"Myriad Laws Peak disciple Wang Ba pays his respects to Hall Master Song."
Within the solemn, majestic hall, wisps of green smoke rose from an incense burner, drifting among pillars and beams adorned with gilded dragons.
A slightly deep voice quietly sounded within the hall.
At the far end of the hall, a figure bent over a desk did not stop reviewing documents. His eyes remained on the files before him as he spoke as casually as though greeting an acquaintance:
"Ah, you're here. Sit."
At the entrance, a figure walked swiftly and silently inside, his expression respectful.
He had a rather ordinary face, looked to be in his twenties or thirties, and carried himself with quiet composure. It was Wang Ba.
He reached the center of the hall and bowed deeply.
His gaze swept across the room before he walked over to a desk along one side and knelt behind it.
"Sit closer."
Behind the broad desk at the far end of the hall, the figure still did not look up.
Wang Ba paused briefly, but dared not delay. He rose at once, walked briskly to a closer spot, and sat down.
He had only just sat down.
Then he suddenly heard a voice with little fluctuation in its tone:
"What do you think of the departments submitting monthly records of the withdrawal and consumption of their various supplies?"
At those words, Wang Ba inwardly sighed with relief.
Just as Martial Uncle Cui said...
He raised his head slightly and glanced at the figure behind the long desk, who was staring at the files before him with faintly knitted brows. After thinking quickly, he slowly spoke:
"Hall Master, I do not know the full circumstances behind this matter and dare not speak rashly."
Silence soon settled over the hall.