Inside the room, Jiang Ning and Wang Jin sat facing each other.
A small brazier warmed the wine, and the air carried a faint aroma of liquor.
Several plates of appetizers were laid out on the table.
After taking their first sip, Wang Jin asked, "How has your martial progress been recently?"
Jiang Ning replied, "I've made some small improvements."
"Come, give me a hand!" Wang Jin said, extending his right hand.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning smiled helplessly. He knew that Wang Jin was testing his strength.
Even so, he couldn't refuse.
After all, his martial arts were taught by Wang Jin, his only formally acknowledged master.
The next moment, he extended his right hand.
Their arms pressed against each other.
"Don't hold back!" Wang Jin said seriously.
"Understood!" Jiang Ning nodded.
As soon as the words fell, Wang Jin exerted his strength.
However, the moment he applied force, he realized that Jiang Ning remained completely immovable.
He couldn't help but look up and see Jiang Ning's calm expression.
"You brat, you've improved a lot!" Wang Jin exclaimed.
Jiang Ning replied, "Master has improved a lot too."
Hearing this, Wang Jin burst into laughter.
"You're not wrong!"
"I've indeed made great progress! In just a few more days, I'll step into the sixth rank of martial arts!"
Jiang Ning smiled and said, "Congratulations, Master!"
Wang Jin laughed heartily, clearly in a great mood.
"This is indeed something worth celebrating!"
Then, he sighed. "I owe much of this to Brother Shen."
After saying this, his expression sharpened as he looked at Jiang Ning.
"You brat, get ready! I won't hold back this time!"
"Bring it on," Jiang Ning replied with a slight smile.
The next moment
Wang Jin exerted his full strength, planting his feet firmly in a half-squat stance, lifting himself off the wooden stool.
Bang!
The table he was leaning on shook violently.
The bronze wine pot on the table tilted, and its lid loosened.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning quickly extended his left hand to steady the tilting wine pot.
"You brat…" Wang Jin's eyes widened in shock.
He was already using his full strength, and the stone tiles beneath his feet were cracking.
Yet, he felt as if Jiang Ning was an immovable mountain, completely unaffected.
A few breaths later
Wang Jin's face was flushed red, and his right arm trembled slightly.
This indicated that he had reached his limit.
Finally
"Phew" Wang Jin withdrew his right hand, exhaling a deep breath. The redness in his face slowly faded.
"You brat… Your strength must be at least seven or eight thousand jin (about 3,500-4,000 kg), right?" Wang Jin asked.
Jiang Ning also withdrew his hand and replied, "I'm not sure of the exact amount."
"Fair enough," Wang Jin nodded. "There's no equipment in Luoshui County that can measure such strength anyway."
Then, he sighed emotionally. "As a master, being left so far behind by my disciple… It's a complicated feeling."
Jiang Ning smiled and consoled him, "As the saying goes, 'A great master produces outstanding disciples!' A student surpassing the teacher only proves how skilled the teacher's guidance is."
"Haha!" Wang Jin laughed heartily. "You know how to talk!"
He then raised his cup. "Come, drink with me! It's been a long time since I had someone to drink with."
Jiang Ning lifted his cup as well. "That's on me! I should visit more often."
Hearing this, Wang Jin shook his head. "That's unnecessary! I'm not some young lady in need of company. You're in your prime years for martial arts and career development you must not waste time! Seize this opportunity!"
"If you become famous in the future, as your so-called 'cheap master,' I'll have something to brag about too!"
"Understand?" Wang Jin asked again.
"Understood!" Jiang Ning smiled.
After downing another cup of wine
"Master, I came today because I have something to discuss with you."
"I knew it!" Wang Jin laughed. "Seeing how much you've improved, I can only imagine how hard you've been training. You wouldn't suddenly visit unless it was something important."
Then, he continued, "Go ahead, tell me what it is!"
Hearing this, Jiang Ning raised his hand and swept it over the table.
A thick stack of pages instantly appeared, still carrying the fresh scent of ink.
Beside them, five scrolls, neatly tied with red string, were also placed on the table.
"Master, this is a revised version of the Five Animals Fist that I developed based on your teachings. Please take a look."
"Also, if possible, I would like to teach this improved version to others, but I hope to get your approval first."
Upon hearing Jiang Ning's words, Wang Jin's eyes widened in shock.
"What did you just say?"
"You revised the Five Animals Fist?"
"Yes," Jiang Ning nodded. "It's my first attempt I don't know if it will work."
After hearing Jiang Ning confirm it
"Hiss"
Wang Jin took a sharp breath.
Wang Jin couldn't help but take a sharp breath.
He looked at Jiang Ning in astonishment and said, "You brat, this is incredible! If this works, then it's truly remarkable!!!"
As he spoke, he immediately picked up the martial arts manual that Jiang Ning had placed on the table.
Then, as if something suddenly occurred to him, he looked up at Jiang Ning and said, "You can pass the Five Animals Fist to anyone as you like. It's just a lower-tier martial art, not some rare or precious technique. You could easily buy a copy of the Five Animals Fist elsewhere for three to five thousand taels."
After saying that, he eagerly flipped open the manual.
Time slowly passed.
Jiang Ning sat quietly to the side, waiting patiently.
In the blink of an eye, nearly half an hour had gone by.
"Phew"
Wang Jin exhaled deeply.
Then he shook his head and sighed. "You are something else! Though your ideas are wild, they are well-founded, and the theory behind them is solid. There's a real possibility of making this work!!"
His gaze then shifted to the five scrolls on the table.
"What are these?"
Jiang Ning replied, "These are the Five Animal Diagrams the improved versions."
"The Five Animal Diagrams?" Wang Jin asked, surprised.
He reached for the nearest scroll, untied the red string, and slowly unrolled it.
The next moment
He saw a fierce tiger.
A tiger engulfed in raging flames.
The tiger was trapped in a cage, roaring furiously toward the sky.
At that moment, Wang Jin's pupils reflected the image of the burning tiger, its body wreathed in blazing fire.
For several long breaths, he remained motionless.
Only after a while did he slowly withdraw his gaze and close his eyes briefly.
After a few more breaths, he opened his eyes again, looking at Jiang Ning with a complicated expression.
"This is extraordinary!"
"Incredible!!!"
Jiang Ning asked, "Master, what do you think?"
Wang Jin didn't answer immediately. Instead, he gazed at Jiang Ning with deep emotion.
"You've comprehended Fist Intent, haven't you?"
Though phrased as a question, his tone was filled with certainty.
Jiang Ning nodded slowly.
"That's right."
"Incredible!!!" Wang Jin praised.
Then, with great emotion, he continued, "Not only have you grasped Fist Intent, but it's from a technique of your creation!"
"Who could have imagined this?!!"
"You're an absolute monster!"
"Even a grandmaster of martial arts wouldn't compare to you at your age!!"
At this moment, Wang Jin fully understood.
Jiang Ning's improved Five Animals Fist was no longer just a theoretical concept it had become a reality.
His so-called 'cheap disciple' had already developed a true Fist Intent based on his improved version of the Five Animals Fist.
And this disciple of his, Jiang Ning, might very well become a legendary figure known throughout the Great Xia Empire.
Thinking of this, Wang Jin couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Who would have thought that just a few months ago, Jiang Ning had come to him seeking instruction, and now he had already become a top-tier expert who had grasped Fist Intent?
Just by possessing Fist Intent alone
Wang Jin was certain that within the entire Luoshui County, Jiang Ning was already among the strongest.
And considering the strength he had just experienced in their contest
It was clear to him that his disciple's martial progress had already surpassed his own.
Jiang Ning must have stepped into the Sixth Rank of Martial Arts.
After a brief moment of reflection, Wang Jin snapped out of his thoughts and proceeded to unroll the remaining four scrolls.
After examining all of them, he looked at Jiang Ning with a serious expression.
"Can you demonstrate your Fist Intent the Trapped Fire Tiger's Fist Intent?"
"Master, please watch!" Jiang Ning replied.
The next moment
His expression changed, and his pupils suddenly reflected the image of two tigers engulfed in raging flames.
The manifestation of Fist Intent.
In an instant, Wang Jin saw a blazing tiger staring at him, its eyes filled with a fierce, predatory gleam.
Faced with this burning tiger, Wang Jin felt an inexplicable sense of fear welling up in his heart.
He instinctively mobilized his qi and blood, only to find that under the pressure of Jiang Ning's Fist Intent, his circulation had slowed significantly.
A moment later
Jiang Ning withdrew his first intent.
Yet, Wang Jin's eyes still held traces of lingering fear.
"So this is the Trapped Fire Tiger's Fist Intent?"
"I could feel as if I was about to be torn apart by that blazing tiger at any moment. That innate sense of fear made it difficult for me to move freely."
"No wonder a warrior's combat power soars the moment they comprehend Fist Intent!"
"Under the suppression of your Fist Intent, I could only exert sixty to seventy percent of my full strength."
After finishing his business,
Jiang Ning drank with Wang Jin for more than an hour before finally getting up to leave.
After leaving the martial arts hall, he took a stroll through the marketplace.
Before leaving home at noon, he had promised Little Doubao that he would buy her five skewers of candied hawthorn.
So, he bought five skewers from the market.
Then, he took a carriage and headed home.
Along the way, he continued reading his book.
When he arrived home
Before stepping out of the carriage, he glanced at his status panel.
[Skills]: Literacy (Fourth Limit Breakthrough 4887/5000) (Traits: Photographic Memory, Enhanced Senses, Quick Thinking, Exceptional Comprehension)
"Tonight, it's a done deal!"
Then, he left the task of tending to the carriage to Lü Yi.
Carrying the skewers of candied hawthorn, he climbed the steps and arrived at the front gate.
Knock, knock, knock
He knocked on the door.
"It's Uncle!"
"It has to be Uncle!!"
"Uncle brought candied hawthorn back!!!"
"..."
Hearing the lively chatter from the front courtyard, Jiang Ning couldn't help but smile.
"Who is it?" came Liu Wanwan's voice.
"Sister-in-law, it's me!" Jiang Ning replied.
A moment later
The tightly closed door suddenly swung open.
"Wow"
Jiang Ning immediately saw Little Doubao standing behind the door, her mouth wide open in excitement.
"A-Ning, you brought back five skewers of candied hawthorn for Little Doubao!" Liu Wanwan said.
Jiang Ning chuckled and reached out to ruffle Little Doubao's hair as she eagerly stepped over the threshold and clung to his leg.
"A promise to a child must not be broken!"
"You have to follow through!"
"Otherwise, how disappointed would Little Doubao be?!"
Liu Wanwan said warmly, "You spoil her."
Jiang Ning shook his head with a smile. "This isn't spoiling. If you make a promise, you must keep it! Otherwise, you shouldn't make the promise in the first place!"
With that, he stepped over the threshold and entered the front courtyard.
Jiang Ning handed the five skewers of candied hawthorn to Little Doubao.
She eagerly took two skewers, one in each hand.
The next moment
"Mother! This one is for you!" Little Doubao lifted one of the skewers high toward Liu Wanwan.
"I don't need it," Liu Wanwan said with a gentle smile.
"I don't believe you!" Little Doubao shook her head repeatedly. "I know Mother likes sweet and sour things too."
Seeing her like this, Liu Wanwan smiled and accepted the candied hawthorn.
Then
Little Doubao took another skewer from Jiang Ning's hand and dashed into the house.
Watching her run off, Jiang Ning glanced at the remaining two skewers in his hand and chuckled, "Sister-in-law, Little Doubao is quite thoughtful. She's growing up well."
Liu Wanwan also smiled softly.
"Yes, she is," she nodded.
Not long after
They saw Little Doubao running back, her hands now empty.
Jiang Ning was curious to see how she would handle the last two skewers.
Then, Little Doubao reached for the two remaining skewers in Jiang Ning's hand.
"Uncle, come with me!" She grabbed his finger and pulled him along.
Jiang Ning let her lead him without resistance.
They arrived at a small courtyard, where in the corner stood a snowman about a meter tall, round and chubby.
"Uncle, look!" Little Doubao stood beside the snowman and introduced it solemnly. "Uncle, this is Little Bai! My friend from winter."
Jiang Ning chuckled upon hearing this.
Little Doubao continued, "I promised to give my friend a skewer of candied hawthorn!"
With that, she firmly planted the skewer in the snowman's hand.
Now, only one skewer remained in her hands.
She then hopped back to Jiang Ning's side.
"Uncle, have the first two pieces!"
As she spoke, she lifted the last skewer toward Jiang Ning, her bright eyes looking up at him expectantly.
Jiang Ning looked down at her, then smiled and took a bite.
"Uncle, is it good?"
"It's delicious!" Jiang Ning said. "Sweet and sour."
"Uncle, you eat half, and I'll eat half! Have two more pieces!" Little Doubao looked up at him.
Jiang Ning smiled and ruffled her hair. "You eat it. I don't like sour things."
"So Uncle doesn't like sour things!" Little Doubao nodded as if she had learned something new.
Then, she stuck out her tongue and licked the candied hawthorn. Her eyes immediately squinted into crescent moons, her face full of happiness.
"A child's happiness is so simple!!"
Watching this scene, Jiang Ning sighed inwardly.
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