Although the name of the "Anti-Black-and-White Coalition" falls short, its rules and regulations are quite formal, indicating that it's not just a loose collection of individuals, but a genuine grassroots organization. Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment and replied, "No problem!" After sending the message, he walked to the window and looked down at Cao Qianxiu on the sidewalk. The girl raised her head, their eyes met, she nodded seriously, then reached out and gave her younger brother a good scolding, tapping him on the head: "You're still watching the play! Come with me to the station and take the bus." Eight-year-old Cao Chao hung his head, looking like a tired dog, following his sister toward the bus stop about five hundred meters away. Just a few steps in, they heard a call from upstairs: "Wait!" Cao Chao's eyes lit up and stopped obediently. Zhang Yuanqing withdrew his head, then after about ten seconds, stepped back out again, tossing down a large bag of snacks. A large bag of snacks dropped with a soft thud. At eight years old, Cao Chao rushed over like a wild dog, quickly grabbing the bundle of snacks and stuffing it into his school backpack without a glance. When his mother was arguing, she was completely absorbed, achieving a state of harmony between heaven and earth—she never noticed him. With his small, quick legs, Cao carried his light backpack and dashed off. Gao Qianxiu, at the ground floor, stared helplessly at the young tenant, then briskly followed after her younger brother. Zhang Yuanqing stood with both hands resting on the window ledge, a warm smile playing on his lips, watching the siblings fade into the distance. The morning sunlight gently fell upon his face, soft and refined. Today was Friday—the seventh day since he had arrived in the Free Federation. Over the past week, he had successfully completed thirteen consecutive, basic tasks, finally accumulating 60 bronze points—just 40 more points away from becoming a silver hunter. The app's backend review praised him as: "Outstanding talent!" Moreover, thanks to his excellent social skills, he has grown very close with the landlord’s family. Both the landlord and his wife feel that the young man is not only well-liked and good-looking, but also speaks beautifully. The young boy Cao Chao particularly enjoys his neighbor, the big brother, because the big brother often secretly slips high-end snacks into his backpack when the parents aren’t paying attention. Cao Chao then walks into the classroom with his backpack proudly held, proudly presenting the snacks to the students, who watch in admiration. The boys gradually fall under the spell of the snacks, following him around eagerly. The girls also enjoy playing with him, shyly asking, “Cao Chao, can I have a snack from you?” As the neighbor brother puts it, “Even at such a young age, he already enjoys priority in matters of romance!” Until the sight of the Cao siblings fades from the window, Zhang Yuanqing leaves the window, heads to the bathroom to brush his teeth, and while doing so, wonders whether he should continue with his little tadpole’s journey to find his mother. In truth, as a commoner, Chen Shu could have easily used his stargazing skills to determine his mother’s location through the connection between them. However, upon learning that Chen Shu was backed by the merchant guild and a half-god, he suddenly lost interest in seeking out his mother. By now, most of the key events have been clarified—how he developed his head ailment, the origin of his mother’s blue pills, and why she decided to go abroad (due to a powerful overseas organization that could safeguard his father’s duplicate presence). All the causes and circumstances are now clear. The only uncertainty remains: whether the family heirloom left by his father is indeed a fragment of the Light Compass. Zhang Yuanqing originally believed his head ailment stemmed from the core fragment of the Light Compass tearing through his soul. Yet, Master Wuhen explicitly stated that the core fragment is not present on Zhang Yuanqing’s body. This leaves two possibilities: first, the core fragment detached from his soul after causing the damage; or second, the family heirloom is not the core fragment at all. This matter can only be clarified by asking Chen Shu—Zhang Yuanqing had even prepared for her to be uncooperative, resorting to dreams and illusions to force her to confess. Now, suddenly learning that Chen Shu is aligned with the chairman, that half-divine truths you don’t wish to share, no matter how hard you press, will remain hidden. Zhang Yuanqing feels somewhat dispirited. Section One, Four, and Five are interconnected and can be handled together. Specifically, one should actively undertake more tasks, expand channels and networks, and remain vigilant—thus, joining the Anti-Black-White Alliance becomes essential. "I can alter my aura and appearance, and I am fully capable of maintaining multiple identities, each one controlling several channels... I am both Batman, Spider-Man, and Superman. When necessary, I can even step into the role of Thanos. The profession of a magician is truly delightful—there are only a few Night Watchers in the First District. Without the art of stellar astrology, it would be nearly impossible to reveal my true form." Zhang Yuanqing ran his fingers through the boy's hair, walked through the foyer into the living room, where the landlady and housekeeper were busy in the kitchen, and Gao Qing, the landlord, was sitting on the sofa watching TV, wearing a black stand-collar shirt with a slightly protruding belly. "Still bringing wine?" Gao Qing stood up to greet him, his eyes briefly scanning the label of the red wine, his smile deepening instantly. "Oh, a 1990 Lafite—such a great vintage! How did you know I like red wine?" "You don't like red wine—you like fine red wine," Zhang Yuanqing smiled. "It was just something I thought you'd appreciate." Gao Qing, a shrewd, results-driven businessman, believed that the best gift for a businessperson was one of real value—something that truly resonated with the recipient. This was known as catering to one's preferences. Gao Qing guided Zhang Yuanqing to a seat, patted his son's head, and instructed, "Have your sister come out and prepare tea—use my prized collection of Pu'er, from the third shelf in the tea cabinet in the bedroom." When Cao Chao hurriedly rushed down the corridor, Cao Qing sighed and said, "Longsai University is indeed a top-tier institution. My dear, I've entrusted Xiu's academic performance to you. If she doesn't listen, just scold her directly. If she still refuses, tell her mother—this girl has always been stubborn since childhood, defying anyone, but she's especially afraid of her mother. 'As soon as her mother shouts, the girl immediately backs down.' That's absolutely true—bloodline dominance combined with the pressure of her professional status. In Zhang Yuanqing's mind, he was constantly making internal notes. On weekends, he usually had tutoring sessions, but since the landlord family is going out for a trip tomorrow, the private lessons have been scheduled earlier. Tonight: one and a half hours; tomorrow night: another one and a half hours. As they were chatting, Cao Qing suddenly added, "Things have been a bit unsettled in the Chinatown lately. Please make sure to lock the doors and windows at night." Zhang Yuanqing shrugged, "How many times has the evening in the Free Federation ever been safe?" Cao Qing was taken aback, then burst into laughter: "Zhang, you clearly know how to tell a joke! Hahahaha, yes, the nights in the Free Federation are indeed not safe—so now you understand why Batman only shows half his face, don't you?" It's worth noting that the landlord particularly enjoys telling jokes—especially hell jokes and cold ones. Zhang Yuanqing naturally followed up with: "Why?" Cao Qing spoke seriously: "Because that way, the police officers can tell he's white." Zhang Yuanqing blinked, finally grasping the landlord's subtle meaning. Truly a hell-level joke! After the laughter subsided, Cao Qing said seriously: "On the southern end of the Manx Island, in the downtown area—this Chinese neighborhood—there have already been over a dozen homicides." Zhang Yuanqing set aside his smile and furrowed his brow: "What kind of homicides? What does the police department say about them?" "Nothing!" Cao Qing shrugged. "The police always tell you the case is still under investigation—nothing more." In fact, starting about a week and a half ago, there have been a series of killings on Wall Street, reaching eleven cases by yesterday, with a total of seventeen victims—all Chinese-American. Yet since the victims were all from the Chinese community, the media only mentioned it briefly, without giving it extensive coverage or putting pressure on the police. Zhang Yuanqing had completely missed these developments. Of course, he had been working long hours lately, frequently leaving early and returning late, busy with his assignments, so his attention had been focused elsewhere, especially in the Chinatown area. Plus, he rarely read the news or newspapers from New York County, which naturally caused delays in his awareness. Moreover, the Chinatown in the southern part of Man Island, spread across forty-plus neighborhoods with a population of nearly 200,000, has, on average, one case every three streets. Without deliberate attention, such cases easily go unnoticed. Yet it was a series of murders unfolding quietly—this silence clearly indicated that the media had not taken it seriously. Cao Qing suddenly lowered his voice, "I heard there's a wild Daoist from the Moshan tradition who's been practicing the art of creating zombies in the Chinatown." Zhang Yuanqing nodded, "Cao Qing lowered his voice and said, 'I have a few friends with connections at the police department. The information we've gathered indicates that the victims are pale blue all over, with blackened fingernails—far from normal corpses. The police headquarters has issued a strict order: once a series of murders is discovered, the bodies must be burned that very night and cannot be preserved. Do you know the Hase Street police station? The one six kilometers away? Their forensic pathologist defied the order and insisted on keeping the bodies for autopsy. As a result, he was turned into a zombie and killed—his blood completely drained. This is classified information; you mustn't let it get out.' 'Classified? Really?' Gao Qianxi approached, holding two cups of tea, and gave a disdainful glance. 'How could you possibly know about this classified matter? Zombies? Hah! Then, shouldn't you buy a few pounds of sticky rice at home to ward them off?' Zhang Yuanqing turned to look at Gao Qianxi. The young woman pretended to be dismissive, yet a sense of seriousness flickered in her eyes. Cao Qing felt a bit embarrassed, coughed once, Dinner was quickly prepared, and Zhang Yuanqing sat down with the landlord’s family at the table to eat and chat—Mrs. Landlord never liked Anne and never invited her to meals. Considering Zhang Yuanqing’s taste, Mrs. Landlord prepared two dishes of loose-harvested vegetables tonight: braised bamboo shoots and chicken broth steamed buns. Cao Qing tasted the steamed buns and repeatedly furrowed his brow. "Good heavens," he exclaimed, "how can you use so much oil? Are you trying to attract an army from the Free Federation?" Mrs. Landlord didn’t understand, "What’s all this nonsense? If she likes it, she’ll eat it." Cao Qing looked at Zhang Yuanqing with growing disappointment. Zhang Yuanqing spoke seriously, "I won’t be eating this dish." "Why?" Cao Qing asked. Zhang Yuanqing looked serious. "Because I don’t want too much oil accumulating in my stomach—it would surely call an army from the Free Federation." Cao Qing burst into laughter. "That’s fascinating! Truly fascinating, Xiao Zhang—your sense of humor is completely on par with mine." Cao Qianxiu and Mrs. Landlord stared, utterly bewildered, as … After dinner, Zhang Yuanqing entered Cao Qianxiu’s bedroom. As requested by the landlady, the door was opened to face the living room. Sitting on the sofa in the bedroom, with textbooks spread out on a glass round table, Cao Qianxiu said coldly, “I suspect you’re not a scout.” Zhang Yuanqing calmly replied, “Why do you say that?” “Because serious scouts don’t understand the terrible jokes my father tells,” Cao Qianxiu said. … Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, your skills at telling hellish jokes aren’t any worse than your father’s. Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the living room and then said, “You just want to vent your frustrations—you’re not truly questioning me. You plan to observe my skills and combat abilities during the upcoming trials. That’s my observation.” Cao Qianxiu nodded slightly, offering a fair response, “Your insight is accurate. Now, let’s talk about this trial assignment. Do you know about the serial killings case in the Chinatown?” Zhang Yuanqing said, "Just now, I heard from your father. Of course, I didn't believe it was some so-called Moshan sorcerer." Cao Qianxiu nodded. "It's definitely not a Moshan sorcerer. Based on our evidence collection and analysis, it's most likely the Night-Wanderer Spirit—our counter-White-Black Alliance's conclusion. As someone from the second-largest region, you should be familiar with the Night-Wanderer Spirit." At this point, Cao Qianxiu's expression grew slightly serious. "That's the only peak-tier combat profession among the lawful, orderly classes." By 'peak-tier combat,' they mean a profession that can always win, even when both parties are at the same level, neither has any equipment or environmental advantages. Zhang Yuanqing said solemnly, "The Night-Wanderer Spirit is rare—how could it appear in the Tangren Street?" "You're also a scout. How did you end up in Tangren Street?" Cao Qianxiu asked in return, casually explaining: "Among the Chinese communities in the New Covenant District, the second-largest area has only a small number of spiritual travelers—though not none. Some of them migrated from the largest area, while others unexpectedly became spiritual travelers during visits home for tourism or family visits." She didn't pursue the topic further, saying: "The senior leadership of the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance is deeply concerned about the series of murders. If they allow the Night-Wanderer to continue unchecked, more innocent lives will be lost. All the victims are Chinese descendants—our own compatriots—and we must act swiftly to identify the killer." "Why not hand it over to Tianfa?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. Upon saying this, he noticed a look of disdain in Cao Qianxiu's eyes. "Because Tianfa isn't willing to take charge," she replied. It truly is both amusing and realistic that Tianfa isn't willing to take charge... Zhang Yuanqing shook his head, smiling slightly. "I'm not very familiar with the first-largest district." Cao Qianxiu nodded and explained: "First, Tianfa has consistently been unwilling to intervene in the spiritual traveler incidents in the Chinese community district. Whether they are seen as indifferent or lazy, the point is they simply don't take action. After all, the victims aren't white nor black—there's no major public outcry. New Covenant County sees countless shootings and robberies every day, and only manages to claim eleven lives over two months. In Tianfa's eyes, that's already quite moderate. Moreover, the Night Wandering Deity appears and disappears at will, often handling tasks that are both taxing and unappreciated. "Secondly, the Chinese community handles its own affairs. We don't want to create unnecessary complications—this has become a mutual understanding between the internal spiritual traveler organizations within the Chinese community and Tianfa. "Tianfa tolerates our existence, so we must uphold their order. Internal conflicts and struggles are welcome, but we must not disrupt their stability and established order." Zhang Yuanqing said: "Alright, that's enlightening." This is completely different from the second region. The style of the Wuxing Alliance is to hold everything in hand—whether civilian organizations or noble families from the spiritual realms—must operate under the Alliance's management and oversight, and the Alliance must maintain absolute authority. While both official bodies have their strengths and weaknesses, the Wuxing Alliance's governance model is more stable and secure, resulting in fewer severe incidents. Its drawback, however, is the Ten Elders—the very flaw of the system. When faced with injustice or overwhelming power, one can only submit or, as in his case, take a stand and storm the table, even willing to pull Cai Qinhè down with them. The turbulence within the Review Committee is precisely the lingering consequence of this systemic weakness. As for the Heaven's Punishment system, its shortcomings are self-evident—spiritual realm practitioners are scattered and disorganized, with numerous regional and minor duchies standing independently, not to mention the rising forces of evil—how could public order possibly remain sound? Cao Qianxiu pulled out her phone, opened the chat app, and downloaded a document: "The Anti-Black-and-White Alliance has gathered comprehensive materials and leads, all copied directly from the police department. Now, your first assessment is here—please analyze these materials and deduce the area where the suspect will carry out their next action." She passed the phone over, her bright eyes gleaming with anticipation.