Thinking of this, Sun Lingtong deliberately circled behind Ning Zhuo and gently patted his shoulder.
Ning Zhuo was startled.
Sun Lingtong revealed himself, "Hehe, don't be scared, it's me!"
The disappointment on Ning Zhuo's face vanished, replaced with surprise and anticipation, "Little Brother, you, you're a cultivator?"
"You're so young and already this powerful!"
"Did you just use the invisibility technique?"
Sun Lingtong raised his head proudly, "This isn't just any ordinary invisibility technique. Wait, don't call me brother, I'm much taller and older than you."
"You should call me Big Brother!"
Only at this moment did Sun Lingtong truly reveal his identity to Ning Zhuo, while also correcting Ning Zhuo's address.
Ning Zhuo retorted, "But my mother told me that some children just have bigger frames, it doesn't mean they're older. In our family, there is one who..."
Sun Lingtong waved his hand, "Alright, alright. From now on, just call me Big Brother."
"Speaking of which, you were pretending to be clueless just now, weren't you?"
"Your mother must have given you some important things before she left!"
Ning Zhuo exclaimed and shifted his gaze to the wall, not daring to look at Sun Lingtong, "I don't know what you're talking about!"
Sun Lingtong chuckled, "I'm just telling you, you're not pretending well at all."
"Next time, when your aunt asks you, just say you don't know, don't outright deny it."
"The more you deny, the more you admit that your mother left something for you."
Ning Zhuo exclaimed again and couldn't help but ask, "Why?"
Sun Lingtong's gaze seemed to see through hearts, "You have talent, don't you?"
Ning Zhuo exclaimed once more, a look of panic appearing on his face, and he took a step back, shaking his head continuously, "No, no. Absolutely not."
"Whatever you say, I totally don't understand."
"I don't know, I don't know anything!"
He outright denied it, but the blush on his face, the guilty and panicked expression, already said it all.
This amused Sun Lingtong, and he laughed heartily, patting Ning Zhuo on the shoulder, "Little Brother, you do have talent, a cleverness beyond your age."
"But you're still too young!"
"So obvious, it's fake."
"But you're lucky, you have me!"
"No one understands better than me how to play the part of a normal child."
"I'll teach you how to disguise yourself as a two-year-old kid!"
What Sun Lingtong said wasn't just boasting.
Though he appeared to be just a three-year-old child, his soul was already that of a thirteen-year-old boy.
He joined the Bukong Sect and specialized in various skills of deception. His master adopted him since he was young, teaching him and taking him around the world, teaching him to observe others and blend into different environments.
Often, Sun Lingtong would play roles based on his appearance, making full use of his looks for deceit.
Under his guidance, the two-year-old Ning Zhuo improved rapidly.
"Hey, what kind of talent do you have? This cleverness is unusual."
"Didn't your mother tell you?" Sun Lingtong asked curiously.
Ning Zhuo cast his gaze aside, then quickly shifted it back, looking at Sun Lingtong with a natural expression, "Little Brother Sun, my mother never told me."
Sun Lingtong chuckled, giving a thumbs up, "Not bad, you've improved a lot in lying compared to before."
"But there's still a small action of shifting your gaze."
"Remember, you must get rid of it!"
Ning Zhuo felt a bit ashamed, "Little Brother Sun, you don't blame me for hiding things from you?"
Sun Lingtong shrugged indifferently, "What's the big deal? Everyone should have their own secrets, and they should also allow others to have their own."
"I'm just thinking, maybe you should show your talent to your family? It might greatly improve your living conditions."
Ning Zhuo quickly shook his head, his expression serious and solemn, "My mother told me before leaving, she told me to hide my talents."
"She said the family is unreliable, my uncle is unreliable."
"She told me to hide as deeply as possible, to better protect myself!"
"Mmm, mmm, your mother must have had your best interests at heart." Sun Lingtong replied perfunctorily.
He had been staying with Ning Zhuo for more than half a month, his wound had long since healed, and now that Ning Zhuo could disguise himself as a normal two-year-old child, Sun Lingtong felt an increasing urge to leave.
But what to do with Ning Zhuo?
Previously, Wang Lan had said she would take Ning Zhuo to live with her, but she had never done so, only sending servants every one or two days to look after him, bringing daily necessities.
Sun Lingtong continuously scouted the Ning Family clan land at night.
Although he was only in the middle stage of Qi Refinement, Bukong Sect's excellent spells allowed him to infiltrate smoothly.
He gradually figured out the situation within the Ning Family, understanding how the main line oppressed the branch families, and learned about Ning Xiaoren's reputation.
One day, he overheard a conversation between Ning Ze and Wang Lan.
Ning Ze urged Wang Lan to let Ning Zhuo move in with them.
Wang Lan said, "Dear, the people from the Ancestral Hall are deliberately making things difficult, demanding a bribe of two hundred spirit stones!"
"Do we have to pay two hundred spirit stones just to take care of another child? What kind of reasoning is that!?"
Ning Ze stroked his beard and said, "The family has its reasons. It requires the elders of the Ancestral Hall to review and make sure that taking in a relative's orphan isn't driven by ulterior motives. Only after this approval can the adoption be official."
"Before this rule, it was chaotic, with many tragic incidents happening."
"Little Zhuo has been living alone for so many days, it's not right. If word gets out, how can my reputation as his uncle be preserved?"
Wang Lan complained, "But two hundred spirit stones aren't a small amount!"
Ning Ze sighed, "Alright, here's the plan. My brother once saved the Young Clan Leader's life. Tomorrow, I'll seek the Young Clan Leader's help to see if he can intervene."
Sun Lingtong continued to scout the Ancestral Hall and found the elder responsible for delaying Ning Zhuo's registration.
One night, he overheard a secret conversation between the elder and a visitor.
The visitor said, "The deed to Ning Zhong's house hasn't been found by Ning Ze yet. I'm offering four hundred spirit stones, here's a hundred and eighty as a deposit, please make things easier for us."
The Ning Family elder laughed, "No problem. That Ning Ze doesn't understand the rules, refusing to pay even two hundred spirit stones, he deserves some hardship."
"Just don't make any noise."
"After all, Ning Zhong gave his life to save the Young Clan Leader."
The visitor said, "Don't worry elder, Ning Zhong and his wife are both gone, and the child they left behind is just two years old. With a bit of coaxing, we can get him to sign the deed."
"It's as easy as pie!"
Sun Lingtong rolled his eyes upon hearing this, inwardly sneering at the Ning Family.
When he returned to Ning Zhuo's place, little Ning Zhuo was sleeping soundly.
Sun Lingtong watched him for a while and thought, "This little guy, though clever and able to disguise, only has a superficial layer."
"He has no experience, doesn't know the dangers of the world, and has no real support, making him easy prey for those around him."
Sun Lingtong shook his head secretly, feeling he couldn't just leave.
"He needs to learn to see through the treacherous hearts of people."
...
At Sun Lingtong's place.
Han Ming and his two companions were quickly repairing the small courtyard, clearing the traces left by the recent fierce battle.
In the main room.
Judge Cha Cha's eyes shone with divine light, enveloping Sun Lingtong's soul.
Sun Lingtong's soul kept its eyes shut, his face twisted in pain, his body trembling violently, yet he didn't let out a single scream.
"He's got a spine!" The blind Judge Qi Bai genuinely praised upon seeing this.
He muttered some words, activated a spell, and checked the results of the soul search.
A blank slate!
"Hmm?" Qi Bai was startled, "Empty Seal?"
He knew this information.
The Bukong Sect's Empty Seal, one of its prized magical treasures, could imprint a heart seal, providing protective measures for sect members.
The Empty Seal could prevent soul searches, stopping secrets and records of the sect from leaking if a disciple fell into enemy hands.
"The Empty Seal typically protects sect secrets. This time, I was just trying to gather information about the Youthful Guest, and it's involved?"
"Isn't Sun Lingtong an outer disciple? The Empty Seal guards him so thoroughly?"
At this point, Han Ming entered the room, "Lord Qi, have you found any information about the Youthful Guest?"
Qi Bai snorted coldly, "This matter is a bit tricky, no wonder Sun Lingtong was so confident before, not fearing soul searches."
"But, an ordinary fellow might be stumped by this."
"Since it's me, the Blind Judge, he's out of luck!"
"Give me one more day, and I'll have an answer."
Qi Bai waved his hand, looking displeased.
Han Ming quickly bowed his head, wisely exited the room, and respectfully closed the door.