Chapter 1 Taking the Room Card

Taking the room card from Xie Lingxi's hand, Zhang Yuanqing arrived at the presidential suite and swiped the card.

"Di di!"

After the prompt tone, he twisted the doorknob and entered the room.

The luxuriously decorated hall was empty. Zhang Yuanqing glanced around and said, "Palace Master?"

A clear, ethereal voice came from the bedroom, tinged with weakness, "Inside."

Zhang Yuanqing immediately crossed the hall and pushed open the door to the master bedroom. The master bedroom had a small sitting room. Passing through the small sitting room, he finally saw the Zhisha Palace Master on a chaise lounge by the window.

She was still dressed in a red ancient costume, with cloud patterns embroidered in gold thread on her chest, sleeves, and skirt. She lay on her side on the soft couch, propping herself up with an arm as white as frost and snow.

Her beautiful eyes under the silver mask silently stared at him as he entered.

'Her figure is quite graceful. I wonder what kind of face is under the mask,' Zhang Yuanqing thought, his eyes subtly sweeping over the delicate feet revealed from under her skirt.

This is a woman who doesn't like wearing shoes.

"I heard the Palace Master wanted to see me about something?" Zhang Yuanqing sat down at a desk not far from the chaise lounge.

The Zhisha Palace Master narrowed her eyes and smiled, "I was injured by the Heavenly King of the Soldiers, and it will be difficult to recover in the short term. The enemy has chased me to Songhai, and I must find a way to protect myself. Therefore, I need you!"

The Heavenly King of the Soldiers actually chased her to Songhai? Zhang Yuanqing was shocked. Hearing the second half of the sentence, he was stunned, "Need me?"

'Need me to die for you!'

The Zhisha Palace Master nodded lightly, twirling a strand of hair with her jade fingers, and said, "I have a prop called the *Yinhuang Zhi Yong* (Innate Emperor's Embrace). It can quickly heal my injuries, no matter how serious. The effect is far above the Essence of Life.

"But using it comes with a price, a price I can't afford, so I need you."

'So that's it!' Zhang Yuanqing nodded at first, then realized something was wrong. 'What kind of price requires *him*?

'Neither Zhang Yuanqing nor Yuan Shi Tianzun possess such a unique characteristic.'

So, he cautiously asked, "What price?"

The Zhisha Palace Master sat up, placing her hands on her lower abdomen in a ladylike posture, and sighed, "The price of *Yinhuang Zhi Yong* is that to save one person, you must sacrifice another. The sacrifice must be male and be the devotee’s beloved man..."

Before Zhang Yuanqing could even utter a "What the f*ck," the red-skirted beauty sitting on the couch suddenly disappeared. The next moment, a pair of cool, soft hands came from behind, stroking Zhang Yuanqing's cheeks as she said softly, "You are my gigolo, so naturally, you can't shirk such a heavy responsibility, right?"

After speaking, she parted her red lips slightly, exhaling a moist and fragrant breath.

Zhang Yuanqing broke out in goosebumps all over his body, frozen in place.

He couldn't move because the Zhisha Palace Master's aura was suppressing him.

After a few seconds of stalemate, she suddenly giggled, laughing uncontrollably, her colorful dress fluttering. "Look how scared you are. How could I be willing to sacrifice you?"

She moved back to the chaise lounge with graceful steps, her red skirt trailing on the ground.

*Hoo.* Zhang Yuanqing exhaled slowly and forcefully, cursing inwardly, 'Crazy woman! You're a f*cking lunatic!!'

For a moment just now, he thought he was dead for sure.

"Palace Master, don't play such jokes with me. What exactly did you call me here for?" Zhang Yuanqing suppressed his anger.

The Zhisha Palace Master opened her sleeve and slowly sat down. The watery eyes veiled their smile, and her tone turned colder, "I was injured by the Devil Eye Heavenly King and almost died at his hands. He chased me all the way to Songhai. I need you

to report this matter. The Songhai branch has five elders, and the Devil Eye wouldn't dare to be too blatant. With their intervention, my pressure will be much less. Another thing..."

She glanced at him lightly, "I heard you killed Li Xianzong in Yin Yang Town. Good kill. Worthy of being the man I want as my gigolo. However, Li Xianzong was the Devil Eye's confidant, so since he's come to Songhai, he will definitely settle this score."

'The Devil Eye Heavenly King has come to Songhai?' Zhang Yuanqing's expression immediately turned ugly.

His expression turned ugly as he pondered for a long time and said, "What is the Devil Eye Heavenly King's strength?"

The Zhisha Palace Master slowly said, "Without any external help, my chances of surviving in his hands are only 30%, and my chances of winning are zero."

In other words, there is no chance of winning. This is too strong. The Zhisha Palace Master is at least a Ruler-level. Well, she is an Orderly profession and is only at the early stage of the Ruler Realm. But the Devil Eye Heavenly King is different; he is a veteran Ruler.

Zhang Yuanqing clicked his tongue inwardly and said, "If I encounter the Devil Eye Heavenly King, what should I prepare in advance?"

The Zhisha Palace Master glanced at him and said somewhat irritably, "Prepare your funeral."

Zhang Yuanqing raised his hand to his mouth, coughed, and said to cover up his embarrassment, "What I mean is, what is the Devil Eye Heavenly King good at, and what are his weaknesses? I want to know more about him."

He certainly wouldn't be able to find any information about the Devil Eye Heavenly King. Even if he earned another Grade A merit, he might not be able to find Ruler-level information. Only when he reached a certain position would he have access to that level of authority.

The Zhisha Palace Master had fought the Devil Eye Heavenly King and had the most accurate and up-to-date information.

"The Devil Eye Heavenly King is, besides Shura, the only one who has cultivated the Eye of Bewitchment to the extreme. As a result, he grew a vertical eye on his forehead. That's where the name Devil Eye comes from." The Zhisha Palace Master pondered for a moment and said, "Discussing his strengths and weaknesses is meaningless. People at this level, even if they have weaknesses, you can't exploit them. But his personality, you might be able to take advantage of. This guy is a madman, an oddball!"

'You're the crazy one, you're the oddball?' Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but complain, but on the surface, he remained calm and composed. "How so?"

"The Devil Eye Heavenly King also has another nickname, the Angry Young Man Heavenly King. Because he always harbors anger towards this world and this country, feeling that they are not living up to their potential. Whenever he goes to a place, he investigates local officials to see if they are using their power for personal gain, oppressing the people, embezzling public funds, etc., and then collects evidence. When he feels that the evidence in his hand is enough to sentence the target to death, he will stop and then go to their door and kill them," the Zhisha Palace Master said.

"Also, rumor has it that he hates evil like the plague and can't stand bullying, so the members of the Soldiers are very afraid of him. Where he is, not a single Bewitchment demon dares to do evil."

Zhang Yuanqing listened in stunned silence, his face blank.

'Is this an evil profession? Is he a saint sent by heaven to save the world?'

The Zhisha Palace Master said calmly, "Don't think he's a good person. The Devil Eye is a typical example of someone who has become a demon due to his obsessions. Such people are more extreme and more dangerous than those who are bloodthirsty. If I remember correctly, the official ranking of the Soldiers' Four Heavenly Kings put the Devil Eye's danger coefficient as the highest."

"I understand." Zhang Yuanqing nodded solemnly.

'With my understanding of evil professions, this Devil Eye Heavenly King must have been oppressed by the government before becoming a Spirit Realm Walker. No, not just oppression, it should be persecution and even massacre.'

Only then can his "angry youth" be explained.

The evil of every evil profession is not without reason.

The starting point of eliminating corrupt officials is good, but being too extreme is another matter. "Thank you for the reminder. I have a general understanding of what kind of person he is," Zhang Yuanqing nodded.

'Although it's useless,' he added in his heart.

The Zhisha Palace Master nodded lightly, "That's all. You can leave now. I'll rest for a while. Tell Xie Lingxi not to come in unless it's important. If she dares to disturb my rest, hang her up and beat her."

'This seems to be her room, right?' Zhang Yuanqing silently sympathized with the little green tea for half a second.

Leaving the suite, he didn't delay and immediately took out his phone to call Fu Qingyang. This was a matter of great importance and had to be reported.

"Speak!" Fu Qingyang said succinctly.

'The centurion's voice is always so calm. But in the 0.01 seconds after I say this news, I want to hear your loss of composure...'

Zhang Yuanqing said in a low voice, "Centurion, I just got news from the Zhisha Palace Master that the Devil Eye Heavenly King has come to Songhai."

"What?" Fu Qingyang's tone changed, and he asked urgently, "How did you find out? Is the news reliable?" The usually aloof centurion's tone revealed urgency.

Zhang Yuanqing immediately summarized the Zhisha Palace Master's words and told Fu Qingyang.

"I understand," Fu Qingyang took a deep breath. "This person is extremely dangerous. I will report it to the elders immediately. Yuan Shi, you don't have to go to the office for the next few days. Stay at home."

'Sigh, I, this official member, am about to become a shrinking turtle,' Zhang Yuanqing said, "I know what to do."

With Songhai's nearly 30 million population, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Devil Eye would be looking for a needle in a haystack if his real identity wasn't exposed.

Moreover, the Devil Eye's primary target is the Zhisha Palace Master. Yuan Shi Tianzun, a small fry like him, is just a side note. The focus is not on him.

'Starting today, I won't go to the office, and I'll disguise myself when I go out. There shouldn't be much of a problem,' he thought, hanging up the phone.

Fujiabao.

In his study, Fu Qingyang put down his phone with a solemn expression.

Ling Jun, who was sitting on the sofa in the reception area, was putting a grape in his mouth, nonchalantly saying, "What's wrong? You look pale. Did one of your acquaintances become a member of the Night Rose?"

Fu Qingyang glanced at him. "Yuan Shi told me that the Soldiers' Devil Eye has come to Songhai."

"Pfft!" The grape in Ling Jun's mouth sprayed out. He stood up abruptly and said, "I've been in Songhai long enough. I miss my old father very much. There's no time like the present. I'm going back to Beijing today."

Fu Qingyang ignored him and immediately dialed Elder Gou's phone. "Elder, I just got some information from Yuan Shi Tianzun."

"Him?" Elder Gou chuckled, "Tell me about it."

"The Devil Eye has come to Songhai."

"What?" Elder Gou's voice suddenly rose several decibels, and he asked quickly, "Where did Yuan Shi Tianzun get the news? Is the information reliable? The Devil Eye has always been active in the north. Why would he come to the south for no reason?"

Listening to Elder Gou's tone, Fu Qingyang suddenly realized what he had been like earlier. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "The Zhisha Palace Master told him." He immediately relayed Zhang Yuanqing's words to Elder Gou verbatim.

Elder Gou was silent for a long time and said in a low voice, "This information is very important and timely. I will immediately convene an elders' meeting to discuss how to deal with the Devil Eye Heavenly King. Of course, I will also issue a notice to let those with dirty hands temporarily hide at home."

If it were any other Heavenly King, Elder Gou wouldn't be so worried, but the Devil Eye Heavenly King was different. He was an unreasonable madman. An extremist! A lunatic!

"Let Yuan Shi hide at home too," Elder Gou instructed before hurriedly hanging up the phone.

At the hotel's revolving restaurant, Zhang Yuanqing and Xie Lingxi were sitting by the floor-to-ceiling windows, eating a lavish lunch.

The round table was filled with ham slices, borscht, caviar, steak, pan-fried cod, foie gras, etc., but Xie Lingxi had no appetite. She was casually cutting her steak, saying, "The Devil Eye has also come to Songhai. Yuan Shi *gege*, you must be careful, careful, and then more careful recently."

The Devil Eye Heavenly King is a Ruler-level Bewitchment demon, terrible, powerful, and invincible. In front of such a figure, any genius, any talent, is pale and powerless.

"I know. I'm scared to death right now," Zhang Yuanqing said self-deprecatingly.

He forked some ham slices and chewed them. "Speaking of which, Lingxi, I got a gang token in Yin Yang Town. Are you interested in joining?"

Xie Lingxi's eyes lit up, and a look of excitement bloomed on her pretty little face.

"Really, really? Yuan Shi *gege* got a gang token? Quickly invite me! I want to become Yuan Shi *gege*'s supporter and help *gege* build a career."

A gang token has many benefits. The most remarkable is the experience bonus. Although it won't be too much, experience points symbolize strength. Who would refuse to improve their strength? Not to mention the other functions of the gang token.

"Yuan Shi *gege*, what's our gang called?" The little green tea enthusiastically cut a piece of beef and put it in *gege*'s bowl.

Zhang Yuanqing gathered his energy in his dantian and said slowly, "Return of the Dead!"

"Return of the King?" Xie Lingxi clapped her little hands happily. "Imposing! I like it." Although it's very clichéd, it's acceptable.

"No!" Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. "You're thinking of the *wang* (王) for king, right? I originally wanted to use that name, but the name was taken, and I think it's too clichéd."

"So?" Xie Lingxi's heart sank as she listened.

"Return of the Dead! The *wang* (亡) for death!" Zhang Yuanqing raised his chin.

'What kind of broken name is this? Let's just scrap this gang token.' Xie Lingxi's beautiful eyes widened slightly, and she was stunned for a moment. The next second, her face bloomed with an expression of even greater joy and admiration than before.

"Return of the Dead! Yuan Shi *gege* doesn't take the usual path and isn't clichéd. I like this name. Quickly recruit me. I can't wait!"

Zhang Yuanqing immediately opened the warehouse, clicked on the search in the upper right corner, and typed in the three characters "Xie Lingxi" with his finger.

He selected invite.

The next second, Xie Lingxi sensed something. "Hmm, it's here."

Her pupils immediately lost focus as she stared at the property interface in front of her and clicked agree.

"Let me see what Yuan Shi *gege* has in stock." She excitedly opened the gang warehouse and found several props.

Two props were quietly lying in the gang warehouse. One was an ugly scarecrow with rough workmanship, and the other was shaped like pepper spray.

"Yuan Shi *gege*, can you show me the prop attributes?"

The items in the warehouse can publicly display the prop attributes without the Spirit Realm Walker touching them directly. This is one of the functions of the gang warehouse, which helps members select props in the warehouse.

"We'll look at it when we have the chance in the future," Zhang Yuanqing immediately lowered his head and ate.

"Why? Show me," Xie Lingxi begged, but Zhang Yuanqing just ignored her.

Under the scorching sun, Aunt Xiao Yuan drove to a bar that hadn't opened yet.

This street was full of bars and nightclubs, all of which were closed at this time, as it wasn't time for business yet.

A bar at the corner of the street, however, had its doors wide open, and cars, both expensive and cheap, were parked in the parking spaces outside the bar.

People dressed in various styles got out. Some were in suits and leather shoes, some were in flip-flops and capri pants, some were in tight clothes and buzz cuts, and some were wrapped in black coats and wearing duck-tongue hats. The composition was extremely complex.

Aunt Xiao Yuan parked the car, took out her phone, and handed the invitation SMS to the two burly security guards at the door to check. After confirming that the SMS was correct, one of the bald men sized up her voluptuous figure and grinned, "Go in!

"Girl, would you be interested in having a drink with us later?"

"Maybe, if I'm in a good mood and don't kill you two," Aunt Xiao Yuan said expressionlessly, putting away her phone and entering the bar.

The entrance led to a wide hall, filled with round tables and wicker chairs. Facing the door was a long bar.

The tables in the hall were filled with evil professionals who had come as invited, and Aunt Xiao Yuan was one of them.

She had received an invitation today stating that the new "leader" appointed by the Soldiers had arrived at the Songhai branch, reopening the stronghold, and inviting regular customers to come and show their support and meet. As one of the three major organizations in the evil profession, no one dared not to give the Soldiers face. Moreover, the evil professionals did need the existence of a black market.

They were all afraid of being double-crossed in individual transactions.

After Xiao Yuan took her seat, she ordered a cocktail from the bartender and waited silently.

About ten minutes later, a young man in sportswear and a sweatband on his forehead came out from the back. His features were quite handsome, and his smile was sunny, without the coldness and evil aura of an evil professional.

But when he appeared in everyone's eyes, everyone felt a chill in their hearts.

This was a more powerful and terrifying figure than Tian Lingling. Everyone unconsciously straightened their posture and put away their casual attitude. The young man with the sunny smile looked around the hall and said loudly, "Today is the day that the Soldiers' black market in the Songhai branch is reopening. I'm very happy that everyone can come and show their support. In the future, I will be in charge here, and everyone can play as they please, as long as you don't bully the weak and don't harm the innocent."

'Huh?'

Everyone was stunned for a moment, complaining in their hearts, 'Is that what you call playing as you please?'

"I assure you that the farce at Tian Lingling's broken bar will never be repeated," the young man said. "The Zhisha Palace Master's actions have angered the Soldiers. The Soldiers' prestige cannot be violated. You are all natives of Songhai. From today onwards, as long as you have any news about the Zhisha Palace's members or the Palace Master herself, you can notify me.

"A clue is worth 500,000, and a clue about the Zhisha Palace Master herself will be rewarded with 5 million after confirmation."

The evil professionals in the hall looked at each other, revealing expressions of excitement.

They were happy about the generous rewards and strongly interested in the Soldiers' actions against the Zhisha Palace.

The young man wearing the sweatband continued, "The second thing is to help me collect evidence of Yuan Shi Tianzun's crimes in the Songhai branch. Only... what?"

Aunt Xiao Yuan's expression froze, and she looked in surprise at the young man by the bar.