Zhang Yuancheng was completely taken aback by Zhou Ai's reaction, even feeling a certain sense of shock. He carefully sensed her emotional state and confirmed that her apparent confusion was genuine—she truly did not know about the incident. Zhou Ai didn't remember Bingge having gone missing at all, nor did she recall that the person who filed the report wasn't Bingge's family. It must have been a close relative who discovered Bingge's disappearance and promptly reported it to the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau—most likely either Lei Uncle or Zhou Ai herself. Zhang Yuancheng believed it more plausible that, after Bingge's return, the Spirit Traveler had used their abilities to erase the memories of Bingge's parents. Indeed, while the Spirit Traveler's repertoire did not include any specific technique for memory erasure, several mental skills—such as the musician's hypnosis or the spirit-being's influence—could effectively cause someone to forget the event. In contrast, the most powerful illusionists and the Night Wanderer in the realm of mental arts lacked such memory-erasing techniques. The enchantress's spell can only distort one's perception when the recipient reaches the level of a Sage. At Bing Ge's initial rank, the only available means was hypnosis. Zhang Yuanqing quickly pondered. "Yuanzi, what exactly did you mean just now?" Zhou Aunt, concerned about her son's condition, pressed for clarification. "Don't worry, Aunt Zhou. You've been tired—just rest a while." Zhang Yuanqing reached out, brought his hand close to her face, and tapped once. Zhou Aunt's gaze suddenly went blank. Zhang Yuanqing guided her to sit down on the sofa, easing the sorrow and emotional weight pressing on her heart; soon, she drifted off into a deep sleep. "Little aunt, I've come to visit Bing Ge's home. Aunt Zhou may have been hypnotized—I'd like you to help awaken the memories she's forgotten." Zhang Yuanqing called her sister. Within ten minutes of hanging up, Jiang Yu E—wearing running shoes and pencil pants, paired with a white knitted top, looking youthful and vibrant—appeared, rising like a miniature hurricane of red lines. Zhang Yuanqing immediately recounted the entire situation to her sister. Auntie nodded, indicating she understood, and slowly walked to the edge of the sofa, speaking softly: "Auntie Zhou, Auntie Zhou, it's Yu'er..." She called out three times in a row. Auntie Zhou gradually opened her eyes, gazing at Jiang Yu'er with a dazed expression. "Yu'er, you've come to see me too?" Jiang Yu'er nodded gently, her tone warm. "Auntie, do you remember when Lei Yibing used to go missing before?" Auntie Zhou's expression remained blank for a few seconds as if recalling, then shook her head. "No, Yibing never went missing before." Jiang Yu'er glanced at her nephew, then turned back and asked, "Can you think again? Did Lei Yibing go missing three years ago?" Auntie Zhou shook her head once more. "No." "I understand now, Auntie Zhou. You go rest now." Jiang Yu'er said softly. Her voice carried a soothing strength. With her eyes closed, Auntie Zhou gently slumped onto the sofa, breathing lightly and drifting into deep sleep. Jiang Yu'er turned to her nephew and shook her head. "She hasn't been hypnotized." "That's rather puzzling... Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brows slightly: "So the person who filed the report isn't Aunt Zhou or Uncle Lei? Then who could it be?" Jiang Yubi, with a serious expression, analyzed: "Why do you think Aunt Zhou and Uncle Lei have been hypnotized? If I were the Master of the Supernatural Eye, I wouldn't need my subordinates stationed at the Public Security Bureau to delete electronic records or destroy paper files. Simply instructing Lei Yibing to personally go to the bureau and withdraw the case would suffice—no hidden risks at all. "The same logic applies: Lei Yibing has no reason to hypnotize his parents." Zhang Yuanqing grew even more puzzled: "If neither Aunt Zhou nor Uncle Lei is the reporter, and the Master of the Supernatural Eye has no need to erase the records, then both situations seem illogical. How could this be? There must be something hidden about the case back then." This surprised him deeply. He thought: "Yibing, a supporting character who exists only within the script, seems to have so many dramatic developments!" Holding doubts, Zhang Yuqing and her aunt arrived home and gave a light tap on her uncle’s door. Upon seeing the two of them arrive together, her uncle immediately launched into a rap: “Hey, hey, the useless Yuanzi and the useless niece…” Jiang Yu’e cut him off abruptly: “You useless bighead! You’ve spent a lifetime singing, dancing, and rapping—yet you can’t even manage proper rhyme schemes. Get out to the hallway and stay there. If you have anything to say, ask me!” Before her uncle could speak, her mother-in-law’s voice came from inside the house, expressing her displeasure: “Yu’er, how can you speak to your brother like that? He’s still your brother—how can you treat him so casually?” Zhang Yuqing quickly said: “Mother-in-law, Mother-in-law, I’m here, so don’t worry—your niece won’t dare to say anything out of place.” The mother-in-law sighed: “Still, Yuanzi is so thoughtful.” The three of them walked in silence into the hallway, where her uncle kept fidgeting: “What’s up?” Zhang Yuqing quickly recounted to her uncle "Uncle, when you first met Bing, did you notice anything out of the ordinary? I think Bing has some secrets behind him." Zhang Yuanqing asked. Currently, only Uncle has interacted with Bing since he became a Spirit Realm Traveler and has shared the role of the Demon King together—indeed, in a sense, Bing is part of Uncle's plan. Uncle should therefore have a deeper understanding of Bing's current condition. "Is there really something like that?" Uncle unconsciously slowed down his leg-tapping. "Bing has been one of my childhood companions. After he became a Fallen One, I've paid attention to him for some time, but I haven't noticed anything particularly unusual." Implied: I don't either! The Xiangyan Judge has now returned to the Spiritual Realm, and Bing Ge has sealed himself beneath the Five Elements Secret Deep. The spies who were previously erased from the records have already been eliminated and executed during Fu Qingyang's initiative to thoroughly clean up the ranks with the Tiger Seal. Zhang Yuanqing paused for a few seconds, then sighed, "Well, all that doesn't matter anymore. After all, Bing Ge's whereabouts are clear. We can ask about it once he's rescued." He then shifted to describe his plan for setting a trap to eliminate the Southern Sect elders. "Uncle, lend me a piece of equipment of Master Quality. I intend to host an auction at the Ten-Thousand-宝 House." Upon hearing his plan, both his aunt and uncle listened intently. The uncle then murmured, "The only thing you need to be cautious about is not to be observed by Ling Tu regarding the unfolding of your plans. Otherwise, he will anticipate your moves and set a trap to eliminate you." The three of them fell into a quiet, silent gaze, each lost in thought. Ling Tu's greatest strength lies in his silent moves—his intentions remain unseen, and you never know what he's plotting or when he might strike you. Only Zhang Yuanqing paused for a few seconds, then said: "This calls for you, Uncle, to take the lead in setting the tone. You've already reached an agreement with the Marshal, haven't you? With Lingtuo stepping in, you can also use this opportunity to turn the tables and trap him. The authority of Taiyin is subtle and discreet, but when it comes to combat strength, it doesn't stand out among the half-gods. Moreover, we can use this moment to assess Lingtuo's responsiveness. If he doesn't intervene, it means he has no immediate plans against me—or perhaps he has deeper intentions. If he goes along with our strategy and ends up trapping me, then this young man clearly sees me as a thorn in his side, and I'll simply join the elder brother to advance through the White Tiger's faction's boss quest. "Uncle studied his nephew with approval, saying, "Good work! You're showing real chess-like strategy." Zhang Yuanqing scoffed, "Lingtuo is the sovereign of Taiyin, not the sovereign of the Stars. His star-gazing skill isn't infallible—it can't possibly plan every move perfectly. In the past, he's merely relied on "He didn't anticipate my nocturnal state, the intrigues unfolding within the Spirit Realm dungeon, nor the characters who had no direct connection to him. These shortcomings—provided we leverage them wisely—could well become our strengths in countering him." ... Boiling Pot Store, the Universal Goods Pavilion. In the modest shop, reminiscent of a hardware store, Zhang Yuanqing placed a bead of icy blue hue on the counter, "For the auction's finale, let this item—of the 'Theft of Fire' tier—take the stage." The bead, the size of an egg, pulsed with vibrant icy blue flames. Its function was to siphon heat from a designated radius: Spirit Realm travelers below the Master rank would instantly freeze into ice sculptures, while those at the Master rank would have their limbs stiffen and movement impeded. ——Picked at random from the Universal Tree by my uncle. When Lian San touched the bead, her palm cracked with a crisp sound, instantly turning into a solid ice sculpture. The very next moment, her palm flared with flames of three colors, dispelling the cold and restoring her hand to its original state. "Decent." "Releasing my grip after three months, I open my inventory, retrieve a black iron ring, and place it on the counter: 'This is the item you requested.' Zhang Yuanqing eagerly takes the ring, checking its properties: [Name: Artisan's Ring] [Type: Accessory] [Function: Enhances the bond between the user and the item] [Description: The ring favored by the Master of the Ink Sect. It strengthens the bond between the wearer and the item, fostering goodwill with the item's spirit. It reduces the cost incurred when using the item by 30%. The wearer may actively waive one such cost. After refinement by a master craftsman, this reduction increases to 40%, allowing the wearer to actively waive two such costs.] [Note 1: Active waiver only applies to costs associated with the item.] [Note 2: It will gradually cultivate the owner into a collector.] Zhang Yuanqing is delighted—both the reduction and the waiver capabilities have significantly improved. Most importantly, previously, it could only waive or reduce costs for items related to usage expenses." Now it can exempt rule-based items from their cost—most rule-based items themselves come with a usage cost, much like the "dance duel" cost of the Red Ballet Shoes. Its utility has broadened. "It corresponds to the 7th and 8th levels of rule-based and cost-bearing items; at those levels, it cannot be exempted. Remember this." Lian San-yue said, reaching out to grasp a blue bead. Plink! A large hand pressed firmly against her back, and Zhang Yuan-qing's face turned fierce and troubled. Lian San-yue rolled her eyes. "I completely forgot to mention—The Artisan's Ring has a continuous cost. No matter whether you use it or not, as long as it remains in your inventory, you'll develop a collecting obsession." Isn't that just like the pig-tail cost? Zhang Yuan-qing quickly performed a mental calming ritual and reluctantly withdrew his hand. "What about materials, mechanical weapons, and life essence liquids?" Lian San-yue smiled, her tone full of amusement. Good thing I didn't bring those along, otherwise I'd never hand them over today! Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a sigh of relief, "I'll have someone deliver them this afternoon." ... Nine o'clock in the evening. In the medieval-style hall, five figures materialized out of thin air and took their seats at their designated places. Zhang Yuanqing sat at the head of the table, with Mo Eye and Xiao Yuan to his left, and the Master of Zhishika and Ms. JOJO to his right. Zhang Yuanqing gave the JOJO lady to the Dog Elder, aiming precisely to bind the dogs to the enemy's ship and maneuver them at will. The allure of a Master-Class Battle Companion was as compelling as the undamaged body of the Heavenly King of the Army Commanders' appeal to the Night-Wanderer. Even if the Dog Elder knew Yuan Shi Tianzun's intentions were ulterior, he could only sigh and endure. The JOJO lady gracefully stroked her cat's tail, composedly nodded: "Understood." Zhang Yuanqing then turned to the Mage-Eye King: "Mage-Eye, use your existing channels and networks to investigate the recent whereabouts of the senior figures in the Southern School. Make sure to remain discreet—even if you have to abandon your mission, do not disturb the forces of evil." After speaking, he added: "These petty factions have slaughtered countless civilians, accumulated heavy blood debts, and the official authorities are utterly incapable, both in governance and in maintaining order. They deserve to be cleansed by us." The Mage-Eye was deeply pleased upon hearing this. Finally, Zhang Yuanqing looked at Xiao Yuan: "You may leverage the channels of the Southern School's Spiritual Energy Association's Eastern Branch to gather information, "After the young round nodded, Zhang Yuanqing said, 'Next week, we'll select our targets based on the specific intelligence we gather.' 'That's all. Let's adjourn!' ... Songhai Zoological Park. Madame JOJO returned to her pet cottage within the park. Sunlight streamed through the glass doors, the grass and trees lush and vibrant, with occasional roars of animals and calls of birds, and the distant murmur of visitors. 'You just entered the faction's dungeon to hold a meeting, didn't you?' asked the Dog Elder, his voice gentle, coming from beside the desk. Madame JOJO nodded, then paused, thinking carefully about how to proceed. 'Could you tell me what the meeting was about?' the Dog Elder asked."