A villa in the suburbs.
In the ground-floor living room, Li Xianzong pulled up a high-backed chair and sat inside.
On the soft sofa, a mature, intellectual woman reclined lazily on her side. She wore black-rimmed glasses, and her features were cold and striking. Her aloof, severe demeanor made her look like the spitting image of a strict homeroom teacher.
Yet beneath her sheer gossamer clothing, the shapely contours of her body formed a stark contrast with that austere aura.
To an ordinary man, such an enchanting vixen was enough to make one's mouth run dry and stir unbridled lust. Even if her bed partners were countless, any man would plunge into the experience with delight.
Yet Li Xianzong remained entirely unmoved by her charms, stating the purpose of his visit directly:
"I need an item that counters high-level spirit bodies—at least at the Saint stage."
Still reclining, Yichuan Mei rested her head in one snow-white hand and replied in an icy tone, "Twenty million in cash, or an item or materials of equivalent grade."
Li Xianzong gave a wry smirk. "No money."
Morality Points aside, the quickest way for a Bewitching Demon to make money was to found a cult, beguiling masses of people into making offerings, thereby amassing vast amounts of cash in a short time.
A more reliable route was to entrance the public, gather believers, and then establish a corporation to earn wealth through legal channels.
Doing so, however, meant facing the risk of the authorities catching on, which could reduce years of painstaking effort to ash in an instant. Furthermore, most Bewitching Demons possessed neither the energy, the interest, nor the capability to run a business.
Having anticipated this, Yichuan Mei sneered:
"Of the three evil professions, you lot from the Soldier Master Sect are the poorest. All that fills your heads is murder and destruction."
Before Li Xianzong's eyes, she reached into her creamy, snow-white cleavage and fished out a needle case. Inside were three pitch-black slender needles. She said:
"I recommend you choose consumables. Three Soul-Breaking Needles for three million in cash, or an equivalent exchange in items or materials. They can severely injure a Level 4 spirit body and inflict considerable damage even on a Level 5. As for Level 6..."
She chuckled softly. "I assume you have enough brains not to provoke an enemy of that caliber."
"Deal. You'll have it within three days," Li Xianzong said.
"No, no, no." Yichuan Mei wagged her finger. "You still owe me ten virile orthodox walkers. That was what you promised me. Only after you capture and deliver those orthodox walkers to me will I proceed with our next transaction.
"To hold off Fu Qingyang for you, I suffered no small injury. Fu Qingyang truly lives up to his reputation as one of the very best among the Five Elements Alliance's younger generation."
At this point, a flush rose on her face, and pressing her thighs tightly together, she murmured in obsession:
"His sword momentum was utterly irresistible—like a collapsing mountain, like a tsunami. It was magnificent. Now that was the ultimate thrill..."
Watching her morbid expression, Li Xianzong cursed inwardly: *Pervert!*
"Fine. I'll capture ten orthodox walkers for you within half a month."
He had to obtain an item targeted against high-level spirit bodies, even if it was a consumable. Only then could he deal with Yuanshi Tianzun's trump card.
Before the large-scale killing dungeon opened, he needed to enhance his strength as much as possible.
Hunting Yuanshi Tianzun would, first of all, hone his own abilities and allow him to advance rapidly. Secondly, the bounty was bountiful, offering prizes and items tempting enough to warrant the risk. Lastly, that kid had numerous items on him and was filthy rich.
Even without this trial mission, Li Xianzong would have sought an opportunity to hunt Yuanshi Tianzun anyway.
***
Huayu Hotel.
At a café with an open-air terrace, beneath a parasol, Xie Lingxi lightly stirred her coffee with a small silver spoon, the ice cubes clinking crisply against the glass.
"Brother Yuanshi, you haven't contacted me in ages."
Xie Lingxi pouted, speaking with an air of grievance, "I stayed in Songhai just for you, you know. Why have you been neglecting me all this time?"
On the other side of the small table, Zhang Yuanqing showed sudden enlightenment. "So that's how it is! Then it's my fault. I shouldn't have given you the cold shoulder. Come on, I'll take you back to my room and show you just how hot your brother can be."
"You're terrible~" The little green tea giggled behind her hand, then wrinkled her nose. "Brother Yuanshi, you don't look handsome at all like this. I still prefer your real face."
Zhang Yuanqing had disguised himself as Wang Tai again, sporting plain features and an awkward, socially clumsy countenance.
"Caution keeps the boat afloat. You should know Li Xianzong has targeted me." Zhang Yuanqing took a sip of his coffee.
Xie Lingxi immediately said, "Brother Yuanshi, I heard you charged into the hospital all on your own yesterday, took down the criminal single-handedly, held back Li Xianzong, and made a huge contribution to the authorities' hostage rescue! You're truly incredible."
*See? That's the wonderful thing about a little green tea!* Zhang Yuanqing sighed.
"No matter what, I still got taught a lesson. The gap between Li Xianzong and me is huge."
"That's only because you haven't reached Level 3 yet, Brother Yuanshi. Once you come out of the next Spirit Realm, you'll beat Li Xianzong easily." Xie Lingxi rested her chin on one hand while stirring her coffee with the other, her dewy, bright eyes shining beneath long eyelashes. "I've always had total faith in you."
An inexplicable sense of comfort blossomed in Zhang Yuanqing's chest. "Did you use Soothe on me?"
"No way! Everything I said came straight from the heart~"
Amid Xie Lingxi's flattery, the coffee was gradually finished. Zhang Yuanqing's mindset had fully recovered, devoid of any remaining gloom or heaviness.
*A Musician's soothing ability really is impressive, but the price is that my fondness for Xie Lingxi has gone up quite a bit...* Examining his inner thoughts, Zhang Yuanqing found the haze completely swept away.
At that moment, Xie Lingxi picked up the delicate handbag resting beside the table, unzipped it, and retrieved a black jade talisman, within which flowed an ethereal, dreamlike radiance.
"Brother Yuanshi, this is a gift for you."
Zhang Yuanqing froze for a moment. "You're giving this to me?"
"It's not like I have any use for it anyway," Xie Lingxi said with a sweet smile. "I'm just a delicate, adorable little girl who stays far away from conflicts. Keeping a jade talisman would be a waste, so it's better off in your hands."
*This gift is rather valuable...* Though Zhang Yuanqing had secretly plotted how to swindle her jade talisman before, that had only been a passing thought; he had never intended to act on it.
It seemed she, too, was worried about him being assassinated by Li Xianzong. No matter what pretty words were spoken, the reality of the gap in power truly existed.
Up to this point, whether it was the authorities, his friends, or even unaffiliated wild walkers, none believed he was a match for Li Xianzong. Everyone felt that Yuanshi Tianzun was in grave danger now that Li Xianzong had set his sights on him.
"Keep it for yourself. I haven't fallen so low as to need this yet."
Zhang Yuanqing pushed the jade talisman back. He feared that obtaining it would erode his resolve and stamina to train through the grind and fight with his back against the wall.
Xie Lingxi did not press the matter further. Pocketing the jade talisman, she said in a hushed voice:
"Brother Yuanshi, the Palace Master is at the hotel too. She wants to see you."
"Huh? That cr—that wind-like beautiful lady is in the hotel as well?"
Zhang Yuanqing was startled. He thought to himself that it was fortunate he had come bearing Wang Tai's face. If he had shown up as himself and that madwoman took a lustful fancy to him, abducting him to serve as her kept man, things would turn ugly.
Xie Lingxi stood up, linked her arm with his, left the café, and headed toward the guest rooms.
Arriving outside the presidential suite, Xie Lingxi pressed the key card into Zhang Yuanqing's hand and murmured:
"Go on in."
Seeing that she had no intention of accompanying him, Zhang Yuanqing asked, "You aren't coming in?"
Xie Lingxi shook her head repeatedly, retreating several paces.
*Girl, seeing you like this is making me weirdly nervous...* Zhang Yuanqing watched the little green tea scurry away. He did not swipe the card immediately; instead, he took out the Eye of the Insightful.
Come to think of it, he had never had the chance to use this item to peer into the inner thoughts of a big shot.
This was the perfect chance to test this Palace Master of Halting Slaughter's attitude toward him—and just how deep her madness ran.
Zhang Yuanqing put on the sunglasses and swiped the card against the door lock.
*Beep beep~*
The door swung open. Stepping into the entryway, he saw the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter seated behind a desk directly facing the entrance, dressed in an elaborate crimson gown in the ancient style, its chest and sleeves embroidered with cloud patterns and dragons in gold thread.
It was gorgeous and carried an antique elegance.
"The Palace Master wished to see me?" Zhang Yuanqing nodded politely.
Behind her silver mask, lively, bright eyes scrutinized him as she chuckled softly:
"After taking a beating from Li Xianzong, your mindset seems quite well preserved. I thought you would be moping for days."
"Well, that's why I came to Xie Lingxi for some psychological therapy," Zhang Yuanqing answered. "That little girl is great at comforting people. Being around her always brings an inexplicable joy."
Having said that, as he observed her, he keenly caught a few subtle details:
*Her eyes tell me she isn't very pleased, and her mood is directed at me... I didn't provoke her, did I?*
Sitting upright behind the desk, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter toyed with her sleeve and spoke in a soft voice:
"I'll be leaving Songhai soon to handle some business up north. Before I go, do you want me to slaughter Li Xianzong for you? I wouldn't want to return to Songhai only to hear that you died at his hands. After all, you are my designated favorite.
"Xie Lingxi is a little sister I'm quite fond of. You should spend more time with her."
*Her concern is genuine, not teasing, but it hides a rather complicated emotion. It's almost as if she doesn't want me to agree to her offer... She tells me to get closer to Xie Lingxi, yet her tone and eyes carry a faint hint of warning...*
"You're willing to help me?" Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up.
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter nodded slightly. "Five million, and I'll kill him for you."
*Five million? Even if I sold my body, I couldn't earn five million... Wait, why does she feel a sense of vindictive pleasure when she says 'five million'?* Zhang Yuanqing studied her, deciphering another thread of thought:
*She keeps staring at my glasses, and her gaze is getting increasingly dangerous... Crap, she wants to beat me up. She noticed that I'm prying into her!*
Alarmed, Zhang Yuanqing calmly took off the sunglasses and said:
"No need. I'll resolve my own troubles myself."
Hearing this, the Palace Master's eyes curved into crescents, appearing exceptionally pleased with his reply. She smiled:
"If you wish to become a powerhouse who stands on your own, relying on external power all the time won't do. The path to the peak must be forged with your own steps. Li Xianzong is a formidable enemy, but he is not invincible.
"Had you cowered because of your crushing defeat at the hospital and accepted my offer, I would have been deeply disappointed."
*She really was testing me just now...*
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter added, "You may leave. Call that damned girl over for me."
*I don't even need the glasses to sense her 'malice' on this one. Poor little green tea...* Zhang Yuanqing nodded and exited the room.
Just as he stepped out into the hallway and turned toward the elevator, he spotted Xie Lingxi waiting there with mischievous anticipation.
"Huh, Brother Yuanshi came out so quickly?" She looked disappointed, adding reluctantly, "Did the Palace Master sister not bully you?"
"Why would she bully me?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.
"That's just how she is! She loves bullying people, stringing them up at the drop of a hat... I was already preparing to rush in and rescue you, Brother Yuanshi."
"She bullies you often?"
"Yeah! Whenever she's in a bad mood, she takes it out on me. Every time she's about to bully me, she calls me 'damned girl.'"
"Oh, so that 'damned girl' is you."
"Brother Yuanshi... what do you mean?" The smile on Xie Lingxi's face slowly vanished.
Zhang Yuanqing cast a look of pity upon her. "The Palace Master just said: go and call that damned girl over for me."
Xie Lingxi's face turned pale.
***
Leaving Huayu Hotel, Zhang Yuanqing donned a baseball cap and a face mask, glancing left and right to confirm no one was tailing him. Only then did he thrust his hands into his pockets and walk along the street.
For the afternoon, he planned to seek out Guan Ya to learn combat techniques, just as they had agreed that morning.
The training location was at Fujia Bay, where there were facilities dedicated to martial arts practice. Moreover, right under the Centurion's nose, there was no need to worry about assassinations or sneak attacks.
He hardly dared to show his face at the Public Security Bureau these days.
Zhang Yuanqing was confident that with his physical attributes, getting the hang of basic combat wouldn't be difficult. With the veteran racer, famously hailed as a combat genius, giving him personal instruction, rapid progress in hand-to-hand combat over the short term was entirely possible.
So long as he was willing to put in the hard work.
*Once I sharpen my combat skills, the next goal will be waiting for the Spirit Realm to open...*
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the phone in his pocket rang. It was an incoming call from Fu Qingyang.
"Centurion, I was just about to head over," Zhang Yuanqing answered.
Fu Qingyang said, "Elder Gou has returned from the capital. Come to my place immediately."
"My item problem has been settled?" Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed.
Fu Qingyang gave an affirmative "Mm," his tone somewhat peculiar. "Get over here as soon as you can. Don't keep the Elder waiting too long."
*Don't keep the Elder waiting? What does that mean...* Zhang Yuanqing was bewildered. He thought to himself: *Would an Elder personally wait around for a trivial matter like this?*
Chapter 121