Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master

Late at night.

"Kill, kill them!"

"Charge forward!"

"Take down a Qi Refining stage cultivator, and you'll be rewarded with a magical weapon. Take down a Foundation Establishment stage, and you’ll become an elder of the gang!"

The monkeys let out sharp cries, launching a fierce attack under the command of the cultivators.

The attacked faction was both furious and bewildered, unable to understand why the Monkey Head Gang was targeting them!

"Don’t be afraid!"

"We have a defensive formation protecting us. If the Monkey Head Gang dares to attack, they will have to pay a heavy price."

"No matter what madness has possessed them, with such a large commotion, the City Guard will definitely come!"

The elders and leaders of the faction were doing their best to stabilize morale.

On the highest floor of a certain tavern, Ning Zhuo used talismans to enhance his vision, observing the attack and defense battle with clarity.

The leader of the Monkey Head Gang looked extremely troubled. Standing next to Ning Zhuo, he whispered, "Master, if this continues, the losses for the Monkey Head Gang will be too great!"

Ning Zhuo’s face remained expressionless.

The battle continued for a while.

Even Ning Xiangqian couldn't bear it anymore, asking, "Young Master Zhuo, should we charge into the formation?"

Ning Zhuo shook his head slightly, "There’s no need for that."

The leader of the Monkey Head Gang felt as though he was standing in the dead of winter, his heart and body ice-cold.

Ning Zhuo showed no mercy for the Monkey Head Gang, using human and monkey lives to wear down the enemy's defensive formation. It was exceedingly cruel, like a cold-blooded general on the battlefield.

But he had no choice.

After surrendering, not only did he sign a strict and harsh contract, but he also handed over the evidence of his plot to kill Yuan Er to Ning Zhuo.

He had no other path but to obey Ning Zhuo.

The enemy faction hurled insults from within the defensive formation.

"They've gone mad! The Monkey Head Gang has gone insane!"

"When did we ever provoke them?"

"Where is the City Guard? Are they blind?!"

The enemy was shaken by the Monkey Head Gang's ferocious assault. They were weaker than the Monkey Head Gang. If it weren’t for the strong defensive formation, they would have collapsed long ago.

"Master, should we continue the attack?"

"If this goes on, all of our old comrades will be dead!"

The elders of the Monkey Head Gang approached their leader, complaining bitterly.

They had certainly considered fleeing or launching a counterattack against Ning Zhuo, but with nearly twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators standing beside him, the moment that thought arose, they swiftly crushed it themselves.

Attacking the enemy gang still held a chance of survival, but striking at Ning Zhuo and his group would undoubtedly lead to a more miserable fate!

"It’s about time. Pull the frontline back and replace them with the reserve troops," Ning Zhuo commanded.

"Yes, Master," the leader of the Monkey Head Gang responded.

"Wait, use this talisman," Ning Zhuo handed over a talisman.

The leader of the Monkey Head Gang took it, overjoyed, "It's a Formation-Breaking Talisman!"

Not long after.

With the power of the Formation-Breaking Talisman, the defensive formation collapsed, the enemy gang’s morale broke, and many either died or surrendered.

"What should we do with these captives?" The leader of the Monkey Head Gang sought Ning Zhuo's instructions.

Ning Zhuo smiled faintly, "This faction has committed countless evil deeds. Is there even one among them who isn’t guilty of heinous crimes? Hmph, they all deserve to die! Kill them all."

His light words sent chills through everyone present. Even the Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Ning family felt a cold shiver run through them.

Ning Zhuo was only sixteen years old and had previously spent his life in the academy.

What he had shown the public was his talent, his diligence, his clever strategies, and his resistance against the main branch.

But tonight’s battle revealed the coldness and ruthlessness buried deep within Ning Zhuo.

Not long after, the leader of the Monkey Head Gang reported that everything had gone according to Ning Zhuo’s orders. None of the enemy faction survived.

Ning Zhuo clapped his hands and sighed, "Eradicating evil and promoting righteousness truly is one of life’s greatest pleasures! It’s a pity there’s no wine, or else we could drink heartily."

Ning Xiangguo smiled slightly and pulled out a fine wine from his storage belt, "I have wine with me."

Ning Xiangguo poured a cup for Ning Zhuo.

Ning Zhuo praised it but didn’t drink. Instead, he handed the cup to the leader of the Monkey Head Gang, "I’ll give this to you. Drink."

The leader of the Monkey Head Gang hurriedly thanked him and obediently drank the cup in one gulp.

"I must congratulate you, leader," Ning Zhuo said to him, "From now on, the Monkey Head Gang will replace this faction and make a strong entrance into the black market."

The leader of the Monkey Head Gang swallowed hard, his heart filled with a mixture of anger and hatred.

His gang had only just found a legitimate business by harvesting Fire Crystal Persimmons. After years of hard work cleaning up their image, this battle had completely ruined everything, dragging them back into being a black-market gang!

Ning Zhuo took out a storage bag from his waist and tossed it to the leader of the Monkey Head Gang, "Today’s battle has shown me the loyalty of the Monkey Head Gang. This is your reward."

The leader of the Monkey Head Gang thanked him again, opened the bag, and upon sensing its contents with his spiritual sense, his expression changed, "Mechanical Explosive Monkeys?!"

"That’s right," Ning Zhuo nodded, "You’ve lost too many monkey pets today. These Mechanical Explosive Monkeys will serve as compensation. In the future, work well for me and for the Ning family, and I won’t treat you poorly."

"Thank you, Master!!" The leader of the Monkey Head Gang knelt in gratitude, so enraged that he could almost grind his teeth to dust.

Ning Zhuo had gone too far, forcing them relentlessly!

He clearly had the Formation-Breaking Talisman from the start, yet he waited until the Monkey Head Gang had suffered heavy losses before using it.

He did it on purpose, to ensure that the Monkey Head Gang lost nearly all of their monkey pets, only to replace them with Mechanical Explosive Monkeys.

The leader of the Monkey Head Gang immediately saw through Ning Zhuo’s intention: "He wants to use the Mechanical Explosive Monkeys to further tighten his control over the Monkey Head Gang!"

The leader of the Monkey Head Gang was filled with despair.

With the contract, the incriminating evidence, and the Mechanical Explosive Monkeys, Ning Zhuo’s threefold control left him and the Monkey Head Gang with little hope for freedom.

Almost none!

He glanced at Ning Zhuo. Although the latter was only at the third layer of Qi Refining, the leader could feel Ning Zhuo’s overwhelming dominance.

Many times, cultivation level wasn’t everything.

The people from the Ning family shared a similar sentiment.

Ning Zhuo's firm and ruthless methods had erased the last trace of underestimation from their hearts.

Ning Zhuo then instructed the leader of the Monkey Head Gang, "You go surround the base of the Crane Beak Gang. Bring the heads of our enemies and directly tell the Crane Beak Gang that the black market has been taken over by me, Ning Zhuo."

"If they don’t surrender, they will meet the same fate as these heads!"

"Yes." The leader of the Monkey Head Gang accepted the order and left.

Ning Xiangguo’s face showed concern, "Young Master Zhuo, you said you want to take over the black market and asked us to support you."

"We can plan this carefully. For now, we can move as you command, there’s no need to rush."

"Tonight, we’ve already wiped out one gang, and the Monkey Head Gang is already exhausted. If they go to war with a second fully intact gang, this…"

"Our control over the current leader of the Monkey Head Gang is solid. This control cannot be easily replicated with the leaders of other gangs."

"Such a force should help us secure the black market in the future. After the battle just now, the Monkey Head Gang has already suffered considerable losses. Letting them continue to bleed won’t be beneficial for the larger picture."

Ning Zhuo smiled slightly, "Uncle Xiangguo, there’s no need to call me ‘Young Master’ when there are no outsiders around."

"We all come from the same background. We are all from the branch family, after all."

"As for the Crane Beak Gang, I believe there’s a high probability that they will surrender."

"I know quite a bit about the black market, and I also have some plans and strategies in place."

"Uncle Xiangguo, you’ll just have to wait and see."

Seeing that they couldn’t persuade Ning Zhuo, and noticing his confidence, Ning Xiangguo and the others stopped trying to dissuade him.

Ning Zhuo’s eyes turned deep as he recalled the conversation he had with Sun Lingtong before the operation.

"Big Brother Sun, this time I’m going to step forward and take back the black market for us!" Ning Zhuo informed Sun Lingtong of the current situation.

Sun Lingtong clapped his hands excitedly, "Haha, brilliant! The two of us worked so hard to take over the black market, and now that I’m wanted, you stepping in is the best move."

"However, you are a member of the Ning family, one of the three major families. By openly taking over the black market, wouldn’t you be breaking the tacit agreement in the Lava Immortal City?"

Ning Zhuo smiled faintly, "I’ve thought it through, that’s not something to worry about."

"First, I will try not to act personally. In the early stages, I’ll use the Monkey Head Gang. The Monkey Head Gang has already cleaned up their reputation, so I’ll use the pretext of avenging Yuan Er to openly cause trouble for them, forcing them to comply."

"Myself and the Foundation Establishment members of the Ning family will try not to make any moves, leaving the Monkey Head Gang to attack fiercely."

"Second, my relationships with the Zhou family, the Zheng family, and Fei Si of the City Lord’s Mansion are not bad. If it were another member of the Ning family, they would definitely step in to stop it. But as for me taking over the black market, they will only be happy to see it."

"That’s because they all want to see internal conflict between the main and branch families of the Ning family. Even though I’ve greatly offended the main family, these people will support me!"

"Right now, the main family has set me up, forcing me to dismiss a large number of branch family deacons while giving me lavish rewards. They want to force me to share my cultivation resources and weaken my reputation."

"I have no choice but to seek another way out. I am still young, and even if I break some of the city’s tacit rules by extending my hand into the black market, it won’t be a big deal. The other three forces will surely ‘understand'!"

Sun Lingtong thought for a moment and nodded, acknowledging Ning Zhuo’s analysis, "Little Brother, you see things very clearly. This is indeed a rare opportunity for you to take over the black market as a member of the Ning family."

"Then let’s go big!"

Sun Lingtong continued his analysis, "If we want to take over the black market quickly, the main obstacles are the three gangs and three loose cultivators."

"The three gangs are the Viper Gang, Turtle Breath Gang, and Crane Beak Gang. The three loose cultivators are Feng Hei Zi, the One-Armed Craftsman, and Bu Gan Bu Jing."

"That’s right." Ning Zhuo nodded.

As the young puppet master, he had spent years assisting Sun Lingtong in consolidating the black market. He was very familiar with the forces and figures in the black market.

Ning Zhuo said, "The Viper Gang has been the most aggressive, especially after you were wanted. They made bold moves to take over our base of operations."

"Hmph!"

"This time, I will have the Monkey Head Gang launch a strong attack on the Viper Gang, killing one to warn the others and establishing dominance!"

"Then, with the deacons of the Ning family and the Monkey Head Gang, we will force the Crane Beak Gang into submission."

Sun Lingtong agreed, "That’s feasible! The leaders and elders of the Crane Beak Gang are mostly cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong. That’s how we handled them back in the day."

"As for the Turtle Breath Gang, that’s where I’ll need to step in." Ning Zhuo said to Sun Lingtong.

Sun Lingtong laughed heartily, "Who would have thought that the mysterious Turtle Breath Gang of today was once just a group of beggars practicing the Turtle Breath Technique to enter a hibernation state and delay hunger?"

"It was you, Little Zhuo, who felt pity for them and saw their potential, which led me to step in and secretly teach their leader some thieving techniques."

"Those beggars were determined and gradually developed into today’s Turtle Breath Gang."

"I will personally step forward and secretly give orders to the leader of the Turtle Breath Gang, instructing him to infiltrate your side, monitor you, and await my return."

The leader of the Turtle Breath Gang didn’t know the true identity of the young puppet master, but he had always been grateful to Sun Lingtong for his kindness.

On the surface, the relationship between the Turtle Breath Gang and Sun Lingtong had grown distant. In reality, the Turtle Breath Gang had always been a loyal subordinate of Sun Lingtong.

Much of Sun Lingtong’s intelligence came from the Turtle Breath Gang’s investigations.