Hearing the voice through the speaker, Fu Qingyang's stern face paused, hesitating as if he had mistaken his ears—either藤远 was bold enough to jest with his superiors, or he had simply misheard. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke with a tone laced with anticipation, his voice steady: "Master Yuan Shi killed Black Wandering?" At that moment, Fu Qingyang's expression grew serious, his full attention focused on the sound, on the small phone in his hands. On the teaching building's rooftop, the curly-haired teddy dog, known for its strong hearing, also picked up the voice through the phone. With its paws resting along the edge of the rooftop, it lowered its head, its deep button-like eyes fixed intently without blinking. "Yes, and it was a solo victory—we arrived to find Black Wandering already dead." Though藤远's voice remained weak, it sounded like a heavenly melody to Fu Qingyang and the dog elder. The dog elder lowered its head even further and immediately asked, "Ask him—did he receive the Fallen Holy Cup?" Fu Qingyang nodded slightly and said, "Did he receive the Fallen Holy Cup?" "As soon as he finished speaking, he heard Yuan Shi's voice, coming from a distance, saying, 'Black Wu has clearly seen the tide turning. He has bowed low and offered the Fallen Holy Grail, asking only for my mercy. But I am angry, and I will not forgive him.' Fu Qingyang automatically ignored the rest of the message. For the first time, the usually stern expression on his face softened into genuine delight. Yet over the phone, his tone remained as composed and detached as ever, characteristic of a leader: 'Understood. Tell me the address, and I'll come right away.' Teng Yuan: 'We're already en route to the school and will be back within three minutes.' Fu Qingyang had to suppress the excitement bubbling within him, and simply replied, 'Good!' After hanging up, he turned his head to look at the dog elder, who had materialized from the rooftop at an instant. 'You're not leaving yet?' Fu Qingyang was surprised. Aside from his junior stewards, the dog elder rarely appeared in official company. Yet clearly, he was here to wait. The dog elder smiled warmly. 'How can I feel at ease and return home without seeing the Fallen Holy Grail?' Besides, we should meet our new talents from the Five Elements Alliance. "Hah, Sun Elder is clearly mistaken. Once he emerges from the Spiritual Realm, I’ll personally thank him. Qingyang, Yuansheng Tianzun was recruited by Li Dongze under your command. The more achievements he makes, the more valuable he becomes to you. When the headquarters evaluates an individual’s merit, the accomplishments of those under their command are also counted." Fu Qingyang nodded. "I plan to bring him into the 'White Guard Division' and focus on cultivating him." Dog Elder paused and said, "Agreed—on one condition: he must pass the comprehensive physical examination." As they were speaking, a group of people arrived under the starlight, shielding a young man at the very center. Dog Elder immediately fell silent. When Teng Yuan led the group into the campus, Fu Qingyang glanced at Zhang Yuanqing, who was pale among the crowd, and gave a slight nod. "How is his condition?" Zhang Yuanqing smiled weakly. "He’s been poisoned. The poison is now mostly cleared." Fu Qingyang finally felt at ease and added, "Later, have Qingteng Captain take your pulse and clear any lingering toxins." Upon saying this, he turned to Teng Yuan. The middle-aged man pushed his glasses up slightly and said, "I've arranged for the body of Hei Wuchang to be transported; I'll bring it over shortly. Also, during the battle between Yuan Shishen and Hei Wuchang, an elderly man was struck with a venomous illness— I've already transferred him to the local police station." After hearing the update, Fu Qingyang turned to Zhang Yuanqing to inquire about the Holy Cup. Suddenly, he noticed the young man bustling over to the dog elder, kneeling down and vigorously rubbing the dog's head, praising it with enthusiasm. "Captain, is this your dog? It's fighting with you—bringing the dog into battle! I know the Blossom Guild members can command animals in combat—do you have some kind of device?" "This dog is quite human-like! It seems dissatisfied with my head rubs and is now glaring at me with a sideways gaze." The Qingteng and Bai Long, along with others, didn't notice anything amiss, but Guan Ya, who was well-informed, stared in astonishment and despair at the scene. Fu Qingyang glanced at the dog elder whose head was being vigorously rubbed back and forth, then at Zhang Yuanqing, who was clearly enthusiastic, and said calmly, "You really enjoy petting animals?" "Not particularly, but this one seems so stiff and unyielding—I find myself compelled to rub it. It mustn't be an ordinary Poodle. Does it have any special abilities?" "It can remove you from your position, expel you from the Five Elements Alliance, and issue a formal warrant for your pursuit throughout the realm." "Hmm," Zhang Yuanqing paused, sensing something was off. "This is one of the five elders of the Songhai Branch—my direct superior. Wait, what are you doing kneeling down like that? What's this about?" "My legs are weak—no, actually, the Centurion is being most kind. Shouldn't we, as subordinates, be honored to welcome such a great elder?" Zhang Yuanqing bowed deeply. "May the Elder reign for ages, unify the realm!" The wavy-haired Teddy dog glanced at him with a steady gaze, his voice deep and weathered, speaking in human words: "It's been twenty years since anyone dared to touch my head. You're quite interesting, young man—bring out the Holy Grail." Zhang Yuanqing immediately opened his inventory and summoned the Fallen Holy Grail. He didn't intend to keep the rule-based item to himself. First, the circumstances didn't allow it—the street cameras and his appeal to Chief Fujun both ensured he couldn't conceal the matter. Moreover, his primary objective was the roster, not the Grail itself. On the other hand, the Grail was already damaged, and restoring high-level rule-based items would remain beyond his reach for a long time to come. Therefore, exchanging the Grail for merit points, cash, or item rewards was clearly more advantageous. Everyone's attention immediately turned to the now-cracked, elegant crystal cup. Staring at the empty crystal cup, the Dog Elder narrowed his button eyes, paused for several seconds, then said, "Well done, Yuanshi—let me call you Yuanshi from now on, your name is hard to pronounce. Indeed, you defeated Black Immutability, claimed the Holy Cup, and deserve the top credit. The organization will reward you." "Thank you, Elder." Zhang Yuanqing bowed immediately. "You must have the grace of a true talent," the Dog Elder remarked. "The Elder is right. May the Elder live forever." Zhang Yuanqing bowed again. ...The Dog Elder extended his paw, and the Fallen Holy Cup floated upward on its own, vanishing in a flash of soft light. Turning to Fu Qingyang, he said, "You'll handle the follow-up." With that, a pool of jade-green light enveloped him and then dissipated. Fu Qingyang methodically assigned tasks—this included securing the school and managing nearby surveillance cameras, among others. Finally, he looked at Zhang Yuanqing and said, "Yuanshi, come with me." The two of them walked side by side toward the heart of the campus. The others went about their own affairs, while Guan Ya kept her eyes fixed on them. …… Two a.m., Fu Family Villa. At the wide-screen computer, Fu Qingyang sat upright, observing the five elders appearing one by one on the screen. Once everyone had joined, the elderly elder, with a weathered yet steady tone, said: "The Saint's Cup incident has concluded, and we have confirmed the death of Hei Wu Chang. Yet the matter is far from over. I have already dispatched the list of fallen members to all regional branches, urging them to initiate searches and arrests. Additionally, during this battle, two members of the Night Rose Clan intervened—one a Day-Wandering Deity at the Sovereign Realm, and one a Saint-level Fire Master." The elder from Chìhuǒ Clan snorted, his robust voice cutting through: "I will report this to the Grand Marshal and investigate the Saint-level steward. If it's confirmed that this steward is a member of Chìhuǒ Clan, I will personally dismantle this traitor." The elderly elder expressed displeasure: "Pay attention to your wording. Furthermore, there's more to the fall of the Saint's Cup incident than meets the eye, Qingyang Fu Qingyang's concise report: "The account of the battle at Songhai Third Primary School has already been shared with all the elders. I will not elaborate further. I would like to explain how the Yuanshiyuan discovered Hei Wuxiang. He possesses a tool capable of locating treasures. During his period of patrolling the convenience store, this tool sensed a connection with the Fallen Holy Cup, thus guiding him to Hei Wuxiang. In this regard, I see no need for doubt. Surveillance footage along the route confirms he indeed made his way step by step, and I have personally tested him for potential deception. Moreover, upon first seeing Hei Wuxiang, he immediately sought assistance—an action that further demonstrates he did not have prior knowledge of Hei Wuxiang's location." At this moment, a voice rich with the magnetic tone of a mature woman, yet slightly somber, interjected: "A treasure-hunting tool? How does he possess a tool associated with the 'Void' profession?" Fu Qingyang replied: "All I need to confirm is whether he has been lying. In my view, subordinates' privacy should not be compromised." Pausing for a few seconds, seeing the Water God Palace elder had no objections, Fu Qingyang continued: "As for Black Wuchang's death, it wasn't directly related to him. Black Wuchang was killed by a mysterious figure... At that time, Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun was covered by a red veil and didn't see the figure's appearance. The surveillance footage can testify to that, yet it fails to capture the mysterious person. The footage shows only that the two stood in tense silence for a moment before Black Wuchang suddenly died unexpectedly." The middle hall elder spoke gently, "It's normal that the surveillance fails to capture the figure. Among you, what are your impressions of Black Wuchang's conversation with the mysterious person?" The woman with a沉静 yet magnetic voice responded: "She clearly knew Black Wuchang, but what exactly does 'time' and 'place' mean? Does it refer to the Night-Wanderer's ability to glimpse fate? It still seems off." In the online conference room, silence fell. After a few seconds, Dog Elder spoke: "Let's set this aside for now. I've already reported it to headquarters and will see what the chieftains decide. I'm more curious about the identity of this mysterious figure. He erased Black Inconstant's spiritual form—clearly wanting to keep his identity hidden. Yet, a more secure approach would have been to eliminate Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun as well, and yet he didn't." He said there were no anomalies—so there must be none. The elder of the White Tiger army mused, "He took away the items left behind by the Magistrate of the Demon, yet showed no interest in the Fallen Holy Cup. This person's rank is surely no less than ours. Has the Magistrate truly perished?" The elder of the Dog clan said, "The Master of Taiyuan has confirmed the Magistrate's demise—there can be no error. Hm. If he were wrong, then there would be no truth in the world at all." The elder of the White Tiger army continued, "Then we may accept the Magistrate's death as settled. I am not questioning the death itself; rather, since there is a deeper mystery behind the Holy Cup incident, our attention should not be confined solely to the subsequent developments involving Black Inconstant carrying the cup in secret. We must also consider the battle that led to the simultaneous deaths of both the Magistrate of the Demon and the Judge of the Strange Eye." Fu Qingyang interjected, "I too wonder why the Magistrate chose to kill the Judge of the Strange Eye. According to the elders' assessment, the Magistrate was only one step away from reaching the "... In the bedroom, Zhang Yuanqing stood before the full-length mirror by the window, gently wiping the damp strands of hair from his head. It was now two in the morning. After returning home, he had washed away his fatigue and felt refreshed. Thanks to the therapeutic effects of the Huabai Hu Dan, the residual toxins in his body had been cleared ahead of schedule, and aside from a slight weakness, he felt no discomfort at all. 'The steady one's precious pearl has shattered, and the red dance shoes have been soiled, alas—I'll have to ask Fu Qingyang tomorrow whether there's any way to restore their purity. The rewards the organization has granted me should be sufficient to compensate for both my personal and material losses...' Regarding the red dance shoes, he wasn't particularly concerned; purification of soiling was precisely the specialty of the Night-Wanderer God, and he could simply seek assistance from the Five Elements Alliance through the Taiyuan Sect. What truly stayed with him, however, was the mysterious figure who appeared today. That person's presence signaled that the incident involving the Fallen Holy Cup must have a deeper, more concealed layer of significance." "The little sun inside the Cup—my intuition tells me it's something extraordinary. Well, at my current level, possessing it would be dangerous. Honestly, it seems out of my reach... " Drying his hair, Zhang Yuanqing lay lazily on the bed, summoning his cheerful little companion. While gently stroking the child's head, he produced the "Hayman." This item was a prize from his own collection and had not been handed over together with the Cup and the register. Holding the Hayman, after a few seconds, item details appeared in his vision: 【Name: The Cursed Hayman】 【Type: Special Item】 【Function: Impurity, Curse】 【Description: A figure woven from wild grasses that grow in cursed lands. It harbors deep malice toward all things in the world, polluting its surroundings and dragging them into the depths of decay.】 【Note: If one day you notice a pig suddenly becoming refined and elegant, then you've arrived. Congratulations—you've become one of the fallen. Wow, I suddenly understand why Black Unusual's XP has been getting so odd lately... Zhang Yuanqing seriously considered whether to keep this item. He felt that the beautiful young lady wearing black stockings was worth pursuing, while the black-stocking sow wasn't. Zhang Yuanqing quickly returned the scarecrow to his inventory, as if it were uncomfortably hot. Sleep now. When he wakes up, he'll hand this thing in and exchange it for something less daunting. Zhang Yuanqing covered himself with the blanket and closed his eyes. At that moment, the Cat King speaker, which had been sitting in the drawer of his desk, began emitting a faint static hum. Zhang Yuanqing immediately sat up, pulled the blanket aside, and sat at his desk, opening the drawer to retrieve the speaker and place it on the table. Over time, Zhang Yuanqing gradually figured out its patterns—he would spontaneously sing during the day, but rarely play anything related to the Magician. And whenever the static hum sounded at night, it meant he was replaying a past audio segment. A hum of current persisted, then a heavy, labored breathing filled the speaker. A man's breathing. Interwoven with painful groans, it sounded as though the speaker were enduring immense suffering. What on earth was going on? Good thing Grandma had already fallen asleep—should she hear this, her discontent with society would only grow. Zhang Yuanqing silently held the speaker and stepped into the night. After a long while, the heavy breathing faded, and a familiar, low voice emerged: "The侵蚀 of the Holy Grail is growing stronger. I am becoming less and less like myself. I long for violence, for playing with women… No, this is not truly me." "I don't believe the Holy Grail's control is insurmountable. I will find a way to break free from it." "The Enigmatic Eye Judge, I will kill you. One day, I will kill you." This was the voice of the Mage King.