All eyes turned toward him, filled with admiration and reverence that were unmistakable. The reputation and popularity the pursuit-of-poisoners had built over years were now, in a single day, undermined by a mere disgrace from a fire master from Songhai. It truly feels wonderful to be respected... Zhang Yuanqing unconsciously lifted the drink at his side. Upon seeing it was cola, he instantly grew furious. "Who poured me this cola? A man of stature should never be content with beverages—bring me wine!" Xie Lingxi said, "Yes, yes, it was our oversight. We'll immediately serve the steward with wine." A glass of "Wanderer of the World" beer was promptly poured. Zhang Yuanqing raised the glass and drank it down in one go, the beer boldly making its way through his stomach. Truly, it's awful. He laughed proudly, "Excellent wine! Fill it again!" The clerks and monks present nodded in approval—this was exactly how a fire master should behave. The previous steward from the Three Pure Celestial Masters had been too composed, so composed that everyone began to doubt whether he was truly a fire master. Xie Lingxi refilled Xie Lingxi's cup with wine. Zhang Yuanqing lifted his cup, ready to deliver a passionate, extroverted speech—only to remember his current role as a Fire Commander. A Fire Commander wouldn't speak in flowery terms; he'd simply say: "Team, you're doing great—here's to the wine! Wow, this wine is strong!" So he changed his mind and declared loudly, "Team, thank you all for your hard work. Let's raise our glasses and toast—then I'll present you with a gift." He gave a glance to the three beautiful women beside him. The Queen, along with Anne and Xie Lingxi, then left the dining hall. As the group rose to refill their cups, they all turned to watch them go, eyes filled with anticipation. After finishing the first toast, the hungry guests settled down to eat, with the Fire Commander being the most unrefined and the scouts the most rigid in posture—everyone else fell somewhere in between. Soon, Xie Lingxi, the Queen, and Anne each returned, pushing their carts laden with stacked silver suitcases. Everyone paused mid-bite, put down their chopsticks, and turned to watch. Xie Lingxi and her two companions parked the cart beside the dining table, then, after receiving permission from Zhang Yuanqing, stacked their suitcases on the table and opened them with a crisp "click." Inside the ten large boxes were stacks of red cash. A soft "plink" sounded—the chopsticks fell. All the members stared in stunned silence at the money inside the boxes, unable to look away. Zhang Yuanqing announced loudly, "We have three million yuan here. I plan to divide it equally among everyone—each of you will receive 660,000 yuan." "Plink!" "Plink!" The chopsticks fell one after another, followed by quiet, steady gulps of water. The gaze on the banknotes suddenly grew intense. Their average annual salary was only five or six thousand yuan, plus bonuses, performance awards, and honors—adding up to just a few tens of thousands a year. Administrative staff earned half that amount. Six hundred and sixty thousand yuan—this was the amount they had saved through years of saving, not eating or drinking, over five or ten years. Xue Lingxi, a swordsman and a pursuer of toxins, looked visibly startled. Under Zhang The pursuer rose immediately, speaking in a steady tone: "The Three Celestial Masters are playing games with you. These are seized funds—they must be submitted to the Qinghe branch." The longing and hope in everyone's eyes faded, knowing this was protocol, and they all forced smiles: "We were almost convinced, ha, ha..." "Nanming City's cost of living is relatively low—why so much money? The Qinghe branch will verify the accounts." "My current salary is sufficient to support my family." Zhang Yuanqing scanned the group expressionlessly, repeating: "What I just said is true and valid." Everyone froze, silently watching him, then glancing at the pursuer, none of them speaking, as if waiting for a definitive answer. The pursuer gazed deeply at Zhang Yuanqing, "Let me speak with you briefly." Zhang Yuanqing stood and followed him to the flower bed outside the dining area. The autumn evening was exceptionally cool, with a gentle breeze. The pursuer lit a cigarette, sucked on the ember until it glowed bright red, then exhaled forcefully, letting the white smoke drift out into the distance. "I know you have good intentions, but it's unnecessary," the pursuer shook his head. "It will do more harm than good." "How so?" Zhang Yuanqing also took a cigarette, lit it, but only drew a few puffs through his lungs. "Have you noticed that border security officers and spiritual travelers' salaries are quite low? The higher-ups provide us with hidden benefits and generous pensions, granting us privileges and security—ensuring we have no worries. Yet, they never give us substantial, accessible funds." The pursuer looked steadily at him. "When people have money, they lose their drive and resilience. Only those who are completely without resources are willing to take on the most demanding, grueling tasks. That's human nature—human nature is most vulnerable to the test of money. The money you give them isn't helping them; it's actually corrupting them." Zhang Yuanqing smiled. "I see. We can't test our officials with money—how could any official possibly withstand such a test?" The pursuer said coldly, "Are you just using movie lines to impress me?" "He could sense that the three Celestial Masters hadn't truly absorbed what he had said. Zhang Yuancheng set aside his smile and spoke seriously: 'I'm a pragmatist—my preference is for action over grand theories. But since you're insisting on principles, I'll share mine with you. Ancient sages said, "He who carries wood for others should not be left to freeze in wind and snow." Isn't that quite meaningful?' The pursuer furrowed his brow, still unconvinced, yet found himself at a loss for words. 'So, there are countless principles out there—some of them even contradictory. Therefore, in daily life, one doesn't need to adhere strictly to principles; simply being grounded in one's own convictions is enough.' Zhang Yuancheng brushed off the ash from his cigarette. 'Why should they be corrupted be corrupted, and fall be fallen? They've already made such significant contributions to the border regions. What's the point of relentlessly pursuing them, squeezing them until they're elevated to the status of heroes? Once they receive their pay and leave Nanming City, others will step in. When those successors eventually save up and leave, others will take their place. Why must we personally witness the gradual loss of The investigator stood speechless, unable to speak for a moment, before finally murmuring, "You are truly a man of faith. I now know who you are." Zhang Yuanqing smiled gently. "Remember to keep it confidential!" He didn't mind if the investigator learned his identity, for the investigator would never betray him—this was both a testament to his character and a result of their shared connection as travelers among the world's people. Moreover, even if Zhang Yuanqing were to be revealed, he would not be in danger, for he held the jade token of transmission; with a single thought, he could return to his study at Songhai Fu Family Village, bow immediately, and summon Fu Qingyang for assistance. After years of risking their lives, they had seen countless amounts of money, yet never so much that truly belonged to them. Standing tall at the restaurant's entrance, the anti-drug pursuer watched in silence as his subordinates, beaming with joy, shouted gratitude to the "Three Pure Dao Masters" for their stewardship. He pushed open the restaurant's door. The lively, enthusiastic cheers instantly quieted down, and everyone settled into a composed silence. The pursuer maintained a stern expression, walked to the table, and fixed his cold gaze upon the stacks of paper currency laid out there. The department staff lowered their heads, remaining silent. He picked up a stack of bills, gently tapped it against his palm, and said calmly, "Do any of you have a share of this?" Cheers erupted once again. The meal lasted until four in the morning, and the department staff, each carrying a snake skin bag, returned to their dormitories together. Zhang Yuanqing, accompanied by three female team members, returned to her own dormitory, closed the doors and windows, and the four of them sat down at the table to hold a brief meeting. "Based on my experience observing the stars, the soil collected from the Sleeping Land can only pinpoint a general area—perhaps a village, perhaps a county—never a precise location," Zhang Yuanqing analyzed. "To avoid drawing attention, we must wait until he falls into deep sleep." "So during this time, shall we stay at the Nanming Branch Office?" Anne expressed concern. "Won't the Master of the Spiritual Energy Council retaliate?" The Nanming district is indeed guarded by a Master-level official. Last night, the Nanming Branch Office completely dismantled the six outposts of the Spiritual Energy Council—how could the Council remain indifferent? "Not at all!" the Queen shook her head. "I've asked the Wayfarers from the Branch Office. The Spiritual Energy Council and the Qinghe Clan have a mutual understanding: the Masters typically remain stationed at their outposts and do not proactively target weaker entities. If the Council's Master does retaliate, then the Qinghe Clan will no longer be able to remain passive—they will certainly launch a counteroffensive." The Qinghe clan, receiving so much money annually from the Wuxing Alliance headquarters, has always been able to relax and take things easy. However, if the Spiritual Energy Council dispatches its Grand Masters to target county-level cities, the Qinghe clan will certainly step in—otherwise, the headquarters would not agree. Over time, this has fostered a mutual understanding between the Qinghe clan and the Spiritual Energy Council: no matter how much unrest arises at the lower levels, the Grand Masters will never intervene. Of course, if you're determined to break this harmony, that's perfectly fine—just be ready to return to the spiritual realm. Xie Lingxi immediately scolded, "Brother gives what he has—that's brother's money. Even a single share can make someone happy for the whole day." Zhang Yuanqing felt deeply reassured. Lingxi, though young, had such refined and deep expertise in tea arts. "Now we just wait for Qinghe's branch to determine the case's nature and issue an official announcement, then we wait for the moral credits to settle in." Zhang Yuanqing walked to the bed and lay down heavily. "Let's go to sleep. Let's go to sleep." "Today we've eliminated six of the Spiritual Energy Council's outposts and recovered what we found," said the Pursuer of the Poison. "You've changed your mind?" the Human Wanderer scoffed. "Private appropriation of funds is a criminal offense—this doesn't suit your usual style." "This money wasn't given to me personally. It was entrusted to me by Yuan... the Third Celestial Sovereign, specifically by his steward. Every member of the branch has received a share," said the Pursuer, shaking his head in resignation. It was him... The Human Wanderer's gaze flickered slightly. "What do you think of him?" After a moment's thought, the Pursuer carefully replied: "A good man, a powerful one, someone free-spirited and relaxed..." He added, "A man of idealism." The Human Wanderer, who had previously remained impassive and expressionless, finally gave a slight nod upon hearing this final assessment. While his earlier appreciation stemmed from the shared faith of the Master Unseen's team, now he holds a personal, favorable impression and genuine regard for Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn. … Nanming City, a large underground casino. The casino's owner is a sturdy middle-aged man, wearing loose black exercise attire, holding a purple clay teapot in his hands, seated quietly at the observation platform on the second floor, calmly surveying the gamblers who are red-eyed with excitement in the main hall. The casino's equipment was transported from the Eastern Gambling City, and its layout mirrors that of the larger casinos there. Prominent figures and officials from several border counties and cities frequently come to play a few hands here, thanks to backing from higher-ups, ensuring steady and smooth operations. The casino has no other business ventures—its sole focus is gambling—so even official inspectors rarely come here for audits. Yet, in reality, the casino's owner, Dou Sir, is the chief of the Spiritual Energy Association. "Dou Sir!" A graceful woman in a qipao approaches, whispering a few words into his ear. Dou Sir's expression suddenly darkens. "A steward sent by headquarters?"