Chapter 413: 监丞

"You may leave. Let him enter alone." An old, authoritative voice echoed from inside the room.

"Yes." Nanggong gave Li Huowang a discreet, cautionary glance before turning and leaving.

Li Huowang took a deep breath, looked at the slightly ajar wooden door in front of him, pushed it open, and stepped inside.

The room wasn't large; it appeared to be an ordinary study. Bookshelves on the left were filled with various paper books and illustrated volumes. The walls, like those in Zhuge Yuan's bamboo house, were adorned with calligraphy or paintings. If this place weren't hidden deep within the Bureau of Celestial Monitoring, Li Huowang would have thought it was the study of some scholar.

"Erjiu greets Supervising Censor!" Li Huowang bowed respectfully, his head lowered.

"You are Erjiu? Look up."

As the Supervising Censor clearly saw his fleshless face, Li Huowang also got a clear look at the Censor's appearance.

The first impression the Supervising Censor made on him was that of a thin, middle-aged man with a goatee, whose deep nasolabial folds seemed to divide his face into three sections.

Compared to his striking appearance, the Censor's attire was unremarkable: a simple purple robe with a jade pendant hanging from the waist.

He stood behind a desk, holding a cinnabar pen and reviewing some documents. A small brazier beside him gurgled with boiling tea, making the room much warmer than the outside.

Recalling Nanggong's earlier words, Li Huowang's heart tightened. He turned and lowered his head. "Reporting, Supervising Censor, all members of the Sitting Forgetfulness Sect are currently..."

"Earlier today, you entered the city with the storyteller, didn't you?" The Censor's light remark instantly interrupted Li Huowang's words and train of thought.

The Supervising Censor unhurriedly placed his cinnabar pen on the jade pen rest, then picked up a fist-sized official seal with one hand and gently pressed it onto a corner of the paper in front of him.

Li Huowang's heart trembled, but his mouth didn't stop. He immediately recounted the conflict between the Sitting Forgetfulness Sect and Zhuge Yuan, and how he had learned from them that all members of the sect had come to the capital.

Everything Li Huowang said was true, without a single lie, though he omitted some details the Bureau of Celestial Monitoring didn't need to know.

"Oh, I see," the Supervising Censor said. His calm reaction to the news of the entire Sitting Forgetfulness Sect entering the capital greatly surprised Li Huowang.

"Sir! That's the Sitting Forgetfulness Sect! They—"

"Do I need you to tell me how to do my job? Why are you in such a hurry? Are you perhaps trying to use the Bureau of Celestial Monitoring to settle a personal vendetta?" The Censor's eyes instantly turned cold, and the pressure of a long-time authority figure bore down on Li Huowang.

"Erjiu would not dare." Li Huowang gritted his teeth and took half a step back.

"Hmph, no manners," the Supervising Censor scoffed, then ignored Li Huowang and continued with his work.

After about an incense stick's worth of time passed in silence, the Supervising Censor picked up the teapot from the brazier, brewed himself a cup of Dahongpao tea, took a small sip, and then finally looked at Li Huowang again.

"Forget about the Sitting Forgetfulness Sect for now. Others will handle that matter. The Bureau has another task for you, one more important than the Sitting Forgetfulness Sect. You must pay close attention to this, young man."

Although the Censor wasn't following his expected script, Li Huowang knew he couldn't panic now or reveal any weaknesses. "Yes, Sir. Please give your orders."

"I don't care how you came to know Zhuge Yuan. Return to him in the same way you left his side. When the time is right, I will send someone to coordinate with you to seize the 'Six-Luminaries Almanac' from him."

"'Six-Luminaries Almanac'? What's that? Wait! A book?" Instantly, the only object near Zhuge Yuan that could be called a book flashed into Li Huowang's mind. "The Supervising Censor wants to steal Zhuge Yuan's old almanac!"

As Li Huowang's mind reeled, the Censor continued, "This matter is of great importance, and I will personally oversee it. You must perform well. Of course, if you can kill Zhuge Yuan and achieve two goals with one stone, that would be even better, but it's not strictly required."

Noticing Li Huowang standing motionless, the Supervising Censor's face showed a hint of displeasure. "What's wrong? Didn't you hear me?"

Li Huowang's slightly trembling hands clenched into fists. "Yes, your subordinate obeys!"

At this point, the Supervising Censor didn't forget to offer Li Huowang a grand promise: "If you do well, the Bureau can overlook your past transgressions. Not only that, but you can also be promoted, gain prestige for your ancestors, and choose three artifacts or treasures from the inner treasury."

"I am also aware of your circumstances; the Sitting Forgetfulness Sect annihilated your entire family. It's natural and reasonable for you to hate them. So, if you perform excellently, not only will you participate in the suppression of the Sitting Forgetfulness Sect, but you will also have full authority over the captured members."

Seeing Li Huowang nod in agreement once more, the Supervising Censor finally looked satisfied. With a hand missing a finger, he picked up a stack of papers nearby and placed them in front of Li Huowang.

"Alright, take these and deliver them to the third door on the left for storage. Once you're done, you can leave."

Li Huowang stepped forward, took the inscribed papers steadily with both hands, and turned to leave the Supervising Censor's office.

After exiting the room, Li Huowang's expression instantly soured. "What should I do?" These three words constantly echoed in his mind.

His plan to use the conflict for his own gain, like a fisherman benefiting from two fighting tigers, had failed. He never expected the Bureau of Celestial Monitoring to react this way after hearing that the entire Sitting Forgetfulness Sect had come to the capital.

Without the Bureau's assistance, he was no match for the Sitting Forgetfulness Sect on his own. He had to find another solution.

"Am I really supposed to help the Bureau of Celestial Monitoring deal with Zhuge Yuan? What a joke!"

Although Zhuge Yuan was eccentric and extremely verbose, he had already secured a place as a friend in Li Huowang's heart.

As Li Huowang wrestled with his thoughts, the third door on the left appeared before him. He glanced down at the papers in his arms, preparing to deliver them.

But just as he was about to take a step with his right foot, a section of the papers instantly caught Li Huowang's attention.

"Feng Erniu?" Li Huowang remembered that name; the eunuch imperial scribe was indeed called Feng Erniu.

Li Huowang immediately scanned the papers vertically, following the text downwards: "Former Imperial Scribe Feng Erniu and his wife have passed away... Their bodies were identified by the coroner Huan Ming..."

The Imperial Scribe was dead? This man had worked for the Bureau of Celestial Monitoring for so long, only to die so lightly?

Li Huowang recalled the plump, fair-skinned old eunuch, and a chill ran through him. The large red circle drawn in cinnabar on the paper seemed glaringly conspicuous to him.

Li Huowang looked up, gazing at the Supervising Censor's office in the distance. He knew that the Censor couldn't have been so careless. He must have known that Li Huowang knew the scribe. These papers weren't placed there randomly; it was a warning to him.

After taking a deep breath, Li Huowang's wavering gaze became resolute. He raised his foot and walked towards the door before him.