Not Lending

Nine in the evening. Zhang Yuanqing sat cross-legged on the villa's rooftop terrace, the Daluo Astrolabe laid out before him, starlight pooling like liquid in his eyes. The night hung heavy. The vast, distant sky ordinary mortals saw was, to his eyes, densely strewn with stars—brilliant and dreamlike, quiet and mysterious. Head tilted back as he gazed into the night, whenever he engaged in serious Stargazing, his face bore neither joy nor sorrow. His bearing turned mysterious and ethereal, like an ancient sage seated atop a mountain peak, peering through the ages. After breaking through to mid-Level 6, his Stargazing had improved substantially, primarily in the expansion of its temporal reach. Taking the Yin-Yang Dial matter as an example, Zhang Yuanqing had previously only been able to foresee the event's progression three days into the future. Now, it was seven days. Such was the lengthening of his temporal reach. However, whenever high-ranking Dominators were involved, the event's timeline would be clouded by patches of fog that could not be penetrated. And if demigods were involved, there wouldn't even be patches of fog. Demigods seemed to possess an innate defense against Stargazing and divination; lower-ranking Spirit Realm walkers simply could not "see" them at all. *Mm, there really is fog. That means a high-ranking Dominator is involved. The boss guessed right—they'll bring in Elder Cai. Or could it be Elder Dihong?* *Given my connection with Huang Taiji, that grand elder probably wouldn't actively move against me. But with the Yin-Yang Dial, there's no way he'd stand on my side. Headquarters will never tolerate me pocketing public property.* He hadn't wanted to embezzle public property in the first place, but the boss's eighty million yuan couldn't just go down the drain. And refusing Secretary Li's compromise later was simply because he couldn't swallow that indignity. It was like someone setting a trap to screw you over, and after failing, offering an apology and a refund expecting to call it even. How could it be that easy? Neither he nor Fu Qingyang was the type to believe that suffering a loss was a blessing. Zhang Yuanqing withdrew the starlight from his eyes, concluding the deduction and letting the information regarding the Yin-Yang Dial disperse. Seconds later, he opened his eyes once more. Starlight flared brilliant as the celestial vault reemerged. Stars collided and shifted, tracing the trajectories of the future. This time, Zhang Yuanqing was divining the whereabouts of "Pluto." The collisions of the stars across the night sky grew fiercer, their flickering brilliance shifting until the entire canopy seemed like a display screen whose shifting patterns could only be deciphered by one who held the cipher. Ten-odd minutes later, the flickering, wandering stars settled back into their positions, and then... a star to the southwest flared with brilliant light before dimming away. Zhang Yuanqing snapped his eyes open. "Southwest... Pluto is in the southwest." He had obtained fairly detailed information on Pluto from Annie. Using that data as a medium for the deduction, pinpointing a general direction was already a welcome harvest. To take it further, he would need karmic ties with the target, or personal effects, flesh, blood, or hair to serve as a medium. At this stage, however, getting hold of such items was out of the question. *Once the Yin-Yang Dial matter is settled, I'll take a trip down southwest and treat it as a vacation. Hmm, let's also divine Guan Ya and the others...* He opened his Star Eyes again to read the celestial portents. *The Spirit Realm blocks Stargazing, but my karmic ties with Guan Ya run so deep, I should at least be able to glean some revelation... Still alive? Of course they're still alive in a non-death dungeon. Divined a whole lot of nothing...* Zhang Yuanqing ended the Stargazing, feeling a soreness in his eyes accompanied by slight dizziness. Stargazing consumed far too much astral power, and he had to maintain the Daluo Astrolabe at the same time. *A bit awkward,* he thought. *My lunar power right now isn't on par with those specializing purely in Lunar, and my astral power isn't as good as those focusing on Astral. But I have divine solar power, making me the natural nemesis of my own class.* At that moment, a streak of dark light invisible to ordinary mortals swept across the sky and touched down onto the terrace. A handsome man and a beautiful woman emerged from the dark light. "Yuanshi, long time no see!" The handsome man waved with a beaming smile. Zhang Yuanqing ignored him entirely, his gaze locked onto the foreign beauty. She was a big sister—no, an auntie—whose appearance and allure were nothing short of breathtaking. Shoulder-length chestnut hair with lightly curled tips, a flawless oval face, deeply sculpted and delicate facial features, and light-blue eyes brimming with captivating charm. She wore a white tank top, a black leather jacket, and slim-fitting jeans. Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself: *No wonder she made the mentor's filial piety turn rotten. She really is an absolute stunner.* "Hey, hey, hey!" Lingjun glared at him. "You've been staring at Victoria past the safe limit. Pull your eyes back, or our master-disciple bond ends right here, right now." "I'm just curious. Don't measure a gentleman's heart with your own petty yardstick," Zhang Yuanqing retorted. Lingjun turned and said, "Victoria, this is the one I told you about—lustful, dissolute, with girlfriends all over Songhai: Yuanshi Tianzun." Zhang Yuanqing: "???" Victoria offered a faint smile. "Hello!" A flawless Capital City accent. Her Mandarin was even more crisp and authentic than Zhang Yuanqing's, who was a southerner. Zhang Yuanqing stopped joking around. He rose, bowed respectfully, and said in earnest, "Thank you for the trouble." "It's no trouble at all," Victoria replied. Her purpose on this trip was to lay down a formation to bestow the power of concealment upon Yuanshi Tianzun. *** The next morning, Zhang Yuanqing had just taken two bites of his pan-fried dumplings when a group of law enforcement officers stormed in with great momentum. Dressed in formal suits, handsome men and attractive women, one might have mistaken them for the cast of a Korean drama. Leading them was a burly man built like a black bear. He was also in a suit, but the top two buttons of his dress shirt were undone, revealing a thick mat of curly black chest hair. This strapping man, whose bearing screamed Fire Specialist and whose physique screamed Fire Specialist, strode up to the dining table and barked in a booming, gravelly voice: "Yuanshi Tianzun, I am a Senior Deacon of the Jianghuai Branch, Spirit Realm ID Prairie Fire. You are suspected of embezzling assets of the Five Elements Alliance. Please come back with us to cooperate with the investigation. This is a detention order issued by headquarters." *They even sent a Fire Specialist...* Zhang Yuanqing immediately saw through Secretary Li and Elder Cold-Blooded Detective's sinister motives. After the tribunal, everyone knew Yuanshi Tianzun was unyielding and unruly, willing to talk back even to headquarters' Ten Elders. Sending an impulsive, short-tempered Fire Specialist to apprehend him was clearly intended to make two powder kegs collide. The moment he resisted, or worse, fought back, the matter would escalate into "Yuanshi Tianzun resisting arrest out of guilt." Zhang Yuanqing's gaze landed on the warrant and caught the signatory's Spirit Realm ID: Cai Qinhe! "Where to?" Zhang Yuanqing retracted his gaze and went back to eating his steamed bun. "The Jianghuai Branch," the burly man answered. "Oh," Zhang Yuanqing replied flatly. "Wait till I finish breakfast." Sure enough, the moment the burly man heard that, his thick eyebrows shot up in anger. Slapping a heavy hand onto Zhang Yuanqing's shoulder, he snapped, "Please come back with us. Immediat—" Before he could finish, his eyes went blank, and he froze stiff on the spot. Behind him, the Jianghuai Branch's handsome men and pretty women all stood rooted in a daze. Zhang Yuanqing gently brushed aside the massive hand on his shoulder and buried his head back into his meal. When the last bowl of soy milk went down, he pulled out a napkin, wiped his mouth clean, and said: "I'm finished." The words acted like a spell-dispelling incantation. The dazed crowd snapped back one after another, their eyes regaining focus. Taking in the scene before them, they all froze in surprise. In their minds, Yuanshi Tianzun had refused to cooperate, had been forcefully seized by Deacon Prairie Fire, and had already been placed in the car bound for the Jianghuai Branch. They had thought Yuanshi Tianzun was nothing special after all, and had even planned to find an opportunity during the trip to make things difficult for this prodigy. As mid-level cadres of the Jianghuai Branch, they were all deeply resentful and hostile over Yuanshi Tianzun pocketing their branch's treasure. Yet right now, they were still standing inside the villa, while Yuanshi Tianzun sat smiling before an empty plate. An illusion! Including Prairie Fire, the pupils of everyone from the Jianghuai Branch constricted. The arrogant momentum and bluster of the law enforcers had a bucket of cold water dumped over it. They didn't even understand when they had fallen under the illusion. Seeing that the display of force had achieved its desired effect, Zhang Yuanqing rose with a smile. "I'm willing to cooperate with the investigation. Let's go." He held his wrists out before the burly man. "Need handcuffs?" Prairie Fire's expression shifted several times. Before setting out, Elder Cold-Blooded Detective had indeed dropped hints that Yuanshi Tianzun had embezzled the Jianghuai Branch's assets and should be given a proper knocking-down during the trip. Now it was obvious that even if they tried to enforce things by force, it would probably only happen inside an illusion. Just then, an attractive young woman behind him chimed in, "There's no need. You are only going back to assist in the investigation, not as a criminal." Prairie Fire took the out. "Let's go!" The Jianghuai Branch patrol squad had come by car, so naturally, they returned by car. Jianghuai was in a neighboring province, two hundred and thirty kilometers from Songhai. Setting out in the morning, they didn't arrive at the Jianghuai Branch until noon. Given the previous show of dominance, the enforcement squad stayed meek and quiet the entire way, neither making things difficult nor provoking him. Zhang Yuanqing was taken straight to an interrogation room at the Jianghuai Branch: a small room, harsh cold lights, an interrogation chair, and recording equipment pointed directly at him. It was laid out in the exact same manner as the interrogation rooms of headquarters' Investigation Department. After leaving him cooling his heels in the interrogation room for an hour, the heavy soundproof door was pushed open, and a young man with a military bearing stepped inside. "I ask, you answer." The young man sat down, laid down a voice recorder, opened an interrogation ledger, and picked up a pen, saying coldly: "In which dungeon was the Yin-Yang Dial lost?" "A guild dungeon." "What rank?" "S-rank. Mohist Mechanism City." The young man's hand paused mid-stroke. He glanced up at him before continuing, "The list of guild members who accompanied you." "The member roster involves personal privacy. I refuse to answer." "How was the Yin-Yang Dial lost? Explain the process in detail." *** The Jianghuai Branch office was located in a bustling city center, similar in scale to a public security bureau. Turning left out the door, a shopping mall sat a hundred meters away, flanked by residential buildings all around. To the right was an elementary school. The offices of every major branch were established in downtown areas. At first glance, this seemed counter to the foundational principle of never revealing the existence of Spirit Realm walkers; common sense would suggest that a headquarters for people with superpowers should be situated safely in deserted suburbs. In truth, the site selection of the official branches was meticulously planned, and the foremost requirement was high population density. The denser the crowd, the safer the location. The existence of Morality Points tied the hands of all Spirit Realm walkers; nobody was willing to go on an indiscriminate slaughter spree in a bustling downtown, and even demigods would hesitate. Because of this, since the founding of the Five Elements Alliance, none of the major branches had ever been targeted by big shots of the evil faction. Had they been in deserted suburbs, they likely would have been wiped out lock, stock, and barrel by evil faction Dominators and demigods long ago. After all, evil walkers were unencumbered by attachments, coming and going like phantoms, whereas the authorities were the keepers of order—the monk may run, but the temple stays put. In the brutal faction war, certain principles of conventional righteousness and goodwill had to be compromised. In the top-floor office, Elder Cold-Blooded Detective stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the endless stream of traffic. "Prairie Fire reported that Yuanshi Tianzun's illusions have reached the peak of the Saint stage. That couldn't be Star Illusion—he must have refined Yi Chuanmei into a spirit servant." "Add to that the corpse of the Greed Divine General, and he alone is equivalent to several Level 6 Saints. To reach such heights in just five short months is simply appalling." By the round table, an elder in black robes sighed. "If his personality were gentler, headquarters would spare no effort to groom him into the sixth alliance leader. But with the Grand Marshal as a precedent, the Ten Elders will never let him hold power unless his sharp edges are ground away." "The Grand Marshal..." Hearing the name, Elder Cold-Blooded Detective was instantly reminded of the chaotic mess back then. While the young Grand Marshal hadn't had Yuanshi Tianzun's full-blown rebellious streak, she had possessed an equally abominable temperament: domineering, aggressive, and liable to stab people with a sword at the slightest disagreement. The Grand Marshal had joined the Five Elements Alliance at the Saint stage. Prior to that, she had served in Heaven's Punishment. It was said that when the Fu Clan's Council of Elders intended to have this favored daughter of heaven jump ship to the Five Elements Alliance, it had even alarmed the two demigod leaders of Heaven's Punishment, who dispatched a team of Rank 1 executive officers to lodge at the Fu Clan and apply pressure. Not to be outdone, the Five Elements Alliance quickly sent a delegation from their Council of Elders. The two sides wore each other down at the Fu Clan estate for a full year—arguing every time they met, fighting every time they argued, wishing they could dig up each other's ancestral graves. In the end, only by conceding immense benefits did they manage to recruit this formidable lady into the Five Elements Alliance. Having gone to such lengths to bring this supreme talent under their banner, headquarters treasured her dearly, showering her with the greatest benefits and privileges, placing her high upon a pedestal. And putting her on a pedestal eventually brought trouble. As the pearl of a Spirit Realm clan, Fu Qingxuan had striking looks on top of monstrous talent. Naturally, she became the target of pursuit for the official faction's young elites and prominent second- and third-generation scions. The second- and third-generation crowd was a complicated bunch; among them were outstanding talents like the official faction's Four Young Masters, but also plenty of hedonistic, useless fools. Thus, someone resorted to underhanded tricks. Yet Fu Qingxuan was of alliance leader caliber, possessing supreme intellect—how could she be outmaneuvered by useless fools? She ran the man through with her sword and killed him on the spot. Although the other party had been at fault first, the offense had not warranted death, nor was it Fu Qingxuan's place to decide matters of life and death. Headquarters had therefore sought to discipline the Fu Clan's pearl to rein in her temper. The punishment wasn't severe: a demotion, one month of solitary confinement, a thirty-million-yuan fine, and two props. How could Fu Qingxuan ever stomach such indignity? She was the little princess in the Fu Clan, the little princess in Heaven's Punishment, and effectively the crown princess in the Five Elements Alliance—unbearably willful and imperious. She took her wrath straight to headquarters, thoroughly stripping the Ten Elders of their face. There were many more such examples. During her tenure, Fu Qingxuan refused to submit to discipline, often beating and injuring colleagues. Anyone she found displeasing got a beating, and anyone guilty of egregious behavior got stabbed. While no more lives were lost, headquarters simply could not rein her in. Her decision to enter a guild dungeon for tempering back then had precisely been due to conflicts escalating to an irreconcilable point—far deeper than the current friction between Yuanshi Tianzun and headquarters. Fortunately, after tempering herself in the dungeon for a year, she emerged with a more settled temperament, no longer flaunting her sharp edges. Serving as the Grand Marshal in the years since, she had gradually matured, finally looking the part of an alliance leader. Thus, headquarters had good reason to suppress Yuanshi Tianzun: they wanted to prevent another rebellious "child" like Fu Qingxuan from emerging. A soft knock interrupted Elder Cold-Blooded Detective's thoughts. Looking toward the frosted glass door of the office, he called out, "Enter!" A young swordsman pushed the door open, presented the transcript of the interrogation, and promptly withdrew. Elder Cold-Blooded Detective returned to the table, sat opposite the black-robed elder, and read through the transcript carefully. A sneer crossed his solemn face. "The Yin-Yang Dial fell into an abyss? What a clumsy excuse. Does he really think Fu Qingyang can smooth this over for him?" The black-robed elder remarked neutrally, "Pocketing the Yin-Yang Dial is indeed rather insolent." On this matter, the Jianghuai Branch and Yuanshi Tianzun had an irreconcilable conflict of interest. Elder Cold-Blooded Detective snorted. "Not just insolent, but downright foolish! Does he think official assets are his to swallow as he pleases? Headquarters will never agree, and the alliance leaders won't agree either." Once such a precedent was set, wouldn't other branches follow suit, siphoning public property into their private pockets? Over the years, quite a few relatives of deacons and elders had used every conceivable trick to pocket the Five Elements Alliance's assets, using supposedly legal means to convert public funds into personal wealth. Headquarters had always punished such actions without leniency. He lifted his teacup, took a sip, and looked toward the black-robed elder. "Has the Tiger Tally been approved?" The black-robed elder shook his head. "Elder Cai has already submitted a request to the Grand Marshal. It should arrive before the end of the workday." "Once the Tiger Tally comes through and we officially define the nature of this matter, not even the alliance leaders will indulge him." Elder Cold-Blooded Detective tossed the transcript aside. "Foolish!" Neither spoke again, drinking their tea in silence. Before long, the phone before the black-robed elder rang. Elder Cold-Blooded Detective glanced at the illuminated screen—the caller was Elder Cai's secretary. The black-robed elder answered, tapped speakerphone, and smiled. "Secretary Zhou." From the other end came a man's deep voice: "The Tiger Tally wasn't approved. The Grand Marshal refused." "What?" The black-robed elder and Elder Cold-Blooded Detective snapped their backs straight, staring in shock at the phone screen. "The Grand Marshal refused," Elder Cai's secretary repeated. The black-robed elder grabbed the phone, his tone urgent. "What reason did she give?" "She said..." Secretary Zhou's tone turned distinctly bizarre. "...she's in a bad mood. Not lending it!"