Given that man's strength, the guards of the merchant weren't a match for him at all. Under normal circumstances, that plump fellow was simply asking for trouble.
But the outcome was completely the opposite of what Wang Chong had expected.
"Interesting."
For the first time, Wang Chong's curiosity was piqued. That man clearly didn't intend to retaliate, and under such circumstances, it wasn't in Wang Chong's place to interfere. Thus, he chose to watch by the side.
"How unlucky!"
"Let's go! There's no need to bother with him. "
After venting his anger, the plump merchant stormed off with a string of curses. Right after he left, the disheveled middle-aged man slowly crawled up from the ground.
Despite suffering such a vicious beating, his body was still shockingly stable. His legs and shoulders didn't move at all, as if nothing had happened at all.
"What a formidable cultivator!"
Before Wang Chong could react, Miyasame Ayaka, who was leaning against the railing by the side, narrowed her eyes in astonishment.
The guards of the plump merchant weren't weak, and they had used their full strength when they struck. Even Miyasame Ayaka wouldn't have been able to withstand such a vicious beating without retaliating.
Yet, this man didn't seem to be injured at all.
"An expert!"
Wang Chong's eyebrows shot up in surprise. This man's strength seemed to be far greater than he had expected.
The streets were bustling with activity, and the commotion from a moment ago was like a bubble on the surface of the sea, swiftly disappearing without a trace. Other than Wang Chong, Miyasame Ayaka, and the experts of the Zhuang Clan and Chi Clan, no one paid much attention to the crowd.
That man didn't seem to notice Wang Chong and the others either. He slowly stood up, and in that instant, Wang Chong finally caught sight of a dazed face.
"It's him?"
Wang Chong's eyelids twitched as a name flashed across his mind. Wang Chong didn't expect to see that man here.
"Gongzi, you know him?"
Miyasame Ayaka walked over from the side, her exposed eyes still staring at the back of that man, watching as he slowly disappeared into the crowd in a daze.
"Yes."
Wang Chong nodded. There was a strange look in his eyes.
"Come with me. Who knows, maybe we can even find a powerful helper this time! "
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Chong quickly changed his mind. After leaving Royal Jade Pavilion, Wang Chong didn't return to the Wang Clan. Instead, he turned and walked in the direction the man had left.
"Ministry of Personnel? He's an official from the Ministry of Personnel? However, this should be a branch office of the Ministry of Personnel. These were the residences of minor officials who were copying documents from the Ministry of Appointments. With his ability, isn't this a bit of a waste of talent? "
Miyasame Ayaka glanced at the unassuming yamen before her, and the doubt in her eyes deepened. Even though Miyasame Ayaka had only been in the Central Plains for a short period of time, she had lived under the Son of Heaven's feet for quite some time.
The royal court of the Tang dynasty was divided into six departments: Rites, Officials, Works, Military, Punishment, and Agriculture. Other than these six departments, there were dozens of smaller yamens of varying sizes in the capital, and they dealt with different problems based on their different functions.
Judging from the shabby appearance of the yamen before him, it was likely to be one of the most inconspicuous yamens in the Ministry of Personnel.
Throughout the year, it was rare to see any influential figures here. Most of the time, they had to deal with documents and documents, and it was one of the most insignificant officials in the Ministry of Personnel.
The requirements for such work weren't high, and ordinary people would suffice. Given that person's strength, it was truly a waste for him to take on such an insignificant job.
Wang Chong didn't say a word. Instead, he stared at the dusty plaque above the door. If Wang Chong's initial guess was only a guess, at this moment, Wang Chong was certain of that person's identity.
"Li Man, the few of you wait outside. I'll go in for a moment. "
After saying these words to the experts of the Zhuang Clan and Chi Clan, Wang Chong quickly walked into the yamen.
There were strict rules in the government, and even a small yamen like this wasn't a place that ordinary people could enter.
Wang Chong flashed the token given to him by The King of Song, and he walked in unimpeded.
"What are you doing here? Why are you only here at this hour? Do you think that you're still in the Ministry of Punishments? Do you think that you're still that young genius? "
"Trash! Back then, you couldn't even catch the culprits who assassinated the officials of the royal court, and now, you're dragging others down just to copy some documents. What else can you do?"
"You're completely useless! Let me tell you, if you don't finish copying these documents today, don't even think about going back. All you think about is eating and waiting for death! "
…
While he was still in the courtyard, before he could step into the main hall, Wang Chong heard a coarse voice cursing loudly. The words were so harsh that even Wang Chong couldn't stand it anymore.
"Enough! Don't say anymore. "
Wang Chong frowned and stepped into the literature study of the yamen. As far as the eye could see, a dozen or so civil servants were copying documents inside, and the documents on the table were piled up like a mountain.
Diagonally across from the door, a civil servant who looked like a minor leader of the yamen was pointing at the middle-aged man Wang Chong had seen in Royal Jade Restaurant, and he was cursing loudly.
The disheveled middle-aged man lowered his head and didn't talk back. Thinking of this man's reputation more than a decade ago, Wang Chong couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sympathy.
Who would have thought that this man would end up in such a state ten years ago?
"Who are you?"
The leader of the civil servants was furious. When he saw Wang Chong, who he didn't know, walk in, he immediately flew into a rage.
"Don't you know that important officials of the royal court strictly forbid outsiders from entering?! Besides, what does it have to do with you that I'm teaching a lesson to someone from the yamen? "
Swish, swish, swish!
Everyone else in the hall looked over as well. There were usually only twenty or thirty people in the yamen, and they were all familiar faces. People like Wang Chong would stand out the moment he entered, so it was hard not to notice him.
"Hmph!"
Wang Chong couldn't be bothered to say anything more. He directly took out a shiny golden token.
Seeing this golden waist token, the scholar leader's expression changed in an instant. This was just an inconspicuous yamen under the Ministry of Personnel, and his rank was very low.
But he had more or less heard of and seen the various sects under the emperor's jurisdiction. The token in Wang Chong's hand was clearly a Prince Token. Furthermore, from the word "Song" on it, it was the token of The King of Song, Li Chengqi, who was famous in the imperial court of the Tang dynasty and had an extraordinary status.
Although they were under the emperor's jurisdiction, they had stayed in this insignificant yamen. It was rare for them to see an influential official in the imperial court, much less a prince.
"Young Master, you work for His Highness The King of Song!"
The civil servant walked around the table and the documents. His expression instantly changed. He bowed, cupped his hands, and was extremely enthusiastic.
"I didn't know you were coming, Young Master. Please forgive me for not going out to meet you. Does His Highness The King of Song have any orders for me? "
"You don't have to worry about that. I'm here for him. "
As Wang Chong spoke, he suddenly pointed a finger at the disheveled middle-aged man behind the documents. This greatly surprised everyone.
The disheveled middle-aged man lowered his head. He didn't dare to be hit or scolded. He just accepted it and didn't resist at all. But when he heard a strange young man coming to look for him, he couldn't help but raise his head. For the first time, a surprised look appeared in his eyes.
"Him?"
The civil servant leader was surprised. He didn't expect that Wang Chong would come to look for the most insignificant, looked down upon, and had the least presence in the yamen.
"Young Master, are you sure it's him? How could it be? "
"Hmph, are you the one who knows who I'm looking for instead of me?"
Wang Chong said coldly.
"This … Young Master, please don't misunderstand. That's not what I mean."
The civil servant hurriedly waved his hands awkwardly. Even though he was perplexed, his reaction wasn't slow.
Regardless of what Wang Chong was looking for or who he was looking for, it had nothing to do with him. On the other hand, His Highness the King of Song was of noble standing. The disparity between the two of them was like the difference between clouds and mud, and he wasn't someone whom mere civil servants like them could afford to offend.
"Alright, alright. Let's rest for today. Everyone, hurry up and leave. Ma Yinlong, I'll leave this gongzi to you. Treat him well, and if anything were to happen, I'll hold you accountable. "
The civil servant leader knew that he had shouted too loudly earlier, and this gongzi probably didn't like him. Thus, he hurriedly led everyone out of the room, leaving only Wang Chong and Ma Yinlong behind.
"It's really him!"
The doubts in Wang Chong's mind cleared up. If Wang Chong had not seen it with his own eyes, he would have found it very difficult to believe that the two of them were the same person. That genius of the Bureau of Punishments who had received the limelight from ten-some years ago and this middle-aged man who would not retaliate when hit or scolded.
The Goguryeon assassination back then didn't just kill a single person.
"Who are you? I don't think that I know you. "
Now that only he and the unfamiliar young man were left in the room, Ma Yinlong finally lifted his head and stared at Wang Chong coldly. His attitude was completely different from when he was with the civil servant leader and the plump merchant by the street.
Ever since that incident a decade ago, he didn't want to have anything to do with those influential figures.
"Hehe, you don't know me. But I do. "
Wang Chong chuckled and revealed his intentions.
"I'm here to ask for your help. I need your help to capture someone. "
"I think you're looking for the wrong person. I'm just a civil servant who transcribes documents. If you want my help to capture someone, you should head to the Bureau of Punishments, Bureau of Military Personnel, or somewhere else. I'm afraid that I won't be able to help you much, so I'll have to ask you to leave. "
Ma Yinlong sneered coldly without a pleasant expression on his face.
"Hehe, don't be in such a hurry to reject me. It won't be too late for you to wait for me to finish my words. Our operation this time has something to do with the Goguryeons. "
Wang Chong said.
Ma Yinlong's eyebrows twitched, as though he was noticing Wang Chong for the first time. But very quickly, this trace of expression flashed by, as if nothing had happened.
"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not interested in the Goguryeons. The door is right there, so you should leave. "
Ma Yinlong grabbed a bag of documents, lowered his head, and began to transcribe them, clearly intending to send Wang Chong off.
"Hehe, even King Sosurim isn't interested?"
Wang Chong chuckled.
Hong long!
As soon as Wang Chong said those words, Ma Yinlong's face immediately warped in shock. Kacha, the brush in his hand snapped into two.
Hong long. At the same time, the air in the room suddenly changed. As though a raging storm, a powerful and fearsome aura burst forth from Ma Yinlong's body.
This aura was so powerful that even Wang Chong, who had advanced his cultivation to Origin Energy Tier 9, paled in comparison to it, as if he was an insignificant speck of dust.
In that instant, Wang Chong felt as though he was standing in the most violent ocean in the world, and a thousand chi tall wave was crashing down on him, threatening to crush him into smithereens.
"To think that this fellow is already so fearsome!"
Feeling the immense pressure weighing down on him, Wang Chong's face warped in astonishment.
More than a decade had passed, but not only did this person's cultivation not deteriorate, he had even grown stronger than what the rumors said. Even the Goguryeon True Martial realm experts whom he had met before seemed as insignificant as ants before him.
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