Zhang Yuanqing carried the cat's body over the threshold, determined to prevent the monster from appearing dead—so he swung it forcefully against the threshold. The cat, whose skin had been stripped away, suffered severe injuries and suddenly kicked its limbs, as if it had fainted once more. Only then did Zhang Yuanqing feel reassured, placing the large cat into the coffin and then bending down to lift the coffin lid, sealing it shut. At that moment, his teammates entered the room and found the peeled cat gone, the coffin lid now securely closed. Guan Ya was surprised. "How come you've put it back again?" She had said it was an experiment—now how could I explain this? Zhang Yuanqing lowered his head, gazing at the scattered red cords and purple talismans on the floor, and asked, "Li Chunfeng, do you know what these are?" The others turned to Li Chunfeng, the learned scholar, who was now examining the coffin with a thoughtful expression, picking up the paper talismans and red cords, sniffing them, and offering his thoughts: "Red cords bind lingering grievances, purple talismans nourish the lingering spirits. Remarkable—this coffin serves both as a seal and as "Indeed, a true bachelor—mobile archive... Zhang Yuanqing nodded, "Can you restore the red cord and purple scroll?" Li Chunfeng replied, "Restore? No, you've misunderstood. Just tie them randomly—there's no particular method." Randomly tie them? I thought it would be like the ink-dropping technique, where every inch of the coffin must be covered, and even a single missed drop would cause serious issues... Zhang Yuanqing saw Li Chunfeng pick up the red cord and quickly stepped in, saying, "I'll do it!" Immediately, he tightly wound the red cord around the red-painted coffin, securing it with a firm knot, then picked up the purple scroll and, following Li Chunfeng's gesture, affixed it to the coffin's opening. So what exactly was he trying to accomplish? The teammates stared at him, puzzled. At the very moment Zhang Yuanqing placed the purple scroll, a subtle spiritual realm notification sounded—only audible to him: 【Ping! You've triggered a hidden quest—The Eternal Cat Corpse (1/3)】 【The Eternal Cat Corpse: This is a cursed creature that constantly emits a curse. Never approach it—its presence 】 【Note: I want him to never transcend again!!】 【Task Item: A fragment of jade】 The hidden quest has indeed been triggered—my guess was correct. The magi king's reference to "counteracting death" means exactly this. Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of joy. According to the magi king's analysis, the hidden quest item originates from the Yin-Yang Hermit, a figure of considerable stature in legend. It's unknown what kind of item he might have left behind—should it be a rule-based item, that would be excellent indeed. Zhang Yuanqing suppressed his inner excitement and anticipation, refocusing his attention on the hidden quest itself. "Who cursed this creature? According to the note, the one who cast the curse holds a deep, unyielding hatred toward him, wishing him to never transcend—never rise again. I understand now. Therefore, we must not kill the great cat that is stripped of its skin, because doing so would instead allow it to transcend, thus contradicting the will of the curse's caster. It seems clear that the hidden quest is pointing directly toward the one who cast the curse. "But who is the one who cast the spell...?" Zhang Yuanqing gathered his thoughts and addressed his companions, "My hypothesis has been confirmed. Now, let's go over what we've learned so far." The Fire-Elementary troops, unenthusiastic about mental exertion, spoke bluntly, "As the team leader, you go first." The others nodded in agreement. Having shared hardships together, the team's cohesion had strengthened, and trust had grown between them. After a few seconds of careful wording, Zhang Yuanqing said, "Let's begin with the background of Yin-Yang Town. We all heard Wang Po's story. Part of it is true, but there are also elements that are fabricated—such as the curse of the descendants of the Yin-Yang Hermit. "I've reviewed several town guides. The earlier groups of spiritual realm travelers who completed the quest had no mention of this curse. They interacted with the town's residents, so such a significant event should have been uncovered by now. "Therefore, Wang Po's account of the curse is false, though the transformation into a cat does indeed exist." And this cursed person is her son," Zhang Yuanqing said, turning to the red-painted coffin. The other teammates listened attentively, nodding in agreement with Zhang Yuanqing's analysis. "That makes sense," Guan Ya replied, adding, "Moreover, I'd like to clarify that the transformation into a cat should only be triggered along the Wang Po storyline—previous spiritual travelers didn't experience this plot line." She smiled warmly at Zhang Yuanqing. "Go on." As a scout, Guan Ya's observational and analytical skills surpassed Zhang Yuanqing's, yet she never hesitated to let him establish his leadership presence—she would only step in to supplement and refine. Zhang Yuanqing continued, "So, how did her son come to be cursed?" The queen thought for a moment, then interjected, "Wang Po mentioned that his son was unable to control his passion for beauty, which ultimately led to his current fate." As soon as she finished speaking, everyone except the Fire Deity Army turned their attention to the straw figure in Guan Ya's hands. Xu Xiuer must have done something that Xiong Po couldn't forgive—something so grievous that even a straw figure made by Xiong Po could carry the curse. Combined with what Xiong Po had said and her son's fate... "I've got it!" Hu De Xing Jun realized with a sudden rush of excitement, beaming, "It's Xu Xiuer who cursed her son. But who exactly is Xu Xiuer?" Zhang Yuanqing prompted, "Among the six people in the town, who has the surname Xu?" "Who?" Hu De Xing Jun asked. ... Zhang Yuanqing nearly blurted out, "You damn thing!" and said instead, "Xu Liangfu!" Hu De Xing Jun suddenly snapped into clarity. If the one casting the curse is Xu Liangfu, then the hidden mission clearly points to her—her target is unmistakable. Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but recall the Magistrate's reflection: "slaughter and beauty." It seems the Magistrate, with his countless descendants scattered across different nurseries—his very essence of beauty—must have done something utterly indescribable to Xu Liangfu. The young man with a round face exclaimed with enthusiasm, "Then our next objective is clear—we must go after the widow Xu. The sooner, the better. We need to hurry and reach the central square of the town before the evil faction does, completing the side quests along the way." Everyone else looked excited, but Guan Ya furrowed her brows, her gaze fixed on Zhang Yuanqing. Zhang Yuanqing said, "Xu widow will certainly go in search of the cause, but there's one thing I still can't quite understand. Li Chunfeng, you are the one who knows the most and has seen the broadest range of experiences. In your opinion, can a powerful curse truly be established simply by the cat corpses hanging outside?" The others didn't know why he raised this question, and Li Chunfeng paused, then fell into thoughtful reflection. After a few seconds, he suddenly snapped his fingers, saying, "This doesn't make sense! This doesn't make sense!" "What doesn't make sense? Where exactly?" Seeing Li Chunfeng's expression as if struck by revelation, the Fire Deity's army urged, "Please explain yourself clearly." Li Chunfeng spoke solemnly: "The cat corpse serves as a medium, but not the origin of the curse. Just as a witch-healer gathers the patient's photo, birth chart, blood, and flesh when casting a curse—these are the mediums—while the true source lies in the healer's own power. Where does our transformation into cats derive its power from? I originally thought it was from Wang Po, yet Wang Po clearly appears to be an ordinary person; otherwise, she wouldn't have been so easily bitten. Moreover, the scarecrow itself provides further evidence." Everyone turned their gaze to Guan Ya's scarecrow. "This is a plain, ordinary scarecrow—the method of the curse is幼稚 and laughable. If Wang Po were indeed a witch-healer, she would not have resorted to such a clumsy scarecrow," Li Chunfeng remarked. The quiet, reserved Li Li Yuan Shang Cao said, "Indeed, this raises a question—but how does this relate to the narrative of our mission?" Zhang Yuanqing didn't respond to the question about "the grass on the original plain grows anew," but said, "Of course there's a connection. Without clarifying all the uncertainties, things may seem fine now. But as we progress into the later stages of the副本, information gaps might cause us to miss key opportunities—sometimes even lose our chance to turn things around. The more complex the副本, the more we can't simply act as if we're blind or deaf; we must dig deep and ask fundamental questions." As an S-tier completionist, his perspective earned everyone's respect. Li Chunfeng slowly nodded, agreeing with the captain's point. Zhang Yuanqing continued, "Alright, let's get back to the point. Suppose—just suppose—that the cat inside the coffin is the one emitting the curse. Does that make logical sense?" This aligned perfectly with the hint from the hidden quest! The curse is being emitted by the cat... Li Chunfeng thought for a moment, then brightened up. "Yes, that does." The person who arranged this rite specifically recognized this point, and thus invoked the power of the Cat of Curse—let us call him that—so that anyone entering the house would be cursed. Zhang Yuanqing said, "But then another question arises: Who arranged the rite of the cat corpse? Wang Po is clearly an ordinary person; someone must have taught her behind the scenes." "Xu Xiuer?" guessed the young man with a round face, chewing on a lotus root. "No," Zhang Yuanqing firmly rejected it. "Why not?" the lotus root eater was unconvinced, and the others, including Queen Wang, cast curious glances at Zhang Yuanqing. With confidence, Zhang Yuanqing explained his reasoning: "The arrangement of the cat corpse rite and the care of the coffin for the Cat of Curse were likely taught by the same person. Let us think about what purpose each of these two elements serves." "Queen interjected, 'The coffin seals and nurtures the cursed cat; the cat's corpse gathers the cat's magical power...'" Zhang Yuanqing shook his head, "The cat's corpse also serves another purpose—it contains and suppresses the curse upon the cursed cat, calming its frenzy and bloodthirst." Hearing this, everyone suddenly recalled the phenomenon after the ritual of placing the cat's corpse was broken—the cursed cat had become fierce, violent, and lost its senses. Li Chunfeng suddenly understood: "Therefore, the existence of both the coffin and the cat's corpse serves to restrain the cursed cat while simultaneously nurturing it. If these measures were orchestrated by Wang Po, it makes perfect sense—she wants to protect her son, to keep him from becoming a complete monster. 'From the perspective of her enemies, however, the more suffering and madness the cursed cat experiences, the greater their satisfaction.' Zhang Yuanqing nodded, "Thus, the curse and the ritual of placing the cat's corpse and coffin were carried out by different people. Xu Xiuer is the one who cast the curse. Then, who guided Wang Po in arranging the coffin and the cat's corpse?" What is her (his) relationship with Wang Po's family, and what role does she (he) play in the story?" A figure immediately came to mind. The Fire-Deity Army, rarely seen to keep up with the pace of thought, finally caught up and said, "She (he) must be one of the five people currently living—could it be the master法师 H Zhao invited specifically?" Guan nodded in approval and smiled, "This quest is becoming increasingly fascinating. Among the six people remaining in the town, what are the intricate relationships between them? And what roles do they play in the ongoing issue of population decline in the town?" By now, Zhang Yuanqing had said everything he needed to. He said, "We shouldn't delay—let's go find Xu's widow right away." His teammates agreed without hesitation. The Queen, gently touching the circular ring on her left ear, smiled warmly, "Although just now we faced intense challenges and nearly suffered a complete collapse, I'm confident in our next steps. With such a demanding quest, we've analyzed it thoroughly and clearly—there's little confusion or uncertainty." "As long as we're not lost, even if the path is difficult, I'm confident," the Huo De Star general agreed. He was amazed that such a complex instance could be analyzed so clearly by the team—everyone clearly had sharp minds, especially the Yuan Shi Tian Zun. Although he hadn't displayed particularly outstanding combat prowess during the battle, in the post-battle review, this official prodigy who had successfully cleared two S-tier instances already demonstrated the keen insight and wisdom that earned the Huo De Star general's respect. Li Chunfeng, Lili Yuan Shangcao, and the third member said nothing, but instinctively carried out the captain's instructions and turned to leave the room. The group walked toward the courtyard pavilion, while Guan Ya and Zhang Yuanqing fell behind. The elder Si Ji smiled warmly, "Excellent!" Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to respond, the elder Si Ji lowered her gaze and smiled slightly, "Very good indeed." "...Zhang Yuanqing felt his cheeks grow warm, rarely showing such embarrassment. After all, he was just a college student who hadn't dated anyone yet—someone who always stayed firm in words but would buckle under real pressure. He could manage casual small talk while accompanying Lady Gao on drives, but what had just happened had surpassed his psychological threshold. Now, being constantly praised and scrutinized, he felt his skin was beginning to feel overwhelmed. Seeing his discomfort, Guan Ya smiled with growing confidence, feeling she had outperformed him. What's so funny? Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath and tried to steady himself, saying, "So, are you satisfied? Did you get startled? I could clearly see shock and surprise in your eyes." Guan Ya chuckled, "I'll definitely keep your measurements private. But the Queen might not be so discreet—women are naturally curious. She glanced at you several times already." "...” Zhang Yuanqing nearly rushed after the Queen to discuss the retainer fee. He didn’t want to wait until he stepped out and find that the official forum’s travelers were all discussing the height of the Primordial Immortal. This was a burden too heavy for a young man of twenty-one. …… The Iron Forging Workshop. Li Xianzong sat cross-legged on the ground, gasping for breath. He was covered in blood, his left arm twisted, with multiple cuts from blades and blunt-force injuries across his body. The other five companions were similarly wounded, lying on the ground or leaning against the walls, breathing deeply and gratefully. Around them lay overturned forging tables, cracked furnaces, scattered charcoal, broken tools—and the head of Wang, the Iron Craftsman, severed. Li Xianzong lay among a heap of glowing red charcoal, his blood mingling with the flames, while just a few meters away lay the head he had personally cut off. Besides Wang, there was one more body—a bald, sturdy man. A thin, gaunt middle-aged man pushed himself up on his knees, kicked the body of the bald man, and grumbled, “He’s already dead—didn’t even know his name!” Li Xianzong gasped, smiling widely. "Why do we need to know names? People like us—cutting our own blood from the blade, dying when it's time—die naturally, in their own right." "Exactly. Once we know someone's name, we're friends. Why complicate things?" "Heh. Maybe it's better to die—die early, transcend this miserable world." The other companions nodded in agreement. They didn't care much about life or death—whether it was their enemies' or strangers', or even their own. Immersed in battle, they were utterly indifferent to death, a numbness far beyond ordinary people's experience. Li Xianzong waved at the thin middle-aged man and said, "Go check the shop—there should be some clues inside." The thin man immediately entered the shop and returned a few minutes later, looking astonished. "Boss, this shop feels a bit strange."