When Wen Ning arrived at the Southern Heavenly Gate, the Four Heavenly Kings guarding it were huddled together, cracking sunflower seeds.
Heavenly King Guangmu spotted him, flicked a seed shell down through the clouds, and greeted him with a grin:
"Oh, Heavenly Official Wen, back again? Here to mooch another meal off your godfather?"
"Official business."
Wen Ning straightened his back.
He enunciated those two words with particular clarity.
"I'm here on legitimate official business today. Besides, when have I ever mooched a meal off my godfather?"
Heavenly King Guangmu and the Heavenly King of Growth exchanged a glance.
"Lu Ming's always saying you go to the Heavenly Venerable for meals."
When Wen Ning heard that the rumor had come from Lu Ming, he said,
"That damn deer again. One of these days, I'll cut off his cock and have it with my drinks."
Then he addressed the Heavenly Kings.
"Rumors. Nothing but rumors."
But clearly, none of the Four Heavenly Kings believed him. They all wore knowing looks.
Still, they no longer stood in his way.
After all, Wen Ning's face was familiar at the Southern Heavenly Gate by now. As Wen Zhong's godson, he no longer needed to have his arrival announced when he came and went.
Fortunately, the trip went smoothly, and he ran into no acquaintances. He turned past the Three Officials Hall, skirted the Thunder Department's office area, and spotted that familiar vermilion gate from a distance.
Two heavenly generals of the Thunder Department stood outside its offices. They did not even lift their eyelids when they saw him approach. They knew him too well, and neither dared stop him.
They simply stepped aside and even pushed the doors open for him.
Inside Wen Zhong's office, stacks of official documents covered the desk: the Thunder