Chapter 344

Clearly, this timing was carefully chosen by Song Fuli.

Seeing that the flowing banquet was about to end, guests would gradually leave. Under these circumstances, his blocking the gate would inevitably lead to a very ugly scene.

The usher, seeing Song Fuli's behavior, realized what was happening and immediately broke into a cold sweat, his face turning pale.

He wanted to muster his courage to continue negotiating, but Song Fuli just glared at him slightly, and he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, unable to move.

Another usher, seeing this situation, hurriedly turned around and ran all the way, stumbling into the banquet hall.

Around the main table, cultivators were coming and going in an endless stream.

Ning Zhuo was always surrounded by crowds. As the head of the Ning branch family, he had to smile throughout this moment, accepting toasts from others, which was also a way of confirming his relationship and status with these people.

Ning Zhuo was not impatient; on the contrary, he enjoyed it.

The usher finally pushed through the crowd, squeezed in, and reported to Ning Zhuo via voice transmission.

Ning Zhuo smiled slightly and said in public: "It's just Song Fuli, what is there to fear? Just ignore him; I have already made arrangements."

Seeing Ning Zhuo's extraordinary confidence, the usher had no choice but to retreat, half-believing and half-doubting.

The people around him heard Ning Zhuo's words and all looked at each other, becoming terrified.

Ning Zhuo didn't care and continued to chat and laugh with the people around him. Everyone was at a loss at first, their smiles stiff. Slowly, they relaxed a little.

Regardless of anything else, Ning Zhuo's demeanor of remaining calm even if Mount Tai collapsed before him immediately won over many people.

Song Fuli stood at the gate, expressionless, his arms crossed, like a stone statue, radiating an aura that kept strangers away.

Suddenly, a letter flew over and hovered in front of him.

Song Fuli scanned it with his spiritual sense, read the contents of the letter, and discovered it was a letter from Ning Jiufan.

He knew that this Jin Dan ancestor of the Ning family had formidable combat power. But since he had taken such action, he had long considered the problem of facing Ning Jiufan.

Song Fuli put away the letter and continued to block the gate, clearly not giving Ning Jiufan any face.

Almost back-to-back, another flying letter arrived at his side.

This letter came from Fei Si of the City Lord's Mansion.

The content of the letter was much the same as Ning Jiufan's; Fei Si persuaded Song Fuli to stop and not to disrupt order.

Song Fuli felt a slight chill: "The City Lord's Mansion actually supports Ning Zhuo this much?"

Song Fuli showed hesitation.

The next moment, a third flying letter was delivered to him.

This flying letter carried the mark of the Nandou royal family. Song Fuli reached out to take the letter and checked it with his spiritual sense. Sure enough, this letter came from Zhu Xuanji.

Zhu Xuanji's meaning was much the same as the previous two.

It was just that the wording was softer and more overbearing. In the letter, Zhu Xuanji kindly persuaded Song Fuli not to be impulsive, to think more about the relationship between the two countries before doing things, to think more about the future path of the Cloud Whale caravan, and to be calm.

The most critical point was that even if Ning Zhuo possessed the mechanical creation known as the Milk Butterfly Lady, it was only his war trophy!

Such partial words made Song Fuli show anger.

But soon, he suppressed this anger and couldn't help but subconsciously look up at the plaque on the gate.

This plaque had just been hung up.

Song Fuli's feeling about it was already completely different from before.

Three consecutive letters completely proved that Ning Zhuo's branch family had already gained a firm foothold.

In addition to Ning Jiufan of the main branch, the City Lord's Mansion and the Zhu royal family also recognized it.

What kind of trouble was there to find?

If he continued to be "ignorant of what is good for him," he would be the one to suffer!

Even if this was just a newly separated force, it was still a local snake in Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

A strong dragon finds it hard to suppress a local snake!

Song Fuli snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and left.

The usher, who had long been soaked in sweat, slumped down, looking at Song Fuli's departing back, his face full of lingering fear: "Finally, he's gone!"

The usher who had returned to report, however, turned his head sharply and looked toward the banquet hall.

His eyes shone, and he was incomparably excited in his heart: "The Clan Head's methods are heaven-reaching! He didn't even show his face, yet he settled a Jin Dan cultivator like Song Fuli! This is just too amazing!"

The Lava Immortal Palace had already settled, the beast tide had completely dispersed, and the Flying Cloud caravan seemed redundant, especially the huge Cloud Whale floating in the sky, which looked even more of an eyesore!

Song Fuli had asked for trouble in front of Ning Zhuo's branch family gate and realized this point.

"Hmph, the face of the righteous path!"

He went to the City Lord's Mansion, met with Fei Si, and stated bluntly that he and the caravan would leave the city in a few days and head to the next Immortal City.

Fei Si, while showing reluctance, confirmed the exact departure date of Song Fuli and the others; hearing that it was tomorrow, the smile and reluctance on his face increased by a few points.

Ning Zhuo's branch family had no evil guests blocking the door, and the flowing banquet dispersed smoothly.

A large number of guests returned and conveyed the grand situation of Ning Zhuo's branch family ceremony and the many gifts received during the banquet.

And the more it spread, the more it spread; for a time, relevant information circulated throughout the city, changing people's hearts and once again stabilizing the branch family's prestige.

Ning Jiufan and Zhu Xuanji were in a secret discussion.

"Song Fuli has retreated." Zhu Xuanji received the latest intelligence, expressionless.

Ning Jiufan sneered: "He can be considered sensible."

Zhu Xuanji shook his head slightly: "He is a cloud merchant, traveling north and south, his stance is naturally flexible; coming to block the door this time was just because he felt Ning Zhuo was weak and easy to bully. In fact, he is an outsider and doesn't know what happened in the end. After recognizing reality, he took the initiative to retreat. I don't feel any surprise about this."

Speaking of this, Zhu Xuanji looked at Ning Jiufan and praised sincerely: "Your Ning family has produced a Qilin."

Ning Jiufan stroked his beard and smiled.

Ning Zhuo was only a low-level cultivator, yet he used the influence of three parties to directly force back the Jin Dan cultivator Song Fuli.

From this point of view, Ning Zhuo's methods were quite brilliant. His administrative ability as a clan head was absolutely sufficient.

In fact, Ning Jiufan had already discovered this talent of Ning Zhuo after hearing about the three-party agreement of the Lava Immortal Palace before. Now it was just confirming it again.

The two continued their secret discussion and finally reached an agreement, signing a covenant.

Zhu Xuanji handed a jade slip and a magic treasure to Ning Jiufan on the spot.

Ning Jiufan scanned the contents of the jade slip with his spiritual sense and nodded with satisfaction.

This jade slip contained the Beast-Controlling Official Art, and the magic treasure could spread the powerful prestige of the official family; combined, they could help Ning Jiufan strongly control that Nascent Soul demon ape!

Watching Ning Jiufan verify the contents of the jade slip, Zhu Xuanji confirmed in his heart again: "This time, in the struggle for the Lava Immortal Palace, the Ning family is the biggest winner!"

"Not to mention Ning Zhuo, just speaking of Ning Jiufan, his gains are extremely exaggerated!"

"The Nascent Soul demon ape he finally saved, after being strongly controlled, can become a trump card to guard the Ning family."

Of course, to a certain extent, it could also stand on equal footing with the Meng family.

The Ning family, mastering a Nascent Soul level beast, leaped up to become the strongest cultivation family in Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

Coupled with the fact that the Ning family implemented a branch family, given time, as the clansmen of the branch and main families continued to multiply and increase, the scale of their power would inevitably be the largest.

Strongest combat power, largest power!

The Nandou royal family strongly supported the Ning family, which was naturally the game between the royal main family and the important minister Meng family, which was still continuing.

If Meng Chong succeeded and Meng Kui became the city lord, it would be flawless in name. But the fact was that Meng Kui's position as city lord was yielded directly by the Ning family cultivators. And according to the Recruitment Order, this did not go through the royal family's assignment, so it was not completely compliant and was controversial.

"No problem." Ning Jiufan showed satisfaction after checking the contents of the jade slip.

"For subsequent cooperation, Brother Ning can contact Clan Uncle Zhu Hou," Zhu Xuanji said.

Ning Jiufan nodded slightly to him, and they parted ways.

Zhu Xuanji watched him leave, sighed, and turned toward Ning Zhuo's branch family.

Although he really didn't want to contact Ning Zhuo, he had no choice but to do so.

"I have to go there anyway." Zhu Xuanji could only bite the bullet and meet Ning Zhuo secretly.

In the clan head's study, Ning Zhuo was all smiles, full of enthusiasm: "Lord Divine Catcher, you have finally come. These days, this little one has been looking forward to it day and night."

Zhu Xuanji stretched out his palm, looking like he wasn't familiar with him: "Don't come over, stay away from me, just stand over there and talk, that's fine."

He continued: "I will correct two points."

"First, you are not some little one anymore; you are the head of the branch family, don't lose face."

"Second, what you are looking forward to is not me, but the official position of my Nandou Kingdom. Just yesterday, I received the monarch's decree; for you, there is only compensation, no official position."

Ning Zhuo's expression changed immediately, and he shouted: "This is unfair, the Recruitment Order clearly said..."

"Alright. Don't think my Zhu royal family is easy to bully, Clan Head Ning Zhuo." Zhu Xuanji interrupted directly, "You actually know very well in your heart that your transferring the position of Immortal Palace Master to Meng Kui was a private deal, without the approval of my Zhu royal family."

"This is against the rules."

Ning Zhuo immediately retorted: "The Divine Catcher's words are inappropriate. You were there at the time; if I didn't transfer the position of Palace Master to Meng Kui and let this Nascent Soul powerhouse take action, if it were you or me, who could suppress the entire beast tide?"

Zhu Xuanji: "I have four divine powers, and I can fight a Nascent Soul. Clan Head Ning Zhuo, your true combat power is on par with mine, how could you not resist the Red Flame beast tide?"

Ning Zhuo hurriedly said: "How is this possible? My cultivation is low and weak, how could I be on par with you, my lord? Please, Lord Zhu, be merciful and generous, and don't praise this junior to death."

"At that time, I was also thinking for the family and for the lives of all the citizens in the city, which is why I gave the position of Immortal Palace Master to Lord Meng Kui."

"Lord Meng Kui is the current city lord of Fire Persimmon Immortal City; compared to us, giving it to him is obviously more appropriate, isn't it?"

"Hehehe." Zhu Xuanji was so angry he laughed, "Ning Zhuo, you had already calculated all of this. You gave the position of Palace Master to the Meng family, nothing more than to continue playing both sides, and you saw that my Zhu family wants to deal with the Meng family, and at that time, your Ning family would be the best partner."

"You succeeded!"

"Your family's Jin Dan ancestor, Ning Jiufan, has already been secretly granted an official position by my royal family. And he was gifted a magic treasure that can strongly control that Nascent Soul mother ape."

"The royal family will not give you, Ning Zhuo, any compensation, but will reward the 'entry standard'."

Speaking of the four words "entry standard," Zhu Xuanji couldn't help but increase his tone.