Chapter 588: The Truth
“What exactly are you?”
Faced with the questioning from the Lord of White Paper Immortal City’s incarnation, Ning Zhuo’s heart tightened. He immediately understood that this layer of disguise of his had been seen through.
Ning Zhuo had been impersonating Jiao Ma, which in essence was Sun Lingtong’s theft technique.
Sun Lingtong was only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Although he had absorbed the Evil God Bone Marrow, causing his theft technique to surge greatly, no matter how much it increased, it could never reach the Nascent Soul level.
Just like when Ning Zhuo had once been on the battlefield of Liangzhu Kingdom’s Thousand Peaks Forest. Even after exhausting his entire foundation, he had still been unable to truly leverage his aura to the Nascent Soul level.
The fact that it had only been discovered by the Paper Puppet Incarnation now actually proved just how formidable Sun Lingtong’s theft technique was.
Ning Zhuo cupped his hands and gave a slight bow. “There are some details within this matter. I ask that the City Lord dismiss the others first, then this junior will explain.”
Wen Ruanyu immediately raised her brows and was just about to speak.
Yet the Paper Puppet Incarnation waved her hand. “All of you, withdraw.”
“City Lord?!” Wen Ruanyu immediately became nervous.
The death of the Funeral Music Nether Performer had been the greatest loss for White Paper Immortal City. It was precisely this that had drawn the Paper Puppet Incarnation here.
However, if this incarnation were also to fall here, the future of White Paper Immortal City would become even more bleak.
But the Paper Puppet Incarnation merely stared at Ning Zhuo and repeated, “Leave.”
Wen Ruanyu and the others naturally did not dare disobey the City Lord and all withdrew.
The Paper Puppet Incarnation flicked her sleeve, instantly isolating the interior from the outside and forming a sealed space for confidential discussion.
Ning Zhuo was slightly surprised. He had not expected the Paper Puppet Incarnation to be so easy to talk to.
The incarnation of the Lord of White Paper Immortal City took out a magical treasure. “This is the Plain Inquiry Heart-Dissecting Scroll. It can distinguish truth from falsehood. If you lie, your heart will be dissected and you will die miserably on the spot.”
As she spoke, she activated the magical treasure and suspended it above Ning Zhuo’s head.
Ning Zhuo immediately felt his life force forcibly drawn out and tightly connected with the Plain Inquiry Heart-Dissecting Scroll.
“Little Zhuo!” Sun Lingtong cried out, wishing he could take Ning Zhuo’s place.
Ning Zhuo transmitted a message through spiritual sense, telling Sun Lingtong not to act rashly. “Boss, don’t forget—I already have the Fire-Element Heart Temple.”
Sun Lingtong shook his head. He knew clearly that these words were mostly meant as comfort. Ning Zhuo’s heart had indeed been modified, but in essence it was still his Foundation Establishment–level heart, merely fused with Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Essence. At most it could reach the Golden Core level in grade. How could it possibly resist a Nascent Soul–level magical treasure?
Sun Lingtong stared fixedly at the Plain Inquiry Heart-Dissecting Scroll above.
The scroll was extremely plain white, the paper surface faintly revealing the natural fibrous patterns of reeds. The rollers at both ends were made from stiff shell paper soaked in pine resin, the edges still retaining the rough trimming marks from when the paper had been cut, wrapped with a half-faded indigo sealing strip.
“Speak,” urged the Lord of White Paper Immortal City coldly.
Ning Zhuo remained silent for a long moment before finally letting out a breath of turbid air.
“In truth, there is nothing in this matter that cannot be said.”
“My name is Ning Zhuo. I come from Huoshi Immortal City of Southern Dou Country. I am the head of a branch clan of the Ning Family, a close friend of Detective Zhu Xuanji of the Southern Dou royal family, the foremost ally of the Myriad Medicines Sect of Southern Dou Country, and also the son-in-law of Grand General Mu’s Mansion of Liangzhu Kingdom…”
“I am traveling the world to search for relics left behind by my mother, yet I have found no clues. This time, following Zhu Xuanji’s guidance, I came to seek the senior Funeral Music Nether Performer of White Paper Immortal City to perform a divination.”
“For this reason, I also brought a token…”
At this point, Ning Zhuo took out the white jade candle and displayed it to the City Lord’s incarnation.
The Lord of White Paper Immortal City’s pupils immediately shrank.
A prophetic poem instantly surfaced in her mind:
“Ghost tides surge—White Paper in peril.
A lone swan bears a candle, tearing the heavenly veil.
A guest star shines north of the Literary Pivot.
When ten thousand lamps blaze, the calamity shatters itself.”
The Funeral Music Nether Performer had been her right-hand aide, so naturally she had not concealed such matters from her.
Thinking of this, the City Lord reached out and took the white jade candle, holding it in her hand to confirm it.
“The white jade candle as a token—Little Le only ever distributed eleven in her entire life.”
Her tone shifted slightly.
“Why did you not bring it out earlier? And why did you disguise yourself as someone else? Did you kill Jiao Ma?”
Ning Zhuo gave a bitter smile. “This junior had just arrived and was unfamiliar with everything, so I thought of disguising myself first to gather local intelligence. After finding the proper channels, I would then request an audience with Lord Funeral Music Nether Performer.”
“Unexpectedly, halfway through, I encountered a battlefield where many had died. I had a sudden idea and impersonated one of the deceased.”
“Who would have thought I would make things worse by trying to be clever, getting brought into the Immortal City and becoming one of the male consorts.”
“I originally intended to request an audience with Lord Funeral Music Nether Performer, but she suffered two assassination attempts and security became extremely tight. If I had appeared in my original form, I might have acted openly. But the city had already begun strict investigations and military restrictions. Revealing my true identity rashly might have caused a great misunderstanding.”
“Thus I hesitated, waiting until today to use the opportunity of advancement to reveal my true intention to Lord Funeral Music Nether Performer.”
“And now things have ended up like this.”
The Lord of White Paper Immortal City fell silent once more.
The small motion of her fingers tightening slightly around the white jade candle revealed the turbulence in her heart.
She naturally knew about Yang Weida. But after learning Ning Zhuo’s identity, she was more inclined toward another speculation.
Even though she could not confirm it, her interest in Ning Zhuo suddenly surged wildly.
“Then who is your mother? Why do you seek her relics?” she asked.
Ning Zhuo revealed a sorrowful expression.
“My mother’s name was Meng Yaoyin. She passed away when I was two years old. My purpose in traveling the world is very simple. One reason is to learn more about my mother…”
Ning Zhuo did not finish his sentence, concealing his true goal of resurrecting his mother. He continued speaking for quite some time. Everything he said was the truth, and the Plain Inquiry Heart-Dissecting Scroll above his head showed no reaction at all.
The Lord of White Paper Immortal City fell silent again.
This time the silence was even longer.
Finally she broke it, her voice slightly hoarse.
“You are a filial son.”
“Very well.”
“I grant you three protective talismans. Go and find the true culprit behind the murder of the Funeral Music Nether Performer for me.”
With a flick of her finger, three talismans shot through the air like white shadows and instantly entered Ning Zhuo’s body.
Ning Zhuo was greatly shocked. He quickly inspected himself and discovered that the three talismans had settled directly in the very center of his three dantians, occupying the most central position.
Ning Zhuo gave a bitter smile and cupped his hands.
“City Lord, your insight is like a torch, and with the Plain Inquiry Heart-Dissecting Scroll present, you already know that I am not the murderer.”
“I am merely a small Foundation Establishment cultivator, still young. How could I shoulder such a heavy responsibility?”
The Lord of White Paper Immortal City chuckled.
“If you do not wish to investigate, you may leave White Paper Immortal City right now. These three talismans will simply count as my gift for your journey.”
With a flick of her sleeve, she vanished from the spot.
Disappearing with her was also the corpse of the Funeral Music Nether Performer.
Before leaving, however, she left behind a sentence.
“With Little Le dead, attacks have erupted both inside and outside the city. You need not concern yourself with the outside. Near the South Gate within the city, an assault is currently underway. The statue at the South Gate is one of the formation nodes of the Immortal City Grand Formation. Go there—you may find clues.”
“Wen Ruanyu will accompany you.”
“If you do not wish to investigate the truth, that is also up to you. The ghost tide is weakest near the South Gate. You may leave from there.”
Ning Zhuo stood there in a daze.
The Lord of White Paper Immortal City being so easy to talk to had far exceeded his expectations.
The Listening to the Nether Pavilion Grand Formation had already stopped, and Ning Zhuo regained his freedom.
Sun Lingtong transmitted through spiritual sense: “Hmph! That paper-sheet old woman says it nicely—what nonsense about letting you act freely and even leave White Paper Immortal City? If that were true, why leave three talismans inside your body? They’re clearly monitoring you—blades hanging over our lifelines!”
Ning Zhuo sighed.
Wen Ruanyu pushed the door open and entered. His expression looked terrible.
“Since the City Lord has confirmed your innocence and assigned you to investigate the case, come with me.”
“We must hurry. The situation at the South Gate is extremely chaotic. Several Golden Core–level ghost generals are wreaking havoc there!”
South City.
The battle surrounding the half-completed paper statue had already entered a critical stage.
“Hold the line! We must hold the line!” human cultivators shouted, rallying their morale.
A butcher ghost general, obese like a mountain of flesh, held a bone-chopping cleaver as large as a door panel and slashed downward viciously.
The strike exploded, causing the defensive light barrier to shake violently and teeter on the brink of collapse.
Cultivators occupied the formation core and formation nodes, pouring out mana while resisting with difficulty.
The Mirror-Adornment Ghost General held a bronze mirror and released mirror light that shone upon the cultivators inside the barrier, making their minds sway and their mana transmission unstable. The defensive barrier’s power plummeted instantly.
The Babbling Ghost General burst into laughter.
“Broken! Broken! Broken!”
Besides the normal mouth in its usual place, another mouth grew on each side of its cheeks. Three mouths spoke at once, producing eerie waves of sound.
Under the impact of the sound waves, the defensive barrier shattered with a loud explosion.
The human cultivators maintaining the formation all suffered backlash simultaneously, coughing up blood and collapsing to the ground.
Their battle strength vanished, and for a moment they became lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
The three Golden Core ghost generals charged directly inward. The Butcher Ghost General was responsible for slaughtering the cultivators, while the other two rushed deeper inside.
“Damn it, we’re too late!” Wen Ruanyu arrived with Jiao Ma (Ning Zhuo) just in time to witness the defensive formation collapse. His eyes split with fury.
“Although the City Lord has authorized you and the Immortal City Grand Formation will no longer suppress you, you are still only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Stay further back and protect yourself.”
After hurriedly giving instructions, Wen Ruanyu immediately joined the battle.
He was a Confucian cultivator. Holding a brush, he unleashed literary techniques. His strength was truly formidable—not an ordinary Golden Core cultivator.
The Butcher Ghost General had only killed a few people before being suppressed by Wen Ruanyu. No matter how ferocious the cleaver technique was, it could not match the delicate brush.
Sun Lingtong transmitted a message from within the Wanli Dragon.
“Little Zhuo, take advantage of this opportunity. I’ll take a look for you and try to steal the talisman papers from your three dantians!”
All along the way, Ning Zhuo had been pondering the Lord of White Paper Immortal City’s attitude toward him. The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed.
She had been far too easy to talk to.
He also largely agreed with Sun Lingtong’s analysis.
Ning Zhuo slowly nodded.
“Boss, I’ll trouble you to examine it carefully for me. The Lord of White Paper Immortal City being so ‘magnanimous’ must have some ulterior motive.”
With the death of the Funeral Music Nether Performer, there was no longer any reason for Ning Zhuo to remain.
“This path can simply be imitated elsewhere. In this world, she isn’t the only one capable of divination,” Ning Zhuo thought to himself, unwilling to linger in White Paper Immortal City.
The city’s internal and external crises, along with this entire experience, left him speechless.
Just look at the three ghost generals now—they were not even suppressed by the Immortal City Grand Formation. It was simply absurd. This situation must have arisen from previous causes. Respecting the fate of others, Ning Zhuo did not want to waste any more time on this mess.
Boom!
At that moment, the clash between Wen Ruanyu and the three Golden Core ghost generals completely destroyed the formation here. The space expanded, revealing the workshop within.
Inside the workshop, blazing Netherworld fire burned fiercely, leaving the place almost reduced to ruins.
A human craftsman cried out urgently, “Lord Wen, protect the giant statue’s head at all costs! If it is destroyed, we will have great difficulty creating another!”
Wen Ruanyu’s expression changed.
The Mirror-Adornment Ghost General fiercely entangled him, while the Babbling Ghost General seized the opportunity and stepped onto the giant statue’s head.
“Damn it!” Wen Ruanyu immediately hesitated, fearing to damage the statue.
Ning Zhuo’s gaze was drawn there as well.
In the next instant, he froze completely.
For the first time, he saw the appearance of the statue’s head clearly.
It was—
“Mother?!”