Ning Family Estate.
Today was the grand day of the Ning Family's ranking announcement.
Early in the morning, Ning Ze and his wife, Wang Lan, sat in the central hall, awaiting the results of the major examination of their two younger family members.
The Ning family children have their aptitude tested from birth, once every year, until they reach twelve or thirteen.
Those with cultivation potential are sent to the family’s private school, fully funded by the family, where they undergo full-time training until they are sixteen or seventeen, at which point they take a final graduation examination.
The annual major examination is a decisive event, influencing the destinies of young cultivators.
The top thirty youths in the examination earn the privilege to join the Ning family’s main enterprises, thus securing a significantly brighter future.
Wang Lan sipped her tea, yet her gaze frequently darted to the main entrance, her face unable to mask her nervousness and anticipation.
Ning Ze, on the other hand, appeared absent-minded, his mood utterly gloomy.
He had been waiting since dawn, but the Huang Family’s Three Ghosts had yet to report back.
“They failed!”
“I never expected that Mysterious Puppet Master to be so vicious and ruthless.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
“I didn't reveal my true identity when contacting the Huang Family’s Three Ghosts; the Mysterious Puppet Master won't be able to trace me.”
“Huang Family’s Three Ghosts were all talk. Even with the Spirit-Suppressing Talisman and their pet, the Green Blade Mantis, they lost despite being three against one! I really misjudged them.”
“Sigh, Mysterious Puppet Master... What should I do next?”
Driven to a corner, Ning Ze had taken a desperate measure, only to suffer a humiliating defeat.
His head throbbed as he struggled to figure out how he would explain this to the young clan leader.
“Father, Mother! I made it—I made it into the top thirty!”
At that moment, a young boy rushed into the room, shouting excitedly.
“Really? Ji’er, you actually made it?” Wang Lan immediately stood up, her face beaming with joy.
The young cultivator Ning Ji’s voice rang out loudly, “Of course! Mother, do you not believe your own son?”
“Oh?” Ning Ze raised his head and saw his son Ning Ji’s gleeful and triumphant smile.
Usually, Ning Ji’s scores hovered around the forties, but this time, he had unexpectedly performed well in the major examination.
This unexpected good news slightly lightened Ning Ze’s troubled heart.
Ning Ji’s voice was exuberant, “Father, Mother, this time, I’ve brought honor to our family. I told you, I knew what I was doing. My usual scores aren’t great simply because I don’t always put in full effort.”
“Not like a certain someone!”
“In normal times, they score well, usually staying within the top thirty. But in this examination, they slipped and ended up thirty-first. Oh dear, they failed!”
As he said this, Ning Ji looked back at the youth in white who had entered behind him, his face full of ridicule.
The youth in white was modestly dressed, his eyes clear, filled with a strong sense of guilt and disappointment.
“Uncle, Aunt.” The youth in white, Ning Zhuo, bowed.
Wang Lan looked at him sharply and exclaimed, “What? Little Zhuo, you failed this exam?”
Ning Ze’s face darkened, and he reached out, demanding, “Let me see your score sheet.”
Ning Zhuo took out the score sheet and handed it to his uncle, Ning Ze.
Ning Ze glanced at it and became even more displeased.
The next moment, he shook the paper in his hand, saying sternly, “Little Zhuo, how did you make such a critical error this time?”
“As I recall, you have some talent in mechanical arts.”
“Previously, the mechanical parrot you crafted even won praise from the elders.”
“Mechanical arts is clearly your strong suit, yet you scored only a lower grade this time?”
“Sigh, if not for this lower grade, you would have made it into the top thirty!”
His aunt’s gaze turned sharp, “Little Zhuo, tell me, have you been taking on private work from the Flying Disc Workshop again?”
Before Ning Zhuo could respond, his aunt lamented, “I’ve told you countless times not to chase after money. At your age, you should focus on your studies.”
“You’re putting all your energy into making money, chasing after small gains and neglecting the bigger picture.”
“Look at you now! You’re not even in the top thirty!”
“You won’t be able to join the family’s enterprises!”
Hearing this, Ning Zhuo finally gathered the courage to speak, “Aunt, I heard from some classmates that there’s a way to get a place…”
Before he could finish, his aunt interrupted sharply, “Get a place? Do you know how many spirit stones that would cost? Do you know how many people we’d have to approach?”
“Oh, you failed to score well, and with just a few casual words, you expect your uncle and me to go around pulling strings for you, running ourselves ragged to open a back door for you?”
“You have the nerve to say such a thing!”
“If you knew this would happen, why didn’t you listen to my advice?”
“I always told you to focus on cultivation, not to take on side jobs just to earn a few spirit stones.”
“What’s the use?”
“If you had made it into the top thirty, you’d have far greater earnings by joining the family enterprise. Less work, more time to cultivate!”
Ning Zhuo lifted his head, his face flushed with shame and anger. He gritted his teeth and said firmly, “Uncle, Aunt, I, Ning Zhuo, take responsibility for my own actions!”
“If I scored thirty-first, so be it.”
“I am grateful for the care you’ve shown me over the years. This outcome is my fault, my consequence to bear!”
“I’ll take responsibility for my actions!”
“I don’t believe that I can’t find a way to support myself outside.”
With that, Ning Zhuo bowed and took his leave, “Uncle, Aunt, my classmates are waiting for me to join them for a meal. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”
His uncle stared at him in silence.
His aunt waved dismissively, “Go on, go on. You certainly have a thick skin, failing so badly yet still having the nerve to go out and celebrate!”
Unable to stay any longer, Ning Zhuo turned and stormed off in frustration.
His cousin Ning Ji, on the other hand, settled comfortably into a chair.
His aunt’s expression softened, turning into a smile, “My son is still the best!”
She pushed the plate of tea cakes on the table toward him.
“Try these. They’re Golden Silk Jade Dew Cakes from the Golden Feast Hall. Eating them will enhance your sea of consciousness and strengthen your spiritual sense, which will greatly benefit your cultivation and your future foundation establishment.”
Ning Ji’s eyes lit up as he eagerly picked one up and popped it into his mouth.
The Golden Silk Jade Dew Cake had a unique texture, soft and chewy with a slightly crunchy golden silk, and a flowing center.
After taking three bites, Ning Ji felt a refreshing energy rise from his stomach and rush to his head, invigorating his spirit.
Ning Ji sincerely praised, “Delicious, delicious!”
“Eat more; they’re all for you.” His mother smiled.
Ning Ji gobbled down the remaining three cakes, licking his lips, still craving more, “As expected from the Golden Feast Hall! Why are there only four? Are there any more?”
His father snorted, “Each of those cakes is worth twenty spirit stones. You just ate nearly a hundred spirit stones’ worth and still want more?”
“You’d better work harder. Don’t slack off! In the future, earn enough spirit stones yourself to indulge in these delicacies.”
Ning Ji protested, “Father, I just made you proud! If my results were like before, wouldn’t you have had to pull strings, send gifts, open doors just to get me into the family enterprise? My excellent exam saved you hundreds of spirit stones—what’s a few cakes from the Golden Feast Hall?”
“Besides, eating these helps me cultivate better and strive harder.”
“If I had access to such high-quality resources earlier, I’d have been at the top long ago.”
Seeing his son talk back, his father glared, about to scold him.
His mother quickly intervened, “Alright, alright, both of you say less.”
She glared at her husband, “My son did well, and he deserves praise. You can’t say a few words without criticizing him.”
“Don’t mind his playful attitude; when it matters, he’s reliable.”
“Unlike Ning Zhuo, whose usual performance makes people complacent, yet when it counts, he’s the one who causes the most worry!”
“Look at him; just a few critical words, and he stormed off. So hard-headed! Am I wrong?”
“Hmph, going out to eat. He actually has the mood for that!”
Ning Ji sneered, “He’s too proud, thinking he knows everything. He ignores the advice you both give him.”
“By the way, we won’t really have to pull any strings for him, right?”
His father snorted coldly, “That’s none of your business.”
Seeing his father’s anger, Ning Ji instinctively shrank back, but he quickly perked up, thinking of his exam results, “Mother, if Ning Zhuo can go out to eat, I want to go out too. Give me some spirit stones. You have no idea how much I sacrificed for this exam!”
“Alright, alright.” His mother cheerfully pulled out a pouch of spirit stones and handed it to Ning Ji.
Taking the pouch, Ning Ji immediately got up to leave.
He left the Ning residence, walked onto the street, but didn’t head directly to his favorite restaurant.
Instead, he wandered around, wanting to see where Ning Zhuo was dining.
Usually, he didn’t have such an opportunity, but now that he did, he wanted to mock him for fun.
Yet, he looked everywhere and couldn’t find him.
After asking several shop assistants, he confirmed that Ning Zhuo hadn’t come.
Ning Ji slapped his forehead, realizing, “That guy was putting on airs. There’s no banquet. He’s probably in that rundown house where his mother passed away, crying his eyes out!”
“No matter. I’ll go have a good meal first.”
Spirit food was not only delicious but also had the wonderful effect of enhancing cultivation, which Ning Ji was eagerly anticipating.
Part of Ning Ji’s guess was correct.
Ning Zhuo had already returned to his own home.
Compared to the residence of his uncle and aunt, Ning Zhuo’s home was simple and dilapidated.
Ning Zhuo quietly closed the courtyard gate, crossed the small yard, entered the main room, and walked into the inner chamber.
This was both his bedroom and study.
Although the furniture was old and shabby, it was neatly organized.
Ning Zhuo gently touched the Lion Guardian Stone on his desk.
A faint glow flickered across the Lion Guardian Stone, indicating that no one had entered during his absence.
Ning Zhuo turned, approached the side of his bed, and gently twisted a lever. Immediately, the sound of mechanical gears echoed.
The bed slid aside, revealing a hidden passageway.
He stepped onto the wooden ladder and descended into the underground chamber.
Once his feet hit the ground, he twisted a switch on the wall, causing the bed above to slide back into place.
Deprived of overhead light, the underground chamber’s walls lit up with rune inscriptions, illuminating the small space.
At that moment, all traces of sadness, anger, and frustration disappeared from Ning Zhuo’s face, replaced by an expression of calm.
He sat down at his familiar workbench, which was covered with various mechanical parts.
Ning Zhuo opened the drawer on his right, revealing it filled with pastries.
Each pastry was wrapped in paper marked with the Golden Feast Hall’s emblem.
He grabbed a handful, about five or six pieces, channeling his spiritual power to burn off the wrappers without damaging the Golden Silk Jade Dew Cakes.
It was clear he had done this many times, as he was highly proficient.
Chewing on the pastries, Ning Zhuo’s gaze became distant as he mentally reviewed his actions from the day.
This was a habit he had maintained for over a decade.
“There shouldn’t be any issues.”
“It’s just surprising that so many others underperformed in this examination and didn’t fully play to their strengths.”
“When I checked the ranking, I almost thought I’d miscalculated and made it into the top thirty.”