Ning Zhuo laughed and said, "If you can e, I sincerely wele you! If you can contribute to the repair of the Nanming Fire Furnace, your seat can be arranged above mine."
"But the Myriad Phenomena Cradle won’t do."
"It benefits only me, not the repair of the Nanming Fire Furnace."
"Speaking of this matter goes against the rules of Nanming Village; it won’t hold water."
Kong Ran nodded repeatedly, "I understand, I understand. Brother Ning, am I not someone who knows the rules?"
He then showed a hesitant expression, "I understand my father’s intention too. But..."
"I still prefer to stay with the Confucian Cultivators."
"Brother Ning, I admire your ventures at Flowing Cloud Peak greatly. But you see..."
"My arms and legs are too frail to withstand any torment."
Ning Zhuo couldn’t help but laugh heartily, "Hahaha."
Kong Ran indeed has the temperament of a Confucian Cultivator; a gentleman does not stand under a teetering wall.
Not long after Ning Zhuo personally bid farewell to him, Mu Yuehua arrived.
Mu Yuehua was dressed in a moonlight-white long skirt, the hem gently swaying like an ephemeral flower blooming in the night. Her black hair was loosely pinned up with a jade hairpin, with a few strands hanging by her ears, accentuating her delicate features and serene, otherworldly elegance.
"Ning... my lord."
Ning Zhuo invited her to sit and spoke directly, "Inviting you at such a late hour is presumptuous of me. But there is something I truly cannot understand."
Mu Yuehua slightly raised her eyes, "Please, my lord."
Ning Zhuo asked, "Why did you choose to join Nanming Village?"
Mu Yuehua’s expression remained unchanged.
Ning Zhuo continued, "Danxia Peak holds you in high regard. Peak Master Wang Yu’s vision, resources, and status are extraordinary. With your alchemy talent, Taiyin True Fire, and past reputation, if you joined Danxia Peak, the support you’d receive would far surpass that of Nanming Village."
He paused.
"Nanming Village may be prosperous today, but its foundation is newly established, and the hearts are plex. Creditors, Guest Elders, old grudges, new alliances—so many entanglements. Staying here is certainly less stable than at Danxia Peak."
Mu Yuehua listened quietly.
She did not answer immediately but looked out at the moonlit night.
After a long time, she finally spoke, "Precisely because Danxia Peak is too strong, I am worried."
Ning Zhuo’s gaze slightly focused.
Mu Yuehua’s voice was very gentle yet clear, "In a powerful place, you get many things. Resources, titles, mentorship, protection—everything is good. But once accepted, you must follow the path they hope for."
She turned her head to look at Ning Zhuo.
"I have already walked such a path once."
Ning Zhuo thought of Mu Yuehua’s information and sighed knowingly.
Yuehua Sect.
Mu Yuehua cultivated Taiyin Magical Power with exceptional innate talent, nearly being the contemporary Yuehua Fairy.
Mu Yuehua said, "The sect did not treat me poorly. The better they treated me, the more they hoped I’d bee the person they wanted."
Her tone remained cool but carried a subtle ripple.
"They severed many divergent paths for me, screened out many possibilities, and left only the correct, stable path benefiting the sect. But that path’s end is not the path I desire."
"The Nanming Fire Furnace benefits my path. Stars and moons intermingling, Yin Yang creating life. If I can use it to harmonize, my path might change."
"Moreover... Nanming Village is more to my liking."
She looked at Ning Zhuo seriously, "Today, my lord arranged seats according to debts, seemingly tying everyone to Nanming Village. But ultimately, debts can be measured, repaid, and negotiated. The favors from Danxia Peak are from Peak Master, mentorship, and nurturing favors. Such favors often can’t be clearly defined or fully repaid."
Ning Zhuo felt relieved, just about to sigh when Gongsun Yan reported that Tie Kuang has sent an envoy who has arrived outside the Cave Mansion’s gate.
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