Fire Persimmon Immortal City.
Monkey Head Gang headquarters.
Ning Xiangqian, Ning Xiangguo, and other former officials of the Ning Family strode with heads held high and chests puffed out, directly confronting the Monkey Head Gang's main gate.
"Stop! Stop right there!" The usually arrogant gang guards, upon seeing such a formidable group storming towards them, immediately changed their expressions and cried out in fear.
Ning Xiangqian, Ning Xiangguo, and others were all at the Foundation Establishment Stage, which was why they had become officials of the Ning Family.
The Ning Family Main Line had opened positions for many branch family officials, nearly twenty in total.
Ning Zhuo, leveraging the reputation of Ning Houjun, had gathered more than a dozen people.
A dozen Foundation Establishment practitioners were double the entire high-level combat power of the Monkey Head Gang!
Upon seeing these Foundation Establishment practitioners alone, the gang members already felt intimidated. Then, seeing the Ning Family waist tokens hanging on each of them, their hearts jumped, and they inwardly exclaimed, "The Ning Family, one of the three major families! Why are they causing trouble for us?"
"Not good, not good, Chief!!" The gang members screamed in panic as they ran towards the back of the headquarters.
The new leader of the Monkey Head Gang had not been in his position for long, but with his experienced maneuvers and stable relationships, his position was far steadier than Yuan Er's.
Upon hearing the urgent report from the gang members, his brows furrowed deeply, feeling very uneasy: "The other side is aggressive, they mean no good!"
Thinking about it, he stood up: "Please, please invite the heroes of the Ning Family…"
Bang!
The next moment, the gates to the leader's courtyard were blasted to bits.
The gatekeepers were sent flying, landing among the debris of bricks and shattered gates, groaning in pain.
Amidst the dust and smoke, the Ning Family party swaggered into the courtyard, highly domineering.
Even more domineering was a large, exquisitely designed mechanical carriage, which crushed the rubble in its path as it moved slowly to stop before the Monkey Head Gang leader.
The door of the carriage was opened from the outside by Ning Xiangguo, with several Foundation Establishment practitioners lining up behind him.
As Ning Zhuo slowly stepped out of the carriage, all of these Foundation Establishment practitioners bowed their heads in respect.
The new leader of the Monkey Head Gang's pupils shrank. He had thought the carriage would at least house a Family Elder of the Ning Family but was surprised to see a young cultivator at the third level of Qi Refinement.
However, the gang leader dared not take it lightly, forcing a smile on his face as he approached.
"Stop!" He was intercepted midway by Ning Xiangqian's cold expression.
The gang leader dared not force his way through and stood in place, cupping his hands and shouting: "So it's Young Master Ning Zhuo gracing us with his presence. Forgive me for not welcoming you from afar!"
Ning Zhuo lifted his eyes and sneered at him: "It's best that you are here. Get inside, I've come to settle accounts with you!"
The gang leader was shocked and horrified: "What are you talking about? This must be some misunderstanding!"
Ning Zhuo had no patience to converse with him and waved his hand. The Foundation Establishment practitioners beside him poured out, instantly forming a small encirclement.
Killing intent overflowed, and a chilling air pervaded.
The gang leader felt as if he were plunged into an icy cave, his face full of panic: "Misunderstanding, this must be a misunderstanding! Someone, someone!!"
The commotion caused by Ning Zhuo had alarmed the entire Monkey Head Gang, several Foundation Establishment elders hurried over.
But they did not step forward, only cautiously watched.
Too terrifying!
Ning Zhuo had brought nearly twenty Foundation Establishment practitioners, this combat power could completely sweep through the Monkey Head Gang.
The most critical aspect was their identity.
The Ning Family!
This was one of the three major families, possessing Golden Core-level combat power. Compared to them, the Monkey Head Gang was like an egg against a boulder.
Ning Zhuo scanned the gathered gang members with a sharp gaze and shouted: "Yuan Er was my friend, though we did not meet much, our friendship ran deep."
"Yuan Dasheng of your gang died, and Yuan Er entrusted his body to me. I went all out to craft the Mechanical Monkey — Tree Martial Fighting Ape for him, which you all know."
"But even with the Tree Martial Fighting Ape, my friend still died, right in your headquarters."
"Now someone among you has reported to me, making me suspect this was no simple case of revenge but a conspiracy."
For a moment, the gang members looked at each other, both anger and fear in their hearts greatly eased.
Ning Zhuo's reasoning was very legitimate.
Several gang elders' pupils shrank sharply, their morale plummeting. They knew the truth, that the gang elders, dissatisfied with Yuan Er, had colluded with Bao Chou to stage an assassination.
"But when did Ning Zhuo and Yuan Er become so close?"
"Hard to say! Yuan Er did indeed entrust Yuan Dasheng's body to Ning Zhuo, and Ning Zhuo did indeed send the Tree Martial Fighting Ape to protect Yuan Er."
"During that time, Ning Zhuo also sent two Ning Family envoys to support Yuan Er."
The gang elders communicated privately, and upon discussion, it seemed Ning Zhuo was telling the truth.
The new leader of the Monkey Head Gang was filled with regret.
He was indeed the mastermind behind the assassination of Yuan Er.
Initially, he had been wary of Ning Zhuo's retribution, so after Yuan Er's death, he waited for a while to see the situation.
As things calmed with no apparent reaction from Ning Zhuo, and with the other gang elders growing restless, he finally officially took over as the third-generation leader of the Monkey Head Gang.
He had cherished his hard-earned position, eliminated various gang defects, increased rewards for gang members, cut his own benefits to win over other gang elders.
Since his appointment, he had been working tirelessly, sleeping only two hours a day, dedicating himself completely, and finally stabilizing the situation, even transforming the entire gang's ethos towards a positive and proactive one.
And now, Ning Zhuo had come!
Unbeatable.
Unavoidable!
The gang leader intended to concede, but Ning Zhuo wouldn't allow it.
Ning Zhuo bluntly stated he was here to avenge his friend, leaving the gang leader deeply aggrieved.
"If I had known, why didn't you come earlier, Ning Zhuo?"
"Did you purposely wait for me to become the leader just to pick a fight?"
"Even if so, why didn't you come when I had just taken over?"
"Why did you come just as I was almost done setting things in order?!"
"What do you mean by this?"
"I haven't even enjoyed a single day!"
Looking at Ning Zhuo, the gang leader dared not voice his anger.
Ning Zhuo sneered at him.
Ning Xiangqian reported: "Young Master Zhuo, the house has been checked, no issues."
"Good." Ning Zhuo looked at the gang leader, "Get inside, and you better confess truthfully!"
Ning Zhuo commanded: "Uncle Xiangqian, take some people with me inside. Uncle Xiangguo, also take some people and guard outside, see if any gang elders dare to accuse their leader."
"Let's go!" Ning Xiangguo and four Foundation Establishment practitioners approached the gang leader, their tones and expressions icy cold.
The gang leader gritted his teeth: "I am innocent, I am innocent!"
He frantically glanced around, hoping to see any elders supporting him.
The result was despairing.
With a heart full of despair, the gang leader went back inside, only to see Ning Zhuo sitting directly in the main seat.
"Kneel!" Ning Xiangguo kicked.
Already terrified, the gang leader's legs were weak. As his knees were struck, he fell to the ground with a thud.
At that moment, shame and anger drove him to stand up, but his shoulders were pinned down by two Foundation Establishment practitioners, white frost quickly spreading, freezing his shoulders.
"Still resisting?" Ning Zhuo sneered, "Then I'll send you to your death."
The gang leader was utterly terrified and dared not move.
Seeing this, Ning Zhuo continued: "Yuan Er was my friend, he's dead, and you're the killer!"
The gang leader took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down: "Lord Ning Zhuo, you accuse me of being the killer, but do you have any evidence? If you can produce it, I'll admit it."
Ning Zhuo chuckled coldly: "I certainly have evidence, and it's in your hands, so hand it over."
The gang leader was stunned on the spot.
"What, what do you mean?"
He widened his eyes at Ning Zhuo: "Do you mean you want me to produce evidence, to accuse myself, and kill myself?"
Ning Zhuo nodded: "Kill you? Depends on your performance."
The gang leader trembled all over with rage. He had never seen such an unreasonable and overbearing person!
Coming without evidence, behaving so righteously!
Is the Ning Family still part of the Righteous Path?
Bringing a group of Foundation Establishment practitioners to storm another's base and forcing the leader to produce evidence and accuse himself.
Such behavior was too outrageous, too arrogant!
Are there no laws anymore?!!
As if knowing the gang leader's thoughts, Ning Zhuo narrowed his eyes and sneered: "You seem to misunderstand something."
"I'm not an official, nor a Divine Hunter."
"When dealing with matters, I don't care about evidence."
"Now, my friend's dead, assassinated. His legacy was earned by you, so you are the killer from this point of view!"
"Because you benefited the most."
Ning Zhuo laughed heartily, leaning back in his chair, pointing his finger at the gang leader: "I never said I needed evidence, you brought it up."
Cold sweat poured from the gang leader's forehead.
His face turned pale as a sheet: "Lord Ning Zhuo, does this mean I'm doomed today?"
"No, no, no, I have only just taken the leader's position not long ago!"
"Please, spare me, spare my life!"
"From now on, I'll offer you a substantial tribute every year!"
"Anything you want that I have, I will give!"
"Please, don't kill me."
"I've only been leader for a short while!!"
Ning Zhuo smiled slightly, his tone softening: "Hmm, not bad."
"You are a smart man."
"Spare your life, I can do that."
"But from now on, you will work for me. I want the entire Monkey Head Gang to work for me!"
The gang leader's pupils shrank fiercely, hastily shouting: "Understood, understood, from now on, I will be at your command!"
"Hahaha!" Ning Zhuo laughed wildly, his demeanor proud.
Suddenly, he stopped laughing and, with a gaze as sharp as a falcon, locked onto the gang leader: "Since it's like this, hand over the evidence of Yuan Er's murder."
The gang leader froze again.
His heart turned cold; he understood completely: he must hand over all evidence!
Only then would Ning Zhuo trust him. Because if he ever betrayed Ning Zhuo, all Ning Zhuo needed to do was release this evidence, and he would never be a leader again.
The gang leader stood like a statue, his face showing struggle. After a few breaths, he finally took a deep breath, bowed to Ning Zhuo: "Yes, I will obey!"