Ning Zhuo's small courtyard.
A pair of chanical arms, akin to ice crystals, were crystal clear, their curves graceful and beautiful. The fingers were slender and delicate, as round and lustrous as pearls. The talismans on the palms and back of the hands, like ice flowers, exuded an aura of cold purity and sanctity.
They were indeed chanical components—the Floating Ice White Jade Hands.
The innate Ice-jade Hands!
Cold Qi enveloped the Buddhist Physician, ng Yaoyin, swiftly encasing her in ice.
To augnt his power, Ning Zhuo activated a temporary array. The heart of the array was none other than the Ice Heart Jade Pot! This was sothing he had specially borrowed from Ning Jiufan.
The combination of the Ice-jade Hands and the Ice Heart Jade Pot caused the Buddhist Physician, ng Yaoyin, to freeze in a huge block of ice, and rapidly healed the pits and other damages on her body.
Monts later, the ice block shattered and lted away, and the Buddhist Physician, ng Yaoyin, stood up, motionless.
"How is it?" Sun Lingtong, who had helped manage the array, stepped out, a look of tension coloring his face.
Ning Zhuo carefully examined the Buddhist Physician chanism and noticed that within ng Yaoyin's spiritual nature, a purple light trace still persisted, and her Golden Core's surface was also blossoming with cloud patterns, replete with purple hints.
He slowly shook his head.
Sun Lingtong couldn't help but sigh.
Ning Zhuo then consoled him, "Boss, this result is sothing we had anticipated all along, isn't it?"
"My mother was a Golden Core Cultivator in life and turned into a puppet in death, yet she could still fend off Zhu Xuanji face to face—certainly no ordinary feat."
"She fell because of these injuries. To think we could resolve the illness that claid her life with just one magic treasure, a bit of innate skill—that's nearly impossible."
Sun Lingtong nodded, "Yeah, if it were useful, your mother would've probably taken action long ago, seizing Ning Jiufan's Ice Heart Jade Pot to heal herself."
"No," Ning Zhuo shook his head, "My mother was a person of the Righteous Path, how could she possibly rob others without cause? She must have traded or negotiated with the elders of our clan."
Sun Lingtong: ...
He couldn't help but mutter inwardly, "Based on your mother's actions in the Lava Fairy Palace, she doesn't seem like a good person."
But he also understood Ning Zhuo very well.
In Ning Zhuo's eyes, his mother was naturally extraordinary!
So, Sun Lingtong simply humd in agreent and said, "You're right."
Ning Zhuo looked at Sun Lingtong, his eyes filled with apology, "Boss, I'm sorry, I've concealed a lot from you. I..."
Sun Lingtong looked at Ning Zhuo in surprise, then quickly waved his hand, "Haven't you already apologized? It's alright!"
He chuckled, resting his hand on the back of his head, "Honestly, I had never thought that I was injured back then because of your mother. That's why you saved ."
"Your mother really did pack a punch!"
"But it was for a reason. Who made snoop around near your ho."
"No wonder at the final monts of the struggle for the Immortal Palace, I fell under the sway of Qi Fortune and developed feelings of disgust and hatred towards you."
On the day Ning Zhuo ceded the position of Immortal Palace Master to ng Kui, he revealed everything to Sun Lingtong in secret.
After listening to him, Sun Lingtong finally understood and yelled in anger, "You little rascal, keeping so much from , making worry about you for nothing!"
Seeing Ning Zhuo with a sincere face, earnestly gazing at him, what could Sun Lingtong do?
Of course, he had to forgive him!
Now, hearing Ning Zhuo apologize again, Sun Lingtong ended up comforting him instead, "It's a trivial matter, all these are just minor issues."
"It was who kept urging you to keep your secrets, not to let know."
"You've done great, Little Zhuo."
"Secretive tasks are easier to carry out, while overt ones are harder to accomplish. The reason for your success is precisely because you've kept things well-concealed. It's because you could even keep it from that you were able, despite your weakness, to ultimately surprise and take the greatest prize."
"Such a valuable habit must be maintained!"
Ning Zhuo quickly agreed that he would continue to do so, and praised Sun Lingtong for his excellent teachings.
Sun Lingtong, with hands on his hips and a smug look, chuckled and scolded, "You think sucking up to will make happy, you rascal?"
He had nurtured Ning Zhuo, one might say raised him single-handedly.
This brotherly, almost paternal experience and sentint left him without any jealousy; he felt genuine pride and relief for any achievents that Ning Zhuo accomplished.
At that mont, Ning Chen arrived at the door to report that the transfer of the Zheng Family's clan land had been completed.
Sun Lingtong spoke solemnly, "Alright, it's ti for to handle so proper business. I'll go with Yang Chanyu to sweep through the Zheng Family's clan land again, to see if we can find any hidden storages. If we discover any loopholes, we'll co back and tell you."
Originally, during Ning Zhuo's agreent with ng Kui and Zhu Xuanji, they had divided the Zheng Family.
According to the agreent, the Zheng Family's clan land would be transferred to Ning Zhuo, becoming part of the Ning Family's branches!
Sun Lingtong left quietly.
On the surface, Ning Zhuo had already cut ties with Sun Lingtong and the Bukong Sect. So, it was necessary to avoid any hint of collusion.
This state of division had to thank Zhu Xuanji for his assurance, which had sunk deep into people's hearts.
Even at the very last mont, it was the "entry-level standard" that had gained entry to the Immortal Palace, letting Shuzhong Jun and others in on the information. In their view, the "entry-level standard" was Sun Lingtong, not even considering it might be Ning Zhuo.
Furthermore, many Golden Core Cultivators were still residing in the Secret Pavilion of Transition. Even if people like Chi Dun and Zhou Nongying arrived, they were wary of the Big Snake Scythe's ferocity and did not use the main gate to teleport into the main hall.
This provided a huge premise for Ning Zhuo and the other two to agree in private, to keep their secrets.
Of course, there were flaws.
For instance, when ng Kui sent the main hall's roof flying, the situation inside might well have been detected by outsiders.
But that actually didn't matter at all!
Even if soone knew, so what?
The three parties involved had negotiated and jointly agreed on a story. Whom would the public believe?
Even if the public didn't believe Ning Zhuo, wouldn't they believe the City Lord's Mansion? And if not the City Lord's Mansion, wouldn't they believe the Divine Hunter Zhu Xuanji from the Royal Family?
Even if they didn't believe any of them, what could they do?
Could it affect the collaboration of the three parties?
Righteous Path... it's just like that.
Sun Lingtong and Yang Chanyu joined forces and, invisible and hidden, arrived at the Zheng Family's estate just in ti to see Ning Yong and others replacing the door plaque.
The Zheng Family's lintel plaque was removed and replaced with that of the Ning Family.
Such a scene sparked intense discussion among the passersby in front of the gate.
"It's changed, it really changed to the Ning Family's door plaque!"
The related rumors were orchestrated and deliberately spread by Ning Zhuo himself.
"I heard this is the desne of a branch of the Ning Family. Did you know? The branch's Clan Leader is actually Ning Zhuo!"
"Ning Zhuo? I think I've heard that na before."
"He is a genius of the Ning Family, very young, only sixteen!"
"What's the situation? How much cultivation can a sixteen-year-old have?"
"Only at the middle level of Qi Refinent."
"With that level of cultivation, he can be the leader of a clan? What's his background?"
"Just an ordinary side branch, who has been bullied for over a decade. You must have heard of the disputes between the Ning Family's main and side branches, right?"
"Then how can he possibly be a Clan Leader, even if it's of a branch?"
"That, you don't know. It's a smart move by the Ning Family. The Zheng Family was taken down, leaving great clan lands unclaid. The Ning Family wanted them, but they already had their own lands and no legitimate reason to claim more."
"So they split the family? They used that pretext to grab those rich lands? Makes sense! So, Ning Zhuo is actually a puppet put in place?"
"Exactly, you've grasped the point. This is insightful. Ning Zhuo was previously put forward to be the Black Market Master, wasn't it the sa then?"
"Why didn't the Zhou Family do the sa and split off?"
"Tch, they were just one step too late, didn't react quickly, and let the Ning Family take the initiative. The cultivators of the Zhou Family are rather old-fashioned, you know this!"
The pedestrians imrsed themselves in this exchange, nodding sagely as they comnted.
The so-called piercing of the truth was nothing more than self-righteousness, vastly different from the facts.
The real division of interests was much more brutal and cold than the public could imagine. The small customs that spread were all polished by the higher echelons of the Righteous Path.
What the public could hear was often what the upper levels wanted them to hear.
Righteous Path... it's just like that.
Sun Lingtong and Yang Chanyu worked together, searching in secret several tis, and still, they found no hidden vault, but they did discover quite a few gaps in the Arrays.
So were old holes while others had been recently added.
Clearly, the City Lord's Mansion wasn't honest before the handover and had made many modifications.
All of this was reported to Ning Zhuo.
The Arrays of the clan lands needed to be redesigned, various flaws needed to be addressed. Ning Zhuo knew he was about to start his own business. Anyway, his true strength had already been exposed, so it was better to be tough since it would command respect and awe rather than inviting further covetous advances.
The greatest advantage of the Zheng Family's lands was that their slting and forging conditions were the best in the entire Fire Persimmon Immortal City.
Even the City Lord's Mansion couldn't match them!
On the Zheng Family's lands, Ning Zhuo presided over a public sacrifice.
He chanted the sacrificial text, moving to tears as he spoke, "The heavens weep, the storm clouds lose color, today we gather here to mourn our fallen kin."
"Ning Xiaoren, Ning Ze, Ning Xiangguo..."
"In life, you were brave and wise, virtuous and upright, your light shone in all directions, enriching our family and ensuring peace for our neighbors."
"Alas and alack! Today you return to the dust, noble spirits fall to the Netherworld... May you rest in peace in the heavens above, protect your descendants, and ensure everlasting peace for the Ning Family!"
As Ning Zhuo finished reciting, everyone in the hall was visibly moved.
Amid the white mourning clothes, crying slowly began, and the mournful music surged.
"My husband, my son!" Wang Lan cried sorrowfully, fainting away.
Ning Zhuo was greatly shocked and rushed to her side. Extrely anxious, he bloodlet and administered Elixir Pills to Wang Lan himself, ultimately reviving her. Such pure filial piety won the admiration of everyone present.
Many Clan mbers, unaware of the full story, began to feel a sense of recognition towards him. Such a branch Clan Leader, even with a lower current level of cultivation, didn't matter. A person of such kindness and filial piety couldn't be far off the mark!
Hidden and leaning against a wall, Yang Chanyu, with a face full of scorn, remarked, "Rest in peace? Weren't they killed by him? How can they rest in peace?"
"Hypocrisy! You little brother are too hypocritical," said Yang Chanyu disdainfully.
Sun Lingtong, seated on the walltop, also concealed, rolled her eyes at hearing this, "What do you know? Righteous Path is just like this."
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