“I’m only going to see the Palace Master, so why is there a dark cloud hanging over my head? Could she be in danger?”
Panicking, Zhang Yuanqing wasted no time grabbing his phone to dial the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter. *Beep... beep...*
A few seconds later, the call connected, and a lazy, sultry, melodic female voice drifted from the speaker:
“I was sleeping. Didn't we say we'd meet tonight? Do you miss me that much?”
Hearing her voice, Zhang Yuanqing froze for a moment—partly because the Palace Master still had the leisure to flirt, which meant she wasn't in any danger, and partly because of her tone.
Normally when talking with her, she was always smiling, carrying herself like an experienced, worldly older sister figure, her tone never wavering.
Only when he questioned her about his father's past would she drop that flippancy and turn solemn.
That had actually been quite unnatural. People possessed joy, anger, sorrow, and delight; emotions naturally fluctuated. No one had only a single facet.
In the past, the Palace Master had felt more like she was deliberately maintaining a flat persona to suppress her emotions whenever facing him.
Now, however, her voice was soft, lazy, and sweet, sounding like a girl pouting at her boyfriend for interrupting her sleep.
*The crazy chick isn't crazy anymore!*
Zhang Yuanqing felt genuine relief and delight. This alleviated his guilt, and he no longer had to fear that a single slip of the tongue would get him hung up and beaten by his crazy older sister.
“I want to come over now because I'm not sure if I'll enter the instance today or tomorrow,” Zhang Yuanqing said.
He was worried he might enter the instance tonight.
Since he had wrapped up his current affairs anyway, there was no need to drag things out until midnight.
At that moment, Guan Ya had likely overheard a woman's voice over the phone. She picked up her nightgown, slipped it on, and walked over.
“Fine then!” the Palace Master's voice was still soft and sweet. “Come wait for me at the Good Music Hotel now.”
Zhang Yuanqing didn't dare say another unnecessary word and hung up.
The instant he pressed the end-call button, Guan Ya's snow-white arms wrapped around him from behind. Snatching the phone away, she grumbled, “Who was that?”
Releasing her boyfriend's waist, she glanced at the call log and frowned. “Palace Master of Halting Slaughter?”
Without pressing further, she opened his contact list and searched for keywords like “Fu Xue,” “Mother-in-law,” and “Auntie.” Finding nothing, she then searched “Guan Ya's Mother” and “Slashing Mother-in-Law.”
Zhang Yuanqing looked at her out of the corner of his eye, silently watching her antics.
When he saw her type in “Slashing Mother-in-Law,” he couldn't resist remarking, “Sister Guan Ya, you truly understand me.”
Guan Ya huffed, opened the contacts again, typed in her mother's phone number, and verified that it hadn't been saved. Only then did she hand the phone back to him.
“Sister Guan Ya, checking my phone? That doesn't seem like you,” Zhang Yuanqing said, slipping the phone into his pocket. “Were you worried that Auntie and I were keeping in touch behind your back?”
In his eyes, Guan Ya was an extraordinarily confident woman. Her figure, looks, family background, and breadth of experience all underpinned that confidence.
She rarely got jealous, nor was she like ordinary insecure girls who felt the urge to inspect their boyfriends' phones every now and then.
Guan Ya gave another huff.
“My mom is too shrewd. You're no match for her. You'd better never contact her. I'm terrified that one day she'll suddenly say: ‘Meet your Uncle Zhang.’”
“Then we can each go by our own titles: I'll call you sister, and you can call me daddy.”
Guan Ya pinched his cheek in exasperation. “Are you really making memes right now?”
“Weren't you doing the exact same thing?”
Laughing and bickering, the two tumbled back onto the bed. Before long, the creaking of the bed frame beneath their weight began anew.
***
In the Capital City.
In a basement, Ling Jun sat cross-legged inside an array inscribed with spirit talismans. Around the array's perimeter burned nine white candles, casting an eerie green glow.
“Once the candles shift to normal flames, the ritual will be complete.”
Sitting cross-legged outside the array, the shapely, pretty Victoria asked, “What brought you back this time?”
Ling Jun thought for a moment before confessing frankly, “I uncovered some past matters concerning Seventeenth Brother.”
“Your Seventeenth Brother?” Victoria searched her memory and recalled that figure from the distant past. “Ling Tuo, right? He courted me back then. Unfortunately, I don't care for naive, hot-blooded men.”
Saying that, she cast a cold glance at Ling Jun.
Ling Jun felt an inexplicable pang of guilt. He cleared his throat and shared the intel regarding the Xiaoyao Organization with Victoria.
After listening, Victoria frowned deeply.
“You suspect the Sect Master killed Ling Tuo?”
“I'm not certain. Coming back to the Capital City is specifically to investigate this,” Ling Jun said in a low voice. “My father is still in an instance, which gives me an opening. But I'm worried his trusted Elders might notice something amiss, which is why I asked you to bestow upon me the concealment of Taiyin.”
Victoria sneered. “How can you be sure I'm not one of your father's trusted confidants?”
“I can't,” Ling Jun shook his head and sighed. “But if it were you, dying at your hands would leave me with no regrets. Victoria, you are the only woman in this world I have ever truly loved.”
“Tsk, tsk. Your silver tongue is far sharper than it was back then.”
“These aren't sweet nothings. My actions prove my sincerity.” Ling Jun dropped the subject and asked, “How much do you know about my Seventeenth Brother?”
***
After lunch, Zhang Yuanqing drove to the Good Music Hotel on the outskirts of Songhai.
At a glance, he spotted Wang Qian working behind the front desk—Little Doubi's biological uncle.
Back then, due to the Xiahou family incident, Wang Qian had left Pingtai Hospital's obstetrics and gynecology department and vanished without a trace. Who would have thought the Palace of Halting Slaughter had stationed him here?
Doing the exact same job as Xiao Yuan.
“Long time no see!” Zhang Yuanqing walked up to the front desk, greeting him with a broad smile.
Wang Qian looked him up and down and sighed with emotion. “It's clearly only been four months or so, yet it feels like four years have passed. Back then, you were just an intern trailing behind a Eurasian beauty. Now, you've become a prominent figure in the spotlight.”
Zhang Yuanqing teased, “It's good that you're still alive too. And, well, that Eurasian beauty is now my girlfriend. By the way, what level are you now?”
“I haven't leveled up yet, only gained 50% experience,” Wang Qian said with a smile. “I only enter non-lethal instances. For me, leveling up isn't the point—survival is my top priority.”
“True enough.” Zhang Yuanqing nodded. “Which room is the Palace Master in?”
“The room on the left on the third floor.” After Wang Qian spoke, he hesitated, took a deep breath, and asked, “Is... is he still around?”
Zhang Yuanqing smiled. “Of course he is. I couldn't bear to use him against enemies.”
Exhaling a gentle wisp of Taiyin qi, it condensed upon the counter into a chubby, adorable baby.
Chapter 466