: Wind Rises (Compensation for Cliffhanger)

Author: Gu Zhenren

Date: 2024-07-31

"The Wind-Bell!"

In an instant, Zhu Xuanji was startled.

Whenever fate undergoes a drastic change, winds will rise and clouds will swirl, the heavens and earth will shift color, forming vast fortunes that influence countless individuals and various factions. If this fortune expands, wars will frequently break out, and turbulent times will ensue.

This Wind-Bell was bestowed by the monarch specifically to detect drastic changes in fate and the influence of fortune.

"The Wind-Bell has sounded. Is it a natural surge of fortune, or is someone performing a ritual?"

Zhu Xuanji instinctively looked up toward the peak of Huoshi Mountain.

He had long known about Meng Kui's supernatural ability—Sitting on the Mountain and Watching!

Despite Sun Lingtong's unreasonable pestering, Zhu Xuanji would not back down. He had many methods to deal with such a suspect.

But now, he no longer wished to do so.

Before his departure, the monarch had specifically warned him to be cautious of changes in fate and to be wary of Meng Kui.

Zhu Xuanji kept this firmly in mind, well aware that he possessed no means to suppress fate. Now that the Wind-Bell had sounded, if he continued to be entangled in this situation, he would inevitably be affected. Even if he locked his doors and stayed home, once fate entwined and fortune shifted, disaster would still fall from the sky while he sat innocently at home!

Zhu Xuanji himself had no means to interfere with fate. The only plan now was to extract himself as early as possible. By remaining outside the situation, he would not be influenced or disturbed.

"I'll let you off for today. I will find you." Zhu Xuanji released his magical power, pushing Sun Lingtong away.

He vanished from the spot, swiftly leaving the city.

Only after putting hundreds of miles between himself and Huoshi Mountain did the Wind-Bell finally cease its ringing.

"Such a small-scale fluctuation of fortune, yet such a drastic change in fate—Meng Kui's suspicion grows even greater."

"If the field of fortune does not expand afterward, it's eighty percent likely Meng Kui's Sitting on the Mountain and Watching ability!"

Zhu Xuanji's face darkened, and he immediately decided to rely on the Wind-Bell's detection range for verification.

As soon as Zhu Xuanji left, Sun Lingtong stood up.

Sun Lingtong found it hard to believe, thinking to himself, "Did I really drive Zhu Xuanji away that easily?"

Outwardly, he spat, wiped his face, saw the stunned street vendor, and boasted, "See that? Learn from it!"

He then turned to his subordinate and asked urgently, "Did you record it all?"

The subordinate nodded: "It's all in the jade slip."

Sun Lingtong threw his head back and laughed heartily three times: "Excellent! This is the greatest achievement of my life."

"Come, spread the word! Say that I, Sun Lingtong, with my Foundation Establishment cultivation, forced the Golden Core Zhu Xuanji to retreat!"

"Hahaha, I'm going to be famous! I'm going to be famous!"

"If anyone doubts it, slap the jade slip in their face."

"Yes, quickly make a dozen copies—no, hundreds of copies of the jade slip! Distribute them for safekeeping to prevent them from being confiscated!"

Sun Lingtong's methods were sharp; he intended to establish his reputation first, then use that reputation to pressure Zhu Xuanji and prepare for any future confrontations.

As Zhu Xuanji left the city, Ning Zhuo entered.

Unlike when he left, Ning Zhuo's team now included Yuan Er.

Yuan Er and Ning Zhuo sat together in a carriage, his eyes frequently darting toward the Tree Martial Combat Ape—Da Sheng sitting beside Ning Zhuo.

Their conversation reached a pause.

"So that's how it is." Ning Zhuo sighed softly.

He had finally understood the whole story.

It turned out that in a few days, it would be the anniversary of Yuan Yi's death. As his son, Yuan Er had to sweep his grave.

Yuan Yi had been buried in over a dozen locations. The real tomb was the desolate wilderness where Yuan Da Sheng had lost control, driven by emotion. The other false tombs were deliberately set up by Yuan Yi. On one hand, it was to prevent others from desecrating his grave for revenge; on the other hand, it served as bait to lure hidden enemies.

After all, in the cultivation world, there were many methods to curse others using bones.

Yuan Er had not wanted to leave the Monkey Head Gang's base, but as the son paying respects to his ancestor—the gang's founder—he had no choice.

The gang's elders were also urging him to go. If he refused, rumors would inevitably spread about his cowardice and lack of filial piety. This would be a fatal blow to Yuan Er's already dismal reputation!

Yuan Er had no choice but to comply. He had originally intended to contact Ning Zhuo to hurry up the creation of Yuan Da Sheng's mechanical construct. However, the messengers he sent never returned.

Yuan Er did his best to conceal his movements, secretly setting off several days early to perform the rites.

Unsurprisingly, an accident occurred along the way.

He was ambushed. All his attendants were killed, leaving only him alive.

Instinctively, he fled toward his father's burial site and, against all odds, encountered the Tree Martial Combat Ape—Da Sheng.

What followed was Yuan Da Sheng, under Ning Zhuo's command, stepping in to rescue him.

"Master Ning, this must be the mechanical construct of Uncle Monkey you made for me, right? It has to be!" Yuan Er couldn't hold back, his eyes fixed intently on Yuan Da Sheng, his face full of eagerness and desire.

"It's really strong, its combat power far surpasses the Foundation Establishment peak."

"Master Ning, you are a man of your word! I admire you greatly!"

Yuan Er showered him with praise.

Ning Zhuo smiled slightly and patted the Tree Martial Combat Ape—Da Sheng's arm: "This is just the initial version, freshly made. My trip outside the city was mainly to find wild demon beasts and test Da Sheng's capabilities through actual combat."

"Tree Martial Combat Ape—Da Sheng..." Yuan Er chewed on the name, his eyes lighting up as he gave a thumbs-up. "Master Ning, your skill in mechanized arts is profound, and your talent for naming is also exceptional. It fits perfectly, absolutely perfectly."

"Can we complete the handover now?"

Ning Zhuo shook his head: "No rush, no rush."

"Through battles with demon beasts and cultivators, I've found many areas where the Tree Martial Combat Ape—Da Sheng still needs improvement."

"I will only hand it over to you after I've made the necessary refinements."

"What I, Ning Zhuo, produce must be of the highest quality. I won't hastily deliver a crude initial version."

Yuan Er's eyes widened anxiously: "But, Master Ning!"

"Look, I'm in great danger now, too much danger."

"This time, if I hadn't been lucky enough to run into you, I would have died! Killed by those shameless, sinister, ruthless assassins!"

"The key point is, you let a few of the assassins escape. I... I..."

At this point, Yuan Er was so agitated he stammered, unable to get the words out.

Ning Zhuo sighed, spreading his hands in a perfect explanation: "I couldn't see the specific scene at the time. I'm only at the Qi Refining stage, not Foundation Establishment. I don't have spiritual sense."

"This Tree Martial Combat Ape—Da Sheng is controlled by my staff head. The staff head stores my divine thoughts. The setting I applied to it is to engage in unlimited combat against any hostile target."

"So, when some assassins lost their killing intent and fled in disarray, the Tree Martial Combat Ape—Da Sheng wouldn't be triggered and thus wouldn't pursue."

"If I had been there, I would have definitely eradicated all evil!"

Yuan Er blinked repeatedly, his mouth dry: "I know about the staff head."

"To be honest, Master Ning, ever since you promised to build me a Foundation Establishment-level mechanical combat puppet, I've scoured through all the books in the gang, cramming day and night on related knowledge, desperately practicing various methods of controlling mechanical constructs."

"If you hand over the Tree Martial Combat Ape—Da Sheng to me now, I will definitely make good use of it! I..."

Ning Zhuo's face darkened, his tone displeased: "Enough, Gang Leader Yuan Er. There's no need to persuade me further."

"This is my principle. I will not hand it over until I have improved the Tree Martial Combat Ape—Da Sheng."

"You must understand that inferior work will tarnish my reputation."

"I plan to advance further in the path of mechanized arts. My reputation must be protected from the very beginning!"

Ning Zhuo spoke righteously, completely forgetting about the time he had created the inferior mechanical Blazing Monkey.

If Chen Cha heard this, he would be greatly comforted, feeling that Ning Zhuo had seen the error of his ways and turned over a new leaf—a truly fortunate thing.

Yuan Er breathed heavily, slightly opening his mouth as if he had much to say. But under Ning Zhuo's stern expression, he ultimately held back.

Although Ning Zhuo was only at the Qi Refining stage, his status was now different from before.

The mechanical carriage he rode in, the guards accompanying the carriage—all made Yuan Er feel the gap in their statuses.

Ning Zhuo continued to reassure him: "Gang Leader Yuan Er, don't be too nervous. It'll be fine."

"You're in the city now. Later, I'll take you directly back to the gang base."

"You've already paid respects to your father. I can testify to that."

"You can use my connection to heavily intimidate the disloyal elements in the gang. Surely they wouldn't be so insane as to let assassins into the gang base."

Yuan Er's face was pale: "Yes, they probably wouldn't be that impulsive."

"But the enemies left behind from when my father and Uncle Da Sheng rose to power are a different story!"

Ning Zhuo immediately refuted: "They can't enter the gang base either. If they could, they would have succeeded in assassinating you long ago, right?"

"After all, in the past, Yuan Da Sheng wasn't always by your side protecting you, was he?"

Yuan Er broke out in a fine sweat on his forehead: "Well, that seems true... It should be like that."

"It would be best if Master Ning could deliver the goods now."

Yuan Er's face was full of sorrow, his tone pleading.

Ning Zhuo mercilessly shook his head, refusing once again.

In the end, he kept his promise and took Yuan Er directly back to the Monkey Head Gang base, attracting the attention of countless gang members.

Yuan Er was somewhat reluctant to get out of the carriage.

Only under Ning Zhuo's urging did he unwillingly glance back at the Tree Martial Combat Ape—Da Sheng, stepping out of the carriage with great reluctance.

"Let's go back." Ning Zhuo waved his hand, and the team set off again.

Yuan Er remained where he was, watching until the mechanical carriage disappeared from view before moving his leaden feet.

Returning to the empty inner room, his longing for Yuan Da Sheng intensified to the extreme, causing two silent streams of tears to flow down his face.

(End of )