Chapter 106: Songhai Third Elementary School
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Stop Killing Palace Master raised his eyes, glanced at him, and smiled, saying, "The Five Elements Alliance is searching for Black Grim Reaper, all for the Holy Grail and the roster. Why do you want to go the extra mile? Let me guess, you want the roster for yourself and don't want the Five Elements Alliance to get it."
As she spoke, she tilted her head and looked at the ceiling, pretending to be innocent and naive, saying, "But why would you, a small fry, want the roster? Oh my, it's so strange."
Zhang Yuanqing's mouth twitched, saying, "Everyone has secrets, you don't need to know. Of course, you can refuse, the decision is yours."
So, he hated dealing with crazy and eccentric people, because they didn't think rationally.
Unfortunately, he couldn't beat them either.
At this moment, Stop Killing Palace Master had brewed a cup of coffee. She held the handle with her jade-like fingers and was about to take a sip when her mask touched the cup.
She suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my, I forgot I was wearing a mask."
Not only is she crazy, but she's also forgetful! Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself.
Stop Killing Palace Master put down the cup and said with a smile, "You're right, everyone has secrets. As long as it doesn't involve my safety, I don't care about other people's secrets."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing felt relieved and said in a low voice, "The transaction between Black Grim Reaper and Dark Night Rose is tomorrow night. The possible transaction locations are Lafu Hotel, Songhai Third Elementary School, and Songhe Park."
He listed three locations in one breath and continued, "Among them, Songhai Third Elementary School has the highest probability."
Stop Killing Palace Master casually swayed her wide sleeves and asked, "Because tomorrow is Saturday and the students have a day off?"
Zhang Yuanqing nodded and said, "That's one reason. Another reason is that Songhai Third Elementary School is located in the city, right next to a residential area. It's a quiet place in the midst of the hustle and bustle, so if anything happens, he can slip into the residential area to escape."
Lafu Hotel has guests staying there, causing casualties in a fight would tarnish their reputation, and Songhe Park is too secluded, making it impossible to escape if surrounded.
Based on the cautious and cunning nature of Dark Night Rose, Fu Qingyang designated Songhai Third Elementary School as the main target, with the other two locations as secondary targets, and a few places with very low possibilities.
"The five elders of the Songhai branch will lead their subordinates to ambush at the corresponding locations. Fu Qingyang and an elder from the Hundred Flowers Society are in charge of Songhai Third Elementary School," Zhang Yuanqing explained, "I think once the two sides start fighting, you can take the opportunity to strike and thwart Dark Night Rose's conspiracy, or even kill the Grand Protector or their leader."
Stop Killing Palace Master leaned on the bar, holding her chin in her hands, her eyes curved, "That's a good idea. In order to prevent the roster and Black Grim Reaper's spirit from falling into the hands of the Five Elements Alliance, should I help you kill Fu Qingyang too?"
Zhang Yuanqing replied with a serious tone, "Palace Master, I am a serious person and don't like joking."
Stop Killing Palace Master burst into laughter and said, "That's not what Xie Lingxi said. By the way, after our last meeting, I went to the hotel where she was staying and hung her up for a beating."
Zhang Yuanqing was stunned. No wonder Xie Lingxi hasn't contacted me for days; she must be mad at me.
No, I need to mend our relationship. I haven't obtained her Dream-Entrapping Jade Talisman yet. After the Black Grim Reaper incident is over, I'll go take care of Xie Lingxi.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave," Zhang Yuanqing said.
Stop Killing Palace Master nodded with a smile.
As he walked out of the cafe, Zhang Yuanqing looked back, but all he saw was darkness. The store was locked, and there was no trace of Stop Killing Palace Master's charming figure.
He withdrew his gaze and walked towards home, analyzing the situation for tomorrow night in his mind.
"According to official information, Black Grim Reaper is at the pinnacle of the Saint Realm, and is one of the strongest professions. He can't be considered an ordinary Saint. The Grand Protector of Dark Night Rose is undoubtedly Night Roaming God, with an unknown level. If he's at the Saint Realm, it's manageable, but if he's at the Sovereign level, it will be a fierce battle. Stop Killing Palace Master is like insurance for me."
"But this is not enough, because the Five Elements Alliance not only wants the Holy Grail but also the roster. If Stop Killing Palace Master takes action to snatch the roster, she's likely to face resistance from Fu Qingyang and the elders of the Hundred Flowers Society."
Therefore, he needed to create a more chaotic situation, forcing the authorities, Black Grim Reaper, and Dark Night Rose to prioritize the Holy Grail.
He had a plan in mind: the Vice President of the Psychic Association, Gu Wang.
This advanced witchcraft practitioner didn't care about the roster, only the Holy Grail. With his involvement, he could force everyone to focus on the Holy Grail. This would reduce the resistance Stop Killing Palace Master would face because, at the moment, she didn't seem overly eager for the Holy Grail. Her motivation was to thwart Dark Night Rose's plot and eliminate the Grand Protector or leader.
"The plan seems solid, but when it comes to actual execution, there will always be uncontrollable variables. It's a shame, but reality is always full of uncertainties."
"I hope I can successfully navigate this crisis of exposure with my identity. May the old man protect me."
In the early morning, a baby-faced delivery person, covered in blood, had just finished delivering breakfast and walked out of a residential building.
As a witchcraft practitioner, he had endless energy to spare. He worked from morning to night, occasionally working overtime, and delivered food from night to dawn.
The delivery industry not only allowed him to move around freely, gather information, and discreetly meet with his comrades but also provided a decent income.
The delivery person really enjoyed this job.
These past few days, he had kept his communication channels open, waiting for the contact from the individual claiming to be a member of Dark Night Rose.
After his previous experience, the delivery person realized that this might be an opportunity to gain favor and recognition in front of the Vice President.
As long as that person could provide enough information, some calculated risks were worth taking.
He had just straddled his electric scooter when his other phone in his pocket made a notification sound.
Excited, the delivery person quickly took out his phone to check:
"The location of the trade between Black Grim Reaper and Dark Night Rose: Songhai Third Elementary School. The time is midnight tonight. If you don't find the target, wait for my message."
Songhai Third Elementary School, midnight tonight? The delivery person's mind buzzed, and he found it hard to imagine.
Such crucial information, and they just gave it away? They directly locked down the location of Black Grim Reaper's trade?
You see, Vice President has been searching for Black Grim Reaper for nearly a week, with little success, and they couldn't find the cunning and cautious guy at all.
Next, the delivery person's face showed wild joy, an uncontrollable joy.
If the information was true, he would have made significant contributions. The Vice President would surely reward him generously, and his status in the Psychic Association would skyrocket.
If the information turned out to be false, it wouldn't matter much. After all, in these days, the Psychic Association had received plenty of false information.
"I need to report this to the Vice President immediately."
The delivery person started his electric scooter and sped away.
Time: 11:50 PM.
The night was dark, and outside Songhai Third Elementary School, in a 24-hour convenience store by the street, Zhang Yuanqing sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, slurping a bowl of instant noodles. He raised his hand, pressed the wireless microphone, and whispered, "The target individual has entered the elementary school. Everyone, be on alert. Everyone, be on alert."
A few seconds later, a crisp and clamorous voice came through the channel, "Has Fu Qingyang gone in? Why can't we participate in the fight and are just lurking on the outskirts? It's so boring."
Zhang Yuanqing replied, "To prevent you from an early grave. Besides, it's not Fu Qingyang who went in; it's Tian Dao Bugong."
The young girl protested, "Can't I go in? I want to go in and fight, maybe even blow up the school."
"Your ideas are quite dangerous," Zhang Yuanqing said.
At this moment, Teng Yuan, though weak, spoke seriously, "I don't mind you all doing comedy, but please consider the feelings of others in the channel."
The banter between the girl and Zhang Yuanqing ceased.
For tonight's operation, Fu Qingyang gathered trusted subordinates to disperse in nearby shops, intersections, and other locations around Songhai Third Elementary School. Their task was to prevent ordinary people from getting close, ambush fleeing enemies, and handle unexpected situations.
Direct confrontation didn't require the participation of these elite members, as going in would be akin to handing themselves over.
Zhang Yuanqing focused on his noodles but pondered one thing. Fu Qingyang had mentioned during the day that he suspected Black Grim Reaper was daring to trade with Dark Night Rose because he had something up his sleeve.
Having an ace up one's sleeve often meant having a hidden card or an unexpected change.
Songhai Third Elementary School stood tall in the dark night, with only one office on the ground floor to the far left illuminated.
The office had six desks cluttered with books, teaching materials, computers, and various items.
Seated at the desk by the window was a thin-faced man with a long, horse-like face, narrow eyes, and a pale complexion. His face might not have been attractive, but it was far from ordinary.
Such an unattractive face left a strong impression.
Black Grim Reaper tapped his fingers on the desk, listening to his subordinate's report on "the woman being very obedient."
"Boss, I've confirmed it. Dark Night Rose has successfully borrowed the Covenant Book," the subordinate reported.
Black Grim Reaper asked, "How did you confirm it?"
The man smiled and said, "I tested it on a woman I captured personally. After forming a covenant, she became my most loyal slave. She can't refuse any of my requests."
Black Grim Reaper nodded in satisfaction.
As the leader of an evil organization, he knew very well that dealing with Dark Night Rose was like dealing with a tiger.
Successfully completing the transaction was highly unlikely, and the likelihood of being double-crossed was even higher. Therefore, while lurking in Songhai, Black Grim Reaper had been waiting for one specific piece of information.
—Dark Night Rose borrowing the "Covenant Book" from a foreign power.
This was an item associated with the "Knight" profession, allowing the establishment of covenants, with severe penalties for covenant violations.
With this protection in place, Black Grim Reaper dared to trade with Dark Night Rose.
One of Black Grim Reaper's conditions was that Dark Night Rose must borrow this item from a foreign power.
Knights were lawful professionals, so contacting them as a witchcraft practitioner would result in immediate execution. However, Dark Night Rose didn't have this problem, as many of their members were lawful professionals.
All they had to do was pay a certain price, and they could borrow the "Covenant Book."
At this moment, the wall clock's hands pointed to midnight, and at almost the same time, there was a knock on the office door.
(End of this chapter)
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