Chapter 8: Ning Zhuo

Ning clan territory.

Today is the big day for the Ning clan to post the results.

Ning Ze and his wife Wang Lan sat in the middle hall early in the morning, waiting for the big exam results of the two younger generations in the family.

Ning clan disciples began testing their bone structure from birth, once a year, until they were twelve or thirteen.

Those with cultivation aptitude were sent to the family private school, provided for by the family, and engaged in full-time learning until they were sixteen or seventeen, when they took the graduation big exam.

The annual big exam concerns the fate of the young cultivators.

The youths in the top thirty of the big exam were qualified to join the industries of the Ning clan's main branch, and their future was undoubtedly broader.

Wang Lan was drinking tea on the surface, but her gaze glanced at the gate from time to time, unable to hide her nervousness and expectation.

Ning Ze, however, had a vacant gaze, feeling very depressed.

He had waited until dawn, but he never saw the Three Ghosts of the Huang family come back to report.

"They failed!"

"I didn't expect this Child-Like Guest to be so fierce and sinister."

"It's okay, it's okay."

"When I contacted the Three Ghosts of the Huang family, I didn't reveal my true face; the Child-Like Guest couldn't find me."

"The Three Ghosts of the Huang family are famous for nothing; with the Town God Talisman and the spirit pet Green Blade Mantis, they could still lose three against one! I really misjudged them."

"Sigh, Child-Like Guest... what should I do next?"

Ning Ze was forced to have no other way, a move of taking a risk, but it was a painful failure. He had a headache and didn't know how to explain it to the young clan leader.

"Father, Mother, I passed, I made it into the top thirty!" Just then, a youth ran into the room, shouting excitedly.

"Really? Ji-er, did you really pass?!" Wang Lan immediately stood up, her face full of surprise.

The young cultivator Ning Ji said loudly: "Of course! Mother, don't you even believe your own son?"

"Oh?" Ning Ze looked up and saw his son Ning Ji's unrestrained and arrogant smiling face.

On weekdays, Ning Ji's grades were around fortieth, but he didn't expect that he would perform supernormally in this big exam.

This unexpected good news slightly dispelled Ning Ze's worries.

Ning Ji said loudly: "Father, Mother, I have brought honor to you this time. I said it long ago, I have a plan in my heart. Although my grades on weekdays were not good, it was just that I didn't want to exert my full strength."

"Unlike someone!"

"On weekdays, his grades were good, stable in the top thirty. In this big exam, he leaked his bottom and only got 31st. Oh my, he failed!"

When saying this, Ning Ji turned his head and looked at the white-clothed youth walking in behind him, his face full of mockery.

The white-clothed youth was dressed simply, his eyes clear, carrying a thick look of guilt and loss.

"Uncle, Aunt." Ning Zhuo saluted.

Aunt looked at the youth and said sharply: "What? Xiao Zhuo, you failed this time?!"

Ning Ze's face sank, and he reached out to ask: "Bring me the grade sheet to see."

Ning Zhuo took out the grade sheet and handed it to his uncle Ning Ze.

Ning Ze looked down and scanned it, his face as heavy as water.

The next moment, he shook the paper in his hand and said hatefully: "Xiao Zhuo, how could your mistake be so serious this time?"

"I remember you had quite a few small achievements in mechanical arts."

"Before, the mechanical parrot you made was praised by the clan elders."

"Mechanical arts were clearly your strength, how could you get a lower grade this time?"

"Sigh, if it weren't for this lower grade, you would be in the top thirty!"

Aunt's gaze was sharp: "Xiao Zhuo, tell me, have you been taking some private jobs from mechanical workshops recently?"

Without waiting for Ning Zhuo to answer, Aunt sighed: "I told you many times, don't be greedy for money. At your age, you should be studying hard."

"You put your energy into making money, it's simply picking up sesame seeds and losing the watermelon."

"Look at you now, it's great! Outside the top thirty!"

"You can't enter the family's industries!!"

Ning Zhuo heard this and finally gathered his courage: "Aunt, I heard from classmates, I heard that you can pull strings..."

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Aunt's loud voice: "Pull strings? Do you know how many spirit stones it takes to pull strings? Do you know how many people we have to find to pull strings?"

"Oh, you didn't do well in the exam, and with a light sentence, your uncle and I have to run around looking for people, running until our legs break, running through the back door for you everywhere?"

"You still have the nerve to open your mouth!"

"If I had known this, I wouldn't have done it."

"I told you long ago to focus on cultivation and don't take private jobs to earn those few spirit stones."

"What's the use?!"

"If you made it into the top thirty and entered the family's industries, you would earn much more. The key is that there is less work, more time, and it would allow you to continue cultivation."

Ning Zhuo suddenly raised his head, his face full of the blush of being humiliated, and he gritted his teeth and said: "Uncle, Aunt, I, Ning Zhuo, will take responsibility for my own actions!"

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"Since it's 31st place, then forget it."

"Over the years, I have been grateful for the care of the two elders. Failing the exam like this is the evil result I have cast, so it is my own doing!"

"I will take responsibility for my own actions!"

"I don't believe that if I go out, I won't be able to find a way to support myself."

Saying this, Ning Zhuo saluted and left: "Uncle, Aunt, my classmates are waiting for me to have dinner. If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

Uncle stared at Ning Zhuo, silent.

Aunt waved her hand and said disgustedly: "Go, go, you are also big-hearted; you failed the exam so badly, yet you are still in the mood to have dinner!"

Ning Zhuo couldn't stay for a moment, turned around and left in anger.

Cousin Ning Ji sat down comfortably.

Aunt looked at Ning Ji, and her face changed from anger to joy: "My son is still the best!"

She pushed the tea snacks on the table: "Try it, this is the Golden Silk Jade Dew Cake from the Golden Meal Hall. After eating it, it can increase the foundation of the sea of consciousness, strengthen divine sense, and be of great help to your cultivation, and even your future Foundation Establishment!"

Ning Ji's eyes lit up, and he couldn't wait to pick one up and put it in his mouth.

The taste of the Golden Silk Jade Dew Cake was unique; the cake body was soft and glutinous, the golden silk was hard and crispy, and there was a liquid filling inside.

Ning Ji swallowed it in three bites, and he felt a clear energy rise from his abdomen, rushing straight to the top of his head, making his spirit shake.

Ning Ji praised sincerely: "Delicious, delicious!"

"Then eat more, it's all for you." His mother smiled.

Ning Ji ate the remaining three, licked his lips, and was still unsatisfied: "It's worthy of being a product of the Golden Meal Hall, it's delicious! Why are there only four? Are there any more?"

His father snorted coldly: "Each piece of cake here is worth 20 spirit stones. You just ate nearly a hundred spirit stones, and you still want more?"

"Then you have to work harder and not be lazy! You should perform well in the family from now on and strive to earn enough spirit food for yourself with your own hands as soon as possible."

Ning Ji shouted: "Father, I brought honor to you this time! Think about it, if I had my previous grades, you would have to run around pulling strings and giving gifts to send me into the family's industries. My big exam performance was so excellent, but it saved you hundreds of spirit stones; what's wrong with eating a little Golden Silk Jade Dew Cake?"

"Besides, I'm eating this to increase my spirit and let me cultivate better and work harder, right."

"If I had this level of resource supply earlier, my grades would have been at the top long ago."

Ning Father saw his son talking back and glared, about to scold him.

Ning Mother quickly said: "Alright, alright, say less."

She glared at her husband: "My son did well in the exam, so he should be praised. You can't say a few words before you want to criticize him."

"Don't look at my son as usually playful; he is reliable at critical moments."

"Unlike Ning Zhuo, whose grades usually make people let their guard down, and in the end, he is the one who makes people worry the most!"

"Look, just criticized him for a sentence or two, and he turned around and left. So disobedient! Did I say anything wrong?"

"Hmph, and he ran out to eat. He is actually in the mood!"

Ning Ji sneered: "His heart is too high, he thinks he is right, and he can't listen to the earnest teachings of Father and Mother."

"By the way, is our family really going to pull strings for him and waste favors?"

Ning Father snorted coldly: "This is not something you should worry about."

Ning Ji saw his father get angry, subconsciously shrank his neck, and thought of his big exam results, shouting: "Mother, Ning Zhuo can go out to eat, I also want to go out to eat at a restaurant and eat spirit food. Give me some money, you don't know how much I paid for this big exam!"

"Okay, okay, okay." Ning Mother smiled and took out a bag of spirit stones and handed it to Ning Ji.

Ning Ji took the money bag and got up and left.

He walked out of the Ning clan mansion and walked on the street, but he didn't rush to his favorite restaurant, but wandered on the street.

He wanted to see where Ning Zhuo was eating.

Usually, there is no such opportunity, but now that he finally caught it, Ning Ji wanted to ridicule him more to have fun.

As a result, he looked left and right, but couldn't find him.

He asked several shop assistants, and they confirmed that Ning Zhuo had never been there at all.

Ning Ji patted his head and understood: "This kid is putting on a show, where is there any dinner party? I'm afraid at this time, he is crying in the broken house where his mother died!"

"Forget about him, I'll go have a meal first."

Spirit food is not only delicious but also has the effect of increasing cultivation, which Ning Ji is looking forward to very much.

His guess was right about a part of it.

Ning Zhuo had already returned to his own home.

Compared to the residence of his uncle and aunt, Ning Zhuo's house was simple and dilapidated.

Ning Zhuo gently closed the courtyard gate, crossed the small courtyard, walked into the main room, and entered the inner room.

This is his bedroom and also his study.

Although the furniture is old and simple, it is kept very clean.

Ning Zhuo touched the lion paperweight on the desk.

The surface of the lion paperweight flashed a faint light, indicating that no one had been here while he was away.

Ning Zhuo turned around, came to the bed, and gently twisted the railing beside the bed, and suddenly a creaking mechanical sound came.

Soon, the bed moved horizontally to the side, revealing an underground passage.

He stepped on the wooden ladder and entered the underground secret room step by step.

After stepping on the solid ground, he twisted the switch on the wall and moved the bed above his head back to its original place.

There was no light shining from the top, but the runes on the walls around the small basement lit up, making the small space brighter.

At this point, the expressions of loss, grief, and suppression on Ning Zhuo's face disappeared, replaced by a calm face.

He came to the workbench he was most familiar with and sat down; on the workbench were various mechanical parts.

Ning Zhuo pulled open the drawer on his right hand, revealing a drawer full of cakes.

Each cake was wrapped in paper.

On the paper, there was the logo of the Golden Meal Hall.

He grabbed a handful, five or six pieces, and stirred his magic power, and in the next instant, he burned the paper of the cakes without damaging the Golden Silk Jade Dew Cake in the slightest.

Obviously, he had done this many times and was already skilled to the extreme.

Ning Zhuo chewed the cake, his gaze slightly scattered. He reviewed his performance today in his heart.

This good habit, he had kept for more than ten years.

"There shouldn't be any problems."

"It's just that I didn't expect that the performance of others in this big exam was generally poor, and they didn't fully exert their level."

"When I looked at the list before, I almost thought I failed to control the score and made it into the top thirty." ===== CHAPTER 9 =====