The world is like a prison, my body is holy

Wang Wen frowned and slowly sipped his tea without saying a word.

This is a very tricky matter.

It is difficult to find sufficient supporting evidence to convince the Celestial Master's Mansion, not only based on the account given by Granny Magu.

Because of the current state of affairs, the two sides have already engaged in a full-blown conflict, resulting in numerous deaths on both sides.

Now, how easy is it to suppress both sides?

If not handled properly, both sides will hold a grudge against him...

Although he didn't care whether these people held a grudge against him or not, they couldn't do anything to Wang Wen.

But he meant well, so why did he end up doing something bad?

He came to Jiangxi to make friends.

Even if we can't become friends, there's no need to make enemies, right?

Wang Wen pondered for a long time but couldn't find a breakthrough.

Finally, she put down her teacup, looked up at Grandma Magu, and asked, "Do you believe me?"

Grandma Ma looked at him, puzzled, and laughed, "This is the first time I've met the general. How can I presume to trust you?"

Wang Wen nodded and said, "That's true... Let me put it another way, do you think you can beat me if you all come at me together?"

Grandma Magu: ? ? ?
She didn't understand, but she didn't panic. Calmly, she asked, "Why do you say that, General?"

Wang Wenping calmly said, "This mess of yours is more troublesome than I expected. The smartest thing for me to do right now is to cut my losses and get out of this mess, letting you continue to fight it out."

"But I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to give up halfway through things."

"So I would like to ask you to come to the Celestial Master's Mansion on Longhu Mountain, to talk things out with Celestial Master Zhang face to face, and let us work together to find a way and clues to expose and dismantle the scoundrels who are stirring up trouble behind the scenes."

"This is the best, and most time-saving and labor-saving method I can think of right now."

"I've already wasted too much time on this mess of yours, and I'm not in the mood to play these intrigue-filled, detective games with you anymore..."

"Let's all be more decisive and put an end to this conflict as soon as possible so we can all return to the wonderful life of having a house and land and enjoying boundless happiness."

After hearing his remarks, Grandma Ma's mind went blank for a few seconds.

Then, with a wry smile, she said, "Does this old woman have a choice?"

She had long heard that this General Huainan was a man of bold and unrestrained actions, but she never expected him to be such a bold and unrestrained man.

"Of course."

Wang Wen nodded seriously: "You can choose to come with me to Longhu Mountain, or you can choose to have the people around you come at me. I'll beat you all down and then kidnap you to Longhu Mountain."

"This……"

Grandma Magu simply couldn't understand his perverse sense of humor: "Is there a difference?"

"How could there be no difference?"

Wang Wen laughed and said, "If I try to persuade you to come with me with just my words, you will definitely not be willing. If I beat you up, you will definitely start to overthink things... That's perfect, I can also save some energy from talking and avoid losing a few brain cells."

Grandma Ma couldn't hold back any longer and said in a sarcastic tone, "Should I thank the general for thinking of us like this?"

Wang Wen: "Enough with the nonsense, let everyone around come at us. Perfect timing, I've been looking down on your third son for a long time. He's always complaining and arguing, like a pig with a scallion stuck in its nose trying to look like an elephant. Today, I'll teach him a lesson and let him relive his childhood."

He stood up and began to roll up his sleeves.

Grandma Ma sighed and stood up, speechless: "General, there's no need to trouble yourself. I will accompany you to Longhu Mountain."

Wang Wen glanced at her and laughed, "Next time you want to ambush a Xuanmen master who has achieved success in cultivation, don't make any moves first, you have to launch a surprise attack... Never mind, if I don't let you try, you definitely won't give up."

He reached out to Grandma Magu: "I'll give you one chance. Let that little bug in your sleeve bite me and see if it can do anything to me."

Grandma Magu smiled and said, "General, you are very generous. I will not disappoint you!"

With a gentle lift of her hand, a small snake, about the thickness of a little finger and lush and green, shot out and bit Wang Wen's hand hard.

"Ding"

With a crisp snapping sound, the emerald green snake fell to the ground with a "thud," its thin body swaying pitifully as it crawled back into Grandma Magu's trouser leg.

Grandma Ma looked at the pair of white snake fangs on the back of Wang Wen's hand, and her cloudy eyes suddenly shrank to the size of soybeans.

Wang Wen opened his nostrils and spewed out two streams of golden flames from his nasal cavity.

The air crackled with the sound of insects being burned by flames.

"Hahaha……"

He laughed loudly: "That's hilarious! Do you have any edible bugs on you? Quickly release them all, I'll take them back as snacks with my drinks!"

Grandma Ma lowered her eyes, her face showing respect.

Wang Wen looked down at him with a cold gaze, the smile on his lips slowly disappearing: "This time I was rude first, so I won't hold it against you. But if there is a next time, I will take it as a provocation from your Ma family, and you will bear the consequences!"

Grandma Magu bowed and said, "I understand."

Wang Wen turned to look at the stilted house behind him: "Ma Laosan, is there anything else you want to say?"

Ma Laosan, who was hiding under the bed inside the house, was so terrified when he heard the shout that his heart skipped a beat.

They didn't dare utter a sound, not even a single utterance!
Wang Wen clicked his tongue and looked at Grandma Ma: "What's the point of raising this bear-like thing?"

Grandma Ma just smiled apologetically, not daring to respond to his words.

Wang Wen shook his head listlessly, grabbed Grandma Ma's arm, and leaped into the air, flying towards Longhu Mountain. Just as he flew out of the village, he heard a loud, bell-like moo from a bull. A magnificent black bull charged out of the forest outside the village, leaping into the air towards Wang Wen. Halfway there, it revealed its true form as a black Qilin, covered in black scales and with hooves treading on flames. It caught Wang Wen precisely, transformed into a streak of black light, and vanished from the sight of the people on the ground in an instant.

Wan Li looked completely bewildered: 'I haven't even gotten on the bus yet!'

……

A quarter of an hour later, Hei Erniu carried the two of them and landed steadily outside the ceremonial gate of the Celestial Master's Mansion.

The two young Taoist disciples who greeted the guests had seen Wang Wen before. When they saw him riding a black Qilin, they hurriedly put on smiles and bowed, saying, "Disciples greet Grandmaster Uncle. Grandmaster Uncle, are you here to see my master?"

Wang Wen, carrying Granny Ma, jumped off the Qilin and casually patted Hei Erniu. Hei Erniu understood and transformed into a large black ox, saying, "I'm not looking for your master uncle, I'm looking for your grandmaster."

As he spoke, he took two packets of dried fruit from Hei Erniu's saddle and stuffed them into the arms of the two young Taoist boys: "Go and report this quickly!"

These snacks were prepared by Kim Gu for him as tea refreshments.

The two young Taoist boys nodded with beaming smiles. One jogged into the mansion to report, while the other led Wang Wen and Granny Ma slowly inside.

Grandma Ma followed behind Wang Wen, constantly looking around at the houses and palaces, her aged eyes filled with unspeakable emotions.

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Wang Wen asked leisurely, "You've spent most of your life openly and secretly fighting with the Celestial Master's Mansion. Is this your first time visiting the Celestial Master's Mansion? How does it feel?"

Grandma Ma replied in a low voice, "Thanks to the General, this is indeed my first time visiting the Celestial Master's Mansion... The Celestial Master's Mansion is even more solemn and magnificent than I imagined."

Wang Wen gave a cryptic laugh and said nothing more.

The young Taoist priest led Wang Wen into the reception room and then went out to make tea.

Before the young Taoist boy could bring in the tea, Zhang Yunxiu strode into the reception room and asked with a smile, "Uncle-Master, where have you been? I went to Xing'an Town to look for you, but I couldn't find you."

Wang Wen replied, "He went out to take care of some business. Where is the Old Master?"

Zhang Yunxiu glanced at Grandma Magu to the side and replied verbally, "Coming right away."

He scrutinized Grandma Magu's appearance and attire, his smile gradually fading: "Uncle-Master, who is this?"

Wang Wen said casually, "Don't you recognize me? The head of the Gu Wu Ma family."

Zhang Yunxiu's face darkened, and anger immediately flashed in his eyes.

But he didn't say or do anything to Granny Magu. Instead, he looked at Wang Wen and asked, "Uncle-Master, what's going on today...?"

Wang Wen: "I'll be your witness... Alright, stop asking about things on the street, go do your thing."

Zhang Yunxiu slammed his fist on the square table in anger and roared in a low voice, "Uncle-Master!" He knew, of course, why Wang Wen had come to Jiangxi, but how could he have expected that Wang Wen would bring people to their Longhu Mountain?
"Don't try to find a dead end."

Wang Wen didn't get angry with him, maintaining his calm expression: "I brought her here to mediate between your two families, not to be locked up and humiliated by you. With me here, no one can touch her today."

Unable to do anything to him and still furious, Zhang Yunxiu flung his sleeves and stormed off in a huff.

Grandma Ma watched him leave and smiled, "Is this the Young Celestial Master Zhang Yunxiu?"

Wang Wen remained expressionless and did not respond to her words.

Grandma Magu, feeling awkward, shut her mouth with an embarrassed smile.

A short while later, Zhang Tianshi, dressed in a hemp-colored Taoist robe and holding a whisk, stepped into the reception room.

Wang Wen waved with a smile: "Brother Zhang."

Before Zhang Tianshi even entered the door, his gaze had already fallen on Granny Magu. He sighed and said, "Fellow Daoist Hunshi, what can this old Daoist say about you?"

Wang Wen thought for a moment and replied, "Public-spirited, righteous, indomitable, handsome, and dashing?"

Zhang Tianshi: ...

Grandma Magu: ...

Zhang Tianshi sighed and slowly walked forward, sitting down opposite Granny Magu.

Wang Wen: "Alright, enough joking around... The first mediation meeting between the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain and the Xiangxi Witch Clan is officially beginning. First, please welcome the representative of the Gu Witch Ma family to tell us the whole story of this conflict."

He nodded to Grandma Magu.

Grandma Ma looked at his serious expression, but she still felt a sense of absurdity. Nevertheless, she went along with him and slowly recounted the events that she had just told Wang Wen.

"You said that after the incident, my Celestial Master's Mansion sent two groups of people?"

Like Wang Wen, Zhang Tianshi instantly spotted the blind spot. The old Taoist priest squinted, his thick, white eyebrows furrowing into a wave: "Do you have any evidence?"

Grandma Magu calmly replied, "I have witnesses, but would you believe them?"

Without hesitation, Zhang Tianshi replied, "If you are from the Ma family, then there's no need to waste words!"

Grandma Ma turned her helpless gaze to Wang Wen: 'Look!'

Wang Wen tapped the table lightly to draw their attention to him, and said seriously, "So much time has passed, even if there are other witnesses and evidence, the person behind it all must have already cleaned up the mess."

The two looked at him with suspicion, unable to figure out what nonsense he was spouting.

Wang Wen: "But I believe that there is no such thing as a flawless scheme in the world. If we can't find evidence that can directly prove the existence of someone behind the scenes, then we should look for evidence that can indirectly prove the existence of that person behind the scenes."

The two still thought he was talking nonsense, but seeing his serious expression, they still gave him face and played along.

Master Zhang: "Fellow Daoist is right."

Grandma Magu: "Then, General, where do you think we should begin?"

Wang Wenzan glanced at Granny Magu, then turned his gaze to Zhang Tianshi: "Assuming there is a mastermind behind this, I think your three disciples are very suspicious."

"Of course, if the fact that your three disciples went to Chenzhou to collect herbs was assigned by someone else in your family, then the person who assigned them to go to Chenzhou to collect herbs is very suspicious."

Jiangxi is such a big province, yet those three disciples of the Celestial Master's Mansion went to the Ma family's stronghold to collect herbs.

Without alerting the Ma family guards, they accidentally stumbled into the Ma family's Gu altar...

This is just too much of a coincidence!

After hearing this, Zhang Tianshi paused for a second, then his face darkened, and he said in a deep voice, "Yun Xiu!"

Zhang Yunxiu, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, reluctantly entered and bowed, saying, "Your son is here!"

Zhang Tianshi: "Go and investigate those three disciples!"

When Zhang Yun was about to respond, Wang Wen added, "It would be best to send someone to verify this on-site. Someone with the ability and courage to set up this kind of scheme wouldn't be unable to fabricate a verifiable background and place of origin on paper."

Zhang Yunxiu glared at him irritably, then bowed and retreated angrily.

Wang Wen pretended not to see it and continued, "The Tian family isn't here, but I think the Tian family has a lot of problems too. Although I don't know what their methods are for refining corpses, these three corpses are of unknown origin and are clearly not ordinary people, just by looking at them. How could they be so bold as to turn them all into walking corpses?"

Hearing him say that, Zhang Tianshi also felt that this matter was like a thatched hut with drafts on all four sides, full of flaws.

After hearing Wang Wen's speculation, Grandma Ma's heart stirred. She secretly recalled the Tian family's behavior throughout the whole affair and suddenly realized that the Tian family had indeed been a bit too proactive in this matter...

Before this, she had always thought that it was the Ma family who had dragged the Tian family into this mess.

Upon reflection, she realized that it seemed the Tian family had dragged the Ma family into this mess.

A short while later, Zhang Yunxiu, who had gone to check on the three disciples, returned.

He glanced at Wang Wen after entering the room, and then quickly looked away.

When Wang Wen saw the glint in his eyes, he knew he had guessed correctly.

If he could see it, then Zhang Tianshi could see it even more clearly...

Just as Zhang Yunxiu stepped forward, intending to whisper something in Zhang Tianshi's ear, Zhang Tianshi waved his whisk to stop him, saying with a stern face, "Don't worry, speak!"

Zhang Yunxiu hesitated for a moment, then looked at Wang Wen and Granny Magu before gritting his teeth and saying, "These three disciples are all orphans adopted by the manor."

Wang Wen's expression relaxed, and he thought to himself, 'There was definitely a problem!'

The problem isn't that he was born an orphan.

Instead, all three were orphans.

After listening, Zhang Tianshi remained silent for a long time before nodding slightly and saying, "I understand. You may leave now."

Zhang Yunxiu bowed and withdrew.

Zhang Tianshi looked at Wang Wen: "Fellow Daoist, if you have any other speculations, feel free to share them. This old Daoist will do his best to cooperate with you in your investigation!"

The old Taoist priest remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was furious!

He was not afraid of others plotting against his Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion.

Given his position in the Celestial Master's Mansion on Longhu Mountain, he would only worry if he were not plotted against.

What angered him was that those shady characters dared to extend their reach into his Celestial Master's Mansion!
Traitors are more unforgivable than enemies!

Wang Wen pondered for a moment and said, "If you don't mind, Brother Dao, you might as well investigate the group of disciples and followers that were sent to the Ma family after the incident. Their link is also particularly crucial. If they had been more calm at the time, none of this would have happened. The mastermind behind this scheme even sacrificed three pawns that had been hidden for many years. There's no reason why they wouldn't have considered this point!"

Zhang Tianshi pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Excellent!"

Immediately afterwards, Wang Wen turned to look at Granny Ma, whose face was taut and whose gloating was obvious even to a fool: "Don't be so quick to gloat. Your Ma family may not be so clean. As you said, your Ma family's Gu altar is heavily guarded. How did those three outsiders, who were unfamiliar with the place, sneak into your Ma family's Gu altar without making a sound?"

"And those people who received the Celestial Master's Mansion group at the time, are you sure there wasn't a mole among them colluding with others to escalate the situation?"

"And then there's the Tian family. The Tian family has even bigger problems, but that's an internal matter for your Xiangxi witchcraft lineage, and only you can investigate it. If we take action, we can only uproot them completely."

"No matter how you put it, everyone who stirred up trouble or provoked the whole thing is a suspect!"

“Those who are in key positions but do not try to quell the dispute, but instead openly or secretly escalate the situation, are all highly suspicious!”

"Of course, I don't think you'd want to keep a venomous snake in your home, not knowing when it might jump out and bite you, would you?"

He was only halfway through his sentence when the gloating in Grandma Ma's eyes vanished.

She examined her family's behavior throughout the incident using Wang Wen's logic, and felt that her house was full of ghosts and that there was no one there.

Even her third son seems to be the mole!

Seeing the thoughtful look on her face, Wang Wen nodded with satisfaction: "It seems that my words have touched your souls."

"Very well, since we all have a common enemy, let's all make a statement and call a truce for now!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Tianshi and Granny Magu both sighed. (End of Chapter)