Chapter 310: Two Poems

Ning Zhuo came to the courtyard and saw Zhu Xuanji.

Zhu Xuanji was still wearing a bright red brocade robe with black embroidered edges, his square face expressionless, looking at Ning Zhuo, examining him up and down, his sharp gaze as if it could penetrate the heart.

Ning Zhuo had long been prepared for Zhu Xuanji's uninvited visit.

More accurately, this was his design!

In the palace examination, Ning Zhuo took the initiative to expose many things.

For example, at the beginning, when he fought Sun Lingtong, he used multiple floating hand mechanisms to severely damage the Golden Blood Battle Ape · Da Sheng, so that Sun Lingtong could not bring out Yuan Da Sheng later, causing his own performance to plummet.

In this battle, Ning Zhuo showed his familiarity with the Golden Blood Battle Ape · Da Sheng. Those with a heart realized that Ning Zhuo knew a lot of inside information.

After that, Ning Zhuo used the Five Elements Spirit Turning Plate in public, without showing the "stranger to familiar" inspection process, revealing that he was already familiar with this mechanism part.

And in the recent palace examination, he directly used the blood path circuit board, showing the deeper Demon Dyeing Blood Tendon Art!

These advantages were used by him in the palace examination, providing help for his own beautiful performance.

These were also baits that Ning Zhuo deliberately threw out. Many cultivators and factions took the bait, contacting Ning Zhuo privately, offering high prices to buy.

But they were all rejected by Ning Zhuo.

The fish bait he threw was mainly to fish for Zhu Xuanji!

When Ning Zhuo solved the bet between him and Ning Jiufan, Zhu Xuanji finally took the initiative to find him.

Facing the Divine Catcher Zhu again, the pressure in Ning Zhuo's heart was far less than at the time of the Childcare Garden.

At this time, he had already confessed his guilt, eliminated several flaws, and more importantly, through various operations, strategies, and other means, he had raised his righteous identity to a new height.

The clan head of the Ning clan's split family!

This was a proper high-level figure in a cultivation family.

Becoming a split family clan head at the Qi Refining stage was unimaginable under normal circumstances.

But Ning Zhuo seized the opportunity given by fate, constantly using the Lava Immortal Palace, using the palace examination, to raise his own valuation, and really promoted this matter.

The previous Ning Zhuo had at most two identities: one was a young genius of the Ning clan branch lineage, and the other was the master of the black market. At the Childcare Garden, it was quite easy for Zhu Xuanji to deal with him.

But now, Ning Zhuo had a third identity—the clan head of the Ning clan's split family.

This made Zhu Xuanji have to be cautious.

Cultivators of the demonic path and evil factions would not value these. But Zhu Xuanji was a righteous cultivator and a member of the royal family, respecting excellent rules from the bone. Especially now, he still had to rely on the three-family alliance of the Zhou, Ning, and Zheng families to contend with the Meng family and the Un-Empty Gate, helping himself fight for the position of Palace Master of the Lava Immortal Palace.

Ning Zhuo knew very well that although his cultivation had not changed, his status had risen a lot, and his attitude toward Zhu Xuanji could also change.

He cupped his hands and bowed, first respectfully greeting, and then tactfully expressing that his time was limited, hoping that this exchange with Lord Zhu could be brief.

Zhu Xuanji laughed and pointed at Ning Zhuo: "Just became a split family clan head, and you're shaking."

"Small person achieving ambition, that's the face you have now."

Ning Zhuo also smiled: "Lord Zhu, this is what I have racked my brains and fought for with all my might. If I don't show off, wouldn't I be sorry for my previous efforts?"

This frank appearance made Ning Zhuo appear sincere and not hypocritical.

Zhu Xuanji had a good impression of Ning Zhuo.

On one hand, he had a sense of achievement. He believed that it was he who pulled Ning Zhuo, guiding this young genius to the right path.

On the other hand, Ning Zhuo severely damaged the Golden Blood Battle Ape · Da Sheng in the palace examination, causing Sun Lingtong's performance to plummet, which was a proper meritorious service.

Finally, in the palace examination, whenever he encountered Zhu Xuanji or Ning Jiufan, Ning Zhuo would take the initiative to admit defeat. Such an attitude was very much to Zhu Xuanji's liking.

This was why—Zhu Xuanji had long discovered that Ning Zhuo had hidden a lot of information. When he confessed his guilt before, he didn't spit out all the facts. But he waited until now to ask.

Zhu Xuanji stared into Ning Zhuo's eyes: "Speaking of which, I haven't thanked you yet. In the second round of the palace examination, thanks to you for yielding."

Ning Zhuo hurriedly waved his hand: "Lord, you are too flattering, the boy dare not accept it!"

"My Five Elements Soldiers, in terms of power and effect, cannot compare to your mechanism puppets, Lord."

"Where do you need me to yield, I'm going to lose anyway, taking the initiative to admit defeat can save time and energy."

Zhu Xuanji put his hands behind his back: "Ning Zhuo, tell me the truth, does your Ning clan want this Immortal Palace?"

"I'll tell you the truth first, if your Ning clan has this intention, I can also help and take the initiative to yield, letting you hold this heavy treasure!"

"Among the three families in Fire Persimmon Immortal City, the Zhou and Zheng families are deeply rooted, while your Ning clan comes from the North Wind Kingdom, with an unstable foundation, which is exactly the best ally for my Southern Bean royal family to unite and contend with the local area."

Ning Zhuo didn't hesitate at all, and immediately smiled bitterly: "Lord Zhu, you are frank, and I will also speak from the bottom of my heart. It's not that I haven't had fantasies personally."

"However, the Lava Immortal Palace is too damaged. Just the places where it is dilapidated, the cost of repairing it is terrifyingly high."

"Our Ning clan's foundation is difficult to bear."

"What's more terrifying is that the palace examination is still continuing, and the demon beast tide is intensifying; the Immortal Palace will inevitably become more dilapidated."

"Whichever side gets it will have to pay a huge price to repair it!"

"For our Ning clan, I think that helping you, Lord, achieve final victory, and making friends with the royal family and establishing contact, is the most favorable and stable direction for development."

Zhu Xuanji nodded and stopped talking.

Ning Zhuo exhaled a turbid breath.

He knew that Zhu Xuanji definitely didn't want to yield the position of Palace Master. Even if it were true, Zhu Xuanji actually didn't have the qualification to yield; there was still a third round after the second round of the palace examination.

It would be truly stupid for Ning Zhuo to show interest in the position of Palace Master.

Zhu Xuanji deliberately said this to remind Ning Zhuo not to have desires that did not match his status because he became a split family clan head.

He was also reminding Ning Jiufan not to hope for things he shouldn't get.

This was like the sentence Ning Jiufan said to Ning Zhuo in the room before: "You can say what you want, or you can not say it. Remember, you are already the clan head of my Ning clan's split family."

This sentence was said to Ning Zhuo, and also to the Jin Dan cultivator Zhu Xuanji in the courtyard.

Many high-level exchanges are like this, gentle and implicit.

Zhu Xuanji was satisfied with the attitude Ning Zhuo showed, and only then did he enter the main topic: "You should know my intention in seeking you this time."

Ning Zhuo sighed deeply and bowed to Zhu Xuanji again. With his current confidence, he could already be straightforward to a certain extent: "Lord Zhu, the boy did indeed hide something before. There are indeed many things that are hard to say."

"The junior had already anticipated today's situation, racked his brains, and prepared something."

"This is the limit of what I can do."

Saying that, Ning Zhuo took a piece of paper from his bosom and handed it to Zhu Xuanji.

Zhu Xuanji took it, unfolded the paper on the spot, and saw a poem on it—

Leaving only the shadow in the white clouds,

Clouds drift over distant mountains, the moon is boundless.

Facing the moon, we make a century-old alliance,

Man proposes, Heaven disposes.

He frowned slightly, then relaxed, looked at Ning Zhuo, and nodded lightly at him.

Whether Ning Zhuo really still had a contract with the Un-Empty Gate that he couldn't say much about, or whether Ning Zhuo chose to continue to retain part of the information for his own interests, Zhu Xuanji chose to accept it.

Immediately, his fingers flicked slightly, his magic power spat out, urging flames.

The paper was thrown into the air, already ignited, and quickly turned into fly ash.

Zhu Xuanji turned and left.

Recently, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit had paid more attention to Zhu Xuanji.

When Zhu Xuanji came to Ning Zhuo's residence, it immediately attracted its attention.

The whole process of Ning Zhuo and Zhu Xuanji's exchange was seen by the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit.

Naturally, it also observed the poem on the paper.

It felt puzzled: "What exactly does this mean?"

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit became anxious and restless, thought for a while, and still took the initiative to contact Ning Zhuo.

"Little, Little Master, are you okay?" It pretended to care first, and then began to ask about the purpose of the paper and the poem.

"Don't worry, I just used a little means to send him away again."

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit continued to ask about the meaning of the poem.

Ning Zhuo: "Haha, cannot say, cannot say."

He immediately changed the subject: "Aren't you wanting to bombard the Gourd Fire Furnace Forest and directly destroy the Golden Furnace Ruins? I have made up my mind to do so! It will be launched in the near future. You must be prepared at all times and listen to my summons."

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was overjoyed. It had been worrying recently about how to subdue Ning Zhuo to fire this shot.

Didn't expect Ning Zhuo to be unable to bear the pressure and agree to it.

Ning Zhuo sent Zhu Xuanji away, fobbed off the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, and began to summon his subordinates.

Soon, Ning Xiangguo, Ning Xiangqian, Ning Chen, Ning Yong, and others gathered together.

Ning Zhuo showed everyone the Ning clan plaque and sacrificial tablet he had obtained.

Everyone was overjoyed.

"It's done, the matter of splitting the family is finally done!"

"Boss, you are too amazing."

"Clan Head, we can set up our own door."

The atmosphere in the hall was warm.

Ning Zhuo smiled, giving everyone enough time to express their joy.

After everyone stopped shouting with excitement, he said to someone in the hall: "Turtle Shell Gang Leader, the information I asked you to collect, have you done it?"

Turtle Shell was the leader of the Turtle Breath Gang, good at gathering information.

This time Ning Zhuo specifically transferred him to work in the palace.

Turtle Shell immediately said: "The past words and deeds of the Ning clansmen during this period have been roughly collected. Although it is inevitable that there are omissions, those who believe in rumors and even secretly blow and belittle you, Young Master, I have all recorded them."

The atmosphere in the hall was suddenly silent.

Ning Zhuo took a light sip of tea, slowly put down the cup, and then said: "Very good, very good."

He looked at everyone in the hall: "My uncle lost his son and did such a thing, which is understandable. He wanted to use the mouths of the public to promote revenge for his son."

"But those branch lineage clansmen who followed him and were incited have many people with ulterior motives."

"Even if it's just stupid, it's enough to prove that they are not the objects we need to adopt and recruit."

"What do you think?"

Everyone dared not speak.

Ning Zhuo, with a faint smile, exerted a powerful psychological pressure on them.

In just a few breaths, Ning Chen's back was a little wet.

Ning Zhuo took the opportunity to say: "The matter of me splitting the family and setting up my own door, you must keep it strictly secret. I need to investigate carefully to see who is not looking at me and who is not on the same heart as us."

Everyone hurriedly said they understood.

Although they originally had a strong desire and wished they could create a split family later, the reason Ning Zhuo gave was very proper and reasonable, and no one could refute it.

"I have some things for you to do." Ning Zhuo took out a crystal.

This was the top-grade spirit crystal given to him by Zhu Xuanji, and the ice-attribute spirit power inside had been used up.

Ning Zhuo ordered his subordinates to set up a magic array, contribute their own magic power, purify it into ice-attribute spirit power, and infuse it into the spirit crystal.

Everyone received the order and left excitedly.

The prospect of splitting the family made them excited just thinking about it. They didn't need Ning Zhuo's encouragement; they wanted to perform actively and complete every task Ning Zhuo gave them better, so as to exchange for a higher status in the split family.

Ning Zhuo left Turtle Shell Gang Leader for last, specifically cautioning him to send people to closely monitor Zhu Xuanji's actions.

This task of monitoring Jin Dan cultivators put a lot of pressure on Turtle Shell, but there was no way, he had to obey.

Until Ning Zhuo was alone, he sighed faintly.

The reason he fought for splitting the family was just to eliminate flaws.

This time, using the excuse of investigation to delay the time of establishing the split family was also to avoid implicating Ning Chen, Ning Yong, and this group of people.

Even Ning Xiangguo, the internal traitor, Ning Zhuo had developed some feelings after using him for a long time.

Ning Zhuo didn't know if he would succeed next, so he needed to keep a distance from everyone at this time. To prevent things from going wrong in the future, he would become a wanted criminal and implicate these people.