Canglang Martial Arts School.
After the battle between Jiang Ning and Xiao Peng concluded, it wasn't long before the final distinguished guests arrived, and the disciple initiation banquet officially began.
"Disciple Zhou Xing!"
"Disciple Zhao Hu!"
"Disciple Zhang Tiesheng!"
"Disciple Li Qing!"
"Disciple Jiang Ning!"
"Please accept our tea, Master!" the five disciples said in unison, offering tea to Wang Jin.
"Good! Good!! Good!!!" Wang Jin smiled broadly as he watched the scene.
He then took each cup of tea, taking a large sip from each one.
In the audience, Cheng Ran watched with envy.
He had initially believed that Wang Jin's fifth personal disciple would be either him or Xiao Peng, with no third contender in the school.
However, as Jiang Ning repeatedly surpassed his expectations, Cheng Ran gradually realized that Jiang Ning was far more competitive than either of them.
Today had confirmed this.
Jiang Ning's strength had already surpassed Xiao Peng's and, by extension, his own.
Even though Cheng Ran had also reached the ninth rank of martial arts, he knew the gap between himself and Jiang Ning would only grow wider.
That single strike from Jiang Ning had not only left Xiao Peng in despair but had also filled Cheng Ran with a sense of hopelessness.
Such an ordinary strike, yet Xiao Peng couldn't withstand it.
Cheng Ran knew he wouldn't have fared any better.
There was no difference between them.
As the disciple initiation banquet concluded, the guests gradually dispersed.
On this day, under the witness of more than a dozen prominent figures, Jiang Ning and the other four officially became Wang Jin's disciples.
In the Great Xia Dynasty, the bond between master and disciple was akin to that of father and son.
Sometimes, the master-disciple relationship was even more crucial than blood ties.
Once the disciple initiation banquet was held, these five disciples represented Wang Jin's legacy.
Under normal circumstances, no one would dare to harm a disciple who had undergone such a ceremony.
Doing so would invite a feud of life and death, no less severe than the hatred of cutting off one's lineage.
However, today, Jiang Ning realized that the identity he had once desperately needed no longer held the same importance for him.
Yingbin Restaurant.
In a lakeside private room on the second floor.
"Brother Jiang, congratulations on becoming Master Wang's disciple!" Cheng Ran raised his cup.
Jiang Ning also raised his cup. "I'm sorry, Brother Cheng. I took this opportunity from you."
Their cups clinked gently.
Cheng Ran shook his head. "Even without your sudden rise, I wouldn't have been able to compete with Xiao Peng. Although I reached the ninth rank a few days earlier than him, my skills in fist techniques are inferior to his."
"I've only achieved proficiency in the Tiger Fist and haven't met Master Wang's requirements," Cheng Ran said with a bitter smile.
He then downed his cup in one gulp.
Jiang Ning did the same.
Afterward, as Cheng Ran poured wine for both of them, he sighed.
"After witnessing your two strikes today, I finally understand what it means to be a true prodigy."
"I can't predict where your martial path will lead, Brother Jiang, but I know one thing: I can only look up to you."
"I used to consider myself a martial arts genius, but now I realize that in the face of a true genius, I'm just an ordinary person."
Jiang Ning raised his cup. "Why so sentimental all of a sudden, Brother Cheng? Everyone has their opportunities. I was just lucky to receive help from a few benefactors."
Cheng Ran shook his head. "I've made up my mind. I won't focus solely on martial arts anymore."
Jiang Ning was taken aback. "Not practicing martial arts? Then what will you do?"
Cheng Ran explained, "Over the past few months, I've spent thousands of taels of silver from my family's savings to reach the ninth rank. Our family's finances are running low now."
"My talent is limited. Continuing to focus on martial arts will only make each step harder. I'll probably stop at the ninth rank. There's not much point in continuing."
"Instead, I'll focus on business, take over the family's enterprises, and expand our two restaurants."
"Look, this restaurant is one of our family's businesses!"
"Once the business thrives and I have more money, I can hire a few martial arts instructors."
"With enough wealth, maybe I can even donate some money and secure an official position. That wouldn't be bad!"
Listening to Cheng Ran's plans, Jiang Ning asked, "Are you serious about this, Brother Cheng?"
"Yes," Cheng Ran nodded. "I know my talent and comprehension. No matter how hard I try, I won't be able to master internal energy. Without that, I'll be stuck at the ninth rank for life."
"While the ninth rank might seem impressive to ordinary people, it's not that significant."
"Facing a well-equipped squad with crossbows, I'd be easily killed. What's the point?"
"Even at my peak, I wouldn't withstand a few armor-piercing arrows. What's the use?"
Hearing Cheng Ran's earnest tone, Jiang Ning sighed.
"Since you've made up your mind, I won't try to persuade you otherwise."
"I do have a few good recipes. If you give me some paper and a brush, I'll write them down for you."
"Oh?" Cheng Ran looked at Jiang Ning in surprise, then nodded slowly. "Then I'll thank you in advance, Brother Jiang!"
Later, at the entrance of Yingbin Restaurant.
"Brother Cheng, this is where we part ways!"
"Alright!" Cheng Ran cupped his hands. "Take care, Brother Jiang!"
Jiang Ning said, "If there's ever anything I can help with, come find me. We're friends, after all!"
Hearing this, Cheng Ran smiled.
"Definitely!"
"With your word, I won't hold back!"
The two exchanged a look and laughed heartily.
After leaving Yingbin Restaurant, Jiang Ning headed straight for Wanhua Tower.
This time, he planned to buy more Herbal Essence.
The fifty bottles he had purchased earlier were almost gone and wouldn't last much longer.
With the breakthrough in his Five Animals Fist, each practice session now condensed ten strands of blood energy.
His efficiency in strengthening his blood energy had doubled, naturally increasing the strain on his body.
Without the support of supplements, he wouldn't be able to sustain this for long.
Additionally, the efficiency of tempering his skin and membranes had also surged.
As a result, his consumption of Herbal Essence had increased significantly.
To continue focusing on his martial arts training, Jiang Ning needed to purchase more supplements that greatly benefited his body.
As he walked, Jiang Ning thought to himself, "I exchanged my gold leaves for silver notes earlier, and now I have nineteen hundred taels left."
"Later, I'll also need to buy a reliable, high-quality blade from the weapon forge in the outer city."
"According to Manager Han from a few days ago, the best weapons in Luoshui County are found in the outer city's weapon forges."
"My weapon can't be subpar, so I'll need to set aside at least a thousand taels for it. That leaves me with nine hundred taels to spend on Herbal Essence."
"At Wanhua Tower, a bottle of Herbal Essence costs thirty taels."
"With the VIP card, Shen Congyun gave me, I get a 20% discount on all purchases, so each bottle costs twenty-four taels."
"That means I can buy thirty-seven bottles."
Thinking this, Jiang Ning murmured, "I'll round it up and buy forty bottles. With the remaining nine hundred taels, I should have enough to buy a good blade!"
Not long after, outside Wanhua Tower.
Jiang Ning walked out empty-handed, but the forty bottles of Herbal Essence he had ordered were already prepared.
Wanhua Tower would arrange for someone to deliver them to his residence, so he didn't need to worry about it.
Jiang Ning had complete trust in Wanhua Tower.
He then boarded a carriage and headed for the weapon forge in the outer city.
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