https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-184-Puppetry-and-Unexpected-Guests/12549632/
Chapter 183: Each Putting on an Act
Chapter 183: Each Putting on an Act
Chu Ning leaped off the meteoritic iron, his gaze fixed on the direction of the newcomers, his face marked with vigilance.
He portrayed a picture of utter panic.
"Who's there?"
Even before Chu Ning had landed, Chen Chengzong's stern voice rang out.
In the next moment, he appeared beside Chu Ning.
"Who are you?" Chu Ning demanded, brandishing the Fire Phoenix Feather Spear in front of him.
When the rest of the group revealed themselves, a delighted expression spread across Chu Ning's face.
His voice was filled with elation as he exclaimed, "Are you fellow cultivators from the Thousand Islands Alliance? You're finally here!"
Chen Chengzong, unfamiliar with Chu Ning, wore a hostile expression.
However, Cen Wenquan and the others recognized him.
"Fellow Daoist Chu?"
"Indeed!" Chu Ning heaved a sigh of relief and bowed to Chen Chengzong and Cen Wenquan. "Greetings to the Alliance leaders and seniors."
Cen Wenquan quickly introduced Chu Ning to Chen Chengzong, Liu Yishan, and Bai Heng, "Fellow Daoist Chu Ning is a newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator from Flying Rainbow Island.
He was with Fellow Daoists Wen Linghua and Chen Xinming."
Upon hearing this, Chen Chengquan's face darkened, and he demanded, "You came in with them? What happened?"
Chu Ning's expression froze slightly at the question.
Cen Wenquan quickly interjected, "Fellow Daoist Chu, Xinming and the others have met with trouble. Please understand Chen Senior's urgency."
"They're all in trouble?" Chu Ning feigned surprise.
Then, without hesitation, he continued, "So Song Li really showed no mercy."
"That old man Song Li is responsible?" Chen Chengquan's eyes narrowed, his voice laced with anger.
Chu Ning nodded and proceeded to explain how they had searched for days and how they had separated after entering Pinghu Island.
His story closely followed the actual events, except for a slight alteration regarding the encounter with Song Li.
"After Zou Huiqing's sneak attack and Song Li's appearance, we knew we were no match for them. We tried to escape to find help. Song Li pursued Chen Xinming, and Zou Huiqing went after Zhang Lu. I barely managed to get away, but this Stone Forest is filled with arrays. I searched for half a day but couldn't find the other Daoists or an exit. So I hid here to recover my spiritual energy until you all arrived."
After hearing Chu Ning's account, Chen Chengquan and the others exchanged glances.
Unable to detect any inconsistencies in his story, they largely believed him.
Chen Chengquan's teeth were clenched, his anger palpable. "Song Li, Zou Huiqing, if I get my hands on them, I'll reduce them to ashes!"
Bai Heng, the tall and thin cultivator, turned to Chu Ning and said, "Fellow Daoist Chu, from now on, you'll join us in our search within the Stone Forest. We'll confront Song Li and Zou Huiqing together."
"Of course!" Chu Ning agreed without hesitation.
After all, Song Li and Zou Huiqing were already dead by his hand.
As for Chen Xinming, he had been severely injured by Song Li before Zou Huiqing beheaded him.
There was nothing to fear from a confrontation.
For the next three days, Chu Ning accompanied the group in their search through the Stone Forest.
To his surprise, there was another survivor—a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Shen Yonggen.
Like Chu Ning, he had been summoned from another island.
After entering Pinghu Island, Shen Yonggen had been assigned to Wen Linghua's group.
His story echoed Chu Ning's—he had taken advantage of Song Li and Zou Huiqing's attacks on Wen Linghua and another cultivator to escape and had become lost in the Stone Forest.
After days of searching, Cen Wenquan had successfully dismantled the ancient array within the Stone Forest.
The Chen family then mobilized dozens of Foundation Establishment cultivators to comb through the area.
The entirety of Pinghu Island, outside the Stone Forest, was thoroughly searched as well.
However, aside from Chu Ning and Shen Yonggen, the efforts yielded nothing.
Ten days passed in this manner before Chen Chengquan and Chen Shi finally gave up.
The cultivators left Pinghu Island and began their search on other islands.
But after this incident, none of the cultivators from any of the families dared to act rashly.
As the two survivors, Chu Ning and Shen Yonggen were not sent out on the searches but returned to Qianni Island with the rest.
In the Thousand Islands Alliance's hall, Chu Ning and Shen Yonggen were seated at the very end.
With the exception of the missing Zou Huiqing, the bodies of the rest of the group had been recovered and laid out in the hall.
In the presence of the elders and the five current Alliance leaders, Chu Ning and Shen Yonggen were asked to recount their experiences once more.
Chu Ning repeated his story, his narrative unchanged.
As Chu Ning spoke, Chen Chengzong's expression grew increasingly grim.
The loss of Chen Jiaming, in whom the Chen family had placed great hopes, mere moments after achieving Foundation Establishment, was a devastating blow.
The fact that they had spent so much time searching yet failed to find the perpetrators only added to their frustration.
Chen Chengquan's anger was palpable, simmering just beneath the surface.
As he spoke, Chen Chengquan's anger mounted, and he slammed his hand on the table as he stood up.
"Since that's the case, you two might as well join them in their graves!"
As he spoke, Chen Chengquan's spiritual power surged, and he seemed intent on attacking Chu Ning and Shen Yonggen.
The two men's faces changed slightly at this display.
"Brother Chen, wait!"
Liu Yishan stood up and interjected.
"Fellow Daoist Chu and Fellow Daoist Shen did their best to help the Alliance in the search. They have fulfilled their duty.
Both of them are at the early Qi Refining stage, while Song Li was at the late Qi Refining stage, not to mention he had the advantage of the array and an inside helper.
According to what they said, they truly wanted to help but were simply powerless to do so.
Brother Chen, if you take your anger out on them, it will only serve to alienate the other Daoists in the Thousand Islands Alliance."
"Brother Liu speaks the truth," He Zhen Shan chimed in.
"Much of the blame lies with Chen Xinming. If he hadn't insisted on splitting up after entering the island, Song Li wouldn't have been able to carry out his schemes, even if he had any."
Hearing He Zhen Shan's words, Chen Chengquan shot him a cold glance.
He was well aware of what they were saying, and his desire to take his anger out on Chu Ning and Shen Yonggen was merely a way to vent his frustration.
There was also the ulterior motive of testing the reactions of the other families.
However, Liu Yishan and He Zhen Shan's deliberate bringing up of this sore spot made him wary.
He thought back to how the Liu and He families had agreed to join forces with him to eliminate the Song family, enticed by the benefits he had promised, as well as their hopes for Chen Xinming's future.
After all, Chen Xinming and Cen Zikin were considered the most likely candidates to achieve the Foundation Establishment stage among the younger generation in the Thousand Islands Alliance.
Now, with Cen Zikin missing and Chen Xinming dead, on top of the Song family's demise, the attitudes of the Liu and He families seemed to be shifting once again.
Realizing this, Chen Chengquan sat back down, appearing to have been persuaded by his peers.
Chu Ning and Shen Yonggen, of course, were unaware of these underlying complexities.
They breathed a sigh of relief as they saw Chen Chengquan sit back down.
At that moment, Bai Heng spoke up: "Fellow Daoists, now that the matter is clear, you may take your leave. Thank you for your efforts during this difficult time."
Hearing this, Chu Ning and Shen Yonggen stood up, bowed, and left the hall.
Simultaneously, Liu Yishan and He Zhen Shan exchanged a glance, their gazes then falling on Chu Ning and Shen Yonggen.
Chu Ning, with his powerful spiritual sense, detected the shift in their attention and felt a twinge of unease.
As he turned, he sensed a gaze resting on him, and his heart skipped a beat.
Even though the glance was fleeting, Chu Ning felt that something was amiss.
"Why is Liu Yishan looking at me like that?
Could it be because of his earlier defense of us?"
The thought crossed his mind, but Chu Ning kept a straight face and followed Shen Yonggen out of the hall.
As they were about to step into the teleportation formation, Shen Yonggen suddenly stopped and said with a sigh, "Fellow Daoist Chu, I never imagined that only the two of us would survive this ordeal."
The middle-aged man with a straightforward appearance then invited, "Why don't you come to my Puhe Island for a visit? Let's drink and celebrate our narrow escape."
Chu Ning politely declined, "Thank you for your kind invitation, but I'm still shaken by the recent events, and having just reached the Foundation Establishment stage, I wish to return to my sect and cultivate in seclusion for a while."
"What a shame," Shen Yonggen said with a look of disappointment.
The two bid each other farewell at the teleportation formation and went their separate ways.
Chu Ning teleported back to Feihong Island and returned to Yan Peak.
As he approached the outer courtyard of his cave abode, Cheng Zuyuan and Cheng Xinxin came to greet him.
"Young Master, you're back. I heard there was some trouble during this trip..."
Chu Ning nodded slightly and briefly recounted what he had told the members of the Thousand Islands Alliance.
Hearing his story, Cheng Zuyuan and Cheng Xinxin's faces paled with fear.
"Young Master, you're truly blessed with good fortune," Cheng Zuyuan said, his voice filled with relief.
For him and his granddaughter, if something had happened to Chu Ning, they would have had a difficult time as well.
Chu Ning's brow furrowed, and he turned toward his cave abode, deep in thought. Suddenly, he stopped and said to Cheng Zuyuan, "These days, the Thousand Islands Alliance is not peaceful. You two should stay in my cave abode for the next few days. There are a few empty stone rooms inside."
Cheng Zuyuan's face showed his confusion at Chu Ning's suggestion.
However, seeing that Chu Ning didn't seem inclined to explain further, he wisely refrained from asking questions.
"I hope I'm just overthinking this," Chu Ning thought to himself.
That last glance from Liu Yishan had left him with a sense of unease.
(End of Chapter)
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