By bypassing this hill, the view ahead is open and clear. About four hundred meters away lies a flat valley, where the town is situated—consisting entirely of single-family villas with gardens. A well-graded, straight network of concrete roads crisscrosses through the town. The town extends from the valley into the deep mountains, making the term "town" somewhat inadequate; a settlement capable of housing twenty thousand people is no small affair. Its opulence surpassed Xie Zhao's expectations. On his journey, he had reviewed photographs of ethnic minority communities in the Eighth Province, where the roofs were dull yellow earth, covered with dark brown tiles, and elderly farmers, their pants rolled up, walked with oxen along stone-paved paths. The only modern element was the power poles standing at the village entrance. Thus, Xie Zhao had formed a fixed impression of ethnic minority settlements abroad—remote, poor, and isolated. Seeing this scene now, he was momentarily stunned. Far from being poor or backward, the place was astonishingly affluent. Xia Zuo quickly realized that Qinghe's branch was the strongest power in Baigu Province, and all the funding for the various branches across Baigu Province had to be drawn from Qinghe. The annual financial support from the Wuxing Alliance headquarters equaled the gross profit of a large enterprise over a full year. Such a powerful entity could hardly live in poverty—building palaces in the mountains was entirely understandable. Xia Zuo gazed toward the distant mountain valley, his light blue eyes settling into calmness: "Qinghe Branch, we've arrived." As soon as he spoke, a massive, long-haired giant ape suddenly burst from the dense forest to his right front, dragging a broken log. With one hand braced against the ground, it took several strides and powerfully launched the log. The log spun through the air and struck the ground. A hunter-mage in the front row scoffed, and then a small tornado rose from the vehicle's front, lifting the log into the sky and sending it crashing into the nearby woods. "Shhh—" The driver slammed on the brakes, leaving black streaks on the road. Ahead, a young man carrying a rifle stepped out of the forest. He wore a blue cotton tunic with elegant, embroidered patterns, his skin dark, his eyes sharp and aggressive—typical of the Qinghe people's sturdy demeanor. He first calmed the restless giant ape, then, in a heavily accented Mandarin, called out, "Are you the ones from the Heavenly Punishment?" The Five Elements Alliance headquarters had sent an email to the Qinghe branch prior to the departure of the Heavenly Punishment team. The sea spirit Osmon peered out, coldly remarking, "You welcome your guests by throwing logs at their vehicles, don't you? Indeed, you are a crude, unrefined, foolish race." The last part was spoken in a foreign language. The young man didn't understand, so he repeated, "Are you the ones from the Heavenly Punishment?" The hunter-mage waved him down, urging Osmon to remain calm and avoid any mishaps, then produced a document from his carry-on bag, sending it gently through the air with a stream of airflow, and smiled, "This is the instruction manual from the headquarters of the Five Elements Alliance." The document floated gracefully, carried by the wind, and The young man in blue reached out and took the document, casually scanned the text information, and carefully examined the official seal of the Wuxing Alliance headquarters, confirming everything was in order. Then he folded the paper neatly, tucked it into his pocket, and blew a sharp whistle through his lips. Osmon's eyes lit up, as if he had caught the scent of gossip: "Could it be that his offspring are actually the result of another's lineage?" "The customs here haven't quite reached this level of openness yet," Xia Zhao shook his head, recalling, "I mentioned earlier that the Qinghe clan has preserved many ancient medical and gus techniques passed down from ancient cultivators. The medical arts likely stem from the wood spirits, and given their long-standing life in the deep mountains, where they've developed a deep understanding of plant life, they are especially well-suited to the wood spirits. "It's entirely normal for clans living deep in the mountains to frequently encounter earth spirits and wood spirits—this doesn't necessarily depend on ancestral bloodline." The wood spirits and earth spirits are the most compatible among the five primary professions, and during their sage stage, many of their traits and abilities are remarkably consistent. For instance, both can transform plants and command animals. As they spoke, the carriage arrived at the town. The population immediately grew lively—members of the Qinghe clan stood by windows, gazing at the visitors, or gathered at the courtyard entrances. Several mischievous children rushed to the roadside, eager to watch, some even Osmun furrowed his brow, feeling like he wanted to kill these younglings. As a direct descendant of the Harry family, highly esteemed by the elder relatives and always receiving special attention since childhood, he was utterly intolerant of any disrespect or offense—no matter how young the offender. Yet he wasn't one of those spoiled, easily flustered young men who lost control once irritated. Recognizing that the matter at hand was urgent, he climbed into the car, closed his eyes, and simply tried to make himself invisible. Soon, the young man riding on the giant tiger led them to a grand villa. The estate featured a spacious garden covering two thousand square meters, with a magnificent, opulent structure—a main tower with a pointed roof, flanked by two side wings—connected by sky bridges between the three buildings. The young rider roared, "Chief, Chief! Uncle Agui, the guests from the divine judgment have arrived!" The thick regional accent and the down-to-earth titles somewhat marred the elegant atmosphere of the villa. A few minutes later, a young girl wearing a silver crown arrived at the gate on the back of a large mouse, curiously inspecting the vehicle with a soft, melodic voice: "Iron Ox Brother, have you seen the proof?" She was exceptionally graceful—her skin pale, her eyes bright and clear. Her naturally unadorned face radiated a pure, simple elegance, untouched by the trappings of luxury. "I've seen it, I've seen it," the young man replied with some impatience, "Yunmeng sister—yes, I'm careless, but I'm not stupid. Look at the instruction manual." The young girl glanced at the documents and immediately opened the gate, allowing the vehicle to enter the courtyard. ... "Master Fu, I have a problem," Zhang Yuanqing said softly. He wasn't surprised at all that Tianfa could pinpoint the King of the Underworld. If the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign could gain insights through celestial observation, then the daily celestial deity of Taimei Gate could certainly do so as well, and even with greater precision. Plus, the rule-based artifact, the Prophecy Realm, provided additional support—making it easier for Tianfa to locate the King of the Underworld than ever Zhang Yuanqing's original plan was to create a time gap, taking advantage of the fact that Tianfa didn't know he was also pursuing the King of the Underworld, and thus quietly eliminate this foreign evil. Yet fate seemed to have other plans—Tianfa arrived precisely at the crucial moment when the King of the Underworld was about to fall asleep. Whether this was truly coincidental, or whether the influence of the Prophecy Realm played a role, remained unclear. "It would be best not to clash with Tianfa, as the Qinghe branch won't support you. You'll face multiple pressures and be in serious danger," Fu Qingyang said calmly. "I can't assist you further—you'll have to assess the situation and act on your own." Capturing the King of the Underworld was a personal assignment of Yuan Shi, and either success or failure would have little impact. Gong Zhen, with his busy schedule, didn't wish to waste time or energy on such minor matters. After offering this advice, he hung up the phone. It seems I'll have to rely on myself after all... Zhang Yuanqing sighed. He had originally hoped to enlist Gong Zhen's help, but seeing this attitude, he had to withdraw his request "The pursuer observed his expressions and gestures, sensing that he was encountering difficulties. "Of course, we just need to be on standby," Zhang Yuanqing suddenly recalled the pursuer's half-brother, who was not by the same mother or father. That sixth-level illusionist was a solid asset, and with the pursuer himself, a fifth-level swordsman, though not a frontline force, he still counted as a solid fifth-level swordsman. First, let's check on Tianfa's whereabouts with Yunmeng," Zhang Yuanqing said. "I'll take my team out on a mission first. Everyone will remain on standby for the next couple of days, until I give further notice." He left the office, nodding in acknowledgment. The data on Wu Agui automatically surfaced in the Hunter-Mage’s mind—grandnephew of the ancient ancestor of the Qinghe clan, an 8th-level earth monster, honest and straightforward, overly patient and unyielding. The clan members respected him but didn’t fear him, often defying authority and acting arrogantly. In short, he was a well-liked, unassuming good-natured man—so much so that the people around him tended to be particularly bold and assertive. Compared to the clan chief, the Qinghe clan members actually feared the Director of the Investigation Department—the sixth son of the ancient ancestor—whose power even surpassed that of the chief. That Director was currently in the lounge, seated across from the Hunter-Mage. His name was Wu Youhua, an 8th-level Spring God (wood spirit). He was of similar age to Wu Agui, with his white beard tied into a short, neat braid, his gaze sharp and stern, commanding even without speaking. Clearly a strong-willed, domineering elder—quite the opposite of his nephew, Wu Agui. "That’s the situation," the Hunter-Mage smiled, "a wanted fugitive from the Heavenly Judgment has recently infiltrated the Master Wu Agui remained silent. Director Wu Youhua spoke in a steady tone: "Is the Heavenly Punishment hoping we help search the mountains?" The hunter-mage nodded. "Yes." Before Wu Youhua could speak, he turned to glance at his three subordinates. The three of them moved in unison, placing their portable filing cabinets on the table, unlocking them with a crisp click. Inside, stacks of green paper bills were neatly arranged. The hunter-mage said earnestly, "Here is a deposit of three million federal credits. After the matter is concluded, we will pay an additional five million federal credits as final settlement. The Qinghe branch's responsibility is to assist in locating people and to seal off the Ten-Ten Mountain Range, preventing anyone from entering or leaving." A total of eight million federal credits—equivalent to over fifty million soft-currency units at the current exchange rate. Wu Youhua nodded with satisfaction. "Agreed. If the Sovereign needs to intervene, we'll require additional funds." The hunter-mage smiled with confidence. "No—we won't need that." At that moment, a sharp ring of a mobile phone suddenly sounded outside the lounge. Wu Youhua furrowed his brows and scolded, "Yunmeng!" "Sorry, sorry, Uncle Jun, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on purpose. I'm leaving now!" Yunmeng covered her phone and dashed out, rushing all the way from the villa to a quiet flower garden where she answered the call, speaking softly, "Master Yuanshi? You've actually reached out to me—almost made me get reprimanded by Uncle Jun just now." "Apologies," came the warm, melodic male voice from the other end. "I didn't know you had something on your mind." Yunmeng bit her lip. "Well, not really anything major. What about you—what did you want to talk to me about?" "Nothing special. I've been busy with official duties lately, but now that I've had some time off, I've thought of another beautiful and lovely colleague I haven't seen in a while. So I just wanted to say hello—how have you been?" Zhang Yuanqing smiled. Yunmeng, who had grown up in the mountains since childhood, had never encountered such delicate, subtle appeals before—she felt a quiet sense of delight. By the way, I'm nearly at level five—hey!” "Remarkable! Truly a talent, no surprise that you've been such a standout among the ones who've braved the Cliff Mountain Sea with me." Zhang Yuanqing gradually intensified his attack: "I've seen many female elites in official circles, but few can match you." Yun Meng giggled: "Far from it. In terms of talent and strength, Yin Ji is far superior to me—aren't you acquainted with her?" "Yin Ji? Hm, I've almost forgotten about her. After settling the profit shares, I haven't spoken to her at all. But you—you keep coming back to mind." Zhang Yuanqing, a man who had studied under a philandering romantic, was especially well-versed in what these inexperienced young women truly enjoyed. Yun Meng's smile naturally widened, and she beamed: "Your words are so pleasant, but I won't be fooled by you." "Why should I deceive you?" Zhang Yuanqing sighed suddenly: "I've been utterly fed up lately—I might even end up disgraced." Yun Meng's smile vanished instantly, and she asked with concern: "What's wrong?" "Those who haven't yet received the heavenly punishment—did you hear about the exchange event yesterday? Our official team suffered a crushing defeat. The sea spirit not only defeated the fire prince but still wants to challenge me. You know, I'm only just reaching the sixth level—definitely not his match. If I lose, it would truly be a career-ending collapse." Zhang Yuanqing said. "My sixth-uncle has agreed—he values money highly, as it's the foundation for the prosperity of the Qinghe clan. He often says this to us." "...Three million federal coins, and you're asking our clan's top talents to step in?" "No, just to find people. The sixth-uncle says if we actually take action, we'll have to add more money." "Oh, so the Tianfa Dog magnate really is well-off," Zhang Yuanqing casually remarked, then drifted into idle chatter for another half hour before finally hanging up, with Yun Meng lingering with a mixture of reluctance and affection. "...Not good at all!" In the employee dormitory, Zhang Yuanqing ran a hand through his hair, visibly agitated. The three women at the desk watched him with a complex expression—like, "This man is good at charming women, yet he's never managed to charm me." "Drop your inner monologue—things have just become complicated." "Zhang Yuanqing firmly pulled them into the meeting state, saying, "The Heavenly Punishment believes that the King of the Underworld might have chosen the Ten-Ten Mountain Range as his resting place—this is a solid line of reasoning. After all, Qinghe's territory, in a sense, is the safest." Anne frowned, saying, "That's problematic. Our current capacity to handle the Demon Hunters is already at its limit. With Qinghe's branch joining in, the chances of successfully capturing the King of the Underworld are nearly zero." "We must definitely come up with a solution," Zhang Yuanqing said, his expression serious. "We need to devise a way that allows Qinghe's branch to remain uninvolved. It will be difficult to appeal to the Marshal, as this would be seen as interfering with Qinghe's autonomy. They will protest and inform the Demon Hunters, thereby revealing the existence of a competing force aiming to capture the King of the Underworld." The Queen suggested, "What if we seek assistance from Fu Elder?" "He won't get involved," Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. I could certainly reach out to the King of the Mystic Eye. As long as I ask, he’ll definitely agree. However, the northwest is eighty thousand and eight hundred li away, and the ancient war god doesn’t possess teleportation skills, so he won’t make it in time. Hmm, we could also seek the Lady of the Palace... Just as Zhang Yuanqing was thinking this, Xie Lingxi said: "Look for the Lady of the Palace." "Who is the Lady of the Palace?" asked Anne. "One of the consorts of Yuan Shi." Xie Lingxi explained. Zhang Yuanqing gave her a sharp look. "A master of music, not a mere musician." He stroked his chin. "With the Lady's strength, she can certainly hold her own against the hunters. But should a peer-level opponent appear, the Heavenly Judgment will surely turn to the Qinghe Branch for assistance—there will likely be several masters from the Qinghe Clan." Such a powerful force would naturally have three or four masters at minimum. "I’ve got an idea!" the young green tea girl smiled with a sly expression. "Brother, isn’t Yunmeng one of your close acquaintances? Then Zhang Yuanqing had intended to explain, but upon hearing this, a thought struck him: "Your point is..." "Just have her pretend to discover the King of the Underworld's whereabouts and lure the Heavenly Punishment team away," said Xie Lingxi. "Then, while she keeps them circling through the forest, we'll make our move to locate and arrest the King of the Underworld." "Even if the Heavenly Punishment team knows Yunmeng is deceiving them, they won't dare to treat her badly on Qinghe Clan territory. The only price they'll have to pay is that she might eventually be forced to name you as the one responsible." Zhang Yuanqing was greatly inspired: "Excellent strategy—let's go with this. We don't even need Yunmeng. I know exactly what to do." ... That night, outside the scenic area of Ten-Ten Mountain. Zhang Yuanqing sat cross-legged on the rooftop of a hotel, a small mound of earth half a meter high piled before him, with a black iron star chart placed atop it. The King of the Underworld's period of slumber had ended. The Qinghe branch was over 200 kilometers from Nanning City, requiring a three-hour drive by If King Pluto truly decides to sleep here, by the time he arrives at the Ten-Ten Mountain range, Tianfa might have already captured him and returned home. That's why he specifically came early to observe the stars within the scenic area. If King Pluto chooses a place other than the Ten-Ten Mountain range to sleep, he still needs to rest for three days—so he could simply relock his position. And the Tianfa members stationed within the Ten-Ten Mountain range cannot possibly outpace him. Zhang Yuanqing opened his star-eyed gaze, and within his pupils, the brilliant constellations shimmered, spreading across the black velvet of the night sky.