Zhang Yuanqing sat up with "great difficulty," panting heavily. Sweat dripped down his forehead and soaked his back. He gasped out, "A Dream Master! Sect Master Tongtian is a Dream Master!" He looked thoroughly shaken.
"I can tell!" Zhai Cai scratched his hair, looking vexed. "Illusionists are so rare in the First District. Talk about rotten luck. Sigh, if I'd known, I wouldn't have bothered with whether you lived or died. I should have just decreed 'Dream Traversal Prohibited'—we would've captured Sect Master Tongtian alive today."
He never expected to actually lure Sect Master Tongtian out, much less that the man was a Dream Master.
Among the three classes of the Second District, the Illusionist was by far the slickest, most enigmatic, and hardest to track.
*Yet you chose to save me first...* Zhang Yuanqing looked up, gazing earnestly at Zhai Cai. "Rest assured, Mr. Knight. From now on, you'll never have to worry about finding enemies, because they'll chase after you like sharks scenting blood in the water."
Zhai Cai's heart sank. "What do you mean?"
Mimicking Zhai Cai, Zhang Yuanqing curved his lips into an irritatingly punchable smirk. "Just now in the dream, in order to save myself and stall for time, I told Sect Master Tongtian about your identity as the Knight lineage's sole heir—including the Holy Plate on you."
"!!!" Zhai Cai's expression instantly froze.
*Sorry, but for the sake of the grand undercover plan, I had to sell you out...* Zhang Yuanqing offered a deadpan analysis: "In my view, rather than searching for a needle in a haystack, it's better to make yourself the center of attention and let the enemy come knocking on your door. Besides, you're a demigod who was just complaining that life wasn't thrilling enough."
*Thrilling enough for you now?*
Zhai Cai stared blankly at him for quite a while before muttering, "You sneaky bastard..."
*No, I'm your daddy—you said so yourself!* Zhang Yuanqing silently quipped. But he didn't dare say it aloud, afraid of provoking the already mentally shattered Knight heir. After all, the man was still a Dominator.
Zhai Cai paced back and forth in the living room. "Well, that's not a bad plan either. It just depends on what faction is backing Sect Master Tongtian."
*The Covenant of Freedom...* Zhang Yuanqing said, "Sect Master Tongtian is a Dream Master, so the likelihood of him being a rogue is quite low. If he has an organization behind him, it can only be from the evil faction, and there aren't many major evil factions around."
Pausing, he looked at Zhai Cai and added, "However, they are exceedingly formidable!"
"..." Zhai Cai went silent for a few seconds. He swiftly packed his bags while dialing his little secretary, An Yeqi: "Xiao An, get ready to pull out. We're going to the New York Bank headquarters building to lay low. Why? No reason, just got sold out by a scheming bastard... Stop scolding, stop scolding. Life needs thrills, sure, but this thrill is a bit much."
*With the heat successfully redirected, it's time for me to make a graceful exit. After this, whether or not the Hunter Guild can wrest the bronze fragment from the sole Knight heir, both sides will remain under my control...* Zhang Yuanqing quickly headed into the bedroom to pack his things as well.
"You're coming with me too?" Seeing him emerge with a suitcase, Zhai Cai was taken aback. Just as he was about to refuse, Carefree Sword Immortal spoke up:
"No, I have no interest in following you to an early grave. But clearly, this place is no longer safe to live in. Barring any surprises, tomorrow at the latest—or in just a few hours at the earliest—Sect Master Tongtian will return with reinforcements.
"We can keep in touch. If you make any progress or need assistance, call me anytime. I'll continue investigating Sect Master Tongtian. If I need your help, I hope you won't turn me down."
With that, he grabbed his luggage and left.
***
Meanwhile, his clone executed consecutive Dream Leaps, arriving at an apartment building on the border between Manhattan and Queens before finally returning to reality.
He immediately took out his phone and dialed Catherine, the Vice President of the Hunter Guild.
The phone rang for a few seconds before Catherine answered. Her voice was languid, sultry to the bone: "Calling me at this hour... do you want my address? Mmh, as it happens, I didn't find anyone to keep me company tonight."
The suggestive tone and blatant flirtation unconsciously stirred Zhang Yuanqing's desires, giving him an urge to fly straight to her side and satisfy his carnal impulses.
*This woman radiates seduction every second of the day. Compared to her, Annie is practically a saint for someone in the Desire class...* Zhang Yuanqing cut straight to the chase: "I found the second bronze fragment."
Silence fell on the other end for a few seconds. Catherine's voice grew grave and urgent as she pressed, "Where is it?"
"I won't share information this crucial over the phone."
Zhang Yuanqing's spoken English was still atrocious. Catherine uttered an incredulous "Huh?", and only understood after he repeated himself. After a brief pause, she said, "I'll wait for you at the Hunter Guild."
Zhang Yuanqing pocketed his phone. The bizarre, kaleidoscopic dreamscape surfaced before his eyes once more, and he departed via Dream Leap.
Half an hour later, he arrived at the Hunter Guild and found Catherine in the deserted office area.
Over here in New York, working night shifts or overtime was uncommon. Only a scattering of lights illuminated the office, leaving most of the area shrouded in gloom.
Catherine sat beneath the light in a knee-length skirt, her long, shapely legs crossed. Leaning back against the chair, the curve of her ample bust was accentuated even further.
Seeing Sect Master Tongtian enter, a smile blossomed across her stunningly gorgeous face. "Your progress is faster than I imagined. You found the second bronze fragment?"
Zhang Yuanqing halted a few meters from her, pulled over an office chair, and sat down. "I did! But I have no way of getting my hands on it, because it's in the possession of a Dominator."
"A Dominator?" Catherine's brows knitted tightly. "A Dominator of what class? How did you find it?"
"Over the past few days, I've been secretly monitoring the Anti-Black-and-White League and tracked down the residence of their leader, Deng Jingguo. Then I discovered that a swordsman frequently visited Deng Jingguo's house—the very swordsman who rescued Wings of the Wind God that night. Deng Jingguo clearly knows about the Pope's relic and was having frequent closed-door talks with the swordsman. Heh, swordsmen possess formidable tracking and investigative abilities, so I had reason to suspect Deng Jingguo commissioned him to investigate the matter. Thus, tonight, I dragged the swordsman into a dream..."
He spun the tale methodically, first detailing his reasoning for investigating the swordsman, then recounting how the swordsman, seeking to save his own skin, sold out the sole Knight heir and the Pope's relic.
The only loophole here was the sheer coincidence—the second bronze fragment had come a bit too easily, almost to the point of being implausible.
Yet that didn't matter. The Hunter Guild would naturally verify it on their own, and since everything he said was factual, it could withstand any scrutiny.
Sure enough, Catherine remained silent for a long time after listening. After pondering for a moment, she said, "Understood. I will look into it and verify."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Then what about my evaluation?"
"We'll discuss that after our verification." Catherine neither agreed nor explicitly refused.
Zhang Yuanqing gave a nod. "In that case, good night, Ms. Catherine. If you ever feel lonely at night, you might consider finding a steady bedmate. Consider it my friendly advice."
With that, he vanished from the Hunter Guild's office.
Catherine pursed her red lips and let out a soft chuckle. "Interesting."
The more dismissive a man was toward her, the more intrigued she became.
Catherine picked up the phone from her desk and dialed a number. "Check the surveillance cameras near the Chinatown residence of Deng Jingguo, the leader of the Anti-Black-and-White League. Look into Carefree Sword Immortal, a swordsman from the Second District."
***
"The less a man cares about her, the more interested she gets. Men and women really are the same—both gluttons for punishment!"
In a rented apartment in Queens, Zhang Yuanqing reclined lazily in a rocking chair with a remote control in hand, watching the television news.
This was the second hideout he had secured for himself. A crafty rabbit keeps three burrows, after all, and even more so for a spy like him.
As an Illusionist at the pinnacle of the Saint stage, he had accurately grasped Catherine's psychology before tossing out that parting remark. His goal was to pique both Catherine's curiosity and her libido.
The honey trap was a classic tactic of spies and operatives, and it could certainly be flipped into a handsome-man trap.
Letting his thoughts wander, Zhang Yuanqing watched the news on one of the Free Confederation's five major broadcast networks. A story was currently covering the assassination of a business celebrity.
The murdered figure was a prominent New York financial tycoon worth tens of billions.
His death had sent massive shockwaves through New York's upper crust, while spreading panic and providing idle gossip among the lower and middle classes.
Over the past month, gang turf wars and shootings had broken out with alarming frequency across New York, showing signs of spiraling further out of control.
Behind the shootings and gang violence was the orthodox faction purging the forces of evil organizations.
Meanwhile, the assassination of this financial tycoon was most likely the evil faction striking back. Such clashes were merely the beginning; things were bound to grow even more chaotic and escalate continuously.
For now, the struggle remained in the shadows without involving high-tier Spirit Realm walkers. Down the road, clashes between Dominators or even demigods might become commonplace.
*I'm afraid this war won't end easily. The President must be under tremendous pressure...* Thinking of this, Zhang Yuanqing dialed the President's personal number.
Amid upbeat, pulsing dance music that made one want to move to the beat, the President answered the phone. "Present your petition if you have business; otherwise, court is dismissed."
*That line has serious style—got to remember that one...* Zhang Yuanqing said, "I've found the third bronze fragment."
He informed the President of the sole Knight heir's existence, then recounted his scheme of selling the Knight out.
"Well done!" the President praised, sighing with emotion. "A Knight carrying the legacy of the Holy See... To think the old chivalric order still had an heir. Remarkable, truly remarkable! That boy has talent. I'll keep an eye on him for a while, and if he passes muster, I'll recruit him into the orthodox faction."
*Are you sure about that? That guy has an extremely punchable face...* Sensing the admiration in the President's voice, Zhang Yuanqing chuckled dryly. "His personality is dreadful. Besides, a Level 7 Dominator hardly warrants your personal recruitment."
"If he inherited the complete Knight legacy, he's well worth it," the President explained. "The Holy See's Knight legacy is just like the legacies of ancient cultivators—fundamentally different from modern Spirit Realm walkers. You're no longer a rookie; you should understand what I mean."
*Is that guy really that strong?!* Zhang Yuanqing suddenly realized.
The combat prowess of ancient cultivators far exceeded that of modern Spirit Realm walkers because their refinement and mastery of martial and technical "skills" were pushed to the absolute extreme.
In contrast, most modern Spirit Realm walkers applied their skills in a relatively superficial manner.
Someone like Fu Qingyang, who honed his swordsmanship until technique bordered on the Dao, was a common occurrence in ancient times.
In other words, Spirit Realm walkers with genuine lineages, like the sole Knight heir, were far stronger than regular walkers of the same level. If they diligently honed their techniques, they could easily overpower peers of equivalent rank.
"I'll send you his contact info in a bit." Zhang Yuanqing sold out the sole Knight heir without hesitation before returning to the main topic. "I saw the news. Was that assassinated Michael one of yours?"
The President sighed: "A Saint from our guild. He was a pawn on the open board whose identity was exposed long ago. The guild had taken strict security measures, but a few days ago, the Hunter Guild dispatched three Saints. One of them was Bacchus from the Dionysus Club. Among Level 6 Saints, very few are a match for him. He's a peak Saint even more formidable than Osmond and Hoover."
*Stronger than Osmond and Hoover? That puts him on the same tier as Fu Qingyang back then. Figures like that always possess specialized skills...* Zhang Yuanqing wasn't well-versed in the prominent figures of the First District, so he mentally noted the name.
At the same time, he sensed that the undercurrents surging beneath New York were far more turbulent than he had imagined.
Combatants of that caliber were already engaging in assassinations; any further escalation would spill over into conflicts at the Dominator stage.
"Mr. President, the situation seems far graver than I imagined," Zhang Yuanqing said.
Although he knew this was a war between the two major factions, in Zhang Yuanqing's assumption, the clash between the Merchant Guild and the Dionysus Club was merely exploratory skirmishing—the vanguard probing each other before full-scale war broke out. By all logic, it shouldn't have been this fierce.
The President's tone grew heavy: "Because the Stars and the Taiyin have already returned to their positions. Only the Sun remains. The day the Lord of the Sun is born will be when the fates of the two factions are decided. But in truth, the moment the Lord of the Sun emerges, destiny will have already been sealed.
"Whichever side the Lord of the Sun belongs to will hold the winning hand. Therefore, before the Lord of the Sun is born, both sides will do everything in their power to weaken each other while striving to foster a Lord of the Sun from their own ranks."
*The Stars belong to Orderly, the Taiyin belongs to Evil, so everything hinges on which faction the Lord of the Sun belongs to...* Zhang Yuanqing instantly grasped their sense of urgency.
The President continued: "This is a protracted war. The present skirmishes, the emergence of the Lord of the Sun, and even the subsequent final battle between the two factions are all parts of this grand war.
"Back then, after the Covenant of Freedom annihilated the Holy See, they chose to hide in the shadows because the time wasn't ripe. Now, the time has come. If they crush the Orderly classes this time, they will directly take control of the world and the Spirit Realm. When that happens, the orthodox faction will have no way out. Yuanshi, that would be a nightmare for every Orderly class.
"That's why, Yuanshi, your undercover mission is of paramount importance. Once all-out war begins, the Fallen lurking within orthodox organizations will be the most fatal threat to our side. I need a roster, and you are the only one who can infiltrate the depths of the Covenant of Freedom."
"Mr. President, I haven't even passed the evaluation yet. Talking like this puts a lot of pressure on me."
"The Hunter Guild will definitely recruit you. For now, large-scale war hasn't broken out between the two factions; the primary conflicts are intelligence wars and assassinations. You are an Illusionist—the class best suited for assassination and infiltration. Once they confirm your information is authentic, they'll subject you to the next round of trials. Be prepared," said the President.
Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and asked, "Since the Hunter Guild is right out in the open, why not just wipe them out? Wouldn't interrogating Catherine be far simpler?"
"An enemy in the open is always better than one in the dark. If we take down the Hunter Guild, the Covenant of Freedom will go entirely underground, which would be far more troublesome." The President let out a sigh. "The Covenant of Freedom has demigods too. Capturing Catherine directly would trigger an immediate war, and right now, the Orderly side has no guarantee of victory."
*So before the war officially starts, both sides must wear each other down, weaken the enemy as much as possible, gather intelligence, and weed out internal spies. Only when victory is certain will all-out war begin...* Zhang Yuanqing said, "Understood."
"Then that's that..." The President was about to hang up when he suddenly remembered something. "Right, Fu Qingyang plans to dispatch members of your guild over here under the pretext of providing assistance to the Merchant Guild and Heaven's Punishment. What are your thoughts?"
*Boss acted too rashly! I haven't even tasted the joys of someone from the Desire class, and he's already sending Guan Ya over!* Zhang Yuanqing said, "A brilliant move! Even if it puts them in harm's way."
"I plan to have the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter come over as well," the President added.
*You're acting damn rash too!* Zhang Yuanqing mentally cursed.
The President continued, "Since you've temporarily left Chinatown, why not adopt another identity? Enter Heaven's Punishment as part of the reinforcement team, and help me slaughter that Bacchus while you're at it."
*Another alternate persona?*
Zhang Yuanqing was momentarily stunned, but his eyes soon lit up. That was indeed a great idea.
With this cover, he could legitimately infiltrate their ranks, make contact with Winni Berent, and gain access to Heaven's Punishment's intelligence channels.
Moreover, he could coordinate between this persona and Sect Master Tongtian, using each to help the other fulfill objectives. An absolute masterstroke!
"All right, I'll talk it over with the Boss," Zhang Yuanqing said.
***
Two days later, at the New York Bank headquarters building.
Asano Ryo swiped her badge to open the access gate to the executive area and knocked on Director Winni's door.
"Enter!"
Director Winni's voice came from inside.
Asano Ryo pushed the door open and stepped in. Looking at her superior—dressed in a crisp white shirt with cascading chestnut curls—she seemed aloof and gorgeous, her makeup and attire exquisitely polished.
"Take some people to Dia Airport. Heaven's Punishment's reinforcement team arrives at ten this morning." Winni kept her eyes on the document she was reading.
"Me?" Asano Ryo blinked in surprise.
She was merely an intern prosecutor. Whether by seniority or post, receiving foreign guests should never have fallen to her.
Winni lifted her eyes to glance at her, pulled a roster from the documents, and said, "A few of them are people you know."
Asano Ryo took the roster, fixed her eyes on it, and was instantly flabbergasted.
Five Elements Alliance: Guan Ya, Tianxia Guihuo, Brother Red Chicken.
Taiyi Sect: Zhao Chenghuang, Sun Miaomiao, Yuan Ting.
Twelve regular team members.
Except for Xiahou Aotian and the Witchcraft Master Xiao Yuan, every Saint from the Return of the Dead guild was on the list.
Chapter 675