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Ning Ze was puzzled and uncertain, as it was the first time Ning Xiaoren had treated him so courteously.

He hurriedly expressed, “If there’s anything you need, please instruct your subordinate, and I will handle it.”

Ning Xiaoren pointed to the seat.

Ning Ze, filled with anxiety, sat down.

Ning Xiaoren took a small sip of tea and sighed, “Ning Ze, you\'ve raised a good nephew.”

Ning Ze quickly stood up. “Master, what has Xiao Zhuo done? I will go back and discipline him properly!”

Ning Xiaoren’s eyes widened slightly as he waved his hand three times. “Sit, sit. Don’t be nervous; this is good news, great news.”

As Ning Xiaoren continued to speak, Ning Ze, who was half-sitting, gradually widened his eyes, and then couldn’t help but open his mouth.

From the moment he left Ning Xiaoren’s reception hall until he returned home, Ning Ze\'s face still held an expression of shock.

**Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage, Peak!**

**Astonishing results in the joint test by the three families!**

**On par with geniuses like Ning Xiaohui and Zheng Jian!**

Was this really Ning Zhuo?

Was this still the Ning Zhuo he remembered?

“How did Xiao Zhuo achieve this? Is the Five Elements Qi Regulation Art truly that suitable for his cultivation?”

Curious and puzzled, Ning Ze called for his wife, Wang Lan. “Prepare a family banquet today, and order some Spirit Food from the restaurant.”

Wang Lan asked in confusion, “Spirit Food is expensive. What’s the special occasion today that warrants such a celebration?”

“It’s a family dinner. Invite Xiao Zhuo to the house. Sigh, I haven’t seen him in a long time,” Ning Ze replied.

Wang Lan’s eyes widened, and she exclaimed, “What? Invite Xiao Zhuo to the house for a meal? And order Spirit Food? Are you out of your mind?”

Ning Ze sternly replied, “What do you know? This is an order from the Young Clan Leader…”

He briefly recounted what Ning Xiaoren had instructed him to do.

Wang Lan stood in place for a long time, stunned.

“Xiao Zhuo?”

“Are you sure it’s Xiao Zhuo?!”

Ning Ze snorted, “How could I deceive you? And would the Young Clan Leader lie to me? The joint test of the three families was witnessed by so many people. How could it be fake?”

Wang Lan’s lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she said nothing.

Her eyes widened, and her expression became quite complicated, with disbelief, denial, resentment, jealousy, and disappointment all mixed in.

Ning Ze’s face darkened. “What are you thinking? Hurry and make the arrangements!”

Wang Lan replied absentmindedly, “Alright, alright, I’ll handle it.”

She turned to leave, her gaze still blank, her walking posture stiff, as if she was lost in a daze.

With no one around, Ning Ze also let out a long sigh.

He had been sternly ordered by Ning Xiaoren to befriend Ning Zhuo and to try his best to gather some information from him.

Ning Zhuo had grown up to sixteen years old, and this was the first time Ning Ze had ever humbled himself to invite Ning Zhuo to a banquet.

Ning Ze valued his reputation, and such an order made him feel uncomfortable, as it challenged 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 as before, and building a good relationship with him could be beneficial.

After leaving the Zhou family, many people accompanied Ning Zhuo for a long distance, even though their paths didn’t align.

At the final intersection, Ning Zhuo bid farewell to the others, keeping only Ning Chen and Ning Yong by his side.

When they returned home, Ning Zhuo invited Ning Chen and Ning Yong inside, offering them tea and exchanging a few words.

Although their time together was limited and they didn’t converse much, Ning Chen and Ning Yong both felt honored after leaving, their faces glowing with happiness. Along the way, they kept discussing how Ning Zhuo was still humble and sincere, even after gaining fame!

Ning Zhuo waited and finally received an invitation to Ning Ze’s family banquet.

“So, it’s not a summons from the Ning family patriarch, nor even a summons from the Young Clan Leader Ning Xiaoren?”

Ning Zhuo scoffed inwardly but outwardly expressed sincere gratitude to the messenger, giving a warm smile and assuring him that he would attend the banquet on time.

The family banquet was lavish!

In his sixteen years, Ning Zhuo had never eaten such fine food at Ning Ze’s house.

Faced with various Spirit Foods, Wang Lan couldn’t eat. During the banquet, she spoke very little, unlike her usual chatterbox self. She hardly looked at Ning Zhuo, as if he radiated a light that would pierce her heart if she dared to glance.

Ning Ji also ate without tasting the food.

For him, everything was happening too suddenly!

Ning Ze maintained a calm demeanor, but the air of superiority he had held for sixteen years as an elder wasn’t something he could let go of instantly.

Ning Zhuo ate and drank little. Each time Ning Ze asked a question, he would set down his cup or chopsticks, respond respectfully, but with concise answers, showing no desire to engage in more conversation, keeping a distant attitude.

Ning Ze knew well that he needed to smile, lower his head, and be more amiable.

But until the end of the banquet, when Ning Zhuo left, he hadn’t managed to do so.

Ning Ji quietly followed Ning Zhuo.

He didn’t know why he was doing this.

Perhaps it was the doubt in his heart: “How did he reach the peak of the third layer? It’s so unreasonable!”

“Is it really because the cultivation method is particularly suitable?”

“No, I have to investigate. He must have some secret!!”

“Following me?” Ning Zhuo had long noticed Ning Ji trailing him, so he deliberately slowed his pace, making it easier for the latter to follow.

Under Ning Ji’s watchful eyes, Ning Zhuo visited many pill shops, purchasing a large number of pills, all for cultivation.

Ning Ji was shocked. “How is he so rich?! Richer than my father?”

“Even though he’s shown his cultivation, the family resources haven’t been distributed to him yet. Even if they had, it wouldn’t be enough for so many Spirit Stones.”

“Illicit gains, his money must be illicit!!”

“I have to report this!”

Ning Ji was overjoyed and hurried home to report the matter to Ning Ze.

Ning Xiaoren learned of this situation even earlier than Ning Ze. After instructing Ning Ze to befriend Ning Zhuo, he immediately dispatched a team of cultivators to secretly protect Ning Zhuo. Of course, they were also there to monitor and report on him at all times.

“Ning Zhuo actually possesses such a huge sum?” Ning Xiaoren couldn’t believe it as he read the list in his hand.

The list detailed the large number of pills Ning Zhuo had purchased.

Ning Xiaoren’s eyes burned with envy as he read. “If I had known Ning Zhuo was so wealthy, I should have gotten closer to him.”

“Did his parents secretly leave it to him?”

“Or is this money illicit, stolen? Or perhaps he’s being secretly funded by demonic cultivators?”

Ning Xiaoren paced back and forth in his study.

As he pondered, the fire of greed in his heart grew ever stronger.

“Ning Zhuo is a branch family member, now with cultivation on par with Ning Xiaohui. And now he has a huge sum accompanying him…”

“This huge sum has an unclear origin. For the sake of the family, I must investigate thoroughly.”

“Moreover, I don’t need to act personally; I can have Ning Ze handle it. Wouldn’t that be perfect?”

Finally, he stopped in his tracks and shouted toward the door, “Someone, come!”

A servant 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. “Do we really have to do this? It’s too improper.”

Ning Fan replied, “Didn’t the Young Clan Leader give you detailed instructions? Modifying the team concerns the Lava Immortal Palace, a matter of utmost importance. Ning Zhuo’s huge sum indeed has an unclear origin. As his elder, you must take action.”

“The family might still need to rely on Ning Zhuo, and as his relative, you are the most suitable person.”

“Hurry up and do it.”

Ning Ze was from a branch family, while Ning Fan was from the main family. The latter had been specifically sent by Ning Xiaoren to supervise the former.

Ning Ze sighed and reluctantly knocked on the courtyard door.

Ning Zhuo opened the door, greeted them respectfully, and inquired about their purpose.

“We’ll discuss it inside.” Ning Ze\'s face was stern as he stepped into the courtyard without waiting for Ning Zhuo to invite him in.

The others followed suit, pushing Ning Zhuo aside toward the door.

Meanwhile.

The three family patriarchs met secretly again to continue their negotiations.

This time, they

aimed to finalize the distribution of benefits from the three-family alliance.

“This Phoenix Soul Fragrance Pill is very effective in restoring Soul Power. It should be distributed equally among the three families.”

“No,” the Ning family patriarch objected. “Our family has two geniuses, Ning Xiaohui and Ning Zhuo, so we should be adequately supplied. On the other hand, the Zheng family has only one.”

The Zheng family patriarch immediately snorted, “That Ning Zhuo is merely compatible with the cultivation method; he has no real talent. How can he be considered a genius? He’s not, not at all!”

Just then, a knock on the door suddenly sounded.

The three patriarchs\' pupils shrank, and their hearts trembled.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Zhu Xuanji!”

“Ah, it’s the great Detective Zhu.” The three patriarchs quickly opened the door and welcomed Zhu Xuanji inside.

They had stationed guards outside, but since it was a Golden Core stage cultivator, those defenses were naturally useless.

Zhu Xuanji smiled. “Patriarchs, I have a request.”

Zhu Xuanji had already obtained detailed records from the City Lord, detailing the cultivators who had entered the Lava Immortal Palace over the years.

But these were only the records from the City Lord’s residence.

Zhu Xuanji hoped to obtain the records from the three major families to piece together a more complete version.

The three patriarchs were only Foundation Establishment stage cultivators, and their alliance against the City Lord’s residence was, to some extent, aligned with the interests of the royal family.

The three patriarchs immediately sent people to retrieve their records and handed them over to Zhu Xuanji.

Most of the records came from the Zheng and Zhou families, as the Ning family had only discovered the Lava Immortal Palace this year, so their records were sparse.

Zhu Xuanji glanced at the records, nodding in satisfaction.

As a member of the royal family, he did not want to see Meng Kui and Meng Chong take over the Lava Immortal Palace, allowing the Meng family’s influence to expand further.

Before leaving, he gave them a piece of advice, “I heard a familiar name on my way here. If you’re talking about Ning Zhuo, it might be worth cultivating this young man.”

“His character needs to be observed, but he does have some talent in mechanisms.”

“The Mechanical Explosive Monkey was designed and created by him.”

The three patriarchs’ eyes widened in shock.

The Ning family patriarch gasped, “What?!”

Zhu Xuanji smiled slightly. “Outwardly, it’s attributed to the Flying Disk Workshop’s owner, Chen Cha, but there’s more to the story, involving Fei Si. If you investigate, you’ll find out.”

Just that one explanation was enough.

Zhu Xuanji waved his hand and disappeared.

Leaving the three patriarchs staring at each other.

Gradually, the Ning family patriarch raised his head slightly, exhaled a breath of turbid air, and a look of joy spread across his face. “Did you two hear that clearly? This was said by Detective Zhu himself!”

The Zhou and Zheng family patriarchs were momentarily speechless.

In his joy, the Ning family patriarch had no idea that Ning Zhuo was currently being severely interrogated by his own family.