Chapter 87

On the outskirts of the city, at the Good Music Inn.

Wang Qian and his three companions from the Zhishe Palace had moved their hiding place here.

The Good Music Inn was an important stronghold of the Zhishe Palace in Songhai City, and the inn's manager was a member of the Zhishe Palace.

Many civilian organizations liked to open inns and restaurants. Compared to private residences, the former two were more suitable for accommodating large groups and holding organizational meetings, and since it was their own territory, they didn't have to worry about surveillance equipment.

Of course, this only applied during peaceful times.

If faced with a large-scale official manhunt, inns and restaurants were more likely to be exposed, as security officers would certainly conduct thorough checks.

Checking all the major hotels and inns in Songhai would require more manpower than the Five Elements Alliance could provide; only the Security Bureau could handle such a massive workload.

But Wang Qian and his companions believed that although the Xiahou family was extensive and had close ties with the authorities, they were not powerful enough to command the Security Bureau.

The Security Bureau and the Five Elements Alliance were on equal footing, in a cooperative relationship, with the former managing social order and the latter managing the order among spirit realm practitioners.

Even the Five Elements Alliance did not have the authority to command the security system, let alone a spirit realm family.

In the suite, Qingdian Dajing was lying on the sofa, snoring loudly, while a girl in jeans and a black crop top sat cross-legged in front of the TV, engrossed in a game.

"Tiandi Buren," pale-faced, wore headphones and closed his eyes, enjoying music.

Wang Qian stood by the window, observing the outside, occasionally taking out his phone to check.

He kept telling himself, "Not so fast, not so fast... Even if the Venerable Yuanshi is willing to help, it will take time."

But he couldn't help checking his phone repeatedly.

"Don't worry, if anything happens to your sister, we'll go and hunt down the Xiahou family," Tiandi Buren opened his eyes, looked at Wang Qian by the window, and started talking about his orphan strategy again.

Wang Qian, who was easily angered and radical, shook his head. "Tiandi Buren" had an extremely radical personality, the type who would repay a drop of kindness with a flood of gratitude, but if someone insulted him, he would not hesitate to fight to the death, easily going to extremes.

Such a radical personality was rare even in the Zhishe Palace.

Wang Qian put down his phone, silently gazing out the window. Suddenly, a "ding" sounded in his ear, and he was startled, quickly lifting his phone to check.

"Your sister is safe."

Reading the message content, Wang Qian's expression suddenly became excited, almost disbelieving, and he called out, "Boss, boss, the Venerable Yuanshi has replied to me."

Qingdian Dajing's body trembled, startled awake by the sound.

The three companions gathered around, and Qingdian Dajing stared at the phone screen, but his expression turned serious.

"There's something fishy, definitely something fishy. Even if he was willing to help, it's impossible to rescue your sister so quickly."

The girl, Woxing Wosu, frowned and said, "That's right. In such a short time, it would be hard to even find your sister, unless he knows where she is. If that's the case, this person might be an accomplice of Xiahou Tianyuan."

She looked disappointed.

Wang Qian thought for a moment and typed a message: "Really?"

A few seconds later, a "ding" sounded, and the Venerable Yuanshi sent a voice message.

Wang Qian hurriedly clicked on the voice message:

"Wang Qian, I was rescued by the security officers and am now heading to the Kangyang District Security Bureau."

It was Wang Qian's sister's voice.

Wang Qian's eyes instantly turned red, overwhelmed with excitement and relief. He had been on edge all day, and now the heavy burden in his heart was finally lifted.

Really rescued? How efficient! Qingdian Dajing looked surprised. He had suggested that Wang Qian seek help from the Venerable Yuanshi, valuing his official status.

Even if he couldn't rescue the person, he could gather some useful information and balance the Xiahou family.

Then, the Zhishe Palace could formulate a plan based on the information provided by the Venerable Yuanshi.

He never expected that the person would handle it directly.

Is this just a talented newcomer? Could he really be the offspring of a high-ranking figure in the Five Elements Alliance?

Woxing Wosu sighed in relief and patted Wang Qian's shoulder:

"You don't have to worry anymore. This Venerable Yuanshi seems quite reliable. Later, you should call home to verify if your sister is really safe."

As she spoke, the phone rang, and the caller was the Venerable Yuanshi.

Wang Qian immediately looked at Qingdian Dajing, seeking his boss's opinion.

The latter pondered for a few seconds and nodded slightly.

Wang Qian answered the call and tentatively asked, "Venerable Yuanshi?"

But the voice that came from the speaker was his sister's: "Wang Qian, I'm fine now. Where are you? Why did you suddenly stop going to work? The people who kidnapped me seem to be looking for you. Did you borrow from loan sharks?"

Wang Qian's sister's voice was urgent and anxious, asking questions in rapid succession.

"Sister, don't worry. I'll come home in a while," Wang Qian comforted her, hearing a young man's voice on the other end: "Give me the phone. Then he heard the Venerable Yuanshi say:

"This isn't the time for family chitchat, Wang Qian. I need to meet your superior."

Because Wang Qian was present, he didn't mention the "Zhishe Palace."

Wang Qian looked at Qingdian Dajing and asked, "Why?"

"When I rescued your sister, my identity was exposed. The Xiahou family will surely hate me. You need to take responsibility for this," Zhang Yuanqing said calmly.

"Besides, I can save your sister once, but not twice. What if the Xiahou family targets your family again? Or the families of other members? What will you do then?

Now we're in the same boat. It's time to strike back. Of course, if you're too weak and just want to hide, forget it."

Wang Qian held the phone, looking at his companions. Qingdian Dajing was hesitant, and Woxing Wosu whispered:

"I think we should communicate. Let me handle it."

At this moment, the importance of goodwill became apparent.

"No, I'll do it," Qingdian Dajing said. "Trust my ability to read people. Let me talk to him."

He took the phone and deliberately lowered his voice, making it deep and hoarse:

"Venerable Yuanshi, you don't need to use reverse psychology."

"Who are you?" Zhang Yuanqing perked up.

"Qingdian Dajing, the superior of Shengshou."

"Oh, my God, this D is really impressive, I like it," Zhang Yuanqing praised.

Qingdian Dajing was taken aback but said happily:

"I think the name is pretty good too. I thought about it for a long time when I chose it. Cough, let's get to the point. I understand your meaning, but the Palace Master hasn't given an order, so we won't act."

"Fine, then I'll deal with the Xiahou family myself. War stops war, killing stops killing. That's my principle. You're still lacking. You should change your name," Zhang Yuanqing said loudly.

"Bullshit!" Tiandi Buren was furious. "Our organization has its own methods, but they are controlled by the Palace Master. Since the Palace Master fought the Xiahou family's law enforcement captain, he hasn't appeared again."

Qingdian Dajing glared at him angrily.

The people of the Zhishe Palace were indeed radical, and they said that reverse psychology wouldn't work. Zhang Yuanqing laughed and immediately asked, "What are your methods?"

Guan Ya had analyzed that the Xiahou family's relentless pursuit of the Zhishe Palace was very unusual, and this seemed to confirm that there was a hidden agenda.

Qingdian Dajing took a deep breath:

"We speculate that the Palace Master has entered a dungeon, so he instructed us to hide.

"As for what methods, I don't know, and even if I did, I can't tell you. Here's what I'll do: I'll try to contact the Palace Master soon and report this matter to her.

"Whether it's compensation or cooperation, it depends on whether she wants to contact you. We really can't act rashly."

"Huh? Don't contact me, contact Fu Qingyang. I don't want to deal with crazy people..." Zhang Yuanqing felt a chill inside but remained calm:

"I'm looking forward to it!"

He hung up the phone, feeling a bit relieved.

In this matter, he had thoroughly offended the Xiahou father and son, and they would surely seek revenge in the future.

Although he had merits, the Xiahou family wouldn't act openly, but they could use underhanded tactics, and there were many ways to do so.

Therefore, this time, he had to eliminate the Xiahou father and son, at least making sure they couldn't recover.

But relying on the Five Elements Alliance wasn't very safe, as their interests were intertwined, and the ties were too deep. At this point, he needed to make a backup plan and seek external assistance.

That's why he requested to contact Wang Qian's superior and speak with a high-ranking member of the Zhishe Palace.

"He hung up." Qingdian Dajing handed the phone back to Wang Qian.

The girl looked at him, then at Wang Qian and Tiandi Buren, her face showing a lack of trust.

"What's going on?" Qingdian Dajing frowned.

"So, who's manipulating who?" the girl said expressionlessly.

Qingdian Dajing, Wang Qian, and Tiandi Buren looked at each other, silent.

Zhang Yuanqing turned his head to look at the young woman beside him, who was sitting upright, hands on the steering wheel.

"Whatever you heard today, don't tell anyone, or your brother will be dead," Zhang Yuanqing threatened.

Wang Qian hesitated but finally nodded.

Good, very obedient... Should I let the little clown meet his birth mother? No, ordinary people would probably faint if they saw a spirit. Let her drive well. By the way, now that I have the spirit talisman, I should start collecting materials to cultivate the little clown after dealing with the Xiahou family.

With the main task done, he couldn't wait to open his inventory and check his loot.

At an angle where Wang Qian couldn't see, he took out a fiery red glove and held it in his hand.

[Name: Thug Gauntlets]

[Type: Weapon]

[Function: Burn, Swift, Explode]

[Description: Once a favorite of a powerful fire mage, these gauntlets gradually absorbed the owner's power and recklessness due to long-term use. They can continue to accumulate power and release it upon impact.]

[Note: Explosion is art. There's nothing an explosion can't solve. If there is, just explode again.]

Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed.

What a good item! I finally have an AE skill, making up for the assassin's weakness. And with the Night Walker's vitality, he can withstand the damage from multiple explosions.

The only downside was the cost, which, according to the description and note, was recklessness and self-harm.

The latter was no problem; he could withstand the damage from explosions. The former was a concern, as fighting without thinking could easily lead to being tricked.

"But if I use it like the Steady Pearl, only in critical moments, the cost can be minimized. After all, killing and looting is the path to wealth. If not for the moral value constraint, spirit realm practitioners would probably go crazy with killing."

Next, he checked his attribute panel and saw his reputation, which made him sneer.

His reputation hadn't increased or decreased.

Hunting among spirit realm practitioners didn't deduct moral value, but fighting within the same faction, if the target had reputation, would lower one's own reputation. Once reputation hit zero, moral value would be deducted.

Since his reputation hadn't changed, it meant the four worthless people hadn't killed any evil practitioners and had zero reputation.

Pure social parasites, not worth pitying.

A few minutes later, the car arrived at the Security Bureau.

Zhang Yuanqing asked Wang Qian to park in front of the glass building, then got out and entered the office.

On the second floor, he saw seven or eight spirit realm practitioners who didn't belong to the second team, including the beauty in a cheongsam, Qingteng, and the leader, Bailong.

On the way, Guan Ya had informed him that Fu Qingyang was waiting at the Kangyang District Security Bureau.

"The bodies of the kidnappers are in the car downstairs. Please help carry them up," Zhang Yuanqing said, nodding slightly at Qingteng and glancing at the uncomfortable-looking Wang Tai, then heading straight to Li Dongze's office.

"Knock, knock!"

He knocked on the glass door.

"Come in," Fu Qingyang's cold voice replied.

Pushing open the glass door, in the luxurious office, Fu Qingyang was sitting in Li Dongze's chair, with Guan Ya on the sofa, Lingjun in casual attire, and an old acquaintance he hadn't seen in a long time.

Yuan Ting!

He's still alive, so Elder Sun hasn't entered a dungeon. Zhang Yuanqing thought, looking at Fu Qingyang:

"I've brought Wang Qian's sister and the bodies of the kidnappers."

Fu Qingyang nodded calmly: "I've already sent for Xiahou Tianyuan. Once we have the evidence, we can detain him."

He looked at Yuan Ting, who stood up and said with a sigh: "We need to question the spirits again, Captain Fu, you must give us a subsidy."

Fu Qingyang said coolly: "No problem, I hope the subsidy doesn't become your legacy."

Yuan Ting's face turned pale, and he looked at Zhang Yuanqing, saying with a heavy heart: "It's all because of you. You must give me a subsidy."

Sure, I'll burn money for you... Zhang Yuanqing thought, looking at Fu Qingyang and saying:

"Captain, there was a strong opponent among the kidnappers. Are you sure you don't need me to question the spirits?"

The underlying meaning was, "I had a hard time killing a strong enemy and exposed some of my cards." He knew that Fu Qingyang was aware he had a rule-based item.

Fu Qingyang said coolly: "Captain Yuan is diligent and upright. Let him question the spirits."

Is he vouching for Yuan Ting? Zhang Yuanqing didn't say anything more.

A few minutes later, Yuan Ting returned with a pale face and reported in a serious tone:

"The kidnappers were spirit realm practitioners raised by the Xiahou family. They kidnapped Wang Qian's sister at the behest of Xiahou Tianyuan."

As the captain of the Taiyi Sect, Yuan Ting's accusation could, to some extent, represent the Taiyi Sect.

Then, Yuan Ting looked at Zhang Yuanqing with a complex expression: "You actually killed a level 3 fire mage. To be so strong at the newcomer stage, you're a freak, truly a freak."

He didn't mention the red dancing shoes.

Lingjun narrowed his eyes and smiled: "That's why they call you a genius. I heard about this kidnapping case. Yuan Shi, you did well. I like young people with a sense of justice, but do you know what geniuses fear the most?"

It's not a lack of a girlfriend... Zhang Yuanqing smiled and asked: "What?"

"Premature death!" Lingjun took a sip of tea and continued: "Do you know how to avoid premature death?"

Trying to recruit me with my boss watching, Zhang Yuanqing thought and politely declined: "Dying young?"

Lingjun choked and coughed: "No, it's finding a patron. Join the Taiyi Sect, and I'll protect you. The Xiahou family won't dare to seek revenge."

Fu Qingyang's gaze towards Zhang Yuanqing showed more satisfaction, and he glanced coldly at Lingjun.

"Knock, knock!"

At this moment, the glass door of the office was knocked on again.

Fu Qingyang looked over: "Come in."

A stern young man in a black shirt entered the office, stopped in front of the desk, and said in a low voice