Invincibility starts when I see the BOSS health bar.

Chapter 1029 Intertwined
The leader's body trembled violently, as if those simple four words had drained all his strength and hope.

All struggles about credibility and industry rules vanished instantly, leaving only absolute obedience to Gao Meng's orders.

He bowed quickly, his voice slightly hoarse: "Yes, sir! Your subordinate obeys!"

He immediately turned to the pale-faced, mustachioed manager kneeling in the corner and shouted sternly, as if venting all his fear and pressure: "What are you all standing there for?! Didn't you hear Lord Gao Meng's order?! Are you deaf?! Go now! Retrieve all the transaction records related to corpses in the last month, no! The last three months! Especially those with special characteristics and abnormal bones! Immediately! Right now! If you miss even a single one, I'll skin you alive!"

"Yes! Yes! I'll go right away! I'll go right away!"

The supervisor was so terrified by the yelling that he scrambled out of the room, his footsteps disappearing in a panic at the end of the corridor as he rushed to retrieve the records.

The first and second leaders quickly put on their most enthusiastic and humble smiles again, inviting Fang Yu, Gao Meng, and Zhuge Shi to sit down. They personally brought out the best tea, carefully pouring and serving it with utmost courtesy, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

Taking advantage of this brief pause, Gao Meng casually picked up her teacup, gently blew away the foam, and asked Zhuge Shi, who was sitting opposite her, "May I ask your name, young lady? Where do you work? And what is your relationship with Young Master Diao...?"

She appeared to be chatting casually, but in reality, she was trying to find out about Zhuge Shi's background and the depth of his relationship with Fang Yu.

Zhuge Shi was incredibly intelligent, and naturally understood Gao Meng's intentions.

She took a sip of the fragrant tea, smiled sweetly, and spoke with a double meaning, answering the question while cleverly blurring the focus, and at the same time binding herself firmly to Fang Yu: "My surname is Zhuge, and my given name is Shi. I have no high position, just a wandering wanderer with no one to rely on. Now, thanks to Young Master Diao's kindness in taking me in, I'm just working for Young Master Diao to make a living."

As she spoke, her eyes sparkled, and she even glanced at Fang Yu with a hint of dependence and familiarity.

Fang Yu sat upright in his chair, eyes downcast, seemingly lost in thought, ignoring Zhuge Shi's words. He neither admitted nor denied them, his attitude ambiguous and subtle, making it impossible for anyone to guess his true thoughts.

Upon hearing this, Gao Meng paused slightly in her teacup, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. She glanced at Fang Yu again, and seeing that he showed no reaction, as if he had tacitly agreed, she did not press the matter further. However, she remained deeply suspicious and wary of the origins, true purpose, and exact relationship between this suddenly appearing "Zhuge Shi" and Fang Yu.

Not long after, the mustachioed supervisor returned, panting, carrying a thick document wrapped in special leather. He respectfully handed it to the head of the gang with both hands. The head of the gang quickly and carefully flipped through it, soon finding the target record. He then turned to Gao Meng and Zhuge Shi, bowing and reporting:
"Reporting to Your Excellency, Miss Zhuge. We've found it. In the last three days, there has only been one transaction that matches the description of a 'special corpse' and is of considerable value. The records show that the transaction involved the corpse of an adult male, whose bones are of extremely special material, far harder than those of ordinary martial artists, even comparable to the skeletons of some low-level demons. Preliminary identification indicates that they contain some kind of strange energy. The buyer is... Xi Di, the eldest son of the Xi family in the city. The transaction was completed yesterday afternoon, and the goods have been taken away by people from the Xi residence."

"The Xi family?" Fang Yu was completely unfamiliar with the name. He put down his teacup and asked in a steady voice, "What's their background?" He needed to understand the buyer's background in order to assess the difficulty and risks of his next move.

The head of the gang was very familiar with this, after all, conducting background checks on important clients, especially those involved in large or sensitive transactions, was routine for Pinxinfang, and all the intelligence collected would eventually be integrated into the Tianjige intelligence network.

However, this transaction was completed not long ago, and it's not yet time to summarize, organize, and report on it regularly.

He quickly explained in detail: "Young Master Diao, the Xi family is not a traditional aristocratic family in the capital. Their ancestral home is a collateral relative of a squad leader surnamed Xi who belongs to the 'Demon Vanguard Army'. Although they cannot be considered a powerful family, their connections with the Demon Vanguard Army give them considerable influence in dealing with 'hard goods' of dubious origin."

He deliberately pointed out the connection between the Xi family and the demon materials business, implying that their background was not simple.

Fang Yu nodded slightly, memorizing this information.

Fang Yu and Zhuge Shi exchanged a glance, both seeing the words "time is of the essence" in each other's eyes.

Since the bone tiger carcass has already been traded away, it could be moved at any time, so we must act quickly.

After a moment's thought, Fang Yu asked the head of the household who was standing to the side, "Has the Xi family made any unusual moves recently? Or does Xi Di have any special plans for the future?"

The head of the gang smiled apologetically and shook his head: "Young Master Diao, please forgive us. Although our Pinxin Fang also collects intelligence, our main focus is on transactions and security within the Fang. We don't have the reach to constantly monitor the movements of a single client. Moreover, the Tianji Pavilion has not issued any special surveillance missions targeting the Xi family, so we haven't deployed any extra personnel to keep an eye on them."

What he said was true; although Tianji Pavilion's intelligence network was extensive, it wouldn't monitor all clients without reason.

Since they couldn't get any more information here, Fang Yu and Zhuge Shi got up and prepared to leave.

Seeing this, Gao Meng also stood up, glanced at Zhuge Shi's slightly pale face, and said, "Miss is injured, why don't you rest quietly at Pinxinfang for a while? As for investigating the matter of Xidi, I will accompany Young Master Diao, and I will definitely be able to lend Young Master Diao a hand."

Her move was both a gesture of goodwill and an attempt to create an opportunity to spend time alone with Fang Yu, thereby further strengthening their relationship.

Zhuge Shi could easily see through her thoughts. She raised an eyebrow and immediately declined, her tone leaving no room for doubt: "Thank you for your kindness, sister, but this little injury is nothing. On the contrary, your identity is special. If you act with us, you will be too conspicuous and easily alert the enemy. It would be more prudent for me and Young Master Diao to handle the rest."

She cleverly excluded Gao Meng, emphasizing "us" with Fang Yu.

Fang Yu glanced at Zhuge Shi, then at Gao Meng, and quickly weighed his options.

Gao Meng is quite capable and has a deeper understanding of the Tianji Pavilion and various forces in the capital. Bringing her along might provide unexpected help.

Moreover, he also wanted to take this opportunity to observe the woman more closely.

So he said, "It's alright, since Miss Gao Meng is so kind, let's go together. The more people there are, the more we can help each other."

Seeing Fang Yu speak, Zhuge Shi, though somewhat unwilling, could not object further, but secretly pursed her lips.

A hint of joy flashed in Gao Mengze's eyes, and he nodded in agreement, "Alright, I'll follow Young Master Diao's arrangements."

The first and second leaders bowed respectfully as they saw the three off from the private room, escorting them all the way to the main entrance of the Concubine's Heart Pavilion. Their attitude was extremely respectful until the three figures disappeared around the corner of the street. Only then did they dare to straighten up, let out a long sigh of relief, their backs already soaked with sweat.

Qian Wu, who had been secretly watching from the corner, saw Fang Yu and his companions emerge and quickly leave. He instinctively stood up, shifting his feet as if to follow, but hesitated for a moment before stopping. Looking in the direction Fang Yu had gone, he felt a mix of emotions, muttering to himself, "This Diao Deyi… just who is he? How did he suddenly become involved with high-ranking officials of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion? And their relationship seems quite unusual…"

However, he then thought that he was now under the wing of Yuwen Wuji, the adopted son of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion!

Although Yuwen Wuji's ranking might not be higher than that of his ninth adopted son, Jin Xiao, an adopted son is still an adopted son, and his status is extraordinary. As for Gao Meng, no matter how powerful he is, he is just a capable subordinate of his adopted son, a "subject".

By analogy, as someone under the adopted son's command, and a "subject" like Gao Meng, shouldn't we be considered equals in rank? Perhaps, in terms of closeness, I might even have the upper hand?

Thinking about it this way, Qian Wu's anxiety and inferiority complex caused by Fang Yu "climbing the social ladder" vanished instantly, and he even felt a strange sense of superiority. He straightened his robes, sat back down, and looked at the hall, which had returned to its usual lively state, and found the food, wine, and beautiful women before him to be pleasing to the eye again.

……

Xi Mansion, Study.

The atmosphere was somewhat solemn.

The current head of the Xi family, an elderly man with gray hair and a worried expression, was lecturing a young man in brocade clothes with an arrogant look in his eyes. This young man was Xi Di, the eldest son of the Xi family.

“Di’er, I’ll say it again, there’s been a lot of turmoil in the capital lately. Our Xi family is just a collateral branch of Corporal Xi in the Demon Vanguard Army! This relationship isn’t that distant, but it’s definitely not close either! If we really get into some trouble we shouldn’t get into and make a huge mess of things, it’s hard to say whether our main family will protect us! You better behave yourself and stop getting involved in those unnecessary things!”

The old man spoke earnestly, his voice filled with deep worry.

Xi Di's face was full of resentment and indignation. He retorted with his neck stiff, "Father! You are too cautious! If we are always honest and timid, how can the family grow and prosper? In this world, the bold get rich and the timid starve! We must use the family's reputation to expand our network, seize opportunities to develop and strengthen ourselves! Otherwise, we will always be a small family that depends on others!"

"You...you're playing with fire!"

The old patriarch was so angry that his beard trembled. "The Xi family's centuries-old foundation may be ruined by your recklessness!"

“If we don’t seek development, it’s a slow death! We’ll just have to wait to be swallowed up by other families!” Xidi refused to back down.

Neither father nor son could convince the other, and they parted on bad terms.

Xidi stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Standing on the veranda outside the study, Xidi's face was gloomy and uncertain, and he was holding back a fire in his chest.

Just then, a trusted subordinate hurried over and whispered, "Young Master, the elite guards you hired at great expense have all assembled in the square."

Upon hearing this news, a hint of joy and ruthlessness finally appeared on Xidi's gloomy face.

He went all out this time because a mysterious buyer had offered an extremely high price for the strange corpse he had previously obtained through special channels, but demanded that the corpse be safely delivered to a designated location.

Selling a corpse alone is already a good price, but if you can include the subsequent transportation and security, the price can double!
"After this heist, with the huge sum of money I get, I can raise a group of real experts and build my own force. Then, let's see who dares to look down on Xidi! Only then can I truly begin to seek development for the family!"

Xi Di was plotting in his mind, full of ambition.

However, he still has to rely on his family's resources and connections to some extent, so he can't really completely break ties with his father in the face of his suppression.

He composed himself and strode toward the martial arts training ground inside the mansion.

On the plaza, ten warriors with sharp auras and keen eyes stood in a row, solemnly observing the scene.

These men were all tall and strong, with sharp eyes that gleamed as they opened and closed; they were clearly skilled fighters.

Based on a rough assessment, each person possessed at least the strength of the Wood Realm, with three or four individuals having particularly refined auras, having already reached the peak of the Wood Realm!

With a lineup like that, they're already considered a formidable force.

However, to ensure everything went perfectly, Xi Di spent a lot of money to hire a master to oversee the operation. The master was a middle-aged man with his arms crossed, a curved sword at his waist, and an arrogant expression.

This person exudes a deep and restrained aura, standing there as if he has blended into the surrounding environment. He is clearly a master of the Heart Soul Realm who has stepped into the Seven Soul Realm!
With this Soul Realm expert leading the team, plus ten Wood Realm masters, this team configuration is basically enough to ensure the safety of the goods and personnel, unless they are unlucky enough to encounter those terrifyingly powerful demons in the wild.

"Gentlemen!" Siddy stepped to the front of the group and said in a deep voice, "This mission is of utmost importance; that 'cargo' cannot be lost! All actions will be subject to Mr. Baron's command!"

He looked at the Soul Realm expert named Baron.

Baron nodded casually, not even glancing at Xidi, but instead licking the cold blade of his scimitar with his tongue, a confident and cruel smile curving his lips: "Young Master Xidi, put your mind at ease. With me leading the team, I guarantee your goods will be delivered safely to their destination. As for those little demons, however many come, I'll slaughter them all!"

Seeing his confidence, Xidi felt even more at ease and waved his hand, "Alright! Let's go!"

To ensure the team could successfully leave the city with the "goods" and avoid unnecessary checks and troubles, Xi Di needed to personally escort the team to the city gate to save face for the eldest son of the Xi family.

A group of people escorted a carriage covered with a thick black cloth, exuding a faint, chilling aura, as they left Xifu and headed towards the city gate.

However, not long after the convoy left the gates of the Xi Mansion, three figures swept over the outer wall of the Xi Mansion like wisps of smoke, crouched down silently, and their sharp eyes instantly locked onto the brightly lit mansion below.

It was Fang Yu, Zhuge Shi, and Gao Meng.

(End of this chapter)