To rent a cave mansion, one must go to the Internal Affairs Hall.
In the Internal Affairs Hall, Ning Zhuo already had an acquaintance, namely Cao Gui.
Previously, it was through Cao Gui’s cooperation that they dealt with Yu Heye.
Ning Zhuo thought it over and decided to find him.
Cao Gui, upon seeing Ning Zhuo again, squinted his eyes and directly asked, "Daoist Fellow Ning, are you a friend or foe?"
Ning Zhuo smiled, "Naturally, we are comrades."
Cao Gui shook his head, "If that’s the case, why have you accepted Yu Heye’s invitations to banquets multiple times?"
Back then, Yu Heye offended the Cao Family.
Cao Gui, being part of the Cao Family, had agreed to join forces with Ning Zhuo, partly to trouble Yu Heye.
The other reason was that Cao Gui was relatively poor, and Ning Zhuo offered a significant reward.
Ning Zhuo cupped his hands and sincerely said, "The friction between Yu Heye and me was minor, and it has already been resolved. As a newcomer, turning a Golden Core Cultivator from foe to friend is the right path."
"I personally believe this does not hinder the friendship between you and me."
"After all, the Cao Family is the Cao Family, and Daoist Fellow Cao Gui is you. How much support has your family given you in your current situation?"
Cao Gui sighed deeply, "Although I am a fringe member of the family, I got this position through family connections."
"How can a person forget their roots?"
At this point, he waved his sleeve, "I can understand Daoist Fellow Ning’s choice; henceforth, let us be strangers."
Ning Zhuo sighed long, bowed, and said, "Daoist Fellow, your righteousness is profound, and it is my misfortune not to be your friend. Farewell!"
Cao Gui watched Ning Zhuo leave, then returned to his work.
Ning Zhuo rode a cloud away from this Internal Affairs Hall to another one.
He was expressionless; Cao Gui’s change in attitude was one of the scenarios he had anticipated.
Ning Zhuo’s initial plan was to approach the Cao Family through the opportunity of dealing with Yu Heye. Although the Cao Family was in decline, it still belonged to one of the old four peaks’ forces.
But then unexpected events occurred — Yu Heye voluntarily surrendered.
As a Golden Core Cultivator, his surrender represented greater value, and Ning Zhuo naturally chose the latter.
This meant that his relationship with Cao Gui was damaged. Today’s meeting confirmed that.
"Becoming strangers is neither good nor bad."
At least they didn’t turn into enemies.
Having confirmed this layer of relationship, Ning Zhuo abandoned the Cao Family’s connection.
It’s impossible to make everyone like you; in other words, it’s impossible to maintain good relations with all forces and individuals.
Especially in a competitive environment, where one has to compete for cultivation resources.
Between the Cao Family and Yu Heye, Ning Zhuo chose the latter.
Between Shen Xi and Pifu Jie, Ning Zhuo chose the former.
When the time is ripe, you must take a side. Politically, the neutral factions are often the most dangerous. Absolute loyalty is required.
Only by choosing a camp can one continue to deepen relationships.
Ning Zhuo’s political acumen in this regard was unquestionably adequate.
Half an hour later.
Ning Zhuo stood within the Bluestone Cave Mansion.
This was his newly rented cave mansion.
The cave mansion had five rooms and a hall.
The Moss Stone Hall served as a reception area. The cultivation room was paved with green jade bricks, engraved with a Qi Gathering Array. The Alchemy and Artifact Room had an Earth Fire Array, meeting basic Alchemy and Artifact Refining needs. The two living quarters had few facilities.
The last room was the martial practice room, equipped with a Martial Arts Array. This was the main reason Ning Zhuo chose it.
The situation at Shuyu Pavilion had been settled, leaving only the Luoshu pages. This wasn’t something that could be resolved quickly.
Moreover, Yu Heye was considered a hidden ally, and staying there long-term would draw attention.
He had just become enemies with Pifu Jie, and more enemies would follow. Withdraw timely was naturally the best choice.
Just as Gongsun Yan joined, the original cave mansion was no longer sufficient.
Ning Zhuo allocated the two living quarters in the Bluestone Cave Mansion for Elder Chu and Qing Chi. Inside, there was almost nothing, making it convenient for them to arrange as they wished.
As for Gongsun Yan, he would reside in the Alchemy and Artifact Room.
Ning Zhuo himself had no living quarters; the cultivation room would suffice.
He didn’t have high requirements for that aspect.
After arranging everything, Ning Zhuo activated the formation in the martial practice room and entered the array space within.
The cost of the Martial Arts Hall wasn’t high, but Ning Zhuo didn’t dare risk exposing Xue Cai Girl · Hui’s spiritual nature.
In the array space, he cast several rounds of Five Elements Magic, causing ripples on the translucent boundary of the array space, probing the strength of the defense.
However, Ning Zhuo did not directly release Xue Cai Girl · Hui but instead left the Bluestone Cave Mansion alone.
He returned to the mountain where Yu Heye was located, using the mountain’s Transmission Stone Chamber for a secret exchange with Sun Lingtong.
Sun Lingtong returned to the Bluestone Cave Mansion, while Ning Zhuo sat in front of the Water Vortex Array.
During this time, Sun Lingtong had made progressive achievements in studying the Water Vortex Array. He constructed another small array outside the Water Vortex Array.
Through the small array, Ning Zhuo was able to communicate with the array core of the Water Vortex — the Luoshu pages. Sun Lingtong himself no longer had to rely on the Talent Spiritual Eyes each time, as it was too exhausting.
Using the small array’s influence, Ning Zhuo was affected by the Taoist Artifact. Sun Lingtong also tapped into the Luoshu pages through the Life Hanging Thread.
With this influence, Sun Lingtong carefully inspected the formations in the Bluestone Cave Mansion and confirmed their safety before quietly leaving.
During the entire process, Elder Chu, Qing Chi, and Gongsun Yan were kept in the dark.
It was unnecessary to inform them.
Sun Lingtong’s proficiency in formations was far superior to Ning Zhuo’s. And with the assistance of the Luoshu pages, the probability of the inspection results being genuine was very high.