It was almost midnight when Wen Ning and Zhang Siyu returned to the shop after having barbecue.
Carrying the few unsalted lamb skewers she had packed for Big Yellow, Zhang Siyu crouched down and fed him one at a time. Big Yellow's tail wagged like a propeller, and his hatred for Wen Ning temporarily dropped to zero.
Wen Ning was about to take a shower to wash off the smell of barbecue when his phone suddenly vibrated.
He took it out and saw a message on the screen telling him that Wen Zhong wanted him at the Heavenly Court immediately.
Wen Ning sighed and pulled his half-removed T-shirt back on.
Zhang Siyu was crouching on the floor feeding Big Yellow. She glanced up at Wen Ning, understood the moment she saw his expression, and waved a hand.
"Go on. I'll feed Big Yellow."
Wen Ning circulated his magical power. In the time it took him to close his eyes and open them again, he was standing outside the Thunder Department.
The two heavenly generals guarding the hall showed no surprise at seeing him. Clearly, Wen Zhong had notified them in advance, and they stepped aside to let him through.
Wen Ning straightened his collar and walked in, only to find that things were different from usual at Wen Zhong's place. There were no mountains of official documents on the desk, nor was Wen Zhong reviewing any paperwork.
He stood with his hands behind his back before the enormous map of the Three Realms in the center of the hall, his back to the entrance. His silhouette looked especially solemn in the dim light. Spiritual energy nodes throughout the Three Realms were marked on the map. Wen Ning noticed that several had been circled in cinnabar, with tiny, closely written annotations