Hell Emperor.

Chapter 560 The Immortal Official of Fortune - Questioning the Sins
Jubao City.

As the center of the Qinglian Chamber of Commerce, the city is bustling with merchants on weekdays, and passersby all wear smiles, adhering to the ancestral teachings left by the God of Wealth—only harmony can bring wealth.

The recent news of the elder's capture and defeat in battle has made the city's residents restless and unable to eat or sleep. Businesses have also declined significantly, and the once frequent visitors of distinguished guests have now disappeared without a trace.

Today, the gates of the immortals outside the City of Treasures are wide open, and celestial officials and heavenly soldiers descend from the clouds.

With the arrival of the heavenly soldiers, the city's residents applauded and cheered. The Qinglian Chamber of Commerce was able to open up trade routes because it had the backing of the God of Wealth in the Heavenly Court. Needless to say, those heavenly soldiers must have come to help them solve their troubles. With these heavenly soldiers, Jubao City would surely be able to restore its former prosperity.

Unlike the delighted residents, the acting city lord, the Immortal Official Li Shi, was currently having a major headache with those heavenly soldiers. The reason was simple: those heavenly soldiers were not there to help them resolve the conflict, but rather to confront them and demand an explanation.

"It was the God of Fortune who stole our official documents!"

"That's right, he did it all!"

"Weren't you very arrogant before? Why have you changed your tune now and are you afraid to admit it?"

Before the God of Prosperity, several elderly immortals dressed in civil official robes were pointing out his crimes in unison before the heavenly soldiers.

"I've already told you, you've got the wrong person. I've been staying in Jubao City the whole time. When have I ever had the chance to steal your documents?"

The fortune teller raised his hand to his forehead; anyone would be upset by such unfounded accusations.

If it were anyone else who made unfounded accusations against the God of Wealth, he probably wouldn't even bother with them. But the people in front of him were all extraordinary, being the Four Duty Officers among the celestial officials. Now it was the God of Wealth's turn to have a headache, and he could only try to clear up the misunderstanding.

"Let's not even talk about when I left Jubao City. Just one thing: the Gongcao Wenbu is a divine artifact used by you Gongcao. What would I need it for? Don't wrong me."

"We've wronged you? We haven't wronged you!"

"You stole the documents, surely to use their power to falsify accounts! Don't think we don't know; your actions have violated the laws of heaven!"

“That’s right! You clearly displayed the power of a celestial official. That power that forced other immortals to sell their treasures to you, if it wasn’t the power of you, the celestial official who brings profit, then whose power was it? We can’t see your face, but do you think we can’t recognize your power?”

"Quickly return the documents to us, and perhaps we can report to Heaven and have your punishment waived. Otherwise, this matter will not end easily!"

Amidst the accusations from the officials, the God of Prosperity was exasperated, having roughly discerned what had happened.

Upon careful analysis, it appears that someone impersonated him and stole the official documents from the clerks. Moreover, this person did not only impersonate him in appearance but also directly displayed the same celestial official powers as him, which is why the clerks believed him without a doubt.

After all, appearance and voice can be faked, as can cultivation level and realm. But the powers and abilities bestowed upon celestial officials by Heaven are something that no one else can ever fake. Each power and ability of a celestial official is a symbol of their status, and no one else can imitate it.

That was what he originally thought too, but the words of the officials made him realize that things were not so simple.

It's unbelievable that someone in the world can actually imitate the powers of celestial officials. I wonder how that person did it. Was it just a similar technique? Or some kind of illusion or deception? Surely that person couldn't have actually deceived the Heavenly Dao and obtained the same powers as me as a celestial official?
Seeing that the official in charge of the fortune-telling remained silent, the officials assumed he was guilty and raised their voices even louder:
"Now that the evidence is irrefutable, you still won't admit it?"

"Hurry and come with us to the Heavenly Court for trial! You can speak with the Heavenly King there. Or is it that you, as a celestial official, don't even respect the Heavenly Court?"

The incessant scolding from the officials caused Li Shi Xian Guan a great headache. He wanted to go to the Heavenly Court to clear up the misunderstanding, but a day in Heaven is equivalent to a year on Earth. In addition, there were countless other matters ahead of him. By the time it was his turn to be judged, decades would probably have passed on Earth, and countless important matters would have been delayed.

Just as the official in charge of the fortune-telling was in a dilemma, a calm and indifferent voice came from behind, which immediately invigorated him:
"I believe this is a misunderstanding. With the wealth of the Immortal Official of the Prosperity, he would not stoop to doing such a thing. He would simply buy the magic treasures he wanted, and if the price was not right, he would double it."

Turning around, he saw a man with a face as black as the bottom of a pot, his hair bound with an iron crown, and an air of hidden authority walking slowly towards him. He immediately came to his rescue.

Upon seeing this person, the officials also put away their previous aggressive and accusatory expressions, and their brows revealed a sense of solemnity. This person was also a celestial official of the Heavenly Court, but his status was much higher than theirs. He was Zhao Gongming, the God of Wealth.

"So what if you're the God of Wealth? You're not in the right here, nothing you say will make a difference!"

"That's right, you stole the records of merit and documents, and you must give us an explanation today!"

Zhao Gongming remained calm, reached out and grasped, and a round bead, shimmering with precious energy and multicolored light, appeared in his palm:

"This is the Divine Light Pearl. As long as you place it between your eyebrows, you can see everything you saw in the past without any error. Since you say that the God of Prosperity stole your documents and even displayed the power of a God of Prosperity, why not try this pearl and let us see what really happened?"

"Try it then, do you think we're afraid of you?"

"Let me do it. I want to see what you have to say in the face of this mountain of irrefutable evidence!"

As he spoke, the duty officer reached out first, snatched the Divine Light Pearl from Zhao Gongming's hand, and carefully placed it between his eyebrows. Soon, his eyes shone brightly, and images appeared through his pupils, hanging upside down in the void above everyone's heads.

In the scene, the man, who called himself the God of Prosperity, made a request to trade as soon as he opened his mouth. The official in charge of the year then uncontrollably displayed the magical treasures on his body, including his own natal magic treasure which he had painstakingly refined, and prepared to sell it to this man at a suitable price.

Seeing this scene, even Zhao Gongming was somewhat surprised. It was indeed the power of the God of Prosperity. He hadn't expected that what the officials said was true. Could it be that the God of Prosperity had taken away their official documents?

Unlike the clerk who was furious and demanding an explanation, the official in charge of profit immediately fixed his gaze on the person in the picture and could not look away.

"The evidence is right here, what else do you have to say? Are you trying to say that I'm senile and that's why I willingly sold my natal magic weapon to him?" the Duty Officer rebuked angrily.

The fortune teller took a deep breath: "I know who that person is."

His words immediately silenced the accusations from the officials, but after a brief calm, an even greater argument ensued:
"So you finally admit it? Faced with this irrefutable evidence, let's see what excuses you have left!"

"You really won't admit it until you see the coffin! Even if that person isn't you, they're definitely connected to you. What else do you have to say?" "Hurry up and tell us who that person is! If I find out you've falsified my records, I won't let you off the hook!"

Recalling the figure in the image, the Immortal Official Li Shi's expression darkened, and he answered truthfully, "That person has nothing to do with me. To be precise, he is an enemy of the Azure Lotus Palace. He captured Fairy Yunxiao. He is none other than Ye Jie, the once-famous Lord of the Purple Star Palace. As for how he displayed the powers of the Immortal Official Li Shi, to be honest, I have no idea."

"what?"

After learning the man's identity from the God of Prosperity, the officials were slightly taken aback, realizing they had mistaken him for someone else.

Equally surprised as they were was Zhao Gongming, who had recently heard about the Ziwei Palace Master, but he never expected to see her face clearly for the first time under these circumstances.

"What a joke! Even the powers of celestial officials have appeared, so how could it not be you?"

"You wouldn't be trying to use us as pawns to frame the Palace Master Ziwei, would you?"

The clerks raised their questions again. Upon hearing this, the official Li Shi couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood. He was clearly the one who was framed by the Palace Master Ziwei. Why didn't the clerks suspect the Palace Master Ziwei of framing him? Instead, they suspected him of framing the Palace Master Ziwei.
Meanwhile, the duty officer, who was the most thoughtful, spoke up first:

“Wait a minute, maybe the God of Prosperity is right. This matter really has nothing to do with him. It wasn’t him who took away our documents, but the Ziwei Palace Master he mentioned.”

His words also drew questioning and dissatisfied looks from the other officials:

"If it wasn't him, how can we explain the power of the celestial officials? It was definitely not the effect of a technique or illusion array, but the true power of the celestial officials."

"What makes you say that? Have you been bribed by the God of Wealth? How much has he given you? You'd better tell me the truth!"

The duty officer glanced at the divine light pearl beside him and asked Zhao Gongming, "May I try?"

"Please."

He reached out and took the Divine Light Pearl, placing it between his eyebrows. Soon, a scene completely different from before appeared before the eyes of the celestial officials.

In the scene, the man remained calm and composed, his brows radiating confidence. He raised his hand and unleashed a move, completely defeating the duty officer.

What was an ordinary scene was quite extraordinary in the eyes of the other officials. The reason was that the move that person used to defeat the duty official was none other than the roll call authority that only officials could possess.

"How...how could he possibly use this move?"

"Only the clerk can master the roll call; where did he learn it from?"

As if sensing everyone's confusion, the Duty Officer took a deep breath and said, "Although I really don't want to say it, the celestial official powers on that person are real. He may have deceived the Heavenly Dao and obtained the most unique power."

These words caused an uproar. Deceiving the Heavenly Dao is not as simple as just talking. Everything about an immortal is exposed before the Heavenly Dao. Those who attempt to deceive the Heavenly Dao will often pay a terrible price in the end, either being blasted to ashes by the Heavenly Tribulation or suddenly dying.

Upon realizing this alarming possibility, the expressions of the officials immediately changed:

"Why didn't you tell us about something so important sooner?"

"That's right. If your recklessness delays the whole thing, you will bear the consequences alone!"

The duty officer simply said, "Although he used his power of 'checking in,' I can't be sure if it was a celestial official's power. After all, it's too shocking to have fooled the Heavenly Dao. If it's just a misunderstanding, it will definitely cause a lot of unnecessary trouble, and I don't want to cause any more problems. Only now do I feel it's necessary to let everyone know that although I don't know how he did it, he definitely possesses more than one kind of celestial official's power."

The crowd's expressions changed slightly. As celestial officials, they possessed a unique power granted by the Heavenly Dao, which already placed them above many other immortals. Needless to say, the benefits that celestial official powers could bring were immense.

But the person in the picture possesses far more than one celestial official power. When the effects of numerous celestial official powers are combined, the resulting terrifying power is beyond imagination.

After clearing up the misunderstanding, the God of Prosperity couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief: "I told you it wasn't me, but you just wouldn't believe me. Now the truth is out, isn't it? The one who stole your records was the Lord of the Purple Palace. You should go and settle accounts with him!"

Having finally cleared himself of suspicion, the official in charge of the profit-making business did not look any better. The fact that the official in charge of the merits came to question him made him quite anxious, and all of this was due to the master of the Ziwei Palace.

Although it is unclear how the Lord of Ziwei Palace managed to do all this, impersonating a celestial official is a serious crime, not to mention imitating the powers of a celestial official. He is certainly not to be tolerated by the Heavenly Dao. It is only a matter of time before the officials report his actions to the Heavenly Court. It seems that the good days of the Lord of Ziwei Palace are coming to an end.

"The powers of celestial officials? That's interesting... I remember a similar record was mentioned in the main account of the Azure Lotus Palace."

Zhao Gongming raised his eyebrows, as if remembering something, and an interest flashed in his eyes. He then spoke:

"This matter involves the God of Prosperity, and I cannot stand idly by, neither morally nor logically. The matter will only be resolved once the officials have retrieved the documents. Let me assist you."

Upon hearing this, the officials naturally did not refuse. They had already experienced the imposter's strength firsthand. Even the Wheel of the Sun, which the duty officials used to trap and kill powerful enemies, had been broken by the imposter. They had no way to deal with the imposter on their own.

However, if Zhao Gongming could help, the situation would be different. As the God of Wealth, Zhao Gongming's cultivation level is at least seven levels. For hundreds of years, no immortal has seen him truly make a move. Once he does, it will be earth-shattering. With his assistance along the way, many things will become much smoother in the future. Before long, he will be able to successfully retrieve the Merit Record.

However, another problem soon presented itself to the officials.

"That person's whereabouts are unpredictable. He said before that he would wait for us in Jubao City, but now that I think about it, that was a complete lie. He has already disappeared into the crowd. Where are we supposed to find him?"

Zhao Gongming was prepared for this; he reached into his robe and took out a golden treasure basin.

“Since the records of meritorious officials have been under your control for many years, I will use the power of this treasure basin to awaken your connection with the records, thereby determining their location.”

(End of this chapter)