: Attending the Banquet

2025-01-15 Author: Gu Zhenren

Ning Zhuo recognized Ning Xiaohui's voice. Leaving the dining table, he went to the courtyard and met his former classmate.

Ning Zhuo and Ning Xiaohui had studied together in the same academy. While Ning Zhuo’s performance was average, placing him in the middle to upper range without any particular distinction, Ning Xiaohui was the complete opposite. As a member of the main lineage and possessing the innate talent of the Icy Jade Hands, she consistently held the top position, basking in the admiration of her peers like the moon surrounded by stars.

At this moment, Ning Xiaohui wore an indifferent expression, her gaze cool as she scrutinized Ning Zhuo approaching her. She was slightly surprised inwardly: she hadn’t expected this previously unnoticeable classmate to actually be quite good-looking.

After a quick once-over, she remarked, “I really couldn’t tell that you were the creator of the Mechanical Blazing Monkey.”

Ning Zhuo let out an embarrassed sound and said somewhat sheepishly, “Well… I think it was mostly luck. If you asked me to create another mechanical work now, I probably couldn’t do it. I have no confidence at all.”

“True.” Ning Xiaohui had also reviewed all the intelligence on Ning Zhuo, including the numerous documents and drawings discovered and replicated by the Ning family investigation team in the underground workshop. From these, she saw that Ning Zhuo’s entire development process for the Mechanical Blazing Monkey had taken at least five or six years from conception. This discovery significantly lowered her opinion of him.

Ning Zhuo walked up to Ning Xiaohui and asked, “What did you call me out for?”

Ning Xiaohui frowned slightly, feeling that Ning Zhuo was standing a bit too close. She took a small step back and asked in an accusatory tone, “You actually gave the Mechanical Blazing Monkey to an outsider. Why didn’t you report it to the family first?”

Ning Zhuo sighed, spreading his hands with a look of frustration and innocence. “I really wanted to tell the family, but at the time, the Mechanical Blazing Monkey still had flaws that needed fixing. It wasn’t complete! I couldn’t present it in that state. I consulted Chen Cha to solve the design problems with the mechanical monkey, but I never expected it to get exposed and catch the attention of some important figure in the end. What could I do? At least they paid me for it.”

“Hmph, you’re referring to Lord Feisi, aren’t you?” Ning Xiaohui deliberately dropped the name.

Ning Zhuo immediately showed a flicker of surprise.

Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Ning Xiaohui curled her lips into a cold smile. “Ning Zhuo, you’re only focused on money. You’re being shortsighted. Don’t you know that between fame and profit, fame comes first? With fame comes profit. Fame is far more important than profit! Creating the Mechanical Blazing Monkey would have brought you great renown. But now, it’s been taken from you. How can mere money make up for such a loss?”

“Is that so?” Ning Zhuo scratched his head, wearing a look of pure, naive ignorance.

Seeing his foolish expression, Ning Xiaohui felt a surge of disgust and lost all desire to continue talking with him. Unbeknownst to her, Ning Zhuo had seen through her disdain for foolishness and her arrogant nature, easily manipulating her.

Ning Xiaohui turned to leave. “I came to tell you that there’s a small banquet tonight. I’ll take you with me. Clean yourself up properly. Don’t embarrass our clan.”

Ning Zhuo looked surprised. “What kind of banquet is it? Who will be there?”

Ning Xiaohui continued walking without looking back. “People from the current three-family alliance team: Zheng Jian, Zhou Zeshen, and Zhou Zhu. Remember, dragons don’t mingle with snakes. Just follow my lead and speak less.”

“Oh, okay,” Ning Zhuo replied quickly, then added, “Wait, I should report this to the Young Clan Leader first.”

“Suit yourself,” Ning Xiaohui said as she exited the rear courtyard, her figure disappearing behind the gate.

Ning Zhuo’s gaze turned profound. Mentioning his intention to report to the Young Clan Leader was just a deliberate remark. He already knew that since Ning Xiaohui had been able to come straight to the inner residence, she must have obtained Ning Xiaoren’s approval.

“Ning Xiaohui is from the main lineage; I’m just from a branch. My cultivation and mechanical skills have already posed some challenge to her.” Under normal circumstances, he would have long been warned or suppressed. But now, with the three families allied and relative fairness in place, and the Ning family at a competitive disadvantage, they needed Ning Zhuo’s individual contributions to support Ning Xiaohui. That was why he was being treated courteously.

“But Ning Xiaohui isn’t the type to tolerate others. If I continue to stand out and display my talents, she’ll become a stumbling block. I’ll have to remove this obstacle to move forward.” Ning Zhuo was always thinking several steps ahead. As the saying goes, if you don’t plan for the long term, you’ll face immediate troubles. He was already considering how to get rid of Ning Xiaohui as an obstacle.

After thinking for a while, he shook his head slightly and smiled wryly inwardly. He couldn’t come up with a good solution.

Ning Zhuo first reported to Young Clan Leader Ning Xiaoren, informing him about the evening banquet. Seeing Ning Zhuo’s compliance, Ning Xiaoren was quite pleased, immediately expressing his approval. He also mentioned that Ning Zhuo’s current attire wasn’t suitable for the banquet and had someone take his measurements for new clothes.

As the Young Clan Leader, Ning Xiaoren held a high position and had many servants. In the cultivation world, even making ordinary clothes was highly efficient. By evening, the finished products were ready—not just one set, but three. Ning Xiaoren didn’t miss this opportunity to show goodwill. He was present throughout Ning Zhuo’s fitting, praising him repeatedly.

Finally, with slightly reddened eyes and a choked voice, he said, “If only your father, Ning Zhong, were still here to see how you’ve grown into such a fine young man. He would be so comforted.”

Ning Zhuo eagerly asked about his father. Ning Xiaoren, who had no real knowledge, coughed and excused himself by saying it was getting late, suggesting that uncle-nephew reminiscing could wait for another time. Inwardly, he thought about looking up all the information on Ning Zhong to see what he could fabricate to fake a deep bond between the previous generation.

“Oh, right,” Ning Xiaoren said, taking out a money pouch and handing it to Ning Zhuo. “I know you have a large sum, but take this as pocket money. Consider it a meeting gift from your Uncle Ning.”

Ning Xiaoren handed it over slowly. Ning Zhuo’s eyes lit up, and he quickly reached out with both hands to take the pouch. His swift movement caught Ning Xiaoren off guard for a moment.

“Thank you, Uncle Ning!” Ning Zhuo’s gratitude was more straightforward than ever before. Then, the young man added, “Uncle Ning, what large sum are you talking about? I’ve never felt like I have too much money. In fact, I really don’t have much at all. Besides, can anyone ever have too much money? Thank you, Uncle Ning.”

Ning Zhuo thanked him again. Ning Xiaoren couldn’t help but cough dryly. “Good, good. I’m glad you accepted it.” Watching Ning Zhuo inspect the money pouch, his feelings were mixed. On one hand, Ning Zhuo’s attitude toward money perfectly echoed Ning Xiaoren’s own sentiments—it was like finding a kindred spirit. But this kind of kindred spirit… well, he could do without it, especially since Ning Zhuo was taking *his* money.

On the other hand, it made perfect sense! Ning Xiaoren recalled the various reports he’d seen. Ning Zhuo had lived under someone else’s roof since childhood, mistreated by Ning Ze and Wang Lan, with almost no pocket money and a very tight budget. In contrast, Ning Jie enjoyed fine clothes and ample food and spending money. Ning Zhuo had often taken odd jobs while attending school. With such a background, his desire for money was undoubtedly strong. So, it was no surprise that Ning Zhuo had agreed to transfer the credit for creating the Mechanical Blazing Monkey to Chen Cha in exchange for a huge profit.

After leaving Ning Zhuo, Ning Xiaoren felt quite satisfied. He realized that Ning Zhuo wasn’t hard to win over. To win someone over, it was simple—cater to their preferences! “Ning Zhuo’s first preference is mechanical arts. His second is money. Well, better to win him over with manuals on mechanical arts.” Because when it came to money, Ning Xiaoren himself was quite fond of it too.

Night fell. The carriage stopped, and Ning Zhuo hopped out first. Then, Ning Xiaohui stepped down gracefully, using a servant’s back as a step. “Ning Zhuo, your status is different now. You need to be mindful of your actions,” she said, frowning. “Jumping out of the carriage so casually is too undignified for a disciple of a great clan.”

“Oh, okay,” Ning Zhuo replied promptly, indicating he would take the advice. Along the way, he looked around curiously, as if he had never been there before. Everything seemed quite novel to him.

Ning Xiaohui’s frown deepened. “Stay close to me.”

Ning Zhuo hurried to follow closely.

“Don’t follow *that* closely. Keep your distance,” Ning Xiaohui added.

“Oh, okay,” Ning Zhuo said.

“Welcome, welcome to both of you,” Zheng Jian said personally, greeting them at the door of the private room. He was hosting this small banquet.

Ning Xiaohui and Ning Zhuo entered the room and found Zhou Zeshen and Zhou Zhu already there. Everyone smiled as they gathered. Just this experience felt somewhat new to Ning Zhuo, as he had never seen these talents smiling and conversing so amiably before.

The dishes served at the banquet were, naturally, exquisite. Ning Zhuo’s eyes gleamed as he stared fixedly at the table, and he ended up eating the most among them.

Zheng Jian and the others observed Ning Zhuo closely. They were relatively familiar with Ning Xiaohui, but their understanding of the suddenly emerged Ning Zhuo was insufficient. Although their families had also conducted thorough investigations and gathered intelligence comparable to the Ning family’s, firsthand probing and understanding were often more necessary.

Seeing Ning Zhuo trying to restrain himself and appear nonchalant, yet unable to resist eating and drinking heartily, everyone gradually formed their impressions. Combined with the intelligence, they quickly sketched out an image of Ning Zhuo in their minds: a low-ranking clansman who had shown talent, a former nobody on the fringes, who had somehow stumbled into upper-circle gatherings. Initially adapting, his every move seemed out of place, and every furtive glance around betrayed his humble past.

During the meal, the conversation naturally turned to the Molten Rock Immortal Palace. Zheng Jian raised his glass first to Ning Xiaohui. “We must thank the Ning family for providing the talismans that prevent our souls from being arbitrarily extracted by the Immortal Palace. Since our three families are allied, and everyone here has reached the peak of the third level of Qi Refining, we can release the talismans together and explore the palace simultaneously. I believe that by joining forces, we will surely overcome the current difficulties.”

Ning Zhuo pricked up his ears, listening with a serious expression. In an激昂 tone, he said振奋ly, “That’s right! By working together, we will definitely break through all obstacles and advance triumphantly!”

Zheng Jian: “…”

Zhou Zhu: “…”

For a moment, a rare silence fell over the small banquet.

(End of )