What a mess! All this is due to Jiang Jingwei and Xie Lingxi—one drops the ball at the most crucial moment, the other speaks without thinking at all. Zhang Yuanqing held his phone, leaving the bathroom, furious. He kicked off his boots, sat cross-legged on the bed, and stared at his phone, feeling increasingly at a loss. Whether he went to see Guan Ya or Xiao Yuan, it wouldn’t be a quick visit. If he went to see Xiao Yuan first, Guan Ya would surely feel jealous, her mood shattered, and she’d launch into a determined campaign against anyone in her way—extremely risky. If he left Xiao Yuan behind and went to see Guan Ya first, Xiao Yuan would realize that this was Yuan Shi’s quiet refusal, and she’d completely lose interest in the budding connection, settling instead for a purely friendly relationship moving forward. After all, it might be a good opportunity—letting go of her hopes, fully committing to Guan Ya, and embracing a bright future together. No. The mentor said Xiao Yuan is sensitive and delicate at heart. If her mental state is compromised, tonight's battle will be very risky. Yes, I'm thinking about the bigger picture... Zhang Yuanqing had a sudden thought and sent messages simultaneously to both Xiao Yuan and Guan Ya: "Let me go to the restroom, just a moment." Then he quickly opened Ling Jun's profile and sent a request for help: "Mentor, are you available? I have a very pressing issue that I need your advice on." He couldn't handle this emotional dilemma on his own with his limited experience—professional matters still required expert guidance. Ling Jun replied promptly: "I have a bit of business here. Please go ahead and explain your issue clearly and concisely." Zhang Yuanqing immediately composed his message, outlining his current situation, and sent it. Ling Jun responded: "Ah, your potential romantic interest has now become engaged with your official girlfriend, and both of them are messaging you to meet? Stupid—how could you possibly find yourself in such an unfavorable position?" As I usually teach you, a noble person never stands beneath a dangerous wall, keeping potential romantic interests from meeting—this is a fundamental skill of a noble person. "Teacher, stop talking! You're in a hurry, and so am I." Ling Jun: "If it were anyone else, I'd say they're completely out of luck—just waiting to die. But you're different—you're the Night-Wanderer. From now on, remember every word I say. Before that, however, I'd like to confirm: is your ambivalent partner someone with a delicate, sensitive nature, and somewhat older?" "Indeed, indeed." “Lingjun: ‘That’s simple—just calm them down. First of all, isn’t that just your romantic interest? As long as you haven’t actually cheated, the issue with Guan Ya won’t be too much. You have that ghost mirror, don’t you? Take it with you. Then, do this…’ Lingjun: ‘As for your romantic interest—I remember you mentioned that you once pursued her, but she cold-shouldered you, leaving you unsure of how to proceed. You can completely shift the blame to her and use this moment to reexpress your feelings. It might even strengthen your relationship. That’s what you need to do…’ "I don't want to open the door—I'll come in myself." Guan Ya said coldly. Zhang Yuanqing dissolved into starlight and entered the room, at the same time, Xiao Yuan opened the door and paused, startled by the blood rose at the entrance, then her expression turned cold as she reached to close it. "Blood Rose," hurriedly blocked the door, her voice dry and strained, "Don't close it—come in, come in..." She forced herself through and closed the door behind her. Xiao Yuan remained silent, walked to the table, sat down, crossed her legs, and said calmly: "I'm raising my price." Raising her price? Zhang Yuanqing was taken aback. He had expected Xiao Yuan to make some sharp remarks—perhaps: "You're lacking maternal affection, aren't you? You prefer older women, right? How come you've chosen someone under thirty?" After all this time together, Zhang Yuanqing knew that beneath Xiao Yuan's reserved and composed exterior, she was actually quite sharp-tongued. Xiao Yuan stared at him, her tone stiff and detached: "With two five-level characters, plus the potential threat of enemies, the risks I'm taking now exceed two and a half million." Four million—no negotiation. If you agree, I'll stay. "If not, I'm leaving!" Four million is a bit high, isn't it? No, actually, four million is the fair price—objective, detached from relationships and emotions. Two and a half million is the price of friendship. Is Xiao Yuan now clearly drawing a line between us? Zhang Yuanqing gritted his teeth quietly, maintaining a composed expression, and nodded, "Alright, four million it is." Xiao Yuan didn't seem particularly delighted; her gaze slightly lowered, as though a little subdued, then quickly lifted again, smiling, "Your girlfriend is really beautiful!" Zhang Yuanqing walked over to the table and suddenly leaned in close, so close that they could feel each other's breaths. "But in my heart, Aunt Xiao Yuan is the most beautiful," he said sincerely. ... Guan Ya crossed her legs, leaned back in her chair, her face as cold as frost, intently watching the constellation rising, forming the image of her boyfriend. "How come I didn't know you were so capable—how could you have cultivated a villainous profession outside the palace? You're not just a naive rookie who's never been in love—you're a true romantic. You haven't even earned the privilege of having Ling Jun wipe your bottom, let alone have him courted a villainous profession. We've always known our Heavenly Sovereign has charm." Though she said it with a smile, there was not a single trace of warmth on her face. Zhang Yuanqing stepped closer. "Don't start making excuses," she scoffed. "You know I'm a scout—I've seen things far beyond your imagination." Zhang Yuanqing spread his legs and sat upon Guan Ya's thighs, smiling gently. "Are you jealous? I truly only share a friendly relationship with her." ... Xiao Yuan furrowed her brows, studying him carefully, then coldly remarked, "Are you planning to play the 'two-ship-at-a-time' game with me? Yuan-Shi Heavenly Sovereign, do you think I'll let you off with just a warning?" "All I'm saying is true. Guan Ya is my colleague—she's beautiful, well-built, but I still feel that Aunt Xiao Yuan is truly captivating." Zhang Yuanqing sighed and said, "I've told you before that I'm drawn to older women. In fact, that was my way of telling you how I feel—yet you haven't responded, and now I'm at a loss. You know, I've never had any romantic experience before. "Once, I believed that if I kept getting closer to you, I would eventually embrace you. But later I realized that to me, you were a distant, beautiful vision—like a mountain far away, ever so majestic and unreachable." "Of course—someone as mature, refined, and experienced as you, how could you possibly see me as anything more than a young, barely graduated college boy in my twenties? Just when that realization hits me, Guan Ya has suddenly expressed her feelings toward me..." Pausing, he glanced at Xiao Yuan's thoughtful expression and softly added, "I've just realized that perhaps the person truly right for me is right here, right beside me." And you, Aunt Xiao Yuan—have always been my beautiful fantasy... There's a saying, isn't there? "The one who stays by your side until the end doesn't always have to be the one you love most." Zhang Yuanqing's expression was deeply sincere and poignant, his eyes sorrowful and resigned, as if mourning a beautiful, now-forgotten love. A bit embarrassed, really. Sorry—these are all things taught to me by Ling Jun. Ling Jun truly is a love-struck dud. As a pure-hearted young man like me, I never thought I'd come up with such heartfelt, romantic lines. Zhang Yuanqing was intently staring at Xiao Yuan, observing her expression. According to his mentor's advice, he needed to convey two key sentiments: first, "I became engaged because you rejected me—I had no choice but to settle for someone else," and second, "Even though I've dated others, you've always remained my ideal love." Xiao Yuan remained in a long silence, lowering her gaze, her eyelashes trembling with high frequency. Her expression had softened, no longer cold as before. "Friendship?" "Guan Ya huffed, pushing him, 'Get up, get up... You're acting all nervous about your friendship with her. The way she looks at you isn't exactly that of a friend.'" Zhang Yuanqing was pushed to the ground and then settled onto the edge of the bed, chuckling wryly. "Alright, I have indeed admired her, but that was quite some time ago—when I first became a Spirit Realm Traveler. She had helped me on several occasions, and I noticed something remarkable: despite being a villainous profession, she possessed a genuinely kind heart." Guan Ya narrowed her eyes, observing the nuances of her boyfriend's gaze and facial expressions. When speaking of that woman, his tone was calm, his face composed—no hesitation, no embarrassment, only a quiet, steady sincerity. "Go on, why aren't you saying more?" she asked. Zhang Yuanqing scratched his head. "Well, it just so happened that she was exactly the kind of person I liked. I couldn't hold back and started pursuing her." "I think she also likes you quite a bit. So why haven't things developed further?" Guan Ya asked, smiling faintly. Zhang Yuanqing smiled brightly, "Thanks to you, of course! You're so beautiful, with such a great figure and such lovely manners. As we get to know each other better, I find myself falling more and more in love with you—until I gradually start to forget about her altogether." Guan Ya snorted, "Stop it!" Zhang Yuanqing pointed to the sky and swore, "I swear on this very sky—I speak only the truth. If I don't, let it rain thunder and lightning! After we confirmed our relationship, I've barely reached out to her. I'm nervous, not because I'm not fond of you, but because I'm afraid you might think too much. If there's any secret between me and her, wouldn't I ask her to help me cover it up? Am I really that foolish, Guan Ya? You must believe in my feelings for you." Ah, now I sound just like a loveless man. Fortunately, Guan Ya is only a fourth-level swordsman. If it were Fu Qingyang, even the Ghost Mirror would have to conceal it... Zhang Yuanqing stood up and walked to the table, gazing steadily into Guan Ya's eyes, saying, "As According to Lingjun's thinking, Guan Ya wanted "attitude" and "commitment"—her boyfriend's attentive behavior toward other women and his promise never to stray. After all, at this point they had only discovered a friendly rapport between him and other women, not a full breakup, so the issue wasn't serious. The attitude had already been demonstrated by Zhang Yuanqing. If the mentor hadn't guessed wrong, Guan Ya would now expect a promise from him. As Zhang Yuanqing thought this, Guan Ya immediately hummed, saying, "Even if you're telling the truth now, and you haven't broken up with anyone yet, does that mean you'll never stray in the future?" Zhang Yuanqing replied smoothly, "That depends entirely on your performance." "My performance?" "You need to help me with this every night—" Zhang Yuanqing grasped the old Si Ji's hand and made a vertical motion. Guan Ya blushed slightly and blew out a puff of air. Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing immediately leaned in and bit gently at her lip, saying, "Then I can certainly help you with that." "Ah, it's painful—loosen your grip..." Guan Ya's lower lip was pinched and pulled by the pressure, and as she struggled, she mumbled, "You weren't supposed to be handling official matters? Hurry up, hurry up..." "Are you not going to continue questioning him?" "No more questions." "Have you believed him?" "Believed him, believed him—now get out!" Zhang Yuanqing immediately released his hold, expressing regret. "Then I'll be off." He turned the door handle and stepped out of the room, just in time to see "Blood Rose" emerge from the room at the far end of the corridor. The two men exchanged a warm, knowing smile. ... Back in the room, Zhang Yuanqing pulled out the bloodstains from the Edo swordmaster and summoned the Red Slippers. He placed the bloodstains inside and issued his command: "Take me to him." Tik-tik-tik... The Red Slippers pierced through the hotel's floor-to-ceiling windows and dashed down the glass walls, soon vanishing from sight. Zhang Yuanqing's body transformed into a dreamlike stream of starlight, appearing on the rooftop of the building across from the hotel. Then, he removed the Wind-Runner gloves from his wrist and activated his Night Stroll skill, rising on the wind to pursue the Red Dance Shoes. Alternating between the Star-Dash technique and the Wind-Runner gloves, he gradually moved away from the city center, reaching a sparsely populated suburban area after half an hour. The Red Dance Shoes halted outside a small manor. Zhang timely interrupted the pursuit and exchanged the shoes for a price at the balcony of a nearby villa. Retrieving the bloodstains and securing the Red Dance Shoes, he donned the Wind-Runner gloves and ascended into the sky, surveying the villa district. The district covered a vast area, boasting at least thirty to forty villas, neatly planned in a regular layout. The villa courtyards were arranged like square blocks, and scattered greenery lined the cross-shaped streets. Compared to the lush, verdant environment of the south, this area exuded the rugged charm typical of the north. The largest and most luxurious manor, locked onto by the Red Dance Shoes, stood as the centerpiece of the villa district. "There's a swordmaster from Jiangdu inside. This villa must be one of Xiedrink's strongholds—so there must be more than just them inside, surely some of his subordinates. "With his invisibility, Zhang Yuanqing surveyed the estate and quickly thought through the situation. "Chuncheng isn't close to the northwest headquarters of the General, but this is in the north. Perhaps Chuncheng just happens to have a divine general, or even a Heavenly King. If we can't secure a decisive victory quickly, things will go badly. Before the battle, we must be fully prepared." "The most secure approach would be to cover the entire estate with firepower, using our ammunition to uphold the heavenly mandate. Hm, the headquarters will certainly object—once they agree, the imperial court will too." Zhang Yuanqing didn't linger, and turned to leave. ... Seven o'clock in the evening, at the hotel. Everyone gathered in Zhang Yuanqing's room to discuss their operational plan. Zhang Yuanqing described the environment of the residential complex where the Edo swordmaster resided, saying, "Besides the Edo swordmaster, there are also Xue Yin Kuangdao and his subordinates in the villa. We don't have to count on possible divine generals or heavenly kings. Given the nature of Mugushi, prolonged combat will be unfavorable to us. "Therefore, we must secure the Edo swordmaster's position and eliminate him directly. Li Chunfeng, you're in charge of disabling the estate's surveillance systems to blind them. Xie Lingxi, you'll monitor and pinpoint the Edo swordmaster's exact location. "Xiao Yuan, before the battle begins, offer prayers for all of us to boost our chances of success. By the way, I have traces of the Edo swordmaster's blood here—can you curse him and kill him?" Xiao Yuan remained cool and slightly shook her head, "The blood has lost its vitality. The curse will affect him, causing only minor damage, but won't seriously wound him, let alone kill him." "That's sufficient!" Zhang Yuanqing said. "Once we secure the Edo swordmaster's location, I, Guan Ya, and Xiao Yuan will carry out Asaoka Ryō, you and the Queen will handle the subordinates of Xieding Kangdao." As for Li Chunfeng and Xie Lingxi—one a technician, one an auxiliary—there's no need for them to step onto the field. Guan Ya, arms folded, leaning against the window, spoke with steady gravity: "If I were Xieding Kangdao, I would station sentinels around the manor and even the villas. As soon as someone or something suspicious approached, I would immediately be alerted." The young girl looked straight ahead, her tone calm and matter-of-fact: "Gathering so many evil-class professionals is a rather foolish move." Guan Ya gave a light laugh: "I'm talking about sentinels, not evil professionals. With the Fog Master's abilities, he can easily influence ordinary people to serve as sentinels—this won't deduct any moral points." Zhang Yuanqing quickly added: "That's easy to arrange. We'll use the night-roaming cloaks and the Wind-Runner gloves to quietly infiltrate one by one, directly taking control of the residents of the villas adjacent to the manor. In that case, even if they serve as sentinels, they "... Forty minutes later, the group used their night robes and Zhang Yuanqing's Wind-Walker gloves to infiltrate the residential complex and secured the residents of the villa across from the estate. With illusions, they subdued the ordinary inhabitants, knocking out the middle-aged couple, children, and elderly, and transferring them to the bedrooms. Xie Lingxi donned her headphones, walked to the window, and carefully observed the distant manor, listening intently. On the other side, Li Chunfeng opened his laptop, his fingers dancing across the keyboard. Within minutes, the computer screen divided into over twenty sections, each representing a surveillance camera. "In the dining room!" Li Chunfeng said. The group gathered around the screen, focusing on the lower-left section, where two middle-aged men were seated across from each other, drinking wine, while a graceful female server stood attentively by their side. Though the image was slightly blurred, making it difficult to discern their facial features, the overall facial contours were clear enough for Zhang Yuanqing and Asano Reo to recognize them. "It's him—the Edo swordmaster!" Asano Reo whispered, biting her lips in determination. In the scene, the Edo swordmaster and Xue Yin's狂刀 are drinking and chatting. "Can you hear anything?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. Li Chunfeng tapped the return key, and through the computer speaker, a muffled voice came through, accompanied by a hum of static noise. Well, we'll have to rely on Xie Lingxi! Zhang Yuanqing turned to look at the window side. "Sister, did you hear anything?"