Zhang Yuanqing hailed a taxi and rushed over to Fujia Bay. After swiping his card through security, he entered the residential community and arrived at the luxurious villa.
The moment he stepped into the courtyard, he saw Ling Jun—dressed in a loose undershirt, cropped pants, and flip-flops—crouching stealthily beneath an ornamental tree. Both arms wrapped around the trunk, he was muttering under his breath.
Zhang Yuanqing followed his gaze. Amid the lush foliage, a green vine was coiled around a smartphone, its camera pointed at a certain window of the villa, constantly adjusting its angle as if recording something.
*What is he doing?* Zhang Yuanqing walked over and asked, "Are you secretly filming bunny girls taking a bath?"
"What's so interesting about filming that?" Ling Jun turned his head and shushed him. "Keep it down. I'm recording something for the trending headlines."
*Is there anything in this world more worth filming than a gorgeous girl with a slender waist, long legs, and a huge bust taking a bath? If there is, it's a sow bathing... Is this guy an ascetic type just like Fu Qingyang?*
Zhang Yuanqing wanted to ask more, but Ling Jun waved him off. "Go do your own business. Don't stand around here like a lamppost, or I'll get caught."
He had no choice but to turn around, following the flagstone path across the lawn into the villa.
Familiar with the way, he arrived outside the study, knocked twice lightly, and pushed open the brown double wooden doors.
As the doors swung open, Zhang Yuanqing heard a familiar, affectionate tap-tap sound.
Inside the lavishly decorated study, the first thing he saw was a curly-haired poodle sitting primly on the desk, followed by a brand-new, dainty pair of red dancing shoes.
At that moment, the red dancing shoes were circling the curly-haired poodle, launching a relentless assault.
*Thump, thump, thump!*
Now flying kicks, now vicious stomps, kicking the left cheek one moment and the right cheek the next, just like a nuisance of a fly that never grew tired.
Whether it was his imagination or not, Zhang Yuanqing felt that Elder Gou looked entirely devoid of the will to live.
On the reception sofa sat Fu Qingyang, Guan Ya, and Jiang Jingwei. The red-haired girl was watching Elder Teddy like an audience member at a show, bursting with giggles and laughter.
Guan Ya pursed her lips tightly, struggling desperately to hold it in.
Fu Qingyang still wore his stone-faced expression, but his gaze remained fixed on Elder Gou, never straying away, reluctant to miss even a single second.
*The Elder triggered the red dancing shoes' killing rule... As expected of a rule-based item, even an Elder can't neutralize it. Still, you can tell Elder Gou is a dignified powerhouse—he'd rather endure the red dancing shoes' harassment than do an awkward dance...*
Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath, forcibly choking back the laughter that had almost escaped his mouth.
As the study doors opened, Fu Qingyang and the others looked over. Elder Gou's gaze snapped sharp, glaring murderously at Yuanshi Tianzun.
Zhang Yuanqing promptly bowed deeply. "My deepest thanks to the Elder for traveling thousands of li to Beijing to resolve the danger with my item! Your humble subordinate will certainly repay your kindness in the future."
Faced with such a respectful and obedient subordinate, Elder Gou had no idea where to vent his burning fury. Just then, the red dancing shoes leaped up and delivered another stinging slap across his face.
Fury blazed in Elder Gou's eyes.
Zhang Yuanqing bowed deeply again. "Thank you, Elder!"
Elder Gou said in a heavy voice, "Put this wretched item away."
"Yes!" Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief and looked toward the red dancing shoes. "Do not disrespect the Elder..."
Secretly, he summoned them.
Upon receiving their master's summons, the red dancing shoes indeed ceased their attacks, hopping and skipping over to him.
It was worth noting that once an item bound to a master, the master could actively cancel or interrupt the red dancing shoes' attacks; this was an authority granted by the Spirit Realm.
Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to put the red dancing shoes away, a notification suddenly popped up before his eyes:
[Would you like to dance with me? If so, please march in place.]
*Oh crap, I forgot I hadn't paid the toll from the last time I used it...* Zhang Yuanqing looked at Elder Gou and said, "Elder, let me step out for a moment..."
"No need!" Elder Gou said impassively. "Dance right here."
*This is blatant revenge!!*
Zhang Yuanqing immediately looked toward Fu Qingyang: *Centurion, you have to back me up here!*
Fu Qingyang averted his eyes.
Guan Ya quietly pulled out her phone and opened the video recording function.
"Dancing?" Jiang Jingwei looked thrilled. "I want to watch! I want to watch..."
*Dance it is, then! It's not like I haven't danced awkwardly in public before—I'm my uncle's true successor after all...* Zhang Yuanqing stepped back with his left foot, rose on his tiptoes, and performed a curtsy.
Immediately afterward, rhythmic tapping sounds echoed through the study.
A few minutes later, the red dancing shoes finished the dance, performed a satisfied curtsy, and dissolved into a red light before vanishing.
Elder Gou was satisfied and said, "The rest of you, step outside. I have words for Yuanshi."
Fu Qingyang stood up at once. As he walked past his trusted subordinate, he gave a slight nod in approval of his dancing skills. "Not bad."
"..."
Guan Ya waved her phone at him with a mischievous, playful smirk.
Zhang Yuanqing grabbed her hand. "I only have one request: don't let Yuan Ting find out."
Fu Qingyang paused in his tracks, glancing at their joined hands.
Zhang Yuanqing released her at once.
Once Jiang Jingwei had left as well, Elder Gou said in a somber tone, "During my trip to Beijing, I learned something from Elder Sun. He said he encountered Lady Sandao in a Night Wanderer Spirit Realm and found out why she was looking for you."
Zhang Yuanqing's heart skipped a beat.
Elder Gou continued, "He hopes you will sell the item containing Lady Sandao's yang soul. Are you willing?"
The Demon-Subduing Pestle's function was purification and demon-breaking, but it came with massive karmic ties, making it easy for that old hag to track him across thousands of li.
If the Taiyi Sect could offer an item to replace the Demon-Subduing Pestle, plus throw in other valuable items and cash, Zhang Yuanqing would indeed be willing to sell.
Just like the Fallen Holy Grail, although its level was extraordinarily high, it was of little use to him right now; it was best to convert it into benefits he could digest immediately.
Trade it for a few powerful items and take down Li Xianzong...
"..." Zhang Yuanqing pondered what price would be appropriate to name.
Elder Gou said approvingly, "No need to feel conflicted. I have already declined on your behalf. Lady Sandao's yang soul is a priceless treasure, and since you are a Night Wanderer, it will be of immense use in the future. Did he think tossing out 'name any terms you want' would be enough to take such a treasure away?"
"Elder, what did you just say?"
"Lady Sandao's yang soul is a priceless treasure."
"No, before that—did you say 'name any terms you want'?" Zhang Yuanqing cried in anguish. Inwardly he thought, *I am willing to sell! Please, buy it at an exorbitant price!*
Elder Gou paused, pretending not to notice his temptation, and continued, "It is only natural that you wouldn't want to sell. Lady Sandao's yang soul has three major uses: First, to refine high-level items. Second, when you reach the Dominator Realm in the future, you can use it to make a deal with that lady. Third, the most extreme method: you can manipulate and enslave her.
"In other words, as long as you reach the Dominator Realm, that item alone will make you a formidable powerhouse among the Dominator stage."
This was the reason he had turned down Elder Sun—taking a gamble that if Yuanshi Tianzun reached the Dominator stage, the Five Elements Alliance would gain another top-tier combat asset.
*Enslave that old hag...* Zhang Yuanqing suddenly didn't want to sell it anymore. He mused, "However, I'm afraid I won't be able to keep it safe."
Elder Gou said, "If you are worried that people from the Taiyi Sect might secretly seize it, there is no need. Figures at the Elder level would not stoop to such acts, nor would the Five Elements Alliance permit it. It is Dark Night Rose you must guard against.
"As for the Spirit Realm, that is indeed a concern. You may temporarily submit the item to the branch for safekeeping, and retrieve it once your level is high enough. Of course, the choice is yours."
*Surrendering it for safekeeping is the safest option. With an Elder vouching for it, the official organization wouldn't cheat me out of an item—otherwise, they have plenty of ways to do so... But doing that means losing a powerful item. For now, it seems the Five Elements Alliance doesn't have a Dominator-level Night Wanderer item to give me as an equivalent substitute for the Demon-Subduing Pestle.*
*Inside the Spirit Realm, as long as I don't run into an instance influenced by that old hag like Jinshui Amusement Park, everything should be fine...*
Zhang Yuanqing said, "I'll think about it."
***
Ground floor, combat training room.
Wearing a white martial arts uniform, Zhang Yuanqing followed Guan Ya's instructions, performing simple stretching exercises.
The Night Wanderer class had endowed him with a robust physique and decent flexibility; he could easily do the splits now without fear of pulling a groin muscle.
Guan Ya and Jiang Jingwei were also dressed in white martial arts uniforms. One tall and mature, one young and petite, both striking in looks and figure, making for a feast for the eyes.
"Jingwei, why are you here too?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, pressing his leg down as he looked at the red-haired girl.
"To spar with Guan Ya! Isn't this way more fun than going to school or work?" Jiang Jingwei said excitedly.
She definitely didn't want to sit around in an office anymore.
A thought struck Zhang Yuanqing. "Between you and Guan Ya, who's stronger?"
"Without using abilities, just purely fighting, I've never beaten her," Jiang Jingwei answered honestly.
*The veteran driver's combat skills are even better than I thought; even Jingwei is no match for her...*
Guan Ya sat on the floor with her legs together, leaning forward so that her hands easily grasped the pink soles of her feet. If her collar had been just a bit lower, Zhang Yuanqing would have received quite an eyeful.
While stretching, she said, "Even though you're a rookie, we can skip strength training. There are countless martial arts styles both domestically and abroad. I'll start by teaching you freestyle combat—for your current stage, it's the most practical.
"Once your skill improves, if you're still interested in hand-to-hand combat, I can teach you more styles."
"Sounds like you're versed in all kinds of disciplines?" Zhang Yuanqing looked at her in a new light.
Maintaining her bent-over posture, Guan Ya smiled. "I was forced into it. Sigh, the Fu family is a ruthless, heartless clan. From childhood, they raise the kids like venomous bugs in a jar, pitting peers against each other in competition over everything—academics, combat, swordsmanship...
"If you don't want to get beaten, your only choice is to train like crazy. Luckily my talent wasn't bad. After turning ten, aside from an older female cousin, nobody could beat me. But I grew sick of that kind of life. The higher the elders' expectations grew, the less I wanted to put in the effort."
*Didn't realize you were a kindred spirit to Senior Teng Yuan...* Zhang Yuanqing asked, "What about the Centurion? In his youth, he must have been an outstanding prodigy, right?"
"More like beaten by me until his head had bumps and horns," Guan Ya chuckled with a snort. "When he was little, he was frail, sickly, and had terrible talent. All the adults said he had no future... Ah, never mind, let's not dredge up his embarrassing past."
*Terrible talent? The most outstanding young man in the Five Elements Alliance, one of the top powerhouses below the Dominator stage, had terrible talent?* Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, *So Fu Qingyang had his own 'never underestimate a boy just because he's poor and weak' phase in childhood.*
Finished with his stretches, Zhang Yuanqing was eager to try. "Guan Ya, let's begin."
Using the strength in her slender waist, Guan Ya snapped upright onto her feet. "To improve your combat skills as quickly as possible, skills are forbidden. Let's begin, then—"
Zhang Yuanqing mused for a second. "Freestyle combat means no restrictions, right?"
Guan Ya nodded. "Winning is the sole criterion. Do you plan on lecturing enemies about rules?"
***
The sun dipped below the horizon.
Three hours later, Zhang Yuanqing dragged his exhausted feet out of the combat room and into the main hall.
In the ground-floor living area, sitting on an exorbitant sofa, Ling Jun was laughing and flirting with two bunny girls. When Zhang Yuanqing walked out, Ling Jun and the bunny girls fell dead silent.
Ling Jun was stunned by Zhang Yuanqing's battered state. "The left side of your face is swollen like a pig's head."
"Guan Ya did that."
"What about the right side?"
"Jingwei."
"Even if Night Wanderers have strong regenerative abilities, they can't brutalize you like this," Ling Jun said indignantly.
"Not really her fault. Guan Ya said she'd teach me freestyle combat and that winning was the sole purpose, with zero rules whatsoever. So, I tried a lost legendary technique on her: the Dragon Claw Breast-Grab."
"Well, putting it that way, you didn't really lose out."
"Except I didn't even manage to touch her..."
"Then why did Jingwei beat you? Don't tell me you used that lost legendary Dragon Claw technique on her too?"
"Do I look like a pervert? I only said one line: 'Minotaurs must die.'"
"Oh, then the fact that she didn't beat you to death shows she still loves you."
Just then, a bunny girl brought over the meal prepared to replenish his energy: black pepper steak, sausages, fried eggs, dessert, fruit, energy drinks, and more.
Zhang Yuanqing stopped chatting and began wolfing it down.
***
In the fading glow of the setting sun, Zhang Yuanqing put on a cap and a face mask, wrapping himself up tightly, and stealthily returned home.
Entering his passcode, he opened the security door. Clattering noises came from the kitchen—his grandmother was preparing dinner.
Zhang Yuanqing slipped into his bedroom, calling out, "Grandma, I already ate out! I have homework to do tonight, so don't disturb me!"
"Why didn't you say so earlier?! I cooked too much food again tonight!" his grandmother shouted angrily.
"Just take some to Uncle! He's always got nothing better to do anyway," Zhang Yuanqing shouted back.
Hearing this, Grandma found it reasonable and her anger dissipated.
Closing his bedroom door, Zhang Yuanqing first checked his messaging app.
Three hours ago, Xie Lingxi had sent him a long string of [sobbing] emojis.
Zhang Yuanqing replied: "I've been practicing combat recently. Once your brother achieves martial mastery..."
Xie Lingxi replied instantly: "Once you achieve mastery, you'll avenge me?"
Zhang Yuanqing: "No, I'll join her in beating you up."
Xie Lingxi sent another string of [sobbing] emojis.
Zhang Yuanqing put down his phone, walked over to the full-length mirror by the window, and grimaced in pain.
The swelling on his face had already receded, but the internal injuries had not healed yet. A dull ache lingered in his waist and chest, likely indicating bruised organs.
*Seriously, hitting so hard... She talks all about getting a hotel room with me and using me to practice tying up a chicken, but the moment I show the slightest daydream about her extravagant pectoral muscles, she beats me half to death...*
Still, Guan Ya had indeed taught him useful things.
His biggest problem was that when striking, he only knew how to use his fists and feet, without properly utilizing his knees, elbows, shoulders, or back.
Against opponents with inferior physical stats, he could overpower them through sheer force, but the moment he faced a combat expert, his amateur status was instantly laid bare.
***
Jinshui Amusement Park.
Night had fallen heavily, and the amusement park was aglow with dreamy, dazzling lights.
A ray of golden light sliced through the somber night sky, coalescing into a breathtaking beauty clad in ancient attire. Her features were dignified and elegant, the contours of her cheeks carving out a perfect face, with a delicate, straight nose and sensuous lips.
In the night wind, her hemline and black hair fluttered aloofly, making her look like an ethereal fairy.
Lady Sandao glanced down at the rides below, where six tiny, frail ants were riding a roaring roller coaster with their eyes squeezed shut.
She retracted her gaze without lingering and steered the golden light down toward the eerie ancient mansion.
The yin energy here instantly froze, and the vengeful spirits inside the Haunted House prostrated themselves on the ground, trembling in terror.
A dense shroud of yin energy wafted out from the depths of the ancient mansion, coming to a halt thirty feet away from Lady Sandao. Vaguely, a figure clad in a bridal gown could be seen bowing respectfully toward her.
Lady Sandao asked, "The person I had you search for—is there any clue?"
Chapter 122