The attacker has been killed... Has Zhang Shi died?! The sudden news leaves Zhang Yuanqing momentarily stunned, his mind suddenly clear yet immediately overwhelmed, as he sits motionless on the bed. After a few seconds—about seven or eight—he takes a deep breath to steady himself and speaks quickly: "How do we know the identity of the killer? Where exactly was the attacker killed? Please go into detail." "Stature about 1.7 meters, around sixty years old, dark complexion, thick fingers with calloused palms... there are burn marks on his chest, and the fresh tissue that grew overnight clearly indicates the wounds you inflicted are still present..." It's Zhang, who died at the hospital. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly understood something. A sharp pang pierced his heart. He leapt off the bed, barefoot, wearing only a four-cornered pants, and strode out of the room. "Clang!" He faced the room with a stern expression, kicking open the door to the adjacent single room. Inside, it was empty—the bed where he had lain the previous night was neatly made. Zhang had already left. "Yuanshi, what's wrong?" Guan Ya heard the sound of the door being kicked. "I'm fine, Guan Ya, send me a photo of the attacker—of Zhang, the one who attacked." Zhang Yuanqing looked at the empty bed. "The body has been transferred to the Public Security Office; I'm still at the hospital. Well, I'll head over there now. It's not far. Just wait a moment." Guan Ya had to hang up the phone first. Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room, quickly dressed in clothes and shoes, and went down the hall, ascending the stairs to the first floor. He no longer had the patience to wait for the elevator. In the hotel lobby, the air conditioning blew a steady stream of cool air. Xiao Yuan, dressed in a white shirt and suit, stood at the front desk, her posture upright and composed. Hearing footsteps, she turned her head coldly, then promptly looked back, only to turn again halfway, studying Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn's expression and frowning, "What's wrong?" "Where is Master Zhang?" Xiao Yuan's bright, pale face darkened, and she replied calmly, "I don't know! If you're worried he might have fled, you needn't be—Master Zhang is someone who keeps his word. If he fails to keep it, I'll personally find him." She was growing increasingly unable to control her temper in front of Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn, though she hadn't noticed this herself. "Master Zhang is dead!" Zhang Yuanqing spoke softly, "He died this morning at Jinghai City People's Hospital, killed by Wei Yuanshou." Xiao Yuan stood there, her earlier cold demeanor quickly dissolving. Her hands gradually clenched into fists, so tightly that she abruptly closed her eyes, as if afraid her uncontainable sorrow would spill out. After a long while, she opened her eyes again, her expression calm, and said, "I understand. This was his choice..." His choice... Zhang Yuanqing paused, then murmured, "He wouldn't come with me. His so-called unfulfilled wishes—were all for this?" —To sacrifice his own life in order to secure his grandson's promotion to the position of steward. For decades, facing the soil and turning his back to the sky, living alone for half his life, he nurtured his grandson grain by grain, and supported his education one copper coin at a time. In the end, he had to give up his own life to secure his grandson's future. How foolish... Zhang Yuanqing longed to chuckle, yet something inexplicably heavy pressed against her chest. Xiao Yuan hummed, "He must have had this intention for some time now. About half a month ago, he was injured by an official envoy in Jinghai City. When I visited him, he was severely wounded, yet extremely joyful. Over all these years of knowing him, I've rarely seen him this happy. He said his lifelong aspirations were finally fulfilled, and from now on, he would devote himself entirely to studying under Wuhen Master, bidding farewell to the past." Zhang Yuanqing listened quietly. "But yesterday, when he came to see Wuhen Master, he seemed completely transformed—serious, burdened with deep concerns. I immediately sensed something was amiss, and I followed him discreetly to Jinghai City, where I learned that he had been secretly planning to assassinate the official envoys." Was it because he didn't want to break his vows, yet had to go against his heart for his grandson's future? Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brows, feeling a sense of contradiction and discomfort. At that moment, his phone chimed softly, signaling a new message. He pulled out his phone to check—it was a photo sent by Guan Ya. In the photo, the dark, thin elder lies quietly on the mortuary bed, the lines of time etched into his face forever capturing a look of sorrow. There's a deep, dark wound on his chest, with fresh, tender flesh growing around it. "It's Uncle Zhang," Zhang Yuanqing sighs. "He didn't succumb to the witch's curse." When a witch-mage is transformed by the curse and dies, her body retains a half-human, half-animal form. Uncle Zhang, however, died in human form—indicating he chose not to fight, but willingly gave his life. "Ding-dong!" The notification sounds again, and Guan Ya sends over a lengthy message: "Our conversation was interrupted earlier. I haven't finished yet—I still have a few details to clarify. The attackers were ambushed from behind by Wei Yuanzhou, pierced through the heart, and died from a severe illness just before their passing. This illness is the very ability of the plague deity." "But such injuries and condition should not be immediately fatal—spiritual healers have a chance of last-ditch resistance. Yet he didn't transform into a gus, which is quite strange." "I didn't ask these questions face-to-face. You come back and try asking the spirit." "No need to ask anymore—we'll go back…" Zhang Yuanqing typed out the message to Guan Ya, but as he was typing, he noticed Guan Ya's second message: "I keep feeling there are many inconsistencies in this matter. The purpose of the assailant's assassination of the White Tiger Immortal remains unclear, and how they managed to reach the White Tiger Immortal's residence is puzzling. From the video footage of last night's battle, the assailant displays remarkable agility and skill in pursuit. As a seasoned saint, even when they were already concealed and prepared, they still allowed the White Tiger Immortal to escape? I've reviewed the footage from the second assassination attempt—I seriously doubt the assailant's skill level." Guan Ya half-complained, half-explaining her observations. Zhang Yuanqing read through the messages, his brows gradually furrowing, sensing the inconsistencies. According to Zhang Su's own words, he killed Bai Hu Wan Shi not out of any mercy, but to clear the way for his grandson's promotion. Given that a seasoned Sage had laid an ambush against a newly promoted Sage, with such a significant advantage, yet still failed—this raises serious doubts and seems highly unreasonable. Most unreasonable of all: if Bai Hu Wan Shi was merely an unimportant bystander, with no long-term surveillance or investigation conducted during the period, then how could Zhang Su, a man of such a villainous nature, have so easily located Bai Hu Wan Shi's residence? Unless there was a traitor! Zhang Yuanqing's brow furrowed. "I'm going to see Master Wu Xian." Xiao Yuan looked at him, puzzled. But Zhang Yuanqing said nothing, turned, and rushed down the corridor, ascending the stairs with determination. He stopped outside Room 404, knocked on the door, and said, "Master, I have something important to discuss!" After speaking, he tried to turn the door handle. "Click!" The door handle turned smoothly, and the next instant, the hotel corridor vanished, along with the wooden door, replaced by a temple drifting with mist and lit by candles. Zhang Yuanqing instinctively turned his gaze toward the majestic golden Buddha standing at the apex of the hall, its hands folded in a lotus position, eyes half-closed, observing the scene with an air that was both compassionate and stern. The golden Buddha remained unchanged—Master Wuhen’s composure was still steady. Zhang Yuanqing then lowered his gaze, fixing his eyes on the young monk in a green robe seated on a mat, and bowed slightly. "Master," he said, "Zhang Shu has returned to the spiritual realm. I have one matter that I find unclear, and I come to seek your guidance." Pausing, he didn’t wait for Master Wuhen’s response before asking directly, "What did Master see when Zhang Shu visited you? Do you know what happened?" The hall fell silent for a moment, and Master Wuhen’s voice, restrained by pain, echoed softly within: "He said he had found his grandson, whom he hadn’t seen in many years. The grandson had compelled him to secretly assassinate a high-ranking official "He intends to sacrifice his life to compensate for his grandson. Last night, he came to me to say goodbye—he's preparing to return to the spiritual realm ahead of schedule." Wei Yuanzhou forcing him to assassinate Bai Hu Wanyi?! Zhang Yuanqing's mind erupted with a thunderclap, as if a bolt of lightning had struck him, his expression instantly stiffening. After a brief period of confusion and astonishment, his thoughts quickly stabilized. Doubts and bewilderment vanished, and the entire situation now made perfect sense. Following the conclusion of the killing quest, the number of official saints had slightly increased, displacing the long-standing saints and narrowing the promotion opportunities for the veteran ones. Wei Yuanzhou, by nature being somewhat isolated, had always faced slim and difficult prospects for advancement. Recently, he had reconnected with his long-lost grandfather, who was also a spirit-medium. Seizing this opportunity, he had developed a scheme—pressuring his grandfather to assassinate Bai Hu Wanyi, thus eliminating the obstacle for himself. That is why Bai Hu Wanyi, though unaware of being followed, had his residence exposed—because the threat came from within. All the points of doubt raised by Guan Ya had now been fully explained. According to Zhang Su's mindset, the next step should have been "active dedication"—but unexpectedly, it's me who's coming to support. Zhang Yuanqing continued to think logically. It's no surprise that last night, when Zhang Su heard Xiaoyuan introduce me, his expression was so startled. He already knew about Yuan Shi Tian Zun's reputation as a righteous ally from Kou Beiyue. If Wei Yuanzhou's pressure to have him secretly assassinate his colleagues were exposed, I would never forgive him—so he had absorbed all the blame. If I were a scout, I should have noticed the signs last night. Ah, I had hoped to resolve it privately and hadn't brought Guan Ya-jie along. There's still one thing I haven't quite figured out: if that's the case, why would he need to seek help from Song Hai? After all, wouldn't it be perfect to privately settle the matter, have Wei Yuanzhou personally eliminate the attackers and claim all the credit himself? To force his grandfather to secretly assassinate colleagues—failed—and now, to have the very grandfather who raised him treated as a mere achievement and killed? Wei Yuanzhou is a man whose outward demeanor is humble and gentle Did he have special props to conceal his nature? Or had the gentleman, after wearing the mask of virtue for so long, truly become a gentleman—so that it was hard to tell the real from the false? This creature... Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a deep breath and said, "Master, I understand!" With a cold gaze, he turned and walked toward the outer hall. Behind him, the Master offered a reminder: "This matter has its own cause and effect. I respect his choice. You need not intervene." So he wants me to stay out of it? To refrain from getting involved? Zhang Yuanqing paused. He stood at the hall door, thought for a few seconds, and replied, "Master, I am not your disciple, and you need not teach me how to act." Then he strode off. Back at the main hall, he walked straight to the counter and looked at Xiao Yuan. "Drive! Take me to the Jinghai City Public Security Bureau." ... Jinghai City, Hemen District Public Security Bureau. In the mortuary, Wei Yuanzhou stood alone by the body on the gurney, silently gazing at the deceased's face. The years pass in constant flow within him. Since childhood, he had lost both parents and lived with his grandfather. Grandfather could only farm—he knew little else—and their life was poor and hard. Wei Yuanzhou always envied his classmates for having pocket money, for wearing new clothes and carrying stylish backpacks. To him, a single piece of clothing lasted three years, often mended and repaired over time, and he never managed to secure even basic financial aid. From elementary school through junior high, his shoes were the ones his neighbor’s brother had outgrown. A child living solely with his grandfather, unable to afford even new clothes, was destined to be seen as distant by his peers in the village. Once he started school, the situation worsened—his village classmates might still show some goodwill due to the parents’ modest means, but only offered mere distance. Among the schoolmates, a child without parental support faced only violence. Wei Yuanzhou remembered the first year he entered middle school. After finishing his farming work, his grandfather, still covered in mud, hurried to the school. Yet, he was not even allowed to enter the school gate. The way his classmates and teachers looked at him, he would remember for life. He resented his classmates and teachers, and even more so, he hated his grandfather—someone who made him feel embarrassed—how could you not manage to just change your clothes? For the first half of his life, Wei Yuanzhou lived in distance, disregard, and violence. Thus, he worked hard at studying—it was the only path he saw to change his fate. To avoid being looked down upon and to escape further violence, he actively participated in class activities, helped his peers, cooperated with teachers, and remained polite, humble, and respectful—becoming, in the eyes of his classmates, a good person, in the eyes of his teachers, a model student, and in the eyes of the school's dominant students, a well-behaved dog. By becoming a perfect person, he would never be looked down upon or bullied, because they would find no flaws in him. When his grandfather fell ill, Wei Yuanzhou was terrified—afraid of retaliation from the family's relatives. The years of hardship had not strengthened his resolve; instead, they had left a deep psychological scar. He couldn't understand why his grandfather wanted to seek revenge, why he wanted to shatter the peaceful life. It's a well-known truth that the weak are always oppressed by the strong—how pitiful it was for his grandfather, who had never read much, to be unaware of such principles. To become strong, one doesn't rely merely on physical courage, but on wisdom and perseverance. Through his own efforts, he successfully completed his university education and, by chance, became a spiritual traveler, joining the Five Elements Alliance, finally achieving a fulfilling life. For years, he had never dared to make a single mistake, fearing errors, fearing violence and punishment. Yet his grandfather's shadow had always loomed over him, his serious offenses severely hindering his career and making him a key focus of organizational observation. Just a month and a half ago, he had unexpectedly reencountered his long-lost grandfather. What he felt was not warmth or joy, but profound fear—indeed, overwhelming fear. For that was an evil profession. To Wei Yuanzhou, this was a catastrophe of unparalleled magnitude. Why are you coming back? Since you chose to abandon me at the beginning, why don't you simply vanish from my life entirely? Why disrupt my life and my career? Wei Yuanzhou devised a two-for-one strategy: he told his grandfather that if he truly cared for me and wished to make amends, he should eliminate my competitors. However, the assassination attempt failed. After reviewing the surveillance footage, Wei Yuanzhou realized his grandfather was unwilling to act. Then, it was only logical—Wei Yuanzhou thought—that his grandfather should be eliminated. Yet, as a seasoned Saint and a strong adherent of the lawful evil tradition, his grandfather lacked the confidence to make the move. Thus, he sought assistance from the Upper Executive, requesting aid from the Songhai Branch. This move served two purposes: first, the personnel at the Songhai Branch were unfamiliar with his background and thus unaware of his relationship with his grandfather; second, the senior leadership at the Jinghai Branch were well aware of his family background, making it likely that they would detect subtle clues during their investigation. On the other hand, the merits earned by the members of the Song Hai division would not benefit him directly and would not pose a competitive threat. He could leverage these achievements to advance further, eventually becoming a Senior Official. Yet he hadn't anticipated that Yuan Shi Tian Zun had joined the Song Hai patrol team and had been assigned to handle this matter. Fortunately, though the situation had taken an unexpected turn, it ultimately concluded perfectly. Not quite yet—Wei Yuanzhou retrieved a white, circular-with-square-center paper from his inventory, placing it over the elder's face. The paper burned silently, and as the flames danced, a faint, elderly figure gradually faded into the light. This was a consumable item Wei Yuanzhou had purchased at the Black Market over the past fifteen days—its function was simple: to disperse the lingering spiritual essence of the deceased. With a gentle touch, Wei Yuanzhou guided the moisture from his palm over his grandfather's face, carrying away the ashes of the paper as it burned. "Sorry, from now on, I'll have to walk this path on my own..." He whispered softly, one last time gazing at his grandfather's serene face, then turned and walked away without hesitation. At the moment he stepped out of the mortuary, a sense of lightness washed over him, and the weight of sorrow lifted completely from his heart. ... On the seventh floor, the official office of the Rowers. In the Rivermen District's office, Wei Yuanzhou sat upright on the edge of the lounge sofa, his posture as rigid and precise as a clock. The District's Ruler, a 5th-level Mountain God with the spiritual realm ID "Moving Mountains," is a compact, solid middle-aged man with a gentle and somewhat rigid temperament. "We've confirmed he's a Spirit-Channeler—excellent work. According to organizational protocol, defeating a Spirit-Channeler earns one a C-level merit. I'll submit your application report on your behalf." The Ruler smiled. "Combined with your accumulated experience and merits over the past few years, you've now reached the required level. It should be smooth sailing—moving forward, you'll be on par with the others." Wei Yuanzhou's handsome face broke into a warm, genuine smile: "Thank you, Director!" The Mountain-Bearer nodded and asked, "Have you identified the spirit-medium's identity yet?" Wei Yuanzhou shook his head: "I've already arranged for our police department colleagues to conduct facial recognition, but there's no match. As you know, DNA collection hasn't reached full nationwide coverage yet." In fact, the facial recognition results were already available—only suppressed by him. As a team leader-level traveler, it was easy for him to set aside such minor matters unless the Mountain-Bearer personally monitored them. The Director, after all, couldn't possibly attend to every detail, especially since the incident had minimal impact and had already been resolved. The fact that he had personally asked for a follow-up meeting was already quite responsible. The Mountain-Bearer nodded and said, "Notify the Night-Wanderer of the Taiyuan Sect to come and perform a spirit inquiry. The required procedures still need to be followed." "Um..." Wei Yuanzhou looked slightly hesitant. Bian Shan Zhi Shi set down his teacup. "What's the issue?" "Here's what happened," Wei Yuanzhou said. "Before I ambushed the spirit-medium, I wanted to ensure success and prevent him from fighting desperately, possibly endangering innocent lives. Using the equipment from my night-wanderer profession, I severely damaged his spiritual essence." "Right now, I believe he has completely dispersed—his spirit is gone, with no residual spiritual body left." Bian Shan Zhi Shi frowned and pondered. "Then that's settled." He picked up his teacup again, savoring the fragrant, sweet tea. At the right moment, Wei Yuanzhou stood up. "I'll go back and attend to my duties." Bian Shan Zhi Shi nodded warmly. As he left the office, Wei Yuanzhou walked through the vast office complex. "Wei Commander!" "Good evening, Wei Commander!" "Wei Commander, the matter is resolved—shall we have dinner together tonight?" Along the way, officials and clerical staff alike, though well-meaning, were all courteous and humble, each one treating him with the utmost respect. Wei Yuanzhou responded politely At that moment, he saw the Songhai patrol team walking steadily toward the office entrance, with none other than the Yuanshi Tianzun—who had vanished overnight—leading the way.