"Winny Burnt isn't deaf or blind. If she wants to come out and make a move, we wouldn't be sitting here." Zhang Yuanqing said calmly. "Cool sauce, do you know which floor Brady Med is on?" "I do!" Ryōya Cool nodded eagerly, like a chicken pecking at grain. Zhang Yuanqing glanced down the corridors and saw that many Tianfa members had their heads out, watching the scene with curiosity—some chatting excitedly, others with a mixture of amusement and envy. It seemed they had grown accustomed to the way foreign spiritual travelers were treated at Tianfa, to their frustration and helplessness, even when they were angry. The sight could easily become a topic of conversation at the dinner table after work. Though Zhang Yuanqing had a poor command of English, he could still catch several phrases: "Well done," "Osmon was also targeted during his time in China," "Tianfa isn't easy to deal with," "Richardson? That's exactly what Brady wants to teach them," "Poor fellows." Shifted his gaze, he looked at Tianxia Guihuo and the others. "I'm not very familiar with office politics. What suggestions do you have? If none, I'll proceed with my own approach." "Go ahead!" Guan Ya said. "Just don't kill anyone," Zhao Chenghuang added, a kind-hearted man. Zhang Yuanqing stepped away from his companions and approached the middle-aged man named Richardson. Standing before him, he asked, "Are you ready?" Richardson looked down his nose at him, furrowed his brow, "What?" "Ready to face the close combat of the Beast King?" Zhang Yuanqing suddenly launched a punch, driving it hard into the man's abdomen, forcing his eyes to bulge and his body to bend instinctively. Before Richardson could recover, Zhang landed three more straight punches, followed by a spinning back elbow that struck squarely on his side. Richardson staggered, his head knocking hard against the white wall, creating a shallow dent in the solid surface. The man collapsed, motionless, unconscious. A profession like the Wind Mage, inherently frail, is typically obliterated the moment a melee specialist closes in. "Oh my goodness, what is he doing?" "Who is this man? Does he even know what he's doing? He's attacked a Senior Steward!" "This is a direct challenge—to us, the Celestial Judgment! Arrest him immediately!" Onlookers nearby were stunned. The unexpected turn had them abashed. How had the Five-Element Alliance's spiritual traveler become so assertive? In recent years, only the Demon King had ever dared to physically confront and defeat a Senior Steward of the Celestial Judgment at their headquarters. Guan Ya stepped forward, facing the crowd, her fingers extended like a sword, then raised her arm to strike. A long, slender slash split the floor tiles, stretching from beneath her feet all the way to the end of the corridor, forcing the members of Celestial Judgment to retreat and seek out their own stewards. With expressions of disbelief on the faces of the two provoking members, Zhang Yuanqing carried the unconscious man toward his companions. "Shinoya Ryō, lead the way!" "Red Chicken Brother smiled and, with one person and one punch each, knocked out two Wind Sorcerers, then ran into the elevator with his companion. Inside the elevator, Hitoshi Ryō pressed the floor button with trembling hands, her voice trembling as she said: 'We need to be disciplined. We need to be disciplined...' As a naturally gentle and straightforward person, she had only recently learned the Japanese concept of 'gō-makushi'—the spirit of humility and service—yet had not yet grasped the higher principle of 'overcoming the superior through the inferior.' Seeing Master Yuan Shǐ's forceful actions, she deduced his intentions and felt utterly anxious. Turning to look around, she noticed everyone else was calm, some even eager. 'Don't worry,' Zhang Yuanqing reassured her, patting her shoulder, 'A single person violating the rules is punished, but when a group violates them, it's quite different. The divine punishment requires masters at the Saint level—exactly as you said. If Lady Vinye Bertren doesn't want to lose us, she will surely step in to protect us. Even if she doesn't, the divine punishment would need the approval of the Five Elements Alliance to handle so many Saints At this crucial moment, I dare say the Heavenly Punishment won't be this firm." With that, he said solemnly, "In our homeland, there's an old saying: 'Strike once, and you'll avoid a hundred more!' " Shallowawa Ling remained silent, recalling the Master's remarkable achievements—a bold warrior who had dared to fight and even perish alongside the Five Elements Alliance's peak rulers—how could he possibly fear someone like Brady? As he spoke, the elevator chimed, and the doors opened. Zhang Yuanqing carried the unconscious middle-aged man out, kicked in the glass doors, ignoring the front desk staff's protests and warnings, and led his team straight inside. Several transcendental travelers from the office area came over upon hearing the sound, pausing to watch as Shallowawa Ling led the group of Five Elements Alliance members, each wearing the Heavenly Punishment's badge. "It's right there, the one with the Brady badge on the left, the third office from the entrance," Shallowawa Ling pointed, speaking loudly. Zhang Yuanqing stepped forward and kicked off the entire glass door with a single powerful stride. By the office desk, Brady narrowed his eyes, lounging lazily against the back of his chair, enjoying the moment with a satisfied sigh. The sudden commotion startled him and also jolted the woman beneath the desk. Brady opened his eyes to see the young man who had kicked him directly in the chest, leading five Saint-level figures of the Five-Row Alliance into the room. "Fuck..." he leapt up, quickly buttoning his pants, about to launch into a scathing tirade—only to pause when his gaze landed on the young man carrying Richardstone like a dead dog, his expression stiffening, then turning to disbelief. A brief moment of mild panic passed through him, after which he burst into laughter, a surge of triumph flowing through him as his plan succeeded. "You've seriously injured Richardstone, haven't you? Excellent work. I must say, you're a bunch of simple-minded, physically strong, yellow-skinned pigs..." Before he could finish speaking, a sharp pain shot through his abdomen, his breath catching as his internal organs spasmed. Struggling to turn his head, he saw the sweet girl with a round face and large eyes launching the attack—now she was far from sweet. "You—" Brady gritted through the pain, quickly opening his inventory and gathering a wind blade, aiming to strike down the attacker. But as a fragile mage, he was inevitably overwhelmed by several melee and assassin classes closing in on him—his counterattacks were impossible. Red Chicken stepped forward and delivered a powerful kick to Brady's chin, shattering two of his front teeth. Guan Ya followed with a well-placed kick. Zhang Yuanqing then threw Richard's body like a target, sending both of them crashing together, the impact twisting Brady's face into a grimace. "Done for!" Zhang Yuanqing declared. Without needing further instruction, the experienced saints understood that they had to prevent the wind mage from releasing his wind blades, and swiftly closed in, launching a relentless series of close-range attacks. Within less than five seconds, Brady suffered multiple fractures across his body and fell unconscious. Throughout it all, he didn't even manage to cry out. Outside the office, a group of Tianfa members gathered at the door, staring in disbelief at the foreign perpetrators. "... Clang!" Emma hurriedly pushed open the door of Minister Viny's office. The seasoned secretary, accustomed to handling major events, now looked unusually pale as she rushed in, urgently stating, "Minister, the members from the Five Elements Alliance have beaten up Brady—severely injured, seriously!" Viny paused, a rare smile breaking through her composed face. "Who led the charge?" "Guan Mang!" "Bring them to the conference room," Viny said, rising and stepping out with her high heels. "I'll go see Sean Med." ... Not long after, the news of CEO Sean Brady being brutally assaulted by a group of foreigners spread rapidly through Tianfa's internal chat groups and forums. "By heaven, how bold are these Five Elements Alliance members? Are our colleagues in the New Accord branch all weaklings, letting them treat them like this?" "I'm furious—I've booked a flight. I'm going to fight the Way-Elemental Travelers of the Five Elements Alliance." "The Five Elements Alliance must think they've finally stood up, huh? Pathetic—they have no idea what's coming." "If the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign acts this boldly, I can accept it. But these little cats and dogs? To be daring in our Heavenly Judgment branches?!" The official Travelers from various branches of the Heavenly Judgment were incensed, rallying with a shared sense of indignation. Yet at the Heavenly Judgment branch in the New Covenant County, many were clapping and cheering, even delighted by the misfortunes of the Five Elements Alliance. "The Five Elements Alliance has impressed me—they've rarely dared to engage us directly, and when they do, it's always against members of the Mede family." "Unfortunately, they didn't include Brady—I've noticed—he's a demon. He deserves to go to hell." "I've reviewed the footage—the young man who kicked down the door was a hero. I'd like to get him involved." Brady's reputation in New Covenant County was poor. With his status and power, he had often pressured and taken over female colleagues. Many ... In the conference room, the Sovereigns of the Five Rows sat around the table, sipping warm water. Temporarily "locked" here, they awaited the outcome of the celestial retribution. The only one who hadn't been involved in the incident, Yuan Ting, looked deeply concerned, saying, "Most likely, I'll be sent back to our homeland—I haven't had a chance to find out any fresh news about the New Treaty Prefecture yet." As he wasn't a member of the returning souls, he had been subtly sidelined. With the Prime Immortal now operating under a different identity, Yuan Ting wasn't privy to certain key conversations. When Zhang Yuanqing and the others engaged in their heated exchanges, Yuan Ting had already left the office area due to the excessive heat, and had since built strong rapport with the female representatives of the Celestial Retribution through his fluent foreign language skills and extensive knowledge of current affairs. When Emma found him, he was enjoying snacks from his female colleagues, sharing exclusive gossip about Fu Qingyang and the Prime Immortal. Soon after, Emma's assistant entered, her expression stern, saying, "Jumu, Minister Wei-ni wants to see you." Zhang Yuanqing was not surprised. He stood up and replied, "Good." He followed Emma's assistant out of the conference room, through the corridor, and into Minister Wei Ning's office. Minister Wei Ning, with her brown, slightly wavy long hair flowing freely, was not seated behind the luxurious desk. Instead, she crossed her legs, arms folded, gazing expressionlessly at Zhang Yuanqing as he entered. Emma quietly closed the door and stepped back out. Wei Ning stared coldly at Juming, saying, "You're the leader of the Wuxing Alliance's aid team, aren't you? I'd like to know your true ID and rank. No explanations needed—should you fail to reveal this, I'd have already been kicked out of my position as Chief Prosecutor." "Juming is my spiritual realm ID. As for rank, I'm at the peak of Level Six, a Beast King." Zhang Yuanqing answered calmly. He had originally intended to bow and pay his respects, but now, as the leader representing the second-largest region, he could pull off any maneuver domestically. Abroad, however, he would have to keep his knees firm. Weney's revelation of his "identity" did not surprise Zhang Yuanqing—at least, not at all. In fact, it was precisely what he had anticipated. He had deliberately chosen to operate with high visibility, aiming to raise the ceiling of his aid team's capacity, thus laying the groundwork for frequent hunts against six-tiered Sages in the future. As for why the role of "Juming" had remained behind the scenes, it was primarily to avoid drawing too much attention from the outset. Even if this were uncovered, it would make no difference. His array of disguises, empowered by the magic items of a Phantom God, rendered him invisible even to the star-officials' celestial divination techniques. Moreover, it was already a settled fact that the Prime Immortal had returned to the spiritual realm—no one would associate him with a deceased figure. "Very open!" Weney nodded slightly. "Why conceal your status?" "We Chinese value understatement," Zhang Yuanqing replied casually. Weney tugged at her lips. "Your dramatic action of kicking open the gate, however, couldn't be more understated." She straightened her expression, no longer hesitating over identity issues, and spoke seriously: "I've discussed this with Executive Shawn. According to the laws of Heaven's Judgment, the minimum penalty for your serious injury to Brady is two years' imprisonment. As a member of the Five Elements Alliance, you can be released on bail—just a bail deposit." She paused, crossing her hands over her abdomen. "To secure bail for all of you, however, we require one artifact of Master Quality. And upon return to your homeland, you shall be barred from entering the Free Federation for ten years." Zhang Yuanqing laughed out loud. "So now, is it going to be: because of my personal advocacy and persistence, Shawn has yielded?" Vinye blinked, then offered a gentle smile. "You're a smart person—I enjoy talking with smart people." The魔君 must also be quite intelligent... Zhang Yuanqing silently muttered, smiling in quiet agreement. Choosing the most forceful course of action was driven by three factors: a desire not to compromise, confidence that Vinye Berent would secure their release, and a clear intention to present a solid pledge to this reserved prosecutor. "I heard the Executive Department and the Oversight Department are having a heated rivalry," Zhang Yuanqing asked tentatively, "Isn't it now the case that our enemies aren't coming from the Evil Faction?" Vinye Berlent replied calmly, "Enemies sometimes come from within." Zhang nodded silently. He had asked this question to gauge Vinye's attitude toward him—should she respond positively, it would mean she had accepted him and his team. If she gave only a perfunctory answer, it would suggest she still hadn't fully regarded them as part of the core. For now, Vinye was treating the Five-Element Alliance's support team as a temporary arrangement, so Zhang didn't have to worry about being treated as expendable. "Enemies from within..." Zhang said, half-surprised, half-acting it out, "Now I understand why the Executive and Oversight Departments have been so tense." The President had mentioned that within the Lawful organizations, there were spies from the Free Concord. Among the renowned for fairness, the Lightning Mage faction was expected to have the fewest spies, and as the Oversight Department's primary duty was to uncover such spies, that made sense. On one side, there's the investigator; on the other, the one being investigated. It's no surprise how strained the relationship between the Enforcement Department and the Prosecution Department has become. When speaking of this matter, even the composed Chief Prosecutor, with her poised demeanor, furrowed her brows and said: "Your primary responsibility is to assist me in uncovering internal spies within the organization. Occasionally, you'll also be assigned to hunt down evil professionals. But these can be deferred—first, you need to get familiar with the environment before you can perform your duties effectively. "I was able to secure your Five-Element Alliance team because I personally sent an email to headquarters. The murky water needs a fresh flow of clean water to clear it out." "That's enough. Go now." ... Late at night! After a long period of deep breathing and the creaking of the bed, the newlyweds, who had only recently grown close, stayed wrapped in each other's arms until the early hours. Zhang Yuanqing removed his work cap and wrapped his arms around his sweaty girlfriend, saying, "I know a master-level knight. I'll ask her to dispel your vow so you won't have to worry about getting pregnant." "Getting pregnant? "Guan Ya sighed, "With a pregnancy and childbearing taking about a year, and still not making it into the Spiritual Realm within that time, I'll be left behind by the team." Zhang Yuan growled, "You yourself said you wanted to have a child with me!" "Times change, times change," Guan Ya pushed him aside, grabbed her nightgown to cover herself, and with her long, graceful legs stepped into the bathroom. Zhang Yuan listened to the rushing sound of water, pulled out his backup phone, summoned a duplicate using the Yajing Mirror, and sent the duplicate off with the phone to leave the New Agreement District Bank building. The duplicate stopped at the rooftop of a residential building near Man Island, turned on the phone, checked for missed calls and unread messages—only to find that Catherine had yet to respond. "Rather cautious indeed," Zhang Yuan murmured, slightly disappointed, then opened the Hunter app, ready to accept a new assignment. As the Supreme Master, he needed to regularly complete tasks; if he went too long without doing so, the Hunter Guild would likely take notice. He scanned the rankings of the Sage stage. As he kept scanning, his gaze suddenly sharpened, and a task appeared before him: #Hunt the members of the Five Elements Alliance's aid team—Geng Mang# Task details: Geng Mang, a 5-level Beast King and a member of the Five Elements Alliance's aid team, resides at the headquarters building of the New Covenant County Bank. He will attend a gathering hosted by Tianfa tonight at seven. Reward: Six million Federal Coins. Someone's after me? Zhang Yuanqing's first thought was that Brady had issued a bounty on his life. But then he reconsidered—he found it odd. Geng Mang had only just arrived in New Covenant County, and so far, he had only slightly clashed with Brady. Yet, already, a bounty for Geng Mang's assassination had appeared on the Hunter's Guild's list. This clearly pointed to a scheme to frame Brady. After all, the bounty list is publicly accessible to all hunters, and within Tianfa's spiritual realm community, many registered hunters earn extra income by taking on such assignments. Once they saw the bounty, what would they think? If Geng Mang were truly assassinated, how What do the Five Elements Alliance think? They've managed to pin all the blame squarely on Brady, and no matter how hard they try, they can't make it disappear. Brady might be a boastful, self-assured millionaire heir, but he surely hasn't been that foolish—unless he has. Even if he has, his allies and supporters behind the scenes wouldn't be dumb. "So someone deliberately issued a reward for Juming, framing Brady?" Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brows, pondering for a few seconds, then arrived at the answer. Two possibilities: either Brady's enemies intend to use this as an opportunity to undermine him, or someone aims to assassinate Juming and frame Brady, thereby intensifying tensions within the Heavenly Punishment Bureau—specifically, between the Inspection and Enforcement Divisions.