Zhang Yuanqing said casually, "Brother, is your activity scheduled for the evening?" Chen Yuanjun nodded, silently, as the matter was confidential. After breakfast, Zhang Yuanqing instructed the ghost bride to closely protect his uncle and then entered the bathroom to freshen up. Once Chen Yuanjun had left, he stepped out of the bathroom and called, "Grandmother, I'm going to meet Guan Ya in the evening, so I might not return for dinner." From the kitchen, Grandmother replied, "Then will you come back to sleep?" "Of course I'll come back to sleep—where else would I sleep?" "You're not very ambitious!" Grandmother remarked. “….” Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room, lay down on the ergonomically designed chair, and opened the official forum on his phone. Beneath the highlighted, top-posted announcements for the "Transcendent" and "Sage" killing missions, he came across a strikingly formatted post: #Shocked—Master Qian, whose techniques approach the Dao, has had his signature move completely defeated by Yuan Shi Tianzun#. The post had been published just one hour ago, given its involvement with Fu Qingyang and Yuan Shi Tianzun, and its eye-catching title, it had quickly gained significant traction, amassing over two thousand views and more than 999 comments. Honestly, these bunch of jerks have truly ignored what I said... Zhang Yuanqing clicked on the post, which contained a video. He then clicked on the video, only to be met with a charging page. #Video playback requires a payment of 100 yuan#. One hundred yuan? How could they have missed this? With over two thousand views, that’s already 200,000 yuan—just for one hour of content—and this is only the initial revenue. I’d like my share too... Zhang Yuanqing After the page refreshes, the video content and the comments below appear. He quickly goes through the video, gritting his teeth in frustration—these people don't treat their audience with respect. They've trimmed away all the substantive content, preserving only the sparring and the actual bouts of combat. At the video's conclusion, there's even a photo showing the Yuan Shi Tian Zun with a swollen nose and eyes, being carried off. "I don't fully understand it, but I'm deeply impressed. The Yuan Shi Tian Zun was clearly defenseless when he was struck—why, after closing his eyes and feeling his ears burst with the impact, did he suddenly manage to block Fu Qingyang's attacks?" "Wow, I thought it was just clickbait. Turns out it's genuine. I'm glad I spent one hundred yuan—can anyone explain how the Yuan Shi Tian Zun achieved this?" "I remember that Fire Prince didn't manage to break Money Prince's sword techniques. Even other evil characters at the same level were afraid of Money Prince's sword. Yet the Yuan Shi Tian Zun managed to defend himself—this proves that the Yuan Shi Tian Zun is just as exceptional as Money Prince, a true one-of-a-kind talent." "I suspect the video has been edited. Who can tell me how the Yuanshishen achieved this? I'd like to know, I'd like to know..." Zhang Yuanqing scrolled through the comments below and spotted many familiar Lingjing IDs, including several Sages. He even saw the comments from Yin Ji and Jiang Jingwei, Jiang Ju's brother: Jiang Ju: "Hmph, mere trifles. I've long known that Fu Qingyang's strikes can only target a single opponent. But his method of transforming his body into a puppet—quite an innovative idea, actually, a solid inspiration. Still, Fu himself truly lacks taste. At his level, he can't even match his subordinates, yet he dares to deploy the power of a Sovereign Realm. The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign should have kicked him out long ago and let him join me instead." Even the Night-Wanderer of the Taiyuan Sect has been drawn in—testimony to the video's immense popularity. Zhang Yuanqing quickly opened Yin Ji's profile to check her background, only to find she had left nothing behind. He was deeply curious about this beloved of the Magistrate King—what kind of woman could make such a free-spirited, unruly monarch willingly give up an entire forest? As he scrolled further, the comments shifted from discussing the battle to mocking the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign's humiliating defeat—how pitiful the Sovereign truly was, how much he cared for him, and so on. The spectators were mostly delighted to see him suffer. For most people, the latter half of the video is far more entertaining than the first half. Especially for top-tier talents like Yuan Shishen, once he grows into his own, these photos will become black history. "My image is gone..." Zhang Yuanqing sighed, running a hand through his hair. ... Kangyang District Public Security Bureau, a glass building on the second floor. At 10 a.m., Zhang Yuanqing entered the second team's office area and saw Guan Ya standing by the printer, steadily feeding out sheets of forms in an orderly fashion. She had returned to her tailored suit paired with a white blouse. From behind, the suit hugged her full peach-toned figure, the waistline sharply defined, the blouse hem tucked into the suit, creating a graceful silhouette that left men breathless. "What are you working on?" Zhang Yuanqing approached and asked. "We're moving to the patrol unit, aren't we? The second team now only has Wang Tai and the sergeant left. I'm taking this morning's spare time to help the sergeant organize the new recruits' interview lists." Although Guan Ya has already attained the rank of Sage, she still maintains her original habits and serves as Li Dongze's assistant. Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment, then said solemnly, "This time, make sure to assign a few reliable team members to Shi Chang." Guan Ya intended to object, but after mentally reviewing the attributes of the second team's members, she found herself at a loss for words. "Guan Ya, do you know about the recent population disappearance cases the Security Bureau is investigating?" "Population disappearance cases?" Guan Ya pondered for a few seconds and couldn't recall any specific incidents. With a sigh, she said, "I haven't been following these cases for a week now. I'm heading to Fujiawan later to handle my transfer procedures. The second team's affairs have nothing to do with us anymore—what are you asking this for?" Since the preparations for the Killing Quest副本 began, she had hardly handled any official duties. "My cousin is currently involved in a population disappearance case, which may be closely related to the Spirit Realm Travelers. I've examined his facial features, and I believe he will face a blood-related disaster in the near future," Zhang Yuanqing explained. "Would you like me Guan Ya's expression grew serious. "It's just a minor matter—I can handle it myself." After speaking, Zhang Yuanqing was about to head off to find Li Dongze, when Guan Ya added, "By the way, you haven't yet exchanged your rewards from the Killing Trial quest with Fu Qingyang. Also, regarding team recruitment, do you have any ideas?" By the way, you're quite close with the Zhishake Palace—give them a spot. However, members with a civilian organization background can't officially join the Wuxing Alliance; they can only serve as temporary appointments. "As for the Lingjing Aristocratic Families, you know that green tea heiress from the Xie family, right? Try her out. As for internal appointments within the Wuxing Alliance, it's up to you." Li Chunfeng, a man of stature, might feel a bit out of place with just one spot reserved. As a subordinate nurtured by the money magnate, Zhang Yuanqing envies his superior's household, which seems to be full of graceful, elegant women. He'd love to have ten beautiful, diverse female teammates accompanying him on his travels—no need for deep personal connections, just the sheer coolness of it. Still, with Li Chunfeng's backing comes "Lian San Yue," which is certainly worth considering. Unfortunately, the principles of order and chaos are fundamentally at odds—Li cannot include the chaotic members, Xiao Yuan and Kou Beiyue, in his team. If he brings in any chaotic professionals, even the Dog Elder might not be able to protect him. Guan Ya was going through the interview list, speaking casually. "I asked Fu Qingyang. If we can't secure five or more members within the short term, then the two teams can temporarily merge." Zhang Yuanqing was momentarily stunned, then burst into excitement. Guan Ya meant that, as co-captains, they could now temporarily form a single team. Guan Ya remained calm, flipping through the table with a composed demeanor, as if she had said nothing at all. Zhang Yuanqing reached around from behind, wrapping his arms around Guan Ya's waist, their stomachs pressing gently against her rounded hips, and chuckled. "That's perfect. That's perfect." Guan Ya gave a light scoff. "A boy still nursing!" So, he'd be looking for a girlfriend the size of a bottle of milk. Zhang Yuanqing held her warmly for a moment before turning to head toward Li Dongze's office to inquire about the missing persons case. Ordinary patrol officers simply couldn't track down the spiritual travelers, so the chief must have been involved. Only scouts skilled in tracking could use surveillance and other high-tech equipment to pinpoint the suspects' locations. "This case is under my supervision. Currently, we've confirmed the perpetrator as a persuasive spirit-being, though we're still uncertain about its rank. In the meantime, you and Guan Ya have been preparing for the slaughter-themed raid, and after completing it, you'll need time to recover—so I'm quite concerned about staffing." Li Dongze said with delight, "With your help, everything will be secure." Zhang Yuanqing listened intently and suddenly found his expression somewhat unusual. It now seems that, according to the natural course of events, since I and Guan Ya have departed, Team Two will be understaffed, and thus during this operation, several civilian officers—including my uncle—will have to make the sacrifice. Yet, because I anticipated a serious illness or injury for my uncle and intervened in time, he has been spared. How remarkable! It feels as though I've altered the original timeline—but it's not quite that, since the future hasn't yet arrived. Therefore, it's not a true change. Zhang Yuanqing now faintly grasps the secret of the Star Official. This is a profession capable of selecting, from countless possible futures, the one that offers the most favorable outcome for itself. Zhang Yuanqing pulled out a chair and sat down, saying, "Let's talk about this case. What do you think motivated the perpetrators to take young women? Is it like the Copper雀 Tower—relying solely on women for revenue? Without the protection of the elite, such a business struggles to grow and thrive, and it incurs massive goodwill deductions, making it financially uncompetitive." Li Dongze lit a cigarette and spoke steadily, "In today's society, young, beautiful women are a rare resource. For certain wealthy and influential individuals, their sole value lies in being mere objects of pleasure. Over a dozen similar cases of disappearance have involved young women—each one a victim. The nature of these cases is unmistakable. I certainly don't want to see another Copper雀 Tower-style incident, but that's simply what reality demands. Our hope is that the missing at least survive." Zhang Yuanqing's expression grew serious. Li Dongze exhaled a steady stream of smoke, "Recently, the security office has been overwhelmed by families of the missing who keep staying, refusing to leave. The staff are under tremendous pressure." "说着，他打开笔记本电脑，调出一份档案，推给张元清。"The missing persons' list is right here," he said, handing the file to Zhang Yuanqing. Zhang Yuanqing held the mouse, scrolling through the pages, reviewing the case files—one after another. All the individuals were women under the age of 35, some from Longhai, others from outside the city. Some were single, others married. They all shared one common trait—beauty. Single women were less concerning, but the married ones carried entire households with them. Zhang Yuanqing could almost see families being shattered as a result. At that moment, his phone in his pocket rang. He pulled it out to see the caller was "The Mad Saint of Feelings." A senior official from Zhishi Palace. What could they possibly need from me? Zhang Yuanqing remained composed, rose from his chair, and walked out of the office to answer the call. "The Mad Saint of Feelings?" "It's me!" A middle-aged man's voice came through the speaker, serious and weighty. "Master Yuanshi, the Palace Master has asked me to call you and entrust you with a matter." Really? A madman reaching out to Zhang Yuanqing was somewhat surprised: "Go on." The Mad Saint sighed: "Here's what happened. A female member from the Stop-Killing Palace has gone missing. Her spiritual realm ID is 'Lizhi.' I've heard that in the past few weeks, there have been over a dozen cases of population disappearances in Songhai, all involving young women." "The Palace Master hopes you can assist in searching for Lizhi. The Stop-Killing Palace will offer you a substantial reward." Even spiritual realm wanderers have gone missing... Zhang Yuanqing's first reaction was astonishment. If the perpetrators were capturing women for profit, they should have targeted the wanderers—after all, their return rate would be too low. Once a wanderer escaped, without noble protection, she'd likely be exposed. His second thought was—how did the Palace Master know I was investigating this case? Or was it merely a coincidence that they had entrusted me with this task? "Has the Palace Master been able to locate Lizhi?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. "We're a civilian-based organization, after all—how could we possibly have so many channels? Moreover, Lizhi went missing three days ago, and the Palace Master only found out about "Master Qing's voice carried urgency: 'The Palace Master is investigating this matter, but I'm certain she won't have the same access as you do. Please help us!' 'Alright, I'll keep you posted,' Zhang Yuanqing said, hanging up. Recently, he's been enjoying a steady supply of life essence at a low cost—this favor needs to be repaid. ... 10 p.m. Six business vehicles were parked along the roadside of a residential complex named "Sijiao Field," adjacent to Songhai Normal University, a rather modern development where every building features elevators. Inside one black business vehicle, Li Dongze said, 'There are many young and attractive women at the university—excellent prospects for identifying targets. Based on my tracking, the suspect is in Unit 6, Room 708 of Sijiao Field. He has a scar on his forehead—don't mistake him for anyone else. 'Also, this one is likely Xiao Yu. The bigger fish is behind him. After you eliminate the threat, remember to ask Ling for updates.' Chief, I'm already a Saint—no longer a newcomer—so I don't need to be explained so thoroughly...' Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, internally mut At that moment, Chen Yuanshun's voice came through the radio: "Li, I've already sent my team into the residential complex. My men have sealed both the front and back entrances. You can now proceed with your operations. Just let me know if you need any support." Li Dongze picked up the radio and replied, "Understood!" He then set the radio down and ended the call. "Yuan Shi, go ahead." To ensure a swift resolution without causing disruption, he adopted the strategy of spiritual detachment—anyone below the Saint Realm would inevitably perish. After all, practitioners at the Saint Realm level are the backbone of any organization and simply couldn't be expected to perform such tasks as hunting for female targets. It would not be befitting of their status. Zhang Yuancheng took out a makeup mirror, checked his appearance, and found it normal, indicating that the operation would proceed smoothly. He put the mirror away, leaned back against the chair, and closed his eyes. His spirit detached from his body, drifting out of the business vehicle and swiftly moving toward the target floor.