“This…,” Anne looked hesitant, pausing for a moment before biting her words, “the association has no rule prohibiting the disclosure of information. I can tell you, but this involves a secret—please promise not to let it out.” “My word is firm; I’ll never reveal it to anyone.” Zhang Yuanqing gave his pledge. With the promise secured, Anne nodded, lifted her cup, took a sip, and then said, “The opening dates for the First and Second Regions differ. The First Region specifically opens in 1882, thirty years ahead of the Second Region.” Though she hadn’t explained why she mentioned this, Zhang Yuanqing nodded in agreement. “1882—during the Second Industrial Revolution.” The designation of the First and Second Regions is based solely on their opening dates. Anne added, “Thirty years is ample time to cultivate a generation of powerful spiritual realm travelers, and to establish an organization so strong it’s almost unimaginable.” At that time, the most powerful organization of spiritual travelers in Europe was the Church. "Church?" Zhang Yuanqing straightened his posture, shifting from a relaxed to a serious expression. He had never heard of the Church. "Yes, the Church," Anne nodded slightly. "The most powerful groups of lawful, orderly professions were largely composed of Church members, and their leader, the Pope, was the world's first half-divine figure. It was an era of outstanding talent, and during this time, the Church ruled the entire spiritual traveler world. Evil organizations could only operate within mafia networks, hide in farms, and build influence among the working class. The upper echelons remained inaccessible to them, as the Church's dominance made it difficult to breathe—any orderly professions unwilling to be ruled by the Church could only serve as bounty hunters, though even then, they had to abide by the Church's rules." "The Church has remained powerful because of its complete lineage of ancient supernatural beings. During the dark Middle Ages, its practitioners hunted witches, werewolves, and vampires, creating countless legends. These stories spread among the people, were written down, and eventually evolved into fairy tales." Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing recalled Little Red Cap—the wooden cottage within the hat, which contained a dark tale. The story told of a woman whose daughter was taken by a werewolf and gave birth to a baby girl. The woman, carrying the child, fled and sought help from a priest. The priest killed the werewolf and crafted the little red cap to seal the girl's werewolf bloodline. This tale perfectly corroborated Anne's account. "Although the supernatural beings eventually disappeared from sight, the Church's lineage has endured. The deeds of these ancient beings have been preserved in written records, stored in the Church's attic, accessible only to successive popes and senior officials." After the emergence of the spiritual realms, the Church was the first to recognize their existence, embracing them without hesitation and swiftly cultivating elite members and recruiting talent. Before any organized civilian spiritual realm communities had fully formed, the Church had already established a clear lead. "At that point," Anne paused, her expression serious, "the situation did not last long. Thirty years later, the First War broke out. The war disrupted the global order and shattered the established harmony among the spiritual realm practitioners. In Europe, spiritual realm practitioners—both chaotic and lawful—coalesced with deliberate planning and organization, uniting to launch a coordinated assault on the Church. At the same time, internal dissent emerged within the Church itself. That year, the second major region had only just begun to open. The war lasted four years, ultimately defeating both the German states and the Church. It was only after that that renowned lawful institutions such as the Divine Judgment, the Merchant Guild, the Beauty Association, and the Sea God's Church gradually emerged—just as your proverb says: 'When a whale dies, life flourishes from its fall.' "Zhang Yuanqing listened carefully and pondered for a long time before asking, 'But what connection does this have to the King of the Underworld?' Annie replied, 'There is no record of the church's downfall in any official chronicles—neither in the orderly organizations nor in the evil factions. That history has been deliberately concealed, even for me, a saint. Clearly, there lies a secret unknown to most.' Of course, even without explaining, Yuanfang would know this wasn't a simple matter. Zhang Yuanqing speculated, 'So, the King of the Underworld knows about it?' Annie nodded. 'The church fell over one hundred and fourteen years ago. Most of the spiritual travelers who participated in the upheaval have since passed away. The survivors now hold high positions. The leader of the organization where the King of the Underworld serves, the Night Dream, was directly involved in that turmoil back then—he was still a rising star at the time.'" "A few years ago, the Celestial Punishment organization launched an investigation into the 'Dream of Night' following a case of a family's complete destruction, inadvertently uncovering clues tied to the Church, which then reignited their pursuit of the past. Several established lawful organizations dispatched their elite forces to capture the leader of 'Dream of Night,' but the leader fiercely resisted and ultimately paid the price of his life. The senior members of 'Dream of Night' also fell in battle, with only the 'King of the Underworld' surviving and managing to escape the encirclement, continuing to move through the region ever since." "At least, having grown up alongside Fu Qingyang, he has picked up some experience and insight in handling conflicts through constant exposure. The fall of the Church had deeper roots than initially apparent—many participants are now in senior positions within various lawful organizations, and considering the relentless pursuit by external lawful bodies toward the King of the Underworld, it's clear that certain powerful figures within the lawful organizations aim to use the King of the Underworld as a means to unseat those at the top. This is an internal power struggle. The King of the Underworld serves as a kind of witness. Anne chuckled, 'I agree with that.' Zhang Yuanqing lounged lazily on the soft cushion, lost in prolonged silence. The room remained still. Anne bit her lip, observing his expression, and then broke the silence. 'I know this situation is complex, but...' 'But we need more money!' 'What?' Zhang Yuanqing looked at the young woman, emphasizing, 'I'm saying—we need more money!' "...Annie was taken aback by his unconventional approach, both delighted and momentarily puzzled. After a few seconds of pause, she said, 'Alright, I'll relay your request to headquarters. By the way, what is your expected price?' 'Double the points and bonuses,' Zhang Yuanqing insisted. Annie's eyes sparkled as she thought. 'Given the importance of the King of Pluto, headquarters should agree.' Zhang Yuanqing nodded. 'I'll wait for your update. Also, do you have any physical tissue or tissue samples from him?' Annie shook her head. 'Do you have any recent intelligence on him?' 'Not really—only that he infiltrated China about half a month ago.' 'Could it be a ruse? Maybe he's already left China?' 'China's neighboring countries are all under the King of Pluto's surveillance. I don't think it's very likely he's left.' No trace, no intelligence, no tissue samples—wasn't that like searching for a needle in a haystack? Zhang Yuanqing mimicked Xiahou Aotian, running a hand over his chin. "I understand. If there's nothing else, I'll go back now and stay in touch at any time." He lounged with his legs crossed, leaning back lazily against the chair, then raised his hand and snapped his fingers, the sound fading into the rising starlight. Anne opened her mouth, then sighed with a sense of relief, "He really left decisively..." "Zhang Yuanqing said, 'The Church ruled over that turbulent era. But as more spiritual travelers emerged and people's ranks improved, ambitious leaders kept rising—people no longer content with Church dominance. Seizing the momentum of the First World War and amid widespread unrest, the lawful and the evil factions united to overthrow the Church. The orderly organizations outside the realm were established precisely during that time.' 'It's possible, but if that were all, you wouldn't have received the mission to capture the King of the Underworld today.' Fu Qingyang's handsome face was serious. 'Your adversaries aren't just the King of the Underworld—they also include those who wish to see him eliminated.' 'Anyway, it's not a spiritual realm mission. I'll do what I can; if I fail, it doesn't matter.' Zhang Yuanqing shrugged. Fu Qingyang paused and added, 'I must give you a warning: after capturing the King of the Underworld, don't ask any further questions. Should you accidentally kill him, don't seek explanation from the spiritual realm. This matter isn't directly tied to you—there's no need to become involved. Your existing karmic connections are already sufficient. Avoid drawing in external forces.' "But this is also a leverage point—won't you want it, Elder?" "If I were serving at Tianfa, I'd certainly never miss this opportunity." "I see," Zhang Yuanqing suddenly straightened up. "By the way, I heard from Asahara Reina that Tianfa's Senior Executive Officer is planning to lead a delegation to visit Japan soon. From the way she put it, it seems our official side has recently clashed with Tianfa again?" "There's no such thing." Fu Qingyang replied. At once, both of them realized this and exchanged a glance. Zhang Yuanqing gave a hearty "Huh!" "Now that's interesting." "Tianfa's organization seems to have a deeper intention than just what's on the surface. But compared to this, Jianghu Branch called me this morning to ask if you've managed to step out of Lingjing yet." Fu Qingyang mused. "That summer official, Xiaohou Aotian—I sent him to Linghai to meet with me and discuss business. Taking advantage of the current momentum in mechanical engineering, I'm helping you resolve the Yin-Yang Wheel matter." "He's been hung up by the patriarch of the Xiaohou family. Zhang Yuanqing sighed, briefly describing Xiahou Aotian's difficult personality. "I think it's fine—treatment for his mid-teen 'teeny-teeny' phase works well." Fu Qingyang listened quietly and then coldly remarked, "Another piece of trash." Who in your eyes isn't a piece of trash! Zhang Yuanqing lowered her head, silently muttering under her breath. ... 3:30 PM. Huang Taidi's assistant arrived at Songhai, bringing the dual-repair quilt and taking away the Xi-Rang and the Beast King's bracelet. The Yin-Yang Harmonious Quilt was woven from silk and was even lighter than a conventional air-conditioning quilt. Zhang Yuanqing held the new props close, gently caressing them, eager to immediately find someone to experience the dual-repair benefits—yet, Guan Ya was still deep in her quest, so there was no one to share the experience. In the afternoon, Zhang Yuanqing stopped by her grandmother's house to buy gifts for her grandfather, grandmother, and aunt and uncle’s family. After dinner, she was invited by her uncle to join the community square dance. According to her uncle, he had quickly won over the ladies of the Uncle pulled Zhang Yuanqing aside and, whenever he saw someone, he would say, "This is my successor—my heir to both beauty and talent. He inherits my grace and ability. If you don't believe me, let him perform a dance for you." So Zhang Yuanqing dazzled the crowd of grandmothers and aunts with his extraordinary, timeless dance. On the way home, wearing a sleek, wine-red suit and tight pants, Uncle gave the shoulders of his successor a firm, enthusiastic pat. "You're only lucky to have a girlfriend now," he said. "Otherwise, with this dance tonight, your lifelong romance would be settled—those elderly ladies would practically want to introduce their daughters to you." Zhang Yuanqing replied, "That doesn't conflict at all. I can have both a wife and a girlfriend." Uncle said, "Hm, that's unlike me. In our family, we've always been deeply committed to love and fidelity." Zhang Yuan清 thought, "Back when you first opened your salon, you weren't exactly that serious about love." "Then who do I resemble?" he asked. Uncle said, "You remind me of your father. He was a true romantic—married your mother wasn't enough. He always Every time he fails to uphold his masculine virtue, I beat him, and he kneels down, saying, "Uncle, please don't hit me anymore—I'll treat Chen Shu properly from now on." Zhang Yuan is speechless—how could you, with your clumsy dance moves, defeat a peak-level master? That night, he stayed at his grandmother's place, playing games with his aunt until midnight. The next day, when he called Xia Hou Ao Tian, the call connected. "Main character, I heard you were sent up to the heavens by your ancestor—what happened?" Zhang Yuan asked, suppressing a smile. "That's my ancestor rewarding me," Xia Hou Ao Tian said, sighing. "I told him, 'I've reached level six. Can you regret your past decisions now?' My ancestor said he was deeply regretful and praised me: 'Why not rise with the wind, soaring nine thousand miles?' "Then?" "Then he sent me up to the heavens." "Brother Ao Tian, we're from the same sect, aren't we?" "Hmm?" "The way you're blowing smoke is just like my uncle. He was your last disciple, isn't it? Fine, no more small talk. Come to Songhai—Fu Qingyang has something big to discuss with you. I know you're short on cash, so I've specifically arranged this opportunity for you. Hurry up and come."