The Master of the Halt-Killing Palace lifted her eyes, glanced at him, and smiled gently. "The Five-Element Alliance has been searching for Black Uncommonly Constant—to retrieve the Holy Cup and the register. Why go to all this extra trouble? I wonder—perhaps you yourself desire the register, and don't want the Five-Element Alliance to obtain it." She tilted her head, gazing upward, adopting a youthful, innocent demeanor, and added, "But how could someone of your humble status possibly care about the register? Oh, that's quite strange—quite strange indeed..." Zhang Yuanqing drew a faint muscle at the corner of his mouth. "Everyone has secrets. You don't need to know them. Of course, you may also choose to decline. Whether or not we proceed is entirely up to you." Thus, one is most reluctant to deal with eccentric or obsessive individuals, as their minds often seem out of sync, making effective communication difficult. And yet, one often finds oneself unable to prevail against them. At this moment, the Master had just poured herself a cup of coffee, cradling the handle with her slender, jade-like fingers, ready to take a sip—when the cup gently bumped against her mask. She suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! I forgot to wear my mask..." Not only eccentric, but also mentally unstable! Zhang Yuanqing muttered this under his breath. The Master of the Halt-the-Death Palace set down her cup and smiled gently, "You're right—everyone has secrets. As long as those secrets don't threaten my own safety, I don't mind what others keep hidden." Hearing this, Zhang Yuan清 felt a great relief and spoke softly, "The deal between Hei-Without-Common-Place and Dark-Night-Rose is scheduled for tomorrow evening. The possible locations they might choose are: LaiFu Hotel, Songhai Third Primary School, or Songhe Park..." He listed the three places in one breath, then added, "Among these, Songhai Third Primary School is the most likely." The Master of the Halt-the-Death Palace lightly waved her wide sleeves, enjoying herself like a little girl, and casually asked, "Since tomorrow is Saturday, and students will be on holiday?" Zhang Yuanqing nodded: "On one hand, the Songhai No. 3 Primary School is located in the city center, just across the street from a residential area—situated in a peaceful yet bustling setting. Once an incident occurs there, he can easily move into the residential district to escape detection." Leifu Hotel has guests staying there; if fighting breaks out, it would result in complete casualties, wiping out its moral score within minutes. Songhe Park is too remote; if surrounded, the defenders would have no way to escape. Based on the opponent's cautious and cunning nature, Fu Qingyang has designated Songhai No. 3 Primary School as the primary objective, with the other two locations as secondary, and there are a few additional possibilities—though not very strong. "The five senior monks from the Songhai branch will lead their respective teams and establish ambushes at the designated locations. Specifically, Fu Qingyang and a senior monk from the Baihua Association will be in charge of Songhai No. 3 Primary School," Zhang Yuanqing explained. "I believe once the conflict begins, you can seize the opportunity to strike back and retaliate against the Night Rose." The Master of the Halt-Kill Palace rested her elbow on the bar, supported her chin with her hand, and smiled gently. "That's a good idea. To prevent the roster and Black Unusual's spirit from falling into the hands of the Five Elements Alliance, shall I have you kill Fu Qingyang as well?" Do you wish to die with me...? Zhang Yuanqing said seriously, "Master, I'm a serious person—I don't like making jokes." The Master of the Halt-Kill Palace chuckled softly, her floral branches trembling with the sound, "Xie Lingxi isn't like that at all. By the way, after our last meeting, I went to the hotel where she stayed and gave her a good scolding." Zhang Yuanqing was taken aback—now I understand why Xiao Green Tea hasn't reached out to me for several days. She must be upset with me. No, I must mend our relationship—I haven't yet managed to secure her Dream-Entrance Seal. After the Black Unusual incident concludes, I'll make sure to pay a visit to Xiao Green Tea and show her some care. "If there's nothing else, I'll be off now," Zhang Yuanqing said, excusing herself. The Master Stepping out of the café, Zhang Yuanqing turned back once more. Behind him, everything was dark, the shop door securely locked—nowhere to be seen was the graceful figure of the Master of Zhishi Palace. He turned his gaze away, walking home, mentally simulating and analyzing the situation for the evening's events. "According to official records, Hei Wuxiang has reached the peak of the Saint Realm and is one of the strongest professions—therefore, he cannot be treated as a mere Saint. The senior guardian of the Night Rose is undoubtedly the Night Traveler, though her rank is still unknown. If she is only at the Saint Realm level, the situation will still be competitive; but if she is at the Sovereign level, then it will become a true clash of titans—effectively securing insurance for both myself and the official side." "Yet this still isn't enough, because the Five Elements Alliance not only desires the Holy Cup but also the Register. Should the Master of Zhishi Palace intervene to seize the Register, she may well face targeted counterattacks from Fu Qingyang and the Elder of the Hundred Blossoms." Therefore, a more chaotic situation must be created—ensuring that the official side, Hei Wuxiang The method has already been decided—the Vice President of the Spiritual Energy Association, the King of the Gushi. This senior Gushi master doesn't care about the rosters; all he wants is the Holy Cup. With his involvement, he can compel all parties to focus their efforts on the Holy Cup. As a result, the resistance faced by the Master of the Halt-Killing Palace in pursuing the rosters will be greatly reduced. Currently, this woman shows no strong desire for the Holy Cup; her motivation lies in thwarting the Night Rose's plot and eliminating either the Grand Guardian or the leader. "The plan is sound, but once it's put into action, there will undoubtedly be unforeseen changes. After all, reality is always full of surprises." "I hope I can successfully navigate this crisis of identity exposure—may the old sturdy one watch over me." ... In the morning, the young-faced man, carrying blood-meat buns, stepped out of a residential building after delivering breakfast. As a Gushi master, he possesses boundless energy—delivering from day to night, occasionally working overtime, and sometimes even working until dawn. The delivery rider industry allows one to travel widely, gather intelligence, meet colleagues discreetly, and offers a solid income. Ren Xuemang still genuinely enjoys this work. Recently, he has maintained constant communication, waiting for the person who claims to be a member of the Midnight Rose to reach out. Having experienced the previous incident, Ren Xuemang now realizes this might be an opportunity—to win favor and prove himself before the Vice President. As long as the person provides sufficient information, some necessary risks are worth taking. Just as he stepped onto his electric bike, his other phone in his pocket buzzed with a text notification. Ren Xuemang perked up and quickly pulled out his phone to check: "The meeting point between Black Immortal and the Midnight Rose is at Songhai No. 3 Primary School. The time is tonight at midnight. If no target is found, please wait for my further message." Songhai No. 3 Primary School at midnight? The young-faced delivery rider felt a moment of mental buzz, finding it hard to visualize. How could such crucial intelligence have been shared so casually? How could the location of Black Eternity's transaction have been pinpointed so directly? After all, the Vice President has been searching for Black Eternity for nearly ten days, yet has made little progress—fundamentally unable to locate that cunning and cautious individual. A surge of exhilaration, unmistakable and uncontrollable, now spread across the face of the person known as Human Blood Bun. If the information were true, he would have secured the top honor, and the Vice President would surely reward him handsomely, elevating his standing within the Spiritual Energy Association significantly. Even if the information were false, it would not matter—after all, the Association has been receiving numerous false reports lately. "I'll report this immediately to the Vice President..." Human Blood Bun launched his electric scooter and sped off. ... Time: 23:50. Under the deepening night, outside the third elementary school in Songhai, at a 24-hour convenience store along the street, Zhang Yuanqing sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, slurping on a bowl of instant noodles. He lifted his hand, pressed the wireless microphone, and spoke softly: "The target has entered the elementary school A few seconds later, Jiang Jingwei's clear voice rang out: "Fu Qingyang has entered? Why can't we join the battle and instead stay on the periphery? This is so boring." Zhang Yuanqing: "To prevent you from dying young. Also, it's not Fu Qingyang who's entering—it's the injustice of heaven." Jiang Jingwei: "Really, I can't go in at all? I want to fight and blow up the school." Young lady, your ideas are quite risky... Zhang Yuanqing: "Why?" Jiang Jingwei: "I used to study here in primary school—so much homework, so serious teachers, they left a deep psychological impression on me. But back then, I hadn't even received my character card." Zhang Yuanqing: "Well, never underestimate the young. Can you help me burn down my own alma mater as well?" At that moment, Teng Yuan's weak but serious voice came through: "I don't mind you performing comedy sketches, but I hope you'll consider the feelings of the others on the channel." Jiang Jingwei and Zhang Yuanqing fell silent immediately. During tonight's operation, Fu Qingyang gathered his trusted subordinates and dispersed them across shops and intersections near Songhai No. 3 Primary School, assigning them the tasks of preventing ordinary citizens from approaching, blocking retreating enemies, and handling any unforeseen incidents. Frontline confrontations didn't require these elite members—going there would merely mean walking into the path of enemy fire. Zhang Yuanqing focused on eating his noodles, yet his mind was occupied by one thought: Fu Qingyang had mentioned earlier that he suspected Black Immortal had the strength to negotiate with the Night Rose, not merely out of mere courage. Strength usually implies reserves and unexpected developments. ... Songhai No. 3 Primary School stood in the dark night, with only the office on the ground floor at the left end of the building illuminated. The office contained six desks, each piled high with books, teaching supplies, and computers. At the desk near the window sat a man with a thin, gaunt face—long and narrow, with fine eyes and a pale complexion. Though his appearance was unremarkable, he was far from ordinary. Such a plain face, one immediately remembers it. Black Unusual tapped the table with his finger, listening intently to his subordinate's report: "Boss, I've confirmed that the Night Rose has successfully secured the Book of Contracts." Black Unusual asked, "How did you verify that?" The Moistly-Wife smiled. "I personally caught a woman to test it. After the contract was fulfilled, she became a loyal slave to me—she can't refuse any of my demands." Black Unusual nodded thoughtfully. As the leader of an evil organization, he well understood that trading with the Night Rose was akin to trying to negotiate with a tiger—his chances of a successful deal were slim, and the likelihood of being blackmailed was far greater. Thus, during his stay in Songhai, he had been patiently waiting for one key message— that the Night Rose had borrowed the Book of Contracts from external forces. This was a piece of equipment for the "Knight" class. Its function was to establish contracts; anyone who breached such a contract would face severe penalties. With this protection in place, the Black Unseelie dared to negotiate with the Night Rose. One of the Black Unseelie's requirements was that the Night Rose borrow props from external powers. Knights, being a lawful order, would eliminate any envoy who approached them under the guise of a Wugushi; however, the Night Rose faced no such difficulties, as its members included many lawful professionals. By paying a certain price, the Night Rose could secure the "Book of Covenant." At that moment, the clock on the wall's hands reached exactly 12 o'clock, and almost simultaneously, a knock sounded at the office door.