Chapter 36: Suspicion

Chapter 36: Suspicion

This "Mummy" was none other than Tianchenzi.

Tianchenzi stood rigidly in the center of the room, his entire body wrapped in white cloth, exuding a chilling aura. He let out a sinister chuckle. "I never expected you to actually succeed in reviving me."

Ning Xiaochuan picked up a dossier and continued flipping through it. "Saving lives is my principle. Whether they're good or bad, as long as they actively seek my help, I won't stand idly by. Of course, there's one type of person I absolutely refuse to save."

"Which type?" Tianchenzi asked.

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "Enemies."

"Heh! Your medical skills are exceptional, and your temperament suits my tastes. Since you saved my life, and I, Tianchenzi, am a man who repays kindness, I’ll take you as my disciple. Come with me and join the Dark Emperor City!" Tianchenzi's voice carried a powerful surge of Profound Qi, infused with an overwhelming will that brooked no disobedience as he fixed his gaze on Ning Xiaochuan.

Tianchenzi naturally had his own principles. Though he repaid favors, there was one exception—those who disobeyed him.

If Ning Xiaochuan refused to heed his command, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill him as well.

Ning Xiaochuan had no intention of joining the Dark Emperor City, let alone becoming Tianchenzi’s disciple. After a moment of contemplation, he smiled and said, "Senior Tianchenzi, do you really dare to return to the Dark Emperor City?"

Tianchenzi was slightly taken aback. "Why wouldn’t I dare? Cackle! Kid, you probably don’t know just how high my status is in the Dark Emperor City, do you?"

"Chief of the four ministers of the Dark Emperor City, Tianchenzi—overseeing all affairs within the imperial capital, including martial artist deployments, assassinations, finances, strategic layouts, faction alliances, and even covert dealings with various marquises. All these fall under your jurisdiction. You likely know more of the Dark Emperor City’s secrets than even the Necropolis Lord himself. You are the most powerful figure under the Necropolis Lord’s command, wielding authority and martial prowess comparable to the imperial court’s top-ranking advisor, Tai Chu Wen Hua."

Ning Xiaochuan flipped to the page in the dossier documenting the Dark Emperor City and handed it to Tianchenzi for him to see.

Tianchenzi smirked smugly. "Since you already know my identity, you should also know that countless people would kill to become my disciple."

Ning Xiaochuan shook his head. "That was before. But now, everyone believes you were killed by the Cloud Marquis, Yue Wuyang. This news has likely spread throughout the imperial capital by now—and undoubtedly reached the Necropolis Lord’s ears as well."

Tianchenzi’s expression darkened slightly.

Ning Xiaochuan continued, "What kind of figure is the Cloud Marquis? The most prominent marquis in the realm today. Naturally, he wouldn’t lie."

"What are you trying to say?" Tianchenzi asked coldly.

Ning Xiaochuan replied, "The Cloud Marquis claims he killed you. Yet now you return, claiming you survived—revived by a mere youth at the Eighth Level of Profound Qi. Do you think the Necropolis Lord will believe your story? Or will he suspect you’ve betrayed the Dark Emperor City and defected to the Cloud Marquis?"

Tianchenzi’s face twisted further. Having served the Necropolis Lord for many years, he understood his master’s temperament all too well. The Necropolis Lord tolerated no betrayal—he would rather kill the innocent than let a traitor go free.

And Tianchenzi knew many secrets of the Dark Emperor City. If he were to return alive now, the Necropolis Lord would undoubtedly grow suspicious of him, even directly executing him.

With the Necropolis Lord's cultivation, killing him would be effortless.

Tianchenzi was no fool—he understood the severity of the situation. The only way for him to survive now was to vanish from the world entirely, fleeing as far as possible.

"Young man, your mind is frighteningly meticulous!" Tianchenzi couldn’t help but admire Ning Xiaochuan. Despite living for over a hundred years, he hadn’t thought as thoroughly as this youth.

Ning Xiaochuan said, "Senior, focus on fully recovering from your injuries in the manor first. These past few days, I’ve heard that the South Mountain Gathering’s garrison troops have entered South Moon Mountain. It seems the imperial court has realized you’re still alive and is searching everywhere for you. Even if the Necropolis Lord learns of this, he’ll only assume you’ve conspired with the court to create confusion. If you return to the Dark Emperor City, death will still be your only fate."

After speaking, Ning Xiaochuan continued reviewing the records.

There were many documents about the Dark Emperor City, most containing shady accounts that couldn’t be finished in a short time. Ning Xiaochuan had only gone through twenty-some volumes before nightfall, his eyes exhausted.

"I’ll continue tomorrow."

But instead of resting, he began cultivating Martial Arts Profound Qi.

...

Imperial City, Jian Pavilion Marquis House.

Upon learning of the assassination attempt on Ning Xiaochuan, the Old Marquis flew into a rage, personally summoning Ning Qianwen and Ning Qianwu for reprimand.

The two knelt obediently below, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads under the overwhelming Martial Venerable pressure radiating from the Old Marquis, making it hard for them to even breathe.

Before a Martial Venerable, their cultivation was insignificant.

The Old Marquis cast them a cold glance. "Whoever did this, step forward and admit it now."

"This matter has nothing to do with Qianwen," Ning Qianwen said.

"This matter has nothing to do with Qianwu," Ning Qianwu said.

The Old Marquis snorted. "If it wasn’t either of you, who else would dare send assassins to Haitang Manor? He only has half a year left to live. One of you is his Fourth Uncle, the other his Eldest Uncle—can’t you even spare him now?"

Neither Ning Qianwen nor Ning Qianwu dared to refute. In their hearts, each suspected the other of sending the killers.

The Old Marquis sighed inwardly. If this were a matter of state, he would have already cut through the chaos decisively, executing all who deserved it. But family affairs were the hardest to judge—could he really kill his own sons?

"Since neither of you admits it, there’s no other choice. You will each surrender half of your authority."

The Old Marquis clasped his hands behind his back, gazing at the mural on the wall. "Qiancheng led two million troops to conquer the Tianji Dynasty, forcing Queen Tianjie to submit to the Yulan Empire and sign the treaty of allegiance. The victory report reached His Majesty yesterday, and now Qiancheng is leading the triumphant army back. He should return to the imperial city within three months. The authority you surrender will be handed over to him."

The Old Marquis had four sons:

The eldest, Ning Qianwen;

The second, Ning Qiancheng;

The third, Ning Qianyi;

The fourth son, Ning Qianwu.

...

Among them, the most intelligent, talented, and gifted was the third son, "Ning Qianyi," the father of Ning Xiaochuan and Ning Xin'er.

Ning Qianyi's governance and martial arts were unparalleled among his peers. Even the now-overbearing Cloud Marquis, "Yue Wuyang," suffered four battles and four defeats at his hands.

The one closest to Ning Qianyi was his second elder brother, "Ning Qiancheng."

Ning Qiancheng was a martial arts fanatic, with talent in martial arts almost on par with Ning Qianyi. He was open-hearted and bold, and he would seek out Ning Qianyi for a duel almost every day to satisfy his competitive spirit.

His only flaw was his lack of emotional stability and his eccentric temperament.

Apart from martial arts, he cared for nothing else.

During his time in the imperial capital, he had beaten up many nobles and offended countless people, earning him a notorious reputation as a tyrant in the capital, much to the frustration of many marquises.

However, ten years ago, after Ning Xiaochuan's father and mother died in the ancestral hall of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House, Ning Qiancheng left the imperial capital in anger and joined the military to lead troops in battle, not setting foot in the capital again for a decade.

This time, when the Old Marquis received the news of victory, he was naturally quite pleased. Leading an army of two million to conquer a Fourth-Grade Dynasty proved that Ning Qiancheng had not only deepened his cultivation but also matured significantly in mindset.

Upon hearing this news, Ning Qianwen and Ning Qianwu were deeply shaken and reluctantly handed over their authority tokens.

It seemed the Old Marquis intended to name Ning Qiancheng as the successor of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House.

Boom!

"That idiot Ning Qianwen actually sent assassins after Ning the Sickly! Now, all of us have lost half our authority, and Ning Qiancheng benefits for free!" Ning Qianwu raged after returning, smashing everything in sight.

A sixty-year-old elderly man stood at the door, dressed in a Taoist robe embroidered with clouds and cranes, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Fourth Master, calm your anger. I don’t believe the First Master would do something so foolish. Even if he did send assassins after Ning the Sickly, they would surely be experts—there’s no way Ning the Sickly would have survived."

This elderly man was Ning Qianwu’s strategist, named Yu Zhicong.

Ning Qianwu gradually calmed down. "Zhicong, in your opinion, who is truly behind this?"

Yu Zhicong spoke slowly, "Fourth Master, consider this: Ning the Sickly encounters assassins, and immediately afterward, the Old Marquis receives news of the Second Master’s return to the capital. Isn’t that too much of a coincidence?"

Ning Qianwu’s brows furrowed, and his expression stiffened. "Are you saying this was a move orchestrated by Ning Qiancheng before his return, allowing him to seize half of our authority without shedding blood? No, no—Ning Qiancheng is just a brute. He couldn’t possibly devise such a cunning scheme."

Yu Zhicong replied solemnly, "Ten years have passed, and people change. The Second Master commanded an army of two million, conquered a dynasty, and even forced a figure like Queen Tianjie to submit to the Yulan Empire. These are not the achievements of a mere brute."

Ning Qianwu said, "But the Second and Third Brothers were always close. He wouldn’t send assassins after the Third Brother’s only son."

Yu Zhicong said, "This precisely explains why the assassins could appear and vanish without a trace, yet failed to kill Ning the Sickly."

Ning Qianwu took a deep breath, convinced by about seventy to eighty percent of the reasoning, and said coldly, "Ning Qiancheng has indeed grown more capable, to possess such methods. It seems he is now the greatest threat. We must make thorough preparations before he returns. Withdraw all personnel from Haitang Manor! Ning Xiaochuan has completely lost his value. There’s no need to waste manpower on a terminally ill man who only has half a year left to live."

Unbeknownst to Ning Xiaochuan, his actions—meant to deceive others—had instead sown discord among the high-ranking figures of the Jian Pavilion Marquis House.

The already murky waters of the succession struggle within the Jian Pavilion Marquis House grew even murkier!