Li, the secretary of the Dihong Senior Monarch, rose promptly, holding a remote control in hand, and said: "I'll briefly outline the situation. A few days ago, Yuanshish Tianzun applied to the headquarters for use of the Yin-Yang Wheel, citing the need to expand the affiliated faction's quest instance. After completing the instance, he claimed the Yin-Yang Wheel had been lost within it. Yesterday, I and the detective senior monk from the Jianghu Branch visited to inquire about the details, but he refused to answer our questions and further declined to pay the agreed-upon compensation. At that time, we immediately sensed something was amiss. We requested the headquarters' finance department to review Yuanshish Tianzun's account, and discovered that immediately after borrowing the Yin-Yang Wheel, he withdrew substantial cash from his account and transferred a residential villa under his name to Fu Qingyang. Recognizing this as a well-planned embezzlement of official assets, we promptly applied for a detention order and brought Yuanshish Tianzun back to the Jianghu Branch for questioning. "With that," he raised his hand and pressed the remote control, "after questioning at the Huaihai branch, Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun has confessed. Please take a look." The backdrop behind Cai Elder slowly descended, and the projector cast a serene blue beam, projecting a twenty-second video onto the screen. In the video, Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun sat in the interrogation chair, gazing straight ahead. The elder detective's voice came through: "Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun, look at my token. Now, I'd like to ask you—has the Yin-Yang rotating disk truly been lost?" "It hasn't been lost." "Then why lie?" "I intended to appropriate it for myself." The video ended here—brief, yet conclusive. Cai Elder said calmly, "According to official law, what is the penalty for embezzlement of public property?" Li Secretary replied, "The Yin-Yang rotating disk is a top-tier artifact of the Saint Realm, of incalculable value. When converted into cash, it amounts to at least two hundred million, and is truly priceless—there is no market price for it. Under the law, Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun has already reached the standard of capital "I question the authenticity of the video!" the Dog Elder spoke first. "Back then, the Jianghu Branch sought to acquire the Yin-Yang Wheel at a low price from the Yuan-Shi Tianzun, and the negotiations were quite strained. I have reason to suspect that the Yuan-Shi Tianzun was affected by this, and thus, the video's content falls short of being conclusive. Brother Cai, I propose a fresh review, witnessed jointly by elders from the Songhai and Jianghu Branches." "Free of charge? You, an old dog, have thus so deeply disrespected us!" retorted an elder from the Jianghu Branch, coldly. "But how do you explain the Yuan-Shi Tianzun's actions in transferring his assets? Furthermore, the account he provided regarding the loss of the Yin-Yang Wheel is vague—lacking in detail—and he refuses to disclose any information about his branch members. No witness can confirm that the Yin-Yang Wheel was indeed lost." The Detective Elder interjected: "I have a complete chain of evidence." "This isn't a minor matter—every step must be verified repeatedly. Instead, Jianghai has simply taken people away and unilaterally presented what they call irrefutable evidence. I'm sorry, but if that's the case, we at Songhai refuse to accept it." Elder Huang Sha, whose tone was cold, expressed his view. "Agreed. However, I suggest first placing them under arrest, having the elders from Taimei purify them, and at the same time, requesting Elder Fu to secure the虎symbol from the Marshal. Only then will the process be truly fair and impartial." The black-robed elder from Jianghai spoke with a sarcastic tone. "What do you mean?" Elder Mie, wielding the灭world fire, thundered at the table, "Are you planning to fight? If so, then set a time and place—unless you're willing to return to the spiritual realm, I'll resign as an elder right here." The two parties engaged in heated debate, while Fu Qingyang remained silent, observing calmly, seated with quiet composure. "Tap-tap!" The secretary of Mie's office tapped the table, interrupting the ongoing dispute between the two branches. He is a middle-aged man dressed in Han attire, composed and affable. "The charge of death need not be mentioned—let's focus on practical matters. First, the nature of the embezzlement of official assets is serious; the headquarters will not allow such a thing to happen." He lifted his teacup, sipped slowly, and with the ease of someone in a position of authority, set it down before continuing, "The Jianghu branch has already gathered a complete chain of evidence and should have been ready to proceed with the case. Yet the headquarters has decided to hold this meeting today—a private one, without any recordings. Therefore, people are free to speak openly. As everyone knows the full story, there's no need for lengthy debates. I will now present a proposal on behalf of Master Miao, and I invite you all to consider it." The secretary glanced around the room. "Return the Yin-Yang Disk to the Yuan-Shi Tian Zun, and compensate with an item of equivalent value. With this, the matter shall be settled—without any official announcement or public statement." "The Yin-Yang Rotating Disk is a top-tier item for the Sage Realm. Can a comparable item be simply forfeited like that? What if Yuan-Shi Tian Zun himself didn't have one?" Tianhuo, the灭世 heavenly fire, exclaimed angrily. The elder dog raised his paw, signaling for calm, and fixed his eyes on the composed, courteous middle-aged man, slowly saying, "Yang Secretary, what do you wish for—what does the headquarters desire?" Yang Secretary remained silent. Li Secretary, standing beside him, calmly added, "Doesn't Yuan-Shi Tian Zun have a set of ceremonial attire for the heavenly sacrifices? If he's willing to part with it, then the loss of the Yin-Yang Rotating Disk can be considered settled—headquarters will forgive any past grievances." The elder dog slowly glanced over at Cai Elder, then at the nine secretaries. He now understood the headquarters' intent. Evidence wasn't crucial—the video footage was merely a pretext to provoke a response. The headquarters' stance was clear: the Yin-Yang Rotating Disk was an official asset, both in the past and in the future. Anyone who touched official property would have to bear the consequences. Moreover, there was another signal: The Dog Elder didn't fully understand the divine significance of the Celestial Sacrifice Set, but the Headquarters had repeatedly pursued it—indicating that the set concealed something of great importance, surpassing its own value. Compared to the Headquarters' zero tolerance for the appropriation of official assets, the Ten Elders' growing interest in the Celestial Sacrifice Set was what the Dog Elder was most concerned about. Fortunately, at present, this interest still hadn't reached the point of being absolutely necessary. Otherwise, the attendees would no longer be secretaries, but the Ten Elders themselves. "The Celestial Sacrifice Set cannot be handed over to the Jianghu Branch," the Dog Elder firmly rejected. "Don't rush to reject," smiled Li, the secretary. "In fact, this matter originated from the Yuanshiyuan's own greed. He should bear the consequences. The senior elders of the Songhai Branch—there's no need for you to absorb the cost of his mistake. The Headquarters has been lenient, considering his face, and thus proposed a compromise. You are certainly free to reject this, but next time, it might become a formal red-headed document." That's a threat! The red-headed official document is the formal approval from headquarters—like an ancient imperial edict. Once issued, any refusal amounts to betrayal of the official stance. At that point, either enforcement is mandatory or the party becomes a fugitive, with no middle ground. The elders of the Songhai branch fell silent. After all, a higher authority can crush even a superior one, let alone a decision made at headquarters, the central command. How could a regional branch possibly challenge the central authority? "Tap-tap!" The clear, resonant sound echoed through the conference room, breaking the silence. Everyone turned to see the source—the man who had spoken not a single word since the meeting began. The Marshal originally said: "Let me think—have any of you ten elders made it onto my list of must-eliminate targets?" What the Marshal meant was that, thank goodness you didn't drive me to the point of death, or else, in my very first divine sword strike as a deified being, I'd have cut down senior officials right away. Now, Fu Qingyang is revisiting this old matter—not merely to remind the headquarters, but to issue a clear warning to both the headquarters and the ten elders: don't let a young man with the potential of a Grand Marshal be driven to the brink of death. A bare-faced threat! The senior detective elder furrowed his brow, "What's happened to Cai Elder...?" Suddenly realizing what had transpired, he turned sharply to Fu Qingyang, glaring at him with growing anger, teeth clenched, "What have you done again?" The elders from Jianghu Branch also cast cold glances toward Fu Qingyang. After all, nothing is more unsettling than uncertainty when victory is near—Cai Elder's unexpected departure had cast a shadow of unease. The four elders from Songhai Branch, on the other hand, looked on with curiosity and anticipation. The nine secretaries exchanged concerned glances. Fu Qingyang remained silent and composed, neither pleased nor displeased—like a master of the romantic scene, untouched by the flutter of emotions, calmly stirring the waters of the elders' hearts with just a few words, yet remaining aloof and serene. Time passed quietly. Half an hour later, the blue light beam from the head seat flickered, and Cai Elder's figure appeared in the conference room. He glanced over the assembly of elders, his gaze lingering on Fu Qingyang for several seconds before slowly declaring, "Regarding the matter of the Yuanshixian Tianzun's lost Yin-Yang Disk, the headquarters has reached a decision. The penalties are as follows: one A-level and one B-level merit points deducted, a fine of five million, and one artifact of Saint-level quality, to be paid within three days." The conference room fell silent. Everyone was stunned. The elder of the Detective Division, his face rigid, sat motionless like a statue in his high-backed chair. The elders from the Jianghai Branch shared the same expression. The elder from Songhai Branch, along with others, were equally astonished, delighted, and bewildered, frequently turning to look at Fu Qingyang. "Dismissed!" Chai elder said firmly. ... "Bang!" In the top-floor office of the Jianghai Branch, the elder of the Detective Division slammed his palm onto the expensive desk, shattering it. Files, books, computers, and office supplies scattered in all directions. The loud noise drew the assistant from the adjacent office, who hurriedly pushed open the leader's office door. "Senior, what's going on...?" The assistant suddenly froze, his face filled with alarm. The senior detective's features were taut, his eyes bloodshot, his temples pulsing with rage—he was on the verge of losing control. He had never seen his leader so furious, and thus dared not ask any further questions. "Get out!" the senior detective said, each word deliberate and firm. The assistant hurriedly exited the office and closed the door behind him. The senior detective stood in place for a moment, took a deep breath, and suppressed his mounting frustration. He then composed himself and dialed Li's secretary's number. But the line went dead. A message followed, stating that she was in a meeting. For nearly half an hour, the senior detective waited, and only then did Li return his call. "What's going on at headquarters? Are they just watching Yuan-Shi Tianzun take over the Yin-Yang Disk and absorb it? And what about the fine—five million? Is that really sending away a beggar?" Though the senior detective had tried to remain calm, his tone remained sharply impassioned. Li Secretary remained silent for a few moments, then sighed, "This matter is settled. There will be no further developments." The suppressed anger of the detective elder surged instantly, his teeth gritted as he demanded, "What's the reason?" "Fu Qingyang has provided the headquarters with a compensation package," Li Secretary whispered, "one so substantial that the Ten Elders cannot possibly refuse. Compared to that, the Yin-Yang Wheel is certainly something that can be let go." "What kind of compensation?" "It's still confidential—nothing to be revealed yet." "And what about the Sacred Heaven Set? Isn't the headquarters eager to secure it? Isn't this opportunity being wasted simply because of that?" "Stop making such complaints," Li Secretary's tone grew serious, "If the headquarters insists on having the Sacred Heaven Set, it's equivalent to pressuring the Yuan Shi Tian Zun to reverse his stance. Once the Yuan Shi Tian Zun is pushed to the brink, his allies will certainly intervene—then, no benefits will be gained at all." Pausing briefly, he sighed again, "Fu Qingyang has offered far more than expected. If this young man joins the headquarters, we're likely to face a lot of trouble down the "Don't bring up the money. The Senior Elder just scolded me earlier—he already knows about the eighty million. Fu Qingyang hasn't mentioned it; he's warning us. He's holding the cards." Li's secretary said firmly. "Receiving eighty million—that's enough to make us drink a whole pot of tea." The detective elder was nearly biting his teeth off; he hung up the phone silently. A few moments later, the sound of breaking and shattering came again from the office. The staff outside trembled, holding their breath. … At Fu's Bay, in the study, Zhang Yuanqing said with delight, "It's over? The Yin-Yang Rotating Disk truly belongs to me?" He had just returned from the Jianghu Branch and received the good news directly from Fu Qingyang. This outcome aligns with the astrological prediction, though it's not entirely accurate—since the pinnacle-level masters, beings of such stature, are not included in the calculations. Fu Qingyang sat calmly at his desk, giving a composed nod. "Old man, how did you negotiate with headquarters?" Zhang Yuanqing asked curiously. He knew Fu Qingyang intended to leverage the momentum of the mechanical weapons to resolve the Yin-Yang rotating disc issue, but he was unaware of the specific details of the transaction between the Money Gentleman and the headquarters.