Great Struggle Peak, the back mountain, Myriad Demons Cave.
"Senior Brother."
"Senior Brother! We have come to visit you."
A group of people called out at the entrance of the cave.
A few breaths later, Linghu Jiu's voice came through: "Come in."
Led by Lao De, a group of fellow disciples rushed into the Myriad Demons Cave, greeting Linghu Jiu ceremoniously.
"Senior Brother, are you doing well here?" Lao De was the first to speak.
Linghu Jiu shrugged: "Everything is fine. You all know I'm already accustomed to this place."
"What I'm actually concerned about is our Junior Sister."
"She has a lively spirit but now she's confined to her room as punishment. Isn't she going to be stifled?"
The fellow disciples sighed in agreement, starting a round of discussions.
"Yes, I'm just as worried as Senior Brother."
"Yesterday, I got six new Music Note Poisons and put them in a cup, having her personal maid deliver it to her for entertainment."
"Oh? I just sent in a Mechanical Puppet the day before yesterday."
"I pleaded with Master on her behalf but ended up being scolded fiercely, alas…"
The fellow disciples all shared a good relationship. This was because when Lin Bufan took on disciples, he deliberately chose those of similar ages and nurtured them from childhood.
Having grown up together, their bonds were naturally strong.
Lao De changed the topic: "In my opinion, Junior Sister has gone too far this time. That Ning Zhuo, who knows what sort of enchantments he's fed her, to help him so wholeheartedly!"
"Senior Brother, we brothers have pooled resources and have already settled Junior Sister's external debts."
"But as for Ning Zhuo, we cannot let him off. He needs to be taught a lesson. Otherwise, none of us will feel satisfied."
When the conversation turned to Ning Zhuo, it immediately struck a chord with everyone.
"Yes, that Ning Zhuo is too sly, relying on his good looks and sweet talk to deceive our Junior Sister!"
"We all have invested much, yet he reaps the biggest benefits, that's not acceptable."
"Senior Brother, among us brothers, you are the one who treats Junior Sister the best. We don't acknowledge the others; we only acknowledge you."
"Yes, Senior Brother!"
"Senior Brother, we have discussed it and concluded it would look bad if we acted against Ning Zhuo ourselves. Instead, why not use the Sect rules to incite other resident cultivators to give Ning Zhuo trouble?"
"You don't know, since Junior Sister's confinement she's been gloomy every day, and that kid is acting like nothing happened, completely putting Junior Sister out of his mind and happily interacting with new friends from Hanzhou, sparring and having a good time!"
Upon hearing this, Linghu Jiu's expression became grave, shaking his head in refusal: "We cannot do this."
"There are no walls in the world that keep out all winds. If you incite other cultivators to act against Ning Zhuo, it will cause great damage to the reputation of the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect."
"If this gets out, the accomplishments that the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect has painstakingly built over so many years will be greatly undermined."
"To risk the interests of the entire Sect for mere personal gain is not something we should do."
The fellow disciples fell silent, exchanging looks of mutual understanding.
Not willing to give up, Lao De said: "Then Senior Brother, do we just let Ning Zhuo enjoy such benefits? He's recently been improving rapidly, but many of these cultivation resources came from our own pockets."
"All we need is to show a bit of intent, and those outsider cultivators, like cats that have smelled fish, will actively seek to side with us, willingly helping us deal with Ning Zhuo!"
"To keep them silent, all we need to do is have them sign contracts."
Linghu Jiu sighed: "Human nature is fickle. No matter how ardently they cling to you and me now, there may come a time when they loathe us just as passionately. Indeed, those whose attitudes remain placid are often far more reliable in character."
"Such underhanded matters are not the actions of men of righteousness and nobility. Drop such thoughts."
"I've been quite curious about Ning Zhuo, this friend. When the time comes for me to make a move, I certainly intend to meet him in person."
Lao De sighed: "If that's the case, then you, Senior Brother, should handle it personally."
After exchanging a few more words, full of laughter and merriment, the brothers eventually parted with reluctance.
After leaving the Great Struggle Peak, the other brothers could not help but voice their discontent: "Are we really going to let this go?"
"Since Senior Brother has said so, let's just do as he suggests."
"Senior Brother has been in confinement for months, by the time his punishment is over, the event will be cold news. Who knows, Ning Zhuo might have already run off!"
"If he was only greedy for wealth, that'd be one thing. But he's deceived our Junior Sister's feelings and taken advantage of her; how can we stand for it?!"
Lao De smiled slightly: "Senior Brother is just worried we would tarnish the reputation of the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect."
"Well then, let's do this. We won't make any overt moves, not even secret talks with those outsider cultivators, or even hints in private."
"We'll only spread rumors! In my opinion, Ning Zhuo has risen too fast. He started with a ranking of a mere two hundred-plus in the Cave Mansion, and now he's leapt to the top ten."
"During the last battle, was his quick victory over Chang Yan a true reflection of his strength?"
"I think there are quite a few people who share my doubts!"
"All we need to do is start a rumor, and we should be able to incite others to challenge Ning Zhuo on their own."
The others, hearing this, all had their eyes light up and profusely praised the idea.
"Good plan, good plan indeed."
"This method is great; we don't have to get our own hands dirty, just blow some wind."
"Even if they investigate, they won't trace it back to us."
Little Struggle Peak, Martial Arts Arena.
Ning Zhuo and Hanzhou were sparring.
But unlike before, Hanzhou was at a disadvantage, while Ning Zhuo firmly held the upper hand.
The reason for all this was the strings of Mechanical Arms and legs floating around Ning Zhuo.
Like floating hands, these limbs could levitate in mid-air as well.
Ning Zhuo controlled them, constantly deploying Martial Arts techniques like Frost Freeze Fist and using those Mechanical legs to deliver Old Cold Leg strikes.
If Hanzhou had to face just two hands and two feet, things might have been manageable. But the problem was that he faced an onslaught from ten hands and ten legs simultaneously!
Hanzhou appeared as if he was being attacked by a mob, only able to constantly retreat, seeking to create distance and look for openings.
But to his amazement, he found that Ning Zhuo's Mechanism Control Art was of an exceedingly high level; controlling these Mechanical limbs was as natural as breathing, with impeccable formation and synergy. There wasn't a single rash move, leaving no openings at all!
"Stop, stop for a moment," Hanzhou finally called out, overwhelmed by the barrage and signaling for a pause.
Ning Zhuo, not quite satisfied, said, "Brother Hanzhou, I've yet to master the controls. I had many insights just now, and perhaps I can use these Mechanisms to display a different set of Bitter Cold Martial Arts."
A twitch ran through the corner of Hanzhou's eye.
He sincerely exclaimed, "Daoist Fellow Ning Zhuo, I never imagined that your Mechanism Control Art would be so powerful, even stronger than your Martial Arts, no, your Five Elements Magic!"
Having traveled far and wide, Hanzhou had broadened his horizons. After personally crossing hands with Ning Zhuo and experiencing his Mechanical Techniques, he immediately revised his opinion and evaluation of Ning Zhuo in his mind.
"So it turns out Daoist Fellow Ning Zhuo has been hiding his true skills, which isn't his Five Elements Magic at all."
This was quite different from what the outside world had estimated!
"In that case, Brother Hanzhou, why don't you take a short rest before we continue?" Ning Zhuo's smile was as warm as a spring breeze.
Hanzhou wasn't keen on continuing their spar, but under the influence of Ning Zhuo's Buddha Heart Demon Seal, no, his smile, he eventually nodded his head in agreement.
Watching Ning Zhuo control the Mechanical Arms and legs on his own, seriously training, occasionally pausing to frown and contemplate, Hanzhou couldn't help but look forward to the day Ning Zhuo would showcase this power to the public.
"Heh, heh, heh." Amused by the thought, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Ning Zhuo's ears twitched as he heard Hanzhou's laughter, and a faint sense of pleasure naturally arose in his heart.
"Brother Hanzhou gets along with me very harmoniously. He used to look quite troubled when I saw him before, but now his heart seems more open, and he's smiling more every day."
"This feeling of making those around me happy is really quite nice."
Today's sparring session clearly took more of a toll on Hanzhou, while Ning Zhuo wore a contented smile.
The results of their practice were gratifying, and he was very pleased.
He and Hanzhou said their goodbyes, reminiscent of the days he spent in constant company with Lin Shanshan.
After a few steps, Hanzhou suddenly paused and called back to Ning Zhuo: "Daoist Fellow Ning Zhuo, I almost forgot to mention, there have been some unfavorable rumors circulating lately."
"What's happened?" Ning Zhuo asked, looking puzzled.
"It's about you. I don't know if you've noticed, but on Little Struggle Peak, some very unpleasant rumors about you have been spreading."
"They say you are arrogant and look down on people; that your strength is actually lacking, and that your previous victory over Chang Yan was just you taking advantage of some minor edge, a fluke of landing the first blow."
"In my view, it's because you occupy one of the top ten Cave Mansions on Little Struggle Peak, causing many to be envious."
"These people want to challenge you to take over your Cave Mansion, but they also fear failing, so they spread these rumors to encourage others to challenge you more frequently, to pave the way for themselves."
Ning Zhuo frowned immediately: "So that's what's been happening!"
"Brother Hanzhou, thank you for the heads-up, or else I would have been kept in the dark," Ning Zhuo expressed his deep gratitude with a bow.
Hanzhou sighed, "Daoist Fellow Ning Zhuo, you can't just focus on training all the time. The environment on Little Struggle Peak is not like your family's. Often, the struggle is not just about open challenges; there are also many schemes behind the scenes."
Ning Zhuo's brow furrowed even tighter: "Then what should I do?"
Hanzhou didn't have a solid plan either, but he advised Ning Zhuo to stay vigilant: "I think you should challenge someone as soon as possible to showcase your Mechanical Techniques. That will put an end to these slanderous rumors."
"Thank you for the guidance!" Ning Zhuo bowed again and said many words of thanks.
This left Hanzhou worried as he departed, "Ning Zhuo is really a noble son from his family, a bit too naive. He's newly ventured out and is unaware of the maliciousness in others' hearts."
"It's evident from those rumors that his prior environment was more stable and idyllic."
"Alas, to speak the truth, I'm deeply ashamed. Even my interactions and training with him were to influence him, harboring no good intentions."