Chapter 173

Ning family dungeon.

Ning Xiaoren sat on the straw, leaning against the wall, his expression dazed.

Ever since he was escorted here, he had been staring blankly, his gaze unfocused, like a statue.

Slight footsteps came.

Ning Xiaoren's ears moved slightly, and he immediately heard that a jailer had left his post.

Then, the door opened, and a pair of footsteps he felt very familiar with were getting closer.

Ning Xiaoren seemed to be suddenly awakened; he recovered his vivid expression, stood up, and walked to the bars of the cell in a few steps.

"Dad!" Sure enough, the next moment, he saw a familiar figure walk out of the shadows from the direction of the prison gate and arrive at this area illuminated by torches.

The person who came was the Ning Clan Leader.

The Ning Clan Leader finally revealed his true emotions at this time, his face gloomy: "Xiaoren, I've come to see you."

Ning Xiaoren's Adam's apple rolled a few times, and he said with a bit of choking: "Dad, I let you down."

The Ning Clan Leader nodded, his tone carrying a hint of "hating iron for not becoming steel": "You have disappointed me very much."

"Do you know where you lost this time?"

Ning Xiaoren nodded: "I know!"

"First, I had long since lost the hearts of the people; serving as Young Clan Leader for these years, I offended too many branch family people. This time, when the wall fell, everyone pushed it, and I couldn't resist."

"Second, I didn't do it thoroughly enough. To frame Ning Ze, I should have been more decisive. Even after framing him, taking his life wouldn't have been a bad idea. In this way, even if Wang Lan and others accused me today, without Ning Ze turning against me, I wouldn't have been so passive!"

"Third, it was my own numbness and carelessness. I have been the Young Clan Leader for many years, used to seeing branch clansmen dare to be angry but not dare to speak, used to seeing them pinch their noses and endure me. I underestimated them, and I underestimated Ning Ze. I indulged him because he had been my subordinate for many years."

"Fourth, and most importantly. I underestimated Ning Zhuo too much!"

"This young man is not simple; he used the hearts of our clan and the situation of the Lava Immortal Palace."

"He only has third-level Qi Refining cultivation and looks very weak, but his methods are actually very seasoned."

"I never thought that such mature handling methods would appear in a sixteen-year-old youth."

The Ning Clan Leader nodded and sighed: "Your analysis is very logical, not bad, it seems you haven't lost your spirit."

"However, although Ning Zhuo is a key figure... today's situation might not have been his personal doing."

"Ning Zhuo has prestige, but he can't command a hundred responses with one call. Ning Youfu, Ning Houjun, and others appeared almost at the same time; someone must have contacted and communicated secretly in advance."

"The clansmen were mobilized too quickly; I'm afraid some of these people were prepared long ago, waiting for the matter to blow up."

"The ancestral hall elder smelled the rich scent of a conspiracy, so he didn't protect you."

Ning Xiaoren's expression was gloomy, and he nodded heavily: "I don't hate him anymore. The ancestral hall elder made a rational choice; at that time, I could no longer face the ironclad evidence. If he had stepped in to protect me, he probably would have lost his position as ancestral hall elder."

The Ning Clan Leader: "It's good that you can understand."

Ning Xiaoren said: "Dad, what should I do next? You must have a way, right?"

"Of course." The Ning Clan Leader nodded, "According to my arrangement, you will be imprisoned for three years."

"This is actually your opportunity!"

"In the dungeon, you must diligently cultivate talismans, research excellent frost talismans, and contribute them to the family for free to atone for your crimes with merit."

"I have already prepared the relevant talismans for you, coming from the legacy of a cultivator somewhere in the North Wind Kingdom."

"About a year later, when the wind has completely died down, you can make slight modifications to the talismans and offer them up."

"And in the days to come, you can just cultivate diligently in this dungeon."

Ning Xiaoren nodded: "Understood, Dad. I'll just treat it as being in seclusion here."

The Ning Clan Leader: "Hmm, I am very gratified that you have such a mindset. Isn't such a setback an opportunity for you to grow?"

"In a person's life, mistakes and failures are inevitable. To be defeated repeatedly and fight repeatedly is the mark of a hero."

Ning Xiaoren sighed: "I will definitely keep Father's teachings in mind."

The Ning Clan Leader: "Once you offer up the talismans, I will reduce your punishment according to the clan rules."

"By then, you can still stay in the family instead of being expelled."

"This Ning family is decided by my main branch; as long as you stay in the family, you don't have to worry about not having opportunities to perform meritorious service and climb back up step by step."

Ning Xiaoren frowned: "Do the others in the main branch have any opinions?"

The Ning Clan Leader snorted coldly: "I have already communicated with them."

"The branch family showed off their power this time, making us in the main branch alert. They also know in their hearts about your past achievements in suppressing the branch family. Therefore, they all unanimously believe that we need to show the branch family some color. Let them know who is really in charge of the Ning family!"

"In the future, Father will discuss more with them, and maybe we can even get some credit from them for you, allowing you to reduce your punishment further."

"What you need to do now is to stay obediently in the dungeon and wait for the storm to subside."

"Father, I understand!" Ning Xiaoren's mood completely calmed down, "Next, how should we clean up the mess?"

"That Ning Zhuo..."

The Ning Clan Leader interrupted him: "Regarding Ning Zhuo, the main branch will not immediately go to trouble him, nor will there be the slightest bit of suppression."

"He is in the limelight now, and all the branch family people are watching him."

"If there is even a little bit of unfair treatment, the branch family will sympathize with him and support him even more, fueling his momentum."

"In fact, we will give him many resources in the near future to ease the conflict between the main branch and the branch family."

Ning Xiaoren's eyes flashed with cold light, and he gritted his teeth: "Give it to him, give him more, the more the better!"

"This kid is extremely greedy for money, on par with me."

"I don't believe he won't fall for the trap!"

"Let him receive the family's tilt and favoritism; I don't believe the branch family people won't be envious and jealous when they see it."

"Use this move to divide his connection with the branch family!"

"Aren't we afraid of the rat when throwing things at him just because he has become a banner for the branch family now?"

The Ning Clan Leader chuckled, showing satisfaction: "Xiaoren, it wasn't in vain that I raised you from a child."

"We have already planned to do so."

"However, it might not succeed."

"According to our discussions, most people feel that Ning Zhuo has an expert pointing him in the right direction behind the scenes."

"The speed at which the branch clansmen gathered today was too fast; Ning Youfu, Ning Houjun, and others seemed to have planned and communicated in advance, acting in unison."

Ning Xiaoren nodded, gritting his teeth, his gaze cold: "If we could catch him colluding with outsiders, that would be great!"

"Ning Zhuo!"

"I didn't expect to fall into the hands of a yellow-mouthed child like you; it's simply a great humiliation."

"One day, I will return the humiliation I suffered today to you tenfold!"

Ning Xiaoren swore, but in the end, he couldn't suppress the monstrous hatred for Ning Zhuo deep in his heart.

The Ning Clan Leader nodded, quite satisfied with Ning Xiaoren's mental state: "Child, take this resentment and cultivate well."

The father and son exchanged a few more words, and the Ning Clan Leader turned and left.

"Father!" Watching the Ning Clan Leader about to disappear into the shadows, Ning Xiaoren called out from behind, "Be careful of Ning Zhuo!"

"Thinking back now, I always feel that this kid Ning Zhuo is not simple, very not simple!"

The Ning Clan Leader stopped and turned, looking at Ning Xiaoren, and nodded slightly: "Dad will focus on him."

"If today's event wasn't caused by the person behind him, but was planned by him alone, then that would be quite terrifying."

"Let's see his next actions."

"Today, he returned in a great victory, his fame soaring; it is an extremely rare opportunity."

"It just depends on whether he can discover this opportunity, seize it, and let himself truly build up momentum."

Ning Ze's residence.

In the master bedroom, Ning Zhuo's uncle and aunt were sitting by the bed.

Aunt Wang Lan was checking Ning Zhuo's uncle's body, casting spells to treat his wounds.

Her eyes were red, and she choked: "Master, you suffered this time."

Ning Ze sighed: "This time it's thanks to you, how did you make up your mind to tell Ning Zhuo the truth?"

Wang Lan said: "Sigh, I never thought about it that way."

"After visiting the prison, I was ready to execute our plan—the next day, kneel to Ning Zhuo in public to force him to return to the renovation team."

"Who knew that that night, I pushed open the door and was startled by Ning Zhuo."

"Ning Zhuo had already entered the room and was waiting for me specifically."

Ning Ze's eyebrows raised slightly: "Hmm? Tell me in detail."

Wang Lan: "I don't know where Ning Zhuo got the information, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he exposed the secret that 'I went to visit the prison, and Ning Xiaoren wanted to use me and you to threaten him into bowing his head'."

"I was very panicked at the time."

"Ning Zhuo then told me that after you were framed for embezzling his cultivation resources, he secretly investigated and found many flaws, generating many suspicions."

"He then said his guess, he guessed the truth!"

"Then, he asked me, could I still continue to believe in Ning Xiaoren's character? Did I want to continue being used by Ning Xiaoren?"

"To truly save you, Ning Xiaoren is absolutely unreliable, we have to rely on ourselves!"

Wang Lan said this and sighed: "Master, I was moved by him."

"What he said made too much sense."

"Then, he told me that Ning Xiaoren had committed a fatal mistake and had too many flaws. He had already contacted important figures in the branch family and was going to turn everything upside down tomorrow and take action against Ning Xiaoren!"

"I was shocked when I heard his plan at the time and really wanted to participate, but I was also very worried about failure, which would eventually harm you, Master."

"Ning Zhuo forced me!"

"He threatened me that if I didn't cooperate, he would confirm the charges Ning Xiaoren arranged for you, making you lose face, ruining your reputation, and making you unable to hold your head up in the family for the rest of your life."

"Master, I know you too well. If that little brat Ning Zhuo really did such a thing, you would definitely be better off dead."

"In the end, I had no choice but to follow his arrangements."