When they reappeared, they were already above a lake with rippling blue waves. The bright moon was reflected in the water, exceptionally beautiful.
The two swept the lake with their divine senses and discovered a cave dwelling enclosed by a formation in the center of the lake island.
They headed straight for the cave dwelling.
Upon reaching the lake island, the two disembarked from their flying vessel. Qi Heng then announced loudly,
"The Five Elements Hall is conducting business. We request the Daoist friend within to come out for a chat."
After a moment, a voice came from within,
"I am currently in seclusion for cultivation and have committed no offense. I request the Daoist friends from the Five Elements Hall to please return."
Wan Lei didn't think much of it upon hearing this. After all, anyone in cultivation would be wary if approached by strangers demanding they open their doors.
However, Qi Heng saw it differently. "I am a disciple of the prestigious Five Elements Hall, here on official business. Everyone must cooperate unconditionally. How dare you shut us out?"
"You're seeking death!"
Qi Heng sneered and announced loudly,
"It seems the Daoist friend within is unwilling to cooperate. You have two choices now: First, you can honestly come out yourself and cooperate with our investigation. Second, I will forcibly break through your formation and your door, and drag you back to the Five Elements Hall. The charge will be refusing to cooperate with official duties. You will undoubtedly be imprisoned for several years. Choose wisely."
Wan Lei was stunned. "Holy cow, is the Five Elements Hall that overbearing?"
"I'm not accustomed to this."
But then he thought, before he joined the Five Elements Hall, the disciples he encountered seemed to be just like this.
Arrogant, superior, and utterly domineering towards everyone, as if they were the best in the world and defying them was like breaking the law.
Indeed, after a while, the door of the cave dwelling creaked open, and a middle-aged cultivator with a dark expression emerged.
Qi Heng produced a small instrument and shone it on the man's face. The instrument's screen immediately displayed the man's profile.
"Ah, facial recognition."
"It's indeed Xu Yan," he confirmed.
Upon hearing this, Xu Yan asked with a cold face, "Your Excellencies, may I know what offense I have committed that requires disciples of the Five Elements Hall to personally come here?"
The style of dress of the Five Elements Hall disciples was known throughout the entire Immortal Realm.
"Don't you know what we're here for yourself?"
Qi Heng sneered at Xu Yan, leaning forward slightly, exerting great pressure.
The pressure wasn't from his cultivation, but from the uniform he wore, which imposed immense pressure on Xu Yan.
Xu Yan's gaze flickered. After all, those with a guilty conscience would instinctively feel uneasy when the police showed up at their door.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Can't recall, can you? Let me help you remember. Which disciple of the Five Elements Hall do you interact with? And… what did he give you?"
Qi Heng's smile faded, his expression becoming stern and cold.
"I know many disciples of the Five Elements Hall, but none have given me anything…"
"Hmph, you won't shed tears until you see the coffin."
Qi Heng produced an IOU and threw it at Xu Yan.
"Liu Pang has already confessed today. According to the regulations of the Five Elements Hall, the spirit stones he gave you are all stolen goods and need to be recovered.
Xu Yan, harboring stolen goods is already an offense. Now that you refuse to admit it, your crime is compounded.
If you honestly surrender the stolen goods, we can overlook your past transgressions. But if you remain stubborn, do not blame us for dragging you back and subjecting you to severe interrogation."
At these words, Xu Yan immediately panicked. Moreover, with the IOU presented, the evidence was conclusive, and he had no way to deny it.
Furthermore, which cultivator in the Immortal Realm did not fear the Five Elements Hall?
"They are all here."
Xu Yan produced a storage bag and handed it to Qi Heng.
When Liu Pang originally gave him these spirit stones and promised him three million spirit stones as remuneration, he was ecstatic. After all, getting a large sum of spirit stones for doing nothing was incredibly profitable.
As for what Liu Pang intended to do with them, he didn't know, but he figured that giving them to an outsider like him must have been for some unsavory business.
He had never considered keeping these spirit stones before. After all, the possessions of disciples of the Five Elements Hall were not easily obtained.
However, later, he could no longer contact Liu Pang. He gradually began to suspect that Liu Pang might have met with trouble and been apprehended.
He felt uneasy. If Liu Pang was caught, these funds would surely have to be surrendered, as they were stolen goods. He knew this himself, but fifty million spirit stones – he was reluctant to give them up.
Thus, he harbored a侥幸心理 (hope against hope). If people from the Five Elements Hall came looking for the money, he would hand it over honestly. If no one came to find him, it would mean Liu Pang was dead or hadn't confessed, and he would keep it for himself.
He also dared not flee, fearing that the Five Elements Hall would assume he had absconded with the stolen funds and issue a warrant for his arrest, making it impossible for him to explain himself.
But he waited and waited. After more than ten years passed without anyone from the Five Elements Hall coming to claim the money, he gradually became at ease and considered the money his own.
When a person possesses something that doesn't belong to them for a long time, they will naturally regard it as their own.
When the original owner comes to reclaim it, they become unwilling to return it.
Of course, this also depends on the situation. If the original owner is weaker, he would certainly keep it for himself.
But now, the one demanding the money is the Five Elements Hall…
No one could resist the Five Elements Hall.
Xu Yan reluctantly handed over the money. After all, he had no choice but to give it up. The Five Elements Hall could forcibly confiscate it. Between freedom and jail time, he knew which was the better option.
After receiving the storage bag, Qi Heng opened it and scanned it briefly. Indeed, it contained fifty million spirit stones.
"Heh, you haven't spent any of it in these past ten years?"
Qi Heng sneered, looking Xu Yan up and down.
Xu Yan forced a bitter smile and said nothing.
How could he dare to spend it? Perhaps if no one came to claim it for several hundred or thousand years, he might have tried to spend it, but how much time had passed since then?
"Alright, we're leaving."
Qi Heng waved his hand and turned to leave. Suddenly, Xu Yan spoke,
"Uh… Liu Pang promised me three million spirit stones as remuneration."
Upon hearing this, Qi Heng stopped in his tracks and looked at Xu Yan with disbelief, a wry smile on his face.
"Are you really blinded by spirit stones? This is stolen money, every single piece of it is accountable. If you want your money back, go ask Liu Pang for it."
Qi Heng sneered coldly, his eyes holding a hint of mockery.
"He's in the internal prison of the Five Elements Hall. You can try and see if you can find him."
Xu Yan's face turned pale then flushed red. He dared not speak his anger and could only retreat dejectedly.
Wan Lei gave the man a deep look before following Qi Heng onto the flying vessel.
The flying vessel re-calibrated its destination to the Five Elements Hall and initiated the teleportation.
From departure to return, it had taken him less than fifteen minutes.