Returning to the barracks, facing the concerned gazes of Chen Song, Wei Xian, and several other subordinates, Ning Yue calmly waved his hand, “It’s nothing! Our Zongqi is broad-minded and won't bother with such minor matters.”
The few subordinates couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Ning Yue then pulled out a silver note from his Pregnant, saying, “This is a twenty tael silver note, a reward from our Zongqi. You two take the other brothers out to have some fun. I have something to do tonight, so I won't be joining you.”
Chen Song quickly stepped forward to take the money, smiling, “Thank you for the reward!”
Behind him, several of the junior officers in black robes, who had initially been resentful of Ning Yue's youthful success, now looked much more eager.
They thought, with such a considerate superior, how could their brothers not fight with all their might?!
It was still early before dismissal, so Ning Yue first arranged for everyone to post the wanted posters for the three bandit leaders. The chief bandit had a fierce face, with his right eye covered by a black cloth, making him look less like a bandit and more like a pirate.
Then, he wandered around, inspected the barracks, and returned to his dormitory in the guard post.
The dormitory was extremely spacious, with nothing but a nanmu bed and a black lacquered flat-top desk, making it appear very simple.
He opened the system, and the panel had already changed significantly.
【Host: Ning Yue】
【Bone Structure: Ape Back Bee Waist】
【Talent: Heavenly Martial Star】
【Realm: Skin Grinding Great Accomplishment】
【Internal Cultivation: Military Department Skin Grinding Method (Perfected), Gold Jade Skin Grinding Art (Not Initiated)】
【External Cultivation: Cloud Chasing Step (Great Accomplishment 80%), Night Battle Eight Desolations (Great Accomplishment 70%), Cold Star Archery (Perfected)】
【Secret Skill: Three Arrows Chase Stars】
【Wealth: 1330 points】
Today's gains were more than a Xiaoqi officer's three years of overt and covert income combined, so much so that every time Ning Yue saw the wealth figure on the panel, his heart would skip a beat.
The greatest contributors were the bearded incense master and the skinny bandit, who were both incredibly rich and had brought all their possessions with them while fleeing.
It was certainly not in vain that he had lost face so greatly today.
Ning Yue sat cross-legged, took out the cultivation technique from his Pregnant, and began to study it, reading ten lines at a glance, completely unconcerned by Xue Ren's claim that it was extremely difficult to get started.
The comprehension of a Heavenly Martial Star was monstrous; a mere Skin Grinding Art was a piece of cake.
Indeed, in just a moment, when Ning Yue turned to the last page of the book, the cultivation technique on the panel automatically initiated, with almost no difficulty.
Let's begin; improving the realm is the priority!
The wealth on the panel slowly dwindled, and a more piercing and bone-chilling pain arose without warning. His entire skin began to ripple with layers of wrinkles, rising and falling like waves, and started to glow with a faint golden light.
Time slowly passed, and the sun gradually set in the west. This improvement took much longer than Ning Yue had anticipated.
The progress of the Gold Jade Skin Grinding Art in the internal cultivation section began to increase: Initiation—Minor Accomplishment—Great Accomplishment, finally reaching Perfection in one go!
When the wealth had dwindled to 330 points, the Skin Grinding Great Accomplishment in the realm section also smoothly transitioned to Perfection!
Ning Yue, enveloped in a layer of golden light, now opened his eyes, and a layer of golden light seemed to flicker in his eyes as well.
The light flashed and then slowly converged back into his body.
With a surge of energy, his skin was like gold and jade. Unbeknownst to him, a thin, crystalline outer layer had condensed on his entire skin.
Ning Yue drew his long saber and slashed it at his arm.
With a 'clang,' the sound of metal clashing echoed in the room, lingering for a long time.
Looking at his arm again, not even a white mark was visible!
Ning Yue was secretly delighted. As expected of the top-tier Skin Grinding cultivation technique in the military, the Gold Jade Skin Grinding Art, as its name suggests, makes the skin as solid as jade after reaching Perfection. Even with a saber or axe, it is difficult to damage!
However, the cost in silver was also astonishing. The Military Department Skin Grinding Method, all told, didn't even use 500 taels of his silver, while the Gold Jade Skin Grinding Art consumed a full one thousand taels, more than double!
Ning Yue's heart ached. The money came quickly, but he didn't expect it to go even faster.
The remaining wealth was only enough to improve one external cultivation technique. Without even thinking, he plunged it into Cloud Chasing Step.
Xiaoqi officer Ning, known for being exceptional in both archery and lightness skill, now had perfected archery and even comprehended a secret skill, so his lightness skill naturally couldn't fall behind.
Following Ning Yue's conscious guidance, his legs began to swell, and as his muscles creeping, his leg shape became more fluid and slender. Behind his already ape-backed, bee-waisted bone structure, three large characters slowly condensed: “Mantis Leg.”
【Ding! Congratulations, Host! Lightness skill Cloud Chasing Step has been upgraded to Perfection, and you have comprehended the secret skill 'Stepping on Clouds'!'
Unconsciously, the sky outside the window had completely darkened. A sliver of moonlight shone through the window, illuminating a slender figure. He took a step, clouds swirling around his feet, and his figure suddenly blurred, appearing abruptly at the door the next instant.
“A horizontal shift of about five meters in one-fifth of a breath, in any direction.” Ning Yue estimated the distance and time, secretly delighted, but with just one use, the meridians and bones in his legs were stretched painfully.
“The strength of the Skin Grinding realm is still a bit too weak. I'm afraid I can only use it three times consecutively at most before my body can't bear it, and that's even with cultivating the Gold Jade Skin Grinding Art.”
Ning Yue assessed his own strength for a while and prepared to bathe and change clothes.
However, he heard the servant outside rushing to report that his Elder sister Ning Qian and brother-in-law Zhang Qi Ming had come to visit.
Ning Yue couldn't help but frown.
The original owner's parents had both passed away at the beginning of Ning Yue's transmigration. This Elder sister and he were the only remaining descendants of the two branches of the Ning family, and they should have been closer.
But due to the separation of men and women in this era, and because his Elder sister's husband's family was a merchant family, employing several merchant caravans that traveled north and south, their income was quite substantial. Their words and actions inevitably carried a hint of commercialism, and they often looked down on Ning Yue, unwilling to associate with him.
After the original owner visited twice, he no longer wished to go.
After Ning Yue transmigrated, he kept an even greater distance.
It's worth mentioning that when Ning Yue was promoted to Xiaoqi, the other party did send a congratulatory gift: pastries from Furong Pavilion, a famous establishment in Gu City, but they were of a very cheap kind.
A rare guest indeed!
Ning Yue smacked his lips and instructed the servant, “Please invite them to the reception hall!”
Combing his hair, washing his face, bathing, and changing clothes—all these tasks were taken care of by servants.
Ning Yue didn't deliberately stall for time, but the medicinal package, which could only be received once every ten days in the military, was quite valuable.
It could promote blood circulation, dispel bruises, eliminate post-battle fatigue, and was even more effective as an aid to cultivation. It would be a waste to let it go, and there wasn't much left anyway.
Two quarters of an hour later, after the hot water had been refilled three times and the cloudy water gradually cleared, he got up, dressed, and went to receive his guests.
Before entering the hall, Ning Yue vaguely heard the sound of two people arguing.
“Qi Guang is uneducated and unskilled. It's one thing for him to fool around normally, but how dare he provoke the daughter of that Lord Wu?! I think we shouldn't even save him this time. Let him suffer a bit in jail.”
“I really don't understand why the old man still wants to pass on half of the family fortune to him. It'll probably all be squandered sooner or later!” Elder sister Ning Qian said indignantly.
“Enough, stop talking. We're outside; don't let people laugh at us. You and I have no sons. When this family fortune comes into our hands, who will we leave it to? To your daughter, who will eventually marry out?” Zhang Lin's face was also displeased, and he roughly interrupted Ning Qian.
“And this brother of yours, he knows we're already here, yet he still makes people wait so long. The tea is already cold. He's also heartless. I even specially sent someone to deliver a congratulatory gift when he was promoted last time!”
“I don't think he can be relied on this time either! He's just an unranked, unrated junior officer, how can he have connections with the Marquis's residence?”
Ning Qian stopped speaking, but tears began to well up in her eyes.
There are three unfilial acts, and having no heir is the greatest.
Who made her belly uncooperative, having only one daughter all these years?
And that younger brother-in-law was quite the womanizer. He had three concubines at home, and he was even rumored to have an outside mistress. He was practically a reincarnated lecher.
Hearing this, Ning Yue walked in from behind the large landscape screen.
As soon as he entered, he met his Elder sister's tear-filled eyes.
Ning Yue was startled: “Elder sister, what's wrong? Why are you so sad?”
Ning Qian then cried even more sadly: “Wuwuwu, Younger Brother, Elder sister is truly worried about my good-for-nothing younger brother-in-law. You must help me this time!”