Ning Xiaoren returned to his reception room and soon summoned Ning Ze.
"Come, sit, have some tea." Ning Xiaoren smiled and invited Ning Ze to sit beside him.
Ning Ze felt both surprised and uncertain; it was the first time Ning Xiaoren had treated him so cordially.
He quickly said, "If there's anything you need, Young Clan Leader, please command me, and I will do it."
Ning Xiaoren pointed to the seat.
Ning Ze nervously sat down.
Ning Xiaoren sipped his tea gently, a sigh escaping his lips: "Ning Ze, you have raised a good nephew."
Ning Ze immediately stood up: "My lord, what did Little Zhuo do wrong? I will go back and discipline him properly!"
Ning Xiaoren widened his eyes slightly and gestured three times with his hand: "Sit, sit. No need to worry; it's good news."
As Ning Xiaoren explained, Ning Ze, who had been sitting on the edge of his seat, gradually widened his eyes, and his mouth gaped open.
From the moment he left Ning Xiaoren's reception room until he got back home, he still wore a stunned expression.
Qi Refinement Third Layer Peak!
The joint test of the three families, he stood out!
On par with Ning Xiaohui and Zheng Jian, among other geniuses!
Is this Ning Zhuo?
Is this still the Ning Zhuo I know?
"How did Little Zhuo accomplish this? Is the Five Elements Qi Regulation Art really that suitable for him?"
With such curiosity and confusion, Ning Ze called his wife Wang Lan: "Prepare a family banquet today; go to the restaurant and order some Spirit Food."
Wang Lan asked, puzzled: "Ordering Spirit Food costs a lot of money. Husband, what is the special occasion that deserves such celebration today?"
"It's a family banquet, inviting Little Zhuo over. Alas, as his uncle, I haven't seen him in a long time." Ning Ze said.
Wang Lan widened her eyes and exclaimed: "What? Inviting Little Zhuo over for food and drink? And ordering Spirit Food? Husband, have you gone mad?"
Ning Ze sternly retorted: "Women are ignorant of these matters. This is a task given to me by the Young Clan Leader..."
He then briefly recounted some of Ning Xiaoren's words.
Wang Lan listened, stunned in place for a long time.
"Little Zhuo?"
"Are you sure it's Little Zhuo?!"
Ning Ze snorted coldly: "How could I lie to you? Would the Young Clan Leader deceive me? During the joint test of the three families, many people saw it; it couldn't be faked."
Wang Lan's lips moved as if to say something but, in the end, she said nothing.
Her eyes widened with a complex expression—disbelief, denial, resentment, jealousy, and disappointment all mingled together.
Ning Ze's face darkened: "What are you thinking? Go make the arrangements immediately!"
Wang Lan acknowledged: "Alright, husband, I will handle it right away."
She turned to leave, her gaze still vacant, her walk stiff, the very picture of someone in shock.
With no one else around, Ning Ze let out a long sigh.
He had been given strict orders by Ning Xiaoren to win Ning Zhuo over and to try to gather some information from him.
In Ning Zhuo's sixteen years of life, this was the first time Ning Ze had humbled himself to invite him to a banquet.
Ning Ze valued his pride, and such an order made him uncomfortable. How could he preserve his dignity as an elder?
But he had no choice.
With a direct order from the Young Clan Leader, he had to comply.
Of course, his rational mind also told him that Ning Zhuo was no longer the same, and maintaining good relations with him would be beneficial.
After leaving the Zhou Family, many people accompanied Ning Zhuo a long way, even though it wasn't their direction.
At the last intersection, Ning Zhuo took the initiative to bid everyone farewell, only keeping Ning Chen and Ning Yong by his side.
When they got home, he invited Ning Chen and Ning Yong in for tea and a brief chat.
Despite the short time and limited conversation, Ning Chen and Ning Yong felt honored and elated afterward, discussing all the way how Ning Zhuo had not become arrogant despite his newfound fame and still treated people sincerely.
Ning Zhuo waited patiently and finally received Ning Ze's invitation to the family banquet.
"Not from the Ning Family Clan Leader, nor even from the Young Clan Leader Ning Xiaoren?"
Ning Zhuo sneered inwardly but outwardly thanked the messenger sincerely, smiling warmly and assuring him that he would attend on time.
The family banquet was lavish!
In his sixteen years, Ning Zhuo had never had such a fine meal at Ning Ze's place.
Despite the elaborate Spirit Food, Wang Lan couldn't eat. Throughout the banquet, she spoke little, a stark contrast to her usual chatter. She rarely glanced at Ning Zhuo, as if he emitted a constant radiance that pained her heart with each look.
Ning Ji couldn't taste his food either.
To him, it all happened too suddenly!
Ning Ze's face was indifferent; the sixteen years of maintaining his elder status weren't something he could drop all at once.
Ning Zhuo didn't eat or drink much; each time Ning Ze asked him a question, he put down his cup and chopsticks, responding respectfully. His answers were brief and to the point, unwilling to talk more—a distant demeanor.
Ning Ze knew well that he needed to smile, bow his head, and be more conciliatory.
But until the banquet ended and Ning Zhuo left, he hadn't managed to do so.
Ning Ji quietly followed Ning Zhuo.
He didn't even know why he was doing it.
Perhaps it was his inner doubt: "How could he reach the Third Layer Peak? It doesn't make sense!"
"Is it really the cultivation technique that's perfectly compatible?"
"No, I need to investigate; he must have some secret!!"
"Following me?" Ning Zhuo had long noticed Ning Ji behind him and deliberately slowed his pace to facilitate the latter's tracking.
Under Ning Ji's watchful eyes, Ning Zhuo visited several elixir shops, purchasing a large quantity of elixirs, all for cultivation.
Ning Ji was shocked: "How is he so wealthy?! Even richer than my father?"
"Though he's shown his cultivation, the clan's resources haven't been allocated to him yet. Even if they were, it wouldn't be this many Spirit Stones."
"Illegitimate. His money must be ill-gotten!!"
"I need to report this!"
Ning Ji was elated and quickly returned home to inform Ning Ze of the matter.
Ning Xiaoren learned of the situation even before Ning Ze did. After instructing Ning Ze to build good relations, he immediately dispatched a team of cultivators to secretly protect Ning Zhuo. Of course, they also intended to monitor and report back.
"Ning Zhuo actually possessed such a huge sum?" Ning Xiaoren was incredulous as he looked at the list in his hand.
The list detailed the large quantities of elixirs that Ning Zhuo had purchased.
Ning Xiaoren's eyes flared: "Had I known Ning Zhuo had so much money, I should have gotten close to him."
"Did his parents secretly leave it to him?"
"Or is the money ill-gotten, tainted? Or perhaps funded by Demon Cultivators in secret?"
Ning Xiaoren paced incessantly in his study.
As he pondered, the fire of his greed burned even stronger.
"Ning Zhuo is from a branch family, now on par with Ning Xiaohui in cultivation level. And now, with a huge sum of money..."
"This money's origin is unclear; for the family's sake, I must get to the bottom of it."
"Besides, I don't need to act personally; I can let Ning Ze handle it. Isn't that perfectly fitting?"
Finally, he stopped in his tracks and called out to the door: "Someone come!"
The attendant immediately entered.
Half an hour later, Ning Ze and Ning Fan led a team of cultivators to surround Ning Zhuo's small courtyard.
Ning Ze frowned deeply: "Do we really have to act this way? It seems inappropriate."
Ning Fan replied: "Didn't the Young Clan Leader explain it clearly? The Renovation Team's work related to the Magma Fairy Palace is an essential matter and cannot be neglected. Ning Zhuo's large sum of money indeed has an unclear origin; as his uncle, you must intervene."
"The family might need to rely on Ning Zhuo. You are his relative and the most suitable person for this task."
"Go ahead."
Ning Ze was from a branch family, while Ning Fan was from the main family. The latter was specifically dispatched by Ning Xiaoren to oversee the former.
Ning Ze sighed and knocked on the courtyard door.
Ning Zhuo opened the door, respectfully saluted, and inquired about their purpose.
"We need to talk inside." Ning Ze, with a stern face, stepped in without waiting for Ning Zhuo's invitation.
The people behind him followed in a line, pushing Ning Zhuo to the side.
Meanwhile.
The three clan leaders met again in secret to continue their negotiations.
This time, they were to finalize the distribution of benefits from the joint venture of the three families.
"This Phoenix Soul Blood Fragrance Pill is very useful for restoring soul power; it should be equally distributed among the three families."
"No." The Ning Family Clan Leader objected, "Our family has two geniuses, Ning Xiaohui and Ning Zhuo. They should be adequately supplied, right? In contrast, the Zheng Family has only one."
The Zheng Family Clan Leader snorted coldly: "But Ning Zhuo simply has a compatible cultivation technique and no exceptional talent. How is he a genius? He's not, he's not!"
Just then, a knock sounded.
The three clan leaders' pupils constricted, their hearts pounding.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Zhu Xuanji!"
"Ah, it's the Divine Hunter." The three clan leaders quickly opened the door and welcomed Zhu Xuanji in.
They had stationed guards outside, but for a Golden Core Cultivator, such a defense was meaningless.
Zhu Xuanji smiled: "Clan leaders, I come with a request."
Zhu Xuanji had obtained detailed records from the City Lord, recounting the cultivators who had entered the Magma Fairy Palace over the years.
But these were only the records from the City Lord's Mansion.
Zhu Xuanji hoped to get records from each of the three families to piece together a more complete picture.
The three clan leaders were all at the Foundation Establishment Stage and united against the City Lord's Mansion; to some extent, their interests aligned with those of the Royal Family.
The three clan leaders immediately ordered their subordinates to retrieve and deliver the records to Zhu Xuanji.
Primarily from the Zheng Family and the Zhou Family, the Ning Family had only discovered the Magma Fairy Palace this year, so their records were minimal.
Zhu Xuanji glanced at the records, nodding repeatedly, greatly satisfied.
As a member of the Royal Family, he did not wish to see Meng Kui and Meng Chong seize the Magma Fairy Palace and expand the Meng Family's power.
Thus, before leaving, he offered a piece of advice: "I heard a familiar name on my way here. If you're speaking of Ning Zhuo, it might be worth nurturing this boy."
"In terms of character, he requires observation, but he does have some talent for mechanisms."
"The Explosive Flame Monkey was designed and created by him."
All three clan leaders widened their eyes, shock etched across their faces.
The Ning Family Clan Leader exclaimed: "What?!"
Zhu Xuanji smiled slightly: "Outwardly attributed to Chen Cha, the head of the flying disc workshop, but there's a hidden truth linked to Fei Si. Investigate, and you'll find out."
A single explanation sufficed.
Zhu Xuanji waved and vanished.
Leaving the three clan leaders staring at each other.
Gradually, the Ning Family Clan Leader tilted his head back, releasing a breath of impure air, and a look of joy spread across his face: "Did you both hear that clearly? This was said directly by Divine Hunter Zhu Xuanji!"
The Zhou and Zheng Family Clan Leaders fell into silent contemplation.
Unbeknownst to the elated Ning Family Clan Leader, Ning Zhuo was undergoing harsh interrogation from within the family.