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Since he had been escorted here, he had been in a trance, his gaze unfocused, like a statue.

Soft footsteps echoed.

Ning Xiaoren\'s ears twitched slightly, and he immediately realized that a guard had left their post.

Then, the door opened, and a familiar sound of footsteps approached.

Ning Xiaoren seemed to wake up suddenly, his expression lively again. He stood up and walked a few steps toward the cell’s bars.

“Father!” Sure enough, the next moment, he saw a familiar figure walk out of the shadows from the direction of the cell door, entering the torch-lit area.

It was none other than the head of the Ning family.

At this moment, the Ning family head finally revealed his true emotions, with a gloomy expression on his face. “Xiaoren, I’ve come to see you.”

Ning Xiaoren’s Adam’s apple moved a few times, and he spoke with a choked voice, “Father, I’ve disappointed you.”

The Ning family head nodded, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment. “You have greatly disappointed me.”

“Do you know where you lost this time?”

Ning Xiaoren nodded. “I know!”

“First, I lost the people\'s hearts a long time ago. Over the years, as the Young Master, I offended too many people from the branch families. This time, when I was knocked down, everyone turned against me, and I couldn’t resist.”

“Second, I wasn’t thorough enough. If I wanted to frame Ning Ze, I should have acted more decisively. After framing him, I should have taken his life. Without Ning Ze turning against me, I wouldn’t have been so passive, even if Wang Lan and others accused me.”

“Third, I was too complacent. I’ve been the Young Master for many years, used to seeing the branch family members harboring anger but not daring to speak out, used to seeing them tolerate me. I underestimated them, and I underestimated Ning Ze. I spared Ning Ze because he had been my subordinate for many years.”

“Fourth, and most importantly, I underestimated Ning Zhuo!”

“That young man is not simple. He took advantage of the people\'s hearts within our family and the situation at the Lava Immortal Palace.”

“He’s only at the third layer of Qi Refining, seemingly weak, but his methods are extremely sophisticated.”

“I never thought that such mature handling could come from a sixteen-year-old boy.”

The Ning family head nodded and sighed. “You’ve analyzed it well, very methodical. It seems you haven’t lost your fighting spirit.”

“However, while Ning Zhuo is indeed a key figure… today\'s situation might not be entirely his doing.”

“Ning Zhuo has influence, but not enough to rally everyone at his command. For Ning Youfu, Ning Houjun, and the others to appear almost simultaneously, someone must have secretly coordinated everything in advance.” Ꞧ

“The clan members were mobilized too quickly. Among them, some were likely already prepared, just waiting for things to escalate.”

“The Elder of the Ancestral Hall smelled a strong conspiracy, which is why he didn’t defend you.”

Ning Xiaoren\'s face darkened, and he nodded heavily. “I don’t hate him anymore. The Elder of the Ancestral Hall made a rational decision. At the time, I couldn’t face the overwhelming evidence. If he had defended me, he might have lost his position as well.”

The Ning family head replied, “It’s good that you understand.”

Ning Xiaoren said, “Father, what should I do next? You must have a plan, right?”

“Of course.” The Ning family head nodded. “According to my arrangement, you will be imprisoned for three years.”

“But this is actually your opportunity!”

“While in the dungeon, you must diligently practice making talismans and develop outstanding ice talismans to contribute to the family and atone for your crimes.”

“I’ve already prepared the relevant talisman materials for you, from a certain cultivator’s inheritance in the North Wind Country.”

“About a year later, when things have completely settled, you can slightly modify the talismans and present them to the family.”

“And in the coming days, you will focus on your cultivation here in the dungeon.”

Ning Xiaoren nodded. “Understood, Father. I’ll treat this as a retreat for cultivation.”

The Ning family head said, “Hmm, I’m relieved you have such a mindset. Such setbacks are also opportunities for growth.”

“In a person\'s life, mistakes and failures are inevitable. The true hero rises again after every fall.”

Ning Xiaoren sighed deeply. “I will always remember Father’s teachings.”

The Ning family head said, “Once you present the talismans, I will, according to the family rules, reduce your punishment.”

“At that time, you will still remain in the family, rather than being exiled.”

“This Ning family is under the control of the main branch. As long as you stay within the family, there will be no shortage of opportunities for you to make contributions and climb your way back up.”

Ning Xiaoren frowned. “What about the other members of the main branch? Do they have any objections?”

The Ning family head snorted coldly. “I’ve already communicated with them.”

“The branch families flaunting their power this time has made the main branch vigilant. They are all well aware of the merit you have earned by suppressing the branch families in the past. Therefore, they unanimously believe that we must show the branch families who is in charge.”

“In the future, I will continue to negotiate with them. Perhaps I can even gain some credit for you from them, further reducing your punishment.”

“For now, you need to obediently stay in the dungeon and wait for the storm to pass.”

“Father, I understand!” Ning Xiaoren’s heart finally calmed down. “What should we do next to clean up the aftermath?”

“As for Ning Zhuo…”

The Ning family head interrupted him. “Regarding Ning Zhuo, the main branch won’t trouble him immediately, nor will we suppress him in the slightest.”

“He is currently in the spotlight, and the whole clan\'s branch family members are watching him.”

“If there’s even a hint of unfair treatment, the branch families will sympathize with him even more, support him, and boost his influence.”

“Moreover, in the near future, we will give him many resources to ease the tensions between the main branch and the branch families.”

Ning Xiaoren’s eyes gleamed with cold light, and he gritted his teeth. “Give him, give him more, the more the better!”

“That kid is extremely greedy, not much different from me.”

“I don’t believe he won’t fall for the trap!”

“Let him enjoy the family\'s favoritism and assistance. I don’t believe the branch family members won’t feel envious and jealous.”

“Use this to sever his ties with the branch families!”

“We’re only wary of him because he’s become a symbol for the branch families, right?”

The Ning family head chuckled, looking pleased. “Xiaoren, it wasn’t in vain that I raised you.”

“We’ve already planned to act this way.”

“But it may not work.”

“According to our discussions, most believe that Ning Zhuo has someone advising him from behind.”

“Today, the speed at which the branch family members gathered was too fast. Ning Youfu, Ning Houjun, and the others acted as if they had planned and communicated beforehand.”

Ning Xiaoren nodded, gritting his teeth, his gaze icy. “If we can catch him collaborating with outsiders, that would be perfect!”

“Ning Zhuo!”

“I never expected to be defeated by such a young brat. It’s a disgrace.”

“One day, I will repay this humiliation twofold!”

Ning Xiaoren swore bitterly, unable to suppress the immense hatred he felt for Ning Zhuo.

The Ning family head nodded, satisfied with Ning Xiaoren\'s mental state. “Son, carry this hatred with you and cultivate well.”

After exchanging a few more words, the Ning family head turned to leave.

“Father!” Ning Xiaoren called out as he saw his father about to disappear into the shadows. “Be careful of Ning Zhuo!”

“Looking back now, I feel more and more that Ning Zhuo is not simple, far from it!”

The Ning family head stopped and turned, looking at Ning Xiaoren, nodding slightly. “I will pay close attention to him.”

“If today’s events weren’t orchestrated by someone behind the scenes, but rather planned by him alone, then that is truly terrifying.”

“Let’s see what he does next.”

“Today, he has won a great victory and his reputation has soared. This is an extremely rare opportunity.”

“We\'ll see if he can recognize and seize it, truly building his momentum.”

Ning Ze’s residence.

In the master bedroom, Ning Zhuo’s uncle and aunt were sitting by the bed.

Aunt Wang Lan was performing a spell to check Ning Ze’s body and treat his injuries.

Her eyes were red, and she choked up. “Husband, you’ve suffered this time.”

Ning Ze sighed. “It was all thanks to you this time. How did you make the decision to tell Ning Zhuo the truth?”

Wang Lan said, “I never planned to.”

“After visiting the prison, I was preparing to follow our plan—to kneel before Ning Zhuo the next day and force him to return to the correctional team.”

“But that night, I opened the door and was startled by Ning Zhuo.”

“Ning Zhuo had already entered the room, waiting for me.”

Ning Ze raised his eyebrows. “Hmm? Tell me more.”

Wang Lan said, “I don’t know where Ning Zhuo got

his information, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he exposed the secret that ‘I visited the prison and Ning Xiaoren wanted to use me and you to force him to submit.’”

“I was very flustered at the time.”

“Ning Zhuo then told me that after you were framed for embezzling his cultivation resources, he had secretly investigated and found many flaws, raising numerous suspicions.”

“He then revealed his guess. He had figured out the truth!”

“Then he asked me, could I still trust Ning Xiaoren’s character? Would I still allow Ning Xiaoren to use us?”

“To truly save you, Ning Xiaoren was unreliable. We had to rely on ourselves!”

Wang Lan sighed as she continued, “Husband, he convinced me.”

“He made so much sense.”

“Then he told me that Ning Xiaoren had made a fatal mistake, with too many flaws. He had already contacted important figures in the branch family and was ready to turn the world upside down the next day and strike at Ning Xiaoren!”

“I was shocked when I heard his plan. I wanted to join, but I was very worried about failure, fearing it would ultimately harm you.”

“Ning Zhuo forced me!”

“He threatened me that if I didn’t cooperate, he would confirm the charges Ning Xiaoren had fabricated against you, ruining your reputation and leaving you unable to hold your head up in the family for the rest of your life.”

“Husband, I know you too well. If Ning Zhuo actually did that, you would be better off dead.”

“In the end, I had no choice but to follow his plan.”