Chapter 711

This premonition was groundless, and Ning Zhuo himself felt quite strange.

This undoubtedly increased the importance he placed on Ban Ji. After thinking about it, he first wrote a reply letter to Ban Ji, politely refusing.

Then, he summoned Gongsun Yan.

Gongsun Yan cupped his hands and bowed: "Young Master, what are your orders?"

Ning Zhuo: "Investigate someone for me."

He handed Gongsun Yan the letter from Ban Ji, as well as his reply, and then gave him a bag of spirit stones to let Gongsun Yan handle it.

Gongsun Yan took Ning Zhuo's reply, followed the flying letter all the way, arrived at a mountain peak, stood in front of one of the caves, and held Ning Zhuo's reply to request an audience.

The cave opened, and Gongsun Yan was welcomed into the cave.

Inside the cave, a small banquet was taking place. There were singing, dancing, and fine wine and food, and the atmosphere was enthusiastic.

The host and guest of honor of the banquet were Pi Fujie and Ban Ji.

Pi Fujie had gray hair, deep-set eye sockets like a skull, and was still wearing that wide robe sewn from skin. However, his expression was no longer arrogant, but he was smiling all over his face while talking in a low voice to Ban Ji beside him.

Gongsun Yan knew Pi Fujie; Ning Zhuo would naturally take care of his subordinates regarding who he had a feud with. Understanding that the other party had strong hostility, he was expressionless and had no fear.

Seeing the flying letter follow the aura and fly straight to Ban Ji, Gongsun Yan focused on sizing up this person.

He saw that Ban Ji looked like a young man, with a yellowish complexion, high cheekbones, a nose like a hawk's beak, and thin lips, appearing mean and greedy.

He was lean and capable, neither tall nor short, with long arms and neck, and leaned forward quite severely. When sitting in his seat, he looked like a vulture ready to pounce on food at any time.

Gongsun Yan saluted Pi Fujie and Ban Ji one after another, representing Ning Zhuo to state his purpose, neither humble nor arrogant.

Ban Ji sat cross-legged, holding a wine glass in one hand and supporting his knee with the other, until Gongsun Yan finished speaking, he then raised his eyes and shifted his gaze from the wine glass to Gongsun Yan.

Gongsun Yan then saw Ban Ji's eyes.

The whites of his eyes were prominent, and his pupils were a murky yellowish-brown, like two pieces of old amber.

Ban Ji laughed and said arrogantly: "Your attendant is not bad. How long have you been following Ning Zhuo? Was it because you were about to join the Myriad Phenomena Sect this time that you were dispatched to Ning Zhuo's side?"

Gongsun Yan cupped his hands and stated the truth, saying that he was originally a guest of the Lin family, assisting Lin Jinglong to participate in the Myriad Phenomena Sect, and had only recently defected to Ning Zhuo.

Ban Ji's expression didn't change; he moved his fingers and turned the wine glass in his hand.

He was slightly shocked in his heart, but his mouth remained indifferent: "Oh? The Lin family is also not bad. How much did Ning Zhuo offer to make you leave Lin Jinglong?"

Gongsun Yan shook his head slightly: "That is not something to be told to outsiders."

Ban Ji laughed. Just now, he scanned the letter with his spiritual sense and had already understood Ning Zhuo's attitude of refusal.

Immediately, he waved his arm: "Good, I have received the letter. Since Ning Zhuo has no time, then let's wait until the time is ripe to spar again."

Pi Fujie, on the side, frowned slightly.

He deliberately befriended Ban Ji and gave heavy gifts. Although Ban Ji agreed and sent a challenge letter, after Ning Zhuo refused, Ban Ji retreated directly.

Pi Fujie drank a cup of sullen wine, watched Gongsun Yan leave, and was just about to open his mouth to communicate with Ban Ji.

Ban Ji had already said in advance: "Fellow Daoist Pi, don't be impatient."

"As the saying goes, one does not hit a smiling face. Ning Zhuo's reply was polite and did not completely refuse, just pushing it off by saying he had no time at present."

"I have received this letter, so it's not good to publicize that Ning Zhuo is cowardly and afraid of fighting; it won't stain his name."

Pi Fujie shook his head, his face slightly cold: "Fellow Daoist Ban Ji, why say such things to me? When have you ever been so tolerant of an enemy?"

"Moreover, this is clearly Ning Zhuo's delaying tactic!"

"He is not sure of your background, so he specifically sent his subordinate to deliver the reply. I'm afraid that next, he will fully investigate your intelligence, striving to be more certain to deal with you."

Seeing Pi Fujie's expression, Ban Ji's face also sank: "I know that, of course."

"Ever since you sent a letter last time mentioning Ning Zhuo, I have also started investigating this guy."

"Do you know that he participated in Chu Xuangui's Xingyun Trial this morning and won the top spot?"

Pi Fujie frowned, showing a look of doubt: "Chu Xuangui?"

He thought for a moment, immediately remembered Chu Xuangui's intelligence, and couldn't help but be even more puzzled: "This is a Confucian cultivator, Jin Dan level, one of the pillars of the Confucian cultivator group within the Myriad Phenomena Sect."

"Why? Is the difficulty of the Confucian trial this year so low? How could Ning Zhuo, an outsider, win?"

Pi Fujie really didn't know much about this intelligence.

Ban Ji sneered: "If it were really just that the difficulty of the trial plummeted, that would be a relatively good situation. I'm afraid—hehe."

"Let me tell you one more thing: participating in this trial were also Bai Jiyun, Liu Fushu, and Kong Ran."

Pi Fujie shook his head: "I don't know much about Liu Fushu, but I've heard of Bai Jiyun and Kong Ran for a long time."

"Kong Ran is the son of the current Prime Minister, and Bai Jiyun is comparable to the likes of us, as well as Situ Xing and Lin Jinglong."

"They are authentic Confucian cultivators, and they actually lost to Ning Zhuo?"

Pi Fujie became suspicious and uncertain.

Ban Ji had been observing Pi Fujie's expression, and seeing no flaws, he raised his head slightly: "Go investigate the details yourself."

"This person doesn't seem as simple as he appears on the surface."

"Therefore, I want to try my best to collect intelligence and temporarily delay dealing with him."

Speaking of this, Ban Ji recalled the words his grandfather personally told him when he set off from the family: "Good great-grandson, you are going to the Myriad Phenomena Sect, and I have already used the family's mechanism to calculate it for you."

"This trip is very dangerous for you, but it also contains great opportunities."

"You cultivate demon techniques and have damaged a lot of Yang virtue. Now that you want to join the Myriad Phenomena Sect and go a step further, you have triggered your human tribulation."

Ban Ji felt troubled: "Old ancestor, the Myriad Phenomena Sect is full of talents and powerhouses; how do I distinguish which one is my human tribulation?"

The grandfather stroked his beard and smiled slightly: "I have already used the family mechanism to mark it for you."

"When you encounter it, there will naturally be a touch in your heart."

"But once this method is used, the other party will also have a sense. You need to be cautious, and even more cautious!"

Ban Ji nodded heavily: "Old ancestor, I will keep it in mind."

"Since I chose to cultivate demon techniques, frequent tribulations are to be expected. I have never regretted it!"

"I relied on you to avoid the previous disasters in advance. But this time, I can't avoid it!"

"I must join the Myriad Phenomena Sect; only then will I have a greater future."

"Hehe, I want to see what kind of human tribulation can block my path!"

When Pi Fujie sent a letter inviting Ban Ji to deal with Ning Zhuo, the moment Ban Ji received the letter, a palpitation arose deep in his heart.

"Ning Zhuo?"

"Is he my human tribulation this time?"

Ban Ji forcibly suppressed the palpitation in his heart; the importance he placed on Ning Zhuo was something Pi Fujie could not have imagined.

Therefore, he was quite cautious about Ning Zhuo and immediately took great measures in secret to actively investigate Ning Zhuo's intelligence.

When Ban Ji learned of the results of Chu Xuangui's Xingyun Trial at noon, he became even more wary of Ning Zhuo.

Pi Fujie urged Ban Ji to take action, but Ban Ji felt that if he took action rashly, he would only be meeting the tribulation in advance, acting too hastily, and suffering a miserable defeat.

Therefore, he decided to temporarily delay the action and investigate carefully.

"You have to know that I succeeded in avoiding tribulations several times before."

"This disaster is likely to be more powerful than any before."

"The person who can become my human tribulation must not be simple!"

"Must be extremely cautious!!"

"However, fortunately, he is only a Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivator—"

"According to current intelligence, I'm afraid the difficulty of this tribulation lies in the fact that he has a powerful force backing him."

"If I defeat Ning Zhuo, I'm afraid I will provoke many unexpected and powerful retaliations!"