"Shawn wants to see us?" The Seers of the Five Rows exchanged glances, their expressions carefully composed. After hearing that Julian Mede had been assassinated last night, they had all managed to suppress any expressions of relief or satisfaction, instinctively wary of Shawn, believing him to be an adversary. "We must guard against his impulsive retaliation," said Tian Xiang, the one who had settled the fire's reign. "Liang Jiang, go inform Minister Wei-Ni." Guan Ya paused for a moment, then said, "It's likely that we'll need to assist with the investigation." The knight, renowned for his keen insight and deductive reasoning, and the nocturnal spirit capable of communicating with the spirit world, were indispensable professionals in any inquiry. Unlike their companions' concerns and gravity, Red Chicken was overjoyed. "He's dead? Monkey, monkey! That's exactly what the saying goes—'the wicked shall be rewarded by heaven!' " His only cleverness lay in expressing this in the language of soup-making. ... In the conference room, Shawn Mede sat at the head of the table, his elbows resting on the table, his hands crossed over his chin, silently gazing at the projection screen. The CEO had aged several years overnight, his eyes bloodshot, his furrowed brows bearing a deep, unyielding sorrow. Yet his demeanor remained calm, his eyes—still sharp as those of a storm king—unfaltering. To his left stood Emma, his assistant, and the staff from the Oversight Department; to his right, the executives from the Operations Department. Standing on the right side of the curtain, his assistant spoke in a steady tone: "Julian Med's autopsy report has been finalized—he died of a myocardial infarction. There are no external wounds, no signs of poisoning. Whether his spirit remains within him remains uncertain and will require confirmation from the Five-Element Alliance's support team at the morgue." As he pressed a button on the remote, a surveillance video began to play. "This is the security footage from the CEO's residence, from the moment he left home until Julian Med's death. Both in the video and in the reports from the security personnel, there are no anomalies." The wind barrier surrounding the villa remained unattacked and undisturbed. "Also, we've gathered road surveillance footage from within a ten-kilometer radius, and so far, no suspicious individuals have been identified," he said, distributing a stack of papers to the group. "All statements from the villa's security staff are included here. We've already reviewed them with our scouts and advisors—there's no evidence of collusion or deception." Emma glanced briefly through the statements before moving on, frowning. "Why did he die of a myocardial infarction? What was the motive behind the murder?" Despite the surveillance footage and the security staff's reports, no anomalies were noted the night before—yet a sixth-level wind mage could not have died of a heart attack. Without any other clues, the cause of death and the motive now stand as the only leads. "There are undoubtedly many possible explanations for a myocardial infarction. Does Julian Med have any enemies in the New Covenant County?" "Julian is based at headquarters and has lived in Huadu for a long time. He should have no rivals in Xinjia County—unless you absolutely have to name someone, then perhaps the Beast King from last night?" The meeting room suddenly fell silent, and everyone glanced at Shawn. "Clang! Clang!" At that moment, the frosted glass door of the meeting room was tapped. A member of the Executive Department, dressed in formal attire, stepped in, followed by the five Saint Beings of the Five Rows Alliance. "Executive Officer, the relief team has arrived," the officer bowed and then gestured with a nod toward Guan Ya and the others, inviting them to take seats at the back of the audience section before stepping out. "We are the Saints—why don't we even have a seat?" Guan Ya murmured in mild dissatisfaction. Zhang Yuanqing sat down in the high-backed chair, surveyed the room, and noticed that everyone was observing and evaluating him. Chief Executive Sean Med said calmly, "Last night, Julian Med was assassinated. The surveillance footage confirms that you left the New Covenant Bank headquarters two hours before the attack. Please explain your reasons." He then turned to Emma and said, "I also hope the Oversight Department investigates his communication devices and has the technical team conduct a thorough examination." Investigating the criminal activities of internal members is the Oversight Department's responsibility. Zhang Yuanqing immediately became the center of attention. With his legs crossed and a calm gaze, he looked back at Sean, then scanned the others, saying, "I've heard your concern, Executive Med—do you suspect I hired someone to carry out the assassination? First, my choice of when to leave is entirely my own, and I need not explain it to anyone. During the time Julian was attacked, I was present at the bank building, which provides ample alibi. Second, I did have disagreements with Julian, but I do not see any motive for him to be assassinated." He paused, shrugged, and scoffed, "Who would assassinate a defeated subordinate? Shouldn't it be the one who wants to hire someone to do it?" Emma gave a subtle smile. One of the older male executives from the Operations Department said firmly, "Pay attention to your tone!" The officers from the Supervision and Operations Departments exchanged glances—truth be told, they didn't personally believe that Jùnmáng had any motive to assassinate Julian. At last night's banquet, it was Julian who had suffered a major setback, while Jùnmáng had been the clear standout, gaining every advantage. There simply wasn't a compelling reason to eliminate a descendant of a sovereign. After all, at their core, the two parties had no fundamental conflicts of interest or deep-seated enmities. Zhang Yuancheng continued, "Third, I deeply cherish the Free Federation!" Everyone was taken aback and didn't quite grasp what he meant. The man who had just reprimanded him asked curiously, "Deeply cherish the Free Federation?" Zhang Yuancheng nodded. "I deeply cherish the Free Federation, which is why I won't surrender my phone—because personal property is inviolable." Because human rights are supreme." The room fell silent again, with a sense of being "this young man is being unrealistic, yet I can't dispute him." Emma cleared her throat and said, "Mr. Chairman, if you can provide us with any evidence or leads regarding the assassination of Julian by Jumang, we will be able to initiate a mandatory investigation. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the prosecutor to agree to your request." Sean remained silent. Emma then said, "Let's continue with the case discussion. Please have the new colleagues review the materials once more. Additionally, we need a Night Wanderer to go to the morgue to check whether Julian's spirit is still present." She glanced over the three star officials, then automatically passed over Yuan Ting, focusing instead on Sun Miaomiao and Zhao Chenghuang. Yuan Ting suddenly stood up, "I'll go!" Emma quickly waved her hand, "No, we don't need a spirit-eater—we only need to confirm whether Julian's spirit is still there. Moreover, we would like all case information to remain confidential and not made public." Confidential, not to be disclosed... Yuan Ting sat down in bewilderment, feeling targeted and excluded. Sun Miao Miao rose gracefully and said, "I'll go." She followed a department official out of the conference room. Watching Sun Miao Miao leave, Emma turned to Guan Ya and said, "Ms. Guan, you are a swordsman—your analytical skills are essential." Guan Ya, looking down at her materials, replied, "No need for the spirit-consuming, Ms. Emma. Your words just now told me that there were witnesses present when Julian died, correct?" "A career driven by passion!" Emma glanced at Shawn. Having reviewed the materials, Guan Ya looked up and said, "There were no signs of an intruder's presence, and the surveillance cameras in the vicinity captured no suspicious figures. Julian Med died of a heart attack. If there were witnesses, then the toxin can be ruled out immediately." "Toxins are not diseases—they cannot be transmitted specifically unless ingested. Unless the beloved professional of the scene also succumbs to the toxin, the person in question will certainly die. Therefore, the suspicion against Quemang can be ruled out. While certain wood spirits are adept at using toxins, they cannot kill someone silently and without trace." The members of the Prosecution and Execution Departments nodded in agreement. The lively young woman said, "Julian's spirit is still here." "Not a night wanderer!" Sean nodded slightly, as if confirming something, and added, "I know now what his profession is. Let's adjourn." He turned to Emma, "Notify Minister Vincy and have her come in." The group looked puzzled and slowly withdrew. ... Fifteen minutes later, Vincy Berlant arrived at the conference room. The two chiefs sat at either end of the table. Vincy said, "I'm truly sorry about Julian. Please accept my condolences." "Condolences won't help!" Sean replied calmly. "It's they who need to mourn. I know who killed Julian." Vincy adopted a receptive posture. "It was a Dreamweaver—definitely one," Sean said firmly. "The Void can infiltrate the villa, but it lacks the means to kill Julian without disturbing anyone. A witch's curse is too violent and forceful; the cause of death wouldn't be a heart attack." According to the record of Julian's passionate state, he was intensely aroused and demanding all night. It was the murderer who kindled Julian's desire. "Viny, the evil faction is challenging me—they killed my eldest son, declaring war against divine retribution, against the lawful order of the New Covenant. They are responding strongly to last night's gathering, asserting that even if the lawful order gathers, they remain unshaken." Viny nodded slightly. "What would you like to do?" Sean replied firmly, "Issue a formal notice to all lawful-order professions across the New Covenant region, demanding that within one month, we eliminate all A-rank fugitives from the wanted list." "In a true campaign war, there's no room for foot soldiers or minor forces—supernatural warriors are negligible. The ordinary way of warfare involves gathering troops and facing off in direct confrontation. But the war waged by spiritual realm practitioners is one of relentless strategy, aiming to eliminate the enemy's high-tier and mid-tier elite champions through every means possible." Zhang Yuanqing murmured, "So, is Sean Mede finally stepping up? Does he intend to clear the A-rank wanted list and force the Dominators to intervene?" On the A-rank Wanted List of the New Covenant Province, all entries are high-ranking saints from the Evil Faction. Among them, Bax, who surpasses even Osmon and Hoover in strength, ranks second. First place is held by Tipheres of the Bio-Alchemy Guild, hailed as the Mage-Grandmaster. "Hm," the chairman chuckled, "you only need to eliminate half—perhaps even fewer—of the Evil Faction's Dominators, and they will be compelled to step into the fray. Your assassination last night was outstanding and significantly advanced the campaign. Tonight, you may reach out to Catherine." "The conflict has intensified now—any Level Six Genjutsu master is definitely a priority for the evil faction." "Understood!" Zhang Yuanqing hung up the phone. No need to contact her tonight; he could reach out to that little diva right now. He glanced around, found a quiet spot, changed his appearance, then pulled out his backup phone and turned it on. As soon as the phone powered up, a steady stream of chimes poured in—messages from Katharine, each one informing him that his mission had been canceled, that he had abandoned the pursuit of Julian Mede, totaling no less than fifteen. The early messages had been calm, but as time went on, they grew increasingly urgent. The ones sent this morning were especially passionate: "Oh my God, for heaven's sake—did you really kill Julian? Your habit of going offline makes me want to snap your head off! And what about the God of Spring!" There were eight missed calls. Wasn't that surprising? Zhang Yuanqing's lips naturally curled upward, and then he dialed Katharine's number. They immediately connected the phone, and Catherine's sharp voice came through: "Damn it, young man! You've ruined my plans! You've ruined my plans! Maintaining communication is a fundamental quality of a bounty hunter." Zhang Yuanqing replied calmly: "During mission execution, turning off communication devices is a fundamental quality of an assassin." ...Then, suddenly, silence broke on the line, and no words came for a long time. Zhang Yuanqing said coldly, "The mission is complete, Catherine. It's time for you to keep your promise." Catherine took a deep breath and said, "I'll meet you at 10 p.m. at 69 Hamburg Street in the Queens district. You'll have to pass the final test." Zhang Yuanqing frowned. "You've worn down my patience. I suddenly don't want to join you anymore." He hung up. Then, holding the phone, he silently counted: "Three, two, one..." Catherine's call came in. This time, her tone softened. "I'm sorry for my earlier tone. Believe me—joining our organization will offer you countless advantages for your future." Zhang Yuanqing lifted a corner of her mouth. "Alright, I'll give you one chance.