: Look at Ning Zhuo!

Author: Gu Zhenren

Date: 2024-10-07

In front of Zhou Nongying, Feisi also made overtures to win over Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo, however, remained calm and detached, a stark contrast to his former self.

His attitude naturally pleased Zhou Nongying immensely. She knew this junior was extremely intelligent, well aware of the current situation, who were the allies, and who was the true enemy.

Currently, the Molten Rock Immortal Palace was in the Meng family's possession.

Meng Kui would certainly not let it go easily. Given time, using the Immortal Palace as a key foothold, the Meng family would have a near-perfect, ostensibly legitimate reason to continuously send their cultivators into Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

Ultimately, this would lead to the city being swallowed by the Meng family and becoming their private domain.

Under these circumstances, the Zhou and Ning families naturally had to stick together for warmth and resist the ambitious Meng family.

Seeing Ning Zhuo's stance, Feisi didn't linger and took his leave early.

Ning Zhuo, ever polite, saw him off all the way to the main gate.

Before leaving, Feisi smiled slightly and mentioned Chi Dun. He said that since the beast tide was quelled, this body cultivator had been unable to forget the Buddhist Healer, Meng Yaoyin, and strongly desired a rematch to settle the score and ease his indignation.

Ning Zhuo also smiled faintly. He immediately understood that Feisi was using Chi Dun to threaten him.

Since that was the case, he wouldn't indulge the other party. He simply said, "Although I am young and weak, I too have a competitive heart. Since Lord Chi Dun has such an inclination, this junior will certainly keep him company to the end. I'm just worried... that the Great Serpent Scythe might lack restraint, potentially leading to Lord Chi Dun's demise. That would be truly unfortunate!"

Feisi immediately stopped smiling, gave Ning Zhuo a cold nod, turned, and left with a flick of his sleeve.

Watching his figure soar into the sky, Ning Zhuo's gaze was profound. He knew deeply that from this point on, his close relationship with Feisi had vanished completely. They now stood on opposing sides.

"Lord Zhu Hou, Director of the Compassionate Children's Garden, has arrived—!" the usher announced loudly once more, followed by reciting the list of congratulatory gifts Zhu Hou brought.

Many people's hearts were shaken by another seismic event!

Although Zhu Hou only had a Foundation Establishment cultivation base, he came from the Southern Bean Royal Family, granting him inherent prestige and a high status. Especially since the royal family placed him here undoubtedly as a monitoring stake, observing the city's situation and attempting to counter Meng Kui's influence.

Ning Zhuo had just turned back from the main gate upon hearing the announcement. He索性 turned around directly and, with an enthusiastic smile, went to welcome Zhu Hou.

Zhu Hou, however, was different from the others.

He first entered the flowing banquet, immediately causing a stir.

He moved around the banquet multiple times, widely forming good connections, before finally leaving his seat to discuss matters with Ning Zhuo and Zhou Nongying.

He represented the Southern Bean Royal Family this time, aiming to support the Ning branch family and the Zhou family, hoping they could prevent the Meng family's future erosion of Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

The three talked happily, all showing a strong willingness to cooperate.

After they dispersed, Ning Zhuo returned to the flowing banquet.

Once he sat down at the head table, the cultivators who had been waiting anxiously swarmed forward to propose toasts to Ning Zhuo actively.

The first to approach were Ning Youfu and Ning Houjun, the two former elders from the branch lineage.

Ning Zhuo was now the head of the branch family, his status far surpassing the two elders.

Ning Youfu showed clear submission, while Ning Houjun's attitude was even more deferential because he had a specific request. He hoped his bloodline descendants could return to Ning Zhuo's branch family, revoking the heavy punishment of exile.

Ning Zhuo didn't agree immediately. He said he would need to conduct an investigation before making a judgment.

This simple response already made Ning Houjun's eyes redden with emotion.

"In the future, within the branch family, I still hope the two elders will serve as pillars among the family elders, sheltering the younger generations from wind and rain for a time," Ning Zhuo proactively invited.

Ning Youfu and Ning Houjun glanced at each other and agreed on the spot. Their initial retirement from the elder positions hadn't been entirely voluntary.

The School Elder nearby had a gloomy expression but could do nothing. He could only watch helplessly and resentfully as the Ning branch family absorbed members from the branch lineage right before his eyes, rapidly expanding and strengthening itself.

Former managers like Ning Xiangqian also came to Ning Zhuo's side, eagerly hoping the Ning branch family would take them in.

Ning Zhuo indicated that a list would be announced soon.

Next were Ning Chen, Ning Yong, and other classmates and Reform Team members.

Ning Zhuo offered them plenty of encouragement. His reputation among this group had always been high, mainly thanks to his previous repeated sharing of experiences.

Now, with his confirmed status as branch family head, placing him completely above them, it further ignited their desire to follow him.

The leaders of the Monkey Head Gang and the Crane Beak Gang also came. They sat in the farthest corner.

Even so, they trembled with excitement.

This was what they had dreamed of before pledging allegiance to Ning Zhuo. As Ning Zhuo's status rose, they benefited accordingly, truly mixing into legitimate circles.

Having personally witnessed Zhou Nongying, Feisi, Zhu Hou, and others coming to congratulate him proactively, their loyalty to Ning Zhuo immediately skyrocketed a hundredfold.

Chen Cha, Feng Heizi, Buganbujing, and One-Armed Artisan also left their tables successively, coming forward to express their congratulations.

Chen Cha looked complex, sighing with emotion: "Ning Zhuo, if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have imagined you could achieve this. Congratulations!!"

Ning Zhuo stood up, shook Chen Cha's hand, and showed unusual closeness, sparking envy in Feng Heizi, Buganbujing, and One-Armed Artisan.

At the banquet, Feng Jiqing boasted to his tablemates.

"Back then, when the Ning Family Head was still alive, he asked me to evaluate Ning Zhuo's Mechanical Blaze Monkey."

"I took one look and was utterly amazed! Never mind anything else, just the storage formation was perfectly designed. If it were me, I'd probably have chosen the Empty Lung of a Cloud Whale."

"Hahaha, compared to such a heaven's favorite, I'm truly too ordinary and unremarkable."

"Just being in the same city as Lord Ning Zhuo is already a great honor for me!"

Molten Rock Immortal Palace.

Meng Kui hovered slightly above the circular pit where the throne once stood.

Before him, a mirror formed by magic reflected scenes from the Ning branch family's establishment.

There was only one protagonist in the mirror: Ning Zhuo.

Meng Kui observed this youth in white, his gaze profound.

Before the dust settled, he would never have believed he would lose to such a junior.

Who would have thought that within Fire Persimmon Mountain, a mere Qi Refining junior could disguise and endure for over a decade, blow up the Immortal Palace to seize it, and temporarily deceive all the major powers?

"Grandfather!" Meng Chong burst through the main hall's door and rushed before Meng Kui.

"That Ning Zhuo is establishing his branch family today? I want to fight him! I haven't lost yet!!" Meng Chong shouted loudly, vowing to take revenge.

Meng Kui snorted coldly. He flicked his finger lightly, and a strong force made Meng Chong duck his head, clutching his forehead and hissing in pain.

"Grandfather, why did you hit me?"

Meng Kui said, "I always told you to train diligently and master more of the Hundred Arts. You never listened."

"This time, you saw it, didn't you?"

"Ning Zhuo, with his mastery of mechanics, left you in the dust. The mechanical ape you considered your lifelong rival was just one of his creations. In the end, the position of Palace Head that your grandfather holds was something he actively yielded!"

"Look at him. He's only sixteen, just a bit older than you."

"So young, yet he made your efforts fail, separated your soul from your body. So young, yet he has such skill and such excellent mechanical prowess. Today, he even establishes his own branch family."

"Chong'er, learn well from geniuses more outstanding than you!"

Meng Chong was stunned.

Grandfather Meng Kui had always been proud of him. Now, hearing such words felt strange to Meng Chong. Before, he, Meng Chong, was always the sole protagonist of such comparisons.

Now, Ning Zhuo had successfully pushed him aside.

"Alright, Chong'er's defeat this time is understandable. Even you and I were deceived by that cunning brat, weren't we?" Meng Hu revealed himself.

He walked behind Meng Chong and lifted him up: "I'll take Chong'er away now. Although the Three Ancestors Supreme Method involves building foundations in three Dantians, it emphasizes mechanics, and the opportunity is lost. It's unsuitable for Chong'er."

"Coincidentally, the Grand Tutor of Thundering Peal Kingdom, Wu Ting, is openly accepting personal disciples. Chong'er has the immortal资质 for Rushing Thunder. If he can become the Thundering Peal Grand Tutor's personal disciple, the outcome would be even better."

Meng Kui nodded: "Very well, take him there."

No matter how Meng Chong struggled or shouted, Meng Hu carried him away, transforming into a rainbow.

Meng Kui was left alone, sighing deeply.

If they had the complete Three Ancestors Supreme Method, having Meng Chong stay to continue cultivating wouldn't be a bad option.

But there was only one copy of the Three Methods True Scripture, inside the Mechanical Daoist's body.

The soul-entering-the-Immortal-Palace path could at most obtain the Qi Refining stage of the Three Ancestors Supreme Method.

The subsequent techniques were hidden within the Transmission Bell, but Meng Kui found it not just difficult, but impossible to crack!

Well-versed in the mysteries of fate and fortune, Meng Kui knew deeply: the fate and fortune of the Molten Rock Immortal Palace had already been seized by someone else. One step ahead meant步步先; subsequent fortune would only bless the one who seized it first, not his grandson Meng Chong.

For Meng Chong to catch up would be exceptionally difficult. Having already lost the initiative, he would waste years with little progress. It was better to cut losses decisively, abandon this path, and start another.

His divine sense spread out, and Meng Kui observed the Molten Rock Immortal Palace once more.

"The losses are too severe!" He shook his head repeatedly.

At his core, he didn't want to take on this mess.

But there was no choice. The Meng family had needs regarding the entire Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

And for the Meng family to control Fire Persimmon Immortal City long-term, they needed a reason to counter the Southern Bean Royal Family's policy of rotating city lords.

Without a doubt, the status of Molten Rock Immortal Palace Head could help the Meng family achieve this goal.

This was why Meng Kui, a renowned strategist, knowing full well this was a pit, still chose to fulfill Ning Zhuo's wish and proactively take it on.

"Repairing the entire Molten Rock Immortal Palace requires staggering resources. Only by seeking help from the family will it be possible." Even as a Nascent Soul expert, Meng Kui couldn't personally bear the repair costs, illustrating the immense price of restoring the Immortal Palace.

What truly troubled Meng Kui wasn't the repair issue, but the positions.

The Molten Rock Immortal Palace had various official positions. Even though the mechanical structures were destroyed, the positions weren't abolished along with them.

According to the prior agreement between Meng Kui and Zhu Xuanji, regardless of who obtained the Palace Head position, these positions wouldn't be purged.

Therefore, although Meng Kui was the Palace Head, a large number of positions below him were held by cultivators from the three families' Reform Teams.

The presence of these people, controlling many positions within the Immortal Palace, would undoubtedly greatly reduce the Meng family's control over it!

This was also the most important cornerstone for Zhou Nongying and Ning Zhuo joining forces to resist the Meng family.

Branch Family.

The flowing banquet was nearing its end when the usher suddenly shouted: "Lord Song Fuli has arrived—!"

Ning Zhuo's expression tightened slightly. He knew an unwelcome guest had come.

Song Fuli's face was expressionless, his body ramrod straight. He neither brought a gift nor intended to step inside the gate.

He blocked the entrance.

(End of )