Chapter 165: Huoshi Immortal City.
Monkey Head Gang’s headquarters.
Ning Xiangqian, Ning Xiangguo, and other former stewards of the Ning family walked with their heads held high, striding directly towards the gates of the Monkey Head Gang.
“Stop! Halt, whoever you are!” The usually arrogant guards of the gang were suddenly pale with fear as they saw this intimidating group approaching, shouting in panic.
Ning Xiangqian and Ning Xiangguo had both reached the Foundation Establishment stage in cultivation, qualifying them to become stewards of the Ning family.
After the main line of the Ning family dismissed several stewards from various branches, nearly twenty were removed.
Ning Zhuo, leveraging Ning Houjun’s reputation, rallied more than ten people to his side.
This group of Foundation Establishment cultivators doubled the entire combat power of the Monkey Head Gang’s upper ranks!
The gang members were already intimidated just by seeing these Foundation Establishment cultivators. When they noticed the Ning family waist tokens hanging from their belts, their hearts sank.
“That’s the Ning family, one of the three great families! Why have they come to cause trouble for us?”
“Not good, not good! Chief! Chief!” Some gang members frantically shouted as they rushed toward the back of the headquarters.
The newly appointed chief of the Monkey Head Gang had not been in position for long, but with his seasoned tactics and stable relationships, his grip on the leadership was far more secure than that of Yuan Er.
Hearing the urgent report from his gang members, his brows furrowed deeply, sensing trouble ahead. “This doesn’t look good. They have come with ill intentions!”
After a moment of thought, he stood up and said, “Invite… Invite the heroes of the Ning family inside…”
Boom!
In the next moment, the gates to the chief’s courtyard were shattered.
The guards at the entrance were sent flying, crashing into the debris of bricks and broken gates, groaning in pain as they fell to the ground.
Amidst the dust and debris, the Ning family group boldly entered the courtyard, exuding arrogance.
Even more ostentatious was a large, magnificently designed mechanical carriage that crushed the broken debris along the way and stopped slowly in front of the Monkey Head Gang’s chief.
Ning Xiangguo opened the carriage door from the outside, while several Foundation Establishment cultivators lined up behind him.
As Ning Zhuo stepped out of the carriage, each Foundation Establishment cultivator lowered their heads in a show of respect.
The new chief of the Monkey Head Gang narrowed his eyes. He had assumed the person in the carriage would be at least an elder from the Ning family, but it turned out to be a young cultivator at the third level of Qi Refining.
However, despite this, the chief did not dare to underestimate him and quickly forced a smile as he stepped forward.
“Stop!” Ning Xiangqian blocked his path coldly before he could approach.
The Monkey Head Gang chief didn’t dare to force his way through, so he stood still and cupped his hands, calling out loudly, “So it is Young Master Ning Zhuo who has graced us with his presence! My apologies for not welcoming you properly earlier, please forgive me!”
Ning Zhuo glanced at him, then sneered coldly, “It’s good you’re here. Let’s go inside. I’m here to settle a score with you!”
The Monkey Head Gang chief was shocked, his face pale. “What… What are you talking about? There must be some kind of misunderstanding!”
Ning Zhuo had no patience to engage in conversation with him. With a wave of his hand, the Foundation Establishment cultivators beside him moved forward in a line, quickly forming a small encirclement.
A murderous aura filled the air, cold and oppressive.
The Monkey Head Gang chief felt like he had fallen into an icy pit, panic written all over his face. “Misunderstanding! This must be a misunderstanding! Someone, help! Someone!!”
The commotion caused by Ning Zhuo’s arrival had stirred up the entire Monkey Head Gang, and several Foundation Establishment elders of the gang rushed over.
However, none of them dared to intervene, choosing instead to watch cautiously from the sidelines.
It was simply too terrifying!
Ning Zhuo had brought nearly twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators with him, a force powerful enough to sweep through the entire Monkey Head Gang.
More importantly, they were from the Ning family!
One of the three great families, possessing Golden Core level power. Compared to them, the Monkey Head Gang was like an egg before a boulder.
Ning Zhuo scanned the gathered gang members with a sharp gaze and shouted, “Yuan Er was my friend. Although we didn’t meet often, our bond ran deep.”
“After your gang’s Yuan Dasheng passed away, Yuan Er entrusted his body to me. I put all my efforts into crafting the Mechanical Ape—Shu Wu Dou Yuan. You are all aware of this.”
“However, despite having Shu Wu Dou Yuan, my friend still ended up dead, right here in your headquarters.”
“Now, someone from within your ranks has informed me. I suspect this was not just a simple act of revenge but a conspiracy!”
At this, the gang members exchanged glances, their earlier anger and fear significantly lessened.
Ning Zhuo’s reasoning was perfectly legitimate.
Several gang elders had their eyes narrow, their morale deflating. They knew the truth behind the situation: certain gang elders, dissatisfied with Yuan Er’s performance, had colluded with Bao Qiu to orchestrate an assassination.
“But since when did Ning Zhuo and Yuan Er have such a close relationship?”
“Hard to say! Yuan Er did entrust Yuan Dasheng’s body to Ning Zhuo, and Ning Zhuo did send Shu Wu Dou Yuan to protect Yuan Er.”
“During that time, Ning Zhuo also dispatched two Ning family envoys to support Yuan Er.”
The elders secretly communicated with each other, and after some discussion, they realized Ning Zhuo’s claims were not baseless.
The new Monkey Head Gang chief was filled with regret.
Indeed, he was the mastermind behind the plot to assassinate Yuan Er.
Originally, he had feared Ning Zhuo’s possible reaction, so after Yuan Er’s death, he didn’t rush to seize power, instead waiting for a period of calm to gauge the situation.
In the end, nothing happened. Ning Zhuo had little to no reaction.
With the other gang elders growing impatient and the situation pressing, the new chief finally took the position and became the third-generation gang leader.
He cherished the fruits of his labor, correcting many of the gang’s flaws, increasing the gang members’ pay, and sacrificing his own interests to win over other elders.
From the day he took office, he worked tirelessly, sleeping only two hours a night, devoting himself completely to stabilizing the gang and shifting the atmosphere in a positive direction.
Yet now, Ning Zhuo had come knocking!
He couldn’t win.
And he couldn’t afford to offend Ning Zhuo!
The Monkey Head Gang chief wanted to surrender, but Ning Zhuo wouldn’t allow it.
Ning Zhuo declared openly that he was seeking revenge for his friend, leaving the chief feeling utterly aggrieved.
“If this was going to happen, why didn’t you come sooner, Ning Zhuo?”
“Did you wait until I became the chief to start causing trouble?”
“Even if that’s the case, why didn’t you come when I had just taken office?”
“Why wait until I’ve almost finished straightening everything out and only now come to make a scene?”
“What are you trying to do?”
“I haven’t even had a single day to enjoy myself!”
Staring at Ning Zhuo, the Monkey Head Gang chief was furious but didn’t dare to speak his mind.
Ning Zhuo looked at the chief and sneered.
Ning Xiangqian stepped forward and reported, “Young Master Zhuo, we checked the house, and there’s nothing wrong.”
“Good,” Ning Zhuo said as he looked at the chief. “Let’s go inside. You better be honest with me!”
He then ordered, “Uncle Xiangqian, take some men inside with me. Uncle Xiangguo, take a group and stand guard outside. See if any other elders of the gang are willing to accuse their chief.”
“Let’s go!” Ning Xiangguo and four Foundation Establishment cultivators approached the gang chief, their tone and expressions cold.
The Monkey Head Gang chief gritted his teeth, “I’m innocent! I’m innocent!”
He frantically looked around, hoping that some of the gang elders would come to his aid.
But what he saw only deepened his despair.
Feeling utterly hopeless, the Monkey Head Gang chief returned to the house, only to see Ning Zhuo seated in the main seat.
“Kneel!” Ning Xiangguo kicked him.
Already terrified, with his legs weakened, the chief collapsed to his knees as his legs were struck, hitting the ground with a thud.
The next moment, shame and anger surged through him, prompting him to stand. However, two Foundation Establishment cultivators pressed down on his shoulders, and white frost quickly spread, freezing his shoulders in place.
“Dare to resist?” Ning Zhuo sneered. “Then I’ll send you to your death.”
The Monkey Head Gang chief was utterly terrified and didn’t dare move.
Seeing this, Ning Zhuo continued, “Yuan Er was my friend. He died, and
you are the murderer!”
The chief took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. “Young Master Ning Zhuo, you accuse me of being the murderer. What evidence do you have? If you show me the evidence, I will admit it.”
Ning Zhuo sneered, “I certainly have evidence. It’s in your hands. Hand it over.”
The chief froze on the spot.
“W-what do you mean?”
His eyes widened as he looked at Ning Zhuo, “You want me to present evidence that would incriminate myself and get myself killed?”
Ning Zhuo nodded, “Get yourself killed? Depends on how you behave.”
The Monkey Head Gang chief trembled with rage. He had never met someone so unreasonable and overbearing!
No evidence, yet they came here with such righteous confidence!
Was the Ning family still righteous?
Bringing a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators straight to someone’s headquarters and forcing the leader to present evidence to incriminate themselves?
Wasn’t this too outrageous?
Too arrogant!!
Was there no law left?!
Ning Zhuo seemed to understand what the gang chief was thinking. Narrowing his eyes, he sneered, “You seem to have misunderstood something.”
“I’m neither an official nor a detective.”
“When I handle things, I don’t rely on evidence.”
“My friend was assassinated and left behind a legacy that you now possess. Based on that alone, you’re the murderer!”
“Because you’re the one who gained the most.”
Ning Zhuo laughed heartily and leaned back in his chair, pointing at the chief. “I never said I needed evidence. You’re the one who brought that up.”
Cold sweat broke out on the chief’s forehead.
His face turned pale as paper. “Young Master Ning Zhuo, does that mean I’m doomed to die today?”
“No, no, no, I’ve just taken over as gang leader… It’s only been a short time!”
“I beg you, spare my life. Please, spare me!”
“From now on, I will pay you tribute every year, offering a generous sum for protection!”
“Whatever else you want, as long as I have it, you can take it.”
“Please, just don’t kill me.”
“I’ve only been chief for such a short time!!”
Ning Zhuo smiled, his tone softening. “Hmm, not bad.”
“You’re a smart man.”
“Sparing your life is possible.”
“But from now on, I want you to work for me. I want the entire Monkey Head Gang to work for me!”
The gang chief’s pupils shrank sharply as he hastily responded, “Understood, understood! From now on, I will follow only your orders!”
“Hahaha!” Ning Zhuo laughed wildly in satisfaction.
Suddenly, he stopped laughing, fixing the chief with a sharp, hawk-like gaze. “In that case, hand over the evidence of Yuan Er’s murder.”
The chief froze again.
His heart turned cold, and he fully understood—he had to surrender everything.
Only after Ning Zhuo obtained the evidence would he trust him. In the future, if the chief ever betrayed him, Ning Zhuo could simply release the evidence, and the chief’s position would be over.
Stiff as a statue, the chief’s face twisted in a struggle for several breaths before he finally took a deep breath and bowed to Ning Zhuo. “Yes, I will obey your orders!”