Chapter 86: Displaying Greatness in Front of Others
Martial Hall, Front Courtyard.
The moment Jiang Ning and Cheng Ran appeared; someone immediately noticed them.
"Senior Brother Jiang is here!"
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone turned their heads toward Jiang Ning's direction.
Then, they all gathered around.
"Senior Brother Jiang!"
"Greetings, Senior Brother Jiang!!"
"Greetings, Senior Brother Jiang!!"
"..."
Looking at the flattery from the crowd, Jiang Ning said, "You're all too kind, fellow disciples!"
At this moment, he couldn't help but feel a bit of inner satisfaction.
No wonder so many people enjoy showing off in front of others. Being praised and admired feels great!
For a moment, Jiang Ning felt as if he had become a few years younger, and a smile naturally appeared on his face.
Just then, someone in the crowd spoke up.
"Senior Brother Jiang, you practice all five animal forms, yet you became Master Wang's true disciple so quickly. Your talent and comprehension must be extraordinary, and your fist techniques must be exquisite. Could you demonstrate your fist techniques for us and give us some guidance?"
"Master Wang only instructs us once a day. With our average comprehension, we feel it's not enough to fully benefit from his teachings."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone nodded in agreement, voicing their frustrations.
"That's right, Senior Brother Jiang! Master Wang only instructs us once a day. We work hard at learning martial arts, but our talent limits us, and we don't know where to start."
"Exactly! Exactly! Those of us who remain here are not afraid of hard work. We all want to learn martial arts to change our lives, gain strength, and control our destinies."
"Senior Brother Jiang, we don't dare ask for too much. We just hope that when you practice your fist techniques, you'll allow us to observe from the side!"
Hearing this, someone immediately chimed in. "This senior brother is right. Just letting us watch would be more than enough!"
Cheng Ran, standing nearby, whispered, "Senior Brother Jiang, some of the disciples here come from the outer city and have sacrificed everything to learn martial arts. It's not easy for them. Others come from the inner city and have decent family backgrounds. If you can, doing them a favor might help you in the future."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning pondered silently.
Cheng Ran's words made sense.
Having more friends always opens more doors.
Even if I don't need their help in the future if I ever leave Luoshui County, my elder brother and sister-in-law's family will still live here.
If I leave behind some connections, it could be of some help to them.
Thinking of this, Jiang Ning spoke up. "Since all of you have said so, it would be too unkind of me to refuse."
Hearing this, everyone's faces lit up with joy.
Most of them had witnessed Jiang Ning's journey from the day he joined the martial hall to where he was now.
So, they did not doubt Jiang Ning's talent.
This was the genius who had caught the attention of Deputy Tower Master Shen, a figure so important that he had broken Wanhua Tower's rules to help him.
This was also the person Master Wang had risked offending the Cao family to save.
From that day on, they knew Jiang Ning's talent far exceeded their imagination.
That's why they had all come forward today to build a closer relationship with him.
In their eyes, being allowed to observe Jiang Ning's practice would be immensely beneficial.
Practicing all five animal forms and becoming a true disciple meant that his fist techniques had likely reached mastery in all five forms.
Mastery-level fist techniques, with both form and spirit, were awe-inspiring.
To achieve mastery in all five forms in just over a month of training was, in their eyes, nothing short of miraculous.
After all, as practitioners themselves, they knew just how difficult the Five Animals Fist was.
At this moment, Jiang Ning said, "Watch closely, fellow disciples!"
With that, Jiang Ning began practicing his fist techniques.
When he executed the Tiger Fist, his movements were as fierce as a tiger.
The wind from his punches whistled, resembling the roar of a tiger in the mountains.
When he switched to the Bear Fist, his movements were heavy and powerful. Every step he took made the ground tremble as if a dragon were stirring beneath the earth.
When he performed the White Ape Fist, his movements were agile and swift, like the wind.
"Such fierce fist techniques!"
"Such powerful punches!"
"Such incredible speed!"
"..."
As everyone watched Jiang Ning practice, their eyes shone with admiration and amazement.
Cheng Ran, watching this scene, also looked astonished.
Senior Brother Jiang truly lives up to being a genius favored by someone as important as Deputy Tower Master Shen. His talent is truly terrifying!
Practicing all five animal forms, it seems he's reached mastery in all of them.
In just over a month, he's gone from beginner to mastery in all five forms. What a monster!!
My father was truly foolish!
If he had agreed just two days before Deputy Tower Master Shen intervened, our Cheng family could have gained Senior Brother Jiang's favor. Wouldn't that have set us up for great success in the future?
My father said investing in Jiang Ning would harm me!
Because Jiang Ning and I competed for the same spot the last remaining quota to join the Inspection Bureau from our martial hall.
With Xiao Peng already competing with me, investing in Jiang Ning would have added another competitor.
But looking at it now, how could I ever compete with Senior Brother Jiang?
With such talent, I don't even have the right to compete with him.
Watching this scene, Cheng Ran couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
After finishing a round of fist techniques, Jiang Ning stood still.
[Five Animals Fist Experience +1]
[Skill]: Five Animals Fist (Mastery 552/1000)
The crowd immediately began whispering among themselves.
"Indeed, it's mastery-level! Senior Brother Jiang's talent is truly frightening!"
"That's right! Mastery in all five forms. What a monster!!"
"No wonder Deputy Tower Master Shen favors him so much!!!"
"The title of senior brother is well-deserved! In terms of talent, Senior Brother Jiang must be the top in our martial hall, right?"
"Absolutely! Who else could achieve this in just a month of training? Being favored by Deputy Tower Master Shen is a first for Luoshui County in years!"
"That's right! No one can compare!"
"..."
With his heightened senses, Jiang Ning could hear every word, no matter how softly they were spoken.
He then smiled and said, "Did you all see clearly? Did you gain any insights?"
"Thank you, Senior Brother Jiang, for demonstrating your fist techniques! I've gained some insights!" someone said.
Others chimed in. "I've gained a lot. Thank you, Senior Brother Jiang!"
"My understanding has deepened. This is no less valuable than Master Wang's guidance. Thank you, Senior Brother Jiang!"
"Thank you, Senior Brother Jiang!!!"
"..."
Meanwhile, the two disciples guarding the entrance also turned to look at the front courtyard.
"He's a monster!"
"That's right! Senior Brother Jiang is truly a monster!"
One of them said, "I still remember the day Senior Brother Jiang joined the martial hall. His elder brother personally brought him to the gate."
"I remember too. But at the time, we both dismissed his claims."
"That's right! Looking back now, we were truly ignorant!"
"To be fair, it's not entirely our fault! Who could have guessed Senior Brother Jiang's talent would be so high?"
"Exactly! Senior Brother Jiang's talent is just too extraordinary. To reach such a level in just a month of training there are probably only a handful of people in the entire county who can compare!"
"Absolutely! You can count them on one hand!"
"..."
Martial Hall, Front Courtyard.
After a few more casual exchanges, Jiang Ning focused entirely on practicing his fist techniques.
As for how much the observers could comprehend, that was no longer his concern.
Allowing them to watch him practice was already a great help to them.
After all, the form and spirit he displayed while practicing were no different from what Master Wang would show them.
This kind of help was immense.
It was as if Master Wang were constantly demonstrating the techniques for them.
How much they could grasp depended on their abilities.
As Jiang Ning diligently practiced his fist techniques, his Five Animals Fist experience continued to grow.
Each round of practice increased his experience by one point, bringing him closer to perfection.
At the same time, he condensed four strands of qi and blood, bringing him closer to perfecting his qi and blood.
Through repeated practice, Jiang Ning's strength steadily improved.
His physique grew stronger under the nourishment of qi and blood, and his strength continued to increase.
Over the past few days, Jiang Ning had felt a significant increase in his strength, far surpassing his previous single-arm strength of 500 jin.
However, he didn't know exactly how much strength he had now.
The heaviest stone lock in the martial hall was only 500 jin.
A 500-jin stone lock was already quite large.
Anything heavier would require using massive stones, which would be impractical due to their size.
Only refined iron, repeatedly forged, could be used to create heavier testing tools.
But refined iron was too valuable, typically used to forge high-quality weapons.
Who would waste six or seven hundred jin of refined iron to make a tool for testing strength?
Therefore, Jiang Ning didn't know his exact strength.
He only knew that his current strength far exceeded 500 jin and was on a completely different level from before.
The next day.
Jiang Ning continued practicing his fist techniques in the front courtyard of the martial hall.
After Master Wang announced him as the sixth true disciple the previous day, the attitudes of all the disciples toward him had changed dramatically.
Especially after witnessing Jiang Ning demonstrate the true mastery of the Five Animals Fist, they were all extremely excited.
After finishing a round of fist techniques.
[Five Animals Fist Experience +1]
[Skill]: Five Animals Fist (Mastery 583/1000)
His experience increased by one point, and his qi and blood condensed a few more strands.
Jiang Ning then took out half a piece of wild ginseng from his pocket and put it in his mouth. As he chewed slowly, the ginseng residue mixed with his saliva and entered his stomach.
Thanks to his powerful digestive system, the medicinal effects of the ginseng quickly took effect. Warm currents flowed from his stomach to his internal organs and limbs.
"Senior Brother Jiang, this is some medicinal wine my father prepared for me. It tastes great. Would you like to try some?" A disciple quickly approached during Jiang Ning's break.
Hearing this, Jiang Ning opened his eyes and glanced at the wine, then shook his head. "Since your father prepared it for you and it's useful for your training, you should keep it."
The disciple quickly replied, "Senior Brother Jiang, you can't say that! Allowing us to observe your fist techniques is like having Master Wang demonstrate them for us day and night. This is an immense favor!"
"It's no less valuable than Master Wang's teachings!"
"I, Zheng Yongtao, am not an ungrateful person!"
"Please accept this small token of my gratitude. Otherwise, I won't feel right observing the essence of your fist techniques."
Hearing this, another disciple stepped forward.
"Junior Brother Zheng is right! Senior Brother Jiang holds no grudge against us for our previous neglect and even generously allows us to observe the intricacies of his mastery-level fist techniques."
"Such magnanimity truly puts us to shame!"
"Moreover, the help Senior Brother Jiang has given us is something we couldn't achieve even if we hired private tutors for a hundred taels of silver a month. How can we accept such benefits without giving anything in return?"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone chimed in.
"These two senior brothers are right!"
"That's right! Senior Brother Jiang is so generous and open-minded. How can we accept such benefits without giving something back?"
"Exactly! This junior brother speaks the truth!!"
"..."
For a moment, the courtyard was filled with voices.
After witnessing Jiang Ning's practice the previous day, they realized this was an extremely rare opportunity.
As long as Jiang Ning was willing to continue practicing in front of them, demonstrating the intricacies of his mastery-level fist techniques, it would be of immense help to them.
As Zheng Yongtao had said, it was no less valuable than having Master Wang personally demonstrate the techniques for them.
And it was like having Master Wang demonstrate dozens of times a day.
Therefore, they had discussed among themselves and decided to approach Jiang Ning today.
After all, there's a saying:
"Those who receive favors are at a disadvantage!"
By offering some material gifts to build a closer relationship with Jiang Ning and mend past misunderstandings, they stood to gain much more than they lost.
Moreover, giving something in return was like paying for lessons, which would make this arrangement more stable.
Looking at the flattery and the gifts being presented, Jiang Ning smiled, his mind clear.
He could see through some of their intentions.
Not to mention, he had overheard their earlier whispered discussions from a distance.
With his heightened hearing, as long as he wanted to eavesdrop, their whispers were as clear as if they were speaking directly into his ear.
"But this is also a good thing! For me, it requires no effort, and I gain some benefits for free!"
Jiang Ning thought to himself.
Then, he spoke. "Alright then! Since you've all said so, I'll accept your gifts!"
With that, everyone's faces lit up with joy, and they quickly presented their prepared gifts. These included wild medicinal herbs, carefully brewed medicinal wine, and pills for strengthening the foundation and enhancing qi and blood.
Seeing Jiang Ning accept the gifts, one of the leaders of this initiative stepped forward and bowed to Jiang Ning.
"Senior Brother Jiang, I've reserved a private room at Baihua Tower. I'd like to invite you to a banquet tonight!"
Hearing the name "Baihua Tower," Jiang Ning knew it was a pleasure house in Luoshui County.
He immediately shook his head. "The banquet won't be necessary! I still need to practice my fist techniques. I can't let Master Wang down!"
He knew he wasn't in a position to enjoy such luxuries yet.
He hadn't even entered the ninth rank of martial arts, and his qi and blood weren't yet perfected. How could he afford to indulge?
Hearing Jiang Ning's words, the man's expression filled with admiration.
"No wonder Senior Brother Jiang has achieved so much in just over a month of training."
"Your self-discipline is truly admirable."
After a few more casual exchanges, the crowd dispersed, leaving Jiang Ning to continue his practice.
He could feel that he was very close to perfecting his qi and blood.
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