Fu Qingyang had expected that Zhang Yuanqing would acquire at least one of the lost items, provided he made it out of the dungeon alive—perhaps the Jianghuai branch's Yin-Yang Turntable, or perhaps the Xie family's rule-based item component.
This hunch had no basis or rationale; it was born of sheer trust. *I do not care how he does it, but I know he will get it done.*
Such was the mutual confidence between the strong.
Yet when he heard Yuanshi Tianzun say with his own ears that both items were now in hand, Fu Qingyang still froze in astonishment, struck momentarily speechless.
Securing a share of the spoils and sweeping up all the spoils for oneself were two entirely different matters.
The former could be achieved through bargaining and compromise. The latter required thoroughly subjugating one's teammates until they yielded with utter conviction.
After several seconds of silence, Fu Qingyang's tone regained its usual cold detachment.
"Very good!
"Come to the study at once."
Hardly had the words left his mouth when Fu Qingyang saw a dreamlike beam of starlight emerge from the study's red carpet. It spiraled upward and coalesced into a young man wearing a slim-fitting black short-sleeved shirt.
It was none other than Yuanshi Tianzun.
Fu Qingyang's brow twitched slightly. "Looks like your experience has increased substantially."
He had dealt with Star Officials often enough to know that novice Star Officials could only execute Star Escape mechanically, unable to choose the distance and destination at will.
At this moment, Yuanshi had clearly passed the novice stage. His experience was definitely at fifty percent or higher.
"After my next dungeon, I'll be able to advance to Level 5," Zhang Yuanqing said.
Having said this, he eagerly looked at the Money Prince's face, hoping to catch a flicker of shock or envy. But there was none. The Money Prince's chiseled features remained as aloof as ever.
*He's probably dying of envy inside while forcing himself to look calm on the outside. Hmph, Boss really knows how to put on a show. Would it kill you to let me bask in the glory for once? Wait, crap, I forgot he's a Scout...* As the thought crossed Zhang Yuanqing's mind, a chill ran down his spine.
Propping his elbows on the desk with his fingers interlaced, Fu Qingyang stared coldly at his confidant.
*It's been a while since I last gave this kid a lesson. His thoughts are getting bolder and bolder...*
The air froze for a second before Zhang Yuanqing sighed.
"I have tried my absolute hardest to catch up to Boss's footsteps, hoping that one day I might fight side by side with you. Yet you are like a towering mountain, one that I can only gaze upon from afar, never able to draw close."
Hearing this, Fu Qingyang discarded the idea of disciplining him and steered the conversation back on track.
"Hand them over."
Without the slightest hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing gripped the Yin-Yang Turntable in his left hand and retrieved the Holy Infant head with his right, setting both items onto the desk.
Fu Qingyang first picked up the Yin-Yang Turntable. After reading through its item attributes with focused concentration, he couldn't help but glance up at Zhang Yuanqing.
"I heard about this item from the Jianghuai branch long ago. It's also called the 'Rogue Turntable.' Heh, it suits you, as expected," Fu Qingyang mocked.
*I'm suddenly regretting handing this item over...* Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but worry for his reputation.
Yuanshi Tianzun was the dream lover of thousands of girls across the official faction, as well as the idol of countless male colleagues. He couldn't let his image be ruined by some wretched prop.
People might take rumors and gossip with a grain of salt, but an item's attributes never lied...
Fu Qingyang set down the Yin-Yang Turntable and rested his palm on the infant's head instead.
After reading the item information, he looked up once more with a scoff.
"A very interesting item.
"Yuanshi, do you think we should return these items to the Jianghuai branch and the Xie family?"
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Naturally."
If the Sea of Yashan had been a solo dungeon, he would never have chosen to turn them in.
Fu Qingyang kept his fingers laced together. "However, I believe the bounty terms need to be adjusted. For instance, the B-grade merit points offered by the Jianghuai branch could be swapped for something else."
*Sure enough, after that recent penalty, Boss has also realized that piling on too many merit points isn't necessarily a good thing for me. Trading them for more direct benefits is much better.* Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief.
He had just been pondering how to persuade Fu Qingyang to back him, given that the Money Prince had sharp political awareness.
Without Fu Qingyang's backing as an Elder, it would be difficult for him to bargain with the Jianghuai branch, let alone headquarters.
Fortunately, Fu Qingyang never disappointed.
"We can set this matter aside for now. There is an emergency I need to inform you of." Fu Qingyang lowered his hands, straightened his posture, and said in a grave voice:
"While you were in the dungeon, the President of the Merchant Guild, the upper echelons of the Dionysus Club, and the Grand Marshal had a brawl in Songhai. The President's Tree of Ten Thousand Treasures was damaged, and the hundred-plus items hanging from its branches were scattered all over...
"Yesterday, headquarters convened the Council of Ten Elders, demanding that every branch mobilize all personnel to recover the scattered items before the Grand Marshal's Morality Points drop to zero.
"I took advantage of the situation to waive the remaining month of your confinement. You have your freedom back. Your primary mission from here on out is to wipe up after that trash."
Zhang Yuanqing was dumbfounded.
A single ancient bronze sculpture had stirred up massive turmoil in Jinhui City. To have over a hundred items loose among the general public... the consequences were simply unimaginable.
"With the prowess of demigods, do they really lack even that much crowd control?" He found it utterly absurd.
"That piece of trash only advanced to demigod a few years ago, and his path is an extreme one. His lethality is rare in this world, but he cannot freely command or recall his sword aura." Fu Qingyang spoke with deep regret. "When the times lack heroes, trash usurps the high seat."
*Boss, you really aren't afraid of dying. Have you already forgotten how you got beaten to a pulp last time? Don't blame me when you get thrashed again, and don't you dare take it out on me...* Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and asked, "What is the Tree of Ten Thousand Treasures?"
"A rule-based item of the Void class."
"Even a rule-based item got broken?" Zhang Yuanqing was astonished.
"Rule-based items aren't broken that easily. Anything that breaks easily can surely be restored just as easily. That is beside the point. What matters is that this incident presents both a crisis and an opportunity." Fu Qingyang opened his laptop and began typing rapidly as he spoke.
"Headquarters has issued a notice. Any items collected and subdued do not have to be handed over, though they can also be turned in for merit points. Furthermore, based on analysis of several existing cases, resolving an incident caused by an item awards an exceptionally high amount of Morality Points."
As he spoke, he turned the laptop around toward Zhang Yuanqing.
Zhang Yuanqing looked closer. Displayed on the screen was an investigation report.
The report summarized several recent cases triggered by items:
#Over a dozen households in a Songhai residential complex robbed simultaneously; surveillance cameras captured no irregularities. A supernatural incident, or is there more to the story?#
#Several female college students at Songhai University streak across campus at night, declaring, 'This is Master's task!'#
#Bank vault burglarized#
#Man vanishes while night jogging; body discovered the next day in a park, suspected of being strangled by creeping vines#
These cases had already been properly resolved, the offenders arrested, and the items reclaimed. According to feedback from the official walkers who handled them, they had received massive payouts of Morality Points.
*This truly is a prime opportunity to amass Morality Points and merit. Although I don't need merit, Morality Points are precisely what I lack—not to mention the items themselves.* Zhang Yuanqing fell into deep thought and remarked with a sigh:
"Once most people obtain an item, they indulge their desires and try things they normally wouldn't dare do. This is the consequence of superpowers falling into civilian hands."
Even Spirit Realm walkers, who were constrained by Morality Points, still vacillated between accumulating virtue and committing wicked deeds, let alone ordinary people who faced no such restrictions.
Perhaps not everyone would turn evil, but as long as a portion of them gave in to malicious impulses, it was enough to spark widespread chaos.
"There is no need to worry too much. The Void class possesses the Treasure Seeking skill. The President will resolve most of the issues on his own; whatever remains will fall to us and the Dionysus Club to clean up."
*Who would have thought that evil classes would one day run themselves ragged trying to maintain order...* Zhang Yuanqing complained inwardly, though Fu Qingyang's remark sparked an idea.
*Little Doubi possesses a treasure-seeking ability! I can fully exploit him to sweep up the items across the Songhai urban area and make a fortune!*
At that thought, he grew impatient to begin.
Next, the two focused on discussing how to handle the two items, the benefits they hoped to exchange them for, and the strategy for bargaining with the Jianghuai branch and headquarters.
Once they finished, Fu Qingyang said:
"Guan Ya doesn't know yet that you entered the Sea of Yashan. I only told her that you went into a dungeon."
*Perfect. I'll have the Little Green Tea contact the Xie family...* Zhang Yuanqing bowed slightly and snapped his fingers with a crisp *snap*, vanishing in a flash of dreamlike starlight.
***
Inside the compact villa.
In the ground-floor living room, Xie Lingxi was curled up on the sofa in hot pants, hugging a throw pillow. She complained, "Sister Queen, has Brother Yuanshi still not come out of his dungeon? It's already been a day and a half."
Her hair was tied in a loose bun with stray strands drifting down, giving her a languid charm. While the girl's legs were not yet voluptuous, their slender, porcelain-white curves and visible grace were undeniable, her delicate toes curling slightly.
Queen and Guan Ya sat by the dining table, enjoying the afternoon tea prepared by the bunny-girl maid. Neither of the voluptuous older beauties paid her any mind, fully absorbed in browsing the forum.
"With so many items scattered out there, it would be fine if ordinary people found them, but if evil classes get their hands on them, it's bound to produce a crop of formidable enemies..." Queen pinched the bridge of her nose before turning back to address the Little Green Tea:
"Even the main wife isn't worrying, so what is a maid like you fussing over?"
"Quit the sarcasm," Guan Ya said, taking a bite of a doughnut. "Fu Qingyang didn't tell me the dungeon's difficulty. What's the point of blindly worrying? Since Yuanshi became a Spirit Realm walker, what kind of storms hasn't he weathered? Just wait for news."
Xie Lingxi felt the same way, but her curiosity was immediately piqued. "Why didn't Elder Fu tell you the dungeon details? Is there something special about the one Brother Yuanshi entered?"
"I bet it's an S-grade," Li Chunfeng interjected from another table, his fingers clattering away on his keyboard as he took on freelancing gigs. "Yuanshi Tianzun's performance in the killing trial all but guaranteed the difficulty of his first dungeon in the Saint stage."
"Even if it is S-grade, why keep it from Guan Ya?" Queen asked, puzzled.
Li Chunfeng had no answer, so he went back to typing code.
"Ah, I want to know which dungeon Brother Yuanshi got so badly!" Xie Lingxi flopped back onto the sofa, gazing up at the ceiling with a sigh.
Suddenly, she heard Queen cry out in delight:
"Captain, you're back?!"
Xie Lingxi shot upright and indeed saw Brother Yuanshi's familiar face.
She opened her arms in joy and lunged toward him, only for the heartless brother to press a hand against her forehead and shove her back onto the sofa.
Zhang Yuanqing said, "Sorry to make you all worry."
Guan Ya hurried over to greet him, her hurried movements revealing that she was nowhere near as composed as she had made herself out to be.
"Which dungeon was it this time?" the seasoned flirt asked curiously.
Xie Lingxi and the other two waited eagerly for the answer.
Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to speak, he noticed a few grains of white sugar clinging to the corner of her exquisitely sculpted mouth. He reached out, wiped them away with a finger, and sucked it clean.
"Ew—!"
Xie Lingxi and Queen pulled faces of mingled disgust and jealousy at the same time.
Guan Ya, however, broke into a radiant, bewitching smile.
After licking his finger, Zhang Yuanqing said, "The dungeon I entered this time was the Sea of Yashan."
While Guan Ya and Queen were still processing the name, Xie Lingxi's piercing shriek shattered the peaceful living room:
"What?! The Sea of Yashan?!"
She scrambled off the sofa and bounded over to Zhang Yuanqing, clutching his arm tightly with both small hands as she stammered:
"The, the Sea of Yashan? Is it really the Sea of Yashan?!"
Zhang Yuanqing gave an "Mm."
Xie Lingxi's heart pounded wildly. Taking a deep breath, she struggled to rein in her excitement. "Then... then who took my family's item? Brother Yuanshi, who were your teammates?"
Seeing Xie Lingxi so beside herself, Guan Ya and Queen had a sudden realization, recalling the bounties associated with the Sea of Yashan.
"Brother, hurry up and tell me! That item is far too important to our Xie family. After the Holy Infant head was lost in the dungeon, the Old Ancestor was furious for months! No matter whose hands it ended up in, our Xie family will buy it back at any cost!"
Zhang Yuanqing had only stayed silent for a few seconds, yet she could barely contain herself.
*Now that you've said that, I know exactly where the Xie family stands...* Zhang Yuanqing smiled and asked, "Then how much are you willing to pay? Name a price, and I'll consider it."
Xie Lingxi froze. She stared blankly at Yuanshi Tianzun for about three or four seconds before her high-pitched scream rang out once more:
"Ahhh! Brother Yuanshi, I love you to death!"
***
In the study, Fu Qingyang dialed the number of an Elder in the Jianghuai branch.
"Fu Qingyang?" A dignified, authoritative voice sounded through the receiver, tinged with a faint hint of confusion. "Do you need something from me?"
Elder Cold-Blooded Detective had been an outstanding police detective before becoming a Spirit Realm walker. After obtaining a character card and becoming a Scout, he had joined the Five Elements Alliance's White Tiger Guards.
Although both were Elders of the White Tiger Guards, he and Fu Qingyang had had little interaction, and the Jianghuai branch rarely conducted business with the Songhai branch.
Consequently, Cold-Blooded Detective found Fu Qingyang's call rather puzzling.
Fu Qingyang said, "Yuanshi Tianzun has just exited his dungeon."
"And?" The voice on the other end grew even more bewildered.
Fu Qingyang replied in an even tone, "He entered the Sea of Yashan. The Yin-Yang Turntable is in his possession."
With that, he heard ragged, heavy breathing come through the earpiece.
***
Pangxie City, a lush, verdant classical garden.
Fish ponds and rockeries, pavilions and towers, emerald courtyards and ancient trees, winding paths leading to secluded enclaves... Whenever the gardens of the Jiangnan water towns came to mind, these phrases inevitably surfaced.
And whenever one recalled these words, the landscape seemed picturesque beyond compare.
Amid such picturesque scenery, within a lakeside pavilion, was a woman more breathtaking than the landscape itself.
She wore a pale green qipao embroidered with lifelike lotus blossoms, her vintage updo adorned with pearls and golden hairpins.
Her voluptuous hips filled out the gown, resembling a ripe peach from the front and a crescent moon from the side. Her waistline cinched inward sharply into a slender span, while above it lay a landscape of infinite allure.
Her face was exceptionally striking—a glamorous oval framed by light makeup, with black eyeliner accentuating bright, spirited eyes. Her features carried a girl's charming innocence without losing a shred of sultry appeal.
Her facial structure bore a fifty to sixty percent resemblance to Xie Lingxi.
The qipao-clad beauty held a celadon bowl in her jade-like hands. Pinching fish food between her slender fingers, she tossed it lightly, sending the koi in the pond into a frenzy of thrashing waves.
Inside the pavilion, a handsome man with fine crow's feet at the corners of his eyes sipped his tea at a leisurely pace.
"Master, when are you going to bring our daughter back?"
The beautiful woman stood by the edge of the pond, knitting her delicate, slender willow-leaf brows. "She's been locked up for half a month already. I had planned to have her practice the zither over the summer break. Really, that Yuanshi Tianzun is something else—making a huge scene the moment he got promoted. What kind of future can Lingxi have if she stays by his side?"
Her voice was sweet, soft, and coquettish, enough to melt a man to his bones.
"Didn't you admire him quite a bit before?" Xie Su teased with a smile.
"Wasn't that just because I was blinded by his good looks? He fought so well during the tournament, and all the ladies in our social circle were completely infatuated with him. But I haven't seen him in a while, and I've already forgotten what he looks like." Mother Xie sighed.
Xie Su shook his head helplessly.
Mother Xie was a typical sucker for handsome faces. She would fawn over this young idol today and swoon over that one tomorrow, but her memory was terrible. If she stopped watching a drama for a while, she would completely forget what the idol looked like.
"With that personality of his, it really is difficult for him to make it in the official faction. Yet Lingxi insisted he was very slick, someone who could talk sweet to anyone. When the Crab Banquet comes around in September, I will meet him in person," Xie Su said.
He had long stopped questioning Yuanshi Tianzun's talent; what troubled him now was the youth's temperament.
Whenever Xie Lingxi had praised Yuanshi Tianzun in front of him before, the phrase she used most was 'this kid is cunning'—a true talent suited for navigating the bureaucratic system.
"Then why not let Lingxi come home first?" Mother Xie asked tentatively.
As they were speaking, the phone beside Xie Su's hand rang. The caller ID showed his precious daughter—Xie Lingxi.
Chapter 360