Having notified Commandery Princess Yinyao, Zhang Yuanqing felt a faint drowsiness creep over him, accompanied by an exhaustion akin to pulling an all-nighter playing video games.
"To still be affected from this far away... the slumber curse is truly terrifying."
He opened his contacts, dialed the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter's number, and spoke as soon as the call went through:
"Palace Master, I found Pluto."
"Ten minutes!" the Palace Master's soft, melodious voice came through the speaker.
Hanging up, Zhang Yuanqing retrieved Little Red Riding Hood, summoned a Level 4 yin corpse, and spat out a Level 4 spirit servant.
He first steered the yin corpse toward the pine forest. After venturing barely a dozen meters, the corpse crashed to the ground and fell into a deep sleep, unresponsive no matter how Zhang Yuanqing tried to command it.
He attempted to reach the brand within its spirit body, only to find that the mark representing the yin corpse had turned a dull, grayish white, completely cut off from communication.
"Sleep is a form of seal. Mmh, consistent with the traits of the Eternal Night class."
Zhang Yuanqing checked the time, then directed the spirit servant into the slumber zone. He watched as the spirit drifted forward a dozen meters before sinking like a falling leaf, collapsing onto the ground in deep slumber.
"Everything possessing life, consciousness, or spiritual energy gets affected? Tsk, this class's characteristics really are unmistakable!" Zhang Yuanqing snapped his fingers and materialized beside the yin corpse and spirit servant.
In an instant, an overwhelming wave of drowsiness washed over him. His eyelids grew heavy, as though he had been gaming for a full day and night.
*So sleepy... this guy could make a fortune opening an insomnia clinic,* Zhang Yuanqing quipped inwardly. He promptly stored the yin corpse back into Little Red Riding Hood and swallowed the spirit servant back down.
*Snap!*
He snapped his fingers once more, advancing another twenty or thirty meters.
This time, Zhang Yuanqing stumbled hard, nearly pitching forward onto the ground.
An inexhaustible drowsiness surged into him. It was no longer like staying up for a day and night—it felt as though he had never slept a wink in his entire life.
Beyond the exhaustion, discomfort seized his physical frame. His limbs grew limp and weak, the powers of Taiyin and the stars became obstructed, and more than half of his formidable abilities were sealed away.
Only by straining to circulate the divine power of the sun could Zhang Yuanqing barely dispel the stupor and keep his mind lucid.
*Pluto's experience points are higher than mine, so his slumber curse exerts a strong suppression over me. If the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record hadn't kicked in, I'd already be out cold like a dead pig.*
After a moment's consideration, Zhang Yuanqing abandoned the idea of pressing into the core and used Star Escape to retreat.
In terms of comprehensive combat strength, backed by his yin corpses, spirit servant, various items, and trump cards, he could completely overwhelm Pluto.
Yet those trump cards were focused on combat prowess, possessing no inherent defense against slumber. Mounting a direct assault against Pluto within his slumber zone would be extraordinarily difficult.
*The Eternal Night class's slumber is practically a double-edged divine skill—it damages the enemy at equal cost to oneself. As long as the intruder doesn't surpass the caster's level, they'll basically be dragged into slumber alongside them.*
Naturally, that did not mean Zhang Yuanqing had no options. If an intruder entering the slumber zone was powerful enough, Pluto would be startled awake from his sleep.
Upon waking, Pluto would enter a brief state of weakness, which would be the prime opportunity to capture him.
As for right now, Zhang Yuanqing had an even better solution: the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter.
Calling in a Dominator-level expert to suppress him outright would settle everything once and for all—the natural advantage of having local muscle on his side.
Ten minutes passed quickly, yet the Palace Master had still not arrived. Zhang Yuanqing sent a message to inquire about her status, but received no reply.
Another five minutes drifted by before he finally caught sight of a resplendent red ribbon gliding sinuously through the air.
***
"Desk duty" was exceptionally dull. Holding his laptop, Osmond logged into Heaven's Punishment's database and searched for information on "Yuanshi Tianzun."
Heaven's Punishment had compiled extensive intelligence regarding Yuanshi Tianzun.
From his debut up to the present, every single exploit had been cataloged in the database. His inaugural trial dungeon had been the Sheling Tunnel, widely regarded as bugged in difficulty.
After clearing his first instance smoothly, his rise had been meteoric. He leveled up at a velocity that stunned the entire Spirit Realm community, racking up one spectacular feat after another.
His growth brought immense joy to the Five Elements Alliance, but it also filled its leadership with dread.
Yes, dread!
According to the analysis of Heaven's Punishment's higher-ups, the Five Elements Alliance's rulers regarded this prodigy of heaven with far more wariness than delight.
The rank-and-file members of the Five Elements Alliance could never fathom why relations between headquarters and Yuanshi Tianzun were so strained, nor why headquarters seemed so intent on knocking him down a peg at every turn.
They even assumed the top brass at headquarters were fools.
This was a classic case of perspective dictated by one's seat. In a system where social stratification was gradually solidifying, what did those in power fear most?
Any factor that could undermine their authority!
Yuanshi Tianzun was like a hammer. As he continued to grow step by step, once the hammer accumulated enough force, it would smash the entrenched, ossified power structure to pieces.
Thus, the rulers were desperate to tame him before he grew to full stature, turning him into a hammer wielded firmly in their own grasp.
The faster Yuanshi Tianzun advanced, the more urgent the rulers became.
As for the fallout from doing so—such as eroding public credibility, shattering the grassroots members' trust in the organization, or alienating an unrivaled genius—such costs counted for little against personal gain and authority.
Did the noble elites of ancient dynasties who hoarded and annexed land not know the consequences of their greed?
The downfall of a state and the ruin of an empire was something decades or centuries down the line. How could that compare to the immediate, tangible profits dangling right before their eyes?
Heaven's Punishment's senior leadership judged that Yuanshi Tianzun faced three future possibilities: first, marry into the family of a prominent figure and become part of the entrenched hierarchy; second, break away from the Five Elements Alliance to establish an organization of his own; third, maintain a distant, ambiguous relationship with the Five Elements Alliance, kept away from the core of power until reaching the demigod level, at which point he would be nominated by the Alliance as the Sixth Alliance Leader and subsequently shelved away, still barred from the center of true control.
Osmond had learned through his family channels that Heaven's Punishment's upper echelon was already secretly scheming to engineer a complete rupture between Yuanshi Tianzun and the Five Elements Alliance.
Osmond quickly skimmed through files he had already perused until he finally spotted Yun Meng within the intelligence on the Sea of Yashan.
"No wonder that woman brought up Yuanshi Tianzun. She has an unrequited crush on him," Osmond scoffed.
Examining the dossier, he turned over his own calculations.
Once Pluto was captured, he would invite Yun Meng to Songhai. Then, in the name of Heaven's Punishment, he would challenge Yuanshi Tianzun and defeat him right in front of that woman.
Whether he ended up bedding the girl was no longer the point; a pampered heir like him simply couldn't stomach the slight. The more someone was surrounded by praise, the pettier they tended to be.
Of course, challenging Yuanshi Tianzun was not purely driven by jealousy. The kid leveled up far too fast; if Osmond didn't take this opportunity to suppress him, the guy might already be a Dominator by next year.
No matter how confident Osmond was in his own abilities, when confronted with a monster of that caliber, caution was paramount.
Just then, hurried footsteps crossed the courtyard. Yun Meng, who had claimed she was going to feed the pigs, rushed back in with an urgent expression.
"Found him! We found your wanted fugitive from Heaven's Punishment!"
She shouted the moment she stepped into the living room.
Osmond sprang to his feet, eyes sharp and spirits lifted as he stepped forward to press, "Where is he?"
Yun Meng pointed toward the northeast. "Over there, to the northeast, right at the boundary between the central and outer zones of the Shiwan Dashan. Our patrol squad was corrupted by an unknown power and fell into a deep sleep, and the beasts fell asleep too."
"Northeast... the boundary between the central and outer zones..." Osmond muttered to himself, swiftly pulling out his phone to dial the Demon Hunter.
***
With a soft pop, the red ribbon unfurled, and amidst the fluttering dispersion of countless silk threads, a graceful young woman clad in an exquisite traditional gown drifted lightly to the ground, her bare feet as fair as snow.
"Why were you so—" Before Zhang Yuanqing could finish, the woman darted into his embrace like a swallow returning to its nest.
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter hooked her legs around his waist, wrapped her arms about his neck, and scoffed:
"Does this count as calling on Zhong Wuyan in times of trouble, and frolicking with Xia Yingchun when you're not?"
*How am I supposed to answer that...?* Instinctively, Zhang Yuanqing opened his arms wide in an innocent gesture. But in the next second, he naturally brought them back down, cupping her plump, supple buttocks. Feeling the soft flesh spill between his fingers, he picked up where he had left off:
"Why were you five minutes late?"
The Palace Master let her weight settle fully into his palms, pointed a finger toward the sky, and whispered, "Ran into the Demon Hunter on patrol. Didn't dare move."
The Eye of the Sky possessed terrifying observational power; any movement on the ground would be caught.
The tension that had just loosened with her arrival tightened once more in Zhang Yuanqing's chest. "The Demon Hunter patrolled over this way?"
The Palace Master gave a slight nod. "What's the situation now?"
"Pluto is right inside this pine forest. The mountain search party has already fallen victim to his spell. We don't know how long they've been asleep, and the Qinghe Branch could notice something amiss at any moment. Time is short—we need to act immediately," Zhang Yuanqing said.
Just as the Palace Master was about to speak, her ears twitched, and she whispered urgently, "The Demon Hunter is here!"
Before the words had finished leaving her lips, Zhang Yuanqing felt a gentle breeze sweep past, rustling the pine needles.
Without a shred of hesitation, he whipped out Little Red Riding Hood, pulled the Palace Master, the two Qinghe clan members, and the two spirit beasts into its internal space, activated Night Wanderer invisibility, and froze motionless on the spot.
Just as he finished, the swaying of the pine forest abruptly intensified.
Zhang Yuanqing lifted his gaze, his vision piercing the gloom. High in the heavy night sky, a minuscule dark silhouette sped overhead, circling above the pine woods.
His heart leaped into his throat.
Pluto was sleeping inside this very forest. If the Demon Hunter detected anything unusual, events would spiral toward an extreme, unavoidable confrontation.
Even if Pluto remained unnoticed, the moment the Qinghe Branch realized members of their search party were out of contact, the phone in the Demon Hunter's pocket could ring at any second.
*Ring! Ring! Ring!*
A phone's ringtone abruptly sounded, echoing through the night sky.
Beneath the canopy, Zhang Yuanqing's heart seemed to stop, a numbing tingle prickling across his scalp.
The ringing ceased shortly after—evidently, the Demon Hunter had answered the call. But the distance was too great for Zhang Yuanqing to catch any words, leaving him to wait in agonizing suspense.
Three seconds, five seconds, ten seconds... Suddenly, a sharp whistling rush ripped through the high altitude. A powerful gale bent the pine trees' spines low, and the figure in the night sky sped away amid the piercing wind, disappearing from sight.
"He... he left?" Zhang Yuanqing was surprised and overjoyed. He quickly realized that the Princess's diversionary tactic had worked.
***
At the Qinghe Branch.
Inside the main building of the patriarch's villa, the honest and simple Wu Agui held a phone to his ear, his voice tinged with the lumbering cadence of a straightforward farmer:
"Yun Meng says the target has been found. Northeast direction, near the outer zone. Assemble the clansmen right away to head over and help cordon off the area."
He hitched three times in a single sentence, sounding every bit like an awkward, plain-spoken peasant.
In truth, Wu Agui had spent his early life farming and clearing dungeons. When the clan later accumulated wealth, built sprawling villas, and began indulging in luxurious comfort, Wu Agui maintained his old routine. At sunrise, he would shoulder his hoe and head out, sitting serenely in the mountain fields, feeling the breeze and basking in the sun while watching his crops grow day by day.
At sunset, he would head home.
It wasn't that he disliked comfort—he had been glad to see the clan build fine houses. But having worked the land his whole life, if he were suddenly forbidden from farming one day, what else could he do? It would only leave him anxious and bewildered.
"Thank you, Patriarch Wu Agui." Osmond spoke with polite deference, yet disdain flickered across his eyes.
Even the lowest servants in his family could deliver a fluent speech before an audience of a thousand.
Yun Meng walked over to the window and looked out. Lights flickered on across the small town as combat-capable clansmen stirred from their sleep, rushing toward the northeast at top speed.
The reason for such high efficiency was not Patriarch Wu Agui's prestige, but rather the influence and promises of Sixth Great-Uncle Wu Youhua, who had pledged that every household taking part in the search and blockade would receive ten thousand Federation Dollars once the job was done.
"Let's head over too." Wu Yun Meng turned toward Osmond, eager anticipation shining in her eyes.
*So you're not so pure and naive after all—just as greedy for money as anyone else,* Osmond thought, curling his lips into a smile and feeling even more confident.
He smiled warmly. "Alright! Once we catch the fugitive, I'll reward Miss Yun Meng with an extra ten thousand Federation Dollars."
Without answering, Yun Meng dashed out of the living room in haste.
Osmond followed swiftly. As the two crossed the courtyard, they ran into a plump, fair-skinned middle-aged man in a blue cloth robe running inside in a hurry.
Upon seeing the two walking together, the middle-aged man halted, staring at Yun Meng in astonishment:
"Huh? Yun Meng, what are you doing here? Weren't you patrolling the mountain with Cao Niu?"
"Ah, that..." Yun Meng stammered, caught off guard. "Ninth Uncle, I... I came back halfway through the patrol because I spotted traces of the fugitive!"
She seemed inept at lying, flushing crimson while waving her hands frantically.
Ninth Uncle looked bewildered. "But when Cao Niu checked in just now, she clearly said you were right beside her. You silly girl, you never could lie since you were little..."
Ninth Uncle was responsible for maintaining contact with the patrol squads.
"Oh, I see..." Ninth Uncle caught on. "Cao Niu was covering for you! You were slacking off at home and had her punch in for you so you could pocket the patrol fee, wasn't it?"
"I... I..." Yun Meng stood speechless, an expression of shame written across her face.
Osmond narrowed his eyes.
Then Ninth Uncle said, "I'll deal with you later."
With that, he hurried inside. But Osmond called after him, "If you're in charge of liaising with the patrol teams, what are you doing coming to the patriarch?"
Ninth Uncle replied, "Those two young rascals, A'xin and Dongha, failed to report in on time. I came to notify the patriarch to see if we should organize people to look for them."
*The missing patrol is to the southwest, directly opposite the reported sighting of Pluto... Wu Yun Meng was supposedly on patrol with her partner, yet here she is...* Osmond's blue pupils contracted sharply. Without the slightest hesitation, he lunged toward Wu Yun Meng beside him, barking:
"Who are you?!"
His hand gripped empty air.
Wu Yun Meng had already skipped backward. As she retreated, she clawed at her own cheek, tearing away a membrane as thin as a cicada's wing.
It was no Yun Meng at all, but a stunning corpse ghoul with darkened eye sockets, crimson pupils, and an eerie, bewitching beauty.
The female corpse ghoul cast a cold glance at the two men, raised her hand in imitation of her master, snapped her fingers with a crisp *clack*, and dissolved into starlight, vanishing without a trace.
Osmond stood frozen for two seconds, his expression shifting violently.
Something had gone wrong. Someone was deliberately misleading them; someone was trying to snatch Pluto!
Osmond pulled out his phone while barking at Ninth Uncle:
"Assemble people immediately and go search for those two missing men! I'll go get your patriarch!"
Ninth Uncle glanced at him, barely paying attention.
"I'll add another million for your clan to split!"
"You can always trust the warmth and sincerity of the Qinghe clan, distinguished guest."
*Warmth my ass!* Osmond nearly spat out the curse he had learned in the Capital City. He spun around and sprinted into the villa.
Rushing straight into the living room, he found the honest, plain Wu Agui. At that precise moment, the Demon Hunter picked up his call.
"Executive, we've been duped! Pluto is in the southwest! Get there immediately! Someone is trying to steal him from under our noses!"
Without waiting for the Demon Hunter to reply, Osmond hung up and said:
"Patriarch Wu Agui, please take me to the southwest at once. I am willing to—"
"Alright!" Wu Agui stood up.
Osmond froze. "You... aren't you going to hear my price?"
"That's what Sixth Uncle wanted, not me." Wu Agui stepped over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go."
A flash of green light flickered, and the living room was empty.
***
In the pine forest.
Zhang Yuanqing watched the red ribbon drift deep into the woods, waiting quietly.
A few minutes later, he felt the faint drowsiness fade, signaling that Pluto's slumber curse had been dispelled.
Zhang Yuanqing charged into the pine forest. From a distance, he saw the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter holding one end of her red ribbon. Tied to the far end was a foreign man with short brown hair.
The man was dressed in summer hiking gear, his limbs bent awkwardly and his torso tightly wrapped in the red ribbon, leaving only his head exposed as he glared in horror and despair at the Palace Master's back.
Having seen his photograph, Zhang Yuanqing recognized immediately that this was Pluto.
"Palace Master, let's get out of here quick." Zhang Yuanqing pulled out Little Red Riding Hood and hurried forward to meet her.
Suddenly, his steps halted. His pupils contracted as he stared behind the Palace Master.
A beam of green light descended ten meters to her rear. Standing within the emerald radiance were a white-haired old peasant, alongside the handsome, haughty member of Heaven's Punishment—Osmond.
Chapter 583