: He Created the Raging Monkey!

Author: Gu Zhenren

Date: 2024-07-31

Ning Xiaoren returned to his reception hall and quickly summoned Ning Ze.

"Come, have a seat, some tea," Ning Xiaoren said with a smile, gesturing for Ning Ze to sit beside him.

Ning Ze was surprised and uneasy; this was the first time Ning Xiaoren had treated him so courteously.

He quickly responded, "Young Clan Leader, if there's anything, just give the order. I'll handle it immediately."

Ning Xiaoren pointed to the seat again.

Ning Ze sat down nervously.

Ning Xiaoren took a sip of tea, sighing with emotion. "Ning Ze, you've raised a fine nephew."

Ning Ze immediately stood up. "Sir, what has Xiao Zhuo done? I'll go back and discipline him properly!"

Ning Xiaoren widened his eyes slightly and waved his hand three times. "Sit, sit. No need to be nervous. It's good news, a happy matter."

As he explained, Ning Ze, who had been sitting on the edge of his seat, gradually widened his eyes and then couldn't help but drop his jaw.

Even after leaving Ning Xiaoren's reception hall and returning home, an expression of astonishment remained on his face.

Peak of Qi Refining Level Three!

A stunning performance at the three-family joint test!

Ranked alongside geniuses like Ning Xiaohui and Zheng Jian!

Was this really Ning Zhuo?

Was this the same Ning Zhuo he remembered?

"How did Xiao Zhuo manage this? Is the Five Elements Qi Rhythm Technique really that suited to him?"

Filled with curiosity and doubt, Ning Ze called his wife, Wang Lan. "Prepare a family feast today. Order some spiritual food from the restaurant."

Wang Lan was puzzled. "Spiritual food costs a lot. What’s the occasion worth celebrating like this?"

"It's a family feast. Invite Xiao Zhuo over. Ah, it’s been a long time since I, as his uncle, have seen him," Ning Ze said.

Wang Lan immediately widened her eyes, raising her voice. "What? Invite Xiao Zhuo over for a meal? And order spiritual food? Have you lost your mind?"

Ning Ze snapped sternly, "What do you know, woman? This is a task assigned by the Young Clan Leader..."

He briefly recounted what Ning Xiaoren had told him.

Wang Lan stood frozen in place for a long time after hearing it.

"Xiao Zhuo?"

"Are you sure it's Xiao Zhuo?!"

Ning Ze snorted coldly. "Why would I lie to you? Why would the Young Clan Leader lie to me? So many people witnessed the three-family joint test. How could it be fake?"

Wang Lan's lips moved a few times as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.

Her eyes were wide, her expression complex—disbelief, denial, resentment, jealousy, loss...

Ning Ze's face darkened. "What are you thinking? Hurry up and make the arrangements!"

Wang Lan nodded. "Alright, alright. I'll go take care of it right away."

She turned and left, her gaze still dazed, her movements stiff, as if she had lost her soul.

With no one else around, Ning Ze let out a long sigh.

He had been ordered by Ning Xiaoren to win over Ning Zhuo and try to extract some information from him.

Ning Zhuo was sixteen years old, and this was the first time Ning Ze had ever humbled himself to invite him to a feast.

Ning Ze valued his pride, and this order made him deeply uncomfortable. What about the dignity of an elder?

But he had no choice.

The Young Clan Leader had given the order personally; he had to obey.

Of course, his rational mind also told him that Ning Zhuo was no longer the same, and building a good relationship with him would be beneficial.

After leaving the Zhou family, many people accompanied Ning Zhuo for a long way, even if it was out of their way.

At the last intersection, Ning Zhuo took the initiative to bid farewell to the others, keeping only Ning Chen and Ning Yong by his side.

When they returned home, he even invited Ning Chen and Ning Yong inside, served them tea, and chatted for a while.

Although the interaction was brief and the conversation limited, Ning Chen and Ning Yong left feeling honored, their faces glowing. Along the way, they praised Ning Zhuo, saying how down-to-earth he remained despite his newfound fame, still treating people sincerely!

Ning Zhuo waited and finally received the invitation to Ning Ze's family feast.

"Not a personal summons from the Clan Leader, not even from the Young Clan Leader Ning Xiaoren?"

Ning Zhuo sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he thanked the messenger sincerely, smiling warmly and promising to attend the feast on time.

The family feast was sumptuous!

In sixteen years, Ning Zhuo had never eaten such a fine meal at Ning Ze's home.

Despite the variety of spiritual dishes, Wang Lan had no appetite. During the feast, she spoke very little, a stark contrast to her usual chatter. She even avoided looking at Ning Zhuo, as if he were radiating a light that pained her heart just to glimpse.

Ning Ji also ate without tasting the food.

For him, everything had happened too suddenly!

Ning Ze maintained a detached expression, his sixteen-year-old elder demeanor not something he could drop easily.

Ning Zhuo ate and drank sparingly. Every time Ning Ze asked a question, he would set down his cup or utensils and respond respectfully. His answers were concise, unwilling to elaborate, exuding an air of distance.

Ning Ze knew very well that he should smile, lower his pride, and adopt a softer approach.

But even after the feast ended and Ning Zhuo left, he hadn't managed to do so.

Ning Ji secretly followed Ning Zhuo.

He didn't even know why he was doing it.

Perhaps it was the doubt in his heart: "How did he reach the peak of Level Three? It doesn't make sense!"

"Is the technique really that suited to him?"

"No, I need to investigate. He must have some secret!!"

"He's following me?" Ning Zhuo had noticed Ning Ji long ago. He intentionally slowed his pace to make it easier for the latter to tail him.

Under Ning Ji's watchful gaze, Ning Zhuo visited several pill shops, purchasing large quantities of pills, all for cultivation purposes.

Ning Ji was shocked. "How is he so rich?! Richer than my father?"

"Even though he's shown his cultivation level, the family resources haven't been distributed yet. Even if they were, he wouldn't have this many spirit stones."

"His money must be ill-gotten! It has to be!!"

"I need to report this!"

Overjoyed, Ning Ji hurried home to report the matter to Ning Ze.

Ning Xiaoren learned of the situation even earlier than Ning Ze. After ordering Ning Ze to win Ning Zhuo over, he had immediately dispatched a team of cultivators to protect Ning Zhuo—of course, with the additional purpose of surveillance and reporting.

"Ning Zhuo actually has such a huge sum of money?" Ning Xiaoren couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the list in his hand.

The list detailed the large quantity of pills Ning Zhuo had purchased.

Ning Xiaoren's eyes burned with envy. "If I had known Ning Zhuo was this rich, I should've gotten closer to him."

"Did his parents secretly leave it to him?"

"Or is this money ill-gotten, dirty money? Maybe he's being funded by a demonic cultivator?"

Ning Xiaoren paced back and forth in his study.

As he pondered, the flames of greed burned ever brighter in his heart.

"Ning Zhuo is from a branch family, yet he's already at the same cultivation level as Ning Xiaohui. And now he has a huge sum of money..."

"This money's origin is unclear. For the family's sake, I must get to the bottom of it."

"Besides, I don't need to act personally. I can have Ning Ze handle it. Wouldn't that be perfect?"

Finally, he stopped and called toward the door, "Someone!"

A servant immediately pushed the door open and entered.

Half an hour later, Ning Ze and Ning Fan led a team of cultivators to surround Ning Zhuo's small courtyard.

Ning Ze frowned deeply. "Do we really have to do this? It's highly inappropriate."

Ning Fan said, "Didn't the Young Clan Leader explain it to you in detail? The matter of modifying the team involves something as significant as the Molten Rock Palace. There's no room for negligence. Ning Zhuo's wealth is indeed of unknown origin. As his uncle, you must take action."

"The family may still need to rely on Ning Zhuo. You're his relative—you're the most suitable person for this."

"Hurry up and do it."

Ning Ze was from a branch family, while Ning Fan was from the main family. The latter had been specifically sent by Ning Xiaoren to supervise the former.

Ning Ze sighed and had no choice but to knock on the courtyard gate.

Ning Zhuo opened the gate, bowed respectfully, and asked the purpose of their visit.

"Let's talk inside," Ning Ze said sternly. Without waiting for an invitation, he stepped into the courtyard first.

The others filed in behind him, pushing Ning Zhuo to the side by the gate.

At the same time.

The leaders of the three families secretly met again to continue negotiations.

This time, they aimed to finalize the distribution of benefits from the three-family alliance.

"These Phoenix Soul Blood Pills are quite effective for restoring soul power. They should be distributed equally among the three families."

"No," the Ning family leader objected. "Our clan has two geniuses, Ning Xiaohui and Ning Zhuo. Shouldn't they receive an ample supply? In contrast, the Zheng family only has one."

The Zheng family leader snorted coldly. "That Ning Zhuo is only suited to his technique; he has no real talent. How can he be considered a genius? He doesn't count!"

Just then, a knock suddenly sounded at the door.

The three family leaders' pupils contracted sharply, their hearts jolting.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Zhu Xuanji!"

"Ah, it's Lord Divine Arrestor." The three family leaders quickly opened the door to welcome Zhu Xuanji inside.

They had stationed subordinates outside, but since Zhu Xuanji was a Golden Core cultivator, such precautions were useless.

Zhu Xuanji smiled. "Leaders of the three families, I've come to ask a favor."

Zhu Xuanji had already obtained detailed records from the city lord, listing all cultivators who had entered the Molten Rock Palace over the years.

But these were only the city lord's records.

Zhu Xuanji hoped to gather each family's own records to piece together a more complete version.

The three family leaders were only at the Foundation Establishment stage and, to some extent, shared common interests with the royal family in jointly opposing the city lord's authority.

The three family leaders immediately sent for their records and handed them to Zhu Xuanji.

The Zheng and Zhou families provided most of the records, while the Ning family, having only discovered the Molten Rock Palace this year, had very few.

Zhu Xuanji glanced through them, nodding repeatedly with great satisfaction.

As a member of the royal family, he had no desire to see Meng Kui and Meng Chong seize the Molten Rock Palace, further expanding the Meng family's influence.

Thus, before leaving, he deliberately offered a tip: "On my way here, I heard a familiar name. If you're referring to Ning Zhuo, that young man might be worth cultivating."

"His character needs observation, but he has some talent in mechanisms."

"He designed and created the mechanical Raging Monkey."

The three family leaders stared wide-eyed, astonishment spreading across their faces.

The Ning family leader exclaimed, "Ah?!"

Zhu Xuanji smiled slightly. "Publicly, it's credited to Chen Cha, master of the Flying Disk Workshop, but there's more to the story, involving Fei Si. If you investigate, you'll find out."

A single explanation was enough.

Zhu Xuanji waved his hand and vanished on the spot.

The three family leaders were left staring at each other.

Gradually, the Ning family leader tilted his head back, exhaled a long breath, and a look of joy appeared on his face. "Did you both hear that? Lord Zhu Xuanji said it himself!"

The Zhou and Zheng family leaders fell into silence.

Unbeknownst to the delighted Ning family leader, Ning Zhuo was currently facing a harsh interrogation within his own family.

(End of )