: The Disdained Return

Ning Zhuo read the jade slip three full times before the sorrow in his heart eased slightly.

The contents of the jade slip were extensive, all concerning the care and concern that the Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin, held for Ning Zhuo, touching on various aspects, including Luo Si.

Ning Zhuo handed the jade slip over to Luo Si.

Luo Si waved his hand, his voice hoarse: "This was left by the young master's mother, how could I..."

Although he didn't know the details, he had clearly heard Ning Zhuo call out "Mother" earlier.

Ning Zhuo shook his head slowly, tear stains still on his face, filled with sadness: "This is the guidance my mother left for me, and it involves you too. She specifically instructed that you should see it."

"She told me to treat you with respect, as we will be comrades for life."

"And these contents can also deepen our understanding of each other; there's nothing shameful or unspeakable! Only the 'Water Burial Harmony and Merit Accumulation Scripture' within has most of its content hidden by me, I hope you understand."

Luo Si apologized before extending both hands to receive the jade slip.

He read it once, his expression grave, nodded slightly, and then returned the jade slip to Ning Zhuo.

The Buddhist Physician, Meng Yaoyin, had also left a specific message for Luo Si in the jade slip, conveying Elder Hui Gu's final arrangements before his death: Elder Hui Gu passed the 'Water Burial Harmony and Merit Accumulation Scripture' to Ning Zhuo, the savior of this event, requiring the latter to quickly study and master this Dao scripture. Then, to bury Elder Hui Gu in the River of Forgetfulness.

Luo Si: "Since it's Elder Hui Gu's arrangement, I will certainly assist fully."

After a pause, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes: "Besides that, I also want to investigate the battlefield to find out exactly who caused the elder's death!"

Ning Zhuo nodded: "Time is limited. Let's call the Qingjiao Army now to clean up the battlefield and gather as much information as possible."

"How long do you think is appropriate?"

The Water Burial Valley is located within the territory of the River of Forgetfulness Underworld and is likely to be pursued by the army of the River of Forgetfulness Prefect, making it unsafe here.

Luo Si thought for a moment: "We must retreat within half an hour!"

"Alright." Ning Zhuo agreed immediately, trusting Luo Si's judgment in military matters.

Half an hour later, the Qingjiao Army set off on time.

The battlefield was cleaned thoroughly.

The ghost-god bodies were cut apart, and anything of value was taken away!

Other than that, there wasn't much else.

The remnants and scraps of the paper army were deliberately collected by the Qingjiao Army and burned on the spot to prevent the River of Forgetfulness Prefect's side from using this clue to find other paper armies.

The battle at Water Burial Valley was fought too fiercely. There weren't many valuable spoils of war, and the core battlefield had turned into a lava field, leaving no reliable clues.

Regarding this, both Ning Zhuo and Luo Si had some vague suspicions.

The Qingjiao Army set out from Water Burial Valley and began their journey again.

After traveling only two or three li, they ran into Sun Lingtong.

Sun Lingtong had been on the move without stopping since being taken from the River of Forgetfulness Immortal City by Zeng Jide.

But his cultivation was insufficient, and after the River of Forgetfulness Prefect returned via teleportation, he immediately issued orders for pursuit, leading to pursuers appearing everywhere.

Sun Lingtong could only hide and dodge, greatly disrupting his travel rhythm. Thus, it was only now that he reached Water Burial Valley.

"Boss!" Ning Zhuo transmitted his thoughts, almost shouting out loud.

The spontaneous joy that arose in his heart diluted the sorrow brought by Water Burial Valley.

Sun Lingtong also transmitted his thoughts: "Xiao Zhuo, my adventure in the River of Forgetfulness Immortal City was too exciting! Luo Si?!"

His eyes widened as he spotted Luo Si. After a moment of shock, he immediately guessed part of the truth.

Ning Zhuo then introduced Luo Si and Sun Lingtong to each other.

When introducing Sun Lingtong, he said: This is my most capable subordinate. I previously sent him to infiltrate the River of Forgetfulness Immortal City to cause major disruption.

When introducing Luo Si, Ning Zhuo explained how Luo Si had turned from his evil ways at the Black Cloud battlefield, his masterstroke that overturned the battle situation, emphasizing his admiration for the denunciatory proclamation Luo Si had shouted during the battle.

Hearing Ning Zhuo refer to him as a subordinate, Sun Lingtong chuckled, not minding this role reversal at all.

The默契 (tacit understanding) they had developed back in the Fire Persimmon Immortal City meant their relationship could change flexibly in public, all for the sake of convenience.

Luo Si cupped his hands, looking puzzled: "Have we met somewhere before?"

Sun Lingtong chuckled and took out the Dust-Cleansing Cup, clasping his hands in return: "I must thank the General for gifting this treasure."

It turned out that back when Sun Lingtong saw Luo Si fishing by the River of Forgetfulness, Luo Si had proactively given him this Dust-Cleansing Cup.

Seeing it, Luo Si's eyes lit up: "So it's you!"

Back when Sun Lingtong and Luo Si met, Sun Lingtong's soul had entered the underworld, inhabiting a paper soldier's body.

Now that their identities were clarified, Luo Si immediately felt a sense of closeness towards Sun Lingtong.

The Qingjiao Army enveloped the three in the center and began moving swiftly.

The three used thought transmission to share their experiences, gasping in astonishment one after another.

Sun Lingtong had thought his side was thrilling enough, but Ning Zhuo's side was like dancing on a tightrope over a cliff, constantly facing life-and-death trials.

Ning Zhuo sighed: "Next time we meet Senior Zeng Jide, we must properly thank him. He has helped us so much!"

Luo Si, in turn, clasped his hands and thanked Sun Lingtong sincerely. It was precisely because Sun Lingtong caused a ruckus in the River of Forgetfulness Immortal City and stole the Earth Lung Turbid Qi Barrier Screen, the formation tool from the Earth Aspect Formation Core, at a critical moment, that Luo Si was able to hold out longer.

Otherwise, Luo Si would have long since fallen to the Earth Fiend Turbid Filth God. From this perspective, calling Sun Lingtong Luo Si's savior wasn't an exaggeration.

Luo Si, valuing repayment of kindness highly, immediately expressed to Sun Lingtong his intention to repay this debt.

Sun Lingtong, however, waved his hand: "My trip to the Immortal City wasn't for you; it was for my Lord. It doesn't count as a life-saving favor."

Seeing Luo Si address Ning Zhuo as "Young Master," he set an example, as if saying—See? This is the proper attitude we should have towards Ning Zhuo.

Luo Si shook his head, his expression serious, indicating that even if Sun Lingtong didn't care, he did. He would definitely repay this kindness in the future!

Sun Lingtong sighed with regret: "It's a pity Elder Hui Gu died. Alas, how painful."

This immediately stirred Luo Si's sorrow.

Sun Lingtong reminisced: "Although I only met Elder Hui Gu once, and not in person, I could already sense his noble character, his compassion and kindness towards living beings, and his steadfastness on his own path."

Ning Zhuo followed up: "If not for Elder Hui Gu's planning and guidance, we would never have been able to thwart the River of Forgetfulness Prefect's century-long scheme! In my opinion, he is the greatest contributor!!"

Luo Si nodded repeatedly, a trace of hatred showing: "The River of Forgetfulness Prefect sent people to kill Elder Hui Gu. This enmity is as vast as the heavens; I will surely avenge it in this lifetime!"

Sun Lingtong chuckled: "Don't worry, although my Lord is only seventeen, with only Foundation Establishment cultivation, given time, he definitely won't be inferior to this River of Forgetfulness Prefect. A gentleman's revenge can wait ten years! In the future, following our Lord, we will surely exact revenge!"

Sun Lingtong was very skilled at cooperating with Ning Zhuo and was quite eloquent. While discussing revenge, which resonated with Luo Si, he also praised Ning Zhuo.

Luo Si knew Ning Zhuo only had Foundation Establishment cultivation, but hearing the age of seventeen still moved him.

He looked at Ning Zhuo, couldn't help but clasp his hands in admiration: "Young Master is truly a heaven-sent prodigy!"

Ning Zhuo quickly waved his hand, offering modest replies.

Sun Lingtong, however, raised his head, his face full of genuine pride: "Otherwise, why would the Yang World's Heaven choose my Lord to come and disrupt the River of Forgetfulness Prefect's schemes? Hahaha!"

He was truly happy, especially hearing Ning Zhuo say he had obtained a third innate talent. This made him even happier than if he had obtained it himself!

Luo Si looked at Ning Zhuo, then at Sun Lingtong.

He could feel the close relationship between the two. Seeing Ning Zhuo surrounded by someone so sincerely protective of him, Luo Si's estimation of Ning Zhuo rose another level.

Ning Zhuo coughed lightly and turned to look at Luo Si.

Sun Lingtong hadn't caught the implied meaning in Luo Si's words because they hadn't been together long and he didn't yet know Luo Si's personality.

Luo Si appeared calm and composed on the surface, with the demeanor of a great general, but his words often held hidden troops, carrying other intentions.

Ning Zhuo could hear it.

He pondered and said: "In my opinion, the enemy who harmed Elder Hui Gu and my mother might not be subordinates of the River of Forgetfulness Prefect."

"There are two reasons."

"First, the battlefield was extremely fierce, with many aspects indicating a high level of combat. If the River of Forgetfulness Prefect had such powerful subordinates, he should have deployed them to the Black Cloud battlefield first."

"Second, if it really was the River of Forgetfulness Prefect who caused the harm, my mother should have stated so clearly in the jade slip. But she didn't!"

"This naturally isn't out of fear of the River of Forgetfulness Prefect's retaliation. We've already formed a feud of life and death with this Underworld Monarch."

"Mother specifically instructed me not to pursue the matter of the Disorder Fate Sect at this stage. I suspect the attackers at Water Burial Valley were probably this group..."

Sun Lingtong immediately frowned.

Luo Si, however, felt a sense of relief. He once again found that communicating with Ning Zhuo was really effortless. The latter truly understood his implied meanings!

Ning Zhuo looked at Luo Si sincerely: "Regarding information about the Inverse Fate Sect, I also know very little."

Immediately, he told Luo Si all the relevant information he knew.

Hearing that a super sect like the Myriad Phenomena Sect placed such importance on the Disorder Fate Sect, Luo Si also took it extremely seriously.

He said to Ning Zhuo: "Mortals gazing at the sun will have their eyes burned blind. Your mother's warning is correct. For now, we should accumulate strength, grow rapidly, and wait for the opportunity to take revenge in the future!"

When it came to revenge, Luo Si understood it all too well.

He himself bore deep hatred and wanted to enter the Yang World for revenge.

Now that he had aligned himself with Ning Zhuo, favored by the Yang World's Heaven's fortune, Luo Si felt the path ahead was exceptionally smooth and bright.

Whoosh, whoosh...

A strong Yin wind suddenly blew from ahead.

The bone-eroding Yin wind injured many unprepared Qingjiao Army soldiers, causing them to fall from their saddles.

Fortunately, the Black Blood Paper Horses were military equipment, obedient to commands, and stopped their hooves in time, avoiding a stampede.

Luo Si explained: "The winds in the Underworld can sometimes suddenly become dangerous; some can erode bones, others can slice souls."

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

During the subsequent march, the Yin wind frequently mutated, causing casualties to the Qingjiao Army. The troublesome part was that the Yin wind often blew harmlessly before suddenly turning highly threatening.

Sun Lingtong frowned: "Strange, I've traveled in the Underworld before but never encountered a single Yin wind mutation."

The Qingjiao Army continued forward.

The seemingly solid, black gravel-covered surface of the wasteland suddenly turned into a pitch-black, sticky quicksand vortex!

It seemed alive, opening its maw precisely on the path of the army's core movement.

In panic, the Qingjiao soldiers could only abandon their Black Blood Paper Horses, stomping hard to resist the powerful suction force, forcibly ascending to buy time.

Other cultivators promptly acted, rescuing their comrades from the dire situation.

Luo Si said gravely: "This is a quicksand black hole, another natural phenomenon of the Underworld, similar to the Yin wind mutations."

"Only, the frequency of this phenomenon is very low."

Along the way, the Qingjiao Army encountered it three times.

Sun Lingtong: "And this is called low frequency?"

Ning Zhuo seemed thoughtful.

When the Qingjiao Army was about to pass through a valley, Ning Zhuo decisively ordered: "Detour around this place."

As a result, not long after detouring, the nearby cliff wall suddenly collapsed, countless rolling stones crashing down.

This time, the Qingjiao Army was on full alert and immediately responded, withstanding the disaster.

Even so, over a dozen were severely injured.

Luo Si said: "If we had passed through the valley, we would probably all be buried alive inside by now."

A cold glint flashed in Sun Lingtong's eyes: "Is this the treatment of being disdained by Heaven?"

He had already learned all the contents of the Buddhist Physician Meng Yaoyin's jade slip message from Ning Zhuo.

Unlike Luo Si, Ning Zhuo directly shared the 'Water Burial Harmony and Merit Accumulation Scripture' with Sun Lingtong as well.

Ning Zhuo nodded: "It seems this disdain manifests as endless, 'coincidental' lethal dangers."

"Thunder can come from a clear sky!"

Sun Lingtong's thoughts diverged: "If the Heaven's disdain is like this, what if it intensifies into heavenly punishment? Would heavenly tribulations descend?"

Ning Zhuo and the others tasted the treatment of being disdained by Heaven; it was like a shadow, relentless, insidious, and vicious.

The entire Qingjiao Army tread on thin ice, trekking arduously, with casualties gradually increasing along the way.

"Finally here."

They reached the banks of the Nether Python River and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The Nether Python River was a special area. Cultivators diving into the river could traverse between the Yin and Yang worlds. Previously, the River of Forgetfulness army had used this route to invade the Yin Tide Black Swamp and attack the White Paper Immortal City.

River of Forgetfulness Immortal City.

City Lord's Manor.

On the bed, the River of Forgetfulness Prefect slowly regained consciousness and immediately heard voices weeping for joy.

"Prefect, the Prefect is awake!"

"Since His Lordship is awake, everything will be fine."

"Lord Prefect, urgent report from the front! the Ghost Flame Underworld has launched a three-pronged attack, assaulting our prefecture on all fronts!"

Hearing the weeping and joyful reports, the Prefect was still disoriented. But upon hearing the last sentence, his scalp went numb, jolting him fully awake. He sat up abruptly: "What? What did you say?!"

The cultivators gathered around the bed were startled, then the reporting officer loudly repeated the message.

The River of Forgetfulness Prefect immediately narrowed his eyes, his face stern, and stood up directly: "Pass my orders..."

With a series of his commands, three defensive lines quickly took shape in everyone's minds.

"Why are you standing there dumbfounded? Get to work, quickly!" After dismissing everyone, the Prefect secretly summoned his confidant.

"Listen carefully, you must accomplish this task at all costs. I authorize you to mobilize all resources!" the River of Forgetfulness Prefect ordered coldly. "Investigate a ghost girl thoroughly. According to current intelligence, her name is Qing... Ugh!"

Before the Prefect could finish, he vomited blood, his vision went black, and he fell unconscious again.

"Your Lordship!!!"

At the same time, Ning Zhuo, who had dived into the Nether Python River and officially returned to the Yang World, felt a violent tremor from his storage belt.

"Oh?"

He quickly scanned with his divine sense and found it was the River of Forgetfulness Prefect Seal.

(End of )