Doing Business with the Organization

Leaving Mr. Bill's residence, Zhang Yuanqing headed straight for the white sedan parked downstairs, opened the passenger door, and slid inside. "Captain, should I take you to Fujia Bay or your place?" The driver was an alluring young woman wearing large silver hoop earrings, smoky eye makeup, and an off-the-shoulder t-shirt. "Back to the villa," Zhang Yuanqing said after a moment's thought. He had already phoned his aunt to let her know he was safe. As for his grandparents, his excuse was that he would be staying at Guan Ya's place for a few days. His grandparents had been thrilled to hear it. The elderly couple had worked hard their whole lives; with a house and a car, they had no retirement worries, but the marital prospects of the next two generations caused them endless grief. Over the past few years, they had endured the burden of raising three single dogs under their roof, none of whom showed any interest in dating despite having reached marriageable age. Their faces practically screamed, *Pardon my wild, untamed love of freedom.* Now, at long last, one of those single dogs had finally seen the light and found a girlfriend. Both grandparents were immensely gratified and threw their full support behind him. "All right!" Queen gently stepped on the gas, and the car glided smoothly out of the apartment complex. Holding the steering wheel with both hands, she asked casually, "Captain, Guan Ya told me your combat skills have improved by leaps and bounds? Well, I haven't practiced physical techniques in a while either. How about we train together from now on?" "Why not ask Guan Ya?" Zhang Yuanqing replied offhandedly. "I'm looking for a sparring partner, not a beating." Queen pursed her lips. Her combat skills had been professionally trained, without which she never could have qualified as a squad captain. It was just that Water Ghosts didn't gain substantial bonuses in physical conditioning, so she hadn't delved too deeply into hand-to-hand combat. Recently, she had indulged Xie Lingxi in living it up, touring every amusement spot in Songhai. It was high time she got back into fighting shape. *Guan Ya's probably just looking for an excuse to beat you up anyway, and she might even trick Xie Lingxi into getting walloped alongside you...* Zhang Yuanqing grumbled internally. "We'll talk about it when we have time." Giving a perfunctory reply, he leaned back against the headrest and let his thoughts drift. First, he needed to pay back what he owed Fu Qingyang. An upright Heavenly Lord like him could hardly keep living off another man's favors—even if Fu Qingyang gave generously... His primary goal for the next few days was to practice crafting Evil-Breaking Talismans diligently. Before returning the Demon-Subduing Pestle, he had to master the talisman-crafting technique; down the line, Evil-Breaking Talismans would serve as an affordable substitute for the pestle. Fu Qingyang was probably in a meeting right now. Who knew if the organization had a way to capture the Pure Yang Sect Master? Most likely, there were no great solutions; Evil professions were already notoriously slippery, and an ancient cultivator unbound by Morality Points would only be harder to pin down. If they couldn't root him out, they would have to find a way to stop him from preying on people, delaying his recovery as much as possible. As the car rolled into Fujia Bay, a sudden flash of inspiration struck Zhang Yuanqing. *Aren't Evil-Breaking Talismans the perfect answer?* The Pure Yang Sect Master was severely weakened, and the primordial spirit he had forcibly condensed had even been purified by the Demon-Subduing Pestle. Ordinary mortals could only offer him limited nourishment. Under these circumstances, he would have no choice but to devour mortal spirits while hunting Transcendent-stage Spirit Realm walkers. If every Night Walker in the Taiyi Sect were issued an Evil-Breaking Talisman, the Pure Yang Sect Master would be left dumbfounded. His only option would be to go after Illusionists—and as an Evil profession, Illusionists were even better at lying low. Wouldn't that effectively stall his recovery? On top of that, Zhang Yuanqing could seize the opportunity to make a small fortune. But doing so might excessively deplete the Demon-Subduing Pestle's power, leaving half of Her Ladyship's yang soul in a weakened state. After weighing it over, Zhang Yuanqing decided to wait three days before summoning the old crone again to ask for her input. After each descent, the old crone required three days before she could return to reality. *Well, I'll consult Fu Qingyang first. What if the organization doesn't even want Evil-Breaking Talismans?* *** Around the conference table, the elders all turned their gaze toward the newly promoted young elder. Fu Qingyang looked around with a calm expression, speaking in clear, measured tones. "The agenda for this meeting is the aftermath of the Jinhui City ancient tomb incident. Since some elders may not know the specifics, I will provide a brief summary. "A few days ago, archaeologists in Jinhui City unearthed an ancient tomb and transported a bronze sculpture from within. The dense fog incident in Jinhui City was triggered by it. "Following an investigation by several Deacons from the Hang City branch alongside Yuanshi Tianzun, it was confirmed to be a yin puppet refined by an ancient cultivator. They discovered that the ancient tomb was a demon-sealing ground belonging to the Song Dynasty's Pure Yang Sect. "The matter was reported to the Hang City branch, and Elder Gao Feng led a team to explore the tomb. They released the resentful spirit sealed within and eliminated it." "And then?" the red-haired youth frowned. "A matter of that scale hardly warrants convening the Council of Ten Elders." Elder Zhao, a Day Wanderer, seemed to realize something, his expression shifting slightly. The elders turned their attention toward Elder Gao Feng, who was attending the meeting. Elder Gao Feng, dressed in worn hiking clothes, nodded slightly. As the person involved, he took up the explanation. "Everyone, that resentful spirit claimed to be the Pure Yang Sect Master. Because the spiritual energy between heaven and earth was thin, his personal disciple—in an attempt to break through to the Day Wanderer stage—sought to seize his divine power of the sun. The disciple conspired with wicked practitioners, betraying the master and sealing him in the ancient tomb. "Whether that story is true remains unknown, but he was certainly no benevolent figure, and I struck him down on the spot. However, Fu Qingyang called me this morning, stating that the Pure Yang Sect Master did not die and very likely possessed one of the Deacons present. "I verified the matter personally. The three Deacons from the Hang City branch were not possessed. However, a patrol officer who had been on perimeter guard duty outside the tomb died suddenly at home last night. "Therefore, I agree with his assessment: the Pure Yang Sect Master is still alive." Hearing this, no further explanation was needed. The elders present instantly recognized the gravity of the situation, their faces growing grim. An ancient Day Wanderer with a corrupt heart, unbound by Morality Points—once he regained his strength, he would inevitably unleash monstrous waves upon the real world. Even they, the elders, would be in danger. At the same level, Spirit Realm walkers in the real world were simply no match for ancient cultivators. Morality Points hung like a blade over the heads of modern Spirit Realm walkers, whereas ancient cultivators could sink to any depth to secure a win without being bound by any such constraint. Elder Zhao looked the most anxious. Bracing his hands against the table, he pressed, "Is there more detailed intelligence? I need to know his specific techniques and level—the more detail, the better." He finally understood why Dihong had invited the Taiyi Sect to this Council of Ten Elders. In this crisis, the Taiyi Sect's Night Walkers faced the greatest peril. Fu Qingyang said slowly, "A Day Wanderer who also practiced Illusionist arts. His exact level is unknown. Back then, he brought disaster to the land until his disciple, who had just entered the Dominator realm, led the sect members to surround and suppress him. The Pure Yang Sect declined as a result." Elder Zhao's expression darkened further, and he said in a heavy voice, "Understood." Just then, the red-haired youth asked, "Didn't that Pure Yang Sect Master escape? Fu Qingyang, where did you obtain this intelligence? You know even more than Old Gao." This was precisely what everyone was wondering. The impatient Fire Master had once again served as everyone's mouthpiece. Apart from Grand Elder Dihong, the eight elders around the table all looked toward Fu Qingyang. "It was reported by Yuanshi Tianzun," Fu Qingyang replied, sounding like an emotionless news broadcast. "The Pure Yang Sect Master's personal disciple happens to be the mountain goddess from the Sheling Tunnel instance—Lady Sandao of Mount Sandao. She has maintained contact with Yuanshi Tianzun. Last night, he relayed the matter to Lady Sandao and received feedback from her." *Yuanshi Tianzun again...* Silence fell over both sides of the conference table. "How fascinating. He's merely a Saint, yet we've convened the Council of Ten Elders twice in a single month because of him." A mature, voluptuous female elder chuckled, shaking her head. "It only proves that Yuanshi Tianzun is extraordinary. My biggest concern is that he might become mediocre as his level rises. Displaying talent in the Transcendent stage rarely guarantees the future," an elder from the White Tiger Guards said. "Back in our day, which of us wasn't a genius?" "It's her..." Meanwhile, several elders who had watched the killing trial came to a realization. Elder Dog pondered aloud, "That lady has an aloof and haughty disposition, making her difficult to deal with, but as far as I know, she is quite upright. It's not hard to see from the records of the Mountain God Temple that she possessed a genuine heart for benefiting the local populace." His words effectively endorsed the reliability of the intelligence. Grand Elder Dihong spoke up: "There is no need to question the authenticity of the information. I have already asked the head of the Zhao family to perform a divination, and every hexagram pointed toward extreme misfortune. Once the meeting concludes, Elder Zhao may also stargaze based on this known information, and he will naturally receive revelations. "The objective of this meeting is to discuss how to counter this Pure Yang Sect Master." The moment the Grand Elder spoke, the conference table immediately fell silent. Grand Elder Dihong continued, "Elder Gao Feng, transport the skeleton from the stone coffin to the Capital City and hand it over to the Taiyi Sect to see if Elder Zhao can gain insights from it. I will also have the head of the Zhao family travel to the Capital City to attempt a divination. "If the Pure Yang Sect Master wishes to gather intelligence on Spirit Realm walkers, he will inevitably hunt low-level walkers. Instruct the personnel in Songhai, Sanzhuang Province, and Jiangnan Province to remain on high alert and report any attacks immediately. "Fu Qingyang, notify Yuanshi Tianzun to contact that mountain goddess again when the opportunity arises, to seek her counsel. "Starting today, an apprehension task force will be established, led by Elder Gao Feng, with full cooperation from all branches. Elder Zhao, since the Pure Yang Sect Master is a Day Wanderer, your Taiyi Sect must assign an elder to assist Elder Gao Feng." He assigned the tasks in an orderly manner. Once Grand Elder Dihong finished speaking, a pale young woman with heavy dark circles under her eyes said, "Grand Elder, I have a question! "As everyone knows, Illusionists may not boast the highest combat strength among the Evil professions, but they are undoubtedly the most cunning and difficult to catch. The Pure Yang Sect Master counts as half an Illusionist. "Capturing him will be exceedingly difficult. Furthermore, he is a Day Wanderer, and as we all know, Taiyin symbolizes secrecy; divination and stargazing may not necessarily locate him. If dragged out too long, he will surely become a grave menace. Shouldn't we have a contingency plan?" Grand Elder Dihong nodded slowly. "A valid point! In that case, Elder Bingjiao, what are your thoughts?" The woman with heavy dark circles looked slightly embarrassed. "Grand Elder, I have stressed many times: in public settings, just call me 'Elder Bing.' Do not use my full handle. I was young and foolish when I picked that screen name, and I regret it to death now." Elder Dog said with a smile, "Elder Bing, consider Yuanshi Tianzun. He doesn't feel any shame, so doesn't that make you feel a bit better?" Elder Bingjiao took a deep breath and said, "I won't reiterate how unique ancient cultivators are. If the Pure Yang Sect Master wishes to restore his cultivation, Night Walkers and Illusionists will be in the greatest danger. If we can protect low-level Night Walkers as much as possible, we can sever his resources." The red-haired youth rubbed his chin, thought for a few seconds, and exclaimed in surprise, "That's a brilliant angle! Elder Bingjiao truly is clever!" The female elder with dark circles cast him an annoyed glance. However, the other elders did not smile; instead, they furrowed their brows. Grand Elder Dihong mused, "To deal with a resentful spirit, we naturally need Night Walkers to step in. Elder Zhao, what do you think?" Elder Zhao said in a heavy voice, "To meet Elder Bing's criteria, the best method I can think of is mass-producing 'Spirit-Sealing Talismans,' which have miraculous effects against resentful spirits. But the Pure Yang Sect Master is no ordinary resentful spirit, so the results may not be ideal. "Taking it a step further would require turning the divine power of the sun into consumables. The Taiyi Sect possesses several Dominator-grade props capable of producing holy water, but the output is limited and cannot satisfy the needs of the low-level Night Walkers in our sect." Simply put, high-tier power could not be popularized among the lower ranks. There were very few ways to distribute Dominator-level divine power of the sun to the rank and file. Dominator-grade power was extraordinarily precious; if it could be mass-produced, every Night Walker would already have a share. Moreover, excessively draining a prop's power would plunge it into a weakened state, or even degrade its quality. Energy was, after all, conserved. Elder Zhao added, "Elder Sun did learn a method for crafting a talisman within an instance, called the Solar Flare Talisman. It is a Dominator-grade talisman, equivalent to the full-strength strike of a Day Wanderer." Yet such a powerful talisman was even less viable for widespread distribution. Crafting it required an immense expenditure of power, and Elder Sun wasn't a donkey in a production brigade. The female elder from Baihui said helplessly, "Why not just recall the Night Walkers from the various branches for now? Consider it a vacation for them." Elder Dog sighed and offered his opinion: "That is indeed an option." At that moment, Fu Qingyang raised a hand. "Grand Elder, I need to mute myself for a moment!" To request to mute oneself in such an important meeting meant something momentous must have occurred. Grand Elder Dihong nodded in consent. In the small parlor adjacent to the study, Fu Qingyang looked at the trusted subordinate who had texted him claiming to have an urgent matter to report. In a deep voice, he said, "This is my first time attending the Council of Ten Elders. You have one minute." If the mild-tempered Grand Elder Dihong knew he had stepped away mid-meeting just to meet with a subordinate, he would probably be angry enough to fly to Songhai and thrash him. "Boss, I'd like to do some business with the organization," Zhang Yuanqing said. "..." *This is your urgent matter?* Fu Qingyang's cheek twitched slightly as he reflected on whether he had indulged Yuanshi Tianzun too much, to the point of making him utterly insolent.