…Seeing the smartphone in operation, Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of "Crap!" rising to his throat. Clearly, the bearded man had called Xiaohou Tianyuan before the battle and left the phone here. All the commotion from the fight—including that one line from the bearded man about the "Night Wandering Deity"—had been heard by Xiaohou Tianyuan. That meant Xiaohou Tianyuan knew that it was a Night Wandering Deity who had killed his subordinate and taken the hostage. Given how rare Night Wandering Deities were, considering their stance on issues at Zhishake Palace, and given their relationship with Wang Qian—any reasonable person would have suspected precisely him first. Was he really a Fire Master? Really a Fire Master? Did a Fire Master possess such insight? Zhang Yuanqing angrily cursed under his breath, bent down to pick up the smartphone, and spoke in a hoarse voice: "Hey?" "Yuan Shi Tian Zun—is it you?" A calm voice came through the speaker: "You don’t need to get involved in this. I have no intention of being your enemy. The people you killed—I won't pursue those matters. Just leave that woman behind and go. Our grievances are settled. In fact, I can offer you several props—or whatever else you’d like—just don’t hang up." Xiaohou Tianyuan was on his way here now; he desperately needed to buy time and stabilize Yuan Shi Tian Zun. Zhang Yuanqing scoffed, "I’m not Yuan Shi Tian Zun—I'm just a mere young officer!" He hung up and tossed the smartphone into the fire, then kicked open the closed door with one swift motion. With a sharp "clang," Zhang Yuanqing rushed into the bedroom, scanning quickly. In a corner by the window, a woman dressed in a black dress and white T-shirt sat huddled against the wall, her hair wild, her head unbound, her wrists and ankles tightly wrapped in thick adhesive tape. She stared at the stranger who had burst through the door—her face pale like that of an overstartled quail. "Don't be afraid," Zhang Yuanqing said gently, extending his hand to his waist where he drew forth a bloodthirsty blade from "emptiness." With a light flick of the wrist, he cut through the tape on her wrists and ankles. "Are you a security officer?" The woman appeared utterly worn out, her eyes shadowed with sadness, yet now they began to spark with renewed brightness. She had a pleasant face—somewhat resembling Wang Qian—and belonged to that refined, graceful type of beauty. Possibly due to being near labor, she was very well-built and curvaceous, though her waist remained slender. "Can't waste time," Zhang Yuanqing said, grabbing her firmly, "We’ve got a fire outside now." "Can you walk on your own?" "Yes… yes…" Wang Qian stammered. The two of them moved quickly from the room, the air thick with smoky odors that made Wang Qian cough continuously but who still refused to stop, clinging closely behind the young officer. At the living room, Zhang Yuanqing continued speaking rapidly as they walked: "I saw a black car parked at the entrance—was it theirs?" "Yes… I was brought here by a black car…" Wang Qian’s face turned pale when she saw the bodies being consumed by flames in the living room. Zhang Yuanqing immediately pulled the Fire Master’s body from the scene and began searching among the four others, asking as he went: "Was there only one group of four who kidnapped you?" While speaking, he had already extracted a set of car keys from the older man's pocket. "Yes… yes…" Wang Qian’s complexion grew even paler—she was just an ordinary person; she’d never seen such a scene of bloodied bodies before. Were all these people killed by this young officer? Zhang Yuanqing handed the keys to Wang Qian, speaking rapidly: "Hold on to the car keys—go!" Then he bent down and picked up two bodies in his arms, grasped the ankles of another two and dragged them along, taking Wang Qian with him as they dashed out of the villa. Wang Qian kept glancing back, stunned by how effortlessly the young officer carried hundreds of kilograms while moving at a swift pace. "Open doors, open locks—quick!" Zhang Yuanqing called out. He quickly scanned around—he noticed the villa area wasn’t particularly crowded now; it was still early in the morning, and no one had passed through. As for whether there were any surveillance cameras on the roadside or anyone inside nearby watching through windows—he didn’t care anymore. What mattered was that the footage would clearly show Xiaohou Tianyuan’s face. Wang Qian pressed the lock button and slowly opened the car door with trembling hands. Zhang Yuanqing tossed the four bodies into the back seat, seized the keys from her hand, then looked sharply at the stunned woman before saying: "Get in!" He swung open the driver's side door and stepped inside. When Zhang Yuanqing was still in his second year of high school, he had passed all the driving exams—driving schools offered discounts to attract students back then, promising a full summer training could lead to certification. His aunt heard this and thought it was excellent, so she paid for him to enroll. He passed all four subjects on the first try, and his instructor remarked that he had exceptional talent—he was clearly a natural driver. But after getting his license, Zhang Yuanqing never touched the car again. What did "PRND" mean? Wasn’t this different from a manual transmission? As he stared at the gear positions, his expression suddenly stiffened. "Do you know how to drive?" "Yes." "You take the wheel—then." They quickly exchanged positions. Wang Qian pressed the start button and held tightly onto the steering wheel, her hands trembling as she stepped fully on the gas pedal. The black sedan sped smoothly through the villa’s streets, Zhang Yuanqing worried about being blocked at the gate by Xiaohou Tianyuan and kept urging her to move forward. After just over a minute, the villa entrance appeared ahead of them—Zhang Yuanqing said firmly: "Don’t stop—crash through!" "Are you really a security officer?" Wang Qian asked in a shaky tone. "Stop talking—just drive through!" He repeated with added emphasis. Wang Qian clenched her teeth, straightened her spine, and pushed down the gas pedal to the full. Under the roar of the engine, the black car surged past the gate’s barrier and continued on its way. "To the Kan Yang District Security Office!" Zhang Yuanqing said, then leaned back against the seat, closing his eyes and resting. His original plan had been to eliminate the kidnappers, save Wang Qian, and remain anonymous so that Xiaohou Tianyuan would question Zhishake Palace. But now, with his identity likely exposed, his initial plan no longer held—so he needed to rethink everything. Well, I’m still young—but I’ve got a backup plan… Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes, pulled out the smartphone and dialed Fu Qingyang’s number. The phone rang five times before connecting; through the speaker came Fu Qingyang's calm, restrained voice: "What is it?" "Fu Bai Fu Chang—I've completed my due process of justice." "And what’s the outcome?" "I’ve rescued the target. During the course of the action, four kidnappers resisted fiercely—now they’re all dead. I’m currently transporting both the bodies and the hostage to the Kan Yang District Security Office for instructions!" "Excellent!" Fu Qingyang said with approval. "Bring back the bodies—you needn’t worry about the spiritual elements; have Taiyi Gate personnel arrive. We need dual charges. I’ll issue an order now—arrest Xiaohou Tianyuan under the charge of threatening public peace and security." Zhang Yuanqing exhaled, then added: "But with just this offense, won't it be enough to seriously impact Xiaohou Tianyuan?" Fu Qingyang responded in a calm, composed tone—words that stunned Zhang Yuanqing: "Xiaohou Tianyuan may have committed not only offenses against public peace and security, but also hired violence charges, intentional homicide, intentional injury, rape, prostitution, and organizing sexual services. I’ll need to investigate thoroughly." I’m still so young… Zhang Yuanqing said next. "What about Xiaohou Xin?" Fu Qingyang replied quietly: "That will depend on how we interrogate Xiaohou Tianyuan." A brilliant idea! Zhang Yuanqing added: "And what about the Xiaohou Family?" …Fu Qingyang responded calmly: "Just keep it moderate—don’t go overboard." "Understood, Bai Fu Chang!" Zhang Yuanqing hung up. ... On another side of the scene, three imported business cars sped toward the villa complex. The vehicles stopped outside the villa where Xiaohou Tianyuan saw a group of property staff holding hoses or fire extinguishers rushing to contain the blaze. A thick plume of smoke poured out from open windows. Xiaohou Tianyuan’s face was pale, his expression rigid—he sat in silence as the security attendants opened and stepped into the villa. Soon, one of the guards returned quickly and bowed at the window: "The bodies—and that woman—have been taken." Even the bodies have been removed… Xiaohou Tianyuan clenched his jaw, muscles bulging visibly—he suppressed his anger and dialed his father, Xiaohou Xin. "Father, the woman has been taken by official authorities—the one I beat up on that day—I didn’t know how they found her here. All my staff who were stationed in the villa have been killed—bodies taken too. What should I do now?" At this point, Xiaohou Tianyuan felt truly uneasy. The Xiaohou Family had operated for many years and had long-standing connections with several members of the Five Elements Alliance—some holding positions or receiving benefits from them. But the Five Elements Alliance was large and complex in its structure—with various factions—and not all of them held deep reservations about the Xiaohou Family. With no tangible evidence and without public exposure, others were reluctant to press hard on the family; but once such proof surfaced—then things would change dramatically. "What's there to be nervous about?" Xiaohou Xin remained composed, after a moment’s thought: "Go and make your formal statement right away." "Make a statement? How can I do that?" Xiaohou Tianyuan raised his voice, suddenly realizing. "Meaning?" Xiaohou Xin nodded softly with steady tone: "Who should you report to—don’t I know?" Relieved and smiling, Xiaohou Tianyed said: "I understand." Of course—he would report directly to the official officers who were close allies of the Xiaohou Family—as a means of seeking protection. He absolutely could not be handed over to someone outside their circle—such as Fu Qingyang from the Kan Yang District Organization Office. After hanging up, Xiaohou Tianyuan’s smile faded; he struck one hard punch against the back of his chair and said firmly: "Yuan Shi Tian Zun—I’m going to dispatch you. I’ll uncover your real identity—and make you pay!" ... In the speeding car, Zhang Yuanqing turned on the smartphone screen, opened a messaging app, and sent a message to Wang Qian: "Your sister is safe."