"Buzz… buzz…" The King Cat speaker emitted a hum of electricity, then settled into quiet. Zhang Yuanqing sat motionless at his desk, his mind, however, in a state of turbulent activity—thousands of thoughts swirling, waves crashing, tangled in chaos. After an indeterminate length of time, he finally broke free from the emotional turmoil, pressing his fingers against his brow and sighed, "Well, it turns out you're also a servant of the Judge of the Strange Eye!" It makes perfect sense to assign one's subordinates—servants—to undermine the Lawful Wardens within the jurisdiction of the Eastern Branch of the Spiritual Energy Association. Yuan Ting from the Taiyuan Sect has mentioned that the Demon King is capricious and proud, often treating Lawful and Evil professions as if they were one homogeneous group. This is because the Night-Wanderer, a Lawful profession, represents the Lawful path; when Lawful beings eliminate other Lawful beings, especially those with high prestige, the Demon King risks losing his moral standing. Therefore, to avoid being formally pursued and removed by the Spiritual Realm, the Demon King must actively hunt down Evil professions. Zhang Yuanqing continued to ponder. Now that he understood the magic king's motive for hunting down the Ghost-Eye Judge, combined with the mysterious figure... His face suddenly grew pale, and a chilling inference emerged in his mind: If the magic king is the servant of the Ghost-Eye Judge, then his identity must be recorded in the official registry. If, if that mysterious figure is indeed someone from the magic king's side, then the reason he tore out a page from the registry isn't to conceal Bingge's identity—but precisely because Bingge's name and records appear on the very same page. "That doesn't make sense. If the magic king hasn't died, how did Bingge obtain his character card? After all, Li Dongze once mentioned that character cards are issued by the Spiritual Realm. But my character card was given to me by Bingge himself..." As he thought this, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly felt a sharp chill run down his spine. "If the mysterious figure is truly the magic king, then the reason he didn't kill me becomes deeply unsettling. No, I must verify whether he has actually died." Zhang Yuanqing rubbed his face, steadied his composure, and took out a notebook from the drawer, writing: "How do Journeyers in the Spirit Realm resolve character lockouts?" "How can one obtain another character's card?" By clarifying these two questions, I can likely deduce many details—though I absolutely must not ask the official representatives, especially Fu Qingyang. He knows far too much. Zhang Yuanqing rotated his ballpoint pen, and in his mind, a clear target emerged: Master Wuhen! Master Wuhen is a chaotic, evil-oriented character, entirely separate from the lawful, orderly factions. Since he belongs to the chaotic good alignment, he poses neither hostility nor threat to them, and given his high level of expertise, approaching him would be preferable to seeking out Master Zhi Sha, the head of the Stop-Death Palace. Though the Palace Master is lawful, she's simply too eccentric. "Whether there's something to do or not, I can always drop by Master Wuhen's place, give him a warm greeting, cling to his leg for support, and persistently ask for the Dream-Weaving Scroll—unless he specifically tells me otherwise." Zhang Yuanqing is confident in both his social skills and his tenacity. Once he made up his mind, he tucked away the Cat King speaker, covered himself with the blanket, and drifted off to sleep soundly. "The deceased's family believes he was murdered. They've been complaining at the police station since early this morning—today's been quite a busy day..." He was indeed murdered. A loud cry from him had even stunned the Black Messenger, and I barely had time to save him. Zhang Yuanqing sighed quietly. Old Mr. and Mrs. Song have always been strong-willed. If they're unhappy, they'll dare to shout at even the King or the Emperor. Unfortunately, they've been up against the Black Messenger, who's a real tough nut. After Chen Yuanjun left for work, Zhang Yuanqing took a bite of his baozi and asked, "Grandmother, where's Auntie?" "She's sleeping in the house. It's Sunday today, and I've just decided not to bother her anymore." Grandmother served him a piece of oil cake and then pulled out five hundred yuan from her pocket, saying, "Here's next week's living expenses." "Thank you, Grandmother." Zhang Yuanqing, though a man worth five hundred thousand, never refuses the family's living allowance. After all, he's been cutting his way through life, surviving on blood and treasure—now, he's no longer short of money. Grandma generously paid 500 yuan and then went into the balcony to water the flowers. At that moment, Xiao'ai, wearing a pink cotton robe with a Pikachu print on her chest, stepped out in her slippers, making soft tapping sounds. She yawned lazily, her hair messy and flowing freely, exuding a sense of relaxed indolence. Though Xiao'ai was typically sweet and graceful, her figure was quite sturdy—Pikachu had even gained a bit of weight. Jiang Yu E sat down beside her nephew and called out, "Mom, where's my porridge?" "Didn't you go to the kitchen yourself to serve it?" Grandma scolded. Jiang Yu E cooed, "Mom, aren't you starting to love me less?" "Get out!" Jiang Yu E sighed and meekly went to the kitchen. When Zhang Yuanqing and Xiao'ai returned with the white porridge, they asked, "We didn't even play games last night—why are you so late?" "My period came!" "You get your period twice a month, don't you?" "You're so talkative!" "Uncle lifted her hand, delivering a fierce slap across her nephew's head with a crisp 'duang': 'When did it become your turn, a junior, to be so pushy and stubborn in front of me?' Just after asserting her authority, the young nephew pinned her hands behind her back and pressed her flat onto the dining table. Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the proud, slightly pouty backside of his aunt, and an unbidden thought flashed through his mind: Such a beautiful backside—wasted on a short, fat tail, really... *Oh no!* He mentally cursed, immediately releasing her and straightening up. Just as he was about to call his mother to witness how his nephew had been treating her, he paused: 'How come you've suddenly gone soft?' Zhang Yuanqing gave a cold laugh: 'A woman—you no longer captivate me.' He silently added, in his heart, with a tearful undertone: 'The sow is gradually making her way into my life...' 'Shall we go shopping later?' Jiang Yuyi asked. 'No, I have an appointment in the morning. I'll see how the afternoon unfolds.' ... In the dimly lit room, the warm glow of the orange desk lamp Before the brown wooden desk, the sturdy man gave a soft "pop," removing the cork from the glass test tube and drinking the pale golden liquid in one go. He exhaled a satisfied sigh, and the sword and claw marks scattered across his body rapidly healed, leaving no scars. Then, turning to the black-robed senior abbot standing by the window watching the rain, the fire master spoke solemnly: "I just received the news—Black Immutability has been killed, and the Holy Cup now lies in the hands of the Songhai Branch. Senior Abbot, we have no chance left." The senior abbot at the window remained silent, gazing at the rain, and after a long pause, his voice came out hoarse: "Who killed Black Immutability?" The fire master scoffed, "The Prime Sovereign. According to official records, he just earned an A-level merit. Hmph—A-level merit. I remember that to become a senior elder, one needs not only sufficient rank but also at least one A-level merit. If Black Immutability hadn't been killed by him, how could the Prime Sovereign have earned his A-level?" "Master Da Hufa said: 'Find a way to kill him, and simultaneously release the news that Black Immortal has been defeated, and the roster has fallen into the hands of the Five Elements Alliance—this will stir the fallen members on the roster.' ... At 9:30 a.m., Zhang Yuanqing walked into the lobby of the 'Wu Chen Hotel' with a backpack on his back, smiling warmly, and headed straight for the front desk. 'Aunt Xiao Yuan, I'm here again,' Zhang Yuanqing said, approaching the desk. The vibrant aunt, dressed in a deep red suit with a white shirt, glanced at him and said calmly, 'What's this time about?' 'I'm here to thank Aunt Xiao Yuan for her help last time. Black Immortal has indeed been defeated—the Saint's Cup incident is now resolved,' Zhang Yuanqing said, opening the zipper of his backpack and placing a stack of cash on the desk. 'Here's ten thousand; the extra five thousand is my personal contribution.' 'Black Immortal is dead?' Aunt Xiao Yuan raised an eyebrow, her initially composed expression revealing surprise, followed by a sense of apprehension. The Five Elements Alliance's capabilities surpassed her expectations, uncovering and defeating Black Immortal so swiftly. She furrowed her delicate brows, saying, "I recall that the matter was assigned to the official from Kangyang District, Fu Qingyang, the commander of the White Tiger troops." Zhang Yuanqing: "It was him—though in this incident, I am truly the one who deserves the credit." Xiao Yuan directly ignored his words, growing increasingly wary of Fu Qingyang. Then, she turned her attention to the thick stack of cash, paused silently, and accepted ten thousand. Like their group, which thrives in the narrow space between survival and official oversight, they face moral constraints and regular searches by official envoys, making their income sources extremely limited. While their lives are not exactly strained, they are far from affluent. Without sufficient funds, they face significant difficulties—maintaining channels, gathering information, conducting transactions, and so on. Even the spiritual travelers need to live. Seeing Xiao Yuan accept the money, Zhang Yuanqing immediately added, "Actually, I have one more request, though it's somewhat unkind." Xiao Yuan's heart sank. "I would like to meet Master Wuhen," Zhang Yuanqing said with sincere earnestness. Li Xiao Yuan glanced at the money in her hands, her eyes briefly fluttering, then frowned and said coldly, "Wait a moment! I can only ask on your behalf. Whether or not you see Master Wuhen is entirely up to him." With that, she stepped briskly, her heels clicking, toward the elevator. A few minutes later, the elevator descended, and Ms. Xiao Yuan returned, nodding firmly. "Go ahead!" Zhang Yuanqing took the elevator to the fourth floor and stopped in front of the second room on the left—Room 404. He grasped the door handle and gently turned it. At once, the scene seemed to ripple and distort. The door vanished, the hotel corridor transformed into a spacious, elegant hall, the red carpet beneath his feet became worn stone tiles. Beneath the ceiling, adorned with a profusion of celestial deities, a golden Buddha sat, holding a lotus flower, his expression both compassionate, solemn, and stern. Zhang Yuanqing bowed respectfully to the figure seated on the cushion. "Master Wuhen." "What is it "The young disciple has two questions, which I would like to ask the Master." Zhang Yuanqing said, "How can a Lingjing Xingzhe release the character card binding without dying? And how can I obtain others' character cards?" Master Wuhen paused for a few seconds, then slowly replied, "Any Lingjing Xingzhe can only release the character card binding through death. Even the five Grand Masters of the Wu Xing Alliance—the highest leaders of the evil organization—are no exception." "As for how to obtain others' character cards, I haven't heard of such a method. However, based on my limited experience, there must be a prerequisite: one must be within the Lingjing itself." Can even the five Grand Masters release their character card bindings? Given Master Wuhen's rank and status, his confidence in making this statement surely stems from solid assurance. So the Magistrate truly died? I can understand that character cards can only be obtained while one is within the Lingjing, since upon a Xingzhe's death, the Lingjing recovers the character cards. To 'seize' them, one must therefore be present within the Lingjing. No master of the Unseen Trace could have imagined such a maneuver, yet Bing had accomplished it. Zhang Yuanqing paused and asked, "Given that the souls of high-level Night-Wanderers are immortal, is there a possibility of apparent death?" "If there's apparent death, the Character Card remains unrevoked; once the Character Card is revoked, death is certain," said the Master of the Unseen Trace. Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing's own conjecture began to waver. The Grand Master of Tai Monastery claimed the Magus was dead, and the Master of the Unseen Trace affirmed that revoking the Character Card signifies death—so was his own reasoning more reliable than that of these two esteemed figures? Clearly not. Then, if the mysterious figure is not the Magus, who then is it? Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly and said, "Thank you, Master, for clarifying this." The Master of the Unseen Trace replied calmly, "Since our factions differ and you are a member of the official organization, I suggest we part ways from now on. The Five-Element Alliance's health screening is no mere formality—do not jeopardize your own position." Indeed, the sturdy leg was not so easy to hold... Zhang As soon as the words fell, the scenes within the hall gradually took on a dreamlike, ethereal effect before fading away. He found himself back at the door of Room 404. Ah, the jade talisman that helped Little Green Tea enter her dreams hadn't been used yet. She's not an official member either. From time to time in the future, I can have her come and guide the way—should she refuse, I'll have a dozen reasons ready. Can't you feel sorry for your brother? "Miss Xiao Yuan said calmly, 'But this time, you've only seen my face once.' 'Your spiritual body has been contaminated—not deeply. The affected areas won't significantly alter your personality, but they correspond to 'desire.''" ... Zhang Yuanqing cleared his throat and asked tentatively, "May I ask, then?" Miss Xiao Yuan replied calmly, "A Level 5 Wu Gu Shi." Zhang Yuanqing's demeanor changed instantly, as if a patient who had long suffered had found a skilled physician, speaking rapidly, "Indeed, Miss Xiao Yuan. Recently, I've obtained a piece of equipment for the Wu Gu Shi profession. The cost of this item is that it will gradually shift my orientation—not just in terms of gender, but in species. To be honest, I found my aunt today rather surprising—she doesn't seem like a pig at all, and I'm quite disappointed. 'Yet I haven't used it. I've simply placed it in my inventory.'" "Miss Xiao Yuan's eyes held pity: 'Some items come at a cost—slow, steady influence that never stops. But once you place them in your inventory, they recognize you as their master, and the influence begins to take effect. Others, however, impose a visible, tangible cost—something you only pay for upon use, not before. The decline of the Wuzhu (Witch-Healer) profession falls into the first category.' Zhang Yuanqing listened with growing alarm and immediately said, 'Auntie, I'd like to sell you this item at a discount.' Miss Xiao Yuan chuckled, 'Why would I want it? To gradually develop a romantic interest in the boar, perhaps?' You keep it, then. Zhang Yuanqing looked utterly defeated. ... What a frustrating item—more frustrating than the heavenly chrysanthem incense burner that poisoned the entire clan. As Zhang Yuanqing stepped out of the hotel, he found himself deeply troubled over how to handle the 'Hayman' item. Undoubtedly powerful, this item is capable of tainting and corroding even the Red Slippers—on par with a strategic weapon in battles of equal strength." Yet the cost was truly unbearable. Hei Muzheng was an evil profession—utterly flawed—completely indifferent to the shift in species orientation, while Xiao Yuan-ai's reluctance stemmed from the fact that she didn't feel evil herself and still harbored a sincere sense of goodness. Therefore, she chose to forgo the opportunity to strengthen herself. I, too, have a heart full of goodwill... Zhang Yuanqing made up her mind: "Indeed, I'll hand it over to the organization in exchange for the items." As she was thinking this, her phone rang—Fu Qingyang was calling. "Hello, Captain?" Zhang Yuanqing answered. "Come by my office," Fu Qingyang said, "our branch has finalized your rewards. In addition to your merits and bonus, the elders have decided to bestow upon you two items, chosen from a total of ten." Fu Qingyang's voice remained as cool as ever, yet to Zhang Yuanqing, it sounded like the very embodiment of fortune-bringing child. "Excellent, Captain!" Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed.