Wanhua Tower.
Lin Qingyi approached Jiang Ning and casually pinched his arm. At the same time, she asked, "I heard you went out of the city a few days ago and killed Hong Chengtao. How did you manage that?"
Jiang Ning glanced down at his arm, where Lin Qingyi's delicate, jade-like fingers were gently squeezing his firm muscles.
"Sister Lin, I just hacked him to death with a few strikes," Jiang Ning replied.
Lin Qingyi rolled her eyes. Yeah, right! she thought to herself.
Then, a hint of surprise flickered across her face. This kid feels different. Why does his skin feel so tough? Has he made significant progress in refining his skin?
With this thought, Lin Qingyi looked at Jiang Ning with suspicion. "Little brother, be honest with me. Have you made significant progress in refining your skin?"
Jiang Ning nodded frankly. "Yes, I've made a lot of progress."
"Have you reached the ninth grade of martial arts?" Lin Qingyi pressed.
"Exactly! Sister Lin, you have a keen eye," Jiang Ning praised.
Jiang Ning saw no need to hide his progress in refining his skin to the level of oxhide. With Lin Qingyi's strength, she could easily discern it up close. Moreover, there was no reason to hide it from her. Shen Congyun had entrusted her with the items he left for Jiang Ning, which showed that she was trustworthy. The more talent Jiang Ning displayed, the more Lin Qingyi would value him. After all, the greater his potential, the higher his future achievements, and any investment in him now would yield returns later.
At the same time, Lin Qingyi was visibly surprised. Has he reached the ninth grade? In less than a month? That means he mastered the basics of the Indestructible Golden Body in such a short time. The Indestructible Golden Body is one of the Diamond Temple's supreme martial arts. It's much harder to practice than ordinary skin-refining techniques. With his talent and achievements at this age, he's already qualified to join the Diamond Temple as an outer disciple.
These thoughts raced through Lin Qingyi's mind. Then she asked, "Have you considered joining the Diamond Temple?"
"The Diamond Temple? Can I?" Jiang Ning looked at her in surprise.
Lin Qingyi nodded slightly. "Yes. The reason the incomplete version of the Indestructible Golden Body has spread outside the temple is simple: it's a method the Diamond Temple uses to recruit disciples. If you can refine your skin using the Indestructible Golden Body and reach the ninth grade of martial arts before the age of twenty, you qualify to join the temple as an outer disciple."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning suddenly understood why the Indestructible Golden Body, despite being one of the Diamond Temple's supreme martial arts, had been allowed to circulate outside.
Jiang Ning then asked, "Are there any other requirements for joining the Diamond Temple?"
"Of course," Lin Qingyi replied. "The Diamond Temple is a Buddhist monastery. Joining means you must adhere to Buddhist precepts: no meat, no marriage, no..."
Lin Qingyi listed one rule after another, causing Jiang Ning to frown. The Diamond Temple's rules were even stricter than those of the Buddhist temples he knew in his previous life. One key rule was that joining the temple meant severing all ties with the secular world no wife, no children, no parents. To Jiang Ning, this seemed like an extreme and almost fanatical level of devotion.
He shook his head. "Forget it. Joining the Diamond Temple sounds too boring. A life without a wife? That's too harsh!"
Lin Qingyi couldn't help but chuckle, her eyes curving like crescent moons. "'A life without a wife'? You have a way with words! Are you thinking about getting married already?"
Jiang Ning shook his head. "Not yet."
Lin Qingyi looked him up and down. "From what I know, you're not exactly young anymore. You're already eighteen and a half, right? Not getting married by now is almost unfilial."
Jiang Ning replied, "There's no rush. I'll consider it when I meet the right person. Besides, I don't have parents to take care of."
"True," Lin Qingyi nodded slightly. Then she added, "But at your age, you must be thinking about women, right?"
Hearing this, Jiang Ning looked at her with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
Lin Qingyi chuckled. "Look at you. Don't tell me you're still a virgin?"
"I'm not! Don't make things up," Jiang Ning immediately retorted. He wasn't lying, after all, he had experience from his previous life.
Lin Qingyi, however, wore a teasing smile. She patted Jiang Ning's shoulder. "No need to be shy. Since you call me 'sister,' I'll help you find a good girl. Once you get married, you can finally 'break your fast.'"
Jiang Ning: "..."
Seeing Jiang Ning's expression, Lin Qingyi found it even more amusing. Then she thought to herself this isn't a bad idea. This kid's talent is extraordinary. The Indestructible Golden Body suits him so well that he reached the ninth grade in less than a month. His future potential is limitless he might even have a chance to glimpse the mysteries of becoming a grandmaster. For such a young prodigy, finding him a good match and forming a marital alliance would be a smart move.
With this in mind, Lin Qingyi made up her decision. She turned back to Jiang Ning. "Alright, it's settled! I'll start looking for a suitable girl for you."
With that, she turned and walked away briskly.
Jiang Ning watched her retreating figure, feeling a mix of exasperation and helplessness. Getting married? The thought made him shake his head. With his extraordinary system and the chaotic times he lived in, martial training was his top priority. Marriage and family were far from his mind.
He muttered to himself, "Forget it. I'll just refuse her later. Besides, she might just be saying this on a whim. She'll probably forget about it soon enough."
With that, he put the matter out of his mind.
A Short While Later.
Jiang Ning turned to Xiao Lü, who had been standing quietly nearby. "Miss Xiao Lü."
"Yes, Young Master?" Xiao Lü immediately snapped out of her statue-like stillness and curtsied gracefully.
Jiang Ning said, "The Essence of Plants is quite good. I'd like to buy some."
"Of course, Young Master," Xiao Lü nodded eagerly, like a little chick pecking at rice. Then she asked, "Young Master, did you bring the VIP token you showed me half a month ago?"
Jiang Ning smiled. "Naturally, I did."
As he spoke, he pulled out a small, palm-sized white jade token. This was the token Shen Congyun had left him before departing. Holding this token granted him significant privileges at Wanhua Tower, including the ability to request an audience with the deputy tower master and enjoy a 20% discount on all purchases. This was one of the reasons Jiang Ning had come to Wanhua Tower the discount would save him a considerable amount of money.
Xiao Lü respectfully took the token from Jiang Ning, examined it briefly, and returned it to him. Then she asked, "How many bottles of the Essence of Plants would you like to purchase, Young Master?"
Jiang Ning thought for a moment. "Let's start with fifty bottles."
"Understood, Young Master," Xiao Lü curtsied again. "Please follow me to the VIP room. Since you're purchasing fifty bottles at once, I'll need to notify the manager to prepare the goods. It may take some time."
"Alright," Jiang Ning agreed.
VIP Room.
Jiang Ning sipped tea as he waited. Soon, the door to the VIP room opened, and he set down his cup.
A middle-aged woman in her forties stepped through the doorway, followed closely by Xiao Lü, who was carrying a wooden box.
"Greetings, Young Master Jiang," the woman said with a slight bow. "I am Han Hongmei, a manager at Wanhua Tower. I'll be handling this transaction."
Jiang Ning stood and cupped his hands in greeting. "Manager Han."
Han Hongmei smiled and gestured to Xiao Lü, who stepped forward and placed the wooden box on the table beside Jiang Ning.
Then Han Hongmei opened the box, revealing rows of small, thumb-sized jade bottles neatly arranged in the compartments.
"Please inspect the goods, Young Master Jiang. These are the fifty bottles of Essence of Plants you requested."
Jiang Ning shook his head. "That won't be necessary. Wanhua Tower's reputation is trustworthy."
Hearing this, Han Hongmei's smile widened. "Since Young Master Jiang trusts us so much, I'll take the liberty of rounding down the total. Fifty bottles of Essence of Plants come to 1,000 taels of silver."
Jiang Ning raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Manager Han, is this how you round numbers?"
He was genuinely taken aback. At thirty taels per bottle, the total cost would be 1,500 taels. With the 20% discount from his VIP token, the price would drop to 1,200 taels, saving him 300 taels. But Han Hongmei had rounded it down to 1,000 taels, effectively giving him an additional 200-tael discount. This was the first time Jiang Ning had seen such generous rounding.
Han Hongmei chuckled. "For others, rounding means trimming the smaller digits. But for Young Master Jiang, it's different."
Jiang Ning didn't press further. He simply cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Manager Han."
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