: I Am Very Interested in Ning Zhuo

Author: Gu Zhenren

Date: 2025-01-03

: I Am Very Interested in Ning Zhuo

Old Long coughed, stood up, and cupped his hands toward the Old Freak in the Stone. "I nearly lost my life in this battle, thanks to Fellow Daoist Stone for saving me."

Such a gesture was extremely rare.

Usually, Old Long was arrogant and looked down on everyone.

He was a great cultivator at the Nascent Soul level and very old. More importantly, as the temple priest of the Ginseng Dragon King, his backing was solid, making him second only to one in the Thousand Peaks Forest.

This time, however, he bowed to thank the Old Freak in the Stone.

Mo Yuan Cave Master, Green Vine Physician, Cang Teng Wang, and others looked at the stone sphere with envy.

Everyone knew that upon returning to the Thousand Peaks Forest, the Old Freak in the Stone would receive generous rewards from the Ginseng Dragon King!

The next moment, the Old Freak in the Stone's hoarse voice rang out, "Little Long, I am your savior. As the main commander, if you had died, even if we wiped out two or three enemy armies, it would still be a great defeat!"

"I was the key figure who turned the tide and turned defeat into victory in this battle."

"What kind of reward will the Dragon King give a hero like me?"

Everyone's expressions changed instantly.

They hadn't expected the Old Freak in the Stone to speak so bluntly and arrogantly, flaunting his achievement without any humility.

This wasn't a wise move.

Although it was true that he saved Old Long, he shouldn't act like this.

Old Long wasn't just a Nascent Soul cultivator; he was also the Dragon King's temple priest. Disrespecting him meant disrespecting a Deity Transformation level existence!

Old Long's eye twitched. He lowered his hands, forced a smile, and said slowly, "Easy, easy."

"Fellow Daoist Stone, rest assured. Though I cannot decide on the reward, I believe the Dragon King will not treat you unfairly."

The Old Freak in the Stone grunted arrogantly, "Good."

As they spoke, more cultivators arrived secretly to join them.

It was Di Lu and Gu Ya.

They had been tangling with the Barbarian Demon Camp and held the upper hand, so their retreat was smooth.

Di Lu said expressionlessly, "It's a pity. Xu Dali was at the end of his strength. If we had just one more incense stick of time, we could have captured him!"

Gu Ya remained silent.

Compared to his eagerness before the battle, he now seemed despondent.

Gu Ya was a beast tamer who cared deeply for his wolf pack. In this battle, his wolves suffered heavy losses, which pained him greatly and made him realize one thing—

When it comes to group combat, armies composed of cultivators are the most effective.

Relying on beast hordes to fight an army requires at least ten times their numbers.

While everyone was discussing, Chen Lingfeng, Wu Hen, and others also arrived.

They looked hurried and disheveled.

"We underestimated the Three Generals Camp. Liu, Guan, and Zhang may be rogue cultivators, but they are no ordinary people."

"Where's Ma Feitui?"

"He was captured alive by the Three Generals."

"What?!"

Everyone was shocked.

Ma Feitui was a demon cultivator, originally a Heavenly Horse, with cultivation at the Nascent Soul level. Even if he couldn't win, he should have been able to escape.

No one expected him to be defeated and captured alive!

Everyone's expressions turned grim.

Every Nascent Soul level combatant was precious. Losing Ma Feitui was a significant blow to the Thousand Peaks Forest!

A poisonous snake emerged from the ground, spitting out a jade slip.

It was a message from Tu Ming.

Old Long read it with his divine sense: "Tu Ming is severely injured and has already led the Hundred Poison Tribe back first. We don't need to wait for them."

Thus, for the Thousand Peaks Forest side, one Nascent Soul was severely injured, and one was lost. Their achievements included nearly wiping out the Barbarian Demon Camp and the White Jade Camp.

The Red Flower Camp suffered heavy losses, the Three Generals Camp had significant casualties, while the Golden Halberd Army and the Fire Cloud Camp remained unscathed.

Mo Yuan Cave Master glanced around and immediately laughed, "Ma Feitui is truly laughable. I've said it before—this demon's reputation exceeds his ability. One can tell his weakness from one fact: after dealing with the Mu General's Manor for so many years, his results were minimal."

"Now he's been captured by three unknown rogue cultivators named Liu, Guan, and Zhang, which proves my judgment!"

"He's a demon from the north. The Thousand Peaks Forest doesn't have such weak Nascent Soul cultivators. His capture is actually a good thing."

"At least we won't be implicated and suffer worse consequences after entrusting him with important tasks!"

Without a doubt, Lu Hongtu knew how to motivate people.

Having managed the Six Caves Sect for years, his eloquence was sharp. The defeat, as he described it, turned into a blessing for the Thousand Peaks Forest.

Old Long waved his hand, "Alright, let's head back. Ma Feitui's defeat and capture were beyond my expectations. We'll discuss how to handle it after we return."

The Old Freak in the Stone said with a mocking tone, "The Two Pillars Kingdom is powerful. Just their rear army is this strong."

"Don't forget, if it weren't for me, Little Long, your fate would have been worse than Ma Feitui's."

"He was captured but still has his life. If I had been any later, you would have been burned to ashes."

Old Long's eye twitched again.

Di Lu and Gu Ya were stunned.

Chen Lingfeng, Wu Hen, and other Golden Core cultivators widened their eyes, holding their breath in shock.

What's wrong with the Old Freak in the Stone? How arrogant!

Old Long suddenly felt a strong sense of foreboding. It seemed that every time he met the Old Freak in the Stone in the future, the latter would bring up this rescue.

The Old Freak in the Stone completely ignored the tense atmosphere and continued, "All of you, go ahead. I'll cover your retreat."

Lu Hongtu asked in surprise, "Fellow Daoist Stone, aren't you coming back with us?"

"No need. I've been still for too long and want to explore the outside world," Ning Zhuo responded.

Lu Hongtu looked worried, "We just ambushed the Two Pillars Kingdom's army. They will surely be furious and conduct thorough searches. If you stay behind now, the risk is very high."

The Old Freak in the Stone chuckled, "That's my business, no need for you to say more. After this battle, I'm very interested in one person from the enemy army and want to check him out."

"Lu Hongtu, I heard your Six Caves Sect has many dealings with him."

Mo Yuan Cave Master's expression shifted, "Fellow Daoist Stone, are you referring to that Ning..."

"Exactly, him, Ning Zhuo," Ning Zhuo said.

Beside him, Sun Lingtong stared with wide eyes, curiously looking at him.

Ning Zhuo murmured:

"Hooves trample falling flowers,"

"Wind rises, shadows sink in sand."

"Who can keep the bright moon,"

"Who buries the mist and glow?"

"This prophetic poem was deduced by Ning Zhuo. It's very accurate."

"'Hooves' correspond to Ma Feitui, 'falling flowers' foretell his downfall."

"'Wind rises, shadows sink in sand' reflects our offensive."

"'Bright moon' likely refers to the White Jade Camp's 'Stars Surrounding the Moon' battle formation."

"'Buries the mist and glow' means Little Long nearly kicked the bucket, almost burned to ashes by the Lifeless Fire."

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat.

He's saying it again!

And getting more blunt, without any euphemisms.

Old Long's eye twitched once more.

Does he have no face to save?!

But the problem was, the Old Freak in the Stone really was his savior!!

Suddenly, Old Long's foreboding about the future grew stronger.

"Who can keep the bright moon, who buries the mist and glow? This line is exquisite, the more I ponder, the more profound it is!" Ning Zhuo, playing the Old Freak in the Stone from within the Mechanical Dragon, became more engrossed.

Beside him, Sun Lingtong cast him a glance.

It was the first time he'd seen someone so sincerely boasting about themselves!

"Not blushing at all. Little Zhuo's skills in the righteous path have improved again," Sun Lingtong inwardly praised.

Outside, the Old Freak in the Stone's voice echoed in everyone's ears, "The latter part of the prophetic poem points out that the surface of the battle situation, seeming advantageous, means nothing. The true outcome is seen only at the end."

"Look at Little Long—he charged deep into enemy lines, very imposing, but what happened in the end? He nearly died and was saved by me, right?"

Old Long gritted his teeth secretly. In such a short time, Ning Zhuo had mentioned it three times.

Di Lu, Gu Ya, and others didn't dare even glance at Old Long's expression.

Chen Lingfeng and Wu Hen, being Old Long's subordinates, wished they could bury themselves in the ground.

Lu Hongtu said, "But, Fellow Daoist Stone, you might not know that it was after we heard this poem that we deliberately designed our offensive to match the first half."

Ning Zhuo laughed, "Superficial!"

"You underestimate the art of divination, Mo Yuan Cave Master."

"You think you're turning their plan against them, but you overlook one possibility—Ning Zhuo already foresaw your existence and thus deduced this prophetic poem."

Someone gasped.

Lu Hongtu's pupils contracted, but he quickly regained composure, not fooled.

He shook his head with a smile, "That possibility is low. Ning Zhuo is just a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator. How could he calculate someone like me, a Nascent Soul?"

"Moreover, this ambush wasn't just me; many others were involved."

"Could all of us have been calculated by a small Foundation Establishment cultivator?"

Everyone's expressions eased slightly.

Ning Zhuo said, "In the art of divination, can't the weak calculate the strong?"

Knowing he shouldn't push too hard, he changed the subject, "Of course, I also believe it's just a possibility."

"That's why I'm very interested in this little guy."

"I'm staying behind to carefully study him."

"He's my prey now. Hehehe, hahaha!"

The Old Freak in the Stone let out a strange laugh.

Everyone fell silent.

Chen Lingfeng and other Golden Core cultivators began mourning for Ning Zhuo in their hearts.

Lu Hongtu smiled, "For that little Foundation Establishment cultivator to gain such attention from Fellow Daoist Stone, how fortunate."

"After this battle, I also have concerns about him."

"With Fellow Daoist Stone personally handling it, we can all rest assured."

Inside the Mechanical Dragon's head cabin.

Sun Lingtong gave Ning Zhuo a thumbs-up.

This move was brilliant.

After this battle, the prophetic poem would surely make Ning Zhuo famous and draw great attention.

By using the "Old Freak in the Stone" identity as a shield, Ning Zhuo blocked any potential covert actions from the Thousand Peaks Forest against him.

This move was exquisitely clever!

Ning Zhuo said, "Let's go."

With that, he focused his mind, ready to activate earth escape technique.

Playing the role among so many Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators was immensely stressful.

Ning Zhuo decided to leave quickly to avoid exposing any flaws over time.

"Wait!" Old Long suddenly said.

(End of )