The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Chapter 110 A Great Responsibility Descended from Heaven (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

After a long silence, the paper figure Zhang's uncertain whisper finally broke the silence in the hall: "Jiang... Jiang Palace Thunder?"

Wang Wen chuckled and said, "In the end, Elder Zhang of the Zhang family is still the most prudent."

His words were somewhat impolite.

It's like praising someone's cooking skills.

Others responded that you were quite sensible and perceptive.

Upon hearing this, Paper Man Zhang felt somewhat uncomfortable, but he opened his mouth and then closed it again, only clasping his hands in a gesture of respect to indicate that he had no hostility towards Wang Wen.

Wang Wen nodded slightly, indicating that it was nothing to worry about.

His calm and composed demeanor, as if he were the true master of this hall, made him seem like the only one who truly belonged there.

Seeing this, Zhao Zhiling felt very upset. He felt powerless and angry that the advantage he had painstakingly built up had been shattered by Wang Wen's casual blow.

To be honest, he didn't harbor any hostility or malice towards Wang Wenzhen.

However, he was, after all, the head of this government office, and he had indeed fulfilled his duties as head of the office. Naturally, he hoped that his subordinates would be as respectful and deferential to their head as the subordinates of other government offices were to their head.

His idea was perfectly sound.

Wang Wen didn't actually have any hostility or malice towards Zhao Zhiling... Of course, he also didn't show any respect for him.

Therefore, he chose the simplest and most effortless way to skip the social niceties, saving his time and energy, and avoiding letting unimportant people affect his mood.

In the face of absolute power, all skills are insignificant.

"Now that everyone has finished talking..."

After another period of silence, Wang Wen finally spoke: "Then let's talk about some serious matters!"

He straightened his posture, and the others in the lobby subconsciously followed suit, straightening their backs and adopting serious expressions.

Wang Wen looked at Zhao Zhiling: "Lord Zhao, what progress has been made in the ten prefectures of Jiangnan?"

Zhao Zhiling felt a slight sense of relief and said solemnly, "According to the dispatches from the Demon Suppression Divisions of the two Jiangnan Circuits a month ago, the miasma in the ten prefectures is condensing and the evil aura is soaring into the sky, blotting out the sun during the day, which may cause great trouble. However, the Demon Suppression Division of the capital has already dispatched many experts to the ten prefectures, and many experts from the Buddhist and Taoist sects have also gathered in the two Jiangnan Circuits, so the situation should have eased somewhat..."

Upon hearing this, Wang Wen's tranquil mind was slightly disturbed.

He had an even bigger question on his mind.

But after hearing Zhao Zhiling's reply, he felt that there was no need to go through the trouble.

After hearing his senior brother Hunkun's speculation earlier, he no longer held much hope for this matter.

But he never expected that the imperial court wouldn't even go through the motions of taking it up high and then letting it go gently...

Perhaps the imperial court has its own difficulties, such as the insidious and treacherous methods of assassination used by the Buddhist sect, or the fact that the Buddhist sect has become powerful and numerous after the revival of spiritual energy.

For example, it's not that the imperial court didn't want to deal with Buddhism, it's just that the timing wasn't right, the time wasn't ripe...

But he still felt unhappy, very unhappy!

Their hearts were filled with intense anger at the betrayal and humiliation of those below them who were fighting to the death with the Buddhist community, their bodies mutilated, while those above them were eating, dancing, and drinking with the Buddhist community to ease their grievances.
He personally took in the souls of the heroes who died in the Battle of Huangshan. How many good men had died? Others might not know, but surely he did?
Of the hundred riders he took to Huangshan, less than seventy returned...

How could he possibly remain unmoved?

Of course, he was self-aware; he knew that he, Wang Wen, was just a reckless brute, a nobody, a minor figure, narrow-minded and short-sighted…

Why would those far-sighted, strategic bigwigs care about the thoughts or feelings of someone like him?
He understands everything...

So, since they don't care about his feelings, why should Wang Wen understand their difficulties?
Wang Wen remained silent, his face grim, his eyes constantly shifting between violent and sinister expressions.

The atmosphere in the lobby became oppressive, as if a storm was brewing. Everyone else, seeing his intense gaze, didn't dare to breathe.

In the end, all the intense emotions in his heart turned into a long sigh.

He thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile, "The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is..."

Of course, he could disregard the court's actions and ride alone to the Buddhist temple to seek justice.

But if he does this, won't those vested interests in the court be laughing in their sleep?

Why?
Even the worst-case scenario of a lose-lose situation is better than a win-lose situation!
"I have to go to those ten prefectures!"

Wang Wenyi said softly, his interest waning, "My senior brothers are still waiting for me to come over. You can treat me as on vacation or absent from work at the yamen, or if you're really unhappy, you can call it resignation. I have no objection."

He didn't want to get involved in that messy affair with Buddhism anymore.

But he still wanted to visit the ten prefectures of Jiangnan to accumulate some merit points.

There's not much hope left with the Demon Suppression Division, and taking Xu Ergou and the others along would only be a burden, so he decided to go alone...

"You haven't even had a drink yet, how can you be talking like a drunkard? If you want to go to those ten prefectures, I'll give you a document, and you can go there yourself!"

Zhao Zhiling stroked his beard with a stern expression and said, "What are you talking about resigning from office? Do you think this Demon Suppression Division is some kind of place where people come and go as they please? You, Wang Wen, can come and go as you please?"

Cheng Xian chimed in, "Yes, Erhu, just tell us what difficulties you're facing so we can solve them together. As the saying goes, two heads are better than one, there's always a solution!"

Wang Wen gave a dry laugh: "If Your Excellency would be so kind as to grant me the documents to travel south, I would be eternally grateful!"

He did not mention why he wanted to resign from his post.

But everyone present was shrewd enough to guess why he wanted to resign.

Zhao Zhiling stroked Qingxu and pondered for a few moments before speaking, "Erhu, I just heard you mention the Shangqing Sect of Maoshan, and now you're mentioning your senior brother. You mean... you've become a monk."

Wang Wen gave a vague reply: "It can't be considered becoming a monk, at most he's just a hermit Taoist."

Zhao Zhiling glanced at him with a puzzled look, then turned his gaze to Zhang Youming on the other side.

Zhang Youming hesitated for a moment, then feigned nonchalance and laughed, "According to what Lord Wang said, he's no ordinary Taoist priest. If I'm not mistaken, Lord Wang is probably the head of the Shangqing Sect, the Purple-Robed Celestial Master Hunkun Zhenren, who personally accepted disciples on behalf of his master and is listed among the high-ranking Taoist masters of the Maoshan 'Hun' generation!" Wang Wen glanced at him and laughed, "I knew you were sensible, old Zhang!"

Zhao Zhiling, Cheng Xian, and Li Heng all stared at Wang Wen, their pupils dilating in shock.

At this moment, if one word had to summarize their inner thoughts, it would probably be: 'Holy crap!!!'

What time is it right now?
What level of figures are the leaders of the three sects of talismanic arts?

You, Wang Erhu, only went on a business trip, and you've already managed to latch onto such a powerful and influential figure?

Meeting their gazes, Wang Wen felt that he had already achieved his purpose for the trip, so he was too lazy to waste any more time with them. He stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "My lords, I suddenly feel unwell, so I must take my leave first... Please continue chatting and laughing, Erhu will take his leave first!"

After saying that, without waiting for anyone in the hall to react, he turned and left. Judging from his brisk pace, he showed no signs of being unwell.

They're too lazy to even pretend anymore...

After Wang Wen left, the hall fell silent once again.

After a long while, Zhao Zhiling stroked his beard and said with a wry smile, "Good heavens, this fellow has come to give me a warning today..."

Just yesterday, he privately summoned Xu Ergou and mentioned his intention to promote Xu Ergou to the position of Lingtai Lang.

Today, Wang Erhu returned to the yamen in a grand manner, beating people up and flexing his muscles.

If this isn't a coincidence, then it's just too much of a coincidence, isn't it?

He felt wronged.

In all honesty, he had no intention of using this opportunity to sow discord among the Cao Gang members or to suppress Wang Erhu!

Wasn't it because Wang Erhu himself had mentioned this matter repeatedly before that he thought he could take advantage of the reorganization of the Imperial Observatory and the Demon Suppression Bureau to give Xu Ergou a push?

Do you expect me, as your superior, to offer you, Wang Erhu, help, and then I have to come to you personally to discuss it with you?

Cheng Xian and Li Heng exchanged a glance, both feeling a pang of sadness, a sense of loss as if they had been abandoned by the times without even a word.

Paper Man Zhang, however, saw it more clearly and stroked his beard in admiration, saying, "Clouds follow the dragon, wind follows the tiger; when wind and clouds meet, tigers roar and dragons soar. In the future, when dealing with matters concerning Lord Wang, you might as well be more cautious. Even if we can no longer forge good relations, there will still be some lingering affection..."

He joined the Imperial Observatory system later than Wang Wen. When he arrived, Wang Wen was already a Junior Observer. Naturally, he could take a more relaxed view of Wang Wen's rise to prominence and saw things more clearly.

But some people clearly don't have his composure.

"Lord Zhang, you're giving that fellow far too much credit!"

Li Heng spoke up indignantly. He had been dissatisfied with Wang Wen for a long time. He didn't dare to speak up when Wang Wen was there, but now that Wang Wen was gone, he couldn't hold back any longer: "Even if he has the support of the Maoshan Shangqing Sect now, he can't be ignorant of the hierarchy, can he? Even if he is from the Maoshan Sect, he still has to abide by the law, right?"

Upon hearing this, Paper Man Zhang subconsciously glanced at Zhao Zhiling in the hall out of the corner of his eye, and saw that he was also staring intently at him, so he knew that Zhao Zhiling was also pondering this matter.

He slowly spoke without saying a word: "Lord Cheng, when Lord Wang made his move just now, you were the closest to him. Did you hear him chanting incantations?"

Cheng Xian thought blankly for a moment, then shook his head and answered affirmatively, "No, Erhu made a sudden move without any preparation."

Paper Man Zhang nodded and patiently explained, "The thunder technique that Lord Wang just used is called 'Crimson Palace Thunder,' which is the signature thunder technique of the Zhang family of Longhu Mountain. It is extremely difficult to cultivate this technique, and it is difficult to see results without the practice of 'childhood training.' Moreover, most high-level masters who have mastered this technique need to supplement it with incantations and rituals to attract thunder."

"To reach the supreme state of cultivation that Lord Wang possesses, where no incantations or rituals are needed and one can unleash their power at will, even in the heyday of Longhu Mountain, one would be among the very few highly skilled masters!"

"Lord Wang, you are not yet thirty, and you have come to this age of great upheaval..."

He paused, then softened his tone and said earnestly, "This world has never been fair. Some are born to be kings, some are born to know, and some are born with a great mission, destined to accomplish earth-shattering feats. What ordinary people can hardly achieve in their entire lives is merely an insignificant starting point for them."

At this point, he realized that he was speaking too frankly with someone he didn't know well, so he quickly clasped his hands and said, "This old man is not very knowledgeable, and my humble opinions are not worth laughing at. I hope the three of you will consider them according to your own understanding."

The three people inside forced smiles and returned the greetings, but secretly they were pondering Wang Erhu's past and their hearts were pounding with fear.

……

After leaving the main hall, Wang Wen led Hei Erniu straight back to the Sanhe Gang's headquarters. He retrieved the Maoshan Magic Manual that Hunkun Zhenren had given him from the bottom of the wardrobe in his bedroom and carefully examined it.

After a while, he closed the manual, got up and walked to the coffee table in the middle of the bedroom. He picked up the teapot on the table and poured half a pot of tea onto the table. Then he moved the teapot and teacups away from the table.

"Heaven and earth are boundless, Huangshan borrows the law!"

He first used the authority of the Huangshan deity to remotely grant himself the power of the Earth God, then cast a spell with both hands, drawing a circle in the air. The water spilled on the table transformed into countless tiny, eerie fireflies, which quickly merged into the circle he had drawn: "Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, the Maoshan Hunkun Taoist has revealed his true spirit... Senior brother, answer the phone!"

The cold, ethereal aura rippled slightly like the surface of a lake, while Wang Wen's divine sense passed through it, rapidly traveling along the earth's veins, without even knowing where he had flown to.

A moment later, the cold, gloomy aura suddenly rippled violently, and the withered old face of Master Hunkun appeared in the center of the aura.

He looked at the other side of the light with a puzzled expression and asked in surprise, "Mischievous Junior Brother?"

He seemed to be in the middle of a fierce battle, with an endless expanse of deathly dark clouds behind him, while the edge of the halo was constantly flashing with colorful magical light!
Wang Wen laughed: "Senior brother, this Water Mirror Technique is really amazing! Where are you all now?"

Master Hunkun grinned, showing his teeth, and said, "Junior brother, you truly are a genius of the Xuanmen sect. You managed to learn the Water Realm Technique all by yourself. We're currently in Hongzhou, and the situation here is quite dire. Master Zhang is struggling to hold the line alone and has asked us to come and help... Junior brother, what's the matter?"

Wang Wen: "It's nothing serious. I've arranged everything here and I'm planning to come find you. I'll ask you where you are beforehand."

Master Hunkun: "If you're coming, just go to Kuaiji and wait for us. We'll pack up here and head to Kuaiji soon, as the situation there isn't looking good either."

Kuaiji?

Wang Wen thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Isn't this Shaoxing?" He immediately nodded and said, "Alright, then I'll pack my things and head to Kuaiji!"

Master Hunkun hurriedly said, "You're closer to the place than we are, so you'll definitely arrive before us. Once you get there, don't act rashly. Just clear out the minor demons and ghosts around there. We'll discuss things further once we arrive!"

Wang Wen nodded and readily agreed: "Okay, okay, I definitely won't be reckless. I'll wait until you guys arrive before I start fighting... Alright, senior brother, you keep fighting seriously. I'll hang up now so as not to affect your gameplay!"

After saying that, he waved goodbye and dispelled the Water Mirror Technique, leaving Hunkun Zhenren completely bewildered.

To be honest, he'd rather hang out with those Maoshan disciples and their followers now...

Being with them is at least simple; good is good, and evil is evil, without so many annoying twists and turns.

(End of this chapter)