A Hard Quota

"You need me to come in person?" Elder Dog asked again, as if he hadn't heard clearly. He did not believe that a dungeon walkthrough for the Transcendent stage was worth troubling him to make the trip, not even if it was S-grade. Fu Qingyang's tone was grave. "Yes!" Hearing this, Elder Dog gave a dignified grunt and hung up the phone. His opinion hadn't changed, but based on his understanding of Fu Qingyang, Elder Dog decided to make the trip. Fu Qingyang set down the receiver and returned to the parlor sofa. By this time, Li Dongze was stroking the ghost doll, exclaiming in astonishment over and over: "Oh heavens, oh heavens... it's actually a rule-based item! "As expected, only dungeons of Grade A or above produce rule-based items. This is only the second time I've touched a rule-based item with my own hands." Seeing Fu Qingyang return, Li Dongze held a hand to his lips, cleared his throat, and regained his elegance. Fu Qingyang's dark, gemstone-like eyes turned toward Zhang Yuanqing. "Tell me about the dangers in the dungeon." As he spoke, he glanced at the three items. Zhang Yuanqing pointed at them. "These were the greatest dangers in the dungeon—well, setting aside the final boss." Guan Ya looked at the exquisitely carved Yin Jade Doll. "Is this one the most dangerous?" After all, it was a rule-based item. To her surprise, Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. "No, it's actually the least dangerous. Because as long as you crack its rules, the danger is resolved. But the other two..." He recalled the terror of facing the paper figure, and his complexion immediately turned sickly pale. *Yuanshi looks like he was traumatized by this dungeon...* The three Scouts read his expression, discerning the lingering fear in Yuanshi Tianzun, which gave them a deeper and clearer grasp of Mute Village's danger. If the rule-based item was actually the simplest, then the other two items either exceeded the limits of a Transcendent Realm walker or had no solution at all. Lingjun picked up a thin slice of ready-to-eat ham, asking as he chewed, "What kind of entity is the final boss of Mute Village?" "A Ming dynasty commandery princess!" Zhang Yuanqing said. Lingjun's eyes lit up. "Is she pretty?" Zhang Yuanqing's eyes also lit up. "Gorgeous. And..." Guan Ya cut in with a hollow smile, "And what?" *And I suspect the Demon Lord took liberties with her; that guy was simply an animal...* Zhang Yuanqing nearly slipped and exposed his identity as the Demon Lord's successor. He hastily changed his tune: "And she has a pair of eyes just like Sister Guan Ya's—vibrant and bright, like the most dazzling gems in the world." As he spoke the second half of the sentence, he looked straight into Guan Ya's eyes. Lingjun nodded with gratification; his personal teachings were bearing fruit after all. "Ahem!" Fu Qingyang cleared his throat expressionlessly. Guan Ya was pleased, but the little brother-in-law was annoyed. Just then, a rap of *knock, knock* sounded against the brown double wooden doors. Fu Qingyang looked over and called out, "Come in!" The bunny girl pushed the door open, stood at the entrance with her gaze lowered at a forty-five-degree angle, and bowed in an inviting gesture. A curly-haired toy poodle strode along the red carpet into the study with steady steps. Everyone in the parlor stood up one after another, saying respectfully, "Elder Dog!" Elder Dog nodded slightly, his black-button eyes sweeping across the room. When he saw the three items on the coffee table, his gaze paused for a moment before shifting away to look at Yuanshi Tianzun. He chuckled and said, "I told them long ago that a conundrum the Demon Lord couldn't overcome might very well be a problem easily solved for you." Guan Ya and the others all wore expressions of *you never said that, but I don't dare contradict you*. Zhang Yuanqing bowed deeply right away. "Thank you for your high regard, Elder! Thank you for nurturing me!" *What a sycophant...* Lingjun silently turned his face away. Elder Dog was very pleased, smiling as he said, "These three items are what you obtained in the dungeon? Quite the handsome rewards. Well, let's not waste time. Tell me what is so strange about this dungeon that necessitated my personal visit." As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the juniors present simultaneously turn their eyes to the items: "See for yourself!" Elder Dog raised a paw and gave a gentle beckoning motion. The three items flew up on their own and arranged themselves neatly in front of him. Elder Dog rested his paw upon the head of the Yin Jade Doll. Then, everyone clearly saw a human-like expression of shock cross the poodle's doggy face. Next, Elder Dog swiftly shifted his paw to the silver rouge box, a hint of anticipation gleaming in his eyes. A few seconds later, after reviewing the rouge box's information, Elder Dog took a deep breath and pressed his paw against the bronze mirror. After inspecting the details of all three items, Elder Dog raised his dark eyes and looked at Zhang Yuanqing. "You rascal... every time you enter a dungeon, you always stir up some kind of madness." His tone was a blend of gratification and appreciation, mixed with helpless exasperation. Beside him, Zhang Yuanqing added at just the right moment, "With a walkthrough, one can clear Mute Village almost without casualties." Elder Dog exhaled slowly. "This matter must be reported to headquarters!" *** Inside the pet shop. Two cats were flailing their paws at each other atop a cat tree, their bodies teetering precariously on the high perches yet always maintaining a delicate balance like master acrobats. Beneath the cat tree, a small bulldog was snoozing lazily, snoring loud enough to shake the ceiling. Suddenly, a black-and-white husky rushed in from afar and rammed headfirst into the cat tree, knocking it over. Instant chaos erupted, with cats yowling and dogs barking in unison. Farther away, by a food bowl, a border collie sat quietly, watching it all as though observing a group of mentally impaired children. At that moment, the poodle by the desk spoke in a deep voice: "Quiet down, all of you!" The noisy pet shop went dead silent in an instant. The cats and dogs lay docilely on the floor, not daring to act up, including the husky. Once the pet shop was quiet, Elder Dog opened his contacts and dialed the number saved as "Muddle-Headed Old Sun." *Ring, ring...* The phone rang for a long time before it finally connected, and Elder Sun's voice came through the speaker: "Settled on a price?" Elder Dog replied, "Old Sun, regarding the walkthrough for Mute Village, there's been a development. It's beyond my authority to decide; I need to report this to headquarters." There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line. Elder Sun probed, "What's so special about the Mute Village Spirit Realm dungeon?" Elder Dog then informed Elder Sun of the completion rewards and the stark difference in difficulty levels between having a walkthrough and not having one. The moment he finished speaking, he heard slightly rushed breathing coming from the phone. *** The Capital City, a traditional courtyard residence. Beneath a scholar tree, Elder Sun sat bolt upright in a rocking chair. The call had ended, yet he still held the phone to his ear in the same posture. Elder Sun stared blankly toward a corner of the yard, but his gaze was not vacant; instead, it shone with intense brilliance. After remaining like this for a dozen seconds, Elder Sun tossed his phone to his middle-aged assistant. "In my name, convene all the elders immediately and head to Mount Wuliang for a council." "What should I tell the elders?" the assistant asked. "Tell them that the Mute Village walkthrough might be the greatest opportunity the Taiyi Sect has seen since its founding." With that, he transformed into a beam of golden light and vanished into the sky. *** Inside a spacious conference room, soft lighting illuminated a brand-new conference table. The curtains were tightly drawn, blocking any view of the outside world. The decor of the conference room appeared exceptionally high-end—so high-end that it resembled an exquisitely crafted showroom. From the furnishings to the equipment, luxury and sophistication emanated from every corner, yet everything was spotless and neat, looking as though it had never been used since its setup. *Beep, beep...* On the ceiling, ten high-tech metal sensor pods flashed yellow lights simultaneously. Immediately afterward, beams of light projected downward, solidifying into imposing, reserved figures: handsome youths, gorgeous women, weathered old men, and dignified middle-aged men. There were also non-humans, such as a curly-haired poodle. Sitting at the head of the table was a man in his forties. His features were plain and ordinary, yet he exuded an indescribable nobility, resembling a calm, gentle sovereign. He was neither tall nor heavily muscled, but he possessed an extraordinary solidity. Just sitting there quietly, he gave off the majestic, ponderous weight of a mountain. The people around the conference table looked at the middle-aged man and chorused: "Grand Elder!" The Grand Elder of the Five Elements Alliance—Dihong! He was the son of the Central Court's Alliance Leader, and "Dihong" was the Spirit Realm ID personally bestowed upon him by that very leader. A Level 9 Dominator, he was one of the strongest figures beneath the five Alliance Leaders of the Five Elements Alliance. This meeting had been convened by Grand Elder Dihong. Each of the five major organizations sent two elders, making ten elders in total. Within the Five Elements Alliance, a meeting of this scale was known as the "Council of Ten Elders." It was the highest-level, most authoritative council beneath a full Alliance Leaders' Assembly (only the Alliance Leaders had the authority to summon all elders of the Five Elements Alliance). The Council of Ten Elders was rarely convened. Whenever it was, it invariably signified a major affair. A major affair wasn't necessarily an emergency or a calamity, but it was bound to be a thorny issue involving contention that required collective deliberation. As the elders were pondering the purpose of today's meeting, Grand Elder Dihong spoke: "Yuanshi Tianzun of the Songhai branch has just returned from the Spirit Realm and brought back a walkthrough for the Night Wanderer exclusive dungeon, 'Mute Village.' Today's meeting is called so everyone can discuss and reach a decision." Pausing briefly, he continued in a measured tone, "Whether or not we should sell this walkthrough to the Taiyi Sect." *Yuanshi Tianzun of the Songhai branch?* Hearing this, the elders exchanged silent glances, all seeing surprise in one another's eyes. Some among them had learned of Yuanshi Tianzun through the arena tournament, while others had merely heard of him in passing. Regardless, none of them could fathom how a Transcendent stage Night Wanderer could prompt the Grand Elder to convene the Council of Ten Elders—one of the highest-level meetings in the Five Elements Alliance. And the reason the Grand Elder convened it was merely over the sale of a Transcendent stage walkthrough? Dihong looked toward the curly-haired poodle and said mildly, "Elder Dog, please explain." The elders turned their gazes toward the only non-human present. Maintaining his seated posture, Elder Dog said unhurriedly, "Everyone is surely aware of the rumors on the forum yesterday. The dungeon Yuanshi Tianzun entered is called Mute Village, and it is rather peculiar." "We already know that nonsense. Cut straight to the chase," a red-haired burly man urged impatiently. Elder Dog acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing at his own pace: "According to Yuanshi Tianzun, it is a bug-level dungeon that has already exceeded the bounds of the Transcendent stage. Ordinary Night Wanderers who enter are guaranteed to die, but with a walkthrough, this dungeon becomes exceedingly simple." "Even so, that wouldn't warrant convening a special meeting to discuss it. There must be a more important reason," an elder from the White Tiger Guards said with a smile. Elder Dog nodded. "The key lies in the dungeon's rewards. As long as one completes the quests step by step, one can obtain three items: one rule-based item, and two Saint-grade items—Saint-grade items of the Night Wanderer profession! "Even though they are replicas, each item can be used three times." The moment his words fell, voices echoed across the once-quiet conference room. The elders, who had been dignified and calm moments before, now voiced their opinions one after another. "We can't sell it! This will shake our standing." "Not many can enter a Grade A dungeon, but stretch the timeframe long enough, and someone will enter eventually. In a few years or a dozen years, the Taiyi Sect will have accumulated a sizeable number of replicas." "If we sell it to them, Transcendent stage Night Wanderers will hold an overwhelming advantage against evil professions of the same stage. This might be a turning point in shifting the current balance. Over the next ten years, the strength of the evil organizations could shrink drastically." "Agreed. Grassroots walkers are the largest in number and form the bedrock of every organization. Stifling evil professions at the Transcendent stage is tantamount to severing their roots." "However, this would allow the Taiyi Sect to seize the chance to expand, and they will inevitably vie with us for power. Grassroots organizations and Spirit Realm aristocratic families will gravitate toward them, and even the government will become more inclined to support the Taiyi Sect." "I think we can sell it, but we must figure out how to sell it..." *** At ten-thirty in the evening, having just finished her shower, Sun Miaomiao sat in front of her computer. A hair-drying towel was wrapped around her lustrous black hair, and dressed in cartoon pajamas, she furrowed her brow as she browsed the Taiyi Sect official forum. From yesterday to today, as someone who loved surfing the web, she had witnessed the sect's Night Wanderers discussing the Yuanshi Tianzun affair—shifting from covert schadenfreude to stubborn rationalizations like "he sure got lucky" and "the dungeon wasn't even that hard anyway." She had also witnessed and participated in the forum flame wars and mudslinging between members of the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyi Sect. "Seriously, they're still flaming each other. Everyone has so much hostility..." The verbal war between both sides had raged on for a full day, sparked when someone screenshotted the snide remarks made by the Night Wanderers and posted them over to the Five Elements Alliance's side. When Yuanshi Tianzun made a triumphant return this morning, slapping everyone in the face, members of the Five Elements Alliance howled and charged into the Taiyi Sect forums and chat groups to wage a fierce flame war. The trolls of the Five Elements Alliance mocked the Taiyi Sect's Night Wanderers to their hearts' content, repeating over and over how badly their faces had been slapped. Unable to counter this, the Night Wanderers shifted their angles, clapping back with taunts like "at the end of the day, you're just working for our Taiyi Sect" and "a bit of pocket change will make you hand over the walkthrough obediently." Sun Miaomiao sighed. *Honestly, these guys are all cultured and polite in person, but online, they completely let loose like desperados.* Thinking this, Sun Miaomiao logged into her alt account with the ID "Sun Wukong" and clattered away on her keyboard, replying: "Five Elements Alliance dumb dogs!" "I'm Yuanshi Tianzun's mother!" "Yuanshi Tianzun stronger than the Demon Lord? You guys sure know how to blow smoke. I can't take this crap anymore. Why don't you just say Yuanshi Tianzun is the Lord of the Spirit Realm?" "Seriously, thanks a lot." Sun Miaomiao wasn't deliberately targeting Yuanshi Tianzun; she simply enjoyed arguing. In reality, she was a sweet, docile, well-behaved little princess, and everyone watched her every word and action. Only on the internet could she maneuver freely, striking left and right, eliminating enemies from thousands of miles away amid the rapid clatter of her keyboard. If Sun Miaomiao went a day without flaming someone, she felt miserable. It just so happened that this clash between both sides had broken out. With such a spectacle before her, how could she miss it? "Refreshing!" Sun Miaomiao paused her flying fingers on the keyboard. Holding the mouse to refresh the page with one hand, she lifted her cup to drink water with the other, as if she had just sprayed tons of saliva in the argument. Suddenly, she refreshed onto a new thread titled: #Just saw this on the Five Elements Alliance forum, is it real or fake?# *What?* Sun Miaomiao clicked into the thread out of curiosity. The post was reposted from the Five Elements Alliance, with the original title: #Reliable source: Higher-ups convene Council of Ten Elders to discuss whether to sell Mute Village walkthrough to Taiyi Sect# "The Five Elements Alliance convened the Council of Ten Elders to discuss whether to sell a Transcendent stage dungeon walkthrough?" Sun Miaomiao almost burst out laughing. Even when making up lies, one had to follow some logic! Just as she was about to rush over to the Five Elements Alliance side to mock them, she caught sight of the comments below: [Lingjun: Sigh, it's real! You guys don't understand; the Mute Village dungeon is extremely important to the Taiyi Sect.] [Zhao Chenghuang: @Lingjun, so that's how it is. No wonder Great-Grandfather went to Mount Wuliang for a council and still hasn't returned. What is so special about the Mute Village dungeon?] [Lingjun: Whoever takes the walkthrough and enters the dungeon will be able to wipe the floor with you when they come out. No exaggeration! And the numbers aren't limited.] [Maoshan Daoist: Unlimited numbers? I don't buy it. @Lingjun] [Lingjun: Little runt, believe it or not. Stop running your mouths. Right now we're the ones begging them to sell, and the Five Elements Alliance might not even be willing. Sigh, if Elder Sun hadn't agreed to Fu Qingyang's terms back then, this walkthrough would belong to our Taiyi Sect.] Sun Miaomiao's expression froze instantly, and she suddenly lost all desire to be an online troll. This thread caused an enormous uproar across the Taiyi Sect forum. They didn't believe posts from the Five Elements Alliance, but when the words came from Lingjun and Zhao Chenghuang, they had no choice but to believe them. Wiping the floor with Zhao Chenghuang just by coming out of Mute Village? What kind of joke was this? Wouldn't that mean anyone could become a peak figure of the Transcendent stage... So, that was why the Five Elements Alliance had convened the Council of Ten Elders?! In an instant, the hearts of all the Night Wanderers burned with fervor. It turned out Mute Village was this extraordinary. They had to get their hands on the Mute Village walkthrough, no matter what. At the same time, they realized that right now, the Taiyi Sect was at the mercy of the Five Elements Alliance. And they were at the mercy of Yuanshi Tianzun. *** On the same night, inside his bedroom, Zhang Yuanqing sat on an ergonomic chair worth three thousand yuan, speaking animatedly: "In recent days, that perverted sex maniac named the Demon Lord consecutively violated and murdered three young maidens and six beautiful mature women. Faced with such a heinous superpowered criminal, the police were helpless to handle it, so they handed the case over to our Superpower Special Ops team. "I led the team in ambushing the Demon Lord for an entire night. Finally, just as he was about to strike against a bar girl named Zhu Rong, I made a decisive move, engaged in a fierce battle with the Demon Lord, and brought that vile criminal to justice." Sitting on the edge of the bed, his aunt listened in utter amazement. When her nephew finished, stars shone in her eyes as she said with deep admiration, "That's amazing~ "Yuanzi, from now on, you're the great hero in your aunt's heart." Zhang Yuanqing nodded solemnly. "Protecting the weak is what people like us are meant to do. In our organization, a great man codenamed Yuanshi Tianzun once said: With great power comes great responsibility. Those with superpowers must always remember that taking down the strong to help the weak is our duty, and benefiting society is our faith." His aunt sighed with emotion. "His ideals are truly admirable." Here was what had actually happened: three nights ago, his aunt discovered her nephew had vanished, leaving only a mobile phone behind in his room. The clever aunt immediately guessed that her nephew had received orders from his organization to go out on a mission, so she quietly covered for him and brushed off her parents with a fictitious girlfriend. Today, right after getting off work, she casually finished dinner, bolted straight onto her nephew's bed, chattered through everything that had happened, and then asked if he truly had been on a mission last night. And thus, the scene just now had unfolded. His aunt pressed eagerly, "Is that Demon Lord dead?" "Of course!" "What about that bar girl named Zhu Rong? Did you manage to save her?" "Sigh, we saved her, but she suffered tremendous psychological trauma. Later on, a crazy psycho ended up peeling her face off." "Ah! How terrifying! What was that psycho called?" *** June 12th. The Saint stage arena tournament concluded as scheduled. There were no surprises, no dark horses; just as everyone had anticipated, Fu Qingyang claimed the championship, triumphing over Jiang Ju, Yin Ji, and the Ghost King of Fengdu. This was supposed to be a high-profile event bathed in the limelight, but due to the uproar over the Mute Village dungeon walkthrough, most of the attention and discussions were diverted away. The forums of both the Taiyi Sect and the Five Elements Alliance were flooded with discussions about Mute Village, with only the occasional post congratulating Fu Qingyang on his victory. Regarding the walkthrough for Mute Village, members of the Five Elements Alliance acted like gloating victors, shouting that they'd rather throw it into the water than give it to the Taiyi Sect, repeatedly raiding the Taiyi Sect forums to mock them and flog their dead horses. The members of the Taiyi Sect suddenly lost their pride and their courage to argue back, left only to grumble in exasperated fury: *Elder Sun is completely muddle-headed!* *** Fujia Bay Villa, study. Fu Qingyang sat broadly on the brown leather sofa, a cigar between his fingers. On the coffee table before him lay pastries, desserts, fruits, ham slices, and two bottles of whisky. "The elders argued for two days, and they've finally reached a conclusion." Fu Qingyang glanced at his empty glass, gesturing for his confidant lackey to pour. "Are we selling or not?" Zhang Yuanqing took the hint and filled the Centurion's glass. He knew that over the past few days, the elders had been in continuous meetings—or rather, shouting matches. It was said that at the height of the argument, an elder from the Scarlet Fire Gang declared he would take them all on in an offline brawl—against everyone present. In short, because of his walkthrough, the elders had held meetings for two full days. "Selling!" "How are we selling it?" Fu Qingyang said, "Two conditions. First, both parties sign a contract stipulating that whenever anyone from the Taiyi Sect clears Mute Village, the acquired items must be split evenly with the Five Elements Alliance. Second, the Taiyi Sect must bundle all Grade A and Grade S Level 4 dungeon walkthroughs in their database and give them to us." *The second condition was raised specifically for me...* Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Did the Taiyi Sect agree?" Walkthroughs for Saint stage dungeons, especially Grade A and Grade S ones, were each of immense value. Fu Qingyang raised his glass, took an elegant sip, and chuckled softly. "Of course they were unwilling, but headquarters took a very hardline stance. The Taiyi Sect had no choice." He set down his glass and said, "In three days, the killing trial will begin. Your yin corpse was destroyed in the Spirit Realm. By tomorrow at the latest, I will hunt down the corpse of a Level 3 Demon of Bewitchment for you. "As for whatever else you need to prepare, see to it quickly yourself." Zhang Yuanqing felt both anticipation and tension, nodding vigorously. The killing trial was his opportunity to advance to the Saint stage. Once he advanced to Saint, he could begin investigating Brother Bing's disappearance. Fu Qingyang set down his glass and continued, "Tonight, the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyi Sect will hold an online meeting. All members intending to participate in the killing trial will attend, and you must join as well." "A mobilization meeting?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. Fu Qingyang nodded. "At this time every year, the evil organizations gather their members to discuss plans for hunting down law-abiding professions. During the meeting, Saints will share their experiences in the killing trial so you can understand the habits and methods of the evil organizations." *** Jinshan City, outskirts. Two electric scooters rode side by side, finally coming to a halt at a logistics company situated in a remote location. Dressed in a delivery driver uniform, Kou Beiyue rested one foot on the ground and looked at the logistics company that had rented an abandoned factory as its base, saying with envy, "I know logistics makes good money. You've really got skills." Beside him was a baby-faced youth who said nonchalantly, "The organization provided all the funds; I'm just the manager. "From now on, this will be the gathering spot for the Spirit Society's Jinshan City sub-branch, as well as a black market run by the Spirit Society. If you want to gather intelligence or trade items and materials in the future, feel free to come to me. Although few people are willing to trade here right now, I believe there will be more and more later on." This person was none other than Gu King's subordinate, Spirit Realm ID: Human Blood Bun. Kou Beiyue felt a surge of joy. The reason he hung out with Human Blood Bun was to establish a stable channel to help Xiao Yuan gather intel and receive or assign missions. "Isn't this place a bit too conspicuous, though? I thought the gathering spots for your evil organizations were all in brothels and casinos." Human Blood Bun burst out laughing. "Kid, have you been watching too many movies? We're already like rats crossing the street. If we ran brothels and casinos on top of that, would we be worried the police couldn't find us? "Generally speaking, the most suitable venues for us are bars, hotels, and places like logistics companies that have high foot traffic without drawing suspicion. Also, 'evil organizations' is the official designation given to us. Don't go tossing the word 'evil' around all the time; if you run into our peers, you'll get beaten up." *Oh, no wonder Xiao Yuan wanted to buy a hotel back then...* Enlightenment dawned upon Kou Beiyue. He asked again, "Any fresh intel lately?" Human Blood Bun glanced at him, threw an arm over Kou Beiyue's shoulder, and sighed. "Beiyue, before asking about such things, it's best to prepare some cash first. But I know you don't have money. Seeing as we share similar interests, I'll give you two pieces of news for free. "First, that Yuanshi Tianzun came back from the dungeon alive. Damn it, that guy really is something. This time, all of us thought he was done for. Just as the old saying goes: the good die young, but a scourge lives for a thousand years." *Coming from an evil profession like you, that sounds really bizarre...* Suppressing the urge to scoff, Kou Beiyue asked, "What about the second piece of news?" "As for the second piece of news, I heard this year's summit among the major organizations has been set in Jiangnan Province. Yuanshi Tianzun and Fu Qingyang are two core targets of this meeting. In the mid-year killing trial, at least one of them must die. That's a hard quota handed down from above."