The café fell into silence. After a few seconds, Zheng Sha, the Master of Zheng Shi Palace, set down the hot water kettle, her eyes beneath the mask narrowing slightly. "Hmph, what do you mean by that? You've known me all along, haven't you?" She chuckled softly, a touch nervous, adding, "Are you trying to be my dream lover? Well, your face is quite nice, but still not quite there. If it were Fu Qingyang, he'd be perfect for that role." For a moment, I didn't know whether to be furious that he had already claimed the position of my preferred partner, or that he now wanted to take my master's place. Zhang Yuanqing silently muttered his complaint to himself. He spoke with serious demeanor and unwavering confidence, "Do you know my father, Zhang Zizhen?" Zheng Sha's smile vanished instantly, the upward curve of her lips gradually smoothing out. Beneath the mask, the elegant and lively gaze deepened. "You don't need to deny it—I already know! The one who saved you and brought you to Song Hai wasn't from the Chu family. It was my father, Zhang Zizhen." So, there have never been any relatives by your side—I've asked the Sage of Passion, who has followed you for so many years, and he's never heard you mention a single family member. I've also asked Xie Lingxi, who says you're wildly erratic, emotionally unpredictable—so much so that you'd never even glance at a handsome man, let alone nurture a favorite. Yet, you're different with me—constantly talking about your favorite men, never refusing my requests. She only thinks I'm skilled at networking, but I know well that's not true. Now I understand: we've never been strangers. I just didn't realize it, and you've never mentioned it either. Zhang Yuanqing poured out all this in one breath, straightforward and unambiguous—no hesitation. Since there was no need for hesitation, the evidence he held was sufficient to decisively settle the case against the Palace Master of Elimination. The Palace Master of Elimination gazed at him deeply for a moment, then chuckled softly—her voice was gentle, yet her words revealed a full-blown, obsessive, and slightly unhinged nature: "Should I strip them both naked and hang them on the Suzhou Bridge, or should I chop them into pieces and Her smile suddenly softened as she picked up two cups of coffee, her gaze warm and tender. "I bought the beans myself, ground them fresh—should be quite good. I specially brewed this for you. Let's sit over there." The transformation from a once-ecstatic, wildly passionate girl to a gentle, attentive girlfriend had been so swift that Zhang Yuanqing found himself struggling to keep up. Following the Princess of Zhishike, he took a seat at a window-facing table. The floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the ambient light, casting their silhouettes—her in a sumptuous traditional gown, her dark hair flowing like a waterfall, exuding the grace of a noble heiress; him in a short haircut and a casual T-shirt, vibrant and full of youthful energy. Zhang Yuanqing sipped his coffee, savoring the slightly bitter, tangy notes laced with rich aroma. For someone who loved coffee, this was undoubtedly an exceptional brew; yet for Zhang Yuanqing, a touch of two spoonfuls of syrup might have been even better. "Delicious!" he said, offering a heartfelt, though somewhat insincere, praise. The Princess of Zhishike gave a light, slightly mocking "hmm," then quickly She sipped her coffee and began to speak: "Yes, it was your father, Zhang Zizhen, who saved me and brought me to Songhai back then—not the Chu family. His spiritual realm ID is known as Zhang Tianshi. When he was young, he was frail in health, so your grandmother carried a bag of rice and took him to the temple nestled at the back of the village, where he studied under the temple's abbot to strengthen his body. He learned many superficial skills—writing incantations, casting spells, fortune-telling, and diagnosing illnesses. During high school, he managed to convince so many classmates that he was a real expert, eventually draining their savings. When the parents of his classmates came to the school to complain, they too were convinced—claiming he was the reincarnation of the Purple Emperor. They started calling him 'little heavenly sage' after each encounter..." Reincarnation of the Purple Emperor? That's rather modest—by my standards, I'd claim to be the reincarnation of the Yuan Shi Tianzun. Zhang Yuan found himself both amused and slightly embarrassed hearing these tales of his father's youthful eccentricities. "How do you know all this?" Zhang Yuan asked. He had no idea "Of course, it was your mother who told me. I had lived with them for a while—when the Chu family was wiped out, I was only six years old and wasn't capable of living independently back then. Your mother hadn't even been pregnant with you yet." The Master of Zhishā Palace rested her chin, smiling warmly. Six? The Chu family was extinguished twenty-one years ago—she's now twenty-seven? The same age as Guan Ya... Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "What happened afterward?" "Later, he sent me to live with a family in another household, telling me he needed to accomplish something important. If he couldn't return, he asked me to settle well there, waiting for the Chu family to come and retrieve me. At that time, you were just born, and your mother took you back to her family for the postpartum recovery." The Master of Zhishā Palace looked out toward the quiet street beyond the window. "I waited, and waited, and waited for years—still never saw the Chu family come to fetch me." As she spoke, her eyes carried a quiet sadness, a touch of sorrow. "Though your father did return, occasionally visiting that household to see me." "Until you were six, I heard he died in a car accident," the Lady of the Still Killing sighed. "Why didn't my father bring you back?" Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself—then I'd have a wildly eccentric sister. Now, when we go shopping, I'd have to hold my aunt on one side and my sister on the other, looking quite regal. The Lady of the Still Killing remained silent for a few seconds, then murmured softly, "He was afraid. He said, if one day his enemies found him, then at least I would survive. But if they found me, then neither of us would make it." "Enemies?" Zhang Yuanqing frowned, "The Night Rose?" The Lady of the Still Killing shook her head slightly. "I don't know. I was too young then—he had many things he didn't tell me." "Very well, then tell me what you do know," Zhang Yuanqing said, gazing at her with a determined, almost challenging intensity. "You stitched my soul together, correct? What happened to me—why do I see your memories? Did I really have the episode in high school? Do I have no memory of any of this at all?" The Lady Zhengsha, with her dark and luminous eyes gazing back at him, her gaze deep and penetrating, observed, "Indeed, the sutures have loosened—only now have you come to see my memories. How are you feeling now? Any sense of dissonance or discomfort?" "Somewhat, but it's improving. I am the Night-Wanderer; my spiritual body is not fragile." Zhang Yuanqing replied. Only then did the Lady Zhengsha nod with relief, speaking softly, "My spiritual body was the one I stitched together. To mend a spiritual body, one must use the same 'material.' I tore away part of my own soul, using it as thread to weave your fragmented spiritual body back together. As a result, I have sustained great energy loss—my realm has dropped from Sovereign to Saint." "As for the timing of your illness, yes, it began precisely when you were in high school. We're not that much apart in age. If it weren't for that time, wouldn't you have thought I would have ascended to Sovereign so early?" That makes sense, Zhang Yuanqing thought, his expression complex. "Thank you!" The Lady Zhengsha gave a soft breath, Moreover, this is my promise to your father. "Promise?" Zhang Yuanqing was puzzled. "Your father visited me one year before his passing. He said that, should there come a day when you faced a life-threatening situation, he hoped I would save your life. After his death, I have maintained regular contact with your mother, meeting her several times a year. It was your mother who reached out to me when you were in trouble." "Why has my soul been torn apart?" "I don't know. When I first saw you, your spiritual form was already fragmented into four or five pieces, yet miraculously it hadn't dispersed—seeming to await someone to come and save you. I asked your mother about this, and she wasn't entirely clear. She told me…." The Master of Zheng Shi recalled, "At your birth, Zhang Zizhen had told her to leave you something special. He emphasized its importance, saying that should anything happen to you in the future, you should immediately contact me. I was only seven years old at the time, yet your father seemed certain that I would one day become a spiritual traveler." "What exactly it is, he just won't tell your mother." He left something for me... Zhang Yuanqing slowly chewed on these words, suddenly remembering the gasp from the Pure Yang Master the night before. ——His soul is problematic! The Pure Yang Master had already noticed that his soul had been stitched together before speaking, so what he meant was definitely not the stitching itself. Zhang Yuanqing drew a sharp breath, then asked, "What major undertaking did he say he wanted to accomplish back then?" "He never told me." What use are you to me? After all, you were just a little girl back then... Zhang Yuanqing had another question: "Do you know about the Xiao Yao Organization?" "Yes, that was your father and my father's early organization." The Master of Zheng Shu said. "I recall that my father's health has always been poor, often requiring life essence to maintain his condition. Once, when my mother complained to him, she mentioned the Xiao Yao Organization in her words." She tilted her head, recalling, "She said it was all because my father had been spending too much time with the 'Free-Riding' group, which had left him with a chronic illness that wouldn't heal." At this point, she smiled brightly, "Interestingly, Zhang Zizhen shares the same condition as my father." So, what exactly had the 'Free-Riding' group done back then? Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Any more?" The Master of the Stop-Killing Palace pondered, "The 'Free-Riding' organization—I hardly heard of it after I became a Spirit Realm traveler. In fact, it effectively vanished after both my father and your father passed away. The information about this organization is mostly known to the official authorities and the elder Spirit Realm travelers. I never actively sought it out." Never actively sought it out? Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the Master of the Stop-Killing Palace and said calmly, "You're lying to me! You've been investigating the truth behind the Chu family's massacre for so many years—how could you have overlooked this clue?" "I'm not lying—I just didn't know." "Zhi Sha Palace Master chuckled and rested her chin on her hand, gazing at him. Zhang Yuanqing found himself at a loss, with no choice but to think things through himself. His soul fragmentation likely stemmed from his father, Zhang Zizhen. At the time of his birth, his father had given him something—this very thing had caused his soul to become unstable during his high school years. To verify this hypothesis, he needed to learn more about his father. He asked, "Does my mother know anything?" Zhi Sha Palace Master replied, "She's just an ordinary person. Do you think Zhang Zizhen would tell her much? Knowing less doesn't mean she's unsafe—knowing more, however, might actually put her in danger." "Then it seems I'll have to look into this myself," Zhang Yuanqing said, once again lost in thought. The current breakthrough lies with the Xiao Yao Organization. Perhaps by uncovering the truth behind its sudden disappearance, he could learn what his father and Chu Shang had done, and why they both ended up with the same illness. Then, following the trail, he could gradually piece together what his father had accomplished during those years." Moreover, the enemy spoken of by his father deeply concerned Zhang Yuanqing. Was this enemy the Night Rose, or someone else entirely? Zhang Yuanqing believed it was someone else. The reason was simple: the Night Rose sought to reclaim the "Mother Goddess's Womb" in order to resurrect their leader. The Master of the Halt Palace had, at the time, merely been a child who had only recently learned to wipe his own bottom—far from even being a Spirit Realm traveler—and thus could not have been the target of relentless pursuit by the Night Rose. The Night Rose and the Commander of the Army were indeed impressive. With this in mind, his thoughts became clear. Before him lay two matters: first, whether his spiritual body would once again tear apart; second, what exactly his father had left him, and whether the enemy would now turn their attention to him. These were matters of personal safety that demanded immediate clarification. He could not wait until danger actually arrived. "Will my spiritual body tear again?" he asked. "Your mother found you a medicine—originally, all you needed to do was keep taking it, and you'd be fine. But now that you've become a Spirit Realm traveler, you've even less to worry about. As your level improves, your spirit will gradually heal." The Master of the Zhishā Palace rested one hand on her cheek and used the other to stir her coffee with a small spoon. "Is my father's legacy still within my spirit body, or did it leave when his spirit was torn apart?" Zhang Yuancheng was more concerned about this. The Master shook her head. Since you don't know whether the legacy is still there, how can you be certain my spirit body won't have further issues? This woman truly holds some information—Zhang Yuancheng is quite shrewd. His questions earlier were both genuine curiosity and a subtle probe. "Was my father actually killed by the person he mentioned as his enemy?" He took a sip of the warm coffee. "The car accident was your mother who said it happened, and the body was prepared by your uncle. I was only about eleven or twelve back then—I didn’t even attend your father’s funeral. How could I possibly know exactly how your father died? You should ask your mother yourself." She gave a dismissive shrug. "No!" "Why?" "No is no." The Lady of Zheng Sha remained cold and resolute, then softened her tone and said, "During your investigation, if you need any assistance, feel free to reach out to me." "Alright." Zhang Yuanqing was about to activate the Star-Flight Technique when he suddenly remembered something. "Hm, wait a moment—this doesn't add up." The expression beneath the Lady of Zheng Sha's mask suddenly grew tense; she bit her lower lip. "What's amiss?" Zhang Yuanqing first reviewed his logic before responding. "You've known me for many years, yet I've never met you." "What's the issue?" she smiled gently. "But ever since I first met you, you've always called me your 'face-to-face beloved,' as if you were eager to marry me right away. Yet you've known Zhang Yuanqing all along—how does that connect to me, the Primordial Celestial Sovereign?" Zhang Yuanqing narrowed his eyes. "When I saw you, you were disguised. How do you know that the Primordial Celestial Sovereign is none other than Zhang Yuanqing?" "Master Zhi Sha stared at him for a moment, then exhaled, "If I've come to see you, wouldn't I have investigated you as well? You've disguised yourself to meet me—did you disguise yourself when you saw Wang Qian? He described your appearance, and I naturally knew that Yuan Shi Tian Zun was Zhang Yuanqing." "...That makes sense," Zhang Yuanqing said, silent, and vanished into the starlight. "I can't stop it, and frankly, I agree he should investigate. Back then, you prevented me from investigating the Chu family's massacre case—now you're doing the same thing?" the Zheng Shi Palace Master replied. On the other end, silence lingered for a long time before she responded, "For the next few months, I'll be going offline." No. Even if the Five Elements Alliance hadn't been established, the five major clans would still have their own databases—wouldn't they? After all, the records from before would then be discarded upon merger? He believed it was likely a matter of insufficient account permissions. Information that even the stewards weren't authorized to access would have to be referred to Fu Qingyang. Zhang Yuanqing didn't rush. He closed his laptop, took a simple shower, and went to bed. It was late, and the matter wasn't urgent—there was no need to disturb Fu Qingyang. It wasn't something that required immediate attention. Zhang Yuanqing tucked his phone into his pocket, left the room, and joined his teammates for a cheerful breakfast. "Yesterday's battle was truly spectacular," said Xiao Li Green with a faintly chilly tone, her smile sweet and pure. "I've never seen a opponent who couldn't hold up against Lady Yin before. Princess Junzhu is indeed impressive." Upon hearing this, Princess Yin Yao silently pulled out her handheld speaker. "Martial arts and magic are the foundations of a life on the road—I'm fairly proficient in both. Still, she's quite strong. Since I became a shadow-bodied spirit, I've been invulnerable to weapons and blades, and I possess immense strength—though I've lost the advantage of a solid physical body. As for martial arts alone, I'm no match for her. I'm truly sorry, but I can't feign a stumble or a defeat to eliminate the rivals vying for your favor." The atmosphere suddenly grew still. The Queen and Xie Lingxi both looked stiff. Guan Ya watched them with quiet composure. In the silence, Zhang Yuanqing and Li Chunfeng quietly carried their trays and moved out of the dining room to eat in the courtyard. "I can "No way. You've resigned, who's going to help me cross the border and download learning videos abroad? Plus, Jingwei sends homework every weekend—each assignment costs 20,000 yuan. Where else can I find such excellent benefits? Once you're gone, I'll have to shoulder everything myself—no chance of even thinking about it. The benefits are great, but what if my family finds out? Will they come over and give me a ride, or even beat me up? They won't. They'll fly over and give you a proper beating. That's good. They'll fly over and give you a proper beating. Zhang Yuanqing sets down her plate on the stone table, just sits down and takes a few bites of the sausage when her phone chimes. Fu Qingyang has replied. 'Xiao Yao Organization, active from 1994 to 2000. The organization has four known members: the Yang-Flame Twins, the Shadow Twins. The Yang-Flame Twins are 'Chu Shang' and 'Zhang Tian Shi'; the Shadow Twins remain unidentified. The organization's motto is: To prevent the world from being destroyed, to safeguard world peace—we will do anything.'" The combination of Radiant and Shadow has made outstanding contributions in the eradication of evil professions, with over ten rulers falling at their hands. In 1998, the Disc of Light emerged, and both the Radiant Twins and the Shadow Twins participated in the competition for it. Two years later, the organization vanished, and the four siblings never reappeared.