In the early morning, Zhang Yuanqing sat at the dining table enjoying the breakfast prepared by the rabbit-dress girl. Leaning his head slightly to one side, he held his phone against his ear and shoulder, slicing hot dogs while immersing the oil cakes into the soy milk. "You still haven't finished your task, have you? Do you need me to come over and help?" Zhang complained repeatedly, "If you don't go home soon, I'm going to look for someone else!" For a young man newly in love and still in the 'once you taste it, you crave it' phase, nothing is more taxing than the feeling of good deeds going unrewarded. Guan Ya chuckled lightly. "You'll just be perfecting your new, less practiced cooking skills." She had no doubt that Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn would find other women attractive outside—after all, he was well-off and good-looking, and it wasn't hard to find a girlfriend. Indeed, it wasn't. But he hadn't truly transformed from a boy into a man until that evening, when he was welcomed with a warm procession. Guan Ya had long understood Yuan Shǐ—on the surface, he was cheerful and optimistic, but in reality, Previously, he hadn't had a girlfriend because he simply didn't want to. "Honestly, tell you the truth—being self-sufficient is far more comfortable than sharing a bed with someone," Zhang Yuanqing grunted, biting his teeth. Guan Ya laughed lightly, "Then why don't you come over more often? I've already finished breakfast. I've got a meeting scheduled, and this one's quite difficult to handle. If I can't catch him within a week, I'm taking the team back to Songhai." The success rate in capturing fugitives has always been low—unless they're directly pinpointed and surrounded, most evil professionals can rely on their skills to slip away gracefully under official pursuit. Evil professionals have always been hard to catch. This time, Guan Ya is targeting a Mist Master, a fugitive known for his fierce temperament, who takes pleasure in killing and often attacks official personnel when his moral standards are compromised. The suspect has been operating in Jiangnan Province and was recently spotted by officials from Hangzhou Branch. Zhang Yuanqing hung up the phone, before even setting it down, the call from Fu Qingyang arrived immediately. He picked up the phone, "Boss?" "The incident involving your killing of Cai Longshen has come to light. This morning, investigators from headquarters arrived at Huang Taidi's residence, carrying the Tiger Seal to question him. I've just received word that the investigation team is en route to Songhai." Fu Qingyang's words struck Suan Yuanqing like a heavy blow. Just when I was about to save the Magician's Eye—here it comes. He set down his knife and fork, his expression serious. "What should I do now?" Though somewhat caught off guard, he remained calm, having anticipated this scenario and mentally prepared. "Cooperate with the investigation," Fu Qingyang said firmly. "I've said before that we can negotiate, debate, and maneuver—yet you must not appear overly extreme. Don't let the senior monks at headquarters perceive you as disloyal. Simply endure and support their investigation. The rest will be my responsibility." Suan Yuanqing nodded once, then asked, "Is Huang Taidi all right?" Fu Qingyang replied calmly, "He's the grandson of the Grand Elder, Dihong. What could possibly go wrong for him? At most, he It's truly Yuan Shi who has been involved. Though mentally ill patients are legally protected when they commit murder, this protection applies only among peers of the common folk. If the victim is the Crown Prince, regardless of whether the patient is mentally ill or not, even if you're considered intellectually impaired, you'll face a human rights catastrophe. Yuan Shi Tianzun killed the Crown Prince himself. As one of the Ten Elders of the Headquarters, would Cai Elder easily overlook someone who kills his own grandson? Though Fu Qingyang claims he can negotiate, the matter isn't really that simple. After ending the call, Zhang Yuanqing set down his phone and calmly continued eating. After breakfast, he returned to his room, opened his messaging app, left the "Main Character Squad Striving Group," and deleted friends such as "Xiao Yuan" and "King of Fear." Then he removed the old phone card and switched to a new one. He packed the old phone and the Cat King speaker into his backpack and stored them in the Red Riding Hood space. After handling two items, he also stored the three shadow corpses of Lady Yin Yao, the Greedy General, and the Hundred-Blade Warrior inside the red hat, leaving only the Blood Rose. For now, he still couldn't reveal to headquarters that he possessed three Level-6 shadow corpses—the incident at Huadu Wanjiao Store hadn't yet concluded. Then, Zhang Yuanqing went to the adjacent room and entered the study. He immediately spotted Qian Gong, sitting behind the desk, frowning and deep in thought, and said, "Lady Guan is still on duty. Let her remain unaware—otherwise she'll be distracted." "It's not a matter of whether we mention it or not," Fu Qingyang smoothly moved past the topic, implying something deeper, "We should attend to the items that need to be dealt with." Zhang Yuanqing nodded, "All have been handled." Fu Qingyang then slowly added, "The investigation team will come to see you shortly. Do you know about the Investigation Department?" Zhang Yuanqing nodded. The Investigation Department was a key oversight body established by headquarters, playing a crucial role in monitoring and constraining each of the regional branches, wielding significant authority. The head of the Investigation Department is the Grand Elder of the White Tiger Army, and the deputy head is Elder Cai from the Water Deity Palace. Among the Ten Elders of the Headquarters, each holds substantial power—power that no regional elder can match. If the Five Elements Alliance is compared to a martial arts guild, then the Ten Elders are the ten power factions that have divided authority, while the regional elders are merely their junior associates. For instance, Elder Lu Shen of the Water Deity Palace in Song Hai is part of Elder Cai’s faction. "Your only advantage," Fu Qingyang said, "is your innate talent. I will work to advocate for you and secure a more lenient outcome." For an ordinary prodigy without a strong background, this hurdle would be insurmountable. As one of the Ten Elders, Elder Cai can easily handle a rising star—no one would dare oppose the Ten Elders over a relatively insignificant figure, not even among them. But Yuan Shi Tian Zun is different. His reputation is too distinguished; now that he has reached the Sixth Rank, even the status of a Grand Master is merely his baseline—his standing as a potential Alliance Leader is no longer just a matter of casual remark. Even among the Ten Elders, it would be difficult for them to handle him according to their own preferences without Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun making a desperate effort. Yet, having slain Cai Long Shen, Tian Zun could hardly hope to remain unscathed. "I'll give it a lighter treatment," Zhang Yuanqing shrugged. "If things get too tense, I'll withdraw from the Five Elements Alliance and focus solely on serving the head of the White Guard." "Don't talk big," Fu Qingyang said coldly. The two remained silent, waiting in quiet contemplation. The sunlight grew stronger, the summer heat of Chu Shu now blazing. Gardeners trimmed the dense branches and gathered fallen leaves from the pond. Near noon, the Rabbit Maid knocked on the study door. "Master, the investigators from headquarters have arrived." Fu Qingyang nodded slightly. "Have them enter." The Rabbit Maid withdrew and returned shortly thereafter, leading three well-dressed men— one middle-aged man and two younger ones. The middle-aged man produced his credentials and bowed slightly, saying, "Master Fu, at the directive of Master Cai, we are bringing Yuanshish Tianzun back to the capital for questioning. Here are the official detention documents from the headquarters." "Bringing Tianzun to the capital?" Fu Qingyang furrowed his brows, glanced at the credentials, which listed the position and spiritual realm ID. Receiving the folder, he read it carefully and said, "I understand." He returned the folder to the man and looked at Zhang Yuanqing, saying, "Cooperate with the headquarters' investigation." "Yes, Master," Zhang Yuanqing responded respectfully, gazing at the middle-aged man, "Shall we need to put handcuffs on him?" The middle-aged man studied the renowned Yuanshish Tianzun, his eyes briefly widening in surprise. It was widely believed that this prodigy, known for his rebellious nature, had often disregarded discipline by killing colleagues and defied the headquarters' authority. In the副本, such actions were no surprise to him. He had expected Yuanshish Tianzun to display his usual defiance upon seeing their arrival and refuse to cooperate. Instead, he found him remarkably "The handcuffs are unnecessary, but Master Cai has instructed that we carefully inspect your quarters." The middle-aged man smiled slightly. "Right next door," Zhang Yuanqing said calmly. Fu Qingyang turned to the rabbit maiden and said, "Take them there." The two young men followed the rabbit maiden out. Fu Qingyang watched the three of them leave the study, then turned to the middle-aged man and asked, "Master Cai sent you, a Saint-level disciple, with the expectation that Yuan-Shi Tian-zun would defy the orders?" The middle-aged man responded smoothly, with a bright smile: "Who knows? I merely follow the instructions from above." Half an hour later, the two young men returned to the study, shaking their heads at the superior. The middle-aged man immediately said, "Fu Elder, then I shall not disturb you anymore. Yuan-Shi Tian-zun, let's go with us." Zhang Yuanqing looked at Fu Qingyang, who replied quietly, "Remember what I said." Cooperating with the investigation, I must not let the headquarters think I’ve turned against them… Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath and smiled, saying, “I hope the interrogation room at headquarters doesn’t feature the Ten Most Brutal Punishments of the Qing Dynasty.” … At 2 p.m., Zhang Yuanqing arrived in Beijing by private plane. As soon as he stepped off the plane, he was escorted into a dedicated vehicle and driven to the headquarters of the investigation department. In the interrogation room, Zhang Yuanqing sat in the interrogation chair, under bright white lighting and surveillance cameras, with the long table in front of him empty. The room was small, and he was the only one present. In silence, the door creaked open with a soft “click,” and an elderly man in a black robe entered, followed by an assistant carrying a tray. The man in the black robe had a pale face, no beard, silver hair, and deep wrinkles around his eyes and forehead; his expression was cold and composed. He sat down on the long chair, and the assistant respectfully placed the tray on the table. The man in the black robe unfolded the red cloth, grasped the tiger emblem, and looked steadily at Zhang Yuanqing seated in the chair A terrifying pressure surged upon him, accompanied by a roar like a tiger's. In his mind, the majestic white tiger reappeared with regal dignity. A black, round moon then materialized, casting a cool, serene light that bathed Zhang Yuanqing's soul. "Master Yuan Shi Tian Zun," he said, maintaining his pale complexion. "In the quest realm where the Five Elements are in disorder, a spirit master turned against the evil faction for your sake—has such a thing occurred?" the elder in black robes inquired. "Yes, but her identity..." Zhang Yuanqing began to explain, only to be coldly interrupted by the elder. "You need only respond with 'yes' or 'no'; nothing else." Zhang Yuanqing sighed and fell silent. The elder in black robes asked again, "Did you kill Cai Long Shen?" "Yes..." "When you killed him, were you fully conscious?" "At that time, I..." The elder once more cut him off, speaking firmly, "Respond with 'yes' or 'no'." Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the虎符, "Yes...". Under the weight of the虎符, he could not make a vigorous objection—any such resistance would reveal that he was immune to its authority. The black-robed elder nodded in satisfaction, took back the虎符, and addressed his assistant: "Turn off the monitoring." The assistant nodded and left the interrogation room. A few seconds later, he returned, now holding an additional document. The elder sat calmly at the desk, gesturing with his eyes for the assistant to deliver the document. The file was placed before Zhang Yuanqing, who carefully examined it. It was a statement of confession. It detailed how the Primordial Sovereign had colluded with malevolent forces, dissatisfied with the distribution of spoils, and having seized the boss's power, had ultimately taken decisive action to eliminate them. The statement did not mention Cai Long Shen's attempt to absorb all the spoils, nor the incident that served as the catalyst, nor his bold decision—driven by the need to save his companions—to consume the boss's soul, which ultimately led to his mental breakdown. Nor was there any mention of Cai Long's fear of battle, watching his colleagues die one by one and then, with great embarrassment, claiming his share of the spoils. The only point emphasized was: Yuan Shi Tian Zun was dissatisfied with the distribution of spoils and, in anger, ordered the execution of several. "I won't sign it," Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath. "I want to see Fu Qingyang." He suddenly realized that within the official establishment, the only person he could rely on was the young gentleman, Qian. The elderly man in black spoke calmly: "He lacks the authority to participate in the affairs of the investigation department; he must sign it." As he spoke, a clear stream of water surged from his sleeve and cascaded onto Zhang Yuanqing's back, pressing down with a soft, rhythmic sound. "Crash!" His face was immediately pressed flat against the crossbeam of the interrogation chair. This was a sovereign of the Water Spirit lineage. The flowing water adhered to Zhang Yuanqing's back and limbs, as if taking possession of him, gently guiding his arms upward. The assistant then handed him the pen that had been prepared. Zhang Yuanqing gripped his pen uncontrollably… his pupils suddenly constricted, blazing with intense resentment. He opened his inventory, his gaze settling on the "Heavenly Sacrifice Set" and the experience card for "Five Elements Power." But Fu Qingyang's words rose once again to the surface of his mind. — I must not let the headquarters see that I have defiance. From the perspective of the senior elders at headquarters, the case itself is not crucial—the one who died was the grandson of Cai Elder, not their own. What matters is his attitude. If Yuan Shi Tian Zun were a man who strictly followed orders, then even if he truly killed Cai Long Shen due to conflicting interests, the senior elders would still protect him. But if Yuan Shi Tian Zun is an independent, unmanageable figure, then he must be subdued—pressed down upon the Five Elements Mountain—his sharp edges and rebellious spirit worn away. Transforming him from the King of Heaven into the Hero of Victory in Battle. The mindset of the upper echelons differs from that of ordinary people—axioms and justice are never foremost. Master Cai is one of them. He intends to anger me, to expose my rebellious nature, just as I once defied Wei Yuanzhou; he wants the senior elders at headquarters to witness my unpredictability. Zhang Yuanqing instantly grasped Fu Qingyang's hint. Headquarters will not judge me solely based on my confession. Now is not the optimal time to resist—my efforts would be undermined by Master Cai's strategy. Suppressing the surge of anger within, Zhang Yuanqing closed his inventory and yielded, allowing the cloaked elder to guide and steer him as he signed the confession. When the four characters "Original Primordial Heavenly Sovereign" were written, the flowing water that had been accompanying him surged upward, lifting the document and returning it to the cloaked elder's back. A look of surprise flickered in the elder's eyes. He rose silently, took the document, and walked away. ... 4:00 PM. On the official forum, Master Yuan's post that had risen two levels from the ordinary was quietly removed by the moderators. Another post is highlighted and pinned to the most prominent position: #Yuanshi Tianzun is accused of murdering his colleagues in the quest副本 due to dissatisfaction with the distribution of rewards; furthermore, the Investigation Department has uncovered close ties between him and the evil profession, and he has now been apprehended by headquarters#. The post triggers a seismic reaction on the official forum. Countless official agents, initially bewildered and astonished, open the post and read its contents. The post concisely outlines the incident and includes Yuanshi Tianzun's formal statement of guilt. Even after reading it, members from various branches remain hard-pressed to believe. Just a few days ago, they were still immersed in Yuanshi Tianzun's outstanding achievements—yet now, this once-celebrated star has been dethroned, transformed into a petty villain accused of murdering his colleagues? "I can't believe it—how could Yuanshi Tianzun do something so drastic?" "Ah, I did hear that Cai Long Shen has returned to the spiritual realm." "With the official statement of guilt on file, how could this be false?" "Master Yuan has killed a colleague more than once—his nerve is truly astounding. Master Cai is the grandson of Elder Cai, after all." "Floor above, you're clearly out of your depth—what division are you from? Name your department." "Master Yuan is done. Heaven intends to bring him to ruin, and it will first drive him mad." "I simply don’t believe Master Yuan would do something so drastic—your headquarters is out of touch." The number of replies to the post surged dramatically. Across the five divisions of the Five Elements Alliance, private chat groups and office groups alike began sharing the post, sparking an explosion of discussion. While most remained skeptical, the formal statements of accountability silenced their doubts, transforming even a few initially complacent observers into active participants in the comments. The situation now appeared to reflect a polarized reputation, with a clear collapse of Master Yuan's public image. … In the capital city. In a luxury hotel suite. Ling Jun scrolled through the comments, drawing in a sharp breath. "Master Yuan has admitted guilt? That doesn’t sound like him at all." Fu Qingyang sat calmly on the single sofa, said softly, "It shows he's taken my words to heart. Since the Caishang Elder's objective hasn't been achieved, he's posted an article to damage my reputation and generate public pressure. But the other elders at the headquarters won't let him carry on this way—his post will be deleted soon." Ling Jun, however, was deeply concerned: "The Caishang Elder is determined to completely ruin his reputation. Even if he mentions 'mental instability' later, it will be hard to explain clearly." As he spoke, he flipped through the page and found the post had already been removed. "It's actually been deleted." Ling Jun put down his phone. "On his own, the death of Cailing Shen isn't enough to hold Yuanshiyi to the charge of capital offense. The Caishang Elder will likely turn to allegations of collusion with evil professions." Fu Qingyang glanced at his watch. "Then let's go—let's pay our respects to your grandfather." He intended to visit each of the Nine Elders, one by one, to support Yuanshiyi.