"November 20th, overcast. Successfully passed the second level trial in the Deep Sea Zone. The third level shouldn't be too difficult... Although there have been twists and turns since arriving in the Capital, overall things have gone smoothly. I hope things are going well on your end too."

In the Capital, Gu Shen didn't have many outlets for his mind.

Half of it was poured into this diary.

But who keeps a diary these days?

Perhaps it was because he knew someone like Chu Ling existed that Gu Shen abandoned the habit of recording important things in the Deep Sea... Who knew if what he wrote online would be seen?

Looking back on the past half-month since joining the Tribunal, Gu Shen had more than once felt the urge to flip off a certain irresponsible teacher... He was supposed to be a big shot with the title of Grand Arbiter of East洲, but after bringing him into his fold, he just left him to his own devices, tossing him a Deep Sea transcendent link and then disappearing without a trace.

Could there be a more unreliable teacher?

Senior Sister Luo and Senior Brother Zhong were both away on missions, and Nan Jin was nowhere to be found. Mr. Shu's lineage was indeed united, but they scattered as soon as they gathered. Everyone was busy, heading in different directions without a word.

Awakening, developing, and excavating transcendent powers all depended on himself.

Fortunately, the words "self-reliance" were deeply ingrained in Gu Shen's genes... It was like that at the orphanage, and it was like that when he left Wu Lao Mountain for Da Teng. No one helped, no one cared, no one paid attention. It sounded free and good, but in reality, he had to consider the worst-case scenario in everything he did, because no one would be there to back him up; he could only rely on himself.

As if sensing its master's emotions.

The wisp of blazing fire between his brows suddenly popped out, transforming into a tiny figure that tugged on Gu Shen's finger, fawningly and carefully shaking it.

Gu Shen couldn't help but smile.

Was it trying to cheer him up?

"This little guy's growth rate... is really fast."

After swallowing Qu Shui's transcendent source essence, the blazing fire began its first transformation.

In the world of transcendents, everyone had to follow some basic laws... For example, source essence was conserved, and source essence that already had an owner could not be seized and absorbed.

But he seemed to be an exception.

The blazing fire's spiritual attributes seemed to be different from ordinary spiritual types... Gu Shen felt this when he captured Madam's fine lines between her brows.

Things that the tenth level of the Deep Sea couldn't do, he had done.

This little flame must have many unique qualities that he hadn't yet discovered.

There was another noteworthy point.

Qu Shui's transcendent source essence should have returned to the void after her death, but it had been absorbed by him, and it hadn't shown the slightest rejection. This "trait" that violated basic laws was the real reason Gu Shen decided to hide the blazing fire's abilities... If the review board and the Tribunal knew that he could absorb other people's source essence through immersion, their attitude towards him would probably change a lot.

"Alright, don't worry." Gu Shen rubbed the little flame and said, "I'm fine now... Better than ever."

Awakening transcendence was a leap in the level of life.

His spirit and body both felt like they were "evolving."

"Except for one, small problem that hasn't been resolved." Gu Shen murmured softly.

This problem, of course, referred to the Changjiu Foundation.

After arriving in the Capital, Gu Shen began to think about a question... If he hadn't awakened the blazing fire, then what exactly had attracted Mr. Shu, making him determined to bring him into the Tribunal?

It all started with that light rail train and the encounter with A-009.

Then the next question that followed was... What considerations were the people of the Changjiu Foundation acting on when they so meticulously planned the arson case? At that time, he was just an ordinary person. Was this assassination a coincidence?

Or were these all inevitable?

Gu Shen preferred to believe the latter.

"Shi Li... might have clues."

He fell into thought. According to Cui Zhongcheng's intelligence, this forceful Chengxin Society's South Hall Fifth Group leader was about the fourth or fifth level of the Deep Sea, clearly stronger than him.

If the first three levels were like a baby learning to walk.

Then the fourth level was a qualitative change... Even with the Ruler of Truth, he couldn't take down this guy, not to mention that Chengxin Society's South Hall was that Councilor "Chen San's" territory.

Gu Shen had considered the possibility of "spiritual hypnosis." Although his current strength was weak, he had explored the spiritual characteristics of the blazing fire quite thoroughly. If he could directly infiltrate the spirit when the other party was unprepared, it wasn't impossible to succeed... But unfortunately, the Changjiu Foundation's followers had self-destruct programs implanted in their minds.

Once their minds lost control, they would automatically detonate.

"My blazing fire is so special... Is it possible to clear it before the program starts?" A bold idea emerged in Gu Shen's mind, similar to removing the fine lines. This so-called self-destruct program was just a dormant spiritual imprint.

"In any case, I have to find a chance to try to contact Shi Li first."

In fact, when he learned that the Changjiu Foundation implanted self-destruct programs in the minds of its pawns, Gu Shen wasn't that disappointed.

The Changjiu Foundation's security measures had become his only hope for countermeasures.

No matter what Shi Li's strength was... Gu Shen didn't intend to listen to Cui Zhongcheng's advice and let this dangerous guy who had already exposed his identity live.

Although he was a small fish, he was still a fish.

Only those who had experienced assassination understood this feeling. Assassinations in the dark, one after another, would never stop until the target died.

If one person had to die.

Then, please go die.

...

...

"Achoo!"

Late at night, in a deserted alley.

Shi Li, who was walking with his head down, suddenly sneezed loudly.

He lowered his baseball cap, frowned, and for some reason, a strange and ominous premonition arose in his heart.

Shi Li silently reviewed his path. He hadn't attracted anyone's attention along the way, and he had walked through all the blind spots in the surveillance. No one was following him behind... So this should be his illusion. A little further ahead was the residence where that lord had arranged to meet him. After leaving the secluded alley, he came to an abandoned factory in the old district. The dilapidated tin door was thinly painted, and it would rattle in the wind, and unfortunately, today was a windy day.

Under the dark moon and high winds, the surface of the iron gate rattled.

He bent over, arched through the iron gate, and slowly came to the factory. He was stunned the moment he looked up.

The barrel of a hunting rifle burning with a faint blue flame was pointed at his forehead. The person holding the gun was an old man dressed as a cowboy. He hardly used any force, but the barrel of the gun emanated a palpitating sense of oppression, forcing him to raise his hands and lean against the wall.

"12-gauge, red-silver alloy bullet."

The man said nonchalantly, "Don't move, or I'll blow your brains out."

Shi Li's expression was gloomy. At this moment, he finally understood where that sneeze came from... It really was the goddess of fate's friendly reminder that nothing good would happen next.

The blood vessels in his forehead bulged uncontrollably. The pressure from the big gun was too strong. He could almost hear the roar of the red-silver bullet under the blessing of transcendent source essence... Injecting bullets made of strongly logical materials would cause irreversible damage to the transcendent source essence system in his body.

When disorder and order came into contact, there could only be one survivor.

And even if he was the survivor, the fate that awaited him would most likely be "loss of control."

Although he didn't care about dying or losing control... This life still had more important uses.

"Young Master Zhao, this is my man."

A soft laugh came from the factory.

In this huge abandoned factory, except for a few load-bearing pillars, there was almost no other furniture, so the two figures sitting ten meters apart in the open space seemed extremely eye-catching.

Zhao Qi waved his hand.

"Withdraw."

The old cowboy with a cigar in his mouth narrowed his eyes and slowly released the barrel.

The terrifying pressure finally disappeared... Shi Li sensibly tilted his head and moved away, silently burying his head and moving forward. When he brushed past, he glanced at the hunting rifle with lingering fear.

What level of transcendent was this old guy? Seventh level, or eighth level?

Beside the "Young Master Zhao" who was sitting with his legs crossed for the negotiation, there were also several transcendents standing around with uneven auras, while the other side of the negotiation seemed rather lonely and thin.

There was only one person.

The man who came to negotiate alone, his face shrouded in darkness and shadow, the flame of the hunting rifle and the light of the pipe couldn't illuminate his face. Except for Zhao Qi... no one knew who this man was.

Shi Li honestly stood behind the man, biting the bullet and explaining, "Sir, something came up... I was delayed for a while."

"It's good that you're here."

But the man's attitude was very gentle. He wasn't angry at all, just smiled and waved his hand, signaling Shi Li to step aside.

"Yes, sir."

At this moment, all the unease and trepidation in Shi Li's heart melted away. He respectfully retreated, as if a ten-thousand-foot-high mountain stood in front of him. The pressure released by those high-level transcendents on the opposite side of the "negotiating table"... was completely blocked.

The man chuckled, "Young Master Zhao, our casual contact... isn't a good thing."

"It's urgent."

Zhao Qi said softly, "The spiritual brand on Lu Nanzhi's body has been removed."

"...Oh?" The man was still smiling, "Has any titled spiritual transcendent come to the Capital recently?"

"No." Zhao Qi said coldly, "That's why I came to you... Your previous guarantee to me was that once this brand was planted, no one would notice it except for a titled expert. But the current situation is not what you said."

"..."

The man's face, shrouded in shadow, seemed to fall into contemplation.

"Actually... removing the brand doesn't necessarily require titled-level strength..."

After a moment of silence, he slowly smiled and said, "Generally speaking, only after passing the twelfth level of the Deep Sea trial will a spiritual transcendent undergo a qualitative change... The vast and enormous spiritual power begins to become subtle and meticulous. Before that, the anomalies that spiritual users can capture are limited. But in reality, when it comes to removing brands, there are always some gifted geniuses who are born with more delicate characteristics. The Capital District is so big, it's only natural for such an exception to appear."

"I didn't come here to listen to you explain the reasons, or to boast about geniuses..."

Obviously, Zhao Qi didn't have much patience. He said coldly, "Do you know how much trouble it took to plant a spiritual brand on that woman? Those earrings are top-grade A-level sealed items!"

The man showed a completely opposite attitude.

He listened with interest to Zhao Qi's words, calmly accepting the other party's anger. He even extended two slender fingers from the palm resting on his thigh and gently tapped the back of his other hand.

"It's because I believed your previous nonsense about the flawless plan," Zhao Qi gritted his teeth, and cold sweat gradually seeped from his forehead, and said, "Now that the spiritual brand has been removed... she must be suspicious of me."

In the Capital District, there were still many idiots who foolishly believed that this woman only had a pretty face and could stand in a high position by relying on the Zhao family's power... Only opponents who had fought against Madam knew how terrifying this woman was.

For example... Zhao Qi.

This marriage, which he couldn't resist, was actually a "battlefield" dominated by Lu Nanzhi. In these years of marital warfare, he had lost miserably, without a say or status, and in the end, only the empty name of the Zhao family's heir was left... Lu Nanzhi's performance had won everyone's approval, especially the old man's.

"Young Master Zhao... don't belittle yourself."

The man, who had been listening quietly, finally broke the silence at this moment.

He sincerely cheered the other party up, his tone sincere, "You are the Zhao family's heir, the only son... That old man won't favor outsiders... right?"

As he spoke, he noticed that Zhao Qi's expression had changed, so the final comforting sentence could only be forced to add the words "right?"

"The original will... has been abolished."

Zhao Qi's voice was hoarse, "The new will hasn't been posted yet... This matter will soon be known throughout the entire Capital."

The man across from him opened his mouth slightly in surprise, forming an "o" shape.

Even if he wasn't afraid of the sky falling, he was still shocked to hear this news.

This was really an unexpected thing. That Old Master Zhao... would actually make such a move. Although the new will hadn't been established, the abolition of the old will was already a very obvious foreshadowing.

"That's really... terrible."

He opened his mouth with a mixture of surprise and regret, but it sounded like he didn't care at all, and said faintly, "But I still believe that the old man won't make the decision to change the Zhao family's name... Young Master Zhao doesn't need to be too nervous."

"I can't let that woman continue like this..."

Zhao Qi took a deep breath and said calmly, "You need to help me. Otherwise, we'll die together."

"..."

Blatant threat.

But the man still just smiled lightly, without getting angry: "Young Master Zhao, you overestimate me. What I do can't be considered helping. The only one who can deal with Lu Nanzhi is yourself. In reality, I'm only responsible for providing... methods."

Zhao Qi calmed down.

"The original brand is no longer there. What other methods do you have?"

"Two methods."

The man took out a black jade bead as if by magic. He chuckled, "The original brand was actually just a test... Although Lu Nanzhi has a firm will, she doesn't have transcendent abilities, so her spiritual power is limited. No matter how powerful those two earrings are, they are just external objects, and there will always be a time when they are removed. Since Young Master Zhao can plant a brand once, he can plant it a second time."

Zhao Qi frowned.

"With the experience of the last time, the 'spiritual brand' planted this time can be bolder... Not only to make Lu Nanzhi suffer from insomnia, but to completely make this woman submit to you." The man said calmly, "This spiritual brand is sealed in the round bead, and there is still only one chance. When Lu Nanzhi removes her earrings, plant it again. From then on, the high and mighty Madam of the Capital will listen to Young Master Zhao's every word."

Zhao Qi took the black jade round bead, carefully examined it, and asked in a low voice.

"What are the side effects?"

"Side effects..."

The man calmly replied, "This spiritual brand will directly draw on the soul, and the person who is rooted will be in a trance, and their reaction speed will become extremely slow... In a sense, she is no longer the Madam, because she will slowly become an... idiot."

Zhao Qi was silent. He just silently accepted this black jade stone.

"What... Young Master Zhao is worried about what will happen to the Zhao family in the future if Lu Nanzhi becomes an idiot?" The man smiled and said, "The Zhao family is about to be completely taken over by Lu Nanzhi, and you're still thinking about the empty name of a marital relationship. You're really a bodhisattva-hearted good person. At that time, you'll be a penniless pauper."

"I don't need you to remind me." Zhao Qi said coldly, "What about the other method?"

"The second method is also simple..."

The man took out a necklace and said faintly, "This is an ordinary-looking necklace. Whether it's in the Capital or Nagano, except for a very small number of transcendents with strange characteristics, no one else can feel... the true inner meaning in this necklace."

"Inner meaning?"

"The reason why we can have a pleasant conversation here is because our spirits are wandering in the void, without any obstruction, so our bodies can still receive the signal, and will be encouraged by it..."

The man's voice rose, and he ignored Zhao Qi's gloomy gaze and began to talk about obscure and boring interpretations on his own. His fingers tapped lightly on the back of his hand, like a pianist absorbed in his performance, "And if the spirit is cut off, the body will be lost, and we will be exiled... No one knows where the spirit will go..."

"Are you saying... death?" Zhao Qi frowned and said his understanding.

"Oh... a very interesting metaphor, but that's not accurate."

The man smiled, "You can understand it as falling asleep, falling asleep without a time limit... just like Gu Changzhi, everyone can only say that he is asleep, and no one dares to say that he is dead. This necklace contains such power, it can exile a person's spirit, of course, only limited to ordinary people like Madam."

Zhao Qi took the necklace with great trepidation.

"How to use it?"

"Let her wear it, just wear it... As long as twenty minutes, maybe a little longer, but it won't exceed an hour." The man seemed to see a beautiful picture, and said with a sigh, "Tsk... the Madam of the Capital will fall into a quiet slumber, like a butterfly hibernating, wrapped in a thick cocoon."

Zhao Qi didn't speak.

He thought with some headache, this necklace is indeed quite good-looking, and the workmanship can barely be considered exquisite, but why would Lu Nanzhi like it... This is just an ordinary necklace.

That woman is covered in extremely high-grade transcendent sealed items.

The necklace that Lu Nanzhi has been wearing is the strongest protective item that can be selected in the Capital. Even if she encounters a magnitude 12 earthquake, she can protect herself safely.

"Put it on for her yourself, you are her husband, she won't refuse... right?" The man smiled and urged, "Try it, it's better than nothing."

Zhao Qi neither nodded nor shook his head.

He accepted the necklace, just like he accepted the jade stone before. No one knew what choice this man, who had been driven to the brink, would make next.

"There's one more thing."

He said calmly, "It's about the Chengxin Society. Chen Jingtan was beaten, and my business connection fell through. I messed up this matter... Whether it's Cui Zhongcheng or the old man, they will only despise me more. I want to reconnect the business, so I have to give Chen San an explanation. I can't do this myself, I need your help."

The man sighed, a little helpless.

"Young Master Zhao, we agreed at the beginning that I would only be responsible for helping you plant a spiritual brand and take care of Madam." He rubbed his eyebrows and said slowly, "The last brand was removed... it's understandable that you came to me, the necklace and the jade bead are my compensation for you."

"But you brought up the Chengxin Society's matter again... What is this?"

The last few words were said word by word. After they landed, the air in the empty factory suddenly rolled up, and an invisible air current crashed into the old lime walls and the dilapidated iron gate. In an instant, cracks appeared on the walls and iron, forming spider webs.

It was as if an ancient god had awakened. Just speaking was like a divine decree, setting off a rolling tornado.

The transcendents beside Zhao Qi instantly became serious.

They looked at the man who was sitting there, and only felt that this thin and slender figure was as towering as a mountain, and they couldn't look directly at it... and a scarlet flame faintly seeped out.

They were all sweating coldly.

At this point, they realized why the other party dared to come alone.

If they really fought... the other party only needed one person, and that would be enough.

Interestingly, when several high-level transcendents were no longer calm, the most calm and composed was Zhao Qi.

"We rise together, we fall together."

Zhao Qi lightly spat out these words.

"They all said that I'm good-for-nothing, and only you have always told me not to belittle myself..."

Zhao Qi smiled self-deprecatingly, "In fact, I know that they're right, I'm just a pile of mud. Thank you for thinking highly of me and being willing to help me."

He said faintly, "There's a term called 'sunk cost'... You've helped me so much, you wouldn't want me to fall, would you? Such a small threshold can't stop others, but I can't get over it, so I can only ask you for help."

The storm swept through.

The man sitting in the chair coldly stared at Zhao Qi.

"You help me, I help you. I don't care what the Capital will become in the end, I only care about myself... Even if it's a pile of mud, at least there must be a wall that can hold it." Zhao Qi smiled and said, "What do you think?"

The transcendents present all felt a faint palpitation.

The storm reverberated.

The ancient gods whispered.

"Zhao Qi... you really are a complete bastard."

The man looked directly into those frank and natural eyes, and after a long time, spat out two words.

"Just this once... deal."