Another task? My broken evil seal isn't even finished yet! Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Boss, my broken evil seal still isn't finished..." "Only you and Guan Ya are available," Fu Qingyang blocked his excuses and explained, "It's not an urgent matter— you can handle it in a couple of days. The main character of this incident is one of your companions from the Killing Quest." The companions from the Killing Quest were precisely the people he had built relationships with within the Five Elements Alliance—Zhang Yuanqing immediately stopped pushing and asked, "What exactly happened? Who's in trouble?" Fu Qingyang replied, "The independent provincial city of Jinghai's 'White Tiger Forever' was attacked and seriously wounded two days ago, currently unconscious. The Jinghai branch is short-staffed and is hoping the Songhai Patrol Team can assist with the investigation and apprehend the killer." Was the 'White Tiger Forever' really assassinated? Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brow. He still had a clear impression of Bai Hu Wan Shi—he was an elite among the official members who had accompanied him through the killing raid missions. Above all, he was very good at flattery. Fu Qingyang continued: "According to our colleagues in Jinghai City's investigation, the attackers have been targeting Bai Hu Wan Shi for a long time. Neighbors around him have been subtly influenced and have become eyes and ears for the attackers. After the first assassination attempt failed, a second one was carried out at the hospital, which nearly killed 'Bai Hu Wan Shi'—he has remained unconscious ever since. I believe there will be a third attempt. Currently, under the pretext of business trips, I've dispatched two teams of Songhai-based security units to provide close protection at the hospital. However, such preventive measures are only temporary, and the security teams cannot remain in the area for long. Once you prepare the Poshai Seal, please make your way there promptly." Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Why not request reinforcements from the Xie City branch?" "Jinghai is merely a prefectural city—its number of elite practitioners is limited, and staffing shortages are understandable. Yet, the decentralized province is a large one, and the Cai City branch has sufficient personnel; it shouldn't be in such a disorganized state. Fu Qingyang said calmly, 'The Jinghai branch has refused to bow to the Cai City branch, asserting that all branches are peers and that assistance should be sought from a higher-level branch.' '...' Zhang Yuan thought silently, I simply have no words. At that moment, he recalled the organizational structure of the various branches across the decentralized province. Typically, the branch located in the provincial capital oversees all official practitioners throughout the province and manages the smaller branches based on prefectural cities. The provincial capital branch serves as the headquarters and commands the largest pool of elite practitioners. However, the decentralized province is different. Although its provincial capital is Cai City, the overall strength of the Cai City branch is not notably superior to that of the other smaller branches within the province." Because the official representatives of the provincial office were more or less evenly distributed across the major prefectural cities, each with comparable strength, the various regional branches held no clear hierarchy, all believing they were peers. "Understood," Zhang Yuanqing concluded the call and turned toward the bedroom. ... 3:30 p.m. Zhang Yuanqing received a phone call from Li Chunfeng and immediately set down his brush, stepping over the scattered yellow papers that covered the entire room, leaving the bedroom to head out in the Queen's car toward the community gate. A few minutes later, the white sedan arrived at the entrance. Through the window, Zhang Yuanqing spotted a young man wearing black-framed glasses, with a delicate appearance and a scholarly demeanor, standing calmly at the gate post. He had a refined look, graceful and composed—like a high school math teacher. It was indeed Li Chunfeng. "Beep-beep~" Zhang Yuanqing pressed the horn and then leaned out, calling to the gatekeeper: "He's one of my friends. Could you please let him in? I forgot my access card. If someone else had said this, the gatekeeper would have certainly ignored them. But as soon as he saw Zhang Yuanqing, he immediately let them pass. Since the construction of the Fujiawan villa, Zhang Yuanqing has regularly sent batches of fruits to the property office, and the gatekeeper enjoys special privileges—every time he changes shifts, he sits under the air conditioning and lights up a Huazǐ cigarette, feeling like he's a manager in an office. The residents of Fujiawan are generally affluent, yet few invest such time and money in engaging with the property management. When issues arise, they usually go straight to the property's management leaders. When Li Chunfeng entered the community and opened the passenger door, Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Didn't you come by car?" Li Chunfeng calmly replied, "I'm working for you—why would I need to drive? Shouldn't you be providing that?" “…Zhang Yuanqing paused, ‘Your work attitude reminds me of one of my former colleagues—we used to call him the ‘Anti-Curvature Warrior.’’ As he spoke, Zhang Yuanqing gently opened his star-eyed gaze, examining Li Chunfeng’s命宫. The命宫 is the core and foundation of the twelve phases, representing a person’s destiny—an aspect that cannot be easily altered by ordinary means. To be safe, he wanted to verify whether Li Chunfeng had any issues, especially since this friend from the quest had strong ties to an influential, hidden organization. The命宫 aligned perfectly with Li Chunfeng’s facial features—no disguise, no transformation, and certainly not someone whose presence in the命宫 would make me completely blind to their true identity. Zhang Yuanqing exhaled silently. At that moment, Li Chunfeng pushed his glasses up slightly and said, ‘Congratulations on your promotion to Saint!’ Zhang Yuanqing smiled, ‘By the way, during the Yin-Yang Campaign, you were already at level three, and your experience points had surpassed 50%. Why didn’t you join the combat quest? I had hoped to see you there.’ Li Chunfeng replied seriously, ‘Because of you!’ "What? Zhang Yuanqing didn't catch up, and instead heard Li Chunfeng speak calmly: "I anticipated that you'd join the combat arena, so I deliberately avoided it. For a talent of your caliber, the evil organization wouldn't let you advance smoothly—they'd certainly plot against you. "I spent two days building a model and calculated that your chance of surviving the combat arena was under 10%. Therefore, I chose to skip it. "Unfortunately, I got this question wrong." Not exactly. If I hadn't been blessed with special advantages, I'd probably have died in that combat arena... Zhang Yuanqing held onto the steering wheel, quipping, "A talent like me isn't something data can fully measure." Li Chunfeng nodded seriously, "Indeed—I'll refine my approach!" So serious, never making a joke. In the Yin-Yang Pavilion arena, he was so tense—how hadn't he noticed he was a real stick-in-the-mud? Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself. Not long after, a white sedan parked outside the compact villa. Zhang Yuanqing braked, turned off the engine, opened the door, and led Li Chunfeng into the villa, pointing to the one next door and saying, "That's the residence of Master Fu Qingyang. I've reserved a room for you there—you'll be staying there from now on." Li Chunfeng took in the scene. The villa next door was remarkably grand—a three-story main building connected by corridors to two additional wings, resembling a palace. The front courtyard was spacious, filled with various expensive ornamental plants, and at its center stood a fountain. Compared to this, the "luxurious" residence of Yuan Shi Tianzun, though undoubtedly valuable, seemed rather modest—though Li Chunfeng knew it must still command a high price. Such a splendid villa naturally had ample rooms, yet... "Are you serious? Having me share a residence with the Five Elements Alliance's senior elder?" Li Chunfeng's composed expression finally gave way to a subtle sneer. "You've mistaken me for someone else." "Mistaken me for whom?" "We underestimated your courage." As the two entered the villa's main hall, Zhang Yuanqing introduced the four female members waiting in the living room: "Li Chunfeng, a third-level scholar—our new teammate. From now on, whenever you have academic or technical questions, feel free to reach out to him. Our team may not lack combat-oriented members, but we're quite short on high-caliber talent like him." He then turned to introduce Li Chunfeng to the others: "Jiang Jingwei, Xie Lingxi. Jiang is the Fire Demon; Xie Lingxi is the direct descendant of the Xie family." He didn't mention the Queen or Guan Ya, as both were well-known to them. Guan Ya stepped forward, extended her hand, and smiled, "Long time no see!" Li Chunfeng quickly reached out and shook her hand, nodding, "Long time no see—congratulations on your promotion to Saint." He then shook hands with the Queen. Jiang Jingwei crossed her arms and laughed heartily, "Li Chunfeng, right? From now on, you're joining my crew—I've got your back!" She walked over to Li Chunfeng and gave him a hearty pat on the arm. "Shuohai is my territory. If you have any needs, just let me know. If Yuanshishen can't meet them, I will. My family is quite well-off." "Absolutely!" Li Chunfeng nodded, slightly surprised at the warmth he saw in the red-haired young saint. He hadn't expected to be so favored by her. The joy in her eyes—clear, genuine—was not merely hospitable or casual; it was heartfelt. Guan Ya, with a slight smile at her corner of the mouth, added, "Don't get too excited yet. She just feels like someone finally takes the time to write her assignments." Li Chunfeng: "????" Zhang Yuanqing spoke firmly, reprimanding, "Li Chunfeng is a scholar. Please don't treat him as if he were a junior high student." Just as Li Chunfeng's expression began to ease, Yuanshishen added, "I won't embarrass him. I'll only ask him to write my papers for me." ...Li Chunfeng suddenly wanted to resign. ...Two days later, in Fu Zhang Yuanqing, with dark circles under his eyes, placed a thick stack of worn-out Shā Shù symbols on the desk before him: "All fifty are here—thankfully, I've fulfilled my duty." Fu Qingyang glanced at them and nodded in satisfaction: "A day earlier than expected. As I said, you're someone who thrives under pressure—more dynamic when facing challenges. Adversity brings out your potential, while comfort only dulls your sharpness. Go handle the issues in Jinghai City." Zhang Yuanqing left the study and immediately knocked on Ling Jun's door. "Who is it?" "Me!" "Master, the gate of the Yuan Shi Tian Zun is closed—no dogs allowed inside." "Teacher, I have an important matter to discuss with you—something truly significant." Only then did Ling Jun open the door, sighing, "Well, then, let's hear it." Zhang Yuanqing didn't waste a word. He pulled out a "Peony Symbol," saying: "In fact, I did use a special technique that day. This one is crafted from a spiritual scroll combined with materials from a music composer's profession—once activated, it causes "Linjun spoke sincerely, quietly pulling out his pants pocket. Zhang Yuanqing, knowing when to act, tucked the items in and as he walked into the room, said: 'Teacher, I shared a bed with Guan Ya last night. I think it's inevitable that I'll eventually give up my virginity, but she still resists. So I came to seek your advice.' Linjun immediately expanded the barrier, eyes wide in astonishment: 'You've already slept on her bed—have you even made it to the bedside?' Zhang Yuanqing replied: 'I've been thinking about it, but she hasn't been ready. We should respect women.' 'If she's unwilling, she'll simply keep you away from the bed. Women are reserved—they never initiate such things. In these situations, you have to be patient and charming. You're truly a fool! Go on—there's no way I'll have a disciple like you.' Linjun folded the talismans and turned completely cold. ... Jinghai City lies adjacent to Jinshan City, just a one-and-a-half-hour drive from Songhai. At 6 p.m., Zhang Yuanqing led his team to the Jinghai City People's Hospital in a business vehicle." Two captains from the Songhai garrison and one captain from Jinghai City were already waiting outside the hospital building. Fu Qingyang had dispatched Bai Long and Tang Guoqiang—both long-time acquaintances—to protect Bai Hu Wanyu. "Bai Yuanzhou, 4th-level Warden, captain of Jinghai City's Third Squad," introduced Bai Long. This captain from Jinghai City, around thirty years old, had a well-defined brow, high nose, and a handsome, upright appearance, with a calm and composed demeanor that made a very favorable first impression. A 4th-level Saint and a captain? Hmm, are you also a reverse combatant? Zhang Yuqing thought to himself, shook hands with him politely, and asked, "How is Bai Hu Wanyu?" "He's severely injured. The extraordinary-level wood spirit artifact, combined with medical treatment, has stabilized his condition, though he remains unconscious," Tang Guoqiang said. "Why isn't Life Essence being used?" Zhang Yuqing frowned. "His qualifications aren't yet sufficient," explained Bai Yuanzhou. "According to regulations, only stewards are eligible to apply for and use Life Essence." And Bai Hu Wan Shui's condition has now stabilized." Not every leader is Fu Qingyang, after all... Zhang Yuanqing murmured to himself. He had grown used to the organization's resource support—whatever he needed, they provided it. Even if his qualifications fell short, Fu Qingyang could always smooth things over for him. But that wasn't the norm anymore. "If he's still being watched by those evil professionals, every extra day he spends in the hospital means an added risk. Let's go straight to his ward." Zhang Yuanqing strode into the hospital building.