Fujiawan.
Inside the small villa, in the third-floor bedroom, three figures materialized out of thin air.
"Phew, we're back. That was one thrilling vacation in an instance," Zhang Yuanqing exhaled comfortably as he looked around the familiar room.
The window stood wide open, letting in the early autumn breeze alongside the sunlight. The room had been swept clean and tidy, with the summer duvet neatly spread across the bed, and a faint fragrance lingered in the air.
*Back home,* Commandery Princess Yinyao transmitted a contented thought.
Without realizing it, she had begun regarding this villa as her own manor. Compared to the cold, lonely ancient tomb beneath the earth, this place had the junior who enjoyed her master's favor.
It had the junior's scheming harem of wives and concubines, the stoic hired hand who answered every question without smiling, and plenty of entertainment—television dramas, smartphones, rouge, powder, and the like.
All of it gave Commandery Princess Yinyao a sense of warmth and security, as though she had returned to the mortal world to live out peaceful days.
Even with an aloof temperament that cared little for fame and fortune, she still harbored a deep yearning for the vibrant mortal realm.
Right then, system prompts rang out from the spirit realm:
[Ding! World Returns to Fire requests permission to use Red Fire Crystal Gravel, Cold Moon Ore, Dragon Blood Grass, "Doomsday Poison Fire"...]
[Ding! Xiahou Aotian requests permission to use...]
[Ding! Zhao Chenghuang requests permission to use...]
[Ding! Sun Miaomiao requests permission to use...]
*These guys... Is that really necessary? It's not like I'd steal your materials...* Zhang Yuanqing grumbled inwardly.
"Decline!"
Zhang Yuanqing responded to the spirit realm prompts and rejected all his members' requests.
The very next second, the smartphone on his desk chimed in a barrage of notifications.
—The bunny girl had kept his phone charged.
Zhang Yuanqing picked up the phone, unlocked it via facial recognition, and opened the messaging app to find messages pouring in from the underground palace squad.
World Returns to Fire sent a question mark, Zhao Chenghuang sent a string of ellipses, and Xiahou Aotian wrote: "Yuanshi Tianzun, pocketing the protagonist's treasures is the path to ruin. Are you trying to play the villain?"
Sun Miaomiao sent: "You stinky pig."
Standing by the desk with his head bowed over his phone, Zhang Yuanqing created a group chat and pulled Sun Miaomiao and the others in.
[Yuanshi Tianzun: Just enjoying the guild leader's privileges and establishing my authority. (doge)]
[Sun Miaomiao: Hmph, so childish.]
The others breathed a sigh of relief and submitted their requests again.
This time, Zhang Yuanqing approved them. Instantly, most of the Dominator-stage materials in the guild vault vanished, as did the top-tier manuals.
[Yuanshi Tianzun: I know you're eager, but are you sure your inventories can even hold all those materials?]
Everyone: [...]
*Haha, a bunch of country bumpkins who've never seen real wealth before,* Zhang Yuanqing mocked inwardly.
He knew their mindsets all too well. Having never laid eyes on so many treasures before, they couldn't wait to pull them out, admire them, and fiddle with them. Just staring at them would fill their hearts with bliss.
[World Returns to Fire: Yuanshi is right. Our inventories are too small to hold this many materials. Keeping a few items on us is enough; leave the rest in the guild vault. That said, every time Yuanshi enters an instance, we have to withdraw our materials. Better safe than sorry.]
*In case I die inside an instance, you mean,* Zhang Yuanqing thought.
World Returns to Fire's proposal received unanimous approval from the squad.
A moment later, the team members submitted applications one after another to access the guild vault and deposited the materials back inside.
[Yuanshi Tianzun: What about those non-spirit-realm antiques of immense value? How should we deal with them?]
[Xiahou Aotian: I have channels to sell them. Every Scholar family runs auction houses and knows plenty of wealthy magnates looking to invest in or collect antiques. But I can only auction one at a time. Selling more would draw unwanted attention.]
Even just one piece selling for several hundred million would be enough to ease his financial pressure considerably.
[Yuanshi Tianzun: Then we'll sell one antique first and take things slow. No rush.]
[Xiahou Aotian: OK.]
#Xiahou Aotian changed the group name to: Qinfeng Academy Underground Palace Treasure Sharing Group#
[Sun Miaomiao: Idiot!]
[World Returns to Fire: Moron!]
[Zhao Chenghuang: ???]
[Yuanshi Tianzun: Change the damn name back right now! Are you in a hurry to die?]
#Xiahou Aotian changed the group name to: Protagonist Squad Hustle Group#
Ending the chat, Zhang Yuanqing first phoned his grandmother, replied to his aunt's messages, and reported his safety to Xiao Yuan.
After changing clothes and slipping his phone into his pocket, he went down to the first-floor living room, only to find the villa empty except for the tall, attractive bunny girl diligently cleaning up.
"Where is everyone?" Zhang Yuanqing asked with a frown.
It made sense for the three women to be out, but if the shut-in Scholar wasn't home either, something must be going on.
The bunny girl said in delight, "Young Master Yuanshi, you're back!
"During the seven days you were away, Queen and Xie Lingxi each entered an instance once. Xie Lingxi went in last night, and Miss Guan Ya took Queen and Li Chunfeng out on a mission."
*I see. Transcendent-stage instances don't last longer than two days, so Xie Lingxi will be out by tomorrow evening at the latest.* Zhang Yuanqing nodded and didn't bother asking what Guan Ya's mission was.
The bunny girl wouldn't know anyway.
Dissolving into starlight, he vanished and reappeared in Fu Qingyang's study.
Inside the spacious, luxurious room, the Money Prince sat behind an expensive solid wood desk dressed in white, attending to the patrol department's affairs. Keeping his eyes fixed on the documents, he said calmly without looking up, "Knock before entering from now on. This is bad manners."
Zhang Yuanqing glanced around and, seeing no sign of Lingjun, spoke immediately, "Boss, something happened at Qinfeng Academy."
Only then did Fu Qingyang lift his head.
Zhang Yuanqing recounted the events at Qinfeng Academy as quickly as possible, skipping the details of the underground palace and stating only that he had successfully entered a hidden instance, but realizing he couldn't clear it alone, had invited four companions.
Listening to how Yuanshi Tianzun had turned the tables on Ren Junzi, Fu Qingyang maintained a flat expression without a trace of praise, as if this were merely what was expected of him.
It was as though Ren Junzi were nothing more than a piece of insignificant trash, even with a fragment of the Compass of Light.
Was taking out the trash supposed to be difficult?
"Right now, the academy's instructors don't know the stone doors were opened, nor do they know Ren Junzi's motive for killing people. Sun Miaomiao and the others coordinated their testimonies with me..."
Wrapping up his account, Zhang Yuanqing said, "Boss, help me comb through it. Are there any loose ends?"
Fu Qingyang frowned slightly.
"The biggest loophole is Ren Junzi's motive. Infiltrating Qinfeng Academy with a fragment of the Compass of Light, he couldn't have done it just to kill a few newly advanced Level 4 Saints."
After a few seconds of thought, he said, "Play dumb. There's no need to give headquarters an explanation; you're one of the victims, after all. As long as your possession of the key isn't leaked, headquarters won't suspect you.
"They'll be puzzled, find it illogical, and suspect some unknown piece of intelligence lies behind it, but they'll never have proof. World Returns to Fire, Xiahou Aotian, and Zhao Chenghuang haven't been exposed yet, so there's no need to say anything about them.
"The only loophole is that suit of armor Sun Miaomiao used."
Zhang Yuanqing replied at once, "Elder Sun will take the fall for that."
***
Capital City, a siheyuan courtyard.
Beneath a locust tree, Sun Miaomiao—dressed in light slim-fit jeans and a black T-shirt for an innocent look—danced to a cheerful song popular on the internet.
Behind her, little infant spirits stretched their tiny legs and moved their little hands, mimicking her dance moves.
A deep, rhythmic male voice played from the phone in her pocket:
"Love you walking down dark alleys alone, love your unyielding form, love that you're so like me, with matching wounds..."
She looked like a kindergarten teacher looking after toddlers.
On the rocking chair, Elder Sun finally snapped. "Enough! Miaomiao, get the hell out of here! If you play this song again, I'm throwing you into the training camp!"
Every time that song played, the kids in the tree lost control en masse.
Pure Yang Flames surged abruptly.
Startled, the infant spirits scattered in all directions, singing loudly, "Shall we fight? To war!" as they scurried back into the locust tree to hide.
"Grandpa, I've been at the training camp the whole time. I only came back to report something to you." Sun Miaomiao pulled the phone from her pocket, paused the music, and said, "Something happened at Qinfeng Academy."
She gave a concise summary of what Ren Junzi had done at the academy.
"Yuanshi Tianzun suspects he's a member of the Dark Night Rose?" Elder Sun's brow furrowed. "Why would Ren Junzi slaughter students for no reason? No, it wasn't for no reason; he clearly had a purpose. Also, since when did you have Dominator-stage armor?"
*Ah, Grandpa's an old fox after all. He really isn't easy to fool...* Sun Miaomiao played dumb.
"How would I know why Ren Junzi killed people? Grandpa, that armor belongs to Yuanshi Tianzun. He lent it to me to play with. Its origin seems a bit shady, so he doesn't want to explain where it came from to the Five Elements Alliance and asked me to help cover for him.
"If the Five Elements Alliance asks, just say you gave it to me, okay? Consider it a thank-you for him saving my life."
Elder Sun scoffed. "Why should I help him? Since when am I that muddle-headed?"
*Petty old man...* Sun Miaomiao rolled her eyes inwardly, trotted over to the front of the rocking chair, wrapped her arms around Elder Sun's neck from behind, and wheedled, "Grandpa~ It's just alliance business anyway. Please, pretty please~ Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa..."
"Alright, are you one of the Calabash Brothers?" Elder Sun grumbled in annoyance. "Fine, I got it."
Sun Miaomiao beamed and planted a loud kiss on her grandfather's weathered cheek.
***
Having sorted out how to handle inquiries from headquarters, Zhang Yuanqing produced the Compass of Light fragment and said, "Boss, what should we do with this?"
Fu Qingyang finally showed some interest. He reached out to take the golden compass and read its item properties.
"It really is the one." Fu Qingyang nodded.
Back during the internal meeting of the three branch elders, the properties of the two missing items had been displayed.
Rubbing the compass's face with his thumb, he offered a suggestion: "Headquarters doesn't matter much here. The one who posted the bounty for this item is that President. My suggestion is to trade the fragment for the reward and earn a favor from him."
Keeping the item by force would only breed enmity with the Merchant Guild, which was entirely pointless.
Fu Qingyang set the golden compass down. "Besides, the reward that President offers is far more interesting and valuable than a fragment of the Compass of Light."
Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up. "What's the reward?"
"A voucher from the Myriad Worlds Firm."
"What's that?"
Fu Qingyang shook his head. "I'm not sure. All I know is that when the President fought for the Compass of Light back then, he relied on a single voucher to battle three demigods on his own."
"Holy crap! Does that mean I can take on three demigods too?" Zhang Yuanqing was thrilled. Could there really be an item so overpowered in this world?!
Fu Qingyang glanced at him. "The President could fight three demigods because he was already a demigod himself. As for you, you could probably fight three Saints."
*I can already fight three Saints right now...* Zhang Yuanqing instantly regained his senses, though that didn't stop him from looking forward to the voucher.
"I'll report this to headquarters, and they'll handle contacting the President. You just wait for the reward." Fu Qingyang pushed the golden compass back toward him, then asked the question he cared most about with subtle anticipation: "What was inside the academy's underground palace?"
Zhang Yuanqing instinctively glanced around before lowering his voice. "The underground palace holds the First Emperor's treasury..."
He gave Fu Qingyang a meticulous account of their exploration, glossing over the materials and Dominator-stage items.
He knew what Fu Qingyang cared about most.
Without delay, he retrieved the Double Dragon Jade Pendant and the Painting of Empress Wa from Little Red Riding Hood and carefully laid them out on the desk. Fortunately, Fu Qingyang's desk was spacious enough to hold the scroll without moving anything aside.
When Fu Qingyang saw the Painting of Empress Wa, his eyes narrowed instantly.
"The Xie family's Holy Infant?" He clearly recognized the infant in the scroll.
"I've seen the furnace before too. It's Lian Sanyue's Hundred Refining Furnace. Right, Lian Sanyue is the master of Wanbao House and the daughter of the Zhao family's clan head. I'm guessing her spirit realm ID isn't Lian Sanyue," Zhang Yuanqing said.
Bringing this up reminded him of searching for "Lian Sanyue" in the official database back then, only to find no results.
Only later did he realize that she belonged to the main branch of the Zhao family, and spirit realm clans followed strict naming conventions for their IDs. Her ID definitely wasn't Lian Sanyue; that was just an alias she had given herself for the jianghu, which was why the official database turned up nothing.
Fu Qingyang stared deeply at the scroll, lost in thought.
Zhang Yuanqing piped up, "Boss, if Nüwa from myth was a real spirit realm walker, does that mean her husband and brother, Fuxi, existed too?"
Fu Qingyang rejected the idea. "There is little truth to be found in mythology. Fuxi's existence was most likely fabricated by people to suppress matriarchy as societal structure transitioned from a matriarchal society to a patriarchal one.
"Just because Nüwa was an ancient practitioner doesn't mean Fuxi was one as well."
Zhang Yuanqing thought it over and found it reasonable, immediately offering smooth flattery: "Brilliant, Boss! You and Guan Ya both grew up abroad, yet while she knows little about our ancient myths, your understanding is so profound."
Fu Qingyang replied coldly, "Do not compare me to garbage."
*How am I supposed to respond to that? Guan Ya is my girlfriend, you know...* Zhang Yuanqing kept silent, watching as Fu Qingyang picked up the Double Dragon Jade Pendant. After reading its properties, he said, "The secret of the Double Dragon Jade should lie in Takamagahara. Do you need me to accompany you?"
"I already made plans with the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter," Zhang Yuanqing declined.
Fu Qingyang's sword-like brows knitted. "Is she trustworthy?"
The treasures in Takamagahara were of immense tier and undoubtedly priceless. Wealth stirs greed, and he didn't trust the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter.
"Trustworthy!"
The moment Zhang Yuanqing spoke, he saw Fu Qingyang's eyes burst with blinding white light, staring unblinkingly at him.
Then, Fu Qingyang produced a pair of golden scissors and snipped them against Zhang Yuanqing's brow with a crisp *snip*.
"Boss, what are you doing?" An ominous premonition welled in Zhang Yuanqing's chest.
Fu Qingyang didn't answer. As the white light faded from his eyes, he put the scissors away and said, "Think again about whether you want to go with the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter."
*Bizarre... Did he just snip something off me?* Zhang Yuanqing was full of confusion, but hearing the question, he still nodded. "I'm sure."
This time, Fu Qingyang did not object.
"Right, Boss, I got a top-grade item in the underground palace and was planning to give it to you." With business out of the way, Zhang Yuanqing remembered the swordsman cloak.
Dominator-stage items were exceedingly rare, and even high-tier experts at the Dominator stage had few to their names. He figured that no matter how wealthy the Money Prince was, he couldn't possibly treat a Dominator-stage item like dirt.
Not to mention, this was a godly cloak.
To his surprise, Fu Qingyang picked up his unfinished paperwork and said indifferently, "Keep it for yourself."
Zhang Yuanqing blinked. "Boss, it's a Dominator-stage item."
Fu Qingyang's brow furrowed. "Relying too heavily on items erodes the heart of a true expert. Especially for a swordsman, the simpler one's methods, the purer the fighting spirit. Dominator-stage items often carry severe penalties; having too many isn't necessarily a good thing.
"Items from other classes in particular have bizarre drawbacks that can cause endless harm. You should know that better than anyone."
Zhang Yuanqing eyed him askance. "Are you sure you don't want it? In that case, I'll give it to Guan Ya."
Fu Qingyang gave an indifferent hum.
*You'll be begging me to take that back soon enough...* Zhang Yuanqing silently brought out the Court Swordsman Cloak. "Alright, then this item belongs to Guan Ya. Boss, help me appraise it."
Chapter 444