Chapter 1 The Villa

Entering the villa's hall, Zhang Yuanqing's eyes quickly scanned the surroundings before he sprinted towards the second floor.

He stopped at the top of the stairs. The door to the room at the end of the hallway was tightly shut.

A burly, tall middle-aged man stood guard outside the door, wearing a black tank top, his muscles bulging. He had a fierce expression, resembling a thug or bodyguard from a movie.

The villa was silent, except for the hulking man guarding the door, there was no one else.

"Wang Qian's sister should be inside. Xiahou Tianyuan kidnapped her and brought her here. Damn it, if he had her with him, caught red-handed, I could have called Fu Qingyang directly…"

He peeked his head out, observing the layout of the second floor. From his angle, a surveillance camera was pointed directly at the room where the man was standing.

"If I were Xiahou Tianyuan, I'd have someone watching the security camera 24/7. Any abnormality, and they'd send reinforcements immediately." Zhang Yuanqing quietly withdrew his head.

At that moment, his Night Watch ended. He leaned against the wall by the stairs, recovering his stamina and pondering.

In the current situation, there were two options.

One: Silently leave and notify Fu Qingyang to send someone to rescue the "hostage."

Two: Eliminate these robbers and take Wang Qian's sister.

The first option seemed safer, but if official Spirit Officer intervened, his involvement would inevitably be exposed.

Xiahou Tianyuan would know that the great Yuanshi Tianzun had disrupted his plans.

Before, Zhang Yuanqing wouldn't have worried. He had merit points and multiple trump cards. But with Wang Qian's sister as an example, he had to consider whether the unscrupulous Xiahou Tianyuan would investigate his identity and target his family.

Car accidents, sudden deaths – those kinds of methods couldn't be addressed through due process.

And he hadn't yet devised a foolproof plan to assassinate Xiahou Tianyuan.

In comparison, the second option was more reliable, provided he could act quickly and without revealing his identity. Xiahou Tianyuan would definitely suspect the people of the Zhisha Palace, not the great Yuanshi Tianzun.

Zhang Yuanqing carefully considered the feasibility of the second option:

"Xiahou Tianyuan wouldn't send a Saint-level to guard an ordinary person. A Spirit Officer of that level wouldn't do such menial work. The absolute limit would be a Level 3 Spirit Officer in charge. The Xiahou family is a Scholar family, they have no shortage of items. There must be someone among them controlling an item, at least one."

"The middle-aged man at the door gives me the feeling of a Fire Master. His aura is deep and strong, while the others outside have insufficient auras. He should be the strongest."

After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to take the risk and try. First, he would quickly take care of the three outside, and then, before Xiahou Tianyuan's people arrived, eliminate the man at the door.

A Level 3 Fire Master controlling an item was very strong and would be a challenge for him.

"If it really comes down to it, I'll use the Red High-Heels. But I have to destroy the evidence…" Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself, "After all, she's the mother of my child."

He chose to rescue her single-handedly, not for Wang Qian's sake, but half for the anger in his heart and revenge against the Xiahou family, and half for little Doubi.

He had nurtured someone else's son as a spirit servant, so this would be his way of repaying the favor.

After clarifying his thoughts, Zhang Yuanqing opened his item list and took out the Disguise Ring.

He had already figured out the ring's functions and limitations. After putting on the ring, visualizing someone's appearance in his mind would transform him into that person.

The limitation was that he couldn't change gender or become more handsome than his original appearance.

[Note: Don't you know what you look like?] That's the gist of it.

Putting on the ring, Zhang Yuanqing visualized Xiahou Tianyuan's appearance in his mind. After a few seconds, his face distorted in a ripple-like manner. When the ripples calmed, he had transformed into Xiahou Tianyuan.

Entering Night Watch, he quietly went downstairs.

In the backyard, three middle-aged men were sitting around a round table, enjoying the late spring sun, drinking beer, eating food, and chatting idly.

"Speaking of which, that woman has a good figure." The pot-bellied middle-aged man facing the living room gently stroked his belly and hehe urged his companions:

"Brothers, do you want to have some fun? Young Master Tianyuan is just using her as a bargaining chip. As long as she doesn't die, he won't care about these things."

The two companions didn't take the bait. One ate barbecue, and the other drank beer, saying:

"Sure, you make a call and ask Young Master Tianyuan. If he has no objections, then we'll go in and take care of her."

The pot-bellied middle-aged man laughed awkwardly, "I just thought it was boring, so I wanted to find some fun."

His expression suddenly froze, his eyes staring straight at the living room. On the thick carpet, at the entrance to the living room, a pair of brand new Red High-Heels rose and fell in unison.

The scene was eerie and terrifying.

The pot-bellied middle-aged man's pupils constricted, and he urgently warned: "Behind you, behind you!"

The two middle-aged men shuddered and turned their heads sharply.

As the three men's attention was drawn to the Red High-Heels, Zhang Yuanqing appeared behind the pot-bellied middle-aged man. His left hand covered the man's mouth, and his right hand held the Bloodthirsty Blade, lightly slicing across the carotid artery.

The two middle-aged men heard a muffled "woo woo" sound and immediately turned around, seeing the pot-bellied middle-aged man's terrified face, seeing the blood gushing from his neck, and also seeing the young man with blood splattered on his face.

"Young Master Tianyuan?" The two men looked shocked.

In their surprise, they wasted too much time. Zhang Yuanqing swung his knife at the chest of the man on the left.

The man instinctively reached out to grab it, but grabbed empty air. The thrusting willow blade shattered like a bubble.

An illusion.

The next moment, a chill ran down his back, and blood spurted out.

"Night… Night Wanderer?" He uttered these words in anger and unwillingness, and slowly collapsed to the ground.

On the other side, just as the last bandit was about to react, he saw the eerie Red High-Heels rushing towards him with a *pat pat* sound.

He instinctively threw a punch to meet it, but heard a *crack* sound as the bone at his wrist pierced the skin, and his fist drooped from the wrist.

*Bang bang bang!*

The Red High-Heels stomped on the bandit's chest with extreme speed, continuously and with great force.

The middle-aged bandit flew backwards and never got up again.

The entire process took less than ten seconds.

Zhang Yuanqing stepped forward and plunged the Bloodthirsty Blade into the chest of the last bandit, allowing the weapon of this Bewitching Imp to absorb its fill of essence and blood.

Holding the hilt of the blade, he felt a scorching and powerful force surge into his body.

The slight fatigue brought on by continuous Night Watch disappeared completely. In fact, his physical condition surpassed his usual peak.

The Bewitching Imp's passive skill – Bloodthirst.

Holding the Bloodthirsty Blade, Zhang Yuanqing brazenly stepped into the living room. As soon as he stepped onto the soft carpet, a swift flash of fire appeared at the edge of the door and blew his head off.

But it was just an illusion.

The black tank top man had put on red fingerless gloves on his fists at some point. After punching empty air, his expression froze slightly.

At this moment, the real Zhang Yuanqing appeared behind the man like a ghost, stabbing the back of his heart with a knife.

The Night Wanderer's attacks were silent and difficult to defend against, but at the moment the tip of the knife broke through the skin and entered the muscle, the Fire Master dodged forward with amazing reflexes.

"Night Wanderer." The black tank top man rolled to his feet and raised his eyebrows. "You're not Young Master Tianyuan. Who are you?"

"At least it broke his defense, and he will continue to bleed…" Zhang Yuanqing ignored the man's words, closed the door to the living room, then concealed his figure, waiting for an opportunity to act.

At the same time, he quietly took out the Toad Cauldron and kicked it under the sofa, issuing a kill order to the Red High-Heels.

*Da da da…* The Red High-Heels ran towards the middle-aged man with light steps. Zhang Yuanqing took the opportunity to go around from the left, trying to sandwich the Fire Master with the Red High-Heels.

If he had enough time, he could completely replicate his achievement of killing Ou Xiangrong in the underground garage. Unfortunately, not every battle could have such good conditions.

"Hmph!"

The black tank top man snorted coldly, and flames burst from his gloved hands as he punched towards the Red High-Heels.

He soon experienced the helplessness of his dead companions. The flames and fist passed through the attacking shoes, followed by two *bang bang* sounds, and a sharp pain in his chest.

The huge force caused his heart to stop for a moment, and he staggered backwards.

An opportunity!

Zhang Yuanqing lowered his body and darted towards the enemy like a cheetah. At this moment, he saw the black tank top man plant his heel and stabilize his body, slamming his fists together hard in front of his chest.

*Boom!*

Like a high-explosive grenade exploding, heat waves and shock waves swept through the huge living room. The carpet, sofa, and wooden cabinets were ignited, and high flames rose up.

Zhang Yuanqing was also blasted out, nearly fainting from the pain. His hair curled up, his clothes caught fire, and black and red blood-soaked burns appeared on his face.

The black tank top man's face turned pale, as if he had also suffered from the backlash of the explosion. He pounced forward fiercely, his back muscles bulging, and his right arm pulled back to form a fist.

*Pa!* The air seemed to be torn apart.

Half-dazed, Zhang Yuanqing couldn't dodge and chose the most correct response, reaching out into the void and grabbing a golden bead.

The next moment, the fierce fist landed on his face.

*Bang bang bang* A series of dull sounds echoed in Zhang Yuanqing's ears as fists landed on his face and chest, each one heavier than the last.

He seemed to have forgotten to resist and staggered backwards, even his footsteps were extremely heavy, as if he was carrying a mountain on his shoulders.

An earthy-yellow halo covered his body, rippling in small circles. The force of the punches poured onto him through the defense of the "Steady One" bead. It hurt, but he could bear it.

*Da da da!*

The Red High-Heels arrived to rescue their useless master, stomping on the Fire Master's waist with two powerful kicks.

Zhang Yuanqing finally seized the opportunity, immediately withdrew the bead, held his knife forward, and stabbed the Fire Master's abdomen.

At this moment, the black tank top man's body burst into flames and disappeared in front of Zhang Yuanqing.

The next second, he appeared in the flames not far behind Zhang Yuanqing.

Fire Teleport!

After reappearing, the black tank top man immediately kicked out a ball of fiery flames.

Feeling the fiery wind behind him, Zhang Yuanqing dove forward as quickly as possible, letting the fireball graze the top of his head, and it *boom* crashed into the wall not far away, blasting out a large patch of blackness.

Just as he dove, before he could enter Night Watch, the second and third fireballs came one after another.

Zhang Yuanqing rolled to the side, dodging the first fireball, but was hit in the waist by the second, and his clothes instantly caught fire. A burning pain struck him.

*Bang bang!*

Two more kicks gave him a chance to catch his breath again. Zhang Yuanqing's rolling figure disappeared.

The black tank top man dodged a head-on stomp, and suddenly felt a chill on his head. Then, he caught a glimpse of the Night Wanderer, disguised as Young Master Tianyuan, quietly appearing on the left, swinging his knife horizontally.

"Hmph, ghostly trick!"

This time, he didn't actively meet it, but flicked out a line of fire, easily piercing the sneaking Night Wanderer, causing him to turn into a bubble and dissipate.

But just then, the black tank top man's eyes went dark, losing his sight.

He shuddered and immediately slammed his fists together in front of his chest, creating terrifying flames and shock waves.

*Boom!*

The shockwave shattered the television, overturned the potted plants, and the living room was filled with raging flames.

The black tank top man who hadn't been ambushed breathed a sigh of relief. At this moment, his vision returned, and the chill on his head was gone.

Suddenly, an itch crawled up his throat, and he couldn't help coughing. The more he coughed, the itchier it became. The black tank top man bent over, coughing with a red face, coughing and collapsing to the ground, his hands and feet feeling sore and numb.

The Red High-Heels seized the opportunity and attacked wildly, stomping on the black tank top man's body again and again.

At the entrance of the stairs leading to the second floor, Zhang Yuanqing quietly watched all this. Beside him was a round infant with "tearful eyes", pulling on his master's trousers with one small hand, while the other finger pointed at the black tank top middle-aged man, complaining that he had scared him just now.

Just now, it was little Doubi who had been lying on top of the Fire Master's head, controlled by Zhang Yuanqing, to switch his vision.

The purpose was to force the black tank top man to use the "explosion" method again, because Zhang Yuanqing had keenly realized earlier that this was a move that killed a thousand enemies while harming eight hundred of his own.

All of this was to set the stage for the "poisoning." When he stabbed the black tank top man in the back with a knife, Zhang Yuanqing had come up with a set of tactics.

Using the Red High-Heels and the Bloodthirsty Blade for attrition, and the Toad Cauldron as the final blow.

The poison of the Toad Cauldron was continuously volatile. Theoretically speaking, one would be poisoned after taking a breath, but the initial poison was weak, and ordinary people could withstand it.

So it took time to accumulate.

But if the target's physical condition was very bad, very weak, his immunity would definitely decline.

Therefore, he formulated a plan to consume the enemy with the Red High-Heels' pursuit and the Bloodthirsty Blade's bleeding, and then let the Toad Cauldron end the battle.

The reason why he dared to use the Toad Cauldron so boldly wasn't because he was gambling, but because he was certain that his immunity would be stronger than the Fire Master's. The Night Wanderer's powerful vitality and self-healing abilities were his confidence.

The Fire Master didn't have such passive skills.

Seeing that the Fire Master had finally stopped moving under the stomping of the Red High-Heels, Zhang Yuanqing was still not at ease and threw the willow blade as a flying knife with force.

The sharp blade was nailed into the other party's lower abdomen. Only then did he feel relieved. Without further delay, he groped for the Toad Cauldron under the overturned sofa and put the item made of bronze and ebony back into his item list.

Then, he successively retrieved the Bloodthirsty Blade and the Red High-Heels, as well as the pair of gloves on the Fire Master's hands.

At this time, the flames had already begun to spread, burning fiercely, threatening to engulf the entire living room.

Zhang Yuanqing seized the time, rushed to the second floor, jumped high, and punched the surveillance camera to pieces.

*Deng deng deng.* He ran down the corridor paved with elm wood flooring and quickly came to the door. Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing's pupils shrank sharply, staring intently at the edge of the door.

A cell phone was lying there quietly, the screen lit up, maintaining a call.

The caller – Xiahou Tianyuan!