Chapter 72: Planning

Zhang Yuanqing took off the jacket with the burnt sleeve and tossed it into the basket of his bicycle before returning to the Public Security Bureau. He asked the administrative staff to issue him a new phone card.

For the phone card under the name "Yuan Shi Tianzun," it could only be obtained through the bureau's administrative personnel.

Zhang Yuanqing gave the reason that his phone accidentally fell into the sewer, and he didn't want to bother finding it again, so he intended to get a new one.

He had no intention of telling Guan Ya and Li Dongze about the conflict. If news about the altercation spread, and then an accident happened right after, according to standard investigative logic, anyone who had recent conflicts, regardless of the level of suspicion, would be subject to routine investigation.

Moreover, these two were aware that he possessed a rule-type prop.

Similarly, Zhang Yuanqing wouldn't immediately retaliate; he needed to take it slow.

After successfully obtaining a new phone card, he visited a nearby mobile phone store and purchased a domestic model priced at around 3000 yuan. He also applied for a new phone card using his identity card.

Not far from the Public Security Bureau, at a café with tables outside, Zhang Yuanqing sipped his iced coffee while contemplating how to retaliate against Xiahou Tianyuan.

Getting involved with the Xiahou family was not his intention, but he had no choice in this matter. The attitudes of Xiahou father and son were clear: cooperate well, and they would offer benefits; resist, and they would snatch the phone directly.

A small individual like him had no right to choose.

This wasn't surprising; a powerful family with resources wouldn't just back off because a low-level employee refused them. That would be wishful thinking. Unless this matter was utterly insignificant to the large family.

This was what my mom often said, the struggle of capital. I never thought I would experience it someday... Zhang Yuanqing muttered softly.

"Xiahou Tianyuan's blood is in my hands, and I can directly trigger the Red Dancing Shoes to pursue him relentlessly. But such a method is too crude; the traces of the Red Dancing Shoes' killings are very distinct. While not many people know that I control the Red Dancing Shoes, there are some. Moreover, the Xiahou family comes from a spirit realm family skilled in crafting props, not something an ordinary official walker or wild walker can contend with. They might have a way to resist or counter the Red Dancing Shoes. In the case of not knowing the opponent's capabilities, I shouldn't act rashly. I should ask Xie Lingxi later about the intelligence on the Xiahou family."

He took a sip of his coffee and continued to ponder.

"Right, the Xiahou family is looking for members of Zhi Shaogong. I can muddy the waters, acting as a decoy with Zhi Shaogong as my shield while also disrupting the Xiahou family's actions. Kill two birds with one stone. Wang Qian knows me; interfering directly might not be wise. Perhaps I can use the Disguise Ring..."

A rough plan began to take shape in his mind. He then sent a message to his cousin Chen Yuanjun: "Bro, I need an anonymous phone card. Remember to get me one after work."

Chen Yuanjun didn't reply, but Zhang Yuanqing knew he would take care of it. From childhood to now, as long as the request wasn't unreasonable, his cousin wouldn't refuse him. His cousin was very compassionate towards him, who lost his father at a young age and lacked motherly love.

Afterward, Zhang Yuanqing dialed Xie Lingxi's phone number.

...

Huayu Hotel, the swimming pool on the 48th floor.

Sunlight poured in from the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating a rectangular pool with its azure water rippling gently, creating a sparkling pattern of light.

Xie Lingxi was lying on a recliner, half-closed eyes enjoying the relaxation after swimming.

She wore a pink waterproof coat, which extended only to the base of her thighs. Her fair and slender legs were side by side, long and straight. With a few more years of growth, they would become beautifully rounded long legs.

On the side, a female assistant was attentively cutting fruits. As the phone rang, Xie Lingxi opened her eyes, but the assistant had already dried her hands and handed her the phone.

Seeing the caller ID "Yuan Shi Tianzun," Xie Lingxi immediately perked up and hurriedly took the phone. She held her throat, cleared her throat, and then answered in a soft and sweet voice that sent shivers down her assistant's spine, "Brother Yuan~"

"I heard that a skilled expert from the Xiahou family had a conflict with the leader of Zhi Shaogong?" Zhang Yuanqing pretended to be curious.

"Brother Yuan, you called me just to gossip about this?" Xie Lingxi sounded a little wronged and sad.

"Speak properly, don't be so mysterious. What's wrong with your voice?" Zhang Yuanqing teased.

"My voice is just like this~"

"Oh, it seems like my speaker is about to sing again."

"Cough cough!" Xie Lingxi coughed and restored her normal, crisp voice. "As I told you yesterday morning, the leader of Zhi Shaogong disabled the legitimate son of the Xiahou family. Naturally, the Xiahou family wouldn't let it slide... Brother Yuan, are you trying to help the Xiahou family capture members of Zhi Shaogong to force out the leader?"

"Not really, I'm just curious. How many people from the Xiahou family came this time? Do you have any information?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.

"I'm not sure about the exact number, but the one leading the team is Xiahou Chi, the grandfather of Xiahou Tianwen. Many years ago, he was a level 6 Scholar. I don't know if he has advanced now. Apart from Xiahou Chi, there are two legitimate members of the Xiahou family, Xiahou Xin and Xiahou Tianyuan. One is Xiahou Tianwen's father, and the other is his younger brother. Xiahou Tianwen is the guy who got injured by the leader." Xie Lingxi replied.

That leader could match a level 6 Scholar; at least she was of that level, Zhang Yuanqing thought, then asked, "Do you know about the Xiahou family?"

"Of course!" Xie Lingxi lay on the recliner, sticking out her little buttocks, and gently caressed her long legs.

What posture is this? The female assistant frowned. Thankfully, the swimming pool was booked exclusively; otherwise, if anyone saw the daughter of the Xie family in such an unsightly posture and word got back to the family, she would have to apologize.

"Xiahou family is an ancient spirit realm family with numerous members and complicated factions. If you want to understand the organization structure of spirit realm families, let's ignore the ordinary members and focus on the spirit realm walkers," Xie Lingxi began.

"First, there is an ancestor of the Xiahou family, said to be one of the first spirit realm walkers. I'm not sure about his level. Below the ancestor is the Elder Council, consisting of three elders, all at the Dominator level. These three are the true power wielders of the family.

"Next is the Enforcement Team and Provincial Representatives. The Enforcement Team's responsibility is to assist the authorities in hunting down evil professionals and punishing family members who violate the law. The leader of the Enforcement Team is Xiahou Chi.

"The Provincial Representatives are responsible for managing the Xiahou family's walkers and business in various provinces. They're like high-ranking officials. Usually, they are level 6 spirit realm walkers. Our Xie family has a similar structure. My father is the great-grandson of the ancestor and holds the position of the family head.

"However, above him are the elders, and on the same level as him are the Provincial Representatives. My father is always entangled in power struggles with those uncles."

"Do you not know that family secrets shouldn't be disclosed? You don't need to tell me these..." Zhang Yuanqing joked and then asked, "What level is Xiahou Xin?"

"Probably level 4," Xie Lingxi said cunningly, "There is intense infighting within the Xiahou family. After Xiahou Tianwen was disabled by the leader, I don't know how many people within the family were happy about it."

"What's your family's stance on this matter?"

"While Xiahou Chi is from the main branch of the Xiahou family, he can't fully represent the entire family. Our Xie family isn't afraid. As for the Five Elements Alliance, we can't afford to provoke them, so we'll just say we don't want to get involved and won't interfere."

Not wanting to get involved was possible if one had the strength. It just goes to show that in order to gain respect from others, one must be strong... Zhang Yuanqing chatted with her a little longer before hanging up the phone.

...

At 7:30 in the evening, at the dining table.

After taking a sip of soup, Zhang Yuanqing looked at his rosy-cheeked aunt and asked, "Auntie, your period ended already? That was fast."

"I still feel a little uncomfortable..." Jiang Yuerou casually replied.

Seeing she had no interest in bickering, Zhang Yuanqing turned his attention to Chen Yuanjun. "Bro, where's my phone card?"

"It's in my briefcase. I'll give it to you after dinner." Chen Yuanjun took a sip of soup, frowning deeply. "Grandma, there's too much ginger."

A calm dinner ended, and Zhang Yuanqing received his phone card. Eagerly returning to his room, he opened the chat app on his phone and sent a voice message to Wang Qian.

"I know about the conflict between Zhi Shaogong and the Xiahou family. Xiahou family came to me today, hoping I'd help them catch you, but I refused. This is the best I can do."

"I have an informant with considerable strength. If you need help, you can contact him. His phone number is..." After sending the message, Zhang Yuanqing waited for a long time but didn't receive a reply from Wang Qian. "He's quite cautious..." he murmured to himself.

The core of Zhang Yuanqing's plan was the Disguise Ring and Wang Qian's trust. Under normal circumstances, Wang Qian wouldn't easily believe him, but if he was in a dire situation and had no other choice, things might be different.

Of course, if Wang Qian refused to seek help, Zhang Yuanqing could always change his plan and act alone, taking down Xiahou Tianyuan. But that way, he wouldn't have Zhi Shaogong as a shield anymore.

Late at night, in a riverside apartment, a chilling wind blew the hanging curtains, swirling into the pitch-black bedroom and dancing around the bed.

The person on the bed suddenly woke up, opening their amber vertical pupils. "No need to be nervous!"

At the center of the cyclone of chilly wind, a semi-transparent figure condensed, its features blurred. Although it had no physical form, it could still produce sound.

Amidst the dim light from the streetlamp filtering through the open window, the man on the bed had a sharp and fierce appearance, with slanted eyes and sword-like eyebrows.

Heng Xing Wuji stared at the spiritual being by the bed, remaining vigilant as he asked, "You finally came. Where is your leader?"

The blurry spiritual being chuckled, "And where is Hei Wu Chang? Trust is the foundation of cooperation. It seems we don't trust each other enough."

Heng Xing Wuji replied in a deep voice, "I don't know where our leader is. No one does."

After a moment of silence, he added, "During this period, we've been under tremendous pressure, and we've lost a few brothers. Our leader almost got targeted by Fu Qingyang."

"Fu Qingyang is one of the most outstanding among the younger generation of the White Tiger troops. Below the Dominator level, few can defeat him. If he targets your leader, not even Hei Wu Chang might escape. You can't keep hiding; you need to strike back."

"Hmph, easier said than done," Heng Xing Wuji coldly remarked. "Besides the Five Elements Alliance, Gū Wang's people are also after us. How do we strike back?"

"That's why I've come to find you," the spiritual being smiled. "You have two options. First, wait for the fallen ones listed in the roster to gradually lose control, distracting the Five Elements Alliance's attention. But the fallen ones are scattered all over, and your enemies are from the Songhai branch."

"The second option is to gather the fallen ones near Songhai, control them, and launch a counter-surrounding against the official walker team. This will create trouble for the Songhai branch and alleviate some pressure."

"So simple..." Heng Xing Wuji snorted coldly. "The prerequisite for a counter-surrounding is having enough intelligence."

The spiritual being said, "To show my sincerity, I will reveal the deployment and actions of the official walkers to you."

Heng Xing Wuji felt tempted and said, "I need to report to our leader!"

...

The next day, Zhang Yuanqing woke up and instinctively checked his phone for messages. There was no reply from Wang Qian. Disappointed, he got up, freshened up, had breakfast, and then took a taxi to his workplace.

Just as he sat down and started discussing work-related matters with Lao Sijí, Li Dongze, dressed in formal attire with a black vest over a white shirt, came out of his office.

"Yuán Shǐ, Guān Yǎ, come with me." He checked his watch as he spoke, "There's a meeting at the Kangyang District Search Team at nine. We've discovered the whereabouts of 'Heng Xing Wuji.'"

Zhang Yuanqing's spirits were lifted.

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