The New Covenant County Division of Heavenly Judgment, beneath the bank building. Six black executive vehicles drive through the traffic and park on the lower parking level. Executive Director Sean Med, Deputy Director of Oversight Osidio William, and the elite representatives from the two departments stand at the bank's entrance, upright and composed, silently observing the arrival and parking of the vehicles. From the armored executive vehicle in the center, a driver in a black suit with white gloves quickly steps down and opens the door. Then, a pair of black, thick-soled, long boots emerges, followed by loose camouflage pants, a dark green combat vest, and a lightweight jacket. The woman who wears them is a young, poised lady with long, warm-brown hair tied into a neat ponytail, a thin, well-defined red mouth, a refined straight nose, and long, straight eyebrows. Her face, naturally unmade-up, exudes a striking, elegant, and vigorous presence. "Tapping... tapping..." The clear footsteps of military boots echoed as Chriss Gustav walked steadily toward the group at the New Covenant County's Heaven's Judgment branch. Inside the minivan behind her, several headquarters agents in formal attire stepped out. "Miss!" Sean Meade's tone was courteous, yet carried a hint of deference. Though as the Chief Executive Officer of the Heaven's Judgment branch, a position of significant influence, he still maintained humility before this young lady. Heaven's Judgment is composed of eight major corporate groups, and Chriss's family is one of them—the Gustav Group. Her grandfather serves as the chairman of the Heaven's Judgment board, and Chriss herself is one of the heirs of the Gustav Group. Currently, Chriss holds the rank of Eighth-Level Sovereign, with the Sea Nymph occupation. Once she reaches the peak of Sovereign status, she will be directly appointed to the Central Office, becoming one of the most powerful figures in Heaven's Judgment. Chriss did not respond, but instead turned her gaze to the back, where a middle-aged woman in a business suit approached, carrying a small fish tank. A golden fish, the size of a palm, shimmering in vibrant colors, rests in the bathtub. "Gurrrl... gurrrl..." The fish exhales a series of bubbles, glides along the glass wall in a graceful circle, then rises to the surface, its head emerging above water, speaking clearly and melodiously—its voice as pure and fresh as spring water, like a young lady: "Good morning, Mr. Shawn, colleagues, thank you all for waiting for my host. Let me, Ruth, dance for you now." With that, the colorful fish performs a graceful dance within the glass aquarium. After finishing, it rises again, delicately saying, "For the next steps, please kindly take care of everything." The audience is left speechless. The little fish looks around, then suddenly murmurs, "Where is Winny? The one who always competes with my host for men?" The Deputy Prosecutor, Osidio William, clears his throat. "Madam, Winny has activated the Sky's Eye and is currently temporarily blind, returning home to rest." Christine huffed and strode confidently into the bank building, her headquarters colleagues following close behind. Osidio William stepped closer to Sean and lowered his voice: "Miss, is she... not speaking well?" The power dynamics between the deputy and the department head are vastly different—chief prosecutor and executive officers are required to report annually to headquarters, but the deputy doesn’t have to. As a result, Osidio had never met Christine. Sean Med turned to him: "Miss is a sea nymph, so she needs a high-empathy microphone." Sea nymphs are known for their fiery, haughty nature—traits that make interpersonal communication challenging. Yet, due to her status, emotional intelligence is essential in the workplace. Hence, she’s cultivated a golden fish that speaks well as her microphone? Osidio let out a long, thoughtful "oh." In the VIP elevator, Christine, Sean, Osidio, and the middle-aged woman carrying the fish tank ascended swiftly. The goldfish glanced at the floor, blowing bubbles as it spoke softly, "Uncle Shawn, where is the traitor, Channing? The master wishes to deal with him first." Shawn Med said, "Room 101, on the 107th floor." Christy pressed the button for the 107th floor. Three minutes later, the elevator doors chimed open, and the lady stepped out with grace, followed by Shawn and the others. Room 107 was the检察 department's territory, dedicated to holding and questioning internal members who had violated rules and regulations, featuring steel walls resistant to magic shielding, artillery fire, and high-intensity skill attacks. Christy waved her hand to dismiss the accompanying members, then carried the fishbowl and entered the interrogation room alone. The layout of the interrogation room was much like the standard ones in the police department—low ceiling, no windows, harsh white overhead lights—creating an atmosphere of quiet pressure and stillness. Kris spotted Channing Lu in the corner—his feet and hands severed, wrapped in bandages, a dark spike driven through his chest, his arms and legs bound by silver chains that anchored to the walls. Channing leaned weakly against the wall, his eyes half-closed, pale and worn, his lips cracked and dry. An eighth-tier Sovereign’s vitality was unparalleled; the injuries on his body were not life-threatening, but his frailty stemmed solely from the spike piercing his chest. Kris glanced down at the aquarium—colorful fish broke through the surface, their voices clear and bright, issuing a crisp, spirited cry: “Channing Lu, though you have betrayed the organization and the board, the board still wishes to give you a chance. Headquarters has already contacted the elder, Red Sun Judge of the Taiyuan Sect, who will purify your soul with the power of the Sun God. The success rate, however, is less than 20 percent.” Even a powerful eighth-tier Sovereign, such as the one Channing represented, would not simply sentence someone to death without offering a chance of salvation—should rescue be possible, it would surely be pursued. Qian Ning's cognition has been warped, yet he has not been tainted by evil forces—his character card remains unchanged. Therefore, there is hope that the sun god's purifying power will restore him. Yet the sun god's power repels all other attributes, and under its cleansing, Qian Ning is more likely to be burned to ash. Qian Ning Lu turned his head slightly: "I will not alter my faith. Chaos is the ultimate fate of the world; lawfulness will eventually fade into dust." The colorful little fish straightened up in the water, their two ventral fins crossed in front of them, and cooed, "But I suspect you'd like to survive." A silence settled in the room for several seconds. Qian Ning then turned back, gazing at the figure and the fish. "What do I need to give up?" The colorful fish, Lus, immediately asked: "When did you become a fallen one?" "It's been about seventeen or eighteen years," Qian Cheng Lu replied. "Back then, I was still a Master of Rank Seven, stuck at a developmental plateau, unable to find a way to break through to Rank Eight. My position within the Heavenly Punishment also remained stagnant until one day I met a woman named Katharine. She brought me comfort and encouragement, joy and tenderness. Over time, under her guidance, I began to regularly engage with the senior leadership of the Hunter's Guild and eventually met its chairman." "Have you ever seen the chairman?" "Yes, I have—but not in his true form." "Do you know any other details about him?" Qian Cheng Lu paused to recall carefully. "I only know his name is Stephen Simpson. Beyond that, I know nothing. In fact, I suspect that might not even be his real name." Stephen Simpson... Kris wrote the name down silently. Rosalie asked, "You're part of the Free Concord since around the late 1700s or early 1800s—do you know about the earthquake at the March Mountain Summit in 2007?" Qian Ning Lu said nothing. Rosalie dove into the water, blew two bubbles to clear her throat, then surfaced and continued, "After the earthquake, the headquarters sent a specialist to assess the site. They found that March Mountain had been reduced to a ruin, with everyone buried beneath the earth. A thick layer of soil and rock, several hundred meters deep, had formed a natural barrier—digging up the deceased would have been too costly. Based on his experience, the specialist concluded that the earthquake was caused by a high-ranking earth-element professional from the second district. As a result, there was a brief conflict between Heaven's Judgment and the Five Elements Concord, nearly sparking a war between the two established order-based organizations. "What is the Free Concord's objective?" Qian Ning replied calmly, "Didn't you just say that? The very purpose of the Free Concord is to cause internal strife and instability within the established order—nearly triggering a war between the two major organizations." "Rosalie's tone grew colder: 'It seems you're not willing to live. The Grand Elder Dihong of the Five Elements Alliance personally visited Maqi Peak the following year and found that the mountain's qi veins remained undisturbed. The earth monster, to trigger a landslide or collapse, must draw upon the power of these veins—just as blood vessels in the human body reveal problems when compromised. For the Free Alliance to stir up internal conflict among the lawful factions, they would at the very least have to damage the qi veins. Such a clumsy strategy could hardly spark a rift between the Five Elements Alliance and the Heaven's Judgment Alliance." "Little fish Rosalind dipped her chin and moistened her throat." "The organizer of the Marshall Mountain Summit is the Marshall family—a political dynasty that has produced two U.S. presidents. In 2007, under the initiative of the federal government, the Marshall family invited official institutions, civil organizations, and the noble families of the spiritual realms to attend. They claimed that their head had uncovered a secret concerning the global landscape and the future trajectory of the world, which they intended to reveal at the summit. However, before the secret could be unveiled, all attendees were buried beneath the earth. To this day, we still do not know what that secret is." Qian Ning Lu shook his head. "Do you really think I'd know?" Rosalind blinked her beautiful fish-like eyes, fixing him with a steady gaze. "I hope you can provide some clues, Qian Ning Lu. This is your last chance." Qian Ning Lu remained silent once more. Chris turned and walked away. Rosalind sighed with sympathy. "Oh well, Miss has lost her patience." At the very moment Chriss grasped the door handle, Channing's voice came from behind: "I only know that the person in charge of that mission was a sea nymph, no lower in rank than me—his designation was 'Nereid.' " Ruth nodded satisfactorily, "You will be sent to the Thunder Pool at headquarters, where you'll undergo the purification of the Sun God's power—there is your only chance of survival." "Click!" Chriss, who had remained silent throughout, turned the handle and stepped out of the interrogation room. In the corridor, she saw a well-groomed young man struggling with the Deputy Supervisor, Osidio. "Mr. Osidio, I have three items that need charging." "Charging—such a minor matter—isn't it rather disrespectful to a sovereign?" "Mr. Deputy Supervisor, wouldn't you rather the power circuits of the bank building failed?" "…One hundred thousand federal credits, or else it will be considered a sign of disrespect." "To express my respect, I'm willing to pay that amount, but I'd kindly request installment payments." "... No. 69 Hanbu Street. As Yuan Qing felt Catherine's body press against him, his heart sank, yet he remained composed, his expression cold and steady, gazing intently at her beautiful face and asking calmly, 'Why?' Catherine wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling softly, 'Master of the Celestial Teachings, you've enjoyed our intimacy so many times now—it's time you paid your dues.' Yuan Qing, whose head now seemed as large as a drum, instantly transformed into a turtle withdrawing into himself, losing all interest. Though he had known this day would come eventually, hearing Catherine actually mention it brought him a sense of urgency and crisis. 'What do you want?' Yuan Qing asked coldly. Catherine sighed, 'Men are all the same—greedy. They desire to be with beautiful women, yet they don't wish to bear any cost.' You're no different, he thought internally—just as greedy: you're thrilled by the passion, yet still expect payment! Katharine's two beautiful legs still curled around the man's waist, yet her expression remained serious. "My payment," she said, "is the fragments of the Church's jade platter." Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing lifted Katharine's round buttocks and pressed her firmly against the pool wall, delivering a merciless mockery. "Do you really think your hundred-plus pounds of flesh are worth a single fragment of the sacred platter?" Men or women alike often grow arrogant once they're in bed, overlooking the practical disparities. If it were any other woman in charge, Zhang Yuanqing would certainly have hesitated to be so bold. Katharine was different. Just moments before, she had been trembling and shrieking under his vigorous strokes, murmuring intimate, unfiltered words. Moreover, he felt bold in his favor because the peak Saint of Xin Yue County was dwindling, while the Supreme Master was exceptionally strong and had the potential to ascend to the Master rank in the upcoming killing quest at year-end. Katharine had consistently shown high tolerance toward him. Katharine giggled softly, her voice delicate. "All in jest," she said, "a man so stingy!" Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a sigh, but couldn't smile. Catherine was testing his attitude—perhaps setting the stage, for the Hunter's Guild might soon request the fragments of the Holy Disk from him. He had to accelerate the collection of the Holy Disk fragments. "What in the world is this!" he said, his face stern. "My patience has limits." Catherine smoothed out her smile, her expression now one of growing frustration. "The Chairman has assigned you a task—to win over Tanah of the Beauty Goddess Association!"