Hearing the Grand Marshal's interrogation, Fu Qingyang narrowed his eyes slightly, though his expression settled again in an instant. "What do you mean by that, Marshal? Yuanshi is not the Demon Lord's successor. He passed the Tiger Tally's test."
Even facing the supreme leader of the White Tiger Guards, Fu Qingyang maintained his aloof demeanor.
"Rule-based items are not omnipotent; every rule has its loopholes." The female Grand Marshal held the folder upright before her and gave her knee-high military boots two brisk swings atop the desk. "Yuanshi Tianzun is a fine talent—gifted, and exceptional at clearing trials. But compared to the Demon Lord, he falls a bit short. Compared to me, the same holds true. Yet his record across the Transcendent stage outshines both mine and the Demon Lord's.
"On that point alone, he is rife with suspicion in my eyes."
Fu Qingyang raised an eyebrow. "Your so-called 'falling short' is nothing more than your subjective assumption. To my mind, results are the only benchmark that matters."
Faced with the Money Prince's blunt rebuttal, the female Grand Marshal took no offense at all. She gave a soft laugh.
"It is indeed a subjective assumption, but geniuses share an innate intuition. Take Guan Ya, for example. I think she's quite good, but there remains a sizable gulf between her and top-tier genius.
"Or take you: I found you thoroughly mediocre, and reality proved your talent really is dreadful. As for the Demon Lord, much as I loathed his character, I must admit he was the sole figure of our generation capable of ascending to demigod. All he lacked was time.
"Unfortunately, your prized Yuanshi Tianzun gives me no such feeling. Hence my subjective assumption: his achievements are padded."
With that, the female Grand Marshal lowered the folder, revealing her face.
Beyond her silky white hair, even her eyelashes were pure white—thick and curling like a pair of tiny brushes. Her eyes were a pale jade green, not the green found in Westerners, but more like a supernatural aberration.
Clear and radiant, they resembled the most exquisite jewels in the world.
Her eyes were large and round, the outer corners angling slightly upward, lending her an aura of sharp, commanding majesty.
Sixty percent of a person's facial impression comes from their eyes, and the ones framed beneath those white lashes were nothing short of breathtaking.
The rest of her features matched them in splendor: an unblemished, pale face with an undertone of cool elegance, thin yet supple lips, and a high, delicate nose. Her air was neither demure nor seductive nor ethereal, but an arresting, breathless majesty.
Coupled with those brilliant, gem-like eyes, flashing with fierce authority, she exuded the unmistakable aura of an absolute monarch holding sway over an empire.
She was the sort of woman who made onlookers instinctively want to kneel and cry, *"Long live Your Majesty!"*
The female Grand Marshal's voice turned icy. "You should know that for a Scout at my level, a subjective assumption usually equates to fact."
Fu Qingyang let out a cold laugh. "I just think you've lost your mind."
Tossing the folder aside, the female Grand Marshal hooked a slender, jade-like finger. A chocolate bonbon lifted from a dish on its own, stripped off its own foil wrapper, and flew straight into her mouth.
She smacked her lips softly. "Then let us speak of something not so subjective. In the killing trial, I watched Yuanshi Tianzun use an item belonging to the Demon Lord. It didn't belong to the Night Wanderer class. Theoretically speaking, it should have been impossible for him to obtain it. How do you explain that?"
Fu Qingyang frowned.
"That does add to the suspicion of him being the Demon Lord's successor, but it is hardly ironclad proof. Marshal, I only just advanced to Dominator. I don't have time for idle chatter. Say what you have to say."
Even as he spoke, the female Grand Marshal had already gathered the milk tea from the desk against her chest, noisily slurping through the straw.
Rather than answering him directly, she continued at her own pace: "Let me tell you something you don't know. After the Demon Lord died, all the items under his control—including those coveted by the Dark Night Rose leader and the Taiyi Sect Master—did not return to the Spirit Realm.
"According to the Taiyi Sect Master's deductions, they remained inside the character card by some unknown mechanism. Thus, the Demon Lord's successor is of paramount importance to both Dark Night Rose and the Taiyi Sect."
Having said that, she glanced at the chocolates on the table. Another bonbon floated into the air and flew toward Fu Qingyang, deftly stripping off its wrapper en route.
Fu Qingyang batted the chocolate aside with a flick of his hand, his brow furrowed. "What exactly is inside the Demon Lord's character card?"
Matters at this level were beyond the knowledge of ordinary elders, yet the female Grand Marshal revealed it without hesitation. "You know the prophecy of the Compass of Light, don't you? The very first line: *When sun, moon, and stars return to their places...* Heh, right now, one of the three is missing. How can they return?"
Realization dawned on Fu Qingyang. "I see. The Demon Lord possessed one of the three supreme relics of the Night Wanderers. If Yuanshi is his successor, the Five Elements Alliance will inevitably hand him over to the Taiyi Sect."
The Taiyi Sect and the Five Elements Alliance were bound by deep ties, and that supreme Night Wanderer of the current age was precisely the figure the Alliance backed—just as Asura of the Soldier Master sect backed the leader of Dark Night Rose.
A prophecy from the Compass of Light operated on too grand a scale. Even if Yuanshi had the makings of an alliance master, potential was merely potential.
The Five Elements Alliance lacked the patience to wait for a genius to mature into a supreme power—assuming he could ever reach that pinnacle in the first place.
Unless every member of the Alliance was Yuanshi Tianzun's father, the choice was obvious from an investor's perspective.
The female Grand Marshal set her milk tea back on the desk and straightened up, her spirited eyes fixing him with a distant gaze.
"Whether Yuanshi Tianzun is truly the Demon Lord's successor remains to be verified. It won't be difficult. A lie that eludes the Tiger Tally cannot escape me. No one can lie before these eyes of mine—not even a demigod of the same rank.
"Bring Yuanshi Tianzun here right now, and the truth will be known at once."
Fu Qingyang's face chilled, his dark, bottomless eyes sharpening to a keen edge. "Then why haven't you done so, Grand Marshal?"
Gem-like green eyes locked with dark ones as deep as a freezing pool. After several seconds, the green eyes rippled first, curving into an amused smile.
"Because I wanted to know your attitude toward him.
"If he is merely a dispensable subordinate to you, then I will personally verify his identity. He won't die, but the fortune meant for him will be transferred to the Taiyi Sect Master.
"If you intend to groom him and view him as your trusted confidant, then everything we spoke of today will be treated as though it never happened the moment you walk out that door.
"After all, while I am the Grand Marshal of the White Tiger Guards, I am also your sister."
Hearing this, Fu Qingyang gestured, summoning the knocked-away chocolate back into his hand. Savoring its bitter-sweetness, he said calmly, "He is my subordinate, a member of my White Tiger Guards. Why should I hand over my subordinate's fortunes to the Taiyi Sect?"
The female Grand Marshal looked unperturbed, having expected nothing less. "You must have suspected he was the Demon Lord's successor long ago."
Fu Qingyang answered candidly, "Whether he is or isn't makes no difference to me."
The female Grand Marshal nodded. "If his identity comes to light one day, you will bear all the consequences yourself. I will not clean up your mess."
Swallowing the mouthful, Fu Qingyang declared with pride, "Alive, he is my man; dead, he is my ghost. How he is handled is mine to decide. Before anyone points fingers, they had best ask my sword."
*Clap, clap, clap...*
The female Grand Marshal applauded vigorously, praising, "As expected of the Money Prince—truly overbearing! By the way, I have yet to congratulate you on advancing to Dominator."
With that, she rose slowly. With a casual wave of her hand, the bookshelves, desk, manga, and snacks all vanished into thin air.
White light surged from her palm, coalescing into a three-foot bladed sword. Expressionless, she said, "I invite the newly advanced Dominator, the esteemed Money Prince, to give some pointers to trash like me."
Fu Qingyang: "..."
***
Dusk fell, the dying sun red as blood.
Inside an elegantly decorated parlor, Fu Qingyang's figure materialized out of nowhere. His body swayed and he slumped onto the handcrafted sofa, too exhausted to remain upright.
The strikingly handsome Money Prince had lost every shred of his earlier splendor. His left cheek was swollen like a pig's head, his right eye was bruised and bloodshot, and two molars had been knocked clean out.
One leg was broken.
His pristine white suit was shredded with sword marks, tattered and soaked in blood.
Fu Qingyang collapsed against the cushions, gasping for breath. Then his eyes caught sight of a crystal-clear, golden syringe sitting on the coffee table.
Before he had entered, the table had been completely bare.
*She even had the Life Essence ready... That trash of a woman...*
Fu Qingyang quietly took the syringe and injected the dose of Life Essence straight into his jugular vein.
Once his injuries healed, Fu Qingyang snatched up the phone from the coffee table and dialed his assistant, his tone cold and ruthless:
"Prepare to return to Songhai!"
***
The sun gradually dipped below the horizon, though night had not yet fully fallen.
Zhang Yuanqing handed the game controller to Little Doubi and, guided by the rich aroma of food, slipped into the living room.
The dining table was laden with delectable dishes: steamed crab, black chicken soup, Songhai sea bass, braised bamboo shoots, sweet-and-sour pork, garlic greens, crispy roast duck, and stir-fried celtuce...
The spread was lavish enough to rival a formal banquet.
Grandmother was still bustling in the kitchen, her wok and spatula clanging in a lively rhythm.
Poor Jiang Yu'er had been roped into service, held captive in the cramped kitchen as Grandmother's assistant.
Zhang Yuanqing picked up a piece of sweet-and-sour pork, chewing happily as Grandmother's voice floated out from the kitchen:
"Yuanzi, has your girlfriend arrived yet?"
"Let me check..." Zhang Yuanqing pulled out his phone and texted Guan Ya: *Are you here yet? We're just waiting on you to start the feast.*
Starting from the afternoon, he had bombarded Guan Ya with calls and texts, warning her that if she didn't come, the whole family would pack up and head to her place instead.
Guan Ya had refused at first, but worn down by his relentless pestering, she had reluctantly yielded: *Fine!*
*Half an hour!* Guan Ya replied.
*You said half an hour half an hour ago. I'll give you five minutes tops. If you're not here, we're changing the venue,* Zhang Yuanqing texted back.
*Aargh, so annoying! Five minutes!* Guan Ya's message brimmed with reluctant exasperation.
Zhang Yuanqing called toward the kitchen, "Five more minutes! I'm going down to meet her."
He knew Guan Ya would definitely show up. The veteran driver always kept her word, even if she loved putting on a reluctant front.
*Bang!*
The security door shut behind him as Zhang Yuanqing stepped out.
Meanwhile, in the bedroom, a gentle breeze swept in through the window, making the curtains sway softly.
A goddess in feathered rainbow robes and a female ghost in a vivid crimson bridal gown descended into the room.
It was none other than the old crone and the Ghost Bride.
The moment they appeared, the controller floating in front of the TV suddenly clattered to the floor.
Empress Sandao followed the sound and spotted a plump, adorable infant wailing at the top of its lungs, scrambling on all fours to flee straight through the wall.
"That is a little spirit servant kept by my husband," the Ghost Bride explained softly.
The old crone nodded slightly.
Having walked the mortal realm for two days, she had grown largely accustomed to the changing times, seeing many novelties and coming to understand the modern way of life.
It had been quite intriguing!
Regrettably, many things she deemed worth experiencing had to be abandoned for lack of a physical body.
A mortal's flesh simply could not endure her possession.
"Husband is not in the house." The Ghost Bride sensed the area carefully, failing to detect Zhang Yuanqing's aura.
Empress Sandao turned her gaze toward the desk drawer, where she sensed the Demon-Subduing Pestle.
She had descended into reality at noon two days ago. It had been exactly forty-eight hours by noon today, and with half a day past that mark, her aura was waning with each passing second.
"Oh, Niangniang, Husband prepared a physical body for you!"
Just as Empress Sandao was preparing to return, she saw her maidservant Bai Lan, beneath her red bridal veil, gleefully swinging open the wardrobe door.
Inside the wardrobe stood a physical vessel of exquisite, flawless beauty, standing in quiet repose.
Empress Sandao hesitated for a moment, cast a glance toward the living room, and mused, "Perhaps I should sample the mortal fare before I depart."
Missing out on a proper meal had been her greatest regret over the past two days.
Of the four essentials of modern life—clothing, food, shelter, and travel—she had only experienced three.
The old crone took a step forward, sinking into Blood Rose's form. In the next second, the yin corpse's eyes opened, a fleeting flash of golden light passing through them. Her gaze was refined and spiritually contained, devoid of any dullness or chill.
Empress Sandao stepped out of the wardrobe, turned the bedroom doorknob, and walked into the living room.
She took in the room's layout and the dishes on the dining table, standing beside the feast for a long while.
Just then, an elderly woman with graying hair emerged carrying the final dish: a steamed fish head with chopped chili peppers.
Their eyes met.
A delighted smile bloomed across Grandmother's face. "You're here! Come, sit, sit, sit..."
Chapter 293