Since Li Leifeng said so, Zhu Xuanji no longer held back.
He immediately reached out, placing his hand on Li Leifeng's pulse, channeling his spiritual power into Li Leifeng's body, as his Heaven-Piercing Eyes emitted a divine radiance.
Soon, Zhu Xuanji had thoroughly examined Li Leifeng’s physical condition, and his face paled.
"Elder Li... you..."
Li Leifeng held on for a moment before he could no longer resist, coughing violently.
His aura weakened once more, falling to the qi refining stage, his face turning ashen as blood trickled from the corners of his mouth.
"I am already old, my body decaying, and even breathing is a struggle."
"No matter how gentle Lord Zhu's spiritual power is, it still inflicted unavoidable damage on me."
"But it is as it is."
"If it weren’t for a fortuitous encounter in my youth, where I took a life-extending ganoderma, I wouldn’t have lived to this age."
"Nonetheless, I must thank Lord Zhu for helping me find peace."
Zhu Xuanji sighed deeply, his brow furrowed, his face filled with remorse.
"Elder Li, I am well aware of your contributions to the children’s orphanage. Why must you endure this?"
A sharp man, he quickly saw through Li Leifeng’s ploy after realizing he’d been caught in it.
Li Leifeng chuckled. "Lord Zhu, if you truly feel remorseful, then please represent the court and find a good director for this orphanage. Without that, even in death, I would not find peace."
Zhu Xuanji tilted his head back with a heavy sigh.
His primary purpose in coming here was to investigate Li Leifeng.
According to the intelligence gathered from the City Lord’s residence and the three major families, Li Leifeng was indeed the top suspect.
Although he was not at the golden core stage, his lightning roots had given him, at his peak, the strength of a half-step golden core, especially when controlling the mechanical tower!
Additionally, he was highly skilled in mechanical arts, a talent acknowledged by the Lava Immortal Palace, making him a foundation establishment candidate with permission to enter the palace.
According to the records of the four great families, Li Leifeng had ventured into the palace multiple times, reaping many rewards.
These were just the documented instances.
Before the Lava Immortal Palace was exposed, the top of Fire Persimmon Mountain was not under strict guard, and the paths to the Demon Lava Cave were well-trodden, allowing many cultivators to disguise themselves and explore the cave.
It was impossible for the four powers to keep track of all cultivators who had entered the palace.
Thus, Li Leifeng’s entries into the palace were likely far more frequent than recorded.
Zhu Xuanji’s investigation confirmed that Li Leifeng’s life was nearly at its end, with only a short time left.
A golden core cultivator like him had actually been tricked by Li Leifeng’s scheme.
Zhu Xuanji could only sigh internally.
It wasn’t the first time he had fallen victim to such tactics.
The moment he showed himself publicly, those with ulterior motives would investigate his history, personality, and preferences thoroughly.
Li Leifeng’s actions directly targeted Zhu Xuanji’s soft spot.
Even the smallest figures have their ways to survive!
Zhu Xuanji knew this examination would cost Li Leifeng at least three months of life.
Feeling guilt-ridden, he promised to find an outstanding director for the orphanage in Fire Persimmon Immortal City.
Li Leifeng nodded with a faint smile. "Lord Zhu, after I pass, there will be a legacy meeting, and I shall leave all my belongings to others."
"I know you come from the royal family, serve as a divine constable, and are both wealthy and of high status."
"Yet, I still wish to offer you a small token as a sign of respect."
"I have nothing to offer in terms of magical artifacts that would catch your eye, but I do have a little toy I acquired in my younger days that may be of some interest."
"Lord Zhu, please take a look."
Zhu Xuanji accepted a wooden board.
The board was as large as a chopping board, heavy and light yellow, with numerous natural wood grain patterns across its surface.
Interwoven circuits crisscrossed the surface, dividing it into countless small sections of varying sizes.
With his mechanical expertise, Zhu Xuanji was intrigued at a glance.
He tried pressing down one of the wooden sections, successfully sliding it to the side.
Just as he had suspected, each section was movable.
"Interesting." Zhu Xuanji’s fingers moved rapidly, transferring several sections back and forth and gradually discerning a pattern.
"This mechanical board conceals some kind of information. By moving the sections to the correct positions, we can uncover part of the message."
"Only when all pieces of information are gathered can we assemble the board’s full message."
Zhu Xuanji frowned, "There are so many pieces. How long will it take to gather all the information?"
Li Leifeng chuckled, "This is merely a mechanical toy, like the ones I played with in my youth—one-wheel, cross-legged puppet, and three-hair."
"It’s complex enough to pass the time."
Zhu Xuanji laughed, "What I need most is time; how can I spend it idly?"
With that, he activated his Heaven-Piercing Eyes to see through the toy.
Using this shortcut, he immediately discerned all the information hidden in the wooden toy. "So, it’s merely a story of the immortal gods? And not even complete?"
Li Leifeng sighed, "Lord Zhu, it is merely a toy."
"In my view, perhaps some mechanical cultivator made it in his later years while playing with his grandchildren."
Zhu Xuanji nodded, placing the mechanical board back. "I think it would be more appropriate for this to remain in the orphanage. Elder Li, I’ll take my leave. I’ll fulfill my promise."
Li Leifeng responded, "Farewell, Lord Zhu. Forgive me for not getting up to see you off."
Zhu Xuanji quickly waved him off, "No, no, please, stay reclined."
He feared that Li Leifeng might shorten his life further just by seeing him off.
Leaving the orphanage, Zhu Xuanji looked up at the sky and sighed, thinking, "Heavens, why can’t you grant a bit more mercy to the good people of this world?"
Zhu Xuanji’s mood was heavy, feeling deep regret over Li Leifeng’s impending passing.
The time he would now spend reporting to the court, using his energy, and personally overseeing the search for a new orphanage director would delay his investigation.
But he was willing.
Meanwhile, at Ning Xiaoren's residence, Ning Zhuo slept poorly.
In truth, it was even worse than his uncle's home.
The only place that gave him a sense of belonging was the small courtyard his mother had left him.
Breakfast was plentiful, consisting of numerous spiritual foods.
Ning Xiaoren arrived specifically to share breakfast with Ning Zhuo.
He inquired with concern about Ning Zhuo’s rest and if the food suited his taste.
Ning Zhuo appeared awkward and hesitant, unable to handle Ning Xiaoren's kindness.
Noticing this, Ning Xiaoren toned down his warmth.
Ning Zhuo gradually relaxed and began eating the spiritual food, knowing these could enhance his cultivation!
Ning Xiaoren was astonished to see Ning Zhuo eating more and faster.
One plate of spiritual food was almost devoured by him.
Some of the dishes were meant to be enjoyed in small amounts.
Just as Ning Xiaoren reached for his chopsticks—gone!
"Eat up. If you like it, eat more," Ning Xiaoren said with a smile.
Ning Zhuo paused, looking embarrassed.
Ning Xiaoren laughed heartily, "Good boy. Eating more helps with cultivation, and the more you cultivate, the more rewarding your exploration of the Immortal Palace will be."
"Thank... thank you, Uncle Xiaoren." Ning Zhuo’s voice was muffled, his mouth full.
Ning Xiaoren chuckled again, "I told you, just call me Uncle Ning."
So Ning Zhuo called him Uncle Ning.
"Good, from now on, we’ll refer to each other as uncle and nephew."
Ning Xiaoren stood up, "Eat well, fill yourself up. Then, focus on cultivating and don’t waste the spirit stones. I heard you’re interested in mechanical arts; I’ll send some mechanical manuals your way later."
Overjoyed, Ning Zhuo immediately stood up and cupped his hands in thanks.
Ning Xiaoren laughed, waved him off, and left the room.
Returning to his study, his face turned cold. Not finishing a meal in his own residence was a first. He ordered another breakfast prepared.
Ning Zhuo began examining the manuals.
Clearly, these came from the Ning family’s secret library, their quality much higher than those available in the open library.
On the surface, Ning Zhuo seemed engrossed, but he was actually preoccupied.
Under normal circumstances, he would have been eager, unable to put down the manuals.
But now, he was acutely aware of his situation.
Though Ning Xiaoren treated him kindly now, the next moment could see him thrown into a private dungeon.
Ning Zhuo was walking a tightrope.
But he had no choice.
The appearance of Yuan Dasheng forced him to risk everything, narrowly escaping exposure.
Zhu Xuanji’s early arrival and investigation had increased the pressure, compelling Ning Zhuo to act quickly.
"When did my situation start worsening?"
Reflecting back, he knew it was the moment he decided to blow up the Immortal Palace!
Once he did, he was like a lone boat in a storm, with no option but to reach the other shore to survive.
One misstep, one delay, and he’d be destroyed.
There was no turning back.
Should the Immortal Palace be taken by others, they would uncover the explosion’s clues, exposing Ning Zhuo as the true culprit.
He could only move forward, gritting his teeth through whatever challenges came his way.
"After this long night, Ning Xiaoren’s continued kindness suggests they’ve finished their investigation."
"This is all part of the defense I’ve crafted since I was two. The evidence I’ve gradually fabricated is naturally woven into my life story."
"If they discover my underground workshop, it won’t matter. I’ve already cleaned up and left various drafts, revisions, and failed prototypes of the mechanical fire explosive monkeys."
Although Ning Zhuo was alone, he held one advantage.
He had started preparing over a decade ago, planting traces throughout his years of growth.
These clues, once pieced together, formed a plausible narrative.
This narrative was Ning Zhuo’s carefully constructed defense—who would suspect a child of two was acting?
As long as his Early Wisdom Talent remained hidden, Ning Zhuo could hold this line of defense.
Of course, his love for mechanical arts was not feigned but genuinely expressed.
"Ning Zhuo, come out," Ning Xiaohui’s voice suddenly sounded from outside.