The Dynasty of Cultivating Immortality

C10 – Immortal Cultivation Hall Debate

Ni Situo seized the opportunity as the black-clothed man spat out blood, severely wounded, channeling his spiritual energy into his fingertips to seal several of the man’s acupoints. With the man’s spiritual energy unable to flow, escape was no longer an option.

Ni Situo felt a surge of quiet elation. He had suspected Ji Fanwei of intentionally causing him trouble, but if Ji Fanwei had managed to apprehend the thief at the Ni family, how would he ever be able to hold his head high at the Immortal Cultivation Hall? Ji Fanwei would surely use the incident to undermine him in the future.

Thankfully, it was he who had captured the thief. By turning the thief over to the Immortal Cultivation Hall, along with the half of the prime minister’s authentic work he had retrieved from Ni Huibo’s room, he was confident the mayor would think highly of him.

Ji Fanwei was in no position to challenge him!

Still, the thief’s claim that the treasure was in Ni Huibo’s possession couldn’t be overlooked. With the prime minister’s works at Ni Huibo’s, nothing was beyond the realm of possibility. It appeared that after delivering the thief to the Immortal Cultivation Hall, Ni Situo would need to thoroughly question Ni Huibo.

Should Ni Huibo prove to be problematic, Ni Situo was resolved to escort him to the Immortal Cultivation Hall himself, regardless of their familial ties.

Without delay, Ni Situo commanded his guards, “We’re heading to the Immortal Cultivation Hall.”

The Ni family entourage departed from the Ni mansion, and Ji Fanwei’s men, having witnessed the capture of the black-clothed man, hurried to City Hall to inform Ji Fanwei.

Before long, the Immortal Cultivation Hall was abuzz with two factions.

Ji Fanwei, his earlier smile vanished, stood to the side with furrowed brows, deep in thought. Ni Situo, on the other hand, was visibly satisfied, occasionally casting provocative glances at Ji Fanwei.

“Explain yourself, what happened here?” inquired an elder in his sixties, presiding over the hall. He scrutinized the two men with narrowed eyes, puzzled by the day’s events. He had given Ji Fanwei the authority to inspect the Ni mansion, yet it was Ni Situo who had apprehended the thief.

Ji Fanwei seemed to grasp the elder’s point and addressed the deputy governor, “Although Ni Situo apprehended the thief tonight, the Ni family has long harbored thoughts of rebellion. They are in league with the thieves.”

Ni Situo let out a cold snort, countering, “How could the Ni family possibly conspire to rebel? Our family’s century of service to Mightcairn City isn’t something that can be besmirched so casually!”

A smirk played across Ji Fanwei’s face as he produced a piece of calligraphy from his sleeve, declaring, “This is the ‘Canglan Poem,’ painted by a young Prime Minister Xu. It was discovered in the room of Ni Situo’s younger brother. Furthermore, inscribed in the lower-left corner are the words ‘Ni Huibo.'”

Passing the calligraphy to Ni Situo, Ji Fanwei pressed him, “Deacon Ni, you accuse me of slandering the Ni family, so how do you explain this painting? If there’s no collusion with the thief, how did Prime Minister Xu’s original work end up in the Ni mansion? And why would the thief hide the City Hall’s treasures there?”

“Don’t spout such nonsense!” Ni Situo erupted in anger.

“Perhaps we should consider the deputy governor’s perspective,” Ji Fanwei suggested with a cold laugh, turning away.

​The deputy governor examined the handwriting, growing increasingly astonished by its authenticity. Regaining his composure, he questioned Ni Situo, “Let’s set aside the issue of the thief’s refuge in the Ni mansion for a moment. Shouldn’t you surrender the stolen treasures first? And how do you account for the presence of this genuine work by the prime minister in your home? Could it be a secret acquisition by the Ni family? I recall this painting was rumored to have been stolen. What’s your explanation?”

​Ni Situo, seething with anger, presented another piece of calligraphy to the deputy governor, “This calligraphy might be connected to my late second uncle, Ni Chunwen, whose talent for cultivation was exceptional. At twenty, he embarked on travels to dedicate himself to his practice, but sadly, he passed away prematurely. It’s likely that he found this painting during his journeys. I ask you to pardon my younger brother. The City Hall’s treasure was not on the thief, and the Ni family would never conspire with criminals. Moreover, if we had indeed taken the City Hall’s treasure, how could we continue to reside in Mightcairn? The Ni family would never engage in such actions.”

“Deacon Ni, we’ve only heard one side of the story. Tonight, I will conduct a thorough search of the entire Ni mansion and interrogate Ni Situo’s younger brother,” Ji Fanwei declared. He was determined that even if he couldn’t bring down the Ni family today, he would at least ensure Ni Situo could no longer show his face at the Immortal Cultivation Hall with dignity. For instance, Ni Situo’s brother had the audacity to brazenly affix his personal seal on the prime minister’s authentic work. Should this scandal become public, how would the disciples at the Immortal Cultivation Hall react?

“Sir, the Ni family’s loyalty remains unwavering. If the treasures from City Hall were indeed found within our residence, it would only be because someone has set us up,” Ni Situo responded icily to Ji Fanwei. “If we truly lusted after the treasures, why would we deliver the thief to the Immortal Cultivation Hall? Had we intended to steal the treasures, we could have simply killed the thief, erasing any trace of his presence in our home. Why would we bother with such unnecessary actions?”

The deputy governor glanced at Ni Situo and Ji Fanwei, then spoke, “Both of you, accompany me to City Hall. The reappearance of the prime minister’s relics and the theft of the treasures are matters of grave concern. I must report to the mayor immediately and decide on our next steps.”

He ordered the arrest of the man in black and secured the calligraphy piece. Then, the trio promptly set off for City Hall, which was a short distance from the deputy governor’s office. A striking red door marked the entrance, leading to a small yet meticulously maintained garden, beyond which lay the mayor’s usual place of respite.

The mayor, a venerable gentleman beyond his sixtieth year, was tending to his plants with a gourd scoop when they arrived. Were it not for the grandeur of the surrounding estate, the most opulent in all of Mightcairn, many might mistake him for a simple elder farmer.

Approaching with due reverence, the deputy governor bowed and addressed him, “Mayor, the thief responsible for the treasure’s theft has been apprehended at the Ni residence and is now detained. However, the treasure itself remains unfound, likely concealed by the thief. We will conduct a thorough interrogation to ensure the treasure is recovered and returned to you promptly. Additionally, we have located the prime minister’s missing original work at the Ni mansion.”

“The original work of the prime minister?” The mayor appeared uninterested in the unfound treasure, but when he heard mention of the prime minister’s original work, he paused his watering. He dried his hands and feet, rolled up his pant legs, and gestured towards the main hall, “Come, let’s discuss this in the main hall.”

Once inside the main hall, the deputy governor promptly spread out the work on the table.

The mayor, captivated by the piece, declared, “Indeed, this is the prime minister’s original work. Observe how the characters transform…”

But something was amiss.

It must be a forgery…

The mayor had a lifelong passion for calligraphy, particularly that of the prime minister. Given the prime minister’s profound spiritual energy and the way he infused his cultivation insights into his writing, an original work should exude an ethereal quality. Yet, this calligraphy seemed far too mundane. Had the creator’s cultivation level been lower, the mayor might not have recognized the discrepancy.

The calligraphy had nearly fooled him.

“Who penned this?” The mayor glanced at the signature and then at the three individuals standing by. He inquired, “The calligraphy bears the name Ni Huibo. Who is this Ni Huibo?”

Upon hearing the question, Ni Situo quickly responded, “Ni Huibo is my younger brother. His playful nature blinded him to the value of the prime minister’s original work, leading him to affix his personal seal. I assure you, he will face strict punishment upon my return.”

The mayor couldn’t help but chuckle, a newfound curiosity about the individual stirring within him, “There’s no need for that. Simply have Ni Huibo brought to City Hall tomorrow.”

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