I'm not in the mood to lend it—listen to this reply. The old detective chief, Pei, felt a sudden tingle of unease. Why had he thought the Marshal was gradually becoming more mature and composed? The Marshal remained exactly as he always was—stubborn, difficult, never changing. The sense of maturity and composure was merely an illusion. At the root of it all, no one in the world dared to challenge her anymore. With no one to challenge her, she naturally became more accommodating. "We can't let this ridiculous reason derail our entire plan," said the elder in black robes. "Detective Chief Pei, you should have the tools to discern lies—tools of the Master Rank, at the very least." The detective chief, suppressing his anger, replied, "Why won't the Marshal lend the Seal of the Tiger? It's clearly Fu Qingyang who's obstructing her. Do you think, with Fu Qingyang's intelligence, he hasn't considered that tools of the Master Rank could even intimidate the Master of the Beginning? That would be an extraordinary dismissal of our scouts. Secretary Zhou, please have Elder Cai think of something—definitely get the Marshal to lend out the Seal of the Tiger." "Secretary Zhou's tone grew serious: 'It's customary for the Grand Master to remain hands-off in matters, but if the Grand Master refuses to lend the ceremonial items, what will you do to Elder Cai? Will you force the Marshal?' No one can force the Marshal. As the black-robed elder pondered, the Inspector Elder glanced at him and said, 'Let's not waste our time trying to figure things out in areas where we're not particularly strong. When it comes to struggle and conflict, the headquarters' colleagues are truly the experts, aren't they, Secretary Zhou?' Secretary Zhou smiled, his voice still low. 'Is the Inspector Elder praising me, or is he mocking me? Indeed, this isn't a major issue. If the Marshal refuses to lend the Tiger Seal, then we simply don't ask for it. The crux of the matter has never been substantive evidence—it's always been the Grand Master's intent to absorb the Yin-Yang Wheel. Would the Ten Elders allow such a thing to happen? Let alone the Ten Elders, even the Grand Master himself wouldn't tolerate it. If the Grand Master persists in his course, then his adversaries will be the Ten Elders—and the Grand Masters themselves.'" So...” the detective elder understood: “All we need to do is provide headquarters with a reason to act—and a blade—and then we can leave the rest to them.” “Exactly!” Zhou secretary smiled. The serious lines on the detective elder’s face softened into a smile: “Now I know what to do.” …… The interrogation room. Zhang Yuanqing had been left waiting for five hours now, and it was nearly 6:30 p.m., the sun beginning to set. He sat in the interrogation chair, eyes closed, motionless like a statue. Suddenly, the soundproof door opened, and the detective elder, with silver hair at his temples, entered alone, hands empty—neither pen nor notebook in hand. The elder turned off the video recorder, sat down, and said calmly: “Have you had your fun? You’ve exposed a female employee’s skirt in the office, taken control of the computer to play explicit videos, orchestrated employees to verbally attack the senior manager of the Jianghu Branch, and caused chaos throughout the branch. All of this alone is sufficient for me to detain you for ten days.” The Investigative Elder waited a moment, seeing him still seated with closed eyes, motionless, and coldly said, "Do you believe I'll slice through your spirit with a single sword?" Only then did Zhang Yuanqing open his eyes, lifting a corner of his mouth. "You need to back up your claims with evidence. Who doesn't know that I, Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn, am devoted and refined—a gentleman, never touched a single pornographic video in my life? All the things you've mentioned are entirely fabricated. Qin Hui Elder, you're now forcing me to have my entire team recite '满江红'!" "This time, since you've borrowed the Yin-Yang rotating disk, charging you a fee is only fair—we’ll charge only once. After that, there will be no further delays. If you wish to borrow the Yin-Yang rotating disk again, you’ll have to pay. That’s the rule." He shook his head as he spoke: "Fu Qingyang is a shrewd political figure; he surely wouldn’t fail to notice this unspoken understanding. Yet he actively encouraged you to appropriate the Yin-Yang rotating disk. I simply can’t fathom his motive." Zhang Yuanqing narrowed his eyes: "A clumsy scheme of division of loyalties. Besides, don’t tell me about your so-called unspoken rules—I won’t accept them!" The senior detective calmly replied: "I know you won’t. If you truly understood these rules and principles, you wouldn’t have ended up where you are today. You deserved a better career—what a pity!" "I don’t think so," Zhang Yuanqing remained composed. "A great man once said that blending with the world and maintaining harmony is wisdom, but stubbornness is truly admirable. Indeed, that great man is me." The Senior Detective chuckled, clearly conveying his mockery, yet said, "When I was young, I was just like you—only concerned with principles. But reality has taught me how to be a person. Here's the good news: the Marshal has refused to lend us the Tiger Seal. And here's the bad news: we have a way to make you speak the truth." Zhang Yuanqing raised an eyebrow, about to speak, when suddenly the Senior Detective behind the interrogation table lifted his hand, palm down, fingers slightly arched, like a puppeteer. In the next instant, Zhang Yuanqing felt invisible threads descending from his head, penetrating his neck, shoulders, elbows, knees, wrists, and ankles—similar sensations throughout. His pupils contracted sharply, but soon even that contraction became involuntary. He had become a puppet in the Senior Detective's hands. This was the Senior Detective's ability. "The bad news is: we no longer need the Tiger Seal." The elder detective rose with a smile, turned on the video recorder, and then returned to his desk to retrieve a black iron token, holding it in his hand as he spoke: "Master Yuan Shi, look at this token. Now I ask you—has the Yin-Yang rotating disk truly been lost?" As he spoke, he gently moved his left hand. Zhang Yuanqing's lips trembled, as though he wanted to struggle, yet he still managed to utter words that were not sincere: "It hasn't been lost." The elder detective then asked, "Why are you lying?" He slightly moved his left index finger. Under his influence, Zhang Yuanqing replied, "I intended to secretly claim the Yin-Yang rotating disk for myself." The elder detective had originally intended to ask Fu Qingyang whether he was aware of the matter, but after careful consideration, he decided against it. As Fu Qingyang, the eldest son of the Fu family, brother of the Marshal, and a senior official with substantial power at the Songhai branch, he was as solid and unyielding in both background and personal strength as stone. Involving someone of such stature would only bring harm, not benefit. Then he changed his tone and said, "Thank you for your cooperation. Everything you've said today has been recorded by the camera, and I will relay it accurately to headquarters." With a gentle grasp of his left hand, he cut the invisible thread. Yet Zhang Yuanqing's body still hadn't recovered; his joints felt as if they had rusted, making it difficult for him to move. The detective elder stood up, walked to the camera, turned off the recording function, and said calmly, "Your condition will recover in five minutes. You may stay here or return to Songhai—whichever suits you best!" He removed the camera from its stand and turned to leave. ... Fu Family Villa. In the hall, once transformed into a factory space, Fu Qingyang sat in the only high-back chair, his hands folded over his abdomen, examining the four mechanical weapons before him. "Please introduce them," he said, directing his gaze toward Xiahou Aotian beside him. "It's time for you to see my work—these four mechanical weapons were crafted by me over two full nights of dedicated effort." To fulfill your task, our excellent employee Li Chunfeng nearly died in the cooling pool— I recommend a salary increase," Xiahou Aotian said. "To ensure stability in the employee wage structure, I'm deciding to strip you of your authority to grant salary increases," Fu Qingyang replied. "I have a meeting this afternoon; you have only five minutes. Begin." "What meeting?" Xiahou Aotian asked. "The Judgment Meeting of Yuanshish Tianzun." "What has he done this time?" Xiahou Aotian expressed delight. "As for Li Chunfeng, if he hasn't already died, have him step up and explain himself," Fu Qingyang said, expressing his displeasure with a cold tone. He suddenly felt a great deal of admiration for Yuanshish Tianzun, who managed so effortlessly to handle these mediocre immortals. Xiahou Aotian cleared his throat and finally stopped talking, picking up a metallic arm guard and saying, "It's called the Atlas Gauntlet. It looks heavy, but its total weight doesn't exceed five catties. The material used is wind steel—lightweight by nature, so even scholars and musicians who aren't particularly strong can easily handle it. I've integrated a sensing system inside the gauntlet that can detect the wearer's movements..." As he spoke, he donned the arm guard and struck the workbench with a punch. Xiahou Aotian spoke with confidence: "Moreover, Feng Geng may be light in weight, but it's renowned for its strength and can even serve as a shield when needed." Fu Qingyang nodded in satisfaction—though this alchemist was eccentric and flamboyant, his professional competence was solid. "How is the security system?" "Rest assured—I've embedded a compact self-destruct mechanism within the arm armor. As long as anyone attempts to disassemble it, the self-destruct system will activate, ensuring the internal structure of the mechanism remains confidential." Xiahou then picked up a giant crossbow, one meter long: "Its drawback is that it's difficult to aim and requires exceptional arm strength to operate. However, the power of its arrows surpasses that of a sniper rifle. In my view, the ideal user would be a scout." The third mechanical weapon was a spherical device. "This mechanical weapon is called Fo Nu Tang Lian. Simply press the button and throw it; then, the armor-piercing toxin needles will launch, with an effective range of thirty meters and full 360-degree coverage, quieter than a hand grenade yet with greater lethality." After use, the self-destruct mechanism activates, making it a consumable item." "Why has your naming style changed so dramatically?" Fu Qingyang glanced at the "Atlas Gauntlets" and the "Buddha's Wrath Tang Lian." Xia Hou Ao Tian paused, looking at him with a compassionate gaze. "You didn't know about the Atlas Gauntlets, I suppose? And you don't even know what the Buddha's Wrath Tang Lian is? You must have never had a childhood—truly pitiful." Fu Qingyang's brow furrowed slightly. Xia Hou Ao Tian then introduced the final mechanical weapon: a mechanical automaton! "This automaton has the highest production cost. I've implanted the eyes of a mesmerizing spirit within it, granting it the power of enchantment. Its left arm houses a breaking-armor crossbow. Moreover, it possesses the innate combat instincts of a swordmaster—comparable to the shadow corpses of the Night-Wanderer, if not an enhanced version. During the transcendental stage, it will be both powerful and frequently used. The official will undoubtedly purchase it at any cost and hope we can mass-produce it." "That's sufficient!" "Fu Qingyang said, "Record a demonstration video for me and prepare a data report on the organ weapons. Have it ready by 2 p.m. Is that manageable?" "Li Chunfeng hasn't passed away yet—I'll make sure he completes it." "...That works." Fu Qingyang left the Department of Technology for the Return of the Deceased.