Zhang Yuanqing returned to the villa with a heavy heart. In the dining room, the members of his patrol team were seated around the table enjoying dinner.
The aroma of high-end ingredients drifted into his nose, stirring his appetite. Having not eaten all day, he suddenly felt hungry and walked straight over to the dining table. Just as he sat down, the bunny girl had already scooped a bowl of rice for him.
Zhang Yuanqing held his bowl and dug in heartily. The patrol team's meals were benchmarked against Fu Qingyang's standard, with ingredients sourced directly from his estate.
The cost of the meals consumed by the squad members in a single month was higher than their salaries.
After shoveling down a few mouthfuls, Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Xie Lingxi's waist and hips, which had grown noticeably curvier without him realizing. His heart stirred, and he remarked, "Lingxi, you've put on weight lately!"
Xie Lingxi's small face lit up with joy. She hastily set down her chopsticks and gently thrust out her increasingly plump chest, asking, "Really? Where did I get fatter? Brother Yuanshi, look closely—where did I gain weight?" She puffed out her chest with all her might.
Guan Ya's brow twitched. She thought to herself, *This wretched girl has zero regard for me, his official girlfriend. Seducing my man in broad daylight!*
"Everywhere!" Zhang Yuanqing's gaze lingered slightly on Xie Lingxi's chest, feeling gratified by her physical development.
When they first met, the Little Green Tea had been an A-cup cutie. If she could one day become an E-cup powerhouse like Guan Ya, it would mean he had raised her with his own two hands.
"You need to watch your figure, Lingxi. Have you been slacking off in your cultivation lately?" Zhang Yuanqing chided lightly before getting down to business. "To help you keep your slender figure, I've prepared a trial mission for the three of you."
Hearing this, Queen and Li Chunfeng both turned to look.
"Get ready tonight—we're entering a guild dungeon!"
"A guild dungeon?" Xie Lingxi grew excited at once. "Oh right! I joined Return of the Dead so long ago, but I haven't entered a guild dungeon yet! Brother Yuanshi, I will definitely work hard to clear new ground for the guild!"
"Captain, I'll work hard to clear new ground too," Queen chimed in to pledge her loyalty, only to realize she wasn't a member of Return of the Dead yet. "Wait, but I haven't joined the guild yet."
"Neither have I," Li Chunfeng said.
Zhang Yuanqing set down his chopsticks and opened the guild warehouse interface. "I'll invite you right now... Oh, Sister Guan Ya, you should join my guild too. Let's build a business together as a couple."
Xie Lingxi and Queen curled their lips in unison.
Soon, all four of them received notification chimes from the spirit realm.
After Guan Ya clicked confirm, she opened the member roster.
*Xiao Yuan, Asano Ryo, Xie Lingxi, Sun Miaomiao...* The proportion of female members was a bit high... With a dagger hidden in her smile, Guan Ya cast a sidelong glance at her boyfriend and said gently, "I never paid attention to your guild before, but only now do I realize you've quietly assembled a harem."
Whenever this woman got jealous, she turned passive-aggressive.
Zhang Yuanqing knew well that if he answered sarcastically, he could forget about getting into bed tonight, so he kept his mouth shut.
Queen and Li Chunfeng, on the other hand, were dumbfounded. Except for Xiao Yuan and Asano Ryo, every single spirit realm ID on the member roster was illustrious and legendary—top figures among the official faction's younger generation.
These people were actually willing to become subordinates of Yuanshi Tianzun?
*Once three Transcendent dungeons are cleared, I'll pull Brother Red Chicken in to unlock Saint dungeons...* Zhang Yuanqing clicked the minimized window in the upper right corner of the warehouse interface, and from the options that appeared, clicked "Guild Dungeon."
Guild dungeons were closely tied to the level of the members. The more elites among the members, the higher the difficulty of the guild dungeon.
However, the potential was also greater.
Zhang Yuanqing looked forward to seeing what difficulty level the guild's first dungeon would be.
[Ding! Activate guild spirit realm?]
"Activate!"
[Ding! Guild spirit realm activated... Spirit realm generating, please wait...]
[Ding! Guild spirit realm generation complete.]
[ID: 2209, Dongxing Hotel.]
[Difficulty Level: A]
[Type: Multiplayer (Death Type)]
[Main Quest: Resolve the supernatural incidents in the hotel.]
[Note: Non-spirit realm items cannot be brought inside.]
[Realm 2209 Introduction: Dongxing Hotel is a very famous hotel. Legend has it that the last room on the sixth floor is uninhabitable; at midnight, the lights in the seventh-floor corridor flicker with a bloody glow; at three in the morning, a faceless waiter knocks on doors; foul odors seep from the walls of Room 408; an old woman with a cat's face wanders the stairwell; at eleven at night, the corridors turn into a maze; the televisions at night can never be turned off; bloody handprints always appear on bathroom mirrors... The hotel manager has recently posted notices seeking help, hoping someone can handle the hotel's supernatural occurrences.]
The dungeon information was quickly synchronized to the guild members.
*A-rank? Death type?*
The expressions of Xie Lingxi and the other two instantly froze.
*Tsk, an A-rank death-type dungeon. The Transcendent realm walkers in the guild are all Level 3, which means the dungeon's corresponding level is also Level 3...* The first things that came to Zhang Yuanqing's mind for comparison were Yin Yang Town and Mute Village.
Not bad at all. At this rate, S-rank dungeons might appear once they reached the Saint stage.
The Little Green Tea was the first to chicken out. With a miserable look on her small face, she whimpered, "Brother Yuanshi, is it too late to leave the guild?"
Queen paled and stammered, "C-Captain, I don't think pioneering is for me. Maybe I have other uses... um, well, anything Guan Ya can do for you, I can do too..."
Li Chunfeng said woodenly, "I'm just a Scholar."
*The difficulty really is a bit high. My intention was to let them train, but if the mortality rate is too steep, the losses will outweigh any gains. I need to find a way to improve their survival chances and put their minds at ease...* Zhang Yuanqing originally wanted to give an encouraging pep talk, but remembering his own experiences in Yin Yang Town and Mute Village, and looking at the guild dungeon specs, even he felt it was a bit excessive.
Just as he was pondering how to reassure his teammates, a soft clack sounded—the noise of chopsticks being set down firmly on the tabletop.
Guan Ya straightened her back, furrowing her finely drawn, long and straight brows. With a stern face, she swept her gaze across the team members.
Xie Lingxi and Queen, who had been slumping with downcast expressions a moment ago, silently sat up straight and adjusted their expressions.
Li Chunfeng pushed up his glasses and sat upright.
Guan Ya said, "Every one of you has Saint-quality items on you. Why are you acting so cowardly over a mere Transcendent dungeon?"
First, she looked at Queen: "Back in Yin Yang Town, you were Level 3 with 12% experience. Now you're at late Level 3 with 80%—a gain of nearly 70% experience. Your actual strength has at least doubled.
"And that's not even counting the Saint-quality item Yuanshi gave you. For you, an A-rank dungeon is dangerous, but it's not certain death. Have you gotten too comfortable, Queen? Backing down at the first sign of danger—acting like this, how are you worthy of competing with me for Yuanshi?!"
She then looked at Xie Lingxi: "You are a direct descendant of the Xie family. Your clan expects excellence from you, not just mediocrity. Among the prominent spirit realm clans, the benchmark for evaluating an outstanding descendant is their track record in A-rank dungeons."
"Li Chunfeng, Yuanshi recruited you and brought you from being a rogue cultivator into the official ranks because he has high hopes for you. The official organization lacks classes outside the Five Elements, and Scholars are highly valued. If you can advance to Saint, the organization will definitely cultivate and promote you. Don't you want to become a Deacon with real authority?"
The three members hung their heads in silence.
Zhang Yuanqing looked at Guan Ya in some surprise. At this moment, on his girlfriend's stern and composed face, he caught glimpses of Fu Qingyang, or perhaps Fu Qingxuan.
This was probably a disposition unique to Scouts—the aura of a natural leader born to command subordinates.
Scouts corresponded to the metal element among the Five Elements. The White Tiger belonged to metal and governed slaughter and war; every high-level Scout was a born leader—in ancient times, they would be fated stars of war.
Without him even realizing when it began, Guan Ya had already become the leader of the team.
Li Chunfeng dared to joke with him, Xie Lingxi dared to act cute and make faces at him, and Queen dared to tease and seduce him, but in front of Guan Ya, they were like common grunts standing before a general.
Furthermore, Zhang Yuanqing noticed that their silence wasn't due to feeling oppressed; they were pondering, pumping themselves up, and resolving their inner hesitations.
This was another application of the Insight technique: only by understanding people's hearts could one strike where it mattered most.
Queen's unrequited obsession with him; Lingxi's predicament as the sole heir of the family head's line yet remaining somewhat "ordinary"; Li Chunfeng's growing ambition upon stepping from rogue status into official ranks... Guan Ya's nonchalant remarks had pierced right into their softest spots.
"I'll have Yuanshi prepare some Night Walker items or talismans to counter yin entities," Guan Ya said. "Any other issues?"
Only then did Xie Lingxi and the others breathe a sigh of relief and nod.
Guan Ya picked up her chopsticks again. "Eat."
In the spacious bedroom, Zhang Yuanqing sat by the study desk. Holding an ink brush dipped in cinnabar water, he drew yellow paper talismans one after another.
Having finished her shower, Guan Ya stood beside the desk drying her slightly wavy hair with a dry towel. Wearing silk pajamas, she gave off the subtle fragrance of body wash, tempting Zhang Yuanqing to put down his brush and fawn over her.
"Sigh, the team I put together was suddenly usurped by you. Nice job," Zhang Yuanqing said without taking his eyes off the talismans, stroking and drawing on the yellow paper.
Guan Ya said with a smile, "You do a good job too."
Zhang Yuanqing snapped playfully, "You'd better be referring to work."
"I don't have Night Walker items to spare, but these talismans should be plenty." He finished drawing the last talisman, blew dry the cinnabar ink, and said, "And sending my darling son along with them should make it virtually foolproof."
His darling son referred to Little Doubi.
Little Doubi was currently at the peak of the Transcendent stage. Although his core skills were Exchange and Treasure Seeking, as an infant spirit, he had all the natural instincts and combat abilities needed to fight vengeful spirits.
"Hoo—"
He exhaled a breath of lunar energy, and Little Doubi tumbled onto the desktop.
"Son, you're on a mission tonight. Accompany two aunties into a dungeon," Zhang Yuanqing said, stroking the infant spirit's head with its sparse fine hair.
Little Doubi let out an "aba" sound, opening his innocent, wide eyes, looking completely blank as though he couldn't understand human speech.
Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment and said, "When you come back, you get to play with the game console for three days."
Hearing this, Little Doubi's fighting spirit soared. He vigorously slapped the desk with his little hand and let out an imposing, high-spirited "aba!"
Now he suddenly understood human speech.
Guan Ya clicked her tongue twice. Like master, like spirit servant—this little fellow had the exact same virtue as Yuanshi.
Xie Lingxi, Queen, and Li Chunfeng sat upright on the sofa in the living room, ready for action.
As the clock struck ten at night, the three saw a stack of yellow paper talismans drift down from the stairs and float gently onto the coffee table.
Xie Lingxi picked up the thick stack of yellow paper talismans and drew one out. "This is a Yin Eye Talisman..."
Saying so, she ignited the talisman with spiritual energy. Amid the leaping bright flames, a chilling surge of yin energy flowed into her hand and settled in her eyes.
Her eyes cooled pleasantly. Immediately afterward, she saw the infant spirit sprawled on the coffee table.
Meanwhile, Queen and Li Chunfeng divided the various talismans equally into three portions. Through the information Yuanshi Tianzun had sent to the group chat, they had already memorized the functions, durations, activation methods, and corresponding diagrams for each talisman.
*Ding!*
Their phones chimed simultaneously as Yuanshi Tianzun sent a message:
[Get ready. Opening the guild dungeon in three seconds.]
They quickly gathered the talismans. Xie Lingxi gathered Little Doubi into her arms, and right on cue, the spirit realm's notification chime rang in their ears:
[Ding! Spirit realm map fully loaded. Welcome to the "Return of the Dead Guild Spirit Realm—Dongxing Hotel," ID: 2209.]
"They're off!"
Zhang Yuanqing sensed his connection with Little Doubi snap. "A Transcendent stage dungeon won't exceed 24 hours. They should be back by tomorrow evening."
Guan Ya hummed in response, turning toward the bed. "Go to sleep."
"I have to go out tonight to handle some business," Zhang Yuanqing said.
Guan Ya, who had just climbed into bed, immediately turned chilly in tone. "Oh. Remember to turn off the light when you leave."
She pulled up the air-conditioning quilt, turned on her side, and presented the back of her head to him.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the digital clock, silently took off his jacket, and walked over to the double bed.
"Huh? Aren't you going out to handle business?" Guan Ya rolled over, propping her knees against his chest to keep him from getting into bed.
"Handling you is the real business," Zhang Yuanqing replied smoothly.
Guan Ya spat teasingly, keeping both knees firmly against his chest, and smiled. "Sure, go ahead and handle me then. Right in this position."
"That won't work—my whip can't reach. Open your knees."
"Then promise me one thing," Guan Ya seized the opportunity to negotiate. "Have Xiao Yuan leave the guild."
*Women... Once a relationship is confirmed, they instinctively learn to leverage two things against men: their bodies and their children.*
"Wait a second. Let me call Lingjun."
A flicker of bewilderment showed in Guan Ya's watery, beautiful eyes. "Why are you calling him?"
"To ask for advice on what sweet talk to say at a moment like this."
"Get lost!"
"Alright, let's roll!"
Minutes later, they were rolling across the bedsheets, the bed emitting rhythmic creaks.
2:00 AM, the suburban Zoo.
On the deserted, quiet suburban street, a figure wearing a hooded tracksuit and a mask slowly approached the Zoo under the downy-yellow glow of the streetlights.
At night, the Zoo sent away all workers, leaving only Elder Dog as the sole administrator on guard.
Elder Dog typically didn't linger along the perimeter of the grounds.
The figure arrived in front of the locked iron gate, lightly scaled the fence of spiky steel, and dropped into the Zoo.
He did not venture deep into the park, but stopped beneath the halo of a streetlight.
This was a yin corpse that the Grand Marshal had "scavenged" for him from Ghost City. At times like this, the utility of cannon fodder shone through.
Zhang Yuanqing took control of this yin corpse, intending to use it to communicate with the artifact spirit.
The artifact spirit had mistaken him for his father, Zhang Zizhen. That had to be due to either bloodline or soul. If it was the latter, then controlling the yin corpse right now should draw the artifact spirit out.
If it didn't work, that would conversely substantiate the bloodline theory.
Even then, Zhang Yuanqing still wouldn't show up in person; he would quietly murmur the name "Zhang Zizhen."
Time trickled by. After a dozen minutes, the artifact spirit had not appeared, nor had that sensation of being watched descended.
*Looks like I have to use the big move...* Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath, raised his head, gazed at the pitch-black night sky, and said in a low voice:
"Zhang—Zi—zhen!"
The moment the words fell, wild gales surged within the Zoo. The surrounding plants thrashed frantically, rustling like shadowy phantoms.
A gaze descended from the night sky and locked onto Zhang Yuanqing.
Chapter 519