"It's no easy task to break free from the Holy Grail's control!" came Brother Bing's low voice. "The Fallen Holy Grail is a rule-based item—what rule-based means, I needn't explain. Anyone under its control is forever bound; death is their only fate. I'm bound by the Grail, unable to defy the Judge of the Miraculous Eye's orders. Can we join forces? Shall we team up with the Judge of the Miraculous Eye to defeat you?" The Demon King exhaled, "Only rules can challenge rules. I've already found a way to counter the Grail—one that allows you to escape its control for a time." Brother Bing spoke with growing urgency, his voice trembling slightly. "Really?" The Demon King, his voice rough, chuckled. "Among the Night-Wanderer class, there exists a rule-based item—let's call it a rule-based item for now. It embodies the very essence of the Sun God's power and serves as the ultimate cleanser against all forms of impurity. Once I obtain it, I'll be able to counter the Fallen Holy Grail." After that, there was a long silence. Just as Zhang Yuanqing thought the audio had come to an end, the voice of the Mage King resonated once more, speaking softly: "When you first stumbled upon your character card and encountered the spiritual realm, you chose to file a report, to place your trust in the public authorities. Yet what did you receive? A cup of 'poisoned wine.' You trusted the official institutions—on so many levels. Your talents were strong, your future limitless. But even when you were still a fledgling, the mysterious Eye of Judgment shattered your wings. Over the years, you drifted away from your family, from your brothers, enduring the slow erosion of the Falling Cup, living in constant pain. Are you content with this? Partner with me—now is the time to break free, to soar. I need your strength." "Yes..." The audio finally concluded. Zhang Yuanqing sat at his desk, motionless for a long time. At last, he understood the full context, yet he was not at all happy. So you're actually a servant of the Master of the Strange Eyes, huh? That explains why you never mentioned the matter of the Spirit Realm Travelers to me. That explains why, after you started university, you gradually drifted away from me. That explains your sudden change in temperament. How have you managed to get through these years...? Zhang Yuanqing lowered his head, motionless. After several seconds, he suddenly rubbed his face vigorously, pushing the surging emotions down. "At least, at least, Brother Bing might still be alive..." Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuanqing regained composure and began to piece together the sequence of events: Before he went to university, Brother Bing had accidentally obtained a character card and became a Spirit Realm Traveler. After encountering supernatural incidents, what would a normal person do? The answer is clear: report to the Public Security Bureau! And then, he was taken over by the Master of the Strange Eyes. The Master of the Strange Eyes had established his own personnel within certain Public Security Bureau offices—Hou Yingjun, who was killed by Ou Xiangrong, is a perfect example. "But if Hou Yingjun was also a servant of the Master of the Strange Eyes, how did he pass the comprehensive physical examination?" No, he might not be a mere servant—he could very well be a collaborator. By now, I have a clear understanding of what the official organization is like. Its sheer scale inevitably leads to internal diversity and inconsistencies, making it impossible for everyone to be driven by justice. He continued to piece together the details: The immortal king discovered a method to suppress the Holy Grail, a rule-based item belonging to the Night Wanderer class. Thus, the Holy Grail has indeed encountered issues, which is precisely why Black Unusual has chosen to reach out to the Night Rose. Since the Night Rose's leader is a Night Wanderer, the Night Wanderer is likely the only one capable of resolving the Grail's problems—this detail aligns perfectly. However, the Night Rose cannot offer this support without expecting something in return; there must be mutual benefits. What could Black Unusual offer them? Certainly not the fallen Holy Grail. Could it be the Night Wanderer's rule-based item? That possibility will only become clear once we understand the current condition of the fallen Holy Grail. Bro Cheng sent me his character card after the Magician King's death. At that time, both the Magician King and the Ghost Eye Judge had already perished, and shortly after delivering the card, Bro Cheng vanished. He must still be alive, though he had to go into hiding for some reason. Zhang Yuanqing thought for a few seconds and concluded that Bro Cheng's disappearance was due to the need to suppress the contamination within him. Although he had successfully defeated the Ghost Eye Judge, the Fallen Holy Grail had fallen into the hands of the Black Unseen, and the Grail itself was compromised—unable to function properly—so Bro Cheng likely hadn't yet fully escaped the Grail's control. "Bro Cheng might have a temporary method to manage the contamination... yes, this is just a hypothesis, still awaiting verification. But why did he assign me the task of obtaining the roster, rather than the Holy Grail itself?" Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing's eyes widened in sudden realization—he had thought of something that made his scalp prickle. The roster of the Ghost Eye Judge recorded the spiritual travelers under his control. And Bro Cheng was, in fact, the Ghost Eye Judge's "servant." Once the official authorities obtain the roster and learn the true identity of the warrior, understand the truth behind the warrior and the Magistrate King's pursuit of the mysterious judge, it's obvious—just by thinking with one's toes—that the Magistrate King's heir must be him. Black Unusual, who holds the roster, should be aware of the warrior's identity, yet he doesn't know about the warrior having sent a character card to his good friend. Due to information asymmetry, he remains unaware of him for now. However, if Black Unusual learns of this, the heir's identity will also be exposed. Worse still, the Dark Night Rose, currently in secret negotiations with Black Unusual, has agents embedded within the official body and is already aware of the heir's existence. Once both parties bring up this matter—then it becomes clear why the warrior asked me to locate the roster, why it's even more urgent than the Fallen Holy Cup. Zhang Yuanqing's back nearly sent a cold sweat rising. He felt an unprecedented sense of crisis. Although previously he had followed Bingge's instructions and participated in the operation to apprehend the Black Immortal, he didn't fully appreciate the importance of the roster and thus wasn't particularly enthusiastic. Now, it's different—he now feels as though members of the Taiyuan Sect might show up at any moment to check his water meter, or that the Night Rose might have designs on him. He can't rush; the more he rushes, the more anxious he becomes. Apprehending the Black Immortal is a long-term effort, something that can't be hurried. Zhang Yuanqing steadied his composure and continued analyzing. "The three powers—the Black Immortal, the Night Rose, and the official authorities—lack information symmetry, which presents opportunities for me to leverage. Following the death of Xiahou Xin, the Night Rose will surely accelerate its cooperation with the Black Immortal, and thus my window of opportunity is narrowing. "I can pursue the Black Immortal through official channels, investigate the Night Rose via the Zhishi Palace, and, yes, I can also seek assistance from the Wuhen Hotel—after all, there must be some intersections among the evil professions." He didn't particularly want to establish contact with the Wuhen Hotel Then Zhang Yuanqing recalled the afternoon when Xiahou Xin died. "The Night-Wanderer has the ability to glimpse fate; according to Fu Qingyang, this seems to require face-to-face encounter to manifest. Moreover, this skill should only reveal short-term developments in fate. Otherwise, Xiahou Xin would have been eliminated either when the Xiahou family first arrived in Songhai, or even earlier—no, when they had just come, the family would have been sent back home." That made sense. At the same time, Zhang Yuanqing thought of the graceful old baozi, and of her enigmatic smile. Had she also seen his fate unfold? Yet, for a long time after he completed the trials and tasks, there had been no major upheavals. Why then did she smile so meaningfully? Zhang Yuanqing sat motionless at his desk until nearly five in the morning, only then leaning over to rest his head on the table. "...Ah-ah-ah..." Drowsily, Zhang Yuanqing heard the little chatterer calling out to him. He woke up to see the little klutz climbing onto the desk, her short, sturdy arms braced beneath her, her shiny eyes proudly looking at him. On her sparse downy hair, she held a leather wallet. Phew—no, not a bra... Zhang Yuanqing unconsciously exhaled, then grew furious. "Not stealing women's bras, nor wallets—what kind of child are you? I've always taught you to be a respectable, upright child!" "Ah-ba..." the little klutz tilted her head, looking at the owner with a sense of委屈, puzzled as to why he was scolding her. The wallet was quite thick... Zhang Yuanqing reached out, opened the wallet, and found a stack of thick, bright red bills. His scowling expression softened, and he looked puzzled. "Too much... too much..." He then glanced again and spotted the ID card—oh,舅舅's wallet—now all was well. As the inheritor of his uncle's legacy, Zhang Yuanqing pulled out three hundred-yuan bills and placed the leather folder back on the small, lively nephew's head, whispering softly, "Return the wallet." "Ah-ba..." The nephew received the instruction, moved his limbs with grace, and like a small seal, leaped forward and landed on the floor, then swiftly used his arms and legs to weave through the wall and vanish. At the dining table, the aunt bit into a meat bun, her cheeks round and full, asking, "Mom, did you find my underwear?" The grandmother scolded, "Who knows where you lost it—after searching everywhere, I still couldn't find it." The aunt looked puzzled, "I clearly remember dropping it into the bamboo basket—how could it have disappeared?" She then turned her gaze to her nephew, "Did you take it?" Zhang Yuanqing hadn't spoken yet, but the grandmother raised her hand and gave her daughter a sharp scalp massage, furious, "Nonsense! Why would Yuanzi take your stinky clothes? If you keep making such complaints, I'll beat you senseless." "Exactly," Zhang Yuanqing exclaimed, filled with righteous indignation It was clearly the little comic who took it… He added mentally. But if Grandma found out, I’d be in trouble—definitely be cleared out of the household. After breakfast, Zhang Yuanqing took a taxi to Fuzhijuan. After contacting Fu Qingyang, he waited a while at the community gate and eventually met the young lady from yesterday. "Here are your access cards from the Centurion," the tall, black-socked young woman smiled, handing over two cards—one white for the community gate, one black for the villa gate. Zhang Yuanqing’s plan for the day was to first report his reasoning to Fu Qingyang, clearly pointing out potential issues with the Fallen Cup, so that Fu would understand the full context. Of course, he wouldn’t state it directly, but would present it through a discussion. Then, he would reach out to the Zhishik Palace to inform them about the case of Xia Hou Xin being silenced, and finally visit Wuhen Hotel to gather intelligence on the circle of the witch-guerrilla practitioners. The young lady in black stockings led the way, smiling, "The centurion was just about to rest. Upon receiving your call, he asked me to come and fetch you." "Rest?" Zhang Yuanqing was taken aback. "The centurion hasn't slept all night—probably the case has hit a snag." The young lady's smile was gentle. "I've been with the lord for a long time, and I've never seen him this troubled over a case. You should lend him a hand." Zhang Yuanqing nodded, and soon he found himself once again at the entrance of the luxurious villa.