Provocation

Ning Fa understood why Ning Xilin had come looking for him—he wanted Ning Fa to step forward and back them up.

After all, he was now considered the family member with the highest standing in their branch.

"Alright, Uncle Xilin. Take me over to have a look."

Ning Fa then followed Ning Xilin eastward.

After walking roughly three li, Ning Fa could already see two groups of people facing off before a small slope in the distance.

He was very familiar with one of the groups. It was his eldest aunt Ning Muchun's family, along with the families of his eldest and fourth uncles, as well as several clan elders from their branch.

The other group was much larger, numbering nearly twenty people. Their bearing clearly overwhelmed Ning Muchun's side, and Ning Fa recognized the two men standing at the forefront.

One was Ning Guichuan, who looked honest and simple on the surface, his old face covered in wrinkles. The other was a hunched old man with a triangular topknot and a face full of creases—Ning Donghui, the steward of another branch on Pingchang Island.

Beside them stood Ning Zhen'an, broad and burly, with a vicious-looking face that made him seem particularly difficult to provoke. The family robes reserved for Late Qi Condensation cultivators, white with gold trim, stood out sharply among the crowd of cultivators.

At that moment, Ning Guichuan pointed at a nearby Spirit Field and roared indignantly, "An entire mu of Qinghe Spirit Rice has been destroyed! It was obviously man-made. If it wasn't your branch, then who else could have done it?"

In the direction he pointed, the Spirit Field that should have been filled with lush green spiritual plants looked as though it had been trampled by wild beasts. The plants lay scattered every which way across the ground, and most of those clearly not yet mature had already lost their vitality.

On the other side, Ning Muchun refused to yield in the slightest. "You say it was us, so it was us? If you can't produce evidence, then stop spouting bloody accusations!"

Ning Donghui, his face full of wrinkles, sneered. "Everyone knows your branch has never gotten along with Brother Guichuan's. If it wasn't you, are you saying we did it ourselves?"

Ning Muchun glared. "That might really be possible! I'll say it again: without evidence, don't go biting people at random. If you dare make a move, we're not pushovers either."

As Ning Fa approached, he could not help clicking his tongue in amazement. This eldest aunt of his might not be a good person, but she apparently was not someone who only knew how to throw her weight around at home.

At that moment, Ning Zhen'an, who had been narrowing his eyes, noticed Ning Fa's arrival. A sharp glint flashed through his eyes, and he immediately gave a soft cough.

Ning Guichuan's ears twitched. Though he had been relatively restrained until then, he instantly intensified his verbal assault, spewing all kinds of filthy insults.

Ning Muchun was a woman, after all. When had she ever suffered such humiliation? Her face turned deathly pale with rage, and she pointed at Ning Guichuan without being able to say a word.

Overcome by fury, she swept her right hand, and a small jade-colored feather fan appeared in it.

The feather fan expanded in the wind, growing several feet wide. As she swung it fiercely, a ball of green wind shot forth and struck toward Ning Guichuan's face.

Caught completely off guard, Ning Guichuan was sent flying.

With a scream, Ning Guichuan crashed heavily to the ground. Blood filled his mouth, and the left side of his face had already swollen high.

Though Ning Muchun had attacked in anger, she still retained some reason and did not dare channel too much Mana into it. Otherwise, it would not have ended with such superficial injuries.

The crowd, which had been arguing fiercely moments before, instantly fell silent.

After her impulsive strike, Ning Muchun finally calmed down, and her face went pale.

Meng Jinliang, Ning Fa's eldest uncle, fourth uncle, and the others all changed expression.

Arguing was one thing, but once blows had been exchanged, it was different. More importantly, their side was clearly outnumbered. If a real fight broke out, they would certainly be at a disadvantage.

Ning Zhen'an, whose eyes had been half-closed, suddenly opened them wide and strode forward. He stared coldly at Ning Muchun as a ferocious aura spread from his body, forcing her to retreat again and again.

Meng Jinliang, who had not said much until then, turned pale. Supporting Ning Muchun, he hurriedly said, "Brother Zhen'an, this is a misunderstanding! Don't act rashly!"

Ning Zhen'an bared his mouth in a vicious grin and sneered, "She injured my father right in front of me, and you call it a misunderstanding? Do you take me for a three-year-old child? If you don't give me an explanation today, none of you will leave unscathed!"

Facing the imposing Ning Zhen'an, Meng Jinliang—despite also being in the Late Qi Condensation realm—was visibly far less confident. Gritting his teeth, he said, "We are willing to apologize and offer compensation."

Ning Fa had now reached the back of the crowd. Watching this scene, he could not help shaking his head inwardly.

His uncle by marriage was at least at the same seventh level of Qi Condensation as the other man, yet he feared him so greatly. It was honestly a little pathetic to watch.

Ning Zhen'an suddenly burst out laughing. "If you can take ten of my moves, I'll accept your apology!"

With that, he pointed upward with his right hand. A streak of black light flashed in the sky, and in an instant, a three-foot-long Black Long Mace appeared overhead. Black radiance shimmered from it, radiating powerful Spiritual Pressure.

Judging from its Spiritual Pressure, it had clearly reached the level of a High-grade Magic Artifact.

Ning Zhen'an rapidly formed Hand Seals with one hand. The Black Long Mace immediately grew another size larger, its might rising further as it let out a shrill howl and smashed toward Meng Jinliang.

Meng Jinliang's expression changed, but he was also a Late Qi Condensation cultivator, and his reaction was no slower.

He sharply flicked his sleeve, sending out a White Paper Fan.

The paper fan opened wide, spiritual light gleaming across it. The ink characters upon it seemed to come alive, constantly winding across the fan as the spiritual light flickered, making them appear remarkably lifelike.

Then more than a dozen large black ink characters flew from the paper fan, meeting the incoming Black Long Mace head-on.

A string of crisp cracking sounds rang out. Amid dancing motes of light, the ink characters were shattered by a single strike from the Black Long Mace.

Yet after smashing ten ink characters in succession, the Black Long Mace had also lost its momentum and became locked in a stalemate in midair with the remaining few characters.

Meng Jinliang let out a breath of relief. Then he noticed Ning Muchun had also brought out a Magic Artifact, intending to help him, and hurriedly said, "Muchun, don't interfere!"

He wanted to keep the situation under control. If the two sides truly came to blows, their branch would undoubtedly suffer a crushing disadvantage.

Ning Muchun's lips were pale, but she still lowered her raised hand.

Several cultivators on the other side, who had been itching to join in, also withdrew their hands resentfully.

But then Ning Zhen'an sneered. As the Hand Seals in his hands shifted, the glow radiating from the Black Long Mace in the air suddenly flared. With a single flash, it shattered the several remaining ink characters surrounding it.

Black light exploded in the air as the Black Long Mace attacked Meng Jinliang with lightning speed, like a spiritual serpent.

Meng Jinliang furrowed his brow, anger appearing on his face as well. He fiercely urged his Mana.

The White Paper Fan before him immediately burst with brilliant radiance. Large ink characters flew out one after another, circling and dancing before him as they barely held back the Black Long Mace's savage onslaught.

But the faint pallor on his face showed that he likely would not be able to hold out for long.

Though both men were at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, Ning Zhen'an was clearly far stronger than him.

Ning Fa was in no hurry to speak up now. After all, this was the first time since arriving in this world that he had seen cultivators fighting, and it interested him greatly.

At that moment, Ning Zhen'an smiled contemptuously and rapidly formed Hand Seals with both hands. Then he pointed at the Black Long Mace in the air with one hand. The Black Long Mace flickered and immediately split into two identical Black Long Maces.

One flashed with intense black radiance and continued savagely attacking Meng Jinliang like a spiritual serpent, while the other shot toward Ning Muchun.

This man was so arrogant that he was directly taking on two opponents at once.

Ning Muchun's expression changed. She immediately brought out a white silk handkerchief-shaped Magic Artifact to meet the Black Long Mace.