557: Chapter 558 You've finally met your match!

The first light of dawn broke, and the morning mist had not yet dispersed, yet Patrol Envoy Zhang was already standing before the gate of the residence where Lu Ming stayed.

He did not knock but pushed the door open and entered directly, walking straight through the courtyard and stepping into the main hall with long strides.

At this moment, Lu Ming was sitting at the desk, holding a cup of spirit tea in his hand with a leisurely demeanor.

Seeing Patrol Envoy Zhang enter, he set down the teacup, and a warm smile immediately piled onto his Face.

"Oh my, Patrol Envoy Zhang has returned! Quickly, quickly, sit, sit! You've worked hard, you've worked hard! You didn't even send word; I would have sent people to pick you up!"

As he spoke, he personally poured a cup of tea for Patrol Envoy Zhang and carried it before him. His attitude was so enthusiastic that it was as if he were welcoming a relative returning from afar.

However, Patrol Envoy Zhang had no intention of appreciating the gesture. He sat down at the desk with a cold Face and did not touch the cup of tea.

He merely took the official Talisman from his sleeve, slapped it onto the desk, and pushed it toward Lu Ming.

"Hmph, I have fulfilled the commission."

Lu Ming did not mind the other's attitude. He took the official Talisman, extended his Divine Sense into it, and felt the changes within.

Immediately, he paused, a look of pleasant surprise appearing on his Face.

"Oh my! So much Power Of Faith?"

He looked up at Patrol Envoy Zhang, his eyes filled with eagerness.

"Patrol Envoy Zhang, you have truly done me a great favor! This... this must be over two hundred years' worth!"

Patrol Envoy Zhang did not respond, merely waving his hand. He picked up the cup of tea, took a sip, and then asked as if casually.

"Brother Wang, we agreed at the beginning that after the matter was accomplished, the principal would be returned to me first, and we would split the remainder fifty-fifty."

Lu Ming naturally knew what he meant, but since the Power Of Faith had entered his pocket, it was impossible to get it out.

Thus, Lu Ming merely smiled, did not reply, and turned to chat about other topics.

"Patrol Envoy Zhang, you have worked hard; would you like to return and rest first?"

Patrol Envoy Zhang frowned, but still patiently said it again.

"Brother Wang, then this money..."

Lu Ming spoke up to interrupt him again.

"By the way, Patrol Envoy Zhang, I thought of something. My official position is a second-grade Spirit Official. If I want to advance further, do I need official approval from the Heavenly Court?"

Patrol Envoy Zhang wanted to say something, but was blocked again.

The two went back and forth like this. Lu Ming was like a slippery loach; every time Patrol Envoy Zhang tried to steer the conversation to the main point, he would detour elsewhere.

Finally, the expression on Patrol Envoy Zhang's Face gradually darkened.

If it were at the beginning, he hadn't fully reacted, assuming Lu Ming truly didn't understand the rules and needed him to spend a few more words explaining.

But gradually, he sensed something was wrong.

Every time he steered the topic toward the "transfer," Lu Ming would precisely divert it, chatting about some trivial, inconsequential matters.

That feeling didn't seem like ignorance; it seemed more like... intentional!

Fortunately, Patrol Envoy Zhang finally stopped going in circles.

He set down the teacup, looked straight at Lu Ming, and his voice deepened by a few degrees.

"Brother Wang, let's speak plainly; this money, you must transfer to me today."

Lu Ming blinked, his Face full of innocence.

Patrol Envoy Zhang did not buy this act, his attitude being extremely firm.

To this, Lu Ming was silent for a moment, then slowly set down the teacup in his hand.

The smile on his Face vanished, replaced by a calm, indifferent expression.

With this appearance, although he said nothing, his attitude was already laid out right there.

At this, Patrol Envoy Zhang's Face went completely cold.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Lu Ming, as if he hadn't noticed the change in his tone, shrugged his shoulders and continued to speak unhurriedly.

"Why must Patrol Envoy Zhang get to the bottom of this? Wouldn't that just be asking for humiliation?"

Although Lu Ming still did not answer his question, it was as good as saying directly: Sorry, I borrowed the money based on my own ability, why should I pay it back?

Patrol Envoy Zhang was no fool; he naturally saw the deep meaning clearly.

Immediately, blue veins bulged on his forehead, his Divine Power surged crazily around his body, and he looked as if he were about to explode.

But soon his emotions were reined in, and he just stared at Lu Ming for a long while before suddenly sneering.

"Should I say you are bold, or brainless?"

In fact, Patrol Envoy Zhang couldn't quite figure out what the person before him was thinking.

If you say he is bold, he actually dared to scheme against a Patrol Envoy acting on behalf of Heaven.

If you say he is stupid, that Power Of Faith is so hot to handle that it's not something a mere small Spirit Official can withstand!

He doesn't even know what this much Power Of Faith implies!

If he really thinks this Power Of Faith is his, then he is truly too naive.

"You don't really think that just because you wear this skin, no one can do anything to you, right!"

"When the time comes, if you can't pay it back, your official position and your cultivation will all be confiscated!"

However, Lu Ming heard all this but remained as calm as usual, as if he didn't care at all!

"That is no need for Patrol Envoy Zhang to worry about."

Faced with this reaction, Patrol Envoy Zhang was stunned.

He had originally wanted to see Lu Ming panicked, regretful, and begging him for help, but the other party remained as calm as ever.

He didn't know if he was pretending to be calm or if he had some other reliance.

But he was just a newcomer who had just joined the Divine Court; where could he have any other backing?

However, Patrol Envoy Zhang ultimately said nothing more; wasting more breath with this person here had no meaning.

Although he was very unwilling in his heart at this moment, and the more he thought about it, the more stifled he felt.

After all, he had been busy for so long, only to be played by a small Spirit Official, and in the end, he had gained nothing, and even the fifteen years of Power Of Faith he had lent out were also thrown in.

"Eat only as much as your appetite allows; greed will only cause one to stuff themselves to death."

Patrol Envoy Zhang sneered in his heart; this matter would not end so easily!

Not to mention the issue of Face, just that two hundred-plus years of Power Of Faith was not something he could easily give up; to him, this was also not a small sum.

Therefore, he must find a way to get his hands on it!

And what he had to do was to find a way to pry it back from his hands before the debt collector noticed something wrong and started coming after Lu Ming.

At the very least, he had to get back the principal of his fifteen years of Power Of Faith, otherwise he would suffer a huge loss.

As for how to do it... hehe, he knew all too well.

Although the Systems they were in were different, his position was considered a middle-level position with real power in the Divine Court System; to deal with an outsider who was a second-grade Spirit Official, there were plenty of ways.

Just pick a few excuses, slap a few labels on him, and he could make him suffer the consequences.

The only thing that needed to be guarded against was the laws of the Divine Court; he could not directly take action against a colleague.

Otherwise, given that person's attitude just now, he would have slapped him to death long ago!

But it didn't matter; he could follow the procedure. He just needed to find an excuse to report it, and once the approval came down, he could arrest the person in a legitimate and logical manner.

An outsider, with neither Foundation nor backing, didn't even have anyone behind him to speak for him.

Dealing with him was simply not too easy.

The corners of Patrol Envoy Zhang's mouth slowly curled into an arc.

Immediately, he stood up, gave Lu Ming a meaningful look, and then flicked his sleeves and left.

And Lu Ming watched Patrol Envoy Zhang's departing back, his Face expressionless.

There was no need to think to know that Patrol Envoy Zhang would absolutely not let it go just like this.

Given that person's nature, having suffered such a big loss, he would inevitably want to find a way to retaliate.

But he probably wouldn't take action too soon, because if he really had the ability to handle him on the spot, he would have done it long ago, rather than bickering for so long with a small Spirit Official who was two major grades lower than him.

Either he didn't dare, or he couldn't.

But regardless of which one, it gave Lu Ming the time and space to operate.

As long as he took advantage of this time to kill Patrol Envoy Zhang, wouldn't that solve it?

As the saying goes, if you can't solve the problem, solve the person who created the problem.

If Patrol Envoy Zhang, this creditor, died, not only could the trouble be solved, but even the debt of those fifteen years of Power Of Faith could be wiped out with his death.

Such a good deal, Lu Ming naturally would not let pass.

However, being in the Divine Court, one naturally had to follow the rules here to act.

He could not directly take action to suppress and kill a Patrol Envoy, so he still had to think of a way.

It would be best to borrow a knife to kill!

And regarding this plan, he actually had a draft in his mind long ago.

Because from the moment he learned the relationship between the official Talisman and the Divine Official, he had a whole set of ideas.

This thing called the Divine Dao official Talisman, to put it plainly, is an object condensed from one's own Karma, Luck, and destiny.

It is said, "The Talisman is the register of the Heavenly Court, recording one's name and surname, documenting one's merits and demerits, binding one's Luck, and locking one's Karma."

It is like a rope, tying the Cultivator's fate and the Divine Court's System together; whether it is promotion or demotion, one cannot bypass this small Talisman.

And as for the area of Karma, it is exactly the Domain Lu Ming is most skilled in.

The reason he let Patrol Envoy Zhang borrow so much Power Of Faith on his behalf, without worrying about the debt problem, was that he had the certainty to transfer the debt.

After all, this was money Patrol Envoy Zhang went to borrow; what did it have to do with him, Lu Ming?

As long as he operated properly, he could make those debts fall onto the head of the person they should fall on.

Thus, Lu Ming turned and returned to the quiet room to sit cross-legged, his mind sinking into his Sea of Consciousness.

That karma golden book floated quietly, its pages turning, stopping at the newest page.

On that page, the two characters "Patrol Envoy Zhang" were still fresh in ink.

He extended his finger and lightly hooked it on the golden book.

There was no spiritual light, no strange phenomenon, not even any fluctuation of magic power.

But in the dark, it was as if an invisible thread was quietly turning.

Like a river changing its course, those debts and Karma that were originally entangled on Lu Ming's official Talisman were being stripped away from him bit by bit, and then flowing back into another tributary.

And Lu Ming could also feel that the layer of invisible shackles that had originally been placed on him was loosening, fading, and disappearing.

However, this was only an appearance; the debt had not actually disappeared, it had just been grafted onto Patrol Envoy Zhang.

And Patrol Envoy Zhang probably still didn't know all this...

Lu Ming stood up, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.

"Now, it just depends on when those few families discover it."

At the same time, in the inner chamber of the Tongyou Treasure Pavilion.

Zhou Yuan was holding a cup of spirit tea, his mood quite good.

He had made a good deal last night; although he hadn't collected that official Talisman on behalf of the owner, it didn't matter!

Even if that person couldn't pay it back in the end, he had plenty of ways to get the principal back.

Moreover, he had taken the opportunity to befriend a Patrol Envoy acting on behalf of Heaven, which could be considered burying a spare chess piece in the inspection System that might be useful in the future.

He was calculating how to use this relationship to do a few more businesses when he suddenly heard a burst of hurried footsteps coming from outside.

A gray-robed Daoist boy walked in quickly, came to his side, bowed, and said in a low voice.

"Manager, a secret letter has come from outside, saying that after Patrol Envoy Zhang left us, he went elsewhere."

Zhou Yuan set down the teacup, his brows slightly furrowed.

"What do you mean? Speak clearly!"

Facing Manager Zhou's scolding, the Daoist boy hesitated for a moment before stammering.

"It's... it's just that after Patrol Envoy Zhang left us, he also went to the Juxian Pavilion."

"And it's not just this one; according to the news sent back by the people there, Patrol Envoy Zhang ran to at least five more places last night, and borrowed a sum from each one."

Upon hearing this news, Zhou Yuan's movements suddenly paused.

He naturally knew about the Juxian Pavilion; it was of the same nature as their Tongyou Treasure Pavilion, so the purpose of Patrol Envoy Zhang going to other places was self-evident.

He was silent for a few breaths, as if digesting this news, and then asked through gritted teeth.

"What did he use as collateral?"

Although this question was meant as an inquiry, he actually had the answer in his heart long ago.

Sure enough, the Daoist boy's voice lowered a few degrees further.

"It is said to be a water virtue official Talisman, most likely the one you handled last night, the 'supreme red text water virtue spirit official talisman'."

"How bold!"

In an instant, Zhou Yuan slammed the desk.

The desk surface, polished from blue gold stone, shattered under his palm, tea splashed everywhere, the copper furnace tipped over, and the green smoke scattered all over the floor.

"He has such great audacity!" Manager Zhou's voice carried uncontrollable anger.

The same person, the same official Talisman, separately and simultaneously mortgaged to multiple money shops.

This is the greatest taboo in this line of work, and it is also an unspoken rule that everyone knows in their hearts and no one has ever dared to openly trample upon.

Because once something goes wrong, it's not just one money shop that will suffer, the entire line will be thrown into chaos.

And the reason Zhou Yuan had not collected the 'supreme red text water virtue spirit official talisman' before was actually that he wanted to befriend this person, Patrol Envoy Zhang, so he sold this favor.

After all, a Patrol Envoy acting on behalf of Heaven, although not a direct real-power position of the Heavenly Court, is at least a decent middle-level figure.

He also felt that the other party wouldn't stoop to such ugly behavior.

However, the result slapped his Face hard; clearly, he had misjudged him!

But he soon calmed down.

He had done business for so many years; anger was anger, but his brain would not be confused.

He knew that the urgent matter was not to complain here, nor to settle scores with Patrol Envoy Zhang, but to find that true borrower.

As long as he could squeeze something out of the owner of that official Talisman first, even if it was just part of the principal, he could recover some losses.

Going to block the person now is better than waiting for the repayment day when the other party vanishes into thin air.

Thinking of this, he reached into his sleeve and took out a wisp of aura.

That was exactly the wisp of aura he had extracted from that official Talisman last night in advance, keeping it for a rainy day, and it was just useful now.

Thinking of this, Manager Zhou closed his eyes, held the wisp of aura in his palm, operated a secret technique, and began to track it.

A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes.

The aura in his hand fed back a result that was hard for him to believe.

The Karma corresponding to that wisp of aura did not point to that unknown water virtue Spirit Official.

But... Patrol Envoy Zhang!?

Hmm?

For a moment, Manager Zhou even suspected that his old eyes were dim.

Immediately he verified it again, and found that it was really Patrol Envoy Zhang!

Moreover, as he reached this result, he also gradually discovered that this "supreme red text water virtue spirit official talisman" had also begun to gradually change.

In the end, it actually evolved into "Taixiao Heaven-Patrolling and Earth-Inspecting Direct Talisman Envoy"!!

"..."

Manager Zhou was stunned for a moment, then suddenly laughed out loud.

"Hahaha, Patrol Envoy Zhang, you have today too."