As he asked, Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the wine glass in the President's hand. The 1990 Château Lafite was a gift he had given to Cao Qing; the President deliberately carrying over a glass of red wine was an unmistakable hint.
"He is indeed a member of the Merchant Guild, and a subordinate I trust relatively well, though he doesn't know your identity." The President chuckled softly. "Also, your landlady is an informant Heaven's Punishment placed in Chinatown. Her main job is to keep an eye on Chinatown's movements and trends. She isn't a core member of Heaven's Punishment—she just draws a paycheck. She's a Thunder Mage, after all, and Heaven's Punishment has a natural affinity for Wind and Thunder Mages, which is why they recruited her as an informant."
*Though she draws a paycheck from Heaven's Punishment, she can still be trusted.* Zhang Yuanqing caught the President's drift.
"Alright, that's enough for today. First, become a Gold Hunter as quickly as possible, then wait for the Hunter Guild to approach you of their own accord."
With that, he downed the red wine in his glass in one gulp.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly said, "Wait, a serial murder case happened in Chinatown recently. The killer is a Night Walker, and I suspect a fairly high-level one at that."
He promptly recounted the details and his deductions to the President, then asked, "Mr. President, what are your thoughts on this?"
The President remained silent.
Zhang Yuanqing's expression grew solemn. *As I thought, there's deeper inside information—maybe it involves the clash between the two great factions.*
"Do you think that I, living in the Second District, would care about a murder case in tiny Chinatown?" the President finally spoke.
The corner of Zhang Yuanqing's mouth twitched. "Oh."
*I was overthinking it.*
The President raised his hand and snapped his fingers with a sharp *clack*. "I'm off!"
He vanished instantaneously—no delay, no special effects, gone in the blink of an eye.
Zhang Yuanqing turned to glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was two-thirty in the morning. As a Night Walker, he felt no drowsiness at all. He simply switched on the desk lamp, sat down at the desk, and began to ponder.
"Sigh, the sugar daddy handed down a mission, so I can't keep idling around. Infiltrating the Covenant of Freedom feels like it has an even higher mortality rate than an S-rank dungeon," he mused.
Though he complained, he and the President were now in the same boat. If he was to advance to Lord of the Sun in the future, the Covenant of Freedom would be the enemy.
So he wasn't doing this for the President; he was doing it for himself.
*Tap, tap...*
His fingers drummed on the desktop as he thought through the details carefully.
*An undercover operation is bound to be fraught with peril. Some matters must be thought out in advance, with contingencies prepared as thoroughly as possible to widen my margin for error. Otherwise, if an emergency crops up and my undercover identity gets exposed, I'll be blown straight to kingdom come.*
*First of all, the Covenant of Freedom belongs to the Evil faction, so they should have a natural affinity for evil classes. I can debut with the Illusionist class. But that makes the 'Zhang Qingyang' identity tricky. My public class here is Scout, and changing that identity now is impossible.*
If the Hunter Guild paid attention to him, they would definitely investigate his background. Fu Qingyang could help forge an Illusionist background for Cult Master Tongtian, but what about his current identity?
The thorny part of the Zhang Qingyang identity lay here in Chinatown, not back home.
If the Hunter Guild found out where he lived and came snooping around, the landlady's family would undoubtedly be the first to be "interrogated." When that happened, there were basically three possibilities:
One: The investigators would be killed by the landlady's family.
Two: The landlady's family would be killed by the investigators.
Three: Both sides walked away unscathed, and the investigators learned from Cao Qianxiu that Zhang Qingyang was a Scout.
Faced with this situation, Zhang Yuanqing had two options.
One was to turn a blind eye and let whatever happened happen. Just because I claim to be a Scout means I'm really a Scout? It could totally be an excuse to fob Cao Qianxiu off—after being caught as a Spirit Realm walker, I couldn't very well admit to being an evil class, could I?
The repercussion of doing this was that Zhang Qingyang and Cult Master Tongtian would be tied together, narrowing his room to maneuver. Furthermore, it could easily drag the landlady's family into danger. The Hunter Guild's master was the Covenant of Freedom, after all, and the Covenant of Freedom belonged to the Evil faction.
Upon discovering that this entire family belonged to Orderly classes, there was no guarantee the investigators could resist the temptation of prestige points.
The other option was to keep the Zhang Qingyang identity unchanged, continue hanging out in Chinatown, and make a clean break from the hunter ID "Cult Master Tongtian."
He needed an identity out in the open anyway. "Zhang Qingyang" could be used to interact with local bosses, expanding contacts and channels to serve his undercover work. The more friends he had, the easier it was to coordinate; a lone spy was headed for a dead end.
Zhang Yuanqing followed this line of thought deeper:
*As a Level 2 Scout, Zhang Qingyang is ranked too low to reach higher-level figures. So next, I need to adjust my persona and raise my level.*
*Even though I said I was a Level 2 Scout, no one would expose their true level to a stranger walker in a foreign land. Claiming to be Level 2 is entirely plausible. Given the chance to display my 'real' strength, I can turn Cao Qianxiu's impression of me around. We aren't that familiar yet, so there's plenty of room to play it.*
*Zhang Qingyang and Cult Master Tongtian are fixed IDs, but having just these two isn't enough. I need an identity that can come into contact with Heaven's Punishment, the Sea God Church, and the Spirit Realm clans. No rush for that; I'll become a Gold Hunter first. At any rate, altering appearance and aura is child's play for an Illusionist. If the need arises later, I can always cook up another identity.*
Having cleared his thoughts, Zhang Yuanqing pulled out his spare phone, opened the Hunter app, and looked for suitable missions.
Time to get to work!
As the bounty list scrolled rapidly downward, a new mission came into view:
[Eliminate the Manhattan Chinatown Serial Killer]
Mission Description: Suspected class is Night Walker, Level 2, cautious and cunning, skilled in stealth.
Mission Objective: Eliminate the killer for a reward of 500,000 Federal Dollars and 30 points. Provide clues about the killer for a reward of 100,000 Federal Dollars and 5 points.
"The mission details are completely wrong. Isn't this just sending hunters to their deaths? Was this posted by the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance?" Zhang Yuanqing checked the posting time.
It was posted two days ago, whereas the Night Walker's "true tier" was only pointed out by him last night.
That made sense then. The Anti-Black-and-White Alliance really had misjudged it initially.
Zhang Yuanqing accepted the mission immediately.
If the killer was a Saint-stage Night Walker, the rewards definitely weren't worth it.
But to Zhang Yuanqing, as long as it wasn't a Day Wanderer, a Stargazer and a Night Walker were all the same—both went down in one hit.
He was still forty points short of promoting to Silver, and this mission offered thirty points, which suited him perfectly. Completing this mission and then taking on one or two small ones afterward would get him promoted.
If the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance canceled or upgraded the mission tier, he wouldn't be able to accept it anymore.
Missions offering thirty points were scarce, and New York was teeming with bounty hunters; snagging one took days of waiting.
"I'll promote to Gold Hunter first. Consider it doing the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance a favor."
The next morning, 8:30 a.m.
Zhang Yuanqing got up, washed, and sat at the dining table in the living room, eating the soy milk, youtiao, and meat buns Annie had bought.
"Annie, if I remember correctly, your Association of the God of Beauty has a branch in New York, right?" Zhang Yuanqing asked around a mouthful of youtiao.
Annie nodded. New York was a major city in the Free Confederation, a world-class metropolis, so naturally there was a branch of the Association of the God of Beauty here.
Zhang Yuanqing tore off a piece of youtiao, dipped it into the savory soy milk, and said casually, "In the future, I might use your channels to make contact with the higher-ups of Orderly organizations in New York."
Annie paused. "Cult Master, didn't you say you'd keep a low profile until the end of the year? Contacting high-ranking members of Orderly organizations out of the blue will definitely invite an investigation."
"That's why I said *might*!" Zhang Yuanqing stirred the youtiao into the soy milk. "Also, starting today, don't call me Cult Master."
"What should I call you, then?"
"Call me Hubby!"
Annie beamed, looking ecstatic.
Zhang Yuanqing's tone changed abruptly. "Just kidding. Call me Mr. Zhang!"
The blonde beauty sighed. "Alright, Mr. Zhang."
After finishing breakfast, Zhang Yuanqing was mulling over the serial killer mission when he suddenly received a text from Cao Qianxiu:
"Come over to my place."
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the clock; it was 9:00 a.m. He texted back, "Isn't your family taking the ferry out for a tour today?"
Cao Qianxiu: "Just come over."
Zhang Yuanqing left the living room and knocked on the security door of 401 next door.
After two thumps, the burgundy security door swung open. A shapely Cao Qianxiu in a nightgown yawned, her hem swaying as she turned and walked toward the living room.
Zhang Yuanqing entered and shut the door behind him.
"I got my period today, so I stayed home. Though of course, that was an excuse to brush off my parents." She sat on the sofa, biting on a hair tie, and gathered her long hair behind her head with both hands. "First, congratulations. You passed the evaluation. Your analysis last night provided critical reference value that helped the organization's higher-ups realize the truth in time. You've rendered a major service.
"The organization has now officially recruited you as a member of Team 6 of the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance. I'm in charge of showing you the ropes."
*You're in charge of mentoring me? Are you sure?* Zhang Yuanqing smiled appropriately. "Not bad."
He was only staying in New York temporarily and didn't belong here, so there was no need to react with too much excitement or enthusiasm; otherwise, it would only raise suspicions.
Cao Qianxiu scrutinized him closely for a few seconds and nodded slightly. "I'll go get the form. Last time, our team leader said we should observe you further, so I didn't give you the form."
She went to her room, brought back a form, placed it on the coffee table, and slid it toward Zhang Yuanqing.
"There's one thing I'd like to make sure of..." Zhang Yuanqing looked down at the form. "Do you still remember my Spirit Realm ID?"
Cao Qianxiu tilted her head, thinking. "Cult Master Tongtian?"
"That's right. Did you tell your comrades in the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance my Spirit Realm ID?" Zhang Yuanqing asked again.
If the ID "Cult Master Tongtian" was already leaked, he would have to change plans, register a new hunter identity, and abandon Cult Master Tongtian.
Cao Qianxiu shook her head and said solemnly, "Before you officially joined the organization, I wouldn't disclose your ID or real name. That's a matter of principle."
*Good, good. Thunder Mages truly are just and principled.* Zhang Yuanqing secretly sighed in relief. "I thought you'd say: 'Of course, because I want everyone to know you're under my protection.'"
Cao Qianxiu frowned. "I'm not that bored, and that's not how I do things."
"I know, just joking."
"Your sense of humor is on par with my dad's."
"..."
*This girl's emotional intelligence is so low, she's never going to get a boyfriend!* Zhang Yuanqing shook his head, pulled out a pocket watch, popped it open with a click, and dangled it before Cao Qianxiu.
Cao Qianxiu reflexively looked at the pocket watch. Before she could react, her eyes turned blank.
Zhang Yuanqing's voice was gentle and drifting: "Zhang Qingyang's Spirit Realm ID is Carefree Sword Immortal. Zhang Qingyang's Spirit Realm ID is Carefree Sword Immortal..."
After repeating it three times, he stowed the watch and snapped his fingers.
Cao Qianxiu jolted awake, feeling as if she had zoned out for a second. She instinctively looked at Zhang Yuanqing, only to see him already head down, filling out the form.
In the first box of the first row—Spirit Realm ID: Carefree Sword Immortal!
"Carefree Sword Immortal," Cao Qianxiu murmured under her breath, as if reinforcing her memory.
When Carefree Sword Immortal finished filling out the form, Cao Qianxiu said, "I'll submit your form in a bit. Tonight at nine o'clock, the organization will lay a trap to capture that Night Walker. Get ready; you'll be deploying with me tonight."
*Huh?* Zhang Yuanqing was startled. "Your Anti-Black-and-White Alliance—no, *our* Anti-Black-and-White Alliance has already locked onto the killer?"
If he remembered correctly, nothing in last night's case files could directly pinpoint the killer. Had the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance tracked him down so fast?
That didn't make sense.
Cao Qianxiu shook her head. "I don't know. The organization didn't say. We just follow orders."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded, feeling somewhat excited. Regardless of how the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance located the killer, wasn't it great to have someone lead the way?
He had been wondering how to track down the killer anyway.
Tonight, he could just tag along with the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance and steal the kill. Looking at it this way, he was the one getting the bargain.
Just then, Cao Qianxiu added, "Also, let me brief you on compensation. A regular member's monthly salary is twenty thousand Federal Dollars. Compared to Heaven's Punishment, it really isn't much, but—"
Before she could finish, Carefree Sword Immortal declared loudly, "I am willing to dedicate my life to the organization! I will brave fire and water, leap into pits of flames and scale mountains of daggers without hesitation! In life, I belong to the organization, and in death, my ghost belongs to the organization!"
Cao Qianxiu was stunned. "Th-that won't be necessary."
9:00 p.m., Nut Street.
At a beverage shop, seated opposite each other by a round table next to a floor-to-ceiling window, Zhang Yuanqing and Cao Qianxiu wore matching hoodies. The former casually stirred his drink with a spoon, occasionally taking a sip or scooping up a bite of dessert.
The latter scrutinized the scene outside the window with intense focus, looking at everyone as if they were enemies.
Nut Street was the street assigned to the two of them. The Anti-Black-and-White Alliance had tasked them with cordoning off the street to prevent the enemy from escaping through here, not requiring them to engage directly in combat.
For this arrest operation, the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance had mobilized seven teams, totaling sixty Spirit Realm walkers. Leading and coordinating the operation was a Senior Deacon, a Level 6 Wind Mage.
"Relax. If we're lucky, there won't be anything for us to do," Zhang Yuanqing said. "The drink is sweet without being cloying. Really tasty."
"If it's tasty, drink more," Cao Qianxiu replied, unaffected, keeping her eyes fixed intently outside.
*Aside from her slightly low EQ, this girl is reliable, principled, and talented—a good prospect. I'll observe her a bit more, and if there's a chance in the future, I can bring her into my faction...*
*According to the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance's setup, the core of the encirclement is Curry Street, two streets over. Does the killer live there? Then why haven't they made a move yet?* Zhang Yuanqing calculated silently.
With his spiritual perception, any fight two streets over couldn't possibly be hidden from him.
The battle hadn't started yet, meaning the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance's deployment looked more like a trap waiting for the killer to walk into.
*Does the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance know who the killer's target is? Now this is interesting.*
After observing for a while, Cao Qianxiu pressed her earpiece and whispered:
"Attention, all squads of Team 6. Nut Street is all clear. All clear. Squads 1 and 2, report your status."
A sweet, soft voice came through the earpiece: "Oh my, if everything's all clear, don't say 'attention'! You scared me. By the way, why hasn't the new teammate beside you said anything? Introduce him to everyone."
Hearing that, Cao Qianxiu looked back at Zhang Yuanqing. "Want to introduce yourself?"
Chapter 663