What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

Upon hearing this, Qi Chen, sitting opposite him, involuntarily twitched his eye.

Seeing his reaction, Director Wang's sarcasm deepened:

Do I need to give you a more detailed address?

Do you think that sending a few lowlifes to search Zhang Zhi's dilapidated house and make a mess of it will clear you of suspicion that you secretly kidnapped him?

Don't be silly, Qi Chen.

Everyone here is in the same boat in Jiangcheng; no one is a newcomer.

Don't embarrass yourself with such a self-deceiving trick.

After he finished speaking, the office fell into a deathly silence.

It was as if ice crystals had condensed in the air.

The refined and puzzled look on Qi Chen's face completely disappeared, replaced by a gloomy atmosphere that seemed to be able to sweep away frost.

He stared intently at Director Wang, as if reassessing just how many of the Qi family's trump cards this seemingly ordinary fat man actually possessed.

A full half minute passed before Qi Chen finally let out a long breath, completely dropping the hypocritical pretense on his face.

Then, he said in a deep voice:

"Since you've already come with the correct answer, why bother beating around the bush with me?"

For such a scoundrel, you, a great Buddha who has been hiding for ten years, actually made a personal trip. It seems he has quite a bit of influence.

"You came here this time just to protect him?"

"I'm too lazy to beat around the bush with you. You're the one who insisted on playing dumb first."

Director Wang retorted without holding back.

He stopped smiling.

At the same time, he exuded a powerful aura that was completely at odds with his appearance, and said, word by word:

"Furthermore, I don't care what shady schemes your Qi family is plotting in the shadows, nor do I care what you want to extract from Zhang Zhi."

I have absolutely no interest in any of that trivial stuff.

I'm here today to do only one thing.

Director Wang stood up, placed his hands on the edge of the solid wood desk, and stared down at Qi Chen's eyes:

"The person must be delivered to me intact."

Not a single hair or a broken finger is acceptable.

Moreover, this matter cannot be settled privately.

Zhang Zhi must be able to return to his life safely through the Folklore Bureau.

Qi Chen, listen to me carefully.

If you can't do it, or dare to outwardly comply but inwardly defy him in the slightest, then...

The next time I knock on this door, I won't be as polite and reasonable as I am today.

He didn't speak strongly, nor did he speak loudly.

But every word was delivered with force and authority.

The two stared intently at each other across a large desk.

Countless emotions flashed in Qi Chen's eyes: anger, resentment, calculation, and deep apprehension towards the unfathomable fat man before him.

After a moment, the sharpness in Qi Chen's eyes gradually faded.

He took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the frustration in his chest.

"Okay. I understand."

Qi Chen's voice returned to calm as he gave his promise, word by word.

"The Bureau of Folklore will receive clear clues about Zhang Zhi's whereabouts tomorrow morning."

The person will be handed over to the authorities unharmed.

Upon hearing this satisfactory answer, Director Wang straightened up and clapped his hands.

"You're smart to know what's good for you."

After leaving behind such a casual remark, Director Wang did not linger in the office for even a second longer.

He turned around, still walking with that unhurried, pigeon-toed gait, pushed open the glass door, and swaggered away into the dark corridor outside.

Only when Director Wang's footsteps could no longer be heard did the tense atmosphere in the office ease slightly.

Inside the room, only the middle-aged man and the old man remained.

Old Wu stood to the side, looking at Qi Chen's gloomy face that seemed to drip water, and stepped forward, breaking the silence first.

He cautiously probed:

"Master, Wang Tianxiang is clearly determined to protect his own to the end."

"Should we approach the cauldron master about this first...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Qi Chen suddenly turned his head, his sharp gaze cutting into Old Wu's face like a knife.

"Are you teaching me how to do things?"

Qi Chen's voice was low, yet it carried a chilling anger, instantly interrupting the old butler.

Upon hearing this, Old Wu's body trembled.

He silently lowered his head, bowed, and took half a step back, without uttering another word in defense.

However, in the depths of his lowered gaze, an indescribable glint flashed.

After a moment, Qi Chen let out a long sigh.

He rubbed his slightly swollen temples, as if trying to shake off the fatigue and frustration of the night.

"You heard the conditions he just mentioned."

"Go and do it. Do as he says, and secretly leak information about Zhang Zhi's whereabouts to the Bureau of Folklore."

Qi Chen coldly gave the order.

"Remember what I said before, this matter must be done cleanly and efficiently."

Find a few scapegoats who don't know their own mortality to take their place.

"We absolutely mustn't let the Bureau of Folk Customs trace our origins back to the Qi family."

He paused, his gaze lingering intently on the night outside the window:

"As for other matters, I will personally report to the cauldron master in detail."

The family cannot suffer any further losses before obtaining the key.

After saying that, he waved his hand wearily, signaling Old Wu to leave.

Upon hearing this, Old Wu lowered his head and respectfully replied, "Yes, sir."

He then slowly left the enclosed office and closed the heavy mahogany door behind him.

……

The third floor of Tingyuxuan.

Around three in the morning, I slowly opened my eyes.

In his hand, the second Xuan Yin Sha Crystal had also turned into a lifeless pile of gray dust.

The powder trickled down between my fingers and onto the sheets.

I lowered my head and, in the dim light of the room, quietly looked at the ashes remaining in my palm.

Since I fully entered the Sha Dan realm, I have never tried to improve my inner energy by absorbing Xuan Yin Sha Crystals.

But what happened tonight was truly beyond my expectations.

Normally, during the Condensation stage, which is before the Half-Step Dan Realm, it would take me at least a whole night to completely absorb and refine this high-quality, top-grade Xuan Yin Sha Crystal.

Afterwards, I had to spend several days slowly processing and digesting it.

Only then can those violent, cold energies be completely transformed into one's own foundation, thereby solidifying one's roots.

But tonight, I drained all the energy from two extremely high-quality Xuan Yin Sha Crystals in less than five hours.

I closed my eyes, and with a slight thought, my consciousness instantly sank into my dantian.

Within that vast ocean of inner energy, the Sha Dan was slowly rotating at a very steady pace.

Surrounding the dantian is a stream of malevolent energy flowing around the malevolent core.

After absorbing two Xuan Yin Sha Crystals, the Sha Pill's luster was indeed brighter than before, and the mercury-like Sha Qi river also grew slightly stronger.

But I can clearly feel that this improvement is not as significant as I had imagined in terms of the overall leap in my strength.