Pick up the soft, floppy triangular red hat, hold it for a few seconds, and the item properties appear: 【Name: Little Red Cap】 【Type: Clothing Accessory】 【Function: Werewolf, Seal】 【Description: During her season of passion, a malevolent wolf man abducted a beautiful human maiden and carried her back to his cave for mating. Soon after, she became pregnant with the wolf man's child. One night, while the wolf man was away, she managed to escape from the cave. A year later, she gave birth to the wolf-man's child—a creature half-human, half-wolf. To survive in the human village, the woman prayed to a kind-hearted priest for help. The priest killed the wolf man and wove a soft, blood-stained fur cap from the wolf's belly, then summoned a demon from the darkness to cast a curse upon the little red hat. From that day on, the child who wore the hat transformed into a human.】 【Note 1: The slaughter never ceases. 】 【Note 2: I feel… I can no longer return to being human…】 "Ah, so that's what happened—the woman's mother, the owner of the wooden cottage, discovered that her daughter had given birth to a monster. She gathered the villagers and burned the woman to death. The young girl, being too young to survive, escaped the flames and grew up, eventually transforming into a wolf to seek revenge in the forest." "Right now, it appears to be an item that combines the core traits of two distinct professions." Zhang Yuanqing suppressed his desire to destroy and kill, and carefully placed the red cap on his head. Looking at the young man lying motionless on the ground, who had just regained a measure of composure and calm, now seeing the little red cap floating in mid-air as though someone invisible were wearing it, he gasped. "Ghost! There's a ghost!" He suddenly lost consciousness, his eyes rolling back. With the red cap now on his head, Zhang Yuanqing fully understood both the power and the cost of this item. Function One: Werewolf. Upon transforming into a werewolf, the holder gains an exceptionally formidable combat prowess, including night vision, acute sense of smell, powerful strength, speed, and defense. The greater the holder's physical speed, the more pronounced the enhancement during transformation, with a maximum enhancement level reaching the peak of Level 5. There are two forms of the werewolf: the Nightly Shadow Wolf, whose abilities include Frost and the King of the Night (offering one chance of resurrection with a 24-hour cooldown), and the Flame Spirit Wolf, whose abilities include Blaze and Fire Poison. Each form can only be activated during specific times—during the night, the holder becomes the Nightly Shadow Wolf; during the day, the holder becomes the Flame Spirit Wolf. "Top-tier equipment. The werewolf abilities can be used either by the Blood Rose or by myself—my close-combat performance utterly dominates peers, even allowing me to fight above my level. The sealing ability is a true powerhouse, especially effective for trapping enemies and handling group battles. Wow, this is even more rewarding than the next A-tier dungeon! The merchant guild's chairman truly is a half-god—just a hint of what he lets slip through his fingers is enough to make me, a mere rookie, feel like I'm reaping huge rewards. If I ever get to defeat all the half-gods in the world, I'll be rich beyond measure... Heh, calm down, calm down—control my emotions!" Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed, the thrill of overnight wealth even temporarily overcoming the mental strain. Yet the cost was equally daunting. The two costs of the Little Red Cap: first, once the hat is worn, the personality gradually shifts, even without using its functions. For instance, now that the spirit is wearing the hat, Zhang Yuanqing feels his inner rage and aggression steadily intensifying. Second, if the hat is used too frequently, the body will fully transform into a werewolf, becoming a bloodthirsty, uncont The cost was terribly daunting, fortunately he was a night wanderer, with a spectral body to bear it. "Tik-tik-tik..." At this moment, the red slippers hurriedly circled the owner's spirit, stepping with a rapid yet heavy rhythm, as if growing increasingly agitated. In the tunnel, Zhang Yuan had already delayed it once; now it was the second time. Without paying the price, the red slippers' affection for the owner would dwindle, and they were already showing signs of restlessness—by now, if they were delayed once more, they would begin to attack the owner. Just as Zhang Yuan had been about to lift the "sealing" function of the item, he instinctively turned his gaze toward the young man lying unconscious. I'll return now, but Guan Ya and the others will be there—dancing in front of everyone would still feel a bit awkward, though I don't particularly care. Zhang Yuan immediately descended into the young man's body and paid the red slippers' price. Once the slippers were calmed, he withdrew from the young man's form and gently picked up the limp, triangular red cap, lifting the seal. In an instant, the familiar rippling patterns appeared in the scene—round moon, forest, and wooden cottage. When his vision cleared again, Zhang Yuanqing saw the familiar tunnel, filled with vehicles parked along its length. 【Ping! You have gained 500 points of moral value.】 A gentle voice from his earpiece chimed. Solving a disaster granted direct moral points—no need for case-based evaluations, as with ordinary cases. That thought swam vaguely through Zhang Yuanqing’s mind. He was seated inside a black sedan, with Guan Ya, the Queen, Xiao Green Tea, and Li Chunfeng standing beside it. Further off, Fu Qingyang stood in a snowy white robe. And there were the seven survivors, their faces filled with apprehension as they glanced around. As they realized they had returned to reality, expressions of relief spread across their faces—only to then give way to emotional collapse, with several of them covering their faces and weeping. Jiang Yebi looked left and right, searching for something. Click! Zhang Yuanqing felt a strong hunting instinct surge within him as he saw his teammates standing guard by the car. Without thinking, he followed his instinct and opened the door. "Yuan-Shi Brother is awake!" Shé Lingxi stood outside the driver's seat. Hearing the commotion, she turned around, her face instantly brightening as she joyfully rushed forward, eager to perform a graceful leap into her brother's arms. But Guan Ya moved swiftly, grabbing her by the collar and pushing her back, speaking firmly, "Don't go!" Lingxi stumbled backward, nearly tripping over, just about to complain to Guan Ya about her being too stingy. Suddenly, she noticed the peculiar expression on Yuan-Shi Brother's face—his one eye dark and chaotic, the other clear and bright, while his face displayed two completely contrasting emotions. "Yuan-Shi, calm down first," Guan Ya gently pulled the young green tea behind her, immediately recognizing the anomaly in Yuan-Shi's demeanor and prompting him to stabilize his negative emotions. Just as Guan Ya finished speaking, a figure rushed forward and plunged into Zhang Yuanqing's arms. "Ah, you—" Guan Ya gasped briefly, rushing over to protect Yuan Shi from injury. To her surprise, Yuan Shi willingly opened his arms, supporting the woman's hips so she could hang like a tree kangaroo on his body. At the same time, his expression twisted, his teeth grinding against one another with a steady "crunch," as he managed to suppress his bloodthirsty instincts. Guan Ya gave a slight sigh. She had already recognized the woman. It was the aunt who had been critical of her at the dinner table. "Indeed, she's here! Yuanzi, you're truly amazing—your aunt didn't waste her kindness on you," Jiang Yu E said with genuine delight. Such a pale neck—she could have bitten right through it… Zhang Yuanqing leaned back against the vehicle, one hand supporting his aunt's hips, the other reaching into the inventory to retrieve a Shattering Evil Scroll, which he pressed to his forehead. The scroll ignited, casting a clear but modest golden glow that washed over Zhang Yuanqing's awareness. The intense negative emotions vanished completely. Huff—relieved, he exhaled deeply, catching a glimpse of Fu Qingyang approaching, and immediately set down his aunt, saying, "You go ahead and sit in the car for a while. I have something important to attend to." "Are they also members of the Long Team?" Jiang Yuebi glanced at the women, murmuring, "They're all quite attractive, by the way. Oh, and Guan Ya is also from the Long Team—now I understand why you two have gotten along so well." No, don't mention the Long Team at all. I still feel a bit awkward... Zhang Yuanqing quickly looked at Guan Ya and the others, only to find their expressions unchanged. After pushing his aunt into the car and closing the door, Zhang Yuanqing added, "Lingxi, take care of them for a moment." Xie Lingxi nodded and faced the six survivors. At that moment, Fu Qingyang stopped right in front of him, and Zhang Yuanqing handed him the triangular red hat. Fu Qingyang took the little red hat, studied its properties carefully, and immediately furrowed his brow. "A werewolf..." "Is there any issue?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. Fu Qingyang replied, "In foreign evil occupations, there are indeed ones that transform humans into monsters, but the core aspect is transformation—rather than simply referring to a specific type of monster. This doesn't quite align with the characteristics of a werewolf." Zhang Yuanqing was momentarily surprised. Given Fu Qingyang's extensive knowledge, he hadn't even heard of the concept of a werewolf—so perhaps the term 'werewolf' carried a deeper significance? Before Zhang could ask further, Fu Qingyang speculated, "A werewolf is very likely one of the three major evil occupations in the Third Region. Since the Third Region hasn't yet opened up, the little red hat must have been an item from before the Spirit Realm. Due to its eternal night occupation traits, it was absorbed and preserved by the Spirit Realm, becoming a piece of equipment." He then handed the little red hat back to Zhang Yuanqing, saying, "You may choose to submit it in exchange for merits and rewards, or you may keep it yourself." This top-tier item, I'm definitely keeping for myself. Moreover, if the werewolf is the third-largest region's evil occupation, then rarity dictates value—Little Red Cap's worth will far exceed its intrinsic level. Zhang Yuanqing took the item and immediately placed it into his inventory without hesitation. Then he asked, "Boss, how should we handle this incident?" Only three hours have passed since the event occurred, and while the official channels haven't yet provided detailed reports, there's already talk online about strange occurrences in the inner ring tunnel. Naturally, these rumors will be swiftly deleted, and public discourse will remain contained. Fu Qingyang paused for a few seconds before saying, "The tunnel collapse has resulted in multiple fatalities. Seven survivors have been rescued thanks to the relentless efforts of the security officers. Later, musicians will perform hypnosis sessions for both the survivors and the families of the deceased to help them accept the situation and claim their compensation. We'll manage the online narrative control and have Songhai's official media issue a statement to dispel the rumors. In a few weeks, the matter will fade from public memory." "Understood." Zhang Yuanqing nodded, understanding that Fu Qingyang was teaching him how to handle affairs—basic skills essential for future leadership. He sincerely remarked, "It truly is a disaster." "It is a disaster, yet also an unexpected one," Fu Qingyang said, glancing at him. "Just like train derailments, flight crashes, or major highway accidents—sudden, unforeseen events. Even the three half-gods would have preferred to avoid such occurrences, as these incidents directly impact their moral standing." Zhang Yuanqing sighed, "Boss, you don't need to explain. I haven't gone so far as to demand that the half-gods settle their debts in blood." Fu Qingyang then nodded, suddenly adding, "The Dragon Team—sounds promising." Zhang Yuanqing: ??? "Boss, don't mock me!" "Mock?" Fu Qingyang slightly furrowed his brow. "I haven't been mocking you at all." Ah, almost forgot—Qian Gong has lived abroad for a long time and is a member of a prominent family; he's never heard of this old reference! Zhang Yuanqing suddenly had it all clear and shifted the topic, saying, "Big brother, could I borrow a healing item from you—a transcendental realm one, with a very light cost?" His aunt needed treatment for her leg injury, but he didn't want to use the Mountain God's Staff. Imagine: if you treated her, the tent would have to be set up, and everyone would notice and question the situation. Even though the cost of the item was unavoidable, it still felt rather awkward. "It just needs three more minutes." Zhang Yuanqing bent down, pressing the leaf against his aunt's wound, then picked up the little chatterbox. "Bang!" He closed the car door, prodded the little one awake with one finger, and without a word, began shaving off several patches of scalp from the sparse hair on its head. That's why he hadn't joined the ghost bride's procession—he'd been clinging to the softness of his aunt's legs, sleeping through the whole thing. "Ungrateful, always bothering my aunt?" Zhang Yuanqing tucked the little one under his arm, gathered the Yin energy in his palm, and delivered a solid slap to its bouncy rump, one after another. The little one was suddenly hit, crying out like most infants. Its expression was vague, as if trying to communicate in the babbling, infantile way of early speech: "Mom, Mommy~" Mommy... Zhang Yuanqing paused, startled. Of course, his aunt wasn't the little one's mother. He knew the child's origins well—she was the daughter of Wang Qian, a member of the Zhishik Palace, whose sister had passed away. Yet why did the little A bewildered infant spirit would never arbitrarily favor a particular woman, especially when surrounded by so many beautiful women—yet he consistently shows strong attachment to his aunt. Indeed, when he first arrived, he was clinging to her thigh. From then on, he repeatedly preferred to hang on her leg, displaying a deep sense of dependence. This is illogical. I should have noticed this inconsistency earlier. Why didn’t I question it before? This doesn’t align with my nature—what has influenced me? Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brows. At the same time, a possibility gradually came to him: perhaps the infant spirit sees his aunt as a mother. After all, the musician who sings lullabies, the red phoenix star deity who governs marriages, and the deity who oversees conception—all are inherently linked to motherhood. The musician’s profession is born of maternal essence. At this moment, Xie Lingxi had calmed the emotions of six survivors and hurried back to say: “Master Fu, to maintain the hypnotic state over the long term, at least a Saint-level cultivator is required.” I just reached out to the Lady Master, and fortunately, she's available and willing to take on this assignment. If you agree, Father, I'll have her come over.