Hearing the sound, Wang Xiu beamed and called out excitedly, "Brother has returned!" The little girl waved her arms vigorously and hurried out of the courtyard, rushing toward the main gate. Both Zhang Yuanqing and Queen Wang noticed the sudden changes in each other's expressions. How coincidental! Just now back at this very moment? Cripes, this quest is killing me—just escaped the wolf pack and now I'm deep in the tiger's den! Zhang Yuanqing had anticipated encountering the Qinglong Clan and Shenrui Army forces after leaving the palace, as these two were the elite factions within the quest world. Yet he hadn't expected that, just after escaping the palace, he'd end up at the home of a Qinglong Clan member. Stay calm, stay calm. What if the Qinglong Clan member is strong? He still didn't know he was the Emperor. Perhaps he'd just be seen as an ordinary member. Even if he knew, he could easily subdue and hypnotize him. But what if this person were a master-level fighter? As dusk approached, a fight would surely draw the attention of the city's garrison. Once his movements were exposed, he would surely be dead. In the span of a thought, footsteps at the door gradually drew nearer. A tall, beardy young man strode in, dressed in a light blue short robe, carrying a weapon wrapped in cloth strips. Wang Xiu sat on his shoulders, her small hands tightly cradling her brother's head, beaming with joy. The beardy young man, who had been smiling warmly, suddenly paused upon seeing the three strangers beneath the courtyard, his smile vanishing as he did so. He studied Zhang Yuanqing and the others, then turned to his mother. "Mother, do we have guests at home?" His sister-in-law first gave a cold, dismissive huff, then sighed impatiently. "What guests? These are your cousins and nieces." The beardy young man stood frozen, bewildered. "Cousins and nieces? Both my father and I are only children. My uncles and aunts have only sons. How could I possibly have a niece? And this isn't even one of my cousins." The aunt was also stunned. At this moment, perception clashed with memory, leaving her mind in disarray, murmuring, "My eldest brother had only sons... only sons?" Seeing this, the tousle-haired young man grew increasingly serious. He stepped back two paces, set down Wang Xiu on his shoulder, and reached back to grasp the weapon wrapped in cloth. The queen immediately tensed her body. Jiang Jingwei puffed out her cheeks, straightened her back, and adopted a poised, ready stance. Though she wasn't sure what was happening, her keen combat instinct had already sensed the young man's hostility. Having noticed the anomaly at her mother's moment of confusion—rather than pressing further questions—having decided to place her sister aside before the battle began—this was no longer the behavior of a fire specialist. If she weren't a fire specialist, then there was still hope. Zhang Yuanqing felt a spark of insight. With his right hand resting against his back, in a position visible to the queen, he pointed toward the aunt. This was a clear signal to have her take the aunt as a hostage. The queen instantly understood and quietly moved closer, stepping toward the aunt who was now caught in mental confusion. Zhang Yuanqing stepped forward with Jiang Jingwei, blocking the space between the two parties. Indeed, the young man, disheveled and earnest, looked increasingly serious, yet his hand holding the weapon remained still. He scanned the unfamiliar man and two women with sharp eyes, then lowered his gaze and said to his sister, "Xiu'er, go check if the old man has returned at the door." The young Wang Xiu, unfamiliar with the tense atmosphere, simply nodded obediently and ran out with her short legs. Once her figure passed the threshold and disappeared from sight, the young man slowly released his grip on the weapon, smiling warmly and said, "Ah, it's your cousins and niece now. Brother, could I have a private word with you?" His eyes remained fixed on Zhang Yuanqing, as if daring him to push him to the brink. Zhang Yuanqing sensed his tone and exhaled in relief. He decided not to press further—since the young man seemed unable to secure his mother's safety, the possibility of him being the Saint had been ruled out. With the Saint's arrival, all three would have been struck down instantly. Zhang Yuanqing smiled, "No need. Just let your aunt go back to her room." It was impossible to step aside for a moment—should the other party suddenly rise and seize him, he would become a hostage. The queen understood at once, smiled gently, and said, "Aunt, you seem a bit unwell. I'll help you back to the main room to rest. Please don't take my cousin's remarks personally." Once her son confirmed the relationship of "cousin" and "cousin's sister," the cognitive and memory conflicts in her mind dissolved. She pressed her forehead, murmuring, "How did I suddenly feel dizzy? Hmph, ever since I saw my cousin, I've been in a bad mood." With the queen's assistance, she entered the main hall. The young man glanced at the closed door and tried to step into the courtyard. As he took just one step, Zhang Yuanqing said, "Cousin, please stand there and don't move." The young man, unable to proceed, stopped and said firmly, "Tell me plainly—what part of the business are you involved in? What do you want? Just state it clearly. I won't give my life. If you're The young man laughed coldly, "Then I must be a son without a mother." "What trade have you learned?" "Killing people!" "With a knife or a sword?" "With a sword!" "Who is your master?" "None." "How can you learn without a master?" "Self-taught, only the most basic skills." "From the Qinglong Sect?" "Yes." "What position do you hold?" "An attendant." Zhang Yuanqing took three steps forward with Jiang Jingwei, then stopped, reaching into his coat to pull out something. "If you don't believe me, let me show you this," he said. The young man remained silent. Zhang Yuanqing produced a golden pocket watch, held it up to the young man, and clicked it open. The young man, who had been fully focused on Zhang Yuanqing's right hand, alert for any hidden weapon, found himself involuntarily drawn to the watch, fixated on the dial. As the second hand moved, his gaze grew steadily straighter, his pupils dilated, and he stood motionless in place. Zhang Yuanqing whispered, "I'm your cousin Li Er-Dan. She's your cousin Li Er-Ya. The one in the room is your first cousin Li Da-Ya." He repeated this like a mantra, three times in succession. The young man's expression remained blank, and he murmured in a dazed tone, "You are my cousin Li Er-Dan. She is my cousin Li Er-Ya. The one in the room is my first cousin Li Da-Ya." Relieved, Zhang Yuanqing closed the watch lid with a Then he spotted Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Jingwei right before him. The young man was momentarily stunned, then beamed with delight and warmly remarked, "Uncle, it's been a long time! How did you end up in the capital?" Zhang Yuanqing sighed, patting Jiang Jingwei on the head, and said, "The northern dynasty has launched an invasion. My parents perished in the war, and I was able to bring only my two sisters to the capital to seek refuge with my uncles and aunts." Knowing that Jiang Jingwei was a member of the Qinglong Clan, Zhang Yuanqing特意 added, "The court is ruled by a weak ruler, corrupt ministers are doing great harm, and the times are growing worse—people no longer value tradition or virtue." Upon hearing this, the young man nodded vigorously, his eyes flashing with intensity, exclaiming, "As long as the weak ruler remains, the nation can never thrive!" Jiang Jingwei remained silent, quietly impressed: Yuan Shǐ Tian Zūn knows so many idiomatic expressions! At that moment, a sharp outburst came from the doorway: "You're a disgrace! Can you believe this? Do you not wish to live, The young man hummed and didn't argue with his father, simply walking straight to his own room. Wang Shi called after him, "That room has been assigned to your cousin and cousin-in-law—go to the main house and sleep on the floor." Undeterred, the young man took a different route and headed to the kitchen, where he found a stack of roasted beans. He sat beneath the courtyard and began eating, chewing loudly. After returning, Wang Shi's sister stepped out of the house, went into the kitchen to start cooking, while Jiang Jingwei and Queen Wang joined her, one handling the chopping of vegetables and the other tending the fire. The three men sat beneath the courtyard chatting casually. Over time, Zhang Yuanqing learned the name of his uncle-in-law: Wang Beiwang. Taking inspiration from the phrase "a southern teacher, a northern look"—a name that embodied the dream of southern people marching north to reclaim their ancestral lands—such a name was as common in Zhang Yuanqing's world as "establishing the nation" or "building the army." Thus, the name Wang Beiwang carried little literary flair. Wang Shu was very concerned about his younger nephew. Upon hearing that the nephew hadn't secured a job, he immediately pledged to help find one. Zhang Yuanqing expressed his gratitude and said, "I'd like to stay under my uncle's wing." "What's wrong with living a few more years?" Wang Beiwang chewed on a bean, handed him a handful, and said with a sigh, "You're weak and easily fatigued—Yi, even more so, is stronger and more robust. You should rest at home first." Then he pulled out three taels of silver from his pocket, "Here, take this." Three taels were quite a sum; in the prosperous southern capital of the nation, even a strong laborer earned only one tael per month. "Thank you, uncles," Zhang Yuanqing smiled warmly and intended to keep it by his bedside. He knew he couldn't stay here much longer. However, it was already dark, and the city had implemented night curfews—going out would be more dangerous. So he would stay overnight and meet up with the Tianji Building's master and her team tomorrow. King Wang chewed a few beans, furrowed his brow, and his dark face revealed a look of concern. "I've heard the Emperor plans to offer three hundred young boys and girls as sacrifices to Heaven." "A foolish ruler!" King Wang Bei glanced at him with a cold smile. "He'd better stay forever in the palace. If he dares step out, I'll stab him to death." As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed his cousin pushing his small stool to a distance. "Why are you sitting so far away, cousin?" "My brother is too sharp," the cousin replied. "I'm afraid you'll kill me." "Look!" King Wang exclaimed angrily. "Your cousin is reminding you not to keep calling the Emperor a foolish ruler. One day, you'll surely fall victim to your unreserved tongue." King Wang Bei countered, "Father, you named me 'Bei'—didn't you hope I'd be loyal and devoted to the state?" "What's the connection between boldness and loyalty?" King Wang Bei lowered his head, took a bite of beans, and changed the subject. "Father, don't worry. The young boys and girls will probably be drawn from the villages outside the city. Xiushu I came back today to tell you that I'll be leaving the city for several days—I'm not sure when I'll return." Maybe I won't come back at all. Zhang Yuanqing immediately sensed the unusual tone in the other person's voice and hurried to ask, "Uncle, what are you going to do out in the city?" "Don't ask questions you don't need to." Wang Beiwang popped a bean into his mouth, deliberately withholding any information from Zhang Yuanqing. Soon after, Auntie, Jingwei, and the Queen each brought out two plates of dishes, and the three men carried their folding stools away from the courtyard and into the main hall. Dinner was simple—four dishes of vegetables, with only fish and dried meat as the meat dishes. The family wasn't particularly wealthy, but they could afford meat. After dinner, the family dispersed around the table. The Queen, Wang Xiu, and Auntie stayed behind to clear the dishes, while Jiang Jingwei, who had grown up without much experience in such household duties, followed Zhang Yuanqing half-satisfied, half-full, to go to his room and sleep. Zhang Yuanqing lay on the bed for a moment, until the queen pushed the door open. When she closed it behind her, she said, "Tomorrow will be the final day. The dangers of the second phase may all concentrate on tomorrow—don't slack off. As soon as it brightens, we'll leave." The queen nodded in agreement. "Today has already been perilous. Fortunately, King Beineng's cultivation is not particularly strong; otherwise, the transcendent-level hypnotic tools might not have been able to affect him." Just as they exchanged a few words, they heard Jiang Jingwei's steady, rhythmic snoring. Zhang Yuanqing swallowed a pill to treat his illness, infused a tube of diluted life-source liquid, and sighed, "Go to sleep now—I truly envy the Fire Master." He tucked himself deeper into the quilt. The queen extinguished the oil lamp, and the room fell into darkness. Unknown to them, after some time had passed, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly felt a sharp chill rising from the top of his head—just as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over him. No, it wasn't just like that—it was exactly as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over him. As consciousness returned, he immediately felt his limbs heavy and his body weak, murmuring softly and opening his eyes. He was still in the room, but not on the bed—he was bound at both hands and feet, seated against the wall on the floor, alongside Jiang Jingwei and the Queen, who were likewise bound. A few meters away, Wang Beiwang rose up holding his sword, a wooden bucket leaning against his feet. With a messy beard, he narrowed his eyes and said in a steady tone, "What business do you three have here?"