A person sacrifices himself to become a saint in a chaotic world of martial arts.

Chapter 135 Another Promotion

Li Sanshan understood.

He stood there, still clutching the returned investigation report in his hand, his knuckles white from gripping it so tightly.

The cover also bears his handwritten words: "Inspection of Fenjiang County Prison." The ink has dried, but the handwriting is still clear.

He clutched it, as if it were proof of something.

asshole.

problem occurs.

The Li family didn't even inform him.

He was sold.

The clerks' hushed conversation drifted in from outside the door, a low, indistinct whisper. Autumn sunlight streamed in through the window cracks, falling at his feet like a thin layer of frost.

The light was full of dust, fine and slowly swirling, settling on his boots, leaving a dusty, grayish mess.

He stood there, motionless for a long time.

The news reached the Ning family at noon.

The sun was blazing, and the cicadas chirping loudly under the eaves seemed to tear apart the sweltering air.

Ning Wansi, the Ning family's intelligence officer, held a secret report and stood outside the study for a moment before pushing the door open and entering.

The corner of the secret report was damp with the sweat from his palms—he had been hesitating outside the door for a moment, trying to figure out how to word the message so as not to shock the patriarch and elders.

Inside the study, the current head of the Ning family was discussing matters with several elders.

The sandalwood incense rose gently from the bronze incense burner, blurring the faces of the crowd.

Upon seeing him enter, the patriarch shifted his gaze from the teacup in his hand and glanced at him indifferently: "What is it?"

Ning Wansi bowed deeply as he presented the confidential report, his back hunched: "Patriarch, news has come from White Stone City. Su Bai has officially received his transfer order and will soon be taking up his post as the deputy commander of White Stone City. In addition—he has broken through to the late stage of the True Qi Realm."

The study fell silent for a moment.

The wisp of sandalwood smoke rose straight up without the slightest tremor.

"Late stage of True Qi Realm?" An elder with graying hair and beard repeated subconsciously, his brows furrowing into a knot, his teacup hovering in mid-air. "How old is that kid this year? Around twenty?"

"Just turned twenty," Ning Wansi replied, looking down at the floor tiles in front of his boots.

The elders exchanged glances, their expressions varied. The one on the left picked up his teacup, took a sip, only to find the tea had gone cold, and silently put it down. Another elder tapped lightly on the armrest with his fingers, the sound particularly clear in the silence.

According to Ning Yuechan, a few months ago, Su Bai was just a young man who had just started practicing martial arts. In a prestigious family like the Ning family, he wasn't even qualified to be a dog.

At that time, most people in the clan had no idea that this person existed.

It was only after Su Bai repeatedly demonstrated his abilities, reaching his peak, that Ning Xinyue of the Ning family invited him to marry into their family, which shows that the Ning family valued Su Bai.

But now—

A late-stage True Qi Realm cultivator at the age of twenty?

Everyone present understood what this meant. Among the younger generation of Fengshan County, not a single person had reached the late stage of the True Qi Realm before the age of twenty. Going back several hundred years, only one or two such individuals had emerged.

The Ning family head tapped his fingers lightly on the table, the sandalwood surface emitting a dull thud. His tone was unreadable: "A poor scholar, twenty years old, late-stage True Qi Realm. What do you think?"

An elder with fair skin pondered, "If he can truly earn a place on the rookie rankings, even if it's just at the bottom—" He didn't finish his sentence, but the last syllable lingered meaningfully. He looked around and found that everyone was waiting for him to say this.

The Zhangzhou Rising Stars List encompasses young talents under the age of thirty in the prefecture, and those who make the list are sought after by various powerful families.

Although the Ning family is a prominent family in Fengshan County, their influence has gradually weakened in recent years. If they could have a son-in-law who is on the list of rising stars, it would undoubtedly be a profitable deal.

"Regarding the marriage alliance, it was our side that first agreed. We wanted him to marry into the family," another gaunt elder frowned, stroking his beard. "To bring it up again now, it would be embarrassing—"

"Is face more important or substance?" The clan elder who spoke first immediately retorted, leaning forward slightly and speaking urgently, "Besides, he was forced into marriage back then, but now we can easily marry a legitimate daughter into the family. Does he, a man from a humble background, not understand the difference?"

The head of the Ning family raised his hand to stop the two from arguing. The gesture was small, but the two immediately fell silent. His gaze then turned to the woman who had been sitting silently in the corner.

"Yuechan, what do you think?"

Ning Yuechan sat in the shadows, half her face hidden in darkness. She raised her head, her gaze calmly sweeping across the faces of the clan elders.

What can she possibly think?

She suddenly felt a little tired.

The cicadas outside the window kept chirping, making my head ache.

She recalled the nonchalant disdain on the faces of the elders when she first heard the name;

When discussing the marriage arrangement, they said things like, "Giving me a title is an honor." They recalled the sudden gleam in their eyes when they heard "late stage of True Qi Realm" and how it quickly faded.

But in the end, she still had to do it; after all, there were some things she had to take care of.

"It's no problem to discuss the marriage again, I'll go talk to him." Her voice was flat, as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her. "But I want to give him the position of Chief Constable of Qingyuan County."

The head of the Ning family nodded in satisfaction, "That's fine, this can be considered a sign of the Ning family's sincerity."

Ning Yuechan lowered her eyelashes and said nothing more. Her self-shine fell on the fingers on her knees, her knuckles turning slightly white from the pressure.

Just then, the curtain was suddenly lifted, and a maid rushed in with a joyful expression. She had run so fast that she was still out of breath, and didn't even notice that a silk flower in her hair was askew.

The head of the Ning family frowned and said in a deep voice, "What happened? Why are you rushing in like this? What kind of behavior is this!"

The maid was startled by the rebuke, her joy instantly fading by half. She froze on the spot, whispering, "Master, Young Master Tianyi has broken through! He's reached the late stage of the True Qi Realm!"

Ning Yuechan stood there, stunned.

The cicadas chirping outside the window seemed to suddenly disappear at that moment. She raised her head, her gaze passing through half of the study, and landed on the maid's frightened face.

I never expected that my third brother would break through at this time.

The atmosphere in the study suddenly became lively, as if a pebble had been thrown into the water.

The wrinkles on the faces of the elders instantly smoothed out, and their voices became louder than usual.

The two who had been arguing just moments before exchanged a knowing glance and then laughed at the same time.

"Tianyi is twenty-three years old this year and has entered the late stage of the True Qi Realm. Looking at the entire Zhangzhou, he is a top talent!" The white-bearded elder clapped his hands and laughed, not even noticing that his teacup had been knocked over.

"In less than two months, the list of rising stars will be released. If Tianyi can make the list, the prestige of our Ning family will surely rise greatly!" The fair-skinned elder stroked his beard and nodded, his eyes gleaming.

"The Wang family has been dominating us all these years, isn't it just because their son Wang Yangming is on the list?" The gaunt elder's voice rose a few decibels. "If Tianyi could also be on the list, why would my Ning family need to put up with the Wang family's attitude anymore?"

The head of the Ning family sat in the main seat, his face as calm as still water, but a hint of barely suppressed joy flickered in his eyes. He picked up his teacup and took a sip; this time, the tea was hot.

Immediately summon Ning Tianyi.

Just then, Ning Tianyi was about to break through to the next level, and he and the maid were only a couple of days apart. When the curtain was lifted again, the discussions in the study automatically quieted down.

He was a tall, handsome young man, dressed in a blue robe, with a composed demeanor. He entered with unhurried steps, the sunlight outlining a pale golden silhouette behind him.

Faced with the eager gazes of the clan elders, he simply smiled slightly, showing no arrogance.

"Tianyi," the Ning family head spoke, his voice much gentler than before, "I have already had the news of your breakthrough spread. For the next two months, you don't need to worry about anything. Just focus on consolidating your realm and preparing to compete for the rankings."

Ning Tianyi cupped his hands and said, "Yes, Patriarch." His movements were fluid and graceful, and the cuff of his blue robe slid down with his gesture, revealing a section of his wrist.

An elder suddenly remembered something, and his smile faltered: "Oh right, what about Su Bai—"

The hall fell silent for a moment.

The wisp of sandalwood smoke seemed to freeze for a moment.

"Now that Tianyi has broken through to the next realm, what about Su Bai—" The elder's gaze swept over everyone's faces, finally settling on Patriarch Ning, "Should we continue to try and win him over?"

The head of the Ning family pondered for a moment. He then tapped his fingers lightly on the table again, this time at a much slower pace than before.

"But innate talent is more important."

39

What this means is that in order to win over Su Bai's resources, the cost should be appropriately reduced.

"Alright." Another elder waved his hand, his movements as casual as shooing away a fly. "Since Tianyi has already broken through, it's right for him to reduce his supplies a bit."

"That's exactly right." The white-bearded elder nodded in agreement, his tone carrying an air of matter-of-fact certainty. "Tianyi is a member of the Ning family, and no matter what, he's still an outsider. Outsiders are always outsiders; how can they be relied upon as family? Tianyi, don't you agree?"

He turned to Ning Tianyi, a kind smile on his face.

Ning Tianyi simply smiled without replying. His smile was just right, neither arrogant nor obsequious.

"Let's reduce the resources for Su Bai," the Ning family head finally decided, his tone returning to its usual composure. "Everything else should remain the same; after all, he's a member of the Ning family."

As Ning Yuechan listened to the elders talking amongst themselves, her gaze fell on the young man in the blue robe in the hall.

Ning Tianyi stood quietly, his tall figure casting a faint shadow in the afternoon sunlight. He seemed unconcerned by the gossip, his eyes slightly lowered, a faint smile playing on his lips.

But Ning Yuechan noticed that when the elders said "outsiders are always outsiders," the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

Is it a laugh?

Ning Yuechan couldn't see clearly. Sunlight slanted in through the window, casting a shadow on his face and obscuring his subtle expression.

She suddenly wondered what Su Bai's expression would be if he knew what the Ning family was talking about right now.

He probably just smiled faintly and turned to leave.

She lowered her head, no longer looking at anyone. Her hands were clasped together on her knees, her fingertips slightly cool.

From this day forward, the Ning family will devote all its energy to building momentum for Ning Tianyi, accumulating achievements, and aiming for a spot on the rookie rankings.

The accountant would allocate a large sum of money to purchase elixirs, the elders of the clan would travel far and wide to find a suitable opponent for him, and the servants would serve him carefully, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Two months later, the new list will be released. If Ning Tianyi is indeed on the list, countless poor students will come to seek his help.

As for Su Bai?

Who still remembers him?

He was just a commoner boy, born to be subordinate to the sons of noble families.

Do you think you can turn the world upside down?

The area in front of the Fenjiang County prison was unusually lively today.

Several constables huddled under the eaves, whispering amongst themselves.

The autumn sun shone obliquely, casting their long shadows across the ground in a haphazard fashion.

Some people leaned against the pillars, some squatted on the steps, and some stood inside the threshold, peering out.

Every now and then, someone would look up and glance into the depths of the prison, where the prison warden Su Bai's office was located. The door was half-open, and a dim light shone through the crack. There was no movement inside.

"Have you heard?" A young constable leaned closer, his eyes gleaming with an alarming light. His voice was low but couldn't hide his excitement. "Head Warden Su—no, we should call him Chief Warden Su—is being transferred!"

"The Chief Constable of Qingjiang County, right?" another voice chimed in, a hint of disbelief in his tone. He leaned against a pillar, arms crossed, his feet unconsciously shuffling between the paving stones. "I heard about it yesterday, but I thought it was just a rumor—"

"What rumors! The official documents from the prefectural government have arrived; I saw them with my own eyes!" The constable gestured, separating his thumb and forefinger to indicate thickness. "This stack is so thick, with a large red seal on the cover. How could I be mistaken?"

The group exchanged glances, their faces displaying a complex mix of surprise, envy, and a touch of unreality. A breeze swept through the corridor, carrying a few withered leaves that swirled on the ground.

"How old is he?" someone asked.

"Just turned twenty, I think—I remember, when he came here last year, he wasn't even nineteen yet." The one who answered was an old constable who had worked here for more than ten years and remembered it most clearly. "Back then, he was just a kid, very thin, and you wouldn't stand out in a crowd."

"A twenty-year-old chief constable." The speaker clicked his tongue, a slightly sour smile on his face. "When I was twenty, I was chasing thieves in the streets, and I could chase them all day and still not catch a few."

Someone laughed, the laughter carrying an indescribable meaning.

"Do you know why?" An older constable lowered his voice, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then leaned closer. "I heard that the Ning family has their eye on him."

"The Ning family?"

"The Ning family. In our Fengshan County, which other Ning family could there be?"

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

Ning family.

The Ning family holds half of the seal of the Fengshan County Garrison Command.

Ning Chongye, the commander of the prefectural garrison, was a figure who could stand on equal footing with the prefect. It was said that he was only in his early forties, in the prime of his life, and extremely capable; no one, above or below, dared to raise their voice in front of him.

"But is it really necessary for the Ning family to be so optimistic?" someone questioned.

He was a young constable who had just arrived and didn't know the rules yet. As soon as he spoke, he was glared at.

He didn't seem to care and continued, "The Chief Constable of Qingjiang County is practically a local tyrant, commanding hundreds of men. Can some twenty-year-old brat really keep him in check?"

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