Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master

“Speak! Why did you kill Yuan Dasheng?” Zhu Xuanji suddenly spoke, his voice as cold as iron, without a trace of warmth.

“Huh?” Ning Zhuo’s face showed a look of astonishment.

“Speak!” Zhu Xuanji shouted sternly, unleashing an immense pressure, like an invisible mountain suddenly pressing down on Ning Zhuo.

The pressure was so overwhelming that Ning Zhuo, caught off guard, almost fell to his knees.

He staggered, his back bending involuntarily, but he did not kneel. He struggled to remain standing, his gaze stubbornly fixed on Zhu Xuanji.

Zhu Xuanji’s eyes gleamed with golden light, adopting an unprecedentedly forceful stance, penetrating Ning Zhuo with his gaze!

The sharpness of his eyes made Ning Zhuo feel as if he were standing naked in the freezing cold.

Ning Zhuo frantically activated the mana of his peak ninth layer, injecting it into the Cloud Shadow Concealed Bud beneath his tongue.

The Cloud Shadow Concealed Bud was activated, temporarily resisting Zhu Xuanji’s penetrating gaze.

But clearly, this resistance was time-limited.

Ning Zhuo, drenched in sweat, gritted his teeth and struggled to speak, “Yes, I do have selfish intentions.”

“I wanted to do business with the Mechanical Explosive Monkeys, and I wanted to expand that business. The Monkey Head Gang was my biggest obstacle.”

“The existence of Yuan Dasheng blocked my financial path.”

“So when I saw him severely injured and on the verge of death during the Huoshi Festival, I harbored killing intent and personally requested a token from Master Fei Si.”

“Relying on this identity token, I entered the Monkey Head Gang and persuaded Yuan Er to abandon treatment for Yuan Dasheng.”

“Yuan Dasheng eventually died from his injuries, and I am indeed the true culprit!”

“Hahaha.” Zhu Xuanji laughed coldly three times, “What else?”

His questioning was like a cold blade pressed directly against Ning Zhuo’s neck.

Ning Zhuo looked at Zhu Xuanji with difficulty, his expression filled with shock and fear.

Zhu Xuanji’s gaze, sharp as an eagle, locked tightly onto Ning Zhuo, “Don’t tell me that killing Yuan Dasheng was the only reason!”

“Speak properly.”

“Honesty leads to leniency, resistance leads to severity.”

“You should understand: if you continue to conceal the truth, you know what kind of fate awaits you.”

“You should also know, I am a member of the Southern Dou Royal Family, and part of the Detective Division.”

“If it comes down to a reckoning, your Ning family is merely a mantis in front of the cart. Even the Meng family wouldn’t be worth mentioning!”

Ning Zhuo’s forehead was soaked in cold sweat, his face pale beyond measure, his body teetering on the edge of collapse.

His mind was in turmoil, filled with countless thoughts and questions.

“What exactly has Zhu Xuanji discovered, suddenly questioning me like this?”

“What should I say? What do I need to say?”

“How much can I afford to gamble?!”

Seeing Ning Zhuo’s hesitation, Zhu Xuanji snorted coldly in displeasure and suddenly increased the pressure.

Ning Zhuo could no longer bear it, and under the immense invisible pressure, he fell to one knee.

Looking at Ning Zhuo’s stubborn demeanor, Zhu Xuanji asked again, “Where is the True Scripture of the Demonic Dao?”

Ning Zhuo struggled to lift his head, his confusion genuine. He truly had no idea what the True Scripture of the Demonic Dao was!

“I don’t know. What kind of True Scripture of the Demonic Dao?” Ning Zhuo immediately responded, “I’ve never seen any scripture, nor have I ever heard of such a thing.”

This was the truth!

Zhu Xuanji had a strong ability to detect lies; he could discern between truth and falsehood.

Zhu Xuanji furrowed his brow, “If you don’t have the True Scripture, how did you cultivate demonic techniques? How did you gather the flesh and blood of your clan members?”

Ning Zhuo hurriedly explained, “Master, I am being wronged!”

“I have always been researching substitute puppets.”

“Collecting the flesh and blood of my clan members is entirely for that purpose. It’s perfectly normal.”

“You can examine my research records, they’re right here.”

Zhu Xuanji’s eyes swept around, and in the next moment, he used his spiritual sense to summon several drawings and jade slips.

Indeed, among them were records of research and experiments related to substitute puppets, along with various minor directions and small achievements Ning Zhuo had conceived.

Ning Zhuo, by nature cautious, had prepared these pieces of evidence from the moment he declared his intent to develop substitute puppets.

Zhu Xuanji examined the evidence in silence.

Poof.

Ning Zhuo, having resisted the pressure to his limit, suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood.

With a bitter laugh, he gave up on maintaining his posture and directly sat down on the ground.

He gazed at Zhu Xuanji, panting heavily, adopting a posture of resignation and awaiting punishment.

He spoke desolately, “This day has finally come.”

“I always knew this day would come, I just knew…”

Seeing Ning Zhuo’s defeatist, cooperative attitude, Zhu Xuanji slightly withdrew some of his pressure, allowing Ning Zhuo some room to breathe, “So, you’re finally willing to talk?”

However, this small gesture brought a tremendous psychological impact to Ning Zhuo, giving him the key piece of information he needed.

Ning Zhuo gritted his teeth in secret and decided to take a gamble!

He swallowed hard and shook his head at Zhu Xuanji, saying:

“Master Detective, you’ve uncovered the truth, and I’ve been exposed, but I still can’t say anything.”

“I’m just a small figure. If I reveal the truth, I’ll be dead for sure!”

“Hmm?!” Zhu Xuanji raised an eyebrow. “You still dare to resist?!”

He swept his scrutinizing gaze over Ning Zhuo from head to toe, “Ning Zhuo, you’ve come a long way to get to where you are today. You should cherish it.”

Ning Zhuo gave a bitter smile, “Of course I know—it wasn’t easy for me to get here! No one knows that better than I do.”

“I was born at the bottom, a marginal branch of my family, just a small person.”

“I’m like a blade of grass sprouting from the dirt, taking root in the mud and filth.”

“I have to fight with all my strength, absorbing every bit of nourishment I can find, only then can I grow.”

“Just like when I took control of the black market, I knew the work was dirty, and the righteous cultivators disdained getting involved.”

“But what else could I do?”

“Even if the filth stinks, if it’s nourishing for me, I have to seize it with all my might.”

At this point, Ning Zhuo gazed up at Zhu Xuanji, jealousy flashing in his eyes.

“Lord Zhu, you will never understand me!”

“You were born into royalty, superior from birth.”

“Your cultivation has reached the Golden Core, and you can easily crush me.”

“Just like now, you could simply stretch out a foot and crush me to death, like an ant on the side of the road.”

“But why, someone as noble as you, why do you trouble me?”

“You know the truth, so why make things difficult for a small person like me?!”

The more Ning Zhuo spoke, the more wronged he felt, and the angrier he became.

His face twisted, filled with terrifying hatred.

“I only want to live well and cultivate well!”

“I have no other way. In crucial moments, I was too weak. I had no one to rely on. I could only do some less-than-honorable things to gain the support of others.”

“Today you’ve come to arrest me. I expected this. If you bring out evidence of my crimes, I’ll admit to everything.”

“But if you want me to testify, to be a witness, to become the key to breaking the case, I absolutely can’t do it.”

“You might as well kill me now.”

“Because I’m not just one person. I have my family, my friends, and I don’t want to drag them down.”

“I’ll bear the consequences of my actions alone!”

At this point, Ning Zhuo showed a determined expression, ready to face death without hesitation.

Zhu Xuanji fell silent.

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit, which had been watching the scene, was now filled with confusion.

It couldn’t understand the words Ning Zhuo was saying.

“What are you even talking about?”

Although it didn’t understand, it could sense something was amiss.

Because Zhu Xuanji had slowly withdrawn his aura, no longer exerting pressure on Ning Zhuo.

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit couldn’t help but growl, “Zhu Xuanji, what are you doing? You’ve already found him out!”

“That’s right, the young cultivator in front of you, he’s the culprit, he’s the one who blew up the Immortal Palace!”

However, Zhu Xuanji, looking down at Ning Zhuo, now had a trace of pity in his eyes.

He was Zhu Xuanji, with the title of ‘Guardian of the Hidden, Protector of the People.’

All along, he had great sympathy and pity for cultivators from the lower ranks.

In Xuanlin City, he was willing to risk danger to investigate the Su family’s corruption for the sake of an old villager’s bowl of sugar water.

In the capital, he had boldly advocated curbing the influence of powerful cultivation families and actively supported talented cultivators from the lower classes, even speaking directly to the King of Southern Dou.

When Li Leifeng had trapped him before his death, Zhu Xuanji had not been angry but saddened, willingly allowing himself to be manipulated for the sake of finding the best director for the Kindergarten for Benevolence.

He had a natural wariness toward the deeply entrenched powers in Southern Dou Country, but for the lower-level cultivators, he felt pity deep in his bones.

Looking at Ning Zhuo, who sat slumped on the ground, drenched in sweat and utterly defeated, Zhu Xuanji sighed, a faint change finally appearing on his face, “You cunning little devil. So focused on profit, this kind of scheming will only lead you to your death.”

“You clearly have talent, so why are you so eager for quick success?”

His tone carried a hint of disappointment.

Ning Zhuo gave a bitter smile, “Master, I only realized I had talent after entering the Immortal Palace and seeing the size of the puppet body’s head.”

Zhu Xuanji fell into silence.

In his eyes, Ning Zhuo had become yet another figure who had been cruelly mocked by fate, pitiful, laughable, and tragic.

“Ning Zhuo, you have talent. You are an outstanding young man.”

“I’ll give you a chance.”

“Think it over carefully. You have three days to give me an explanation.”

“Remember, the answer you give me will determine your future.”

Zhu Xuanji clasped his hands behind his back, then soared into the sky, transforming into a beam of light that shot into the heavens.

Ning Zhuo remained slumped on the ground, unmoving for a long time.

The sounds of commotion grew closer. It was the guards near his residence, rushing over.

But what use was that?

Facing Zhu Xuanji, the forces Ning Zhuo had built up were like paper, utterly unreliable.

“Too weak, too weak!”

“My strength is still far too weak.”

Ning Zhuo clenched his fists tightly, his fingers digging deep into his flesh.

In the main hall of the Lava Immortal Palace.

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was dumbfounded!

Even as Zhu Xuanji flew away, it continued to stare in disbelief, hoping that he would come to his senses and turn back to capture Ning Zhuo.

“What, you’re just leaving?”

“He’s the culprit, he’s the real culprit!”

“But why do I feel like you’ve started to pity him?”

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was utterly baffled, finding the situation incredibly absurd.

It had been hoping for a spectacle, hoping to see Ning Zhuo get caught, but what it saw instead was—Ning Zhuo once again surviving a deadly crisis.

The mighty Detective Zhu Xuanji had been fooled by Ning Zhuo.

“Are you really a detective?”

“You must be fake!”

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit was furious.

It shifted its gaze back to Ning Zhuo, who was being helped up and surrounded by numerous cultivators.

“He’s pretending again, he’s just too good at pretending!”

Watching as Ning Zhuo was being comforted and reassured, the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit felt a chill in its heart.

“This young cultivator is truly too cunning, too terrifying!”

“Is he really only sixteen years old?”

“Could he be a five-hundred-year-old monster reborn?”

The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit grew more and more fearful of Ning Zhuo.

It warned itself that if it ever encountered this young cultivator again, it must be extremely cautious!

Extremely cautious!

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