Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master

Chapter 1569: Chapter 648: Letter from Zhong Dao_2

Ning Zhuo’s brow slightly furrowed, but his breathing remained steady.

He could feel that the barrier was beginning to loosen.

The Demon-infused Bloodline Technique was about to break through!

This feeling was not comfortable. It was because the advancement of the Demon Path Cultivation Method often came with intense tearing of the flesh, meridians, and will.

In the depths of the Blood Sea, dark red waves surged, each wave carrying the desires of hunger, restlessness, and corruption.

Ning Zhuo held onto his true self, and his Self-Talent faintly stirred, sweeping across the Blood Sea like a layer of cold Mirror Light, pressing the foreign restlessness back into the depths inch by inch.

After a long while, he slowly retracted his energy.

A thin layer of sweat had appeared on his forehead.

He opened his eyes, and the redness in his pupils slowly faded, returning to a clear, ink-black color.

Just then, a Flying Message passed through the formation outside the Cave Mansion and stopped steadily in front of him. The Flying Message was shaped like an iron feather, entirely black and green, with edges as sharp as a knife. It hovered in the air, trembling slightly, releasing a silent aura of killing intent.

It was a message from Zhong Dao!

Ning Zhuo reached out and caught it, infusing his Divine Sense.

Zhong Dao’s handwriting was upright and forceful, with sharpness embedded in the strokes.

The message did not contain much pleasantries—eliminate evil thoroughly, with no room for leniency. Zhong Dao candidly stated his attitude towards the Demon Path and expressed dissatisfaction with Ning Zhuo’s plan to rescue Red Robe Guest’s Demon Soul.

He believed Ning Zhuo’s action was the wrong choice. If Ning Zhuo were willing to correct his attitude and abandon the idea of rescuing the Demon Soul, Zhong Dao could help him through the current difficulty.

The room was silent.

There was a cold light in Ning Zhuo’s eyes.

Zhong Dao’s zero tolerance for Demon Cultivators was well-known both inside and outside the Myriad Images Sect.

No matter how proud and passionate the Red Robe Guest was, with a past that moved people, in Zhong Dao’s eyes, he was ultimately just a Demon Cultivator. Ning Zhuo’s decision to save him naturally displeased Zhong Dao. This letter also confirmed Ning Zhuo’s previous judgment.

"It is right to keep a distance from the Evil Slaying Hall and from Zhong Dao."

Ning Zhuo replied to the message.

His handwriting was gentle and upright, with respect between the lines.

He first thanked Zhong Dao for his multiple past favors, then stated that he needed to think about the bigger picture. With Nanming Village newly established and people’s hearts unsteady, since he had made a public promise, he had to face this test independently.

At the end of the letter, he again expressed his respect for Zhong Dao, comparing himself to a toddler: only by losing support can a toddler truly learn to walk!

Having finished writing the Flying Message, Ning Zhuo did not hesitate, directly infusing it with Mana, causing it to silently flap its wings, passing through the formation light of the Cave Mansion and into the night.

At this moment, Ning Zhuo recalled Pi Fujie’s face from the day.

The extent of Pi Fujie’s support was much greater than that of Situ Xing, Shen Xi, and Lin Jinglong. The reason was evident—Ning Zhuo’s attitude towards rescuing Red Robe Guest’s Demon Soul made him, of Demon Path origin, feel a sense of kinship!

Ning Zhuo returned to his desk, deep in thought.

From the beginning, he felt that Zhong Dao’s political stance was too extreme.

For this reason, Zhong Dao himself and the Evil Slaying Hall were not prospering within the Myriad Images Sect, being subject to exclusion and suppression.

Ning Zhuo’s refusal of Zhong Dao this time was very decisive—he had serendipitously seized an opportunity to extend goodwill towards Demon Cultivators while not diminishing his righteous image and reputation!

Moreover, he had already announced it publicly, with many Confucian Cultivators present, including Shen Xi, Lin Jinglong, Situ Xing, and others as witnesses. If he agreed to Zhong Dao now and then went back on his word, how could he maintain his credibility in the future? How would he face the world?

Zhong Dao, of course, knew the price of such a reversal, the cost that Ning Zhuo would bear!

This Hall Master of the Evil Slaying Hall looked favorably upon Ning Zhuo, wanting to use this opportunity to lock Ning Zhuo into his political camp.

Ning Zhuo was well aware that once he agreed, Zhong Dao would undoubtedly provide unprecedented support, fulfilling his promise to the young man by helping him safely get through the current difficulty.

But...

Ning Zhuo was born into the righteous Ning Family of the Fire Persimmon Immortal City, yet was closest to Sun Lingtong from a young age and once managed the Black Market.

The valuable experiences of his youth made him understand early on that among the Evil Cultivators and Demon Cultivators, there were evildoers and also people with bitter fates. Among them were cunning and deceitful people, as well as genuine and valiant heroes. Killing them all indiscriminately sounds satisfying, but in reality, it would transform into a blade that’s too sharp. The blade’s edge, sooner or later, would also harm oneself.

Deep down, Ning Zhuo and Zhong Dao’s political views were inherently different!

Ning Zhuo clearly understood the cost of sending this letter—Zhong Dao was a wise person, politically shrewd, much more seasoned than the young man himself. Once this reply was sent, it was almost impossible to gain help from the Evil Slaying Hall. If one day he was forced to seek help from Zhong Dao, he would essentially have to bow his head and completely yield to Zhong Dao’s camp and faction.

This strongly conflicted with Ning Zhuo’s overall plan to join the Myriad Images Sect and did not align with Meng Yaoyin’s expectations for him.

Ning Zhuo sought a flexible position—he wanted to find a suitable foothold within the Myriad Images Sect, one that would allow him to maintain his interests in White Paper Immortal City, thereby satisfying his cultivation needs.

He couldn’t be forcibly placed by Zhong Dao to become a future member of the Evil Slaying Hall. Zhong Dao looked favorably upon him and hoped he would become a future pillar of the Evil Slaying Hall. This was Zhong Dao’s need, never his!

Ning Zhuo took out the Astral Tribulation-Shifting Chess, Nine Palace Mist Step Array Plate, and the Green Qiu Armor Seed, observing them.

The three treasures sat quietly, each glistening with brilliance, representing the goodwill of three Super Families and their sense of restraint.

What Pi Fujie left was a greater possibility.

What Xuan Armor Cave sent was business.

What the Reincarnation Hall brought was negotiation.

What accompanied Kong Ran was Kong Zhaoming’s hand reaching toward Nanming Fire Furnace’s debt.

The Flying Message from Zhong Dao represented an extreme camp—it came with intense scrutiny and tests, opening its arms to Ning Zhuo. Strong, cold, and safe—as long as Ning Zhuo bowed his head!

Some were merely selling favors, some wanted the debt rights, some wanted to pressure Ning Zhuo into their camp, while others were merely doing business.

"No rush, it’s only the first day."

Ning Zhuo understood that relying solely on himself, it was tough to overcome the hurdle of the Three Brave of Xiang Sect. All the support was the most significant variable.

He needed to continue waiting.

Time slowly passed.

At daybreak, Ning Zhuo walked out of the Cave Mansion.

The mountain wind was cold, and the dawn light rose slowly from the edge of the sea of clouds. The first ray of golden light skimmed across the distant peaks, staining the heavy cloud waves light gold, like a thin sheet of foil spread across the sky. On the stone steps outside the Three Lights Heavenly Dao Cave Mansion, the Night Dew had yet to dry, with tiny water droplets hanging from the edges of grass blades, refracting the early sunlight, sparkling like scattered diamonds.

One night had already passed.

Ning Zhuo stood in the morning light, his robe gently clinging to his form in the wind.

He hadn’t waited for Che Zhuzi, nor had he waited for Lu Zeng.

"One day and night have already passed; Che Zhuzi and Lu Zeng won’t come." Ning Zhuo understood clearly in his heart.

Che Zhuzi and Lu Zeng, these merchants, naturally leaned toward neutrality. They could be expected to embellish successes—at Nanming Village’s founding ceremony, they came to offer congratulations, give gifts, lend their presence, and say many pleasant words.

But if they were to help Ning Zhuo at this moment, it would mean taking sides. They were aware that many significant powers of the Flowing Cloud Peak were watching this matter and thus wisely, decisively, and firmly chose to stand aside and watch.

Ning Zhuo gazed at the sunrise, holding expectations for the new day.

The morning light shone into his eyes like a spark falling into clear water, causing very subtle ripples.

"It’s alright."

"What I was anticipating wasn’t old connections anyway."

The Moon Viewing Tower stood suspended in the sky, with seven tiers of flying eaves piercing through the flowing clouds.

Outside the tower, a Cloud Bridge spanned the void like a white rainbow drinking from a ravine, with a sea of mist churning beneath. Occasionally, cultivators flew past wielding artifacts, their robes fluttering in the wind.

In the tower, the scent of alcohol lingered year-round, mixing the steaming aroma of fresh spirit fish, the rich meat of Cloud Deer, and the sweet stickiness of corn cakes from the kitchen, mingling with the Pill Fragrance on the cultivators’ bodies, the bitter talisman ink, and the chilly sharpness of swords, intertwining in a tangled swirl.

The private room Chen San reserved was on the fifth floor.

This room had an excellent view, with windows opening to see ridges and peaks. Cloud Qi wrapped around the mountain waist like white silk, and Spirit Light faintly flickered at the mountain peaks.

At sunset, when the full golden glow washed over the tower, and the clouds rolled like molten gold, sitting here with a drink gave a sense of half-ascending to the skies, a blissful and ethereal feeling.

However, Chen San did not touch a drop of alcohol.