At 2:00 p.m., Zhang Yuanqing was awakened by a piercing ringtone. *I should have turned it off...* Disturbed from his sleep, he grabbed his phone in irritation, just about to hang up, when he caught sight of the caller ID—Fu Qingyang!
"What are your orders, Centurion?"
Zhang Yuanqing's attitude flipped instantly, his tone sincere and patient.
"You haven't written the dungeon walkthrough?" Fu Qingyang's voice was mellow and cool.
*The higher-ups sure value the walkthrough for Mute Village. Probably partly out of curiosity, too. After all, this was a dungeon that made the Demon Lord sigh even at the Saint stage that surviving was purely down to luck...* Zhang Yuanqing countered with a question, "What happened?"
Had anyone else spoken to him like this, Fu Qingyang would have coldly told them that this was no way to address a superior.
However, Yuanshi Tianzun was different after all.
Fu Qingyang offered a brief explanation. "The Taiyi Sect approached Elder Dog asking for the walkthrough."
*So Elder Dog reached out to you to contact me?* Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and said, "Centurion, regarding the walkthrough for Mute Village, I'm not sure if I should submit it to the database. Personally speaking, I lean toward keeping it hidden and not selling it to the Taiyi Sect."
Fu Qingyang's tone turned serious. "What makes you say that?
"You should know that the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyi Sect are both official organizations. While there are certainly rivalries and conflicts between us, we stand and fall together in our broader position. A walkthrough, no matter how precious, cannot shake our pact.
"Besides, I don't believe a walkthrough for a dungeon at the Transcendent stage could influence organizational policy."
"I know!" Zhang Yuanqing said.
Hearing that, Fu Qingyang knew he had his reasons and said immediately, "Then come over. Explain it to me in person!"
Hanging up the phone, Zhang Yuanqing yawned. After filling his belly and browsing the forums earlier, drowsiness had washed over him, so he had taken a nap.
Sleeping during the day aided a Night Wanderer's recovery. Coupled with the increase in his energy and stamina after his EXP rose, even though he had only slept for two hours, the exhaustion brought from the dungeon had been washed away completely.
Putting on his running shoes, Zhang Yuanqing walked into the living room.
In the living room, his grandfather wore reading glasses, sitting by the computer and playing cards leisurely.
Seeing Zhang Yuanqing emerge, the old man picked up the thermos cup filled with goji berry tea beside him, unscrewed the lid, took a relaxed sip, and scrutinized his grandson with a knowing, silent smile.
His grandmother sat nearby watching Grandpa play cards. Hearing footsteps, she turned around and asked gently, "You're awake? Hungry? I saved some food for you."
With that, she went into the kitchen and brought out the food kept warm for him.
Zhang Yuanqing wasn't actually hungry, but it was rare for his grandmother to save food for him, so warmth flooded his heart. "I just happen to be hungry. Thanks, Grandma—"
Before he finished speaking, he saw his grandmother place a tureen of soup before him. In the slightly dark yet clear broth soaked a squab, several goji berries, and a few ginseng slices...
Zhang Yuanqing looked up, his expression stiff as he stared at his grandma, sending her three mental question marks: "???"
His grandmother said with fond satisfaction, "Even though you're young, you must take care of your body. Oh right, remember to bring that girl home for dinner. Yesterday I heard folks in the neighborhood saying she came looking for you again? She was driving a different car from last time. So rich..."
Having spoken her piece, Grandma patted her grandson on the shoulder and returned contentedly to Grandpa's side to watch him play cards.
*Out all night, then sleeping the moment I got home... Does she think I labored until dawn? Is that why she stewed soup for me?!*
*No, that's not it! Grandma, listen to my explanation! You have to listen to my explanation...!* Zhang Yuanqing's gaze was full of grief as his mind acted out a dramatic gesture of reaching out a hand in vain.
*My lifelong reputation feels completely ruined. So embarrassing. It's all Jiang Yu'er's fault—of all the lies to make up, she had to fabricate a girlfriend.*
*Should I bring Guan Ya home, or ask Auntie Xiao Yuan? Well, although you can't tell Auntie Xiao Yuan's age from her looks, she has a mature demeanor and an aura no weaker than my mom's. Not quite suitable to bring home, or Grandma will think I'm a toy boy kept by a rich woman and become even more dissatisfied with society...*
With his mind wandering, Zhang Yuanqing took a taxi and soon arrived at Fujia Bay.
Swiping two different keycards to pass through access control, he entered the grand villa and was led to the study by a bunny girl.
At the end of a long red carpet, Fu Qingyang stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a red wine glass and taking in the greenery of the courtyard.
On the guest sofas beside him, Guan Ya, Ling Jun, and Li Dongze occupied a couch each, sipping fine wine and enjoying luxurious desserts and delicacies.
The three had come purely to enjoy the drama, much like friends calling out, "Let's find a spot to have fun tonight!" and then driving in a rush to Fujia Bay.
Of course, Guan Ya and Li Dongze also cared deeply about Yuanshi's mental state. Every year, there were Night Wanderers whose psyches became twisted due to dungeons that were excessively dangerous and horrifying.
*You people, wallowing in luxury and dissipation every single day...* Zhang Yuanqing walked across the plush red carpet toward them.
He naturally sat down beside Guan Ya, catching the scent of expensive perfume wafting from the mixed-race beauty.
Holding his wine glass, Fu Qingyang turned around and asked, "What's so special about the Mute Village dungeon?"
Instantly, Guan Ya, Ling Jun, and Li Dongze fixed their curious gazes upon him.
They were intrigued by what made Mute Village special enough to nearly trip up the Demon Lord, and even more curious about what reason led Yuanshi to believe its walkthrough shouldn't be sold to the Taiyi Sect.
Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment, then said, "I ran into the same problem as the Demon Lord in the dungeon and almost died inside. I dare say the difficulty level of Mute Village has exceeded S-rank. It's on par with Sheling Tunnel."
*On par with Sheling Tunnel?*
Sheling Tunnel was a bug-level Spirit Realm, an anomaly of a dungeon that was impossible to clear normally.
In over thirty years, only Yuanshi Tianzun had claimed its first clear.
Li Dongze shook his head. "That can't be right. Even though we don't know if anyone besides the Demon Lord has ever cleared Mute Village, the fact that the Demon Lord cleared it means it couldn't be the same as Sheling Tunnel."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Which is why both the Demon Lord and I almost died in there."
Guan Ya sliced a piece of cake, set it before Zhang Yuanqing, and said, "An A-rank dungeon shouldn't be this difficult. Stop keeping us in suspense and tell us what happened."
Meeting everyone's gaze, Zhang Yuanqing said, "Without a walkthrough, if you follow the dungeon's prompts, it is a bug-level Spirit Realm. I can state with certainty that no Transcendent stage traveler can clear Mute Village, because the dungeon's final boss is likely a high-tier Saint."
A high-tier Saint meant at least Level 5, or even Level 6.
"A high-tier Saint..." Ling Jun dropped his languid posture.
A flicker of surprise passed through Fu Qingyang's eyes.
That was already the difficulty level of their own tier. It was genuinely hard to believe that a boss of that caliber would appear in a solo Transcendent-stage Spirit Realm.
Zhang Yuanqing shifted gears. "However, with a walkthrough, the Mute Village dungeon is very easy. It shouldn't be much harder than B-rank, though I've never entered a B-rank myself."
Now they understood.
Li Dongze and Guan Ya hesitated, while Ling Jun straightened his expression and said, "So anyone entering the dungeon is doomed, with only figures like you and the Demon Lord holding any hope of clearing it. That makes the walkthrough exceptionally vital.
"Do you believe that such a crucial walkthrough shouldn't be sold to the Taiyi Sect?"
Ling Jun's expression was grave and solemn; one could tell he was somewhat upset.
When all was said and done, Ling Jun was the crown prince of the Taiyi Sect, the biological son of the Sect Master—even if that Sect Master had quite a few sons.
If Yuanshi merely wanted to demand an exorbitant price to fleece the Taiyi Sect, Ling Jun wouldn't be angry in the slightest. On the contrary, he would laughingly help him fleece them. After all, the Taiyi Sect had plenty of money, and who better to fleece than the fat cats? Besides, a walkthrough to clear a guaranteed-death Spirit Realm was truly valuable.
However, withholding a walkthrough for a Spirit Realm that was certain death for Night Wanderers—the intention behind such a refusal was something Ling Jun could neither accept nor tolerate.
Fu Qingyang glanced at him, then looked toward Zhang Yuanqing, saying, "I understand.
"However, if that's all it is, there is no harm in selling the walkthrough to the Taiyi Sect. We won't come out on the losing end when it comes to the price."
Unexpectedly, Zhang Yuanqing still shook his head. "Centurion, wait until you see these three items before deciding whether to take back those words."
Under the four furrowed gazes, he took out three items from his inventory one after another: a translucent, pitch-black female doll; a dusty Luan-Phoenix Bronze Mirror; and a silver rouge box.
Zhang Yuanqing said, "As long as one clears the dungeon using the walkthrough, they are guaranteed to obtain three items."
With a hint of curiosity, Fu Qingyang walked over to the coffee table, set down his wine glass, and gripped the Yin Jade Doll.
A few seconds later, the item information surfaced. Fu Qingyang's expression froze. He looked up at Zhang Yuanqing in shock, yet said nothing. Setting down the Yin Jade Doll, he picked up the Luan-Phoenix Bronze Mirror.
This time, Fu Qingyang's face abruptly darkened with gravity. He hastily set down the bronze mirror and reached for the rouge box, as if he could hardly wait.
A few seconds later, after reviewing the rouge box's information, Fu Qingyang fell into a prolonged silence.
Throughout this process, Guan Ya, Ling Jun, and Li Dongze witnessed the haughty scion's "rich and varied" shifts in expression from beginning to end.
Staring at the three items on the coffee table, their curiosity clawed at their hearts.
After a long time, Fu Qingyang pinched the space between his eyebrows and said, "I cannot make the call on this matter. I must inform the Elders... Even the Songhai Branch may not have the final say. We will need to notify headquarters."
Ling Jun asked tentatively, "Uh, can I... take a look?"
Fu Qingyang nodded. "You may!"
The three reached out together, each grabbing one item to read its properties.
Then, all three of their eyes widened almost simultaneously.
With strange expressions, they swapped items, rapidly reading through the details of all three. Ling Jun was dumbstruck. "Th-This... it really seems like... we can't sell it to the Taiyi Sect..."
His words came from the perspective of the Five Elements Alliance.
According to Yuanshi, following the walkthrough would allow one to clear Mute Village without a scratch, and clearing the dungeon guaranteed replicas of the three items as rewards.
Low risk, high return!
As a Spirit Realm exclusive to Night Wanderers, Five Elements Alliance travelers couldn't enter it. Going forward, only the Taiyi Sect could obtain these things.
What did that mean? In a few years, massive quantities of replicas could fill the Taiyi Sect's vaults.
In ten years, every Night Wanderer in the Taiyi Sect might possess one of these replicas.
And these three items were extraordinary—those wielding them could even clash on equal footing with a Level 4 Saint.
What did that mean?
To the Five Elements Alliance, this was handing nuclear warheads to an ally while possessing none themselves.
The low-to-mid-tier strength of the Taiyi Sect would expand at lightning speed.
In the future, what Transcendent stage traveler from the Five Elements Alliance could ever hold their head high before a Taiyi Sect Night Wanderer?
This walkthrough was far too unique, even more so than an S-rank dungeon guide. No, it was no longer as simple as a walkthrough—it involved the political game between two official organizations.
Ling Jun now understood why Yuanshi wouldn't sell it to the Taiyi Sect.
Fu Qingyang said nothing. Striding over to the desk at the end of the red carpet, he picked up the landline phone and dialed Elder Dog's number.
Soon, the call connected, and Elder Dog's voice came through, calm and gentle: "Has Yuanshi submitted the dungeon walkthrough?"
Fu Qingyang said in a deep voice, "Elder, regarding the walkthrough, you must come to Fujia Bay in person. I cannot make this call."
Chapter 235