The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Chapter 160 Increasing the Pressure Layer by Layer
Just as Wang Wen was scanning the entire Xuzhou Demon Suppression Office, Ma Feng had already arrived in front of Wang Yi's corpse and was performing a ritual to summon his soul.

Wang Wen's divine sense also landed around Ma Feng, watching him perform a spell to summon the soul.

As a result, Ma Feng performed the ritual to summon the soul three times in a row, but there was no reaction on Wang Yi's corpse.

Wang Wen frowned and expanded the range of his divine sense scan once again, covering the entire Demon Suppression Bureau and scanning it repeatedly.

But right now, inside the Demon Suppression Division, apart from the Demon Suppression Guards from Xuzhou who have been imprisoned, there are only the Demon Suppression Guards from his General's Mansion; there is no one suspicious.

Furthermore, all the gates and passageways of the Demon Suppression Office were guarded by the Demon Suppression Guards of his General's Mansion. Logically speaking, if the perpetrator were a human, even if he were a martial arts master at the Acquired Realm, it would be impossible for so many generals and Demon Suppression Guards to have failed to detect him.

He pondered for a moment, then asked, "After you discovered Wang Yi's body, did you order the sealing off of the Demon Suppression Bureau's office? Allowing entry but not exit?"

Xu Wu quickly replied, "Of course, after receiving the report from my subordinates that Wang Yi was dead, I immediately ordered the entire Zhenmo Division to be sealed off, and sent people to inquire with the brothers guarding the gates and passageways. From the time Wang Yi was taken to the side hall and imprisoned until his death, there was no record of any outsiders entering or leaving except for our brothers from the General's Mansion."

"The problem isn't with you."

After a moment's hesitation, Wang Wen stepped forward to take the blame, saying, "It was my carelessness!"

He underestimated the complexity of the matter and mistakenly believed that the matter had reached its peak with Wang Yi.

If he had known earlier that there was a hidden hand behind Wang Yi, he would have definitely stayed at the Demon Suppression Division in Xuzhou, never leaving his side.

If he were to take charge of the Demon Suppression Division in Xuzhou, even if he were careless and unable to prevent the murderer from killing Wang Yi, the murderer would absolutely not be able to summon and destroy the soul under his very nose!

Thinking about this, he also regretted his impulsiveness yesterday, killing the wandering Taoist priest completely in one go. He should have had Ma Feng capture the wandering Taoist priest's soul first, interrogate him thoroughly, and then destroy his soul...

Presumably, the murderer who killed Wang Yi today learned of their ability to summon souls from the fate of that wandering Taoist priest who died and whose soul was destroyed. That's why he acted so decisively this time, killing the person first and then destroying the soul to completely eliminate any future trouble.

Upon hearing this, Xu Wu's anxious expression immediately tensed up. He crossed his arms and said, "Brother, if you're going to say this, you're really not treating me like a human being. You taught us before that when you're in the game, you have to admit your mistakes and stand up straight when you get beaten. This matter was messed up by me, Xu Ergou, and caused you a lot of trouble. You deserve to be beaten and punished. If I utter even a single word of complaint, then I, Xu Ergou, am not a real man!"

Wang Wen didn't waste any more words with him, and nodded, saying, "Alright, I'll give you thirty lashes, a six-month salary deduction, and demote you to 'Acting Capital Garrison Commander.' You can get rid of the 'Acting' title when you make a meritorious contribution!"

Xu Wu bowed with his hands clasped: "Thank you for your mercy, General!"

Wang Wen waved his hand: "Quickly return to the Demon Suppression Office to take charge of the overall situation. I will be there shortly."

Xu Wu: "Yes, sir!"

After saying that, he pressed his hand to his knife, turned around, and hurriedly left.

After sitting in the cabin for a moment in deep thought, Wang Wen raised his right hand and drew circles in the air. Wisps of water vapor rushed towards him with his right hand and instantly gathered in front of him to form a smooth water mirror.

"Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, the Maoshan Hunkun Taoist has revealed his true spirit..."

Before long, the face of the Hunkun Zhenren appeared in the water mirror. The old man had a ruddy complexion and wore a dark blue Zhuangzi turban with a Taiji diagram inlaid on his forehead. His face was clean and his beard and hair were neatly combed, giving him an otherworldly appearance with white hair and a youthful face.

This was the first time Wang Wen had seen the old man so presentable. In the past, when he saw him, the old man was either disheveled and looked like a wild man, or his face was ashen and looked like a patient recovering from a serious illness.

"Junior brother, where are you?"

The old man grinned broadly whenever he saw Wang Wen.

Wang Wen: "I'm still in Xuzhou. Something came up here, which is why I'm delayed... Senior brother, are you free now?"

Master Hunkun: "You're free? What's up?"

Wang Wen: "I've run into a little trouble here, could you please cast a divination for me, senior brother..."

He recounted the events in Xuzhou to Master Hunkun, and then said, "Senior brother, can you help me figure out what kind of thug that killed Wang Yi is and where he is?"

The Maoshan School's Qimen Dunjia technique had long been passed down to him by Master Hunkun on behalf of his master, but he simply couldn't learn it; he couldn't even get past the basics.

What is that saying?
When people are pushed to the limit, they'll do anything, except math.

Qimen Dunjia is like mathematics in the world of spiritual cultivation.

Wang Wen is exceptionally talented at killing people.

As for other skills, he was just average.

As Hunkun Zhenren listened to his narration, his expression was as colorful as if a palette had been overturned.

After Wang Wen finished speaking, he said with a calm expression, "Junior brother, don't panic. You have the support of the Three Sects of Talismans. No matter who wants to smear you, they will have to get past the Three Sects of Talismans first!"

Wang Wen smiled and nodded, saying, "I'm not panicking. Things haven't gotten to that point yet. Not all the people from the Xuzhou Demon Suppression Division are dead. I have plenty of ways to get them to talk... Ultimately, I'm not the one who did wrong, nor am I the one with malicious intentions. I have nothing to fear if I'm upright!"

Master Hunkun smiled and stroked his beard, saying, "That makes sense!"

Soon, the old man's low chanting and the sound of copper coins hitting the tortoise shell came from the other end of the water mirror technique.

Before long, Hunkun Zhenren's surprised voice was heard: "Junior brother, this matter is indeed not simple. I cannot figure out the identity of that villain."

"This……"

Wang Wen frowned, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Senior brother, could it be because of me?"

He knew that as the God of Huangshan and the City God, with the Heavenly Lord backing him, all people and things related to him could not be predicted by divination.

"It shouldn't be..."

Master Hunkun naturally knew about this matter: "What I calculated was only the culprit behind Wang Yi's death. Unless Wang Yi's death was truly your doing, it should not be affected by you."

Wang Wen understood. The old man was extracting Wang Yi's death from the whole case and treating it as a separate event to calculate, thus minimizing his impact on the entire case.

Furthermore, the Heavenly Dao Lord is not some inflexible, rigid procedure. Right now, it is clear that he personally asked the Hunkun True Man to calculate the identity of the perpetrator. The Heavenly Dao Lord would not conceal the perpetrator's information in order to protect his own information.

Therefore, the reason why Master Hunkun could not deduce the identity of the perpetrator was simply because the identity of the perpetrator could not be deduced.

Wang Wen remembered that Ji Liang had explained to him before that some things in the human world could not be predicted using the art of Qimen Dunjia...

"Senior brother, I once heard someone mention that there are some things in the human world that cannot be predicted using the art of Qimen Dunjia, such as the lifespan of emperors, the succession of the throne, the fortune of dynasties, and the conflicts between armies, etc... Is that true?"

Hunkun Zhenren's eyes suddenly dimmed a bit, clearly he knew who had said these things to Wang Wen, and forced a smile and said: "Besides, there are also immortals and gods descending to the mortal world to undergo tribulations, which cannot be calculated using the art of Qimen Dunjia."

Why deliberately emphasize the immortals and gods who "descend to the mortal realm to undergo tribulations"?

Because there are no immortals or gods who have descended to the mortal realm, if we extrapolate this to them, they would truly cross over to give you two huge, formidable battles!

Wang Wen smiled in response, mentally drawing up a list of possibilities...

The chances of immortals and gods undergoing tribulations are extremely small.

It was clearly not a war of arms.

The dynasty's fortune is not yet sufficient...

If all other possibilities are ruled out, then it can only be the emperor's lifespan and the succession to the throne!
Both of these points directly to Emperor Hongtai on the dragon throne!
Neither of these is clearly a good thing.

But his guilt was suddenly reduced by a lot.

Because no matter which one it is, the emperor should be fully aware of it in his heart.

There's a saying that goes, "The person who wrongs you knows better than you how wronged you really are..." This applies perfectly to this situation.

What he needs to do is try his best to absolve himself of any responsibility.

The rest depends on the emperor's attitude.

It should be understood that the murder of a powerful fifth-rank official is a major event that can reach the highest levels of government, regardless of the dynasty or generation!
Wang Wen pondered for a long time, then nodded slightly with a calm expression: "Senior brother, I know what to do."

Master Hunkun smiled and repeated, "Don't be afraid, you are not alone. You have the Three Sects of Talismans behind you!"

The same words, but with completely different meanings.

obviously……

What Wang Wen could think of, Hunkun Zhenren could also think of.

"Thank you, senior brother."

Wang Wen smiled and waved: "I will handle this matter, so there's no need to worry too much."

Master Hunkun smiled and waved, "If you have any trouble, be sure to come to your senior brother."

After the two brothers withdrew the Water Mirror Technique, Wang Wen set off for the Xuzhou Demon Suppression Office... During this time, his divine sense kept a close watch on the Demon Suppression Office, guarding against any mishaps to Yu Qifeng and the others.

……

"Bangdang..."

The dark cell door was pushed open, and Xu Wu, his hands stained with blood, expressionlessly placed a heavy leather scroll on the table. He slowly opened it, revealing various instruments of torture wrapped inside... One after another, the gleaming knives reflected a chilling glint in the flickering firelight.

He meticulously selected each instrument of torture, oblivious to his surroundings, carefully picking them out one by one from the leather scrolls and arranging them neatly on the table, which was now filled with all sorts of instruments of torture.

There were skinning knives, gutting knives, steel rods, small pliers, small hammers, and small saws...

Seeing Yu Qifeng hanging on the wooden frame sent a chill down his spine, and his face was covered in cold sweat with veins bulging.

They were both old foxes, so of course he knew what Xu Wu was rambling about.

The problem is, Xu Wu is now the butcher, and he is the fish on the chopping block. Does he dare to gamble on just how far Xu Wu is willing to go?

After a fierce internal struggle, he chose to listen to his heart: "Lord Xu, don't bother, I'll confess, I'll confess everything!"

Xu Wu picked up the small pliers at the front of the line and gently shook his head: "No, you don't want to confess!"

Yu Qifeng: ? ? ?

Xu Wu swiftly grabbed his chin and pinched it, then used pliers to clamp one of his front teeth and twist it forcefully.

"what……"

Yu Qifeng screamed in agony, then roared furiously, "Xu Ergou, if you have the guts, kill me! If I even flinch, I'm your son!"

Xu Wu nodded and said with a sinister smile, "I'll kill you, but it's still early, we have time to get to know each other."

As he spoke, he grabbed a dirty rag and stuffed it into Yu Qifeng's bloody mouth. Then he neatly put the pliers back on the table and picked up the peeling knife, which was the second item on the list.

"Waaaa, waaaa, waaaa..."

"Clang."

Xu Wu put the peeling knife back on the table and picked up the small iron saw, which was the third item on the list, with a smile.

"Waaaaah, waaaah..."

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle..."

A piece of human tissue fell to the ground. Xu Wu casually threw away the blood-stained iron saw, then picked up the steel chisel, which was ranked third, and the small iron hammer, which was ranked fourth.

Yu Qifeng's bloodshot eyes bulged as he watched him approach step by step with a sinister look in his eyes, and he shook his head desperately.

"Dang, Dang, Dang..."

"Woooooooooooooo..."

Suddenly, the sound of light raindrops woke Xu Wu, who was focused on hammering.

He looked down and realized that Yu Qifeng's lower body was already soaked with urine.

"Isn't this possible?"

He smiled and gently put down the steel chisel and small hammer, then grabbed a white cloth and carefully wiped the blood from his hands: "Can you hold on a little longer? I haven't practiced these skills in a long time, and I'm almost rusty..."

Yu Qifeng burst into tears: "Waaaaah, waaaaah, waaaaah..."

Curious, Xu Wu pulled the rag out of his mouth, leaned closer, and listened intently: "What did you say? Speak louder, I can't hear you!"

Yu Qifeng shouted hoarsely, "You surnamed Xu, you're ruthless, I give up! Stop the bleeding right now, or I'll really have to take this to my grave!"

Xu Wu glanced at his mangled, bleeding left hand and calmly shook his head, saying, "It doesn't really matter. Even if you die, you'll still have to say what you need to say. Maybe you'll even be more obedient after you die."

Yu Qifeng roared angrily, "You surnamed Xu, do you really think I'm easily intimidated?"

Xu Wu chuckled and called out softly, "Lord Ma, come over and show Lord Yu what you've got!"

Ma Feng answered the call and passed through the wall, followed by a ghostly figure with fierce eyes and an impatient expression, shaking its head and saying, "What's the point of opening your eyes? Wouldn't it be quicker to just open your skull?"

Yu Qifeng stared at the drifting ghost, its blood-stained mouth slowly opening wide, emitting meaningless "heh heh heh" sounds.

He recognized the ghost; it was one of his spirit servants.

He stood there stunned for a good dozen breaths, then his expression suddenly changed, and he said solemnly, "Lord Xu, I have an important case to report to General Wang. Please inform him!"

Xu Wu picked up the cleaver and slowly approached: "If you think my official rank is too low, you might as well tell me. Well, you say what you want, and I'll do what I'm doing. We won't waste each other's time."

As he spoke, he ripped open Yu Qifeng's clothes and carefully cut into his chest with a cleaver.

The cold, sharp blade pierced his flesh, startling Yu Qifeng so much that he jolted awake and screamed frantically, "General Wang, General Wang, I have an important case to report to you! I have an important case to report to you!"

"Squeak."

The cell door opened, and a Demon Suppression Guard entered, bowing and saying, "Lord Xu, the General has ordered you to stop for now. After the General has finished interrogating Lord Qin, you can take Lord Yu to see him!"

As he spoke, he glanced at Yu Qifeng on the execution rack and emphasized, "We want Lord Yu alive."

Xu Wu reluctantly put down the cleaver and said regretfully to Yu Qifeng, "I quite liked your unruly side. Could you perhaps revert to your former self?"

Yu Qifeng looked at his expression; he seemed even more terrified than if he had just seen a ghost.

I knelt down so quickly, and you're still being unruly?
Slander!
You are slandering me!
(End of this chapter)