Zhang Yuanqing carried the little boy back to the sidewalk, at the same time glancing at the girl who was rushing toward them. He clearly saw her hair standing on end like after a lightning strike, with arcs of electricity visibly leaping across her body. But as soon as she saw her brother rescued, her hair immediately fell back down, and the electric arcs dispersed. Indeed, she was a lightning mage—though not yet at the level of a Saint. Her combat awareness and adaptability were still lacking. Zhang Yuanqing observed this carefully, forming a clear judgment. He then turned his attention to the girl’s appearance: she had sleek, long, dark hair, dressed in a private school uniform—light-colored shirt paired with a white V-neck knitted blouse, tied at the collar with a black bow. Her skirt was a pleated one, and her legs were straight and well-proportioned, firm and full of youthful energy. Her features were exceptionally refined, with a classic oval face and slightly upturned eyes, exuding a bold, sharp beauty. Her demeanor reminded him somewhat of Jiang Jingwei—someone with a naturally impatient and strong-willed temperament. The girl stopped in front of Zhang Yuanqing, took her brother without a word, first carefully checked him over, making sure he wasn't hurt, then gave him a solid slap on the head, her brows furrowed in frustration: "I've told you time and again to look out for cars when crossing the street! You're so forgetful—when your brain doesn't work, I'll take it right off!" Though her tone was sharp, her clear, bright voice—like a yellow oriole's—made one easily overlook the force in her words. With each sentence, she'd give him a scalp slap, and the once-calm Cao Chao ended up crying hard. In such situations, one should offer comfort and care to the child, not just give them a series of head slaps—after all, you're a Thunder Mage, essentially a Fire Mage, so this isn't entirely out of line. Zhang Yuanqing pulled the wailing Cao Chao away, saying, "Stop! He's still just a child." The girl instinctively raised her brows, but managed to suppress her temper, looking at Zhang Yuanqing with sincere warmth: "Thank you!" Thank you for saving my brother. I'll owe you a personal favor—should you ever need any help, just let me know." She had just taken her brother out to buy snacks, but in the process, she had completely forgotten about him. If it weren't for that brave stranger stepping in, her brother would have been crushed beneath the vehicle, barely making it into his teens. Her motherly tiger would have devoured her alive. Oh, I notice that Master Lei is more emotionally composed than Master Ho, though he is somewhat impatient—he doesn't let his emotions take over. "A simple favor," Zhang Yuanqing smiled, "just like a token of appreciation for yesterday's afternoon tea. I particularly enjoyed your mother's sugar-free custard." The young woman glanced at Anne, who was wearing a mask and glasses, then at Zhang Yuanqing, and suddenly realized, "You must be the new resident." Zhang Yuanqing nodded with a smile, then said in a serious tone, "Those motorcycle riders just now—they seemed to have been deliberately heading toward Cao Chao all along." "Heard that, the girl bit her silver teeth," "I know who they are—school's few white-skinned pigs, always at odds with us, the Anti-White-Black Alliance. Last time, I gave them a good beating, and now they've come to exact revenge on my family. Old... I'm going to skin them alive." The Anti-White-Black Alliance has appeared again—school tensions have escalated to the point of retaliating against family members. That's a bit excessive. Zhang Yuanqing gently rubbed Gao Chao's head, soothingly saying, "We'll go pick up snacks at my brother's place later—don't cry." Gao Chao indeed didn't cry, merely pausing with a few sniffles. The girl took her brother's hand and said, "I'll take him home to wash his face." The siblings walked hand-in-hand into the red-brick apartment building, took the elevator up to the fourth floor, and used fingerprint recognition to unlock the security door. Near mealtime, the landlord's wife was chopping vegetables in the kitchen, while Gao Qing, the head of the household, sat at the dining table sipping tea. Seeing his son's tearful expression, he immediately frowned and "Cao Qianxiu huffed, 'My son almost got run over by a car.' Cao Qianxiu then recounted what had happened to her parents. The landlord's wife grabbed a vegetable knife and rushed out, her brows furrowed and her expression fierce: 'Where are those kids? I'm going to chop them up!' 'They're just some rivals from my school. Don't worry about cutting them—I'll handle it myself.' Cao Qianxiu knew she would surely be scolded by her parents, yet she still had to say it. She never sought excuses for her own mistakes. Indeed, the landlord's wife stormed, 'Stubborn girl! I told you not to get involved, and you ignored me completely. If my son ever gets hurt, I'll peel you alive!' She glared at her daughter and gently wiped away her son's tears with a tender expression, 'Thank goodness, thank goodness.' Cao Chao leaned against his mother, crying, 'It was my neighbor's brother who saved me.' The landlord couple were taken aback and turned to look at their daughter. Cao Qianxiu nodded, 'Yes, it was that neighbor boy who brought him back.' The couple exchanged glances, both slightly surprised. The landlady thanked them warmly, "We should really thank them properly." Cao Qing nodded slightly, his appreciation for the new tenant growing stronger: "Daughter, go tell them to come over for dinner tonight." He then added, "Try to resolve any disagreements among classmates—don't let things escalate. By the way, what's the young man next door's name?" The landlady recalled, "I think it's Zhang Qingyang." Zhang Yuanqing must have anticipated this, and smiled, saying, "Good!"... At seven o'clock in the evening, Zhang Yuanqing and Anne knocked on the door of Room 401, as it was the landlord's thank-you dinner. So he had come without a gift, only with a full stomach of acid. The landlady had prepared a sumptuous spread, centered on meat, with light, simple preparations—typical of the "bowl-and-simmer" cuisine, known for its lightness in cooking style. This lightness referred not to the ingredients themselves, but to the methods: all ingredients were fresh, and whenever possible, served raw rather than cooked, and seasoned only to preserve their natural flavors. The wine served was a rice wine brewed at the restaurant. During the dinner, as the host, Cao Qing was warm and engaging, a seasoned businessperson adept at socializing. Zhang Yuanqing, equally skilled in networking, quickly warmed up and the two became close friends after just a few glasses of wine. Yet Zhang could sense that Cao was a seasoned, experienced professional, well-versed in social dynamics—every sentence he uttered was rooted in his home life, and every question he asked was focused on learning more Zhang Yuanqing's responses were partly genuine, partly strategic. Cao Qianxiu listened attentively, occasionally nodding slightly, at other times appearing thoughtful, as if pondering something in her mind. By the time dinner was finished, it was already 9:30 p.m. He lingered, bidding farewell to the host family with lingering interest, and then returned with Anne to the adjacent building. Cao Qianxiu rose to see him off. Once outside the door, she glanced at Anne, who was entering her apartment and unlocking the door, and approached Zhang Yuanqing, whispering softly, "Could I have a private conversation with you?" She gestured toward the hallway. Zhang Yuanqing glanced back at her, "Certainly!" The two immediately stepped into the quiet hallway. Only after hearing Anne enter and close the door did Cao Qianxiu speak, "You're one of the Spirit Realm Travelers, aren't you?" As she spoke, her bright, lively eyes locked onto Zhang Yuanqing's, saying, "Don't deny it—your speed demonstrated during the day has already surpassed human limits." Of course, to show fairness and sincerity, I'd like to be honest about my profession—my name is Lei Fashi, which is my greatest secret, even my family doesn't know. The only one who doesn't know is your eight-year-old brother. Your parents not only know you're a spiritual realm traveler; they themselves are as well. Zhang Yuanqing sighed, "I don't want to reveal this. In the second-largest region, wild, independent practitioners face significant risks when they expose their identities. The official authorities only tolerate those who comply with management and disclose their backgrounds." Cao Qianxi nodded gently, "I've heard from my companions that wild practitioners in the second-largest region are quite struggling. The first-largest region is relatively freer—so long as they don't cause trouble, the Heavenly Judgment doesn't interfere. By the way, what's your profession?" "Scout!" Zhang Yuanqing replied. A scout at the transcendent stage excels in close combat. As long as your combat strength is strong, you can easily impersonate someone else—outsiders will never be able to tell the difference. Cao Qianxiu suddenly realized: "That's why you move so swiftly. And when I just now revealed your identity, you didn't seem surprised—by now, you must have already deduced that I had noticed your identity." All of this is entirely your own thought—I didn't say a word about it. Zhang Yuanqing sighed again and gave a wry, nodding smile. Cao Qian nodded thoughtfully, "Mom mentioned you plan to stay in the New Covenant County for six months, is that right?" Zhang Yuanqing replied with a single "Hmm." Cao Qian continued, "Although I just said the Second District is relatively free, the discrimination there is quite severe—whether it's the Divine Judgment forces, other lawful organizations, or even the evil professions, all exhibit serious racial prejudice. If a free-standing practitioner from the First District isn't affiliated with any organization, and their identity is revealed, the evil professions will come to kill them, while the lawful professions will come to extort resources, seizing their equipment and money." Zhang Yuanqing asked, "So what would you like to say?" "Cao Qianxiu had been waiting for this moment, and immediately said: 'I would like to invite you to join my organization. In the Chinese community of the Chinatown, several grassroots groups have been formed by Chinese pedestrians. Our mission is mutual assistance and shared progress. In the past few years, the indigenous forces in Xin Yue County launched several coordinated attacks against the Chinese pedestrians. Thanks to our unity and solidarity, we successfully withstood the initial crises. Later, under the criticism and intervention of the Five Elements Alliance, the Tianfa Council intervened and halted the conflicts.' 'Is that organization called the "Anti-Black-and-White Alliance"?' Zhang Yuanqing understood immediately—this girl was recruiting her subordinates. Cao Qianxiu nodded: 'Yes, the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance is one of the key grassroots organizations in Chinatown. There are many such groups established by Chinese pedestrians in Xin Yue County, among which the largest are the Long Black Hall, the Bao Lin Hall, and the Hong Hall. These three organizations have histories spanning several decades and have deeply integrated into the local communities. They no longer care about the well-being of the Chinese pedestrians; instead, they pursue their own interests. At times "Our anti-white-black alliance is a rising force—younger, more dynamic—and firmly committed to upholding the dignity and core principles of the Chinese-speaking community in New Covenant County." There are more and more complex grassroots organizations in the First District than in the Second, which is why the leader says the free federation is deep waters—something Zhang Yuanqing now feels firsthand. "Alright, I can join you, though I won't stay in New Covenant County for long," he said. He believed that engaging closely with local grassroots groups was equivalent to building his own channels, and that had no downside. Cao Qianxiu exhaled gently, her face breaking into a subtle smile before quickly regaining her composed expression. "No problem. At least for the next few months, we'll be partners. Tomorrow I'll give you a form to fill out. Once you've completed it, I'll submit it to the higher authorities—it should be processed quickly. By the way, could you please let me know your rank?" "Rank 2 Scout." "Upon hearing this, Cao Qianxi lifted her chin with pride, 'I'm also at level 2, but my experience points are nearly full. Just one more dungeon run, and I'll reach level 3.' Zhang Yuanqing was somewhat surprised—given her age, she already had exceptional talent. Xiao Green Tea and Asano Ryouta, who were about the same age, had been at level 3 and 2 respectively at the beginning of the year, and both were already recognized as promising young talents within the larger organization. 'Given your qualifications, why haven't you joined Tianfa?' Zhang Yuanqing asked in astonishment, 'Tianfa has always been eager to recruit lightning mages.' 'Why should I join Tianfa and endure workplace bullying?' Cao Qianxi replied with disdain. Having grown up in the New Covenant Province, she was most familiar with the local anti-Chinese sentiments, and her parents' early entrepreneurial struggles had deeply influenced her. 'You might consider returning home,' Zhang Yuanqing suggested, 'talents like you are highly valued and actively nurtured by the Wu Xing Alliance. Independent practitioners often struggle to secure dungeon guides, which hinders their growth.' "When it comes to the Five Elements Alliance, Cao Qianxiu can't help but scoff, "It's better to join Tianfa instead. I don't want to end up like Yuan Shi Tianzun, forced to die. You're a domestic scout—shouldn't you know Yuan Shi Tianzun?" Zhang Yuanqing replied, "I've had the privilege of coming into contact with him." Cao Qianxiu asked curiously, "Is he truly as remarkable as the legends claim? What kind of person is he, exactly? I've heard from within the Alliance that he was forced to die, but Tianfa seems to say he was a fallen one."