Weird Cultivation, I have a five-organ temple

Chapter 582 The Pedestrian Bureau: A Net of Heaven and Earth!

After leaving the crime scene, Shang Lu did not go anywhere else, but went straight to the small restaurant run by Widow Zhang.

Anyone who has been an undercover agent knows that when playing other roles, you must maintain that persona to the end.

Any small detail or oversight that is not done properly may be noticed by others, thus exposing one's identity.

Shang Lu was a little nervous when he first entered Widow Zhang's small restaurant.

Because after Feng Ping was subjected to soul-searching and spirit-stripping, he swore that he had a very good and warm relationship with Widow Zhang, and that Widow Zhang cared for him very much, but only did not accept his advances for fear of affecting his career.

So Shang Lu was genuinely worried that Widow Zhang would discover his secret.

Although he gleaned many details from Feng Ping, some subconscious behaviors between the two could not be faked if they truly had feelings for each other.

However, when Shang Lu entered the unassuming little restaurant, he realized that he had worried too much.

Feng Ping lied about Widow Zhang's matter!

No, it's not entirely accurate to say that Feng Ping was lying.

If he were lying, Cheng Ren's keen hearing would have detected it.

It can only be said that Feng Ping was too confident and fooled himself. Or perhaps, he was fooled by Widow Zhang.

Feng Ping believed from the bottom of his heart that Widow Zhang cared about him and had feelings for him.

In reality, he was a complete simp. And it was a one-sided simp.

Widow Zhang looked down on him. Her smiling face and words of concern were just the usual tricks of a businessperson who came and went.

Unfortunately, Feng Ping took it seriously, thinking that Widow Zhang truly had feelings for him, but he failed to notice that what Widow Zhang's eyes concealed was nothing but impatience and disgust.

As an observer with a clearer perspective, Shang Lu understood everything immediately.

Even the other diners in the restaurant noticed this and looked at Shang Lu, who was dressed as Feng Ping, with mocking eyes, treating him as nothing more than a clown.

It seems everyone knew what was going on, except for Feng Ping who took it seriously.

Shang Lu silently mourned for Feng Ping in his heart.

At the same time, in order not to arouse suspicion, he had to maintain this sycophantic persona, acting like a fool and fawning over Widow Zhang with a beaming smile.

This feeling was incredibly awkward.

Especially since Third Sister was floating to the side, watching his performance with great interest, occasionally chuckling to herself.

What is this? Husband committing adultery... no, wife committing adultery?

Shang Lu found it both laughable and absurd.

However, Third Sister is becoming more and more like a human being, and more and more charming—every smile and frown of hers is a captivating temptation.

If he weren't still playing the role of Feng Ping, Shang Lu would want to stare at his third wife to his heart's content.

What is Widow Zhang? In terms of looks, figure, temperament... she can't compare to Third Sister in any way.

Feng Ping had never seen much of the world.

Having finally endured a period of agonizing time in the restaurant, Shang Lu rose to take his leave amidst Widow Zhang's impatient smile and headed to the Public Works Bureau.

Upon arriving at the gate of the Imperial Household Agency, several constables were already queuing up, waiting for the inspection by Jiaotu Jianbi.

Officials from the Pedestrian Office, of course, did not need to queue up with these constables.

Once they arrive, they can go directly to the Jiao Tu Jian wall for inspection.

After queuing for a short while, several more officials arrived one after another.

The Rat also came on patrol, hiding in the group and not drawing attention. He chatted and laughed with his colleagues in front and behind him, as if he really was Pan Sheng and not someone else impersonating him.

The inspection of the Jiao Tu Jian Bi was not slow, and soon it was Shang Lu's turn.

Third Sister had already floated into the oil-paper umbrella and disappeared without a trace.

"Next!"

The officer on duty standing beside the wall of the Jiao Tu Jian called out in a cold voice.

Shang Lu strode forward and crossed the threshold of the pedestrian station.

The threshold twitched slightly, as if it were a living thing.

The instant he stepped across the threshold, Shang Lu clearly felt a cold, viscous, and intensely probing magical energy, like an invisible snake, instantly coil around him, sweeping over his limbs and bones, focusing on checking his waist tag to confirm his identity.

If one's identity is incorrect, or if one does not possess the pass of the Pedestrian Administration, one might be like the Shadow Demon and Copper Ant of yesterday, blocked outside the threshold and subjected to slaughter by the surrounding Chu witches.

After stepping through the threshold of the pedestrian station, Shang Lu finally saw the true appearance of the Jiao Tu Mirror Wall—this screen wall was not a brick and stone structure at all, but a huge bronze mirror that gleamed with a faint light.

The mirror surface was not smooth; it was densely covered with countless pale, distorted human and animal faces.

Hollow eye sockets and grotesque teeth tell a story of pain and resentment!

This is the true appearance of the Jiao Tu Jian Bi.

But in the eyes of ordinary people, it is just an ordinary screen wall.

When Shang Lu stood before the wall of Jiao Tu Jian, a faint green phosphorescent flame suddenly ignited in the empty eye sockets of the human and animal-faced bones.

It was as if countless cold eyes had suddenly opened, scrutinizing Shang Lu's body and soul.

In an instant, Shang Lu felt as if his flesh and bone, his breath and his soul, were being pierced and dissected by those cold, greedy, and malicious gazes...

Immediately afterwards, countless eerie green phosphorescent flames frantically converged and collapsed towards the center of the mirror.

In an instant, it coalesced into a bizarre vertical pupil covered in blood vessels!

It was the same one I saw yesterday.

A sticky, bloody light shot out from the eerie blood-red eye, enveloping Shang Lu within it.

Om-!
Suddenly, the blood-red light fluctuated.

Then it twisted, creating ripples that spread outwards.

This was something that had not happened during the previous inspections of the officers.

Shang Lu was startled.

Was the disguise exposed?

But didn't Senior Sister Gongshu say that the transformation techniques in novels and stories are enough to fool the detection of Jiao Tu Jian Bi?
What went wrong?!

Shang Lu maintained the bewilderment and slight fear of being shocked by the bloodshed that Feng Ping should have, but in his heart he had already quietly prepared for battle.

The rat patrolling at the back of the line wore the same curiosity and suspicion as the others, but in reality, he was also ready to strike at any moment.

Further away, Lu Yang, Xu Zhen, and Cheng Ren, disguised as passersby, also instantly noticed the strangeness of the place.

Lu Yang's hand, hidden in his sleeve, had already formed a sword incantation.

If things go wrong, we must rush in and help the pokeweed and rats retreat.

The two Chu witches guarding the screen wall of Jiao Tu also reacted immediately. Their four cold gazes locked onto Shang Lu instantly, and their powerful witch energy turned into shackles, covering Shang Lu's body. At the same time, they made hand seals, and the tip of their fingers flashed with ghostly light, ready to take him down.

At the critical moment.

"Whoosh—" The eerie blood-red eye on the Jiao Tu screen suddenly spat out a stream of sticky blood, accurately hitting one of the constables behind Shang Lu.

The officer was stuck in the blood, as if he were being strangled by a giant python, and was instantly unable to move.

His expression immediately turned to astonishment and panic, perhaps because he couldn't understand how this unexpected disaster had befallen him.
The two Chu witches who were about to attack Shang Lu were also stunned by this scene.

Fortunately, they reacted quickly, immediately changing their target and pouncing on the constable without hesitation, capturing him in an instant.

Only then did the bailiff come to his senses and cry out that he was innocent.

"Injustice?"

One of the Chu witches snorted coldly and swung his hand sharply at the back of the neck!
"what--!"

The constable immediately let out a short, painful scream.

A thin bone spur, about three inches long and covered with strange blood patterns, was pulled out from the back of his neck.

The bone spur was deeply embedded in the officer's flesh, but he felt nothing at all, and no one else could see it.

After the bone spur was pulled out, it twisted wildly, as if it were alive!
The blood-red patterns on it glowed with a blinding, eerie light.

With a hiss, it transformed into two foul-smelling will-o'-the-wisps, rushing straight towards the faces of the two Chu sorcerers!
Once hit, the consequences are unpredictable.

However, the two Chu shamans were prepared and spewed out two streams of shamanic wind, which extinguished the foul-smelling ghost fire with a "sizzle".

The constable, who witnessed all of this, trembled even more and screamed incoherently, "I don't know how this thing got on me! Your Honor, please see the truth!"

“You admit it’s on you!” a wizard sneered.

Another wizard scolded, "You didn't even know you were cursed! You're utterly useless!"

He waved to the guards and ordered, "Drag him away. Interrogate him severely. Make him tell you everything—where he's been these past two days, who he's met! If he tries to hide anything, kill him and have his soul searched!"

The guards immediately obeyed and came forward to drag the person away.

The officer was so frightened that his whole body went limp; he didn't even have the strength to stand up straight, let alone struggle or resist.

After dealing with this incident, the two wizards turned their heads and looked at Shang Lu again.

At that very moment, the eerie blood-red eye on the Jiao Tu Mirror Wall stopped glowing red. The eerie light within the countless eye sockets of the facial bones also dimmed.

This reaction indicates that the pokeweed passed the review and there were no problems.

Upon seeing this, the two wizards immediately lost interest in Shang Lu and waved him away, telling him to get lost and stop obstructing the inspection for the others.

In their view, the unusual reaction of Jiao Tu Jian Bi just now had nothing to do with Shang Lu; it was all directed at that fool who had been cursed but was unaware of it.

But Shang Lu was secretly alarmed.

Just as the Jiao Tu Jian Bi withdrew its bloody light, those strange evil spirits on it were actually trying to befriend him!

What have these evil spirits and vengeful ghosts sensed?
Why wasn't there a warning, but instead a show of goodwill?

No. These evil spirits can't even be described as simply showing goodwill; their attitude is even somewhat obsequious and fawning.

Is it because he has the blessing of Houtu?

Or did these evil spirits sense the underworld messenger token on its body?
Shang Lu was both surprised and curious, but this was not the time to unravel his doubts.

He could only suppress his doubts, pretend to be terrified, bow and scrape to the two wizards, and then deliberately walk unsteadily, trembling with lingering fear, staggering towards the pedestrian station.

"stop!"

I hadn't walked more than a few steps when a sharp shout suddenly came from behind me.

Shang Lu stopped as instructed and slowly turned around.

Then they saw one of the Chu witches, his face darkening, beckon with his hand.

A surge of witchcraft energy materialized into an invisible hand, instantly rising up and forcibly rolling up Shang Lu's oil-paper umbrella, opening it for inspection.

Shang Lu barely managed to refrain from making a move.

The Chu shaman made a hand seal, and a strange halo immediately appeared in his eyes.

But after looking it over, he couldn't see anything wrong with the oiled paper umbrella, so he threw it back to Shang Lu and questioned, "Why did you bring an umbrella?"

Shang Lu put on a smug yet somewhat embarrassed expression and said with a shy smile, "Reporting to my lord, it was Zhang who cared about me and told me to carry an umbrella with me so that I wouldn't be without one if it rained."

"Pfft... Hahahaha."

Even though the two Chu witches were professionally trained, they couldn't hold back their laughter at this moment and burst out laughing in unison.

The clerks queuing behind them clearly knew that Feng Ping was Zhang the widow's sycophant, and they all burst into laughter.

"How could a widow have you so infatuated with her? You're utterly pathetic!"

The Chu witch waved her hand dismissively, as if shooing away a fly, too lazy to pay any more attention to Shang Lu, and scolded, "Get lost, don't get in my way."

As if granted a pardon, Shang Lu turned around again and staggered toward the pedestrian station.

At this moment, his acting skills reached their peak.

This time, thankfully no one stopped him, allowing him to sneak in unharmed.

Upon entering the pedestrian bureau, Shang Lu was not in a hurry to gather intelligence; instead, he went to the courtyard where roll call was conducted.

Along the way, Shang Lu did not see any patrolling soldiers or shamans.

However, this does not mean that security has been relaxed inside the pedestrian zone.

The carved railings and painted beams, adorned with birds and beasts, exotic flowers and rare plants, and even lifelike ladies and strongmen... are all "eyes".

With his keen senses, Shang Lu clearly noticed that as he walked by, the eyes of the stone beasts on the eaves shifted slightly with his steps; the pupils of the painted palace maids scrutinized him from head to toe; even the birds carved on the beams seemed to be listening intently to his movements…

These strange contraptions formed an impenetrable surveillance network, watching everyone who entered the pedestrian station. They took in every move and every word.

After waiting for a while in the courtyard where the roll call was to be made, Shang Lu saw Zi Shu Xunshou and several other officials walking over, chatting and laughing.

It seems that the Rat's Hunting Trip managed to deceive the Pepper Demon's Mirror Wall more successfully than I did.

Shang Lu breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much more at ease.

The clerks arrived one after another, and after waiting for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the official in charge of roll call and assigning tasks finally arrived late.

After the routine roll call and attendance, various miscellaneous tasks for the day were assigned.

Both Shang Lu and Zi Shu were diligently playing the roles of Feng Ping and Pan Sheng, keeping to their duties, not approaching the villa where foreign envoys were staying, nor deliberately inquiring about the whereabouts of the Grand Master and the Innkeeper, but simply carrying out their tasks conscientiously.

The Rat was initially worried that Shang Lu, lacking experience, would be unable to restrain himself and would take action once he entered the Public Security Bureau.

This could arouse suspicion and lead to exposure.

I was thinking of finding an opportunity to remind him a few more times.

However, Shang Lu was found to be just like the real Feng Ping, imitating his words, actions, and demeanor perfectly. Moreover, he did not inquire about the news of the Grand Master and the Clerk, nor did he spy on the foreign envoy's villa.

The Rat, on its hunting expedition, was surprised by Shang Lu's composure and a hint of approval flashed in its eyes, putting it completely at ease.

Although there was no deliberate investigation, since it was inside the pedestrian area, both the copper ants and the hair of the rats on patrol could come in handy.

And then, very quickly, they made a discovery that surprised them…

(My friend invited me to play soccer today. At first, I thought I was still young, but after playing for about ten minutes, I threw up and almost went into shock... Damn, my body is too weak.)
(End of this chapter)