Chapter 19: Explosive Flame Monkey and Ning Zhuo

Fei Si looked at him disdainfully: "You brute, you've already been led by the nose by the enemy without even knowing it."

He then cupped his hands, looking at the City Lord: "We all rely on your astute judgment and decisive actions, stalwartly guarding the volcano, unyielding and immovable, giving the enemy no chance."

"As long as you personally oversee it, who can infiltrate the Magma Fairy Palace right under your nose?"

"This is the perfect strategy of adapting to changes by remaining unchanged. The enemy in the shadows can only look up and lament, with no opportunity!"

Chi Dun, having been scolded again, angrily retorted: "You've rambled on and still haven't addressed the main issue. What about the demon cultivator hiding in the Fire Persimmon Forest? If he triggers a chain explosion there, won't the centuries of accumulation in Persimmon Fire City be destroyed?"

Fei Si shook his head and sighed: "Given the current situation, we must prepare for the worst."

"However, I believe the possibility of him deliberately triggering an explosion is low."

"He is a demon cultivator, not a fool. If the entire Fire Persimmon Forest explodes, the resulting power would shake the entire Fire Persimmon Immortal Mountain. He would certainly be blown to pieces, dying horribly on the spot."

Pausing for a moment, Fei Si continued: "He has already been struck by the Lime Heart Technique. The longer the time drags on, the more severe his injuries become."

"We hold the advantage; we must move slowly and never seek quick success, giving the enemy no opportunities."

"In my humble opinion, we should contact the other three families to jointly discuss how to deal with this demon cultivator. This will strengthen our unity and distinguish loyalty. If there is indeed someone functioning as a manipulator or internal aid, they will be more easily discovered."

"Moreover, it would be best to act after the Fire Persimmon Festival. At that time, large-scale harvesting of the fire persimmons can minimize our losses."

Chi Dun's eyes widened in disbelief as he shouted: "You still want to hold the Fire Persimmon Festival?!"

"Do you want to send the entire city to their deaths?"

"If the Fire Persimmon Forest explodes in a chain reaction, how many casualties would it cause?"

"By then, the City Lord will surely be held responsible, most likely being directly dismissed!"

Fei Si had anticipated this: "Since I proposed this idea, I naturally have a countermeasure."

"City Lord, take a look at this mechanical monkey."

As he spoke, Fei Si took out a mechanical artifact from his storage bag.

This mechanism was half the height of a human, covered in bright red monkey fur, with a muscular, lifelike body. It was none other than the Explosive Flame Monkey.

Proudly, Fei Si continued to introduce: "Just three days ago, Chen Cha presented this mechanism. Using it, we can easily harvest the fire persimmons and avoid human casualties."

The City Lord, expressionless, extended his divine sense to summon the mechanical monkey, holding it before his eyes for examination.

After a few breaths, he nodded slightly: "It's barely passable, with the monkey brain control core being somewhat clever."

Being of Nascent Soul level, his vision was extensive. To him, the design of the Explosive Flame Monkey was ordinary and unimpressive.

"Who is Chen Cha?" The City Lord became somewhat interested in the creator.

Fei Si replied: "Years ago, you ordered us to recruit mechanism masters far and wide. Chen Cha was one of those invited, now living in Persimmon Fire City."

"This man is a Foundation Establishment cultivator, solid in formation techniques, adept at setting up dynamic formations. But in mechanical techniques, he lacks spiritual nature and has not produced any outstanding works until now."

"Finally, he has achieved some success."

Hearing that Chen Cha was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, the City Lord lost interest and waved dismissively: "Handle it as you see fit."

"Chi Dun, henceforth, you are to fully cooperate with Fei Si."

Chi Dun reluctantly agreed: "Understood, my lord!"

Ning Family.

The Clan Leader summoned the Young Clan Leader to the study.

He first handed over a list.

Young Clan Leader Ning Xiaoren perused it. He first saw the name Ning Zhanji among the deceased, then noticed Ning Zhuo among the survivors.

The Clan Leader sighed: "Ning Zhanji's death is a great loss to our Ning Family."

Ning Xiaoren responded: "It was an honor for him to sacrifice himself for the family."

The Clan Leader said: "As the one in charge of the family's logistics, it falls on you to manage the compensation for our cultivators."

Ning Xiaoren quickly assured: "Father, rest assured, I will handle this matter properly."

"Hmm." The Clan Leader nodded and queried, "Xiaoren, what are your thoughts on the emergence of the Magma Fairy Palace?"

Ning Xiaoren pondered for a moment before replying: "The palace's emergence forces us to accelerate our exploration progress. Our family was the last to learn of this, putting us at a great disadvantage."

"We have yet to invite any outstanding mechanism masters. Relying solely on our family's strength, it is difficult to compete with the other three parties."

The Clan Leader sighed heavily: "Currently, the selection criteria for the palace have been lowered to the Qi Refinement Realm. Perhaps our family should fully organize a large number of cultivators to switch to the Five Elements Qi Regulation Art."

Ning Xiaoren furrowed his brow: "Father, this is precisely what worries me the most."

"How many people should we organize to switch to the new cultivation technique? And who should we choose? The most crucial aspect is, how many from the main lineage, and who? How many from the collateral lineage, and who?"

"Given the unclear situation, it's quite a challenging task."

The Clan Leader, hearing this, couldn't help but show a look of satisfaction: "Xiaoren, for you to realize this point, you've proven yourself to be a capable Young Clan Leader."

"This matter requires a detailed discussion with the family elders."

"You should proceed with your tasks."

Ning Xiaoren saluted and withdrew.

Returning to his study, a family cultivator came to inquire about the distribution of compensation.

Ning Xiaoren instantly replied: "Compensation? What compensation?"

"Aren't these Ning Family members all part of the Demon Hunting Association? The association has its own compensation system."

The cultivator looked troubled: "But they are still our Ning Family members..."

Ning Xiaoren interrupted: "Precisely because the family is in financial difficulty, we encourage our members to join other organizations for livelihood. As members of the Ning Family, they should think of the family first!"

The cultivator reluctantly withdrew.

Ning Xiaoren still seethed with anger and summoned Ning Zhuo's eldest uncle, Ning Ze.

Ning Xiaoren, face darkened with rage, tapped his knuckles on the table rhythmically: "Ning Ze, how do you act as an elder? Ning Zhuo ran into the Flame Demon Melting Cave, nearly losing his life! Did you know that?"

Ning Ze, wiping sweat from his brow, hurriedly responded: "I know, I know!"

He had reluctantly come up with a clever plan to provoke Ning Zhuo into joining the Demon Hunting Association. However, with the emergence of the Immortal Palace, Ning Zhanji, who was responsible for recruiting Ning Zhuo, ended up dead.

Ning Zhuo didn't officially join the Demon Hunting Association; instead, Ning Xiaoren saw through Ning Ze's arrangement. Naturally, the latter was furious!

Ning Ze smiled bitterly: "But, Young Clan Leader, it's not that I didn't want to arrange something for Little Zhuo. The fact is, he's too stubborn..."

Slam.

Ning Ze hadn't finished his sentence when the inkstone Ning Xiaoren threw hit his forehead.

Pain surged through him, and a warm stream quickly trickled from his forehead down to his chin.

The metallic taste filled Ning Ze's nostrils.

He realized that the Young Clan Leader had once again smashed his forehead.

"Don't play dumb with me!" The Young Clan Leader pointed to the door: "Get out! Next time, I want to hear good news!"

Ning Ze, face full of pain and blood streaming from his head, didn't dare treat his wound on the spot and withdrew with gritted teeth.