"Doesn't the Ning family have any family influence?" Jiang Yuan asked.

In this world, money alone is not enough; you also need reliable people, and family influence is the best choice.

"Yes, but those relatives of the Ning family are all good-for-nothings. The head of the family wanted to help them, but in the end, they just became lazy and idle in the Ning family. They were utterly useless!"

The man in formal attire shrugged, then sighed, "What a pity, the head of the family and his wife have no children. I don't know how many more years this huge family can last!"

"No children?" Jiang Yuan's heart raced. He hadn't expected Ning Yanlan to lie to him about even this.

"Probably not, anyway, I haven't seen the head of the family and his wife's children since I came here!" The man in formal attire shook his head, then realized and said, "Why are you talking so much nonsense, kid? Are you here to apply for a position as a retainer?"

"What, do I look like a retainer?" Jiang Yuan had decided to stay at the Ning family's house for a few days and take the opportunity to get closer to Ning's parents to see if Ning Yanlan had been spouting nonsense all along.

"That's good, come in with me!"

Jiang Yuan followed the man in formal attire into a huge conference hall, where, besides him, there were dozens of other people standing on the stage, just as reserved as he was.

"Master, all those who came to apply for the position of retainer have arrived!" The man in formal attire said respectfully to a kind-looking middle-aged man in a low voice.

"There are fewer people this time. Did you slack off again?" The middle-aged man's tone was not reproachful, but rather unusually sad.

"Master, the pressure from over there is too great. I have done everything I can to find suitable candidates to be retainers!" the man in formal attire explained bitterly.

"Alright, let them introduce themselves!" The middle-aged man rubbed his temples, seemingly troubled by something.

"Come on, introduce your cultivation level and abilities, as well as your expectations for treatment in the Ning family. If they are reasonable, you can take up your posts tomorrow!" The man in formal attire called out to the dozen or so people on the stage.

"I'll go first!"

A burly man strode forward, pounding his chest fiercely, and boasted arrogantly, "Ninth level of True Spirit Realm, possessing immense strength since childhood, and highly accomplished in body refinement, rarely matched among those of the same realm! My most impressive achievement so far is assisting a mercenary team in killing a third level Heavenly Spirit Realm spirit beast!"

"Third stage of the Heavenly Spirit Realm!"

The big man's introduction stunned everyone. Being able to assist in killing a third-stage Heavenly Spirit Realm expert meant that he could hold his own against an opponent in the Heavenly Spirit Realm. This level of strength was beyond the scope of a mere retainer.

"Master, my name is Deng Shan. I am seeking a guest minister position!"

As expected, the burly man's purpose in coming this time was not to find retainers, but rather to find a guest advisor.

The status of a guest advisor is far superior to that of a retainer. To put it simply, a retainer is someone who works to earn money by obeying others' wishes, while a guest advisor is someone who works to earn money by obeying others' wishes. The difference in status is obvious.

“What do you mean, guest elder?” The middle-aged man frowned and turned to the man in formal attire.

The man in formal attire understood and immediately said, "Brother, don't rush. The number of guest elders in the Ning family is fixed, and there is only one left. It's not too late for the family head to make a decision after everyone has expressed their expectations!"

Hearing this, the burly Deng Shan was displeased, but he still nodded and waited.

Apart from Deng Shan, the introductions of the others were all quite standard. After all, people who come to serve as retainers for others don't have lofty ambitions, and the lack of ambition is most likely related to mediocre talent. So, after more than a dozen people, Jiang Yuan couldn't find a single one who caught his eye.

"They're all good, and there's even a half-step Heavenly Spirit Realm cultivator!" the man in formal attire whispered in the Ning family head's ear, praising them.

"Sigh, this would be good under normal circumstances, but now that Ancheng is starting to reshuffle, if our Ning family only has this much strength, we may not be able to gain a foothold in Ancheng!" Ning Zhengguo sighed. To gain a foothold in Ancheng, the strength under one's command is the most crucial factor, while money is secondary.

“But patriarch, these people are now the strongest retainers we can find!” the man in formal attire said with a wry smile.

"Oh right, the guy on the far right hasn't introduced himself yet? Isn't he here to apply for a position as a retainer?" Ning Zhengguo pointed at Jiang Yuan and said.

A hint of embarrassment flashed in Zhao Kai's eyes. He had originally brought this person in to make up the numbers, but considering that the patriarch was not in a good mood, if he were to be honest, he would probably not be valued, and his status in the Ning family would be greatly diminished.

"Hey bro, introduce yourself!" Zhao Kai didn't care whether the other person was right or wrong; as long as he followed the application process, he couldn't go wrong.

Jiang Yuan raised his head, his gaze lingering on Ning Zhengguo's face. In his eyesight, Ning Zhengguo and Ning Yanlan did not resemble each other much. However, blood relations are not just about appearances, and he did not jump to conclusions but decided to continue observing.

"Fourth stage of True Spirit Realm, invincible in True Spirit!" Jiang Yuan uttered nine words calmly, and his words silenced everyone present.

Then, bursts of laughter echoed through the conference hall.