The map the king-mage left for Betty... Anne pondered for a while, then shook her head with regret. "I'm sorry, but I've never heard of it. Betty and I have always been on bad terms. Even if the king-mage had indeed left map fragments with her, I wouldn't have known about it." Still, this information was useful—she could report it to the minister, or even go directly to the president via email. If the president found out that Betty had been secretly preserving the king-mage's relics, she'd surely be in trouble. If the president already knew, then it would be all right—there would be no loss at all. "I didn't explain myself clearly," said Miao Teng-er, lifting her hand. With her slender, jade-like fingers, she reached into the snowy white neck of her dress and pulled out a pendant. The pendant was a triangular fragment of jade, as white as sheep's fat, with small indentations carved across its surface, resembling stars. She placed the jade fragment on the table and said, "This is exactly the map fragment the king-mage left. Have you ever seen it on Betty?" Annie gazed at the broken jade, lost in thought, her mind swiftly flashing back to memories until it settled on Bethany’s pale neck, where she vaguely remembered a red cord. Her gaze followed the cord downward, landing on the deep V-neckline; within the contours formed by the soft, full fabric, there was a faintly luminous jade pendant, like fine lambswool. There had always been such a jade piece, carried with her all along—it was, in fact, a relic from the Magus. Annie remained composed, her expression steady, and asked, “Miss Miao, could I learn more about the jade—ah, the map—specific details, please?” Miao Miao slightly furrowed her brows, glanced at her, and after a moment’s pause, nodded. “There’s not much to tell, really. This was bequeathed to me by the Magus. As a member of the Beauty Goddess Association, you must know him well—he is proud, ruthless, and passionate about women. He has many, many lovers. Perhaps if you simply browse through the beauty rosters of various organizations and point to one at random, you’ll find one of his beloveds.” "With that said, the stunning young lady smiled coldly. Anne nodded gently, offering no comment. It was clearly evident that this girl was also one of the magic king's beloved. "Most women in the magic king's eyes are merely toys—he discards them when they grow stale, with no lingering affection. But there are always a few he holds especially close. He leaves each of them a legacy. Should the magic king die in the spiritual realm or be officially replaced by the authorities, that legacy becomes his gift to these cherished ones." Mei Teng'er lowered her gaze, fixing it on the table, and offered a self-deprecating smile. "Once I gather all the fragments of this jade, I'll find the magic king's hidden treasure." Anne suddenly understood. "So, you wish to collect the map fragments and locate the magic king's treasure." "Miao Teng'er nodded, then shook her head. 'It's the collection of his lovers who together open the treasure vault. The lovers he holds dear each possess status and strength—both within and beyond the realm. To gather all the maps by himself alone would be extremely difficult.' 'Yet I believe many of us share my desire—to finally settle matters with the魔君.' Annie understood, yet found it hard to believe. 'I've heard the魔君 is proud, unyielding, and indifferent to women—viewing them merely as garments, to be changed or discarded at will. I never expected the reputation to be so inaccurate.' How could a truly cold and unkind man leave a treasure for his beloveds? Annie had seen too many such men. Miao Teng'er's bright eyes flashed with a strange mixture of sorrow, joy, resentment, and anger. She bit her teeth fiercely. 'He is even more cold and cruel than the tales suggest. I have thought of killing him, of putting an end to this villain who has dishonored me, every single day.' She took a deep, sharp breath, steadying her emotions, and asked, "Now can I have an answer?" Annie didn't respond immediately, but gazed intently at the young woman, saying seriously, "You truly hate him, yet you also deeply love him. I can feel beneath your surface of resentment a profound, enduring affection. That's my professional instinct—you cannot deceive me." Miao Teng'er furrowed her brows sharply, "That has nothing to do with you, Miss Annie. I've already told you everything I wanted to. Now please answer my questions." "Indeed, Betty has the same pendant. She is, as you described, the magic king's cherished toy," Annie confirmed. Miao Teng'er nodded slightly. "I hope you will report this matter to the senior leadership of the Goddess Association. Should they be willing to cooperate, they will contact me at any time." Annie smiled, "To me, this is pure good fortune." "You may now go!" Miao Teng'er said calmly. Annie rose gracefully and walked toward the door. As her hand grasped the door handle, a voice from behind called out, "Miss Anne, are you the magic king's lover?" "No, I'm not," Annie shook her head slightly, turned to look back, and smiled warmly, "I once admired Betty, but now I've found someone better." "The Primordial Heavenly Sovereign?" Mingteng lightly raised her elegant brows, clearly a bright and perceptive young lady. Annie said nothing, merely smiled, turned the handle, and stepped out. "Thud!" The door closed behind her, and Mingteng sat by the window, gazing out into the landscape, her eyes distant and dreamy. ... "Mr. Lingjun, I don't need you to see me to the station." Anne boarded the shuttle bus, politely declining Lingjun's offer to see her off. "Miss Anne," Lingjun's face took on a serious expression as he bowed, "Please keep today's conversation confidential. I'd be deeply grateful." "I will." Annie immediately understood Ling Jun's intention—being the lover of the Magistrate, it was an indelible stain for any noble-born woman. Ling Jun exhaled a sigh of relief and thanked her warmly, "Thank you!" He waved as the shuttle bus took off with Annie. Upon arriving at the entrance of the villa complex, Annie walked gracefully, her skirt swaying and her posture elegant, toward the black sedan parked by the roadside. As she approached the car, she suddenly stopped, her face growing serious. Through the dark glass window, she saw a silhouette seated inside, while the driver busily smoked, paying no attention to the passengers in the back. Due to the incident at the Wine God Club, her spirit had become especially sensitive. Just as she was about to return to the Fu family villa, the window lowered itself automatically, revealing a refined, flawless face—clearly enhanced by cosmetic procedures. "Miss Annie, I've been waiting for you," smiled Blood Rose. "Please take a look at your phone." Annie stepped back slowly, pulling out her phone to check the screen—sure enough, there was one unread message. 【The Primordial Sovereign: My corpse is in the car.】 Only then did she relax, opening the door and settling into the back seat. Zhang Yuanqing gave a sharp nod, and with a crisp snap of his fingers, the driver jolted awake, as if suddenly realizing what was happening. "Drive!" Annie instructed, her face bright with joy as she gazed at the corpse. "Master Yuan, I heard you were demoted—imprisoned for a month, with no promotion for a full year. How about we leave the continent and join the Association of the Divine Goddesses?" Once I join the Association of the Divine Goddesses, I'll have to rely solely on the 'Endurance Spray' for the rest of my days... Zhang Yuanqing got straight to the point. "I'd like to ask you something. What did the girl who came to talk to you earlier tell you?" At this, Annie furrowed her brows, looking slightly uneasy. "I promised Ling Jun I wouldn't disclose the contents of our conversation." "Zhang Yuanqing waved his hand. "That young lady is the magic king's beloved. I've known this all along—Ling Jun has kept it confidential, so as not to let the magic king's relationship with her become public. You're telling me this isn't part of the official record?" "Did you know?" Annie thought it over and found it reasonable, so she relayed the conversation verbatim to Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun. Indeed, Miao Teng'er is the magic king's beloved—so then, is her mother as well? Her daughter is so strikingly beautiful; one can only imagine her mother is equally graceful. Truly, the magic king is a man's enemy. May peace be with you. Each beloved receives a fragment of the map? What a thoughtful gesture—this seems to be a plan anticipating his own demise, leaving an inheritance for his consorts? Zhang Yuanqing's first thought was—this treasure is the magic king's compensation to the women he has slept with. But then he reconsidered, and sensed something was off. First of all, he could simply bestow the treasure upon his lovers—there was no need to go the extra step of leaving behind the map Miao Teng'er's visit today has proven this point. Should the wives never manage to gather the treasure map, wouldn't all his careful preparations have been in vain? Moreover, the mortality rate among the spiritual realm travelers is extremely high—whenever one of his wives returns to the spiritual realm, the treasure map would once again become an eternal secret. Finally, his wives may not cooperate with each other; more likely, they would end up killing one another. Consider the nature of the magic king's wives: native lawful clerics, native chaotic clerics, native lawful warriors—there are still no known representatives of native chaotic warriors. How could such people possibly coexist? Beyond the issue of opposing factions, merely the fact that they are the magic king's lovers would be enough to drive them apart. With the magic king's intelligence, he surely could not have failed to foresee this. Then, what is the reason behind his strategy? Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a long time, and suddenly understood. Perhaps this is deliberate on the part of the魔君. His beloved companions are highly complex—both within and beyond the realm, with a mix of lawful evil and chaotic evil, and none of them know each other well. Ordinary people find it difficult to gather them all, and even the major figures fall short. Based on this reasoning, the魔君 does not actually wish the treasure to be discovered; instead, he has hidden something of great importance within it. Zhang Yuanqing immediately recalled the exclusive reward from his character card after completing the通关杀戮 dungeon—a worn-out electronic display. The item is clearly damaged, incomplete, and its attributes are all question marks. Could the魔君 have concealed other components within the treasure? For instance, the strap! This aligns with the strategy of having multiple safe havens, ensuring that no single asset is overly exposed—what a risk management approach. Another moon, another small sun, another watch, and yet another mysterious treasure belonging to the head of the Association of the Beautiful Goddesses—ah, how many treasures does this魔君 actually hold? The more he hoards, the more anxious I grow. Zhang Yuanqing sighed internally. … Fu Jiawan, basement. Zhang Yuanqing removed the Elvis sound system, mindful of Fu Qingyang’s possible eavesdropping, and entered a state of nocturnal meditation, speaking softly: “I’d like to know the past of the Magician King and Miao Teng'er—more detailed, if possible.” The sound system lay quietly, indifferent. The Elvis spirit within this device has an inexplicably proud and aloof nature, rarely cooperating willingly. Moreover, it holds a grudge—whenever threatened, it invariably finds a way to retaliate subtly, unexpectedly delivering a series of crisp, “crackling” audio clips during public gatherings, leaving you socially obsolete. Zhang Yuanqing paused and then试探ly suggested: “From now on, as long as you cooperate with me honestly, I’ll play music for you every day.” He recalled that the sound system only has recording capabilities—its past music and audio selections were all previously archived. And the Elvis spirit within is a renowned music master, deeply passionate about music. If he could appeal to that passion, perhaps it would prove effective. "Zzzz~" The hum of electricity fills the room as a woman's plaintive voice comes through the speaker of the Cat King speaker: "Hmph, men's mouths—tricks of the trade!" You're quite cautious, aren't you? Zhang Yuanqing pulls out his phone and plays some music casually: "I love you walking alone through the dark alleys, I love the way you don't bow, I love how you're so much like me..." The spirited, passionate music resonates throughout the room. As the song ends, Zhang Yuanqing pauses the playback and picks up the Cat King speaker again. "Zzzz~" This time, the Cat King speaker gracefully plays the audio, while Zhang Yuanqing steps into the night, quietly masking its sound. "Release me, you fallen one! Prove you can kill me!" A clear, familiar cry echoes in his ear. Then comes the distinctive, slightly husky voice of the Mage King: "Hmph, truly a lovely sight—so delicate and charming. There's even a bid of 20 million on the black market for you. I've just been short on funds lately, and you're so proud, so self-assured, never hiding your tracks. Well "You'd better let me go. My grandfather is the senior elder of the Hundred Blossom Assembly. If you so much as brush against me, even the tiniest strand of hair, you'll be captured no matter how far you run." "Hmm, I see. The real target of the bounty hunters is your grandfather. As for the official arrest order? I'm not afraid at all. Do you know my name?" "What... what name?" The voice, once clear and resonant, now sounded a bit weaker. "Magistrate!" "Magistrate?! You're that ruthless, flamboyant, lusty Magistrate?" The girl's voice broke with emotion. "...I don't like this title. If you mention it again, I'll show you what 'lusty' truly means." The Magistrate snorted. "This remote mountainous region won't let you escape. Stay put. In a week, I'll deliver what I promised. By the way, there's no delivery service here. If you don't want to starve, you'll have to cook for me." The following audio segments capture the chain's rustling as Miao Teng'er repeatedly escapes, the magus's mocking interruptions, and the girl's growing outbursts of frustration—followed by her dutifully returning to cooking. "I don't think you're as terrifying as the tales suggest. How about this: release me, and I'll give you five million." After several days of encounters, despite repeated setbacks and never having sustained any injury, Miao Teng'er has grown increasingly confident in facing the magus. To this, the magus only offers a dismissive "hmm," then says, "Stay in your room tonight. Don't come out, no matter what you hear. Otherwise, you'll bear the consequences." Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing feels a weight settle in his heart. Soon, a new audio begins playing, the speaker emitting a distant, painful roar—several distances away from the Cat King's sound system. Then, a soft rustling sound came, and it seemed as though Miao Teng'er had been disturbed from her sleep. She dragged her chain out of bed, moved slowly toward the door, and stepped out with a creaking "creak." Zhang Yuanqing guessed that the girl intended to make her escape. Suddenly, a sharp cry rang out from afar, followed by an eerie silence—the cat king stereo fell into stillness. A few seconds later, a hum of electrical current resumed, and a new audio began to play. At first, the sounds of intense combat filled the air, along with the girl's sobs and curses. "You're truly an inexperienced, blossoming-herb wood spirit of the Hundred Flowers Assembly—unseasoned, indeed. That's quite interesting," the magic sovereign exhaled heavily, his voice now deep and laced with malice, as if he had entirely changed. "Plink... thud..." The sound of the chains swaying and the heavy impacts rang out simultaneously. It seemed as though Mei Teng'er had struck the魔君's head with the chains. She cried out, leaping off the bed and rushing across the room, her chains clinking wildly. But in the next instant, she crashed heavily to the ground with a loud "thud," emitting a muffled gasp. Then came her pleading cries: "No! Please! Don't!" To which the魔君 only responded with a cold laugh and a fresh round of struggle. Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing sighed. He likely already knew what had transpired and could guess at the魔君's condition at that moment. This was an event that occurred during the魔君's transcendental realm stage. At that time, the influence of the fallen Holy Cup had not yet deeply taken hold; though his temperament had changed significantly, he still largely maintained his normal state. Therefore, he had merely imprisoned Mei Teng'er, rather than launching a full-scale initiative to create new beings from the beginning, as seen in the later audio episodes. "Going, going, going..." Zhang Yuanqing gently tapped the outer shell of the Cat King speaker. He could tolerate the audio from the Mage King and Betty, given their romantic entanglement, but he was reluctant to listen to the more forced, obligatory exchanges. The subsequent audio segments were largely similar—frequent shifts between different battlefronts, with constant movement and activity. Miao Teng'er had evolved from initial sobs and outbursts of anger, through hesitant cooperation, to eventual compliance, as if she had finally accepted her fate. The Mage King had never sent her away, and the two-million-yuan reward had never been mentioned again. Due to the timing, Zhang Yuanqing couldn't estimate how long they had been together, but based on Miao Teng'er's evolving attitude, it had been quite some time—clearly, the longer they spent together, the more their feelings deepened. Until a segment of audio featured Miao Teng'er's gasp: "You—you're okay, what's wrong?" Followed by heavy breathing, and the Magistrate's fragmented voice: "Hey, I've dispatched the people who were after you, questioned them, and learned the lead—the person behind it is a senior elder of the Hundred Blossoms Association. He's trying to use you to undermine your grandfather. All the information is on this paper." "Why are you doing this?" Miao Teng'er asked softly. "Since I've taken your body, I should offer some compensation. Take this news back to your family—they won't blame you." The Magistrate chuckled, breathing heavily: "I've had enough of you. Now you can go." He was letting her leave. "Sssss..." The next audio segment played, the Magistrate's deep voice chuckling: "You think you're cheap, don't you? When I let you go the first time, you came back yourself. Now that I'm the master, there are plenty of women—no shortage of you. Compared to you, a mere young girl, I'd rather have your mother." Of course, Laozi has grown tired of her now. Take this jade pendant—it carries half of my fortune and opportunities. How much you can draw from it depends entirely on your own fortune. I'm about to embark on something grand; I'm not sure I'll make it through. After that, don't come looking for me—just go. The audio ends here. Half of my fortune—so the treasure isn't merely valuable assets, but something truly precious and profound. Zhang Yuanqing has gathered the information he needed and now understands the bond between the magi-king and Miao Teng'er—yes, a bond of fate. Though some details are missing, he can piece them together from the previous audio recordings. Miao Teng'er fell in love with the magi-king out of resentment and followed him, only to draw her mother’s wrath and initiate a pursuit against the magi-king. Yet, for some reason, her mother too became captivated. He also now grasps, at least in part, why the women all hold such affection for the magi-king. He wasn't just violent—he was deeply contradictory. The demon king showed no mercy or respect toward women, yet at times, he would risk his life to make amends for them. This perfectly reflected the effects of the corrupted Holy Grail seeping into him: moments of clarity alternating with episodes of madness, feeling guilt when clear-minded, and becoming violent when corrupted. Thus, the women held both love and resentment toward him. As for others' love, hatred, and grievances—what did that have to do with me? The demon king has already passed away... Zhang Yuanqing paused for a moment, then picked up the Cat King speaker again, saying, "I'm about to enter the spiritual realm. Every realm I've entered before has been one the demon king once visited. So, what's the next one? Give me a hint, please."