Chapter 66: Heading to the Destination

I have to admit, it's really comfortable being with her... Zhang Yuanqing mumbled to himself.

He seemed to see a female version of himself, handsome appearance, strong abilities, and pleasing to talk to.

He pondered for a few seconds and nodded slowly.

"I'll simply convey a message; I can take you there," he said.

Although this girl seemed to have some suspicions about him, they didn't know each other well, and he understood her concerns. At least it showed that Xie Lingxi, despite her temper, was someone who repaid kindness.

"Thank you, Brother Yuanshi," Xie Lingxi smiled charmingly but then turned serious.

"I remember asking you to find someone called 'Master Wuhuan.' Before coming to Songhai, I looked into this person, but there's no relevant information."

Zhang Yuanqing responded with an "Hmm."

"The Five Elements Alliance's database also has no records of him. However, I suspect that if this 'Master Wuhuan' is an ordinary person, he wouldn't avoid someone like you, an 'official personnel.' I suspect that Master Wuhuan might belong to an evil profession."

Both of them had already thought of this, so after logging off, they each used their own channels to investigate this person.

Xie Lingxi's eyes sparkled with a sense of joy as her own speculations received affirmation. She said, "I also think so, but I believe that the other party and Father should belong to the same type of person."

"But this still involves risks," Zhang Yuanqing pointed out.

"Brother Yuanshi, the danger should be within a controllable range. If the risk were significant, Father wouldn't have entrusted you with this task before his death. By doing so, he must be confident," Xie Lingxi replied.

Xie Lingxi rushed to Songhai specifically because she realized that "Master Wuhuan" might belong to an evil profession, and she was afraid that he would be turned into a KPI by "Brother Wang Tai," and she wanted to repay her father's lifesaving favor.

Zhang Yuanqing agreed to help her because he thought that with Xie Lingxi, there were probably Spirit Realm cultivators protecting her, and her presence would mitigate some risks.

"When will you finish your business?" Xie Lingxi asked.

"I'll visit the palace master tomorrow, and I'll be free the day after," Zhang Yuanqing replied.

Xie Lingxi scooped a spoonful of dessert after her meal, holding the spoon with one hand, and gazing at the young man across from her.

"Brother Yuanshi, you're really amazing, clearing two S-level Spirit Realms in a row. People admire you," she said.

She knew that he was a complete newcomer, yet he didn't mention the fact that he claimed to be an experienced cultivator in the Spirit Realm. That was high emotional intelligence...

Thinking about her flattery and pleasing moments earlier, she couldn't help but sigh inwardly that this young girl had a high rank, especially difficult to deal with, as men would most likely be eaten up when faced with such a girl.

But Zhang Yuanqing wasn't an ordinary man; he was a "sociopath."

"Lingxi, look, the moon tonight is beautiful. Since you admire me so much, why don't I stay tonight and enjoy the moon with you? What's your room number?" he suggested.

"Brother Yuanshi, I, I'm still a child..." Xie Lingxi blushed.

"How coincidental, I'm also a child," Zhang Yuanqing replied.

...Xie Lingxi sighed internally; she liked to use the strategy of retreating to advance to control the situation. Who could refuse a girl who admired them and made some reasonable requests? She learned this from her formidable mother, the master of this art. It was the kind of high-level skill that involved hitting one's husband with a slap, then coaxing him back, making the other person feel like the master of the household.

Xie Lingxi had learned seven or eight points of this essence from her mother and used it effectively in dealing with elders and peers. But with Zhang Yuanqing, it seemed less effective.

He would use your flattery to climb up, then counterattack.

Of course, Xie Lingxi did indeed admire this boy, who was only a few years older than her.

"Let's exchange contact information, and I'll come to find you the day after tomorrow," Zhang Yuanqing said as he exchanged phone numbers with her and then left the hotel.

On the way home, Zhang Yuanqing dialed Li Dongze's phone.

"Captain, I've left the hotel and am heading home," he said.

Li Dongze audibly relaxed and then teasingly remarked, "So, should I call you the son-in-law of the Xie family? Both Guan Ya and I can tell that the young lady has a good impression of you."

Zhang Yuanqing was troubled and replied, "Compared to being the son-in-law of the Xie family, I'd rather be the son-in-law of the Guan family."

Li Dongze was taken aback but maintained his usual tone, saying, "Then you need to put in more effort."

Li Dongze detected that Yuanqing was trying to probe Guan Ya's identity. How did he know that she was different? Currently, Yuanqing only knew that Guan Ya's identity was unusual, but he wasn't aware of her relationship with Fu Baifu.

Zhang Yuanqing chuckled and changed the topic, then spoke seriously, "The day after tomorrow, I'm going out with that young lady from the Xie family. I'll probably be gone for a day."

"She specifically requested you to accompany her, so take good care of her," Li Dongze didn't object.

Yuanqing felt relieved; since the captain didn't object, it meant that the Xie family had a good reputation.

He then inquired about the second matter, "Captain, after clearing the Golden Water Amusement Park, I successfully advanced by two levels and received a nice reward."

Li Dongze sighed, "Advancing one level per mission, your leveling speed is truly enviable. Well, not only that, but frequently matching up with S-level Spirit Realms also makes people pity you. So, what's your plan?"

"I want to join the operation to apprehend Hei Wuchang. On one hand, it's to contribute to the Second Team's achievements, and on the other hand, it's to hone myself," Zhang Yuanqing quickly explained.

Li Dongze didn't object but hesitated for a moment before saying, "With the combat power of a 2nd-level Night Wanderer, you do have the qualifications to participate. However, this matter is under the supervision of an Executor, and I can't make the final decision. I'll report it to Fu Baifu tomorrow and see what he decides."

"Thank you, Captain," Zhang Yuanqing said gratefully.

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Yuanqing looked out of the window and noticed that the driver was taking a detour. He furrowed his brows and asked, "What's going on?"

The driver in the front seat replied, "Taking a detour to prevent tracking."

"I see. As my reputation is growing, and many people know that I'm in the Second Team of Kangyang District Group, I do need to be cautious about tracking when traveling between work and home," Zhang Yuanqing noted this detail in his mind.

An hour later, the driver dropped him off at his residential compound. Zhang Yuanqing took the elevator back to his floor and was about to enter through the window when he heard intense fighting sound effects coming from his bedroom.

Sighing helplessly, he decided to take the front door cautiously. He opened the anti-theft door with care and found that his grandmother wasn't waiting for him in the living room, which relieved him. He then opened his bedroom door.

Inside the room, Jiang Yubai was sitting cross-legged in front of the TV, holding a game controller, and playing intensely.

Upon hearing the door opening behind her, Jiang Yubai gritted her teeth and said, "The BOSS in the game is a boy who didn't come home after school. He only knows how to hang out outside. I want to kill him..."

"I'll help you kill him," Zhang Yuanqing said, thickening his face as he approached her.

"Get lost!" Jiang Yubai twisted her waist, keeping her upper body still as she continued playing the game. Her long legs kicked forcefully to the back, displaying surprising flexibility.

Zhang Yuanqing held her ice-cold little foot and gently lifted it, causing her to fall backward with a cry. He took the opportunity to sit down, picked up another game controller, and resumed playing.

Jiang Yubai sat up straight, rubbing the teardrop mole at the corner of her eye. She hummed, "Where did you go wandering off to?"

Side by side, they sat and stared at the TV while playing the game and talking.

"Today, I had dinner with a high school girl who admires me very much when she heard that I'm from Songhai University. She insisted on taking me to a five-star hotel to help her with her homework. Ha, how could I afford a hotel room?"

"So, you came back?" Jiang Yubai asked.

"No, I made her pay for it," Zhang Yuanqing replied.

"You scoundrel..."

At 7:30 in the morning, Jiang Yubai sat at the dining table, biting on a deep-fried dough stick, looking listless, as if her brain was processing things slowly, just like a little hen pecking at grains.

"Aren't you pulling all-nighters again? I've told you that you're not allowed to stay up late unless it's the weekend. Are my words not effective anymore?" scolded her grandmother.

With her mother still angry about yesterday's incident, she didn't want to make a scene in front of family members, so she kept a straight face and brought a bowl of hot porridge to her grandson.

A few minutes later, her grandmother saw her daughter and grandson sitting side by side, pecking at their heads together, and grew furious, "What were you two up to last night?!"

"Jiang Yubai insisted on coming to my room to play games."

"Zhang Yuanqing insisted on me going to his room to play games."

They both said in unison. Then, they began to argue with each other, with Zhang Yuanqing pulling Jiang Yubai's hair, and she, in turn, scratching his face.

The grandfather and cousin were used to this and calmly continued eating.

Two days later, at 8:00 in the morning, Zhang Yuanqing arrived at the Huayu Hotel after texting in advance. Soon, Xie Lingxi walked out from the revolving door.

She was dressed in black sports pants, a white T-shirt, a white women's jacket, and white running shoes.

Casual sportswear.

She had also tied her long black hair into a ponytail, which swung as she jogged.

It's worth mentioning that she was wearing a delicate white head-mounted earphone, making people think she was going out for a run.

"Brother Yuanshi, I asked the driver to fetch the car," Xie Lingxi stopped in front of him, her smile sweet.

"Did you meet the palace master?" Zhang Yuanqing asked curiously.

Xie Lingxi shook her head slightly and disappointedly said, "She didn't see me."

"Plastic world friends," Zhang Yuanqing sneered.

"Of course not," Xie Lingxi puffed her cheeks and widened her eyes, "It's because the Xiahou family's people from the coastal region came to Songhai to cause trouble for her. She needs to prepare to face a strong enemy, so she didn't see me."

"The Xiahou family?" Zhang Yuanqing's mind churned, recalling what kind of family this was. Due to his increased permissions after clearing the S-level Spirit Realms, he could now access some higher-level confidential information.

In the world of Spirit Realm cultivators, the most influential organizations in the lawful camp were the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyi Gate, followed by the five major families corresponding to the Scholar occupation: Zhao, Liu, and Xiahou, and the two major families corresponding to the Musician occupation: Xie and Zhu.

There was no record of the current whereabouts of the Zhi Sha Gong palace master, probably because she was dismissed many years ago.

"The Xiahou family's legitimate son was crippled by the palace master last month, so he came seeking revenge," Xie Lingxi said worriedly.

"The Xiahou family has been operating for many years, with numerous experts and an extensive network of connections. On the other hand, Zhi Sha Gong is just a local organization in Songhai. Once they start a conflict, the Five Elements Alliance will undoubtedly stand on the side of the Xiahou family," Xie Lingxi explained.

Indeed, Zhi Sha Gong's strength was much inferior to that of the Xiahou family. It seemed that Zhi Sha Gong was in trouble. Seeing a luxury business car approaching, Zhang Yuanqing said, "This is not something we need to consider; the car is here."

The destination of their trip was Jinshan City. It was located north of Songhai, and the journey was not far. Taking the high-speed train only required 25 minutes, and driving would take about an hour to reach. They arrived at their destination at 9:30 AM. It was a small inn located on the outskirts of the city, with a sign on the top of the gate that read: "Wu Hen Inn."

After parking the business car, Zhang Yuanqing and Xie Lingxi got off and entered the lobby of the inn.

"What kind of room do you two need?" The front desk staff was a beautiful woman in her 30s to 35s, with a professional smile on her face, round and charming eyes, and a well-endowed chest, exuding charm.

"We won't be staying at the inn; we are here to find someone," Zhang Yuanqing cut to the chase, lowering his voice, "We're looking for Master Wu Hen."

The beautiful front desk staff maintained her smile, but her round and charming eyes narrowed slightly, and her gaze seemed to become sharp as a knife.

"We don't have anyone named Wu Hen here," she said each word carefully.

The air around them seemed to congeal, and Zhang Yuanqing and Xie Lingxi both felt immense pressure. They had the feeling of being stared at by a hungry wolf. Was it even possible for a front desk staff member to have such a high level of oppression? Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuanqing said, "Master Wu Hen entrusted me to deliver a message."

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