Chapter 128: I'll Take You to Have Some Fun

At three years old, Ning Zhuo brought out a small furnace and immediately refined a new medicinal material for Sun Lingtong.

Sun Lingtong sneered coldly, “I don’t even need a furnace. Watch closely.”

He extended his palm, igniting a flame right in his hand.

One after another, he threw the herbs into the fire, quickly producing a brand-new medicinal material.

“How’s that?”

After inspecting, Ning Zhuo clapped repeatedly. “Brother Sun, you’re amazing! You don’t need a furnace and can do it with just your hands. You even do it faster and better than me.”

Sun Lingtong shook his head. “This is nothing. You must remain humble.”

Ning Zhuo nodded firmly in agreement.

At four years old, Ning Zhuo took a talisman brush and carefully drew runes on a talisman paper.

It was a perfect success on the first try.

Sun Lingtong was slightly surprised, realizing he had to be faster and produce better talismans than Ning Zhuo.

Feigning casualness, he yawned deliberately, letting his eyelids droop as he idly held the brush, but in truth, he was fully focused and completed the task in one go.

After comparing, Ning Zhuo gave a thumbs-up and sincerely praised, “Brother Sun, you’re incredible!”

“Compared to you, I really can’t compete. You’re just too talented!”

Sun Lingtong sighed, “There are countless geniuses out there. Compared to them, I’m as ordinary as an ant. Ning Zhuo, remember to stay humble!”

Ning Zhuo nodded repeatedly, “I know. I’ll keep that in mind!”

At five years old, Ning Zhuo took a deep breath and began setting up a formation on a blank array plate.

After three hours, he wiped the sweat from his brow and said sheepishly, “Brother Sun, I failed.”

Sun Lingtong had watched the entire process and was deeply shaken inside. Ning Zhuo had given his all, and though he failed, his formation skills far surpassed what one would expect at his age.

Sun Lingtong appeared indifferent. “Not bad at all. Watch me now.”

He quickly set the formation in just one hour.

Ning Zhuo examined the array plate and was wholeheartedly convinced.

Sun Lingtong wiped sweat from his forehead, thinking, “Formations aren’t really my specialty. Luckily, I tampered with the array plate last night in advance.”

He said to Ning Zhuo, “What I did isn’t much. There’s still a lot I need to improve.”

Ning Zhuo strongly agreed and promptly pointed out several flaws in the formation.

At the end, he took the initiative to say, “Brother Sun, I’ll keep working hard. Don’t worry, I’m not at all complacent or proud.”

“That’s good. That’s good!” Sun Lingtong nodded, feeling relieved.

Secretly, he felt uneasy: “He’s only five. What am I going to do next year?”

After this, he resolved to spend private time mastering various spiritual cultivation arts to keep up with the increasingly powerful Ning Zhuo.

The six-year-old contest was about beast taming.

Ning Zhuo was full of fighting spirit and confidence. “Brother Sun, my Fierce Fire Mighty General is very strong. At the start of this school year, I personally hatched it and have been raising it since it was young. For this school test, I even sealed off a large part of its power in advance, and it still easily ranked fifth!”

Sun Lingtong nodded expressionlessly, “Looks like your fighting cock is indeed strong. Mine isn’t as good — I’ve only had it for a little over a month!”

He chuckled to himself but had actually, over a year ago, realized Ning Zhuo was hard to suppress. He secretly investigated past exam questions and confirmed this year’s test content in advance.

So, he had been secretly training his fighting cock much longer than Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo released his Fierce Fire Mighty General, while Sun Lingtong released his Little Black.

The General launched the first attack, spreading wings like blades, slicing through the air with a whistle as it lunged at its opponent.

Little Black nimbly dodged and counterattacked swiftly, striking the General’s chest with its sharp beak and claws.

The two birds fought fiercely, feathers flying and blood splattering.

Ning Zhuo did his best, frequently casting spells to support the Fierce Fire Mighty General.

But in the end, the General’s full-power strike was dodged by Little Black, which then leapt into the air, scratching the General’s comb and securing victory.

The General collapsed, barely breathing.

Little Black was also trembling, having pushed itself to the limit.

Ning Zhuo panted heavily, his face flushed and full of disappointment, his eyes dull and lifeless.

His body trembled as he hurried to the arena and placed his hands on the General, casting healing spells with all his might.

The General’s injuries quickly stabilized; its breathing became steady, and it fell into a deep sleep.

After a moment, Ning Zhuo raised his head and said in a low voice, “Brother Sun, I lost again.”

He couldn’t hide his frustration.

Sun Lingtong’s tense heart gradually calmed.

He had thought his advantage was overwhelming but hadn’t expected the cockfight to be so close, only deciding the winner at the last moment.

He knew his victory was undeserved; he had invested far more in Little Black than Ning Zhuo had.

Feeling uneasy, Sun Lingtong sincerely praised, “You performed very well. If you go all out, your General would definitely be the best in the school.”

Ning Zhuo shook his head. “What’s the point of being the best in school? Compared to the entire Fire Persimmon City, I’m nothing! Across the whole Southern Bean Kingdom, I can’t even rank, let alone other cultivation nations. I’ve never been able to surpass Brother Sun. I always lose!”

Sun Lingtong gritted his teeth and tried to console, “I almost lost just now!”

“Really?”

“That last move you used — was it some kind of mechanism technique?”

Ning Zhuo nodded. “Yes, I usually use puppet strings to train the General. Later, I studied some manuals and designed commands so that when I say them, the General flies up and attacks the enemy. It also activates talismans hidden deep in its feathers to boost its attack.”

Sun Lingtong was stunned and genuinely impressed. “Amazing. You’re already using all sorts of methods to train your fighting cock.”

“You’re not limited to what the school elders teach.”

“You’re innovating, and most importantly, it works well in practice.”

Ning Zhuo remained low-spirited. “Brother Sun, thanks for your praise. Please don’t comfort me. I understand.”

“I need to work harder. This fight exposed many of my weaknesses!”

“I’m really nothing. Compared to you all, I’m far behind!”

“I can only work harder to make up for the gap in talent!”

Sun Lingtong fell silent, secretly wondering if he had been too harsh on Ning Zhuo’s achievements, distorting his self-perception and causing him to lose confidence and motivation for self-improvement.

“Actually,” Sun Lingtong chose his words carefully, “Ning Zhuo, you’ve already done outstandingly well before. Don’t belittle yourself too much.”

Ning Zhuo replied, “I know, Brother Sun. You don’t need to comfort me. I understand.”

Sun Lingtong: “……”

…

At the Charity Nursery, Li Leifeng was performing a puppet show.

Sun Lingtong slipped in, secretly stealing valuables from the cultivators as provisions for his daily training.

After Li Leifeng’s performance, he went to a private room to thank the Zhou family elder for his generous donation to the show.

The Zhou family elder was eager to make friends with Li Leifeng and asked about his parenting methods.

“Under your guidance, Old Master Li, the orphans here at the Charity Nursery are well-trained — obedient, sensible, and hardworking!”

“But my son, Zhou Zesheng, is naughty and rebellious, hates school, and has no interest in studying. It’s really troubling.”

Li Leifeng inquired further, then smiled and said, “My old advice is: let him play!”

The Zhou elder was puzzled.

Li Leifeng explained, “From what you just said, it’s clear your son is heavily supervised. Outside school hours, he’s subjected to constant tutoring, with almost no free time to play.”

“Because he plays so little, even a blade of grass, a pen, or a cloud in the sky can captivate him and distract his mind.”

“You must understand, no matter how smart a child is, they have a child’s heart. Playing is their nature and an essential part of growing up!”

“Only by playing constantly can they find joy and happiness. After playing a lot, a blade of grass or a pen won’t tempt them anymore.”

“That’s exactly the growth they need!”

Sun Lingtong, hiding nearby, listened intently.

From then on, he never stole from the Charity Nursery again.

Excitedly, Sun Lingtong found Ning Zhuo.

“You’re damn lucky to have run into me!”

His sudden words left Ning Zhuo puzzled.

“Come on, I’ll take you out to play!”

Seven-year-old Ning Zhuo could hardly believe it, his eyes shining with excitement.

“Really? Really?”

“Of course!”

Sun Lingtong lifted his head proudly, grabbed Ning Zhuo’s arm, and they vanished into thin air.

In a dark alley, Sun Lingtong “encouraged” Ning Zhuo, “When you see someone annoying, just use the method I taught you to steal from them for fun.”

Ning Zhuo hesitated. “Isn’t stealing from others wrong?”

“What’s there to fear? Trust your Brother Sun! I won’t get you into trouble!” Sun Lingtong patted his chest and eagerly urged him, “It’s thrilling.”

“Especially the first time stealing — it’ll make you feel excited.”

Following his guidance, Ning Zhuo picked a local thug and stole his money pouch.

The thug searched frantically, nearly stripping himself bare.

Ning Zhuo hid in the shadows, laughing heartily.

Before leaving, he even seemed to toss the pouch back to the thug’s feet.

Sun Lingtong patted Ning Zhuo’s shoulder. “How was it? Exciting, right?”

“Yeah, it was fun!” Ning Zhuo replied.

Sun Lingtong sighed, “Sometimes when I’m in a bad mood, I wander the streets. If I see someone I don’t like, I steal from them.”

“Ha ha ha, every time I steal, I feel much better.”

Ning Zhuo hesitated, “Brother Sun, maybe it’s better not to do that. School teaches us to walk the right path and do the right things. Stealing isn’t good behavior.”

Sun Lingtong rolled his eyes, then slyly smiled. “What the school elders say makes sense, and it’s basically the same thing I’m teaching you.”

Ning Zhuo stared in confusion.

Sun Lingtong explained, “Don’t you understand the principle of punishing evil and promoting good? Punishing these bad people is a good deed and a righteous act.”

“The thug you scolded just now bullies honest, poor people. You only scared him; he didn’t suffer any real loss. You’re actually being kind to him!”

Ning Zhuo narrowed his eyes. “Then I’ll go steal from him again.”

Sun Lingtong nodded, “Alright, I’ll go with you!”

End of chapter.