, the constable captain who had accompanied Cao Bin, was crouched by the school's wall, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.
Meanwhile, Wang Jin remained on high alert, not daring to let his guard down.
Cao Rong's sudden halt in attacking had left Wang Jin deeply puzzled, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. He quickly signaled to Jiang Ning with his eyes.
Jiang Ning immediately understood and moved behind the wall.
From Cao Rong's earlier position, Jiang Ning was now out of his line of sight. Unless Cao Rong climbed over the school's wall, there was no way he could spot Jiang Ning.
Hiding behind the wall, Jiang Ning clenched his fists, feeling an overwhelming sense of frustration.
He had been inexplicably transported to this world and had been caught up in a mess, not of his making.
Over the past few days, the Cao family had been relentlessly pressuring him, making it hard for him to breathe. He had been training day and night, honing his martial skills, just to gain the strength to stand tall and protect himself.
As his strength grew, he had thought he was close to breaking free from this suffocating situation.
Once he officially entered the martial ranks, held a formal apprenticeship ceremony, and became Wang Jin's disciple, he believed he could finally escape this oppressive environment.
But now, with Cao Rong's appearance, Jiang Ning knew it wouldn't be that simple.
Having come this far, the Cao family wouldn't sit back and watch him grow. If they knew as much about him as Wang Jin did, they would undoubtedly spare no effort to eliminate him.
Unless something unexpected happened.
From the Cao family's actions today, Jiang Ning could see their methods.
Cao Bin coming to the school to arrest him was a clear sign that they were running out of patience.
Whatever the reason, it was undeniable they weren't willing to wait any longer!
That's why they had resorted to framing his elder brother, Jiang Li, leading to Cao Bin's attempt to arrest him today.
At this moment, Jiang Ning also understood why Xu Yunfeng had dared to attack him a few nights ago.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ning clenched his fists even tighter.
From today's events, he has gained a deep understanding of the helplessness of ordinary people and the importance of having power.
Without sufficient strength and status, it was sometimes impossible to live a peaceful life!
Even though he had some strength and was confident he could kill Xu Yunfeng, he had chosen to endure.
A few days ago, when Xu Yunfeng had retreated after injuring himself, Jiang Ning could have quietly pursued and killed him.
But he hadn't done so. He had chosen to endure.
Because he didn't want to escalate the conflict.
He wasn't alone in this world. He had his elder brother and sister-in-law's family.
In his previous life, he had been alone. But in this life, he had experienced the warmth of family, and he didn't want to bring harm to them.
Moreover, in this life, he shared the same name and even looked almost identical to his previous self.
Whether this was a parallel world or the awakening of memories from a past life, he had already come to accept his elder brother and sister-in-law as his true family.
Escalating the conflict, making an enemy of the Cao family, and potentially even the three major families of Luoshui County, would have dire consequences.
Even if he could escape Luoshui County and, with the help of his mysterious system, return years later to take revenge, what would it matter?
His elder brother, Jiang Li, would die. His sister-in-law, Liu Wanwan, would die. His niece, Little Doubao, and his nephew, Jiang Yiming, would also die. There would be no room for redemption.
By then, having committed such acts, he would undoubtedly become a wanted criminal in the Great Xia Empire.
He would be forced onto a path of constant danger and endless bloodshed.
That's why he had chosen to endure, waiting until he had enough strength and status.
By then, the Cao family would naturally stop using Jiang Li as a pawn in their power struggle with the county magistrate.
Even if Wang Jin's status wasn't enough, once Jiang Ning joined the Inspection Bureau and had the backing of that towering institution, the conflict with the Cao family wouldn't escalate.
He could then help his elder brother and sister-in-law escape this whirlpool of trouble and live peacefully.
With the status and wealth he could gain, he could repay the kindness his elder brother and sister-in-law had shown him.
After that, he could slowly develop and strengthen his power.
As for the future, once he had enough strength, he wouldn't need to worry about any of this.
But from today's events, Jiang Ning knew it was too late.
There was no doubt that while Cao Bin had come to arrest him, others would have gone to arrest his elder brother and sister-in-law.
At this very moment, his elder brother and sister-in-law might already be on their way to prison, or perhaps they were already locked up.
As for himself, if it weren't for Wang Jin's protection, he might already be on the run.
Even now, with Wang Jin's support, Jiang Ning knew he wasn't safe.
He was in grave danger.
Cao Rong was far more powerful than Cao Bin.
Now that Cao Rong had set his sights on him, and given that Cao Rong was a seventh-rank martial artist skilled in archery, the situation was even more terrifying.
In Jiang Ning's eyes, a martial artist skilled in archery, when positioned advantageously, could unleash several times their usual power.
They were no different from snipers in his previous life!
And today, he had been targeted by such a terrifying individual.
Moreover, Cao Rong held an official title. He had participated in the martial arts examination in Dongling City at the age of thirty and had earned the title of Martial Scholar.
From what Jiang Ning knew, Cao Rong was also employed in Dongling City.
At this moment, Jiang Ning had never been more desperate for power and status.
If he had enough strength, in a world where power was everything, he could act freely.
Like the legendary Martial Saint of the Great Xia Empire, the only Martial Saint of the current era.
In terms of status, the Martial Saint was far above the current emperor.
This was common knowledge, publicly acknowledged.
This was a world where power was everything.
That's why Jiang Ning now craved strength more than ever.
With enough power, he wouldn't be trapped in his current predicament.
Apart from strength, having sufficient status would also free him from this situation.
Status and class were eternal truths, the essence of society.
If he had become Wang Jin's disciple earlier, would he have found himself in this situation?
Would he have been dragged into this quagmire?
No matter how the three major families and the county magistrate fought, his status would have shielded him from being caught in the whirlpool.
And if he joined the Inspection Bureau soon, with the backing of the Great Xia Empire and that towering institution, he could have avoided his current predicament.
But now, it seemed it was too late.
Time passed second by second.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps on stone reached Wang Jin's ears.
Outside the school, three figures emerged from a clean, flat alley.
These three were Cao Rong, Shen Congyun, and Lin Qingyi.
When Wang Desheng, still outside the school, saw the three, he was momentarily stunned. Then he spoke.
"Greetings, Lord Cao!"
"Greetings, Deputy Leader Shen!"
"Greetings, Deputy Leader Lin!"
When Wang Jin heard the words "Lord Cao," his heart tightened, and his muscles tensed, ready for a fight.
But the next moment, when he heard the titles "Deputy Leader Shen" and "Deputy Leader Lin," his expression froze, and his body relaxed.
In Luoshui County, who else could be called Deputy Leader Shen and Deputy Leader Lin?
Only the two deputy leaders of Wanhua Tower, Shen Congyun and Lin Qingyi, deserved such titles.
At that moment, Shen Congyun's voice reached Wang Jin's ears alone.
"Brother Wang, I'm here. Bring Jiang Ning out."
Hearing this, Wang Jin was stunned.
Hearing Jiang Ning's name from Shen Congyun's mouth was completely unexpected.
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind. He recalled how Shen Congyun had met with the school's disciples a few days ago.
Then he thought of how Shen Congyun and Cao Rong had arrived together, and how Cao Rong had suddenly stopped attacking.
Wang Jin suddenly understood.
"So it was Brother Shen's intervention that made Cao Rong stop!"
But as soon as this thought arose, he felt something was off.
According to Wanhua Tower's rules, Shen Congyun, as the deputy leader of the Luoshui County branch, was not allowed to interfere in the conflicts of local powers.
Such actions violated Wanhua Tower's rules.
Thinking of this, Wang Jin was filled with confusion.
He glanced at Jiang Ning.
Then, he shook his head inwardly.
Forget it!
I'm too old to bother thinking about this!
For now, it's a good thing!
The next moment, Wang Jin spoke. "Jiang Ning, come out with me. Deputy Leader Shen is here. He must be here to help you."
Hearing this, the disciples hiding in the school stared at Jiang Ning in shock.
Jiang Ning was equally surprised.
Shen Congyun was here?
And he was here to help him?
How was that possible?
Wang Jin's words were completely unexpected.
Jiang Ning had never spoken a word to Shen Congyun, a figure of such stature.
He had only met Shen Congyun once a few days ago and hadn't seen him since.
They had never interacted.
From what Jiang Ning knew, Wanhua Tower never involved itself in local power struggles.
If Wang Jin was right, and Shen Congyun was here to help him, it meant Shen Congyun was willing to break Wanhua Tower's rules for him.
Why?
Jiang Ning was utterly confused.
But recalling the sudden shift in the situation earlier how Cao Rong, despite having the upper hand, had suddenly stopped and everything had calmed down it was clear that some third party, some influential figure, had intervened.
This seemed to align with what Wang Jin was saying now.
In all of Luoshui County, there were only a handful of people who could make Cao Rong stop.
In Jiang Ning's view, Shen Congyun might be one of them.
With this doubt in mind, Jiang Ning followed Wang Jin out of the school.
Outside the school, Shen Congyun and the other two approached Cao Bin.
Seeing Cao Rong's arrival, Cao Bin stopped pretending to be unconscious and opened his eyes.
Cao Rong frowned as he saw the injuries on his younger brother, Cao Bin.
Wang Jin's ferocity had taken him by surprise.
At that moment, Shen Congyun crouched down beside Cao Bin.
He placed his hand on Cao Bin's body, and Cao Bin's eyes widened in shock.
"Deputy Leader Shen, is this... internal breath?!!"
Shen Congyun nodded slightly.
A few breaths later, Cao Bin's complexion improved significantly.
Shen Congyun then took out a small white porcelain bottle from his robe and handed it to Cao Bin.
"Take one pill. This medicine will help you recover faster."
Cao Bin looked at the small white bottle in Shen Congyun's hand, noticing the label on it.
[Life and Death]
Seeing this label, he was even more shocked.
The name of the medicine came from the phrase "revive the dead, regrow bones."
From the name alone, one could guess the potency of the medicine.
Cao Bin quickly took out a pill and swallowed it. His face immediately regained its color.
"Thank you, Deputy Leader Shen, for your great kindness!" Cao Bin struggled to his feet and spoke.
Shen Congyun smiled.
At this moment, Cao Rong, watching this scene, understood one thing clearly.
Shen Congyun valued Jiang Ning immensely.
"Ah"
"Fine then!"
He sighed inwardly, having made his decision.
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