In the disheveled bedroom, the Wind God's wings sat propped against the window, receiving treatments of spraying medicine and bandaging from the Wood Spirit physician Lin Shengshou. The other members remained on standby outside and below the building. "The heart injury is critical, but timely treatment has saved us—full recovery is now achieved. The other wounds are deep but not life-threatening; my medicine will heal them within three days. Of course, if you, the steward, have healing tools of a Saint-level caliber, then I'll simply omit this part." Even addressing a Sixth-Rank Steward, the proud Sea Spirit spoke with an air of condescension. "For the coming days, you will feel weak due to blood loss—this cannot be restored by any healing tools. I'll prescribe tonic remedies for you at half-price, no more." "Thank you!" The Wind God nodded, then turned his gaze toward Zhang Yuanqing. "You are…?" "He—he's one of the new members of Group Six," Lin Shengshou stammered, his eyes on Zhang Yuanqing, expressing a mixture of complexity and admiration. A true talent! Judge Cao had surprisingly picked a scout at the Saint level. Given the ease with which he cut through the defensive barriers, clearly he was stronger than Huang Fengguai, the Executive Officer. "One of the new recruits from Group Six?" Wind God's Wings was momentarily taken aback. "Ah—yes, the scout who deduced the Night-Wanderer's target and obscured his vision. That explains it..." He looked suddenly enlightened. "That's why he could so immediately grasp the truth—you're a swordsman." Zhang remained composed, maintaining the seriousness and dignity befitting a scout. "Don't think of setting a trap for the Star Official. That would be foolish. You know nothing about him, while he knows everything about you." With that, he leapt out the window, landed steadily on the air-conditioning unit, and then moved smoothly along the street, gradually fading into the distance, under the watchful eyes of the Medical Saint, Wind God's Wings, and Huang Fengguai. The members of the group watched in curiosity, while the eyes of Group Six's members—especially Cao Qianxiu and Snow Princess—were filled with a mixture of surprise and complexity. When he had completely vanished from sight, Snow White tugged at Cao Qianxiu's sleeve, excited and thrilled, yet unconsciously lowering her voice: "You... you found someone so outstanding, wow, he's absolutely stunning—his sword movements are magnificent. He's a swordsman, isn't he? A swordsman who can kill one person every ten paces. You've truly struck gold, Judge." "He said he's a second-tier scout... well, who would tell a stranger their true rank?" Cao Qianxiu felt the most complex emotions. She had thought she was hiring a young apprentice, but it turned out to be a strong contender from the second-largest region. From now on, she'd have to speak to him with growing hesitation. ... In a hurry to return to the red-brick cottage, she waved off Anny's dinner invitation and headed straight for her bedroom. "I'm wondering—if those two star officials are indeed members of the Night Rose, then how did Lingtuo become connected with the Church? He's in his forties, yet a relatively young official—he shouldn't know much about the Holy See's relics, unless he has some alliance with external forces." The duplicate sat by the desk, one leg crossed over the other, and said, "If the two officials aren't members of the Night Rose, then they must have been cultivated by external forces with ambitions to seize the Pope's relics... The Free Concord is certainly the first suspect, but major lawful organizations could also be involved. Strange—Body, let's go over the logic together." Zhang Yuanqing glanced at him and scoffed, "Go over the logic? Our souls are shared. If something doesn't make sense to you, how can it make sense to me? Even after we've both struggled hard, Zhao Youqing—the old stick—has figured it out, while we still haven't. Let's talk with the President later tonight. I'm a bit hungry, and it's a perfect opportunity for Anne to prepare a late-night meal." With that, he produced the Yajim mirror and returned the duplicate to his body. Just as he was about to head back to the living room for dinner, he heard a familiar voice from behind: "No need for a late meal—I just had dinner, made by my wife." Zhang Yuanqing turned to look—where the previously empty desk had been, a man in yellow pajamas sat, wearing a silver mask, legs folded, posture as relaxed and unrefined as always, lacking any sense of elegance. After all, his wife cooked just like a wife does—why did he have to speak so loudly, as if no one else in the room had a spouse? Zhang Yuanqing returned to the bed and sat down, chuckling, “You came quite quickly. Clearly, the Holy Roman relics are no ordinary matter.” Zhang Yuanqing was about to listen to Mischin when he was startled: "You don't know of the Pope's relics?" The chairman shrugged: "First, the Papal Court has been extinguished for over a hundred years—when my grandfather was still a baby. Second, I'm a native-born Chinese, something you must have heard of. Third, my relationship with the Merchant Guild isn't particularly close; the Guild wasn't founded by me, and they simply recognize me as their chairman because they need a half-deity. Therefore, many of the secrets in the First District remain unknown to me." Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brows: "Then does that mean I'm essentially expanding our business operations? Let's put our espionage efforts on hold for now—those Pope's relics are more important." He then recounted everything that had happened today in full detail. The chairman, with a pale, yellowish complexion, analyzed: "I'm at least a half-deity of the Void Domain, belonging to the First District, and the head of the Merchant Guild—I haven't even heard of this. How could Lingtuo possibly know?" Unless his intersection with the First Region runs deeper than mine, "Lingtuo is the fallen night wanderer; therefore, anyone who intersects with him must belong to the evil faction. The fall of the Papal Court was driven by the Free Covenant, and no one understands the Papal Court better than the Free Covenant. The Free Covenant must know of the Pope's relics. 'If those two star officials are members of the Night Rose, then Lingtuo and the Free Covenant must be working in tandem.' Zhang Yuanqing nodded in agreement as he listened. Those who know of the Pope's relics, aside from the Free Covenant, are most likely the lawful strongholds that participated in the campaign against the Papal Court. Yet they would never reveal the Pope's relics to Lingtuo—why? They could simply seek them out themselves, and there was no need to make a show of it. After all, Lingtuo is the fallen night wanderer. Faction determines stance. The lawful strongholds could only achieve a temporary alliance, like Elder Cai, for shared objectives—never would they hand over such a significant asset to the evil faction. Therefore, Lingtuo could only learn about it from the Free Covenant. The Chairman continued: "If neither of the two star officers is a member of the Night Rose, there are two possibilities: either the campaign to seize the Pope's relics was orchestrated by the Lawful Order, or it was planned by the Free Covenant, with no connection to the Night Rose." "Either way, it's not the Lawful Order or the Evil Faction—so who's behind it doesn't really matter, Chairman," Zhang Yuanqing said. "What matters is that the Pope's relics have drawn the attention of powerful forces for over a hundred years. That's impressive—our time has finally arrived for prosperity." The Chairman gave a short exhalation: "No. Who the two star officers' real agents are is crucial." Zhang Yuanqing was struck: "How so?" "The two star officers have already been killed by you. Now, you need to settle the task on the Hunter App, then proceed to Meisheng Bank to retrieve the items left by Jia Feizhang in the safe deposit box—present yourself as Jia Feizhang. Inform all parties that you've killed him, and that the items are now with you." "Mr. Chairman smiled and said, 'Just wait and see. If you encounter difficulties or are arrested by the Heavenly Punishment, then it's the Heavenly Punishment that has orchestrated this initiative. On the other hand, if the Hunters' Guild reaches out to you, inquiring about the items from Jia Feizheng's safe, then it's the Free Covenant that's behind the plan.' There's no need to be so aggressive, no need at all... Zhang Yuanqing understood, and sighed, 'You're suggesting I seize the opportunity to establish ties within the Free Covenant from the inside? But the risk is too high—I'm not familiar with the Free Covenant's working style. I'm afraid they'll simply send someone to kill me and seize the treasures.' Mr. Chairman spoke with both confidence and composure, 'As long as you convey two clear signals, the Free Covenant will certainly tolerate you and seek cooperation with you, rather than simply taking what you have.' "As for Tianfa, they haven't been paying much attention to the Tang Street cases, have they? If they suddenly change their tune, it means they've been alarmed after the two Star Officials went missing—now it's clear that Tianfa has been orchestrating this all along. Well, Tianfa can be set aside; our focus moving forward will be on the Pope's legacy. Life, which had been so dull and monotonous, has suddenly become vibrant and full of excitement... Zhang Yuanqing gritted his teeth. Whether under the watch of Tianfa or the Free Alliance, either scenario posed an extreme threat. Once the items stored in Jia Feizheng's bank safe deposit box were removed, he'd be walking a tightrope. 'I plan to first take a look inside the safe deposit box and then decide. If the Pope's legacy items are strong enough, I can bundle them up and leave, rebranding myself entirely.' Zhang Yuanqing pressed his fingers against his brow. 'But I still don't know exactly what the Pope's legacy is—something that has drawn the attention of either Tianfa or the Free Alliance for a full century.' "... Jing Shu, what's really going on? Now that Jia Feizheng is dead and the enemy has fled, you can finally tell us." In a secret underground chamber on Man Island, Deng Jingguo, who had just celebrated his fiftieth birthday, spoke in a steady, measured tone. He looked weary, his eyelids drooping slightly, as though he had only just woken from sleep, still carrying the weight of drowsiness. Deng Jingguo was a Level 7 Thunder Mage, with a square face, dark and thick brows, and a sturdy, imposing frame of 1.9 meters—making him the leader of the coalition opposing the Black and White Alliance. Besides him, two others were present in the chamber: one was Level 7 Sea Sprite Lu Jing, dressed in a suit and dress shoes, with a full head of silver hair, a lean, elderly man; and the other was Level 7 Wind Mage Tao Siming, a middle-aged man with a quiet, scholarly air. All three appeared as though they had only just begun to stir from sleep. Not long ago, they had been attacked by the enemy. The assault was simple: the attackers had pinpoint Nothing is a more effective means of procrastination than dragging the sovereign into sleep. For the Lawful Orders, the most challenging aspect of the Nightborne Order lies in the domain of sleep—any living being within its reach is compelled to fall asleep, including the Nightborne themselves. Attacks of energy type dissipate upon entering the domain due to the effect of sleep. Physical attacks, such as bullets and arrows, lose their kinetic energy. Even the ultimate weapon of human technological prowess—the nuclear bomb—fails to make an impact. Decades ago, the Free Federation discovered the sleeping site of the Nightborne Church's Night-First, and upon immediate decision by the federal authorities, launched a nuclear missile that failed to detonate. Tao Siming turned to the slender, plain-dressed elder in the coat and shoes: "Master Jing, what exactly is it about Jia Feizhang that draws two Star Officers? And which organization lies behind the Star Officers?" After receiving six consecutive analyses of the serial murders, Lu Jing promptly convened a three-person meeting with two clear core points: first, Jia Feizhong is the private son of the former Grand Master. Second, the former Grand Master entrusted Jia Feizhong with a particularly significant item—one that must not be lost. Lü Jing, with a silver-haired head, sighed, "Still couldn't save the master's heirlooms... Well, matters have come to this point—there's little left to conceal. That item was the Pope's heirloom." "What kind of Pope?" Tao Siming was puzzled, "The one who loves cute little boys?" Lü Jing shook his head. "Not that kind of Pope. That's the Pope from the ordinary world—the one you're familiar with. The Pope I'm referring to is from the world of the Spirit Realm travelers. You may not know that, a century ago, before the second region was activated, the first region already saw the rise of a powerful organization composed of orderly-profession-based members—what we call the Papal Court." "Deng Jingguo frowned, his brows knitted together. "What connection does that Pope from a century ago have with my father?" "None with your father, but with your grandfather. That item was inherited by your father from your grandfather. In fact, your father was your grandfather's own son—born out of wedlock." Lü Jing explained. "What kind of out-of-wedlock lineage is this!" Deng Jingguo exclaimed, furious, Tao Siming quickly pressed his hand, signaling Deng Jingguo to remain calm, then turned to Lu Jing and said, "Uncle Jin, please go on. You mentioned that the Pope has a connection with Jingguo's grandfather—could you elaborate?"