Chapter 784: Chapter 259: The Truth
“Who exactly are you?”
Faced with the inquiry from the White Paper City Lord’s avatar, Ning Zhuo’s heart tightened. He instantly understood that his disguise had been seen through by the opponent.
Ning Zhuo had disguised himself as Jiao Ma, utilizing Sun Lingtong’s Stealing Technique.
Sun Lingtong was at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Although he had absorbed the bone marrow of an evil god, significantly amplifying his Stealing Technique, the increase was still far from reaching the Nascent Soul Level.
Just like Ning Zhuo on the battlefield of Liangzhu Country’s Thousand Peak Forest, even exhausting all his resources, he was unable to truly elevate his aura to the Nascent Soul Level.
The fact that he managed to hold on until being detected by the Paperman Avatar only further illustrated the formidable nature of Sun Lingtong’s Stealing Technique.
Ning Zhuo cupped his hands and slightly bowed: “For the details within, please dismiss your attendants, City Lord, and allow me to recount the events.”
Wen Ruanyu immediately raised an eyebrow, about to speak.
However, the Paperman Avatar waved a hand: “All of you, leave.”
“City Lord?!” Wen Ruanyu became immediately anxious.
The fall of Sang Le Youling was the greatest loss for White Paper Immortal City. It had prompted the arrival of the Paperman Avatar.
Yet, if the Paperman Avatar were to fall here as well, the future of White Paper Immortal City would be even bleaker.
But the Paperman Avatar simply stared at Ning Zhuo, repeating, “Leave.”
Wen Ruanyu and others naturally did not dare to defy the City Lord, and they withdrew one after another.
The Paperman Avatar waved her long sleeve, instantly forming an isolated space for a secret conversation.
Ning Zhuo was slightly surprised, not expecting the Paperman Avatar to be so amenable.
The White Paper City Lord’s avatar took out a Magic Treasure: “This is the Suwen Heart-cutting Scroll, which can discern truths from falsehoods. Should you lie, your heart shall be cut, leading to a horrific death on the spot.”
Saying so, she activated the Magic Treasure, making it hover above Ning Zhuo’s head.
Ning Zhuo immediately felt his vitality being forcefully drawn, closely connecting him to the Suwen Heart-cutting Scroll.
“Little Zhuo!” Sun Lingtong cried out, wishing he could take his place.
Ning Zhuo sent a thought transmission to calm Sun Lingtong: “Boss, don’t forget, I’m already the Fire Element Heart Temple.”
Sun Lingtong shook his head, knowing very well that these words were meant more as comfort. Ning Zhuo’s heart, though modified, fundamentally remained his Foundation Establishment Level heart, merely infused with the Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Fire Spirit. At most, it was of Golden Core Level in grade, how could it withstand this Nascent Soul Level Magic Treasure?
Sun Lingtong stared intently at the Suwen Heart-cutting Scroll above. He saw that the scroll was very plain. On its surface, the natural fibrous patterns of reeds faintly appeared. The scroll heads at both ends were made from hard shell paper soaked in pine resin, with edges retaining the roughness left by trimming the paper, wrapped in a half-faded indigo seal.
“Speak,” the White Paper City Lord urged, her voice icy.
Ning Zhuo remained silent for a moment before exhaling a murky breath: “Actually, there’s nothing that can’t be said about this matter.”
“My surname is Ning, given name Zhuo, from Fire Persimmon Immortal City in Southern Bean Country, a branch Clan Leader of the Ning Clan, a close friend of Zhu Xuanji from the Southern Bean Royal Family, the foremost ally to the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect of Southern Bean Country, and also the son-in-law of the Upper General Mansion of Liangzhu Country…”
“I am traveling the world in search of my mother’s relics, yet have found no clues. It was Zhu Xuanji who directed me to seek out the elder Sang Le Youling of White Paper Immortal City to perform a divination.”
“For this, I have also brought a token…”
Ning Zhuo said this and then produced a White Jade Candle, showing it to the City Lord’s avatar.
The White Paper City Lord’s eyes immediately narrowed.
Her mind immediately recalled the Omen Poem: “Ghost tides surge, the White Paper is imperiled. A solitary swan bears a candle, breaking the canopy of heaven. A comet shines upon the northern pivot, myriad lights illuminate, calamity self-annihilates.”
Sang Le Youling was her right-hand person, naturally, she would not keep this hidden from them.
The White Paper City Lord, thinking of this, took the White Jade Candle, confirmed it was genuine, and then said, “White Jade Candles as such can only be distributed eleven times in a lifetime by Little Le.”
With that, the City Lord’s tone changed slightly: “Why didn’t you present this earlier? And why disguise yourself as another? Did you kill Jiao Ma?”
Ning Zhuo chuckled bitterly: “I just arrived here, unfamiliar with the place and people. I thought to disguise myself, gather local information first, find an entry point, and then request a meeting with Sang Le Youling.”
“Along the way, I happened upon a battlefield where many died, so on a whim, I played the role of one of the dead.”
“Who knew fate would play a trick on me, leading me into the Immortal City, becoming one of the male concubines.”
“I intended to meet Sang Le Youling, but the elder was twice assassinated, and security was tight. Had I appeared as myself, I could have acted openly. But given the thorough investigations and prohibitions within the city, revealing my true form would likely cause much misunderstanding.”
“Thus, cautious of provoking anxieties, I waited until today, using the opportunity of the promotion to express my true intentions to Sang Le Youling.”
“But it ended up like this.”
The White Paper City Lord fell silent once more.
She slightly tightened her grip on the White Jade Candle, revealing her inner turmoil.
The White Paper City Lord was indeed aware of Yang Weida, but knowing Ning Zhuo’s identity now led her to suspect something else.
Even if she couldn’t be sure, her interest in Ning Zhuo surged even more, prompting her to ask in detail: “Who is your mother, and why seek her relics?”
Ning Zhuo showed a sorrowful expression: “My mother’s name was Meng Yaoyin. She passed away when I was two. My purpose in traveling the world is simple: primarily, to learn more about my mother…”
Ning Zhuo did not finish, concealing the primary goal of wanting to resurrect his mother. He prattled on for quite some time, all truthful, without triggering the Suwen Heart-cutting Scroll above his head.
The White Paper City Lord fell silent once more.
This silence lasted longer than before.
Breaking her silence with a somewhat dry voice, she said: “You are a filial child.”
“So be it.”
“I will grant you three Protective Talismans; find the true culprit behind Sang Le Youling’s assassination.”
Saying this, the White Paper City Lord flicked her fingers, and three talismans flashed white, swiftly entering Ning Zhuo’s body.
Ning Zhuo was startled, quickly checking and seeing that the three talismans had occupied the central regions of his Three Elixir Fields.
Ning Zhuo forced a bitter smile and cupped his hands, “City Lord, you have keen insight, and with the Suwen Heart-cutting Scroll here, you must already know I’m not the culprit.”
“I’m just a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, too young to take on such a heavy burden.”
The White Paper City Lord chuckled, “If you don’t want to investigate, you can leave White Paper Immortal City now. These three Talismans are my gift to you.”
After saying that, she flicked her sleeve and disappeared on the spot.
Along with her, Sang Le Youling’s corpse vanished too.
However, before she left, she said one more thing, “With Xiao Le’s death, attacks have erupted both inside and outside the city. You needn’t worry about outside, but the area near the south gate inside is under attack. The statue at the south gate is an Array Eye for the Immortal City Great Array. Go there; you might gather clues.”
“Wen Ruanyu will accompany you.”
“If you don’t want to investigate the true culprit, that’s up to you. The ghost tide is smallest near the south gate, so you could leave.”
Ning Zhuo was stunned.
The White Paper City Lord being so easy to talk to was beyond his expectations.
The great array of Tingyou Pavilion had stopped, and Ning Zhuo regained his freedom.
Sun Lingtong transmitted her thoughts through Divine Sense, “Ha, that paper-faced hag talks nicely, permitting you to move freely and even leave White Paper Immortal City? If that were true, why did she leave three Talismans within your body? They’re clearly monitoring you, a blade hanging over our lifeline!”
Ning Zhuo sighed.
Wen Ruanyu entered, looking agitated, urging him, “Since the City Lord has confirmed you’re innocent and wants you to investigate the case, let’s go.”
“Hurry. It’s very chaotic near the south gate; they say several Golden Core-level Ghost Generals are rampaging!”
Southern City.
The offensive and defensive battle around the half paper man statue had reached a crucial stage.
“Hold on, we must hold on!” Human Clan cultivators shouted to boost morale.
A butcher Ghost General, as fat as a mountain of meat, wielded a bone-cleaving knife the size of a door panel, and struck fiercely.
The slash erupted, causing the defensive Light Shield to tremble precariously.
Cultivators occupied the Array Heart and Array Eye, pouring out Mana, resisting with difficulty.
The mirror makeup Ghost General wielded a copper mirror, emitting light that shook the cultivators within the Light Shield, the unstable Mana transmission causing the defensive Light Shield’s power to plummet.
The chatterbox Ghost General laughed, “Broken, broken, broken!”
Besides the normal mouth, he had a mouth on each side of his cheeks, speaking in unison, emitting an eerie sound wave.
Under the sound wave’s impact, the defensive Light Shield shattered.
The Human Clan cultivators defending the array suffered backlash, simultaneously coughing up blood and collapsing on the spot.
Their battle prowess was gone, becoming lambs awaiting slaughter!
Three Golden Core Ghost Generals charged directly in, with the butcher Ghost General responsible for slaughtering the cultivators, while the other two rushed into deeper layers.
“Oh no, late again!” Wen Ruanyu arrived with Jiao Ma (Ning Zhuo), witnessing the breaking of the defensive magic array, and was filled with rage and shock.
“Although you were entrusted by the City Lord and no longer oppressed by the Immortal City Great Array, you’re just at Foundation Establishment Level, so stay far and protect yourself.”
Wen Ruanyu quickly instructed briefly, not minding Ning Zhuo, and immediately entered the battle.
He was a Confucian Cultivator, wielding a pen, using literary techniques with impressive strength, not an ordinary Golden Core.
The butcher Ghost General had killed a few people but was suppressed by Wen Ruanyu, his wild knife skills unable to rival the small pen.
Sun Lingtong transmitted her thoughts in the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon, “Little Zhuo, take this opportunity, let me have a look and help you steal the Talisman Paper from the Three Elixir Fields!”
All along, Ning Zhuo contemplated the White Paper City Lord’s attitude towards him, pondering carefully, finding it increasingly odd.
She was too easy to talk to.
He somewhat agreed with Sun Lingtong’s analysis.
Immediately, he nodded slowly, “Boss, I leave it to you to check well for me. The White Paper City Lord being so ‘generous,’ must have an agenda.”
With Sang Le Youling dead, Ning Zhuo had no reason to stay.
“This approach can indeed be emulated. There aren’t only this one person who can perform divination,” Ning Zhuo thought privately, unwilling to linger in White Paper Immortal City.
The city’s internal and external predicament, along with this experience, left him speechless.
Look at the current three Ghost Generals, not suppressed by the Immortal City Great Array whatsoever; it’s absurd! This situation must be the cause of previous events. Respecting others’ fate, Ning Zhuo didn’t want to waste more time on this mess.
Bang!
At this moment, Wen Ruanyu’s clash with the three Golden Core-level Ghost Generals broke the array completely, expanding the area revealing the internal workshop.
In the workshop, raging Netherworld Fire almost destroyed everything to ruins.
A human cultivator craftsman urgently called, “Lord Wen, protect the giant statue’s head quickly. If it’s damaged, it will be difficult for us to craft a second one!”
Wen Ruanyu’s expression changed.
The mirror makeup Ghost General fought fiercely, allowing the chatterbox Ghost General to step ahead, trampling on the giant statue’s head.
“Disastrous!” Wen Ruanyu was caught in a dilemma, silently lamenting.
Ning Zhuo’s gaze was involuntarily drawn there.
In the next instant, he was utterly stunned — he first saw the full appearance of the head.
It was…
“Mother?!”