Grinding Cultivation Toward Martial Saint

For days, she inquired about Jiang Ning's whereabouts from Wang Jin.

But to no avail, Wang Jin never surrendered.

This left her with the feeling that there was no hope.

However, by interrogating a few disciples from the martial arts school, she received an unexpected surprise.

Jiang Ning had taken his family to Dongling City.

Her gaze wandered between Wang Jin and the three disciples beside him, her expression constantly shifting.

To kill or not to kill!

She was in a dilemma.

Days of interrogation had made her thoroughly offend Wang Jin.

She knew that if Wang Jin ever got the chance in the future, he would certainly strike back at her.

But she did not fear this.

At Wang Jin's age, he had only just touched the threshold of Martial Arts Sixth Grade, how could he be a threat to her?

There was truly only one person who made her wary, and that was Jiang Ning.

Accomplished both internally and externally, at the Sixth Grade in Martial Arts.

Although he was of the same rank as Wang Jin in Martial Arts Sixth Grade.

The significance between the two is entirely different.

Because Jiang Ning was so young, so very young.

Far younger than her by over ten years.

Youth is an advantage, youth is boundless capital, and there is an unlimited future.

Even she could not say with certainty that her martial arts prowess wouldn't be surpassed by Jiang Ning one day.

She hesitated in place for quite some time.

Then she turned and left.

The past few days of pressuring Wang Jin had only created a grudge, but not one of life-and-death enmity.

Once Wang Jin was killed, intending to kill him to silence him.

If this matter were to become exposed.

Then it would create an irreconcilable enmity with Jiang Ning.

In this era, the enmity of killing a master is akin to that of killing a father.

After leaving the martial arts school.

She glanced back over her shoulder.

"Forget it, better leave a way out!" Yu Manyun sighed, adjusting the bamboo hat atop her head, and continued walking forward.

Behind her.

Inside the martial arts school.

"Bastard!" Wang Jin glared furiously at the nearby disciple: "Traitorous bastard who sold out his fellow disciple!!"

With Wang Jin's angry glare, the disciple instinctively shrank his neck.

"Master, I did it for your own good!!" he continued passionately: "If we didn't reveal Brother Jiang's whereabouts, if this woman lost patience, Master might not escape her clutches!"

"I saw Brother Jiang was so formidable, even if this woman really found Brother Jiang, she might not be a match for him."

"Besides, the journey to Dongling City is long, it's not so easy for this woman to find Brother Jiang."

At that moment, Wang Jin's heart was filled with immense regret.

He should never have divulged Jiang Ning's whereabouts in front of his disciples.

He originally thought going to Dongling City wasn't some secretive mission, no need for secrecy.

So when his disciples asked, he casually mentioned Jiang Ning's movements.

Little did he expect such a powerful woman would suddenly come to force him to disclose Jiang Ning's whereabouts.

While he resisted the pressure to confess, Jiang Ning's whereabouts had been revealed by the mouths of his own disciples.

Thinking of this, Wang Jin cursed again: "Bastard! Once I can move, I'll make you this betrayer regret it!"

Upon hearing this, seeing the anger on Wang Jin's face, that disciple's eyes momentarily flashed with malice.

He was tempted to just do it without restraint!!

A thought arose in his mind.

But seeing the two fellow disciples beside him, along with Wang Jin's long-standing authority.

The thought in his mind instantly dissipated.

...

On the other side.

Yu Manyun galloped away from Luoshui County.

Riding along the official road straight towards Dongling City.

...

Dongling City.

Upon the merchants' caravan's arrival at Dongling City.

Everyone couldn't help but smile.

Long-distance travel, weariness from the journey, is not an easy task anywhere.

Especially so in this era.

When the merchant caravan travels, apart from a few brief days for rest in town, all other times are spent camping in the wilderness.

Eating, poorly fed.

Sleeping, unable to sleep well.

In such conditions, it is naturally very arduous.

Jiang Ning stepped out of the carriage.

Before him, the city wall lay like a reclining dragon, standing twelve to thirteen meters tall.

Through the wall ahead, he could see a noticeably higher wall behind it.

From the structure of Dongling City, it was clear that the entrance was on the West River side.

Behind the taller wall lay Hedong, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, and the Immortal Elixir held sway.

The West River was the first barrier of Dongling City, while Hedong was the next barrier.

"Is this Dongling City? Truly magnificent!" Jiang Ning murmured to himself in his heart.

The wall, standing twelve to thirteen meters high, was unheard of in his previous life. He had visited the oldest and largest remaining Jinling City Wall, which was merely twenty-six meters tall.

Yet Dongling City was twelve to thirteen meters, at least nearing forty meters in height.

The Hedong city wall behind, visible from this vantage, indicated it was even taller — at least fifty meters, perhaps seventy or eighty meters!

"Quite exaggerated!" he thought, contemplating these figures.

On the other side.

At the gate of Dongling City.

Two men dressed in black and gold uniforms, with a ring-handled sword slung at their waist.

They continually scrutinized the long line entering the city gate.

"Xu, when do you think Jiang Ning will arrive?"

"I don't know!"

"Xu, we've been standing at the city gate since last night and haven't seen any sign of him. According to the news from Luoshui County, he should have arrived yesterday. I wonder if he truly came to Dongling City!"

"Patience!"

"Xu, this dreadful task is so annoying; standing here all day without a moment's relaxation is downright boring!"

"Don't worry, even if Jiang Ning is slow, it's just a matter of one or two days. We'll be here at most for three days."

"Xu, if we really stay here for three days, I'll go mad!"

"Even if you go mad, you must endure; Jiang Ning is not a small figure. He's a Standard Eighth Grade official, and his master encountered trouble in Luoshui County. We must inform him."

"Xu, it seems his master is really unfortunate. I wonder what formidable enemy Jiang Ning provoked to cause such unexpected disaster."

"....."

-----------------

On the other side.

After the caravan stopped.

Liu Guangqi appeared in front of Jiang Ning.

"Brother Liu!" Jiang Ning spoke.

"Scholar Jiang, up ahead is Dongling City!" Liu Guangqi pointed in the direction of Dongling City.

Jiang Ning cupped his hands, "Thank you, Brother Liu, for all your care along the way."

Liu Guangqi laughed heartily, "It's nothing."

Then he added, "Scholar Jiang, if you encounter trouble in Dongling City, you can find me at Hundred Herbs Hall; I'll be there for about a month."

"Thank you, Brother Liu!" Jiang Ning cupped his hands again.

The middle-aged man before him, having left Baisha County without knowing Jiang Ning's identity, had shown him much kindness along the way.

It was only last night that he learned that the caravan originally hadn't intended to let him join.

After all, the five taels of silver he paid were not enough to cover even the transit fee over Shuangyang Mountain.

His admission to the caravan was because Liu Guangqi considered him a scholar on his examination journey, and the caravan allowed him aboard in consideration of Liu Guangqi.

Though he did not require the caravan's protection, he was still grateful to Liu Guangqi.

This kindness from someone who was neither family nor friend was a rare gesture.

After a brief conversation, Liu Guangqi ran towards the front of the caravan.

Because they were preparing to enter the city.

The caravan's entry into the city was unlike ordinary people's, requiring a city entry fee and greasing of palms to avoid harassment by city guards.

At this moment.

Following the sound carried by the wind, he heard the caravan's owner speaking to Liu Guangqi.

At the same time, Jiang Ning also caught the implication of the woman's words to Liu Guangqi.

Because Liu Guangqi had acted first and reported later when letting him join the caravan.

This wasn't his first time hearing the caravan owner, the woman, rebuking Liu Guangqi for this matter.

"Not the makings of a great man!"

Jiang Ning shook his head in acquiescence.

During his two-day stay with the caravan, he gradually learned of its origins.

This caravan belonged to the Su family of Baisha County.

And the Su family was a dominant family in Baisha County, controlling all medicinal business there.

The woman was one of the Su family's direct descendants, and leading the caravan from Baisha County to Dongling City was a test given by the family.

The more excellent and remarkable her performance in completing the test, the more likely she were to receive significant responsibilities from the family in the future.

Therefore, the Su family daughter sought to recruit the exceptionally strong monk at Shuangyang Mountain.

After all, in this world, without the support of martial power, major endeavors are hard to achieve.

The larger the affair, the greater the profit, and without martial power to intimidate, one would ultimately be stripped to the bone and devoured completely.

Hence, the Su family daughter needed such a strong figure to hold the fort for her.

Jiang Ning shook his head, dispelling the distractions from his mind, choosing not to listen to the bits of conversation carried by the wind.