Beginning with the Five Animals Fist to Become a Saint

Chapter 685 Recruitment, Struggle for the Throne!
After leaving the Imperial Preceptor's residence, Jiang Ning went straight to the Taoist Palace.

Looking across the thirty-six prefectures of the Nine Provinces, only the Dao Palace's collection of books could best satisfy his needs.

While the world was not yet in complete chaos, and given that he already possessed a certain level of self-protection ability, he had ample free time to learn about the world, the past, and the unique civilization that belonged to this world through books.

Soon, he reappeared on the first floor of the library.

Seeing Dao Palace students appearing in Jiangning was no longer surprising.

Having spent so many days at the Dao Palace, Jiang Ning's reputation has already spread far and wide.

Arriving at the place where he had not yet read any books, Jiang Ning glanced around and selected ten books.

He then closed his eyes slightly, and ten books on the bookshelf were drawn by an invisible force to float in front of him, then suspended in mid-air, their pages beginning to turn.

In the blink of an eye, he got into the zone.

[Literacy and Character Interpretation Experience Points +1]

[Literacy and Character Interpretation Experience Points +1]

[Literacy and Character Interpretation Experience Points +1]

【.】

After he finished reading a book and returned it to the bookshelf, another book would fly off the shelf and land in front of him, its pages turned.

Compared to the beginning, he is now choosing books to read.

He couldn't even imagine the time it would take to read every single book, given the vastness of the book collection.

As time went by, he also felt his condition getting worse and worse.

suddenly.

He opened his eyes, rubbed his temples, and the last book floating in front of him closed its last page and flew into the bookshelf.

"I need to get a good night's sleep!" He rubbed his temples, his eyes slightly closed, a thought flashing through his mind.

I read books non-stop for several days.

Now he also feels that his condition is getting worse and worse.

The body is sending out protest signals.

He immediately sensed that he was approaching his body's limit.

I spent every day and night engrossed in reading, exhausting my mental energy time and time again.

Even though the lake water nourished him, he quickly returned to a state of high spirits.

But fatigue kept building up throughout the process.

Until today, he suddenly felt his body's protests becoming even more pronounced.

at this time.

The woman who was reading noticed that Jiang Ning had finished reading, so she closed her book and walked over.

"Inspector Jiang, let me introduce myself! I am Xie Feiyan."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning opened his eyes and glanced over.

The woman was young, looking to be under thirty, and her brows exuded an air of nobility.

"Who are you?" Jiang Ning asked, a look of confusion in his eyes.

"Who I am is not important; what matters is that I have a benefactor who wants to meet you!"

Jiang Ning shook his head.

"If he wants to see me, let him come by himself."

"Envoy Jiang, this is the capital, not your Dongling County!" Xie Feiyan reminded him.

Jiang Ning shook his head: "You can leave now!"

"What a pity! He had the opportunity but didn't seize it!" Xie Feiyan looked at Jiang Ning, shook her head, and showed disappointment on her face.

She then turned and left.

Watching Xie Feiyan's departing figure, Jiang Ning couldn't help but shake his head.

He had noticed Xie Feiyan when she appeared beside him reading a book.

I simply ignored it, and couldn't be bothered to pay attention.

After a brief conversation, he understood even more clearly why Xie Feiyan had appeared beside him.

In his view, the so-called benefactor was most likely one of those princes.

They wanted to see him and win him over.

He still has a certain degree of confidence in this regard.

Regardless of his current true strength, his ranking fourth on the Heavenly Ranking alone, combined with his age, is enough to make him a target for ambitious monarchs to win over.

But he had absolutely no interest in this matter.

What about princes vying for the throne, what about meritorious service in supporting the emperor?

It's not nearly as important as improving yourself.

As long as you are strong enough.

Even dragons have to coil up.

Just like that invincible martial saint.

For over eight hundred years, his position has remained unshaken.

No matter which emperor ascends to the throne, it will not affect the status of that Martial Saint in the slightest.

Even today, this remains true.

After pondering for a moment, he left the library.

the other side.

Lakeside.

Green willows gently brush the lake's surface, causing shimmering waves to appear.

Xie Feiyan appeared before a dashing and handsome man.

"Your Highness!"

"He didn't come?"

"no!"

Have you revealed my identity?

“His Highness said not to reveal it in advance, so I didn’t say anything. I only said that a distinguished person wanted to see him.”

“That’s enough!” The man nodded slightly, his hands behind his back. “He should understand what you mean. His not coming means he doesn’t want to have any contact with the other princes.”

"Your Highness, according to you, does he have already decided on that Eighth Prince?" Xie Feiyan asked.

The man said, "Given his relationship with Xiao Shiqi, and Xiao Shiqi's relationship with Eighth Brother, it's highly likely that's the case."

"He's siding with the Eighth Prince, so what should we do?" Xie Feiyan asked.

"Don't worry about it!" the man said calmly. "If Eighth Brother really dares to get involved in this matter, with the power behind him, he's just courting death! With that Jiang Inspector's current strength, he's far from being able to influence the struggle for the throne."

"So we won't contact him anymore?" Xie Feiyan asked.

"Let's leave it at that for now! We'll stop contacting each other for the time being!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

the other side.

Jiang Ning withdrew the divine thought that had been tracking Xie Feiyan.

"Just as I thought!" he thought to himself.

Not surprising.

Given the commotion Ji Minghao had caused when he visited him several times before, how could the other princes not have noticed?

Therefore, he was already mentally prepared for this to happen.

Because he had already thought it through, he refused without the slightest hesitation.

Getting involved in too many things is less useful than using that time to improve yourself.

Having sufficient personal strength is the true ability to secure one's livelihood.

Especially after witnessing the battle of Fu Yuan Shengjun a couple of days ago, he understood even more the strength of the martial arts experts at the top of the pyramid.

If there are no equally matched opponents, a single person can possess the power of an enemy nation.

Just like the Holy Ruler Fuyuan of that day.

If no powerful figure intervenes, with his towering stature of a thousand feet, the Holy Lord Fuyuan could take countless lives with a single movement.

With such strength, no matter how many ordinary soldiers there are, it will be of no use. One person can slaughter an entire army, and one person can easily conquer a city.

It's even possible for one person to be able to fight against an entire nation.

At this level, one's own strength is the greatest power.

He then shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

My belief was already very firm.

Then he left the Taoist palace. The Imperial Preceptor's Residence.

"My lord, it's you!!" The girl pushed open the gate and was immediately surprised to see Jiang Ning standing outside the mansion.

Jiang Ning nodded: "Take me to see the Imperial Advisor!"

“Yes, sir!” The girl nodded repeatedly.

She had received instructions from Su Qingying beforehand, so she naturally knew what to do.

Led by the girl, Jiang Ning soon found Su Qingying's bamboo house in the bamboo forest.

"Your Majesty, please wait a moment. I need to put on some clothes before I can come out to greet you," Su Qingying's voice came from inside the bamboo house.

"No need, you should focus on recovering!" Jiang Ning said.

"Then please come in, Your Majesty!" Su Qingying's clear voice rang out again.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning stepped onto the steps built by the green bamboo.

The girl behind him quickly left the bamboo forest.

Stepping inside, Jiang Ning could see through the mist that Su Qingying was still lying in the bathtub, tending to her injuries.

"May I ask what brings Your Majesty here?" Su Qingying's voice reached Jiang Ning's ears through the mist.

“Go to sleep!” Jiang Ning said.

He realized while he was in the library that he desperately needed a good night's sleep to fully recover.

The long hours without sleep, repeatedly draining his mental energy, had left him in a state of near exhaustion.

In this state, continuing to rely on the lake water to replenish the body's energy will only exacerbate the discomfort.

The most effective way is to get a good night's sleep.

After much deliberation, he decided to come to the Imperial Preceptor's residence and to Su Qingying's bamboo house.

Because Su Qingying's bamboo bed is a treasure that can nourish his body and increase his source energy points.

Here, one can rest and recover from physical depletion, while also gaining energy points—a win-win situation.

And since only he can help Su Qingying with her current wish, he is not worried about her in this regard.

After a while.

After exchanging a few words with Su Qingying, he went to her room.

He swept away the clothes and blankets on the bamboo bed, lay down on it, and drifted off to sleep.

a long time.

A young woman in her late teens, dressed in a white dress, appeared in the room barefoot.

She looked at Jiang Ning, who was breathing evenly and had already fallen asleep, and her gaze softened.

She then quietly came to the bedside.

Even while barefoot, it made no sound.

He then gathered up his own clothes from the bed, unfolded the rolled-up thin blanket, and covered Jiang Ning with it.

After she finished doing that, she stood by the bedside, silently watching over him.

He only left when his expression grew increasingly grim.

That night.

Su Qingying came to Jiang Ning's bedside again.

She glanced at Jiang Ning, who was still fast asleep on the bed, and then at the empty seat next to him.

After thinking for a moment, she brought a new thin blanket, spread it on the floor, and then lay down on it for a nap.

I do not know how long it has been.

Jiang Ning's eyes twitched slightly, then he opened them, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Golden sunlight streamed into the room through the window, the bright light almost blinding.

"Your Majesty, you're awake!" A girl's clear voice suddenly rang out from the side.

Jiang Ning turned his head and saw Su Qingying, dressed in white clothes and white pants, sleeping on the ground. Su Qingying had obviously just gotten up.

"Have I been sleeping since yesterday noon?" Jiang Ning asked.

“No, Your Majesty!” Su Qingying shook her head, then continued, “You’ve been asleep for two whole days! You arrived the day before yesterday at noon!”

"Two days?" A look of surprise flashed in Jiang Ning's eyes.

"Your Majesty, you must be extremely tired! It's all my fault. Your Majesty helped me break free of my shackles, which must have taken a toll on your mind and spirit!" Su Qingying said with some guilt.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning smiled and said, "Don't overthink it."

After saying that, he didn't offer any further explanation.

This misunderstanding is actually a good thing for him.

He then got up and said, "You slept for two days straight, no wonder you look much better."

Su Qingying nodded: "The injuries have basically stabilized! The divine power has been almost completely worn away!"

"Thank you so much for these past two days!" Jiang Ning said again, expressing his gratitude.

"You're too kind, Your Majesty! Your fatigue is related to helping me break free of my shackles, which is what I should do." As she spoke, Su Qingying stood up, her bare feet touching the bamboo floor, the veins on the back of her feet clearly visible.

Jiang Ning then got off the bamboo bed, stretched out his arms, and immediately his whole body crackled and popped, making a sound like his bones were breaking.

Jiang Ning's gaze involuntarily fell on Su Qingying again.

He hadn't really noticed anything before the two of them weren't standing together.

Now that they were standing together, he could truly see how short Su Qingying was.

She looked like an underdeveloped 18-year-old girl, only reaching his shoulder in height.

If one did not know beforehand, no one would be able to tell that the girl with the slender, knife-like shoulders in front of them is the current Grand Preceptor of the Great Xia Dynasty.

at the same time.

Su Qingying lowered her head immediately when she saw Jiang Ning's gaze.

"Don't move!" Jiang Ning suddenly said, then placed his hand on her head.

After one breath.

He withdrew his hand and casually added the divine points he had just taken from Su Qingying to his authority.

"Let's leave it at that for today! We'll have to wait until tomorrow for the rest!" Jiang Ning said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Su Qingying immediately knelt down.

Seeing this, Jiang Ning grabbed her slender arm and lifted her up.

"What's wrong with you? Why do you, the Grand Preceptor of the Great Xia Dynasty, enjoy kneeling so much?"

“Your Majesty, this is what my memories from my past life told me.” Su Qingying looked up at Jiang Ning with a respectful expression.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning frowned.

The knowledge recorded in the book immediately came to mind.

According to historical records, the hierarchy in the Shinto system was very strict.

“There’s no need to do that in the future. What’s past is past!” Jiang Ning said.

"Yes!" Su Qingying nodded.

"I'm going back now," Jiang Ning said.

“Then I’ll see you off, Your Majesty!” Su Qingying immediately said.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning did not refuse.

Then, he saw Su Qingying reach out and grab a dark white dress hanging on the clothes rack, which flew into her hand.

Jiang Ning then noticed that the room had become much cleaner than it had been two days ago.

The personal clothing that Su Qingying had carelessly tossed around the room was also nowhere to be seen.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile and shake his head secretly.

Subsequently.

Su Qingying, dressed neatly, escorted Jiang Ning all the way out of the Imperial Preceptor's residence.

Along the way, Jiang Ning's eyes swept across the panel.

[Source Energy]: 198668
Upon seeing the energy points, he felt a surge of satisfaction.

The number of energy points is one step closer to the 200,000 mark.

In front of the Imperial Preceptor's residence.

A passerby glanced at it out of the corner of their eye and their eyes lit up.

He saw Jiang Ning appear, and he also saw Su Qingying following behind him.

"His Highness told me to wait at the gate of the Imperial Preceptor's residence, and I didn't expect to actually do it. The Imperial Preceptor saw me off, and I must report this to His Highness!" The thought flashed through his mind as he secretly suppressed his surprise.

After a brief pause, he resumed walking forward, his attention still focused on the main gate of the Imperial Preceptor's residence, especially his ears, which he strained to listen to the conversation between Jiang Ning and Su Qingying.

(End of this chapter)