Ning Zhuo

Ning Clan Territory.

Today was a big day for the Ning family, the day the results were posted.

Ning Ze and his wife, Wang Lan, had been sitting in the main hall since early morning, waiting for the results of the major examination for the two younger generations in their family.

From birth, the Ning family disciples began testing their root bones, once a year, until they were twelve or thirteen.

Those with cultivation aptitude were sent to the family's private school, supported by the family, for full-time study until they were sixteen or seventeen, when they took the graduation examination.

The annual major examination determined the fate of the young cultivators.

The top thirty young people in the major examination were qualified to join the Ning family's main clan industries, and their future was undoubtedly brighter.

Wang Lan outwardly drank tea, but her eyes occasionally glanced towards the main gate, unable to hide her nervousness and anticipation.

Ning Ze, however, had a vacant look in his eyes and was in a very depressed mood.

He had waited until dawn, but the Yellow Family Three Ghosts had not returned to report.

They failed!

I didn't expect this Tassel Guest to be so fierce and sinister.

It's okay, it's okay.

When I contacted the Yellow Family Three Ghosts, I didn't reveal my true appearance, so the Tassel Guest won't find me.

The Yellow Family Three Ghosts are only famous in name. With the Soul Suppressing Talisman and the spirit beast Green Blade Mantis, they lost even in a three-on-one fight! I really misjudged them.

Sigh, Tassel Guest... What should I do next?

Ning Ze was forced into a risky move, but it ended in a painful failure. He had a headache and didn't know how to explain it to the young clan leader.

"Dad, Mom, I passed the exam, I got into the top thirty!" Just then, a young man rushed into the room, shouting excitedly.

"Really? Ji'er, you really passed?" Wang Lan immediately stood up, her face full of surprise.

The young cultivator Ning Ji's voice was loud: "Of course! Mom, you don't even believe your own son anymore?"

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

Normally, Ning Ji's results were around fortieth place, but he didn't expect him to perform exceptionally well in this major examination.

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

Ning Ji's voice was high-pitched: "Dad, Mom, your son has brought you honor this time. I told you long ago that I knew what I was doing. Although my usual grades weren't good, it was just because I didn't want to exert my full strength."

"Unlike some people!"

"Normally, their grades are very good, consistently within the top thirty. But in this major examination, they revealed their true level and only got thirty-first place. Oh dear, they failed!"

As he said this, Ning Ji turned around and looked at the white-clothed young man who followed him into the room, his face full of mockery.

The white-clothed young man was dressed simply, his eyes were clear, and he wore a look of deep guilt and disappointment.

"Great Uncle, Great Aunt." The white-clothed young man, Ning Zhuo, bowed.

Wang Lan looked at the young man and shrieked: "What? Xiao Zhuo, you failed this time?!"

Ning Ze's face darkened. He reached out and demanded, "Let me see your performance report."

Ning Zhuo took out the report card and handed it to his paternal uncle, Ning Ze.

Ning Ze lowered his head and scanned it, his face ashen.

The next moment, he shook the paper in his hand and said with a tone of disappointment, "Zhuo'er, how could your mistake be so serious this time?"

"I remember you had quite a few small achievements in mechanism techniques."

"Before, a mechanical parrot you made even received praise from the clan elders."

"Mechanism techniques are clearly your strong suit, so how did you end up with a 'Lower Grade' this time?"

"Alas, if it weren't for this 'Lower Grade', you would have been in the top thirty!"

His aunt's gaze was sharp: "Zhuo'er, tell me, have you been taking on private jobs from mechanism workshops again recently?"

Without waiting for Ning Zhuo to answer, his aunt sighed regretfully, "Alas, how many times have I told you not to be greedy for money? At your age, you should be focusing on your studies."

"You've put your energy into making money, which is like picking up sesame seeds and losing a watermelon."

"Look at you now, how great! Outside the top thirty!"

"You can't get into the family's industries!!"

Hearing this, Ning Zhuo finally mustered his courage: "Aunt, I heard from my classmates that you can use connections..."

Before he could finish, his aunt interrupted loudly, "Use connections? Do you know how many spirit stones it costs to use connections? Do you know how many people we have to find to use connections?"

"Oh, you didn't do well on the exam, and with a lighthearted sentence, your uncle and I have to go up and down, finding people, running ourselves ragged, and pulling strings everywhere for you?"

"You still have the nerve to say that!"

"If we had known this would happen, why did you do it in the first place?"

"I told you early on to focus on cultivation and not take on private jobs to earn that little bit of spirit stones."

"What's the use?!"

"If you had ranked within the top thirty and entered the family's industries, you would earn much more. More importantly, there would be fewer tasks, more time, allowing you to continue cultivating."

Ning Zhuo suddenly raised his head, his face flushed with humiliation. He gritted his teeth and said firmly, "Uncle, Aunt, I, Ning Zhuo, will bear the consequences of my own actions!"

"Since I'm thirty-first, then so be it."

"Over the years, I have received the care of the two elders, and I am grateful. Getting this result is the bad fruit I have sown, and it is my own doing!"

"I will bear the consequences of my own actions!"

"I don't believe I can't find a way to support myself outside."

Saying this, Ning Zhuo bowed and excused himself: "Uncle, Aunt, my classmates are waiting for me for dinner. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."

His uncle stared at Ning Zhuo, silent.

His aunt waved her hand and said with disgust, "Go, go, go. You're really big-hearted. You did so poorly on the exam, yet you still have the mood to have dinner!"

Ning Zhuo couldn't stay for another moment. He turned and left in a huff.

His cousin, Ning Ji, sat down comfortably.

His aunt looked at Ning Ji, her expression changing like a chameleon, turning from anger to joy: "My son is still the best!"

She pushed the refreshments on the small table towards him: "Quickly try them. These are Golden Silk Jade Dew Cakes from the Golden Cuisine Hall. After eating them, they can increase the foundation of your Sea of Consciousness, strengthen your divine sense, and greatly help your cultivation, even your future Foundation Establishment!"

Ning Ji's eyes lit up, and he eagerly picked one up and put it in his mouth.

The Golden Silk Jade Dew Cake had a unique texture. The cake body was soft and glutinous, the golden threads were harder and crispier, and there was a liquid filling inside.

Ning Ji swallowed it in three bites and felt a clear energy rise from his abdomen, rushing straight to his Heavenly Spirit, invigorating him.

Ning Ji sincerely praised, "Delicious, delicious!"

"Then eat more, you can have them all," his mother said with a smile.

Ning Ji ate the remaining three, licked his lips, and still wanted more: "As expected of Golden Cuisine 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 need to work harder and not be lazy! You should perform well within the clan from now on and strive to earn enough spiritual food for yourself with your own hands as soon as possible."

Ning Ji protested: "Dad, I brought you honor this time! Think about it, if my results were like before, wouldn't you have to run around pulling strings, giving gifts, and using backdoors to get me into the clan's businesses? My performance in the big exam was so excellent, it saved you hundreds of spirit stones. What's wrong with eating a little Golden Cuisine Hall cake?"

"Besides, aren't I eating these to increase my spirit, so I can cultivate better and work harder?"

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

Seeing his son talk back, Ning's father glared with wide eyes, about to scold him.

Ning's mother quickly said, "Alright, alright, both of you say less."

She glared at her husband: "My son did well in the exam, he should be praised. You can't say a few words without criticizing him again."

"Don't look at my son being playful usually, he's reliable at critical moments."

"Unlike Ning Zhuo, whose usual results make people complacent, in the end, he's the one who causes the most worry!"

"Look, I just criticized him for a sentence or two, and he turned around and left. So unteachable! Am I wrong?"

"Hmph, he even ran out to eat. He's in the mood for that!"

Ning Ji sneered: "He's too arrogant and self-righteous. He doesn't listen to Dad and Mom's earnest teachings at all."

"By the way, our family isn't really going to pave the way for him and use up favors, are we?"

Ning's father snorted coldly: "That's not something you should worry about."

Seeing his father get angry, Ning Ji instinctively shrank his neck, then remembered his results in the big exam and said loudly: "Mom, Ning Zhuo can go out to eat, I also want to go out to a restaurant and eat spiritual food. Give me some money, you don't know how much I sacrificed for this big exam!"

"Alright, alright." Ning's mother smiled and took out a bag of spirit stones, handing it to Ning Ji.

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

He left the Ning family residence and walked onto the street, but he didn't rush to his favorite restaurant. Instead, he wandered around the street.

He wanted to see where Ning Zhuo was eating.

He usually didn't have this kind of opportunity, and now that he finally caught it, Ning Ji wanted to mock the other party for fun.

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

He asked a few shop assistants and confirmed that Ning Zhuo hadn't been there at all.

Ning Ji slapped his head and understood: "This kid is putting on airs, what kind of dinner party? I'm afraid he's crying in that broken house where his mother died at this time!"

"Never mind him, I'll have a good meal first."

Spiritual food was not only delicious but also had the wonderful effect of increasing cultivation, which made Ning Ji very much look forward to it.

His guess was partially correct.

Ning Zhuo had already returned to his own home.

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

Ning Zhuo gently closed the courtyard door, walked through the small courtyard, entered the main house, and went into the inner room.

This was his bedroom and also his study.

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

Ning Zhuo touched the lion-shaped paperweight on the desk.

A faint light flashed across the surface of the lion-shaped paperweight, indicating that no one had been there while he was away.

Ning Zhuo turned around, came to the bed, and gently twisted the railing beside the bed. Immediately, a series of creaking sounds from a mechanism came.

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

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

After his feet touched solid ground, he twisted the switch on the wall, moving the bed above his head back to its original position.

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

At this point, the expressions of disappointment, grief, and suppression on Ning Zhuo's face disappeared without a trace, replaced by a calm expression.

He came to his most familiar workbench and sat down. On the workbench were various mechanism parts.

Ning Zhuo pulled open the drawer on his right side, revealing a drawer full of pastries.

Each pastry was wrapped in paper.

On the paper, there was the Golden Cuisine Hall logo.

He casually grabbed a handful, about five or six pieces, and activated his magic power. In the next instant, he burned off the paper wrapping the pastries without causing any damage to the Golden Silk Jade Dew Cakes.

Clearly, he had done this action many times and was already extremely skilled.

Ning Zhuo chewed the pastries, his gaze slightly unfocused. He was reviewing his performance today in his mind.

He had maintained this good habit for over ten years.

"There shouldn't be any problems."

"I just didn't expect that in this big exam, everyone else's performance was generally flawed, and they didn't fully display their level."

"When I looked at the rankings earlier, I almost thought I had failed to control my score and entered the top thirty."