The next morning, Ning Fa didn't rush to cultivate. Instead, he first went to pay respects at Ning Xilin's grave.
After burning some paper money, Ning Fa looked at the tombstone, holding two cups of wine in his hands.
He poured one cup of wine onto the ground, then looked at the tombstone and said solemnly, "Uncle Xilin, rest assured. I will take good care of Xiao Yu from now on."
With that, he drained the other cup of wine in one gulp.
Ning Fa looked into the distance, thinking of Ning Zhen'an and Ning Ruiming. A flash of killing intent flickered in his eyes before he turned and left.
On Yuan Chang Island, in Ning Ruiming's home.
Ning Ruiming was pacing back and forth in the spacious hall. He, who was usually composed, now had a gloomy and slightly anxious expression on his face.
Footsteps approached, and a middle-aged cultivator in luxurious robes with a stern face walked in.
Ning Ruiming's face lit up, and he quickly went to greet him, asking urgently, "Father, what was the result?"
Ning Jiannan sat down in the main seat. Although his expression was still relatively calm, his complexion was not good. He said in a deep voice, "Ning Shaohong made a huge scene at the Elder Council, insisting on using a Second-grade Heart-Questioning Talisman on Ning Zhen'an to ascertain whether he intentionally harmed Ning Fa and if he was instigated by someone. She is even willing to bear the Spirit Stones cost for the Second-grade Heart-Questioning Talisman herself."
Upon hearing this, Ning Ruiming's face turned pale.
If the Second-grade Heart-Questioning Talisman were truly used on Ning Zhen'an, Ning Zhen'an would definitely not be able to resist it, and then his instigation of Ning Zhen'an to harm Ning Fa would be exposed.
The crime of intentionally harming a fellow clan member was very serious, especially since Ning Fa was a family Pill Master.
He hadn't been unaware of the severity of the matter before, but he had thought he could easily suppress it. He hadn't expected Ning Shaohong to make such a fuss for Ning Fa, even bringing the matter to the family Elder Council.
Seeing that the matter might actually be exposed, he finally began to panic.
Ning Jiannan frowned deeply and sighed, "I underestimated the relationship between Ning Shaohong and Ning Fa. It seems Ning Shaohong still has lingering feelings for Ning Fa's father and reacted very strongly to Ning Fa's injury. When I tried to defend Ning Zhen'an, she directly questioned in front of everyone if I had instigated him, putting me in a difficult position and disregarding even the Third Elder's face."
Hearing this, Ning Ruiming became even more flustered and hurriedly asked, "But was the Heart-Questioning Talisman actually used on Ning Zhen'an?"
Ning Jiannan glared at him fiercely at this moment, wanting to scold him, but he held back.
He took a deep breath and said, "The Third Elder temporarily suspended the meeting and pulled me aside for questioning, directly asking if I had instigated Ning Zhen'an."
Ning Jiannan's angry gaze made Ning Ruiming very guilty, as he was the one who caused this. However, he also felt a little wronged, as Ning Jiannan had also approved of this matter.
He quickly asked, "Father, you didn't admit to it, did you?"
Ning Jiannan glared at him again and said irritably, "Do you think the Third Elder is easily fooled? He probably already guessed it. For him, if I dared to deceive him, it would be much more serious than instigating Ning Zhen'an to harm Ning Fa!"
Seeing Ning Ruiming's pale face, Ning Jiannan snorted, "Don't worry, I took the blame. Although the Third Elder is protective, he is also very disgusted by such harm to fellow clan members. If he knew you instigated it, he might not be pleased with you, and I would have to swallow my pride. But I argued that Ning Zhen'an was only meant to teach Ning Fa a lesson, not to cripple him or even kill him, which was barely enough to explain it away."
Ning Ruiming breathed a sigh of relief and said gratefully, "Thank you, Father. What did the Third Elder say?"
Ning Jiannan's expression turned ugly as if recalling an unpleasant memory. "He scolded me soundly."
After all, he was a few years older than the Third Elder, Ning Zhongjiu, and his two daughters were Ning Zhongjiu's concubines. By relation, he was Ning Zhongjiu's father-in-law.
But when Ning Zhongjiu lost his temper, he didn't care about his status and still berated him thoroughly, almost making him lose face. Remembering this made him extremely embarrassed.
Ning Jiannan shook his head and continued, "Fortunately, the Third Elder didn't investigate further. He then forcefully rejected Ning Shaohong's proposal at the Elder Council, and Ning Zhen'an was not actually subjected to the Heart-Questioning Talisman. However, he was still given a very severe punishment."
"His family stipend will be halved for ten years, all family contribution points earned during that period will also be halved, and he will have to mine at the Tuhe Crystal Vein on Cliffside Island for five years."
Upon hearing this, Ning Ruiming breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the matter was no longer pursued, that was all that mattered to him.
Although the punishment Ning Zhen'an received was very severe, it didn't concern him.
As if sensing Ning Ruiming's thoughts, Ning Jiannan frowned and his expression turned stern. "Ning Zhen'an was following your orders and did his best. Although his punishment is unavoidable, don't think you can stay out of it. You must provide compensation to his branch family to convince the public. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
Ning Ruiming quickly bowed and said, "Father, please rest assured. Once the situation calms down, I will arrange a meeting with Ning Guichuan and personally appease and compensate him."
Ning Jiannan nodded with satisfaction. Then, as if remembering something, he solemnly warned, "From now on, remember not to easily provoke Ning Fa again. Although this incident has passed, the other elders are not fools. They can probably guess that this matter is related to us. Fortunately, Ning Fa's injuries were not serious. But if Ning Fa is injured like this again in the future, even if it's not us, we won't be able to clear our name. Ning Shaohong has already warned me in person that if this happens again, she will not give up."
Ning Ruiming looked somewhat unwilling, but he still nodded in agreement.
Ning Jiannan comforted him, "After all, Ning Fa only has an Incomplete Lightning Spiritual Root. He will not be able to advance to the Qi Condensation mid-stage in the future, and thus cannot become a First-grade High-rank Pill Master. He poses no threat to us. Do not let anger cloud your judgment."
"You should focus all your energy on breaking through to become a First-grade High-rank Pill Master. Once you become a First-grade High-rank Pill Master, I will plead with the Third Elder to not only make you the Deputy Hall Master of the Pill Hall but also to hold the Dual Cultivation Ceremony with Qinghui."
"After all, Ning Nanqing, Ning Jikun, Ning Leda, and others are also fiercely pursuing Qinghui. They are all outstanding figures among the younger generation of the family. You cannot confidently defeat them now. Your alchemy skills are your greatest reliance."
When Ning Jiannan mentioned Liu Qinghui, a flicker of fervor flashed in Ning Ruiming's eyes, and he quickly said, "Father, don't worry, your son understands. I have not relaxed in the slightest in alchemy these past few days."
After speaking, Ning Ruiming seemed to recall something and asked in a low voice, "Father, what about Spirit Deer Island... how is it now?"
Ning Jiannan's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "We have passed the Third Elder's hurdle. Spirit Deer Island is now fully developed by our lineage, but it is estimated that it will take at least several years to see any progress."
Ning Ruiming said excitedly, "We can wait that long. Once we obtain the hidden treasures there, our lineage will no longer need to fear anyone."
A sharp glint flashed in Ning Jiannan's eyes. These words struck a chord with him, as he vividly remembered being scolded like a dog by his son-in-law. He never wanted to experience that again in his life.