Ning Family Clan Land.
Today was the big day for the Ning Family's exam results to be announced.
Ning Ze and his wife, Wang Lan, had been sitting in the middle hall since early morning, waiting for the results of the two younger family members' important exams.
From birth, the children of the Ning Family had their bone roots tested annually, until they were twelve or thirteen years old.
Those with cultivation talent were sent to the family's private school, supported by the family for full-time study until they were sixteen or seventeen, when they would take the final graduation exam.
The annual major exam determined the destiny of the young cultivators.
The top thirty in the exam would have the opportunity to join the main industries of the Ning Family, which promised a much brighter future.
While Wang Lan sipped her tea, her eyes frequently darted to the main gate, revealing her nervousness and anticipation.
Ning Ze's gaze, however, was unfocused and he was in a very melancholic mood.
He had waited until dawn, but there was no news from the three ghosts of the Huang Family.
"They failed!"
"I didn't expect that youthful guest to be so fierce and ruthless."
"It's okay, it's okay."
"When I contacted the three ghosts of the Huang Family, I didn't show my true face, so the youthful guest couldn't have discovered me."
"The three ghosts of the Huang Family are overrated. Even with the Suppression Charm and the Green Knife Mantis, they couldn't win three against one! I really misjudged them."
"Alas, the youthful guest… what should I do next?"
Ning Ze, forced into a desperate situation, took a risky move but suffered a humiliating defeat. His head ached as he pondered how to explain this failure to the Young Clan Leader.
"Father, Mother, I made it! I got into the top thirty!" At that moment, a young boy rushed into the room, shouting excitedly.
"Really? Ji'er, you really made it?!" Wang Lan immediately stood up, her face full of joy.
The young cultivator Ning Ji shouted loudly, "Of course! Mother, don't you believe in your own son?"
"Oh?" Ning Ze looked up to see his son Ning Ji's flaunting smile.
Usually, Ning Ji's results were around the fortieth place. Unexpectedly, he had performed exceptionally well in this major exam.
This unexpected good news slightly alleviated Ning Ze's worries.
Ning Ji's voice was high-pitched, "Father, Mother, this time I made you proud. I've always said I knew my own capabilities. Though my usual grades weren't great, it was just because I didn't want to give my all."
"Unlike someone else!"
"Usually scoring well, staying within the top thirty. But this time, they fell flat, only getting thirty-first place. Alas, they failed!"
As he spoke, Ning Ji turned to look at the young man in white who followed him in, his face full of mockery.
The young man in white dressed plainly, his eyes clear, filled with guilt and a deep sense of loss.
"Uncle, Aunt," the young man in white, Ning Zhuo, bowed.
Wang Lan glanced at him and snapped, "What? Little Zhuo, you messed up this time?!"
Ning Ze's face darkened, and he stretched out his hand: "Let me see the report card."
Ning Zhuo took out the report card and handed it to his uncle, Ning Ze.
Ning Ze glanced at it and his face remained stern.
The next moment, he shook the paper and said, "Little Zhuo, how could you make such a serious mistake this time?"
"I remember you had made some achievements in Mechanical Techniques."
"Earlier, the mechanical parrot you made received praise from the elder."
"Mechanical Techniques is supposed to be your strength. How could you score so low this time?"
"Sigh, without this low score, you would have been in the top thirty!"
His aunt's eyes were sharp: "Little Zhuo, tell me, have you been taking private tasks from the Mechanical Workshop again recently?"
Without waiting for Ning Zhuo to answer, his aunt sighed regretfully, "I told you so many times, don't be greedy for money. At your age, you should focus on your studies."
"You put your effort into making money, but end up losing the bigger opportunity."
"Look at you now! Outside the top thirty!"
"You can't even get into the family's industries!!"
Hearing this, Ning Zhuo finally mustered the courage: "Aunt, I heard from my classmates that it's possible to use connections…"
Before he could finish, his aunt interrupted loudly: "Connections? Do you know how many spirit stones it takes to use connections? Do you know how many people we have to approach?"
"Oh, now that you have failed, in just a few words, your uncle and I have to run around, looking for people, pull strings for you?"
"You still dare mention it!"
"If you knew this would happen, why did you act that way in the first place?"
"I always told you to focus on your cultivation, not to take private jobs for a few spirit stones."
"What's the use?!"
"If you had made it into the top thirty and entered the family industries, you would have made much more. The key is having fewer tasks, more time, and being able to continue your cultivation."
Ning Zhuo raised his head abruptly, his face flushed with the shame of being humiliated. He gritted his teeth and said firmly: "Uncle, Aunt, I, Ning Zhuo, will take responsibility for my own actions!"
"Since I am thirty-first, so be it."
"Over the years, I have been grateful for your care. This result is bad fruit I planted myself, so I will bear the consequences!"
"I will take responsibility for my own actions!"
"I don't believe I couldn't find a way to support myself out there."
Having said this, Ning Zhuo bowed and took his leave: "Uncle, Aunt, my classmates are waiting for me for a meal. If there's nothing else, I will take my leave."
Uncle stared at Ning Zhuo, remaining silent.
Aunt waved her hand in disgust: "Go, go, you have a big heart, failing so badly yet still having the mood for a meal!"
Ning Zhuo couldn't stay any longer and turned to leave in a huff.
His cousin, Ning Ji, sat down comfortably.
Aunt turned to Ning Ji, her anger changing to joy: "My son is still the best!"
She pushed the tea snacks on the table: "Quick, try this. It's Golden Silk Jade Dew Cake from the Golden Banquet Hall. Eating it will enhance your sea of consciousness and strengthen your divine sense, which will be greatly beneficial for your cultivation and future Foundation Establishment!"
Ning Ji's eyes lit up. He eagerly picked one up and put it in his mouth.
The Golden Silk Jade Dew Cake had a unique texture, the cake was soft and glutinous, the golden threads were harder and crunchy, with a fluid filling inside.
Ning Ji swallowed three bites and felt a gust of clear air rising from his stomach to his head, refreshing his spirit.
Ning Ji praised sincerely: "Delicious, delicious!"
"Then eat more, they're all for you," his mother smiled.
Ning Ji devoured the remaining three, licking his lips with relish: "As expected of Golden Banquet Hall's product, it's delicious! Why are there only four? Are there any more?"
His father snorted coldly: "Each of these cakes costs twenty spirit stones. You just ate nearly a hundred spirit stones' worth, and you want more?"
"You need to work harder and not slack off! Perform well in the family from now on, and try to earn enough spirit food for yourself with your own hands."
Ning Ji shouted, "Father, I made you proud this time! Think about it, if my previous performance had been bad, wouldn't you have had to pull strings, give gifts, and find connections to get me into the family industries? My excellent performance in the major exam saved you hundreds of spirit stones, so what's a little Golden Banquet Hall cake?"
"Besides, I'm eating these to enhance my spirit, to help with my cultivation and hard work."
"If I had such resources earlier, my performance would have been much better."
Ning Ji's father glared and was about to reprimand him.
His mother quickly intervened, "Alright, alright, both of you say less."
She glared at her husband: "My son did well, he should be praised. After just a few words, you are criticizing him again."
"Don't look at my son's playful nature. He is reliable at crucial moments."
"Unlike Ning Zhuo, whose usual performance makes people careless, but at the critical moment, he is the most worrying!"
"You see, after a bit of criticism, he turned around and left. So unteachable! Am I wrong?"
"Humph, off to dine out. He still has the mood for that!"
Ning Ji sneered: "He thinks too highly of himself, ignoring the earnest advice of father and mother."
"By the way, are we really going to pull strings for him?"
Ning Ji's father snorted: "That's not your concern."
Ning Ji, seeing his father's anger, instinctively shrank his neck but then remembered his excellent exam results and raised his voice, "Mother, even Ning Zhuo went out for a meal. I also want to go to a restaurant for spirit food. Give me some money. You don't know how hard I worked for this major exam!"
"Alright, alright." His mother smilingly took out a pouch of spirit stones and handed it to Ning Ji.
Ning Ji took the pouch and left.
Out on the street after leaving the Ning Family's residence, he didn't head directly to his favorite restaurant but wandered around the streets.
He wanted to see where Ning Zhuo was dining.
Such opportunities were rare, and now that he had one, Ning Ji thought he could mock the other for fun.
However, he searched left and right but couldn't find him.
After asking several shop assistants, he confirmed that Ning Zhuo hadn't been there.
Ning Ji slapped his forehead and realized, "That kid was putting on an act. There's no meal appointment. He's probably crying in the dilapidated house where his mother died!"
"Forget him, I'll go have a feast first."
Not only was spirit food delicious, but it also helped boost cultivation, making Ning Ji very eager.
His guess was partially correct.
Ning Zhuo had already returned home.
Compared to his uncle's and aunt's residence, Ning Zhuo's house was simple and shabby.
Ning Zhuo gently closed the courtyard gate, crossed the small yard, entered the main house, and proceeded to an inner room.
This was both his bedroom and study.
Though the furniture was old and plain, it was kept very clean.
Ning Zhuo touched the lion-shaped paperweight on the desk.
The lion-shaped paperweight glowed slightly, indicating that no one had come while he was away.
Turning, Ning Zhuo came to the bed and gently twisted the bedpost. Instantly, the mechanical sounds echoed, and the bed slid aside, revealing an underground passage.
He stepped onto a wooden ladder, descending step by step into the underground secret room.
Upon reaching the ground, he activated a switch on the wall, causing the bed above to return to its original position.
With the light above gone, runes on the walls of the underground room lit up, making the small space bright.
At this point, the gloomy, angry, and suppressed expressions on Ning Zhuo's face vanished, replaced by a calm demeanor.
He sat at his familiar workbench, full of various mechanical components.
Ning Zhuo opened the right-hand drawer, revealing it was filled with cakes.
Each piece of cake was wrapped in paper imprinted with the Golden Banquet Hall's logo.
He casually grabbed a handful, five or six pieces, channeled his mana, and instantly burned away the paper wrappers without damaging the Golden Silk Jade Dew Cakes.
Clearly, he had performed this action numerous times and was very skilled at it.
As he chewed the cakes, Ning Zhuo's eyes became distant as he reviewed his performance today in his mind.
He had maintained this good habit for more than ten years.
"There should be no problem."
"I just didn't expect that during this major exam, others generally underperformed, not fully displaying their abilities."
"When I checked the results earlier, I almost thought I miscalculated and made it into the top thirty myself."