Ning Shaohong's Justice

Early the next morning, Ning Fa did not rush to cultivate. Instead, he first went to Ning Xilin's grave to pay his respects.

After burning some paper offerings, Ning Fa looked at the gravestone, holding two cups of wine in his hands.

He poured one cup onto the ground, then looked at the gravestone and said solemnly, "Uncle Xilin, rest easy. From now on, I will take good care of Xiao Yu."

With that, he drained the other cup in one gulp.

Ning Fa looked into the distance. Thinking of Ning Zhen'an and Ning Ruiming, killing intent flashed through his eyes before he turned and left.

Yuan Chang Island, Ning Ruiming's residence.

Ning Ruiming paced back and forth through the spacious hall. Usually calm and unhurried, he now wore a gloomy expression, with a faint trace of anxiety between his brows.

Footsteps sounded, and a middle-aged cultivator in splendid robes, his face stern and imposing, walked in.

Delight appeared on Ning Ruiming's face. He hurried forward and asked anxiously, "Father, what was the outcome?"

Ning Jiannan sat in the seat of honor. Though he still appeared fairly composed, his expression was far from pleasant. He said in a low voice, "Ning Shaohong made quite a scene at the Elder Council. She still insisted on using a Second-grade Heart-Questioning Talisman on Ning Zhen'an to determine whether he had deliberately harmed Ning Fa, whether anyone had instructed him to do so, and she was even willing to pay the spirit stones for the Second-grade Heart-Questioning Talisman herself."

At this, Ning Ruiming's face could not help turning pale.

If a Second-grade Heart-Questioning Talisman were truly used on Ning Zhen'an, he would never be able to withstand it. Then the matter of Ning Ruiming ordering him to harm Ning Fa could no longer be concealed.

The crime of deliberately harming a fellow clansman was no small matter, especially since Ning Fa was a clan Pill Master.

It was not as though he had been unaware of the gravity of the matter before. He had simply thought it could easily be suppressed. He had never expected Ning Shaohong to make such a tremendous fuss for Ning Fa, even bringing the matter before the clan's Elder Council.

Seeing that the truth might truly be exposed, he finally began to panic.

Ning Jiannan frowned tightly and sighed. "I underestimated the relationship between Ning Shaohong and Ning Fa. It seems she still has lingering feelings for Ning Fa's father. Her reaction to Ning Fa's injury this time was extremely fierce. When I spoke a few words in Ning Zhen'an's defense, she directly questioned before everyone whether I had instructed him. She made it impossible for me to save face and did not spare even the Third Elder's dignity in the slightest."

Hearing this, Ning Ruiming grew even more alarmed. He hurriedly asked, "But was the Heart-Probing Talisman really used on Ning Zhen'an?"

Ning Jiannan shot him a vicious glare. He wanted to open his mouth and berate him, but restrained himself in the end.

Drawing a deep breath, he said, "The Third Elder suspended the meeting and pulled me aside for questioning. He directly asked whether I had instructed Ning Zhen'an."

Ning Jiannan's gaze, brimming with fury, made Ning Ruiming feel extremely guilty. After all, he had caused this matter. Yet he also felt somewhat wronged, since Ning Jiannan had approved it as well.

He quickly asked, "Father, you didn't admit it, did you?"

Ning Jiannan glared at him again and snapped, "Do you think the Third Elder is so easily fooled? He has probably guessed it long ago. To him, if I dared deceive him, that would be far more serious than ordering Ning Zhen'an to harm Ning Fa!"

Seeing Ning Ruiming's pale face, Ning Jiannan snorted. "Don't worry. I took the matter upon myself. The Third Elder may be protective of his own, but he is also extremely disgusted by this sort of harm against fellow clansmen. If he learned that you were the one who gave the order, he might take a dislike to you. Your father could only cast aside his old face. Still, I argued that I had merely wanted Ning Zhen'an to teach Ning Fa a lesson, not truly cripple him or even kill him. That was enough to barely explain it away."

Ning Ruiming let out a long breath and quickly said gratefully, "Thank you, Father. Then what did the Third Elder say?"

As if recalling some unpleasant memory, Ning Jiannan's expression darkened. "He gave me a thorough scolding."

After all, he was even somewhat older than Third Elder Ning Zhongjiu, and his two daughters were both Ning Zhongjiu's concubines. By rights, he was Ning Zhongjiu's father-in-law.

Yet when Ning Zhongjiu lost his temper, he cared nothing for Ning Jiannan's status. He still berated him from head to toe, nearly leaving him unable to save face. The thought of it made him feel deeply humiliated.

Ning Jiannan shook his head and continued, "Fortunately, the Third Elder did not pursue the matter further. At the Elder Council afterward, he forcefully rejected Ning Shaohong's proposal and did not truly use the Heart-Probing Talisman on Ning Zhen'an, but he still imposed an extremely severe punishment on him."

"For ten years, his clan stipend will be halved. During that time, all Contribution Points he earns from the clan will also be halved, and he must mine at the Tuhe Crystal Vein on Cliffside Island for five years."

Hearing this, Ning Ruiming breathed a deep sigh of relief. So long as the matter was no longer pursued, that was all that mattered to him.

Though Ning Zhen'an's punishment was extremely severe, Ning Ruiming did not take it to heart.

As though he knew what Ning Ruiming was thinking, Ning Jiannan frowned, his expression turning stern. "Ning Zhen'an was acting on your orders, and he did his utmost to carry them out. Though his punishment cannot be avoided, do not think you can stand aloof. You must compensate his branch line so that everyone will be convinced. Do you understand?"

Ning Ruiming promptly bowed. "Rest assured, Father. Once the uproar dies down, I will arrange to meet Ning Guichuan and personally placate and compensate him."

Only then did Ning Jiannan nod in satisfaction. Then, thinking of something, he solemnly warned, "In the future, remember not to casually cause trouble for Ning Fa again. Though this incident has passed, the other elders are not fools. They can likely all guess that we were involved. Fortunately, Ning Fa's injuries were not serious. But if Ning Fa is injured like this again in the future, even if we had nothing to do with it, we would never be able to wash ourselves clean. Ning Shaohong has already warned me to my face that if such a thing happens again, she will never let it rest."

Ning Ruiming looked unwilling, but he still nodded in agreement.

Ning Jiannan consoled him, "Ning Fa merely has an Incomplete Lightning Spiritual Root. He will never be able to advance to the Qi Condensation Mid-stage, and thus cannot become a First-grade Mid-rank Pill Master. He poses no threat to us. Do not let anger blind your eyes."

"You should devote all your efforts to breaking through to First-grade High-rank Pill Master. Once you become a First-grade High-rank Pill Master, your father will ask the Third Elder not only to make you the deputy hall master of the Alchemy Hall, but also to arrange a Dual Cultivation Ceremony between you and Qinghui."

"After all, Ning Nanqing, Ning Jikun, Ning Leda, and the others are all fiercely pursuing Qinghui. They are also outstanding figures among the clan's younger generation. You cannot yet claim a certain victory over them. Pill refining is your greatest reliance."

When Ning Jiannan mentioned Liu Qinghui, a trace of heat flashed in Ning Ruiming's eyes. He quickly said, "Rest assured, Father. Your son understands. These days, I have never relaxed in the path of alchemy."

After speaking, Ning Ruiming seemed to recall something and asked quietly, "Father, what about Spirit Deer Island... how is it now?"

Ning Jiannan narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "We have already passed the Third Elder's hurdle. Spirit Deer Island is now being fully developed by our branch alone, but it will likely take at least several years before there is any progress."

Ning Ruiming said excitedly, "We can completely afford to wait that long. Once we obtain the legacy hidden within, our branch will no longer need to fear anyone."

Sharp Light flashed in Ning Jiannan's eyes. Those words struck straight to his heart. The scene of being scolded like a dog by his own son-in-law was still vivid in his mind, and he never wished to experience it a second time in this life.