Zhang Yuanqing only raised his head from the bowl at that moment, looking back at the young girl in front of him. "A self-introduction? Oh, yes—the girl just mentioned 'new teammate,' didn't she? I thought I'd misheard." The girls' conversations on the channel were in foreign languages. In the Tang Street of Xin Yue County, the commonly used languages were the provincial dialects of Bohai and Fujian, as well as foreign languages. Mandarin was used less frequently. As a result, native-born Chinese descendants like Cao Qianxiu often had a less polished command of Chinese. They could articulate phrases like "Yā shǐ a pū kǎi zǐ" with clear pronunciation, but struggled to say something as natural as "Chī shǐ ba shuā bī." Their daily communication either relied on dialect or English. "My name is Lingjing ID Xiao Yao Jianxian, from Songhai, with a career as a scout. That's it!" Zhang Yuanqing spoke and expressed himself with a clear, military-style tone. "Wow, your Mandarin is so beautiful and so standard!" Princess Snow smiled warmly. "A lively young girl," Zhang Yuanqing remarked calmly. "A mutual self "My spiritual realm ID is Snow White, and I'm a classmate of Judge Cao. I'm a Level 2 Wind Mage. Our team of six consists of six members, with the team leader being 'Perseverance,' a knight. In the first region, knights are represented by pandas—just like the Night Wanderer in your second region. Knights are the most impartial profession; whenever you face difficulties, you can always count on 'Perseverance' for help, as long as it's not a matter of breaking the rules. Well, except for borrowing money." As for borrowing money—what kind of good person would that be? Isn't every challenge in life ultimately rooted in a lack of funds? Zhang Yuanqing mentally muttered. Snow White continued: "Besides us three, the other three team members have the following spiritual realm IDs: 'Master of Medicine,' 'Never Forget the Land,' and 'Little Steel Tank.' 'Master of Medicine' is a sea nymph from a family that runs a traditional Chinese medicine shop. She's deeply passionate about medicine—whenever you have a headache or a mild illness, just go to her. You can also ask her for some detox pills to keep on hand..." As she finished speaking, a young man's voice interrupted: "Hmph, not just any ordinary person can have me prescribe medicine and treat them—wouldn't that be a constant workload? Well, since Xiao Xiao the Immortal Sword-Blade is also on the team, that works fine." Was the sea nymph really so proud? Still, compared to Osmon, this one was quite pleasant! Zhang Yuanqing listened patiently. Princess Snow continued, "Don't forget that the homeland is a soil monster—yes, a top-tier soil monster from the first region. However, he's a native-born Chinese-American, and when he returned with his father to visit his homeland, he earned his character card there. By the way, his father is also a soil monster; he used to serve in the Five Elements Alliance before relocating to the New Covenant District. Lastly, there's the little steel cannon—his specialty is a虚空 (void) profession. He's a sweet, quiet, homebody type who doesn't speak much and loves sweets, especially disliking dark and milk chocolate." Princess Snow smiled brightly. "The Master of Medicine chuckled, saying, 'This isn't something we need to worry about—our senior leadership is already fully aware.' 'Why do you say that?' Princess Snow expressed her surprise. 'Just think about it,' the Master mocked. 'After Gao's judge relayed Xiao Yao's analysis, our senior leadership immediately grasped the situation, convened an emergency meeting overnight, and launched the arrest operation. This alone proves that they've realized the true objective of the killer.' Group Leader Zìqiáng Bùxī said, 'Then the killer is likely targeting us directly.' The Anti-White-Black Alliance, after all, is not an official body and doesn't bear the same strong responsibility for maintaining public order and stability. Under normal circumstances, once it becomes clear that the killer is a skilled expert, one would naturally slow down, proceed with caution—this would be the prudent course of action. The urgency of tonight's operation, therefore, indicates that the killer has exerted considerable pressure on our senior leadership." The six members began chatting casually as the mission got underway, paying little attention to the new member, Xiao Yao Jianxian. After all, a second-level scout wasn't particularly exciting, and everyone had noticed that Xiao Yao Jianxian was a bit reserved and formal—slow to warm up. Princess Bai spoke with confidence: "Tonight's lead investigator, the Fengshen Wing Steward, reached sixth level last year. His experience level is likely over 50% now. Unless the killer is a Sovereign, he'll definitely be captured tonight. Among our senior stewards, I personally admire him the most—he's young, handsome, graceful, and has such outstanding talent. A perfect man, in every way." Her tone carried clear admiration and reverence. The usually proud sea-nymph physician Lin Shengshou, rarely seen to downplay others, quietly agreed: "The Fengshen Wing Steward has few rivals in the Chinatown area. With him leading and fifty or sixty people stationed in ambush, that little Night Wanderer won't escape." "Little steel cannon" nodded: "Once Wind God's Wings steps in, we'll be out of the picture—no one will escape the pursuit of the Wind Riders. I hope the mission wraps up soon so we can go home and play games." Wind God's Wings seems highly respected within the anti-Black-White Alliance; the six members place full trust and admiration in him, even the proud Nereid holds him in the highest regard as a Level 6 Wind Rider. Cao Qianxi glanced at her opponent and quietly explained: "Wind God's Wings is the organization's most talented Saint. At 31, he reached Level 6 Saint in just five years—among the elite even in the Heaven's Judgment. His record is outstanding; he has defeated several top-tier rivals, including a Disordered Saint from the Wine God Club and a Judgment Enforcer. I've heard that if he becomes a Master within three years, he will be the first in line to succeed the Alliance's leader." To me, a Saint is no different from a rookie... Zhang Yuanqing pretended to listen intently. At that moment, the quiet earth giant, "Never Forget the Land," spoke through the headset into the ears of everyone: "When I was in the Second District, I heard that the night wanderer deity at the Saint level is also known as the Star Official—someone who can predict and calculate. Honestly, I'm not very impressed with today's capture operation." "Really? Does the Star Official really predict fortunes?" Princess Snow was astonished, yet curious. "Hmm, hmm... Brother Xiao Yao, you're also from the Second District. What do you think?" Cao Qianxi turned to the young tenant across from her; the others remained silent, waiting for a response. Zhang Yuanqing pressed the headset and said: "It's not just about predicting—this is about observing the stars and performing celestial calculations, which is even stronger than divination." Princess Snow gasped, her tone expressing disappointment: "Then does that mean our operation is destined to fail?" The team leader, self-motivated and persistent, replied: "The organization's senior leadership certainly knows about the Star Official's abilities. These aren't things we need to worry about. All we need to do is follow orders and stay on our posts." "Princess Snow asked: 'When it comes to the officials of the stars, I suddenly remembered the Yuan Shi Tian Zun of the second major district. Brother Xiao Yao also comes from our country. Do you know Yuan Shi Tian Zun? How does the Wind God's Wing Official compare to him?' It's not necessary to be so critical of me, is it..." Zhang Yuanqing's face slightly flushed. "Cough, cough!" Zi Qiang cleared his throat and spoke seriously: "Princess Snow, Yuan Shi Tian Zun is someone capable of defeating a Sovereign. While the Wind God's Wing Official is strong, he still falls a bit short when compared to him." He tried to be as gentle as possible. "Is that really the case?" Princess Snow looked unconvinced: "Isn't Yuan Shi Tian Zun also at level six? I believe I'm not mistaken. Then, even if the Wind God's Official is stronger, I think the gap shouldn't be that great. After all, the Wind God's Official has defeated other officials of the same level, and he's even faced off against a villainous profession." "Cao Qianxiu suddenly snapped, her tone sharp and urgent: 'Don't just watch dramas and shop all day—occasionally pay attention to intelligence from the second major region too. On the Judgment Council, Yuan-Shi Tianzun eliminated four masters of the Five Elements Alliance in a row, one of whom was a peak-level master of the Water Spirit occupation—someone whose mere footstep could flood an entire New Covenant Prefecture. 'Even if he used unconventional tactics, under normal circumstances, Yuan-Shi Tianzun is capable of defeating a master outright. You might be a die-hard fan of Feng Shen's Wing Steward, but you can't ignore the facts.' No one in the group challenged her. 'Oh, oh, oh...' Princess Snow's tone softened, her voice tinged with reluctance. 'I was just asking, really.' She hadn't seemed like a fan of Yuan-Shi Tianzun at all before. Zhang Yuanqing found it surprising that Cao Qianxiu, who had always been so composed, now looked so visibly impressed upon learning he hailed from the second major region—had immediately sought out information about Yuan-Shi Tianzun and even asked about his personal qualities. She must be a secret fan Princess Snow coughed a few times and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Brother Xiao Yao, you've truly made a significant contribution this time. Thanks to your analysis, the senior leadership of the organization has realized that something's amiss in the series of murders—though I still don't know exactly what it is. Our organization is always strict in its disciplinary measures. Would you like to consider settling in Xinyue County? I heard from Judge Cao that you're also a freelance practitioner in the second district. "Perform well tonight, stay close to the Wind God's steward, and your future prospects will be bright." This indeed shifted everyone's attention. Cao Qianxiu commented, "A very sound choice—settling in Xinyue County allows for visits back home during holidays, even if only for a brief stay." She knew Zhang Qingyang had come with his girlfriend, and if he could find a good job there, he intended to settle in. —She had clearly heard this when they first moved in. "Let's see," Zhang Yuanqing casually replied, and then glanced toward the Curry Street direction. The killer is about to make his move, according to the celestial insights. …… At 10 p.m., deep into the night. In one of the residences on Curry Street, a bedroom is lit up. Jia Feizheng, bald-headed, sits at his desk, the glow of his laptop illuminating his face, solemn and serious. The computer screen displays the homepage of an airline booking website. Two large suitcases stand quietly by the bed. He intends to take a long trip and temporarily leave New Covenant County. To his left, scattered across the desk, are a pile of documents—basic profiles of the victims over the past two months. These victims share several common traits: first, they are all between the ages of 40 and 45; second, they all grew up in single-family households; third, their mothers worked in non-traditional jobs; fourth, they themselves have no steady employment, yet they never lack financial stability. Jia Feizheng operates his mouse, completing the airline booking. Then he lifts the steaming cup, takes a slow sip of coffee, and stares into space, expression blank. Suddenly, a beam of starlight rose from the bedroom, and a man in a black coat, wearing a baseball cap and a mask, stepped out of it. Jia Feizhong jumped, his body trembling, and the hot coffee spilled onto the keyboard of his laptop. Just as he reached for a scream for help, a sudden coolness washed over his back, followed by stiffness in his limbs, leaving him completely powerless. The man in the baseball cap moved slowly to the desk, glanced at the scattered documents, and chuckled softly beneath his mask. "It seems you've already sensed something. Unfortunately, it's too late—there's no way you can escape now. By the way, to ensure the target hasn't been mistaken, I'd like to verify once more. Jia Feizhong, 44 years old. His mother used to work as a cocktail waitress in the Chinatown area. Later on, for no clear reason, she suddenly moved into a high-end apartment and stopped working in the restaurant industry altogether. It's said she became a mistress to one of the crime syndicate's powerful figures. Is that correct?" Jia Feizhong could not speak, but his expression grew increasingly terrified. The man in the duckbill hat remarked, "I never thought something so crucial would be entrusted to an ordinary person. We've been searching for you—for an entire century. You'd like to speak? Very well, here's thirty seconds to deliver your final words." With that, he gently waved his hand. The cold sensation swiftly dissipated, and Jia Feizheng shivered violently, his initial fear gradually fading into calm. "You talk too much. You should have simply killed me and asked for the spirit's words," he said calmly. As soon as he finished speaking, a young man with a refined appearance, dressed in a sleek nanotech combat suit, removed a chest badge etched with patterns of void energy from the window beside the desk. He seemed to appear suddenly, yet as if he had always been there—no one had noticed him until he took off the badge. "Waiting for you for a long time," Jia Feizheng said, quickly grasping a glass dome resting at his left hand and gently covering it. Instantly, the void-occupation item glowed, and a semi-transparent film enveloped the bedroom, sealing off the space. A handsome young man with refined grace swept his hand dramatically. "Whooosh~" The airflow in the bedroom surged into dense blades of wind, slashing toward the man wearing a baseball cap, like a downpour.