Yin Ji knit her brows, glancing uncertainly at Yuanshi Tianzun.
"He's Good Minister Chooses His Master to Slay. You've probably seen him on the wanted list," Zhang Yuanqing nodded, giving an affirmative answer.
Yin Ji studied the boy closely for a few seconds. Remembering such a figure, she nodded. "I have long heard of your renowned name!"
Good Minister Chooses His Master to Slay was quite famous at the Transcendent stage. He was indeed an Illusionist of the Nihility Sect's Southern Sect. However, Yin Ji had never paid much attention to kids at the Transcendent stage before, so she hadn't recognized him right away.
The chubby kid sighed. "I can sense your surprise. You're probably thinking, how did this guy end up as a lackey to a Fire Specialist?
"I really am working as a lackey, but I have to clarify for my boss: he's a Bewitching Demon, not a Fire Specialist."
The astonishment in Yin Ji's eyes deepened. As a Senior Deacon of the Taiyi Sect, she had dealt with many Fire Specialists and knew their temperament inside out.
It was hard to imagine that this youth, who practically had the words "Fire Specialist" stamped on his forehead, was actually a Bewitching Demon.
He showed none of the sinister malevolence or murderous hostility typical of a Bewitching Demon.
Reining in her emotions, Yin Ji asked coolly, "So, what is your Southern Sect's plan?"
"There is no plan, because that is something for the elders to discuss. The purpose of our meeting today is merely a preliminary contact to lay the groundwork for future cooperation," the chubby youth said solemnly. "Did you bring the contract item?"
Yin Ji gave a slight nod and spread her palm. A faint, pure golden light blossomed from her hand, congealing into a golden scroll.
She unrolled the scroll. On the aged parchment, a shield and a greatsword were drawn, and a stern, upright aura instantly permeated the entire office.
The chubby kid nodded in satisfaction. "You are Elder Hongying's beloved disciple. The First Elder told me to sign a contract with you. If the Taiyi Sect double-crosses us, you will suffer a backlash from the contract and return to the Spirit Realm.
"If the Nihility Sect double-crosses you, then the one returning to the Spirit Realm will be me."
*Using Yin Ji to restrain Elder Hongying? Well, given Elder Hongying's affection for Yin Ji, with this constraint, she'll definitely show some caution. But you, little fatty, are clearly an unloved, expendable pawn. Trading Yin Ji for you would be an absolute loss for the Taiyi Sect...* Zhang Yuanqing watched calmly from the sidelines without interfering.
Yin Ji spread the scroll. Following the chubby kid's instructions, she spoke aloud to record the terms of the contract onto the parchment, dripped a drop of blood as a seal, and tossed the scroll over.
The chubby kid caught it and signed the equal contract in the exact same manner.
Then, he tossed the scroll back and said, "Let's exchange contact information."
Yin Ji retrieved her phone, adding an evil class member as a contact for the very first time.
"Next, just wait for our news. Today's preliminary contact is complete." The chubby youth took a step back, indicating his business was finished.
As for whether Yuanshi Tianzun and Xiao Yuan had business between them, that had nothing to do with him.
With a cold face, Xiao Yuan stood up, looking at Kou Beiyue and the chubby kid. "Let's go."
Without even sparing a glance at Yuanshi Tianzun, she was the first to walk out of the office.
Kou Beiyue froze for a moment, looking at Xiao Yuan's departing back and then at Yuanshi Tianzun, looking both amused and worried. "Did you two have another falling out?"
*If Beiyue says that, it means Xiao Yuan isn't just on her period. She's specifically targeting me, only angry with me...* Zhang Yuanqing looked toward the chubby youth.
The chubby youth silently mouthed: *You didn't go to the hotel that day.*
With that, he hurriedly dragged away his boss, who had wanted to chat more with Yuanshi Tianzun.
*Xiao Yuan is mad because I didn't go to the hotel?* Zhang Yuanqing's expression grew odd. He didn't know whether to feel happy or melancholy.
From a man's natural perspective, this was undoubtedly something to rejoice over. Xiao Yuan throwing a tantrum meant she was upset that he hadn't visited Wuhen Hotel lately and rarely contacted her.
It showed Auntie Xiao Yuan felt neglected. That kind of emotion was not something found in an ordinary relationship between a man and a woman.
The melancholy came from the fact that Zhang Yuanqing didn't consider himself a scumbag like Lingjun. He already had Guan Ya, and he feared he might disappoint Xiao Yuan's deep affection.
Thinking this, he scurried after her, intercepting Xiao Yuan as she walked toward her white sedan.
"Auntie Xiao Yuan, it's been so long since we met, and you're leaving before we've even exchanged more than a few words," Zhang Yuanqing complained, playing dumb.
Having studied under Lingjun for months, his grasp of female psychology had grown increasingly refined. Given Xiao Yuan's personality, speaking bluntly would only cause her to turn angry from embarrassment.
At that point, it wouldn't just be cold shoulders, but a sound beating.
So he acted foolish and innocent.
"Busy at the inn. No time," Xiao Yuan replied coldly, quickening her pace.
"That run-down inn of yours doesn't have guests all day," Zhang Yuanqing muttered.
Xiao Yuan turned her head and glared at him.
"I just got out of Qinfeng Academy. A murder happened inside, so I was detained in Songhai under investigation—questioned endlessly, taking statements for three whole days. I finally caught a breather," Zhang Yuanqing said casually, walking beside her. "Last time, Fu Qingyang gave me a mission to make contact with the Nihility Sect, and I had to attend a meeting right after. Time was tight, so I couldn't visit Wuhen Hotel. What a shame. I think about Auntie Xiao Yuan every day, you know."
Xiao Yuan coldly glanced sideways at the chubby kid in the back, then said indifferently, "Being busy is good. The organization will focus on grooming you, and your future will be boundless. In the future, keep your distance from evil heretics like us."
With that, she opened the car door and slid into the driver's seat.
Zhang Yuanqing coughed lightly, looked back at Kou Beiyue and the chubby kid, and said, "I have something to discuss with Xiao Yuan. You two go on ahead."
Kou Beiyue was completely oblivious. "We didn't ride our e-bikes here."
"Take a taxi."
"No money," Kou Beiyue said self-righteously. "Taking a cab back to the hotel costs sixty yuan. I only made a hundred yuan delivering orders all morning."
Without a word, Zhang Yuanqing transferred a thousand yuan to him.
Kou Beiyue beamed instantly. "Take your time talking with Xiao Yuan."
Like a kid who had just received an enormous amount of pocket money, he happily led his buddy away.
Zhang Yuanqing climbed into the car.
A few minutes later, Yin Ji finished her phone call with her master and emerged from the office. She happened to see Yuanshi Tianzun stepping out of the sedan, leaning down to wave goodbye to the glamorous, mature woman inside.
The woman's expression was no longer as icy as before as she started the engine and drove away from the logistics company.
*Finally smoothed things over. Lingjun was right: when a woman throws a tantrum, as long as you have enough patience, you can definitely coax her out of it, because all they really need is for you to make an effort...* Zhang Yuanqing once again marveled at his mentor's wisdom.
"You're very close with them?" Yin Ji asked, her dress fluttering as she walked over.
"They are my beloved companions and sworn brothers. Well, not that little fatty." Zhang Yuanqing turned back to look at the Demon Lord's widow. Seeing her delicate brows slightly furrowed in hesitation, he knew what she was thinking and smiled. "Though they belong to evil classes, they never commit evil deeds. Their moral baseline is higher than that of most orthodox classes."
"I don't believe you," Yin Ji replied honestly.
Zhang Yuanqing shrugged without further explanation, gestured toward the sports car, and smiled. "Let's go, Sister. I'll drive you back to Songhai.
"Do you want to rest for a night at Fujia Bay, or head straight to the airport?"
Yin Ji's voice was gentle. "Night is when we are most energetic."
*Straight to the airport, then...* Zhang Yuanqing caught her meaning. Walking toward the sports car, he said, "In the next few days, I will enter a scenario. I probably won't be able to participate in the operation to capture Sect Master Chunyang. Well, if I make it out and you need help, feel free to contact me anytime."
"Alright!" Yin Ji did not refuse.
At 11:40 PM, the blue sports car cruised along the elevated highway and arrived at the departure level of Songhai International Airport.
Yin Ji opened the car door, but did not step out immediately. In a soft voice, she said, "Official people love nothing more than slapping labels on others, then defeating their enemies from the moral high ground. You possess peerless talent, but in struggles for power, you are no match for those old foxes."
Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment, then nodded. "I will keep that in mind."
This was an implicit warning to keep his distance from Xiao Yuan and the others so as not to leave any leverage against himself.
Yin Ji gave a slight nod, stepped out of the sports car, and strode into the brightly lit departure hall with her dress trailing behind her.
Zhang Yuanqing tracked Yin Ji with his eyes until her tall, shapely figure vanished completely. Then he withdrew his gaze and drove away.
***
Lingjun closed the door to his room, retrieved a jade-green orb, and activated Forest Barrier to isolate all sound.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone. Holding it in his palm, a conflicted, hesitant expression appeared on his face. Gritting his teeth, he tapped open a blacklisted number.
—Victoria!
A female elder of the Taiyi Sect, a naturalized citizen of foreign descent, responsible for handling affairs in the eight eastern provinces.
This elder was the only foreigner in the Taiyi Sect—and one who had grown up in China. After becoming a Night Walker, it was only natural for her to join the Taiyi Sect. Well, that had been twenty or thirty years ago.
When Lingjun was very young, Elder Victoria was in the prime of her youth. Because Lingjun was frequently mistreated by his older brothers, Elder Victoria took pity on the motherless child and had taken him in.
Lingjun had lived with her for many years, secretly vowing in his youthful heart that he would treat and honor her like an elder in the future.
Later, as he grew up, Victoria remained in her prime, her charm undiminished. And so... well, his filial devotion degraded into something else.
Victoria also had deep feelings for the boy she had watched grow up. Unable to resist his persistent pestering, a romance spanning generations had unfolded.
However, Lingjun was a wood demon of the reproductive path, driven by an instinctual craving and insatiable hunger for the opposite sex and reproduction. Their relationship had completely collapsed after only a few years.
Lingjun could act like a scumbag toward any woman in the world, except Victoria—he never wanted to hurt her. Knowing he could not fight his instincts, he had cut off all contact with her and avoided meeting her whenever possible.
He had refused to take up any official post in the Taiyi Sect precisely because he did not want any official duties or meeting encounters with Victoria.
Taking a deep breath, Lingjun harbored nervous, anxious feelings as he removed her from the blacklist and dialed the number.
The melodious ringback tone sounded for a long while before the other side picked up. A soft, alluring female voice with a hint of huskiness drifted through the speaker:
"Speak!"
Lingjun inhaled deeply and said, "Victoria, I've run into some trouble..."
Before he could finish his sentence, a dial tone buzzed in his ear.
The call had been disconnected.
"Sigh..." Lingjun let out a wistful sigh. He could fully understand Victoria's coldness; after all, love wasn't something you could sell and buy back whenever you pleased.
However, when a woman threw a tantrum, as long as one had enough patience, she could always be coaxed, unless the feelings were truly gone.
Yet with his charm, even if the feelings were gone, he could rekindle the dying embers of love.
Lingjun dialed the number again. This time, the other side hung up several times. Only on the sixth attempt did Victoria finally answer.
"You have three minutes," the husky, sultry voice stated.
*Victoria still cares about me after all...* Lingjun mused softly before speaking.
"I've run into some trouble lately. I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be reaching out to you, but Victoria, aside from you, there is no one else in this world I can trust.
"No matter how many years have passed, you are the person I trust most in this world. So when I found myself helpless, I thought of you—just like back then, when I chose to hold your hand tight and follow you."
A long silence stretched across the line before she slowly asked, "What happened?"
"I'll be returning to the Capital City this morning. We'll talk then. Prepare yourself: set up the ritual and arrange a concealment blessing for me," Lingjun said, his tone gentle yet grave.
He had to uncover the truth behind his seventeenth brother's return to the Spirit Realm.
Victoria gave a simple "mm" and hung up the phone.
***
When Zhang Yuanqing returned to Fujia Bay, it was already one in the morning.
As a hot-blooded young man who had just parted with his virginity, he normally wouldn't miss any chance to take initiative in bed. But Yin Ji's divination tonight had weighed heavily on him.
He hadn't shown it back then, merely feigning composure.
Therefore, he didn't head to Guan Ya's room, returning instead to his own bedroom.
Twisting open the bedroom door, Zhang Yuanqing saw Commandery Princess Yinyao stripped of her outer gown, lying stiff as a board on his bed.
He froze for a moment, asking with mild uncertainty, "Did you finally have a change of heart?"
Commandery Princess Yinyao opened her eyes, her eerie blood-red pupils looking over. "I have not experienced a bed in many years."
*Oh, she just wants to sleep on a bed. Makes sense. She used to stand or sit all night. After all, she isn't an inanimate doll. Even if her body doesn't need rest, her mind still yearns for a bed. I've neglected the Princess's feelings...*
Zhang Yuanqing nodded, entered the room, and shut the door.
His action put Commandery Princess Yinyao on guard instead. Her eerily beautiful pupils fixed on him. "I will not serve you in bed. If you wish to engage in carnal pleasures, you may seek Guan Ya, or bed Queen."
"Sleep as you like. I just want a quiet place to think," Zhang Yuanqing waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, your sleeping posture is off. Anyone who didn't know better would think you'd just passed away."
"I lay in a coffin for too many years..." Commandery Princess Yinyao explained.
"Oh," he muttered, walking over to sit at the desk. He switched on the lamp and lost himself in thought regarding the divination of great calamity.
Currently, there were two clear sources of danger: one was his mother-in-law, and the other was the scenario.
No matter how dissatisfied his mother-in-law was with him as a cheap son-in-law, at most she would make things difficult for him, suppress him, or send experts to teach him a lesson. She wouldn't hire an assassin to murder him—at least not in the near future.
That meant the danger stemmed from the scenario.
*Looks like it really is a damn tier-6 carrying tier-4 scenario. Even with my current gear, I'm still in mortal danger. That shows just how terrifying the upcoming scenario will be...*
He pondered for a moment and came up with two approaches:
First, consult the Elvis speaker about the scenario's contents.
The scenarios he entered were all ones the Demon Lord had experienced, and this time should be no exception.
Second, find a way to enhance his own strength.
Borrow a Dominator-grade prop from Fu Qingyang? No, that would only crank up the scenario's difficulty. If he actually did that, the impending crisis might well be triggered by borrowing the prop in the first place.
It had to be a method that could enhance his strength inside the scenario. If not a prop, then it had to be a rapid surge in his innate capabilities.
*I'm only two percent away from leveling up, so that's an option. Aside from that, there's the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record.*
Zhang Yuanqing thought of the divine power of the sun he had brought out of Takamagahara. But immediately, a new problem arose: ten clusters of divine power of the sun were far too tyrannical. Forcing himself to cultivate with them would incinerate his physical body to ash.
At this thought, he glanced at Commandery Princess Yinyao, who was lying stiffly on the bed, and said, "Noble, beautiful Princess..."
"Speak properly," the Princess cut him off coldly.
"Did your master teach you any secret arts of the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.
"Naturally, yes. But after my flesh turned into a yin corpse, I could no longer practice the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record," Commandery Princess Yinyao replied.
Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Is there any way to rapidly advance the realm of the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record?"
"None."
"Fine, I asked the wrong question," Zhang Yuanqing rephrased. "Is there any way for me to harvest large amounts of the divine power of the sun without my physical body collapsing? Don't say no—please use that clever brain of yours to think."
The Princess did indeed think for a moment before offering an answer: "Having a formidable force of life as your backing. But that is impossible. Dominator-grade divine power of the sun incinerates a body in an instant. Before life fluid could take effect, you would already be dead."
*So that's how it is. If even life fluid won't work, then there's truly no way. Wait... the Palace Mistress has a higher-grade life fluid!*
Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up. He immediately texted the Palace Mistress:
*Have you used up the life fluid? Is there any left?*
After sending the message, there was no reply for a long time.
*Looks like I'll have to wait...* Zhang Yuanqing felt a little anxious, but could only put down his phone. The Palace Mistress had mentioned that she needed the life fluid to treat her crazed mind.
Ever since parting ways after Takamagahara, she had made no sound, presumably busy healing herself.
Zhang Yuanqing opened the desk drawer, took out the Elvis speaker, and used Star Escape to vanish, reappearing on the villa's rooftop terrace.
He opened his phone and randomly played a song:
*"The gentle moonlight clings and caresses, the mist blurs your face~"*
When the track finished, he tapped the top of the Elvis speaker. "Your turn. I want to know what scenario I'll enter next."
*Bzzz—*
Static crackled from the speaker's grille. Promptly, a husky female voice echoed out:
*"The gentle moonlight clings and caresses, the mist blurs your face~"*
*It doesn't know either, so it just played my song back to me?* The corner of Zhang Yuanqing's mouth twitched, and he snapped furiously, "Are you trying to freeload my music? You owe me an explanation!"
The Elvis speaker fell silent, presumably contemplating how to compensate him. A few seconds later, static crackled once more. The next moment, a sultry, husky female voice rang out:
"You sweet rascal, you little trouble, I'm madly in love with you..."
Zhang Yuanqing had never heard this voice before. She was not any of the previous female leads.
*Holy crap...*
The instant the words "sweet rascal" rang out, Zhang Yuanqing swiftly grabbed the Elvis speaker and entered Night Roaming.
*The Demon Lord is made of iron, but the women are a revolving door. Who did he sleep with this time? Maybe there'll be some useful information.* A wave of nostalgia washed over Zhang Yuanqing as he mused, *It's been a while since I listened to the Demon Lord's workout audio.*
Chapter 461