Once upon a time, there was a punishment hall master and vice cabinet master position of the eighth rank in front of Wu Wang, but Wu Wang did not cherish it. It wasn't until Wu Wang lost it that he...

didn't regret it too much.

The higher the position, the more things to do. Doing the tasks of a fifth-rank official, wouldn't it be the same salary?

The young master thought optimistically, gently shaking the folding fan in his hand, following behind two female immortals, and arrived at an elegant "pavilion area".

Xue Kailong, the young master of the Xue family, was also following behind.

It was not because he wanted to be beaten, but purely because these two female immortals were responsible for settling them, and they should have guided them separately, but they both entertained Master Wuwang at the same time.

When they arrived in front of a beautifully decorated three-story pavilion...

"Inspector Wuwang, this is the residence arranged for you by the cabinet master.

Look to the left, this is where our cabinet master usually cultivates in seclusion. Behind is the martial arts hall, not far in front is the mortal immortal hall, and not far to the right is the side hall where the patrolling immortals rest when they alternate.

Do you need a maid?"

Wu Wang tapped Lin Suqing's shoulder with the paper fan in his hand, and Lin Suqing immediately said:

"No need for a maid. I have always taken care of my young master. Thank you, two immortals, for guiding us. Please accept this small gift."

Lin Suqing took out two boxes of cosmetics that Wu Wang obtained from the Kingdom of Women and pushed them back and forth to the two immortals, still giving them gifts.

The cosmetics she gave them were obviously of a lower grade than the ones she gave to Senior Sister Jingyue.

Xue Kailong, who was watching from behind, as well as a certain evil god who was observing this place through Xue Kailong's Elemental Infant, both gritted their teeth.

The Human Realm is really corrupt!

With such a Human Realm, how can their Heavenly Palace suppress it?

Wu Wang smiled and said, "We'll arrange our own residence. Don't let Young Master Xue wait too long."

The two female immortals softly agreed and led the immortal soldier Xue Kailong away politely;

When the latter left, he even nodded and smiled at Wu Wang, as if he had no displeasure at all.

Huh?

Has this guy changed so much after being taught a lesson by Brother Lin?

Wu Wang raised an eyebrow slightly and watched Xue Kailong's figure for a while, but didn't feel anything unusual.

"Moving to a new home!"

With a cheer from Great Elder Mu, Lin Suqing had already pushed open the wooden door in front of her, and a refreshing fragrance rushed over.

Regardless of how the second and third floors of the pavilion were arranged, just by looking at the layout of this transparent hall in front of them, one could see that Renhuang Pavilion had put a lot of effort into it.

The first-floor hall had no obstacles to the line of sight. Bookshelves, desks, couches, and rocking chairs were placed in the four corners.

The left wall used fan-shaped windows, and outside, several green bamboos swayed with the wind;

The right wall used hollowed-out windows with flower and bird patterns, and outside, a shallow lotus pond could be seen.

With a gentle breeze and a sunny day, the embroidered orchids on the carpet on the ground also made the central area not appear empty.

Just stepping into this place made one's mood much more comfortable.

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

"Great Elder, it seems that we will delay some time here," Wu Wang said, "You can cultivate on the third floor, and let Suqing and Great Elder Mu live on the second floor."

Great Elder hurriedly said, "Master, I will guard outside."

"Even in Renhuang Pavilion, there is no rule that transcendent experts have to guard outside."

Wu Wang smiled:

"Great Elder, you can temporarily stay here. I will see how Cabinet Master Liu arranges it later. If Cabinet Master Liu wants me to stay here for a while, the sect will still need the Great Elder to take care of it."

Great Elder glanced at Lin Suqing and said, "It is not appropriate for me to live with the Master. The Master has female companions, so he should pay attention to it and avoid letting Renhuang Pavilion make fun of us exterminated cultivators for not understanding the rules."

Wu Wang:...

Why make such a simple matter so complicated.

Since the Great Elder insisted on moving out, Wu Wang went to the Mortal Immortal Hall and arranged a nearby residence for the Great Elder.

After all the fuss, when they each settled down, night had fallen.

Wu Wang spread out his divine sense and observed the environment of the main hall of Renhuang Pavilion. A small part of the area was covered by formations, and some halls and pavilions could not be viewed with divine sense.

There were quite a few immortal soldiers stationed outside the main hall, which could be considered as the regular defense force here.

Occasionally, he could sense the fluctuations of the great dao aura in this place. It should be the aura of a transcendent expert revealing itself.

Overall, although there were spies infiltrating Renhuang Pavilion, the general environment was still relatively safe, and one could cultivate here with peace of mind.

Before Wu Wang could even warm the couch, his divine sense captured the figure of a certain cabinet master sneaking around.

"Suqing, bring me a basin of hot water!"

"Yes!"

Lin Suqing answered and hummed a tune as she floated down from the second floor.

In a short while, Cabinet Master Liu Bairen arrived outside this three-story small building. Before he could speak, he heard Lin Suqing's voice from inside the door:

"Is it Cabinet Master Liu?

My young master is soaking his feet right now, and after soaking his feet, he still needs a back massage. Please wait a while before entering."

Liu Bairen's broad forehead was instantly covered in black lines.

How dare this guy!

"Hahaha!"

Wu Wang's laughter came from inside, "Suqing, open the door. It's just a joke with Cabinet Master."

"Ah," Lin Suqing responded with a nod, opened the wooden door, and bowed to Liu Bairen before stepping aside.

Liu Bairen entered the attic with a dark face, waved his hand, and enveloped the entire small building with Dao rhyme. He glared at Wu Wang, who was still using his foot to stir the water.

Wu Wang smiled and said, "You see, I'm busy right now and it's inconvenient for me to get up and greet you."

Liu Bairen walked towards him with his hands behind his back, sat directly beside the soft couch, and smiled with narrowed eyes. He said, "Do you think using this method can anger the Lord of this pavilion and make him drive you away?"

"How could that be," Wu Wang's expression became serious, "Since I have come to Renhuang Pavilion, I will not leave without obtaining the power of the Evil God. Did the senior already inform you? One-tenth of the total power each year."

"Ah, right," Liu Bairen said casually, "One-tenth of your current total power."

Wu Wang was not shocked by this at all. On the contrary, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It was just "one-tenth of the current total power." With fifteen years of time, he could probably take away eighty percent. He thought they would dissect the body of the Evil God and give him one-tenth of a certain piece each year.

But in business, the key is to hide the bottom line. Wu Wang still had to show some dissatisfaction.

"Is this how the Lord of the pavilion treats me? It seems that I can't fully trust the senior's words!"

"Ah, I dare not say that," Liu Bairen hurriedly said, "His Majesty just didn't explain it in detail at that time, so I made some appropriate supplements."

"Hmph!"

Wu Wang turned his head and looked to the side, his face showing some resentment.

"In that case," Liu Bairen smiled, "As long as you help me with three things, if you do these three things well, regardless of the year, the Evil God... I will personally give it to you!"

Wu Wang softly said, "Are these three things about removing the Ten Calamities Palace, reforming Renhuang Pavilion, and changing the military system in the Human Realm?"

"Huh?"

Liu Bairen's eyes brightened.

"Your vision is indeed broader than mine. The three things I have prepared for you are just to expose all the spies in Renhuang Pavilion, remove the Ten Calamities Palace, and directly receive a palm strike from me.

Since you brought it up, then prepare a reform plan for me as well, and let me see!

As for such a big matter as changing the military system, I can't make the decision."

Wu Wang:...

"Consider it unsaid."

"Don't," Liu Bairen smiled with narrowed eyes, "Starting tomorrow, you will investigate the incident of the eight spies being killed in the prison. This is a good starting point."

Wu Wang pondered for a moment and asked, "What about Xue Kailong? The Xue family is at least a prominent force in one region. Why was he arranged to guard the gate?"

"His father sent a letter, asking us to make things difficult for this kid and let him return home early."

Liu Bairen laughed.

"Generally speaking, the children of prominent families go to the Four Seas Pavilion, where they can openly travel in the Great Wasteland. Very few people come to Renhuang Pavilion.

The affairs of Renhuang Pavilion are tedious and numerous, and few people would voluntarily come here to work. The only advantage is that they can convey the orders of the Emperor for the first time.

This Xue Kailong, I don't know what's wrong with him. He caused trouble at home for a few months and insisted on coming to Renhuang Pavilion to do some work in order to contribute to the Human Realm. I can't just turn him away."

Wu Wang's face suddenly became clear, and he smiled, "So you arranged him to guard the gate?"

"Of course," Liu Bairen touched his multiple chins, "I vaguely heard someone mention that you have some grudges with this Xue Kailong?"

"It's not a big deal."

Wu Wang calmly brushed off the topic and said seriously, "Regarding the tragic incident in the prison, did the Lord of the pavilion discover any suspicious points?"

"If you talk about suspicious points, there are indeed some."

Liu Bairen pondered for a moment and then detailed all the clues that Renhuang Pavilion had obtained to Wu Wang. It only took a few sentences to finish.

"Are these the only clues?"

"Basically equivalent to no clues."

Liu Bairen smiled bitterly, "The Four Seas Pavilion can find dozens of spies, but I'm afraid I have four hundred here. But this matter is really difficult to start with."

Wu Wang lightly stroked his chin and pondered. His big feet gently stirred in the basin, indicating that he had started to think about the case.

A tightly guarded prison, eight True Immortals and Heavenly Immortals whose divine souls were sealed, an undamaged formation, and no disturbance to nearby Transcendents...

A murder mystery in the Great Wasteland?

Wu Wang said, "Lord of the pavilion, bring the relevant people to me tomorrow."

"Ah, are you sure?"

Liu Bairen smiled, "Go directly to the Hall of Punishment. There is a special arrangement for interrogations there. This place is your residence for cultivation. I can't let people enter casually.

One more thing, Wu Wang, please be more careful about your own safety."

"What?"

"For your own safety, I arranged for you to stay here. Otherwise, His Majesty will definitely tear my head off."

Liu Bairen said seriously.

"His Majesty also reminded me that you have another hope from the Human Realm. I also hope that you cherish your life and don't take unnecessary risks. The Human Realm doesn't lack one or two Heavenly Immortal-level experts.

Also, His Majesty asked me to guide you in cultivating your physical body. In the meantime, I will also train you when you handle these matters.

Don't lose to your fellow townsman!"Wu Wang shrugged his shoulders and laughed, "Brother Xing Tian is unmatched in combat. I'm just here to provide some ideas."

"Alright, you should rest. We can deal with these matters tomorrow."

Liu Bairen handed two jade plaques to Wu Wang.

One of the plaques bore the face of Liu Bairen, a true representation of the saying 'seeing the token is like seeing the person'. The other plaque had the character 'soldier' inscribed on it, presumably used to command the celestial soldiers around Ren Emperor Pavilion.

"Do you want me, the Pavilion Master, to give you a back rub?"

"There's no need," Wu Wang laughed, "I prefer Suqing's strength."

"Hahahaha! Hahaha!"

Liu Bairen left with a hearty laugh, while Lin Suqing slightly pouted on the side.

Those who had previously shown off and ignored their young master now had no tea to drink!

...

In the quiet of the night, on the outskirts of the mountain where the main pavilion of Ren Emperor Pavilion was located, there was a row of neatly arranged small wooden houses.

Xue Kailong, lying on a wooden bed with his arm as a pillow, thought of the exquisite pavilion he had seen earlier and couldn't help but clench his fists.

He was determined to make everyone look at him with new eyes!

A cold sneer crossed his lips, eerie and chilling, unlike ordinary people.

...

Early the next morning.

In the partition of the highest floor of the pavilion, Wu Wang woke up from his meditative state, changed into a majestic black robe behind the screen, and spent a long time fussing over his hairstyle in front of the mirror.

It wasn't until Lin Suqing gently urged him from outside, "Young Master, the steward of the Punishment Hall is here to take you there," that Wu Wang finally left his room.

Seeing the young master's appearance today, Lin Suqing couldn't help but be stunned. He was handsome with rosy lips and white teeth, a tall and slender figure, and a slightly square face. The smile at the corner of his mouth was so charming.

She asked, "Young Master, do you want me to accompany you today?"

"You should focus on your cultivation, don't separate from Master Mu," Wu Wang instructed, "Unless I come back, don't talk to anyone."

Lin Suqing said, "Don't worry, Young Master, I understand. The situation in Ren Emperor Pavilion is still unstable."

Wu Wang opened his folding fan and shook it a few times, murmuring to himself, "Today's situation is probably not easy to resolve."

"You can do it, Young Master!"

Lin Suqing encouraged him from the side, which somehow made Wu Wang... a little less confident.

The so-called Punishment Hall was actually used by the Ren Emperor Pavilion to punish the immortals who made mistakes internally, not to judge the wrong cases in the Human Realm.

The Human Realm was too vast, and the relationship between immortals and mortals was too complex. The Ren Emperor Pavilion couldn't manage everything, they could only set the general tone and restrain the behavior of immortals and mortals.

When Wu Wang arrived at the Punishment Hall, there were already dozens of figures standing inside, with two Transcendent realm experts sitting on one side.

The place was set up like the 'yamen' in Wu Wang's memory.

Outside the hall, a row of white jade pillars wrapped in thunder stood tall, each entwined with chains as thick as thighs.

Inside the hall, two rows of celestial soldiers stood on either side, with a wide chair in the middle. Behind the chair was a screen painted with ferocious beasts;

Compared with the 'yamen', this place was just missing a long table and a gavel.

"Sir, please take your seat."

The internal affairs steward who had led Wu Wang here bowed and gestured for him to sit in the wide chair.

Wu Wang nodded, sat down in the chair, put away his folding fan, and scanned the faces of the immortals in front of him, most of whom were much higher in cultivation than him.

"I am the inspector of the pavilion, Master Wuwang, and I just took office yesterday."

Wu Wang said with a stern face:

"You can also understand that I was invited by Pavilion Master Liu to handle this matter, and this identity is just for convenience.

Among you, who was the first to discover the eight sinning immortals dead?"

A celestial soldier stood up, saluted, and said loudly, "Sir, I was the first to see it!"

"Oh?"

Wu Wang raised his tone, "Tell me in detail, don't leave out any details."

The celestial soldier said, "I was on duty in the dungeon with several of my comrades. We patrolled every half an hour. When we patrolled that cell, we saw that the eight people inside were not meditating, but were lying in a mess. When we looked closer, they were already breathless..."

Starting with this celestial soldier, the dozens of people here took turns recounting what they had seen that day.

Even the two Transcendents carefully recounted their experiences, saying they hadn't felt any powerful presence sneaking into the dungeon.

Months had passed since the incident, and this wasn't the first time they had spoken about it; but just like the previous inquiries, Wu Wang was still clueless.

Someone presented a memory pearl, which recorded the tragic deaths of the eight immortals including Master Lianying.

Another steward brought the eight ordinary poisoned silver needles...

Wu Wang pondered for a while, feeling a headache, and couldn't figure out why for the moment.

There were many figures gathered outside the Punishment Hall, and many divine senses were probing the place.

But if one way doesn't work, there's always another.

Wu Wang glanced at the crystal ball in his sleeve, thinking about what kind of excuse he could use to reasonably take it out and use the Star-Praying Technique to test these people's divine souls.

Suddenly, a shout came from the door of the hall:

"Inspector, I have a way to find out the truth."

The celestial soldier who stepped forward was none other than Xue Kailong.