Hmm, let's examine the attire instead. This person wore a black gauze hat, its long wings fluttering on either side. Unlike the judge with the goatee's deep crimson official robe, this woman was clad in a plain white official robe, with yellow patterns resembling dragon motifs at the collar and cuffs.
"May I ask who this esteemed official is?" I asked, cupping my hands. Wearing an official robe, she must be an esteemed official, likely from the same department as the goatee judge.
The female official returned the bow: "This subordinate is Wu Zhao, Commander of the West Factory's Martial Judge of the Yin Division."
Wu Zhao? What a strange name... Wait! Not Zhao, but Zhaò?
"You are... Wu Zetian... Wu Zetian?" I guessed.
"Indeed, this subordinate is," the female official smiled slightly.
Good heavens, I didn't expect to encounter a historical figure. No wonder she has such a great figure.
But I couldn't be certain if this Wu Zhao was the same empress from the Tang Dynasty.
It didn't matter. Even if she was, she'd been dead for over thirteen hundred years. What did she have to do with me?
"May I ask, Commander Wu, why you have come and what guidance you may offer?" I asked. Of the eight commanders in the Yin Division, including her, I had already met three. Ma Jiaojiao was the fourth, Xie Bi'an was the seventh, and this Wu Zhao was likely the second.
"Guidance? This subordinate dares not," Wu Zhao maintained a distance from me, her smile unwavering. "I venture to ask, are the two of you here by the command of His Highness the Little Yama?"
Strange, why did she refer to herself as a subordinate? A commander was several ranks higher than me!
I shook my head: "No, we are going to Black Mountain Fort to recruit... no, to accommodate some wronged spirits there, and prepare to send them to the City God Temple here. We were just passing by and wished to get acquainted with the chief judge here. I didn't expect a commander to personally come."
To be honest, even without knowing her intentions, facing a commander, I wouldn't dare to lie.
"Oh..." Wu Zhao seemed to heave a sigh of relief, her chest visibly relaxing. Perhaps the phrase "to feel at ease" came from this very sensation?
"Then there is nothing further," Wu Zhao's expression became considerably more cheerful. "Black Mountain Fort, do the two esteemed officials know how to get there? Does this subordinate need to guide you?"
"No need, we have navigation," I replied.
Wu Zhao nodded: "Very well, then I shall not disturb the two esteemed officials' duties. Farewell for now."
With that, Wu Zhao retreated rapidly. In just two seconds, she had shrunk into a tiny white dot within my vision enhanced by the Qi Sensing technique, and then vanished.
How peculiar!
When I turned back to look at the judge, I found him back in his original posture, seated on the chair, his face wearing an expression of professional demeanor mixed with reverence: "Esteemed lords, this subordinate is Cui Pengju. You only need to bring those wronged spirits here, and I shall handle all matters such as registration efficiently and thoroughly."
"Alright, then... goodbye?" I asked. It seemed he wasn't very welcoming.
"Esteemed lords, farewell!"
I cupped my hands in farewell. Zheng Bingbing, at this moment, finally reacted and also bowed towards the heated brick bed.
I deactivated the Qi Sensing technique, and my vision returned to normal. The melon shed was still the same melon shed. I glanced back at the spot where Wu Zhao had stood. There was no one there; only dense cornfields.
"Bingbing, let's go," I said. Receiving no response, I turned to look. Zheng Bingbing, that fellow, had already run about twenty meters away to wait for me.
I hurried to catch up, and together we retraced our steps, leaving the cornfield and getting into the Pajero.
Only then did Bingbing ask me what I had seen, and why I was talking to two people.
When I activated the Qi Sensing technique, my mind was highly focused, and my memory reached its peak. I recounted all the conversations to Zheng Bingbing.
After listening, Bingbing pondered for a long time and asked me to repeat it.
That was instantaneous memory, so the second time wasn't as clear, but Bingbing still caught the crucial point.
"Wu Zhao thought we were sent by His Highness the Little Yama?"
"That's how she asked," I replied.
"Brother, didn't you say earlier that the Little Yama is the overall commander of the Yin Division? Wu Zhao is Cui Pengju's boss, and Xie Bi'an is our boss. That Little Yama is the boss of all eight Yin commanders! Our official ranks are so low, why would Wu Zhao think the Little Yama sent us? And when Cui Pengju saw us, he was terrified and immediately reported to Wu Zhao, saying he encountered two 'living Yin envoys, night patrolmen'..."
"So?" I asked, seeing the look on Zheng Bingbing's face, as if he had discovered something.