Chapter 863: Just Go Home and Wait For the News

Seething with indignation, Grand Ancestor Fuyou and Du Wuhen squatted by the roadside all afternoon and stewed over the situation.

"This is outrageous! Aren't they simply bullying honest people?" Du Wuhen fumed. "That seller yesterday must've been in cahoots with him. They tricked us out of our deposit."

"To behave without a shred of law or order in the imperial city's capital... utterly improper," Grand Ancestor Fuyou remarked with a shake of his head.

"I refuse to swallow this anger. But since we're keeping a low profile, it's not the right time to act. Otherwise, I'd have given them a good beating!"

They had come to the capital of Yu to avoid the eyes of the Penglai Supreme Sect. Despite falling into a destitute state, the Penglai Supreme Sect still had a few eighth-realm Eminent Ones and a legendary artifact, the East Sea Chrono Wheel. If the two sworn brothers acted rashly, they might provoke the Penglai Supreme Sect into launching a frenzied retaliation.

After all, the Penglai Supreme Sect's most hated enemy was probably Grand Ancestor Fuyou. Even the Dark King Sect and the Mount Shu Sect would have to take a back seat.

Grand Ancestor Fuyou turned and looked toward the end of the street, declaring firmly, "At this point, our only option... is to report them to the authorities!"

They made their way down the main street to the Officials' Street in the east area of the city, where many government offices were located. The first building at the corner was the Panyang Prefecture Office.

The offices under the emperor's rule kept a low profile, but they handled a great number of affairs for the common folk. The capital of Yu was the largest city in the world, so its population far surpassed everywhere else as well.

Grand Ancestor Fuyou and Du Wuhen arrived at the gates of the Panyang Prefecture Office, where a sea of heads bustled about in the courtyard. Many commoners had come to settle their affairs.

Just as Grand Ancestor Fuyou and Du Wuhen were about to step inside the courtyard, a sharp shout came from the side. "Hey! What do you want?"

The two baton-wielding bailiffs standing guard blocked the entrance with crossed staves, eyeing them coldly.

Du Wuhen said, "We were swindled and have come to report the crime."

"You're reporting a case? Did you submit your complaint in writing?" the bailiff on the left asked, looking rather fierce and hostile.

Du Wuhen was stunned. "Complaint in writing?"

After all, he used to be a prodigy of a well-known immortal sect. Whenever issues arose, he would deal directly with the Imperial Supervisory Bureau. Offices at the level of the Panyang Prefecture Office didn't even register on his radar. If not for the need to keep his identity hidden, he wouldn't have come here at all. How could he be expected to know the proper procedures?

The scrawny and sly-looking baliff on the right grinned and explained, "His Honor is busy with official duties every day. He doesn't have time to hear your complaints in person. Just write down your complaint. His Honor's advisors will review your case and rank it against the other cases based on urgency. The more pressing ones go to the front of the line, and the less important ones to the back. They'll be submitted to His Honor in that order."

"But our matter is very urgent," Du Wuhen said at once. "We were swindled out of a huge amount of money."

He and Grand Ancestor Fuyou worked quickly. While conversing with the two baliffs, they had already written up the complaint.

The sly-looking bailiff replied, "There are murders, thefts, and robberies happening in the capital every day—too many vicious crimes. A real estate dispute like yours won't rank very high in priority. Even if the sum involved is large, it's not urgent. If you submit it like this, you'll likely have to wait a few months."

"Huh?" Du Wuhen scratched his head. "We might not even be in the capital a few months from now. Is there any way you can do us a favor and speed things up?"

"Well..." the sly-looking bailiff uttered, rubbing his thumb against his few fingers suggestively.

Du Wuhen got the hint and immediately slipped a few taels of silver into the sly-looking bailiff's hand with a smile. "Hope you can help us out."

The sly-looking bailiff beamed the moment he accepted the silver. "No problem."

He took their complaint and dashed off toward the main hall, returning shortly afterward.

"Your complaint has been submitted. I made sure the advisors bumped it to the front of the queue. It should be processed by tomorrow. Just go home and wait for news," the sly-looking bailiff said, waving them off.

...

The next morning, the two brothers rose early and returned to the Panyang Prefecture Office.

This time, the sly-looking bailiff yawned and finally let them in, saying their case would be heard in court that day. The courtyard was just as packed as the day before. It turned out these people were all waiting for their hearings.

Grand Ancestor Fuyou and Du Wuhen stood in a corner at the very end of the courtyard. Without their divine sense, they wouldn't even be able to see the main hall up ahead.

The Panyang Prefecture Office's efficiency certainly couldn't be faulted. Each case was resolved in mere moments. Nevertheless, there were simply too many cases. By the time Grand Ancestor Fuyou and Du Wuhen's fraud case came up, the sun was already setting.

When an advisor in the side hall finally called their names, Du Wuhen and Grand Ancestor Fuyou stepped forward, thinking it was time for their hearing at last. However, the advisor only glanced at their complaint and handed it back to them.

He said, "This falls under property dispute. It should be handled by the Household Registry Office, not us."

"What?" Du Wuhen froze. "This is clearly a case of fraud. Why wouldn't it fall under your jurisdiction?"

The advisor stroked his 八-shaped mustache and shook his head. He explained the process to them. "If it were clear-cut fraud, we'd certainly handle it, but right now, you can't confirm whether that man was the legal owner. Since the matter of property ownership hasn't been settled yet, it's not our place to step in. The Household Registry Office should investigate and clarify the situation first. If it truly is a case of fraud, then we'll take over."

Grand Ancestor Fuyou and Du Wuhen found the explanation oddly convincing and nodded blankly. After that, they were promptly ushered out.

The sly-looking bailiff, who had taken their bribe, was even kind enough to point them toward the Household Registry Office, located just around the corner of the long street.

The brothers thanked him and walked down the street. They arrived at the entrance of a government office with a plaque that read:

Household Registry Office.

Everything out front was identical to the Panyang Prefecture Office. There were two bailiffs with equally fierce faces standing guard at the entrance gates, and behind them, the courtyard of the office was just as crowded.

As soon as they approached, the two bailiffs crossed their staves to block the way. "What do you want?"

Du Wuhen stepped forward and explained, "Gentlemen, we were swindled in a house purchase. We're here to confirm which office the case falls under."

The bailiff furrowed his brows and sucked in a breath through his teeth, seeming as though he was about to say something unpleasant.

Understanding how things worked, Du Wuhen promptly slipped a few taels of silver into the bailiff's hand.

With the silver in hand, the bailiff's expression brightened into a cheerful grin. "This complaint won't do. You'll need to rewrite it properly for the Household Registry Office. I'll submit it for you right away. Once we confirm who owns the property and the identity of the person who sold it to you, we can determine the nature of the case. If things go smoothly, it'll be resolved by tomorrow."

The brothers expressed their gratitude. "Thank you so much."

The bailiff turned, entered the courtyard, and submitted the complaint.

Soon after, he returned and said, "I've handed it over to a colleague for expedited processing. By tomorrow, we should be able to pull the records and confirm the rightful owner. Then we'll accompany you to verify things in person. For now, just go home and wait for the news."

...

The next day, the brothers rose early once again and made their way to the Household Registry Office.

This time, they entered the courtyard and waited until noon before a minor official finally helped them search the property records. After checking for a while, the minor official returned with a register.

He frowned and commented, "That house you mentioned is quite problematic. It's listed as an official's house under the Ministry of Construction. The owner's information is confidential, and it was never officially sold. We have no access to its information here."

Seeing the brothers' confused faces, the minor official elaborated, "Back then, His Majesty had the Ministry of Construction construct a block of residences to reward meritorious officials. For these houses, ownership transfers are often done informally between officials and aren't listed in our records.

"But don't worry. I'll write a note about this. Take it to the Ministry of Construction. They should be able to look into it for you."

"This..." Du Wuhen uttered, his tanned face darkening further with his gloomy expression.

He hadn't expected something as simple as identifying a property owner would turn into such a hassle. They had been thrown from one place to another time and time again.

"Take my note, and it'll be handled quickly," the minor official said. He swiftly wrote the note on a slip of paper and handed it to Du Wuhen. After checking the time, he added, "But the Ministry of Construction doesn't handle outside matters in the afternoon. You'll have to go tomorrow morning."

The brothers dutifully waited another day and rose early once more. This time, they headed to the Ministry of Construction.

The explanation they received was that the house did indeed belong to an earlier batch of imperial rewards, but it had changed hands multiple times since. Gifting the house did not count as selling it. Informal transfers weren't registered officially, so that was likely why the Household Registry had no record of the ownership transfers. However, this wasn't in compliance with the laws.

The Ministry of Construction only knew who the original recipient had been. As for the current owner, that would require visiting the homes of various officials to inquire about it one by one. There was no telling when they would have a conclusive answer as to who the owner was.

A bailiff from the Ministry of Construction waved at Du Wuhen and Grand Ancestor Fuyou, beckoning them over.

Nevertheless, before he could even speak, Du Wuhen cut in. "Let me guess. We should just go home and wait for news, right?"

As they walked down the long street, the two brothers nearly forgot why they'd gone there in the first place. Their heads were spinning from running around in so many circles.

"Little Second Brother, we can't keep doing this," Du Wuhen said with a deep frown. "If we keep following the official procedure, you might be able to live long enough to see this matter resolved... but I don't think I will."

"Then what should we do?" Grand Ancestor Fuyou asked. "Wouldn't it be improper if we don't follow the rules of the imperial court?"

"At this point, who cares about being proper?" Du Wuhen waved his hand. "Tomorrow, I'll go to the gates of the imperial city and file a report there! But they have a Demon-Revealing Mirror at the gate, so stay away. I'll go alone."

"But if you do that, won't you reveal your identity..."

After some thought, Du Wuhen replied, "I'll go in disguise and cover my face. I won't use any divine abilities, so I won't reveal my qi. I'll just hand over the complaint and leave. They probably won't recognize me."

Grand Ancestor Fuyou still seemed unsure about the plan. "This..."

Nonetheless, Du Wuhen patted his chest confidently. "You just wait at home for my good news."

...

Another day passed by.

The imperial court held their meeting early in the morning. So, it was at this time that the gates of the imperial city swung open, and the civil and military officials entered in their carriages.

A tanned figure suddenly darted out.

He was tall and thin, with arms that reached below the knees. His face was covered by a piece of cloth that was almost the same hue as his skin.

He dashed forward and blocked the gates of the imperial city.

With the towering gates of the imperial city in front of him and the lines of officials' carriages behind him, Du Wuhen raised his written complaint and loudly declared, "I have—"

"I have been wronged!" someone else yelled. He leaped out, dropped to his knees, and wailed, "An official from the Bureau of Administrators named Gao Sanchi seized my farmland outside the city! My family of five can't survive anymore..."

Another man burst out and kneeled down as well. "Such injustice! The rich merchant Xiao Pei from Jiangliu City beat my son to death and then colluded with the authorities to claim he tripped and fell! The laws of the heavens are being ignored..."

Yet another man ran out and fell to his knees. "Your Majesty! My wife has been cheating on me..."

Listening to all these pitiful cries of injustice, Du Wuhen suddenly felt that his issue didn't sound all that urgent in comparison.

He hesitated for a moment.

Should I jump in and shout now, or wait my turn?

Du Wuhen waited until there was a man whose complaint didn't seem that serious. He grabbed the man and said, "Don't cut in line with something this minor."

"But my wife cheated on me forty-eight times! The other men range from princes, dukes, and cabinet ministers to street vendors and servants. My six children all look completely different, and one of them even has dark skin! If I don't report this to the court, I'll never know who their real fathers are!" the man wailed.

"

Ah...

In that case, yours is more urgent."

Du Wuhen let go of the man's arm and tightened his face covering, afraid it might slip off and reveal his skin tone.

Just then, a flash of golden light streaked across the sky, and a massive net fell from above. Du Wuhen was about to strike back, but he restrained himself, worried that using divine skills would expose his identity in front of everyone there.

Bam!

"His Honor, the chancellor, has passed down a command. Recently, demons have caused frequent disturbances in the capital, and evildoers have been stirring up trouble and attempting assassinations! Any cultivator of unknown origin acting suspiciously will be immediately thrown into the Celestial Northern Prison upon capture!"