East Courtyard.
With the departure of the others, only Jiang Ning and Bai Luoyu remained in the courtyard.
Bai Luoyu flicked his right hand, and the folding fan in his grasp snapped shut with a swish.
"Brother Jiang, I must say, you truly make me envious. By slaying two fifth-rank martial artists of the Worship Sect, you've earned the approval of the higher-ups for a million contribution points."
As he spoke, Bai Luoyu waved his hand.
A palm-sized cloth pouch instantly appeared on the table.
Bai Luoyu pointed at the pouch with his folding fan.
"Brother Jiang, please verify the contents. There are ten spirit jade tokens inside, each representing 100,000 contribution points."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning reached out and picked up the pouch. Pulling open the drawstring at its mouth, he saw jade tokens slightly larger than ordinary copper coins inside.
The tokens were engraved with intricate patterns and designs he couldn't decipher.
At this sight, even Jiang Ning's usually calm heart couldn't help but stir with excitement.
A million contribution points are equivalent to at least a million taels of silver in value.
This would be of immense help to him at this stage.
With a million contribution points at his disposal, he wouldn't lack resources for a long time.
If used sparingly, it might even sustain him until he reached the rank of Grandmaster.
As for how much it would cost to become a Grandmaster, Lin Qingyi's situation offered some clues.
A single drop of Bai Ling Blood, according to Lin Qingyi, was worth ten taels of gold or ten thousand taels of silver.
Ten drops would thus cost a hundred thousand taels.
At the time, Lin Qingyi had been just a step away from a breakthrough, meaning she had already spent a hundred thousand taels on the blood alone.
While he couldn't calculate the exact total, it was clear that the expenses would be substantial.
These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant before he tucked the pouch containing the equivalent of a million contribution points into his robes.
"My thanks, Brother Bai!" Jiang Ning clasped his hands in gratitude.
Bai Luoyu smiled. "No need to thank me. You should thank Prefect Zhao Yulong of Dongling City. It was his approval that secured this million contribution points for you."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning turned toward Dongling City and bowed in thanks.
Bai Luoyu chuckled.
Then he continued, "Brother Jiang, beyond this, you still have two other major achievements."
"First, you single-handedly defended Luoshui County with your bow, greatly enhancing the prestige of our Inspection Bureau. This counts as one major achievement, which we'll discuss later."
"Second, you were instrumental in eliminating County Magistrate Li Hong, a hidden scourge. As the primary contributor, this counts as your second major achievement."
"For this achievement, you have two choices. The first is an additional 400,000 contribution points awarded by the higher-ups. The second is an unconditional half-rank promotion in official rank."
"I'll take the contribution points!" Jiang Ning said without hesitation.
"A wise choice!" Bai Luoyu nodded approvingly.
He waved his hand, and another pouch appeared on the table.
"Brother Jiang, please verify the contents. Inside are 400,000 contribution points."
Jiang Ning picked up the pouch, glanced inside, and stored it away.
"My thanks again, Brother Bai."
Bai Luoyu smiled, reopening his folding fan and gently fanning himself. "Now, let's move on to the final matter!"
"Brother Jiang, you alone defended Luoshui County and quelled the Black Mountain Army's rebellion."
"For this achievement, I also have two choices for you."
"The first is that Prefect Zhao Yulong intends to promote you to the new Deputy Commander position, with an official rank of Associate Sixth Rank."
"Before assuming the role, you'll be sent to the Martial Academy for training. All standard expenses during this period will be waived until you reach the fifth rank in martial arts, after which you'll take up the position."
Associate Sixth Rank?
Hearing these words, Jiang Ning's heart trembled.
Below the seventh rank, officials were, strictly speaking, considered minor and insignificant.
This was why the seventh rank was often referred to as the "sesame official" rank.
Only ranks above the seventh were considered true, established officials.
The Deputy Commander of the Inspection Bureau held an Associate Sixth Rank position.
For the vast majority of people in the world, this would be akin to ascending to the heavens in a single step.
Moreover, it came with the privilege of attending the Martial Academy for training, with all standard expenses fully waived.
Such a reward was undeniably generous.
It was clear from this that the higher-ups held him in high regard.
First, training then appointment.
This was entirely reasonable and indicated that the higher-ups genuinely intended to reuse him.
It also suggested that, in their estimation, he was still at the sixth rank in martial arts.
The reason he had accomplished such feats, they likely believed, was due to his exceptional archery skills and dual cultivation of internal and external techniques.
But he knew the truth.
He had already advanced to the fifth rank in martial arts some time ago.
With thirty years of cultivated power, he had reached the stage where his internal energy was as vast as the sea.
He had even unblocked all the meridians in his body.
Among fifth-rank martial artists, he was now on par with seasoned veterans.
In a short time, he would be able to condense his internal energy into a like steel energy.
In other words, if he chose this option, he could head to Dongling City immediately and assume the position of Deputy Commander, ascending to the heavens in a single step.
But recalling Bai Luoyu's earlier words, he turned to him, eager to hear the second option.
"Brother Bai, I'd like to hear the second choice," Jiang Ning said.
Bai Luoyu smiled. "The second choice is to give you an opportunity for an Associate Sixth Rank position."
"An opportunity?" Jiang Ning was surprised.
Bai Luoyu nodded. "Just an opportunity."
Hearing these words, Jiang Ning's curiosity was piqued.
The previous option offered an official rank of Deputy Sixth Rank, appointing you as the Deputy Commander of the Dongling City Inspection Bureau, along with the benefits of training at the Martial Academy and exemption from all basic fees.
This current option, however, also grants a Deputy Sixth Rank position but it's merely an opportunity.
There's a difference in implications here.
At the same time,
Bai Luyu noticed the undisguised surprise on Jiang Ning's face and couldn't help but smile.
Then he said, "Brother Jiang, do you know what rank my position as Inspector holds?"
Jiang Ning shook his head. "No."
And he truly didn't.
After joining the Inspection Bureau, he had essentially taken on a hands-off role, never bothering to learn about its organizational structure.
So while he had some understanding of the Luoshui County Inspection Bureau, his knowledge of higher levels was limited.
Bai Luyu said, "Brother Jiang, you must already know how immense the power granted to the Inspection Bureau was at its inception authority to execute first and report later. Whether in a county, a commandery, or a prefecture, the Inspection Bureau's power and martial strength were unrivaled, making its local chief an undisputed king."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning nodded in agreement.
Just take Luoshui County as an example. Though the Inspection Bureau had only recently been established, how many major incidents had it already handled?
The local powerhouse, the Cao family, was raided and exterminated at Hong Minghu's command just like that. The sheer authority and martial force of the Inspection Bureau left no room for resistance.
The Inspection Bureau alone, in terms of martial power, dwarfed the entire county's native forces.
A single Hong Minghu, a fifth-rank martial artist, could suffocate the entire county.
Not to mention the four sixth-rank commanders and four seventh-rank deputy commanders.
The dozen or so captains were all top-tier eighth-rank experts, and even the regular members had entered the ranked tiers.
Such a force was more than enough to crush any local power.
Moreover, the Inspection Bureau held special privileges, occupying both the law and truth.
Law as in legal authority, and truth as in the principle that might make right.
An organization like this Jiang Ning had long recognized that the Inspection Bureau's structure was deeply flawed. It couldn't last; chaos was inevitable.
But that didn't stop him from joining.
As the saying goes, where you stand depends on where you sit.
Being ruled by a privileged class naturally feels unfair.
But when you become the privileged class? That feels great.
And that's exactly what the Inspection Bureau was now.
A textbook privileged class, towering above all other bureaucratic institutions.
Hong Minghu's execution of Li Hong without trial, merely reporting afterward was proof of just how outrageous the Inspection Bureau's privileges were.
A county magistrate, theoretically the local sovereign with power over life and death, could now be killed at Hong Minghu's whim. All he had to do afterward was submit a report and provide evidence.
Anyone who thought about it seriously would realize how easily this could be abused.
Fabricating charges, framing the innocent the methods were endless.
Given the Inspection Bureau's excessive privileges and power, Jiang Ning believed it wouldn't take many years for it to spiral into corruption and decay.
All these thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
Then he nodded in agreement.
"Brother Bai is right. The Inspection Bureau's authority is far too great."
Bai Luyu said, "This is something all officials and ministers know. Countless voices opposed it in the past. But because the Inspection Bureau is backed by the Martial Saint, who serves as the Chief of the Royal Capital Bureau"
"Faced with a transcendent being who surpasses even gods and immortals, the officials had no choice but to relent."
"However, the Inspection Bureau isn't entirely without oversight."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning suddenly understood and looked at Bai Luyu.
"Brother Bai, are you saying you're part of the oversight body?"
"Correct!" Bai Luyu smiled faintly and nodded. "As a Commandery Inspector, I oversee an entire commandery, holding the rank of Deputy Sixth Rank half a rank higher than the highest official in any county."
"Dongling Commandery is considered a minor commandery because most of its area consists of waterways and forests."
"But even as a minor commandery, Dongling governs four counties, including Luoshui County."
"If any county faces an emergency, as the Inspector of Dongling Commandery, I have the authority to take command, oversee all military and administrative affairs, and direct operations."
"This is the power of an Inspector."
"At the same time, within the commandery, I have supervisory authority over all Inspection Bureau personnel. Even Zhao Yulong, the Chief of the Dongling City Inspection Bureau a grandmaster is subject to my oversight, and I have channels to report misconduct to higher authorities."
"So although I'm only a Deputy Sixth Rank, within Dongling Commandery, who wouldn't show me some respect?"
"Aside from the Bureau Chief, who's a grandmaster, even the two Deputy Chiefs must treat me as an honored guest."
At this point, Bai Luoyu looked quite proud.
Indeed, he had every reason to be.
Whether in terms of strength or status, he was a standout figure among his peers in Dongling County, a leading character of his generation.
"Brother Bai, I admire you!" Upon hearing Bai Luoyu's words, Jiang Ning clasped his hands in respect.
Bai Luoyu smiled. "Now, as for the second choice I mentioned to you earlier, Brother Jiang, I'm sure you've already guessed a bit of it."
"I have some guesses, but I wouldn't dare assume," Jiang Ning replied.
Bai Luoyu said, "You guessed right! After I reported it, the higher-ups have also given you a choice the opportunity to become the third Inspector of Dongling County."
"A county inspector also holds a sixth-rank official position."
"Brother Jiang, what do you think?" Bai Luoyu asked again.
"Of course, I'm interested," Jiang Ning nodded, then added, "Brother Bai, may I ask what the prerequisites are?"
"Within a year, Brother Jiang must reach the fifth rank, with inner energy as vast as the sea. This is the requirement for your strength," Bai Luoyu continued. "Without sufficient power, you won't be able to suppress the heads of the various county investigation offices, nor will you be qualified to inspect an entire county. Does that sound reasonable?"
Jiang Ning nodded. "It's reasonable."
Bai Luoyu said, "As for the second requirement, it's a bit more challenging."
"Brother Bai, please speak plainly," Jiang Ning urged.
Bai Luoyu looked at him and said, "First, you must earn the title of Martial Scholar."
"No problem!" Jiang Ning agreed.
Bai Luoyu smiled. "Given your current strength, this test is indeed simple. A sixth-rank martial artist can easily earn the title of Martial Scholar."
Then, he continued, "The second requirement, however, is much harder. You must participate in the civil examinations and earn the title of Literary Scholar."
"Literary Scholar?" Jiang Ning looked surprised. "Why is that?"
Bai Luoyu shook his head. "I'm not entirely sure myself. However, according to the higher-ups, a county inspector cannot be just a brute who relies solely on physical strength. They must be someone who excels in both civil and martial arts, someone with brains, to be worthy of such a responsibility."
Hearing this, Jiang Ning nodded slightly, reluctantly accepting the explanation.
But he still felt there was something off about it, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what.
Just then, Bai Luoyu spoke again. "Brother Jiang, have you thought it through?"
"I have," Jiang Ning said, setting aside his doubts for the moment and nodding.
"What choice will you make, Brother Jiang?" Bai Luoyu asked.
"Of course, the second option," Jiang Ning replied without hesitation.
After understanding the details, he had no other thoughts.
A county inspector was a true privileged class.
This suited his preferences.
The status was also sufficiently high.
This suited his preferences even more.
Compared to the deputy commander position, the county inspector role was much freer.
After all, the deputy commander would still be under someone else's jurisdiction, which would inevitably limit his freedom.
The county's investigation office in the capital would undoubtedly have far more affairs to handle than a small county like Luoshui.
The more time consumed by duties, the less time he would have for martial training.
The inspector role, on the other hand, was much more flexible.
Moreover, the conditions set by the higher-ups for him to become an inspector were nothing to him.
Reaching the fifth rank in martial arts, with inner energy as vast as the sea is achievable.
As for the title of Martial Scholar, the examinations were just over a month away. For him, earning it would be a mere formality.
After all, in the Great Xia martial examinations, whether for the preliminary, provincial, or metropolitan exams, there was one prerequisite: participants must be under thirty years old.
Even a single day over the age limit would disqualify them.
Given the age restriction, earning the title of Martial Scholar in the preliminary exams wouldn't be difficult for him.
His competitors would all be young talents from the same country.
Generally speaking, those at the seventh rank (tendon training) had a chance at earning the title.
At the sixth rank, the likelihood of earning it rose to over 95%.
The remaining 5% were those who failed due to poor written exam results.
But for Jiang Ning, this wasn't an issue.
The Literary Scholar title wouldn't be difficult for him either.
The preliminary civil exams tested purely memorization and recitation skills.
With his photographic memory, such tests posed no challenge at all.
Thus, none of the conditions were difficult for him.
Naturally, he chose the second option Bai Luoyu presented.
To become the third Inspector of Dongling County.
Though a county inspector was also a sixth-rank position, on par with the deputy commander, the authority and status were far superior.
In terms of freedom, it was even more advantageous.
There was no reason for him not to choose this better option over the inferior one.
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