Chapter 606: Ink Pool Education

On just the first night, a male consort died—and he was one of the highest-ranked ones.

This news both shocked and angered Wen Ruanyu, yet it also sparked hope of uncovering the mole. He sought out Ning Zhuo and invited him to come along, saying, "Jiaoma, your strategy is truly effective. On just the first night, the mole was forced to act."

Ning Zhuo, however, maintained a calm expression and shook his head slightly. "Let's investigate first before we draw any conclusions," he said.

To act on the very first attempt—was it truly the mole?

If the mole had indeed acted, they must have been absolutely confident in their methods.

But if it wasn't, then this investigation wouldn't achieve our original objective.

Seeing Ning Zhuo's expression, Wen Ruanyu paused slightly, then asked, "Jiaoma, do you have a different perspective?"

"I'm not optimistic about this," Ning Zhuo replied, laying out his thoughts completely.

Wen Ruanyu was stunned once more, then sighed. "Though your appearance is different," he remarked, "your reaction is quite similar to my Senior Sister Meng."

This time, it was Ning Zhuo whose expression faltered.

Wen Ruanyu, however, didn't notice Ning Zhuo's unusual reaction. He looked up and sighed deeply. "Lately," he confessed, "I keep thinking of Senior Sister Meng."

"This ghost tide must be putting too much pressure on me!"

"The death of Sangle Youling, in particular, has left me riddled with doubts, constantly overthinking everything."

"So, deep down, I always wonder: if Senior Sister Meng were still here, what would she do? She didn't have any diviner cultivators assisting her back then, so why was she always so wise and decisive?"

Ning Zhuo then comforted Wen Ruanyu. After a few exchanges, he deliberately remarked, "Senior Wen, you are different from the White Paper City Lord and these city residents; you are from the Myriad Manifestations Sect, after all."

"If White Paper Immortal City were to fall and you had to retreat, I'm sure the sect wouldn't find any fault with you."

Wen Ruanyu gazed at Ning Zhuo, then immediately shook his head and smiled bitterly. "You don't understand how many years I've been stationed in this immortal city," he said.

"Initially, I was simply entrusted by Senior Sister Meng. But as time passed, my feelings for this city grew deeper, and I can't bear to abandon it now."

"You might not be aware, but the City Lord's main body is ailing. Even with his paper clone, he doesn't appear unless it's a major event."

"Normally, I handle the city's internal affairs, while Tie Gu Zheng is responsible for its defense."

"Many of this immortal city's constructions originated from my ideas, and some were even built by my own hands!"

"Leaving aside other things, just consider the Ink Pool. Although it was set up by Senior Sister Meng, it has been damaged more than ten times to date. Each time, I was the one who gathered the manpower for its repair and improvement."

Ning Zhuo felt a little puzzled. "Though I'm not a Confucian cultivator," he said, "I do have some understanding. Is this Ink Pool really so easily damaged?"

Wen Ruanyu revealed a secret. "As the saying goes, 'the waters and soils of a place nourish its people'," he began. "The ghost race thrives here; their nature is dark, prone to aggression and conflict, much like barbarians. Initially, they were incredibly difficult to manage, almost unable to coexist peacefully with humans."

"The current cultural landscape you see in White Paper Immortal City, and indeed throughout this Dark Tide Black Swamp Wetland, is entirely due to the Ink Pool."

"We formulated the ink within the Ink Pool, making it the primary source of drinking water for the entire city, as well as the surrounding villages and towns."

"Over time, this continuous influence allowed the ghost race to absorb much literary essence, significantly reducing their innate cruelty and making them more refined. Only then could our academies and other institutions educate the ghost race, imparting knowledge and helping them to thrive and multiply."

"However, the ghost race naturally resisted being changed by such external forces. Consequently, for a long time, they continuously sought to destroy the Ink Pool, succeeding many times."

Upon hearing this, Ning Zhuo had a new question. "So, Senior... Senior Meng, before she came to this city," he began, "White Paper Immortal City's appearance was completely different from what it is now?"

Wen Ruanyu nodded without hesitation. "Of course!" he affirmed.

"When Senior Sister Meng and I first arrived, this place was sparsely populated and desolate. Such a location, close to the underworld, possessed extremely heavy Yin energy and was plagued by ghost tide attacks. What normal cultivator would choose to come here?"

"Human cultivators were dominant. Though there were members of the ghost race, their numbers were far smaller, and due to their cruel nature, human cultivators severely guarded and controlled them, with the vast majority serving as slaves."

"Senior Sister Meng was born with a benevolent and generous heart. Her approach to all things with an attitude of equality is something I particularly admire."

"Not long after she arrived and understood the situation, she told us she had a plan to revitalize White Paper Immortal City."

Ning Zhuo's heart stirred, and he blurted out, "Was it to harness the power of the ghost race?"

Wen Ruanyu chuckled. "Precisely."

"Being half-Yin and half-Yang, the ghost race naturally integrates perfectly with this wetland."

"They are far more adapted to this land than humans, even capable of entering the main channel of the Underworld Dragon River and exploring the underworld!"

"However, their population and powerful individuals were firmly suppressed by humans. Meanwhile, human numbers were too scarce to even provide sufficient personnel for basic governance. In Senior Sister Meng's eyes, this was a tremendous waste!"

"Therefore, she consulted us for solutions and ultimately chose a Confucian approach: establishing the Ink Pool to educate the ghost race in the wetland. This was to help them shed their barbaric customs and become the true primary force in governing this wetland."

Ning Zhuo immediately felt a surge of reverence. "This Senior Meng is truly remarkable," he exclaimed. "It's said that the waters and soils of a place nourish its people, yet she actually changed the very water here, thereby altering the entire region's cultural landscape. Such vision and breadth of perspective are truly admirable."

"Of course," Ning Zhuo continued, turning to Wen Ruanyu. "And without Senior Wen's persistence and dedication, White Paper Immortal City wouldn't have achieved such profound educational results today."

Seeing Ning Zhuo praise Senior Sister Meng and also commend him, Wen Ruanyu felt a surge of happiness. "It is precisely because of the Ink Pool's prolonged civilizing influence," he explained, "that we were able to reduce restrictions on the ghost race, vigorously supporting and developing their population, utilizing them as labor to construct the entire Dark Tide Black Swamp Wetland."

"I oversaw the governmental affairs, specifically developing numerous villages and towns around the immortal city. These settlements were founded with a few human cultivator families as their core, with the ghost race forming the main population."

"Currently, our influence extends across forty percent of the wetland."

"This time, when White Paper Immortal City faced a crisis of annihilation, so many people rushed to its aid at the City Lord's command. This truly gratifies me."

"On one hand, this was indeed due to the City Lord's generous financial incentives. But on the other hand, it also demonstrates that our civilizing influence has deeply resonated, inspiring both humans and ghosts to be devoted to White Paper Immortal City."

This conversation provided Ning Zhuo with a new understanding of White Paper Immortal City's history.

As they spoke, the two arrived at the crime scene.

Shen Bing's body remained in place, deliberately untouched.

Wen Ruanyu looked at Ning Zhuo, who extended a hand, gesturing for him to proceed first.

Wen Ruanyu then activated a spell to conduct a detection, quickly yielding results.

"There are two fatal wounds on Shen Bing's body."

"One is on the neck, the other on the chest."

"Although his neck remained connected and showed no external wounds, his life force had been completely severed, akin to decapitation."

"And in his chest, a Dark Iron Piercing Heart Needle was embedded, also a fatal cause."

Noticing the unusual expression on Wen Ruanyu's face, Ning Zhuo felt a stir within him. "Senior Wen," he probed, "it seems you already have some suspicions?"

Wen Ruanyu sighed deeply. "That's right," he confirmed.

"These peculiar spell injuries immediately made me think of Chen Sui's Reaping Wheat Art."

"And the Dark Iron Piercing Heart Needle is Sun Tiesheng's renowned magic artifact."

Shen Bing, Chen Sui, and Sun Tiesheng were the three most powerful cultivators in the Potency Institute. With Shen Bing now dead and the clues pointing directly to Chen Sui and Sun Tiesheng as the culprits, this investigation result left Wen Ruanyu somewhat at a loss.

Ning Zhuo, too, fell silent for a moment.

A moment later, Wen Ruanyu broke the silence with a bitter sigh. "Do you know?" he murmured. "I don't even dare to put them through the Suwen Dissection of the Heart Scroll."

The Suwen Dissection of the Heart Scroll can detect whether someone is lying, and if it does, it severs their life force, making it extremely potent.

Ning Zhuo also sighed. "I strongly suspect the mole is behind this," he said.

"This is an interlocking stratagem."

"Chen Sui and Sun Tiesheng are likely both compromised, perhaps even instigated to act."

"If we investigate and expose them, will we punish them? A life for a life is the simplest answer."

"If we do that, we fulfill the mole's wish, essentially allowing him to eliminate Chen Sui and Sun Tiesheng through our hands."

"If we don't, how can we maintain public trust?"

"Therefore, no matter what we choose, it will cause discord among the people of White Paper Immortal City."

Wen Ruanyu nodded. "Though there's no evidence, Jiaoma," he said, "I agree with your assessment."

"After a few rounds against this mole, I find myself admiring him more and more."

"This person's combat prowess and strategic mind are truly exceptional."

"Jin Yangzi is dead, and now Shen Bing is dead too. If we were to kill Chen Sui and Sun Tiesheng, the Potency Institute would lose its primary strength entirely."

"This would deliver a devastating blow to the morale of the entire Potency Institute."

Having said this, both fell silent once more.

The mole's tactics were so brilliant that both Ning Zhuo and Wen Ruanyu found themselves at an impasse. They knew there might be clues, but dared not investigate further.

This was because both of them always had to consider the larger picture in their actions.

To investigate further would be akin to self-harm.

Ning Zhuo clapped his hands in admiration. "Our plan was to pressure him using the Golden Swallow Fork and the overarching situation involving the Nether River Lord. The mole must have seen through this," he said. "That's why he's using the same tactic to pressure us in return."

"Ingenious, truly ingenious!"

Wen Ruanyu frowned. "What should we do now?" he asked.

Ning Zhuo pondered for a moment, then spread his hands. "I choose to endure and not act," he declared. "Rashly investigating this case would be tantamount to aiding the enemy."

"But we still hold the initiative."

"As long as the Spirit Pact Treasure Refining Array remains active, the Nether River Lord's side will continue to pressure the mole."

"Next, we will intensify our surveillance of Chen Sui and Sun Tiesheng. I refuse to believe he can keep succeeding without eventually revealing a flaw!"

Wen Ruanyu pondered for a moment, then shook his head with a bitter smile. "It seems this is our only option," he conceded.

At Chen Sui's residence.

"What?!" Chen Sui's eyes blazed with fury, and he tore the flying missive in his hand to shreds. "Who is imitating my Reaping Wheat Art? They're trying to frame me!"

"Shen Bing is dead, eliminating my biggest rival for the Golden Swallow Fork. The only one who could possibly frame me is Sun Tiesheng."

"The Sun family... they truly are a formidable clan, far beyond what an isolated individual like me can rival. They've even prepared cultivation techniques and cultivators to practice them."

"The piercing needle I stole is still inside Shen Bing's body. When will Wen Ruanyu apprehend Sun Tiesheng?"

At Sun Tiesheng's residence.

After the servant finished his report, Sun Tiesheng slammed the table in fury and roared, "That damn Chen Sui! I remember very clearly that the piercing needle I lost was misplaced after my sparring session with him back then."

"I never expected our clan to be so thoroughly prepared, with even elders having modified their cultivation to the Reaping Wheat Art, allowing him to pass off fakes as genuine."

"Have the family come up with more solutions!"

"Currently, within the entire Potency Institute, Chen Sui and I have the greatest prospects. If I can win the Golden Swallow Fork, I will surely reward the family handsomely."

The servant hesitated. "Shen Bing just died, and for us to act again would be tantamount to blatantly committing another crime, sir."

Sun Tiesheng laughed heartily, speaking without fear. "Making the Golden Swallow Fork recognize a master isn't something ordinary people can do," he said. "Jin Yangzi and Shen Bing are both dead, leaving only Chen Sui, that orphan."

"I am also the most formidable contender. Right now, the immortal city faces a ghost tide disaster, and the underworld armies are stationed nearby, watching hungrily. Do they dare to lay a hand on me? Aren't they afraid the Golden Swallow Fork won't have a new master?"

Ning Zhuo returned to his residence and resumed his cultivation.

The successive use of four Nascent Soul-level treasures had already pushed Ning Zhuo's soul foundation close to the equivalent of 800,000 human souls, marking truly astonishing progress!

"Boss, are you really not going to use this method to cultivate your soul?" Ning Zhuo couldn't resist, trying to persuade Sun Lingtong again through the Human Life Suspended Thread connection. "Once you miss this opportunity, it might not come again."

Sun Lingtong refused without hesitation once more. "Xiao Zhuo, don't try to persuade me further," she said. "I'm currently stuck at the final stage, on the verge of reaching the Golden Core. It won't be too late to undertake this arduous cultivation after I've ascended to the Golden Core stage!"

"Hehe."

"Look who's arrived? It's your little girlfriend."

As the master of Human Life Suspended Thread, Ning Zhuo naturally knew Sun Lingtong's situation.

She was currently within the Underworld Soldier Camp, but near the outer perimeter.

Through Sun Lingtong, Ning Zhuo observed a group of cultivators charging directly into the camp under the cover of night. He was secretly surprised by their daring.

"Charge with me!!!" Qing Yan spearheaded the attack.

His daughter, Qing Chi, followed closely behind him.

Previously, White Paper Immortal City's forces would only dispatch small teams to eliminate the Nether River Underworld Army's scouts and other outlying units, never launching a direct assault on the camp.

Consequently, the Nether River Underworld Army was caught completely off guard by this sudden assault.

By the time they rallied their forces and counterattacked, Qing Yan and his group had already caused significant havoc and swiftly retreated.

Qing Chi, acting as rearguard, pushed out with both palms, unleashing a wave of green fire.

Beneath the green flames, countless underworld soldiers screamed, utterly perishing.

Sun Lingtong witnessed this scene and was startled. "Xiao Zhuo," she remarked, "your little girlfriend's combat prowess is quite impressive. That one move alone is already at the Golden Core level!"

On the way back in triumph, Qing Chi secretly transmitted a message to her father. "Dad," she reminded him, "don't forget, if I fight with all my might, you promised to support me in seeking out Jiaoma again."

Qing Yan snorted coldly. "I said it depends on merit!" he replied.

Qing Chi rubbed her hands together. "A mere merit? I'll earn it; it's not difficult!" she declared.

That night, the Nether River Underworld Army spent it in trepidation.

Ning Zhuo passed it in absorbed cultivation.

The Potency Institute spent the night in quiet, only for chaos to erupt suddenly in the early morning.

"Someone's dead! Someone's dead!"

Chen Sui was dead.