"The President is there too?"
Zhang Yuanqing was instinctively startled. How could a department head from the Association of God of Beauty persuade a demigod to act as a guarantor?
*Well, considering the relationship between Bill and Annie, it's obvious the Association of God of Beauty and the Merchant Guild are close allies.* After pondering for a moment, Zhang Yuanqing shifted his stance:
"If the President will be there as well, I can meet with your department head."
He had enjoyed a fairly good conversation with the President before, and the President had hinted at wanting to invest in him. Of course, Zhang Yuanqing agreed to the meeting not just for those reasons, but because when a demigod skilled in teleportation and concealment is willing to attend, what reason do you have to refuse?
If the emperor summons a farmer, would the farmer look at his grain silo and worry that going would mean walking into a trap?
Refusal was pointless. Extending an invitation to talk was a gesture of sincerity; if you refused to see him, he might just teleport over in the next second.
Annie breathed a sigh of relief and smiled radiantly. "I'm already at the gate of Fujia Bay."
Zhang Yuanqing hung up the phone and had a bunny girl drive the shuttle cart to greet her.
A moment later, the bunny girl led Annie inside.
Annie had taken an overnight flight back from Bagui Province. The night before, she had reported the full details of Pluto's capture to her organization, then boarded a red-eye flight back to Songhai.
The Association of God of Beauty's top brass held an emergency meeting that same night and decided to dispatch the Head of their Foreign Affairs Department to handle the matter.
"What bargaining chips is the Association of God of Beauty willing to offer?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, looking directly at the blonde beauty sitting beside him. "I sacrificed a great deal to capture Pluto. Not to mention offending Heaven's Punishment, someone even filmed a video of me, stripping away every shred of my privacy."
With things having escalated to this point, the mission reward offered by the Association of God of Beauty was clearly no longer enough. They had to pay more!
Annie smiled and said, "You already raised the price once before: twelve million federal dollars and three hundred and twenty merit points. That price already exceeds the maximum limit I could promise, let alone an additional increase. Whatever requests you have, you can only put them to our department head."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. Annie was only at the peak of Level 4 Saint stage; she indeed lacked the authority to agree to such terms.
"Where are we meeting?"
Rather than answering, Annie drew two black jades from her inventory. Mystical, intricate patterns were carved into their surfaces.
"This will take us to the President," Annie said, handing one to Zhang Yuanqing and crushing the one in her hand.
The black jade dissolved into shard-like motes of light that adhered to Annie's body. With a flash of brilliant light, Annie vanished from the villa's living room.
*Crack!*
Zhang Yuanqing immediately crushed the one in his hand.
The next second, he found himself once again in a magnificent nightclub private room. A crystal chandelier as splendid as a lotus throne hung above, mirror-polished black crystal tiles paved the floor, and an obviously expensive genuine leather sofa sat beside a black glass table piled with drinks, melons, and fruits.
On a massive LCD television, beauties draped in fluttering, colorful silks danced gracefully. In the corner, a small mountain of pale green banknotes was stacked high.
Sitting on the spacious leather sofa were two big shots.
One wore a silver mask and a wine-red suit, legs crossed, leaning lazily back against the sofa.
The other wore a bohemian gown that bared her rounded, fair shoulders. Her golden, radiant hair was pinned up with a diamond-studded hairpin, leaving a few golden strands casually tumbling down.
She wore no mask, revealing an extraordinarily gorgeous and glamorous face.
Her skin was fair as milk, her facial features carved to perfection—the fullness and contour of her lips, the bridge of her nose, the size of her eyes, the density of her eyelashes... every single detail was crafted to flawless perfection.
This had to be the masterpiece God was most proud of.
Her age was impossible to tell, though she could not be very young. Time had left no mark upon her face or figure; instead, it had concentrated into an aura akin to a peerless vintage wine—a single breath of which was enough to intoxicate.
*I'm still too young, still far too naive. To think I was worried she'd be an old hawk preying on a young chick...* Zhang Yuanqing stared blankly, utterly lost in the irresistible charm of a Dominator of the Desire class, wishing nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and dive right in!
Yet for some reason, he felt this female department head looked somewhat familiar.
Zhang Yuanqing snapped his eyes shut, drew out the Ghost Mirror, and gripped it tightly, expelling all the wicked thoughts running wild in his head.
*Phew...* Regaining his senses, he let out a silent breath, bowed, and greeted them. "Greetings, President. Greetings, Department Head."
He was secretly alarmed. Merely the passive charm granted by her class had nearly caused his soul to wander and his wits to scatter. If she actively cast a charm skill, he would probably surrender all his secrets without the slightest resistance.
"Five seconds." The stunning beauty tilted her head toward the President and smiled. "Among those in the Saint stage, few can resist my charm. Five seconds is quite a dangerous number."
She spoke in Chinese, her voice gentle and melodious, her pronunciation clear and standard.
Zhang Yuanqing remembered Annie mentioning that members of the Association of God of Beauty's Foreign Affairs Department were all master linguists. The first test to enter the department required mastering at least four languages.
If you couldn't speak foreign languages, how could you handle diplomacy?
The President crossed his legs and laughed heartily. "How so?"
Though he no longer had hostess girls at his side, he remained just as he had been during their first meeting—not entirely serious.
"Those who can look away within five seconds usually possess extraordinary resistance to female charms. It's most commonly seen among misogynists, homosexuals, those with sexual dysfunction, or ascetics." The stunning beauty smiled faintly. "Yet you shouldn't belong to any of those categories. I heard from Annie that you have a soft spot for pigtails. It seems that's true."
*Damn that pigtail joke. Is that ever going to get old?* Zhang Yuanqing turned his head and glared at Annie, who stood obediently off to the side.
"I don't think that's the reason," the President chuckled. "Could it be that his personality is actually extremely eccentric, callous, and armed with an intense sense of self-preservation? The moment he realized he was under an uncontrollable allure, his body's instincts took over to save him."
Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing's expression froze slightly, leaving him with the uncomfortable feeling of having been stripped naked.
"All right, let's stop teasing our prodigy." The stunning beauty smiled softly and said, "I am the Head of the Association of God of Beauty's Foreign Affairs Department, Eddie Diana. My Spirit Realm ID is 'Diana.' I am an orphan without family, so you don't need to worry about my real name being compromised."
"Department Head Diana." Zhang Yuanqing nodded, cutting straight to the chase. "Originally, I intended to hold an auction to let the Five Elements Alliance, Heaven's Punishment, and the Association of God of Beauty compete against each other. But Fu Qingyang informed me that headquarters is very likely to choose to share the list in Pluto's hands. In that case, the Association of God of Beauty will need to buy a share from me. How much are you willing to offer?"
Gripping the Ghost Mirror, he looked directly into Diana's breathtaking face. "You should know Pluto's value."
Looking at that face, the sense of familiarity grew even stronger.
Diana sat with an upright and elegant posture, smiling faintly. "My primary purpose in coming to China this time was to meet you. I have already seen Pluto and obtained the list from him."
"What?" Zhang Yuanqing's expression changed, and he instinctively glanced at the President.
Fujia Bay was guarded by Fu Qingyang. A Scout's Insight technique was comparable to radar—it was definitely not something someone of the Desire class could slip past. Only a Dominator or demigod of the Void class could pull that off without making a sound.
*You guys aren't playing by the rules at all!* he cried inwardly.
Diana said with a smile, "We simply didn't want to get bogged down in endless squabbling with the Five Elements Alliance and Heaven's Punishment, so we secured the list in advance. However, your reward will still be paid."
At this point, she paused briefly. "The points and cash will be paid as originally agreed. In addition, the Association of God of Beauty will gift you an extra item—one left to our President by the Demon Lord back in the day."
*Left to the Association of God of Beauty's President? Was it payment for sleeping with her?* Zhang Yuanqing immediately perked up. "What kind of item?"
Diana opened her inventory, retrieved an object, and placed it on the black crystal tabletop.
It was a full moon the size of a coin, pitch-black and somber. Even the illumination of the crystal chandelier failed to brighten its surface.
Zhang Yuanqing stared at the black full moon, feeling the lunar power within his body surge like an incoming tide, becoming extraordinarily active. He himself felt an immediate rush of intense vigor.
"May I check its properties?" His eyes remained locked on the black moon.
"It already belongs to you." Diana smiled gently.
Zhang Yuanqing could hardly wait to pick up the black moon. After a few seconds, the item's properties surfaced:
[Name: Companion Spirit Moon]
[Type: Accessory]
[Function: Taiyin Affinity]
[Description: A companion product of the Taiyin Origin. It has the effect of enhancing a Night Walker's lunar power and affinity.]
[Note 1: Can only be worn by Night Walkers who specialize in Taiyin or who have never specialized in any specific type of power.]
[Note 2: While in use, the divine power of the sun and stellar power will be weakened.]
*A companion product of the Taiyin Origin that enhances lunar power and affinity? Doesn't this mean it's equivalent to specializing in Taiyin!* Zhang Yuanqing was visibly moved. He shifted from holding it to cupping it reverently, his hands trembling slightly.
"You can try it out," the President said with a beaming smile, legs still crossed.
Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing pressed the black moon against his forehead. Instantly, it melted into a pool of black liquid, voluntarily spreading across his face to trace intricate, vine-like patterns.
Zhang Yuanqing looked down and saw his reflection in the mirror-like black crystal tabletop.
His pupils were dark and profound, his face covered in vine-like markings like tattoos—sinister, noble, resembling a sovereign monarch of the dark.
Annie stared at him with an expression of infatuation.
The lunar power inside Zhang Yuanqing boiled, becoming thicker, heavier, and far purer in quality. Skills like Night Roam, Howl at the Moon, and Astral Travel all received immense boosts.
An enhancement of at least 50%.
His original Night Roam duration was sixty minutes; now it was boosted to ninety minutes. The combat strength multiplication from Howl at the Moon increased by 1.5 times. His current limit for controlling Level 6 yin corpses was three; with the boost, it became 4.5. The terrifying magnitude of this boost surpassed even Fu Qingyang's Swordsman Cloak.
However, this item could only enhance Night Walker skills, and the drawback was substantial: Stargazer and Day Wanderer skills would be weakened by 50%.
Yet the Companion Spirit Moon possessed an incredible advantage: it scaled based on the wearer's own foundation. In other words, he could keep using it all the way to Dominator, or even demigod.
If he chose to specialize in lunar power, he would naturally be 50% stronger than any other Night Walker who also specialized in it.
*The Demon Lord really had a ton of damned good stuff...* The thought flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind. Just as he was carefully sensing the changes within his body, his sea of consciousness trembled violently, and a pitch-black full moon emerged.
This full moon hung deep within his consciousness, infinitely distant yet right before his eyes.
The Fragment of Taiyin Origin had manifested on its own.
At the same time, Zhang Yuanqing felt a subtle connection form between himself and the Fragment of Taiyin Origin.
It was as though it had become a part of his own strength, something he could communicate with and barely command.
He naturally comprehended an ability: Concealment Protection!
Unlike passive concealment from before, Zhang Yuanqing could now draw upon the Fragment of Taiyin Origin to actively bestow Concealment Protection onto teammates, items, and yin corpses.
Concealment was the most fundamental ability of the Taiyin Origin, but that alone was plenty.
*I finally understand why the Demon Lord was so terrifyingly strong. That bastard was practically cheating...* Zhang Yuanqing came to a sudden realization.
No wonder the Demon Lord had still been able to sweep through everything unopposed after reaching the Dominator stage. It was precisely because he used the Companion Spirit Moon to communicate with the Fragment of Taiyin Origin, obtaining a portion of the power that only demigods possessed.
How could someone not be strong when they were running cheats?
"I am very satisfied with the Association of God of Beauty's reward." Zhang Yuanqing raised a hand and swiped at his face. The vine-like markings vanished, reverting to the coin-sized black moon.
With this item, he could be a Night Walker specializing in Taiyin, or a Stargazer specializing in stars through the Daluo Astrolabe. In the future, once he advanced to Day Wanderer and mastered the Pure Yang Body Cleansing Record to completion, he could become a Day Wanderer specializing in the sun.
His future combat prowess would likely be terrifying beyond belief.
Seeing Yuanshi Tianzun finish his test, Diana spoke in a serious tone. "From your words just now, it's not hard to tell that you know Pluto's value. Yuanshi Tianzun, let me ask you: did you learn of the Covenant of Freedom's existence from Pluto, and did you obtain the contents of that list?"
"I only know about the Covenant of Freedom; I don't know the contents of the list," Zhang Yuanqing replied.
Diana fixed her beautiful eyes on him, studying him for several seconds before giving a slight nod. "Do not attempt to touch that list. It is very dangerous. Even the Association of God of Beauty must tread cautiously when dealing with matters involving the Covenant of Freedom."
Zhang Yuanqing adopted a posture of attentive listening. "May I ask why?"
Diana did not answer, but the President beside her spoke up:
"After the Church was destroyed, the major Orderly organizations were established one after another. The current world order was born out of the ashes of the old order. And among the people who built this new order, a portion were the very ones who had personally overthrown the Church back then.
"Among those people, do you think there are members of the Covenant of Freedom?"
Zhang Yuanqing understood. "So at its core, this whole matter is actually an 'internal audit' among overseas Orderly organizations."
Diana said, "A covert organization capable of influencing the destiny of the world from the shadows naturally makes the leaders of the major organizations uneasy. If the Covenant of Freedom could engineer the downfall of the Church, then they can engineer the downfall of Heaven's Punishment, or the downfall of the Association of God of Beauty. The reason we refused to get caught up in bickering with Heaven's Punishment and the Five Elements Alliance was precisely out of dread for this."
"Why not follow the Five Elements Alliance's example and hold a grand health check? I believe the Grand Marshal would lend the Tiger Tally. The Covenant of Freedom shouldn't have Concealment Protection," Zhang Yuanqing suggested based on his own knowledge.
"First, we don't want this matter exposed to the public; that would incite mass panic. Second, telling lies doesn't always require the power of concealment. A list is the most effective and most discreet method," Diana said with a smile.
*Whatever works, as long as it has nothing to do with me anyway...* Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself. *The Dark Night Rose is already enough of a headache. You foreigners can sort out your own mess.*
"The reward has been given to you. Now it's time to talk about serious business," Diana said. "Annie must have told you about the Association of God of Beauty's past investment in the Demon Lord, right?"
Zhang Yuanqing nodded.
"Then you should also understand the Association's stance toward you. Having already obtained the list, I could have chosen not to pay you any reward at all. That item left by the Demon Lord marks the beginning of the Association's investment in you." Diana's smile turned subtle. "The Association has placed its bet on you, and you've accepted it. That means a contract must be signed; otherwise, we won't feel secure."
Zhang Yuanqing straightened his back and probed, "What are your conditions?"
The smile on Diana's face deepened. "First, you must take Annie. She is the assistant we prepared for you. Rest assured, she is clean. Second, after you advance to Dominator at the end of the year, you must pay a visit to the Association of God of Beauty."
"There is no particular order between these two conditions. You can take your time to adjust and consider them," she added.
Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help glancing at Annie, who stood beside them.
*Sigh, I'm facing the exact same situation as the Demon Lord. If I want deeper cooperation with the Association of God of Beauty, certain things are inevitable—like sleeping with Annie, or being slept with by their President...*
Zhang Yuanqing pondered and said, "I lean more toward paid cooperation based on maintaining a friendly relationship. The Association of God of Beauty can assign me tasks, so long as you pay. If I ever need assistance from the Association of God of Beauty, I will also pay compensation. At least for now, I prefer this approach."
The implication was clear: he didn't want to sleep with their people, nor did he want to be slept with.
The President beside them said in exasperation, as if scolding someone who failed to live up to expectations, "Young man, don't be so rigid! Only scumbags make choices; a good man should give every woman who likes him a home."
Diana turned her head, casting a resentful glance at the President. "So that's why you didn't want me?"
"Because I'm a scumbag! Following me wouldn't lead to a bright future for you."
Zhang Yuanqing forcefully turned his head away, barely managing to swallow down the words, *Department Head, I can give you a home.*
This woman's charm was simply terrifying—completely beyond what he could withstand at his current stage.
Diana snorted coldly, ignoring the grinning President. She looked at Zhang Yuanqing and said, "Well then, today's meeting ends here. You are very outstanding; I look forward to seeing you surpass the Demon Lord."
Zhang Yuanqing suddenly turned back around, staring intently at her, and asked:
"Department Head Diana, have we met somewhere before?"
Chapter 591