Chapter 122: Clouds Gather

A mechanical carriage.

Ning Zhuo gazed at the Arbor Martial Ape, Da Sheng, seated beside him.

The results of today’s trip outside the city were so abundant that they far exceeded his plans.

First, Ning Zhuo had displayed the Arbor Martial Ape, Da Sheng, to the outside world, showcasing the practical outcome of his retrieval of Yuan Dasheng’s corpse.

Even though the materials of the Arbor Martial Ape, Da Sheng, did not incorporate a single component from Yuan Dasheng’s actual corpse, this was of no consequence.

Ning Zhuo could easily offer this explanation to the public: his initial mechanical creations were merely exploratory prototypes that required continuous refinement. Only once he had perfected a mature mechanical blueprint would he truly utilize Yuan Dasheng’s bones as the primary material.

Second, through actual combat, Ning Zhuo had tested the combat capability of the Arbor Martial Ape, Da Sheng, and indeed discovered numerous areas that could be improved and optimized.

"The Arbor Martial Ape, Da Sheng, needs additional locations for talisman carvings. A mere six are simply insufficient to fully manifest Yuan Dasheng’s martial prowess."

On this point, Ning Zhuo had to admit that he had underestimated Yuan Dasheng.

The Arbor Martial Ape had already been constructed with the most flexible skeletal structure. Because it was assembled in a modular fashion, virtually every single bone possessed the ability to move.

Therefore, from the foundational design upward, it allowed Yuan Dasheng to perform with absolute freedom and execute a wide variety of movements.

However, in actual combat, many of Yuan Dasheng’s martial arts techniques had to rely on other components to unleash their proper might.

The design blueprints of the Arbor Martial Ape, Da Sheng, lacked the integration of formations.

This was mainly due to Ning Zhuo’s lack of time; the layout of formations was far too complex and intricate.

Ning Zhuo could only make do by combining talismans to maximize the mechanism's power and meet Yuan Dasheng’s martial combat requirements.

The third point was that Ning Zhuo had discovered a pathway to enhance his control over Yuan Dasheng, and that was Yuan Er.

When Yuan Er was being assassinated, Yuan Dasheng had shown signs of restless agitation.

At Ning Zhuo’s command, it participated in the rescue.

This action thoroughly aligned with its inner spirit.

The moment Ning Zhuo issued the command, more than a dozen sheets of kraft paper peeled away.

After Yuan Dasheng struck down several assassins and drove the rest away, over thirty more sheets of kraft paper peeled away directly.

"What if Yuan Er is ambushed and assassinated a few more times, and I use the Arbor Martial Ape, Da Sheng, to rescue him each time? Wouldn't that solve the issue completely?"

That was precisely what Ning Zhuo had thought at the time.

Therefore, he had deliberately let the remaining assassins escape.

"If these assassins fail to act, I can orchestrate a few assassination attempts myself."

"In any case, Yuan Er is hiding right within the Monkey Head Gang’s stronghold—he is exceedingly easy to find!"

"After this ambush, there is no doubt that an internal traitor exists within the gang. He will never trust these people again; instead, he will hide in the deepest recesses of the gang’s stronghold, living in terror and clinging desperately to life."

"To think that a man like him still holds such value!"

"Indeed!"

"If rescuing Yuan Er from assassinations isn't enough to achieve complete mastery over Yuan Dasheng, what about excavating Yuan Yi’s grave?"

"If I commit grave-robbing right in front of the Arbor Martial Ape, Da Sheng, and then command it to stop me, that should also align with its inner spirit, shouldn't it?"

"Hmm..."

"What if I have some people attack the Monkey Head Gang, let the Arbor Martial Ape, Da Sheng, witness it, and then go to the rescue? After all, this is the foundation it established during its lifetime; perhaps that would work as well!"

Inspired, Ning Zhuo’s train of thought broadened, and he conceived of numerous methods.

A wave of joy welled up in his heart, and he could not help but display a pure smile.

"Actually, aligning with the inner spirit is quite simple!"

"All one needs to do is find the genuine demand!"

The carriage rolled away from the Monkey Head Gang’s stronghold and headed toward the Ning family estate.

"Perhaps I should go directly to the Zheng family? But my uncle’s residence doesn't have a proper workshop for crafting mechanisms!"

Ning Zhuo changed his route midway, only to find himself met with a closed door upon arriving at the Zheng family estate.

The Zheng family representatives stated that the household was currently entertaining distinguished guests and circumstances were inconvenient, hoping Ning Zhuo would forgive them.

"What distinguished guests could they possibly be?" Ning Zhuo felt a tinge of regret and had no choice but to head back.

Halfway home, he deliberately made a detour to check on his small courtyard and home.

Ever since the recent bomb attack, his residence had been reduced to a pile of ruins.

However, reconstruction had begun on the very same day.

A glance now revealed that the foundations of the building had already been laid.

The protective array shielding the residence was several grades superior to the previous one.

Leveraging the Ning family's connections, it could be directly linked to the grand array of the entire Fiery Persimmon Immortal City.

Ning Zhuo returned to the Ning family estate.

Family envoys had been waiting for him for some time, instructing him to hand over the items he had been issued previously.

These were the various life-saving artifacts the family had distributed to him before his departure.

The most valuable among them was the directional teleportation talisman.

Ning Zhuo sighed inwardly and returned every single item.

Upon receiving the envoy's report confirming that the supplies had returned to the clan treasury, Ning Xiaoren felt a weight lift from his heart.

When he subsequently received the guards' firsthand intelligence reports, his mood grew somewhat complex.

"This Ning Zhuo truly is a mechanical prodigy."

"His previous Explosive Fire Monkey mechanism was already quite impressive, and now he has engineered another combat mechanism, the Arbor Martial Ape, Da Sheng, with extraordinary battle prowess."

"The stronger he becomes, the more beneficial it is for the Ning family in the tripartite alliance!"

"However, if things continue this way, will Ning Xiaohui be able to suppress him?"

As a member of the primary lineage while Ning Zhuo belonged to a collateral branch, Ning Xiaoren naturally leaned toward supporting Ning Xiaohui.

After pondering for a moment, he dispatched word to relay this news to Ning Xiaohui’s grandmother.

Ning Xiaohui’s grandmother was currently conducting secret, intensive training for Ning Xiaohui.

Layers of gauze were still bound tightly around Ning Xiaohui’s throat. Her gaze was resolute and concentrated as she stared at the basin of water filled to the brim with ice cubes.

She had plunged both hands deep into the ice, and they had remained submerged for the space of a incense stick's burning.

The bone-chilling cold flowed along her hands, invading her entire body.

At first, her whole body trembled violently, her face frosted over.

Next, her hands turned blue and purple, and her body grew completely numb to sensation.

And now, at this very final critical juncture, she actually began to feel a trace of warmth emanating from her numbed hands.

It was akin to a frigid, desolate wasteland where a seed of life lay dormant within ten thousand feet of solid ice, stubbornly pushing forth a green shoot.

A flash of insight struck Ning Xiaohui, and she achieved sudden enlightenment on the spot.

Her hands began to emit a lustrous, jade-green radiance that instantly absorbed all the frostbite and chill throughout her body, transforming them into a surging wave of vitality that fed back into her system.

The next moment, Ning Xiaohui glowed with health and vigor. All the injuries, large and small, across her entire body were completely healed—including her shattered throat, which was restored to its pristine condition.

"Grandmother, I’ve succeeded!"

Ning Xiaohui tore off the gauze around her neck in one swift motion, leaping and laughing with joy.

Her grandmother stood by, having witnessed her granddaughter's breakthrough firsthand. Her heart filled with profound relief and gratification, and the corners of her eyes grew moist. "Good, good, good. Grandmother sees it. You truly are my beloved granddaughter."

"You must have comprehended the profound essence of the Ice-Fat Jade Hands by now!"

Ning Xiaohui weighed her words and said, "It feels like a wisp of vitality hidden beneath an overwhelmingly cold and ruthless exterior—a transformation born from reaching an extreme state."

Her grandmother nodded and slowly stated, "All things in heaven and earth possess a spirit."

"A cultivator's natural talent is simply their innate spirit. Spirits are countless, and innate talents are likewise inexhaustible."

"The reason Grandmother had you plunge your hands into ice was precisely to use this arduous cultivation to experience the truth that even beneath the most freezing and ruthless conditions, a glimmer of vitality still persists!"

"Just as the saying goes, heaven leaves no dead end. In this world, there is no predicament from which one can absolutely never break free; amidst even the most despairing circumstances, a faint thread of hope always remains!"

"This is the operational path of heaven and earth, the truth pursued by us cultivators, and the intent embodied by the Ice-Fat Jade Hands!"

"Here is a message that has just arrived from the Young Patriarch. Have a look!"

Ning Xiaohui glanced at it and remarked, "To think this Ning Zhuo actually possesses genuine talent. His previous Explosive Fire Monkey was not his limit; he has manufactured yet another exceptional mechanical ape in such a short span."

"Still, this amounts to nothing!"

Ning Xiaohui’s grandmother nodded. "Indeed!"

"Xiaohui, now that you have initially mastered the Ice-Fat Jade Hands, your strength will advance by leaps and bounds from this point onward!"

"Although you have switched to practicing the *Five Elements Qi Rhythm Scripture*, the five elements of magic also encompass the water attribute, which perfectly complements your innate talent!"

"Furthermore, the earth-attribute and wood-attribute magic powers are also excellent matches for the Ice-Fat Jade Hands!"

"If you obtain the subsequent cultivation techniques of the *Five Elements Qi Rhythm Scripture* in the future, surpassing the upper limit of our clan's staple *Ice Heart Classic*, then switching paths will prove to be an even more superior route for you."

"As for Ning Zhuo, that is out of the question."

"Even if he possesses talent, our clan would never test it for him at this stage!"

"Even if it were tested in the future, he would still lack sound strategies to develop that talent."

"For instance, during this arduous cultivation of yours, Grandmother deliberately sealed off information regarding it. In truth, the profound essence of the Ice-Fat Jade Hands is already recorded within the clan’s treasured secret manuals."

"Had you read about it beforehand, it would instead have become a massive obstacle to your true comprehension through bitter cultivation."

"Only by genuinely experiencing the vitality hidden beneath despair amidst the freezing cold can you master your innate talent to a deeper degree!"

"This is the foundation of a clan."

"Ning Zhuo's talent is clearly not among those commonly found in our Ning family's bloodline. He lacks the guidance and cultivation of our clan's predecessors, and he is bound to take many detours in the future."

"The future belongs to you, Xiaohui!"

Ning Xiaohui nodded. "Not just the future; the present is mine as well."

"Once I fully master the Ice-Fat Jade Hands, I shall return to the converted cultivation team and let everyone witness the brilliance of the Ning family's primary lineage!"

...

Accompanied by Wang Lan, Ning Zhuo entered Ning Ze’s talisman-making room.

He looked around and sighed, "With a few modifications, it can still be used."

Though harboring lingering resentment in her heart, Wang Lan forced a smile on her face. "Xiaozhuo, as long as it helps you, that’s all that matters."

"It’s a pity that a woman like me knows nothing about the art of mechanisms. Your eldest uncle is far better at this than I am!"

"If only he could return home; with him here, he would surely be able to assist you even more."

Wang Lan was beating around the bush to remind Ning Zhuo that his eldest uncle was still locked up in the private dungeon.

Acting as though he hadn't heard a thing, Ning Zhuo retrieved various mechanical manufacturing tools from his storage bag, cleared away some of the talisman-making facilities, and temporarily converted the space into a crude mechanical workshop.

Wang Lan witnessed and participated in the entire process, making her feel all the more that a servant was bullying his master and villains were running rampant. Filled with bitterness and indignation, she could only endure it in silence.

Ning Zhuo asked Wang Lan to leave so he could be alone.

He set out the Arbor Martial Ape, Dasheng, and began to dismantle it.

The most crucial modification was to increase the locations for talisman carvings.

After a round of hammering and tinkering, Yuan Dasheng’s talisman slots increased from the previous six to ten.

"Next, by refining the various talismans and adjusting their combinations, it should basically satisfy the demands of Yuan Dasheng's martial arts expressions!"

End of Chapter