As the saying goes, ninety li is only halfway on a hundred-li journey. The closer one was to success, the more vigilant one had to be; one could not afford to collapse right at the finish line.
The employee handbook contained no rules regarding the artificial lake. The white lion was the entity employees were instructed to turn to for help—its tier was remarkably high—and the camphor tree sealing Demonic Eye was by no means to be underestimated.
It was safe to say this final step was harder than every hurdle they had faced along the way.
That was why Zhang Yuanqing had suggested communicating with Demonic Eye first to hear what the Dominator had to say.
Yet reaching Demonic Eye without alerting the white lion was nearly impossible without communication gear. Sending a spirit servant or using stellar travel would immediately disturb the beast.
So when he heard that the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter had a way to contact Demonic Eye without alerting the white lion, Zhang Yuanqing took her delicate little hand in delight. "What is it?"
Bringing her along had truly been a stroke of genius.
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter whispered, "Ever heard of telepathy? Instead of using conventional senses like sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch, you transmit thoughts and feelings using a sixth sense."
Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up. "What kind of method can establish telepathy between me and Demonic Eye?"
"Very simple," she replied with a playful smile. She pulled a pair of red silk gloves from her inventory and slipped them on. "Usually, only people with profound mutual understanding who undergo long periods of training can achieve telepathy—though that isn't absolute. Sometimes, two people truly in love, when swept up in deep passion, can resonate emotionally and spark a telepathic link."
Hearing that, Zhang Yuanqing was suddenly seized by a terrible premonition and cut her off. "Wh-what are you trying to do?"
"Tie the red thread between you and Demonic Eye, of course." Beneath the silver mask, her lovely eyes blinked with mischief. "Did you want me, or this yin corpse princess here, to fall head over heels for him instead?"
"..."
*I am staunchly opposed to BL!* Zhang Yuanqing's lips twitched. He looked at the Palace Master, then at the princess, and finally turned to Blood Rose. "Could she do it?"
The Palace Master snapped in exasperation, "What do you think? She's stiff as a log. If tying the thread to her worked, wouldn't picking up a rock be even better? Of course, you could take over her body, but how's that any different from tying it to you directly? Oh, I see. Would cross-dressing as a woman help you get into character better?"
"...Say no more. Just use my body." Zhang Yuanqing buried his face in his hands, waving in defeat.
This woman claimed to love him, yet here she was, her eyes shining with excitement at the thought of playing matchmaker between him and another man.
"Splendid!" The Palace Master's smile widened. She drew two paper figurines inscribed with incantations from her inventory—one male, one female, cut out so plainly that they looked identical to restroom door signs.
"I want the male one," Zhang Yuanqing said hurriedly.
An illusory glow surfaced in the Palace Master's pupils as she gazed toward the artificial lake, appearing to scrutinize something.
A few seconds later, she raised her red-gloved right hand and gently pinched the air, as if catching an invisible thread. She drew the thread over and wound it several times around the female paper figurine.
Then, repeating the process, she reached her left hand toward Zhang Yuanqing, pinched a thread, and wound it several times around the male figurine.
Once done, she pressed the two paper figures together.
As though stuck with powerful glue, the two paper figures locked firmly to each other and could not be pulled apart.
"Close your eyes and focus your mind. You will be able to sense Demonic Eye's soul in your sea of consciousness." Having said that, she asked curiously, "How are you feeling toward Demonic Eye right now?"
Zhang Yuanqing fell silent for a long moment before answering, "If I don't rescue Demonic Eye, my life has no meaning."
Commandery Princess Yinyao raised her mini-speaker. "Eww..."
Her facial features were incapable of expression; otherwise, her face would have been contorted in pure revulsion.
*If it lets me rescue Demonic Eye, what does tying a red thread matter? I'd even bow before the altar and marry him...* Zhang Yuanqing quickly adjusted his mindset, closed his eyes, and entered meditation.
His thoughts gradually grew serene and his mind relaxed, as if he were sitting beneath an old locust tree on a midsummer night, sipping tea and enjoying the gentle evening breeze.
He sensed it. He sensed a soul resting right in his sea of consciousness, yet separated from him by an invisible barrier.
Visible, but intangible.
Zhang Yuanqing attempted to extend his mental force to communicate with that soul:
"Heavenly King Demonic Eye? Heavenly King Demonic Eye..."
***
A cool breeze drifted by, rustling the lush foliage of the camphor tree.
Heavenly King Demonic Eye had fallen into a deep sleep. It had been many years since he last dreamed, and unexpectedly, he had dreamed of Yuanshi Tianzun.
In the dream, Yuanshi Tianzun was clearly far more interesting than in reality. In reality, he had not yet fully matured and had not realized what he truly wanted.
In the dream, the two of them worked hand in hand to cleanse the world, sweeping away every filth and ugliness, crushing all injustice and oppression. There was no more tyranny, no deception, no bullying of the weak by the strong, no abuse of public office for private gain, and no nepotism.
The world had become a wonderful place, exactly like the world he had sworn to build in his heart as a youth, standing before those ruins.
Just as he was shouting, "This is my ideal world!" he woke up.
The world remained ugly.
The night was deep, and the evening breeze blew in from all directions, causing the vines to sway slightly. Demonic Eye slowly exhaled a breath of stale air that sounded like a sigh.
"Yuanshi Tianzun..."
For some reason, he suddenly missed that man terribly.
Heavenly King Demonic Eye had once wanted to bring him back to the Soldier Master sect and personally nurture this kindred spirit, but unfortunately, he was now a prisoner.
Not long ago, he had sensed the Grand Marshal's aura and knew that Fear Heavenly King had visited Songhai.
Yet with Fear's strength, rescuing him amid the siege by the Songhai Branch and the Grand Marshal was simply too tall an order.
His only hope of escape now was entering an instance, but that required time.
Dominator-tier instances opened only once every few months, or even once a year.
He wondered how far Yuanshi Tianzun would have grown by then.
"Heavenly King Demonic Eye, Heavenly King Demonic Eye..."
Just then, a faint murmur echoed in his mind.
Weary-looking, Demonic Eye froze. Immediately afterward, he sensed a soul within his sea of consciousness. The other party was right there, yet separated by an insurmountable barrier.
"Who is it?"
Demonic Eye realized he felt no wariness whatsoever—only that this presence was the most important, most trustworthy existence in his life.
"I am Yuanshi Tianzun," the soul in his sea of consciousness replied.
Demonic Eye was stunned. The next moment, dazzling radiance burst from his dull eyes.
"Yuanshi Tianzun!"
His thought exploded within his mind.
"It's me. Hey, you seem pretty excited. Did you miss me... *cough, cough*, I mean, are you eager to get out?"
Heavenly King Demonic Eye was quiet for a few seconds before the corner of his lips curled upward.
"Fascinating. You've finally come to save me."
He naturally assumed Yuanshi Tianzun's purpose, as if they shared a profound mutual understanding. Why else would you come to the Zoo if not to rescue me?
*After all, you once loved me so deeply...* Demonic Eye gave his head a vigorous shake, tossing out the strange thought.
"Yes, I've come to save you. I crossed countless perils and braved innumerable dangers, all to pull you out of here... Ah, please ignore that part. Mainly, I wanted to ask you for some intel."
"Heh. You came to the Zoo just to ask me for intel?"
"Don't misunderstand. I meant intel on how to get you out."
"That's more like it. Have you betrayed the Five Elements Alliance?"
"No, Fear forced me to come rescue you."
"Fear forced you... Heh. If Fear hadn't forced you, would you have never come?"
Guided by the red thread, the two conversed smoothly in their minds, but Demonic Eye threw emotional tantrums from time to time, while Zhang Yuanqing scrambled anxiously to explain himself whenever the other grew upset...
"I understand," Heavenly King Demonic Eye said, his gaze sweeping along the lakeshore. "Find a way to lure the white lion away. Its tier is extraordinarily high; it's the embodiment of the item spirit's power, specifically tasked with dealing with escaped anomalies. You are no match for it.
"The camphor tree has no offensive power. You can think of it as an energy transmission pipeline. It siphons my spiritual power nonstop and channels it into the Zoo. Facing an external attack, it will easily compromise. If it doesn't, you can simply destroy it.
"There is something strange about this lake. There are no signs of life in the water. Do you see the ferry boat on the shore? That should be the only way to cross. Of course, if you can intimidate the camphor tree into carrying me back to shore, that works too—it can traverse the water."
"Understood." Zhang Yuanqing committed the details to memory.
Just as he was about to end the connection, Heavenly King Demonic Eye suddenly asked, "Did you use some bizarre Musician item to communicate with me?"
"Yes."
Demonic Eye fell silent.
After a long while, his dry laugh echoed: "Well done. Don't ever do it again."
"Understood..."
Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes and immediately turned to the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter.
"Palace Master, cut the red thread."
"Huh? That wasn't as interesting as the books made it sound. You didn't even show any unswerving, rock-solid affection..." The Palace Master seemed somewhat disappointed. She formed a pair of scissors with her fingers and made a snip in the empty air.
*What the hell kind of rock-solid affection were you expecting? Would you really be happy if I pledged undying devotion to Demonic Eye?* Zhang Yuanqing silently griped.
The instant the red thread was "severed," the boundless tenderness and pity he had felt toward Demonic Eye vanished.
Presumably, the same happened to Demonic Eye.
"Actually, there was no need to cut it. Given Demonic Eye's level, the thread's effect would have worn off in half a minute anyway," she remarked.
Zhang Yuanqing ignored her. Poking his head out of the shrubs, he looked carefully and indeed spotted the corner of a ferry boat moored near where the white lion lay.
It was a small wooden skiff with slightly upturned ends, floating quietly upon the water's surface.
He pulled his head back and relayed Demonic Eye's words to the princess and the Palace Master.
"I'll take responsibility for luring the white lion away, but I can't guarantee how long I can stall it," the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter said. "If it's the embodiment of the item spirit's power, I can stall it for three minutes at most. No, make that one minute."
That was clearly far too brief.
After a moment's contemplation, Zhang Yuanqing took out the Sliding Shovel Shoes, the Azure Emperor Jade Belt, and the Yinyang Robe. "Take these three items with you. Their abilities are formidable and will be useful to you."
The invulnerability of the Sliding Shovel Shoes, the Longevity Technique and beast transformation of the Azure Emperor Jade Belt, and the passive effect of the Yinyang Robe were all supreme life-preserving skills.
With these in hand, combined with the Palace Master's own strength and items, stalling it for a few minutes should not be difficult.
"You really have a lot of good stuff." Delighted, the Palace Master stowed the items away.
She immediately darted out from the shrubs. Behind her, tens of thousands of silk ribbons burst outward with a *bang*, condensing into a flexible staff more than ten meters long that slammed violently toward the distant white lion.
The white lion, resting lazily, snapped its golden pupils open.
A white shadow flickered, followed by a loud *crack* as the staff shattered the sturdy rocks piled along the shore, striking nothing but empty air.
The white lion's golden eyes reflected the Palace Master's figure. Infuriated, its mane bristled, and it raised its head with a thunderous roar.
*Roar!*
Baring its fangs, the white lion charged forward like a flying blur of white.
The staff broke apart into thousands of ribbons that rapidly retracted. Unhurriedly riding the wind, the Palace Master glided deep into the darkness.
The red silhouette and white shadow chased each other into the distance.
Once both figures vanished from sight, Zhang Yuanqing immediately sprang out with the two yin corpses, rushing toward the small boat moored on the lake.
The water was pitch-black without the slightest ripple. Despite the gentle evening breeze, the lake remained as still as a pool of dead water.
The eerie stillness was terrifying.
***
In a sprawling courtyard of black tiles and white walls, a flash of green light landed on the roof ridge, transforming into a curly-haired toy poodle.
Elder Gou overlooked the three-entry ancient mansion, scrutinizing every corner. At this hour, there could be no tourists, and the staff had already clocked out.
In the night, the ancient residence was completely silent.
He found no suspicious figures or suspicious auras; the heritage site was as ordinary as could be.
After thinking for a few seconds, a rich emerald glow surfaced in Elder Gou's eyes, and his floppy long ears twitched.
The wind carried the voices of the plants.
He listened intently for a moment, and a furious glare poured from his button eyes.
The plants in the ancient mansion told him that the night had been peaceful and unperturbed, without a single visitor.
The whole thing had been a trick to lure the tiger away from its mountain.
The mastermind had exploited his friendship with Zhang Zizhen to deceive him away from Songhai to this place.
The real goal was... to rescue Demonic Eye!
Elder Gou transformed into a streak of green light and shot into the sky.
***
Zhang Yuanqing bent down, picked up a pebble, and flicked it with a snap of his fingers.
The pebble shot forward. It should have flown dozens of meters, yet the moment it soared over the lake, it seemed suppressed by an invisible force and plunged straight down into the water.
*You can't fly across?* Zhang Yuanqing's expression grew solemn.
*What about escape techniques?*
Not daring to take risks, he lay flat on the bank and cautiously reached a hand over the surface of the lake, feeling no terrifying force pulling at him.
After some thought, he dipped his hand into the water.
The lake water was icy, its texture no different from normal water. Yet before Zhang Yuanqing's eyes, an item description popped up:
[Name: Ruoshui]
[Type: Water]
[Function: Drowning]
[Description: Legend has it that the Fenglin Continent is the dwelling place of an indescribable entity. Ruoshui, which drowns all things, bars mortals from paying homage. Only Lin wood from the Fenglin Continent can float upon Ruoshui.]
[Note: Key point—Lin wood.]
*It's actually Ruoshui—the legendary Ruoshui! Just how many rare treasures did Dad use when he created the Zoo back then? What on earth is sealed inside this Zoo?!*
Zhang Yuanqing was stunned.
He could not help looking at the wooden boat floating on the water. According to the item description, was this boat crafted from Lin wood?
Was the camphor tree imprisoning Demonic Eye actually a Lin tree?
"Stop wasting time," Commandery Princess Yinyao reminded him through her mini-speaker. "You've already wasted forty seconds."
"I know, I know..."
To be safe, Zhang Yuanqing decided to have Blood Rose cross in the boat first. If everything went well, he would cross personally.
Time was limited, but caution was still necessary.
Receiving her master's order, Blood Rose walked to the shore and leapt onto the wooden boat.
*Thud!*
She landed firmly on the gunwale and, under Zhang Yuanqing's command, began rowing.
The small boat glided slowly toward the center of the lake, leaving behind a faintly rippling wake.
Zhang Yuanqing and Commandery Princess Yinyao watched the boat intently, seeing it draw closer to the camphor tree.
Yet right at that moment, disaster struck.
The smoothly moving wooden boat began to sink bizarrely, going down inch by inch.
Zhang Yuanqing and Commandery Princess Yinyao could only watch helplessly as the lake water submerged Blood Rose's legs, waist, and shoulders, until she disappeared completely beneath the surface.
Chapter 510