Ning Zhuo gathered the entire army again, instructing them to strictly adhere to the actual battle achievements this time. They were to say only that after entering the Netherworld, they engaged in a skirmish, fled in all directions, and finally managed to return to the Mortal World with the help of the Netherworld River.
As for this matter, the Lord of Wanchuan would certainly not make a fanfare; the true body of the Silent Ghost Monk still had not returned, and the Life Buddha Wheel had fallen into Luo Si’s hands.
As for the batch of Forbidden Army from the Lord of Wanchuan, they were completely annihilated long ago in the Black Cloud Battlefield.
So, as long as the Qing Jiao Army keeps their mouths shut, the cultivators of White Paper Immortal City can only speculate and cannot confirm anything.
According to the message left by Buddhist Doctor Meng Yaoyin, the Qing Jiao Army needed to temporarily keep this secret strictly.
Given Ning Zhuo’s temperament, he would have made such a decision himself.
The Qing Jiao Army rested for half a day, then broke camp and swiftly moved away from the Netherworld River, approaching White Paper Immortal City.
When they were ten miles from White Paper Immortal City, they pitched camp again under Ning Zhuo’s orders.
This location was quite delicate, not far from where the ghost army of the past had encamped!
As the Qing Jiao Army was marching, some cultivators detected them and sent this important information to White Paper Immortal City.
So, as soon as they settled down and entered the Festival Camp, cultivators came to visit.
This person descended from the sky, landing slowly, with robes fluttering in a manner that exuded an otherworldly grace.
His brows and eyes were gentle, his gaze clear, possessing a clarity that understood worldly matters. His face had soft yet handsome contours, and his smile was warm and harmonious.
He exuded a gentle and peaceful aura from within, like a meticulously carved piece of exquisite jade, with a restrained brilliance, warm to the touch, making people forget the mundane upon seeing him, fostering a sense of closeness.
It was indeed Wen Ruanyu, the True Inheritor of Myriad Images Sect.
Ning Zhuo mounted the black-blooded paper horse, stood at the entrance of the camp to welcome him.
Wen Ruanyu spoke aloud, "Nephew Ning Zhuo, you’ve had a hard journey. Leading the Qing Jiao Army deep into enemy territory and returning safely is indeed a blessing for White Paper Immortal City, allowing me to finally relieve the burden on my heart!"
In White Paper Immortal City, he had long known Ning Zhuo’s true appearance and identity.
At this moment, seeing Ning Zhuo revealing his true self, he was inwardly surprised but outwardly appeared natural.
Ning Zhuo dismounted, bowed and thanked him, and led Wen Ruanyu into the camp.
Aside from the wounded cultivators, the entire Qing Jiao Army was assembled together, awaiting Ning Zhuo’s orders, demonstrating their united, battle-ready ferocity to Wen Ruanyu.
Seeing this, Wen Ruanyu’s smile grew even broader.
Although he didn’t know how Ning Zhuo resolved the misunderstanding with the Qing Jiao Army and maintained control over the whole army.
These details were unimportant; the crucial point was Ning Zhuo’s continuing significant influence over the Qing Jiao Army!
"Senior Wen, look at these, these are our spoils." Ning Zhuo presented a large number of ghost corpses to him.
Looking over them, Wen Ruanyu couldn’t help but be moved: "I never expected, Nephew, that you could achieve such feats leading the Qing Jiao Army. I hereby, on behalf of the countless citizens in the city, thank all the soldiers for their bloody battles and also congratulate you, Nephew, on such unparalleled achievements!"
At the end, Wen Ruanyu raised his voice dramatically, his voice echoing throughout the camp.
On one hand, he represented White Paper Immortal City, affirming Ning Zhuo’s identity and confirming his leadership position over the Qing Jiao Army. On the other hand, he also aimed to reassure the entire Qing Jiao Army, boosting their morale.
The Qing Jiao Army, however, remained silent.
Many wore proud expressions, while some remained indifferent.
The spoils they collected were far more than these; what was shown was indeed just a trivial part.
This was a legendary battle! Revealing the full story, it might shock the world.
Ning Zhuo ordered them to maintain secrecy, and they willingly obeyed.
Ning Zhuo had won over the entire army with his truly terrifying achievements. In this legendary battle, Ning Zhuo protected the entire army multiple times, ultimately defeating a Divinity Transformation level expert. Such astounding results even drew the heavens’ resentment in the Netherworld!
Such remarkable feats shook both heaven and earth.
In fact, even the ghost gods suffered a disastrous defeat.
In the Water Burial Valley, the Qing Jiao Army assisted Ning Zhuo in organizing the battlefield, with many personally involved in dissecting ghost gods’ bodies!
Having such legendary experiences and achievements, the Qing Jiao Army had transformed inherently, not in strength, but on a spiritual level. They embodied an attitude and pride of "Having been through this, what future dangers could possibly scare us?"
Wen Ruanyu couldn’t help but notice, thinking: "These people have just made a trip to the Netherworld, yet they seem completely different now!"
He spoke a few more pleasantries, then transmitted his thoughts to Ning Zhuo with Divine Sense: "Nephew, let me speak with you in private. There are some... recent developments in the city that you should be aware of."
Ning Zhuo then led Wen Ruanyu into the command tent and spoke proactively without waiting for Wen Ruanyu to start: "Is it that the White Paper City Lord has different plans for my Qing Jiao Army?"
Wen Ruanyu gave a bitter smile: "Nephew, you guessed correctly."
"She appointed me to meet you precisely to arrange a grand welcoming ceremony."
"Then, please join Qing Chi, Qing Yan, and other leaders to enter through the South City Gate, to enjoy the welcome of the entire city’s citizens."
"But I advise you, it’s safest to feign illness and refrain from participating. The Qing Jiao Army can continue to be stationed here until the White Paper City Lord makes a genuine commitment."
Ning Zhuo nodded: "That’s exactly what I was thinking."
According to the jade slip’s message, White Paper Immortal City wasn’t aware that the Lord of Wanchuan had been completely defeated, and still believed the ghost tide and invading army were present. This situation could be exploited.
On the other hand, Ning Zhuo had long understood the strong personality of the current White Paper City Lord.
Previously, the enemy’s siege and the powerful external pressure from the ghost tide forced the White Paper City Lord to support the Qing Jiao Army, leveraging Ning Zhuo and all other external forces to first maintain her position, and then ensure the safety of White Paper Immortal City.
Now, with the retreat of the ghost tide and the enemy army, White Paper Immortal City had a long period of stability and rest. In the eyes of the White Paper City Lord, the return of the Qing Jiao Army became a pressing issue that needed addressing promptly!
White Paper Immortal City had attempted many times before to establish a Cultivation Army, but never succeeded.
This time, in the success of establishing the Qing Jiao Army, it was a collaboration of man, time, and place, all factors coming together.
The White Paper City Lord wanted to try again, to establish her own army, but North Wind Country and Flying Cloud Country would never allow that.
The Qing Jiao Army had become the greatest force, no longer a monopoly in the Yin Tide Black Swamp!
The White Paper City Lord wanted to maintain her rule, and now she must find a way to properly manage the Qing Jiao Army. Previously, while the Qing Jiao Army was away in the Netherworld, the White Paper City Lord was busy with post-battle preparations. Now that the Qing Jiao Army had returned, they became a major issue that the City Lord needed to quickly resolve!
How she handled the Qing Jiao Army would determine the political landscape of the Yin Tide Black Swamp for the next century.
After discovering Ning Zhuo is Meng Yaoyin’s son, Wen Ruanyu was clearly on Ning Zhuo’s side.
He was very worried that Ning Zhuo might become complacent and came specifically to remind him.
But Ning Zhuo thought: "Doesn’t the White Paper City Lord know about Wen Ruanyu’s attitude toward me? She sent Wen Ruanyu intending to put on a grand display." "This time, she is arranging a grand welcoming ceremony for you."
"Upon your return, she wants to throw a grand celebration to welcome you back."
"But I advise you to claim you are too injured and ill to attend. The Qing Jiao Army can remain stationed here until the White Paper City Lord makes an official decision."
Ning Zhuo then thanked Wen Ruanyu and asked him to wait for a moment.
He directly wrote a flying message in front of Wen Ruanyu, allowing him to review it before asking him to take it back.
After reading the flying message, Wen Ruanyu finally set aside his worries and, glancing at Ning Zhuo with admiration, agreed to take it back.
When evening came, White Paper City Lord’s paperman avatar arrived at the camp, accompanied by Yang Sanyan and Zhou Wenyang.
"Here is the Divine Contract, as stated in Daoist Fellow Ning’s letter, please review it."
"It is my honor to witness the forming of an alliance between you two," said Zhou Wenyang as he produced a contract.
Ning Zhuo unfolded the contract and carefully examined it, then handed it to Sun Lingtong for verification.
The latter inspected it before nodding slightly to Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo and the White Paper City Lord’s avatar then formally signed this Divine Contract, thereby finalizing the political landscape of the Yin Tide Black Swamp for a century!