Chapter 93: Who Would Suspect a Two-Year-Old?

Since Li Leifeng had spoken so plainly, he did not hesitate and immediately reached out to take his pulse, channeling his spiritual power into Li Leifeng’s body. At the same time, his golden eyes radiated divine light.

Soon, Zhu Xuanji had a thorough understanding of Li Leifeng’s physical condition, and his face paled instantly.

“Elder Li, you…”

Li Leifeng endured for a moment longer before finally succumbing to a violent cough. His breath faltered again, regressing to the Qi Refining stage. Blood stained the corner of his mouth, and his face was deathly pale.

“I am old now, my body decayed. Even maintaining breath is a struggle.”

“Master Zhu’s spiritual power, no matter how gentle, has caused this old body undeniable harm.”

“But it does not matter.”

“If not for a rare encounter in my youth and the consumption of a longevity-enhancing lingzhi mushroom, I would not have lived to this age.”

“I must also thank Master Zhu for helping me find release.”

Zhu Xuanji sighed, furrowing his brow deeply, unable to hide the guilt in his eyes. “Elder Li, I fully appreciate your contributions to the Orphanage. Why must you go to such lengths?”

He was a clever man. After being tricked, he saw through Li Leifeng’s ruse. His heart ached.

Li Leifeng smiled faintly, “Master Zhu, if you truly feel remorse, then represent the court well and appoint a worthy headmaster for this Orphanage. Otherwise, even if I die, I cannot rest in peace.”

Zhu Xuanji tilted his head back and let out a long sigh.

His main purpose in coming was to investigate Li Leifeng. Based on intelligence gathered from the city lord’s mansion and the three great families, Li Leifeng was the prime suspect beyond doubt.

Though he had not yet reached the Golden Core stage, he possessed the Thunder Spirit root. At his peak, he commanded the Mechanism Tower, wielding power comparable to a half-step Golden Core cultivator.

Moreover, he had profound expertise in mechanism arts, earning recognition from the Lava Immortal Palace and becoming one of the few Foundation Establishment cultivators eligible to enter the palace.

According to records from the four great families, Li Leifeng had entered the Immortal Palace multiple times with considerable success.

That was merely what had been documented.

In truth, before the Lava Immortal Palace was exposed, the summit of Fire Persimmon Mountain was not under strict lockdown. The path through the Red Flame Demon’s Lava Cave was fixed, allowing many cultivators to disguise themselves and explore the cave freely.

The four major forces could not possibly have documented every cultivator who ventured into the palace.

In other words, Li Leifeng’s actual number of explorations far surpassed the official records.

Now, Zhu Xuanji’s investigation confirmed that Li Leifeng’s life was nearing its end, with little time remaining.

And yet, this distinguished Golden Core cultivator had been outwitted by Li Leifeng.

Zhu Xuanji sighed deeply.

He had fallen victim to this kind of trick many times before.

Once he appeared publicly, his past experiences, personality, likes, and dislikes would be scrutinized by those with ill intent.

Li Leifeng’s move struck directly at Zhu Xuanji’s weakness.

Even small men have their own survival strategies!

Zhu Xuanji knew this investigation would cost Li Leifeng at least three months of lifespan.

With guilt weighing on him, he promised to find an outstanding headmaster for the Orphanage in Fire Persimmon Immortal City.

Li Leifeng nodded with a gentle smile. “Master Zhu, after I pass, there will be a bequest ceremony where I will entrust my possessions to others.”

“I know you come from royalty, are a divine detective, wealthy beyond measure, and hold great power.”

“Yet I still wish to present you with one item as a token of respect.”

“Though I have nothing grand to offer, I do possess a small toy, collected by accident in my youth, quite charming.”

“Please, Master Zhu, take a look.”

---

Zhu Xuanji accepted a wooden board.

The board was as large as a chopping block and quite heavy. Its surface was pale yellow with many natural wood grain patterns. Intersecting lines crisscrossed the board, dividing it into many smaller pieces of varying sizes.

Zhu Xuanji, experienced in mechanisms, was immediately intrigued.

He pressed one piece with his finger and smoothly slid it aside.

As he had suspected, the pieces were movable.

“Interesting,” Zhu Xuanji’s fingers moved swiftly, shifting many pieces back and forth as he gradually discerned the pattern.

“This mechanism board hides some kind of information. If the pieces are moved and arranged into the correct positions, part of the message can be revealed.”

“And only by obtaining all the parts can we piece together the full meaning the board conveys.”

Zhu Xuanji frowned. “There are so many pieces. How long must one move and arrange them to uncover the entire message?”

Li Leifeng chuckled softly. “It’s just a mechanism toy, like those I played with as a child—One Wheel, Cross-legged, Three Hairs, and so on.”

“Only this one is quite complex, enough to pass the time.”

Zhu Xuanji smiled wryly. “Time is exactly what I cannot afford to waste.”

He then activated his golden eyes to scrutinize the board.

Cheating thus, he instantly grasped all the information hidden in the toy: “Just a tale of the immortals and gods? And it isn’t even complete?”

Li Leifeng sighed, “Master Zhu, it’s merely a toy.”

“In my view, perhaps it was made by a mechanism cultivator in their old age, delighting their grandchildren.”

Zhu Xuanji nodded and returned the mechanism board. “I think it belongs here in the Orphanage. Elder Li, I must take my leave. I will fulfill my promise.”

Li Leifeng replied, “Master Zhu, please take care. Forgive this old man for not seeing you out.”

Zhu Xuanji hurriedly waved his hand. “No, no, please rest. That’s best.”

He feared that if Li Leifeng escorted him out, it might cost the old man even more lifespan.

Once outside the Orphanage, Zhu Xuanji could not help but sigh deeply. He looked up at the sky and thought, “Heaven above, why do you not show more mercy to the good-hearted in this world?”

His mood was heavy with sorrow over Li Leifeng’s impending passing.

As for the time he would have to spend reporting to the court and personally selecting a new headmaster for the Orphanage, it would drain his energy and delay his investigation.

But he was willing.

---

Ning Zhuo did not sleep well that night at Ning Xiaoren’s residence.

In fact, it was worse than staying at his eldest uncle’s home.

The only place that truly gave him a sense of belonging was the small courtyard his mother had left him.

Breakfast was abundant, filled with numerous spiritual delicacies.

Ning Xiaoren had specially come over to share the meal with Ning Zhuo.

He asked with genuine concern about how Ning Zhuo had rested the night before and whether the food suited his appetite.

Ning Zhuo appeared awkward, shy, and uncertain how to respond to Ning Xiaoren’s kindness.

Noticing this, Ning Xiaoren wisely toned down his warmth to a more appropriate level.

Gradually, Ning Zhuo relaxed and began eating the spiritual dishes—foods capable of enhancing cultivation!

Ning Xiaoren was surprised to see Ning Zhuo eating more and faster than before.

He polished off more than half the plate.

Some of the small spiritual dishes were limited in quantity, meant to savor the flavor.

Yet before Ning Xiaoren could even lift his chopsticks, the food was gone!

“Eat, eat well, if you like it, eat more,” Ning Xiaoren smiled gently.

Ning Zhuo’s chewing paused briefly, and a shy look crossed his face again.

Ning Xiaoren laughed heartily. “Good child, good child. Eat plenty to cultivate faster and gain more from exploring the Immortal Palace.”

“Th-th-thank you, Uncle Ning,” Ning Zhuo mumbled with his mouth full.

Ning Xiaoren laughed again. “I told you, just call me Uncle Ning.”

Ning Zhuo repeated, “Uncle Ning.”

“Good. From now on, we’ll be uncle and nephew,” Ning Xiaoren said as he rose. “Eat well and fill up. Soon you’ll cultivate—don’t waste your spiritual stones. I heard you like mechanism arts, so I’ll bring you some mechanism manuals to study later.”

Ning Zhuo’s face lit up with joy. He hurriedly stood and clasped his fists in thanks.

Ning Xiaoren chuckled and waved his hand, leaving the room.

Back in his study, his expression grew cold. Ning Zhuo hadn’t eaten enough—this was a first in his own residence. He ordered more breakfast and sent his servant to prepare it.

Ning Zhuo flipped through the manuals.

These were clearly from the Ning family’s secret archives—far superior in quality to the public library’s collection.

On the surface, Ning Zhuo appeared focused, but his mind was elsewhere.

Normally, he would be eager to absorb this knowledge, clutching the manuals tightly.

But now he was painfully aware of his precarious situation.

Though he was currently treated well by Ning Xiaoren, the next moment could bring a turning of the tide, with Ning Xiaoren throwing him into a private prison.

Ning Zhuo was walking a razor’s edge—but he had no choice.

Yuan Dasheng’s appearance forced him into this dangerous game, eliminating a formidable enemy but nearly exposing himself.

Zhu Xuanji’s premature investigation was relentless, applying tremendous pressure and forcing Ning Zhuo to act swiftly.

“When did things become so difficult for me?”

He thought back to the very beginning, when he had resolved to blow up that Immortal Palace.

That decision was like boarding a fragile boat to cross turbulent seas, where only reaching the other shore meant safety.

Any slight mistake or delay could mean shipwreck and death.

He could not abandon ship now.

If someone else seized the Immortal Palace, they would uncover the bombing and expose Ning Zhuo as the true culprit.

He had to push forward, biting his teeth, no matter the hardships, and forge ahead with grim determination.

“After a long night, Ning Xiaoren still treats me with respect and kindness, which means their investigation has already yielded results.”

“All the defenses I have woven since I was two years old—false plays and fabricated evidence—are naturally scattered throughout my life’s trajectory.”

“As long as they find these, they will have a reasonable explanation and recognize my talent in mechanism arts.”

“Even if they discover my underground workshop, it won’t matter. I have cleaned it thoroughly and left numerous research notes, design drafts for the Mechanism Fire Monkey, failed prototypes, and so forth.”

Though Ning Zhuo was isolated, he held one advantage.

He had prepared for over a decade, deliberately planting countless hints and clues during his growth.

Collected together, these pieces formed intelligence.

This was Ning Zhuo’s carefully planned personal defense—who would suspect a two-year-old child was acting all along?

As long as his innate genius remains undiscovered, Ning Zhuo can hold this defense for now.

Of course, his passion and obsession with mechanism arts were genuine, not a facade.

“Ning Zhuo, come out,” a voice suddenly called from outside the room—Ning Xiaohui’s voice.