"That makes sense!" Red Chicken Brother was the first to agree with Sun Miaomiao's hypothesis. "I also think that Ho Zhengkui holds this painting so dear—definitely, the Saint Disc fragment must be within the painting." Tian Xianggui nodded in agreement. "Red Chicken Brother's reasoning is sound; it seems the Saint Disc fragment is not actually inside the painting." Zhao Chenghuang concurred. "It's not in the painting." Sun Miaomiao had been quite confident at first, but seeing Red Chicken Brother so certain, she gently pressed her lips together—clearly, the fact that Red Chicken Brother could see it so clearly meant the fragment wasn't in the scroll. Zhang Yuanqing added, "Since Red Chicken Brother has made such a strong case, we can rule out the scroll." Red Chicken Brother stood there, motionless, as if abandoned by the entire world. Guan Ya looked at him with both sympathy and amusement. "It's finally my turn to step in. With the knight's artifact as proof, Miss JOJO must not have lied. Since Miss JOJO herself doesn't know where the Saint Disc fragment is, it must be that Mr. Ho is testing us." As for clues, Mr. Ho must have left some behind for us—first, he certainly wouldn’t leave the Saint Disc fragments so plainly visible. The scroll can be ruled out; we can search around the house. Um, Ms. JOJO, does Mr. Ho like keeping a diary? People back then often enjoyed writing essays and diaries, and even treated newspapers as message boards, exchanging sharp remarks with one another. The tabby cat shook her head: "Mr. Ho doesn’t like keeping a diary." Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to say, "Who among serious people would keep a diary?" the cat shifted smoothly: "But the owner does." Zhang Yuanqing then added: "That’s good—many serious people do keep diaries. Still, we don’t need to look for one. I have another fragment of the Saint Disc. The fragments can sense each other. As long as I hold this one, I can locate the other." Saying this, he produced a fan-shaped copper piece engraved with intricate patterns. Based on Fu Qingyang’s previous experience, the fragments of the Sacred Disk could sense each other. Therefore, before entering the maze, he had already asked Fu Qingyang for the fragment that could release the seal. Although the single-line knight also carried that fragment, the four fragments remained in a sealed state and did not sense each other until the seal was broken. It was only after Fu Qingyang broke the seal on the fragments that he began to sense the one sealed within Zhou Ji’s Fengjun’s body. Zhang Yuanqing was certain that the fragment in Zhai Cai’s hands had not yet been unsealed. Seeing the Master retrieve the Sacred Disk fragment, Red Chicken Brother beamed with relief, exclaiming, “Great! Now we don’t have to think about it anymore.” Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Zhang Yuanqing held the Sacred Disk fragment and walked back and forth in the main hall, continuously touching various items—tables, chairs, sofas, paintings, potted plants, decorative pieces—touching each one in turn. “Looks like the Sacred Disk fragment isn’t here on the first floor, JOJO Miss. Would you mind if we go upstairs?” Zhang Yuanqing smiled gently. The tabby cat nodded The group hurried up the stairs. On the second floor were the owner's bedrooms, including a study, a tea room filled with flowers and green plants, and two antique rooms—one housing Chinese antiques and the other European antiques. The props and materials were not seen. Zhang Yuanqing, acting like a feng shui master, held a fan-shaped copper piece and circled the second floor, but felt no sense of the fragments, his expression immediately becoming somewhat awkward. "It seems the fragments aren't here either," he said. "Miss JOJO, could you please go to the third floor?" The graceful tabby cat gave a thoughtful nod. The tabby cat shook her head: "Those two chimney buildings are Mr. Brent's storage warehouses for materials and props—neither belong to the owner nor to Mr. Huo. Moreover, the main building is not connected to either of the two outbuildings; you have to leave the premises. But Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao won't listen to me. Their duty is to eliminate anyone who enters here. Only Mr. Brent is someone they recognize and trust." "Then, perhaps we should still check the journal," Zhang Yuan thought, though it didn't make sense. Mr. Fu Qingyang himself had personally inspected the fragments—when they were brought close, they should have responded to each other. Could it be that Mr. Huo Zhengkui had deliberately placed two layers of seals on the fragments within the estate, preventing them from sensing one another? If so, then even Xiao Doushi's quest would seem pointless—he would likely head straight for Mr. Brent's collection room. The tabby cat turned and headed toward the stairs: "Follow me, then. The owner's journal is in the bedroom." The group followed the tabby cat back to the second floor and entered the room filled with the atmosphere of the Republican era. The cat leaped onto the red-painted dressing table and tapped the table surface: "The notebook is in the drawer." Zhang Yuanqing then went to the dressing table and opened the drawer, where indeed he found a black-covered notebook. The notebook had not been touched for years and was lightly dusted. "Didn't Elder Brent ever read the notebook?" Zhang Yuanqing brushed the dust off. The tabby cat replied calmly: "I didn't let him see it. Elder Brent is a Thunder Master—known for his straightforward nature." Kuan Ya, Zhao the City God, Sun Miaomiao, and Tianxia Guihuo rushed over. Red Chicken Brother realized that deciphering characters wasn't his forte and hurried off to the antiques room. "Don't take anything from inside!" Tianxia Guihuo warned, which annoyed the tabby cat, and everyone ended up with a bad time. "I've got it all under control," Red Chicken Brother retorted, clearly displeased. Are you really treating me like a fool? Can a fool even become a Saint? Zhang Yuanqing opened his notebook and began reading his notes. "On March 16, 1927, I was arrested while joining students on a march. Mr. Hu saved me, but I do not feel grateful toward him, for he is merely a stooge of the Free Federation, representing the President in funding Chiang Kai-shek's activities in China. Our nation must be autonomous and independent, free from being a mere follower of any individual or any country. We need revolution—Chiang Kai-shek, on the other hand, seeks to slaughter the revolutionary masses. He is thus a traitor and a criminal to the cause of revolution. Unfortunately, he has too many capable associates around him; I am unable to reach him, let alone carry out an assassination. There are simply too few Night-Wanderers." "On the 20th, students went on strike, and today there was no major event. I was at the tea house, casually chatting, when I encountered Mr. Hu again. I asked him why he had saved me, and he said I resembled his late wife. Pah! A shameless cad. I rose and walked away without a word, leaving silence as my highest form of contempt." "The man on the previous page, the one on the next—Lu, what has happened to you in the past fifteen days? Has he also become like your late husband... Zhang Yuanqing mentally sighed. Considering that Lu Yue-shuang was still young, at the time only a student, while Mr. Huo Zheng-kui’s wife had passed away, it was natural that the younger woman would be held in check by the older man. "On the 20th of April, Mr. Huo completed his mission in Hua. He told me he would return to the Free Federation at the end of the month, and invited me to join him there. I didn’t want to leave my homeland, even though it had been battered by war. But Mr. Huo insisted that only by going to the Free Federation could I further my studies, gain access to more advanced knowledge and ideas, and thus build a career and help save the nation." Moreover, amidst the widespread wars around the world, the Free Federation stands out as a rare haven of peace. Its stance holds the power to shape the global landscape. If I truly wish to save my homeland, then going to the Free Federation is an excellent choice. He convinced me—I must take Xiao Li. The tabby cat had jumped onto Zhang Yuanqing’s back at some point, her tone a blend of sorrow and joy: “Xiao Li is me. I am the one who accompanied the master to the Free Federation back then.” Following that came the observations and reflections from the voyage. “On the seventh of May, we finally arrived at Xin Yue Prefecture. I stepped onto this beautiful nation. I was assigned to a manor in the Queens district. I had always believed Mr. Huo was merely a loyal servant of the Free Federation government—someone acting as a mere ‘puppet’—but in truth, he is the head of the largest Chinese immigrant gang in the Chinatown, a key supporter of the President. He has been tirelessly advocating for the Free Federation government to supply arms and aircraft to China, to assist China in its resistance against Japan. I had wrongly misunderstood Mr. Huo.” "He didn't want me to stay close to him, as the divine retribution and certain anti-Chinese conglomerates regarded him as an enemy; he feared dragging me into their conflicts." "On the 18th of May, he arranged for me to enroll at the New Covenant County University—a world-renowned institution—where I would study to contribute to my nation's rise." Subsequently, the account details Lu Yue-shuang's academic journey in the Free Federation. She actively delivered speeches, condemning the island nation's atrocities, yet the results were underwhelming. The self-assured white-chocolate elites remained indifferent to China's plight, their attention consistently fixed on the European continent. While they were moved to outrage by the slaughter of nomadic peoples, they viewed the island nation's mass killings in China merely as a part of the broader war. Lu Yue-shuang's passionate zeal gradually cooled under the weight of reality, yet she never gave up. Instead, she continuously organized Chinese-heritage demonstrations to denounce the island forces' actions. In the background, she diligently prepared for her monthly spiritual realm instances. Huo Zhengkui, through his personal network, secured numerous campaign guides for the wood spirits for her, and with Lu Yue-shuang’s own intelligence, exceptional talent, and steady progression, she steadily advanced. Every weekend, Huo would visit the manor to meet with her, discussing literature and military affairs, debating how to save the nation—sometimes leading to heated arguments that ended in acrimony. After each such dispute, Huo would bring her flowers and gifts the following weekend, while Lu would prepare her signature pastries and engage in games of guessing characters and solving riddles. Every detail, no matter how small, was meticulously recorded in her notes. These frequent disagreements were the catalyst for Huo’s proposal to "control the President to save the nation." In his strategy, he would employ every means to draw the Free Federation into the conflict, reshape the global landscape, and achieve national salvation indirectly. Huo believed this course was aligned with the prevailing trends and carried a very high likelihood of success. Years later, the young boy was sent to the island nation. By the time World War II ended, the Chinese civil war broke out, and the tide of revolution swept across Zhongshu, lifting the nation from darkness and establishing a new government. Lu Yue-shuang and Hu Zheng-kui enjoyed a period of stable and peaceful life. After the new regime became firmly established, Hu actively engaged with the Chinese government, aiming to establish an official organization representing the Chinese community. However, his efforts were politely turned down. At that time, the Chinese government did not trust Hu deeply and remained cautious toward him, despite his contributions during World War II—when he had held power as a prominent Chinese leader. Hu never gave up. In Lu Yue-shuang's notes, Hu made three consecutive visits to China, presenting clear arguments for and against the proposed organization, advocating for the early establishment of an official body to integrate and manage the growing number of spiritual realm practitioners. Eventually, as the social challenges arising from the increasing presence of these practitioners became more evident, the Chinese government, after three successive rejections, proactively invited Hu to China to assist in founding the official organization. At the time, Ho Zhengkui was a Master of the Eighth Rank, ranking among the top ten strongest figures nationwide, commanding a vast array of troops and seasoned in battle, and further bolstered by his strong ties with the Free Federation—his authority could effectively deter domestic spiritual travelers. He was thus the ideal candidate to establish an official organization. Yet, Ho Zhengkui rushed to Huaguo with great urgency, only to face a deadly assassination attempt that nearly cost him his life. Subsequently, the Free Federation government recalled Ho Zhengkui and refused to recognize Huaguo's government, completely severing diplomatic relations between the two nations. Ho Zhengkui returned in quiet disappointment to the Free Federation, where he passed away in 1960 within the spiritual realm's realm. After his death, Lu Yue-shuang wrote few notes, and the following year, she too returned to the spiritual realm. The lives and fortunes of these two Masters were recorded in mere thousands of words. Regarding Ho Zhengkui's assassination, Lu Yue-shuang simply noted in her records: "Suspected to be orchestrated by the 'Same Boat Society.'" "Same Boat Society?" Zhang Yuanqing exclaimed in surprise, "I've never heard of this organization before." Ho Zhengkui was already a master of supreme authority, capable of assassinating a Master of the Eighth Rank and nearly succeeding—this clearly indicated that there were multiple Masters within Tongzhou Association. He had never heard of such an organization before. Since the founding of Xinhuaguo, the second-largest region's spiritual travelers had not experienced any world-shaking wars; the only major conflict, the destruction of the Chu family twenty-one years ago, had been the largest clash between the forces of evil and order. It was inconceivable that an organization of Tongzhou's scale could have been completely destroyed. "Have any of you heard of the Tongzhou Association?" he asked his teammates. As a Night-Wanderer with six months of practice, Ho might still lack some experience, but his teammates were well-established. Guan Ya and the others shook their heads in unison, indicating they had never heard of the Tongzhou Association. That made it even more puzzling. Zhang Yuan thought to himself. "Ah, ah!" Tianxia Guihuo cleared his throat. "Let's set the Tongzhou Association aside for now. Our real purpose is to locate the fragments of the Sacred Disc." He turned his gaze to Guan Ya. Guan Ya spoke without hesitation: "In your notes, Master Lu has devoted considerable space to describing items that are actually present in the estate—ceramics, a music box, a golden tulip badge, agarwood, and dried orange peel..." Thus, the group retrieved the ceramics, the music box, and the golden tulip badge from the antiques room, as well as a jar of deteriorating dried orange peel and a jar of agarwood dust that had grown more fragrant with time. She then applied the same method to the music box, the jar containing dried o皮 and agarwood dust, and the saffron badge—without success. "It seems nothing works!" Red Chicken became increasingly anxious, "Your reasoning isn't holding up at all, Guan Ya!" The fox-cat grew even more urgent, "Shall we try something else?" Guan Ya furrowed her brows, pondering, and picked up her notebook again, quickly flipping through it. A moment later, she settled with confidence, "I've got it. 'The Copper雀 Pavilion Deeply Locks the Two Qiao.' This phrase appears four times in Lu's notes, once after Mr. Huo returns to the spiritual realm. The self-reflective humor from her youth is understandable, but at that specific time, there was no need for her to repeat such lines—unless she was deliberately leaving a clue." "The two wooden spirits outside are actually Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao!" Red Chicken showed rare insight this time. Heaven's Return to Fire suddenly realized: "That explains why the fragments couldn't establish connection—they weren't inside the house. Thus, a great battle is now unavoidable." Everyone was both worried and delighted—delighted because they finally knew where the fragments were, and worried because the two wooden immortals outside were exceptionally powerful, tree beings nurtured by Lu Yue-shuang, at the master level. This should be precisely the final trial that Ho Zhengkui had set for future generations. Zhao Chenghuang immediately said, "Awaken the knight, and prepare for battle." "Wait!" Zhang Yuanqing called out, frowning. "I think something feels off." "What do you mean?" asked Zhao Chenghuang. Zhang Yuanqing thought carefully. "Master Lu is a literary type who loves riddles and wordplay. The wooden immortals in the courtyard are named Daji and Xiaojiao—she directly hints at 'The Copper Pavilion Deeply Envelops the Two Jiaos' in her notes. Isn't that rather obvious and simple?" "Then what's your take?" Guan Ya asked back. From the character sketches, Yuan Shi's point makes sense, yet her limited knowledge of classical Chinese suggests that 'Er Jiao' corresponds to 'Da Jiao' and 'Xiao Jiao.' "Then let's stick with the wordplay and riddle approach!" Zhang Yuanqing said, "The line 'Deep in the Copper Pavilion, the two Qi-Jiao are locked' emphasizes the two Qi-Jiao figures and the Copper Pavilion, which refers to Cao Cao's construction of the Copper Pavilion. So, if the two Qi-Jiao refer to the two wooden spirits, what then does the Copper Pavilion refer to?" "Ah, the manor itself," said Hong Ji Ge. "Isn't that obvious? Who doesn't know the fragments are scattered throughout the manor? What puzzle is there to solve?" Zhang Yuanqing rolled his eyes. At that moment, he turned to the attentive, eager-looking lop-eared cat, and had a sudden thought: "The transliteration of 'JoJo' is 'Qiao Qiao,' so 'Qiao Qiao' is exactly the two Qi-Jiao. Then, the Copper Pavilion—must refer to JoJo's cat's nest!" The lop-eared cat had been listening intently, with a look like this: (^○ω○^). Upon hearing the cat's pointed accusation against his own cat's nest, however, his expression instantly changed to this: … "Ms. JoJo, do you have a cat's "There is, but I don't want to take you there..." The tabby cat muttered, lowering its tail as it walked toward the door of the bedroom, "Come with me!" The group followed it down from the second floor to the third. Pointing to a square panel on the ceiling, the cat said, "My cat's nest is up in the attic. I don't like living with Mr. Ho and the owner—too noisy. I prefer to lounge alone in the sun." "You didn't take us up there just now," Zhang Yuanqing complained. "Who would have thought the owner sealed the fragments right on my bed?" The cat leaped up with a sudden burst of energy, giving Zhang Yuanqing a solid slap on the face. "Don't damage my bed!" The cat was just so temperamental... Zhang Yuanqing felt as if his face had been hit by a truck, the pain sharp and burning. Turning back to his teammates, he said, "If the fragments are on JOJO Lady's bed, then there's no need to bother Miss Guan. I can simply use the resonance between the fragments to retrieve them." As he spoke, the tabby cat leaped lightly, knocking open the grille and entering the attic. Zhang Yuanqing jumped up, grasped the edge of the ceiling grille, and followed in. The attic was about one and a half meters high, spacious, with a clean floor free of dust. Its roof featured a triangular gable, and there was a small window by the side, beside which stood a vintage wooden four-poster bed. The bed was one meter long and half a meter high—compact yet well-appointed, with mosquito netting hung neatly and a soft mattress laid upon it. This was Miss JOJO's private space. As a cat with a strong territorial instinct and a fondness for solitude, it immediately fixed its gaze on Zhang Yuanqing upon entering: "Finish quickly and leave my room." Zhang Yuanqing bent down and approached the four-poster bed, retrieving the fragments once more. This time, the bed shook vigorously, and the fragments inside responded to those in his hands. "Indeed, it's here!" Zhang Yuanqing was delighted and immediately produced the Purple Thunder Mallet. Under the sudden alert gaze of Madame JOJO, he used the triangular spike at the handle's end to sharply slash across the wooden bed frame. ——The triangular spike has armor-piercing capabilities. The wooden bed frame was instantly cut open, and the seal broke, with a steady stream of light gradually dispersing and then coalescing into a fan-shaped copper plate. Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed: "Found it!" As he spoke, he suddenly felt a surge of deadly energy approaching from behind. Turning around, he saw Madame JOJO leap high and land squarely on his face: "This is the bed the owner personally made for me."