Chapter 90: Dear Nephew Ning Zhuo, You Have Endured Much!

Ning Ze and the others were all taken aback.

Ning Xiaoren glared fiercely at Ning Ze. “Will you stop this at once!?”

With that, he yanked off the identity badge hanging from his waist and hurled it with force.

The hard badge struck Ning Ze squarely on the head, causing him to tilt backward and nearly fall to the ground.

Ning Ze took a step back, steadied himself, and quickly saluted. “Greetings, Young Clan Chief!”

At that moment, a stream of fresh blood ran down from his forehead.

He had been struck again by Ning Xiaoren, his scalp bleeding profusely.

Naturally, the Father-Son Bracelets ceased their coercion.

Ning Xiaoren shot him a fierce glance, then hurriedly strode over to Ning Zhuo.

He raised his foot and kicked down a Ning family cultivator suppressing Ning Zhuo, then barked at another, “Get lost!”

The two burly Ning family cultivators hastily retreated.

Ning Xiaoren immediately reached out to support Ning Zhuo, his eyes moist with tears, his face filled with guilt and concern. “Ning Zhuo, my young nephew, I came too late. It was your uncle who delayed and let you suffer such hardship. Witnessing this scene breaks my heart.”

As long as the Father-Son Bracelets no longer forced him, Ning Zhuo would not feel discomfort.

Still, Ning Xiaoren took out some high-quality pills and handed them to Ning Zhuo. “Nephew Ning Zhuo, my power differs from yours, so I cannot personally tend to your health. But these pills, if you take them, are extremely effective!”

Ning Zhuo’s face was pale, and he gasped for breath. Weakly, he pushed away the pills, his youthful face revealing fear and suspicion. “Young Clan Chief, I—I… how could you…”

Ning Zhuo could see that he was on the verge of success.

The arrival of the Ning family investigation team was one of the scenarios he had anticipated.

Having made a splash in the tri-faction joint test, he had long expected multiple forces to secretly investigate and track him.

That was of no concern!

If they didn’t investigate, then Fei Si and Zhu Xuanji surely would. Even if they didn’t now, they would in the future.

Being investigated now was actually more advantageous to Ning Zhuo.

This was an unconventional opportunity—if he played it well, he could “explain” himself to the outside world, effectively deepening his disguise. Moreover, it helped him showcase his value.

Ning Ze was influenced by my Buddha Heart Demon Seal, of course, but that was built on his own fear and anxiety.

To date, Ning Zhuo had reached the third level in Qi Refining, Essence Refining, and Spirit Refining—much stronger than before. Although merely tapping into a sliver of the Treasure Seal’s power still caused him to bleed from the nose, it happened later than before.

Using the Father-Son Bracelets to forcibly control his thoughts provided cover for the nosebleeds to seem less conspicuous.

Ning Zhuo needed to explain outwardly why his cultivation had advanced so rapidly. Merely relying on compatibility with his cultivation method was insufficient; he also needed to demonstrate that he possessed a vast fortune in spirit stones, meaning he had abundant resources for cultivation.

At this moment, he must “publicly use” this large sum of money.

Because Fei Si, Chi Dun, and Zhu Xuanji all knew he was the creator of the Mechanized Firecracker Monkey. He had gained a large fortune from the business around it.

From the perspective of a normal young cultivator, having such a fortune and not spending it, not purchasing resources in bulk, nor advancing his cultivation was highly unreasonable!

Being stingy or miserly was not a trait he had displayed in his sixteen years.

If he could successfully explain this, Ning Zhuo would be able to openly use this money, openly visit various pill shops and pharmacies, purchase vast quantities of cultivation aids, and push forward his cultivation with full force.

This was highly beneficial to him.

Especially as the tri-faction joint reconstruction team was forming, he needed to secure a place within it!

When Ning Ze and the others arrived, Ning Zhuo was ready for a performance. The Father-Son Bracelets and similar artifacts were already cataloged in his intelligence archive.

Within his divine sea, he had prepared some thoughts; once sent out, Ning Ze would “discover the answer.”

But just as success neared, Ning Xiaoren appeared.

Ning Zhuo was curious why Ning Xiaoren had suddenly burst in.

Ning Xiaoren, however, was filled with relief. “Just in time, thank goodness I arrived!”

It turned out that during the negotiations among the three clan leaders, Zhu Xuanji had come to request the records. Before leaving, Zhu Xuanji voluntarily revealed the secret of Ning Zhuo and the Mechanized Firecracker Monkey.

All three clan leaders, as high-ranking figures, immediately believed Zhu Xuanji’s words.

As a member of the royal family and divine enforcer, Zhu Xuanji’s credibility was extremely high and rarely mistaken.

Recently, sales of the Mechanized Firecracker Monkey had been booming, and the three clans had dispatched many Foundation Establishment stage cultivators to participate in the Fire Persimmon Festival. The clan leaders had substantial knowledge of the Mechanized Firecracker Monkey.

Combining this with Zhu Xuanji’s revelation, they quickly deduced the truth—that Fei Si had presented the treasure to claim credit, Chen Cha had secretly purchased the inventor’s identity and impersonated him, but the true creator was actually Ning Zhuo of the Ning family!

Immediately, the Zhou and Zheng clan leaders congratulated the Ning clan chief repeatedly.

The Ning clan chief was delighted inwardly but outwardly remained humble and cautious, stating that an investigation was still necessary to confirm the matter.

He promptly summoned a Ning family attendant to send a secret message, instructing the attendant to return to the clan and tell the Young Clan Chief to conduct an investigation and then reward Ning Zhuo well.

The attendant hurried back and met Ning Xiaoren.

Upon hearing this, Ning Xiaoren was so startled he nearly jumped with excitement. He instantly understood the origin of Ning Zhuo’s great fortune and recalled his own order to dispatch the investigation team—how could they still linger at the clan residence?

Though the night was deep, he dashed out of his mansion with all his might, frantically running to Ning Zhuo’s residence.

Thus unfolded the recent scene.

Ning Xiaoren’s eyes glistened with tears as he sighed bitterly. “Nephew Ning Zhuo, you’ve suffered, you’ve suffered! Your uncle knows you have grievances and hardships.”

“Do you know? Throughout your sixteen years of growth, your uncle has been watching over you in secret.”

“I know your nature; I know you are not a bad child. You would never commit anything truly wrong.”

“The matter of the investigation team—I will get to the bottom of it and give you an explanation!”

“But after this, I suppose you’ve realized your situation is quite complex and fraught with danger.”

“Blame it on your excellence.”

“Ah, the tallest tree in the forest is always the first to be struck by the wind; the highest heap on the shore is always battered by the current! Many envy you.”

“Your uncle truly cannot stop worrying about you.”

“Look, this investigation team came so mysteriously, even your own eldest uncle got involved.”

Ning Ze watched Ning Xiaoren’s performance in bafflement. “Weren’t you the one who personally summoned me to handle this?”

Now you deny all responsibility!

Though Ning Ze seethed internally, he knew better than to expose his superior at such a moment.

Taking the blame for one’s superior was precisely what a subordinate should do.

So Ning Ze remained silent, quietly treating his forehead wound.

Ning Zhuo glanced at Ning Xiaoren, then at the bowed Ning Ze, and finally at Ning Fan and the others. His youthful face showed fear, confusion, and helplessness.

“Th-then what should I do?” He cast a pleading look at Ning Xiaoren.

At this moment, Ning Xiaoren mustered all his strength to wear a gentle smile and spoke with the warmest, most sincere voice: “That’s easy, nephew Ning Zhuo. Come stay at your uncle’s mansion. Your uncle is the Young Clan Chief; I will personally protect you.”

Ning Zhuo hesitated, lowering his head slightly.

Ning Xiaoren again offered the pills, his voice as gentle as could be. “Take these.”

Ning Zhuo shook his head. “My injuries aren’t serious; using such precious pills would be a waste.”

“Heh heh heh.” Ning Xiaoren patted Ning Zhuo’s shoulder. “Good child, just accept them. Consider it a gift from your uncle. Come, return with me to the mansion. You might not know this, but your father is my lifesaver.”

“In the past, I had my reasons and many worries that prevented me from taking care of you directly. But now, since you’re in danger, I must step forward personally. I will do everything I can to protect you!”

Ning Zhuo slowly lifted his head, deeply moved. “Th-thank you, Young Clan Chief…”

“Hey, don’t call me Young Clan Chief. Just call me Uncle Ning.” Ning Xiaoren once more extended his hand, offering the pills.

Only then did Ning Zhuo shyly accept them.

“Come, your uncle will take you home!” Ning Xiaoren supported Ning Zhuo by the shoulder and helped him to his feet, about to lead him away.

Ning Zhuo took a few steps but then paused. “What about the investigation into this spirit stone fortune…”

Ning Xiaoren said, “Your uncle swears he would never treat you cruelly like that. We’ll think of a way to bypass the contract. If that’s impossible, I will guarantee your safety with my Young Clan Chief’s authority so you can cultivate in peace.”

Hearing this, Ning Zhuo’s suspicions were nearly confirmed. “It seems Ning Xiaoren learned the secret of the Mechanized Firecracker Monkey from other channels—either Chi Dun or Zhu Xuanji.”

Chi Dun and Fei Si were at odds, while Zhu Xuanji had royal backing; either was plausible.

Ning Zhuo welcomed this development.

His plan to launch the Mechanized Firecracker Monkey was partly to cover up the truth about the Lava Immortal Palace’s destruction and partly to showcase his skills in mechanical arts.

With that in mind, Ning Zhuo no longer resisted.

Ning Xiaoren deliberately concealed how he learned the truth, hoping to use this as a show of goodwill to win Ning Zhuo’s trust. Ning Zhuo also wished to get closer to Ning Xiaoren.

For the foreseeable future, having the protection of this Young Clan Chief would help him conceal himself even better.

Ning Xiaoren accompanied him all the way home, speaking many gentle and comforting words.

Once at the residence, in front of Ning Zhuo, he loudly instructed the servants, “Clear out my bedroom for my good nephew to stay!”

Ning Zhuo hastily protested, but Ning Xiaoren’s eyes welled with tears again as he pleaded for Ning Zhuo to stay, to make up for his shortcomings in caring for the son of his lifesaver.

In the end, Ning Zhuo’s eyes glistened with emotion, and deeply touched, he reluctantly agreed.

As Ning Zhuo prepared to sleep, Ning Xiaoren took out a talisman and handed it to him. “You just recently reached the peak of the third level, right? Have you been drawn into the palace by soul extraction before?”

Ning Zhuo nodded and expressed great curiosity about the Lava Immortal Palace.

Ning Xiaoren gently explained, “Regarding the Lava Immortal Palace, it requires joint action with others to have a chance of passing through. There’s no rush now; rashly entering the palace would only harm your soul and delay your cultivation.”

“Attach this talisman, and it will slightly mitigate soul damage—much less severe than being pulled into the palace by soul extraction. It will do you nothing but good.”

“Thank you, Uncle Ning!” Ning Zhuo quickly expressed his gratitude.

Ning Xiaoren laughed heartily, patted Ning Zhuo’s shoulder, reminded him to rest well, and then left on his own.

Once alone in his study, Ning Xiaoren’s face lost all its previous warmth. His expression turned cold as he summoned a trusted attendant. “Gather a team and search Ning Zhuo’s residence thoroughly. Remember, leave no trace of disturbance and collect every piece of intelligence you can.”

“Yes, sir!”