No doubt, it's quite comfortable being with her... Zhang Yuanqing murmured to himself. He seemed to see a younger version of himself—handsome, capable, and eloquent. After a moment's pause, he slowly nodded. "Why not just convey a message and take you along?" Though the girl had been somewhat attentive, given that they didn't know each other well, her concerns were understandable. At least it showed that Xie Lingxi, though sharp and occasionally aloof, was genuinely grateful and loyal. "Thank you, Brother Yuanshi," Xie Lingxi smiled warmly, then smoothed her expression and spoke seriously. "I remember you were supposed to find a master named 'Wu Hen.' Before we arrived at Song Hai, I looked up this person—there's no record of him." Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "The Five Elements Alliance's archives don't have any information either. However, if Master Wu Hen is an ordinary person, I find it unlikely he'd avoid you, as an official representative. I suspect Master Wu Hen might be from a more sinister profession." Both of them had arrived at this conclusion independently, so after "going offline," they each leveraged their own networks to investigate the person. Xie Lingxi's eyes sparkled with delight, as if her own intuition had been validated. She said, "I thought the same thing, but I believe the person in question and the one who feels regretful at being an inadequate father belong to the same category." "Yet, this still carries risks." "Master Yuan-Shi, the risks should be manageable. If the risks were significant, the regretful father wouldn't have entrusted you with his final wishes before passing away. He has done so precisely because he feels confident in the outcome." Xie Lingxi had specifically come to Songhai, recognizing that "Master Wuxuan" might be an evil-type professional, fearing he might be turned into a KPI by Master Wang Tai—thus, she saw it as a life-saving debt owed to the regretful father. As for Zhang Yuanqing's agreement, he felt that there were likely several Ling-Jing Travelers protecting the Lady of the Xie family, and with her by his side, the risks would be somewhat offset. "When will you finish your tasks?" "I'll visit Xie Lingxi held her spoon, scooping a portion of the post-meal dessert, savoring the delicious taste while resting her chin on her hands, gazing intently at the young man across from her. "Yuanshi brother, you're truly amazing—consecutively clearing two S-rank spiritual realms. I truly admire you!" She knew I was a complete newcomer, yet she never mentioned my claim of being an experienced traveler within the spiritual realms. That's true emotional intelligence. Zhang Yuanqing took a bite of his dessert as well, thinking about her earlier flattery and eagerness. He couldn't help but be impressed by how accomplished this young girl was, despite her age. Such girls, who hold you in high regard and constantly praise you, are often the most difficult to handle—because you can't easily say no, and most men would surely be overwhelmed by such attention. But Zhang Yuanqing wasn't ordinary—he was a natural socializer. "Lingxi, look at the moon tonight—it's so beautiful. Since you admire me so much, why don't I stay and share this moonlight with you? What's your room number?" "Yuanshi brother, I—I'm still just a child," Lingxi "Coincidentally, I'm also a child." ...Xie Lingxi sighed inwardly. She favored a strategy of stepping back to gain the upper hand—how could anyone refuse a girl who deeply admired you, especially when you made only reasonable requests? By first lifting the man up, she could then hold the reins firmly. Though she had never been in a romantic relationship, she deeply understood the dynamics of interpersonal relationships between men and women, thanks to her mother, who was a master of the art. Her mother could not only give her husband a good scolding but still make him feel cherished and like a true partner of the household. Xie Lingxi had absorbed much of her mother's wisdom and applied it successfully in dealing with elders and peers. Yet, with Zhang Yuanqing, it seemed less effective. He would rise above her praise and gradually outmaneuver her. Indeed, Xie Lingxi did hold a genuine admiration for this young man, only a few years older than herself. "Let's exchange contact information. I'll come by to see you tomorrow morning." After exchanging phone numbers, Zhang Yuanqing left the hotel. … On the way home in the business vehicle after leaving the hotel, Zhang Yuanqing dialed Li Dongze’s phone. “Zheng, I’ve just checked out of the hotel and am on my way back home.” Li Dongze clearly exhaled a sigh of relief, then smiled and teased: “So now, should I call you the Shie family’s son-in-law? Both I and Guan Ya can clearly see that the lady has a strong interest in you.” Zhang Yuanqing sighed, troubled: “Compared to being the Shie family’s son-in-law, I’d rather be the Guan family’s son-in-law.” Li Dongze was momentarily taken aback, responding with his usual tone: “Then you’ll have to work a bit harder.” Li Dongze sensed that Yuanshi was probing Guan Ya’s background. How did he know Guan Ya was anything special? At this point, Yuanshi only knew that Guan Ya was unusual, but he didn’t yet know about her connection with Fu Bai, the senior officer. Zhang Yuanqing chuckled lightly, changing the subject, then serious again: “I’ll be going out with the young lady from the Shie family tomorrow afternoon "She specifically requested that you host her and spend time with her." Li Dongze didn't object. Zhang Yuanqing felt at ease—since the Shizhang hadn't objected, it meant the She family's reputation was still strong. He then asked his next question: "Shizhang, after I passed through the Golden Water Amusement Park, I was promoted to Level 2 and received a valuable item as a reward." Promoted to Level 2... Li Dongze sighed: "One task per level—your promotion pace is truly admirable. Yet, merely admiring your promotion speed, the fact that you keep matching with S-tier spiritual realms repeatedly is quite pitiful. So, what's next?" "I'd like to join the mission to track down the Black Immortal, both to contribute to our second team's achievements and to further develop my own skills," Zhang Yuanqing quickly explained. Li Dongze didn't object. After a brief pause, he added: "A Level 2 Night-Wanderer has stronger combat capabilities than most other professions at the same level—so yes, you truly qualify to participate." But this matter is handled at the level of a deacon, and I can't make a decision on my own. I'll report it to Commander Fu tomorrow and see what he decides. "Thank you, Senior." After hanging up, Zhang Yuanqing glanced out the window and noticed the driver had taken a different highway route, frowning. "What's wrong?" The driver replied, "We're taking a detour to avoid potential surveillance." Avoiding surveillance—yes, now that my name is becoming more well-known, quite a few people in Kangyang District Group Two are aware of my presence. As I travel back and forth between my home and office in the future, I'll definitely need to pay more attention to surveillance. Zhang Yuanqing noted this detail in his mind. An hour later, the driver dropped him off at the residential complex. Zhang Yuanqing took the elevator to his assigned floor and just stepped back into his bedroom from the hallway. His ears picked up the sound of intense struggle coming from inside the bedroom. Ah well—he sighed in resignation, chose to go through the front door, and carefully opened the security door. Seeing that his grandmother wasn't waiting in the living room, he felt instantly relieved and then turned the handle to open the bedroom door In the bedroom, Jiang Yu E sat cross-legged in front of the TV, gripping her controller and tapping out gameplay. Hearing the sound of the door opening behind her, Jiang Yu E gritted her teeth. "The game's boss is a boy who never comes home after school—he just hangs out outside all the time. I'm going to slice him to pieces." "I'll help you with that," Zhang Yuan Qing said, stepping forward with a determined face. "Get out!" Jiang Yu E twisted her waist sharply, keeping her upper body still and continuing to hold her controller. With both long legs extended to the back, she delivered a powerful kick, demonstrating remarkable core strength. Zhang Yuan Qing caught her cool, slender feet and gently lifted them—she gasped and landed on her back with a soft "oof." He then sat down, picked up the other controller, and resumed the game. Jiang Yu E sat upright again, gently rubbing the tear-shaped mark on her eyelid, and sighed. "Where have you been hanging out?" The two sat side by side, gazing at the television, chatting and playing games together. "I had dinner with a high school girl today. When I mentioned I'm from Songhai University, she was absolutely in awe—she insisted on taking me to a hotel to help her with her homework, booking a five-star one. Hah! How could I possibly afford a room?" "So you came back then?" "No—I had her pay for it." "You're dead." It was seven thirty in the morning. At the dining table, Jiang Yu'e bit into a steamed bun, listless, her mind drifting slowly, like a hen pecking at grain. "Did you stay up late again? I've told you time and again that no late nights are allowed outside weekends—does my word really mean nothing anymore?" Her mother scolded her daughter, while the grandson yawned and stepped out of his room. The mother sighed, still upset about yesterday's incident, but knowing she couldn't clean up the mess in front of the family, she went into the kitchen, brought a warm bowl of porridge to the grandson, and hoped he'd eat a meal that would leave him feeling like he'd just been cut off. A few minutes later, Grandma, watching her daughter and her grandson sitting side by side, vigorously pecking at each other's heads, erupted in anger: "What were you two doing last night?" "Jiang Yu'ei insisted on coming to my room to play games," said one. "Zhang Yuanqing insisted on going to his room to play games," said the other. They both spoke in unison. Then, a full-blown conflict ensued—Zhang Yuanqing grabbed his aunt's hair, while Jiang Yu'ei held onto his nephew's face. Grandpa and the cousin remained calm, eating their meals as usual. …… Two days later, at 8 a.m., Zhang Yuanqing, who had sent a message in advance, arrived by taxi at the entrance of Huayu Hotel. He didn't have to wait long before Xie Lingxi stepped out of the revolving door. Today, she wore black athletic pants, a white T-shirt, a white women's jacket, and white running shoes—light, comfortable attire. Her long, straight black hair was tied into a ponytail, swaying gently as she jogged. Notably, she was also wearing a sleek white over-ear headset on her head, "Xie Lingxi stopped in front of him, smiling sweetly." "Have you met the palace mistress?" Zhang Yuanqing asked curiously. Xie Lingxi shook her head slightly, expressing disappointment. "She didn't see me." "Plastic acquaintance," Zhang Yuanqing scoffed. "Of course not," Xie Lingxi puffed out her cheeks and narrowed her eyes. "It's because the people from the coastal Xiaohou family have come to Linghai to cause trouble for her. She's preparing for a strong opponent and thus hasn't seen me." "The Xiaohou family?" Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment, recalling who they were. Due to achieving S-rank spiritual realm status, his authority had expanded, allowing him to access some more confidential materials. In the world of spiritual realm travelers, among the orderly professional factions, the two most influential official organizations are the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyuan Gate. The next tier consists of five prominent families: the Zhao, Liu, and Xiaohou families, who belong to the Scholar profession; and the Xie and Zhu families, who belong to the Musician profession. The family of the Master of the Zhishai Palace has no records in the archives, likely because it was officially removed many years ago. "The eldest son of the Xiaohou family was demoted by the Palace last month—so he's come here to seek vengeance," said Xie Lingxi, concerned. "The Xiaohou family has been well-established for years, with numerous skilled members and an extensive network of connections. Meanwhile, Zhishai Palace remains a regional organization in Songhai. Once the conflict begins, the Wuxing Alliance will undoubtedly support the Xiaohou family." Zhishai Palace's strength still falls significantly short of that of the Xiaohou family—clearly, Zhishai Palace is in trouble. Zhang Yuanqing noticed a luxurious business sedan approaching and remarked, "That's not something we need to worry about anymore—the car has arrived." Once the business vehicle had stopped, Zhang Yuanqing and Xie Lingxi stepped out and entered the lobby of the hotel. "Which room would you like?" asked the receptionist, a vibrant woman in her thirties or early forties, smiling professionally, with bright, alluring eyes and a full, well-proportioned chest that gave her a graceful presence. "We don't need to stay," said Zhang Yuanqing, getting straight to the point, his voice lowered. "We're looking for Master Wuhen." The receptionist maintained her smile, but her round, alluring eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze sharpening into something keen and incisive. "We don't have anyone here named Wuhen," she said, each word clear and deliberate. The air around them seemed to grow still, and both Zhang and Xie felt an overwhelming sense of pressure—like they were being watched by a pack of hungry wolves. Wasn't this the kind of pressure one would normally expect from someone at the extraordinary stage? A receptionist of this caliber? Taking a deep breath, Zhang said: "I'm sorry to say, but as a father, I've been entrusted with a message for Master Wuhen."