The vast desert, a round moon! The silver light of the moon bathes the undulating dunes, and the night is utterly still, the sky as clear as a washed canvas. In the ancient city perched atop the dunes, within the prison, Fu Qingyang felt himself sinking into an endless abyss. He longed to wake, yet could not resist the ever-deepening descent. How long had it been? A refreshing sensation roused him. He greedily drank the water at his lips. "Gurgle, gurgle…" After swallowing several sips of clear water, his spirit returned to him. With great difficulty, Fu Qingyang opened his eyes, feeling pain throughout his body—his bones as though scattered and broken. A true Eight-Rank Sovereign, now unable to move even his finger. "Lord Envoy, are you awake?" A head wrapped in a headscarf approached, full of concern. "Jiang Deputy Envoy…" Fu Qingyang instinctively called out the other's title, and a brief, fragmented memory surged forth. His identity was that of a Tang envoy named Wang Ce, dispatched to represent the Tang Dynasty to the land of India. However, upon arrival, India faced internal turmoil, and the reigning king perished amid the civil unrest. A rebel faction that had declared itself king seized the diplomatic delegation and plundered the Tang gifts bestowed upon India. Among the thirty-plus members of the delegation, including Wang Ce, they fought desperately to resist. Yet, overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and strength of the enemy forces, all were captured and held in custody within the ancient city's prison. Fu Qingyang sustained his injuries during this resistance. "Lord Envoy, are you awake?" More members of the delegation gathered around. The nights in the Gobi Desert were bitterly cold, and the prison was rudimentary, with constant drafts. The delegation members shivered with cold, huddled together in the corners, seeking warmth. Fu Qingyang assessed his condition—multiple fractures, internal bleeding, his cultivation level temporarily sealed, leaving only extraordinary combat strength. His overall condition was dire. Immediately, he opened the task interface to check the mission status. The main quest was: Recover the imperial tribute. The side quest was: Escape from prison. Note: During the mission period, no return to the Tang Dynasty is permitted, and no reports to the Tang Dynasty are to be submitted. This historical background was well known to Fu Qingyang. The correct strategy was to borrow troops from Tubo to suppress the rebel forces of the Tangut kingdom. He silently outlined the steps in his mind: first, escape from prison; second, travel to Tubo; third, request military aid to launch an attack on the Tangut. The副本 storyline was not strictly historical and would inevitably involve adjustments—borrowing troops from Tubo would not be easy and would certainly require a series of crises and trials. The confrontation against the Tangut would be the decisive battle; however, the number of nine-tier strong warriors currently active within the Tangut kingdom remained unclear. Of course, these details would unfold later. For now, the immediate priority was to escape from prison. Fu Qingyang moved his body slightly, only to feel sharp pain surge through him. Even with a body of extraordinary resilience, if not treated promptly, his life would be at risk. Of course, the warehouse of Fu Qingyang's faction is well stocked with wooden spirit-class equipment and diluted life elixirs. "I'm fine, please don't worry," he reassured the gathering delegation with a weak voice. Fu Qingyang did not immediately attend to his injuries but instead moved to the side of the wooden fence, listening intently. As a scout, observing the surroundings was instinctual. The prison was not built underground but consisted of low, earth-brick buildings arranged in clusters on the surface—each with three walls and one fence, facing another fence across the way. Guards in armor stood every five meters, positioned right beside the blazing torches, warming themselves by the light. A six-person patrol team passed every fifteen minutes. "Adding up the guards along both sides of the corridor, there are a total of eight. Since no extraordinary class has the ability to vanish or move unseen at the transcendental stage, it would be impossible for any of them to escape the prison without disturbing the guards." "Resolving the case of eight people isn't difficult, but to resolve all of them simultaneously without alerting any of them—given my current condition and level of ability—it's impossible. To escape the prison, I'll have to rely on strategy..." Fu Qingyang paused for a few seconds, then approached the fence closely and spoke softly to the guard nearest to him, his voice weak. "I am a diplomatic envoy from the Tang Dynasty. Could you kindly assist me with something?" "He heard this and his eyes brightened. He glanced around, then bent down and whispered, 'If you truly have such a divine artifact, I will fetch it for you. The people of Tianzhu are known for keeping their word and never deceiving anyone.' As he spoke, he studied Fu Qingyang by the flickering light. The Tang envoy's face was pale, almost lifeless—indeed, his days were numbered. Fu Qingyang lowered his voice and spoke to him for a moment. Upon receiving the precise address, the guard immediately departed, passing by the torches and saying to his companion, 'I'm going to the latrine!' He didn't even glance at the Tang envoy; all he could think about were the healing and medicinal artifacts. When he left, Fu Qingyang called out to the guard again, saying, 'Brave warrior of the Kingdom of Tianzhu, I am a envoy from the Tang Dynasty. Would you kindly come and speak with me?' The guard approached steadily, examining the Tang envoy, who was now on the verge of passing away, and asked, 'What is it?' Fu Qingyang then repeated what he had just said." The guard listened carefully, then turned and walked off immediately: "I'm off to the latrine!" This cycle repeated four times, and four guards were sent away. The remaining four guards were puzzled. They wondered if these men had been secretly eating extra meals all night—otherwise, how could they all be suffering from stomachaches at the same time? Fu Qingyang opened his inventory and, with lightning speed, seized a mechanical crossbow, pulling the trigger. Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! Four arrows struck, and four figures fell. Fu Qingyang sheathed the crossbow, then drew out a broad-bladed short knife, cutting through the iron chains and opening the prison gate. Turning to the stunned delegation members, he calmly said, "You stay here. The Tianzhu Kingdom fears the Tang Dynasty and won't risk killing its envoys lightly. I'll go and summon reinforcements." The guards here were vigilant, and with thirty or more people moving together, escape was impossible. As for the prisoners attempting to break out, the guards would surely execute them without hesitation. Better to remain inside. "Mr. Wang, please be careful." "Mr. Wang, please come back and save us!" Amid the voices of the delegation, Fu Qingyang vanished into the night before the patrol soldiers arrived. ... Was it Seckettia who just pushed the door open? But how could she know it was mine? I had star-dwelt and left early. The profession of love and desire lacks divination and prediction abilities—did she use some special artifact? Zhang Yuanqing instinctively tightened his nerves, went through a series of thoughts, and on the surface remained puzzled, saying, "Oh, beautiful goddess, I don't understand your meaning." Sektyra closed the simple wooden door, sat by the bedside, took a deep breath, and smiled, "That's exactly the scent. Aminin, I've always remembered the scent of you—it just appeared in the storage room now. Your denial and lies cannot alter this reality." Zhang Yuanqing remained silent for a moment, then decided to admit, "Yes, Sektyra, I did enter there." Sektyra stared at him silently, for fully half a minute. The beautiful goddess then lifted a corner of her mouth. "Why did you go near your mother's dwelling? You should know—it's a sacred prohibition." "I sensed it!" Zhang Yuanqing answered honestly. His words caused Sektia to set aside her cheerful expression and furrow her refined brow. After a moment, she spoke in a tone of puzzled inquiry: "Normally, you should be able to sense it. Though you are a descendant of the goddess of beauty, you are not female—perhaps because you have inherited your mother's attribute of 'desire'?" Not a woman, so unable to sense it? Inheriting part of the goddess of beauty's abilities, thus possibly able to sense it? From Sektia's words, Zhang Yuanqing extracted these two key insights. If the items in the basement were indeed connected to the goddess of beauty, then the Light God's followers' attack on Paros Island had nothing to do with the basement—it was purely a matter of personal resentment. The Light God likely held little regard for professions rooted in love and desire. I have indeed sensed it—but not due to any connection with the bloodline of the goddess of beauty. It must be something I have inherited myself. Zhang Yuanqing paused, his thoughts suddenly still. Perhaps it's not merely due to my high birth status that I can sense its fluctuations—maybe the bloodline of the goddess has also played a role. So, what exactly is this thing? Zhang Yuanqing asked curiously, "I don't know why I can sense it myself. What exactly is inside the storage room?" He handed the pot over to the Void specialist. With Seckettia's experience and stature, she surely knew of the existence of "The Void." Seckettia indeed didn't press further, merely nodded and walked toward the door. As she was about to open it, she suddenly paused, turned back, and smiled: "I've heard you've successfully completed your mission, Ammini. I truly admire your capabilities, but I'd like to advise you—don't provoke Cupid again. Otherwise, your punishment won't stop at just being made to enjoy pleasant moments with Heraxine." Zhang Yuanqing blinked, "What do you mean?" Seckettia glanced back at Heraxine, then lifted her vibrant red lips: "It was Cupid who made you fall in love with Heraxine!" She made a drawing-the-bow gesture. "He deliberately wanted you to break the sacred bond—both as a playful prank and as a way to hold you in check. As long as he wishes, he can expel you from the island of Paphos at any time." "Sectiya said: 'Cupid dares not offend me. If, at night, you cannot endure desire and long for pleasure, come to me instead—just as you did that evening, clinging to me until dawn.'"