In the study, Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the portrait hanging on the wall, then looked at Fu Qingyang sitting with impeccable posture, and sighed with feeling.
"It’s a fine painting, but what a pity!"
Fu Qingyang, who was just about to speak, paused upon hearing this. "What do you mean by that?"
Zhang Yuanqing said with utter sincerity, "Even the most skilled master couldn't capture a thousandth of the Centurion's striking spirit and handsome grace. That is why it’s a pity."
Fu Qingyang looked at him for a moment and said coolly, "Let’s get down to business. Don't waste time on such meaningless pleasantries."
Yet from the Centurion's subtle micro-expressions, Zhang Yuanqing could tell he had secretly relished it.
When Zhang Yuanqing had first walked in, Fu Qingyang's brow had been slightly knit, weighed down with concern. Now, his brow was smoothed out, and his expression was much softer.
Zhang Yuanqing pulled over a high-backed chair and sat down. Looking at the aloof young scion across the desk, he asked, "How long will it take for the Elders to decide how to deal with Xiahou Chi?"
"I cannot give you an answer," Fu Qingyang replied, shaking his head. He then explained, "Xiahou Chi cannot escape, but he is of the Xiahou family's main lineage. Before taking action against him, we must confer with the Xiahou family. Executing him without notice would damage relations between the two factions and could even trigger open conflict."
*Where you sit determines how you think...* Zhang Yuanqing nodded to show his understanding.
The Elders viewed matters from a completely different perspective than frontline personnel. It would be alarming if they saw things the same way.
"Then what does Centurion plan to investigate next?"
Fu Qingyang looked at him without answering.
*Looks like he doesn't have any good leads either. Indeed, tracking down a high-level Spirit Realm walker who's dead set on hiding is far too difficult. It takes time...* Zhang Yuanqing immediately said, "Centurion, I recall that on the night Zhu Jingyao was killed, we deduced that Hei Wuchang's motive for lying low in Songhai was that something went wrong with the Fallen Holy Grail. That was why he secretly contacted Dark Night Rose to arrange a meeting here."
Fu Qingyang gave a slight nod.
Zhang Yuanqing continued, "After getting off work yesterday, I thought about it for a long time: why would Dark Night Rose help Hei Wuchang? What could they stand to gain?"
Fu Qingyang's gaze sharpened.
Zhang Yuanqing pressed on. "Our previous analysis showed that the issue with the Fallen Holy Grail stemmed from the Demon Lord. Since the Demon Lord was a Night Wanderer, he must have used some method to compromise it. But with my shallow knowledge, I couldn't think of anything capable of affecting a rule-based item like the Fallen Holy Grail."
He didn't explicitly mention abilities within the domain of the divine power of the sun. That would be too deliberate. With Fu Qingyang's intellect, a subtle nudge was all it took.
Fu Qingyang fell into thought for several seconds, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.
"The only thing that can counter the Fallen Holy Grail is an item of the same tier. I understand the Demon Lord's method for checking the Holy Grail now."
He glanced at Zhang Yuanqing and offered an explanation. "It is the divine power of the sun. High-level Night Wanderers can harness and command the power of the sun. As for whether the Demon Lord used an item or some related relic, I will need to consult the database, or even request clearance from the Taiyi Sect if necessary.
"Dark Night Rose likely wants to get their hands on it. While this won't lead us straight to Hei Wuchang, the more intelligence we gather, the sooner a breakthrough will present itself."
The aloof young nobleman offered a faint smile and nodded in approval. "Your thinking is sharp. I truly wasn't mistaken about you. If you were a Scout, you would have made an exceptional one."
*Forget it, what's so great about being a walking ward...* Zhang Yuanqing dared to make such jabs in front of Li Dongze, but he wouldn't dare insult Scouts before Fu Qingyang. Instead, he chimed in with fake regret, "Indeed, indeed."
Leaving the villa, Zhang Yuanqing dialed Wang Qian's number.
"What are your orders, sir?" Wang Qian said with utmost respect.
*Aren't you contacting me a bit too often lately?*
"Pass a message to the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter for me," Zhang Yuanqing said in a heavy voice. "Tell her that Xiahou Xin was silenced. Also, regarding what I asked her to investigate, I hope she can hurry up. Time is running out."
Listening on the other end, Wang Qian was struck dumb with shock.
On one hand, he was stunned that Xiahou Xin had been silenced—silenced by whom?
On the other hand, it was the urging tone in Yuanshi Tianzun's voice—telling her to hurry up on what he asked her to investigate... Anyone hearing this would assume the Palace Master was his informant!
*The Palace Master couldn't actually be this kid's informant, could she?!*
"A-All right!" Wang Qian hung up, his mind spinning with confusion.
*Next is the Wuhen Hotel, to gather intel from the evil professions there...* Zhang Yuanqing exited the villa compound, lingered by the roadside for a while, and hailed a taxi.
After agreeing on a fare, he took the cab northward toward Jinshan City.
An hour later, wearing a baseball cap and a mask, Zhang Yuanqing stepped into the lobby of the Wuhen Hotel.
The woman behind the front desk glanced at him, appraised him briefly, and recognized him. Frowning, she asked, "What are you doing here again?"
She wore the same outfit as when they first met: a white shirt paired with a burgundy suit jacket, the standard uniform of a hotel receptionist.
Her facial features were vivid and striking, her eyes round and alluring, and her full chest carried the ripe charm of a mature woman.
Yet her expression was icy and unapproachable.
Knowing she was not someone inherently bloodthirsty, Zhang Yuanqing smiled and said, "No need to be so guarded. I just want to make friends with you, Auntie. A wider circle of friends makes for an easier path in life, after all."
The glamorous woman narrowed her eyes and sneered. "If you're trying to hit on me, you'll die a miserable death. If you have designs on the people behind me, you'll die an even worse one.
"Go back. This isn't a place you belong."
*Wait, why would you think I'm trying to hit on you? The eagle eats the chick, doesn't it?* Zhang Yuanqing grumbled internally, but he promptly put his social skills to work. "Don't speak so definitively. Everyone needs friends, and one should be adept at making them. That's how your path broadens. If Ashamed to Be a Father hadn't become friends with me that day, you wouldn't have received his dying words."
The glamorous woman stared at him for several seconds, then said coldly, "Tell me what you want."
Zhang Yuanqing got straight to the point. "Ever heard of Hei Wuchang? The authorities have been hunting him recently. Do you have any word on him?"
The woman gave a mocking scoff. "Do you think sitting in this hotel gives me the power to track down Hei Wuchang for you?"
She pondered for a few moments, then added, "I can ask around in the black market for you."
Seeing Zhang Yuanqing's puzzled expression, she gave a dry chuckle and explained, "Not the kind of black market your authorities permit, but one known only to evil professions. After all, even scumbags laden with sin need to trade.
"However, I charge a labor fee, a risk subsidy, and compensation for emotional distress."
*I can understand the labor fee and the risk subsidy, but what on earth is compensation for emotional distress?* Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Emotional distress?"
The woman curled her lips and declared matter-of-factly, "Every time I see those hideous, revolting bastards, I feel like I've been raped a hundred times by men."
*Fine, if you're going to drag yourself through the mud like that, what else can I say...* At a loss for any counterargument, Zhang Yuanqing could only ask, "Just tell me how much."
"Fifty thousand!" the woman replied casually. "Whether I get any intelligence or not, no refunds."
*Fifty thousand. If it were the old me, I'd have to strip naked, lie on the bed, and say, 'Auntie, I'm yours tonight.' But to the me of today, it's just pocket change...* Zhang Yuanqing said, "Deal. My only condition is speed. The sooner, the better."
With that, he pulled out his phone. "Let's exchange contact details. How should I address you, Auntie?"
"Xiao Yuan," she replied.
"Nice name..."
Leaving the Wuhen Hotel, Zhang Yuanqing walked along the road toward Songhai, planning to put some distance behind him before hailing a cab.
Jinshan City's infrastructure was far behind Songhai's, especially out in the suburbs, where heavy trucks frequently rumbled past. The edges of the road were cracked and sunken.
*Ding-dong~*
The phone in his pocket vibrated. Zhang Yuanqing stopped by the roadside and took it out.
An unread text message:
[Have you heard the legend of the Murderess in White? It is said she is an evil spirit who wanders through dreams. She is clad in filthy, stained white garments, her hair wild and disheveled, gripping a kitchen cleaver in her hand. Her body is stitched together from the limbs of different people, her face looks directly behind her, and she always walks backward...
[The Murderess in White wanders through the dead of night within dreams, searching for her target. When she decides upon a victim, she knocks on their door at midnight and butchers them.
[Anyone who receives this message must forward it to another person before midnight, or the Murderess in White will come for you.]
"What era is this? People are still sending chain-mail spam about forwarding or dying?"
Zhang Yuanqing instantly recalled the prank messages that had run rampant in chat groups back during his middle school days; they were always formatted like this.
Just then, a taxi approached.
He pocketed his phone and waved the cab down. Upon hearing the destination was Songhai, the driver readily agreed.
By the time Zhang Yuanqing returned to Songhai, it was eleven in the morning.
He had originally planned to grab a bite at a roadside eatery, but then remembered that Decurion Teng Yuan had raised everyone's lunch stipend by ten yuan to improve staff welfare.
Originally, it had been thirty yuan per meal.
Forty yuan was enough for a rather decent lunch.
He immediately told the driver to change course to the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau.
Stepping through the doors of the glass building, he saw Guan Ya, Teng Yuan, and Jiang Jingwei seated around a circular glass table in the lounge area to the left, eating their lunch.
Guan Ya ate with elegance, chewing slowly and daintily. Her glossy, red little lips were faintly slicked with oil, looking exceptionally enticing.
Decurion Teng Yuan ate expressionlessly, his eyes slightly glazed over, showing a profound lack of enthusiasm for both life and fine food.
Jiang Jingwei was another story altogether. She wolfed down her food so ferociously that she could have gone toe-to-toe with a yellow-haired monkey.
*This girl is obviously so pretty, but what a shame she's a Fire Master...* Zhang Yuanqing let out an inward sigh, instructed the civilian staff to prepare lunch for him, and walked over to his teammates with a broad grin.
"Haha, looks like I showed up right on time!"
Guan Ya swallowed her food delicately, looked at Zhang Yuanqing as he approached, and asked, "You've been slacking off a bit these past few days, haven't you?"
*It's called following the leader's bad example—no, answering the call of upper management!* Zhang Yuanqing sat down beside the seasoned lady and said, "I wasn't slacking off today. I went out on business."
"Oh?" Guan Ya let out a soft hum of inquiry.
Zhang Yuanqing explained, "I found a thirty-something auntie, handed her a sum of money, and had some things handled."
Guan Ya paused, then chuckled. "Good taste. An auntie in her thirties can teach you plenty of postures."
"If given the chance, I'd love to learn plenty of things from Guan Ya-jie as well," Zhang Yuanqing countered smoothly. Then, noticing a red backpack resting by Jiang Jingwei's feet, he asked, "Jingwei, aren't you done with school?"
Only then did Jiang Jingwei lift her head, startled. "Why are you here?"
*Crude Fire Master!* Zhang Yuanqing repeated his question.
"Oh, my dad said work shouldn't get in the way of studying, so he told me to bring my homework to the office. Sister Guan Ya and Decurion Teng Yuan can teach me how to do it anyway," the red-haired girl said cheerily.
Guan Ya's face darkened.
Decurion Teng Yuan's expression turned even more weary of the world.
*Teach you how to do homework?* Zhang Yuanqing looked at his two colleagues with pity.
Decurion Teng Yuan pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose and said, "Yuanshi, you're a college student, aren't you? I think you should teach Jingwei her homework. Guan Ya and I have been out of school for years; our studies have gone rusty."
"No need, Decurion. I go to a third-rate diploma mill; my grades are total trash," Zhang Yuanqing declined politely, quickly shifting the topic. "Decurion, from what I can tell, you don't seem to enjoy working very much?"
Decurion Teng Yuan fell silent for a moment before speaking slowly:
"I realized long ago that this world is full of exploitation. High taxes are the government's exploitation; grueling workloads are capital's exploitation. When I was young and studying, hanging my hair from the rafters and prodding my thigh with an awl, I didn't dare rest for a single second, living like a dog.
"After stepping into society, I had to face exploitation and squeeze from all sides, living like a donkey. A human life lasts a mere hundred years. Why live so miserably?
"I can't change others, but I can change myself."
*That sounds so philosophical—no, wait, isn't that just lying flat?* Zhang Yuanqing listened in a daze.
Decurion Teng Yuan let out a sigh. "After becoming a Spirit Realm walker, I discovered that the Spirit Realm is also dogshit."
Zhang Yuanqing could only maintain an awkward yet polite smile.
***
After finishing his meal, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his bedroom and drew the curtains.
He sat at his desk and began to ponder:
*The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter hasn't replied yet. Logically, she tortured plenty of intelligence out of Xiahou Tianwen, which should provide leads to track down Dark Night Rose. Well, Dark Night Rose knows this too. The Palace Master said she needs to stay on guard against their leader coming after her...*
*Auntie Xiao Yuan took my money, so she should get the job done properly. Hopefully, there will be clues on her end... Little Doubi better not steal my aunt's underwear again tomorrow. One pair was plenty...*
*Click!*
He turned off the light and drifted off to sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Yuanqing was jarred awake by a long-absent headache. Chaotic images flashed rapidly across his mind, accompanied by a ceaseless rush of meaningless static.
Many of those images were fragmented memories accumulated from performing spirit questioning after becoming a Night Wanderer.
Ever since becoming a Spirit Realm walker, his constitution had steadily strengthened, gradually freeing him from the affliction of headaches, to the point where he had forgotten to take his medicine on schedule.
Enduring the skull-splitting pain, Zhang Yuanqing yanked open the nightstand drawer, found the small medicine bottle, shook out five or six blue pills, and swallowed them whole.
Then, he collapsed back onto the bed, waiting for the headache to subside.
*Thump, thump!*
Right then, he heard a knocking at the door.
*Who is it? Knocking in the dead of night—Jiang Yu'er?* Zhang Yuanqing endured the throbbing pain and sat up. He glanced at the digital alarm clock on the nightstand.
The display read: 00:00.
Midnight.
Chapter 95