Songhai Third Primary School

The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter lifted her eyes, glanced at him, and said with a faint smile, "The Five Elements Alliance is hunting Hei Wuchang for the Holy Grail and the roster. Why go out of your way to do this? Let me guess: you want the roster for yourself, and you don't want the Five Elements Alliance to get their hands on it." As she spoke, she tilted her head and looked up at the ceiling, putting on the innocent demeanor of a young girl. "Yet why would a minor figure like you want the roster? My, how strange, how very strange..." The corner of Zhang Yuanqing's mouth twitched. "Everyone has secrets. You don't need to know. Of course, you're free to refuse. Whether to make the deal or not is entirely up to you." This was precisely why he hated dealing with psychos and yanderes; their minds were not quite right, making effective communication exceedingly difficult. To make matters worse, he could not beat them in a fight. At this moment, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter finished brewing a cup of coffee. She pinched the handle with her slender, jade-like fingers and was about to take a sip when the cup clinked against her mask. She let out a sudden gasp. "Oh dear, I forgot I was wearing a mask..." *Not just a psycho, but completely out of her mind!* Zhang Yuanqing grumbled internally. Setting down the cup, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter gave a radiant smile. "You're right. Everyone has secrets. For me, as long as my own safety isn't compromised, I don't care about anyone else's secrets." Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing felt a wave of relief. He lowered his voice and said, "Hei Wuchang's transaction with Dark Night Rose is set for tomorrow night. The possible meeting locations are the Laifu Hotel, Songhai Third Primary School, and Songhe Park." He reeled off three locations in a single breath before continuing, "Among them, Songhai Third Primary School is the most likely." The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter gently waved her wide sleeves, amusing herself like a little girl, and asked casually, "Because tomorrow is Saturday and the students are on break?" Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "That's one reason. On the other hand, Songhai Third Primary School is situated in the urban district, just across the street from a residential area. It's a quiet haven in the middle of a bustling area. If anything goes wrong, he can slip into the neighborhood and use it to escape." Guests were staying at the Laifu Hotel; if a fight broke out, people would die in droves, wiping out their Morality Points in minutes. Songhe Park was too secluded; if surrounded, there would be no escaping. Based on the target's cautious and cunning nature, Fu Qingyang had designated Songhai Third Primary School as the primary target and the other two as secondary targets. In addition, there were several other locations that, while improbable, were not entirely impossible. "The five Elders of the Songhai Branch will lead their respective subordinates to lie in ambush at the corresponding locations. Fu Qingyang and an Elder from Baihui are responsible for Songhai Third Primary School," Zhang Yuanqing said. "I believe that once the fighting starts, you can seize the opportunity to strike and take revenge on Dark Night Rose." Propping her elbow on the bar counter and resting her chin in her hand, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter curved her eyes into crescent moons. "Not a bad idea. To prevent the roster and Hei Wuchang's spirit body from falling into the hands of the Five Elements Alliance, how about I kill Fu Qingyang for you as well?" *Are you trying to drag me down with you into the grave?* Zhang Yuanqing said with a straight face, "Palace Master, I am a respectable man. I don't care for jokes." The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter giggled coquettishly, shaking with laughter like a blossoming branch. "That's not what Xie Lingxi said. Oh, by the way, after our last meeting, I went to the hotel where she was staying and strung her up for a good beating." Zhang Yuanqing froze. No wonder that little green tea hadn't contacted him for days; she was mad at him. *No, I have to patch things up with her. I haven't managed to wheedle that Dream-Traversing Jade Talisman out of her yet. Once the Hei Wuchang matter is over, I'll go show the little green tea some care.* "If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." Zhang Yuanqing said goodbye. Resting her cheeks in both hands, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter nodded with a smile. Stepping out of the café, Zhang Yuanqing looked back once more. Behind him lay total darkness, the door securely locked. The captivating figure of the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter was nowhere to be seen. He withdrew his gaze and walked toward home, deducing and analyzing the situation for tomorrow night in his mind. *According to official records, Hei Wuchang is at the peak of the Saint stage and belongs to one of the strongest professions. He cannot be treated as an ordinary Saint. That Great Protector from Dark Night Rose is undoubtedly a Night Wanderer of unknown level. If they're in the Saint stage, that's fine, but if they're at the Ruler stage, the clash will be a fierce contest between dragons and tigers. The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter acts as an insurance policy for both myself and the authorities.* *However, that still isn't enough. The Five Elements Alliance wants not only the Holy Grail, but the roster as well. If the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter steps in to seize the roster, she'll very likely be targeted by Fu Qingyang and the Baihui Elder.* Therefore, he had to engineer an even more chaotic situation, one that would compel the authorities, Hei Wuchang, and Dark Night Rose to prioritize fighting over the Holy Grail. He had already thought of a solution: the vice president of the Spirit Society—the Gu King. This high-level Witch Doctor did not care about the roster; he only wanted the Holy Grail. With his involvement, all parties would be forced to focus their energy on the Holy Grail. That way, the resistance the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter faced in seizing the roster would be significantly reduced. For now, this woman had not shown much desire for the Holy Grail; her motivation was thwarting Dark Night Rose's conspiracy and killing the Great Protector or their leader. *The plan is solid enough, but when it's put into practice, uncontrollable variables will inevitably arise. There's no helping it; reality is always full of surprises.* *I hope this lets me successfully weather the crisis of my identity being exposed. May the Old Crone bless me.* *** Early the next morning, the baby-faced Renxue Mantou stepped out of a residential building, having just finished a breakfast delivery. As a Witch Doctor, he possessed inexhaustible energy. He delivered from day to night, occasionally working overtime through the night until dawn. The delivery courier profession allowed him to travel everywhere, making it easy to gather intelligence and discreetly meet up with comrades, and the income was quite decent. Renxue Mantou quite liked this job. Over the past few days, he had kept his communication channels open, waiting for that person claiming to be a member of Dark Night Rose to make contact. After their previous encounter, Renxue Mantou realized that this might be an opportunity—an opportunity to earn merit and curry favor with the vice president. As long as the person provided sufficient intelligence, taking a moderate risk was worthwhile. Just as he straddled his electric scooter, the other phone in his pocket chimed with the alert of an incoming text message. Renxue Mantou's spirits lifted. He hastily pulled out the phone to check: *"Hei Wuchang's meeting location with Dark Night Rose: Songhai Third Primary School. The time is midnight tonight. If you don't spot the targets, wait for further word from me."* Songhai Third Primary School, midnight tonight? The baby-faced delivery courier's head buzzed. For a moment, it was hard to fathom. Such critical intelligence, handed over just like that? They had pinned down Hei Wuchang's meeting location directly? One had to understand that the vice president had been searching for Hei Wuchang for nearly ten days with negligible success, completely unable to track down that sly, cautious fellow. Then, wild joy welled up on Renxue Mantou's face, an ecstasy he could not hold back. If the intel proved true, he would claim the top merit. The vice president would surely reward him lavishly, and his status within the Spirit Society would skyrocket. Even if the intel turned out to be false, it did not matter; the Spirit Society had received plenty of false information over the past few days anyway. *I need to report this to the vice president immediately...* Renxue Mantou started his electric scooter and sped away like the wind. *** Time: 23:50. The night was deep. Outside Songhai Third Primary School, in a 24-hour convenience store along the street, Zhang Yuanqing sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, slurping a bowl of instant noodles. He raised a hand, pressed his wireless microphone, and murmured, "The target has entered the primary school. Everyone stay alert, stay alert." A few seconds later, Jiang Jingwei's crisp clamor came over the channel: "Fu Qingyang went in? Why can't we join the fight instead of camping out on the perimeter? This is so boring." Zhang Yuanqing said, "To prevent you from dying young. Besides, it wasn't Fu Qingyang who went in; it was Tiandao Bugong." Jiang Jingwei: "Can't I really go in? I want to go in and fight, blow up the school." *Little girl, your thoughts are quite dangerous.* Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Why?" Jiang Jingwei: "I went to primary school here! There was so much homework, and the teachers were so stern. It left a huge psychological shadow on me, but back then, I hadn't acquired my character card yet." Zhang Yuanqing: "Good grief, 'never underestimate the young and poor,' huh? Could you help burn down my alma mater too while you're at it?" At that moment, Teng Yuan's feeble yet stern voice sounded across the line: "I don't object to you two performing a comedy routine, but please consider the feelings of everyone else on the channel." Jiang Jingwei and Zhang Yuanqing fell silent at once. For tonight's operation, Fu Qingyang had assembled his trusted subordinates, dispersing them across nearby shops and intersections around Songhai Third Primary School. Their mission was to keep ordinary people away, intercept fleeing enemies, and respond to unforeseen circumstances. A frontal clash did not require elite members like them; after all, going in would just be offering themselves up as fodder. Zhang Yuanqing concentrated on eating his noodles, but his thoughts were dwelling on something else. Fu Qingyang had mentioned during the day that he suspected Hei Wuchang had another source of confidence that emboldened him to make the deal with Dark Night Rose. Confidence usually meant trump cards and unforeseen variables. *** Within Songhai Third Primary School, the teaching building stood shrouded in the pitch-black night. Across the entire structure, only the office on the far left of the ground floor was lit. Six desks were arranged in the office, piled high with books, teaching supplies, computers, and miscellaneous clutter. Before a desk by the window sat an emaciated man with a long, horse-like face, narrow eyes, and a pale complexion. Though he was far from good-looking, he was anything but ordinary. Such an ugly face left a lasting impression on anyone who saw it. Hei Wuchang tapped his fingers against the desktop, listening to the report of his subordinate, Shaofu: "Boss, I've confirmed that Dark Night Rose successfully borrowed the Book of Contracts." Hei Wuchang asked slowly, "How did you confirm it?" Shaofu revealed a smile. "I captured a woman and tested it personally. Once the contract was established, she became my most loyal slave. She couldn't refuse any demand I made." Hei Wuchang gave an approving "Mm" and nodded in satisfaction. As the leader of an evil faction, he knew full well that dealing with Dark Night Rose was tantamount to making a deal with the devil. The chances of successfully completing the transaction were minuscule, while the probability of being double-crossed was far greater. Consequently, during his time hiding out in Songhai, Hei Wuchang had been waiting for one specific piece of news: That Dark Night Rose had borrowed the "Book of Contracts" from an overseas faction. This was an item of the Knight profession, and its function was to establish contracts. Anyone who breached the contract would suffer severe punishment. Only with this layer of protection did Hei Wuchang dare to trade with Dark Night Rose. Furthermore, having Dark Night Rose borrow the item from an overseas faction was one of the conditions Hei Wuchang had put forward. Knights belonged to an orthodox profession; approaching them as a Witch Doctor would only get him slain by the Knights. Dark Night Rose, however, had no such concerns, as plenty of their members belonged to orthodox professions. They only needed to pay a certain price to borrow the Book of Contracts. At that moment, the hands of the wall clock reached twelve o'clock. Almost simultaneously, a knock sounded at the office door.