The higher the level, the rarer the items—whether it's the cultivators in the spiritual realms or the tools themselves. Zhang Yuanqing believes that a master-level rule-based tool is essentially semi-public among cultivators at the same level. The more advanced the item, the more people know about it; conversely, the less known are the items from lower levels. For instance, if you want to find out who the previous owner of a transcendent-quality tool was, who would know? Hearing this, even San Yue furrowed her brows. "As far as I remember, the old monk from Songhai used to be from the Fu Province branch before being transferred to Songhai, where he has remained ever since. Since I first became aware of him, he has consistently held onto that rule-based tool." When I was just starting elementary school, my father passed away—at least fifteen or sixteen years ago. If my father was the previous owner of the zoo, then the Dog Elder must have received this artifact for at least a dozen years. Back then, Lian San-yue was still just a young girl. Lian San-yue continued: "Based on age calculations, the previous owner of the zoo must have been at least fifteen to twenty years old, possibly even longer. It's not difficult to investigate—give me five days." Zhang Yuanqing exhaled softly and smiled, "Thank you! As for the expenses..." "Fifty thousand. Pay twenty-five thousand as a deposit now, and settle the balance in five days," Lian San-yue said. It was quite reasonable—after all, with her rank and background, she could easily reach out to the established Masters, making it a simple matter of inquiry. Zhang Yuan清 immediately withdrew thirty thousand, leaving a stack, and handed the rest to Lian San-yue. After completing all this, he turned and left the Wanbao House. ... At midnight, Zhang Yuanqing slipped back to Songhai and stayed at home overnight. The next morning, he received a text message from Guan Ya: she had entered the realm. Her realm number was 277, a solo realm with difficulty level A, titled "The Anhuan Mystery." Main quest: Investigate the case within five days. Zhang Yuanqing lay in bed, opened the database, logged into the "Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun" account, and searched for "The Anhuan Mystery." —Thanks to his contributions in gathering tools, his access level had been restored to that of a steward, though the penalty of not being promoted within the year remained. [The Anhuan Mystery: During the Southern Song dynasty, Anhuan experienced a series of unusual incidents. From high-ranking nobles to common citizens, many people died under strange and unexplained circumstances. The local government was unable to resolve the matter and thus invited renowned scholars from across the land to thoroughly investigate the case.] Below the realm description, there was also a guide document, but Zhang Yuanqing's permissions were insufficient to download it. "The realm description sounds promising," he thought. "It feels like I've stepped back into ancient times, becoming a detective specializing in solving unusual cases." The solo raid dungeons for the Scout profession are quite interesting...” Seeing a guide, Zhang Yuanqing felt much more at ease. Although the guide couldn't guarantee a 100% survival rate—there were instances where, even knowing the correct path, one still perished due to insufficient capabilities—having the guide at least eliminated the exploration phase. The most dangerous phase was navigating without a map. Moreover, dungeons with guides typically forfeited the "first kill" bonus, reduced hidden score upon completion, and offered less experience points, though they came with greater stability. “Ah, it's already five days since I last saw my mixed-race girlfriend...” Zhang Yuanqing rubbed the towering golden staff, feeling deeply nostalgic. At that moment, the bedroom door opened, and his aunt leaped in with a graceful stride, her voice sweet and lively. “You lazy pig! Get up and have breakfast!” Zhang Yuanqing remained calm, withdrew his hand, yawned, and said, “Got it. You go ahead and step out—I’ll change my clothes.” Then he glanced at the half-exposed, lightly elevated part of his body beneath the thin quilt. Xiao'ai instinctively glanced at her with a lively gaze, blushed slightly, and spat out, "Today's Saturday. You're going to accompany me to the mall." Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment and said, "Alright, but only in the morning. I have something in the afternoon." Xiao'ai suddenly became enthusiastic, her voice dropping to a whisper, "Are we going to catch villains again?" "Sort of," Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Then you have to tell me all about it—I want to hear!" Jiang Yue jumped excitedly. "Of course, of course." After breakfast, Zhang Yuanqing finished his morning routine and, while Xiao'ai returned to her room to get ready, he went back to his room and sat by his desk, thinking through his plans for the coming days. First and foremost, the quest—daily updates on the Star Official's quest needed to be reviewed and memorized repeatedly. But since he had only been away from the Cliff Mountain Sea for less than a week, the quest wasn't pressing. Then, hunting down evil professions. The purpose of moral value is to prevent the accidental killing of ordinary people during battles; when moral value reaches zero, it is cleared. The purpose of reputation is to ensure that reputation value remains intact even after defeating allies. When either value is cleared, the individual will be summoned by the Spiritual Realm. Currently, his reputation is dwindling, and he needs to defeat evil-class characters to restore it. Then, the day after tomorrow, he will offer a sacrifice to the old clog woman, asking her to bestow the ghost mirror upon him. The old clog woman has promised to deliver the ghost mirror within a ten-day period. The magic staff has already been returned, and since the old clog woman does not wish to return to the mortal world, he will have to summon her himself. "In five days, I'll return to Huadu to clarify the connection between the zoo and my father—these are the main matters..." Just then, the door to the bedroom opens, and his aunt steps in: "Let's go!" As the door opens, Zhang Yuanqing takes in her appearance—she is wearing a fitted seven-seam pantsuit, perfectly accentuating the smooth, rounded curves of her long legs, with a full, well-defined posterior. A black button-up shirt paired with a sleeveless T-shirt offers a fresh, minimalist charm, subtly infused with a mature, confident allure. She wears a slip-on sandal that reveals her toes, adorned with glossy nail polish, adding a delicate and charming touch. With a graceful oval face, she has a light makeup—her eyebrows and eyeliner neatly defined, enhancing her refined features and giving her eyes a bright, lively gaze. Her naturally vibrant lips require no lipstick; simply a touch of lip balm makes them appear dewy and radiant. Yet, despite the exquisite shape of her mouth, Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but recall the old stage actress—the actress whose lips he had ever found most sensuous. Combined with her serene, aloof, and otherworldly elegance, that lush, alluring mouth becomes the only touch of grace on the goddess-like figure, especially captivating. "Let's go!" Zhang Yuanqing stood up, linking arms with her aunt as they walked out. As soon as they reached the living room, he was caught in his aunt's sharp, penetrating gaze—immediately withdrawing his arm, he then moved out of the room with quiet humility. …At noon, after having lunch and dropping off his aunt at home, Zhang Yuanqing arrived at Fu Qingyang's study. Qian, reviewing the documents without lifting his head, said, "The mess caused by those three nuisances has been temporarily resolved. You no longer need to gather the props." "Have they all been retrieved?" Zhang Yuanqing was surprised. Yesterday, before heading to Wanbao House to refine the props, he had carefully checked the list—there were at least ten props still missing at that time. How could all of them be collected within just one day? "Last night, Songhai Branch and the Wine God Club successfully exchanged information through the black market. During this period, the Wine God Club has recovered eight props. The remaining four or five will be resolved within a short time," Fu Qingyang explained. Ah, he had almost forgotten that the Wine God Club was also actively recovering props—after all, the club's owner didn't want to be besieged by half-gods from all over the world. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly understood. Then he asked, "Have all the props numbered from first to fifteenth been retrieved?" Fu Qingyang listened intently and his expression suddenly grew serious. He shook his head, saying, "Two more have vanished, and even the president of the Merchant's Guild hasn't been found—let alone anyone else." "Probably picked up by the Spirit Realm Travelers," Zhang Yuanqing immediately realized. Fu Qingyang nodded slightly. "That means we're safe, then. The Spirit Realm Travelers are bound by their moral standing—so the three half-gods don't have to worry about their moral values dropping to zero. However, if they fall into the hands of evil professions, it could be a major disaster for mid- and lower-tier lawful ones," Zhang Yuanqing added, while quietly thinking: "No matter how powerful they are, nothing matters against my divine artifacts." He didn't take the matter too seriously and turned to propose his own request, "Boss, I'd like to hunt down evil professions and build up my reputation—do you have any suggestions?" Fu Qingyang paused briefly, then said, "I'll send you a list later. Go find them according to the addresses listed." In fact, the official authorities have been quietly gathering information—names, residences, true identities—on evil professions, and the numbers are substantial. Yet they rarely act immediately to eliminate them. Sometimes, mere observation is better than outright elimination. Of course, there's another reason: the Sovereign requires a significant amount of prestige from September through December each year. Indeed! That's precisely how the Blood Rose came to be—exactly what I've been seeking. Zhang Yuanqing offered a smooth, polished compliment: "What troubles me deeply, to my lord, is merely a trivial matter." Then he asked, "I've heard that the Sovereign annually hunts large numbers of evil professions to accumulate prestige, but I'm unclear about the specific reasons." He hoped to gain clarity from Qian Gongzi. Yet Fu Qingyang responded calmly, "You needn't know these details—they're too distant for you. Nevertheless, since we've discussed this, simply be cautious. Starting in September, remain low-key." The Sovereign of Order requires great prestige; the Sovereign of Chaos must too. The Lawful Sovereigns quietly gather information about the Chaotic professions, and so do the Chaotic Sovereigns. "I understand." It seems best, then, to settle in Fu Family Bay after September. ... After leaving the Fu Family Villa, he drove the Queen's official vehicle to Wuhen Hotel. At three thirty in the afternoon, when he met Xiao Yuan, the hotel was quiet and busy, and Aunt Xiao Yuan stood firmly at the front desk, waiting for potential guests. "You've been coming more often lately, and you've brought gifts—does that mean you have something on your mind?" Xiao Yuan calmly observed the cheerful arrival of Yuan Shiyuan, the Prime Sovereign. "You're right, Aunt Xiao Yuan—can't you just visit me if there's nothing going on?" Zhang Yuanqing carried the fruits he had bought himself, as well as the high-end skincare products he had stolen from Guan Ya and Xiao Green Tea. "But since you've mentioned that, I do recall something—yes, I've recently been planning to hunt down the Chaotic professions. Does Aunt Xiao Yuan have any connections for that?" Provide detailed information and address of a sage, and reward 200,000; for extraordinary efforts, 50,000. "No!" Xiao Yuan firmly rejected, speaking with little emotion, "My channels have already been severed—didn't you know?" Seeing her composed gaze, Zhang Yuanqing felt a sudden sense of shame; both of Xiao Yuan's channels had been cut off because of him. He could only stammer, "Xiao Yuan Aunt has always shown me deep kindness and loyalty." Xiao Yuan merely gave a dismissive sigh. Though he didn't receive the answer he'd hoped for, Zhang Yuanqing stayed to chat with her for two hours, until the sun had settled toward the west, before finally leaving. Zhang Yuanqing found himself increasingly at a loss with Xiao Yuan—she was always unpredictable, alternating between coldness and warmth, at times distant, at others gently affectionate. He hadn't spoken to Ling Jun in a while, so he took the opportunity to ask her a few questions. After Zhang Yuanqing had left, Xiao Yuan picked up her phone and sent a text message to Kou Beiyue. … At 9:30 PM, past the peak dinner rush, at a bustling local eatery in the older part of Jinshan City, Kou Beiyue warmly welcomed Ren Xuemang, the "blood bun" dish, with her younger brother. "Why are you making time today to have dinner with me? Did you just land a big deal?" Ren Xuemang was genuinely surprised. "Kou Beiyue nodded slightly: 'Below the Sovereign, you can propose anything—do you still have any doubts about my actions, Kou Beiyue?'" When exactly have you done something that made me feel at ease? Since she took on her younger brothers, Kou Beiyue has only grown more self-assured... Person-Xian-Mutton paused, saying, "I have a rival named Blood-Soaked Mary. She used to serve as a subordinate of the Master of the Strange Eyes. After the Master of the Strange Eyes passed away, she switched allegiance to the King of the Wus. She nearly killed me and humiliated me once—then, after joining the King of the Wus, she did it again." A spark of resentment flashed in Person-Xian-Mutton's eyes, then faded into resignation. "Yet I'm no match for her. She's a 5th-tier Saint; she reached that rank two years ago. Even if she hasn't yet ascended to the 6th tier, she's now at the peak of the 5th." "Tell me where she's hiding, and I'll make sure she pays dearly." Kou Beiyue puffed out her chest, standing firmly as if ready "I don't know where she lives—our freelance team is very cautious about such matters—but I do know she has a fondness for male companions. One of them moved in after joining the King of the Gushi, and he's also a member of the Spirit Energy Association. He used to be my younger brother, and I know exactly where he lives." Person-Blood-Mutton said: "But I'm not sure when Mary the Bloody will go." "Just tell me the address of that younger brother, and the rest will be taken care of." Kou Beiyue took full responsibility. Person-Blood-Mutton looked at him deeply: "If I can eliminate her, then I'll consider you my leader." ... At 10 p.m., Fu Family Village Villa. Zhang Yuanqing sat by his desk, reviewing the list on his computer. "Hmm, all these are extraordinary beings—only a few are saints. How much worth is that in terms of reputation? The leader really is thrifty..." He wasn't satisfied with the list of evil professions. Killing one extraordinary being awarded at most a few points, or up to several dozen reputation points. The more prestigious the recipient, the greater the prestige reward a saint receives. The prestige gained from defeating minor NPCs differs from that earned by defeating minor bosses. At this moment, the phone chimes, signaling an incoming message from Aunt Xiao Yuan. A 5th-tier peak spirit master? Mary the Bloody... Zhang Yuanqing's eyes light up. He thinks to himself: Aunt Xiao Yuan truly cares for me.