After bypassing the mountain head, the field of vision widened for several hundred meters, revealing a dip, a small town nestled there. Identical detached villas with gardens, neat and straight cement roads crisscrossing the town.

The town stretched from the mountain depression into the depths. Calling it a small town wasn't quite accurate; a town capable of accommodating over ten thousand people couldn't be considered small.

Its extravagance exceeded Xia Zuo's expectations.

Along the way, he had searched for photos of ethnic minority settlements in Bagui Province: dull gray and yellow earth, roofs covered with dark brown tiles, old farmers with rolled-up trouser legs leading oxen, walking on cobblestone paths.

The only sign of modern civilization was the utility pole standing at the village entrance.

Thus, Xia Zuo had formed a fixed impression of ethnic minority settlements in foreign lands: isolated and impoverished villages.

Seeing this scene now, he was somewhat stunned. Far from being poor and backward, it was surprisingly wealthy.

Xia Zuo quickly realized that the Qinghe Branch was the most powerful in Bagui Province, and the funds for the Wuda Branch of Bagui Province were received from the Qinghe Branch.

The money given to them by the Five Elements Alliance headquarters every year was more than the gross profit of a medium-sized enterprise for a year.

How could such a force live a life of poverty?

It wouldn't be surprising if they built a palace in the mountains.

Xia Zuo looked at the distant mountain depression, his light blue pupils regaining their calm.

"Qinghe Branch, arrived..." As soon as the words left his mouth, a three-meter-tall, long-haired giant ape suddenly sprang out of the dense forest ahead, dragging a broken piece of wood. It braced itself on the ground with one hand, sprinted a few steps, and threw the wood out with all its might.

The broken wood spun as it flew, and the demon hunter in the front row snorted coldly. Immediately afterwards, a small tornado rose up, swept the broken wood into the sky, and dropped it into the dense forest not far away.

"Screech~"

The driver slammed on the brakes, and the tires left black marks on the road.

Up ahead, a young man walked out of the forest carrying a rifle. He was wearing a blue, embroidered, beautifully patterned, front-buttoned cloth jacket. His skin was dark, and his eyes were full of aggression, possessing the unique ruggedness of the Qinghe people.

He first soothed the irritable giant ape, and then shouted in heavily accented Mandarin: "Are, are you not from Tianfa?"

Before the Tianfa team departed, the Five Elements Alliance headquarters had sent an email to inform the Qinghe Branch.

The Sea Demon, Osmond, poked his head out and said coldly: "You welcome guests by smashing cars with broken wood? As expected of a group of lowly, uncivilized, and foolish races." He spoke the last half of the sentence in a foreign language.

The young man didn't understand, as expected, and repeated the sentence: "Not Tianfa people?"

The demon hunter waved his hand, signaling his subordinate Osmond to calm down and not spoil things. He took out a document from his briefcase, used his power to send it over, and said with a smile: "This is the instruction manual from the Five Elements Alliance headquarters!"

The document fluttered in the wind towards the blue-clothed youth. The blue-clothed youth reached out to take it and casually glanced at it. He focused on examining the Five Elements Alliance headquarters official seal to confirm there were no problems. After that, he folded the document and put it in his pocket, pinched his lips, and blew a whistle. Soon, there was a rustling sound from the dense forest, the shrubs shook violently, and then a colorful giant tiger with a shoulder height of 1.6 meters came out and landed heavily on the road.

The blue-clothed youth jumped onto the tiger's back, ordered the giant ape to return to the jungle, and then turned to shout at the car, "Follow me!"

The colorful giant tiger walked unhurriedly towards the town, the business car slowly following. Hoover stared at the colorful giant tiger and said, "The old ancestor of the Qinghe Tribe is an Earth Fiend, but this person seems to be a Wood Sprite?"

Xia Zuo glanced at the computer screen and nodded, "Earth Fiend and Wood Sprite are the mainstream professions of the Qinghe Branch. Among them, the Earth Fiend's status is higher than the Wood Sprite. But strangely, that person who is comparable to a demigod is an Earth Fiend, but his descendants frequently produce Wood Sprites.

Osmond's eyes lit up as if he had smelled gossip: "Could it be that his descendants are actually someone else's offspring?"

The atmosphere here hasn't opened up to that extent yet. Xia Zuo shook his head and said, "Remember what I said just now? The Qinghe Tribe has many medical skills and witchcraft passed down from ancient cultivators. Medical skills should originate from Wood Sprites. In addition, they live in the deep mountains all year round and are proficient in the properties of plants, so they are more compatible with Wood Sprites. It is normal for Earth Fiends and Wood Sprites to frequently appear in the deep mountains, and it is not necessarily related to ancestral blood."

"Wood Sprites and Earth Fiends are the most compatible of the five major professions. During the Saint stage, many of their special biological methods are surprisingly consistent, such as alienating plants and manipulating animals." As he spoke, the car arrived at the town.

The population suddenly increased. The Qinghe people either stood by the windows overlooking the visitors from outside, or stood at the entrance of the courtyard to look at them. A few naughty children rushed to the roadside to watch and boldly spat at the car.

Osmond frowned, wanting to kill these little brats.

As a direct descendant of the Harry family, he was highly valued by the elders of the family. He had been the center of attention since he was a child, and he had zero tolerance for any rudeness or offense, even if the other party was a child.

However, he wasn't the kind of playboy who lost control of himself when his temper flared up. He knew that the important thing at this time was business, so he closed the car window and closed his eyes to avoid seeing it.

Soon, the youth riding the giant tiger brought them to a large villa. This villa had a wide garden, covering an area of 11,000 square meters, and was luxuriously decorated.

A pointed main building was attached to two side buildings, and the three buildings were connected by aerial corridors.

The youth on the tiger's back shouted loudly: "Clan Leader, Clan Leader... Uncle A'gui, the Tianfa guests have arrived!"

The clumsy Mandarin mixed with a strong accent and the down-to-earth address somewhat ruined the grandeur of the villa.

A few minutes later, a young girl wearing a silver crown, riding a large rat, came to the iron gate and curiously looked at the car, her voice soft and beautiful: "Brother Tiesheng, have you seen the proof?"

Her appearance was extremely beautiful, her skin fair, her eyes bright and clear, without any makeup. Her face revealed a sense of purity and simplicity away from the glitz.

"Seen it, seen it." The young man said unhappily, "Girl Yunmeng, it's not that I'm careless, but I'm not stupid, you see!"

The young girl glanced at the document and immediately opened the iron gate. The car drove into the courtyard.

……

"Elder Fu, I'm in trouble." Zhang Yuanqing said in a low voice.

He wasn't surprised that Tianfa could locate the Underworld Lord. Yuanshi Tianzun could gain enlightenment through astrological observation, and the Night Watchers of the Taiyi Sect could certainly do the same, and even more accurately.

Coupled with the rule-based item, the Mirror of Prophecy, Tianfa could find the Underworld Lord more easily than he could.

Zhang Yuanqing's original idea was to take advantage of the time difference. While Tianfa didn't know that he was also pursuing the Underworld Lord, he secretly took care of this foreign evil professional. Tianfa just happened to arrive at the critical time when the Underworld Lord was about to fall asleep.

He didn't know if it was really such a coincidence, or if the Mirror of Prophecy had played a role.

"It's best not to have a conflict with Tianfa, because the Qinghe Branch won't help you, and you will face multiple dangers." Fu Qingyang said lightly.

"I can't help you with this matter. Judge the situation yourself." Capturing the Underworld Lord was a private job that Yuanshi had taken on himself, and success or failure wouldn't have a big impact.

Young Master Qian was very busy and didn't want to waste time and energy on these small matters. After giving a warning, he hung up the phone.

"It seems I can only rely on my own efforts." Zhang Yuanqing sighed. He originally wanted to ask Young Master Qian to come and help, but with this attitude, he had to give up.

"Need any help?" The Venom Follower sensed his expression and knew that he had encountered trouble.

"Of course, I need it. Just stand by." Zhang Yuanqing suddenly thought of the Venom Follower's half-brother.

That Level 6 Illusionist was a good helper. Plus, the Venom Follower, a Level 5 Swordsman. Although he couldn't be the main force, he was at least a Level 5 Swordsman. He should first inquire about Tianfa's whereabouts. Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself.

"I'll take the team out to do some errands first." Everyone should stand by and wait for my news these days.

Compared to the Clan Leader, the Qinghe people were more afraid of the Director of the Investigation Department, who was also the Sixth Son of the Old Ancestor. His power was even higher than that of the Clan Leader.

The Director was also in the meeting room at this time, sitting opposite the demon hunter. His name was Wu Youhua, an Level 8 Spring God (Wood Sprite). He was about the same age as Wu A'gui, with a white beard tied into short braids, his eyes sharp, and his aura imposing. One look was enough to tell that he was an extremely strong and domineering old man, the complete opposite of his nephew Wu A'gui.

"It's like this," the demon hunter said with a smile. "A wanted criminal from Tianfa recently sneaked into Bagui Province. We suspect that he may be lurking in the Shiwan Mountains."

Clan Leader Wu A'gui didn't speak. Investigation Director Wu Youhua opened his mouth in a deep voice: "Does Tianfa want us to help search in the mountains?"

The demon hunter nodded: "Yes."

Before Wu Youming could speak, he turned to look at his three subordinates.

Osmond and the others tacitly placed the portable safes at their feet on the table and popped open the locks.

Stacks of green banknotes were neatly arranged in the boxes. The demon hunter respectfully said, "There is a deposit of three million federal coins here. After the matter is completed, we will pay another five million federal coins as the final payment."

"What the Qinghe Branch needs to do is help find people and block the Shiwan Mountains, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving."

"A total of eight million federal coins. According to the current exchange rate, that's more than 50 million yuan."

Wu Youhua nodded with satisfaction. "Okay. If the patriarch needs to take action, we'll have to add money."

The demon hunter smiled confidently: "No need!"

Just then, an ear-piercing cell phone ring suddenly sounded outside the meeting room.

Wu Youhua frowned and scolded: "Yunmeng!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Sixth Grand Uncle, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I'll leave now." Yunmeng covered her cell phone and ran.

She ran all the way out of the villa, came to a quiet flower bed, and answered the phone in a low voice: "Yuanshi Tianzun? You actually took the initiative to contact me. You almost caused me to be scolded by my Sixth Uncle."

"Sorry, I didn't know you were busy." Yuanshi Tianzun's moving male voice came from the other side.

Yunmeng pursed her lips. "It's not a big deal. What do you want?"

"It's nothing. I've been busy with official duties recently, but I've been free lately, so I thought of a beautiful and lovely comrade-in-arms, so I called to say hello. How have you been recently?" Zhang Yuanqing said with a smile.

Yunmeng, who had grown up in the deep mountains since she was a child, had never experienced such sweet talk before, and she was secretly happy.

"I'm very good recently. I raise pigs and herd cattle during the day, cultivate herbs, and watch TV series at home at night. By the way, I'm almost Level 5, hehe."

"Amazing, amazing. As expected of a genius girl who ventured into the Yasha Sea with me." Zhang Yuanqing gradually intensified his offensive.

"I've seen many female elites in the official, but there are very few who can compare with you."

Yunmeng giggled and said, "No, Yin Ji is much stronger than me in terms of talent and strength. You should have a good relationship with her."

"Yin Ji? Hehe, I've almost forgotten about her. I haven't contacted her since we settled the shares. It's you who makes me think of you from time to time."

Zhang Yuanqing, who had learned from the masters of scumbag love, knew best what these naive little girls liked to hear.

The smile on the corner of Yunmeng's mouth unconsciously widened, and she said happily, "You speak so nicely, but I won't be fooled by you."

"I..." Zhang Yuanqing suddenly sighed, "Why would I want to deceive you?"

"I've been so annoyed recently, I might be ruined."

Yunmeng's smile suddenly disappeared, and she said with concern, "What's wrong?"

"Isn't it because of the Tianfa people? You know about yesterday's exchange meeting. Our officials suffered a crushing defeat. That Sea Demon beat Fire Prince and wasn't satisfied, and wanted to challenge me. You know that I'm just entering Level 6, so I'm definitely not his opponent. Once I lose, won't I be ruined!" Zhang Yuanqing said.

Yunmeng listened, first humming in shared hatred, and then comforted him, "Don't worry, they don't have time to cause you trouble."

"Oh? Why?" Zhang Yuanqing pretended to be surprised!

Yunmeng lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "I'll tell you secretly, the Tianfa team is at my house! They just came to our Qinghe Branch."

Zhang Yuanqing asked smoothly: "What are Tianfa doing at your house?"

"I was eavesdropping on this just now. They said they wanted to ask us to help search the Shiwan Mountains and help them catch a wanted criminal. They also gave us three million federal coins as a deposit."

"The Qinghe Branch agreed?"

"My Sixth Grand Uncle agreed. He values money very much. He said that money is the foundation for guaranteeing the prosperity of Qinghe. He often tells us this."

"Three million federal coins to ask your clan's experts to take action?"

"No, just to search for people. The Sixth Uncle said that they would have to add money if they wanted us to take action."

"Oh, I see. Tianfa's dog landlords are really rich." Zhang Yuanqing casually commented, "Oh."

Then, he chatted aimlessly for half an hour, and then Yunmeng reluctantly said "Bye bye" and hung up the phone.

"Not good!" Zhang Yuanqing grabbed his hair in the staff dormitory, a little anxious.

The three women at the table looked at him with a complicated expression, thinking that this scumbag was good at coaxing women, but why hadn't he ever coaxed them.

"Stop your inner dramas, things are a little troublesome." Zhang Yuanqing forcefully pulled them into a meeting state. "Tianfa thinks that the Underworld Lord might choose a slumbering place in the Shiwan Mountains. This is a good idea. The Qinghe Branch's territory, in a sense, is the most suitable."

Annie said, "This is troublesome. The demon hunter is already beyond what we can handle. With the Qinghe Branch assisting, the success rate of capturing the Underworld Lord is almost zero."

"So we must think of a way." Zhang Yuanjing's face was serious. "Think of a way to prevent the Qinghe Branch from interfering in this matter."

It was difficult to ask the marshal for help, because this was interfering with the freedom of the Qinghe Branch, and they would protest.

And it would be revealed to the demon hunter, so the demon hunter would know that they also were competing for the capture of the Underworld Lord.

The Queen suggested: "Ask Elder Fu for help?"

"He won't interfere." Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. He could ask the Devil Eye Heavenly King for help. As long as he revealed that it was he who asked, he would definitely agree. However, the Northwest was 108,000 miles away from here, and the Ancient War God didn't have teleportation skills, so he wouldn't be able to make it in time.

Um, he could also look for the Palace Lord... Zhang Wuqing had just thought about it.

He heard Xie Lingxi say, "Look for Sister Palace Lord."

"Who is Sister Palace Lord?" Annie asked.

"It means one of Yuan Shi's harem." Xie Lingxi said.

Zhang Yuanqing gave her a chestnut on the head.

"A Musician Ruler." He stroked his chin and said, "With the Palace Lord's strength, it's no problem to hold back the demon hunter. But if an opponent of the same level appears, they will definitely ask the Qinghe Branch for help. The Qinghe Clan probably has a lot of Rulers. With such a large force, there should always be three or four Rulers."

"I have an idea!" Little Green Tea showed a cunning smile: "Brother, that Yunmeng is your ambiguous partner, right? Then she will definitely be willing to help you."

Zhang Yuanqing originally wanted to explain, but after hearing these words, his heart moved. "You mean..."

"Let her help trick away the people from Tianfa, saying that you have found the Underworld Lord's whereabouts, and then take the Tianfa people around in circles in the forest. We will take the opportunity to lock onto the Underworld Lord and arrest and subdue him." Xie Lingxi said, "Even if Tianfa knows that Yunmeng is deceiving them, they wouldn't dare to do anything to her in the Qinghe Clan's territory. The only price is that she may be forced to betray you afterwards."

Zhang Yuanqing was greatly inspired and said, "Good idea! We'll use this method, but we don't need Yunmeng. I know what to do."

The next night, outside a hotel with an imposing appearance in the outer area of the Shiwan Mountains scenic area, Zhang Yuanqing sat cross-legged on the hotel rooftop. In front of him was a half-meter-high small mound of earth, and a black iron astrolabe was placed on top of the mound. The deadline for the Underworld Lord to slumber had arrived.

The Qinghe Branch was more than 200 kilometers away from Nanming City, and it would take three hours to drive. If the Underworld Lord really chose to slumber here, by the time he rushed to the Shiwan Mountains, Tianfa might have successfully captured the Underworld Lord and returned.

Therefore, he had deliberately come here in advance to observe the stars in the scenic area. And if the place where the Underworld Lord chose to slumber wasn't the Shiwan Mountains, he still had to sleep anyway. He could just re-lock onto him. And the Tianfa members in the Shiwan Mountains couldn't be faster than him.

Zhang Yuanqing opened his star eyes, his pupils reflecting the dazzling stars

, sprinkled across the black velvet-like night sky.

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