Guan Ya was stunned. Her first reaction was skepticism—doubt. She opened the post and read it carefully: it described Yuan Shi Tian Zun being unexpectedly attacked last night, killed at home with an unknown cause of death. The details of the incident were not elaborated on in depth. But experienced official Pilgrims immediately grasped the implication. An assassination! With a mysterious cause of death and an unusual manner of passing, such circumstances clearly pointed to a stealthy killing. At the Long Hai Branch, as well as at other regional branches, officials read through the post and were incensed—deeply empathizing with their colleagues being targeted for murder. “Who did it? The Ling Neng Organization or the Xiaohou Family? Is this a direct challenge to our Five Elements Alliance?” “It can't be the Xiaohou Family, can it? Yuan Shi Tian Zun holds a B-level honor; would they go mad enough to assassinate him? If they truly intended to do so, surely the Council of Elders and the Alliance Leaders would sanction them.” “Are all the Long Hai Branch staff just incompetent? Couldn't even protect such a talent! I just checked the Taiyi Gate Forum—the entire section is mocking us, saying our Five Elements Alliance can barely hold on to its own personnel.” “And what does this have to do with Long Hai? It’s the Kangyang District people who are lacking!” “So he died that way? A real pity…” Guan Ya’s complexion looked pale. After reviewing several comments, she logged off from the Forum and still didn’t believe the content. She then opened her contacts list and dialed Yuan Shi’s phone number. If he answered, she would casually joke with him—how could he be dead yet still alive? If he didn’t answer—if he didn’t answer… “Sorry. The number you’ve called has gone off-line. Please try again later!” Guan Ya's expression began to crumble gradually—her face grew ashen. She stood motionless for several seconds, then suddenly grabbed her handbag and rushed toward the staircase, her figure unsteady and hurried. She needed to verify this at Yuan Shi’s home. Stepping out of the glass building, just before getting into her car, Guan Ya paused again—she remembered now: Chen Yuanjun, Yuan Shi’s cousin, was the head of the Security Division at the Kangyang District Administration Office. She immediately turned around, stepping briskly with her high heels, and headed toward the administration office building. With a quick entry into the administrative complex, she asked the clerical staff at the reception desk: “Has your team leader Chen Yuanjun come in today?” Clearly recognizing Guan Ya, the clerk was surprised that she would proactively inquire about Chen, smiling warmly: “Chen is right upstairs. Shall I get him down for you?” Upstairs… Guaan Ya glanced at the female clerk and then shook her head: “No, thank you!” Chen Yuanjun came in on schedule, and the clerk’s eyes carried a mixture of curiosity and interest. As an official scout, Guan Ya immediately sensed something was off. Either Chen Yuanjun hadn’t heard about the news of her nephew's sacrifice—or Yuan Shi wasn't dead yet. She turned and left the office building, stepping into a quiet spot bathed in warm sunlight, then took out her phone and dialed Fu Qingyang’s number. “What’s up?” Fu Qingyang’s calm voice answered. “Where is Yuan Shi? Is he really dead?” After asking, she held her breath. “I’ve arranged a fake death for several days,” Fu Qingyang said calmly. “I’ve already informed Li Dongze—you now know the details, so please cooperate.” Guan Ya exhaled deeply and relaxed: “Could I ask why?” “You’re not yet at the level of seniority to be aware,” Fu Qingyang replied. Guan Ya clenched her teeth: “It’s because I used to get beaten up when I was younger.” “I have other matters to attend to. Please don’t disturb me,” Fu Qingyang hung up. The sunlight was bright, and Guan Ya collected her phone, feeling cheerful as she walked toward the glass building. Suddenly, she paused—her elegant brows furrowed. Among all official personnel, only she, Li Dongze, and Wang Tai knew Yuan Shi’s true identity. Fu Qingyang had informed Li Dongze about it and asked him to cooperate—but hadn’t mentioned her at all—the cousin of the family. ... Fu Qingyang placed his phone down, propping his elbow on the desk with fingers crossed over his chin. His cousin's deep concern for Yuan Shi Tian Zun went far beyond ordinary colleague-level familiarity. In recent times, Guan Ya frequently praised Yuan Shi Tian Zun in front of him—highlighting his talent, potential, and intelligence. Initially, Fu Qingyang thought this was just within the bounds of normal appreciation. Indeed, it was. But quietly, he had kept a watchful eye on Guan Ya’s attitude toward Yuan Shi. Just now, when he tested her further, he realized that Guan Ya's admiration for the young man had climbed another level. This wasn’t good news—Fu family couldn't possibly allow Guan Ya to settle down with just any ordinary person. Her mother-in-law had selected a groom whose own family could rival the Fu household in stature. From a different perspective, if this situation stimulated Guan Ya’s ambition and drive, it might actually be beneficial. Yes—Yuan Shi might not have been particularly interested in her… A thought flashed through his mind: “Not like me—who only likes black stockings, long legs, and simple interests.” He let out a small chuckle. ... Back at the office, Guan Ya saw Jiang Jingwei and Teng Yuan Chief, both speaking seriously. When she approached, Teng Yuan adjusted his glasses and said in a low tone: “I’ve heard about Yuan Shi Tian Zun’s situation—he died serving the organization. It was an official sacrifice. I believe he should receive a bereavement allowance for his family.” Jiang Jingwei also looked saddened: “I didn’t protect him well enough.” Guan Ya paused thoughtfully and asked, “How much do you think is appropriate?” Teng Yuan replied solemnly: “A modest amount—what about that?” “Are you crazy? No one will even pay attention to you…” Guan Ya’s lips quivered. “Just make it happen and submit the application.” ... With a rare vacation at home, no professional class scheduled for morning hours, Zhang Yuancheng had slept well. Upon waking, he found the little chatterbox—his nephew—crawling around the room with his uncle's wallet firmly on his head, entertaining himself. Such a child… He sighed. He thought: “You’ve only managed to find other treasures—the aunt’s lingerie and now the uncle’s wallet!” If this keeps up, even the television station will come for an interview—with headlines like: “Frequent theft of the aunt’s lingerie and repeated loss of the uncle’s wallet—Is it a distortion of human nature or a collapse of moral standards? Join us tonight at 8 PM to explore the world of the chaotic nephew Zhang Yuancheng!” In the living room, Jiang Yuer had already eaten breakfast, dressed beautifully, and was preparing to head out for work. Zhang Yuancheng was startled: “Are you about to be late?” Jiang Yuer peeked into the kitchen and whispered: “Hush! My restless mother just scolded me. Don’t bring this topic up—she’ll be going on and on, always nagging.” She had overslept, not getting out of bed until eight thirty, still being woken by her impatient mother who gave her a sharp push. Zhang Yuancheng examined Jiang Yuer’s flawless face—the soft gaze beneath her gentle eyes, with prominent dark circles but still enhancing her beauty, radiating a delicate charm. “What were you doing last night?” Zhang Yuancheng questioned critically. “Didn’t you take the opportunity to practice your Yang Qi Gathering and Yin Nourishing Technique?” Jiang Yuer scoffed, curling her fingers like a lotus: “I’m practicing the Jade Maiden’s Heart Classic!” Zhang Yuancheng replied: “Then I’ll use my two-decade-long Dog-Bat Technique to dismantle your Jade Maiden’s Heart Classic.” They exchanged several punches in the living room. Just then, Grandma burst out of the kitchen, shouting: “Now go—go get ready for work!!” Jiang Yuer twisted her waist and slipped out the door. After a simple breakfast, Zhang Yuancheng returned to his room, picked up the wallet from the little chatterbox’s head, drew three bright red cards, and instructed: “Return it.” To be honest, Uncle still hadn’t noticed any missing funds—he might not even realize the wallet had disappeared at all. Watching as the little chatterbox crawled out of the room, Zhang Yuancheng turned his attention back to business. “If our action succeeds in three days, we’ll indeed get closer to Black Yinchang. But ‘Heaven’s Injustice’ should still be unaware of where Black Yinchang is hiding—what information will we gain after asking the Spirit Seekers? Fu Qingyang surely knows this point—but what about his next steps?” At that moment, his phone chimed with an alert. It wasn’t a message about Yuan Shi Tian Zun… Zhang Yuancheng opened it. The night before, he had removed Yuan Shi’s mobile card. Sender: Xiao Yuan. The phone number linked to the mailbox was one he arranged for his cousin through his brother-in-law—anonymous. He certainly wouldn’t be foolish enough to use Yuan Shi’s name to correspond with Aunt Xiao Yuan. What information had she gathered? Zhang Yuancheng perked up and read carefully: “The other vice president of Ling Neng Organization, under the leadership of Gu Wang, has recently issued a reward for Black Yinchang and his subordinates on the black market. Gu Wang may hold information about Black Yinchang—but I haven’t yet been able to verify it. “I’ve obtained contact details for one of Gu Wang’s subordinates—their Spirit Realm ID is ‘Food Item,’ with contact number… “Second matter: The Evil Organization updated their reward list yesterday. On the Sage List, Fu Qingyang and the Fire God share first place. On the Supernatural Level List, Yuan Shi Tian Zun—official staff member from the Long Hai Branch—is listed at the very end. However, I heard he has already passed away—possibly due to a deduction of funds after the list update—this information should be useful for you. Please report it to your superior.” “Third matter: Li Xianzong, a Level-3 Enchantment Demon from the Military Master’s Academy, recently single-handedly assassinated a Level-4 Sage from the Ling Neng Organization’s Southern Branch. This singular achievement has propelled his ranking into the top five of the Evil Organization’s Supernatural Stage.” The fifty-thousand-yuan reward seemed rather underwhelming—wouldn’t Aunt consider giving some compensation in person? Zhang Yuancheng mentally complained. Yet upon closer analysis, he found the expenditure fully justified. With the news about Yuan Shi Tian Zun's death spreading throughout the black markets of the Evil Organizations, it confirmed that the information had reached the broader network—giving his upcoming mission greater confidence. Moreover, he learned from the reward list that not only official organizations issued rewards, but also Evil Organizations actively targeted elite members of the Five Elements Alliance for elimination. Even his own consecutive victories over two Level-Special Spirit Wanderers had been included—though just at the tail end of the list. Who was he to look down upon? He would surely make it a top spot… A quiet self-commentary. “The first piece of information is well worth leveraging. Though ‘Food Item’ belongs to the Evil Organization, an enemy of ours, in this endeavor, enemies of our enemies become allies—thus, we are both rivals and collaborators with the official side.” Zhang Yuancheng had long been concerned about securing the Registry—no clear plan yet. Originally, his idea was to entrust the Grand Master of the Killing Palace to assist him. But due to Black Yinchang’s disappearance without a trace, no detailed action plan could be established—leaving him feeling insecure. Now, he suddenly had an audacious idea: perhaps beyond relying on the Grand Master as an external ally, he could also engage with the Evil Organizations directly. Mixing up the waters. With all attention currently focused on the Sacred Cup—from the official side to the Night Rose and Black Yinchang—when the Grand Master of Supreme Rank launched a campaign for the Registry, resistance would be minimal. “Let’s reach out to Gu Wang’s team.” ...