The world is like a prison, my body is holy

"This won't work, that won't work..."

Enraged, Zhang Yunxiu slammed his fist on the table, scattering the neatly arranged tea set into disarray: "Then, Uncle-Master, what do you suggest we do?"

His attitude was impulsive, but Wang Wen knew he wasn't targeting him personally, and he understood that young people are often hot-tempered.

“Nephew, I know you’re in a hurry.”

Wang Wen softened his tone and spoke earnestly, saying something seemingly trivial: "But don't rush, rushing won't solve anything."

Looking at his leisurely manner, Zhang Yunxiu wanted to get angry again, but he forcibly held back. He picked up the teapot, poured himself a full cup of tea, tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. Then, panting heavily, he stared intently at Wang Wen...

His focused gaze, unwavering even in the face of a spectator waiting for the starting gun, was just like that of an athlete. If Wang Wen gave the hint, he would immediately return to the mountain and find all those traitors who had betrayed him, then tear them to pieces.

Wang Wen nodded appreciatively and said, "That's more like it. You're going to be a Celestial Master in the future. What kind of behavior is this, being so impulsive... Don't worry, the sky won't fall down."

It takes more than just getting angry.

The real skill lies in knowing when to rein in your temper.

"That being said..."

Zhang Tianshi spoke up at the right moment, his tone equally earnest: "But this is indeed not a solution. There is only the principle of being a thief for a thousand days, not the principle of guarding against thieves for a thousand days."

Zhang Yunxiu quickly chimed in, "Yes, that's exactly right!"

Wang Wen's gaze shifted between the father and son with surprise, and he thought to himself, "Good heavens, these two have really latched onto him."

But with the situation still unclear and so few clues, what good ideas could he possibly come up with?

Turn over the table?

It's possible, but it can only break the deadlock; it can't counter it.

Once you scare this rat spirit back into its hole, it'll be hard to catch its chicken feet again next time.

Wang Wen frowned, at a loss for what to do.

The Zhang father and son could see his predicament, and they both sighed, unable to tell whether they were disappointed or helpless.

How could they not know that the best course of action right now is to maintain the status quo and wait and see?
But the thought of so many treacherous bastards in their own sect made the father and son feel disgusted, as if they had swallowed fly excrement. Just looking at those people made them want to chop them into seventeen or eighteen pieces and feed them to the dogs!
Just as the three were at their wits' end, there was a knock on the door.

Wang Wen habitually released his divine sense to take a look and said, "Come in."

Wan Li pushed open the door and entered. He was stunned for a second when he saw the three people sitting around the room. This was the first time he had ever seen the father and son together here.

This made him realize that there was probably more bad news.

"what's up?"

Wan Li suddenly came to her senses, quickly stepped forward, and whispered in Wang Wen's ear.

Wang Wen raised his hand in time to stop him from getting closer: "There are no outsiders here, just say what you need to say!"

Wan Li glanced hesitantly at the Zhang father and son, then crossed his hands and said, "Reporting to you, sir, the Ma family just sent word that they are hosting a banquet at the Ma family's old residence in Chenzhou tomorrow at noon to test Master Tian and ask if you are interested in attending?"

Upon hearing this, the Zhang father and son both looked at Wang Wen.

Zhang Yunxiu said in a deep voice, "Uncle-Master, you absolutely must not go. The Ma family may not be as clean as they say."

Master Zhang nodded slowly, agreeing with his only son's opinion: "Fellow Daoist, one should not have the heart to harm others, but one must be wary of others."

The father and son both wholeheartedly agreed that Wang Wen should offer them advice and strategies.

They couldn't bear the shame of having Wang Wen fight for their Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion, nor could they shoulder the responsibility.

Wang Wen stroked his stubble as he pondered, not rushing to respond to the father and son.

After a long while, he slowly spoke: "It seems that the situation on the Ma family's side is not good either. The Tian family's problems are indeed as big as we previously guessed. Otherwise, Ma Gu would not have taken such a big risk to ask me to go and prove their innocence... Only I can go this time. Xian and his son do not believe them, and they do not believe Xian and his son either. If Xian and his son go first, it may make the situation more complicated."

Zhang Tianshi looked at him with a complex and solemn gaze. After hesitating for a long time, he asked, "How confident are you, fellow Daoist, that you can escape unscathed?"

"Brother Dao is joking..."

Wang Wen chuckled and said, "Without the right skills, how could I dare to take on such a delicate task? Don't worry, although I dare not boast that I am invincible in Xiangxi, if I want to leave, no one in Xiangxi should be able to stop me."

"Oh, is it so?"

Zhang Tianshi suddenly laughed and said, "What about my Longhu Mountain?"

Wang Wen: "Brother Dao, would you like to hear the truth or a lie?"

Zhang Tianshi: "It seems my junior brother is both highly skilled and daring!"

Wang Wen: "The young man is just ignorant and arrogant. Please forgive his ignorance, fellow Daoist."

Zhang Tianshi: "Since you are so confident, junior brother, then I will go with you on this trip!"

Wang Wen: "Isn't that necessary?"

Zhang Tianshi shook his head firmly: "Junior brother, your righteousness is lofty and noble. How can this old Taoist sit idly by and watch you go through fire and water for my Tianshi Mansion?"

Wang Wen thought for a moment and said happily, "That's fine too. It's better for you to go and witness it yourself than for me to relay your meaning in a poorly worded way."

Master Zhang stroked his beard and said, "Junior brother, you're being too polite!"

The two made up their minds in just a few words, but Zhang Yunxiu, who was standing to the side, was anxious: "Uncle-Master, what about me?"

I haven't even gotten on the bus yet, please don't weld the doors shut!

Wang Wen stroked his non-existent long beard and teased with a smile, "Adults are out on business, children shouldn't rush, okay?"

Zhang Yunxiu: 'What kind of indecent things are you saying?'

Master Zhang chimed in at the right moment: "Yunxiu, don't cause trouble for your Uncle Wang."

Zhang Yunxiu: ...

……

The following day, Wang Wen, carrying Wan Li who was acting as their guide, and Zhang Tianshi arrived at the Ma family's old residence in Chenzhou before noon.

Both of them were semi-immortal-level cultivators capable of flying through the air, and could traverse hundreds of miles of rivers and mountains in the time it takes to eat a meal.

Although the Ma family's old house is called an "old house," its size is no different from that of a village or town.

Looking down from the sky, one can see a large number of houses with blue bricks and tiles, as well as thatched bamboo stilted houses, scattered in a well-organized manner in a valley nestled in the rolling mountains. The narrow and dense village roads are crisscrossed in a ring, enough to make any stranger who accidentally wanders in get lost and unable to find the way out of the village...

In addition, the flowing stream that runs directly into the village from one side of the mountain peak, and the terraced fields that descend in layers around the village, make it a feng shui treasure land that is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and self-sufficient.

The two, dressed in ordinary coarse cloth clothes, swaggered into the Ma family's old house.

Grandma Magu, who rushed over to greet him, saw Zhang Tianshi beside Wang Wen and subconsciously rubbed her eyes with a handkerchief, wondering if she was seeing things.

"General Wang..."

She looked at Zhang Tianshi warily, then quickly approached Wang Wen: "Zhang... why has this person come?"

Wang Wen: "Wouldn't it be better if he came? What could prove the Ma family's innocence better than him witnessing and hearing it with his own eyes and ears?" Grandma Ma: "But..."

Wang Wen: "There's no 'buts' about it. You are the masters, so shouldn't we be the ones worried? What are you afraid of?"

Grandma Ma pondered for a moment and realized that this made sense. She immediately stopped worrying about the issue and gestured to the path behind her, saying, "Honored guests, please come in and rest for a while. I have prepared some simple tea and food, please don't find it offensive."

Wang Wen: "Aren't we going to wait for the Tian family to join us for the feast?"

Grandma Ma: "Reporting to the General, the banquet is for a late-night snack, but I suppose the Tian family has no interest in staying at my Ma family's house for a late-night snack."

Wang Wen: "So, will Zhang Tianshi and I be attending the ceremony directly, or will we be eavesdropping from behind the wall?"

Grandma Magu: "General, rest assured, I have already made all the arrangements."

Wang Wen: "That's for the best!"

A moment later, Wang Wen and Zhang Tianshi put on floral headscarves and changed into dark blue embroidered clothes, and sat down among a group of Ma family members dressed similarly.

Before the Ma family members, who were looking at the two of them with puzzled expressions, could ask about their identities, a desolate and distant horn sounded from outside the gate.

Grandma Magu, dressed in her finest attire and seated regally in the main seat, rose to greet them and went out to meet them…

"Brother Dao, you know what... it actually looks pretty convincing!"

Wang Wen craned his neck with great interest, gazing at the dense crowd outside the gate, exchanging greetings with obvious curiosity, much like backpackers and outdoor enthusiasts.

Just as Zhang Tianshi was about to reply, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he reached into his robes and pulled out a yellow talisman folded into a triangle.

The talisman ignited spontaneously in his palm, turning into ashes little by little.

Wang Wen asked in confusion, "Brother Dao, what kind of talisman is this?"

Zhang Tianshi's face was ashen: "The Great General's Edict Talisman... it has evil energy, very strong evil energy!"

"Evil energy?"

Wang Wen released his divine sense and scanned everyone present in an instant.

The next second, among the dark crowd outside the door, a figure suddenly looked up and met his divine sense.

Wang Wen's outward-projected divine sense suddenly contracted and focused on that person.

He was a young man who was nine feet tall, slender, with striking features, sharp eyes and a face as if carved by a knife and axe. He wore a black robe with a taotie pattern and satin boots that were spotless. He was so handsome that he was almost like a demon.

What is it like to be a ladyboy, a specialty of Kavadika?
Even though every part of him looked more beautiful than a real woman, he still exuded an incongruous, strange, and eerie feeling.

This young man is like that...

As soon as Wang Wen saw this man, he knew that he had probably caught a big fish today!
He had seen people like that before.

Ao Qing, who was visiting Yangzhou for the first time, gave him this feeling.

It's not about ability, but that feeling of being a stranger in a strange and awkward world...

As for how big this fish is, whether it's a rare and priceless stone goby or a man-eating great white shark, we'll only know after it surfaces.

But it'll be quick...

Because Wang Wen saw that the dead transvestite violently parted the crowd and headed straight for him.

He looked at the transvestite striding towards him with a half-smile.

The dead transvestite stared at him with a forced smile.

The strange behavior of the dead transvestite attracted the attention of everyone present.

Especially Grandma Magu, who was exchanging pleasantries, and Old Man Tian, ​​who was dressed in the same brightly colored clothes.

"You are Wang Wen, the Demon-Slaying General of Huainan?"

These were the first words the black-clad transvestite said to Wang Wen: "I heard you're pretty arrogant!"

He looked down at Wang Wen, his dark pupils slowly glowing with a crimson light, his eyes filled with an indescribable mockery and violence.

Wang Wen nodded leisurely: "I've always been this arrogant, so what? You have a problem with that?"

The black-clad transvestite: "Can I have a problem with that?"

Wang Wen: "That's amazing! If none of you have any objections, how could I possibly kill you all?"

The black-clad transvestite: "Hehe, I've already died once, it's not your turn to kill me!"

His mouth slowly split open to his ears, revealing a set of neat, white, gleaming teeth, while wisps of black mist rose from beneath his feet.

It wasn't a dead transvestite, but a real transvestite...

"Really? I don't believe it!"

Wang Wen slowly stood up, turned his head slightly, and said to Zhang Tianshi, who was expressionless beside him, "Brother Dao, things have come to a head. I'm leaving this place to you. Today, not a single member of the Tian family can leave!"

Zhang Tianshi didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly.

The real demon stared at Wang Wen in astonishment: "You actually have the mind to meddle in these trivial matters?"

Wang Wen: "What else?"

The real-life demon said with a serious expression, "Shouldn't you be using this time to make your final arrangements?"

Wang Wen almost burst out laughing: "I used to think I was arrogant enough, but after meeting you, I realized I still have a lot to learn... We've been chatting for so long, and I still don't know who you are! Dare to throw a vine at me? After I kill you, I can raid your house!"

Real Man Demon: "What's there to be afraid of? I am the King of Taihu Lake, Qing!"

"The King of Taihu Lake?"

Wang Wen pondered for a long time with doubt, then suddenly exclaimed, "Are you that old diver from Taihu Lake?"

Qing: "What is a veteran diver?"

Wang Wen: "It's the Taihu Lake Corpse King. You're a zombie, why don't you reign supreme on the mountain, but instead run to the bottom of the lake to be king and tyrant? Aren't you just an old diver?"

Qing: "If that's the case, then I really am a veteran diver."

Wang Wen asked in bewilderment, "How could a ruthless character like you be subdued by such insignificant figures as the Tian family?"

Qing suddenly narrowed his eyes with a hint of pleasure, grinned, and chuckled, revealing a mouthful of canine teeth: "Why do you think it was me who was subdued by the Tian family, rather than the Tian family being subdued by me?"

Before he could finish speaking, he had lost his human form. His face was covered in black hair like steel needles, and his tall, slender body gradually became shorter and thicker. In the blink of an eye, he transformed from a handsome man into an ugly chimpanzee with black aura all over his body and bloodshot eyes.

Wang Wen thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "That makes sense. After all, they are corpse refiners, while you are the ancestor of zombies. You two are in the same profession..."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly punched Qing in the chest, and a dazzling golden lightning bolt suddenly exploded from his fist.

With a deep, resonant clang, like the sound of a bronze bell, Qing Fei's burly figure was sent flying backward. The terrifying force sent the two Ma family members blocking his way flying, turning them into a pool of blood and bits of flesh scattered all over the ground.

Wang Wen grinned maliciously as he chased after her, pulling out a hairpin with one hand, which transformed into a twelve-foot-long silver spear in the wind. (End of Chapter)