NABC Chapter 77 The higher you blow, the more you borrow.
Chapter 77 The higher you blow, the more you borrow.
Manager Li knew that Jiang Qi's status was different now, so he didn't dare to bother him any longer. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he took his leave.
He had barely left when there was another commotion at the alley entrance.
It turned out that Ye Lan and Wu Yue from Zhenyuan Martial Arts School had come together, along with a middle-aged man.
"Lord Jiang!" Ye Lan, dressed in a light blue dress today, looked beautiful and charming, her eyes sparkling with admiration. "Congratulations!"
Wu Yue also clasped his hands in greeting, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
"It's only been a few months, and Brother Jiang has already become a Demon Suppression Guard. It's truly amazing." The middle-aged man smiled as he looked at Jiang Qi.
"Master Zhu, Senior Sister Ye, Senior Brother Wu," Jiang Qi bowed slightly.
This middle-aged man was none other than Zhu Huan, the bodyguard from Weiyuan Escort Agency who had offered to sponsor him during the martial arts competition.
He is also the current master of Wu Yue and Ye Lan.
"The Chief Escort is hosting a banquet tomorrow. I wonder if Lord Jiang has time?" Ye Lan asked Jiang Qi expectantly.
"Thank you for your kind invitation, Chief Escort, but I already have a mission to undertake at the Demon Suppression Division, so it is inconvenient for me to attend the banquet." Jiang Qi declined without much thought.
Having just joined the Demon Suppression Division, he had a lot to process and really didn't want to waste time on trivial matters like attending banquets and making friends.
Disappointment flashed in Ye Lan's eyes, but she quickly concealed it.
"Hehe, it was our oversight," Zhu Huan glanced at Ye Lan and chuckled softly, "Then we won't bother you any longer today."
Ye Lan hurriedly handed over the congratulatory gift, then said somewhat awkwardly, "Junior Brother Jiang... Lord Jiang, I'm going on a mission the day after tomorrow, could you..."
Before he could finish speaking...
"Have a safe journey," Jiang Qi replied.
"..." Ye Lan was stunned for a moment, a blush flashed across her face, and then she lowered her head and remained silent.
Zhu Huan saw this and smiled, "Brother Jiang, farewell."
"..."
......
Then, as if a switch had been flipped, many more people came to visit.
There were people from other branches of the Ironclad Gang, and martial arts school disciples.
Even some people who had only met once or didn't know each other at all came with gifts, offering their congratulations, simply hoping to become acquainted with the Demon Suppression Guards and try their luck in making their acquaintance.
Jiang Qi, thoroughly annoyed, instructed Zhao Tong and the other two: "Refuse to speak to anyone who is not a close acquaintance or an important person."
It wasn't until the moon was high in the sky that the waterfront returned to its tranquility.
However, halfway through, Pang Zhan of Litong Money Shop and Seventh Master Pang Wei arrived in person, and Jiang Qi met with them.
"Young Brother Jiang, no, you should call me Lord Jiang now. Congratulations! This is just a small gift to express my gratitude." Pang Wei smiled warmly as he handed over the congratulatory gift.
He originally thought that although Jiang Qi had high potential, it would be remarkable if he passed the martial arts exam or even entered the Martial Arts Department.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Qi was directly recruited by the Demon Suppression Division and became a Demon Suppression Guard to suppress evil spirits and exorcise demons.
"Thank you, Seventh Master, Master Pang." Jiang Qi bowed and expressed his gratitude.
Pang Wei smiled and said, "Lord Jiang has a bright future ahead of him, and I will need your continued guidance in the future. If you have any free time, please visit the money shop often."
"Okay, I'll definitely go when I have time," Jiang Qi replied.
The two then exchanged many compliments before leaving behind a gift and departing.
Only then did the water shop truly become quiet.
Jiang Qi returned to his room and checked the congratulatory gifts that had been delivered.
Nearly a thousand taels of silver, fifty or sixty bottles of tonics, including not only Blood Nourishing Pills for the mid-stage of the Blood Refining Realm, but also Blood Coagulation Pills for breaking through barriers, and Blood Refining Pills for the late stage.
There were also many other items, such as brocade and silk.
A few months ago, receiving so many things would definitely have been a cause for celebration.
But now, Jiang Qi has a solid foundation, and his mindset has naturally improved a lot.
He sat at the table, gazing at the Sutaki Well outside, lost in thought.
According to the original plan, after the strength has greatly increased, it is time to go down into the well for exploration.
However, after entering the Demon Suppression Division today and learning more about the sinister and wicked, he changed his mind.
Even the Demon Suppression Division doesn't possess such a wondrous object as the Tortoise Pearl, which can suppress evil spirits.
"The tortoise pearl is so wondrous, its origin is unpredictable, whether it brings good or bad fortune." Jiang Qi weighed his options in his mind. "Although I have now forged my bones and my strength has increased considerably, it is still too risky to rashly enter the Suolong Well."
Sotakii can't escape here, and the two-headed turtle is very well-behaved, except for basking in the moonlight every night.
"To be on the safe side, it's not too late to explore after I've fully refined all ten strands of Qi and blood, or after my arm bones have been tempered."
With this in mind, he suppressed his restlessness, took out the True Martial Qi Gang and the Resilient Blood Technique, calmed his mind, and immersed himself in cultivation.
......
Half a month later.
Demon Suppression Division Training Ground.
"Something's not right with you." Zhang Xiao circled around Jiang Qi, stroking his chin with his right hand, and said in a deliberately profound tone, "I sense the aura of a late-stage Blood Essence Realm expert on you."
Jiang Qi sheathed his sword back on the weapon rack and calmly asked, "Have you reached the Six Paths realm?"
"Hehe," Zhang Xiao's smile immediately turned into a proud one upon hearing this, "Brother Jiang understands me best. I didn't even say anything, and Brother Jiang already knew."
"Brother Jiang, how is my blood and energy?"
As he spoke, he threw a punch, the air vibrating, with the aura of six streams of blood and qi.
"It's thick and heavy," Jiang Qi said expressionlessly.
It has to be admitted that this guy's cultivation is really fast. He had only refined his seventh blood essence halfway through when Zhang Xiao had already refined his sixth blood essence.
"Um," Han Jun looked over, his expression not very good, "could you two talk over somewhere else?"
As the most promising newcomer under the command of the city patrol envoy Shen Yi, he found it hard to accept that two people in his team had cultivated faster than him.
Even more surprisingly, this Jiang Qi, who came later, broke through to the late stage of the Blood Burning Realm before him.
Jiang Qi subtly moved to the side, then looked at Zhang Xiao with slight interest, waiting for his performance.
As expected, Zhang Xiao, who had originally planned to plead poverty and borrow money from Jiang Qi, immediately beamed with joy upon hearing Han Jun speak, rubbing his hands together as he turned to Han Jun: "Brother Han, Brother Jun, have you broken through to the late stage?"
Upon hearing this, Han Jun slightly raised his chin, a hint of arrogance flashing across his face.
I finally noticed.
"Yes," he replied in a deep voice.
"Impressive, Brother Han! Late stage of the Blood Burning Realm! In Licheng, that's a top expert. I'm truly impressed." Zhang Xiao rubbed his hands together until they were warm.
Han Jun raised his chin even higher; as the newly promoted number one Demon Suppression Guard under Lord Shen, this feeling of being in the lead was the right thing to do.
Jiang Qi circulated his qi and blood to temper his hands while watching.
Based on his understanding of Zhang Xiao, the higher he boasted, the more he would borrow.
"Brother Jun," Zhang Xiao's expression suddenly became serious, "I have an older brother who works at the docks every day, and he gives all the money he earns to me to practice martial arts."
Han Jun was taken aback, wondering why Zhang Xiao, who had just been praising him, would suddenly talk about his elder brother.
"However, practicing martial arts is too expensive. My brother had to move goods day and night. As a result, just yesterday, he had an accident and broke his lumbar spine. It seems he will never be able to stand up again."
Zhang Xiao's face was filled with self-reproach, his eyes slightly red, "I only regret that I'm incompetent and have no money..."
Instead of complaining about being poor, is the renovation project really that pitiful?
Jiang Qi watched silently.
Upon hearing of such brotherly affection, Han Jun was truly impressed and immediately asked, "How much silver do you need for your treatment, brother?"
"..." Zhang Xiao paused slightly, then said in a deep voice, "The lumbar spine is the Dazhui point, the core of the human body. The doctor said that to cure it, it will cost at least... one hundred taels."
One hundred taels!