Chapter 108: It Tastes Excellent

"Behave yourself later. Watch out, or I’ll lash you again!" Wang Lan’s expression grew more severe as she spoke.

Ning Ji felt a deep, bitter ache in his heart. He couldn't help but think of the past.

When they were children, Ning Zhuo would often get so lost in play that he’d forget the time, returning only to find the table cleared of everything but scraps.

"Who told you to come back so late? Hee hee hee, you’re in for it now," Ning Ji would taunt from his seat, already full and satisfied.

Ning Zhuo would stick out his tongue, sit down, and reach for his chopsticks.

*Smack!*

Wang Lan would strike, knocking Ning Zhuo’s chopsticks to the floor.

"No manners!" Wang Lan’s expression was icy. "Your fingers are covered in dirt—have you forgotten the rules I taught you? Go wash your hands."

"Yes!" Ning Zhuo, his face pale, would nod quickly, scramble off the stool, clutch his throbbing hand, and run out of the room to wash up.

By the time he returned, the bell would chime.

"Time’s up. Clear the table! Oh, looks like Ah-Zhuo doesn't get to eat," Ning Ji would clap his hands, gloating.

"Master of the house?" Wang Lan would look at Ning Ze, hesitating.

Ning Ze, his face expressionless, would slowly stand up and leave his seat. "Rules are rules. There must be no laxity!"

"Yes, Master!" Wang Lan would bow her head in compliance.

Now, Ning Zhuo stepped into the dining room. The child who once clutched his reddened hand as he hurried to wash had, in the blink of an eye, grown into a sixteen-year-old youth. Dressed in white, with a calm gaze, he walked in slowly.

Both Ning Ji and Wang Lan felt as though time had flown by in a sudden, fleeting rush.

Wang Lan composed herself, stood up immediately, and forced a bright smile at Ning Zhuo, beckoning him over. "Ah-Zhuo, you're here! Come, we’ve been waiting for you to start the meal."

Ning Zhuo bowed. "Aunt." He then looked at Ning Ji and smiled faintly. "Cousin."

Ning Ji nodded, his expression complex.

"Oh, you child, still so formal," Wang Lan said. "There’s no need for bows here, our family isn't that rigid. Sit, sit!" She guided Ning Zhuo to the seat beside her. However, she did not take the head of the table. That seat remained empty; it belonged to Ning Ze.

Seeing this, Ning Zhuo understood the motive behind Wang Lan’s warm hospitality. Sure enough, they had barely begun eating when Wang Lan brought up Ning Ze. "Ah-Zhuo, your uncle was in the wrong regarding this matter. He misappropriated things that should have belonged to you."

"You are such a kind-hearted child; otherwise, you wouldn't have offered to forgive your uncle voluntarily. Your father’s brother is your uncle—we are truly one family."

As she spoke, Wang Lan felt utterly stifled, seething with hidden rage and resentment. She knew perfectly well that these claims were baseless. But since Ning Xiaoren had already set the stage, Ning Ze had no choice but to play along. Wang Lan’s only option was to follow her husband’s lead.

Ning Zhuo replied, "Aunt, you are right. You are the family I have left in this world." He paused. "To be honest, I was very angry when I first heard the news. But as time passed, I let it go. After all, he is my uncle, and you are my closest kin. It will be enough if you just return the embezzled money and resources."

*When did we ever embezzle anything? That Ning Xiaoren is a complete villain—how can you believe everything he says?* Wang Lan roared internally, her resentment distorting her smile into a grimace. She forced down her anger. "Yes, we will return it. But it must be done bit by bit. The amount is quite large, and we cannot produce it all at once."

"I understand. That is perfectly acceptable," Ning Zhuo nodded.

As he spoke, he observed Ning Ji and Wang Lan, secretly activating the embryonic form of his divine ability. Unlike before, the "lotus seed" of his *Life-Threading* divine ability had now sprouted a small segment of lotus root. This embryonic stage allowed him to suppress his aura and activate his power covertly. As long as the target was not overly powerful, he could minimize his presence to the point of being completely undetectable.

Ning Zhuo had chosen to stay at his uncle’s house not only to escape the intense surveillance at Ning Xiaoren’s estate but also to test his ability. The *Life-Threading* divine ability grew stronger the more one understood the target, and having lived with them for over a decade, Ning Zhuo knew this family better than anyone.

In his vision, a thin, translucent thread of life began to form above Ning Ji’s head. Soon after, another appeared above Wang Lan’s. Neither mother nor son noticed a thing.

Ning Zhuo began to manipulate them.

Suddenly, Ning Ji grabbed his own throat, making a choking sound.

"What is it?" Wang Lan, just about to persuade Ning Zhuo further, was interrupted by Ning Ji’s sudden distress.

Ning Ji’s face turned bright red. "I swallowed a fish bone! It’s stuck in my throat!"

Wang Lan snorted, ignoring him. She continued, "Ah-Zhuo, you see, your uncle has been in the private prison for so many days now. You know what the conditions are like there; it’s no place for a human to stay. I tried to seek an audience with the Young Clan Leader, but he refused to see us. Ah-Zhuo, I just want..."

*Cough, cough, cough!*

Wang Lan suddenly began to cough violently.

Ning Zhuo quickly handed her a cup. "Aunt, please, take your time. Don't be so agitated!"

Wang Lan thanked him and took a sip. *Cough, cough, cough!* This time, she choked even worse.

"Excuse me! Ah-Zhuo!" It took her a long time to recover, and the emotional atmosphere she had carefully cultivated had vanished.

Ning Zhuo, of course, would not tell her that these mishaps were the result of his own experiments. Wang Lan hesitated, trying to find her rhythm again, but before she could speak more than a few words, Ning Ji grabbed his throat again, mouth agape, making strange noises.

"What is it with you now?" Wang Lan frowned.

"I—I got stuck by a fish bone again," Ning Ji said, looking aggrieved.

"You’re so grown up, yet you can’t even eat a fish properly. You really are something," Wang Lan glared at him. Ning Ji lowered his head, acting like a scolded child.

Wang Lan continued to criticize him, but Ning Ji’s face grew redder and more agitated until he couldn't sit still.

"Now what?" Wang Lan demanded.

"Mother, I need to use the latrine!" Ning Ji said. The sudden, intense urge to urinate made him desperate for relief.

"Go! Hurry!" Wang Lan couldn't even look at him.

Ning Ji scrambled up and dashed out of the dining room. His gait was awkward, and as he crossed the threshold, he accidentally let out a fart. Ning Zhuo subtly manipulated the life-thread, causing Ning Ji to trip over his own feet, sending him sprawling to the ground just steps outside the door.

Wang Lan stared, and as she opened her mouth to scold him, she choked on her own saliva, breaking into a prolonged fit of coughing.

Ning Zhuo smiled faintly, stopping Wang Lan before she could continue. "Aunt, I know what you want to say. Rest assured, I will plead your case to the Young Clan Leader. I will do my best to ensure my uncle is released as soon as possible."

Hearing this, Wang Lan was so moved she slapped her thigh. "Oh, Ah-Zhuo, you really are a good child! You’re so kind! Your aunt thanks you—thank you so much!"

"Let’s eat first," Ning Zhuo said.

Wang Lan reached out to serve him with the communal chopsticks, but the food fell off halfway to his bowl. She looked mortified.

"Aunt, you don’t need to do that. I’ll do it myself," Ning Zhuo said. He used his own chopsticks to pick up a fish eye and popped it into his mouth.

It was only a small taste, but Ning Zhuo was already deeply captivated by the sensation. Once the *Life-Threading* ability was cast and a thread attached, a portion of the cultivator's cultivation and actions could be controlled. In his brief test, both Wang Lan and Ning Ji had suffered from the subtle manipulations, resulting in multiple blunders.

*This feeling... this feeling is truly indescribable!*

It was as if everything could be easily influenced by his will, as if everything were entirely under his control. Ning Zhuo was deeply intoxicated by this power.

"How is it?" Wang Lan asked, her face full of concern. "I made this fish myself."

Ning Zhuo chewed the fish eye, a faint, cold glint in his eyes. He sighed genuinely, "The taste is truly excellent."