Chapter 61: Interrogating Chen Cha

Silence hung heavy in the air for a moment before Zhu Xuanji chuckled, steadying his emotions. "Intriguing."

He then inquired, "What is the origin of these clockwork monkeys?"

Zheng Shuangou immediately frowned, a hint of disbelief coloring his tone. "Are you saying, Lord Zhu, that the shadowy demonic cultivator used these clockwork monkeys to blast the Immortal Palace?"

"I know about this," Chi Dun interjected, his voice deep and measured.

He certainly seemed to know quite a lot.

After all, he had been present when Fei Si presented the treasures to the City Lord.

Chi Dun proceeded to explain the situation to Zhu Xuanji.

Zhu Xuanji nodded slightly, cutting straight to the chase. "Take me to the Flying Disc Workshop."

***

At the Flying Disc Workshop, Chen Cha was handing Ning Zhuo a large quantity of spirit stones. "Brother Ning, this is your share of the profits from recent sales."

Before Ning Zhuo sat seven or eight storage pouches, each brimming with spirit stones.

In the initial agreement between Chen Cha and Ning Zhuo, Chen Cha only took thirty percent of the profits, leaving seventy percent for Ning Zhuo, who also didn't need to pay for the materials.

The business of the Clockwork Fireblast Monkeys was booming. All the clockwork workshops in the city were running day and night at full capacity, and yet they still couldn't meet the demand.

This wasn't the first time Ning Zhuo had received his share of the profits.

Ever since Chen Cha had privately requested Ning Zhuo to relinquish his claim as the inventor of the Clockwork Fireblast Monkey, Chen Cha had felt a deep sense of guilt, ashamed to face Ning Zhuo.

Therefore, even though he knew Ning Zhuo possessed considerable skill in clockwork mechanisms, he had refrained from inviting him to the workshop to participate in the production.

Their meetings were solely for the purpose of transferring profits.

But this time, Ning Zhuo had arrived with a different agenda.

"Elder Chen, I've come with something important this time."

Chen Cha paused, then said, "Just call me Old Chen. Brother Ning, feel free to speak your mind. This old man will do everything in his power to help!"

Ning Zhuo then took out a clockwork monkey and placed it before Chen Cha.

The familiar scene caused Chen Cha to falter once more.

"Old Chen, take a look at this."

"I've been diligently cultivating the Five Elements Qi Rhythm Art these past few days. Upon learning that the production of clockwork monkeys is still far from meeting the total demand, I sought ways to increase production."

Chen Cha sighed. "This year's situation is quite unique."

"In the past, during the Fire Persimmon Festival, only a portion of the fire persimmons needed to be harvested, which the Monkey Head Gang could handle as the main force."

"This year, a Core Formation stage shadowy demonic cultivator infiltrated the city, causing the City Lord's Mansion to act with caution. They need to harvest all the fire persimmons before dealing with the shadowy demonic cultivator to minimize losses."

As he spoke, Chen Cha began to examine the clockwork monkey.

Ning Zhuo chimed in, "I've modified some of the material ratios, mainly adjusting the muscle structure…"

As Chen Cha listened to the explanation and examined the monkey himself, his expression gradually darkened.

He raised his head, giving Ning Zhuo a deep look. If it weren't for the guilt he carried, he would have already stormed off or even scolded him on the spot.

Chen Cha took a deep breath, his face a mask of complex emotions, and advised, "Brother Ning, this is pure corner-cutting!"

"According to your new design, you've drastically reduced the manufacturing process, which does decrease the workload. However, the resulting clockwork monkeys are far inferior to the previous ones."

"Not only are they prone to malfunctions, but their bodies will also melt easily when exposed to heat."

"I remember you specifically came to me to discuss how to solve the problem of the body melting when heated."

Ning Zhuo chuckled. "Elder Chen, that's precisely the essence of my improvement!"

"Think about it, how many years can we sell clockwork monkeys for?"

"Once this year is over, there will be too many Clockwork Fireblast Monkeys on the market. How many can we sell next year?"

"In business, we need to think long-term."

"These new Fireblast Monkeys won't last long before they break down, and those who need them will have to buy them again."

Chen Cha's face darkened further. "I don't share your view. Clockwork mechanisms shouldn't be made this way. We need to focus on quality to build a good reputation and retain customers."

"You need to consider that we're not the only ones producing Clockwork Fireblast Monkeys. Eventually, someone will imitate us, and if our quality is poor, we'll be handing the market over to them."

Ning Zhuo smiled dismissively. "Elder Chen, with your relationship with Lord Fei Si, what competition do we have to fear?"

Just as he was about to continue persuading him, a voice suddenly interrupted. "Oh? Chen Cha, what relationship do you have with Fei Si?"

"Who is it?!" Chen Cha immediately stood up.

Ning Zhuo's expression also changed as he stood shoulder to shoulder with Chen Cha, his senses on high alert.

The next moment, Zhu Xuanji pushed open the door and entered, followed closely by Chi Dun and Zheng Shuangou.

Chen Cha and Ning Zhuo were both shocked, and hurriedly bowed.

Both recognized Chi Dun and Zheng Shuangou, but they were unfamiliar with Zhu Xuanji.

Zhu Xuanji held up his badge and introduced himself. "I am Zhu Xuanji, a member of the Divine Arrest Division, from the Southern Bean Royal Family. I'm here to investigate the cause of the Lava Immortal Palace's emergence."

"I'll ask you, did you cause the Immortal Palace to appear?"

Zhu Xuanji stared intently at Chen Cha, golden light flickering in his eyes.

Chen Cha was stunned by the question!

After two breaths, he finally reacted, forcing a bitter smile. "How could I possibly be connected to the emergence of the Immortal Palace?"

Zhu Xuanji frowned slightly. He sensed that Chen Cha wasn't lying.

He then asked, "How did you design the Clockwork Fireblast Monkey? And how did you manufacture and sell them? I want a clear explanation of everything."

"This…" Chen Cha hesitated for a moment before steeling himself and slowly beginning to speak.

He had only gotten through a small part of his explanation when Zhu Xuanji interrupted him. "You're lying!"

The next moment, Zhu Xuanji's eyes blazed with an intense golden light, and a Core Formation level aura erupted, enveloping Chen Cha and forcing him to the ground.

"How dare you, Chen Cha, try to conceal the truth before a Divine Arrest Officer?!" Zheng Shuangou bellowed.

Chi Dun's face was grim as well. "Tell the whole truth, or you'll be considered an accomplice of the shadowy demonic cultivator!"

Chen Cha's face was deathly pale, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

"My lords, please wait. If I may be so bold as to interject, there's a hidden story here, and I'm also aware of it," Ning Zhuo quickly said.

"Oh?" In an instant, the gazes of the three Core Formation cultivators turned to him.

Zhu Xuanji said meaningfully, "After I finish questioning Chen Cha, I'll question you. But since you want to speak, then speak clearly. Perhaps you can atone for your crimes."

In his unique vision, both Chen Cha and Ning Zhuo were tainted with a red-black aura.

Ning Zhuo's was even more red-black than Chen Cha's.

Ning Zhuo felt immense pressure and gritted his teeth. "Both Elder Chen and I have signed a contract. Saying too much could trigger a backlash!"

"Lord Fei Si is aware of this."

As soon as he said those words, Ning Zhuo's face turned pale, and two streams of blood flowed from his nostrils, providing a clear demonstration of the "backlash" he had mentioned.

Hearing Fei Si's name, Zhu Xuanji raised an eyebrow and looked at Chi Dun. "Interesting."

Chi Dun quickly said, "I'll go ask for instructions from the City Lord."

"There's no need. I'm already here," Fei Si's voice echoed from outside the door.