Chapter 95

In the study, Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the portrait hanging on the wall, then looked at the properly seated Fu Qingyang and sighed,

"The painting is indeed beautiful, but what a pity!"

Fu Qingyang, who was about to ask a question, was taken aback: "What do you mean by that?"

Zhang Yuanqing said sincerely, "No matter how skilled the painter is, he can't capture even a fraction of the captain's charisma and handsomeness, hence the pity."

Fu Qingyang glanced at him a few times and said coolly, "Let's get to the point. Don't waste time on these meaningless words."

But Zhang Yuanqing could see from the subtle expressions on his face that he was actually quite pleased.

When he first came in, Fu Qingyang's brows were slightly furrowed, and he seemed preoccupied, but now his brows were relaxed, and his expression was much softer.

Zhang Yuanqing pulled over a high-backed chair, sat down, and looked at the aloof young master by the desk, asking,

"How long will it take for the elders to make a decision on dealing with Xiahouchi?"

"I can't give you an answer," Fu Qingyang shook his head and explained, "Xiahouchi can't run, but he is a direct descendant of the Xiahou family. Before dealing with him, we must consult with the Xiahou family. Killing him without notice would affect the relationship between the two forces and could even cause conflict."

This is the kind of thinking that comes from one's position... Zhang Yuanqing nodded, indicating his understanding.

The elders think from a different perspective than the grassroots. If they thought the same, there would be a problem.

"What does the captain plan to do next?" Fu Qingyang glanced at him, saying nothing.

It seems there's no good way. Indeed, finding a high-level spirit realm traveler who is hiding is very difficult; it takes time... Zhang Yuanqing immediately said,

"Captain, I remember the night we killed Heng Xing Wu Ji, we discussed the reason why Black Wuchang was hiding in Songhai. It was because the Fallen Holy Grail had a problem, so Black Wuchang secretly contacted Dark Night Rose and met with them in Songhai."

Fu Qingyang nodded slightly. Zhang Yuanqing continued,

"Yesterday, after work, I thought a lot... Why would Dark Night Rose help Black Wuchang? What benefits do they get?"

Fu Qingyang's gaze sharpened.

Zhang Yuanqing continued, "We analyzed that the problem with the Fallen Holy Grail originated from the Demon Lord,

and the Demon Lord is a Night Walker. He must have used some means to cause the problem with the Fallen Holy Grail, but my knowledge is limited, and I can't think of anything that could affect a rule-class artifact like the Fallen Holy Grail."

He didn't explicitly mention the power of the Sun God's domain, as that would be too deliberate. With Fu Qingyang's knowledge, a hint was enough.

Fu Qingyang pondered for a few seconds, his eyes growing brighter:

"The only thing that can counter the Fallen Holy Grail is something of the same level. I understand the Demon Lord's method of balancing the Fallen Holy Grail."

He glanced at Zhang Yuanqing and explained,

"It's the power of the Sun God, which high-level Night Walkers can use and control. Whether the Demon Lord used an artifact or a related item, I need to check the database. If necessary, I will request permission from the Taiyi Sect."

"Dark Night Rose must want to obtain it. Although this won't directly lead us to Black Wuchang, the more information we have, the more breakthroughs will appear."

The aloof young master smiled and praised, "Your thinking is excellent. I didn't misjudge you. If you were a scout, you would be very outstanding."

Let's not go there... Being a scout isn't that great... Zhang Yuanqing dared to joke about it in front of Li Dongze but didn't dare to do so in front of Fu Qingyang, saying, "Yes, yes."

Leaving the villa, Zhang Yuanqing called Wang Qian.

"What do you need?" Wang Qian said respectfully. Are you contacting me too often?

"You tell the Palace Master of Zhishe that Xiahouxin has been silenced. Also, I want her to investigate faster. Time is running out." Zhang Yuanqing said solemnly.

Wang Qian was stunned, his eyes wide open.

On one hand, he was surprised that Xiahouxin had been silenced. Who silenced him?

On the other hand, the urgency in the tone of the Primordial Celestial made it seem like the Palace Master was his informant.

The Palace Master... can't be this kid's informant, right?! "Okay, okay!" Wang Qian hung up the phone, looking confused.

Next, he went to the Wuheng Hotel to gather information from the evil professions... Zhang Yuanqing left the villa complex and wandered on the roadside for a while before hailing a taxi.

After agreeing on the price, he got into the taxi and headed north to Jinshan City.

An hour later, Zhang Yuanqing, wearing a baseball cap and a mask, entered the lobby of the Wuheng Hotel.

The woman at the front desk glanced at him, scrutinized him briefly, recognized Zhang Yuanqing, and frowned, "What are you here for again?"

She was dressed the same as when they first met, in a white shirt and a burgundy blazer, the standard hotel uniform.

Her features were striking and elegant, with large, alluring eyes and a high, full chest, exuding the charm of a mature woman.

But her expression was cold, making her hard to approach.

Zhang Yuanqing, knowing she wasn't a vicious person, smiled and said,

"Don't be so wary. I just want to be friends with Auntie. More friends mean more paths."

The beautiful woman narrowed her eyes and sneered,

"If you're trying to hit on me, you'll die a terrible death. If you're trying to plot against the group I belong to, you'll die an even worse death.

"Go back. This isn't a place for you."

No, why do you think I want to hit on you? Am I a hawk preying on a chick? Zhang Yuanqing thought, fully utilizing his social skills:

"Don't be so absolute. Everyone needs friends and should be good at making friends. That way, the path will become wider. When I befriended the man who was a father, you were able to learn his last words."

The beautiful woman stared at him for a few seconds and said coldly,

"Tell me your purpose."

Zhang Yuanqing immediately said, "Have you heard of Black Wuchang? The authorities are searching for him. Do you have any information on him?"

The beautiful woman mocked, "Do you think I can find out where Black Wuchang is just by sitting in the hotel?"

She pondered for a few seconds and added, "I can help you inquire in the black market."

Seeing Zhang Yuanqing's puzzled look, she explained with a "huh,"

"Not the kind of black market the authorities allow, but the one only evil professions know about. After all, even the most despicable scum need to trade.

"But I will charge you for labor, risk, and mental distress."

I can understand the labor and risk fees, but what's the mental distress fee? Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Mental distress fee?"

The woman pursed her lips and said matter-of-factly, "Every time I see those ugly and disgusting guys, I feel like I've been raped by a man a hundred times."

Well, if you're that self-deprecating, what can I say? Zhang Yuanqing couldn't find a reason to haggle and asked,

"Just tell me how much."

"50,000!" the woman said coolly, "No refunds, regardless of whether I find any information."

50,000. If it were the old me, I'd have to strip naked and lie in bed, saying, "Auntie, I'm yours tonight." But for the current me, it's just a small amount... Zhang Yuanqing said,

"Deal. My only request is to be quick, as quick as possible." He took out his phone, "Let's exchange contact information. What should I call you, Auntie?"

The woman said, "Xiao Yuan." "Good name..."

Leaving the Wuheng Hotel, Zhang Yuanqing walked along the road toward Songhai, planning to walk a distance before taking a taxi.

The infrastructure in Jinshan City was far inferior to Songhai, especially in this suburban area, where large trucks often drove, causing cracks and tilts on the roadside.

"Ding dong"

His phone in his pocket vibrated, and Zhang Yuanqing stopped by the roadside to check it.

An unread message

[Have you heard of the legend of the White-Clothed Murderess? It is said that she is a malevolent spirit wandering in dreams, her image being a woman in a dirty white dress, with disheveled hair and a kitchen knife in her hand. Her body is made up of limbs from different people, and her face is turned backward, always walking backward.

[The White-Clothed Murderess wanders in the dreams of the midnight, seeking her targets. When she decides to kill someone, she will knock on their door at midnight and then kill them.

[If you receive this message, forward it to the next person before midnight, or the White-Clothed Murderess will come for you.]

"What era is this? There are still these kinds of 'if you don't forward, you'll be X' spam messages?"

Zhang Yuanqing immediately recalled the prank messages that were popular in a certain chat group during his middle school days, in this format.

At that moment, a taxi drove by.

He put his phone back in his pocket, raised his hand to hail the taxi, and when the driver heard he was going to Songhai, he readily agreed.

Zhang Yuanqing returned to Songhai at noon.

He originally planned to find a restaurant on the street to solve his hunger, but then he remembered that Chief Teng Yuan had increased the lunch allowance for each employee by ten yuan to improve welfare.

It was originally thirty yuan per meal.

Forty yuan can buy a very good lunch. He immediately asked the driver to change course to the Kangyang District Police Station.

Entering the glass building, in the relaxation area on the left, Guan Ya, Chief Teng Yuan, and Jiang Jingwei were sitting around a glass round table, eating.

Guan Ya ate gracefully, chewing slowly, her red lips glistening with oil, very alluring.

Chief Teng Yuan ate expressionlessly, his gaze somewhat dull, lacking enthusiasm for life and food.

Jiang Jingwei, on the other hand, ate voraciously, her eating style comparable to a monkey with yellow hair.

This girl is so pretty, but she's a Fire Master... Zhang Yuanqing sighed, instructed the clerical staff to prepare his lunch, and then walked over to his teammates with a smile, saying,

"Ha ha, I came at the right time."

Guan Ya swallowed her food slowly and looked at the approaching Zhang Yuanqing, asking, "You've been a bit lazy these past few days."

This is called the top beam being crooked, and the lower beams will follow, no, it's responding to the leader's call! Zhang Yuanqing sat down next to the old driver and said,

"I wasn't lazy today. I was on a business trip."

"Hmm?" Guan Ya expressed her confusion with a nasal sound. Zhang Yuanqing explained, "I found a thirty-year-old aunt, gave her some money, and had her do some things."

Guan Ya smirked and then laughed, "Not bad, a thirty-year-old aunt can teach you a lot of positions."

"If I have the chance, I'd like to learn from Sister Guan too." Zhang Yuanqing said, noticing a red backpack by Jiang Jingwei's feet, and asked,

"Jingwei, aren't you not going to school anymore?"

Jiang Jingwei looked up, surprised, "Why are you here?"

Rude Fire Master! Zhang Yuanqing repeated his question.

"Oh, my dad said work shouldn't interfere with studies, so he had me bring my homework to the office to study. Sister Guan Ya and Chief Teng Yuan can help me with my homework." The red-haired girl said cheerfully.

Guan Ya's face darkened.

Chief Teng Yuan's expression seemed even more world-weary.

Helping with homework? Zhang Yuanqing looked at his two colleagues with pity. Chief Teng Yuan pushed up his glasses and said,

"Yuan, you're a college student, right? I think you can help Jingwei with her homework. Guan Ya and I have been away from school for many years and are out of practice."

"No need, Chief. I went to a wild university and am a poor student." Zhang Yuanqing politely declined and quickly changed the subject, saying,

"Chief, I can tell you don't seem to like your job much." Chief Teng Yuan was silent for a moment and said slowly,

"I realized a long time ago that the world is full of exploitation. High taxes are the government's exploitation, and high-intensity work is the exploitation of capital. In my youth, I studied hard, hanging my hair from the beam and pricking my thigh with a needle, not daring to rest for a moment, living like a dog.

"After entering society, I faced exploitation and oppression from all sides, living like a donkey. Life is short, a mere hundred years. Why live so tired?

"I can't change others, but I can change myself."

So philosophical, no, that's just lying down... Zhang Yuanqing listened with a frown.

Chief Teng Yuan sighed, "After becoming a spirit realm traveler, I found that the spirit realm is also a dog's world."

Zhang Yuanqing could only maintain an awkward but polite smile.

After dinner, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his bedroom and drew the curtains. He sat at his desk and thought,

"The Palace Master of Zhishe hasn't replied to me yet. Logically, she should have gathered a lot of information from Xiahoutianwen, which are clues to track down Dark Night Rose. On this point, Dark Night Rose knows it too. The Palace Master