Chapter 267 - Ning Zhuo Confesses
On the stage.
The drama of Fang Qing's exoneration had officially concluded.
The applause below the stage thundered, accompanied by continuous cheers.
"I truly didn't expect that the puppet techniques of this young Ning Zhuo would be so skillful and experienced!" Many audience members were filled with admiration.
People looked at Ning Zhuo, who was slowly walking down the steps from the stage, all with a newfound respect and surprise.
"Ning Zhuo... He truly lives up to his recent reputation as a rising star of the righteous path."
Some cultivators even had tears in their eyes, deeply moved: "Watching this drama of Fang Qing's exoneration, it's almost indistinguishable from the old headmaster, Li Leifeng."
"Looking at Ning Zhuo now, and then at the Ning family, I have started to feel favorable toward them. Before, I thought this family from North Wind Country wasn't that remarkable when they came to our Southern Dou Country."
Ning Zhuo smiled and stood at the center of the stage.
At this moment, Zhu Hou walked onto the stage, approached Ning Zhuo, and took the puppet that Ning Zhuo handed over.
Zhu Hou noticed the clear tear marks on the young man's face, and his smile grew even warmer.
His voice softened and became unexpectedly gentle: "Young Master Ning Zhuo, your performance was a great success. From you, I see the future—your future, the Ning family's future, and the future of Huoshi Immortal City!"
"Come, say a few words to everyone."
Ning Zhuo cupped his hands in gratitude towards Zhu Hou, then turned to face the audience.
The applause gradually subsided until the scene became quiet once again.
While choosing his words carefully, Ning Zhuo communicated with Sun Lingtong.
"Boss, how are things going?" Through the Life Hanging by a Thread ability, Ning Zhuo's question reached Sun Lingtong's ears.
Sun Lingtong coughed up blood, but his expression was extremely excited: "Hehe, with me, your boss, handling things personally, do you still need to worry?"
"It's done!"
"Ning Xiaohui has been eliminated. I’ve refined her spirit, and it’s all stored in the spirit box you gave me."
"Later, I will enter the medical pavilion and place this thing in the critical care room in advance."
"We’ve dealt with Ning Xiaohui, and Zhu Xuanji and the Ning family will certainly be furious. The situation will be tense for a while."
"I’ll lay low for a while to avoid the storm. Be careful yourself!"
Ning Zhuo replied, "Indeed, things will be tense because next, I plan to report all of you."
"Huh?" Sun Lingtong was stunned.
On the stage.
Ning Zhuo scanned the cultivators below, with a sincere expression, and began to speak: "Ladies and gentlemen, though the play has ended, my gratitude flows like a never-ending river."
"Though Fang Qing was wronged, fortunately, the ruler is wise, justice prevails, and fairness has been upheld."
"Even amidst the darkest storms, the righteous path shines like the bright sun, illuminating all corners, for justice lives in the hearts of the people."
"Here, I express my gratitude to the late Headmaster Li Leifeng, whose spirit of kindness and sacrifice has become the light guiding our way forward, never to dim!"
"Congratulations to Lord Zhu Hou for taking over the Kindergarten for Benevolence, and thank you all for your support."
"May all of you present enjoy peace and happiness, and may righteousness endure in this world!"
After finishing, Ning Zhuo stepped down from the stage.
The applause below was thunderous, and the shouts of praise rose one after another.
After Ning Zhuo left the stage, someone immediately shouted to donate more spirit stones.
In an instant, many followed suit.
Voices pledging donations echoed one after another!
Zhu Hou smiled as he watched. Before Ning Zhuo performed the puppet show, he had never expected such a good result.
He thought to himself, "Perhaps in the future, I can invite Ning Zhuo to perform charity shows here? The traditions and habits left by old headmaster Li Leifeng are a valuable legacy. It would be a pity not to carry them on!"
After leaving the stage and bidding farewell to Zhu Hou, Ning Zhuo headed straight to the private box upstairs.
Meanwhile, in the Lava Immortal Palace, Sun Lingtong had already realized what was happening.
He said to Ning Zhuo, "So, you're retreating to the second line of defense now?"
He was well aware of the defenses Ning Zhuo had set up.
These defenses had all been arranged in advance for the competition over the Lava Immortal Palace. During the setup, Sun Lingtong had provided much cooperation and contributed greatly.
The second line of defense that Ning Zhuo had established involved Chuitaoke. Once Ning Zhuo's identity as Chuitaoke was exposed, the blame would be shifted onto Sun Lingtong.
As for reporting the No-Void Sect and Sun Lingtong, it was a countermeasure the two had long agreed upon.
As Ning Zhuo climbed the stairs, he responded to Sun Lingtong: "I don't know what clues Zhu Xuanji has found, but he bypassed the second line of defense and has reached the third."
"I have no idea what the key clue is, and it's hard to probe."
"I suspect this clue is related to the Kindergarten for Benevolence and Li Leifeng, but I can't be sure. Right now, I can only follow his lead."
"Perhaps Zhu Xuanji hasn't grasped solid evidence, and he's just trying to deceive me."
"But the safest response is to 'surrender' to him."
Sun Lingtong nodded repeatedly, very much in agreement with Ning Zhuo's choice: "I have a feeling that the issue lies with Li Leifeng. Do you remember how he once wanted to take you as his disciple? You were only two or three years old at the time and hadn't yet been trained, which left a flaw."
Ning Zhuo responded with a hum: "To cover up one lie, you often have to tell many more."
"The truth cannot be faked, and the fake cannot become real."
"No matter how carefully we prepared over the past decade and fully disguised ourselves, we are bound to have left flaws."
"We can't withstand a thorough investigation. These defenses are merely to buy us crucial time."
"As long as we seize the Lava Immortal Palace before everything is exposed, we will succeed!"
Ning Zhuo reached the second floor and continued towards the third.
He asked Sun Lingtong for more information, including how things stood with Yang Chanyu.
"This time, we've exposed a lot. There will definitely be a response from Yang Chanyu's side, and we need to handle it properly!"
Sun Lingtong chuckled: "Don't worry. She's in a mess right now. She got hit by a tracking spell and is being chased by five Golden Core stage cultivators."
"Oh?" Ning Zhuo inquired further, then said, "Boss Sun, since you're going to the critical care room to place the spirit box, why not pick up Shangshan Ruoshui and give it to Yang Chanyu to dispel the tracking spell?"
Sun Lingtong let out a reluctant sound: "If she uses Shangshan Ruoshui, what about the surveillance on you, Xiao Zhuo? No way!"
Ning Zhuo replied, "I know my own situation well."
"Three drops of Shangshan Ruoshui will be more than enough. Two drops would just be a bit unstable."
"Yang Chanyu cannot be lost!"
"She already knows a lot and has many suspicions in her heart. We can't let her fall into the hands of the enemy."
"Next, we will be facing an enraged Zhu Xuanji. We cannot predict how powerful the Golden Eyes will be when he’s in full force."
"Also, Meng Kui will not sit idly by. It's highly likely that Zhu Xuanji and Meng Kui will join forces to deal with the third party, which is the No-Void Sect!"
Sun Lingtong's expression turned serious.
What Ning Zhuo said was absolutely correct, and the thought of facing the combined force of Zhu Xuanji and Meng Kui weighed on him like a mountain.
He chuckled: "The Lava Immortal Palace is a place Meng Kui can't enter. Even Zhu Xuanji has many areas he can't reach. This is the perfect hiding spot."
Ning Zhuo sighed: "The Historical Pavilion has already been destroyed. Don’t hold onto such wishful thinking, or you’ll suffer greatly."
Sun Lingtong's heart tightened, and he immediately stopped smiling.
Indeed, what Ning Zhuo and the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit had done, Zhu Xuanji and Meng Kui would likely imitate as well.
Sun Lingtong's eyes flickered: "Perhaps... we should release information about the imperial examination?"
As the saying goes, great minds think alike.
Ning Zhuo smiled lightly: "I’ve been considering that too."
He reached the third floor and entered the private box.
Taking a deep breath, Ning Zhuo gently pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Zhu Xuanji was drinking tea. When he saw Ning Zhuo enter, he slightly raised his head, his expression emotionless, his eyes deep.
Ning Zhuo also remained expressionless.
He quietly closed the door, walked a few steps forward, then knelt halfway down and said in a low voice, "Lord Zhu Xuanji, this junior, Ning Zhuo, is guilty!"
Zhu Xuanji's gaze softened, though his voice remained calm, with a hint of coldness: "Oh? What crime have you committed?"
Ning Zhuo swallowed hard, staring at
the floor tiles, opening his mouth but hesitating before finally speaking: "I secretly contacted demonic cultivators and have assisted them in the past."
Zhu Xuanji asked, "Oh? You're young, and it’s not uncommon to misjudge people. Which demonic cultivators, and how did you assist them?"
Ning Zhuo took a deep breath and, as if making a firm decision, gritted his teeth and said, "It's Sun Lingtong, from the No-Void Sect!"
"I developed the Mechanical Explosive Monkeys, which was probably part of their scheme. I only realized it afterward."
"I suspect, I suspect they've been plotting the Lava Immortal Palace all along."
"I..."
Ning Zhuo couldn't continue, his voice becoming dry.
Zhu Xuanji let out a long sigh, feeling pleased in his heart as he slowly stood up.
He had only grasped a few clues this time and had some suspicions. Using the Kindergarten for Benevolence and the drama of Fang Qing's exoneration, he had tricked Ning Zhuo and gained his cooperation. Naturally, this made him happy.
But on the surface, he appeared somber.
He walked up to Ning Zhuo, bent down, and helped him up: "Young man, you’ve seized the opportunity I gave you this time. By renouncing evil and voluntarily confessing, you did well."
"I didn't misjudge you, and you did not disappoint me!"
"To err is human, even sages make mistakes."
"Besides, I know your situation growing up very well."
"I permit you to atone for your sins by making contributions!"
"Come now, tell me everything you know in detail."
Zhu Xuanji turned and walked back to his seat as he spoke: "We still have enough time."
"Do we really?" Ning Zhuo followed behind Zhu Xuanji, looking at his back, and couldn't help but wonder in his heart.
Zhu Xuanji sat down, and Ning Zhuo stood by his side, bitterly saying, "This matter is a long story. It starts with my childhood."
"At that time, my mother had just passed away, and I accidentally saved someone."
"This person looked like a child, just like me, but in reality, he was a demonic cultivator..."
When Ning Zhuo got to this point, a name immediately popped into Zhu Xuanji's mind—Sun Lingtong!
"You've been in contact since over a decade ago?" Zhu Xuanji was surprised, not expecting that Ning Zhuo and Sun Lingtong had known each other for so long.
As Ning Zhuo slowly spoke, Zhu Xuanji's thoughts naturally followed, and he guessed the progression of how Sun Lingtong had discovered Ning Zhuo and cultivated him step by step.
"So, my previous assumption was correct."
"There really is a third-party force, the No-Void Sect—they are the masterminds behind all of this!"
(End of the chapter)