Two Birds with One Stone

From their appearance alone, the young man and woman entering the shop made a stunning match. The young man was tall and handsome, carrying an aura both mysterious and ethereal, tinged with a wicked, untamed arrogance. The young woman was an even rarer beauty. Her brows were neatly lined, her eyes traced with eyeliner, and her eyelashes curled, adding striking vividness and refinement to her already exquisite features. Her rounded face was delightfully sweet, yet the light makeup lent her the captivating allure of a sophisticated older sister. Fear Heavenly King's gaze swept past the young woman's face and locked onto the young man. *Yuanshi Tianzun?!* A smile broke across his stern, icy face, the corner of his mouth curving upward like a cat that had just cornered a mouse. Quite a few evil classes had seen Yuanshi Tianzun's true face, and among the lawful classes, far more had. As one of the tiny handful standing at the very pinnacle of the Spirit Realm walkers, Fear Heavenly King had encountered zero difficulty learning Yuanshi Tianzun's appearance. "What good luck!" he murmured with evident amusement, watching the young man who had suddenly frozen in the mirror. *!!!* Zhang Yuanqing's mind was an explosion of exclamation marks! With his clearance elevated, he had long ceased to be a rookie. He had reviewed dossiers and portraits of nearly every high-ranking member—every Dominator—across the major evil organizations. Aside from the Nihility Sect, whose members shifted appearances unpredictably, he had committed the Heavenly Kings and Divine Generals of the Spirit Society's three branch associations and the Soldier Master sect to memory. Thus, Zhang Yuanqing recognized Fear Heavenly King at a single glance. The head of the Heavenly Kings looked identical to his photographs: handsome, cold, elegant, and sporting his trademark twin silver ear studs. *Fear Heavenly King? Why is he here? I just came out for some damn shopping, and I run right into Fear?!* Zhang Yuanqing's face drained of color as adrenaline surged through his veins. Sweat beads the size of beans erupted across his forehead. His heart hammered wildly against his ribs, as if about to explode from overexertion. He was seized by a despair that felt like Heaven itself was decreeing his doom, accompanied by an unprecedented sense of crisis. It surpassed anything he had ever faced—neither S-rank dungeons nor the peril of Pure Yang Sect Master trying to possess him could compare to this. This was an evil class at the demigod level. Even though Fear Heavenly King had not made a move. *Pant, pant...* His breathing grew heavy, and emotions detonated in his mind. "What are you standing around for?" his aunt asked, tugging her nephew into the store in bewilderment. "Come on in!" Yet no matter how hard she pulled, Zhang Yuanqing remained rooted to the spot, his eyes glued to the full-length mirror slightly to his front left. *Get out of here. Right now...* Driven by primal survival instincts, Zhang Yuanqing pulled his aunt and took a step back. Suddenly, his back struck what felt like a solid wall, cutting off any retreat. "Huh? What's going on?" Jiang Yu'er encountered the same obstacle, staring blankly at the invisible wall without the slightest clue of what was happening. Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuanqing snapped his fingers with a crisp *clack*. Jiang Yu'er and the sales clerk froze simultaneously, their eyes turning hollow. They had been charmed. Bracing his muscles, Zhang Yuanqing lowered his head and bowed deeply toward the young man before the mirror: "Greetings, Fear Heavenly King." Fear Heavenly King offered a mild "Mm." By now, his attention had returned to himself. He was inspecting a button, smoothing out a wrinkle on his collar, and brushing away nonexistent dust, just like an ordinary shopper. Zhang Yuanqing said in a deep voice, "Fear Heavenly King, you shouldn't set up a barrier, and you shouldn't restrict our freedom. Of course, doing so is also your freedom." Hearing this, Fear Heavenly King, who had been idly examining a new garment, lifted his gaze to look at Yuanshi Tianzun in the mirror. His indifferent expression transformed, and he smiled. "Interesting." With that, he raised a hand and snapped his fingers. With a sharp *crack*, the barrier enveloping the clothing store vanished. Fear Heavenly King smiled. "Leaving is your freedom. No one has the right to restrict another person's freedom by any means, and I appreciate what you just said. However, while leaving is your freedom, killing you is mine. "Let's introduce ourselves properly. Soldier Master sect, Fear Heavenly King. And you?" "Yuanshi Tianzun." Zhang Yuanqing did not attempt to conceal it; there was no point. He said in a low voice, "Please let them leave. They're just ordinary people." "That, too, is your freedom." Fear Heavenly King nodded slightly. Zhang Yuanqing immediately looked toward his aunt and said softly, "Auntie, go home." Her eyes vacant, Jiang Yu'er clutched her handbag, turned, and walked out the door. Under Zhang Yuanqing's illusion, the sales clerk also clocked out early and took her leave. Next were the cashier and three other sales assistants, who filed out of the store one by one. *Phew, good. At least that bought some time...* Zhang Yuanqing thought. He had not remained idle either; while they were leaving, he split half his consciousness and descended into Blood Rose's body to relay his situation to Guan Ya. Guan Ya would inform Fu Qingyang. *What do I do next? Do I just kowtow, shout for mercy, or belt out 'Forgive me for being wild, untamed, and in love with freedom all my life' to get on Fear Heavenly King's good side?* *The dossiers say Fear is eccentric and volatile, not as stubbornly obsessed as Demonic Eye. Against Demonic Eye, as long as you haven't done evil, you won't die, but Fear clearly won't buy that trick...* Thoughts raced through Zhang Yuanqing's mind as he scrambled for a countermeasure. To his sorrow, he realized that aside from waiting for rescue, there was literally nothing he could do. He possessed almost no means of saving himself. Several of his finest items were on the Commandery Princess, and even if they had been in his inventory, they could never stand against Fear Heavenly King. Moreover, Fear Heavenly King had specifically targeted him with clear intent. The Demon Lord's approach might have worked in a chance encounter without a conflict of interest, but right now, it was hard to say. As he brainstormed desperately, Fear Heavenly King stepped away from the full-length mirror, brushed his fingertips over the clothes hanging on the rack, and asked casually, "Here to buy clothes?" *Huh?* Stunned, Zhang Yuanqing replied, "Y-yes..." "This piece isn't bad. Suits your temperament." Fear Heavenly King took down a casual blazer, tossed it over, and asked, "Where is the key to Takamagahara?" Zhang Yuanqing was afraid to catch it, yet even more afraid not to. "It's on my yin corpse." Fear Heavenly King glanced at him. "Truthful. Have you entered Takamagahara?" Zhang Yuanqing nodded nervously. "What's inside?" Fear Heavenly King asked. *When I said the key wasn't on me, he knew it was the truth. Does he have a lie-detection ability? Asking me about the interior saves him a trip? Quite a shrewd calculation. But for me, this is a chance to stall for time...* With his mental gears turning at full throttle and maintaining an outward demeanor of deference, Zhang Yuanqing described the situation inside Takamagahara in detail. "The Bronze Sacred Tree?" Fear Heavenly King murmured, knitting his brows. "It seems to be related to Musicians and Scholars," Zhang Yuanqing ventured boldly. If not for the fact that Fear possessed lie-detecting abilities or items, Zhang Yuanqing would have falsely claimed: *Even Xu Fu couldn't decipher its mysteries; it seems to be worthless.* Fear paid him no heed. After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Heavenly King, do you know of Empress Wa? Xu Fu's records mentioned that the treasures in Takamagahara were left behind by Empress Wa." He was driven partly by curiosity and partly by the desire to stall. From the looks of it, Fear Heavenly King intended to extract information about Takamagahara from him, which was why he had not killed him on the spot. Fear Heavenly King still ignored him, seemingly disdaining further conversation with Yuanshi Tianzun. Zhang Yuanqing paused, then added, "Of course, whether to answer me is your freedom." Only then did Fear Heavenly King look at him properly, smiling. "Yuanshi Tianzun, you understand me well. I like the way you speak." Pausing, he continued, "In mythical legends, Empress Wa is Nüwa—an ancient title used by ancient cultivators for a powerhouse of the primeval era. Her level remains unknown at present." *Nüwa was an ancient cultivator? Fuck, does that mean Pangu was too?* Zhang Yuanqing knew that mythological legends were simply another form of ancient cultivator history, but mythological figures were messy and chaotic, filled with far too many fictional characters, making it hard to tell fact from later fabrication. Now, one figure was confirmed to have truly existed: Empress Wa! Zhang Yuanqing said, "D-do you need the key to Takamagahara? I'm willing to offer it to you. Like you, I yearn for freedom." "No, you don't!" Fear Heavenly King stared at him, scoffing. "You were free to begin with, so why would you yearn for it? I see no yearning for freedom in your eyes. Most people in this world are not free, yet most believe they are, and thus they do not crave freedom. You are the same. "Those who truly yearn for freedom need only meet each other's eyes to recognize a kindred spirit. The last person who gave me that feeling was the Demon Lord. "A pity that in his pursuit of freedom, he has already returned to the Spirit Realm. Though he died a fitting death, I lost a confidant." Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank. This meant catering to Fear Heavenly King's tastes would at most earn some appreciation and goodwill, but it would never make him abandon his bottom line. *So the Demon Lord didn't deceive Fear Heavenly King back then through glib talk, but through his very aura?* *Indeed, if a single sentence could win over Fear Heavenly King and turn him into a fool, that would be underestimating a demigod far too much...* Thoughts churned in Zhang Yuanqing's head, and as if possessed, he asked, "Then why didn't you help him kill Deceitful Eye Judge? With your strength, it shouldn't have been difficult." Fear Heavenly King casually plucked another piece of clothing, held it against his chest, and examined himself in the mirror. He said flatly, "What controlled the Demon Lord was the Fallen Holy Grail. Whether Deceitful Eye Judge lived or died changed nothing. The Fallen Holy Grail is an exceptionally rare rule-based item; even I am powerless against it. "It was precisely realizing this that made me abandon the idea of killing Deceitful Eye." *Why isn't Fu Qingyang here yet? No, why haven't the Alliance Masters arrived yet? Someone save me...* Zhang Yuanqing felt he was reaching his limit. He was running out of topics. Just as he was racking his brain for something to say, Fear Heavenly King produced a small black banner inscribed with blood-red runes. *I'm done for...* Zhang Yuanqing's face went white, his adrenaline spiking again. "Time is running out," Fear Heavenly King said coldly. "Yuanshi Tianzun, I am placing a curse upon you. If you fail to rescue Heavenly King Demonic Eye within one month, I curse you to die a gruesome death." The small black banner snapped open, shooting a beam of dark light into Zhang Yuanqing's body. Next, Fear Heavenly King drew a knightly broadsword and tossed it over. "Catch." Zhang Yuanqing was forced to catch the blade. Fear Heavenly King instructed, "Lean on the sword and swear an oath: you will not reveal the rescue of Demonic Eye or this curse to anyone by any means whatsoever, and you will never dispel the curse. "I give you ten seconds. Fail to finish in ten seconds, and you die." Zhang Yuanqing's scalp prickled with numbness. Leaning against the sword, he said heavily, "I, Yuanshi Tianzun, swear an oath: I will not reveal the intention to rescue Demonic Eye or the fact of this curse to anyone by any means whatsoever, and I will never dispel the curse." Fear Heavenly King nodded in satisfaction. "Remember: the moment you disclose this to anyone, or the moment you attempt to remove the curse, the power of this oath will strike you dead before the curse is undone." With that, he pulled out his phone. "Come, let's add each other. While rescuing Demonic Eye, feel free to consult me if any problems arise. A pleasure doing business with you." *Fuck your 'pleasure doing business,' you son of a bitch!!* Zhang Yuanqing's face contorted, yet he obediently retrieved his phone and added Fear Heavenly King as a friend. Fear Heavenly King edited the contact note to "Yuanshi Tianzun," tucked his phone back into his pocket, and continued, "Keep the key to Takamagahara for now. I don't feel like going abroad at the moment; the island nation is too far. Besides, I still need to investigate the Bronze Sacred Tree." The unspoken implication was that Takamagahara currently held nothing he wanted, so he couldn't be bothered to make the trip. Glancing toward the entrance of the clothing boutique, Fear Heavenly King said, "Until we meet again." With that, he skirted past Zhang Yuanqing and walked straight toward the door. "Oh, right." He paused at the exit. Zhang Yuanqing's muscles tightened. "What further instructions do you have, Heavenly King?" Fear Heavenly King pointed toward the register. "Remember to pay for my clothes." Zhang Yuanqing: "...?" Striding out, his figure vanished from Zhang Yuanqing's sight. *I... I survived...* Zhang Yuanqing slumped weakly against the wall, his legs trembling as his chest heaved with ragged breaths. Though not a single blow had been struck, he felt completely drained, as if his vitality had been exhausted. A rush of relief and lingering dread surged into his chest. *Fear Heavenly King didn't kill me because he wants to use me to rescue Demonic Eye? Even though the Zoo is a rule-based item, storming it shouldn't be too hard given his strength...* *Sigh, in the eyes of a demigod, a so-called peerless genius like Yuanshi Tianzun is just a child. I'm no threat at all. Otherwise, he would have strangled me in the cradle long ago...* *The disparity is still too immense.* *Damn it, now I have no choice but to rescue Demonic Eye, and I only have one month... I need to plan carefully how to break him out. Hiss, once this is exposed, the official faction won't have a place for me anymore. Fear's move really kills two birds with one stone.* *As expected, someone who commands the Soldier Master sect might be bizarre, but he's no fool.* Amidst his swirling thoughts, he saw Fu Qingyang, dressed in white, step into the shop. At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing almost threw himself into the Money Prince's arms, beating his chest with little fists to whine: *You bastard, what took you so long!* Fu Qingyang let out a breath, then furrowed his brows. "Did Fear do anything to you?" Seeing Yuanshi standing here completely in one piece was undeniably good, but it was unreasonable. Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. "I told him the key to Takamagahara wasn't on me. He seemed to have a lie-detecting item and believed me. I promised to hand over the key, so he let me off. "He also said that once Demonic Eye is rescued, I should serve under Demonic Eye obediently." Fu Qingyang's face darkened. "He must have a death wish." He gave Zhang Yuanqing a deep look, asked no further questions, and then said, "A dense fog covered the area outside the mall. It took the Palace Mistress a bit of time to blow it away. She's hunting down Fear right now." *No wonder Fear Heavenly King said time was running out,* Zhang Yuanqing realized. "Didn't the Grand Marshal arrive as well? Why didn't she take action?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, slightly aggrieved. He was a member of the White Tiger Guards, after all. For the Grand Marshal not to care about his life or death stung a little. "The Grand Marshal is lying in wait at the Zoo to prevent Fear Heavenly King from luring the tiger away from the mountain," Fu Qingyang explained. "Your warning was quite prompt. By the time I received Guan Ya's call, Elder Dog had already relayed your situation to the Palace Mistress. Otherwise, we would have had to wait even longer." Zhang Yuanqing froze on the spot. "I never contacted Elder Dog."