Cao Cao, here he comes! Zhang Yuanqing truly exhaled a sigh of relief. He had a good relationship with Xie Su, and moreover, Xie Su was the father of the young green tea. It was the best possible outcome that he could return safely. "Have him come over," said the elder of the Xie family, neither pleased nor displeased, his expression calm. "And bring two jars of wine and ten crabs, please." "Yes!" Xie Qin stepped back, her high heels fading into the distance. A short while later, Xie Su arrived at the courtyard's entrance, bowing respectfully. "Elder, I'm back." Upon the centenarian's soft "Hmm," the old wooden gate creaked open, and the elegant, refined Xie Su stepped over the stone threshold and entered the courtyard. Wearing a traditional long robe, his sleeves and trouser legs were broad, giving him a flowing, graceful gait—refined and imbued with a touch of Taoist grace. Yet his eyes were dim, his demeanor weary, as though he were suffering from a chronic illness, his energy and vitality weakened. "Master Xie!" Zhang Yuanqing rose and The hundred-year-old young man spoke calmly, "There's still plenty of time ahead. Your daughter has just come of age—there's no need to rush her marriage." Xie Su's sense of disappointment slightly lifted. By the nature of his ancestor's straightforward character, if Yuan Shi Tian Zun truly refused to marry Ling Xi, he would have simply scoffed and said, "Is it really the Shie family's daughter who's worried about marriage?" The current tone of his ancestor indicated that Yuan Shi Tian Zun had not only agreed but perhaps even committed to the union—though for some reason, the wedding has not yet been finalized in the near term. As Xie Su's thoughts raced, he settled himself at the stone table. He took the wine that Yuan Shi Tian Zun had poured for him, set aside the matter of his daughter's marriage, and spoke seriously, "My ancestor, while serving in the Office of the Fate, I encountered something exceptionally unusual and strange—something that has kept me here in the realm until now." Zhang Yuanqing immediately leaned forward attentively. The Shie family's elder, known for her quiet composure and steady demeanor, remained calm and asked, "What is it?" Xie Su’s eyes flickered with confusion. After hesitating for a long time, he finally spoke, as though unsure of how to put it into words. After about two minutes, he slowly said: “According to the ancestral guide, I reached the Pool of Transition without incurring significant costs and in good condition. However, right by the edge of the pool, I encountered something quite unusual. I hadn’t even stepped into the pool when a large number of evil duplicates burst out of it—no less than fifteen—launching relentless attacks on me. Despite being in excellent condition myself, I was already exhausted and wounded beyond measure.” “That feeling…,” Xie Su mused, “was as if I had been fighting in the pool for several days or even nights, yet I had completely forgotten everything. No, it must be that I’ve lost my memory. The injuries on my body and the presence of those duplicates all point to the fact that I had already entered the pool.” What a strange tale! Having fought countless battles within the pool, yet with no memory of them at all? That was precisely why Xie Su had been迟迟 unable to progress through the quest. Zhang Yuanqing was taken aback. The elder of the Xie family slightly furrowed her brow, her broad experience immediately leading her to judgment: "You might have had your memories erased, or perhaps you're caught in some strange cycle of reincarnation. The key lies in the Pool of Transition—the pool holds something remarkable." Upon hearing this, Xie Su nodded in agreement: "That's exactly what I've been thinking. Elder, you've visited the Palace of the Fate Keeper—what do you think is special about the Pool of Transition?" The elder lifted a piece of crab custard to her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "It's been decades now—I can recall... I believe the Pool of Transition doesn't have any hidden objectives. As for the solo quests for musicians, I can generally tell which ones have hidden tasks and which don't." She swallowed the custard and said, "But the quests aren't static—over these decades, perhaps someone has entered the Palace of the Fate Keeper and left behind something significant." At this, Zhang Yuan清 immediately thought of the Sea of Cliffs. The Yin-Yang rotating disk and the Sacred Infant's head directly elevated the difficulty of the quest, and the main storyline tasks were also revised. What could be the reason that a quest ranked among the top twenty would undergo such changes? Zhang Yuanqing mused silently. Xie Su continued, "I believe my consciousness is caught in a cycle of reincarnation, with my memories erased. As a result, I've adjusted my approach—I've always entered the pool at the same location each time. Therefore, on the final visit, I didn't alter my route and instead swam to the opposite side of the Pool of Rebirth. Once I entered the water, I didn't dare to look around or investigate the pool's bottom—I immediately began refining the sacred mud at the pool's base. Only after surviving the near-fatal battle against my duplicates did I finally complete the quest." That battle inflicted significant wounds upon him; although his injuries have been healed, his fundamental essence remains unrestored, which is why he now appears so weary. He will need at least ten to fifteen days of rest to regain his peak condition. "Good that you've returned. Come, future father-in-law, let's have a drink." Zhang Yuanqing had thought the matter was nearly concluded. Yet, Xie Su pulled out a folded strip of cloth from her sleeve, seemingly torn from a corner of her garment. "I found this in my pants pocket after the battle ended," she said. "It must have been recorded during one of my lifetimes. Given my personality, it likely contains the secrets of the Pool of Afterlife—secrets I haven't yet opened." Zhang Yuanqing and the elder of the Xie family both fixed their gaze on the cloth. The elder said calmly, "Based on your experiences within the realm, you may have already opened it—though you've simply forgotten." Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing immediately turned to the crab on the table, while Xie Su looked toward the wine in the pot. Well, the crab is still there... Zhang Yuanqing exhaled in relief. Well, the wine is still there... Xie Su silently released her breath. The elder chuckled, "What are you two afraid of?" My ancestor is half-divine; the forces that can influence me are few and far between, and never appear in master-level quests. Here, take this cloth. Xie Su handed it over. The elder ancestor reached out and took it, sipped slowly at a cup of yellow wine, then looked at the two of them. "You needn't watch." As soon as he spoke, he unfolded the cloth and studied it carefully. In the next instant, both Zhang Yuanqing and Xie Su saw the elder ancestor's pupils constrict and his face flush with sudden alarm. Then, his head moved slightly, as if he were about to look at Zhang Yuanqing—yet before he could complete the upward gaze, something deeply unsettling unfolded. The cloth in his hands folded itself back into place as though time had reversed, and his hands, which had moved, returned to their original position when he first received the cloth. The only change was that the wine in the cup had now been completely drained. Just as the scene unfolded again, he slowly sipped at a cup of yellow wine and looked at the two of them, "You needn't look..." His expression suddenly froze as he stared at the now-empty cup, his young face growing solemn. Zhang Yuanqing and Xie Su stood motionless, their faces filled with shock. The elder ancestor was half-divine—few forces in the world could influence him... The elder ancestor's words echoed in their ears. Even a half-divine being could be affected—what kind of power could reach that level? After all, a half-divine was half a manager, the highest-ranking presence among the spiritual realm travelers, the very pinnacle of what the spiritual realm travelers could achieve. Yet, such a being, standing at the apex of the spiritual realm, was now influenced by the very contents recorded on a simple piece of cloth. The information inscribed on that cloth held such power—what profound secrets did the truth hidden at the bottom of the pool truly conceal? A deep, unnameable sense of dread surged in Zhang Yuanqing and Xie Su's hearts. "I underestimated it—my confidence was premature…," said the elder of the Xie family, his expression serious, yet the furrowed brows now relaxed as he spoke in a steady tone. "This directly influences me—beyond the scope of rule-based items. This is a causal-type item, part of the spiritual realm's essence." "You said earlier that anything capable of affecting you wouldn't appear in the Sovereign's realm," Zhang Yuanqing quietly remarked, offering a small critique. The elder glanced at him with mild displeasure—such a well-mannered young man just moments ago, now suddenly so blunt. "Cough, cough…" realizing his lapse, Zhang Yuanqing cleared his throat and asked, "Elder, what kind of profession or ability is this?" The elder seemed not to have heard, continuing to eat crab roe. Hmm—he didn't know… Zhang Yuanqing was a thoughtful child, always avoiding questions that might embarrass his elders. Curious now, he added, "I wonder what secret is recorded within the cloth." "It feels like something's off about the Elder of the Xie family's reactions just before the cycle of reincarnation. If I'm not mistaken, upon seeing the content recorded on the cloth, the Elder's first thought was to look at him." "So shall you?" the Elder said calmly. Zhang Yuanqing shook his head, then nodded. "Very well." He certainly didn't think himself special enough to surpass even a half-divine being, yet he still intended to try—since the fragments of the Taiyin Primordial Essence within his consciousness held administrative privileges, and his status was high enough. The Taiyin symbolized secrecy, and perhaps that very quality could shield him from the influence of the power hidden within the cloth. Both the Elder and Xie Su exchanged curious glances, waiting for him to attempt it. "I'll step out for a moment and return in five minutes," he suddenly remembered that he was currently a duplicate. Five minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing's true form returned to reality and entered the courtyard, while his duplicate remained outside. He removed the companion moon spirit and pressed it against his forehead, allowing vine-like patterns to spread across half his face. Then, drawing upon the moon spirit's power, he stirred the essence of the Yin Source within his consciousness. A silver circular moon emerged, casting a cool, radiant glow that illuminated his inner realm. "Companion moon spirit?" Xie Su was taken aback. "Isn't this a tool of the Demon King's?" Ah, did Xie Su know the Demon King before? Of course—higher one's status, the smaller one's circle tends to be. When the Demon King was at the height of his power, even if Xie Su wasn't personally acquainted with him, he must have seen him, or perhaps collected information about him. Given the Demon King's demeanor and Xie Mother's grace, if there had been any interaction between them, it would have been a green one—so likely, Xie Su had gathered some of the Demon King's records. Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but glance at Xie Su. Xie Su frowned. "Your gaze seems rather well-aimed with a touch of mischief." "No, no," Zhang Yuan清 quickly denied and explained, "This item was gifted "Having said that, he added, "I personally find it extremely distasteful when people juggle romantic relationships. I'll probably have no further dealings with the Goddess Association." Xie Su's serious expression softened slightly. Zhang Yuanqing picked up the cloth strip from before the ancestor and said, "Then I'll take a look..." As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed the centenarian child and Xie Su's table were both piled high with crab shells and legs. Zhang Yuanqing instantly understood, "Well, then, I must have failed as well." He silently set the cloth strip down and placed the Ling Yue into his inventory. The centenarian child suddenly remarked, "When you saw the cloth strip's information, your expression didn't quite match." My expression didn't quite match... Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, "Please, let the ancestor clarify." The centenarian child pondered for a moment, then shook his head, "Well, never mind—let's just set this aside. Let's raise our glasses and drink." ... The enclosed command room. Zhou Secretary stood before a blackboard, wearing tactical earphones, his expression serious. Posters with individual profiles are displayed on the blackboard, each profile accompanied by a facial sketch. The spiritual realm IDs of these individuals are: Xiao Yuan, Kou Beiyue, Liangchen Who Was Chosen by Fate, the Chief Instructor Lin Chong, Zhao Xintong, the Itinerant Guest, Fang Fang, and the Model Teacher—all members of the Without-Trace Hotel team. The profile information was provided by the Southern School, sourced from Liangchen Who Was Chosen by Fate, who had defected from the Southern School. In addition to the basic information from the Southern School, the Night Rose also supplied approximate locations for these team members. With more detailed information, the celestial-staffed master, who specializes in stellar energy, personally deduced their precise urban and even district-level locations with ease. Following this initial positioning, Zhou Secretary immediately mobilized official resources, using city-wide surveillance cameras and online searches to systematically identify the residential addresses of the target group. —That’s exactly what Zhou Secretary has been doing these days. After meeting with the Southern Sect's Master, Cai Elder handed over these documents to Zhou Secretary and requested that the team members of Wuhen Hotel be identified within one week. To locate these individuals, the Southern Sect, the Night Rose, and the Five Elements Alliance (Cai Elder's power) joined forces—no one could remain hidden under such intense scrutiny unless they managed to escape abroad. Yet this was impossible, as the coordinated actions of the three powers were protected by an unseen network, leaving no one able to anticipate them. The Night Rose and the Southern Sect had long been working together, and Zhou Secretary had previously struggled to understand why they would jointly launch an ambush against Yuan Shi Tian Zun. After all, the threat posed by the Master of Pure Yang was far greater than that of Yuan Shi Tian Zun, and the Night Rose had always served as the protector of the Pure Yang Master. There was no logical reason for the Southern Sect to ally with the Night Rose, especially since the Southern Sect had previously cooperated with the official authorities in their joint efforts against the Pure Yang Master. Now, with the dark night rose and the southern-style arrangements in sight, Zhou Secretary realized that Ling Tu had been eyeing "Past Without Trace" all along—he had been laying the groundwork for today's actions long before. This move must have been carefully planned for a long time, operating under the influence of the hidden forces, so that even the chieftains couldn't detect it in advance. Zhou glanced at his watch—it was 9:30 p.m. He immediately pressed the headset and issued the orders: "Notify each team to commence action five minutes from now. Objective: eliminate the target completely, with no survivors."