Zhu Xuanji had never expected Ning Zhuo’s second letter to arrive so quickly.

When he received it, his heart thumped nonstop, but he still held onto a bit of luck, thinking it might be a letter of thanks.

But once he unfolded it—

“Respected Elder Brother Zhu Xuanji, personally opened:

I write abruptly, for I am pressed by an extremely urgent matter, and I must implore elder brother for aid.

Recently, I, Zhuo, entered the Ten Thousand Demons Cave. Within, there lie secrets of great weight, tied not only to a calamity of demons and monsters, but even connected to the Void-Transcending mighty one, the ‘Five Elements Divine Lord.’

I fear this may endanger the fate of the nation, and throw countless people of the Southern Dou Country into turmoil. This cannot be ignored!

…

Today, I entrust this letter to elder brother. If ever the Myriad Medicines Sect shows great commotion—such as abruptly activating their Mountain-Guarding Formation, or if strange phenomena arise—then it is a sign that I have fallen into peril. At that time, I earnestly beg elder brother, for the sake of country and people, to appear swiftly and give aid, resolving this crisis, safeguarding the state and its citizens. This matter concerns the survival of the realm and the lives of countless beings. I beg elder brother to respond with utmost seriousness and not show any negligence.

The situation is dire, I dare not write more. I earnestly entrust this to you, hoping elder brother will discern it with care.

Ning Zhuo bows with his head.”

After reading, Zhu Xuanji was utterly shocked.

What was going on? What was going on!

The previous letter had only asked for wine, painting a picture of lofty elegance. Yet in the very next letter, the tone turned sharply, speaking of calamities threatening all lives, demanding to safeguard the realm!

“The Son of Calamity! This is precisely the Son of Calamity!”

Zhu Xuanji leaned toward believing that this plea was genuine. Even if embellished, it would only be a little exaggerated.

He immediately took action!

Though he loathed being entangled with Ning Zhuo, since it concerned the Southern Dou Country and the nation’s safety, he could not sit idly by.

He urgently reported the matter to the King.

In less than an hour, he received a summons.

Zhu Xuanji, familiar with the way, arrived at the royal palace.

But at the main hall’s doors, he was stopped by guards.

“By the King’s order, you are only to receive commands here,” the guards declared.

“What?” Zhu Xuanji froze, then grew furious. “I have urgent matters that must be spoken directly to the King. How can this be treated as a child’s play?”

“Xuanji, hold your temper.” At that moment, an old man strode from the hall.

He was tall and broad-shouldered, hair and beard snow-white, knuckles thick, spirit vigorous, emanating the aura of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Seeing him, Zhu Xuanji hastily bowed. “Greetings, Prince.”

This elder was Zhu Zhu, a prince of the Zhu royal family, himself at the Nascent Soul stage, a pillar among pillars.

Zhu Zhu nodded slightly, speaking to Zhu Xuanji: “To be frank, Xuanji, it was my proposal that you wait outside the hall.”

Zhu Xuanji replied, “May I ask Prince to give me the reason, else I cannot accept.”

Zhu Zhu’s eyes widened, and he transmitted his voice: “Cannot accept? Whether you accept or not, you’ll wait here!”

“Hmph, boy, do you not understand your own position?”

“This great hall was designed with a fortune-securing formation. Standing outside, you won’t disturb the King’s fate. But once you step inside, sharing the same formation, who knows what might happen.”

Zhu Xuanji’s face instantly sank.

Zhu Zhu gave a cold snort: “Foolish brat, learn some self-awareness! That Son of Calamity has written to you time and again—Lava Immortal Palace, Mist-Hidden Mountain, and now Ten Thousand Demons Cave…”

“What does this show?”

“It shows you are already deeply entangled with him.”

“And in the future, there will surely be even more such ties!”

“Fortunately, your own fortune is extraordinary—you can withstand it.”

Zhu Xuanji’s heart plummeted, bitterly transmitting back: “No, Prince, I cannot bear it, I truly cannot!”

Zhu Zhu glared: “Whether you can or not, you must! These fated entanglements cannot be cut off at will. Force it, and you’ll provoke terrifying backlash.”

“Sigh… everything must follow its course.”

Zhu Xuanji’s face grew even more bitter. “Prince, why do I feel as though you’re saying my days are numbered?”

Zhu Zhu’s expression grew solemn. “Another thing—when you speak in the future, do not rely on me. When we meet, greet me from afar, do not approach.”

Having said this, Zhu Zhu turned back into the hall.

Zhu Xuanji had no choice but to communicate with the King through transmitted voice.

The King told him: Ning Zhuo’s plea must be treated with utmost seriousness. After all, he was the Son of Calamity. But from now on, Zhu Xuanji was not to deliver such letters again.

As for this incident with the Myriad Medicines Sect, Zhu Xuanji himself would go! He was to take the emergency route through the Courier Station’s teleportation, sparing no resources, rushing at the fastest speed to the Myriad Medicines Valley!

But he need not worry—the royal house would also dispatch a Nascent Soul master to accompany him.

Thus, Zhu Xuanji did not even see the King’s face before leaving the capital in haste.

He used the Courier Station’s teleportations again and again.

Midway, he met up with the Nascent Soul cultivator, Shen Lingshu.

The two of them traveled without pause, without a moment’s rest. Repeated teleportations left them dizzy and nauseous, but they pushed to their utmost speed, arriving near the Myriad Medicines Valley.

Standing atop a mountain, Zhu Xuanji saw the grand formation of the Myriad Medicines Sect suddenly rise.

This sight was exactly as Ning Zhuo’s letter had described.

At that moment, Zhu Xuanji’s last shred of wishful doubt was extinguished.

“Senior Shen, I will go first to negotiate openly, to rescue that brat. Please, Master, conceal yourself and support in secret,” Zhu Xuanji said.

Though only at the Golden Core stage, beneath the one at his side, this mission was commanded by the King himself, who had appointed Zhu Xuanji the one to take the lead.

Shen Lingshu, however, only smiled faintly. “No hurry, Daoist Friend Zhu. Allow me to divine it first.”

Shen Lingshu looked like a youth, handsome-faced, bright-eyed. He wore a pale cyan long robe embroidered with mountains and clouds. His black hair was simply bound with a wooden hairpin, and at his waist hung an ancient jade compass.

He enjoyed not only the King of Southern Dou’s trust, but more precisely, the Zhu family’s.

For he was not merely skilled in divination, one of the myriad arts of cultivation, but was also the Zhu family’s son-in-law, kin to the royal clan.

After a brief calculation, Shen Lingshu said, “It is decided. If I reveal myself alongside you, negotiating openly, it will be better. Of course, this is merely my suggestion.”

Zhu Xuanji said, “Then I will follow Senior’s judgment.”

The next moment, Zhu Xuanji and Shen Lingshu flew up together into the high sky.

Zhu Xuanji’s voice resounded through heaven and earth: “I am Zhu Xuanji, of the Southern Dou royal house, serving in the Detective Division. I have come today together with Master Shen Lingshu. I am here by royal command, and have come specifically to pay a visit! Please, open the gates and send word at once.”

His voice spread into the Myriad Medicines Valley, echoing throughout the mountains, leaving the entire sect dumbfounded.

On Original Mountain.

Ning Jiufan heard Zhu Xuanji’s call, and his heart leapt with joy: “It’s Lord Detective Zhu! Hahaha, why has he come?”

“Oh! It must be Ning Zhuo, surely Ning Zhuo.”

“That brat is still so shrewd, making arrangements in advance, inviting reinforcements.”

“This is indeed the descendant of our Ning Family. Hahaha! He could even outwit Meng Kui, let alone Lin Bufan.”

In an instant, Ning Jiufan’s confidence soared, his bearing growing imposing.

Though he was clearly a captive, fallen into enemy hands, he stroked his beard and smiled. “Sect Master Lin, listen carefully—it is Lord Zhu Xuanji!”

“Months ago, Lord Zhu visited our Huoshi Immortal City, and conversed warmly with us. He and our Ning Zhuo were on harmonious terms.”

“If you doubt my official identity, you may ask him for confirmation. Lord Zhu is a famed detective known across the nation, and now travels representing the Southern Dou royal house. Naturally, he would not deceive you.”

Lin Bufan: …

A headache.

Sect Master Lin felt a pounding headache.

He had thought himself a dignified Nascent Soul cultivator, master of the Myriad Medicines Valley after painstaking effort for centuries, possessing both heaven’s favor and men’s support. To deal with one migrating northern family should have been easy.

Yet who could have guessed Ning Jiufan was an official?

Who could have guessed that after Ning Zhuo went missing, his daughter Lin Shanshan was kidnapped?

Who could have guessed that Zhu Xuanji would appear so quickly, even bringing along another Nascent Soul master?

What he thought would be an easy game to control had now turned into blow after blow, and to his dismay he found the situation swiftly slipping from his grasp, becoming most embarrassing.

Ning Jiufan clasped his hands with an air of consideration for Lin Bufan, respectfully saying: “Sect Master Lin, I urge you to make a decision quickly. Lord Zhu has come bearing royal command. He represents the dignity of the royal house.”

“If you bar the gates and do not welcome him, tongues will wag. Even if the Southern Dou royal house lets it pass, Lord Zhu himself, broad-minded as he is, others may not. They may think much and suspect more.”

“If that happens, the business of the Myriad Medicines Sect will plummet. After all, who would wish to ally with a force seen as hostile to the Southern Dou royal house?”

Lin Bufan gave a cold snort. “A sharp tongue indeed. Is this the style of you northern men?”

Ning Jiufan’s smile faltered.

Lin Bufan flicked his sleeve, flying from Original Mountain.

He opened a narrow slit in the Mountain-Guarding Formation and, standing outside it, spoke to Zhu Xuanji and Shen Lingshu: “Two esteemed guests arriving at the Myriad Medicines Sect truly brings glory to our humble halls. This formation is not meant to refuse guests, but because young master Ning Zhuo’s whereabouts are uncertain. I laid down this measure to protect him, to aid in the search, and to prevent any mishap. I beg your understanding.”

Lin Bufan, a Nascent Soul cultivator of lofty standing, even addressed Ning Zhuo as “young master.” His words were chosen to elevate Ning Zhuo’s status and convey goodwill.

Zhu Xuanji said, “I came precisely for him…”

Before his words could finish, Ning Zhuo appeared in the sky, with Lin Shanshan at his side.

Ning Zhuo clasped his fists in apology: “Brother Zhu, Sect Master Lin, to trouble you with such mobilization is entirely my fault. Earlier, I ventured deep into the demon cave without reporting. Emerging now, to see such commotion, troubling the entire sect, and even drawing Brother Zhu here in person—I truly had not expected this. I beg forgiveness from you both!”

Saying this, Ning Zhuo bowed deeply.

At his side, Lin Shanshan smiled. She first saluted Zhu Xuanji and Shen Lingshu, then called out publicly to Lin Bufan: “Father, I am well. Please do not worry.”

Lin Bufan’s face lit up like spring sunshine. He said warmly, “So long as you two are safe, I am at ease. Next time, do not run off recklessly again.”

Every word they spoke carried hidden meaning.

After this exchange, Lin Bufan ceased the Mountain-Guarding Formation, inviting Zhu Xuanji and Shen Lingshu into the mountain.

When they landed on Original Mountain, the entire Myriad Medicines Sect erupted in an uproar.

Everyone began to talk excitedly.

“So that’s why the Mountain-Guarding Formation suddenly rose—it was for young master Ning Zhuo!”

“It nearly scared me to death. I thought a beast tide from the Ten Thousand Demons Cave had surged up.”

“How could that be! The Ten Thousand Demons Cave hasn’t had beasts for years. Seeing Zhu Xuanji appear, I guessed perhaps a great criminal had emerged, and Sect Master Lin opened the formation to capture them.”

“Never thought it was for Ning Zhuo.”

“Did you hear? Even Sect Master Lin addressed Ning Zhuo as ‘young master’!”

“I looked into it—the Ning Family of Mount Huoshi isn’t even that large. Why does Ning Zhuo receive such courtesy?”

“No idea! All I know is, the famed Zhu Xuanji, detective known across the nation, actually came here for Ning Zhuo!”

“Just what kind of identity does Ning Zhuo hold?”

“More than that, I’m curious—why is the sect’s young lady, Sect Master Lin’s own daughter Lin Shanshan, suddenly wandering arm-in-arm with Ning Zhuo?”

“Huh, now that you mention it, I’m curious too!”

“What else could it be? The two are of equal standing, like golden boy and jade maiden. They must have fallen for each other.”

Hearing the chatter, Hua Guzi’s face went pale.

Hanzhou saw this and sighed: “The world is full of suffering. Hua Guzi, you…”

He had just begun to console her when Hua Guzi cut him off with a cold glare: “Shut your mouth!”

From Hua Guzi, Hanzhou felt an unprecedentedly dangerous aura, and quickly fell silent.

Hua Guzi ground her teeth inwardly: “Young master Ning Zhuo must have faced danger earlier, or else why would Lin Bufan and Zhu Xuanji rush to aid him?”

“It must be that Lin Shanshan!”

“Hmph, surely Lin Shanshan coveted young master’s beauty, dragging him into peril. Vile woman, truly vile! To even try to steal young master from me!!”

Lao De and the other senior brothers were also in an uproar.

“Little Junior Sister? Why has she suddenly appeared, and with Ning Zhuo no less?”

“She—wasn’t she grounded? How did she sneak out?”

“I know master well. Unless it was a major matter, he would never suddenly raise the Mountain-Guarding Formation.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“Perhaps Little Junior Sister eloped with Ning Zhuo, and master discovered it—so he sealed the valley with the formation!”

“This Ning Zhuo is full of schemes. To secure the elopement, he even arranged Zhu Xuanji as a backup. Now, with him and Little Junior Sister trapped inside Myriad Medicines Valley, they were bound to be exposed, so Zhu Xuanji had to appear.”

The brothers: …

Many clutched their chests, as though their hearts were breaking.

“How could Little Junior Sister…”

“I’ve long despised that pretty-faced Ning Zhuo. He must have honey dripping from his tongue. A scoundrel—nothing but a scoundrel!”

“Where is Senior Brother? We must tell Senior Brother! This is too grave.”

“Senior Brother must be in the Ten Thousand Demons Cave, anxious beyond belief.”

“Come, let us go find Senior Brother and report this to him.”

“Wait—this is only our guess.”

“What are you waiting for? Delay any longer and it’ll be too late!”

They hurried toward the back mountain of Greater Strife Peak. But upon reaching the Ten Thousand Demons Cave, it was utterly empty.

“Senior Brother?”

“Where is Senior Brother?”

“Senior Brother is gone!”

Inside the formation within the formation.

Linghu Jiu paced restlessly, wielding his sword techniques, panting from exhaustion. “Damn it, what is this formation? How do I get out of here?”

“Ning Zhuo, virtuous brother! Ning Zhuo, virtuous brother!!”

Clumsy with formations, he could only shout Ning Zhuo’s name in vain, hoping for aid.