: The Turns of Fate

After a brief conversation with the Paper Clone of the White Paper City Lord, Ning Zhuo returned to his residence at the Cangyang Villa to rest.

He took out the four treasures given by the White Paper City Lord and examined them carefully.

The Chilled Bone Moondew Wine was a translucent silvery-gray. Viewed from the side, a layer of pale moonlight seemed to shimmer on its surface.

If left undisturbed for a long time, fine, suspended particles, resembling bone fragments, would condense within the wine.

Ning Zhuo rotated his mechanism ring and took a small sip.

The wine was exceptionally clear upon entering his mouth, like melted snow. As it slid down his throat, a warm sensation, akin to a hot spring, welled up. The aftertaste left a cooling fragrance of cedar and ice mint lingering in his mouth.

There were nearly a hundred sticks of Nine Springs Rest Incense, each resembling a thin, withered branch with a dark purple surface.

Ning Zhuo broke off a piece about half a finger's length and tried lighting it.

The burning Nine Springs Rest Incense produced a straight, thin line of blue smoke that hung like a suspended thread. Its scent was reminiscent of decayed earth mixed with damp, cold white plum blossoms.

The ash left after burning maintained the complete shape of the incense stick. Upon contact with anything yang in nature, it would immediately transform from ash into droplets of black water. At this point, the scent changed to the heavy, woody fragrance of thousand-year-old coffin wood.

The Hungry Ghost Retribution Cauldron was as tall as a person—a large bronze tripod with two handles.

The cauldron's body was covered in patina, the corrosion forming vague images of hundreds of ghosts devouring each other. The inner walls retained traces of dried, deep green ink. The three legs were wrapped in a layer of gray bone. The handles appeared to have a dark brown glaze, but upon closer inspection, it was actually countless overlapping fingerprints and tooth marks.

The final item was the "Netherworld Punishment Ledger."

It was a book with iron covers and iron pages, quite heavy.

The iron cover was as dark as night, with cast dark iron bands faintly outlining the silhouette of the netherworld. The spine was inlaid with a palace roof carved from black jade chalcedony, imposing in its design.

The pages were cold-rolled from thousand-folded cold iron, thin as blades and glowing with a faint green light.

Each page was engraved with an image of a punishment: boiling oil, mountain of knives, forest of swords, sea of fire, ice mountain, iron bed, heart extraction, tongue ripping, ox pit, millstone, dismemberment by saw, crushing by stone, iron tree, intestine twisting, blood pool, and so on.

When opened, the iron pages clashed against each other, producing sounds like the clanking of iron shackles.

Even a mere touch of Ning Zhuo's finger would cause his soul to feel pain in various ways.

"These are all excellent treasures!" Sun Lingtong was also observing, her eyes shining.

Ning Zhuo nodded slightly and put them away one by one.

He wasn't in a hurry to use them but instead pondered the White Paper City Lord.

Previously, the White Paper City Lord's schemes had been obvious, straightforward, causing both Sun and Ning to feel resentful and wary.

However, after their last meeting, Ning Zhuo found this person's actions to be quite candid, calling a spade a spade.

"She could have kept the prophetic poem and other matters secret, not telling me, but she did. She wasn't even worried I would jack up the price."

"In fact, she's quite generous, not stingy at all. Just the Chilled Bone Moondew Wine alone exceeded my highest expectations."

"She truly has the aura of a heroine."

"Did Mother cooperate with the White Paper City Lord for the same reason? Was her impression of the White Paper City Lord similar to mine?"

"Mother was truly benevolent and magnanimous, even refusing the deputy city lord position... Compared to her, my perspective is far too narrow. I can't self-sacrifice for others like she did."

"Wanxiang Sect... True Disciple..."

A knock on the door interrupted Ning Zhuo's thoughts.

The visitor was none other than Wen Ruan Yu.

Ning Zhuo now knew that this person was a fellow disciple of his mother, Meng Yaoyin, a Golden Core cultivator and also a True Disciple.

The Wanxiang Sect was a super sect, on par with the Soul Devourer Sect and the Unempty Gate. To become a True Disciple of such a force, the minimum cultivation level required was Golden Core!

"Coming." Ning Zhuo stood up and opened the door.

He wasn't surprised by Wen Ruan Yu's visit. The White Paper City Lord had already explicitly instructed him to work with Wen Ruan Yu to investigate the mole among the higher-ups.

Wen Ruan Yu cupped his hands in salute, smiling: "I will fully cooperate with Fellow Daoist Jiao Ma to complete this important task!"

Since Ning Zhuo captured three Golden Core ghost generals alive, Wen Ruan Yu's attitude and tone towards him had become very equal.

This time, he was even personally instructed by the White Paper City Lord to assist Ning Zhuo.

This made Wen Ruan Yu's stance even lower, implicitly positioning himself as Ning Zhuo's deputy.

As a Confucian cultivator, regardless of his inner thoughts, his outward attitude was correct and proper.

Ning Zhuo also returned the salute and transmitted a message via divine sense, telling Wen Ruan Yu: We must not alert the enemy. If the identity of Jiao Ma can be maintained, we should try to maintain it. For future actions, I will use Jiao Ma's identity to follow you in investigating the mole. On the surface, you will take the lead.

Wen Ruan Yu thought for a moment; this was a prudent move. His evaluation of Ning Zhuo rose another notch, and he readily agreed.

He asked Ning Zhuo where they should start the investigation.

Ning Zhuo didn't hesitate, transmitting via divine sense: "I've already thought it over preliminarily. Let's go take a look in the southern part of the city first."

Arriving at the southern city gate, Ning Zhuo saw the Paper Giant statue again, along with the many cultivators actively repairing the battlefield.

Ning Zhuo: "I need to see the various arrangements Senior Meng Yaoyin made back then."

Wen Ruan Yu followed Ning Zhuo's covert instructions, first having all other cultivators present withdraw, leaving only the two of them. Then he activated the formation for Ning Zhuo, and they stepped together into the formation's internal space.

Here, Ning Zhuo saw the formation's true structure. It was so complex and intricate it made his head spin.

"Mother is truly amazing!"

"Her attainments in formation laying are too profound. I can't understand it at all in a short time."

Ning Zhuo secretly communicated with Sun Lingtong, his expression full of reverence and admiration.

Sun Lingtong giggled silently, thinking: Wasn't this formation designed jointly by your mother and the White Paper City Lord over seven days and seven nights?

Sun Lingtong understood Ning Zhuo's feelings very well and didn't expose him.

Meng Yaoyin was a Golden Core True Disciple of a super sect, proficient in mechanism arts, and naturally skilled in many cultivation techniques. Unfortunately, she passed away early, leaving Ning Zhuo only a set of texts on mechanism arts.

Ning Zhuo hadn't inherited her formation foundation, so he couldn't understand the formation here, but he had his own methods.

"Senior Wen, could you please explain its structure to me?" Ning Zhuo directly made the request.

Wen Ruan Yu patiently explained everything to Ning Zhuo, holding nothing back.

Ning Zhuo's foundation in formations was solid. He barely understood two or three parts out of ten and made a precise judgment in his heart: "My mother personally set this up back then. If I use the Cremation Prajna Spirit Dissolution Sutra to burn these formation arrangements, I should gain quite a bit of spirituality."

After examining the formation, Ning Zhuo said to Wen Ruan Yu, "Let's go take a look inside the Paper Giant."

Wen Ruan Yu had no objections.

Netherworld.

Deep within the Water Burial Valley.

The Gray Bone Old Man sat cross-legged, slowly opening his eyes, his gaze complex as he stared at a piece of skull in front of him.

This was a Heavenly Ghost's skull—a treasure material at the Void Refining level!

Now, the skull's surface had been refined by the Prefect until it melted like liquid, but the interior remained stubbornly bony.

"No wonder you, Prefect, spared no expense, refining this Heavenly Ghost bone with such effort."

"This top-grade natural talent complements you perfectly—no, it seems almost made for you by heaven and earth."

The Prefect laughed heartily: "If it weren't so, why would I go to such great lengths?"

After obtaining this piece of skull, he studied it carefully and discovered remnants of a minor supernatural power. He painstakingly laid plans for over a hundred years, continuously investing manpower and resources, and finally saw signs of success this year.

Only a small portion of the bony structure remained within the Heavenly Ghost skull.

Once it was completely refined, the Prefect could fully absorb it, gaining a new natural talent for himself!

The Prefect sighed with emotion: "I've gone to great pains to obtain this natural talent. Just to acquire the Heavenly Ghost Transformation Sacrificial Rites, I spent thirty percent of my mansion's treasury to trade for it with another mansion."

The Gray Bone Old Man was silent for a moment before saying: "This rite originates from the Confucians, sacrificing to heaven and earth. In the netherworld, it is virtue; in the mortal world, it is sin. Thus, it has caused countless killings and blood debts in White Paper Immortal City."

The Prefect sneered: "Those who achieve great things don't bother with minor details. I am the king of the netherworld; why would I need the morality of the mortal world?"

"I must eliminate White Paper Immortal City. The entire city will be used for a blood sacrifice to complete my Heavenly Ghost Transformation sacrificial rite!"

The Gray Bone Old Man sighed: "So, this skull is the source of the calamity. I used the calamity energy within it to perform the Calamity Ash Covering Divination technique, but I also calculated that you still face obstacles before success."

The Prefect nodded slightly: "I know."

"To absorb this skull, one must have a foundation of at least a million human souls and sufficient baleful energy to withstand the impact of this external natural talent."

"As the lord of a mansion, my soul foundation long ago surpassed ten million. A million human souls are not an obstacle."

"By launching a ghost tide to attack White Paper Immortal City, I can obtain soldier baleful energy to help me resist the impact."

The Gray Bone Old Man nodded slightly, then shook his head gently: "There is more."

"Oh?" The Prefect was surprised, then said, "Can Fellow Daoist Gray Bone perform a divination for me?"

The Gray Bone Old Man shook his head: "I cannot. But I can remind you of one or two things."

The Prefect cupped his hands: "Please impart your wisdom, Fellow Daoist."

The Gray Bone Old Man said: "It's quite simple. According to my divination skills, the various obstacles are actually struggles of fate."

"You, Prefect, are noble as the lord of a mansion. In the mortal world, you would be the ruler of a nation, exceptionally powerful and prestigious."

"However, this Heavenly Ghost Transformation Sacrificial Rite spans both the netherworld and the mortal world. Your position in the netherworld is stable and unshakable, but in the mortal world, it is a great weakness."

"To succeed in the mortal world, you must overcome the strongest strands of fate there."

"And the fate in the mortal world is evident: first, the Yin Tide Black Marsh Wetlands; second, White Paper Immortal City; third, the various super sects."

The Prefect laughed heartily: "I have long had plans for these three. The City Destruction Alliance can handle the geographical advantage; the inner mole can handle the immortal city; I have already divided the super sects."

Hearing this, the Gray Bone Old Man slowly nodded: "The Prefect plans before acting, having schemed and accumulated for decades. Your actions are thorough. Given the current situation, success is the natural course of events."

"However, natural talent is bestowed by heaven. For us mortals to seek any kind of acquired natural talent goes against the heavenly way and will not proceed smoothly."

"Heaven's fate is the greatest. Compared to heaven, we are like mayflies, ants, not worth mentioning."

"Therefore, Prefect, you must not be careless. Perhaps heaven is already brewing some variable, just not yet revealed."

The Prefect stopped laughing and couldn't help but show a thoughtful expression: "If that's the case, Fellow Daoist Gray Bone, if I find the variable in advance and nip it in the bud, wouldn't that achieve twice the result with half the effort?"

The Gray Bone Old Man said: "That is the method to resolve a calamity."

"First, you must find the variable. This alone is extremely difficult."

"Second, you must seize the right time to resolve the variable. To化解 a calamity of heavenly fate, the timing must be just right, grasped with the most precise timing."

"Too early, and the variable is eliminated, but it may give rise to other variables, either more or stronger. Too late, and the variable itself has already caused irreparable negative effects."

The Prefect listened carefully, feeling greatly benefited.

White Paper Immortal City.

Southern City Giant Statue.

Ning Zhuo and Wen Ruan Yu were investigating inside the giant statue.

"This is a mechanism creation, but it primarily uses the two cultivation techniques of talisman making and paper crafting. Mother's mechanism skills are so profound, and she has such ingenious ideas. I am far from her match!"

Ning Zhuo felt his heart surge with excitement.

Although he was determined to study the art of mechanisms, he was still too young, and his cultivation had just begun. Thus, his foundation and skill level had much room for improvement.

A flying message suddenly钻入 the giant statue and landed in Wen Ruan Yu's hand.

Wen Ruan Yu scanned it with his divine sense, his face showing joy: "Fellow Daoist Jiao Ma, good news. The City Lord personally interrogated the three Golden Core ghost generals and learned a great deal. They all come from a netherworld force called the River of Forgetfulness Prefectural Mansion!"

"River of Forgetfulness Prefectural Mansion?" Ning Zhuo's expression changed slightly, "That's equivalent to a national force in the mortal world. The Prefect should be at the Deity Transformation level, right?"

Wen Ruan Yu nodded but comforted: "Even so, the netherworld and mortal world are separated. The more powerful the Prefect is, the less possible it is for him to cross into the mortal world. Otherwise, if the Prefect acted personally, our White Paper Immortal City would have been destroyed long ago."

Ning Zhuo narrowed his eyes: "There were no ghost soldiers or generals in the past. This ghost tide has this new situation. But from what I hear, the River of Forgetfulness Prefectural Mansion has been acting secretly for a long time?"

Wen Ruan Yu nodded: "Correct. Although ghost tides are a normal phenomenon, they don't occur frequently. The River of Forgetfulness Prefectural Mansion started secretly intervening decades ago, adding fuel to the flames for each ghost tide."

A sharp light flashed in Ning Zhuo's eyes. He gritted his teeth secretly, thinking: "River of Forgetfulness Prefectural Mansion... Good, very good. So it was you who made my mother sacrifice so much, even shortening her lifespan to protect the city."

He thought for a moment and asked again: "Why did the Netherworld Prefect scheme to harm White Paper Immortal City decades ago? Does he want to leave the netherworld, defy all conventions, and covet the mortal world?"

Wen Ruan Yu shook his head: "I don't know the details. However..."

"However what?" Ning Zhuo pressed.

Wen Ruan Yu hesitated for a moment but still said: "Back then, Senior Sister Meng seemed to have found some clues and had some speculations."

"What clues?" Ning Zhuo asked again.

Wen Ruan Yu shook his head: "I only heard Senior Sister Meng mention it once. She left behind a secret treasure for a destined person, specifically targeting the arrangements here."

Hearing about the secret treasure again, Ning Zhuo continued to press for details.

Wen Ruan Yu smiled wryly: "In all my years in White Paper Immortal City, I've been searching for this secret treasure but have never found any trace. Sometimes I wonder if this was a clever move by Senior Sister Meng to manipulate people's hearts, mobilizing the citizens to actively participate in the city's defense, and that there is no actual secret treasure."

Ning Zhuo nodded and continued his observation.

Sun Lingtong grew a bit impatient and asked secretly: "Xiao Zhuo, after looking for so long, have you found any clues about the mole?"

Ning Zhuo shook his head in his heart and spoke honestly to Sun Lingtong: "Boss, I'm not Zhu Xuanji. What crime-solving ability do I have?"

"My purpose in coming here is to see my mother's handiwork and judge how much spirituality I can gain by cremating these."

Sun Lingtong fell silent.

Ning Zhuo laughed softly: "Consider defeat before victory, right? Huh?"

Sun Lingtong: "What is it?"

Ning Zhuo's tone of communication changed: "Boss, look carefully. Is this mechanism arrangement an application from my mother's texts?"

Sun Lingtong examined it carefully: "Indeed it is. It was your mother's original creation, quite ingenious. Operating it forward has one effect; operating it in reverse has another function."

"This application... Let me think... There should be another hidden space here!"

"Xiao Zhuo!"

"Why do you think your mother set it up like this?"

Ning Zhuo's heart shook, almost exclaiming aloud: "The secret treasure?"

(End of )