Chapter 220: Male Favorite

Chapter 220: Male Concubine

Even as Aunt Xiao Yuan cried out an urgent warning, Zhang Yuanqing had already heard the faint whistle of wind above his head, felt the air currents flowing in an uncanny way; without a second thought, he lunged to the side.

"Bang!"

Behind him came the explosive crash of porcelain shattering into shards, and soil spraying in all directions.

Zhang Yuanqing, having thrown himself forward in a desperate dive, executed a roll, pressed his palm against the ground, and vaulted upright, planting his feet firmly before whirling around to look.

What had come crashing down was a potted plant.

"Fuck..." Staring at the porcelain fragments and soil scattered across the ground, a string of national profanity slipped from Zhang Yuanqing's lips.

If that thing had smashed into his skull, even as a Night Wanderer he would have ended up with a bloody head; for an ordinary person, they likely wouldn't have even had a chance at resuscitation, dropping dead on the spot.

My rotten luck is getting more and more outrageous. At least this morning's car accident was out in the open, letting me know clearly, giving me a chance to react.

His heart felt heavy.

"Beep beep~"

At that moment, a white car not far off honked its horn, and Xiao Yuan's bright, stately face appeared at the window, her tone cool:

"Get in!"

Zhang Yuanqing no longer dwelled on the matter of objects falling from heights, jogging over to climb into the passenger seat.

It was currently the evening rush hour; there were quite a few residents (aunties and uncles) coming and going in the compound. They had been startled by the tremendous crash of the potted plant smashing down just now, and turned their gazes this way.

Hopefully tomorrow there won't be rumors about the retired police captain's grandson hooking up with some wealthy society woman... Zhang Yuanqing prayed silently, slamming the car door shut with a bang.

Xiao Yuan stepped on the gas and sped off.

The car didn't leave the compound, but wound its way around to park in a secluded parking spot within the complex.

Zhang Yuanqing turned his head to admire her profile. This woman's side view was beautiful—her nose straight and delicate, her chin slightly upturned, the curve of her cheek graceful.

Whether a person's features are three-dimensional depends mainly on the nose; whether a face is pretty depends on whether the chin juts.

From this angle, he could also clearly see her curled, upturned eyelashes.

Her beauty differed from his little aunt's cute obedience, Guan Ya's exquisite charm, and Little Green Tea's pure, ethereal loveliness. Her features were bright and grand, the kind of face you could put on a podium as a leader, and the people below wouldn't secretly sneer "a woman can't run things."

This was an element many bewitching, fresh, charming, or obedient women lacked.

Besides, Xiao Yuan was a "plain" woman—her expression, her temperament, her personality, all plain.

Cool and cold.

Xiao Yuan shifted into neutral, engaged the handbrake, and said coldly:

"Want me to gouge your eyeballs out?"

Only then did Zhang Yuanqing realize that under his burning gaze, Aunt Xiao Yuan's body had gone somewhat stiff, her expression a little tense.

No need to be this nervous, the bet was a joke... Zhang Yuanqing coughed once, broaching the real business, his voice slightly low:

"Aunt Xiao Yuan, have I been cursed?"

Seeing he made no mention of the wager, Xiao Yuan's expression remained cold, yet her features softened slightly as she spoke lightly:

“Severing Fortune, a type of curse.

“Compared to a death curse, its manifestation is far gentler; the afflicted will be plagued by misfortune for a time, everything going awry, until they perish in an accident.”

From her observation just now, and the manner in which the potted plant fell, she knew exactly what curse had befallen the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.

“Your third eye is darkened, your spirit body wreathed in black qi — this is a Saint-realm curse. Your misfortune will grow ever more terrifying; within three days at most, you will meet a violent death.”

A curse indeed, three days at most, a violent death... Zhang Yuanqing's heart turned cold; he decisively summoned the Demon-Subduing Pestle.

A flash of yellow light, and the rather heavy copper pestle landed in his palm.

He did not rush to break the curse, but asked instead:

“Is there any way to reverse-locate the curser? Also, I recall that different curse mediums produce different effects; a curse that can hound me to death like this — surely they have control over my flesh and blood?”

The current he was no longer the greenhorn who had just entered the trade.

Breaking a curse was simple, but the crux of this matter was not breaking the curse, but finding the curser.

To understand through what medium the curser had laid the curse; if it were flesh and blood, then next time, perhaps, it would be a direct death curse.

He could not keep himself in a constant state of purification; otherwise, before the curse killed him, the Demon-Subduing Pestle would have sucked him dry into a human husk.

Moreover, while awake he could stay vigilant, but what about when he rested?

A death curse takes but an instant; asleep, he would have no time to react at all.

Admiration flickered in Xiao Yuan's eyes, then she shook her head:

“No such method exists; you might as well think for yourself — who have you offended recently?”

Unable to reverse-lock the curser... Zhang Yuanqing's brow furrowed instantly; he would have to find the curser within a short time.

Gazing at the contemplative Primordial Heavenly Venerable, she continued, answering his second question:

“The curse upon you is of extremely high intensity; the curser must have obtained your blood, flesh, hair, or skin to use as a medium, rather than a photograph and birth characters.”

Zhang Yuanqing's conjecture was confirmed, and his heart grew heavier still.

“Apart from Black Impermanence, I have no enmity with anyone of the Spiritual Ability Association; of course, with my current fame, the Association needs no reason to kill me. My enemies are too many; I truly cannot discern...”

Worry lay hidden in Xiao Yuan's eyes, her tone flat:

“Change your thinking: why didn't the curser simply death-curse you? An ulterior motive, or fear of something? Have you been injured and bled recently? Who had the chance to take your blood?”

As a Witch-Gu Master, her understanding of her own profession far surpassed the Primordial Heavenly Venerable's; her line of thought was clearer.

Zhang Yuanqing leaned against the chair back, head lowered in thought.

If the one cursing me were an Evil-class profession, they should have just death-cursed me; I've never heard of an Evil-class taking a bounty and still demanding a head... If not an Evil-class, then they must control a cursed artifact... Severing Fortune instead of death-cursing — hmm, Severing Fortune kills more covertly...

Then their identity is most likely a Lawful-class profession, perhaps even someone official, afraid that a direct death curse would draw the attention of the Songhai Branch's upper echelons.

After all, my current status commands the utmost attention even from the Elders; a baffling death curse would certainly prompt an investigation, whereas Severing Fortune's death is gentler, and far harder to detect.

These past days, aside from the arena matches, I haven't been injured; in the arena matches, who came into contact with my flesh and blood...

Zhang Yuanqing swiftly locked onto three figures: the Maoshan Sorcerer, Zhao Chenghuang, and Qing Songzi.

Among the three, Zhao Chenghuang was the prime suspect, the Maoshan Sorcerer second, and Qing Songzi the least suspicious.

The latter two likely possessed no Saint-grade Witchcraft artifacts, nor did their enmity toward him run deep enough for this.

If Zhao Chenghuang was the one trying to harm him, this matter had to be reported to Fu Qingyang, to be handled by him or escalated to the Elders... Zhang Yuanqing had already made up his mind.

"If you need my help, just say the word." Seeing the light in his eyes, Xiao Yuan knew the Primordial Heavenly Venerable had already seen through it all.

"No need! You giving me a precise answer is the greatest help already; I'll handle the rest myself." Zhang Yuanqing said.

Since it involved the Taiyi Sect, Xiao Yuan couldn't interfere.

Xiao Yuan nodded:

"Regardless of whether this gets resolved, remember to notify me."

"Deal!" Zhang Yuanqing opened the car door, about to take his leave, when Xiao Yuan suddenly asked again:

"How is Kou Beiyue's situation?"

"Haven't forgotten. The higher-ups told me to wait for word; no reply yet." Zhang Yuanqing glanced at her: "If there's news, I'll let you know."

With that, he climbed out of the cabin and gently shut the car door.

He had only taken two steps when Xiao Yuan's voice, tinged with laughter, drifted from the car window behind him:

"Congratulations on the championship!"

...

In the bedroom, Zhang Yuanqing locked the door and dialed Fu Qingyang's number:

"Centurion, I've been cursed."

"What happened?" The voice on the phone sank.

He recounted, in full detail, the unusual streak of bad luck he'd suffered today, and the process of specifically seeking out a Witchcraft master at the Wuchen Hotel for an observation.

Naturally, the three suspects were included.

Fu Qingyang pondered for a few seconds, then spoke slowly:

"Understood. At the latest by tomorrow, I'll give you a reply."

"Good!"

Zhang Yuanqing finished speaking and waited for the other side to hang up, but after a few seconds, Fu Qingyang didn't disconnect.

Zhang Yuanqing immediately said:

"Thank you, Centurion. The Centurion's might awes his peers, he looks down on Taiyi, his life spans the heavens, he unifies the Five Elements."

*Beep beep~*

The other side hung up.

Taking advantage of the time before his grandma finished cooking dinner, Zhang Yuanqing sat in his ergonomic chair, fingers drumming on the desktop.

"Ten days at most, and the Slaughter Dungeon will open. My second Exclusive Spirit Realm is also drawing near—the Exclusive Spirit Realm and the Slaughter Dungeon don't conflict, it's just a question of which arrives first."

These past few days, because of the arena tournament, his pace of reading guides had slowed; now that he'd claimed the championship, he had to pick his studies back up.

"The Solo Spirit Realm is fraught with peril; given the hidden rating of this character card of mine, I'll likely run into an S-rank or A-rank again, so there's no need to look at guides for anything below A-rank."

"Sigh, every time I enter a Solo Spirit Realm, the Songhai Branch has to spend a fortune buying guides from the Taichi Gate—it feels a bit embarrassing…"

The Five Elements Alliance had no Night Tour Gods, so guides for that class's Exclusive Spirit Realms were exceedingly scarce.

Only a handful of scattered trial missions, or guides for very low-level dungeons, existed.

Therefore, before his second Exclusive Spirit Realm opened, the Songhai Branch had purchased a great many high-difficulty Night Tour God dungeon guides from the Taichi Gate.

Although the two S-rank dungeons Zhang Yuanqing had cleared sold for a good price, offsetting a portion of the cost, the Songhai Branch still expended a massive sum of funds and a certain quantity of artifacts.

Besides, the Transcendent Realm was manageable enough, but once he reached the Saint Realm, the value of dungeon guides would skyrocket, and the Taichi Gate would surely demand an exorbitant price.

This was the benefit of high merit—the organization would spare no effort, spare no cost, to cultivate him; an ordinary Night Tour God would probably just have to leave it to fate.

"The Solo Spirit Realm is too dangerous; even with my current strength, I can't afford to be careless—I need to give myself an extra ten percent insurance."

With that thought, he fished out his phone and sent a message to Xie Lingxi.

Primordial Heavenly Venerate: "Lingxi little sister, I have something I want to see the Palace Master about."

Little Green Tea: "Sure thing, I'll pass it on."

Zhang Yuanqing wanted to buy some Essence of Life from the Slaying Palace Master; the stuff was a strategic resource, incredibly precious, and the two Musician clans had limited production, so within the Five Elements Alliance only Stewards were qualified to apply for its use.

And even then, they could only apply for diluted Essence of Life.

Zhang Yuanqing's merit was high, but he wasn't yet a Steward; by the rules, he couldn't apply.

He could ask Fu Qingyang for help, but if the Slaying Palace Master could give him concentrated Essence of Life, why bother applying for the diluted version?

He chatted with Little Green Tea until his grandmother called from the living room that dinner was ready, only then receiving a confirmed reply:

Little Green Tea: "Palace Master Sister says, midnight, the usual spot. Hmph, you two have a secret rendezvous spot now, not happy not happy [hands on hips, angry]"

Primordial Heavenly Venerate: "When you come of age, you can come with Palace Master Sister."

He locked his screen and went out to eat.

At the dining table, his aunt chattered incessantly to his grandmother and grandfather about today's shopping trip.

His grandmother listened with a deepening frown, then turned her gaze to her grandson:

"From now on, if anyone provokes you, absolutely do not fight—just call your cousin."

She turned to her daughter: "You too!"

In a place like Songhai, being hit on because of beauty was common, but being beaten for ignoring a come-on was still rare.

After dinner, Zhang Yuanqing received a call from Fu Qingyang.

"The person who cursed you has been found—it's Zhu Rong, Chi Yue'an's wife."

"Zhu Rong?" Zhang Yuanqing blurted out in surprise.

This result caught him off guard.

Zhang Yuanqing exclaimed in astonishment,

"How did she get my blood?"

Fu Qingyang replied,

"It was Qingsongzi. He whipped you once during the Dungeon Trial; that was when he collected the blood, storing it inside an artifact.

"He had a deal with Zhu Rong. As long as he delivered your blood, Zhu Rong would become his lover. Qingsongzi is a wood demon; he couldn't resist such temptation.

"According to Qingsongzi's confession, Zhu Rong's motive was... to train you into a male concubine."

Zhang Yuanqing: "???"

While stunned, he felt a deep sense of insult.

The reason he had listed Qingsongzi as the least likely suspect was primarily that Qingsongzi lacked a motive, and he was unaware of the secret pact between the two.

Chiyue An had indeed been killed by a curse. In that case, the one who killed him back then was Zhu Rong... Was it revenge because I destroyed her covert channel for making illicit money? Or was it the attitude I displayed that day, vowing to pursue the matter to the end, that made her sense a threat?

Cursing me to train me into a male concubine? This is a humiliation.

Fu Qingyang said, "I've already dispatched men to deploy; they're rushing to the Zhu residence overnight. At the latest, we can execute the arrest by tomorrow morning. If Qingsongzi's confession is true, then our options for dealing with Zhu Rong are very limited."

The Five Elements Alliance has ways to make Zhu Rong tell the truth. If Qingsongzi is telling the truth... Cursing the Primordial Heavenly Venerate and wanting to sleep with the Primordial Heavenly Venerate are two entirely different concepts.

If the Zhu clan's direct line wanted to kill the Primordial Heavenly Venerate, the Five Elements Alliance would surely punish them severely; life imprisonment would be the lightest sentence.

But if the Zhu clan's legitimate daughter merely wanted to sleep with the Primordial Heavenly Venerate... The Zhu clan is a Spirit Realm aristocratic family, not some random jianghu gang to be bullied at will, and they have deep, intricate ties with the officialdom.

The Five Elements Alliance would naturally punish them, but they wouldn't execute the Zhu clan's legitimate daughter over it.

"How to punish is for the higher-ups to deliberate, Centurion. Right now, the most important thing is to retrieve the curse medium. Also, the Copper Sparrow Tower case can be investigated while we're at it," Zhang Yuanqing said.

"Naturally!"

Having said that, Fu Qingyang ended the call.

"Perfect. We can use this incident to bring the Copper Sparrow Tower case to a close."

Goddamn 'want to sleep with me.' If you wanted to sleep with me, you should've just said so earlier; sending a hotel room number would've sufficed... Zhang Yuanqing's face darkened as he slammed the phone onto the bed.

...

Dawn.

The coffee shop opposite the Kangyang District Security Bureau.

Zhang Yuanqing sat at a small round table, gazing at the Palace Master of the Killing Cessation Palace across from him, and said,

"Palace Master, I want to buy a few vials of Life Essence."

The Palace Master of Killing Cessation held a silver spoon between slender fingers, stirring gently, and said,

"Life Essence is extremely difficult to manufacture; the materials are scarce and precious. I can give you two vials at most, one hundred thousand each."

Diluted Life Essence could fetch two to three million on the black market, and even then, it was often priceless.

One hundred thousand per unit—this wasn't a fire-sale price anymore; this was a hush-money price for an affair... Zhang Yuanqing immediately said:

"Deal!"

After the transaction was concluded, the Palace Master of Slaughter took a sip of coffee and chuckled softly:

"Your third eye is darkened; have you been plagued by ill fortune lately?"

She could actually tell... Zhang Yuanqing nodded and told her about being cursed by Zhu Rong, omitting the matter of the male concubine.

After all, he had face to save.

The Palace Master of Slaughter let out an "oh," the corner of her mouth curling upward:

"Ever since that woman was 'trained' by the Demon Lord, her heart has been twisted; she holds a particular hatred for Night Wanderers. No wonder she didn't curse you to death but instead drained your blessings. I expect in a day or two she'll contact you, using the curse as leverage and her beauty as bait, to train you into an obedient male concubine. Tsk, tsk..."

No need to bring that up... Zhang Yuanqing forced a smile.

She won't get the chance; my little brother-in-law has already made his move!

...