East Courtyard.
After Yang Kai and Gong Mingyuan left, Jiang Ning returned to continue his training.
As for the Dragon-Tiger Strength Pill, he carefully stored it in his room.
His skin tempering was not yet complete, and his skin had not yet reached the level of toughness comparable to bronze. It was not the right time to refine the Dragon-Tiger Strength Pill.
The pill's medicinal power was too strong, and the dragon-tiger energy within it would cause a rapid and intense transformation of his muscles.
Such a sudden and violent transformation could lead to irreversible damage if his skin and membranes were not tough enough.
His muscles might even tear apart.
This kind of thing had happened before.
That was why the process of tempering the skin came before tempering the muscles.
These were lessons learned step by step by predecessors.
So, Jiang Ning continued to temper his skin and practiced his fist techniques to increase his qi, blood, and the experience points of the Five Animals Fist.
During breaks, he read books to improve his literacy skills.
Originally, Jiang Ning thought he could focus on his training for a few days until the establishment of the Patrol Office.
But that night...
"Miss Xiaolu."
Seeing the green-clad Miss Xiaolu appear before him, Jiang Ning was slightly surprised.
"Master Jiang!" Xiaolu curtsied gracefully and said, "My mistress has something to discuss with you. Would you be willing to meet her?"
"Of course, I would," Jiang Ning nodded.
He knew that the "mistress" Xiaolu referred to was none other than Lin Qingyi, the deputy leader of the Wanhua Pavilion.
In Luoshui County, the Wanhua Pavilion had three leaders: one main leader and two deputies.
However, the main leader had not shown up for many years and was likely no longer in the Wanhua Pavilion.
Previously, it had been Shen Congyun and Lin Qingyi who managed affairs.
Later, after Shen Congyun was transferred away, Lin Qingyi became the sole manager of the Wanhua Pavilion in Luoshui County.
So, without a doubt, the "mistress" Xiaolu mentioned was Lin Qingyi.
Then, Jiang Ning said, "Miss Xiaolu, please wait outside the courtyard for a moment. I need to take a bath before accompanying you."
"Of course, Master Jiang. I'll wait for you outside the courtyard," Xiaolu replied.
Wanhua Pavilion.
By the time Jiang Ning arrived with Xiaolu, it was already late at night.
The night had long since fallen, but the street where the Wanhua Pavilion was located was still brightly lit and bustling with activity.
"Master Jiang, please follow me upstairs," Xiaolu gestured.
A moment later, Jiang Ning reached the top floor of the pavilion.
The room was quiet, and Lin Qingyi didn't seem to be there.
Seeing the questioning look in Jiang Ning's eyes, Xiaolu said, "Master Jiang, please wait here for a moment and enjoy the night view below. I'll go and fetch the mistress."
"Alright," Jiang Ning nodded, agreeing to Xiaolu's arrangement.
He sat by the open balcony, overlooking the bustling street below.
Even at this late hour, the street was still lively, with men and women coming and going.
The road was lined with colorful lanterns, creating a beautiful scene.
Above, the bright moonlight shone down.
Jiang Ning sipped on the cool tea and ate some fruit while quietly waiting for Lin Qingyi to appear.
Lin Qingyi had summoned him so late at night, so he assumed it must be something important.
After a short while...
Tap, tap, tap
The sound of clear footsteps came from the stairs.
"She's here!"
Hearing the footsteps, Jiang Ning knew it must be Lin Qingyi.
A moment later, Lin Qingyi appeared before him.
She was still wearing her long green dress, with a layer of gauze draped over it.
Because of the hot weather, her dress was thin and clung to her skin, accentuating her curvaceous figure.
Behind her, Xiaolu followed closely.
Seeing Jiang Ning, Lin Qingyi gestured, and Xiaolu stopped at the entrance to the balcony.
Jiang Ning raised his teacup in greeting, a smile on his face.
Lin Qingyi smiled in return.
"Why do I feel like your demeanor has changed recently?" Lin Qingyi asked curiously as she sat down across from Jiang Ning.
Jiang Ning chuckled, "What change could there be? On the contrary, Sister Lin has become even more beautiful!"
Lin Qingyi smiled faintly at his words.
Then she adjusted her dress and sat down opposite Jiang Ning. "I feel like you've become more confident than before."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning was slightly surprised.
He was impressed by Lin Qingyi's keen observation.
Last night, he had easily killed Qiu Shilong, the manager of the forge, and today, Gong Mingyuan had come to make amends. This had indeed boosted his confidence.
Both Qiu Shilong and Gong Mingyuan were figures he had once looked up to.
But now, even someone like Gong Mingyuan had come to him with gifts, seeking to smooth things over.
How could his mindset not change?
Jiang Ning smiled and said, "Sister Lin is truly observant. My strength has improved slightly recently."
Hearing this, Lin Qingyi looked surprised.
"It's only been a few days, and you're already saying you've improved again. It seems your skin tempering is progressing well!"
Jiang Ning smiled without confirming or denying it.
Then he asked, "Sister Lin, what brings you to summon me so late at night?"
Lin Qingyi's lips curled into a smile.
"The moon hangs over the willow branches, and people meet at dusk."
"What else could it mean at this hour?"
As she spoke, Lin Qingyi leaned forward, resting her hands on the table and looking at Jiang Ning with a playful glint in her eyes.
"Uh..." Jiang Ning was momentarily stunned.
As Lin Qingyi leaned forward, he caught a glimpse of her fair and ample bosom.
He quickly composed himself and leaned back slightly.
"Sister Lin, stop teasing me!" Jiang Ning said.
At this moment, Lin Qingyi seemed to realize something.
A faint blush appeared on her cheeks, and she quickly sat back in her chair.
She adjusted her dress, pulling it up slightly.
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore," Lin Qingyi said seriously.
Then she continued, "Do you remember what I mentioned to you before?"
"What was that?" Jiang Ning was puzzled.
"About finding you a wife to warm your bed," Lin Qingyi said.
"Uh..." Jiang Ning was momentarily speechless.
Lin Qingyi chuckled. "I told you I'd find you a suitable girl. I've found one, and she's waiting downstairs. Would you like to meet her?"
"You're not getting any younger. It's time for you to settle down."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning broke out in a cold sweat.
Was the fear of blind dates something he couldn't escape, even in this world?
Before Jiang Ning could respond, Lin Qingyi decisively said, "If you don't say anything, I'll take it as a yes!"
Then she waved to Xiaolu, who was standing at the entrance to the balcony. "Xiaolu, come here!"
The green-clad Xiaolu quickly approached.
"Mistress!" she curtsied.
Lin Qingyi said, "Go downstairs and bring Jia'er up."
"Yes, mistress!" Xiaolu curtsied again and hurried away.
Seeing this, Jiang Ning, who had just opened his mouth to speak, closed it again.
Forget it!
He shook his head inwardly.
It wouldn't hurt to meet her.
If she turned out to be a good match, getting married and starting a family wasn't a bad idea.
A moment later, Xiaolu returned.
Behind her was a young woman with delicate features.
The girl had exquisite eyebrows, blood-red lips, and a vermilion dot on her forehead, clearly dressed up for the occasion.
In Jiang Ning's eyes, her beauty ranked among the top ten women he had ever seen.
She was about 80% as beautiful as Lin Qingyi.
However, Jiang Ning felt no attraction to her.
Because this girl did not match his aesthetic preferences she was as flat as a board.
From the front or back, it was hard to tell the difference.
At the same time, Lin Jia'er also saw Jiang Ning.
She couldn't help but purse her lips slightly, thinking to herself:
"He's quite handsome!"
"His talent isn't bad either!"
"But his background is too lowly! How could he ever be worthy of me, a direct descendant of the Lin family?"
After learning about Jiang Ning's background and reading the information about him, Lin Jia'er had already dismissed any thoughts of him.
She felt nothing but rejection.
In her eyes, she and Jiang Ning were not a good match.
She came from the Lin family of Dongling City, the foremost family in the city.
They were a true aristocratic family.
She carried the bloodline of the Lin family's direct lineage, not a branch family.
With such a status, how could she stoop to marrying Jiang Ning, a commoner with no official position?
Lin Jia'er admitted that Jiang Ning had some talent.
But she also knew that in the current Great Xia Dynasty, mere martial talent was not enough to break through the barriers to advancement.
Whether it was martial sects or the aristocratic families that controlled key positions in the court, martial talent alone was not enough to change one's fate.
Those sects with hundreds or even thousands of years of history had long been dominated by a few families.
Apart from those families, other disciples had little chance of accessing the core teachings, even if their talent was superior.
The same was true for key positions in the court.
After generations of accumulation, aristocratic families had long monopolized the paths to advancement.
So, after learning about Jiang Ning's background, Lin Jia'er had no interest in him.
The man she wanted to marry was someone who could bring her pride and make her sisters envious.
Not someone who would make them pity her.
Jiang Ning's background was too ordinary. Even if his martial talent was decent, it was only enough to struggle among the lower classes.
Once he reached a certain level, it would be difficult for him to climb further.
Breaking through these invisible barriers was extremely difficult.
At the very least, he would need some official recognition.
However, Lin Jia'er also knew that this matter was being arranged by Lin Qingyi.
She understood that if she wanted to leave a good impression on Lin Qingyi, she couldn't outright reject Jiang Ning.
Otherwise, Lin Qingyi might hold a grudge, and all her previous efforts to curry favor would be in vain.
"Greetings, Auntie!" Lin Jia'er curtsied gracefully to Lin Qingyi, presenting herself as a proper lady from a noble family.
Lin Qingyi nodded. "Jia'er, what do you think? Did I make a good choice?"
Lin Jia'er smiled. "Auntie is right. Master Jiang is indeed talented and handsome. I've long admired him."
As she spoke, Lin Jia'er looked at Jiang Ning with a gentle gaze.
"Greetings, Master Jiang!"
Then she introduced herself, "My name is Lin Jia'er, from the Lin family of Dongling City. You can call me Jia'er."
Jiang Ning stood up and said, "Miss Jia'er, please have a seat."
"Thank you, Master Jiang!" Lin Jia'er curtsied again.
Lin Qingyi glanced at the two of them and then stood up. "You two chat. I have some matters to attend to."
With that, Lin Qingyi left, leaving only Jiang Ning and Lin Jia'er on the balcony.
The two of them sat in silence for a moment.
Lin Jia'er was the first to break the silence.
"Master Jiang, shall we take a walk downstairs and talk?"
"Sure," Jiang Ning agreed.
A short while later, the two of them were walking along the brightly lit street.
They walked side by side, with about two fists' distance between them.
Lin Jia'er glanced sideways and saw Jiang Ning's clear profile, his features highlighted by the lantern light.
"What a pity!" Lin Jia'er sighed inwardly.
At this moment, Jiang Ning's attention was not on Lin Jia'er but on Lin Qingyi, who was following them.
"Gossip is in a woman's nature," Jiang Ning thought to himself.
His heightened senses had already detected Lin Qingyi following them, not far behind.
At this moment, Lin Qingyi was only about ten steps away.
At this distance, if he turned around, he would normally be able to see Lin Qingyi.
And for someone of Lin Qingyi's skill, eavesdropping on their conversation would be easy.
Just then, Lin Jia'er spoke up.
"Master Jiang, to be honest, you are not my ideal suitor."
Then, seeing Jiang Ning's sideways glance, she continued, "My ideal suitor is someone who can provide me with value, both materially and emotionally. Someone I can be proud of."
"You and I are not a good match. I come from the prestigious Lin family of Dongling City, while your background is too ordinary. I don't want to marry beneath my station."
"I've lived a life of luxury and don't want to spend the rest of my life in mediocrity."
"The only reason I agreed to meet you today is out of respect for Auntie's wishes. I hope you understand and can help me save face in front of Auntie."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning replied, "Miss Jia'er, you're quite straightforward."
Then he smiled. "Coincidentally, Miss Jia'er isn't my ideal partner either."
Hearing this, Lin Jia'er secretly scoffed.
She knew this was just Jiang Ning's way of saving face after being rejected.
Men were prideful, and being turned down like this would naturally make him feel embarrassed.
She had seen too many men who, upon seeing her, would fawn over her.
This was all because of her beauty and charm.
She knew she had inherited some of her aunt's looks, making her one of the most striking young women in the Lin family.
Not to mention, she had dressed up especially today, adding to her allure.
How could any normal man not be attracted to her?
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