《Spirit Realm Walker》


 Chapter 1

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Songhai City.


    At 7:30 AM, in the dim room, on the big soft bed, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly woke up. He held his head and arched like a cooked shrimp.


    The splitting headache made the inside of his head feel like it was embedded with steel needles. The pain made his scalp twitch such that he started hearing things and hallucinating. Disorderly images flashed through his mind as his ears were filled with meaningless noise.


    Zhang Yuanqing knew that the old illness had relapsed.


    Trembling, he got out of bed and pulled open the nightstand drawer. Trembling, he reached for the pill bottle, eagerly uncapped it, poured out five or six small blue pills, and swallowed them.


    Then he threw himself back on the bed, gasping for breath and enduring the pain.


    Ten seconds later, the splitting headache eased and vanished.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡± Zhang Yuanqing exhaled in relief, his forehead covered in a cold sweat.


    He had once contracted a strange illness in high school. The symptom was that his brain would uncontrollably recall all of his past memories such as forgotten junk information.


    Together with the collection and analysis of outside information, it also gave the brain uncanny control of the body.


    Fortunately, this state could not last long before he snapped out of it due to the strain.


    It was precisely because of this ability that he got into Songhai University¡ªone of the top famous universities in the country.


    Zhang Yuanqing called this state brain overload. He thought that he might evolve into a superhuman, but because his body could not support this evolution, it kept interrupting and stopping.


    When he shared this speculation with the doctor, who indicated that he could not understand but was greatly shaken, he suggested that Zhang Yuanqing visit the psychiatric department downstairs.


    In short, the hospital could not find out the cause of the illness. Later, his mother brought back special medicine for him from overseas which helped to control the illness. As long as he took the medicine regularly, it would not relapse.


    ¡°It must be because I didn¡¯t rest well last night. I was too tired. It¡¯s all Jiang Yu¡¯er¡¯s fault. She insisted on coming to my room to play games in the middle of the night¡­¡±


    Although he said that, his mood was secretly heavy. This was because Zhang Yuanqing knew that the effects of the medicine were starting to weaken and his illness was getting worse.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to increase the dosage in the future¡­¡± Zhang Yuanqing put on his cotton slippers, went to the window, and pulled open the curtain.


    Sunlight rushed in and filled the room.


    It was April in Songhai City. The spring sun was bright, and the morning breeze was cool and comfortable.


    ¡°Knock, knock!¡±


    Then there was a knock on the door and Grandma called out: ¡°Yuanqing, get up.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Zhang Yuanqing rejected coldly. He wanted to go back to sleep.


    It was the weekend of the comfortable spring season. Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste of life not to sleep in?


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you three minutes. If you don¡¯t get up, I¡¯ll splash you awake.¡±


    His grandmother was even more ruthless.


    ¡°Got it, got it¡­¡± Zhang Yuanqing immediately gave in.


    He knew that his grumpy grandmother could really do such a thing.


    When Zhang Yuanqing was still in primary school, his father died in a car accident. His stubborn mother did not remarry and brought her son back to Songhai City to settle down, leaving him in the care of his grandparents.


    She dived into her career and became a strong woman praised by her relatives.


    Later, his mother bought a house herself, but Zhang Yuanqing didn¡¯t like the big empty flat and still lived with his grandparents.


    In any case, his mother left early and returned late every day. She went on business trips every few days and was focused on her career. Even if she didn¡¯t work overtime on weekends, she would order takeout for meals.


    The one thing she said to him, her son, most often was, ¡°If you don¡¯t have enough money, you have to tell Mom.¡±


    This was a reliable mother who could satisfy him financially.


    It sounded great.


    However, Zhang Yuanqing always smiled and said to his mother: Grandma and Aunt give me enough pocket money.


    Indeed, his aunt.


    The woman who insisted on coming to his room to play games last night was his aunt.


    Zhang Yuanqing yawned, turned the knob of the bedroom door, and went into the living room.


    His grandmother¡¯s house was 150 square meters in size. When they sold the old house to buy this new house, Zhang Yuanqing remembered that it was more than $6,000 dollars per square meter.


    After six or seven years, the price of housing in this neighborhood had risen to $17,000 per square meter, nearly triple that.


    Fortunately, his grandfather had the foresight back then. If it were the old house, Zhang Yuanqing could only sleep in the living room. After all, he had grown up and could not sleep with his aunt anymore.


    At the long dining table by the living room, the culprit who had caused his headache was slurping porridge. Her pink slippers were sticking up under the table.


    Her features were exquisite and beautiful, and her round oval face looked rather sweet. There was a mole at the corner of her right eye.


    Because she had just woken up, her fluffy and messy hair was loose, making her look lazy and charming.


    His aunt was called Jiang Yu¡¯er, and she was four years older than him.


    When she saw Zhang Yuanqing come out, his aunt licked the porridge around her mouth and said in surprise, ¡°Yo, you¡¯re up early. That¡¯s not like you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to your mother.¡±


    ¡°Why are you cursing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing examined his aunt¡¯s beautiful face. She was energetic and beautiful.


    It was said that the night did not mistreat those who stayed up late. It gave you dark circles under your eyes, but that rule did not seem to work on the woman in front of him.


    Grandma, who was in the kitchen, heard the commotion and stuck her head out to look. A moment later, she came out with a bowl of porridge.


    Grandma¡¯s dark hair was streaked with silver, and her eyes were sharp. She was one of those old ladies with a bad temper.


    Although her loose skin and shallow wrinkles had stolen her elegance, one could vaguely tell that she had good looks when she was young.


    Zhang Yuanqing took the porridge from his grandmother and gulped it down.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Grandpa?¡±


    ¡°Out for a walk,¡± said Grandma.


    His grandfather was a retired police officer. Even at his advanced age, his lifestyle habits remained regular. He slept every night at ten and woke up at six in the morning.


    The pretty aunt ate her porridge and grinned.


    ¡°After breakfast, I¡¯ll take you shopping at the mall for clothes.¡±


    Are you that kind? Zhang Yuanqing was about to agree when his grandmother gave him a murderous glare.


    ¡°I¡¯ll break your legs if you dare.¡±


    ¡°Mom, why are you like this?¡± Aunt said, ¡°I just want to buy some spring clothes for Yuanqing, and you¡¯re unhappy? Although my nephew isn¡¯t my son, he¡¯s still my family~¡±


    Grandma replied nonchalantly, ¡°You want your legs broken too?¡±


    Aunt pursed her lips and looked down at her porridge.


    When Zhang Yuanqing heard the mother and daughter¡¯s conversation, he knew that his grandmother must have arranged another blind date for his aunt. His mischievous aunt wanted to drag him into trouble.


    In the past, she had always done this. She would bring her nephew to a blind date and sit for a few minutes. Her socially awesome nephew would ruin the blind date. The two men would have a good chat about their future plans and move on to world politics. She was relevant the entire time.


    All she had to do was drink her beverage and play with her phone. Her blind date would also think that he had shown enough social experience and knowledge in front of a beauty and feel good about himself.


    Jiang Yu¡¯er had been pretty since she was young, often praised by the neighbors. She was beautiful, sweet, and obedient, very liked by the elders.


    Of course, Grandma had to keep such a beautiful daughter safe. When she was in junior high school, she had told her daughter not to get into a relationship and not to go out with male classmates.


    Her daughter did not disappoint her. She had never had a boyfriend until she graduated from university. However, after entering society, especially after her 25th birthday at the beginning of the year, Grandma could not sit still anymore.


    She thought to herself, I just don¡¯t want you to fall in love early. I¡¯m not asking you to be a leftover woman. How many years of youth can a woman have?


    Hence, she gathered her old friends and searched for information on young talents from all over the world to arrange blind dates for her daughter.


    ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s obvious that she doesn¡¯t want to date yet. You can lead a horse to water but you can¡¯t make it drink.¡± Zhang Yuanqing ate a bun while recommending himself, ¡°Do you want to arrange a blind date for me? I¡¯m quite thirsty.¡±


    His grandmother said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re still young. What¡¯s the hurry? The university is filled with female students. Can¡¯t you find one yourself? If you continue to cause trouble, I¡¯ll beat you up.¡±


    Grandma was from the south, but her temper was not gentle at all. She was especially hot-tempered.


    Even Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s career-driven mother did not dare to contradict Grandma.


    ¡®I¡¯ve grown up. I¡¯ve been a handyman for several years¡­¡¯ Zhang Yuanqing muttered in his mind.


    After breakfast, at his grandmother¡¯s strong request, his aunt returned to her room to change her clothes and makeup before going out on a blind date.


    His aunt wore light makeup, which made her look even more beautiful.


    She wore a puffy, round-necked knit shirt paired with a long coat. Pale, narrow-cut jeans wrapped around her long, slender legs. The narrow-cut pants were tucked into her black Doc Martens.


    The minimalist style was neither flirtatious nor flashy, but especially exquisite.


    Aunt threw him a signal-like glance as she carried her bag and sashayed out the door.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going for the blind date.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room and unhurriedly changed into a black T-shirt, windbreaker, and running shoes.


    After a few minutes, he pulled open the bedroom door.


    Grandma was cleaning the living room. When she saw him come out, she stopped what she was doing and stared at him silently.


    Zhang Yuanqing imitated his aunt¡¯s tone.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going for a blind date too.¡±


    ¡°Get back here,¡± Grandma threatened, raising her broom. ¡°If you step out of this door, your dog legs will be broken.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Zhang Yuanqing returned to the bedroom.


    Sitting at the desk, he cradled his phone and messaged his aunt: ¡°Death before the march, I weep the hero¡¯s tears.¡±


    ¡°Speak properly!¡±


    His aunt must have been driving as the reply was short.


    ¡°Grandma stopped me from leaving. You should go on your own blind date yourself.¡±


    Aunt sent him a voice message.


    Zhang Yuanqing pressed it and her angry voice sounded from the speaker: ¡°What¡¯s the use of having you then!!¡±


    Aunt unsent one voice message and sent another. This time, she changed her tone and wheedled.


    ¡°Good nephew, come quickly. Aunt dotes on you the most~¡±


    Ha, woman!


    Do you want me to touch my grandmother¡¯s reverse scale just by acting cute? You should at least give me a red packet.


    At that moment, a slightly harsh ringtone sounded. Zhang Yuanqing came into the living room and pressed the call button for the building intercom while his grandmother watched.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±


    ¡°Delivery.¡±


    A voice came over the speaker.


    Zhang Yuanqing pressed the button to open the door. Two or three minutes later, the uniformed delivery boy rode up in the elevator, a package in his arms:


    ¡°Is it Zhang Yuanqing?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t buy anything online¡­ He signed for it with a puzzled expression and glanced at the package¡¯s information. The package didn¡¯t indicate the sender, but the address was Hang City, Jiangnan Province.


    He returned to the room, found the box cutter in the desk drawer, and opened the package.


    Inside was an air cushion wrapped around a black card and a yellow leather letter.


    Zhang Yuanqing picked up the black card the size of an ID card. The material seemed to be metal, but it was extremely warm to the touch. It was well designed. The edges were shallow silver cloud patterns, and there was a black full moon in the center.


    The black full moon was exquisitely imprinted, and the irregular patches on its surface were clearly visible.


    What was it?


    Perplexed, he opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.


    Yuanqing, I got something very interesting. I thought it could change my life, but my abilities are limited and I can¡¯t handle it. I think it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you.


    We¡¯re brothers after all, so this is my gift to you.


    From: Lei Yibing


    ¡­.

 Chapter 2

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    ¡°From Brother Bing?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing read the letter and frowned.


    What do you mean by life-changing and can¡¯t handle?


    Seriously, he didn¡¯t even make himself clear¡­ He looked at the black card again and observed it repeatedly. He confirmed that this was just an ordinary card. If he had to say that it was unusual, it felt good and the material seemed to be very rare.


    Could it be a VIP Card from some top club? Indeed, only a strange man like him could handle a seductive lady.


    Lei Yibing was his best friend since he was young. His nickname was Bing and he was two years older than him. Before his grandparents bought a new house, the two families lived in the same alley.


    Lei Yibing was someone with high strength and speed but low intelligence. He had been very protective of Zhang Yuanqing since they were young. He rushed to the front when fighting and stayed behind to protect those who were beaten. If anyone mocked Zhang Yuanqing for being a fatherless child, Lei Yibing would stand up for him.


    That was why Zhang Yuanqing kept calling him Brother Bing.


    Lei Yibing¡¯s results in high school were not ideal, so he went to Jiangnan Province to study. After that, they had less contact with each other.


    As Zhang Yuanqing put the black card into his jacket pocket, he picked up his phone and sent a message to Brother Bing to tease him: ¡°Which club¡¯s VIP card is it? At least give me the address or contact information.¡±


    The message was sent and there was no reply for half an hour.


    Zhang Yuanqing simply dialed Brother Bing¡¯s number.


    Two rings later, the call was answered. A man¡¯s deep voice came over the speaker: ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Lei Yibing¡¯s father.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Lei?¡± Zhang Yuanqing was stunned, then he said happily,


    ¡°Brother Bing¡¯s back in Songhai this week? Put him on. I need to talk to him.¡±


    There was silence on the other end of the line, followed by a pained voice.


    ¡°Yuanqing, I¡¯m in Jiangnan Province. Bing is missing¡­¡±


    Brother Bing was missing?! Zhang Yuanqing was stunned on the spot. After a few seconds, he asked blankly and anxiously,


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    How could Brother Bing be missing? He had clearly sent something by parcel.


    ¡°He went missing the day before yesterday. Your Aunt Zhou and I received a notice from the school yesterday and rushed over immediately.¡± Uncle Lei was depressed.


    ¡°Have you called the Security Bureau? What did they say?¡± Zhang Yuanqing asked grimly.


    Uncle Lei was silent for a long time. Then he said hesitantly: ¡°It¡¯s quite difficult to say. Bing¡¯s disappearance was a little strange¡­¡±


    Strange? What did he mean¡­ Zhang Yuanqing was stunned.


    Uncle Lei said: ¡°Bing went missing in the dormitory the night before yesterday. The police checked the surveillance cameras in the dormitory corridor and found that he did not leave the dormitory the entire night. But the next morning, he disappeared.¡±


    ¡°The student in the same dorm said they saw him before they went to bed. When they woke up, there was no one around. They thought he¡¯d just gone out.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing blurted out, ¡°How is this possible¡­¡±


    Would people disappear into thin air? Even a three-year-old would not believe such an excuse.


    Zhang Yuanqing suppressed his anxiety and lowered his voice, ¡°Uncle Lei, did Brother Bing offend someone at school?¡±


    The first thing that came to his mind was that Brother Bing had offended someone in school. The other party had a certain amount of power in the local area, so the surveillance cameras could not see anything wrong. This often meant that the school was covering up for someone.


    In the era of widespread information, anyone who had been online would more or less have heard of something similar.


    ¡°The school leaders said they¡¯d try to cooperate with the police. The police told us to go back and wait for news. They¡¯ll investigate¡­ Your aunt and I didn¡¯t sleep all night.¡±


    Uncle Lei sounded frustrated and worried.


    It was indeed such an answer. Damn it¡­ Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath and comforted him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My grandfather and cousin both work for the Security Bureau. You know that. Later, I¡¯ll ask them how to deal with this kind of thing and what to pay attention to. If you have anything you don¡¯t understand and want to consult, feel free to call me.¡±


    ¡°In addition, you must ask his schoolmates. If Brother Bing has offended anyone, there will definitely be students who know about it.¡±


    Uncle Lei relaxed a little and said: ¡°Got it, Yuanqing. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll let you know as soon as I know anything.¡±


    After hanging up, Zhang Yuanqing was a little uneasy. He paced back and forth in the room, worried about Brother Bing¡¯s safety.


    He couldn¡¯t have disappeared for no reason. If the surveillance cameras couldn¡¯t capture him, they must have been tampered with. He just didn¡¯t know who Brother Bing had offended.


    But who could a third-year student offend?


    Wait a minute, the person who disappeared two days ago¡­


    The day before?!


    Zhang Yuanqing was shocked. It would take 2 to 3 days for the package to travel from Jiangnan Province to Songhai. According to the time, Brother Bing disappeared the night he sent the package¡­


    Was that a coincidence? Or was there some connection?


    He instinctively reached for the black card in his pocket, but when he reached into his pocket, he froze.


    The black card was gone.


    ¡®It fell to the floor?¡¯ Zhang Yuanqing looked down quickly, his eyes scanning the floor of the room.


    Nothing!


    He got down on the floor and looked under the bed. It was covered with a layer of dust and some coins, pens, buttons, and other miscellaneous items, but there was no black card.


    The card was gone. However, he clearly remembered that he had put the item in his pocket.


    How did it disappear into thin air?


    Recalling Brother Bing¡¯s mysterious disappearance, the strange letter, and the vanished black card, Zhang Yuanqing felt inexplicably frightened and confused.


    ¡°Could the black card have something to do with Brother Bing¡¯s disappearance? Or is it something important?¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuanqing decided to use his ¡°illness¡± to stimulate his memories.


    He poured cold water into the glass first, took the pill bottle from the bedside table, unscrewed it, then took off his shoes and lay down on the bed.


    When he was done, he closed his eyes and remained still, visualizing his father¡¯s face in his mind.


    The condition for actively triggering the old ailment was to calm down and visualize an image. Preferably one that he had seen before but could not quite remember.


    This would stimulate brain activity, warm it up slowly, and finally overheat the brain.


    After so many years, her father¡¯s face had long become blurry. He was the perfect target.


    Time passed, and his father¡¯s face gradually went from blurry to clear, until it was perfectly clear. Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s heart beat violently, like an overloaded engine.


    At that moment, time seemed to turn back. The scene from an hour ago flashed by like a movie.


    He saw himself unwrap the package and read the letter. He put the black card in his jacket pocket. Next, he sent a message to Brother Bing.


    Here, he sat motionless at the table for the next half hour, scrolling through entertainment videos for more than ten minutes, exchanging a few dirty pictures with the guys in the gaming group.


    A few good-quality pictures were saved.


    Then he read a novel for a few minutes. Because he kept thinking about the card, he called Brother Bing.


    After he made the call, the crucial moment arrived. He paced the room in a panic. This was the easiest time for the card to drop.


    In the memory recollection, he saw himself frowning as he paced the room. Then he reached for the black card and realized it was gone.


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s eyes shot open, his face filled with horror.


    ¡®Nothing else?!¡¯


    The black card was gone like that, vanishing into thin air.


    What the hell did Brother Bing send me¡­ In an instant, his scalp went numb.


    There was no time to think. A chaotic noise rang in his ears, like the voices of countless people overlapping. The broken images in his mind surged like an erupting volcano.


    Warm liquid flowed down Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s nose, and his head felt as if a steel nail had been driven into it.


    His face twisted as he crawled to the head of the bed. Trembling, he poured out five small blue pills and stuffed them into his mouth. Then, he picked up the glass of water and raised his head to swallow the pills and water into his stomach.


    A moment later, Zhang Yuanqing sat on the bed with a pale face, panting.


    At this point, he was pretty sure there was a connection between Brother Bing¡¯s disappearance and the black card.


    ¡°Brother Bing disappeared after sending me such a strange black card. It¡¯s obviously not an ordinary thing¡­¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but make the connection that Brother Bing might have been under some kind of threat, so he was forced to give the card away.


    ¡°But why did he send it to me instead of the Security Bureau?¡±


    I, a college boy who is completely harmless, am more reliable than the police?


    Zhang Yuanqing suddenly thought of the detail that ¡°the surveillance cameras and dormitory personnel did not notice anything unusual¡±.


    To be able to do this, one had to have a certain amount of power.


    Brother Bing did not hand over the black card to the local Security Bureau because¡­ they could not be trusted either?


    Or rather, the person or force that had caused his disappearance had had influence over the local Security Bureau.


    He sent me the black card because he knew my grandfather is a retired officer and my cousin is working there too. We have pretty deep connections in Songhai City. No one in Jiangnan Province can threaten me?


    I have to tell my cousin about this.


    Ding dong~


    Then he heard the doorbell. It came from the entryway.


    His grandmother¡¯s footsteps sounded immediately. She crossed the living room to the entryway and turned the knob.


    ¡°Who are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Hello, we¡¯re investigators from the Security Bureau of Kangyang District. Is Zhang Yuanqing home?¡±


    The man outside the door answered.


    ¡­.

 Chapter 3

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    ¡®An investigator from the Kangyang District Security Bureau? That¡¯s the unit where my cousin works in, they¡¯re looking for me?¡¯


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He was about to walk to the bedroom door to eavesdrop when he suddenly remembered something. He turned on his phone and deleted the chat and phone records he had sent to Brother Bing.


    Then he folded the letter Brother Bing had written to him and pressed it under the potted plant on the windowsill.


    Only then did he relax and open a crack to secretly observe.


    Grandma¡¯s voice came from the entryway: ¡°Why are you looking for him?¡±


    Instead of inviting the investigator inside, she blocked the door.


    We need to ask him something. Here¡¯s our ID.¡±


    The speaker was a girl with a sexy voice.


    Grandma¡¯s gaze lingered on the ID, then she frowned and stepped aside.


    Zhang Yuanqing opened the door at the right moment and examined the investigator who entered the living room.


    The lead investigator was dressed in a formal black suit with a white shirt and black vest. He held an ebony cane. He had a thin face with a slight mustache, and his slicked-back hair was meticulously combed.


    The European-style clothing and the mustache reminded him of an overseas Chinese gentleman.


    On the gentleman¡¯s left was a beautiful young female investigator. Her facial features were well-defined, and she seemed to be of mixed blood. She was smiling, and her large eyes were very lively.


    She was about 1.75 meters tall and had long legs comparable to a supermodel. She wore a formal suit. The hem of her shirt was tucked into the waist of her pants, outlining her slender waist and bulging chest. Such clothing was simple but effective at work.


    The investigator at the end had a wooden expression on his face. He wore black-rimmed glasses, and his hair was slightly disheveled. He had the look of an engineer.


    ¡°I¡¯m Zhang Yuanqing. What do you want from me?¡±


    While Zhang Yuanqing examined them, the investigators studied the young man too.


    The female half-blood investigator smiled.


    ¡°We¡¯re investigators from the Kangyang District Security Bureau. We have some questions for you. Please cooperate with the investigation.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing led them to the living room sofa and sat down. Grandma poured the three investigators a glass of water and then stared at her grandson with a puzzled expression.


    She couldn¡¯t imagine that a warm and cheerful child, who was good at socializing, whom she had raised single-handedly, would need to assist the police investigators with something.


    The young investigator with tousled hair and glasses pulled out a small notebook and pen.


    The man with the slicked-back hair sat on the sofa, leaning on his stick with both hands. He said seriously: ¡°Do you know Lei Yibing?¡±


    As expected, they came for Brother Bing¡­ so quickly.


    Zhang Yuanqing answered truthfully, ¡°We¡¯ve been friends since we were kids. Why the sudden question?¡±


    A suspicion flashed through his mind. His cousin was the captain of the Kangyang District Security Bureau¡¯s second team. Since these three investigators had come to visit, they must have checked his family background.


    Logically speaking, shouldn¡¯t they inform and greet each other since the target was a family member of their colleague in the Security Bureau?


    Didn¡¯t they know the ways of the world?


    However, there was no sign of his cousin so he obviously didn¡¯t know. Otherwise, even if he didn¡¯t follow, he would have called in advance.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re best friends!¡±


    The man stepped tapped his shiny leather shoes and said unhurriedly: ¡°The thing is, Lei Yibing is missing. The Security Bureau in Hang City, Jiangnan Province, contacted us. They said they found out that a package was sent out the morning before he disappeared. The recipient was you.¡±


    He stared deeply at Zhang Yuanqing as if he could see through his mind, ¡°Is that true?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing revealed a stunned and confused expression. ¡°Missing? How is that possible¡­¡±


    The engineer-looking guy who was in charge of recording the information reminded him: ¡°Just answer yes or no.¡±


    ¡°Yes, just now, I received a package, but the name of the sender was not written on it. I was still wondering who sent me the package.¡± Zhang Yuanqing nodded with a heavy expression.


    It was useless to deny it. Since the police could find out about the delivery, it was even easier to check the surveillance cameras in the neighborhood.


    The man with the slicked-back hair nodded. He asked: ¡°What¡¯s in the package? I hope you¡¯ll answer truthfully. This is a very important clue for us.¡±


    At the side, Grandma heaved a sigh of relief, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but worry about Lei Yibing.


    She had watched that child grow up, even though he had moved away for many years.


    Zhang Yuanqing replied: ¡°There¡¯s nothing in the package. It¡¯s empty.¡±


    ¡°Empty?¡± The man with the slicked-back hair narrowed his eyes as he examined Zhang Yuanqing with a gaze that seemed to read his mind.


    Although I lied, the black card has indeed disappeared. It¡¯s no different from it being empty. I¡¯m not afraid of you investigating¡­


    Zhang Yuanqing did not dodge. He looked at him sincerely and said, ¡°When I opened the package, I found it empty except for a fall-proof air cushion. By the way, the package is still in my room. You can look for it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    If Brother Bing¡¯s disappearance was what he suspected, he would have to hide it now. He would explain everything when his cousin returned home from work.


    It was naturally safest to discuss this matter with his family.


    The man with the slicked-back hair motioned to his female subordinate with his eyes.


    The latter entered the room with a smile. After a while, she returned to the living room and nodded at her companions.


    The man with the slicked-back hair pondered for a moment and said: ¡°We¡¯d like to check your room, and the computer if that¡¯s convenient. Also, please show me your phone.¡±


    You can check the computer, but please don¡¯t open the history of the web browser and the learning folder¡¯s materials on the hard drive¡­ Zhang Yuanqing unlocked the phone screen without blushing and handed it over.


    The slicked-back man took the phone while the female investigator reentered the room.


    The man with the slicked-back hair held the phone in one hand. After a few simple swipes of his thumb, he returned it to Zhang Yuanqing and waited patiently.


    Half an hour later, the female investigator with long legs walked out. This time, she shook her head.


    The man with the slicked-back hair nodded slightly and said gently: ¡°Thank you for your cooperation. We¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing quickly asked, ¡°Can I ask about Lei Yibing?¡±


    He was both sincere and trying to ¡°perfect¡± his lie. It would be too suspicious if he did not ask about the situation after hearing that his childhood friend had gone missing.


    The man with the slicked-back hair answered patiently: ¡°Lei Yibing disappeared from the dormitory. The surveillance cameras in the corridor did not capture him leaving. According to a roommate, when he got up to use the bathroom that night, he also saw Lei Yibing sleeping in bed.¡±


    ¡°But when they woke up in the morning, he was gone. Twenty-four hours later, because they couldn¡¯t contact anyone, their counselor notified the school, and the school immediately called the police.¡±


    ¡°For more details, you¡¯ll have to call and consult the local Security Bureau.¡±


    This was just as Uncle Lei had said. It seemed that the local Security Bureau was making no progress at all. Well, maybe this guy didn¡¯t want to tell him more¡­


    Zhang Yuanqing nodded, ¡°I got it.¡±


    The slicked-back man led his two subordinates toward the security door. He stopped halfway, turned, and said: ¡°If there are any clues, you must let us know in time. Don¡¯t keep anything from us.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing was about to nod when he heard him say with a meaningful smile, ¡°Otherwise, you might be the next one to go missing.¡±


    I¡¯ll be the next one to go missing?


    What does he mean by that? Is he threatening me? Is he going to make me disappear like Brother Bing unless I hand over the black card?


    Anyway, what happened to the card? It disappeared into thin air¡­ I can¡¯t hand it over even if I want to.


    ¡°Thanks for the warning!¡±


    He showed a smile that could barely be seen.


    Anyway, I¡¯d better wait until my cousin gets back from work.


    Brother Bing must not have wanted the card to fall into the hands of the Security Bureau. Otherwise, he would not have sent it to me.


    Besides, as his best friend and childhood friend, he trusted Brother Bing not to screw him over.


    Grandma¡¯s face darkened and she said coldly: ¡°I won¡¯t see you out.¡±


    What was wrong with this person? Why was he cursing her grandson for no reason?


    The man with the slicked-back hair smiled, fumbled a business card out of the left pocket of his suit, and handed it over. ¡°Call me if you need anything.¡±


    After Zhang Yuanqing took it, he led his two subordinates away.


    ¡°Why is Bing missing? Sigh, I¡¯ll take some time to visit his mother,¡± Grandma said worriedly after they left.


    The two families used to be neighbors. After seeing each other for more than ten years, there was still some affection between them.


    Zhang Yuanqing said wearily: ¡°Grandma, I didn¡¯t sleep well last night. I¡¯ll go back to my room and rest first. If I don¡¯t get up at noon, you don¡¯t have to call me.


    ¡°When Grandpa comes back, tell him about this and ask him to contact Uncle Lei.¡±


    Last night, he had played with his aunt until two or three in the morning. In the morning, his old illness relapsed when he woke up. He was already lacking sleep, but in order to find Brother Bing, he had forcefully overloaded his brain.


    At this moment, he was so tired that his brain was dizzy.


    After his grandmother nodded, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room.


    Closing the door, he took off his shoes and plunged into bed, immediately falling asleep.


    ¡­.


    In the black car, Li Dongze sat in a leather armchair. His gold-studded cane with the handle leaned against the side of the chair. He held a goblet in his palm and swirled the red wine.


    ¡°Guan Ya, what did you find in the room earlier?¡±


    He turned to the mixed-blood beauty in the seat beside him.


    Guan Ya leaned lazily on the armchair, her long legs pressed together tightly. Her pretty face was solemn.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made a major discovery.¡±


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Li Dongze said sternly.


    The engineer in the back row also looked away from his phone and over.


    Guan Ya said in a serious tone: ¡°That kid has a stockings complex. His study folder¡¯s materials are full of mature sisters, but his trash bin is so clean. It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡±


    ¡°His social circle is very wide. He has all kinds of groups, but he¡¯s only active in the gaming group and the ¡®dirty¡¯ group. The other groups are all muted¡­ His room doesn¡¯t have any entertainment except for the game console. This kid is actually a little antisocial¡­ By the way, Chief, you know what ¡®dirty¡¯ means, right?¡±


    The mixed-blood beauty smiled and made a stroking gesture.


    Her two companions were stunned. Li Dongze quickly raised his hand to interrupt and said angrily: ¡°Oh, my God, I could kick your ass with my boot. I¡¯m talking to you about serious business. Why are you talking all this nonsense? I¡¯ve told you many times not to take liberties or make dirty jokes. It¡¯s a very bad habit for you to have. It¡¯s so inelegant.¡±


    The long-legged lady was not afraid of her angry superior at all. She smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so boring. Appropriate banter helps liven things up.¡±


    Her smile faded slowly. She said: ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything suspicious in his computer, but under the flowerpot on the windowsill, I found the letter Lei Yibing sent him. It¡¯s most likely a character card if nothing else, but I don¡¯t know what class it is.¡±


    Li Dongze was silent for a few seconds, resting his eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯ll come again tomorrow, hmm, if he¡¯s not missing by then.¡±


    ¡­

 Chapter 4

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    In his daze, Zhang Yuanqing felt something soft and voluptuous pressing down on him. He could not breathe.


    When he opened his eyes, he saw a round and exquisite face and a mischievous smile.


    His aunt whined: ¡°Brat, how dare you stand me up? I¡¯ll sit on you until you die.¡±


    She sat duck-legged on her nephew, leaned forward, lifted her bottom, and sat down hard.


    Zhang Yuanqing groaned as she sat down and almost stopped breathing. He straightened his back in anger and flipped over the woman.


    As his aunt exclaimed, he saw that it was already dark outside the window. Unknowingly, he had slept from morning to night.


    ¡°Time to eat!¡±


    His aunt lay on a side of the bed and kicked her nephew¡¯s butt with a deadly series of assaults.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take revenge, okay? I respect the old and cherish the young. I won¡¯t lower myself to your level.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing slipped over to the bed, put on his shoes, and walked out of the door.


    A rich aroma wafted through the living room. The grandparents sat at the table eating. Grandpa was silver-haired, lean, and tall, his face serious and unsmiling.


    At the table, Grandma asked expectantly, ¡°So, how¡¯s the partner I arranged for you this time?¡±


    ¡°Not bad. He¡¯s a corporate executive with an annual salary of a few hundred thousand dollars. I¡¯m satisfied!¡±


    Aunt nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.


    ¡°You say that every time but you end up blocking them.¡± Grandma poked her daughter hard in the head and scolded her.


    ¡°Grow up. Think about how old you are.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right¡­¡± Zhang Yuanqing was gloating at the side when his calf was kicked by Jiang Yu¡¯er.


    They kicked each other under the table, which rattled constantly.


    ¡°Go back to your room if you¡¯re not going to eat.¡±


    As Grandma roared, Zhang Yuanqing and his aunt immediately lowered their heads to eat.


    ¡°Grandma, when will Cousin be back?¡± Zhang Yuanqing asked.


    His uncle¡¯s family lived opposite them. A while ago, his wife, who came from a wealthy family, and the dissolute uncle had gone on a trip overseas. During this period, his cousin ate dinner here.


    ¡°He said he was working overtime tonight and wouldn¡¯t be back at night¡­ He¡¯s a workaholic. He¡¯s the opposite of his deadbeat father,¡± Grandma complained.


    Overtime¡­ Zhang Yuanqing could not hide his disappointment.


    After dinner, Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Yu¡¯er returned to their rooms, leaving Grandma to clean up the mess.


    ¡­


    Back in his room, Zhang Yuanqing locked the door and dialed his cousin¡¯s number.


    Since he couldn¡¯t say it in person, he might as well call.


    It was just that they could not communicate through the phone.


    The call went through quickly, but all he heard was nonsense that indicated the phone was switched off.


    ¡°He¡¯s in a meeting?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing hung up the phone helplessly. As a group leader, his cousin was busy with work, and his diet was irregular. Such situations where he could not be contacted happened from time to time.


    He was used to it.


    Zhang Yuanqing lay on the bed and looked at the ceiling, letting his thoughts scatter¡­


    Assuming Brother Bing¡¯s disappearance was not natural and the other party¡¯s target was the black card, I would have to be careful. The safest way was to hand the black card to his cousin and let him report it to his superiors.


    With the administrative level of Songhai City¡¯s Security Bureau, the influence of the forces in Jiangnan Province was limited.


    But the problem was that the black card was missing. This was the biggest headache¡­ Zhang Yuanqing scratched his head in distress.


    A black card that could disappear into thin air. Just the thought of it was terrifying. If he could not find the black card, the method of handing it over to the country would not be possible.


    He could only confess to his cousin first and let him react to the higher-ups before following the arrangements. He was just an ordinary university student and could not do anything.


    Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing felt a pain in his forehead. It was a little hot. He reached out and scratched it. The pain was even stronger.


    Hmm? There was burning pain. What¡¯s going on¡­


    Slightly dazed, he left the bed and walked over to the dressing mirror that stood by the window. He examined his reflection.


    In the dressing mirror, a young man¡¯s face was reflected. His facial features were delicate and his skin was fair. He did not have the firmness of an adult or the maturity gained through the vicissitudes of time.


    There was only the vitality of a young man.


    On his forehead was the black imprint of a full moon. It was vivid and the irregular patches on its surface were clearly visible.


    At the bottom of the full moon mark, there was something like a progress bar. It showed: 90%


    This¡­ Zhang Yuanqing retreated in shock. He rubbed his forehead hard, but the mark was like a tattoo that could not be removed.


    How can I have such a thing on my forehead? When did it appear? Confused thoughts raced through his mind, mixed with panic and confusion.


    ¡°Wait! Isn¡¯t this the black moon on the card?¡±


    He was stunned at first but he soon realized it.


    The black card hadn¡¯t been lost. It had entered his body and, in a way he couldn¡¯t understand, had become the mark on his forehead.


    In his confusion, he realized that the progress bar under the black moon had become 92%. As the number jumped, his forehead felt hotter.


    What was this, a supernatural power? Advanced technology? Hallucination?


    At this moment, the contents of the letter surfaced in his mind again: This is a gift that can change one¡¯s life¡­


    ¡°The black card is really a treasure, so my previous guess was right. Someone coveted this card. Brother Bing didn¡¯t want the other party to succeed, so he sent it to me. As a result, he disappeared¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing stared at the progress bar expectantly as he worried about Brother Bing.


    What would happen when the progress bar reached 100%? After witnessing the miracle in front of him, he was filled with curiosity about the changes that would happen next.


    After a few waves of burning sensation, the progress bar at the bottom of the black moon finally completed the journey and reached 100%.


    The next moment, an emotionless voice sounded in his ear.


    [Character Card rebooted¡­]


    [Name: To be named (Please name it immediately)]


    [Race: Human]


    [Class: Night Wanderer]


    [Level: 0]


    [Skills: None]


    [EXP: 0%]


    [Moral Value: 60 (Initial Value)]


    Below the moral value was another note:


    [Never let your moral value fall below 60. You might not have had a choice before, but please be a good person from now on.]


    Looking at the glowing blue character attributes panel that appeared in front of him, Zhang Yuanqing was stunned for a long time. What was this?


    He tried, ¡°System?¡±


    As an expert in Internet surfing, such knowledge was a must.


    The emotionless voice echoed in his ears again:


    [Please name the character immediately!]


    A blue handwritten box popped up on the attribute panel that was frozen in midair.


    It wasn¡¯t the system. Otherwise, its intelligence would be too low. He couldn¡¯t even communicate with it¡­ With the thought of taking it one step at a time, Zhang Yuanqing stretched out his finger and wrote his name:


    Zhang Yuanqing.


    [Warning: Please do not use your real name.]


    I can¡¯t use my real name? Zhang Yuanqing was stunned.


    He wrote down the second name: Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning.


    [Naming successful! The Spirit Realm will be activated in ten seconds. Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning, good luck!]


    Hearing the voice echoing in his ears, Zhang Yuanqing was stunned for a moment. What was going on? Activating the Spirit Realm? In the first place, shouldn¡¯t it explain what the Spirit Realm was?


    The ten-second countdown ended before he could regain his composure.


    [Ding, the Spirit Realm map has been activated. Welcome to the ¡°Night Wanderer¡ªShe Ling Tunnel¡±, No. 0079.]


    [Difficulty Level: S]


    [Type: Individual (Death Type)]


    [Main Mission 1: Survive for three hours.]


    [Main Mission 2: Explore Spirit Realm No. 0079. Current Exploration Rate: 0%]


    [Remarks: Non-Spirit Realm items cannot be brought in.]


    [Spirit Realm No. 0079: Do you know one of the top ten ghost stories in Songhai City, the She Ling Tunnel?]


    [The She Ling Tunnel was built at the end of the last century. During the tunnel¡¯s construction, a construction team entered the tunnel to dig on a rainy night and disappeared into the tunnel, never to be seen again.


    [The Security Bureau organized a search team to search for days. They found a worker in the mountains who was involved in the excavation that night, but the others were nowhere to be seen.


    [Although the survivor lived, he suffered some inexplicable stimulation and became mentally ill. After going crazy, no matter what the police asked, he only had one sentence to say.


    [He said: Don¡¯t enter the temple, don¡¯t enter the temple¡­]


    The voices in his ears grew softer, fading to nothing. The landscape twisted and blurred like the surface of a frilled lake.


    After a while, the image smoothed out. A dim yellow light shone on the uneven walls, and the pavement was paved with fine stones.


    ¡°Where is this place?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing looked around in amazement and found himself in an old tunnel. The old-fashioned tungsten lamps on the curved dome gave off a faint orange glow.


    ¡­.

 Chapter 5

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    An abandoned tunnel¡­


    Zhang Yuanqing looked around in panic. Anyone would be flustered if they were suddenly brought into an unfamiliar environment.


    ¡°Tunnel? Is this the She Ling Tunnel from the ghost stories?¡±


    As a native of Songhai City, he naturally knew about the She Ling Tunnel. When he was young and was naughty and didn¡¯t sleep at night, his grandmother would scare him with strange stories.


    However, forget about the ghost stories. Take the She Ling Tunnel for example. A few days ago, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his hometown to pay respects to his father and even passed by the She Ling Tunnel.


    How could the real She Ling Tunnel be so old?


    ¡°Oh right, this is the Spirit Realm, not the real She Ling Tunnel.¡±


    The cramped environment was unnerving. Zhang Yuanqing walked forward cautiously, hearing only his own lonely footsteps.


    As he walked, he considered his situation and the information given by the voice in his head.


    There was no doubt that he had encountered the supernatural and had been brought into the ghost story to complete the mission issued by the mysterious power.


    ¡°That voice gave me two missions. One is to survive for three hours; the other is to explore the Spirit Realm. The difficulty level is S, and the type of individual death¡­ This death type makes me panic.¡±


    Surviving three hours meant great danger.


    Exploring the Spirit Realm¡­ should mean exploring this tunnel. In other words, the tunnel was very dangerous?


    He quietly tensed up. At the same time, a question flashed through his mind: What would be the reward for completing the mission?


    Since it was a mission, there would definitely be a reward.


    ¡°Well, according to the attribute panel just now, my class is the Night Wanderer, but my level is 0 instead of 1. Becoming the Night Wanderer should be one of the rewards, right? What is the Night Wanderer?¡±


    ¡°Brother Bing is right. This black card will change one¡¯s life. But I ignored the second half of his statement. This thing is difficult to handle. Does it refer to the degree of danger?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing combined the known information and analyzed it silently.


    At that moment, the old-fashioned tungsten lamp at his side seemed to have an unsteady circuit. It flickered a few times, and as light and darkness intertwined, Zhang Yuanqing could vaguely see a figure in a miner¡¯s hat standing under the lamp.


    F*ck¡­ He jumped up in shock, and his train of thought was instantly interrupted. He ran forward like a frightened deer.


    Looking over his shoulder, he saw that the floodlights continued to glow. They no longer flickered.


    The dark figure in the miner¡¯s hat seemed to be his imagination.


    With this scare, Zhang Yuanqing did not dare to stay in this damn place any longer and quickly headed out of the tunnel.


    Tap, tap, tap¡­ The sound of footsteps echoed in the quiet tunnel. Zhang Yuanqing did not dare to stop for a single step. He sprinted for five or six minutes. The old-fashioned tungsten lamps in the curved dome flickered again, but this time, no figure in a miner¡¯s hat appeared.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t follow me?¡±


    Relieved and afraid to stay, he walked quickly with his head down. Suddenly, staring at the ground, he caught a detail that made his heart stop.


    The orange tungsten lights lengthened his shadow. A dozen shadows followed him.


    They¡¯ve been following me?!


    A chill ran from his feet to his head, and goosebumps rose all over his body. Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s face turned pale with fear, and he started running wildly.


    Finally, the mouth of the tunnel appeared ahead. Beyond the tunnel was the cold, frosty moonlight.


    Zhang Yuanqing burst out of the tunnel, clutching his knees and bending over to catch his breath.


    After catching his breath, he looked around at his surroundings. The full moon was like a disc, hanging lonely in the night sky. Under its brilliance, the stars paled in comparison.


    The lush forest was bathed in moonlight, casting large, dense shadows.


    He was in the middle of nowhere.


    The tungsten lights in the tunnel flickered a few times and went out. The huge tunnel was dark and quiet, like the maw of a hungry beast.


    ¡°I need to hurry up and leave¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing felt his scalp tingle as he climbed the rugged mountain path.


    After a dozen steps, he looked back again and saw a line of figures standing at the mouth of the tunnel, wearing miner¡¯s hats and shabby clothing, their heads bowed.


    They stood in the shadows, beyond the reach of the moonlight, silent as if they were sending him off.


    Zhang Yuanqing took a few steps back in shock, turned around, and ran up the mountain.


    The branches and leaves on both sides of the mountain path were lush, scattering fine moonlight, enough for Zhang Yuanqing to see the road clearly.


    However, the silence in the mountains was terrifying. There were no insects or birds in the forest, which made Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s footsteps especially loud.


    ¡°It¡¯s too quiet. There can¡¯t be no insects in the mountains at this time of the year.¡±


    He looked around and saw that the moon was full and the trees swayed. He had the feeling that something was watching him from the darkness.


    After walking for an unknown period of time, until his body was covered in a thin layer of sweat, Zhang Yuanqing finally walked out of the dense forest. His vision suddenly widened.


    The moonlight was like water and the surroundings were dead silent. At the end of the rugged mountain path was an abandoned ancient temple.


    It stood quietly in the darkness.


    The old temple had been abandoned for who knew how many years. The front door was mottled and blackened with holes. The lantern at the corner of the eaves had fallen to the ground, leaving only the skeleton of a bamboo pole.


    The plaque was still there, though. It was covered in cobwebs and hung at an angle under the eaves, but it was too dark to read what was written on it.


    The steps in front of the temple were cracked and overgrown with weeds.


    This place was in the middle of nowhere. Why was there a temple here?


    Wait¡­ a temple?!


    Zhang Yuanqing suddenly reacted. The voice in the Spirit Realm information introduction seemed to ring in his ears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t enter the temple, don¡¯t enter the temple¡­¡±


    ¡°According to the hint from the strange voice, I shouldn¡¯t enter the temple. No, I¡¯m already out of the tunnel. That means what I¡¯m really supposed to explore is this dilapidated old temple.¡±


    After hesitating for a long time at the entrance of the temple, Zhang Yuanqing carefully walked towards the ancient temple standing in the darkness, and stepped over the dilapidated threshold.


    What came into view was a vast front yard with waist-high weeds. A rotting incense burner half the height of a man lay overturned in the grass, exposed to years of wind and rain.


    Below him was a path paved with limestone slabs. Between the cracks in the slabs, the same clumps of wild grass grew.


    His gaze followed the undulating weeds to the end of the limestone path. There was a dilapidated main hall with a high foundation and six steps. A dim yellow light shone through the lattice doors of the main hall.


    ¡°There¡¯s light?¡±


    The surroundings were silent and desolate. The bright moonlight shone down. In such an environment, that little halo did not bring any warmth to Zhang Yuanqing.


    He even found it even more terrifying.


    Rustle¡­


    Stepping through the clumps of withered weeds, he kept his guard up as he walked towards the main hall. In the empty environment, the sound of footsteps was exceptionally clear.


    Rustle, rustle¡­


    Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing heard footsteps behind him. Something was following him.


    He jerked his head.


    The night was watery and wild, but there was nothing behind him.


    ¡°Did I imagine it?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing stopped for a moment in fear before moving forward again.


    Rustle rustle¡­


    The footsteps came again, and this time he heard them clearly. There really was something following them.


    ¡­It couldn¡¯t be that strange, right? He had just entered the temple and he encountered something spooky? He didn¡¯t dare to look back and quickened his pace.


    The footsteps behind him quickened.


    Zhang Yuanqing could no longer hold it in. As goosebumps rose on his skin, he sprinted towards the main hall.


    Footsteps followed him, close on his heels.


    During the chase, Zhang Yuanqing quickly rushed out of the weeds and approached the main hall. He took six steps and jumped up. Finally, with a loud clang, he broke through the two lattice doors of the main hall.


    The footsteps behind him suddenly disappeared.


    ¡°Huff, huff¡­¡±


    Breathing hard, he finally dared to look over his shoulder. The moonlight fell like water across the courtyard, the grass grew wildly and the stone path was eerily quiet. However, there was nothing.


    ¡°Fortunately, it didn¡¯t chase me.¡±


    After Zhang Yuanqing caught his breath, he gently closed the door to the main hall, as if blocking out his fear.


    Then, he scanned the scene in the main hall. On a tall stone pedestal, there was a goddess in a fur cloak and gorgeous clothes. Her face was round and her eyebrows were slender, looking very benevolent.


    The goddess was holding a horsetail whisk in one hand and making a grasping motion with the other. She seemed to be holding something, but it was empty now.


    On the left and right were boys holding swords and girls holding books.


    In front of the pedestal was a dusty tribute table with candlesticks. A twenty-centimeter-long candle as thick as a baby¡¯s forearm burned quietly.


    The candlelight dispelled the darkness and seemed to dispel the fear in Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s heart. He felt much more stable.


    On the wall to the left hung two faded and cracked boards, etched with scriptures.


    Zhang Yuanqing strolled to the wall and gazed at them in the evening candlelight. The stylized text of these scriptures was written in classical Chinese.


    His language skills were not bad. Through half-guessing, he had a clear understanding of his environment.


    This mountain was called Mount Sandao. The Mountain Goddess worshiped in the temple was called Goddess Sandao.


    This Mountain Goddess was from the Song Manor at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty. She cultivated in the Song Manor¡¯s Mount Sandao and was proficient in talisman techniques and alchemy. She could pray for rain to exorcise ghosts and protect the weather. Therefore, she was respected by the people as a goddess.


    After she ascended, the local authorities built this temple on Mount Sandao and named it the ¡°Goddess Sandao Temple¡±. Her successor would manage the incense offerings and serve as a temple attendant.


    ¡°As a temple built then, it¡¯s been five or six hundred years since,¡± Zhang Yuanqing muttered.


    At this moment, he could not help but glance at the bottom of the tribute table and his heart skipped a beat.


    A dark figure lay in the shadows at the bottom of the table.


    He was too terrified just now and the candlelight was dim, so he did not notice it immediately.


    Zhang Yuanqing braced himself and approached. When he took a closer look, he realized that it was a skeleton.


    He heaved a sigh of relief amidst his fear. Compared to this strange Mountain Temple, the corpses were not so terrifying.


    He took a few steps closer. In the dim candlelight, he could make out the skeleton¡¯s clothes. A dust-covered work jacket.


    ¡°Workers?¡±


    ¡°This was the construction crew back then? So I did get into the world of the ghost story.¡±


    As soon as Zhang Yuanqing made a guess, he thought of an even more daunting possibility. Perhaps, like him, the construction team back then had entered this place by mistake.


    Hence the urban legend appeared.


    If it was the former, this so-called Spirit Realm was based on ghost stories.


    If it was the latter, it meant that the ancient temple had always existed. The construction team was as much a victim as he was at this moment.


    According to the history of the Mountain Temple, Zhang Yuanqing was more inclined to the latter.


    ¡°An entire construction team died in the temple, and only one person survived. People will really die here¡­ Now that I¡¯ve entered this temple, I¡¯ll face unknown danger at any time¡­¡±


    He gasped and tensed up again. He subconsciously looked around.


    Immediately, he was suddenly aware of a detail that was terrifying to contemplate.


    This ancient temple was from the Ming dynasty and had a long history. How could the candles still be burning? Who was replacing the candles in the main hall?


    The more he thought about it, the more horrified he became. Even the kind-looking statue seemed to exude a strange and sinister aura in the candlelight.


    Although the three clay figurines were covered in dust, they were lifelike. Every detail was carved vividly, especially the eyes.


    They stood on the pedestal, staring down at Zhang Yuanqing in the evening candlelight.

 Chapter 6

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    F*ck¡­ Zhang Yuanqing suddenly did not want to stay in the main hall anymore.


    He had the fear of being in a desperate situation where no one could help him.


    This place was extremely dangerous, but he could not ask for help from the outside world. He could only rely on himself.


    After much hesitation, he gritted his teeth and made up his mind. He leaned over and pulled the skeleton out.


    Sizzle~


    During the tugging process, the work jacket was easily torn. After so many years, the clothes had long decomposed.


    Dragging the body into the candlelight, he swallowed his discomfort and began to examine it.


    Although the person was dead, the body could talk. Figuring out the cause of death could help him avoid many dangers.


    ¡°A few broken ribs and ribs. There are fine cracks on his right shoulder, but it¡¯s not serious¡­¡±


    The deceased had been severely injured when he was alive, but the exact cause of death could not be seen because it was too old.


    Then, from the senior worker¡¯s pocket, Zhang Yuanqing found a few yellowed and brittle papers. They were very old.


    Written in block letters were tiny words.


    Zhang Yuanqing was delighted. The senior worker had obviously found the paper in the temple. It would help him understand the situation of the ancient temple.


    Using the candlelight, he concentrated on reading the paper.


    ¡°Last night, another junior brother went missing. This is already the third fellow disciple in the temple who mysteriously disappeared. The fellow disciples said that there was a ghost on Mount Sandao, or it was a demon with a high cultivation level that came to the temple every night to catch people to eat. However, many disciples in the temple have cultivation. Master is even a famous Perfected Person within a hundred miles. Which demon dares to come here to hunt for food?¡±


    ¡°As for ghosts and monsters, my Corpse Suppression Talisman and Spirit Summoning Talisman are enough to deal with them. There¡¯s no need to trouble Master. I have a bad feeling in my heart. I have to look for Eldest Senior Brother to discuss¡­¡±


    ¡°Another person went missing today. This is the fifth person. Master asked us to hide it from the visitors. Otherwise, it will affect the incense offerings in the temple. He must know something. Eldest Senior Brother and I plan to patrol at night¡­¡±


    ¡°Three days have passed. Three more people have gone missing during this period, but Eldest Senior Brother and I didn¡¯t find any clues. The night is calm. The ominous feeling in my heart deepened¡­¡±


    ¡°Eldest Senior Brother is very strange today. He seemed to have discovered something and is very angry. I questioned him, but he didn¡¯t tell me. He¡¯s not in a good mood. I¡¯d better ask tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°The person who went missing today is¡­ Eldest Senior Brother, I searched the entire Mount Sandao but didn¡¯t find him. I¡­ I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯m going to ask Master. The fellow disciples in the temple also support me because they¡¯re also very afraid¡­¡±


    The handwriting of this paragraph was a little illegible, showing that the owner of the notebook had a mental breakdown.


    Zhang Yuanqing read on:


    ¡°After some questioning, Master finally agreed to tell me the truth. My hunch was right. He did know the reason for his junior brothers¡¯ strange disappearance. But Master said that there were too many people around during the day. After sunset, he would come to my room and tell me a huge secret that concerned the rise and fall of thousands of years.¡±


    ¡°After dinner, I waited in my room for sunset. Ever since someone disappeared in the night, I¡¯ve never looked forward to it getting dark so much¡­¡±


    So much for what the paper recorded.


    That¡¯s it? The cliffhanger is a little uncomfortable¡­ Zhang Yuanqing gritted his teeth.


    He sorted through the information in the paper. In a certain year, the disciples of this Mountain Temple had mysteriously disappeared one after another.


    The disciples were helpless as panic spread. The temple attendant, their master, seemed to know the reason.


    This reason concerned a great secret regarding the rise and decline of thousands of years.


    ¡°The reason for the Mountain Temple¡¯s decline is unknown. If I explore this source, will I be able to complete the second main mission?¡± Zhang Yuanqing guessed.


    He put the brittle paper back in the corpse¡¯s work jacket and pushed it back under the table. Out of sight, out of mind. Then he thought about what he was going to do next.


    ¡°There¡¯s only so much information in the main hall. Since I want to explore the ancient temple, I definitely have to go out. In that case, we have to face the danger in the temple¡­¡±


    ¡°In the weird story about the She Ling Tunnel, one of the workers managed to survive. Follow his path and you might find a way to survive.¡±


    After much deliberation, Zhang Yuanqing went to the main door and opened the two well-kept lattice doors.


    Squeak~


    The wooden door hinges made a grinding noise.


    He braced himself against the door frame and poked his head out to look left and right. It was silent outside, and other than being a little bleak and eerie, he saw no danger.


    After observing for a while, he stepped out of the threshold and walked along the cobblestone path to the left of the main hall, toward the backyard of the Mountain Temple.


    The moonlight was like water, and the grass rose and fell. Zhang Yuanqing had been walking for a minute or two when a cluster of buildings appeared ahead.


    They were connected bungalows forming a sprawling quadrangle with black-tiled white walls, a one-sided roof ridge, and lattice windows and lattice doors under the eaves.


    The latticed doors were dusty, either opened, upside down, or closed. The paper used to paste the windows was tattered with age.


    The moonlight was bright, like frost on the ground. He used it to scan the layout of the Mountain Temple¡¯s backyard.


    In addition to the courtyard house in front of him, there was an arched door on the east side. It was a little like the back residences of rich families in movies and television dramas. They would all have such an arched door to connect different courtyards.


    A towering tree had been planted in the courtyard next door. It had lush leaves and branches.


    ¡°Eh¡­¡±


    He found a few skeletons wrapped in work jackets in the overgrown yard.


    Carefully, he moved closer and examined each skeleton. The damage was severe. Under the coat was a section of a broken bone, but except for the one in the main hall, the skeleton shoulder bones here were well preserved and not cracked.


    ¡°These people suffered terrible injuries before they died. They died miserably¡­¡±


    There was a gust of wind, and the leaves rustled. Faintly, Zhang Yuanqing heard a whisper, like a sob, in the rustle brought by the wind: ¡°Help, help¡­¡±


    On this desolate and silent night, Zhang Yuanqing broke out in cold sweat.


    He stood frozen to the spot for a long moment. Then the wind stopped and the whispers of weeping died with it.


    The courtyard next door seemed a little dangerous, but the things inside didn¡¯t come over¡­ He exhaled silently and walked into the eaves of the courtyard, intending to explore this courtyard house.


    This seemed to be where the disciples of the temple lived. There were piles of old, dusty furniture, and the air was faint and rotten.


    Zhang Yuanqing explored the room one by one and found nothing special until he pushed open the lattice door at the far east.


    Creak!


    The dusty door was pushed open again, and dust fell. Zhang Yuanqing patted the dust off his shoulders and scanned every corner of the room warily.


    In the long-abandoned room, by the window, a body leaned against the wall, lying askew.


    From the clothing and the tumbled miner¡¯s hat, he could deduce that it was another senior.


    As he crossed the threshold and entered the room, Zhang Yuanqing shivered. For some reason, he felt as if the temperature around him had dropped significantly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little cold¡­¡±


    Cautiously, he leaned toward the body and unbuttoned his tattered clothes. As usual, he observed the skeleton. This time, he saw no shattered bones. This skeleton was perfectly preserved.


    However, when he looked at the shoulder bones of the corpse, his pupils constricted as he saw exaggerated cracks.


    This was the same kind of crack on the shoulder as the corpse in the main hall. The difference was that the corpse in front of him had suffered more serious injuries.


    ¡°Is it just a coincidence that the one in the house and the one in the main hall have a shattered shoulder bone?¡± he said to himself uneasily.


    Then Zhang Yuanqing realized that the trouser pockets of the corpse were bulging as if they were hiding something.


    He reached into the dead man¡¯s pants pocket and pulled out a yellowed ancient book, a dusty bronze mirror, and a yellow paper talisman.


    Twisted lines were drawn on the yellow paper talisman with cinnabar, a little like runes. These lines gathered together to form a word, ¡°Corpse.¡±


    As he examined the yellow paper talisman, a fluorescent blue message appeared in front of Zhang Yuanqing:


    [Name: Corpse Suppression Talisman]


    [Type: Consumable]


    [Function: Corpse Suppression]


    [Introduction: A talisman created by the powerful Night Wanderer. It is the nemesis of all corpse-type Yin creatures. Sticking it on the forehead of the Yin creature can complete the seal.]


    [Remarks: It can only be used once.]


    The fluorescent blue information was a little like his attribute panel. It was obvious that this was a hint given by the Spirit Realm.


    This was the first time Zhang Yuanqing had seen such a hint since entering the strange ancient temple.


    ¡°It should be an important item.¡± Zhang Yuanqing folded it, put it in the pocket of his jacket, and zipped it up.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, he opened the zipper again.


    This was because he remembered a joke in a martial arts novel. A certain swordsman with superb swordsmanship liked to wrap a cloth around his sword and carry it on his back.


    One day, while the swordsman was eating, someone challenged him.


    Then the swordsman died.


    The cause of death was that he couldn¡¯t remove the cloth¡­


    Zhang Yuanqing picked up the ancient book and the bronze mirror. No relevant information appeared.


    He put the bronze mirror aside first and carefully opened the pages and rolled them up, turning them yellow and brittle.


    It read:


    ¡°It¡¯s been two and a half years since I joined the Goddess Sandao Temple. I¡¯ve already learned how to read and write. Eldest Senior Brother said that when Master expels the dead and returns to the mountain, he can officially guide me to cultivate the Moon Swallowing Soul Nurturing Technique. This is the way to become a Night Wanderer.¡±


    ¡°The King of Yan¡¯s rebellion caused chaos to rise everywhere. As the strongest person in the Song Manor¡¯s Night Wanderer lineage, Master had no choice but to descend the mountain to ferry the dead. Otherwise, before the war is settled, the calamity will rise again, and the people will be even more uneasy¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing felt a soreness in his shoulder and rubbed it. His initial assessment was that it was a random diary.


    The contents of the diary were all about the experiences of the ¡®author¡¯ who cultivated and lived in the temple. According to the handwriting, this diary and the paper on the main palace corpse came from the same source.


    Through words like ¡°the rebellion of the King of Yan¡±, the timeline was the history of the Battle of Jingnan.


    However, he wasn¡¯t sure if this temple really existed in history, because the contents of the note read ¡°Cultivation,¡± ¡°Night Wanderer,¡± ¡°Breathing Technique,¡± and ¡°Talisman.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing moved his sore shoulders and glanced warily around the room. He listened for any movement outside the house. After confirming that there was nothing unusual, he continued to read his essay.


    Quickly, he turned to the follow-up to the contents of the main hall. The first few pages had been torn out. The follow-up read:


    ¡°By sunset, it finally got dark. I heard a knock on the door and opened it in a hurry. It wasn¡¯t Master standing outside, but the Eldest Senior Brother who disappeared last night.¡±


    ¡°Eldest Senior Brother, who had been missing for a day and a night, returned, but I had no joy because¡­ he was already dead. What returned was a corpse. His chest was dripping with blood, and his heart had been dug out by someone.¡±


    ¡°Eldest Senior Brother stared straight at me. He said, ¡®Don¡¯t believe what Master says¡­''¡±


    The words were written crookedly. It was conceivable that the owner of the essay had been in an overwhelmed state of mind when he wrote them.


    When Zhang Yuanqing turned the next page, he found no follow-up notes. The owner of the diary stopped writing from here on.


    ¡°Gasp¡­ Don¡¯t believe Master?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing was shocked by this turn of events.


    Had the temple attendant killed that Eldest Senior Brother? Was he also the culprit behind the disciples¡¯ repeated disappearances? Zhang Yuanqing rubbed his shoulders and put the booklet back into the corpse¡¯s pocket. Then, he picked up the bronze mirror and was about to leave.


    However, when he inadvertently glanced at the bronze mirror from the corner of his eye, his body suddenly stiffened.


    The moonlight was like water reflected in the mirror. The bronze mirror showed his reflection and on his back was a man.


    The man¡¯s face was deathly pale. His lips were dark purple, and he had white eyes. His head was turned sideways, resting on Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s shoulder. Those white eyes stared at him in dead silence.


    ¡­..

 Chapter 7

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    His sanity value dropped to zero on the spot.


    A chill ran up his spine and straight to his skull. Zhang Yuanqing jumped up and down on the spot like an angry cat. He blurted out a curse: ¡°Motherf*cker!¡±


    This was the subconscious instinct of a person when they were strongly stimulated or frightened.


    He finally understood why his shoulders were so sore, and why the body by the window had to carry a bronze mirror with him.


    This was to let Zhang Yuanqing check if he was being pressed down by a vengeful spirit.


    When did it perch on my shoulder, when it entered the quadrangle, or enter this room?


    What gave me the courage to go out and explore?!


    His mind seemed to have exploded. All kinds of thoughts appeared in an instant, and fear surged like a tide.


    Although he knew that there was something strange and terrifying in this temple and was already mentally prepared, when he really faced the ghosts, he still felt an indescribable panic.


    Right, I have a talisman¡­ Zhang Yuanqing took out the yellow paper talisman from the left pocket of his jacket with trembling hands and stuck it to his shoulder.


    Slap!


    The Corpse Suppression Talisman slapped against his shoulder. He raised the bronze mirror and shone it carefully. The man with the pale face and black lips and dead white eyes was still lying on his shoulder.


    It was useless as this thing was not considered a corpse-type Yin creature¡­ The last trace of hope was gone. Zhang Yuanqing felt his shoulders becoming sorer, and his limbs turning cold.


    These were not illusions, but real Yang energy loss.


    At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing thought of the corpse under the table in the main hall and the senior who had died tragically under the window. Next, he would probably die here like the two of them.


    A chill shot through him.


    Tap! Tap!


    Suddenly, at this critical moment, soft footsteps sounded in the corridor outside.


    The footsteps were light, but distinct in the still of the night.


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He quickly squatted down beside the corpse under the window.


    The footsteps were familiar, very similar to the sounds he had heard when he entered the temple.


    Tap¡­ Tap¡­ Tap¡­


    Footsteps approached, heading their way. Zhang Yuanqing didn¡¯t dare breathe. His body was tense, and he could faintly hear his frantic heartbeat.


    When the footsteps passed the window, he couldn¡¯t help but glance at the floor of the room. Moonlight shone in, forming a lattice window shadow on the floor.


    The window wasn¡¯t high and only came up to his waist. With a normal person¡¯s height, if one passed it, the moonlight would cast its shadow on the ground.


    He didn¡¯t see anything.


    This meant that whatever passed by the window had no body.


    Fortunately, the footsteps passed the window, didn¡¯t linger, didn¡¯t enter the house, and faded away.


    Phew¡­ Zhang Yuanqing silently heaved a sigh of relief. He focused his attention on the distant footsteps and heard it step into the courtyard, making a rustling sound.


    Then it stopped. Seconds later, footsteps sounded again.


    This time the footsteps were not simply walking, but stepping with a certain rhythm.


    ¡®What was it doing in the yard?¡¯


    Zhang Yuanqing supported his cold body and stood up with some difficulty. He looked out through the tattered window paper.


    In the moonlight, in the wild grass, a pair of brand-new, Western-style red dancing shoes tap-danced in the night.


    Moonlit night, deserted temple, red dancing shoes, solo dancing.


    This scene looked both absurd and strange, but there was also an indescribable¡­ loneliness?


    Why would a pair of Western-style dancing shoes be in a Mountain Temple in the Ming Dynasty?


    This dilapidated temple was getting weirder and weirder¡­ He quietly squatted back and waited patiently.


    As time passed, the vengeful spirit lying on his shoulder continued to absorb his Yang energy. His body stiffened more and more, and the pain in his shoulder turned into a stabbing pain.


    He felt that if this continued, he would either die from exhausting his Yang energy or his shoulder bones would shatter from his injuries.


    In the throes of agony, the dance in the courtyard vanished.


    Zhang Yuanqing still didn¡¯t dare to stick his head out. After waiting for another moment, he carefully peeked through the window and looked into the courtyard.


    The courtyard was filled with moonlight. The weeds stood still as the strange dancing shoes finally left.


    ¡°Phew¡­¡±


    He exhaled in relief. As he tried to stand, his knees buckled and he fell to the ground.


    As the tension eased and the adrenaline ebbed, he realized he was in worse shape than he¡¯d thought.


    His shoulder stung and his bones felt as if they were breaking. His knee joints were stiff and his blood felt as if it had frozen.


    Trembling, he grabbed the bronze mirror. In the dusty mirror, Zhang Yuanqing saw that his face was pale, his expression was dispirited, and his pupils were dim. How was he a normal person? He was clearly a sickly person who was exhausted.


    Over his shoulder, the vengeful spirit with the dark lips stared at him in eerie silence.


    If this continued, he would die. But what could he do? Nothing could reach the vengeful spirit on his shoulder.


    The sharp pain in his shoulder bone forced him to lean back against the wall for support.


    He turned his head to look at the senior worker¡¯s corpse. The man and corpse were in the same posture.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Zhang Yuanqing smiled bitterly.


    He could almost his end and hear the sigh of the reaper.


    But Zhang Yuanqing did not give up his desire to live. His brain remained active, like an overloaded CPU, seeking hope of survival in a desperate situation.


    In a flash, the body under the main hall table flashed through the chaotic flow of information.


    ¡°The bone fractures of the two corpses are different. The shoulder injury of the corpse in the main hall is not fatal. Did the vengeful spirit let him off? No, it¡¯s impossible for the vengeful spirit to show mercy¡­¡±


    ¡°Why did he hide under the table¡­¡±


    ¡°When I entered the temple, the red dancing shoes secretly followed behind me. But when I entered the main hall, it left¡­¡±


    Thinking of this, Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s dim and turbid pupils lit up with hope.


    Return to the main hall. Return to the main hall immediately!


    He immediately got up and staggered out of the house. Every step was difficult as if he was carrying a huge mountain.


    Plop!


    He fell in the yard, into the weeds, unable to rise again.


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s teeth trembled as they collided up and down. He felt like he was in a bitter winter.


    The ¡°chill¡± stole the heat and eroded the will.


    Zhang Yuanqing crawled towards the main hall bit by bit, using all his strength. He held his head high, allowing his eyes to always reflect the outline of the building in front of him.


    Only then would the hope in his eyes not be extinguished.


    It took only about a minute to walk from the main hall, but at this moment, it felt as far as the horizon in the sea.


    Finally, the moment he crawled into the eaves of the main hall, he heard illusory screams. His shoulders felt light, and the negative effects of cold, dizziness, and stiffness instantly disappeared.


    Zhang Yuanqing scrambled up the pedestal, staggered around to the front of the main hall, pushed open the lattice door, and threw himself over the threshold.


    The candlelight was like beans, dispelling the gloom and bringing a welcome warmth.


    He lay spread-eagled on the floor, chest heaving, wheezing. He lay like that for two or three minutes before he felt alive again.


    ¡°How ter-terrifying¡­ My theory was right. The main hall is a safe house.¡±


    Based on the difference in the shoulder injuries of the two skeletons, he determined that something must have stopped the vengeful spirit from pursuing the person in the hall.


    The worker under the table curled up and died, which fit a man¡¯s psychology of hiding in times of extreme fear.


    To this senior worker, the main hall was safe.


    The fact that the red dancing shoes had abandoned their pursuit of him indirectly confirmed that theory.


    For the rest of the journey, Zhang Yuanqing remained in the main hall until the pain in his shoulder subsided and his body temperature returned.


    Sure enough, he was no longer in any danger.


    ¡°If the main hall is a safe house, then my chances of survival will undoubtedly increase greatly. Even if the hunched-over vengeful spirit absorbs my essence, I can still escape back to the main hall. But if I encounter the vengeful spirit and am chased by the red dancing shoes, I don¡¯t think I can escape back to the main hall.¡±


    ¡°The most strange and terrifying source of this temple is definitely not a vengeful spirit¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t feel smug because he¡¯d defused a life-and-death crisis. There was more to this ancient temple.


    After all, an entire construction team had died here before him.


    After resting for a long time, he gradually put down his fear and was hesitating if he should continue exploring.


    The voice in his head spoke again:


    [Main Mission 1: Survive for three hours (Completed)]


    [Main Mission 2: Explore Spirit Realm No. 0079. Progress: 20%]


    [Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning, congratulations on completing a main mission. The reward is being calculated¡­]


    [Obtained item/tool: Corpse Suppression Talisman (available in inventory).]


    [Obtained EXP: 15%]


    [Inventory Panel unlocked.]


    [You will receive 36 hours of rest. Countdown to the next activation of Spirit Realm No. 0079: 35:59:40.]


    The landscape inside the main hall twisted like wind-wrinkled water.


    When the scene cleared again, Zhang Yuanqing saw the bright energy-saving lights, the wide bed, the desk, the PS5 game console, and the open window. The curtains swayed slightly as the wind blew in.


    He was back on Earth.


    ¡°I¡¯m back?¡±


    Stunned, he looked around to make sure he was really back in the room before his knees buckled and he fell onto the soft bed.


    He took a deep breath and found that the air was fresh.


    It was good to be alive. It was good to be on earth.


    After resting for a few minutes, Zhang Yuanqing sat up and pulled down the zipper of his jacket. Sure enough, the Corpse Suppression Talisman was gone.


    Zhang Yuanqing naturally had the thought of ¡°taking the item¡±. The next moment, a fluorescent blue grid appeared in front of him.


    There were five squares in total. Lying in the first was the yellow paper talisman.


    It was a wonderful experience. After the inventory was unlocked, this function seemed to have become his instinct. He did not need to learn it and naturally knew how to open the inventory.


    ¡°In addition to the Corpse Suppression Talisman, I also obtained 15% experience points, but my level is still zero. This means that I haven¡¯t become a Night Wanderer yet and am still an ordinary person.¡±


    ¡°I almost died inside after surviving for three hours. How can I complete the second mission? Is this the S-rank difficulty¡­¡±


    The more Zhang Yuanqing thought about it, the more desperate he felt. He felt that he had been tricked by Brother Bing.


    This lousy card could indeed change one¡¯s life, but it was also indeed difficult to handle.


    He knew himself well. He was just a college student who had never even killed a chicken. It would be difficult for him to survive the second mission alone.


    As an upright law-abiding youth, he definitely had to rely on the country and the government at this time.


    He took the phone and planned to dial his cousin¡¯s number. When his fingers touched the phone screen, he suddenly paused.


    Suddenly, it occurred to Zhang Yuanqing that he might have a better option.


    He immediately got out of bed and found the business card left behind by the man with the slicked-back hair in the desk drawer.


    The business card listed names and contact details.


    Tonight¡¯s encounter reminded him of Brother Bing¡¯s mysterious disappearance. If he had not made it out alive, he had also mysteriously disappeared.


    He was certain that Brother Bing had long come into contact with the so-called Spirit Realm. Perhaps he had entered a certain Spirit Realm?


    In this case, the Security Bureau¡¯s investigators were credible.


    There was another reason he chose to contact the man with the slicked-back hair. The other party had said that he might also go missing. This was a clear indication that he would enter the Spirit Realm.


    Coupled with the fact that his cousin was unaware, Zhang Yuanqing had reason to deduce that the three of them were special personnel who specialized in dealing with similar incidents.


    After thinking it through, Zhang Yuanqing dialed the number on the business card.


    The dial tone went on for a few seconds before the call was answered. A voice with a mature male lilt asked: ¡°Who is this?¡±

 Chapter 8

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuanqing tried to sound calm.


    ¡°Officer Li, this is Zhang Yuanqing.¡±


    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s you.¡± The other man laughed. ¡°What do you want from me in the middle of the night?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing said in a low voice, ¡°I have a clue to report. In fact, before Lei Yibing disappeared, he sent me a card.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so before?¡±


    There was no surprise in Li Dongze¡¯s voice.


    This¡­ Zhang Yuanqing hesitated for a moment and told the other party his guess about Brother Bing¡¯s disappearance in detail.


    After a moment of silence, he laughed.


    ¡°You sure know how to act, kid.¡±


    Guan Ya was right. Zhang Yuanqing was actually a very reclusive person. A normal university student who was cheerful, optimistic, and positive would not be so wary.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing was a little embarrassed and immediately changed the topic. No, he cut to the chase:


    ¡°Something rather odd and incomprehensible has happened to me tonight. Well, can you understand what I mean?¡±


    ¡°It seems that you have successfully left the Spirit Realm.¡± Li Dongze sounded a little relieved.


    Yes, he had just left and almost died inside¡­ When Zhang Yuanqing heard such an answer, he calmed down.


    The other party indeed knew about the Spirit Realm.


    Li Dongze said, ¡°College student, congratulations on becoming a Spirit Realm Walker. This is the title for people like us. I¡¯m also a Spirit Realm Walker. The difference is that I¡¯m an official, and you¡¯re a wild one.¡±


    Spirit Realm Walker¡­ Zhang Yuanqing thought about this phrase and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the Spirit Realm?¡±


    He had too many questions to ask. He had to start with the most basic questions.


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you now. If you want information about the Spirit Realm, you have to make a choice.¡±


    ¡°Officially, there are two attitudes towards the Spirit Realm Walkers. One is to absorb and nurture while the other is to supervise and control. The former represents joining us and becoming a member of the Official Spirit Realm Walkers.¡±


    ¡°The latter is to be a rogue cultivator. All you have to do is file a report with us and promise not to use your abilities to break the law, and we won¡¯t do anything. Of course, you won¡¯t be able to get any help from the authorities.¡±


    Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing said, ¡°I¡¯m willing to join the organization and lay down my life for the country and our people.¡±


    Li Dongze smiled. ¡°No wonder you come from a family of officers. You¡¯re very sensible.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing could not tell if the other party was mocking him or praising him.


    ¡°Then get some rest. I¡¯ll pick you up at eight tomorrow morning,¡± said Li Dongze.


    ¡°Huh? Not now?¡± Zhang Yuanqing hesitated. ¡°Tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°What else? What time is it? If you want to lay down your life for the organization, you¡¯ll have to wait until it¡¯s office hours.¡±


    He probably doesn¡¯t want to explain over the phone because he¡¯s afraid that I will go back on my word. He thinks I just want free information so he¡¯s waiting until tomorrow to meet me in person.


    Zhang Yuanqing could only reply helplessly, ¡°Alright.¡±


    After hanging up, he looked at his phone. The time was 11 PM. The flow of time in the Spirit Realm was the same as in the outside world.


    After successfully contacting the officials, Zhang Yuanqing felt relieved. At this moment, the fatigue from struggling to survive in the Spirit Realm surged over.


    He lay on the bed and adjusted the alarm clock. His eyelids grew heavy and he drifted off to sleep.


    ¡­


    The next morning, at 7:15, Zhang Yuanqing was awakened by the alarm clock. His heart almost stopped in shock.


    He yawned as he turned off the alarm.


    Last night, the quality of his sleep had not been ideal. He had several nightmares, each one related to ghosts and monsters, causing him to wake up a few times.


    In the living room, Grandpa sat on the couch, watching the news. His hair was thinning silver, and he was tall. His wrinkled face was unsmiling and stern.


    Grandma was banging away in the kitchen, making breakfast. At the long dining table, his aunt crouched in a chair, playing with her phone. She puffed out her cheeks like a cute hamster.


    ¡°You¡¯re up early?¡±


    Aunt examined her listless nephew and groaned, ¡°You look so drained. Did you do something bad last night? I¡¯m going to check your trash can.¡±


    Normally, Zhang Yuanqing would retort sarcastically, ¡®To find food?¡¯


    However, he was thinking about the Spirit Realm and meeting with the official organization. He was not in the mood to argue with his aunt.


    He sat down listlessly beside the woman and waited for dinner with dazed eyes.


    Soon, Grandma came out with a basket of hot porridge, fried dough sticks, and boiled eggs.


    Zhang Yuanqing took a sip of the hot porridge to moisten his throat. He looked at his grandfather and probed.


    ¡°Grandpa, I remember that after the construction team for the She Ling Tunnel disappeared, the Security Bureau organized a search and rescue team. You were involved.¡±


    Grandpa grunted. ¡°That¡¯s ancient history. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°I saw the story online again yesterday. Do you know what happened to the worker who was found?¡±


    Grandpa frowned. ¡°I forgot. It¡¯s been so long, I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that he went missing again?¡± Grandma interrupted and joined the discussion with interest. ¡°It was a strange disappearance. This matter caused panic in the police force back then. It was only when the leader of the police headquarters personally came down to comfort him that it was over.¡±


    ¡°That happened?¡± Grandpa denied it.


    ¡°Old man, are you old and senile? You told me this yourself,¡± Grandma argued.


    Grandpa lowered his head to eat his porridge. ¡°You have to believe in science and not be obsessed with these superstitions. The older you are, the more gossipy you become.¡±


    After finding him, he disappeared again¡­ Zhang Yuanqing took a sip of porridge in a gloomy mood.


    Clearly, the survivor had entered the Spirit Realm again 36 hours later. After that, he hadn¡¯t made it out alive.


    He was right. The Mountain Temple had an extremely high mortality rate. The second main quest was very, very dangerous.


    To survive, relying on the authorities was the right decision.


    After breakfast and a simple wash, Zhang Yuanqing took the elevator down and waited at the entrance of the neighborhood for more than ten minutes.


    A black car eased to a stop and the electric doors slid open. Li Dongze sat on the white leather couch, leaning on his cane and closing his legs.


    He was dressed the same as yesterday, in a black suit, black vest, and white shirt. His greasy hair was neatly combed back, and he had a clean mustache.


    ¡°Get in, college boy.¡± Li Dongze smiled and said.


    ¡°Of course, Mr. Investigator.¡± Zhang Yuanqing returned the smile.


    After he got into the car, it entered the traffic and drove at a moderate pace through the early morning streets.


    As he opened the car refrigerator, Li Dongze asked, ¡°What would you like to drink?¡±


    ¡°Coke!¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ll just have to buy it yourself at the supermarket later.¡± Li Dongze poured himself a glass of whiskey and dropped an ice ball into it. He held the wine and leaned back in his chair.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the recruitment office now and give you basic training. First of all, let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Li Dongze, a Level 3 Spirit Realm Walker. I¡¯m the Kangyang District¡¯s Second Chief of the Songhai branch of the Five Elements Alliance. My class is Scout.¡±


    ¡®Scout? There are other classes besides the Night Wanderer?¡¯ Zhang Yuanqing assumed a serious listening posture.


    Despite his doubts, he didn¡¯t interrupt.


    As someone who was good at socializing, Zhang Yuanqing knew it was rude to interrupt. He would not allow himself to have his impression points deducted on such trivial matters.


    Li Dongze sipped his wine and said, ¡°Let me tell you what the Spirit Realm is!¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing immediately perked up.


    ¡­

 Chapter 9

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Li Dongze chose his words carefully.


    ¡°The Spirit Realm is a supernatural force. It can¡¯t be explained by science at the moment. Although we¡¯ve been trying to dissect it and understand it, we still haven¡¯t fully understood it. The Spirit Realm exists in reality, but it¡¯s out of touch with reality. Only the chosen can enter the Spirit Realm.¡±


    ¡°As for the way you were chosen¡­¡± He took a sip of wine and smiled. ¡°You should have experienced it.¡±


    ¡°The card?¡± Zhang Yuanqing responded promptly.


    Li Dongze nodded slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s called a character card. The person who obtains the character card will activate a trial mission. After passing the trial, they will obtain a corresponding class and have the skills and characteristics of that class.¡±


    ¡°The mechanism of Spirit Realm Walkers has yet to be figured out, and the way to distribute character cards is not fixed. Sometimes, it will appear directly in your body; sometimes, you will pick it up by the roadside; sometimes, you will accidentally click on a link online¡­¡±


    ¡°Completing the trial mission is only the beginning. If Spirit Realm Walkers want to level up and become stronger, they have to continuously accept missions to enter the Spirit Realm. However, you don¡¯t have to worry. The frequency of missions appearing is not high, and not every Spirit Realm scene will endanger your life. On the contrary, some Spirit Realm missions are very interesting.¡±


    ¡°For example, I¡¯m a Level 3 Scout. In the past two years, I¡¯ve entered the Spirit Realm once a month, but I only entered the Individual Spirit Realm once every three months and almost died inside. The rest of the time, I entered the Group Spirit Realm. It¡¯s relatively safer and more interesting. Hehe, if I want to obtain superpowers, I have to pay the price.¡±


    Li Dongze paused to give Zhang Yuanqing time to ask his question.


    ¡°Like a game dungeon?¡±


    Li Dongze smiled, ¡°I like talking to you young people because you understand and are actively exposed to new things.¡±


    After a word of approval, he nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s like playing a game, and Spirit Realm is a dungeon. Some dungeons are individual, and some dungeons involve team cooperation or conflict. Individual dungeons are the most dangerous, with the highest mortality rate.¡±


    ¡°Group ones are relatively better. There are also death and punishment types. The latter only requires a certain amount of experience points to be deducted.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing asked curiously, ¡°Why do individual dungeons have the highest mortality rate?¡±


    Li Dongze pondered for a moment. ¡°In the Spirit Realm where there are many people, you will encounter Spirit Realm Walkers of other classes. However, the individual type is the Spirit Realm of your original class. Take the Scout as an example. The Transcendent Stage abilities of this class are observation, tracking, and analysis.¡±


    ¡°So far, the three individual Spirit Realms I¡¯ve encountered are detective case-solving types; chasing villains through the jungle while hunting; and wilderness survival. In addition, each class has a different Spirit Realm dungeon at the Transcendent Stage and the Sage Stage.¡±


    My class is the Night Wanderer so I entered a supernatural dungeon. Phew, fortunately, there are still group dungeons. Otherwise, I¡¯ll pee my pants in the Spirit Realm sooner or later. There will be changes in the Sage Stage Spirit Realm dungeon? Zhang Yuanqing listened and nodded.


    ¡°Has Lei Yibing entered the Spirit Realm?¡± Zhang Yuanqing asked solemnly.


    He urgently needed official confirmation to confirm his suspicions. If Brother Bing had entered the Spirit Realm, then things were not so bad.


    Li Dongze thought for a moment and said: ¡°After Lei Yibing disappeared mysteriously, officials from the Hang City Security Bureau took over the case. Their judgment was that Lei Yibing had died in the Spirit Realm.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing heard his heart stop for a moment. Anxiety and panic surged uncontrollably. ¡°Why?¡±


    Li Dongze explained, ¡°Because it¡¯s been too long. Normal Transcendent Stage Spirit Realm dungeons are as short as a few hours or as long as a day or two. Lei Yibing has been missing for four days. By the way, the Transcendent Stage means Level 1-3.¡±


    ¡°What about above the Transcendent Stage?¡±


    ¡°Not sure, but there should be longer dungeons.¡±


    Perhaps Brother Bing is a powerful Spirit Realm Walker¡­ Zhang Yuanqing could only comfort himself.


    At this stage, he was destined to be unable to help much, be it in terms of ability or knowledge.


    In comparison, joining the official organization and then saving himself was the most important thing at the moment.


    ¡°¡­ By the way, before I introduce you to the official organization, there¡¯s something very important.¡± Li Dongze took a sip of wine to moisten his throat. ¡°What¡¯s your moral value?¡±


    ¡°Sixty points, the initial value,¡± Zhang Yuanqing answered honestly.


    Li Dongze nodded, ¡°For a novice like you, moral value is the biggest danger. You must remember that.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Zhang Yuanqing did not hide his confusion.


    ¡°Remember the note under the moral value?¡±


    It told me to be a good person¡­


    Li Dongze said seriously: ¡°The initial moral value is 60. Anything below that will trigger the penalty mechanism of the Spirit Realm. It will notify all the Spirit Realm Walkers in the same city of your location and issue a mission to eliminate you.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing was dumbfounded and blurted out: ¡°Then I won¡¯t be able to do bad things for the rest of my life?¡±


    Well, I don¡¯t want to do anything bad, but it¡¯s too tiring to fake kindness.


    On the other hand, what was the measure of morality? If pleasuring himself, sending lewd images, or anything like that was considered moral degradation, his life would be over.


    Li Dongze smiled as if he enjoyed seeing this expression on the newcomer¡¯s face. He said slowly: ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so nervous. According to our observations, when Spirit Realm Walkers steal, rob, and injure people¡­ depending on the severity of the issue, 1 to 5 moral points will be deducted. 10 moral points will be deducted for murder. If there are serious consequences and many people die, the corresponding moral points will be deducted accordingly.¡±


    ¡°As for some personal issues, it won¡¯t affect the moral value. Besides, while moral value points can be deducted, they can also accumulate. That¡¯s why I asked you to be a good person.¡±


    This mechanism sounded like it was deliberately designed to restrain Spirit Realm Walkers, but why would the Spirit Realm restrain the Walkers?


    Morality and law were things that humans had created to maintain order. Other creatures in nature, other than humans, didn¡¯t need them.


    In other words, unless the Spirit Realm was human-like, the existence of moral value was somewhat unreasonable.


    The Spirit Realm was a supernatural phenomenon.


    Zhang Yuanqing instinctively felt that this restriction was unreasonable, but since Li Dongze did not explain, it meant that he did not know the reason.


    From the conversation just now, it was not difficult to tell that the officials had a limited understanding of the Spirit Realm.


    Zhang Yuanqing said in realization, ¡°I understand. No wonder it¡¯s a huge problem for newbies. Then how can we accumulate moral value points?¡±


    After newbies obtained superpowers, they often used their abilities to do things that they wanted to do but could not do in the past, such as getting money.


    The ways to make quick money were all written in the laws.


    Also, was prosti¡­ cough, would it lower the moral value if he employed a poor girl¡¯s service? In the definition of the Spirit Realm, was this considered a loss of personal virtue or something illegal?


    Zhang Yuanqing did not dare to ask this question. After all, they were not familiar with each other yet and did not want to leave a bad impression on his future captain.


    ¡°Accumulating the moral value is as simple as lowering them. You just have to do good things. In fact, many of the Spirit Realm Walkers of evil organizations are passionate about doing charity and donating money because it¡¯s the fastest way to accumulate moral value. As long as you have enough money, you can kill without fear.¡± Li Dongze chuckled.


    ¡°It¡¯s ironic, isn¡¯t it? You never know what¡¯s behind the faces of those who do charity work. And what¡¯s even more ironic is that human lives can be measured in money. That¡¯s the reality, and so is the Spirit Realm.¡±


    ¡°In addition, when Spirit Realm Walkers fight each other, moral value points will not be deducted.¡±


    After Zhang Yuanqing had digested the information, Li Dongze continued.


    ¡°Next, let¡¯s talk about official organizations.¡±


    ¡°The official organization we belong to is called the Five Elements Alliance. It¡¯s made up of five major factions: the Hundred Flowers Association, the White Tiger Soldiers, the Crimson Fire Gang, the Water God Palace, and the Central Court. The five major factions represent five classes: Wood Demon, Scout, Fire Master, Water Ghost, and Earth Monster.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing couldn¡¯t help but retort in his mind, Why are the official organizations made of demons and ghosts?


    ¡°In addition to the Five Elements Alliance, there are a few organizations with official backgrounds. I¡¯ll send the information to you later.¡± Li Dongze fumbled with his wine glass and said,


    ¡°The five major organizations within the Five Elements Alliance formed an alliance in the past twenty years. Before that, they acted independently and did not have a harmonious relationship with each other. This involved the nature of the five elements and the differences in habits between the various classes.¡±


    Li Dongze took a sip of wine and shrugged. ¡°Take the Wood Demons at the Hundred Flowers Association. They¡¯re a bunch of extreme environmentalists and members of the Animal Protection Association. My goodness, they actually tried to push the Five Elements Alliance¡¯s headquarters to promulgate a rule prohibiting members of the organization from eating dog meat. Even God isn¡¯t as outrageous as they are. Every time I see their sick, animal-loving faces, I can¡¯t help but want to kick their asses with my leather shoes.¡±


    Next, Li Dongze ruthlessly criticized the four major organizations other than the White Tiger Soldiers.


    This gave Zhang Yuanqing a more intuitive understanding of the other organizations in the Five Elements Alliance. For example, the Crimson Fire Gang, which focused on action rather than talk; and the Water God Palace, which had a gloomy nature and liked to nurture viruses and bacteria.


    There was also the affluent Central Court that engaged in real estate and mine development.


    ¡°Only the Scouts of our White Tiger Soldiers are wise, calm, and decisive. We are a perfect class,¡± Li Dongze concluded.


    Zhang Yuanqing said, ¡°Do the other four organizations agree with your statement?¡±


    ¡°Heh, the more you talk about it, the more it sounds like a game, right? There are also people in the Five Elements Alliance who call the Spirit Realm a ¡®game server¡¯. Spirit Realm Walkers have character panels, tools, and missions to do, and different Spirit Realms are like dungeons. In addition, it has different classes. The people of the Crimson Fire Gang are reckless and impulsive. They like to promote violence, like Berserkers. The people of the Water God Palace have water control abilities and are Water Mages. The Hundred Flowers Association can raise pets and treat injuries. They are Priests and Summoners. The people of the Central Court have thick health and high defense. They are typical tanks.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing could not help but tease him.


    ¡°Then you Scouts are eyeball monsters?¡±


    Li Dongze was stunned. He could not help but grip the handle of his cane tightly. He said expressionlessly: ¡°If I were a Fire Master of the Crimson Fire Gang, I would have blown your head off with a stick by now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± Zhang Yuanqing apologized decisively.


    After the banter, the atmosphere between them became more congenial. Li Dongze smiled.


    ¡°After the Transcendent Stage, Scouts will have extremely strong individual combat abilities. I¡¯m not bragging when I say that this is a perfect class.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Of the lawful classes, the Night Wanderer is recognized as the strongest. Well, I¡¯m talking about lawful classes, not evil ones. Even we Scouts have to admit that the Night Wanderer is a little more perfect than we are.¡±


    Ah? Is the Night Wanderer very strong? Can I fight ten people? Zhang Yuanqing was delighted. ¡°Can you tell me more about the Night Wanderer?¡±


    Li Dongze could not help but laugh, but he understood the mentality of young people.


    ¡°At the early stage of the Transcendent Stage, the Night Wanderer can unleash extremely powerful assassination abilities and explosive power. In addition, they also have the ability to communicate with souls, refine corpses, and control spirits. They have many skills and powerful combat strength.¡±


    ¡°However, the number of Night Wanderers is extremely small. At the moment, there are no Night Wanderers in the Songhai branch. This is because there are too few Night Wanderer Spirit Realm dungeons in Songhai. Moreover, the Supreme Solitary Sect in the Capital City keeps absorbing Night Wanderers from all over the country.¡±


    At this point, he naturally asked about the new member¡¯s class.


    ¡°What¡¯s your class? I hope you¡¯re not a Fire Master. I hate rash and irritable young men.¡±


    ¡­

 Chapter 10

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    ¡°Night Wanderer!¡± Zhang Yuanqing spoke calmly.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking about your class.¡±


    ¡°Night Wanderer.¡±


    Li Dongze was stunned at first. Then, he suddenly straightened his back and leaned forward. He stared at Zhang Yuanqing with a burning gaze and said, ¡°You are a Night Wanderer?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± nodded Zhang Yuanqing.


    ¡°Gasp¡­¡± Li Dongze raised his butt. He was silent for more than ten seconds to digest this news. He raised his voice and asked again, ¡°You¡¯re a Night Wanderer? I¡ªI just picked up a Night Wanderer?¡±


    This was something he had never expected. It was like saying to someone that he really hoped to win a five-million-dollar lottery.


    Then he really hit the jackpot.


    ¡°I picked up a treasure¡­¡± Li Dongze put down his wine glass and repeatedly examined Zhang Yuanqing with an excited expression.


    Every Night Wanderer was a hotshot.


    They were the targets of competition between the various Spirit Realm Walker teams and even the gangs.


    Li Dongze knew that a young woman from the Hundred Flowers Association had not hesitated to seduce a Night Wanderer from the Crimson Fire Gang. She had used sex to make the other party change sides and voluntarily join the Hundred Flowers Association as a slave.


    Because of this, the Crimson Fire Gang and the Hundred Flowers Association almost fought. Even the Five Elements Alliance¡¯s headquarters¡¯ intervention was useless.


    Later on, the Night Wanderer died in a Spirit Realm mission, and this matter stopped.


    ¡°By the way, I still don¡¯t know your Spirit Realm ID.¡± Li Dongze hid his excitement and maintained a steady image in front of his future subordinates.


    Zhang Yuanqing puffed out his chest and raised his head. He gathered his breath at the tip of his tongue and said, ¡°Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning!¡±


    Li Dongze was silent for a few seconds before he clapped. ¡°Good name.¡±


    Hey, hey, you¡¯re praising me too much. Moreover, why do you look like you want to hit me¡­ Zhang Yuanqing said humbly, ¡°As long as the chief likes it.¡±


    At this moment, the black car drove into the Kangyang District Security Bureau and parked in a parking space by the green belt.


    ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for your employment procedures now. Your salary will be $4,000 a month. There will be subsidies when you go on missions. If you make a contribution, there will be another performance bonus. Any questions?¡±


    Li Dongze didn¡¯t seem to want to delay for a moment. He looked anxious.


    A base salary of $4,000 a month?


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s eyes lit up as he answered, ¡°No problem.¡±


    Even in a metropolis like Songhai City, this was a high-paying job.


    Zhang Yuanqing remembered his mother¡¯s company. The monthly salary of the management was only $10,000-20,000. Of course, this was the basic salary, not including bonuses, commission, and shares.


    He followed Li Dongze out of the car and walked around to the back of the Security Bureau building. He stopped in front of a two-story building.


    This small building was made of pieces of huge glass. It looked very sophisticated and elite.


    They entered the front door of the building. Directly opposite was a steel staircase that led straight to the second floor.


    To the left of the first floor was the office area. Seven or eight women sat at desks. There were pretty young ladies, mature young women, and capable aunts.


    To the right was the living area, with sofas, round tables, refrigerators, induction cookers, water dispensers, and other amenities.


    They did things with their heads down, scrolled through drama with headphones on, or gathered in twos and threes to gossip.


    When they saw Li Dongze enter, they just looked up and continued playing. They did not have the fear of ordinary employees towards their leaders.


    I like this office atmosphere¡­ Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself.


    Li Dongze did not stop. He led Zhang Yuanqing to the steel staircase and suddenly turned around.


    ¡°These are ordinary employees who only serve us Spirit Realm Walkers. If you need anything in your life or have work-related matters in the future, just tell them.¡±


    ¡®Life-cum-work secretary?¡¯ Zhang Yuanqing nodded.


    They reached the second floor, where the noisy chatter abated. The layout was much simpler. The entire left side was occupied by Li Dongze¡¯s personal office, and there were nine desks on the right.


    Most were empty. Only two desks were occupied.


    They were the investigators who had visited the house yesterday, the long-legged sister, and the engineer, whose hair was disheveled and eyes were glazed.


    ¡°Guan Ya, help him with the employment procedures.¡±


    Li Dongze called from afar and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve found you a new colleague.¡±


    The engineer looked up at Zhang Yuanqing and nodded slightly. He lowered his head and went back to his work.


    The mixed-blood beauty smiled and said as she got up: ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve successfully completed your trial mission, the boy who loves elder sisters.¡±


    The boy who loves elder sisters?! Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s expression froze for a moment, then he heard Li Dongze beside him say, ¡°Guan Ya likes to joke. Get used to it.¡±


    He then reprimanded his female subordinate. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything strange in front of our young college student. He¡¯s still a child.¡±


    The child took the opportunity to glance at the mixed-blood lady who was walking over. She was wearing an office suit with the hem of her shirt tucked into the skirt, outlining her slender waist. Her long, round legs were wrapped in black silk, and her slightly curly long hair swayed gently with her steps.


    Her face was sharp, with the distinct shape of a Westerner, but her skin was fair and delicate.


    ¡°Chief Li, I want to consult you about the Spirit Realm trial.¡± Zhang Yuanqing did not forget his purpose today.


    ¡°If you have any questions, you can ask Guan Ya. I have something to take care of first,¡± Li Dongze said warmly.


    He sounded like a homeroom teacher talking to a top student.


    After giving his instructions, he hurriedly returned to his office, planning to report the news of his recruitment to his superiors.


    ¡°Did the Chief take the wrong medicine today? He¡¯s so happy.¡± Guan Ya muttered, then turned to Zhang Yuanqing and smiled.

 Chapter 11

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    ¡°Come with me and fill out a form. Then give me your ID.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring my ID.¡±


    ¡°Give me the ID number.¡±


    She sat him down at an empty desk, tossed him a form, noted his ID number, and went downstairs.


    Zhang Yuanqing took a pen from the holder and examined the form as he took off the cap.


    This form was different from ordinary recruitment forms. It corresponded to the attribute panel of a Spirit Realm Walker.


    Apart from basic information like class and level, there was also the Trial Mission Spirit Realm column.


    Just nice, I¡¯ll ask her how to clear the She Ling Tunnel dungeon later¡­ Zhang Yuanqing filled it in truthfully.


    When he finished filling out the forms, Guan Ya happened to return with two contracts in her hand. She pulled up an office chair and sat down next to him. The round, pressed seat was dented.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the chief has already spoken to you.¡± She leaned lazily back in her chair. The position showed off her impressive breasts.


    Zhang Yuanqing smelled a refreshing fragrance and peeked secretly.


    In this era where the average person was only C-rank, an E-rank powerhouse was enough to move people.


    ¡°Your employment procedures are complete. Here¡¯s the contract and a confidentiality agreement.¡±


    After Zhang Yuanqing signed, Guan Ya stopped smiling and said seriously, ¡°There are a few things I need to explain to you. Starting today, your original ID won¡¯t work, and the organization will give you a new one. It will be down in three days, and you will be able to buy high-speed rail tickets, plane tickets, and use the VIP route normally.¡±


    ¡°I can give you the new SIM card tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Zhang Yuanqing could not understand the operation.


    ¡°When you named yourself, Spirit Realm should have reminded you not to use your real name.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing nodded.


    Guan Ya said gravely: ¡°There¡¯s a reason for this¡­ We divide the classes in the Spirit Realm into two categories. The lawful classes are considered the ¡®good¡¯ faction. On the other hand, there are evil classes.¡±


    ¡°Spirit Realm Walkers with evil classes are either violent and bloodthirsty or perverted and cruel. They also have a unified hobby of hunting down Spirit Realm Walkers with lawful classes, which is us. It¡¯s very dangerous for Spirit Realm Walkers to expose their identities in reality.¡±


    ¡®Similar to the faction confrontation in the game?¡¯ Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s expression turned grave.


    Last night, when he had been told that he could not use his real name, he had found it strange.


    ¡®So Li Dongze and Guan Ya aren¡¯t real names either?¡¯


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re an official organization. Normally, we¡¯re the hunters. They¡¯re the prey.¡±


    When the boy¡¯s smile faded, Guan Ya tried to comfort him.


    ¡°Sister Guan Ya must be an amazing hunter.¡± Zhang Yuanqing heaved a sigh of relief and praised the other party.


    You sure know how to talk¡­ Guan Ya¡¯s smile deepened as she clicked her tongue.


    ¡°You have a nice way with words. How many girlfriends have you had?¡±


    ¡°Single since birth!¡±


    Guan Ya was shocked. ¡°Your trash can is so clean. I thought you had a girlfriend.¡±


    Trash can again. Do you women have some special fetish for trash cans? Zhang Yuanqing complained silently.


    Guan Ya giggled, ¡°Do you want me to help you rent a girlfriend online?¡±


    ¡®Enough, you woman, no, you old pervert¡­¡¯ Zhang Yuanqing snapped.


    ¡°No thanks. I like realistic girlfriends.¡±


    Guan Ya laughed hysterically. ¡°I like you, little one.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s not joke anymore. Let¡¯s get back to business. There are a total of ten Spirit Realm Walkers teams in the entire Kangyang District. We are the second team. There are a total of five Spirit Realm Walkers in our team. Including you, there are six. Among the five Spirit Realm Walkers, only Chief and I are under the White Tiger Soldiers. When you become an official member, you will also be under the White Tiger Soldiers. I hope you remember this.¡±


    This sounds like the prejudice between the factions of the Five Elements Alliance is deeper than I imagined¡­ Zhang Yuanqing immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll follow Sister Guan Ya from now on.¡±


    He did not mention Li Dongze because this way, he could gain more favor from the lady.


    Sure enough, Guan Ya¡¯s smile became even more dazzling.


    ¡°Other than me and Wang Tai, the other Spirit Realm Walkers usually don¡¯t come to work. You¡¯re a student, so you don¡¯t have to come every day. There¡¯s no need to be too reserved. The chief is a very good person. It¡¯s just that when he¡¯s agitated, his tone of voice will be very strange. Furthermore, he has a strong obsession with elegance.¡±


    ¡°As for Wang Tai, his class is Scholar. He¡¯s good at studying and research. He¡¯s a non-combat member. Ask him if you have anything you don¡¯t understand. In the future, when you graduate from university, you can ask him to help with your thesis.¡±


    ¡°But he¡¯s not good with people, and he hates interaction. You don¡¯t have to bother with him usually. Just use him as a tool.¡±


    ¡°As for me,¡± she said with a smile, ¡°I enjoy dealing with energetic young boys.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing couldn¡¯t tell if she was being sincere or teasing.


    He quickly labeled the team with what he understood: The chief who was articular about elegance and lashed out from time to time; the engineer who was poor at interaction; and the old female pervert.


    ¡°What¡¯s your horoscope, by the way?¡± Guan Ya asked.


    ¡°Scorpio!¡± Zhang Yuanqing did not understand her sudden question, but he answered truthfully.


    Guan Ya studied him with an odd look. ¡°You really don¡¯t have a girlfriend?¡±


    What does this have to do with constellations¡­ Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s eyes were blank.


    Guan Ya did not look convinced, but she did not dwell on the topic. She casually picked up the form Zhang Yuanqing had filled out.

 Chapter 12

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    ¡°Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning¡­ 21 years old¡­ Heh, your ID is so imposing? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being beaten up when you go out¡­ Night Wanderer¡­¡±


    Guan Ya¡¯s charming face froze for a moment before she blurted out, ¡°You¡¯re a Night Wanderer?!¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing enjoyed her expression.


    ¡°No wonder Chief is so happy¡­¡± Guan Ya muttered and immediately looked happy. ¡°In the future, our team will also have a Night Wanderer. You¡¯re not allowed to run away with other women from other organizations.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing noticed that Wang Tai also raised his head and looked over.


    ¡°Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning. Hmm, I¡¯ll call you Primordial Beginning from now on.¡± Guan Ya happily read on. When she saw that his level was zero, she was stunned. Just as she was about to ask, she saw the next line.


    Trial Mission: She Ling Tunnel!


    Guan Ya¡¯s mind buzzed. Her lips parted and her expression froze. She was stunned.


    After a while, she looked at him with an extremely complicated expression. ¡°Your Trial Spirit Realm is the She Ling Tunnel?¡±


    Seeing her expression, Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°I was just about to consult you about the trial mission. Since it¡¯s a dungeon, there must be a guide.¡±


    With that, he saw the engineer, who claimed to ignore everything, raise his head and look over. This time, his eyes were filled with sympathy and pity.


    ¡°You, wait a moment¡­¡± Guan Ya left the office with an ugly expression and walked towards Li Dongze¡¯s office.


    Why did she look at him like he was dead?


    Zhang Yuanqing was a little nervous.


    At this moment, Wang Tai at the next table said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s true that there are guides. It¡¯s the duty of every official to submit the details of the Spirit Realm they have experienced. The organization will give them corresponding rewards. However, the She Ling Tunnel is a little different. Take a look for yourself¡­¡±


    He handed over a laptop.


    Zhang Yuanqing took the computer with half curiosity and half confusion. On the screen was an open document.


    Songhai City¡¯s Night Wanderer Trial Spirit Realm Summary:


    [Wang Village Ancient Ruins, C-rank. Mission Requirement: Survive until dawn.]


    [The danger in the village comes from the hanged ghosts and the deserted graves outside the village. In the face of the hanged ghosts, Spirit Realm Walkers need to make their bodies stand upside down to avoid danger. However, those with weak stamina can only pray for luck.]


    [The vengeful spirits in the deserted tomb will enter the village at midnight. Spirit Realm Walkers need to go to the small shop to find incense immediately. Lighting incense can help avoid being eaten by the ghosts.]


    ¡­


    [Dock Reservoir, B-rank. Mission Requirement: Cross the reservoir.]


    [On the way to the reservoir, a Water Ghost will try to pull you underwater. Don¡¯t resist. After diving and holding your breath for two minutes, the Water Ghost will leave on its own.]


    ¡­¡­.


    [Ghost Bride, A-rank. Mission Requirement: Marry the Ghost Bride until dawn.]


    [The ghost bride is a beautiful stunner. She will treat every groom wildly. She won¡¯t hurt her own groom as long as you satisfy her. But in theory, no man can last until dawn. This is almost a certain death situation in the Spirit Realm. At the moment, only one man has successfully survived, but he has developed a strong aversion to women ever since.]


    ¡­..


    [Water Paradise, B-rank, mission requirements¡­]


    The more Zhang Yuanqing looked, the more suspicious he became.


    ¡®Too easy, isn¡¯t it?¡¯


    These trial missions were too simple. Other than the ghost bride who needed a strong man, the survival rate of the other trial Spirit Realm Walkers was very high.


    Moreover, the highest difficulty of the mission was A-rank, but his trial mission was the S-rank She Ling Tunnel.


    He looked down again and finally saw the She Ling Tunnel.


    [She Ling Tunnel, difficulty unknown, mission requirements unknown.]


    [The initial incident was a construction team that accidentally entered the Spirit Realm during the construction of the tunnel. A total of 12 people entered the Spirit Realm, and only one survived. However, he received strong stimulation and his mental state was abnormal. 36 hours later, he entered the Spirit Realm again and died inside.]


    [Note: This Spirit Realm is extremely dangerous. No examples of successfully clearing the She Ling Tunnel have been found.]


    This last sentence was marked in bright red.


    Zhang Yuanqing looked stunned.


    ¡­

 Chapter 13

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    In the spacious and luxurious office, Li Dongze lounged on the sofa with his legs crossed. He held a glass of wine in his left hand and a cigar in his right. He was at ease.


    Just now, he had reported the news of recruiting the Night Wanderer to his direct leader.


    Li Dongze knew that the young centurion, newly appointed, was in a hurry to achieve results and cultivate a direct line of subordinates. A Night Wanderer with a clean background was like rain from the sky for the centurion with prominent family background. He had come at the right time.


    Sure enough, his young superior expressed high praise for him and promised him a great service.


    In the system of the White Tiger Soldiers, military merit was everything.


    ¡°Clang~¡±


    The glass door to the office burst open roughly and Guan Ya barged in on high heels.


    Li Dongze frowned. He took a slow sip of wine and criticized: ¡°Guan Ya, that¡¯s very inelegant.¡±


    ¡°Sir, this kid entered the She Ling Tunnel!¡± Guan Ya went straight to the point.


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Li Dongze suddenly turned into a jet fighter. He didn¡¯t care about wiping the wine off his face. He propped himself up on the table and shouted in a sharp voice.


    ¡°The She Ling Tunnel?! Oh, I¡¯m a damned fool. What have I done?¡±


    He rushed out with his cane and ran to the office area. He saw the new Night Wanderer staring blankly at his computer.


    Sensing Li Dongze¡¯s arrival, Zhang Yuanqing grimaced and said, ¡°Do you think there¡¯s any chance of saving me, Chief?¡±


    He was afraid that the other party would blurt out, ¡®It¡¯s hopeless. Just wait for death and terminate the contract!¡¯


    Li Dongze looked at him in silence. He had the look of a long-lost brother who had finally found the girl she loved.


    Faced with the new employee¡¯s expectant gaze, Li Dongze took a deep breath and said in a low voice, ¡°The Trial Spirit Realm is the initial solo dungeon for every Spirit Realm Walker. This is also the most troublesome part. No one can help you in the solo dungeon. This is a test from the Spirit Realm. This is the price you have to pay to obtain supernatural power.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing nodded with a heavy heart.


    Li Dongze went on: ¡°I¡¯ll report this matter for you. I hope there are information and strategy suggestions about the She Ling Tunnel in the higher-level database. Otherwise, no one can save you. Go back and wait for the news. I¡¯ll inform you immediately if there are any results.¡±


    Although he was not a Night Wanderer, as a veteran Spirit Realm Walker, he had heard of the infamous She Ling Tunnel.


    So far, in the information collected by the official organization, no one had been able to clear the She Ling Tunnel. No one had been able to achieve the ¡°first clear¡± of this dungeon.


    ¡°Alright, sorry to trouble you.¡± Zhang Yuanqing nodded stiffly.


    Li Dongze added: ¡°Write down in detail your experience in the She Ling Tunnel.¡±


    ¡­


    After arranging for a car to take Zhang Yuanqing away, Guan Ya returned to her desk. She took the pad with the watermark of the Aquarius from her drawer and took off the cap of the pen with the image of a Virgo.


    Everything on the table, including computers, notebooks, desktops, and cups of water¡­ was printed or pasted with various constellations.


    It was obvious that she was a veteran constellation fan.


    Guan Ya wrote on a pad: ¡°Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning, Scorpio: Sinister, vengeful, and strong sexual urges.¡±


    ¡°Remarks: The probability of being seduced by women from other organizations is extremely high.¡±


    When she was done, the mixed-blood beauty sighed softly, tore off the note, and stuck it in Team Two¡¯s personnel log.


    She had noted the attributes of each member and made an assessment, including those who had resigned and those who had died at the Spirit Realm.


    ¡°Hey, Wang Tai, does that kid have any hope of clearing the trial?¡± Guan Ya tilted her head and shouted next door.


    The disheveled Wang Tai looked up and said: ¡°The Supreme Solitary Sect might have detailed information on the She Ling Tunnel, but it¡¯s most likely useless. Otherwise, they would have long arranged for the Night Wanderer to clear the Spirit Realm. There should be a good reward in an S-rank trial mission.¡±


    Guan Ya frowned.


    Wang Tai went on: ¡°If we can find him a few tools, he might have a chance of clearing it. But as you know, tools have all kinds of functions. As our understanding of the She Ling Tunnel is limited, we can¡¯t specifically give him tools to solve problems. In the end, we¡¯ll most likely lose everything.¡±


    ¡°No shit!¡± Guan Ya rolled her eyes.


    Tools were extremely precious and rare. It was already very good for a Transcendent Stage Spirit Realm Walker to have a tool on them.


    As for tools without owners, they could only be obtained through two methods. One was to enter the Spirit Realm to search for them, and the other was to kill Spirit Realm Walkers in reality and kill them for their treasures. Only tools outside the inventory could be obtained.


    Neither was clearly practical.


    Most importantly, without knowing the exact situation of the She Ling Tunnel, who knew what kind of tools could help him clear it?


    If someone died in the Spirit Realm, the tools would be automatically taken back by the Spirit Realm. The loss would be huge.


    Wang Tai tapped on the keyboard and pulled open a series of data. He stared at it for a long time and muttered to himself, ¡°The Qingming Festival just passed, which happens to be the time when the She Ling Tunnel opens every year. Isn¡¯t this guy too unlucky?¡±


    In his office, Li Dongze opened the chat app and typed the message:


    ¡°Centurion Fu, I want to report something to you. It¡¯s related to the newly recruited Night Wanderer. His Trial Spirit Realm is the She Ling Tunnel, known as the impossible trial for the Novice Night Wanderer.¡±


    ¡°The She Ling Tunnel first appeared during the construction of the tunnel in the last century. A construction team accidentally entered it and died in the Spirit Realm. After that, the authorities found a survivor. That survivor was sent to the Spirit Realm again thirty-six hours later.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    ¡°Yes, the trial missions in the She Ling Tunnel are divided into two stages. This is different from the one-time trial missions for other classes and other Spirit Realm dungeons.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was blinded by surprise and misled by common sense. When I saw him return to reality from the Trial Spirit Realm, I subconsciously thought that he had passed the trial.¡±


    ¡°I know that the Supreme Solitary Sect¡¯s database has the richest and most comprehensive information about the Night Wanderer¡¯s Spirit Realm dungeons. That Sect Master is the strongest Night Wanderer in the world. Perhaps the Supreme Solitary Sect has information about the She Ling Tunnel.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s Centurion Fu, I believe the Supreme Solitary Sect will give you some face.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the principle of the White Tiger soldiers not to abandon our comrades. Since he has already been hired, I can¡¯t give up easily. I hope that Centurion Fu can help.¡±


    After editing the message, Li Dongze read it several times to make sure it was correct. Then he clicked send.


    He gripped his glass, stared at the screen, and sighed.


    ¡­


    Zhang Yuanqing returned home with a heavy heart. He entered the password and opened the security door.


    In the living room, Grandma was dragging the bright and clean floor. At the dining table sat a middle-aged uncle in a black jacket. His facial features were handsome and his hair was black. The deep wrinkles between his eyebrows and the fine crow¡¯s feet at the corners of his eyes reflected the vicissitudes of time.


    From the outside, there was no doubt that he was a charming old hunk. He was probably very popular with mature women and some uncle-obsessed girls.


    This middle-aged man was not Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s uncle, but his cousin.


    His cousin swallowed the warm porridge and looked at Zhang Yuanqing. ¡°I heard from Grandma that you were looking for me last night?¡±


    He looked serious and unsmiling, like a younger version of his grandfather.


    Zhang Yuanqing opened his mouth and shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled now.¡±


    Yesterday¡¯s problem had been solved, and his cousin couldn¡¯t help with the new hurdle. It was better not to say anything.


    Besides, he had signed a confidentiality agreement.


    His cousin glanced at him. As he ate his porridge slowly, he said: ¡°It¡¯s about Lei Yibing, isn¡¯t it? I heard that Li Dongze paid a personal visit yesterday. That means his case is unusual. Even I can¡¯t help, let alone you.¡±


    So his cousin had already made inquiries beforehand! Zhang Yuanqing nodded.


    Seeing that he was not in a good mood, Chen Yuanjun did not say anything else. He just thought that his cousin was worried about Lei Yibing.


    At this moment, Jiang Yu¡¯er, who was wearing cute little bear pajamas, walked out of the boudoir with a stack of facial masks in her hand. ¡°Here, use this to remove the wrinkles and resist aging. It should be applied once in the morning and once in the evening. Your grandmother insisted that I buy it for you.¡±


    Cousin¡¯s face darkened, wrinkling like a wrung rag as he said, ¡°Aunt, I don¡¯t need these.¡±


    Aunt shrugged nonchalantly. ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Grandma, who was mopping the floor, glared at her grandson.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need a face mask? Does that mean you need Grandma to iron out your face full of wrinkles?¡±


    Because her son was unreliable, Grandma had long given up on him and switched to nurturing the next generation¡¯s two kids.


    At the moment, her grandson had a bright future ahead of him.


    However, Grandma had always had a worry. Her grandson was too steady and mature. He, a thirty-year-old, had the face of a forty-year-old.


    Two years ago, an old friend of his grandfather had come to Songhai as a guest. When he saw Chen Yuanjun, he said to his grandfather in surprise, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had another son.¡±


    Grandpa held his breath for a long time before saying, ¡°This is my grandson.¡±


    His old friend was a straightforward person. He blurted out in surprise, ¡°Your grandson is quite mature¡­¡±


    Decades of friendship had almost been destroyed.


    Chen Yuanjun helplessly took the mask and kicked it into his pocket.


    ¡°Alright, Grandma, stop nagging. I have to go to work. I have a case regarding missing people on my hands and I¡¯m very busy.¡±


    Missing people? Zhang Yuanqing became alert and asked: ¡°What situation?¡±


    Chen Yuanjun picked up a pickle with his chopsticks. ¡°Two people went missing in the She Ling Tunnel. We haven¡¯t found them yet. We¡¯ve checked the surveillance cameras and it shows that they went towards the tunnel, but there¡¯s no footage of them entering at all¡­¡±


    His cousin stopped abruptly and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    He signed a confidentiality agreement.


    When Grandma heard this, she immediately felt like gossiping. She said mysteriously, ¡°Is it haunted again? Hey, why isn¡¯t it sealed already? A few people disappear in the tunnels every year.¡±


    Aunt pricked up her ears, too, with the same gossipy expression as her mother.


    ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t ask.¡±


    Could it be that they had accidentally entered the Mountain Temple like me? F*ck, these two unlucky souls. I wonder if they can survive for three hours¡­ Zhang Yuanqing felt both pity and comfort.


    He had a deeper understanding of the Spirit Realm now. Li Dongze had said that they had always existed. Perhaps some of the missing people disappeared into the Spirit Realm every year.


    ¡­


    Capital City, courtyard house.


    The large locust tree in the courtyard was lush with leaves, like an open green umbrella.


    In the rocking chair under the umbrella lay a gray-haired old man in a white undershirt and baggy pants. He was holding a fan and taking a leisurely nap.


    The old man had a thin face and a mole between his eyebrows. He had an indescribable noble aura.


    A breeze stirred the leaves and shook them into a scattering of light.


    The faint sound of a child¡¯s childish laughter came from the locust tree.


    ¡°Elder Sun, the boy from the Fu family sent you an email.¡± A middle-aged man in black stepped over the threshold and arrived in the courtyard.


    Whether it was the Five Elements Alliance or the Supreme Solitary Sect, those who could become elders were all famous Spirit Realm Walkers.


    ¡°Fu Qingyang?¡± The old man chuckled. Without opening his eyes, he patted his fan a few times.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°His subordinate in Songhai City has recruited a Night Wanderer. The Trial Spirit Realm is the She Ling Tunnel. He wants to ask you for information about the tunnel. In addition, he hopes you can give some advice.¡± The middle-aged man relayed the contents of the email.


    The old man stopped fanning himself. A few seconds later, realization dawned.


    ¡°The Qingming Festival just passed. Calculating the time, it¡¯s exactly when the She Ling Tunnel opens. At this moment, many people will be lucky enough to obtain the Night Wanderer Character Card. Unfortunately, it¡¯s impossible for anyone to clear the She Ling Tunnel.¡±


    ¡°You can give him the information. In any case, the sect has already given up on conquering the She Ling Tunnel. The confidentiality level of the relevant information has decreased. At the same time, tell Young Fu that that place is at the S-rank Trial Spirit Realm. There were some accidents along the way, making it extremely difficult. It has long left the scope of the Trial Spirit Realm.¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m suggesting is that there¡¯s no need to invest in someone who¡¯s going to die.¡±


    The middle-aged man nodded slightly. As a deacon of the Supreme Solitary Sect, the middle-aged man knew very well how strange and ominous the She Ling Tunnel in Songhai was.


    The S-rank Trial Spirit Realm was the most difficult Spirit Realm among the newcomers. The She Ling Tunnel was even stranger than the ordinary S-rank Spirit Realm.


    Every S-rank Trial Spirit Realm definitely contained some unusual items, rare tools, or some important information. They were extremely valuable.


    In order to crack the She Ling Tunnel Spirit Realm, the Supreme Solitary Sect had specially sent two Level 1 Night Wanderers to be stationed in Songhai for a long time. This was because the S-rank Trial Spirit Realm would occasionally be open to Level 1 Spirit Realm Walkers.


    After waiting bitterly for a few months, the two Level 1 Night Travel Gods successfully received the mission of the She Ling Tunnel.


    However, there was no news from one of the Night Wanderers after they entered the Spirit Realm. The other Night Wanderer successfully completed the first mission and died in the second mission.


    These two Night Wanderers had tools with them.


    From then on, the Supreme Solitary Sect Elders re-evaluated the She Ling Tunnel and completely gave up on attacking the Spirit Realm.


    ¡°If someone can really clear the She Ling Tunnel and obtain the information inside, it will resolve a huge problem for our Supreme Solitary Sect.¡±


    The middle-aged man smiled and said something.


    The old man made no comment. He said slowly: ¡°In a few days, the Sect Master will gather all the Night Wanderers for a meeting in the capital. There¡¯s something important to announce. Prepare yourself and recall all the members under your command.¡±


    With that, he waved his cattail fan to chase the guy away.


    The middle-aged man bowed and withdrew.


    ¡­..

 Chapter 15

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    After his cousin finished his porridge and went to work, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room to catch up on his sleep.


    When he woke up, he could hear moving sound effects. When he opened his eyes, the room was glowing with the fluorescence of a TV screen. The ceiling light was off.


    He sat up and looked at the window. His aunt was sitting cross-legged in front of the television, playing with his PS5. She rolled up her sleeves, revealing her fair and tender forearms. Her delicate body swayed from side to side as she operated the controller.


    Zhang Yuanqing yawned and got up to turn on the lights. He came behind his aunt and watched her play games.


    She was playing a horror game. The style was otherworldly and the music was eerie. The main character was an ugly little man carrying a bloody axe. He fought his way through the crowd, killing everything in his path.


    The television¡¯s fluorescent light was reflected in her limpid eyes. There was a hint of excitement in her round oval face.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good game for the night. It¡¯s pretty therapeutic,¡± Aunt said without turning around.


    Aunt had three hobbies: shopping, watching horror movies and playing horror games.


    Traumatizing, you mean? This freakish woman¡­ Zhang Yuanqing answered, ¡°It¡¯s quite interesting.¡±


    Aunt turned and rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Why are you being coy with me?¡±


    She turned back to her game and said: ¡°Actually, it¡¯s a heartwarming game. The ghosts and monsters in the picture are all in the little boy¡¯s imagination. He¡¯s a psychopath. In order not to be consumed by his inner demons, he fights hard. In the end, he fights his way out and sees the light. The ending is very touching.¡±


    As she spoke, Zhang Yuanqing had already poured himself a glass of water. As he drank, he responded, ¡°Not a bad idea.¡±


    Aunt grunted and went on: ¡°Every boss has a specific pattern. If you pay attention, even a little boy can defeat a terrifying demon. But terrifying images and music often make people fear and lose their calm judgment.¡±


    ¡°Come and play too.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing was in no mood to play games with his aunt. It had been almost twenty hours since he left the Spirit Realm. If the Spirit Realm opened again in another ten hours, death might be waiting for him.


    He might as well think about what to do with the last dozen hours of his life and save himself the regret.


    Call and scold his mother? Hug his aunt and cry? Singing and dancing with his uncle one last time?


    He suddenly realized that he had no particular regrets or long-awaited wishes. As a college student with a reasonably well-to-do family, his life did not have many worries.


    Only those who had experienced the vicissitudes of life would have many regrets that they could not part with.


    ¡°Oh, come and play!¡± Aunt whined, twisting her hips.


    Looking at her beautiful back, Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s eyes gradually softened. He sat down beside his aunt and took the controller from her.


    If he had only a dozen hours left in his life, it would be nice to play another game with her.


    Under his aunt¡¯s nibbling and chattering guidance, Zhang Yuanqing cleared the game. He looked at the time and realized that it was already eleven o¡¯clock at night.


    ¡°Not bad, not bad. Very talented.¡±


    Aunt sucked her fair fingers and patted her nephew¡¯s shoulder in praise. She also wiped her saliva on him.


    ¡°It¡¯s disgusting. It¡¯s filthy.¡± Zhang Yuanqing looked disgusted.


    ¡°Bah, this is nectar. Don¡¯t be ignorant of your fortune,¡± Jiang Yu¡¯er said shamelessly.


    ¡°Nectar? How much for a catty?¡± Zhang Yuanqing scoffed.


    ¡°I won¡¯t sell it for any price, but I can give you a few mouthfuls.¡± Jiang Yu¡¯er pouted, looking like she was about to drool on Zhang Yuanqing.


    Zhang Yuanqing leaned back to dodge.


    Crack!


    The doorknob turned. Grandma stood in the doorway, frowning at them both.


    Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Yu¡¯er immediately sat up straight.


    ¡°Are you going to eat or not?¡± Grandma scolded. ¡°You don¡¯t sleep at night but sleep during the day. When you wake up, you play games. If you want to behave differently from a human, why are you born here?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing put down the controller. ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯ll eat immediately.¡±


    Grandma gave her daughter a cold sideways glance, and Aunt slunk back into her boudoir.


    ¡­..


    Dinner was kept warm while his grandmother heated up the cold dishes. Zhang Yuanqing filled his stomach haphazardly and returned to his room. He summoned his inventory to confirm that the Corpse Suppression Talisman was still there.


    Then, he examined his attribute panel.


    As he prayed for good news from Li Dongze, he thought about the bits and pieces in the temple.


    During the game with his aunt just now, he had a new realization.


    Since the Spirit Realm was also a game, was there a pattern? If he found a pattern, even if he was a weak little boy, he might be able to clear it successfully.


    While his thoughts were running wild, a piercing bell rang, causing Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s heart to stop.


    He grabbed the phone by his bed. The caller ID showed an unknown number. He chose to answer.


    ¡°Hello, is this Zhang Yuanqing?¡±


    A sexy voice came from the speaker. Zhang Yuanqing looked surprised and quickly asked:


    ¡°Did you get the information about the She Ling Tunnel?¡±


    Guan Ya said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°The chief got more details for you. He asked me to e-mail them to you. I know you young people never check your e-mail, so I called to let you know.¡±


    As expected of the officials, joining them was the right choice¡­ Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s mood instantly brightened. He resisted the urge to rush to the computer to check his emails and said sincerely,


    ¡°Thank Chief Li for me. Thank you, Sister Guan Ya. When I successfully complete the trial mission, I¡¯ll treat you all to a meal.¡±


    I hope you successfully complete the trial¡­ Guan Ya sighed in her mind. After hesitating for a while, she said in a rare gentle voice, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    She had already read the information that had been sent to her by the Supreme Solitary Sect. After reading it, she felt only coldness and despair. No wonder Chief Li had been depressed all day.


    In Li Dongze¡¯s heart, this newly recruited Night Wanderer was probably going to die in the trial mission.


    After clearing the level, Zhang Yuanqing pulled out his ergonomic chair and eagerly turned on his notebook to log into his mailbox.


    He found an e-mail from Guan Ya among the jumble of unread mail and downloaded the attached document.


    ¡­.


    [She Ling Tunnel, Spirit Realm No. 0079. Difficulty Level: S. Type: Individual (Death Type)]


    [Main Mission 1: Survive for three hours.]


    [Main Mission 2: Explore Spirit Realm No. 0079.]


    Just like my trial mission¡­ Zhang Yuanqing perked up. This was a good sign. The closer the description was to his mission, the better.


    [The scene in Spirit Realm No. 0079 is not the She Ling Tunnel, but an ancient Ming dynasty temple called the Goddess Sandao Temple of Mount Sandao.]


    [According to my speculation, this goddess should be an extremely high-ranking Night Wanderer. No, perhaps she can no longer be called the Night Wanderer. It¡¯s not clear if such a peerless beauty really existed in the Ming dynasty. It¡¯s also possible that she was fabricated by the Spirit Realm.]


    Then there was a long description of the deeds of Goddess Sandao. The content was consistent with what Zhang Yuanqing had seen in the temple.


    He read on:


    [The task of surviving for three hours is relatively simple. Initially, after reading the contents of the notebook, I was entangled by a vengeful spirit. Its characteristic was to continuously extract the Yang energy of living creatures until the target died.]


    [The Night Wanderer has a natural suppression of spiritual bodies. I didn¡¯t spend much effort to exorcise it, but when I wanted to devour it, I encountered a huge obstacle. This might be the protection of the Spirit Realm against vengeful spirits.]


    [Everyone who reads the notes will be cursed. They will be haunted by vengeful spirits until one of them dies. Any way to remove them will be short-lived. Removing a vengeful spirit once will give you about fifteen minutes of safety.]


    [It is worth mentioning that the overall layout of the Mountain Temple is one main hall with two adjacent backyards. The candle in the main hall is an extremely powerful tool. It has the ability to suppress evil and purify. As long as one hides in the main hall, it means safety. The price is that the candle will eliminate the fear in one¡¯s heart. Bathing in candlelight for a long time will make one fearless. Being fearless in such a dangerous Spirit Realm is fatal. In addition, it cannot be moved or taken out of the Spirit Realm.]


    [After staying in the main hall for half an hour, I suddenly heard a cry for help coming from the backyard. During this time, there were terrifying roars that didn¡¯t seem to be alive. After hesitating for a while, I decided to explore the backyard.]


    The main hall is indeed a safe house. I personally verified this, but I didn¡¯t expect the source to be candles. I thought it was that beautiful mountain goddess¡­


    The cry for help came from the big banyan tree. I didn¡¯t hear the roar. The courtyard on the east side is indeed terrifying¡­ Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s heart trembled and he secretly gasped.


    He took a deep breath and concentrated on reading. The rest of the information was very important. If he could learn about the other courtyard in advance, he could avoid danger when he explored.


    [The big banyan tree is very dangerous. Don¡¯t look back, don¡¯t look back¡­]


    [This banyan seems to have gained consciousness, but why did it ask for help? As for the terrible roar, I didn¡¯t find the source because its appearance interrupted my exploration. It was a pair of¡­ red dancing shoes.]


    [It didn¡¯t attack me immediately. Instead, it invited me to dance. Out of curiosity, I agreed to its invitation¡­]


    [I can¡¯t remember its steps at all. It¡¯s too messy and disorganized. It¡¯s an impossible requirement for me, who has no dancing experience. No, even someone with dancing experience can¡¯t remember those steps. I failed and the red dancing shoes pursued me.]


    [I made it back to the main hall without incident, but it broke two of my ribs. I think I got a good look at what it really was. It¡¯s an extremely scary tool. Its tracking ignores terrain and obstacles, and it won¡¯t stop until it gets there. Preliminary speculation is that it¡¯s a rule-type tool.]


    [Unbelievable. There¡¯s actually a rule-type tool in a Trial Spirit Realm. I finally know why Qian Shou died on the Mountain Temple even though he clearly carried a tool. I also know why no one has ever cleared this Spirit Realm. What a joke. Those who can enter the She Ling Tunnel are either early-stage Level 1 Night Wanderers or ordinary people. How can they clear it?]


    [For the moment, we don¡¯t know the reason for the Mountain Temple¡¯s decline, nor do we know what the secret regarding the rise and decline of thousands of years is. We hope to successfully complete the second main mission and bring back the truth for the organization.]


    The information ended there. There was no follow-up.


    Zhang Yuanqing knew that this Night Wanderer had most likely died in the second main mission.

 Chapter 16

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    ¡°What a terrifying Mountain Temple¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing leaned back and gave his weight to the back of the chair.


    He closed his eyes and combined the information with his own personal experience. He analyzed the Mountain Temple through the inspiration he¡¯d gained from playing games and looked for patterns.


    ¡°The vengeful spirit can be dispelled by candlelight. There¡¯s a 15-minute safe time for each removal, and I won¡¯t be immediately injured after it¡¯s attached to me¡­¡±


    ¡°Be careful of the banyan tree in the east courtyard. I can¡¯t turn back. Why can¡¯t I turn back? What situation can¡¯t I turn back? What will happen if I turn back? Why isn¡¯t it written in the information?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t be sure if the roar has anything to do with the banyan tree yet. If it¡¯s unrelated, there¡¯s another danger. Is the true appearance of those red dancing shoes a tool? A rule-type tool. It sounds very classy.¡±


    ¡°From the looks of it, the seniors of the construction team had most likely been trampled to death by the red dancing shoes, crushing all their bones.¡±


    ¡°Although I learned some dancing under Uncle¡¯s nurturing, if even a Level 1 Night Wanderer can¡¯t handle it, a child like me definitely can¡¯t either¡­ If Uncle meets the pair of red dancing shoes, he can definitely dance until the end of time¡­¡±


    This kind of thing should be done by his unreliable uncle. After all, his uncle loved singing and dancing in his free time.


    Wait!


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up.


    According to the information, the fundamental reason for the Night Wanderer¡¯s failure was that he had no dancing experience. Most importantly, he could not remember the messy dance steps.


    This was most likely beyond the limits of ordinary memorization.


    But he didn¡¯t have such worries. All he had to do was push himself and let the old illness relapse. His brain would go into overload mode and everything that he had seen and heard would be replayed in his mind.


    Moreover, under overload, the brain¡¯s control over the body far exceeded that of ordinary people. It was not a problem to do some high-energy movements.


    ¡°The problem is that non-Spirit Realm items can¡¯t be brought in. My medicine might not be able to enter. Once my old illness relapses, I don¡¯t know what will happen to me without the medicine to suppress it.¡±


    There was no need to think about such things by himself. He could just ask directly. Otherwise, why would he join an official organization?


    Zhang Yuanqing grabbed his phone, opened the call log, and called Guan Ya back.


    The call was answered after a few rings.


    ¡°Have you finished reading the information?¡±


    Guan Ya was preparing to rest. She was a woman who took care of herself. She hated staying up late and being disturbed in her sleep.


    However, she had a high tolerance for Zhang Yuanqing. Who could bear to speak ill of a boy who was about to die? Besides, he was handsome and spoke nicely.


    ¡°I¡¯ve read it. There are some things I don¡¯t quite understand.¡± Zhang Yuanqing asked, ¡°What are rule-type tools?¡±


    Guan Ya explained, ¡°There are many types of tools in the Spirit Realm, and their functions are all different. Our official organization summarizes three categories based on the characteristics of the tools. They are the price-type, the rule-type, and the other category that isn¡¯t too clear. My level isn¡¯t high enough to come into contact with it.¡±


    At this, she added with a smile, ¡°Rule and price tools are usually equal in value. After all, the functions of the tools are different and cannot be measured by a single standard. But one thing is recognized. Rule-type tools are more troublesome and rarer to deal with. Every rule-type tool is priceless.¡±


    She paused and then went on:


    ¡°The way to deal with rule-type tools is not a secret in official organizations. It¡¯s to find its pattern and overcome its rules. The fact that the red dancing shoes invited dancing is mentioned in the profile most likely fits its rules.¡±


    ¡°If you can complete its invitation, there¡¯s a chance you¡¯ll be able to subdue this rule-type tool. Only a chance, of course. It depends on many factors, like whether it¡¯s willing or not, whether it¡¯s ownerless, and so on.¡±


    However, you can just dream about subduing rule-type tools. Don¡¯t take it seriously¡­ she thought.


    Zhang Yuanqing listened patiently and asked, ¡°One more thing. Can medicine be brought to the Spirit Realm?¡±


    ¡°Other than normal clothes, most things in reality can¡¯t be brought into the Spirit Realm. Medicine can be used, but it has to be taken in advance.¡±


    ¡°What about in your mouth?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Guan Ya could not answer.


    It seemed that he had to try it himself¡­


    ¡°I have no further questions, thank you.¡±


    Guan Ya grunted and smiled, ¡°Take care, little boy. By the way, it¡¯s Scorpio¡¯s lucky day.¡±


    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Before Zhang Yuanqing could react, the other party had hung up.


    He put the phone down and checked the time. It was past midnight.


    Tomorrow morning, he would enter the Spirit Realm again.


    ¡­


    The next day.


    Li Dongze leaned on his cane and stepped into the glass building behind the bureau.


    As a leader who did not need to clock in, he was used to putting off work for an hour. Sometimes, he simply did not go to work. He enjoyed a high degree of freedom.


    He also neglected to manage the Spirit Realm Walkers under him and let them do as they pleased.


    Firstly, other than Guan Ya, no one else was part of the White Tiger Soldiers.


    Secondly, the death rate of Spirit Realm Walkers was extremely high. They might not be able to come out after entering the Spirit Realm.


    Life was too short for worries.


    Li Dongze went to the second floor and habitually scanned the office area. At the empty desk sat Guan Ya, who was working hard, and Wang Tai, who was looking up information and writing papers.


    ¡°Guan Ya, did you give him the information?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    Li Dongze nodded but said nothing. He turned and went into the luxurious office.


    Guan Ya dropped the subject and bowed her head.


    Li Dongze entered the office and went to the liquor cabinet. He poured himself a glass of vodka, bite the lime, and drank it all.

 Chapter 17

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    At that moment, his phone rang. He put down his glass and lay down on the armchair. Li Dongze turned it on.


    Someone tagged him in the chat group. The group¡¯s name was ¡°Spirit Realm Walker Management Group of the Kangyang District¡±.


    As a first-tier metropolis, Songhai City had a total of sixteen districts. Each district had ten teams of Spirit Realm Walkers led by captains.


    Li Dongze was the captain of Team Two. In the White Tiger Soldier¡¯s system, he was considered their chief.


    The captains¡¯ immediate superiors were deacons. There were three deacons in the Kangyang District.


    Above the deacons were the elders. The elders usually did not care about anything. Spirit Realm Walkers of this level were elusive.


    Above the elders were the leaders of the Five Elements Alliance¡ªthe five alliance masters.


    The five alliance masters were legendary figures that Li Dongze had never seen before. He only knew that the marshal of his White Tiger Soldiers and the palace master of the Water God Palace were both women.


    In private, the Five Elements Alliance called these two alliance masters the Peerless Duo.


    There were a total of fourteen people in the Spirit Realm Walker Management Group of the Kangyang District. There were ten captains, three deacons, and a Night Wanderer captain of the Supreme Solitary Sect.


    Big Muscle: ¡°@Li Dongze, I heard you¡¯ve recruited a Night Wanderer?¡±


    How did he know¡­ Li Dongze frowned and replied.


    ¡°None of your business!¡±


    Among the five elements, fire countered metal. The Scouts of the White Tiger Soldiers generally hated the Fire Masters of the Crimson Fire Gang. They felt that they were rough and irritable and could not think before speaking.


    What? Li Dongze had recruited a Night Wanderer?!


    The captains in the group perked up like sharks smelling blood.


    Green Vine said, ¡°Night Wanderer? Where has Chief Li been recently? He actually recruited a Night Wanderer. I¡¯m envious.¡±


    White Dragon: ¡°In the entire Songhai City, excluding itinerant cultivators, there don¡¯t seem to be more than ten official Night Wanderers, right? They¡¯re all from the Supreme Solitary Sect.¡±


    Floater: ¡°Li Dongze, what kind of luck do you have? I¡¯m so jealous.¡±


    Three captain-level figures suddenly appeared.


    [Tang Guoqiang sent some red packets.]


    The red packets were instantly snatched up.


    Li Dongze instinctively snatched the red packet and realized that everyone else got more than a hundred, while he got only a dollar.


    Tang Guoqiang said, ¡°Chief Li is so lucky.¡±


    There was a flurry of ¡®thank you, boss¡¯ emoticons at the bottom.


    Tang Guoqiang was also a captain, but at the same time, he was also the boss of the construction team company. He was wealthy and did not like to talk. He would give red packets if there was anything worth his attention.


    Even this big boss had appeared over the subject of the Night Wanderer.


    Fist King: ¡°What kind of memory do you have? Have you forgotten the agreement between the Five Elements Alliance and the Supreme Solitary Sect? The Supreme Solitary Sect will take priority in recruiting the Night Wanderer.¡±


    The White Dragon said, ¡°Brother Fist, you¡¯re the one with a bad memory. Have you forgotten our Centurion Fu? With his relationship with the Supreme Solitary Sect, it¡¯s not a problem for him to keep a Night Wanderer.¡±


    Fist King fell silent.


    The few captains were jealous. Be it the scarcity of the Night Wanderer or this class¡¯s potential, it was far stronger than other classes. If he was nurtured well, he would be a capable general in the future.


    Green Vine said, ¡°By the way, it¡¯s been a long time since our group was formed. Why don¡¯t we set a time to gather?¡±


    White Dragon said, ¡°Yo, yo, the women of the Hundred Flowers Association are ready to seduce me again? But I have no objections.¡±


    Floater: ¡°It just so happens that we¡¯re not going out to sea recently. It¡¯s fine to get together. Chief Li, I¡¯ve been wanting to drink with you for a long time. Call that Night Wanderer along.¡±


    Tang Guoqiang said, ¡°Team building is a good idea. Let¡¯s get together. Li Dongze snatched my red packet, so I¡¯ll take it that you¡¯ve agreed.¡±


    The corner of Li Dongze¡¯s mouth twitched. He was already in a bad mood. He sent a message and scolded, ¡°I see shamelessness in your words, greed, and the sinister intent of poaching. I must have been cursed by the Spirit Society recently. Such bad luck.¡±


    Big Muscle: ¡°Subtle bragging?¡±


    Floater said, ¡°I want this bad luck too.¡±


    At this moment, the Night Wanderer from the Supreme Solitary Sect appeared.


    Yuan Ting: ¡°We don¡¯t want that Night Wanderer. Have you forgotten that the Qingming Festival had just passed a while ago?¡±


    Green Vine asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Yuan Ting said, ¡°Li Dongze recruited a Night Wanderer. The trial mission is the She Ling Tunnel.¡±


    The group instantly fell silent.


    Although they were not Night Wanderers, as the Official Spirit Realm Walkers of Songhai City, they still knew a little about the famous She Ling Tunnel.


    White Dragon said, ¡°He can¡¯t be that unlucky.¡±


    Yuan Ting said, ¡°In order to save that poor guy, Centurion Fu specially asked our Elder Sun for detailed information about the She Ling Tunnel yesterday.¡±


    Big Muscle: ¡°Uh¡­ Is there a need to save him? Since the last century, no newbie has been able to clear the She Ling Tunnel. Li Dongze, you¡¯re really pitiful. I can imagine your expression when you heard that the Trial Spirit Realm of the target is the She Ling Tunnel.¡±


    Fire Masters always spoke their mind.


    Do you want to fight?!


    At his desk, Li Dongze almost grabbed his cane and rushed out of his office to fight this guy one-on-one.


    He quickly took a deep breath and repeated in his heart: Elegance, elegance¡­


    Floater said, ¡°We suddenly received an order. We have to run boats this month. Let¡¯s forget about the team building.¡±


    Tang Guoqiang said, ¡°What a pity.¡±


    Green Vine said, ¡°Understood, what a pitiful rookie.¡±


    The brazen Fire Master, Big Muscle, pinged Li Dongze again.


    ¡°You caused Centurion Fu to waste a favor. Did you get scolded?¡±


    Li Dongze said, ¡°Shut up. One more word and I¡¯ll go to the gym and blow your head off.¡±


    How infuriating.


    After all, the Supreme Solitary Sect and the Five Elements Alliance were two different organizations. They did not share information with each other. Centurion (Deacon) Fu had to spend a favor to get information from the Supreme Solitary Sect.


    Big Muscle: ¡°You can¡¯t beat me.¡±


    The other captains didn¡¯t respond. They didn¡¯t seem to care anymore.


    At this moment, Fu Qingyang, one of the three deacons, sent a message: ¡°Are you guys very free? Do you need to be thrown back into training camp?¡±


    Li Dongze and Big Muscle immediately fell silent.


    After a few seconds, Fu Qingyang sent another message: ¡°Since he¡¯s already been hired, he¡¯s my soldier. The White Tiger Soldiers won¡¯t give up on any of our colleagues. This is our belief. It has nothing to do with his value.¡±


    Li Dongze sighed. He had indeed messed up this matter. Centurion Fu would not say anything, but who knew if this leader was disappointed in him?


    ¡­.


    At 10:30 PM, Zhang Yuanqing locked the door to his room, tied his shoelaces, and drank two large glasses of water.


    Then he uncapped the pill bottle and put five small blue pills in his mouth.


    Then, he lay on the bed and silently waited for the Spirit Realm to open.


    Time passed. After about ten minutes, Zhang Yuanqing heard a cold voice in his head:


    [Spirit Realm is being activated¡­]


    [Ding, the Spirit Realm map has been activated. Welcome to the ¡°Night Wanderer¡ªShe Ling Tunnel¡±, No. 0079.]


    [Difficulty Level: S]


    [Type: Individual (Death Type)]


    [Main Mission 1: Survive for three hours (Completed)]


    [Main Mission 2: Explore Spirit Realm No. 0079. Current Exploration Rate: 20%]


    [Remarks: Non-Spirit Realm items cannot be brought in.]


    [Good luck, Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning!]


    The ceiling distorted like water disturbed by the wind. When the image replied, Zhang Yuanqing found himself in the dim candlelight of the main hall.

 Chapter 18

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Candles, sculptures, corpses, and ancient-looking lattice doors led out to a wild, grassy courtyard, a toppled bronze incense burner, and bluestone paths and bright moonlight.


    The dead silence was bleak and eerie.


    This place seemed to be perpetually in the night.


    Zhang Yuanqing raised his palm to his mouth and spat out the small blue pill in his mouth.


    The method worked. I¡¯m so f*cking smart¡­ He happily put the pill in his pocket and felt a little more confident about his ¡°future¡±.


    With them, there was hope of survival when facing the red dancing shoes.


    Then he made a beeline for the tribute table, thought for a moment, and reached for the candlestick.


    Suddenly, a message appeared before his eyes:


    [Name: The Candle That Never Goes Out]


    [Type: Fuel]


    [Function: Suppress Evil, Purify]


    [Introduction: A tool left behind by Goddess Sandao. It is said to be refined from the oil of the Eternal Bright Beast. It has the effect of suppressing evil and purifying.]


    [Remarks: Sometimes purifying fear is not necessarily a good thing. Also, it cannot be moved.]


    As expected, only by touching it personally could one obtain information. Previously, he did not dare to touch the candle, so he did not know that it was a tool until he read the information¡­


    ¡°Removing fear isn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. According to Guan Ya¡¯s classification, candles are a price-type tool. The price of using them is the loss of fear. But I¡¯m scared now and have no intention of courting death. I¡¯ll hide in the main hall for now.¡±


    He sat cross-legged at the tribute table and considered his next move.


    ¡°The next objective of the operation is to explore the eastern courtyard, figure out the dangers and patterns that lurk there, and then find ways to restrain and overcome them. Explore no more than fifteen minutes, or the vengeful spirit will fall on my shoulders and kill me.¡±


    ¡°The blue pill is my trump card against the red dancing shoes, but it might not be useful. Once I face the red dancing shoes head-on, I¡¯ll either live or die¡­ Let¡¯s explore the east courtyard first and get a preliminary understanding of the environment there before thinking of a solution.¡±


    At this point, he was still a little afraid and didn¡¯t want to go out. He had been lucky to survive last time, and it was still unknown if he would survive this time.


    The situation at the east courtyard was unknown, and it was impossible to determine how dangerous it was. It was easy to die after trying.


    However, in this world, life was not as simple as avoiding things.


    Although there was no time limit for the quest to explore the ancient temple and he could theoretically stay in the main hall all the time, without a fixed duration, it meant that he would probably never be able to get out unless he completed the quest.


    If he delayed too long, his body condition would decline because of hunger, sleepiness, thirst, and other reasons.


    If he went out to explore then, he would be dead.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do but fight!¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing gritted his teeth and strode out.


    Wait, I should consider it again. It¡¯s very dangerous outside¡­


    He, who had one foot out of the door, suddenly wanted to retreat. He couldn¡¯t help but look back at the hall and miss the glory of this place.


    The candlelight was warm, dispelling the haze, cleansing the filth. It gave the heart an incomparable courage and confidence.


    It¡¯s not a big problem¡­


    Zhang Yuanqing went out confidently.


    ¡­..


    The moonlight was as bright as frost. Zhang Yuanqing walked along the left side of the main hall, stepping on the cobblestone path, and re-entered the desolate and dilapidated courtyard house.


    The night was eerily silent without insects or birds.


    But the silence was also reassuring. He was most afraid of going out and hearing footsteps.


    ¡°Fifteen minutes. I only have fifteen minutes. I have to explore the east courtyard before the vengeful spirit gets me¡­¡±


    He entered the easternmost room of the quadrangle. From the corpse leaning against the window, he fumbled again for the bronze mirror and hid it in his pocket.


    Then he carefully passed through the arched door and entered the east courtyard.


    The east courtyard was much larger than the quadrangle, and what came into view was a deserted garden with rockery, a gazebo, a small pool, and a big banyan tree with a thick trunk and knotted branches. Its tender green leaves reflected the bright moonlight.


    There was an old well under the banyan tree.


    His gaze swept past the rockery pavilion and he could see the ridge of the house in the depths of the garden.


    Zhang Yuanqing did not go straight to the building in the depths of the garden. Instead, he walked cautiously around the big banyan tree. The information said that the tree was dangerous, but nothing unexpected happened after he walked around it.


    ¡°Check the big banyan tree. It should be able to advance my exploration¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself. He glanced at the dark ancient well and hesitated. He still did not have the courage to look.


    He was very traumatized by the old well in such a horror story.


    Zhang Yuanqing skirted the ancient well and shuffled through the weeds towards the building deep in the garden.


    Crack!


    Suddenly, there was a cracking sound under his feet, and he jumped up in fright.


    When he focused on it, he saw that it was a body buried in weeds, wrapped in decomposing work clothes. Zhang Yuanqing leaned over and examined it. The skeleton was well preserved.


    It was lying on its stomach, but its head was facing behind it. That meant something had twisted its head 180 degrees before it died.


    ¡®Who did that?¡¯


    Zhang Yuanqing quietly became vigilant. He got up and was about to continue exploring.


    At that moment, a gust of wind blew over them. The weeds in the garden heaved and rustled. The big banyan tree behind them seemed to come alive, shaking its branches and leaves in a twisted manner.


    ¡°Zhang Yuanqing, Zhang Yuanqing¡­¡±


    A high-pitched scream came from behind him.


    The voice came with the wind, as if whispering in his ear, bringing with it a chill that made his skin crawl.


    Out of instinct, Zhang Yuanqing was about to turn around and be on guard when information about the information suddenly flashed through his mind: Don¡¯t look back!


    ¡°Zhang Yuanqing, Zhang Yuanqing¡­¡±


    When he didn¡¯t respond, the voice seemed urgent, wanting him to turn his head quickly.


    Of course, Zhang Yuanqing wouldn¡¯t turn around. He stood his ground and quietly unzipped his jacket pocket. He fumbled for his bronze mirror and slowly raised it until it was high above his shoulder.


    The bronze mirror reflected the scene behind him less clearly.


    A woman in white with disheveled hair emerged from the ancient well. Her face was featureless, and she was about to focus on Zhang Yuanqing with her pale, fleshy face.


    F*ck you¡­ Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s face turned pale as he ran forward.


    ¡°Zhang Yuanqing, Zhang Yuanqing¡­¡±


    The voice called again and again, urgently, but she could only watch helplessly as he ran away.


    Soon, Zhang Yuanqing bypassed the rockery and went deeper into the garden. There was a large house with a terraced roof ridge, a stone foundation, and walls made of yellow soil.


    The house on this side was even more dilapidated than the courtyard house. The roof tiles were sparse and broken.


    ¡°The Night Wanderer in the information also came here. He only said not to look back, but he didn¡¯t say that I couldn¡¯t go back. The call of the female ghost in the well might only be directed at the person who turned back. In that case, I shouldn¡¯t encounter any danger when I return later¡­¡±


    He took a deep breath on the spot, calming the surging fear and horror, and focused on the present.


    ¡°Let¡¯s explore this house first.¡±


    The big house had three doors in total, representing three rooms.


    He carefully approached the one on the far left and reached out to push open the broken wooden door.


    Squeak~


    At the sound of the wooden door opening, Zhang Yuanqing quickly stepped back and assumed a defensive stance.


    Nothing happened for a while.


    Emboldened, he went into the house. As moonlight shone through the broken roof, he tried to keep his eyes open to let his pupils absorb as much light as possible.


    This was the kitchen and canteen. There were two green brick earthen stoves, pots, pans, water jars, cabinets, and other items that had long rotted and accumulated dust.


    There¡¯s no danger. I¡¯ve finally found the container¡­ Zhang Yuanqing grabbed a dusty gourd ladle and couldn¡¯t help but let his thoughts wander.


    ¡°I heard that a virgin¡¯s urine can dispel evil.¡±


    He considered spraying some of his virgin urine. After careful consideration, he reluctantly abandoned the idea.


    Although he had never dated a girl, Zhang Yuanqing felt that he could not be considered a virgin.


    ¡°I¡¯ve indulged in pleasure too much.¡± He stared down at his hands, a little bitterly.


    After some exploration and confirmation that the house was a combination kitchen and mess hall, that there was nothing special or dangerous about it, Zhang Yuanqing stepped out of the house with a rusty kitchen knife and a stick and set his sights on the last large rectangular house.


    Unlike the kitchen, which doubled as a large cafeteria, this house had four doors, divided into four rooms.


    Zhang Yuanqing could not help but clench the wooden stick and kitchen knife in his hand. They might not be useful, but they could give him assurance.


    He carefully checked the first and second rooms. They belonged in the utility room. They were stacked with old-style farm equipment, furniture, and donation boxes.


    There isn¡¯t much here¡­ Zhang Yuanqing turned to the third room.


    It was an armory. Knives, swords, bows, daggers, knives, and other weapons hung on the walls. Many of the weapons had fallen to the floor because of the rotten ropes.


    By the window were two rows of weapon racks. One row had toppled over, and clubs and spears were scattered across the floor.


    Two bodies were bent over the side of the overturned weapons rack.


    Zhang Yuanqing was not surprised to see these weapons. The disciples in the temple had been taught by the Goddess Sandao and could make Corpse Suppression Talismans. They clearly had the ability to protect themselves.


    It was not surprising that they knew how to fight.


    He went to check the corpses as usual, looking for information from the seniors.


    As he approached the bodies, he couldn¡¯t help but gasp. The two bodies lying on the ground weren¡¯t skeletons, but two dried corpses.


    Their skin was gray and wrinkled and close to their bones. Their bellies were sunken.


    ¡°Why are there dried corpses?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing frowned. As a student of Songhai University, he had enough knowledge.


    There were two reasons for the mummification: artificial embalming and natural formation.


    The first type could be eliminated directly. The second type was mostly formed in dry areas such as deserts.


    The conditions in the temple clearly did not fit.


    He carefully examined the two mummified corpses. There were no fatal injuries on their bodies, and their bones had not been broken by the red dancing shoes. However, there were two obvious holes in the flesh of their necks.


    It looked like the bite of a ferocious beast.


    ¡°What was it that sucked them dry?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing gasped and tensed.


    Then he heard a thump from the next room, like a knock on a wooden door.


    Instantly, his scalp tingled. Like an agile wild deer, Zhang Yuanqing strained his neck and listened.

 Chapter 19

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    ¡°Thump¡­¡±


    Another knock sounded.


    There¡¯s something next door!


    Zhang Yuanqing quickly replaced the rusty kitchen knife with a rusty short knife and the wooden stick with a long spear.


    Weapon in hand, he sprinted out of the room without making a sound. The moonlight was cold like frost, and the surroundings were dead silent.


    Zhang Yuanqing bent over and leaned surreptitiously towards the window.


    The paper window was long torn. He crouched under the window and cautiously poked his head up to look through a hole in the lattice window.


    The moonlight, as cold as frost, was compressed into beams by the holes in the roof, bringing light to the narrow room.


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he saw the scene in the house.


    In the dim, silent house were three old coffins, their black paint flecked, their lids dusty.


    There were two dried corpses lying by the coffins. They were wearing work clothes. One of them had a bronze staff beside it.


    The staff caught Zhang Yuan-Qing¡¯s attention. It was half an arm¡¯s length long and cast in bronze. The handle was carved with incantations and carvings, and the workmanship was exquisite. The point was that all the weapons were rusted, except for it, which was yellow and rust-free.


    An image appeared in his mind for no reason. One of Goddess Sandao¡¯s hands was clasped together but her palms were empty.


    ¡°Thump¡­¡±


    The muffled sound came again, forcing Zhang Yuanqing to look away at the coffin in the middle.


    There was a grinding sound as the coffin lid slowly slid open.


    A greenish-black palm reached out and gripped the side of the coffin.


    Then a terrifying figure sat up in the coffin.


    In the bright moonlight shining down from the roof, Zhang Yuanqing could see the thing clearly. It was wrapped in ragged clothes, its face bloated and highly decomposed. Its dead eyeballs protruded.


    Its hair was like withered grass, pinned messily to its head.


    Hee~ Hee~


    It raised its head toward the moonlight overhead and exhaled a turbid breath of corpse energy. Its two fangs were shocking.


    Zombie? Zombie!!


    Zhang Yuanqing felt like he was in a horror movie.


    So it was a zombie. Yes, it should be a corpse-type monster. Otherwise, what was the point of the Corpse Suppression Talisman? Zhang Yuanqing wanted to retreat. At this point, the information he had obtained was enough.


    It was time to return to the main hall.


    However, at this moment, his shoulder suddenly sank. A familiar coldness descended and corroded his body, bringing with it a chill.


    At this critical moment, the hunchback arrived.


    The fifteen minutes were up¡­ Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s heart sank.


    In this ancient temple filled with danger, one¡¯s mind was highly tense. It was difficult to divide one¡¯s attention to count the time. One could only speculate based on one¡¯s senses which would lead to deviations.


    The appearance of the slumped vengeful spirit made matters worse. The next scene added fuel to the fire.


    As if it could smell the living, the zombie sitting in the coffin retracted its head. Its bulging eyeballs dropped to the window and peered out at its eyes.


    Zhang Yuanqing jumped up in horror and turned to run.


    As he turned, he heard the loud clang of the coffin lid hitting the floor.


    Not daring to look back, running heavily with the vengeful spirit on his shoulder.


    Another loud clang and the door flew open.


    As Zhang Yuanqing ran, he turned his head and saw a hideous figure wrapped in tattered clothes rushing out of the house. He suddenly jumped and chased after him like a hungry tiger.


    Was this really a zombie? How could it move so quickly? His expression changed. He spun on his heel, using inertia to complete his turn, and stabbed the zombie in the chest.


    The butt of the spear struck the ground, forming a simple barricade.


    At the same time, he saw a hideous hole in the zombie¡¯s chest. The heart seemed to have been ripped out.


    Eldest Senior Brother? The zombie was the Eldest Senior Brother in the diary!


    The next moment, the zombie lunged at him with the spear. The spear, which was as thick as a finger, broke with a snap.


    There was no time to think. Zhang Yuanqing seized the opportunity created by the spear and rolled past the zombie¡¯s feet. His nose was filled with the stench of the corpse, and the sound of a saber slashing the ground sounded behind him.


    He rolled all the way behind the zombie, bounced up on his knees, and swung the knife.


    ¡°Clang!¡±


    The knife hit the back of the zombie¡¯s head like it was made of steel. It did no damage except cut a few strands of hair that looked like withered grass.


    On the other hand, Zhang Yuanqing was in so much pain from the force of the impact that he almost dropped his weapon.


    ¡°Copper skin and iron bones?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing was shocked. Then, he saw the zombie turn around quickly. It raised its black and sharp nails and clasped his shoulders.


    The pain was immediate.


    Dark, sharp nails pierced his skin and crimson blood stained his jacket.


    The smell of blood stimulated it. Scarlet light surged in the depths of its bulging eyeballs. The zombie opened its fangs and spat out a foul-smelling gas, biting fiercely at Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s neck.


    The purifying effect of the candlelight was still there so he did not lose his mind from fear. With a thought, the fluorescent blue inventory appeared. A talisman appeared in his hand.


    Stomp stomp stomp¡­


    The zombie, which had been ferocious and violent a moment ago, retreated repeatedly when it saw this talisman as if it was avoiding snakes and scorpions.


    It¡¯s effective. It¡¯s afraid of me. It has some intelligence¡­ Zhang Yuanqing endured the pain from the wounds on his arms. He tensed his muscles and stared at the zombie. With the vengeful spirit on his shoulder, he slowly retreated.


    As he retreated, he prayed the female ghost in the well wouldn¡¯t stick her head out and add to the mess.


    In the process, the zombie let out a guttural growl from its rotting throat. Its scarlet eyes focused on Zhang Yuanqing.


    Fortunately, whether it was because of the zombie or because Zhang Yuanqing walked backward, the female ghost in the well did not appear.


    Zhang Yuanqing backed out of the east courtyard and returned to the four-part architecture. He did not dare to stop for a moment as he stumbled toward the main hall.


    As he approached the flying eaves of the main hall, he heard illusory, shrill screams.

 Chapter 20 - Red Dance Shoes (2)

    Chapter 20 Red Dance Shoes (2)


    His shoulder relaxed, and all the negative effects dissipated.


    ¡°Huff huff huff¡­¡±


    In the main hall, Zhang Yuanqing leaned against the lattice door and panted. His legs were spasming uncontrollably.


    It was half fear, half a physical reaction to the receding adrenaline.


    After he had rested for a few minutes, the adrenaline subsided and the wound in his arm began to ache. He grimaced as he took off his jacket and T-shirt. He saw that both of his arms were badly mutilated from the scratches. The blood flowing from them was red and black.


    Clearly, the zombie had poison under its fingernails.


    The situation suddenly got worse.


    ¡°There¡¯s no disinfectant or tetanus shot here. Is the corpse poisoning quick to spread? I¡¯m not going to die of poisoning, am I?¡±


    A series of thoughts flashed through Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s mind. He was surprised to find that he was not very afraid. Then he realized¡­ that this had nothing to do with him. It was the courage given by the candles.


    He basked in candlelight as his emotions settled.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m poisoned by the zombie, I can¡¯t delay any longer. Let¡¯s just take the second plan.¡±


    Before entering the Spirit Realm, Zhang Yuanqing had formulated two plans for himself. The first plan was to carefully explore the Mountain Temple, gain control of the information, and then seek a way to crack


    it.


    It was a steady way.


    Then, inspired by playing games with his aunt, he formulated a second, relatively risky plan.


    He could try to subdue the red dancing shoes.


    Since they were all tools and he could use the yellow paper talisman, who said the red dancing shoes couldn¡¯t?


    Guan Ya had said that there was a certain chance of subduing rules-type tools by overcoming their rules.


    ¡°I¡¯m not likely to be able to stick a yellow paper talisman to a zombie¡¯s forehead on my own.¡±


    Putting a talisman on the forehead of a ferocious and intelligent Yin creature was like a child fighting an adult with a knife. Although adults were afraid of blades, it did not mean that children could really hurt adults.


    Zhang Yuanqing did not delay any longer. Holding the lattice door, he got up and crossed the threshold to the courtyard in front of the main hall.


    This was where he had first encountered the red dancing shoes.


    The full moon was round like a plate, shining on the old house, the weeds, the shadows of the trees.


    He waited and waited¡­ He stood in the grass for a long time, vigilant of the changes in his surroundings, but the red dancing shoes did not appear.


    The shoes seemed to have no fixed territory. It had first followed him when he entered the temple, then appeared in the quadrangle. Now it had gone somewhere.


    The longer he delayed, the worse his physical condition became. Zhang Yuanqing sighed and turned around helplessly, returning to the main hall.


    He had just finished turning around when his body froze.


    Tap! Tap!


    Between him and the main hall, a pair of red dancing shoes that glowed with a dark red light were falling together, as if someone invisible was walking in them.


    Footsteps echoed eerily in the empty, silent night.


    Could it change the way it appeared? It was so terrifying every time¡­ Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s soul, which had almost been frightened out of his body, slowly returned to its original position. He quietly swallowed his saliva.


    Although he was looking forward to its appearance, Zhang Yuanqing still felt that his sanity value was decreasing uncontrollably when he faced this strange dancing shoe¡­


    The red dancing shoes continued to step in place. The heels of the shoes made a crisp sound as they hit the ground. The clacking echoes overlapped, making it seem more lonely and terrifying.


    A bright blue message suddenly popped up in Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s vision:


    (Will you dance with me? If so, please stay put.)


    The message appeared on the side of the red dancing shoes as if it were conversing with itself.


    As expected, it requested to dance. If he didn¡¯t dance with it, it would kill him. Such vile shoes¡­ Zhang Yuanqing could only risk it all because he realized that the red dancing shoes had cut off his escape route.


    It appeared between Zhang Yuanqing and the main hall.


    If the dance failed, he would die.


    Was it a coincidence? Or was this shoe intentionally doing this? Did it also have intelligence¡­ Zhang Yuanqing collected his thoughts, calmed his emotions, and visualized his father¡¯s appearance in his mind.


    At the same time, he raised his foot and took a step.


    Tap tap¡­


    As if it was a switch that turned on this tool, the rhythm of the red dancing shoes rising and falling changed as he stepped forward. It was an extremely fast tapping sequence.


    It was tap-dancing. It was rhythmic and fast. The loud ¡°tap-tap¡± echoed in the still night air, in the deserted old temple.


    A pair of red dancing shoes danced alone on the path made of goose-soft stone amid the wild grass of the moonlit night. There was an indescribable flirtatious beauty to them.


    Zhang Yuanqing widened his eyes and let his pupils absorb the moonlight. He stared fixedly at the red dancing shoes and did not need to deliberately remember. He only needed to see the footsteps.


    At the same time, his heart was racing like an overloaded engine. His ears were filled with noise, and countless broken images flashed through his mind.


    His brain began to automatically receive information from the outside world. The sound of the wind blowing, the slightly bent posture of the weeds, the frequency of the swaying leaves of the big locust tree in the distance, the posture, and the frequency of the red dancing shoes¡­


    The brain that received the information quickly analyzed and memorized.


    After a few minutes, the red dancing shoes stopped contentedly. She stepped back on her left foot and stood on tiptoe.


    The pose looked odd, but if anyone had been wearing it, it would have been a standard curtsy.


    Zhang Yuanqing, who was bleeding from his nose, muttered in his mind. Then, he saw a sentence appear above the red dancing shoes:


    (Your turn!]


    In a few minutes, it danced hundreds of steps, and they were all different. This had already exceeded the memorization ability of ordinary people.


    Zhang Yuanqing composed himself, took the small pill from his pocket, and put it in his mouth.

 Chapter 21 - Red Dance Shoes (3)

    Chapter 21 Red Dance Shoes (3)


    Then, his mind slipped into a marvelous state as images from the past few minutes replayed frame by frame.


    Tap tap tap¡­ He danced a few beats in a slow, awkward manner, then carefully examined the red dancing shoes.


    If the other party wanted an identical copy, then even if he could remember all the rhythms and movements, he would not be able to complete the mission.


    Seeing that there was nothing unusual about it, Zhang Yuanqing was relieved and focused on the dance.


    Kicking, spinning, jumping slightly, crossing his left and right feet¡­ He danced very slowly, and his posture was ugly. Compared to the smooth movements of the red dancing shoes, it was simply unsightly.


    However, a slow dance could ensure no mistakes were made.


    Seven or eight minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing reproduced all the steps of the red dancing shoes and stopped, panting.


    Warm liquid filled his nostrils and dipped along his lips and chin, but he didn¡¯t bother to wipe it away. He simply stared at the red dancing shoes.


    Whether he could walk out of the Spirit Realm alive and successfully complete the trial depended on this crucial moment.


    (Your dancing skills are as bad as ever!]


    The red dancing shoe ejected this message. Then it turned into a dark red shimmer and dissipated into the night.


    Immediately after, Zhang Yuanqing heard a cold voice in his mind:


    [Ding! You have accompanied the red dancing shoes to complete a dance. Congratulations on obtaining the recognition of the red dancing shoes. However, because your dancing skills are too poor, the red dancing shoes will only acknowledge you for half an hour. Good luck!]


    Zhang Yuanqing slumped to the ground, his face pale and his brain throbbing.


    Half a minute later, the symptoms eased. Pale-faced, he sat up and eagerly opened his inventory.


    In the second compartment lay a pair of red, brand-new dancing shoes.


    After staring at the dancing shoes for a few seconds, the information automatically appeared.


    [Name: Red Dancing Shoes]


    (Type: Shoe]


    [Functions: Tracking, Pursuit, Kill)


    [Introduction: Its former owner was a princess of a certain kingdom in the west. The princess was born beautiful and good at dancing. The men of the kingdom fell for her. However, her vicious stepmother was jealous of her talent and beauty and imprisoned her above the tower. The lonely princess danced alone in the cold moonlight and finally died. These red dancing shoes inherited her will and began to wander and dance alone forever.]


    [Form 1: Throw the red dancing shoes at a designated target (it can also lock onto the target through the target¡¯s blood, hair, skin, and other cells as a medium). It will pursue the target relentlessly. During the pursuit, it¡¯ll ignore any physical obstacles. There is no escape or destruction until the target is dead or has accompanied it through a dance of any kind.]


    [Form 2: Wearing the red dancing shoes increases agility, increases dodging ability, ignores the terrain, and requires no physical strength. The only thing you need to pay attention to is that you can only wear them for five minutes at a time. If you wear them for longer than that, the red dancing shoes will never be taken off. You will run with it until your life ends or your feet are cut off.]


    [Remarks: You¡¯re not going to dance with me? You¡¯ll die.]


    It¡¯s a divine artifact¡­ Zhang Yuanqing read the introduction of the tool and was extremely excited.


    So this was a rule-type tool.


    It was ridiculously powerful.


    Previously, the introduction to the yellow paper talisman and candle was relatively simple as a few short sentences. In contrast, the item information for the red dancing shoes was lengthy.


    That alone showed the uniqueness of the red dancing shoes.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I only have half an hour¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing noticed the countdown beside the inventory and felt a hint of pity.


    If such a divine artifact could truly belong to him, it would be of great use in reality or in the future when he entered other Spirit Realms.

 Chapter 22 - Unexplored Territory

    Chapter 22 Unexplored Territory


    Zhang Yuanqing returned to the main hall and bathed in the candlelight to calm the pain of his old illness and purify himself.


    According to his calculations, the vengeful spirit would pester him in a minute or two. It was definitely not a good time to enter the east courtyard and face the zombie.


    After four or five minutes of rest, his physical condition was getting worse. His headache was accompanied by slight dizziness so he knew that it was the corpse poison that was gradually corroding his body and showing symptoms.


    The candlelight in the main hall didn¡¯t seem to cleanse the poison from his body.


    ¡°I can¡¯t delay any longer¡­¡±


    He wanted to take advantage of the half-hour time limit of the red dancing shoes to quickly clear the dungeon.


    Zhang Yuanqing left the main hall and followed the cobblestone path through the weeds until he arrived at the courtyard house.


    Standing in the grassy courtyard, he opened his inventory and summoned the red dancing shoes.


    Two dark red shimmers swam through the night, turning into brand-new dancing shoes. ¡°Choose the second form!¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing silently chanted. The red dancing shoes disintegrated into a dark red shimmer again, sweeping out in two arcs that wrapped around his feet. In an instant, the running shoes on his feet turned into a pair of large red dancing shoes.


    Wasn¡¯t this cross-dressing? Fortunately, they were red dancing shoes and not high heels¡­ Zhang Yuanqing looked at his feet, feeling a little strange.


    Forcing himself to ignore this detail, he took out the Corpse Suppression Talisman, held it in his hand, and with the soft rustle of the great banyan tree, passed through the arched doorway into the east courtyard once more.


    In the east courtyard, the grass rose and fell. The bright moonlight shone down on the two large houses. Everything was quiet.


    Zhang Yuanqing looked around carefully and saw no sign of the zombie. He immediately walked cautiously across the courtyard and leaned towards the large house that had been divided into four rooms.


    The wooden door to the room where the coffins were displayed had been sent flying. He didn¡¯t need to enter the house. From a distance, he peered across the threshold.


    Moonlight shone through the gap in the tiles. The bodies, coffins, removed coffin lids, and the bronze staff sat where they had been, untouched.


    There was no sign of the zombie in the room.


    ¡°Could it have lain back in the coffin?¡±


    From his angle, he couldn¡¯t see the inside of the coffin.


    Just as he was hesitating, he suddenly realized that the moonlight seemed to have dimmed. A black shadow descended from the sky and enveloped him.


    Immediately after, the night wind brought in the strong smell of corpses and a low growl.


    It-it¡¯s hiding in the tree? Zhang Yuanqing was shocked. His heart contracted and he instinctively tried to dodge.


    In the next moment, the red dancing shoes on his feet lit up with a dark red glow. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly slipped. Before he could react, he rushed out with a sliding shovel and plowed a trail through the weeds.


    Bang!


    The ragged-clad zombie missed.


    I avoided it¡­ Zhang Yuanqing scrambled to his feet. He was pleasantly surprised and felt relieved.


    The red dancing shoes were amazing, indeed. They were more agile than he¡¯d expected. With his own reflexes, he couldn¡¯t have dodged the zombie¡¯s pounce just now.


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s confidence increased.


    ¡°Heehee¡­¡±


    The zombie, its hair like withered grass, let out an ear-splitting roar. Its bulging eyeballs grew more ferocious. It bounced its knees and pounced on its prey again.


    It was as fast as a speeding car. In the blink of an eye, the terrifying Yin creature was right in front of him. Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s uncontrollable feet twisted like a ballet spin, smoothly drawing a semicircle. While avoiding the sharp nails, he cut behind the zombie.


    Immediately after, he ¡°naturally¡± did a split and ducked as a strong wind whistled above his head. Two arms swept across the air.


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s face twisted. He wanted to squeeze his crotch and scream, but the red dancing shoes had already controlled his legs to jump up.


    He leaped high and kicked the zombie hard in the chest.


    Bang! In the muffled sound, fine dust rose from the zombie¡¯s tattered clothes.


    It let out a roar of rage and indignation, falling on its back with the force of the kick.


    An opportunity! Seeing this scene, Zhang Yuanqing ignored the tearing pain in his crotch and strode forward. He slammed the Corpse Suppression Talisman in his hand at the highly decomposed and smelly face.


    He slapped at its forehead.


    Slap!


    The violent and bloodthirsty zombie froze as if it had been hit by an immobilization spell.


    All movement faded to silence.


    The zombie lay upright in the weeds. The redness in its ferocious eyes slowly dimmed. It had lost its ¡°life.¡±


    Looking at the zombie that had turned into a mud statue and was unable to show off its might, Zhang Yuanqing panted violently. Exhaustion and joy welled up in his heart.


    He had survived!


    ¡°Without the help of the red dancing shoes, it¡¯s very difficult to deal with the zombie alone. In fact, it¡¯s just one of the strange things here. As expected of an S-rank Spirit Realm. It¡¯s too difficult.¡±


    ¡°The construction team had a lot of people. Logically speaking, dealing with the zombie shouldn¡¯t be a problem. How can a group of men end up like this¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing suddenly sighed. He knew the reason.


    The Corpse Suppression Talisman had been found in the pocket of the corpse under the window. The senior man had obtained the tool, but he had not told his companions about it. He had kept it for himself.


    The human heart was more complicated and more terrifying than ghosts.


    After dealing with the zombie, it was time to find the shameless female ghost in the well.


    But before that, there was something else that caught Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s attention.


    He left the zombie and walked toward the room where the coffins were displayed. He held on to the door frame as he crossed the threshold. Moonlight flooded the gloomy room.


    He paused in front of the mummified corpse and bent down to pick up the bronze staff.


    It was clearly a bronze object, but it did not feel cold in his hand. Instead, it was as warm as jade.


    as as warm


    Immediately, a message appeared in his vision.


    (Name: Demon Subduing Staff)


    [Type: Weapon]


    (Function: Purification, Spirit Suppression, Anti-Demon)


    [Introduction: A weapon that contains the power of the sun. It is the nemesis of all Yin creatures. Sacrifice blood essence to this staff and you will obtain the power of the Sun God.)


    [Remarks: Isn¡¯t it powerful? Exchange for it with your life.]


    It was indeed a tool. From the function introduction, it seemed to be stronger than the candles in the main hall. The construction team senior must have wanted to use it to kill the zombie, but he had failed. Alas, they had already lost too many people before dealing with the zombie¡­ Zhang Yuanqing was glad that he had made the proper judgment.


    The clever use of the red dancing shoes solved the problem.


    Of course, the seniors of the construction team had no choice. It was impossible for them to subdue this rule-type tool. Furthermore, most of them had died from the trampling of the red dancing shoes.


    ¡°With this tool that can counter Yin creatures and the red dancing shoes I already obtained, my chances of clearing the trial mission will greatly increase.¡±


    With the Demon Subduing Staff in hand, he felt a strong sense of confidence. Before the five minutes were up, he left the room and returned to the courtyard.


    This time, he headed straight for the ancient well for a final probe.


    The well was deep and dark, and the smell of damp, rotting vegetation churned up.


    Zhang Yuanqing held the Demon Subduing Staff tightly and assumed a defensive posture. He raised one foot and stepped on the edge of the well. Then, he walked down and walked on the wall of the well as if it was flat ground.


    If it had been before, he would not have dared to explore the bottom of the well. Putting aside the fact that there was no danger at the bottom of the well, jumping into the well without ropes or help would be suicide.


    Soon, he successfully reached the bottom of the well. The moonlight here was already very weak.


    The water in the well had long since dried up. The bottom was deposited with black silt, and clumps of weeds grew around the edges. The walls of the well were covered with dark green moss.


    ¡°There¡¯s no ghost in the well¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing frowned.


    This isn¡¯t right. I clearly saw a faceless female ghost poking out of the well.


    He checked and rechecked the bottom of the well. Since the red dancing shoes could only be worn for a limited time, he had no choice but to step helplessly on the steep walls of the well. He returned to the surface and hurried back to the eaves of the main hall.


    Only then did he relax and remove the red dancing shoes.


    ¡­..


    In the main hall, bathed in the dim candlelight, Zhang Yuanqing leaned against the tribute table with a dispirited expression. The corpse poison had seeped deeper into his body. After the dizziness, he had difficulty breathing, and there was pain in his heart and lungs.


    Time was running out.


    I¡¯ve explored two backyards and successfully subdued the zombie. The mission isn¡¯t over, which means there are still places I haven¡¯t explored¡­


    I¡¯ve already gone through every room in the backyard, even including the bottom of the well. There can be no slip-ups.


    So, where exactly?


    After eliminating all possibilities, no matter how unbelievable the remaining one was, it would definitely be the truth¡­ He muttered in his mind and slowly propped himself up.


    The place that had not been ¡°explored¡± was this place, the main hall in front of him.


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s gaze slowly swept across the main hall and finally stopped on the clay statue of Goddess Sandao. When he first entered the main hall, a detail on the clay statue bothered him.


    The clay statue¡¯s right hand was empty, but it made a grasping gesture, indicating that it had been holding something.


    Previously, he had no idea what she was holding in her hand, but now he did.


    It was the Demon Subduing Staff.


    Thinking that there was no harm in trying, Zhang Yuanqing stepped forward and inserted the yellow Demon Subduing Staff into the palm of the clay statue. Then he jumped off the pedestal and took a few steps back.


    Almost as soon as he stepped back, the surface of the pedestal cracked and burst into a dense cloud of dust. Then the entire pedestal collapsed, revealing a dark cavern.

 Chapter 23 - The Source of Strangeness

    Chapter 23 The Source of Strangeness


    Bingo¡­ Zhang Yuanqing relaxed a little.


    In fact, after exploring the Mountain Temple and dealing with the zombie, the entrance to the cave would open. However, the senior construction team had taken the Demon Subduing Staff before that.


    If he could not see through this detail and return the Demon Subduing Staff, he would probably be stuck at this step forever.


    Zhang Yuanqing waited patiently, quietly tensing his nerves and concentrating his mind. He did not dare to be careless, because it was very likely that the source of the Mountain Temple¡¯s decline existed under the cave.


    After a while, seeing no abnormalities in the collapsed hole, he summoned the red dancing shoes again and activated the second form, allowing it to replace the running shoes and wrap around his feet.


    Then, he walked to the dark and deep cave and jumped lightly. Tap¡­ His feet quickly touched the ground, and his red dancing shoes alleviated the force of his fall.


    Zhang Yuanqing found the Demon Subduing Staff among the rubble. He bent down to pick it up and regained control of this powerful tool.


    With the red dancing shoes and the Demon Subduing Staff, he was confident that he could face the danger in the cave head-on.


    The candlelight seeped down from above. There was a limit to how much it could illuminate. Ahead of them was a dark, silent tunnel filled with the fear of the unknown.


    In such an environment, it was extremely unwise to advance blindly.


    Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and looked at the tool in his hand.


    The item introduction said that this was a tool that contained the power of the sun. By sacrificing blood, one could obtain divine power.


    The power of the sun could dispel the darkness and bring light, right? It was worth a try, but the ¡°Remarks¡± of the attribute introduction was a little intimdating¡­ Zhang Yuanqing exhaled silently and nailed the sharp triangular spike to his thigh.


    A sharp pain assaulted him as blood gurgled out. Instead of flowing down his pants, it turned into lines of blood that poured into the bronze tool.


    Zhang Yuanqing felt a warm power surge out of the Demon Subduing Staff and rush into his body along his arm. His pupils lit up with pale golden light and turned into brilliant golden pupils.


    The Demon Subduing Staff didn¡¯t dispel the darkness, but it gave him the ability to see through it.


    At the same time, the dizziness, difficulty breathing, heart and lungs pain, and other negative conditions disappeared, leaving only the weakness of excessive blood loss.


    The corpse poison in his body was cleared.


    He was indeed exchanging his life for power, but it was still acceptable¡­ He activated his vision and looked ahead. In front of him was a wide passageway that extended into the darkness.


    The two walls of the tunnel were not naturally formed.


    Zhang Yuanqing walked through the tunnel at a moderate pace, the silence echoing with his footsteps.


    After walking for more than ten seconds, the roots of plants appeared on the two walls of the tunnel. They grew all over the wall.


    ¡°Help, help¡­¡±


    Suddenly, from the darkness ahead, came the sound of someone crying out for help.


    After following the sound for a while, the path opened up and a huge grotto came into view. In the middle of the grotto was a thick tree trunk that drilled through the top and grew into the outside world.


    At the bottom of this thick tree trunk, the roots were intertwined and tangled, wrapped around a stone coffin.


    Most frightening of all, pale arms poked out of thick tree trunks, and pale human faces appeared. Unconsciously, they cried out for help.


    Dense arms grabbed at random as if looking for a lifeline.


    How scary¡­ The candlelight and the Demon Subduing Staff gave Zhang Yuanqing courage. He only felt a slight tingling in his scalp and was not too afraid.


    Then a hoarse, ancient voice said: ¡°It¡¯s the first time a living creature has come here in years.¡±


    With that, the cries for help stopped. The seaweed-like waving arms retracted into the tree trunks, and the faces of horror hid within the tree.


    ¡°Who?¡±


    Startled, Zhang Yuanqing looked around warily.


    ¡°Me? I¡¯m just a tree¡­¡±


    An ugly human face emerged from the trunk. Unlike the face of the vengeful spirit, its face was bark, as if it symbolized the tree itself.


    It was the old banyan tree in the courtyard. Had it become a spirit? Zhang Yuanqing had not expected to encounter an entity that he could communicate with in such a godforsaken place, even though it was a tree.


    He dared not approach. He said tentatively: ¡°Were you the one who killed the disciples in the temple?¡±


    ¡°Not me. Her.¡±


    The tree spirit¡¯s gaze dropped as if to focus on the coffin below, though it could not see it.


    ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Goddess Sandao.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing felt as if he had been hit in the head, and his mind went blank.


    In the stone coffin lay Goddess Sandao, the powerful Night Wanderer who should have ascended at the start of the Ming dynasty?


    The source of the strangeness was Goddess Sandao. Was she the one who killed the disciples in the temple?


    Zhang Yuanqing blurted out, ¡°Why would she do that?¡±


    ¡°Because of the arrival of the Cultivationless Age, it was difficult for cultivators to break through the bottleneck. In order to live forever, Goddess Sandao fell into the demonic path. She sealed herself in a stone coffin and used the banyan tree to imprison ghosts. She used Yin energy to nurture and protect her body and spirit. She was a powerful Night Wanderer, and the Night Wanderer was born to devour souls and strengthen itself.¡±


    The face on the tree trunk sighed. ¡°The banyan tree accommodated too many souls. It received their wills and slowly gave birth to intelligence, which was me. Over the years, one after another, people entered this place by mistake and died here. In the end, they became her nutrients. I carried the hatred and unwillingness of the vengeful spirits and kept waiting for someone to come here and end her for me.¡±


    I see. Does this count as triggering an NPC mission? Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°What should I do?¡±


    ¡°Open the coffin and stab her in the heart with the weapon in your hand. That will end everything. Heh, half of her Yang soul is sealed in the Demon Subduing Staff. If you stab her in the heart, you can seal the remaining Yang soul in her body into the artifact. Without the Yang soul to protect her, her body will die immediately.¡± The banyan spirit finished speaking. ¡°That¡¯s all you need to do to get out of here.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing did not move. He remained silent.


    The banyan spirit said slowly, ¡°What are you hesitating for, young man?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing said suddenly: ¡°I¡¯m thinking of a question¡­¡±


    The banyan spirit responded gently. ¡°What question.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing stood at a distance, staring at the face on the tree trunk.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be the temple attendant, right?¡±


    There was a sudden silence in the cavern. After a few seconds, the banyan spirit said in a low voice:


    ¡°The temple attendant was the first person to be bewitched by Goddess Sandao. He became her puppet and later became the nourishment for that woman. If you don¡¯t believe me, come and open the stone coffin. You¡¯ll know that I¡¯m not lying to you.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing retorted, ¡°Then open it for


    me.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t open it. I¡¯m just a tree.¡±


    ¡°Is it that you can¡¯t open it, or are you afraid to open it?¡± Zhang Yuanqing seemed to have gotten the answer he wanted. His lips curled up.


    ¡°It¡¯s the temple attendant¡¯s corpse in the coffin, isn¡¯t it? And you¡¯re his guardian, or perhaps his soul?¡±


    With these probing words, he went on guard, waiting for the spirit¡¯s reaction.


    As a technical geek who was good at strategy games, it would be terrible if he couldn¡¯t crack the secrets of the Mountain Temple after so many hints.


    First of all, Goddess Sandao ascended in the early Ming dynasty. After her death, the local authorities built this temple for her.


    The disciples in the temple disappeared for no reason during the Yongle era. There was a difference of at least 50 to 60 years, which was one or two generations.


    Secondly, the information from the main hall indicated that Goddess Sandao was a decent person, and the banyan tree spirit¡¯s so-called fall into the demonic path was a one-sided story. Zhang Yuanqing was more willing to believe the former.


    Finally, and most importantly, the contents of the letter said: Don¡¯t trust Master!


    Actually, the Spirit Realm had long hinted at who the real enemy was.


    However, Zhang Yuanqing did not understand why the temple attendant wanted to kill his disciples.


    I do now.


    If he replaced the one who wanted to live forever and fell into the demonic path with the temple attendant, all the doubts would be resolved.


    Silence fell in the cavern. The banyan spirit sighed. ¡°You are too wary. From beginning to end, I mean you no harm.¡±


    ¡°Or rather, you can¡¯t harm me?¡± Zhang Yuanqing slowly took a few steps back.


    ¡°Well, let me guess. You kill others by twisting their necks, but the technique must have something to do with illusion and the mind. You tried to kill me not long ago. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t look back.¡±


    This time the banyan spirit¡¯s face changed abruptly.


    Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing knew that his deduction was completely correct.


    The Night Wanderer in the information of the Supreme Solitary Sect made two things clear: one, the banyan tree was dangerous; and two, don¡¯t look back.


    That was why he had found nothing when he explored the ancient well. That was because there was nothing wrong with the well at all. The problem was the tree.


    In addition, he could accurately say ¡°illusion¡± because the name the female ghost shouted was Zhang Yuanqing, not the Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning.


    Finally, when Zhang Yuanqing discovered the ancient well, he thought of a famous horror movie from an island country. As a result, he was traumatized and did not dare to pry into the bottom of the well.


    Then, the female ghost emerged from the well. She was dressed in white and had disheveled hair. She had no facial features, which matched the vague fear in Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretending to talk to me nicely because illusions can no longer confuse me. After all, I have the Goddess¡¯ Demon Subduing Staff and am immune to illusions.¡± Zhang Yuanqing looked calm as he analyzed the truth.


    ¡°You lied to me because you wanted to kill me in other ways. If illusions don¡¯t work on me, then it¡¯s a physical attack?¡±


    He glanced at the roots crawling along the wall of the tunnel and suddenly stabbed down.

 Chapter 24 - Clearing the S-rank Trial Mission

    Chapter 24 Clearing the S-rank Trial Mission


    The thumb-sized root quickly burst into golden flames and turned into charcoal.


    The roots that covered the walls of the tunnel came to ¡°alive¡± at once, like a dense swarm of snakes crawling on the walls.


    The banyan tree spirit did not expect this foreign mortal to have such extraordinary wisdom. Seeing that its lie had been exposed, it simply stopped pretending and said sternly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to come over, then die.¡±


    The floor of the grotto cracked open, and fragments rose. Thick roots broke out of the ground and curled towards Zhang Yuanqing like twisted tentacles.


    At this distance, Zhang Yuanqing could escape even without the red dancing shoes.


    As expected, it wanted to trick me into approaching¡­


    Instead of retreating, Zhang Yuanqing advanced. He dodged the entanglement of the tree roots with a slide and closed the distance between himself and the banyan tree. Then, he bounced up and jumped several meters high, dodging the sweep again. More roots broke through the surface and danced wildly in the grotto.


    Zhang Yuanqing moved and jumped between the tentacles elegantly. No matter how hard the roots tried, they could not catch him.


    If they did not subdue the red dancing shoes, the death rate of the newbies would be extremely high.


    Thud, thud, thud¡­


    The red dancing shoes raced along the wall, avoiding the entanglement and slapping of the tree roots. With a bounce of his knees, he propelled Zhang Yuanqing through the encirclement of the tree roots like an arrow and slammed into the tree trunk.


    Seeing the human shooting over, the tree trunk¡¯s face revealed obvious fear.


    Boom!


    The stones at the base of the roots cracked. More roots, like a blowout, formed a wooden wall.


    Zhang Yuanqing chiseled the Demon Subduing Staff hard.


    Golden flames spread across the surface of the wooden wall, burning until the banyan spirit screamed in rage.


    Zhang Yuanqing took the opportunity to break through the carbonized wooden wall and sent the three sharp edges of the Demon Subduing Staff into the tree trunk.


    Stab!


    The triangular spike dug deep into the tree trunk, and a blazing sun erupted from the dark cavern.


    The golden light twisted the tree trunk and distorted the human face, causing it to scream shrilly and puff smoke.


    In an instant, the souls hiding in the tree trunks turned to smoke with screams.


    All the ghosts and monsters vanished into the golden light.


    The golden light dissipated, and the cave returned to darkness, but it was suddenly clean and clear.


    The first thing Zhang Yuanqing did was not to check if the banyan tree spirit was completely dead but to quickly remove the state of the red dancing shoes and put them into his inventory.


    It had been almost five minutes since he had entered the cave.


    After putting away the red dancing shoes, Zhang Yuanqing turned his attention to the big banyan tree. It was withered, its bark cracked and dehydrated. Its roots were scattered all over the cave.


    A cold voice sounded in Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s mind:


    [Ding! Congratulations on completing the S-rank trial mission. Character card activated. Calculating reward.]


    (Obtained item/tool: Demon Subduing Staff.]


    [Reward EXP: 100%]


    (You have become a Night Wanderer.]


    [Reward EXP: 20%]


    [Character Card Reward activated. Reward tool: Red Dancing Shoes.)


    [Leave the Spirit Realm in five minutes¡­)


    It was finally over¡­ Zhang Yuanqing felt physically and mentally exhausted.


    He had cleared the She Ling Tunnel and completed something that no one had been able to do for decades.


    As the notification sounded, the black moon mark on Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s forehead appeared. A strange and mysterious power was released from the burning mark and rushed into his body in an almost unreasonable manner.


    His skin was red like a cooked shrimp as a strange and mysterious power washed through his body, fusing into his cells and bones. The injury on his arm healed at a visible speed.


    He couldn¡¯t help but twitch. Two illusory black moons appeared in his eyes before disappearing


    The pain quickly disappeared, followed by the comfortable sensation of soaking in a hot spring.


    So comfortable¡­ Zhang Yuanqing felt lazy all over, so comfortable that he wanted to stretch. He instinctively looked down and was shocked to see his body standing still on the spot.


    Did my soul leave my body?


    Panic rose in his heart. He subconsciously wanted to return to his body. With a thought, his soul immediately sank and fused into his body.


    After regaining control of his body, Zhang Yuanqing realized that there was something more to this body, something called talent.


    He accepted the gift as naturally as if he¡¯d been born with it.


    At the same time, he felt that his body was filled with endless energy and strength. He even had the illusion that he could blow up a planet with one punch.


    Zhang Yuanqing opened the character attributes panel:


    [Name: Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning]


    (Race: Human)


    [Class: Night Wanderer)


    (Level: 1]


    [Skills: Night Travel, Spirit Devouring, Great Yin Spirit]


    (EXP: 20%]


    [Moral Value: 60 (Initial Value)]


    [Night Travel (Active): Condense the power of Great Yin to envelop yourself and enter the Night Travel state. During the skill release, you will temporarily become invisible and retract your scent and breathing to cover the sound and heat emitted by your body. Time limit: 6 seconds.]


    (Spirit Devouring (Active): Devour souls to strengthen one¡¯s spirituality.]


    [Great Yin Spirit (Passive): The Night Wanderer has a strong body, vigorous vitality, and powerful self-healing. In the night, the various abilities of the Night Wanderer will be greatly enhanced.)


    He had officially become a Night Wanderer, and he had gained 20% more experience points. Coupled with the tool rewards, the gains from this trial could be said to be generous.


    Zhang Yuanqing opened the inventory. The red dancing shoes lay quietly in the first slot and the half-hour countdown had disappeared.


    He was officially the owner of the red dancing shoes.


    Two minutes later, he slowly adjusted to his new physical condition. The wounds on his arms had healed.


    Then, Zhang Yuanqing turned his attention to the coffin.


    The end of the quest meant a hundred percent exploration. So the coffin was empty?


    ¡°It seems that the banyan tree spirit is the temple attendant. This way, all the ¡®characters¡¯ appear. How did he become a tree spirit? Is that his physical body in the coffin?¡±


    With this thought in mind, Zhang Yuanqing walked to the stone coffin and planned to loot it. Perhaps there were treasures buried in the coffin.


    There was still more than two minutes until he had to leave the Spirit Realm. It was enough.


    To be on the safe side, he summoned the red dancing shoes again and chose the second form.


    The stone coffin was wrapped in dried tree roots. Zhang Yuanqing waved the Demon Subduing Staff and cut off these tree roots that had lost their moisture one by one. Only then did he see the full appearance of the stone coffin.


    About two meters long, the coffin was intricately carved. The lid was covered in a light layer of dust.


    Slide¡­


    He slowly pushed open the lid and stared into the coffin. As a Night Wanderer, he could easily see through the darkness even without the help of the Demon Subduing Staff.


    Inside the coffin lay a dead woman in an ancient skirt that had long since rotted away. Her arms were crossed over her flat stomach. Her waist was as thin as a willow, and her figure was graceful. There was no sign of decay.


    The dead woman was beautiful. The lines of her cheeks outlined the perfect shape of her face. Her nose was straight and delicate, her lips sexy and pale. Her eyes were closed, and her eyelashes were thick and intertwined.


    A stunning beauty.


    This¡­ Zhang Yuanqing retreated in shock. There was only one thought in his mind: Is she really Goddess Sandao!?


    Compared to the sculpture in the main hall, this dead woman was less kind-looking. She was colder, less round, and had the delicacy of a young woman.


    In terms of appearance, she was definitely seventy to eighty percent similar.


    ¡°Could the banyan tree spirit be telling the truth? Is the source of the disappearance of the disciples in the temple Goddess Sandao?¡±


    For a moment, he was terrified and suspicious of his own judgment. Bad judgment inevitably came with great danger.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. My mission is indeed complete, which means my theory is correct. So, the goddess in the coffin is part of a hidden mission?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing suddenly regretted opening the coffin.


    Since Goddess Sandao was lying in the stone coffin, there must be a deeper plot hidden in the Mountain Temple.


    This could very well trigger a series of bad chain reactions, such as triggering hidden missions.


    He was about to close the coffin when he saw a dark sheen between the dead woman¡¯s lips.


    There¡¯s something?


    After a slight hesitation, he pinched her sharp jaw and pried open her full, sexy lips to see the dark sheen.


    It was a dark, pure bead.


    [Name: Spirit Body Crystal]


    [Type: Consumable]


    (Function: None]


    [Introduction: A soul crystal purified by the power of the Sun God. It contains a huge amount of spiritual power. It is a tonic that the Night Wanderer desires the most.]


    [Remarks: Goddess Sandao has purified the distracting thoughts in the crystal. Please eat it without worry.]


    Zhang Yuanqing extended two fingers and took out the bead.


    The bead quickly melted and turned into sticky energy that shot into his glabella.


    (Ding¡­ You have received 22% experience points.]


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s strength soared, and he once again had the illusion of blowing up a planet with a punch.


    He felt that he had clearly become stronger. He did not need to check his attribute panel to clearly sense the improvement in his skills.


    The limit of Night Travel increased by three seconds, from six to nine seconds.


    He had unexpectedly become stronger. Goddess, rest in peace¡­Zhang Yuanqing silently closed the stone coffin, pretending that he had never opened it.


    Next, while waiting for the countdown, Zhang Yuanqing felt a little uneasy and especially anxious, afraid that something bad would happen, such as touching the hidden mission and interrupting his return.


    Fortunately, nothing happened. Zhang Yuanqing watched as the timer on the fluorescent blue panel began to count down.


    5, 4, 3¡­


    Suddenly, a long breath sounded in the dark and silent cave.


    Zhang Yuanqing was speechless.


    The lid was pushed open from the inside. A pale, delicate hand reached out and grasped the edge. Immediately, the beauty in the coffin sat up.


    The dead woman¡¯s deep eyes swept the grotto and met Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s stiff expression.


    She gazed at Zhang Yuanqing, her lips curving


    This smile almost scared Zhang Yuanqing to death on the spot.


    At this moment, the scenery was like a reflection on the water being torn apart by the wind. The countdown ended.


    The world was a blur.


    After a while, the scene gradually stabilized. Bright white lights shone down from above. The white walls, the desk, the computer, the television, the king-sized bed¡­


    The curtains swayed in the wind. Outside the window, birds chirped crisply.


    He was back on Earth.

 Chapter 25 - Call

    Chapter 25 Call


    ¡°F*ck, you scared me to death¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing sat down on the edge of the bed, his heart palpitating.


    He suspected that if he had returned a second later, he might have returned as a corpse.


    When he finally calmed down and saw the red dancing shoes on his feet, his heart almost skipped a beat again.


    ¡°Remove, remove¡­¡±


    The red dancing shoes turned to red light and dissipated.


    Damn, he almost had to cut off his feet!


    Zhang Yuanqing was completely relaxed now. He got up and walked to the window, staring out at the tall buildings.


    He saw the green leaves reflecting the colorful lights. He listened to the aunties and uncles in the neighborhood and the slight noise of cars driving in the distance.


    It was lunchtime. A delivery man in a blue uniform was riding a scooter through the district.


    n was


    From the windows of the neighboring residential building came the explosive sound of vegetables colliding with hot oil and the clatter of shovels frying.


    The human world was still the best. The big city was still the most comfortable¡­


    He stood there for a few minutes before he felt completely free of that sense of horror.


    Calmer now, he hurried to the mirror to test his skills.


    He calmed himself down and communicated with the power of Great Yin in his body.


    Soon, Zhang Yuanqing saw his body in the mirror being erased inch by inch and disappearing into thin air.


    He could really turn invisible. Hehehe¡­


    Nine seconds later, the body was outlined again and presented in the mirror. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. It¡¯s like running a few rounds on the field¡­¡±


    Next, he tried the strength of his physical body. He easily crushed the battery and used a penknife to cut a small wound on the back of his hand. It healed in less than five minutes.


    Putting aside superpowers, just the increase in muscle strength was already beyond mortals.


    As for the other active skill, ¡°Spirit Devouring¡±, he did not have the chance to use it yet because he did not have a spirit body nearby.


    ¡°My physique is so strong now. If I trigger an old illness, can my body withstand a longer period of overload? No, I should be thinking about whether there are any doctors among the Spirit Realm Walkers. I have to find someone to take a look at my strange illness.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing then opened his inventory to admire his tools, but he did not take them out.


    It was fine if it was the Demon Subduing Staff, but what if he had to dance awkwardly with the red dancing shoes?


    Staring at the Demon Subduing Staff, Zhang Yuanqing fell into deep thought.


    ¡°If I remember correctly, the banyan tree spirit said that the Yang soul of Goddess Sandao is sealed in the Demon Subduing Staff. Will she come to find me¡­¡±


    It scared him just thinking about it.


    ¡°NPCs in the Spirit Realm shouldn¡¯t be able to appear in the real world, right? The possibility of me entering the Mountain Temple again isn¡¯t too high. The temple has already been explored. It¡¯s impossible for it to support another mission.¡±


    Although he said that, he was not sure. The smile of Goddess Sandao kept flashing in his mind.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the unit later and verify with that old pervert and the chief.¡±


    At this moment, the doorknob was twisted a few times, but because Zhang Yuanqing had locked the door beforehand, the person outside could not enter.


    ¡°Zhang Yuanqing, why did you lock the door? Did you do something bad in secret?¡±


    Aunt¡¯s sweet, clear voice came through.


    ¡°Time to eat,¡± she grunted.


    Only then did Zhang Yuanqing realize that he was starving. He answered in unison and quickly retracted the Demon Subduing Staff. He took off his clothes that were stained with dust and blood and changed into a jacket and black sweatpants. Then he hid his dirty clothes.


    Only then did he walk to the door and twist it open.


    Aunt stood outside the door, looking into the house with her round and pretty oval face. ¡°Why did you lock the door?¡± she asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Cultivating a divine technique.¡±


    ¡°What kind of technique?¡±


    ¡°A secret technique.¡±


    ¡°You looking for a beating, punk?¡±


    Aunt glared at him fiercely. Her eyes were very expressive, being round, large, bright, and intelligent. They were not bloodshot or cloudy.


    Such big sparkling eyes were highly praised even in ancient times.


    At the dining table, Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s appetite increased greatly. Grandma was glad that her culinary skills had improved, but she was also worried that she had cooked too little today.


    ¡°You have to go to school tomorrow. Go to bed early tonight. Don¡¯t get up when I call you,¡± Grandma admonished.


    ¡°I can sleep early if Aunt doesn¡¯t come to my room to play games at night.¡± Zhang Yuanqing immediately pushed the blame away.


    He was kicked in the shin at the bottom of the table.


    ¡°She has work tomorrow.¡± Grandma turned back to her daughter. ¡°Call me in advance if you¡¯re working till late.¡±


    His aunt was an intern doctor in the gynecology and obstetrics department of a public tertiary hospital. When there were fewer patients, she had nothing to do. When it was busy, she was even more tired than an office worker.


    ¡°You should interact more with male colleagues when you have time. There should be many male doctors pursuing you in the hospital, right?¡± Grandma probed.


    ¡°Mom, that¡¯s not all. Men who bring their wives to the prenatal checkup often secretly ask me for their contact details,¡± Aunt said smugly, her hands on her hips.


    Grandma raised her hand to slap her. Aunt¡¯s brain shrank as she silently ate.


    As the mother and daughter talked, Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s mind flew to what he had to do in the afternoon.


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact Guan Ya after dinner and tell the officials that I¡¯ve successfully cleared the dungeon. I also want to write a dungeon report. I wonder if the first clear dungeon report is worth anything and how much credit I can get.¡±


    ¡°I have to mention the awakening of Goddess Sandao. I can¡¯t forget it. I feel like this is a hidden mission.¡±


    After the meal, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room and found that his phone was out of battery.


    Because he was busy and worried about the Spirit Realm, he forgot to charge his phone.


    After charging it, he saw four or five missed calls.


    Caller ID: Guan Ya


    Two of them were from an hour ago when he was still in the Spirit Realm. The remaining three were two minutes ago.


    ¡°Are you in such a hurry to confirm if I¡¯m dead?¡± Zhang Yuanqing complained in his mind. He tapped his finger and called Guan Ya back.


    The two-story building¡¯s glass walls reflected sunlight.


    In the spacious and luxurious office, Li Dongze finished a simple lunch, glanced at his wristwatch, and came to the office area with his cane.


    ¡°Guan Ya, is there any news from Primordial Beginning?¡±


    It was the third time he had asked the same question.


    Although he didn¡¯t hold out much hope, things were always on his mind before the dust settled.


    Li Dongze had already written his apology and was just waiting for the results before admitting his mistake to the centurion. He had been careless this time and lacked the awareness of a Scout.


    As for the Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning, although he felt that it was a pity, the trial mission activated by the character card was not something that humans could contend with


    ¡°His phone¡¯s off.¡± Guan Ya shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve called him half a dozen times.¡±


    You can¡¯t contact him¡­ Li Dongze seemed to have expected this. He exhaled silently.


    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a little longer¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, Chief.¡± Guan Ya flipped back her hair and smiled reassuringly. ¡°Anything is possible until the results come back. Just like Schr?dinger¡¯s cat. You never know if it¡¯s alive or dead until you open the box.¡±


    Wang Tai couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°That¡¯s not what Schr?dinger¡¯s cat means¡­ In terms of probability, without special methods and help, the possibility of him clearing the She Ling Tunnel is almost zero.¡±


    Guan Ya and Li Dongze¡¯s faces darkened. ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Did I say something wrong again¡­ Wang Tai silently lowered his head.


    Such low EQ! Li Dongze and Guan Ya criticized him in their minds.


    After being colleagues for so long, they had long given up on nurturing Wang Tai¡¯s social skills.


    Guan Ya felt that the comparison was stark. Look at that kid, Primordial Beginning. He was handsome and spoke nicely. If he could become a colleague, work would not be so boring in the future.


    Unfortunately, he had bad luck.


    If she still couldn¡¯t contact him after work, it would be completely hopeless¡­ Guan Ya sighed and leaned lazily on the armchair, letting her voluptuous chest tighten her white shirt.


    ¡°Report to me immediately if there¡¯s any


    news.¡±


    Li Dongze was about to leave when Guan Ya¡¯s phone rang.


    Then, the phone on the table rang.


    Li Dongze stopped and stared at Guan Ya¡¯s phone.


    Caller ID: Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning.


    Li Dongze¡¯s breathing quickened. Guan Ya shot out of her chair and hit her desk with a loud clang. The supplies on the desk toppled over.


    Her beautiful eyes widened, and her face was filled with shock and ecstasy.


    She looked at Li Dongze as she grabbed her phone.


    Li Dongze¡¯s face tightened. ¡°Put it on speaker!¡±


    His voice was low and serious.


    They both looked grim as if they were trying to make a call to a kidnapper.


    Guan Ya answered the phone with anticipation and suppressed ecstasy. She said:


    ¡°Primordial Beginning?¡±


    ¡°I cleared the trial mission and came out of the Mountain Temple.¡± Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s voice came through the speaker. Both Guan Ya and Li Dongze froze. Wang Tai, who was oblivious to the outside world, suddenly looked up. This Scholar, who was obsessed with data, looked shocked and stunned.


    After a few seconds of stunned silence, the mustache on Li Dongze¡¯s mouth began to dance visibly as he cried, ¡°Oh, God! Did you hear my prayer? This is unbelievable. Oh, God, I can¡¯t believe this is happening.¡±


    Then, he realized that he had lost his composure and quickly restrained his expression. ¡°Elegance, elegance¡­¡± Li Dongze knew what it meant to clear the She Ling Tunnel. Clearing an S-rank Spirit Realm that was determined by the Supreme Solitary Sect to be impossible to clear would definitely attract high-level attention. Although Primordial Beginning was a newcomer, he could foresee that this kid would become famous overnight as a Spirit Realm Walker.


    In addition, the information and tools contained in the S-rank Spirit Realm were real gains and would definitely be rich.


    e


    r


    Be it official organizations or civilian organizations, they were all eager to tackle the difficult Spirit Realm, especially the first clear. This was because this was the fastest and most effective way to strengthen the organization.


    Finally, and most importantly, there were only a few Night Wanderers in the Songhai Region. The existence of the She Ling Tunnel had caused the official organization to lose many Night Wanderers.


    If they had a detailed guide, the number of Night Wanderers would increase every year.


    Although it was impossible for the reward to be as generous as the first kill after the Spirit Realm was conquered, the officials were interested in the increase in the number of Night Wanderers.


    This was enough to attract the attention of the Five Elements Alliance¡¯s elders.


    ¡°How, how did you do it¡­¡± Guan Ya muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. I passed it easily. Heh, I passed it with my legs.¡±


    The Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning said something that matched the status of his ID.


    For a moment, Guan Ya was speechless. She couldn¡¯t tell if he was joking or bragging. In her mind, Zhang Yuanqing was a smart college student who was good at socializing, but it was certainly impossible to say that he was outstanding.


    Her fondness of this new colleague was limited to his pleasant nature and humor, unrelated to his abilities.


    Now, she needed to re-evaluate this new Night Wanderer.


    ¡°Good. Well done.¡± Li Dongze tapped his cane excitedly.


    ¡°Come to the unit immediately,¡± he added urgently. Zhang Yuanqing replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After ending the call, Wang Tai couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°He has superhuman abilities. I don¡¯t know what they are at the moment, but they must exist. Chief, you seem to have picked up a freak.¡±


    Hearing this, the smile on Li Dongze¡¯s face spread uncontrollably. He coughed and said unhappily, ¡°What freak? He¡¯s a genius!¡±


    With that, he hurried to his office as if it were an emergency.


    Li Dongze felt that the title of the apology letter should be changed more elegantly. For example: ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Centurion. I accidentally picked up a freak.¡±


    He could hardly wait.

 Chapter 26 - Virtue

    Chapter 26 Virtue


    Li Dongze hurried back to his desk and rubbed his hands together. In high spirits, he turned on his computer and typed up a message.


    ¡°Centurion Fu, I have something to report. I just received news that the Night Wanderer I recruited has successfully passed the trial mission and returned to reality. Yes, he has successfully cleared the She Ling Tunnel.¡±


    He clicked send.


    In the system of the White Tiger Soldiers, subordinates were not allowed to call their superiors directly unless it was an urgent matter. Usually, they were reported by email and information.


    Primordial Beginning clearing the She Ling Tunnel was a big deal, but not an urgent matter.


    Ten seconds after the message was sent, Li Dongze¡¯s phone rang. The caller ID showed that it was Centurion Fu.


    A direct call? Li Dongze immediately grabbed his phone and answered.


    ¡°Li Dongze, you have to be responsible for what you say.¡±


    The young man¡¯s cold voice came over the speaker, enunciating clearly.


    ¡°Centurion, I know it¡¯s surprising.¡± Despite the warning, Li was extremely relaxed as he answered, ¡°I just got off the phone with him.¡±


    ¡°Do you have the strategy guide?¡± Fu Qingyang immediately asked.


    ¡°It will have to wait a little longer.¡±


    Centurion Fu was silent for a few seconds before his cold tone softened.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t have any expectations. To think I¡¯d receive such a surprise. This person must have something extraordinary in him to be able to clear the She Ling Tunnel.¡±


    ¡°Li Dongze, you¡¯ve recruited a talent for the White Tiger Soldiers. I¡¯ll report this to the elders and record your contribution.¡±


    CO


    Oh God, this is simply wonderful¡­ Li Dongze¡¯s smile widened. Then he thought of something and lowered his voice.


    ¡°Do I need to keep it a secret?¡±


    The fact that he had recruited a Night Wanderer was no longer a secret among the captains of the Kangyang District. Even if he deliberately did not mention it later, it would be noticed over time.


    He could not hide it for long.


    Especially since the Five Elements Alliance and the Supreme Solitary Sect had signed an agreement that they would have priority in selecting the Night Wanderers that appeared in the country.


    This agreement led to the Five Elements Alliance almost not having their own Night Wanderers. There were only a few of them.


    Fu Qingyang sneered.


    ¡°Why hide it? The Supreme Solitary Sect has made it clear that they don¡¯t want this Night Wanderer. They can¡¯t change their words now.¡±


    ¡°What you need to guard against is the Five Elements Alliance. I don¡¯t want that to happen again with the Hundred Flowers Association. We¡¯re going to win him over with virtue.¡±


    This was in line with Li Dongze¡¯s thoughts. He immediately asked humbly, ¡°Centurion Fu, please enlighten me.¡±


    ¡°Make him a proper member and increase his salary.¡±


    Huh? A pay raise? Is this what virtue means?


    ¡°I don¡¯t like to buy people¡¯s loyalty with money, because benefits can gather but also divide. I prefer to win people over with virtue, but virtue takes time to show while money has an immediate effect.¡±


    Centurion Fu¡¯s tone was calm. ¡°Get him to write a guide as soon as possible. I want to know the core information about the Mountain Temple. I¡¯ll also return the favor to the Supreme Solitary Sect.¡±


    Any S-rank Spirit Realm would definitely contain some valuable information that ordinary Spirit Realms could not compare to.


    ¡°Understood!¡±


    Li Dongze ended the call.


    What kind of virtue is this? But this is indeed the Fu family¡¯s style¡­ Li Dongze shook his head.


    Young Master Fu¡¯s family had gone overseas to develop during the turbulent era to avoid the flames of war. After a hundred years of management, they had grown into a huge capitalist power.


    Later on, the Fu family accepted the invitation from the country and returned to develop with a large amount of wealth. They participated in economic construction.


    Not only was the Fu family a huge asset, but they were also a Spirit Realm Walker family that had been passed down for generations. Every year, a certain number of Scouts would appear in this family.


    It was a family force that could not be ignored among the White Tiger Soldiers.


    At a young age, Centurion Fu was proficient in all kinds of dealings. He was jokingly called the Young Master of Money of the official organization¡¯s Four Young Masters.


    At this moment, Li Dongze saw someone tag him in the ¡°Spirit Realm Walker Management Group of the Kangyang District¡±.


    Green Vine: ¡°@Li Dongze, Chief Li, how¡¯s your new Night Wanderer?¡±


    Green Vine was a captain of the Hundred Flowers Association. If any other Wood Demon had asked this question, Li Dongze would have suspected that they had ulterior motives.


    However, this female captain was gentle and kind. She was not a coquettish tramp who did not care about morals.


    White Dragon said, ¡°Wow, that¡¯s harsh. You know that it¡¯s impossible for anyone to clear the She Ling Tunnel, but you still want to provoke Chief Li?¡±


    Before Li Dongze could speak, White Dragon, who had a grudge against Green Vine, jumped out to fight.


    Big Muscle: ¡°He must have died in the She Ling Tunnel. Yesterday, someone from the district I manage went missing in the She Ling Tunnel. That poor thing hasn¡¯t been found yet. He probably died in the Spirit Realm.¡±


    The straightforward Fire Master was still so annoying.


    Except for the three captains, who were more active, no one else spoke. They seemed to have lost interest in the matter.


    Guys, you¡¯ll be so jealous of me.


    In the next second! Li Dongze casually sent a $200 red packet.


    Green Vine said, ¡°Thanks, boss.¡±


    White Dragon said, ¡°Boss is generous.¡±


    Big Muscle said, ¡°The boss is the best.¡±


    They instinctively snatched the red packets and thanked him. After going through this process, they suddenly reacted¡­


    White Dragon said, ¡°No way?¡±


    Big Muscle: ¡°What do you mean by this, Li Dongze? Make yourself clear.¡± Green Vine said, ¡°Chief Li?¡±


    Li Dongze said, ¡°Thank you for your concern. My new Night Wanderer has successfully cleared the She Ling Tunnel.¡±


    There was silence in the group.


    Yuan Ting said, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, Li Dongze.¡±


    The Night Wanderer, who did not like to appear in the Five Elements Alliance¡¯s management group, was the first to appear.


    Unlike the other captains, he couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to information about his class, even if he was more likely to joke.


    The other captains still said nothing, waiting silently for Li Dongze to reply.


    At this moment, Centurion Fu sent a message to the group:


    ¡°From today onwards, the first clear of the She Ling Tunnel belongs to our Five Elements Alliance. Later, I will upload the Spirit Realm guide to the information vault. As an S-rank Trial Spirit Realm, it can produce a Night Wanderer of higher quality than other Spirit Realms. I believe it will be of great help to the organization in nurturing the Night Wanderers.¡±


    Looking at this long paragraph, the captains were stunned.


    Centurion Fu was a deacon, so his words carried a different weight than Li Dongze¡¯s. Since he said so, this matter must be true.


    Had the She Ling Tunnel really been conquered? What kind of freak had Li Dongze recruited?


    At this moment, the captains suddenly realized that the newcomer was no longer just someone with a ¡°rare class.¡± He himself might be the most worth investing in.


    Big Muscle: ¡°I want to meet up again.¡±


    You¡¯re trying to poach him, aren¡¯t you¡­ Li Dongze¡¯s mouth twitched.


    Floater said, ¡°We¡¯re not going out to sea this month. Let¡¯s set up a party. Today.¡±


    Tang Guoqiang sent a red packet.


    White Dragon: ¡°The party is fine, but I don¡¯t think the Hundred Flowers Association can attend.¡±


    Green Vine said, ¡°Ha-ha.¡±


    Fist King said, ¡°I¡¯m very curious about how that newcomer cleared the She Ling Tunnel. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s not an ordinary person. Li Dongze is lucky to have recruited a talent.¡±


    Seeing that the hearts of the people in the group chat were wavering, Centurion Fu sent another message. ¡°I will use the She Ling Tunnel¡¯s strategy as a bargaining chip and fight for a number of Night Wanderers from the Supreme Solitary Sect. I will try my best to assign a Night Wanderer to each of your teams within five years.¡±


    Green Vine said, ¡°Thank you, Centurion Fu.¡± Big Muscle: ¡°Holy shit, that¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    The atmosphere in the group became lively.


    The centurion¡¯s move was brilliant. With this promise¡­ Li Dongze exhaled.


    Then, the captains enthusiastically discussed the long-term plan to nurture and assign Night Wanderers, as well as secretly asking Li Dongze who the genius was.


    Was it a male or female, and what was his age?


    Li Dongze refused to say a thing.


    While the captains were discussing happily, Yuan Ting of the Supreme Solitary Sect was in a completely different mood.


    He stared blankly at Centurion Fu¡¯s message. After reading it several times, he finally digested this major event.


    The She Ling Tunnel, which even the Supreme Solitary Sect was helpless against, had actually been conquered?


    How did the novice do it?


    As a Night Wanderer Spirit Realm expert, he was more eager to know the truth than the other captains. He felt terrible.


    However, now was not the time to dwell on the truth. He had to report this to the organization.


    Shouldn¡¯t such an outstanding Night Wanderer join the Supreme Solitary Sect?


    Elder Sun was muddle-headed. How could he make such a random promise and cause the Supreme Solitary Sect to lose this talent for nothing?! Yuan Ting felt a little resentful towards that elder.


    Zhang Yuanqing took a taxi to the bureau. He walked around to the back of the building with ease and entered like an elite of society.


    When he reached the second floor, he immediately saw the mixed-blood lady sitting on the sofa drinking tea. She had long legs like a supermodel. She was wearing a shirt, a skirt, black stockings, and high heels.


    Her waist was slender and her chest was full. Her makeup was exquisite and her hairstyle was fashionable. If the goddess of the workplace needed a standard image, Zhang Yuanqing felt that it was her.


    Fortunately, his aunt had already trained his aesthetic threshold to an extremely high level. He greeted her without changing his expression.


    ¡°Sister Guan Ya.¡±


    Guan Ya put down her teacup and stood up to welcome him. She smiled and said, ¡°Tsk tsk, I thought that you were a simple college student. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so incredible. Congratulations on becoming a Night Wanderer. I¡¯ll reward you with a hug.¡±


    She opened her arms and showed how broad her chest was.


    Zhang Yuanqing, who had already figured out the other party¡¯s personality, did not fall for it. He sneered and said, ¡°Demoness, how dare you try to suffocate me!¡±


    If it had been any other girl, Zhang Yuanqing would definitely not have said such a thing. However, Guan Ya was an old pervert. This was the right way to interact with her.


    Guan Ya was taken aback. She giggled and said: ¡°Let¡¯s go. The chief wants to see you.¡±


    She had gone a few steps when she suddenly turned back and smiled faintly.


    ¡°You must have gained a lot in the Spirit Realm. No, you don¡¯t have to tell me. Hiding your strength and methods is a necessary quality for every Spirit Realm Walker.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t going to tell you¡­ Zhang Yuanqing was stunned for a moment before he realized what she meant.


    She wants me to keep my secret properly and not reveal all my cards.


    Following Guan Ya, Zhang Yuanqing entered the luxurious office again and saw Li Dongze lying comfortably on the armchair, a cigar in his hand.


    ¡°Do you know what worries me most right


    now?¡±


    Li Dongze studied Zhang Yuanqing as he got up and walked to the guest sofa.


    ¡°What?¡± Zhang Yuanqing asked, playing


    along.


    ¡°I¡¯m most worried about you getting kidnapped on the way here.¡± Li Dongze opened the liquor cabinet and took out three glasses. ¡°What drink do you want?¡±


    ¡°Coke!¡± Zhang Yuanqing answered.


    ¡°Guan Ya, get someone to buy it,¡± Li Dongze immediately ordered.


    Not bad, the rise in status is very obvious¡­ Zhang Yuanqing followed Li Dongze to his seat. The latter took a sip of wine and went straight to the point.


    ¡°The younger generation will surpass us in time. You¡¯ve done very well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you later to write a detailed guide. But first, I want to ask if you found anything unusual at the Mountain Temple?¡±

 Chapter 27 - Difference (1)

    Chapter 27 Difference (1)


    Zhang Yuanqing was about to speak when the office door banged twice. The three of them turned toward the sound. Wang Tai was standing in the doorway with his computer.


    ¡°Can I come in and listen?¡±


    He refused to speak after that, waiting for a response. Li Dongze pondered for a moment and nodded.


    ¡°Come in and help Yuanqing with the strategy report.¡±


    Wang Tai heaved a sigh of relief. He wasn¡¯t someone who liked to join in the fun. It was just that the S-Class She Ling Tunnel was a very good topic as an impossible Night Wanderer Trial Spirit Realm. He couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of listening.


    Zhang Yuanqing deliberated for a moment. After Wang Tai sat down, he recounted his experience in the Mountain Temple.


    He omitted the function of the Demon Subduing Staff and only said that it was a tool that could restrain Yin creatures.


    As for the red dancing shoes, he explained it equally vaguely. He said that he had been raised by his uncle since he was young and was proficient in singing and dancing. Moreover, his memory was astonishing, so he barely overcame the rules of the red dancing shoes.


    Of course, he also hid the matter of the character card¡¯s exclusive reward because it would expose that he had obtained the red dancing shoes.


    Hiding part of the key information was the tip he¡¯d gotten from Guan Ya.


    Rule-type tools were extremely precious. The Five Elements Alliance might not force him to hand it over, but he had to be careful.


    As for the recovery of Goddess Sandao, he planned to talk about it later alone and discuss it with them.


    As he listened, Wang Tai typed away.


    Li Dongze listened patiently, fumbling with the handle of his cane.


    ¡°The tool that counters Yin creatures should be a reward for clearing the level. Moreover, it must be a high-level tool.¡±


    Guan Ya smiled and quickly added, ¡°Brat, it¡¯s an S-rank trial mission. How can you only get some experience points?¡±


    She was subtly teaching Zhang Yuanqing not to go too far in lying.


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s smile did not change. ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention the tools. That staff is indeed the reward for clearing the trial.¡±


    He didn¡¯t blush when lying.


    Li Dongze paid no attention and continued.


    ¡°In that case, the difficulty level of the She Ling Tunnel will be reduced.¡±


    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Zhang Yuanqing was puzzled.


    Li Dongze explained patiently.


    ¡°We call the Spirit Realm a game dungeon, but it¡¯s just a joke. In the Spirit Realm, tools are very rare. Every tool is unique and can¡¯t be replicated.¡±


    ¡°Since you brought out that tool, the step that requires killing the tree spirit might disappear in the future. The difficulty of the She Ling Tunnel will naturally decrease.¡±


    While Li Dongze drank, Guan Ya added.


    ¡°Let me tell you about the Spirit Realm dungeon. It is constantly adjusted. For example, if you conquer the Mountain Temple and take the tools from it, the difficulty of it will definitely decrease. Or if you die in the Spirit Realm and your tools are obtained by the monsters in the Spirit Realm, the difficulty of the Spirit Realm will increase. The red dancing shoes are the best example.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s another point. The missions accepted by people of different levels in the same Spirit Realm are different. I once went to a Spirit Realm in the wilderness and read the guide in advance. In the dungeon, that senior was a Hunter. The mission was to hunt nine criminals in the jungle. However, after I entered the Spirit Realm, I realized that I was only one of the nine criminals. The mission requirement was to survive for 36 hours. This was because my level was lower than that senior¡¯s. Therefore, the guide could only be used as a reference to let us understand the dungeon and know some basic information and danger.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be lowered,¡± said Wang Tai. ¡°The red dancing shoes are still there.¡±


    Guan Ya and Li Dongze glanced at Zhang Yuanqing and remained silent.


    Wang Tai did not notice and continued.


    ¡°It¡¯s a little strange. The data, gains, and information you provided don¡¯t match the S-rank difficulty. Are you holding something back?¡±


    That¡¯s too direct. You¡¯re embarrassing everyone¡­ Zhang Yuanqing cleared his throat.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to hide anything. I was going to say that the tree spirit came out of the cave, along with a coffin.¡±


    ¡°The coffin? What¡¯s in the coffin?¡± Li Dongze leaned forward and pressed in an urgent tone.


    Wang Tai also stopped typing.


    Guan Ya looked intrigued.


    An S-rank Spirit Realm was usually accompanied by some important information. It might even be a shocking secret.


    For official organizations, civilian organizations, and even evil organizations, half of their understanding of the Spirit Realm was through observation and summary of the rules. The other half was based on the information obtained in the Spirit Realm.


    From there, they would slowly unlock the secrets of the Spirit Realm.


    No Spirit Realm Walker could resist this temptation.


    ¡°In the coffin lay Goddess Sandao. After I opened the coffin, she-she woke up¡­¡± Zhang Yuanqing still felt a lingering fear when he thought about it now.


    Li Dongze¡¯s pupils constricted.


    ¡°She woke up?¡±


    He rose abruptly, as if he could no longer sit still. He paced the office, leaning on his cane, frowning


    After a while, Li Dongze said solemnly: ¡°Perhaps we¡¯re all wrong. According to the information related to that goddess, she must be a high-level Night Wanderer. Now that she¡¯s awakened, there are only two possibilities.¡±


    ¡°First, the Mountain God Temple will undergo a tremendous change. It will no longer be a Night Wanderer Trial Spirit Realm, but a high-level Spirit Realm dungeon.


    ¡°Second, the Mountain Temple will still be downgraded, but with that goddess, a new high-level Spirit Realm dungeon will definitely appear. ¡°For the higher-ups of the Supreme Solitary Sect, this information is extremely important as it concerns the change in the Spirit Realm of their own class.¡±

 Chapter 28 - Difference (2)

    Chapter 28 Difference (2)


    Guan Ya said enviously: ¡°The more important the information, the more the organization will reward you.¡±


    More money? Zhang Yuanqing was pleasantly surprised, but then he said worriedly, ¡°That old witch, who¡¯s been dead for hundreds of years, smiled at me. I have a feeling she¡¯s going to come looking for me. I can¡¯t feel at


    ease.¡±


    If the banyan tree spirit was not lying, half of Goddess Sandao¡¯s Yang soul was sealed in the Demon Subduing Staff. She would definitely look for him.


    However, Zhang Yuanqing did not mention this to his colleagues.


    Wang Tai sincerely comforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t be so confident. You won¡¯t meet a big shot like that at your level.¡±


    Shut up if you don¡¯t know how to speak¡­ Zhang Yuanqing nodded gratefully, indicating that his words had comforted him.


    Guan Ya said with a smile: ¡°Is the goddess pretty, then?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing looked sideways at her. ¡°More beautiful than you.¡±


    Beside him, Wang Tai added sincerely: ¡°She¡¯s also more valuable than you.¡±


    The old pervert was furious and shouted, ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Capital City, courtyard house.


    The sun was shining. The big locust tree was bathed in daylight, its leaves shimmering with a rainbow of colors.


    A gust of wind shook the branches and leaves, and a child giggled.


    Under the locust tree, Elder Sun swayed his fan gently with the rocking chair. On the coffee table beside him were a tea set and an old-fashioned radio.


    The middle-aged man in black hurried across the threshold and into the courtyard. He reported in a low voice: ¡°Elder Sun, there¡¯s news from Songhai. Someone has cleared the She Ling Tunnel Spirit Realm.¡±


    The swaying fan stopped, and the white-haired old man suddenly opened his eyes. Two bright golden lights shot out of his eyes, and the childlike voice in the locust tree seemed to be frightened. It exclaimed and then stopped talking.


    The old man sat up from the rocking chair and stared at the middle-aged man. ¡°The Night Wanderer that the Fu family kid recruited?¡±


    The middle-aged man nodded.


    The old man was stunned. He slapped his thigh and cried out bitterly, ¡°It¡¯s a mistake, a mistake¡­¡±


    The last time the middle-aged man saw Elder Sun so vexed was when he was playing with stocks.


    The old man was silent for a moment. Then he said: ¡°I remember that the steward of the Kangyang District in Songhai City is called Yuan Ting. Inform him not to spread this matter. Otherwise, how embarrassed will I be?¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°But what?¡±


    The middle-aged man was about to answer when the phone in his pocket rang. He took it out and looked at it.


    ¡°A call from Elder Black Mountain.¡±


    ¡°Answer it.¡±


    The call was answered. The old man had just reached for his phone when there was a roar:


    ¡°Old Sun, what are you doing? It¡¯s fine if you gave away the She Ling Tunnel dungeon without permission, but you actually promised Fu Qingyang that you wouldn¡¯t want that Night Wanderer. Do you know how big a mistake you made?¡±


    Elder Sun was stunned for a second. ¡°Why do you know?¡±


    ¡°Why do you care how I know? Do you know how long it has been since the Supreme Solitary Sect recruited a talented Night Wanderer? I¡¯ll go to the Sect Master and complain now.¡±


    The line was cut as the veins on Elder Sun¡¯s forehead throbbed.


    Then the phone rang again. The middle-aged man looked at it: ¡°Elder Red Tassel.¡±


    ¡°Answer it¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle Sun, I heard that the She Ling Tunnel has been cleared. You openly said that you don¡¯t want that Night Wanderer?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Sun, you¡¯re going to have to apologize.¡±


    ¡°Elder Sun, I heard you turned away a genius Night Wanderer?¡±


    ¡°B*stard, when did it become your turn to question me?¡±


    ¡°Ah, Elder Sun, don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m just curious.¡±


    ¡°Elder Sun, I heard that you¡­¡±


    ¡°Go away!¡±


    Within minutes, he received five or six calls.


    The middle-aged man in black looked at Elder Sun silently. The last time he lost his composure, it was after a loss in stocks and leverage.


    Elder Sun took a deep breath and continued the previous topic.


    ¡°What were you just?¡±


    The middle-aged man hesitated. ¡°If Yuan Ting knows, it means everyone knows.¡±


    Elder Sun¡¯s blood pressure immediately soared.


    The phone rang again.


    Elder Sun was about to hang up when he saw that it was Fu Qingyang. He slowly exhaled and calmed down before answering the call.


    ¡°You¡¯re calling to laugh at me too, you little brat?¡±


    ¡°Laughing at you¡­¡± A cold voice came from the phone, enunciating every word clearly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do such a boring thing. I¡¯m here to return a favor. The strategy report for the Mountain Temple has been written. I¡¯ve sent it to your email.¡±


    Fu Qingyang said indifferently, ¡°I think this information should be very important to your Supreme Solitary Sect.¡±


    Elder Sun was immediately interested. He hurriedly hung up the phone and looked at the middle-aged man. ¡°How do I open the email?¡±


    The middle-aged man silently took the phone, logged into his mailbox, opened the file, and silently handed it back.


    Elder Sun narrowed his eyes and read the content word by word.


    He watched calmly, his expression unchanged. To an elder-level Spirit Realm Walker, a Trial Spirit Realm was nothing.


    But when he saw the news of Goddess Sandao¡¯s recovery, his expression changed.


    Squeak,


    Elder Sun jumped up from his rocking chair, his expression grave.


    ¡°Elder?¡± The middle-aged man looked stunned.


    ¡°The ancient Day Wanderer has awakened¡­¡± Elder Sun¡¯s solemn expression was mixed with worry. He transformed into a golden light and disappeared into the sky.


    That was the direction of the Sect Master¡¯s residence.


    Two-story building.


    Zhang Yuanqing sat at his desk and skillfully turned on his computer. Following Guan Ya¡¯s instructions, he opened the internal forum organized by the Five Elements Alliance and browsed through the few posts that were pinned at the top.


    They were all the most basic information about the Spirit Realm.


    He first checked the ¡°Spirit Realm Type¡±. Just as Li Dongze had said, the Spirit Realm was divided into individual and group categories. The individual Spirit Realms were usually unique to the class. For example, the individual Spirit Realm of the Transcendent Stage Night Wanderer was the spiritual-type.


    There were two types of group dungeons. One was a team fight, and the other was a cooperative adventure.


    The former was a confrontation between Spirit Realm Walkers in the special Spirit Realm, while the latter made them face the dangers in the Spirit Realm. Some were of the death type, while others were of the non-death type.


    The non-death punishment mechanism was to deduct experience points.


    In addition, there were many different scenes in the Group Spirit Realm, and the ¡°play style¡± was also different.


    Next, he read the level categorization post. It was very simple.


    Transcendence Stage: Level 1-3.


    Sage Stage: Level 4-6.


    Note: For the stage after Sage, please click the link below.


    Zhang Yuanqing counted and clicked on the link. The result indicated that he did not have enough authority.


    Damn this authority limitation¡­ He cursed indignantly and helplessly browsed through the other posts.


    ¡°Spirit Realm Walker Class Encyclopedia¡±


    Lawful Classes: Night Wanderer, Scout, Wood Demon, Water Ghost, Fire Master, Earth Monster, Musician, Scholar.


    Evil Classes: Bewitching Demon, Witchcraft Master, Illusionist.


    If he remembered correctly, Wang Tai was a Scholar, and what class was a Musician¡­ There were only three evil classes? No wonder Guan Ya said that the official organizations were the hunters¡­ Zhang Yuanqing looked down and saw something shocking.


    [Remarks: To check foreign classes, please click on the link below.)


    Not surprisingly, he didn¡¯t have enough authority.


    ¡°There are also foreign Spirit Realm Walkers. Are their classes different from ours?¡± Zhang Yuanqing looked up at the back of Guan Ya¡¯s head.


    Was this the difference between local and foreign servers?


    The old pervert turned and smiled, ¡°Do you think only our country is special?¡±


    This¡­ Zhang Yuanqing was speechless.


    He had to revise his understanding of the Spirit Realm again.


    If the Spirit Realm covered the entire world, and if there were other Spirit Realm Walkers and other classes overseas, the structure of the Spirit Realm, be it dungeons or reality, would be more complicated than he had imagined


    ¡°Spirit Realm Walkers are very territorial. Official organizations from various countries rarely interact with each other, except to fight evil organizations. Therefore, you don¡¯t have to worry about foreign Spirit Realm Walkers for the time being. This is not something a Transcendent Stage like you needs to consider,¡± Guan Ya said.


    Zhang Yuanging nodded and clicked on ¡°Night Wanderer¡± to check the introduction to his class.


    ¡°Night Wanderer, Blessed of the Moon. An Elf of the night who specializes in assassination and the manipulation of Yin creatures. The class mark is the Black Crescent. One of the top classes in the lawful faction. The combat strength is extremely powerful.¡±


    ¡°Every Night Wanderer is a natural assassin. Their ability to control Yin creatures makes them even more difficult to deal with. The Night Wanderer is the class name for the Transcendent Stage. After Level 3, you can change your class.¡±


    Note: To check the name of Night Wanderer¡¯s class change, please click on the link below.


    Zhang Yuanqing clicked on it for a long time and a dialog box showing insufficient authority popped up. This damned authority limitation! Zhang Yuanqing almost swore again.


    Wait, why did it feel wrong? Zhang Yuanqing was suddenly stunned. He reread the introduction and realized what the problem was.


    The class mark is a black crescent moon? But I clearly saw that the mark on my forehead was a black full moon that night.


    What¡¯s going on, my character card is different from the rest?


    Zhang Yuanqing subconsciously looked up at the back of Guan Ya¡¯s head and wanted to ask.

 Chapter 29 - Night Wanderer Conference

    Chapter 29 Night Wanderer Conference


    He opened his mouth but couldn¡¯t get the question out.


    Being different from the mainstream meant greater attention.


    Before he knew if it was good or bad, he could not spread it around. Besides, since there was no relevant information on the forum, it meant that the black full moon was not something that could be understood at a low level.


    The higher the level of something, the more confidential it had to be. This was a principle that ordinary people understood.


    Especially since he was still a rookie and did not have the ability or experience to deal with unexpected situations.


    Why is the character card that Brother Bing had given me different from the normal Night Wanderer? This guy didn¡¯t tell me anything and disappeared.


    Next, he exited the post and clicked on the search box of the forum. He planned to check on the situation of Goddess Sandao.


    After keying in ¡°Goddess Sandao Temple¡±, he obtained two pieces of information. One was the dungeon guide (Five Elements Alliance version) that he had read before, and the other was an introduction to Goddess Sandao Temple.


    ¡°The Goddess Sandao Temple, the temple of Mount Sandao in Songjiang Prefecture at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, worshiped the Goddess of Mount Sandao. This Goddess was good at praying for rain and exorcising ghosts. She refined pills and cured illnesses, benefiting a region. After the Goddess of Mount Sandao ascended to immortality, the local government and the villagers funded the construction of the temple for her.¡±


    ¡°The Temple of Goddess Sandao declined early on and is missing much precious research material-extract from the Songfu Library.¡±


    Extract from Songfu Library¡­


    Looking at these words, Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s face froze, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.


    The Temple of the Goddess Sandao was real? It existed in history?


    If so, had the goddess really existed? Or had she herself been a real person?


    A real person would appear in the Spirit Realm?


    If she¡¯s a real person, will she crawl out of the Spirit Realm to look for me¡­ Zhang Yuanqing was frightened by his own thoughts.


    ¡°Sister Guan Ya, I have a question¡­¡±


    He never hurt his own head when he could ask questions.


    Guan Ya turned back.


    Zhang Yuanqing told her his guess about Lady Sandao Mountain.


    ¡°The chief should have told you that the Spirit Realm lies between reality and illusion.¡± The old pervert raised her cup and sipped.


    ¡°Many scenes in the Spirit Realm are based on reality. For example, ¡®Dock Reservoir¡¯ and ¡®Water Paradise¡¯ can be found in reality, but there are obviously no such strange things in the real world. Otherwise, it would have long been chaotic.¡±


    So, although Goddess Sandao really existed, the one I saw was a figment of the Spirit Realm?


    Zhang Yuanqing was relieved.


    Just stay in the Spirit Realm forever, old witch.


    ¡­


    Capital City, North Water Gate Airport.


    A thin-faced Yuan Ting sat in a spacious business-class seat. He was dressed in a formal black suit and black shirt, his hair combed to perfection. He was dressed like a business elite.


    Through the narrow plane window, he looked down at the myriad lights of the city below. They were brilliant.


    He had just reported to the organization that the She Ling Tunnel had been conquered. He would be summoned to the capital in the afternoon.


    However, it had nothing to do with the She Ling Tunnel. The return to the capital this time was because the Supreme Solitary Sect had gathered all the Night Wanderers scattered throughout the country for a meeting in the capital.


    Large meetings like this were usually held only at the end of each year when Night Wanderers from all over the country had to come to the capital to report on their work.


    If there was an exception, it must be something big


    I hope it¡¯s not bad news¡­ Yuan Ting looked at the approaching city lights with a myriad of thoughts.


    The plane landed smoothly. Yuan Ting got off the plane and dragged his suitcase straight to the parking lot on the second basement floor. There, he boarded the pickup car.


    Forty minutes later, the car arrived at a five-star hotel. Yuan Ting placed his luggage and took the elevator to the large conference room on the top floor.


    A banquet was being held here. Men and women in black formal suits, black coats, and long black dresses were holding wine glasses and shuttling between the delicacies, chatting and laughing


    ¡°Yo, Captain Yuan is here.¡±


    Yuan Ting had just picked up a glass of wine from the waiter¡¯s plate when a man in a black shirt greeted her. He had a buzz cut, bright eyes, and a sharp face. His figure was a standard inverted triangle.


    ¡°Jian Ji!¡±


    Yuan Ting smiled at his friend who greeted him. ¡°Long time no see.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has been waiting for you for a long time. Let¡¯s go and say hello.¡±


    Jian Ji put his hand on Yuan Ting¡¯s shoulder and led him to the table. There were six people sitting at the table, three men and three women. These were the Night Wanderers that Yuan Ting had trained with when he first entered the Supreme Solitary Sect.


    Now that everyone was scattered everywhere, they were already captains.


    After a few simple greetings, Yuan Ting probed, ¡°Why did the Sect Master gather everyone in the capital this time?¡±


    Yang Qian, who was wearing a ponytail and leather jacket and pants, pursed her lips and whispered, ¡°We were just talking about that. All we know is that it¡¯s highly classified. Even the deacon doesn¡¯t know.¡±


    She had a graceful figure and a capable hairstyle. She did not wear any makeup or jewelry and looked valiant.


    Even the deacon was not qualified to know?


    Yuan Ting nodded slightly and did not ask further.


    Jian Ji smiled and raised his glass. ¡°We¡¯ll find out when the meeting starts later. There¡¯s no point thinking about it now. By the way, anything interesting lately?¡±


    The valiant-looking Yang Qian smiled.


    ¡°I have something interesting here. A while ago, the eldest son of the Xiahou family was crippled by the Palace Master of the Killing Palace. I heard that when the elders of the Xiahou family arrived at the scene, he was already on the verge of death.¡±


    ¡°Although he was saved with the Life Origin Fluid, his vitality was greatly damaged. He probably won¡¯t dare to go out for a long time. If he has a Spirit Realm mission in the near future, he will definitely die.¡±


    ¡°The Killing Palace?¡± A male student looked at Yuan Ting. ¡°If I remember correctly, this is the Spirit Realm Walker organization in the Songhai Region. Why are they fighting with the Xiahou family?¡±


    Yuan Ting shook his head. ¡°The people of the Killing Palace are very extreme, especially that Palace Master. He¡¯s completely crazy. It¡¯s no surprise that they fight with anyone. However, they¡¯re quite neutral to official organizations and usually behave themselves.¡±


    Yang Qian sighed. ¡°That Palace Master is a high-level Spirit Realm Walker. Even deacons might not be her match. As long as such a person doesn¡¯t go overboard, we can just turn a blind eye.¡±


    After chatting for a while more, Jian Ji looked around and said, ¡°We still have too few Night Wanderers. We can only watch other classes cause trouble and show off.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s been many years since our sect has produced a talented Night Wanderer,¡± said the round-faced and cute Xia Liang. Her voice was gentle and charming.


    Now that the subject was brought up, Yuan Ting became interested and said: ¡°I do have some big news here. Something to do with us Night Wanderers.¡±


    Everyone at the table looked over, their faces full of curiosity.


    ¡°Remember the She Ling Tunnel?¡± Yuan Ting asked.


    ¡°Yes, a beginner-level impossible Spirit Realm. Jiang Lin and Zhao Kai died in it back then.¡± Jian Ji asked in confusion, ¡°Did this damn place kill someone again?¡±


    ¡°From now on, the first clear of the She Ling Tunnel is gone. It was conquered by a kid.¡±


    Yuan Ting¡¯s words were like a dud, silencing the Night Wanderers around the table.


    After a few seconds, Jian Ji said blankly, ¡°That happened?¡±


    Xia Bing widened her eyes and said loudly in her coquettish voice, ¡°Yuan Ting, don¡¯t joke.¡±


    The others looked doubtful.


    Yuan Ting nodded affirmatively. ¡°This matter has already been reported to the sect. You can ask your respective superiors, as long as you don¡¯t ask for the strategy, the deacon should tell you.¡±


    The questioning turned to exclamations. The Night Wanderers at the table looked startled and excited.


    ¡°This is a big deal.¡±


    ¡°That brother is awesome. How did he do it? Damn, I just want to read the guide now. I don¡¯t want to have a meeting.¡±


    ¡°Wake up. You probably don¡¯t have access to it with your clearance.¡±


    Yang Qian looked around and asked, ¡°Has this newcomer joined the Supreme Solitary Sect? Is he in the capital?¡±


    Yuan Ting seemed to be more interested in talking. He shook his head and said regretfully, ¡°You guys don¡¯t know. That guy was recruited by the Five Elements Alliance. Fu Qingyang personally called Elder Sun to ask for a strategy guide. When Elder Sun heard that the trial mission was the She Ling Tunnel, he immediately expressed that he didn¡¯t want this person.¡±


    ¡°He can¡¯t take back what he said. Sigh, the elder is muddle-headed.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s indeed muddle-headed.¡±


    ¡°Elder Sun, this, this¡­ I¡¯m so angry.¡±


    As he was gossiping about the high and mighty elder, Yuan Ting suddenly saw a middle-aged man in black walking over and heading straight for him.


    ¡°Yuan Ting, Elder Sun said that after the meeting, don¡¯t leave yet. Go to him.¡±


    Yuan Ting¡¯s expression froze.


    The party quickly drew to a close. The waiter removed the plates and drinks.


    The soft lighting had also changed to bright, blazing conference lights. The Night Wanderers filled the room, sitting at their round tables, waiting in silence. The hundred or so of them were so silent you could hear a pin drop.


    During the long wait, an old man in a white training suit walked into the conference room expectantly.


    He was nearly two meters tall and extremely tall. There were no wrinkles on his face, and his gaze was as sharp as a knife. There was a golden sun between his eyebrows, like a tattoo.


    If not for his silver hair indicating his age, he would have looked more youthful than a young man.


    First Elder of the Supreme Solitary Sect, Spirit Realm ID: Red Sun Executioner.


    The Night Wanderers sat upright and gave the strongest Night Wanderers below the Sect Master enough respect.


    Red Sun Executioner glanced at the many disciples below and said slowly.


    ¡°Not long ago, the Sect Master sensed the death of the Demon Lord. The problem of the Supreme Solitary Sect has been resolved. However, the Demon Lord¡¯s character card did not return to the Spirit Realm. Its whereabouts are unknown. Next, you have to search for the Demon Lord¡¯s successor with all your might.¡±


    ¡°This successor has two main characteristics: The class mark is not a crescent moon, but a black full moon. When clearing the Spirit Realm, they will be given a Character Card Reward that ordinary Night Wanderers don¡¯t have.¡±

 Chapter 30 - Homicide

    Chapter 30 Homicide


    On Monday, the sky was clear.


    In a place like Songhai, traveling in the morning rush hour was always a headache. Whether it was elevated or ground level, the road conditions were so crowded that one¡¯s blood pressure soared.


    Ordinary office workers did not have to worry about traffic jams when they took the subway, but they had to endure the test of being sandwiched on all sides.


    In the morning sun, Zhang Yuanqing carried a backpack and rode a shared bike through the bustling streets of Songhai, chewing on a pancake.


    He easily overtook private cars, business cars, and buses one after another, his youthful vigor swaying with his fringe


    Songhai University was five or six kilometers from his grandmother¡¯s house. It only took fifteen minutes by bike, so he didn¡¯t usually live on campus.


    Due to his advancement to the Night Wanderer, he sped to the entrance of the university without stopping or feeling tired at all. He took out his phone and saw that it only took ten minutes.


    He could have gone faster if there hadn¡¯t been so many scooters on the bike path.


    Songhai University was established at the beginning of the last century, 120 years ago. It was one of the top universities in the country.


    In addition to its high-quality teaching resources, Songhai University¡¯s two biggest features were: women good at finding men, and men good at finding men.


    Grandma used to warn his aunt that girls had to know how to protect themselves in school. When she got older, she started to warn her grandsons to protect themselves in school.


    She was unhappy with the world. After entering the school and passing through the spindle where the founder¡¯s sculpture stood, he rode slowly toward the school building along the path planted with sycamores on his right.


    The interior of the college was elegant and quiet. Students were taking short videos or sitting on benches by the side of the road chatting, or hurrying to class with their textbooks.


    Looking at the wide, clean streets, the green lawns, and the old dormitories, at first glance, it looked more like some quiet, upscale neighborhood than a school.


    Zhang Yuanqing parked his bike outside the building, carried his backpack, and entered the complex.


    When he arrived at the trapezoidal classroom, Zhang Yuanqing glanced around. The students were scattered in twos and threes. Many of them had skipped class.


    He picked a seat at random. As soon as he sat down, he heard two boys whispering behind him.


    ¡°I just saw Xu Yingying at the school gate. She¡¯s waiting for her sugar daddy again.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. How can my goddess be a sugar baby?¡±


    ¡°Really. Men pick her up every Monday and drive luxury cars that cost hundreds of thousands. I saw that last Monday.¡±


    ¡°Did you get a good look? Maybe it¡¯s a cab.¡±


    ¡°Do you kiss your cab drivers?¡±


    ¡°¡­Damn it, when I was in high school, girls liked top students. When I went to university girls liked rich people outside. When can we ordinary boys stand up?¡±


    Xu Yingying was in their class. She was very pretty and was their class belle.


    Zhang Yuanqing couldn¡¯t resist turning around and teasing, ¡°The wife in your hard drive can help you stand up.¡±


    The two boys seemed taken aback by Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s interruption.


    Zhang Yuanqing looked at them and said, ¡°What is it?¡±


    The male classmate named Li Lesheng chuckled and said, ¡°Zhang Yuanqing, did something good happen to you today? This isn¡¯t like you.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing was stunned. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±


    Li Yuesheng was about to speak when the teacher with the black-framed glasses walked in with his books. The chattering classroom immediately fell silent.


    ¡­¡­.


    Myle Hotel, Kangyang District.


    Ding! On the sixteenth floor, the elevator door opened. Li Dongze, who was dressed in a formal suit with a black vest and a white shirt, walked out of the car with his cane.


    He had a grim expression and was followed by Guan Ya.


    The entire floor was cleared of guests. A police cordon had been set up at the intersection where the elevator led to the corridor. Two security officers stood guard at the perimeter.


    Guan Ya stepped forward in her high heels and took out her ID.


    The guards immediately stepped aside.


    On the way to the room along the corridor, several uniformed constables were busy, taking photographs or taking fingerprints, hairs, and other items.


    Li Dongze swept past everyone and entered the hotel room. He immediately smelled blood.


    He scanned the hotel suite. Two bodies lay on the bed, covered in a white sheet. The crisp white sheets were smudged with large patches of dark red blood.


    Li Dongze reached out with his cane and removed the white cloth. A man and a woman lay naked on the bed.


    He was silent for a moment, his voice low. ¡°It is indeed Zhao Yingjun.¡±


    Guan Ya, on the other hand, examined every corner of the room carefully. White mist seeped out of her pupils. After a while, she said, ¡°There are no signs of a struggle in the room. There are no signs of evidence removal¡­ There are only two condoms in the trash can, but three of the condoms in the box are gone¡­¡¯


    Then she gave the female victim a pitying look.


    Li Dongze covered the white cloth back up and said in a low voice: ¡°Guan Ya, stay here and help the constables with the collection of fingerprints and hairs. Get the surveillance video. I need to contact Centurion Fu and the captains. I might need to go to a meeting.¡±


    Guan Ya nodded slightly. ¡°I¡¯ll sync the details of the scene and the characters to your phone later.¡±


    Zhao Yingjun was the consultant of the Xiangshui Road Security Bureau, a member of the White Tiger Soldiers, and a Level 2 Scout.


    A member of the Five Elements League had been killed. This was big news.


    On the second floor of the villa, in a small conference room.


    The conference room was exquisitely and luxuriously decorated. The floor was covered in a soft wool carpet, and a solid wooden conference table was placed in the middle.


    On the table were exquisite fruit platters, crystal-clear slices of ham, expensive imported wine, boxes of cigars, and delicate desserts.


    At the end of the conference table, a white projection curtain hung down, playing a hotel surveillance video.


    In the video, the man in the cap and mask walked over from the direction of the elevator. He walked to the door of the guest room, took out the key card, opened the door, and entered the room.


    Forty minutes later, the man came out of the room with his hands in his pockets and his head down.


    The video ended. Li Dongze pressed the pause button and looked at the captains around the table.


    ¡°This morning, I received a call from the hotel. When the waiter was cleaning the room, he couldn¡¯t open the door, so he went into the room to check. In the end, he found that the two of them had been killed. Zhao Yingjun had been abused before he died. His body was covered in blade wounds, and his hands and feet were tied up. However, the fatal injury was his heart that got pierced by a sharp weapon.¡±


    ¡°The female victim¡¯s name is Liu Xiao¡¯e. She was also pierced through the heart with a sharp weapon, but she did not suffer any abuse. According to the missing condoms at the scene, we suspect that she was sexually abused by the murderer before she died.¡±


    ¡°In addition, the Security Bureau checked their phones and confirmed that Liu Xiao¡¯e is Zhao Yingjun¡¯s mistress.¡±


    ¡°We pulled the surveillance footage from the other entrances and exits of the hotel, but we didn¡¯t find out how the killer left. He must have had special means of avoiding the surveillance. Preliminary speculation is that the killer is a Spirit Realm Walker.¡±


    There were six people seated at the table.


    The leader was a young man in a white suit. He had the arrogance and nobility of a young master from an aristocratic family. His hair was tied in a handsome short ponytail, and the lines of his face were like a carving. He was handsome to the point of being impossible to look at.


    The first seat on the left was empty. That was where Li Dongze was.


    On the right was a woman holding an orange cat. She was wearing an ink painting cheongsam. The voluptuousness and charm of a mature woman were obvious. Her well-maintained beautiful face was tight and fair. She had light makeup on and her temperament was quiet and elegant.


    Beside her was a middle-aged man in a miner¡¯s hat and work clothes. His dark skin reflected the toughness of a manual laborer.


    Opposite her was a gym instructor in a tight-fitting suit. His thick arms were comparable to a woman¡¯s thin waist. His eyes were sharp, and he looked irritable.


    The last was a woman in her late twenties, dressed in a white racing suit and tight leather pants. She had wavy black hair and an oval face that was cool and handsome.


    These five were the leaders of the Spirit Realm Walker team in Kangyang District. There were also a few people who did not attend for various reasons.


    The young man in the white suit looked around, his dark brown eyes flat into the lake. He said calmly: ¡°Everyone, what do you think¡­ Captain Green Vine, you go first.¡± The beautiful woman in the cheongsam frowned slightly. ¡°Ordinary Spirit Realm Walkers wouldn¡¯t dare to kill our officials. Could it be done by an evil Spirit Realm Walker?¡±


    Li Dongze replied, ¡°We¡¯re still investigating Zhao Yingjun¡¯s recent interpersonal relationships.¡±


    If it was done by a Spirit Realm Walker with an evil class, the seriousness of the matter would rise to another level.


    The Fire Master raised his eyebrows in anger. ¡°Evil class? These smelly rats in the gutter dare to kill people from my Five Elements Alliance. I will definitely make them pay.¡±


    The others looked solemn. White Dragon in the racing suit pondered and said, ¡°How strong is Zhao Yingjun?¡±


    Li Dongze looked at Fu Qingyang. Fu Qingyang said, ¡°He has a defensive tool.¡±


    Hearing this, White Dragon¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°Although a Level 2 Scout isn¡¯t good at fighting, it won¡¯t be easy to kill him when he has a defensive tool, let alone without alerting the guests in the next room. We can roughly determine the murderer¡¯s strength based on this.¡±


    The owner of the construction company, Tang Guoqiang, said in a deep voice, ¡°Very powerful.¡±


    Big Muscle snorted and repeated his words. ¡°So what if he¡¯s strong? Anyone who dares to kill people from the Five Elements Alliance will die no matter how strong they are.¡±


    White Dragon silently held his forehead. He wondered if he could kick out the fools of the Crimson Fire Gang during the meeting.


    Li Dongze said, ¡°After our investigation, we found that Zhao Yingjun has many mistresses. He especially likes female university students. We¡¯re investigating his mistresses one by one.¡±


    Big Muscle frowned. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°The hotel where Zhao Yingjun and his mistress met wasn¡¯t fixed, but the killer was able to find the hotel address and lock in the room number. That means he had some knowledge of Zhao¡¯s movements. Either he knew someone or he had followed them for a long time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s always the woman on your pillow who knows you best. We might be able to get some clues from Zhao¡¯s mistresses.¡±


    The captains nodded grimly.


    Li Dongze went on: ¡°Zhao Yingjun was tortured and abused before he died. Everyone, think about it. Why did the murderer torture him and what did he get out of it? Regardless of whether the murderer was a revenge murderer or someone with an evil class, this is a question worth taking seriously.¡±


    The captains around the table paled slightly.


    Evil and lawful classes had always been incompatible. They hunted and killed each other.


    What interested the evil classes, of course, was information about the Official Spirit Realm Walkers and even their hiding places.


    If the murderer was not an evil class, the truth behind a powerful Spirit Realm Walker risking offending an official organization by sneaking into a hotel to interrogate and kill people might be even more complicated.


    Green Vine said grimly, ¡°We need to find the killer as soon as possible.¡±


    Big Muscle looked around and said, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Yuan Ting here? Let him devour Zhao Yingjun¡¯s spirit body and obtain his memories. Then we¡¯ll know who the murderer is.¡±


    The importance of being able to control a spirit body was instantly highlighted.


    Fu Qingyang shook his head and said, ¡°Yesterday, the Supreme Solitary Sect summoned all the official Night Wanderers to the capital for a meeting. Yuan Ting is not in Songhai now.¡±


    His expression was calm from beginning to end as if he wouldn¡¯t panic even if the sky collapsed.


    Entering the capital for a meeting? The captains¡¯ hearts sank. If Yuan Ting wasn¡¯t here, the Night Wanderers of the other regions definitely weren¡¯t around either.


    Wasn¡¯t this too much of a coincidence? The killer didn¡¯t make a move earlier or later. Instead, he chose the moment when the Night Wanderers entered the capital together.


    Big Muscle said angrily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Supreme Solitary Sect? Why didn¡¯t they have a meeting earlier? Why did they choose this time? We should have nurtured our own Night Wanderers long ago.¡±


    Li Dongze said helplessly: ¡°You got it backwards. The murderer chose this moment precisely¡­ Forget it, it¡¯s not important. Don¡¯t worry, everyone. We have our own Night Wanderer.¡±

 Chapter 31 - Murderer

    Chapter 31 Murderer


    Right. We almost forgot about the kid.


    Li Dongze¡¯s words reminded the Spirit Realm team captains in the Kangyang District. They had already recruited a Night Wanderer and did not need to borrow anyone from the Supreme Solitary Sect.


    Big Muscle looked delighted and immediately said, ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up and contact that kid. Therefore, we still have to nurture our own Night Wanderer. Our own people are the most reliable at critical moments.¡±


    The other captains¡¯ brows relaxed.


    Big Muscle¡¯s words made sense. Although the Night Wanderers of the Supreme Solitary Sect had always been cooperative when it came to serious matters, they were still outsiders. They were definitely not as convenient to use as their own people.


    Li Dongze glanced at Fu Qingyang and saw him nod slightly. He immediately took out his phone and walked out of the conference room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll contact him.¡±


    After finishing the morning class, Zhang Yuanqing picked up his bag and left the classroom. He planned to skip the afternoon class and go to the office of the second team of the Spirit Realm in the Kangyang District.


    In the future, the focus of interpersonal relationships would be shifted to the Spirit Realm team.


    Zhang Yuanqing did not like school very much and was not very interested in learning. The young people of Songhai were inherently lazy. They were not hungry enough for success and lacked the desire to go further.


    There were only two types of people in this world who would fight. One was those who had developed positive habits since they were young, and the other was those who were forced by life.


    After becoming a Spirit Realm Walker, Zhang Yuanqing finally regained his long-lost fighting spirit.


    Firstly, his life was in danger. Secondly, he could fulfill the dream of a young man challenging the world with a sword.


    The Spirit Realm was filled with danger and strangeness, but once one tasted the sweetness, they would never be willing to be a mortal again.


    When he arrived downstairs, he was about to unlock a shared bike when his phone rang in his pocket.


    It was Li Dongze.


    ¡°Captain?¡± Zhang Yuanqing answered.


    ¡°Where are you now?¡± Li Dongze spoke quickly and without preamble.


    ¡°At school.¡±


    ¡°Songhai University, right? I¡¯ll get Guan Ya to pick you up now.¡±


    Pick me up? Zhang Yuanqing could hear the urgency in Li Dongze¡¯s voice. He probed, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A colleague was killed. We need the Night Wanderer to devour the spirit body and obtain the other party¡¯s memories. Hmm, are you okay with this?¡± Li Dongze asked worriedly.


    Uh, it should be possible¡­? Zhang Yuanqing said, ¡°Let me try?¡±


    Devouring a spirit body was not difficult. This was the talent of the Night Wanderer. His brain told him that he could, but he had never really devoured a spirit body in terms of reading memories. He had no experience, so he could not guarantee it.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, then.¡± Without another word, Li Dongze hung up.


    Zhang Yuanqing put away his phone and walked to the school gate.


    A few minutes later, he stopped at the school gate and waited silently for Guan Ya to pick him up. At the same time, Zhang Yuanqing noticed a girl in a pleated dress standing by the roadside not far away. She was carrying a designer bag and seemed to be waiting for someone.


    Xu Yingying?


    Zhang Yuanqing examined the ¡°class belle¡± a few times. She was very well dressed. Her bracelet, necklace, earrings, bag¡­ They all looked expensive. She was different from most of the female students in school.


    Girls from ordinary families couldn¡¯t wear something like this.


    Sensing Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s gaze, Xu Yingying smiled faintly. As she straightened her hair and assumed her most moving posture, she felt a little superior to the rest.


    This boy was quite good-looking, so she subconsciously displayed her beauty.


    However, she was no longer in the same world as ordinary university students, so she was filled with a sense of superiority.


    Her outfit was worth an ordinary university student¡¯s living expenses for a year


    At this moment, Xu Yingying saw a blue sports car driving over and slowly stopping at the school gate.


    The woman behind the wheel was dressed in a formal white shirt and sunglasses. It was hard to see her face, but she had a fair, sharp jaw and seductive lips. It wasn¡¯t hard to see that she was a beautiful woman.


    Xu Yingying pursed her lips, shifted, and turned the logo of her designer bag toward the sports car.


    At the same time, she saw Zhang Yuanqing jogging closer to the sports car. He opened the door and got in.


    The rich woman hit the gas and left with the cute boy.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s mouth opened in surprise.


    For a moment, she couldn¡¯t tell if the male student was a low-key rich kid or her own counterpart¡ªa gigolo.


    Kangyang District Security Bureau, morgue.


    Zhang Yuanqing stood beside the mortuary bed and lifted the white cloth. A tragic corpse appeared.


    The victim was covered in bruises and blade marks. The flesh of the wound in his chest was open and ghastly.


    If it were two days ago, Zhang Yuanqing would definitely be physically uncomfortable to see such a corpse. However, after experiencing the beating of the Mountain Temple, the corpse could no longer cause too much of a stir in his heart.


    ¡°You may begin.¡± Li Dongze leaned on his cane and spoke expectantly.


    Zhang Yuanqing nodded. He examined Zhao Yingjun¡¯s corpse and felt that the remaining spirit in this cold corpse was gradually becoming active and recovering.


    The breath of the Night Wanderer had a fatal attraction to spirit bodies and could awaken sleeping spirits.


    He silently mobilized the power of Great Yin in his body. The whites of his eyes and pupils were covered in a layer of pure black. He reached out and grabbed Zhao Yingjun¡¯s body.


    He grabbed an illusory figure.


    This figure had Zhao Yingjun¡¯s facial features, but his expression was dull and his eyes were empty.


    After a person died, 90% of their consciousness would dissipate, and their spirit body would become so sluggish. If their consciousness dissipated, their memories would naturally be incomplete, leaving only some deep memories.


    The memories before death were often impressive and close enough to be preserved.


    After grabbing the spirit body, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly had the desire to ¡°eat¡±. He naturally opened his mouth and sucked gently. Zhao Yingjun¡¯s spirit body turned into smoke and floated into his mouth.


    There was a throbbing pain between his eyebrows, and his consciousness seemed to swell. Many things that did not belong to him flowed in.


    ¡­..


    Zhang Yuanqing heard the low sobbing, the wailing, and the fierce, dark voice in his ear: ¡°I don¡¯t have much patience. You¡¯d better answer obediently.¡±


    He knew that he was reading the last memories of the spirit body. Slowly, he ¡°opened¡± his eyes. The scene around him became clear. He was in a large, beautifully decorated suite.


    He fell naked onto the big soft bed. Clothes and women¡¯s underwear were strewn all over the floor.


    Not far from him, a young woman was curled up at the head of the bed. She was also naked. She had long, fair legs, a slim tummy, and a tall and straight chest, revealing her young and proud curves.


    The sobs were coming from her.


    A woman? Naked? Such a scene stunned Zhang Yuanqing. He thought to himself, ¡®Why didn¡¯t the chief explain the situation at the crime scene clearly? How can he let me see scenes that are inappropriate for children? I¡¯m still a child¡­¡¯


    As he followed the victim¡¯s point of view, he looked at the man beside the bed. He was a fierce-looking man with a scar half a finger long on the left cheek. His eyebrows were sparse, and his eyes were fierce and dark.


    He was holding a shiny willow blade.


    The murderer¡­ Zhang Yuanqing stared at this face and firmly memorized it.


    At this point, he was halfway through his mission.


    The man pointed the tip of the blade at ¡®Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s¡¯ chest and said fiercely: ¡°Where is the Holy Grail and the register?¡±


    He seemed to have asked this question many times. His expression was filled with impatience, and his eyes were murderous.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I really don¡¯t know¡­ Please let me go.¡± Zhang Yuanqing heard ¡®himself begging for mercy. The man squatted on the side of the bed, completely losing his patience. He rubbed his face in exhaustion and murmured: ¡°I gave you a chance, but you¡¯re useless. I gave you a chance, but you¡¯re useless¡­¡±


    With that, he thrust the tip of the willow blade into ¡®Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s¡¯ chest.


    The pain came, and his consciousness instantly blurred. As Zhang Yuanqing collapsed to the ground, he saw the man unbuckle his belt, grab the beautiful woman¡¯s ankle, and pull her towards him.


    The image stopped abruptly with the woman¡¯s scream.

 Chapter 32 - Powerless

    Chapter 32 Powerless


    ¡°I saw what the murderer looked like!¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s dull eyes regained their liveliness. He immediately turned his head and looked at his two colleagues.


    As he spoke, he felt a sharp stab of fear. The shadow of death lingered for a long time.


    The feeling of devouring a spirit body was both satisfying and uncomfortable.


    Li Dongze and Guan Ya felt relieved. The former quickly asked, ¡°What did he look like? Well, anything distinctive.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing recalled and said, ¡°Male, 30-35 years old, medium build, burly, has a scar on his left cheek, sparse eyebrows, and a fierce gaze¡­¡±


    Li Dongze listened patiently, forming a rough outline of the murderer in his mind.


    The killer¡¯s facial features were obvious and highly recognizable.


    When Zhang Yuanqing had finished, Guan Ya asked: ¡°Did he assault the female victim?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing recalled the scene before the memory ended. ¡°He should have¡­¡±


    Guan Ya confirmed a guess in her heart and immediately looked at Li Dongze with a frown.


    ¡°Chief, I suspect the killer is mentally ill.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing did not understand what she meant. He thought to himself, ¡®Which fellow in his right mind would do such a cruel thing?¡¯


    Li Dongze nodded and said indignantly, ¡°This b*stard should go to hell.¡±


    Seeing Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s blank expression, Chief Li stroked his beard with two fingers and explained, ¡°Remember the punishment mechanism for moral value?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing nodded.


    ¡°The killer killed Zhao Yingjun¡¯s mistress with the intention of silencing her. It¡¯s considered normal behavior. But violating a female victim before a murder would cause him to lose additional moral value points.¡±


    Li Dongze believed that with the IQ of this Songhai University student, it was not difficult to understand the meaning behind it. Oh, it was really possible that he was mentally unstable¡­ Zhang Yuanqing understood.


    Spirit Realm Walkers would have a certain amount of moral value points deducted when they committed crimes. Therefore, as long as one was in their right mind, they would try their best not to trigger the punishment mechanism. Killing someone to silence them was a helpless act, but the act of first exposing them before killing them and deducting another sum of morality¡­


    There were only two situations in which someone could do such a thing. One was that they had too many moral value points and were fearless. The other was that there was something wrong with the murderer¡¯s mental state and it was difficult for him to restrain his inner bestial nature.


    In comparison, the second was more likely.


    At this moment, Old Pervert Guan Ya was extremely serious. She placed one hand on her chest and the other on her chin.


    ¡°Spirit Realm Walkers with unstable mental states, whether they have a lawful or evil class, must be eliminated. Such people lurk in metropolitan areas like a time bomb.¡±


    Even if one¡¯s moral value was lower than 60 and their location was announced by the Spirit Realm, attracting the hunt of Spirit Realm Walkers in the same city, during this period, a monster with superpowers could wipe out the people in many streets.


    The old pervert looked at the only novice present and admonished, ¡°There are many dangers in the Spirit Realm, especially in the Individual Spirit Realm. The mortality rate is extremely high. Even if many Spirit Realm Walkers successfully complete the mission, they will leave behind an indelible psychological trauma. Over time, mental problems are inevitable.


    ¡°Especially you Night Wanderers. If you ever feel like you¡¯re in a state, be sure to let us know. The organization will do psychological counseling for you.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing couldn¡¯t help but recall everything he had experienced in the Mountain Temple. He nodded with lingering fear. ¡°I understand¡­¡±


    ¡°By the way, did you find the killer¡¯s DNA at the crime scene?¡± Zhang Yuanqing asked.


    Guan Ya shook her head.


    Had the killer packed up everything and left? Zhang Yuanqing felt a twinge of regret. If he had the sperm of the killer in his hands, the red dancing shoes could help find the other party.


    At this point, Li Dongze finished his thought and asked: ¡°What else did you see in Zhao Yingjun¡¯s memories?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhang Yuanqing said quickly, waiting for him to ask.


    ¡°The killer pressed Zhao Yingjun about the whereabouts of the Holy Grail and the register.¡±


    Holy Grail, register¡­ Guan Ya and Li Dongze looked at each other and saw the confusion in each other¡¯s eyes.


    Li Dongze said: ¡°The Holy Grail and the register. What do they represent?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no relevant information about them in my memory.¡±


    Li Dongze thought for a moment and frowned.


    ¡°This case is more complicated than we thought. Zhao Yingjun hid a lot from us.¡±


    He patted Zhang Yuanqing on the shoulder and praised him.


    ¡°Well done. You¡¯ve found an important clue for us. After we arrest and shoot the killer, I¡¯ll ask for credit on your behalf. Well, go follow Guan Ya to confirm the appearance of the killer and get his sketch.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Chief.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing immediately followed the long-legged lady out.


    ¡°By the way,¡± Li Dongze stopped Guan Ya and said, ¡°Customize a formal suit for him. In the future, wear a formal suit in the unit.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing was about to say that he wouldn¡¯t come often when Guan Ya said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After leaving the morgue, Guan Ya chuckled. ¡°You must wear formal clothes in the unit in the future.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing nodded slightly. ¡°I know. Big companies are very strict about clothes.¡±


    Guan Ya giggled. ¡°No, this has nothing to do with the organization. It¡¯s the chief¡¯s request. He doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s elegant enough to wear civilian clothes.¡±


    What does this have to do with elegance¡­ Zhang Yuanqing complained in his mind. However, when his gaze swept across Guan Ya¡¯s long black silk legs, short skirt, round hips, and white shirt, he suddenly felt that the length was right. One should pay attention to elegance in life.


    As he walked, his attribute panel read:


    [Name: Heavenly Lord of Primordial Beginning)


    [Race: Human)


    (Class: Night Wanderer)


    (Level: 1]


    (Skills: Night Travel, Spirit Devouring, Great Yin Spirit]


    [EXP: 44%]


    [Moral Value: 60 (Initial Value)]


    His experience points increased from 42% to 44%. After devouring the spirit body, he felt a warm current surge through his body. His entire body felt comfortable, and the power of Great Yin seemed to have increased.


    ¡°Sister Guan Ya, I gained 2% experience points?¡± Zhang Yuanqing said happily.


    EXP represented strength. The difference in strength between a Level 1 Night Wanderer with 1% EXP and 99% EXP was extremely huge.


    Guan Ya was stunned for a moment. ¡°Oh, yes, there is indeed such a thing. You Night Wanderers can increase experience points by absorbing spirit bodies. However, the Supreme Solitary Sect¡¯s Night Wanderer doesn¡¯t seem to like doing this. Every time we ask them for help, their expressions are always dark and reluctant. Their attitude is very bad.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    The half-blood beauty rolled her pretty, sultry eyes. ¡°How should I know? I¡¯m just a powerless Scout.¡±


    No matter how bad a Scout is at combat, her Level 2 basic attribute can still crush me, right? Moreover, after a Scout advances to Level 4, they will have terrifying individual combat ability. Their physical fitness at the Transcendent Stage will definitely be very strong.


    Zhang Yuanqing did not believe her. ¡°Are you really powerless?¡±


    Guan Ya glanced at Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s crotch and smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve never tried. Why don¡¯t we go to the bathroom and you can help me practice?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing said, ¡°Don¡¯t do this. I¡¯m still a child.¡±


    He immediately took out his phone and said, ¡°Are you free tonight? I¡¯ll go online and book a hotel now. If you don¡¯t mind, you can also practice your squats.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re so funny.¡± Guan Ya laughed. ¡°Primordial Beginning, you should come to work more often. With you around, I won¡¯t be bored in the future.¡±


    They left the glass building and entered the Security Bureau¡¯s building. Guan Ya led him to the technical section with ease.


    After the technical department carefully questioned the murderer¡¯s facial features, it took a full two hours before they finally roughly reconstructed the murderer¡¯s appearance.


    Zhang Yuanqing looked at it and rubbed his chin.


    ¡°It kind of does, but it doesn¡¯t feel like it.¡±


    The technician, Zhang, was experienced. He pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Are you referring to facial features or temperament?¡±


    ¡°Temperament, I suppose. The killer¡¯s temperament gives the impression of ferocity.¡±


    ¡°Fierce how? Can you describe it exactly? I know it¡¯s hard to describe. It¡¯s better to have a reference.¡±


    ¡°My mother¡¯s face when I score o in an exam.¡±


    ¡°¡­okay.¡±


    Finally, the new criminal investigation sketch was completed. Zhang Yuanqing nodded in satisfaction.


    ¡°That¡¯s about the look of it. It¡¯s about seventy to eighty percent similar.¡±


    Next, running a comparison through the population information database, they zeroed in on the target.


    ¡°Ou Xiangrong, from Gu City, Jiangnan Province. He has been living in Songhai for a long time. 12 years ago, he was sentenced to prison for intentional assault. After he was released, there was no news from him¡­¡±


    Sitting in her office chair, Guan Ya smiled.


    ¡°With this information, we can ferret him out by morning at the latest.¡±


    ¡°So quickly?¡±


    ¡°Well, you have to trust in the abilities of the authorities and us Scouts.¡± Guan Ya rose and headed for the door. ¡°Primordial Beginning, your work is done. You can go back to school. You don¡¯t have to worry about the rest. Although the Night Wanderer is extremely powerful, you don¡¯t have the courage and mental fortitude of a warrior.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Zhang Yuanqing answered cheerfully.


    In the glass building office, Li Dongze finished reading the information sent by Guan Ya. He opened the ¡°Spirit Realm Walker Management Group of the Kangyang District¡± and synchronized the information of the murderer in the group.


    Big Muscle: ¡°Our new Night Wanderer is very efficient. The identity of the murderer has been confirmed.¡±


    Floater: ¡°@Li Dongze, how does it feel to have a subordinate of the Night Wanderer at your disposal?¡±


    Li Dongze said, ¡°It feels pretty good.¡±


    Tang Guoqiang sent a red packet.


    White Dragon: ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be smug. Hurry up and deploy. Inform the Songhai Security Bureau to arrange for people to investigate the vehicles entering and exiting Songhai. Inform the Spirit Realm teams of the various regions to cooperate with us at any time. Hopefully, Ou Xiangrong hasn¡¯t escaped Songhai yet.¡±


    The murderer had committed the crime this morning. It had been five to six hours since then. Not to mention Spirit Realm Walkers, even ordinary people who had been prepared in advance had already fled Songhai.


    Ordinary people could track them according to surveillance cameras, but it was difficult for Spirit Realm Walkers to track them. Green Vine said, ¡°Compared to an evil class member who¡¯s waiting to take revenge on the authorities, having him escaping from Songhai is a good thing.¡±


    The former meant that their organization¡¯s Spirit Realm Walkers would be assassinated.


    Li Dongze said, ¡°He won¡¯t leave Songhai.¡±


    Big Muscle: ¡°That sure?¡±


    Li Dongze said, ¡°If Ou Xiangrong only wanted to kill Zhao Yingjun, he would have done so long ago. Even if we had the Night Wanderer, by the time we locked onto his identity, he would have already fled Songhai. But why did he choose this time?¡±


    Big Muscle: ¡°Don¡¯t keep me in suspense. Just


    say it.¡±


    Green Vine said, ¡°So it¡¯s still a revenge against the authorities?¡±


    Li Dongze said, ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s more complicated than that. My Night Wanderer saw some clues from Zhao Yingjun¡¯s memories. Ou Xiangrong tortured Zhao Yingjun for the Holy Grail and the register.¡±


    The Holy Grail and the register? While the other captains were thinking about the two items with their heads, Big Muscle asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    Li Dongze ignored him and waited. When his colleagues did not express their views on the Holy Grail and the register, he reluctantly let the matter drop and sent a message.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the Holy Grail and the register for now. Let¡¯s just find the culprit first.¡±

 Chapter 33 - Escape

    Chapter 33 Escape


    7:00 PM, at the dinner table.


    Grandma looked around the table at her family and announced in a rather good mood,


    ¡°Yuanqing, your uncle will be back tomorrow afternoon. Yuanjun, remember to pick him up. Yuler, come home early after work.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Yu¡¯er each ate a drumstick. Chen Yuanjun drank the chicken soup with a calm expression.


    Seeing this, Grandma slapped her chopsticks down and glared. ¡°Did you hear me?¡±


    ¡°Mm.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Grandma was speechless.


    It had been almost two months since Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s uncle and aunt had gone overseas for a vacation. His uncle had been fooling around, and his aunt had never been involved in any housework. It was no different from having them at home.


    ¡®So be it. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s something to celebrate. Only Grandma would be happy to have her son back.¡¯


    Jiang Yu¡¯er nibbled on a chicken drumstick and said, ¡°Then why isn¡¯t the scum of the family touring for a few more months? Without the two of them around, the house is especially quiet.¡±


    Chen Yuanjun glanced at his aunt and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that. The scum of the family is still my father.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing glanced at his cousin and said, ¡°Don¡¯t say that. The family scum is still my uncle.¡±


    Seeing that Grandma was furious and stood up to tear her unfilial descendants apart, Jiang Yu¡¯er hurriedly comforted her and threw out a topic that her mother would definitely be interested in.


    ¡°Mom, our hospital is haunted.¡±


    Haunted? Zhang Yuanqing immediately pricked up his ears.


    Grandma, as expected, ignored her son¡¯s matter and asked hurriedly: ¡°What? Why is it haunted all of a sudden? Quickly tell me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s from Big Sister Zhou from our department. When she was on duty at night, she heard the laughter of children in the office. She went in to check and the laughter stopped. Then she went to the toilet and saw a baby lying on her shoulder in the mirror. It almost scared her to death.¡±


    Aunt said plausibly, ¡°It¡¯s not just Big Sister Zhou. The other colleagues on the night shift also said that they would occasionally hear the laughter of children in the middle of the night. Everyone said that it must be one of the children who got an abortion and lingered in the hospital.¡±


    His grandmother listened with interest and commented, ¡°How strange. I think that¡¯s most likely the case. When you¡¯re on night duty later, let Yuanqing accompany you. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡±


    Grandma¡¯s gossipy genes were not passed on to Mom, and it was all inherited by Aunt¡­ As Zhang Yuanqing listened to the mother and daughter¡¯s gossip, the interest in his heart slowly extinguished.


    As a Night Wanderer, he knew that this was a rumor and not true.


    First of all, spirit bodies couldn¡¯t make sounds, because they didn¡¯t have physical bodies, let alone vocal cords unless the power of the spirit body acted directly on the human spirit.


    However, with the baby¡¯s will and mental strength, it was impossible for it to have a spirit body after death.


    Finally, ordinary people could not see spirit bodies with the naked eye. Those who did not have long to live and had heavy Yin energy might interact with spirit bodies, so it was reasonable for them to have occasional encounters.


    Saying that many people heard the baby¡¯s laughter was nonsense.


    ¡°Aunt, be careful. Don¡¯t bring the dead children from the hospital home,¡± Zhang Yuanqing said softly.


    Jiang Yuler¡¯s oval face stiffened. ¡°Mom, he scared me again!¡±


    Then, Grandma halfheartedly scolded her grandson.


    After dinner, Zhang Yuanqing quietly left the house and took a taxi to the nearest tertiary hospital.


    He wanted to go to the hospital to ferry the souls and increase his experience points.


    The ¡°Spirit Devouring¡± skill of the Night Wanderer was the best way to level up. It was unknown when the next Spirit Realm would be activated, so it was necessary to increase his strength before entering the Spirit Realm.


    Even at Level 1, the difference in combat power between 99% and 1% was like the difference between heaven and earth.


    The hospital was a good place for the Night Wanderer to increase his experience points. Birth, old age, illness, and death were all in the hospital. Of course, the crematorium was also very good. However, the crematoriums in Songhai were all in the suburbs and were rare in the city.


    Sitting in the car, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly remembered what Guan Ya had said today.


    ¡°Why is it that the Night Wanderers of the Supreme Solitary Sect are warier of devouring spirits? Is it an industry rule that they think it¡¯s immoral? Or is there another reason?¡±


    Thinking of this, he took out his phone and logged into the official Spirit Realm Walker forum to search for relevant information.


    The search results showed: No relevant entry was found.


    In the suburbs, the night began to fall.


    In the dirty living room of a cheap rental house in some industrial park, Ou Xiangrong carried a large pot of freshly cooked instant noodles to the table filled with beer cans.


    With a casual sweep of his hand, he swept the beer cans and other debris to the floor with a crashing sound, clearing the space for a large basin. Then he took a can of beer from the refrigerator.


    He ate his noodles and drank his alcohol.


    The noodles that had just been cooked were extremely hot, but they could not burn his tough oral cells.


    Ou Xiangrong¡¯s expression was sometimes fierce, sometimes cold, sometimes hateful¡­ like a psychopath on the verge of an attack.


    Suddenly, his ears twitched and he stopped eating. His expression immediately became ferocious.


    ame


    Ou Xiangrong rose slowly, drew the willow blade from its sheath at the small of his back, and leaned lightly and silently toward the door.


    Clunk!


    As he approached the entryway, the door was violently kicked open. Immediately after, a blazing light lit up and a ball of fire crashed towards him.


    The fiery wind blew against his face. Ou Xiangrong stopped in his tracks and swung his right arm that was holding the blade. The snow-white blade light slashed at the fireball. With a bang, the entire house was filled with colorful flames.


    In the sudden light of the fire, a figure covered in flames darted into and out of the rental house. His knees bounced as he slammed into ou Xiangrong like a rocket.


    Ou Xiangrong was even more savage than he was. He leaned to one side and slammed his shoulder forward.


    Bang!


    The figure flew backward and slammed into the wall of the stairwell, shaking it.


    Ou Xiangrong, whose right hand and shoulder were covered in burn marks, endured the pain and turned to rush to the window. He did not dare take the stairs. The corridors of the old residential building were cramped. If he was surrounded, he would die.


    Over the sound of shattering glass, Ou Xiangrong leaped from the third floor.


    Bang! Bang!


    Ou Xiangrong, who had just broken through the window, heard two shots. He knocked away the one aimed at his head with the willow blade, but could not stop the bullet aimed at his chest.


    The bullet¡¯s powerful kinetic energy penetrated the skin and got stuck in tough muscle.


    Following the sound of the gunshot, he saw a tall mixed-blood woman standing in the shadows by the green belt. She wore an office skirt and white blouse, and her long hair blew in the wind. She was an ice-cold beauty.


    She held a silver pistol in each hand. Two holsters were strapped to her long legs encased in black silk.


    Bang, bang, bang¡­ The mixed-blood beauty calmly fired. Her marksmanship was precise as if she could predict the trajectory of his fall.


    After being shot several times, Ou Xiangrong finally landed. He suddenly looked at the mixed-blood woman, and two blood-colored and distorted runes appeared in his pupils.


    The next moment, the woman¡¯s expression froze. She turned the gun and aimed it between her eyes.


    Bang!


    The muzzle spat flames. The bullet failed to shatter the woman¡¯s smooth forehead and was blocked by a pair of rough palms.


    A laborer in a miner¡¯s hat had appeared beside her. His dark face was grave. He said: ¡°Bewitching Demon?¡±


    ¡°Level 3 Bewitching Demon.¡±


    In the darkness, a man with a cane walked over. He was wearing a black formal suit with a black vest and a white shirt. His greasy hair was combed neatly.


    ¡°Tell the younger ones to set up a perimeter outside the compound and stay away from here.¡±


    Another voice came. A man in a black leather jacket walked out of the corridor. He was thin and powerful and had a fierce aura.


    Ou Xiangrong held his blade and looked around with a dark expression.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Then, in the distance, they heard the rumble of a motorcycle. Snow-white lights pierced the darkness as a motorcycle roared toward them. The woman on the bike was dressed in a white racing suit. She was bent over, holding a three-foot-long black saber. She led the charge.


    The next moment, gunshots rang out again, blocking Ou Xiangrong¡¯s retreat. The flaming figure jumped down from the window and attacked from the side.


    Tang Guoqiang, who was wearing a miner¡¯s hat, pressed his hands against the ground. The concrete cracked, and a pair of hands made of mud grabbed Ou Xiangrong¡¯s feet.


    Ou Xiangrong calmly swung the willow blade, knocking away the angled bullets, the warheads striking the blade with blinding sparks.


    Immediately after, the muscles in his legs expanded, shattering the hands condensed from the soil. He rolled forward, just in time to avoid the flaming man pouncing down from the third floor.


    Thud, thud, thud¡­


    After rolling, he ran to meet the woman on the motorcycle.


    In the night, the two of them passed each other. The sharp willow blade cut into the woman¡¯s chest, but there was no sensation of cutting something solid. The woman on the motorcycle turned to water the moment the blade struck her.


    Her long blade sliced across Ou Xiangrong¡¯s chest and abdomen.


    Ou Xiangrong¡¯s chest split open, and great gouts of blood gushed out.


    Ignoring his injuries, he fled out of the neighborhood.


    At this moment, a beautiful woman in a cheongsam jumped out of the window on the second floor. Her snow-white feet were bare as she ran on the wall as if it were flat ground.


    With a leap, she landed in front of Ou Xiangrong. With a shout, she spun and her cheongsam flew. Her strong and long legs whistled like a whip as she ruthlessly hit him.


    The latter shot away like a cannonball, shattering the wall of the residential building and slowly withering to the ground.


    ¡°How dare you kill an Official Spirit Realm Walker under my jurisdiction?¡±


    At this moment, Li Dongze, who had been watching the show from the beginning to the end, slowly walked over with his cane. His expression was serious, and he was as calm as a big shot behind the scenes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll personally send you on your way next.¡±


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± A loud sigh echoed around him. Ou Xiangrong slowly stood up. His eyes were as red as blood, filled with madness and violence. A powerful evil force awakened in him.


    His voice cracked. ¡°You¡¯re all going to die.¡±


    Li Dongze took two silent steps back. ¡°Brothers, that was a joke. I¡¯m never one to take credit for anything.¡±


    In the taxi, Zhang Yuanqing did not find any relevant information. He returned to the front page of the forum and instinctively refreshed the page.


    Then he saw a post pinned to the top in red.


    #Warrant! Level 3 Bewitching Demon Ou Xiangrong!


    The post hadn¡¯t been there a few minutes ago.


    Zhang Yuanqing counted the posts:


    ¡°Ou Xiangrong, Level 3 Bewitching Demon, killed the Five Elements Alliance¡¯s White Tiger Soldier Scout Zhao Yingjun on April 18. On the night of April 19, at 19:05, he escaped from the encirclement of the Spirit Realm team in Kangyang District.¡±


    ¡°This person possesses some kind of terrifying evil power and is not an ordinary Bewitching Demon. He has been severely injured by the Spirit Realm team in the Kangyang District and his whereabouts are currently unknown. Note that Ou Xiangrong is on the verge of losing control. Once you find the target, kill him immediately.¡±


    ¡°Those who provide clues will be rewarded with $10,000. Those who kill will be rewarded with $20,000.¡±


    Less than three minutes after the post was posted, the comments below had already exceeded a hundred.


    They were all criticizing Kangyang District¡¯s Spirit Realm team for being incompetent and letting a half-mad Bewitching Demon escape.


    ¡°Are you kidding me? This kind of dangerous person can lose control at any time. Are the teams in Kangyang District useless?¡±


    ¡°Once he loses control and kills someone, he will be wanted by the Spirit Realm. By the time we arrive, there will probably be a bloodbath. We will be laughed at by all the Spirit Realm Walkers in the country. They will laugh at us for not being able to guard against them and not doing anything with a high salary.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re finished.¡±


    Ou Xiangrong had escaped? Had the chief locked onto the target so quickly and launched an arrest?


    For a moment, Zhang Yuanqing did not know if he should praise the efficiency of the team leader and the others, or complain about how they had let this time bomb escape.


    ¡°Since we¡¯ve already fought, Ou Xiangrong¡¯s blood and even flesh will definitely be left at the scene. We should be able to find him with the red dancing shoes¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing immediately thought of his rule-type tool.

 Chapter 34 - Different Lives

    Chapter 34 Different Lives


    Zhang Yuanqing pondered in silence for a long time and decided not to expose the existence of the red dancing shoes for the time being


    First of all, the matter of Ou Xiangrong¡¯s escape had just begun. The follow-up actions of the Five Elements Alliance had yet to be carried out. As an official organization, there might be other ways to track down the Bewitching Demon.


    There was no need for a newcomer like him to interfere.


    Secondly, he was only a Level 1 Night Wanderer, a newcomer to the Spirit Realm. If he exposed the existence of the rule-type tool, he might attract attention.


    He would wait and see what the organization would do next before making a choice based on the situation¡­ Zhang Yuanqing stopped thinking about it. He looked at the night view outside the car window and waited for his destination.


    Right now, increasing his strength was the most important thing.


    Five minutes later, the taxi arrived in front of Songhai Lung Hospital. After paying the driver, Zhang Yuanqing entered the hospital and headed for the Emergency Department building with a clear goal.


    At this hour, the outpatient department was already off duty. The hospitals and patients were mainly concentrated in the emergency department.


    The emergency department was crowded. Patients were either sitting in public chairs or coming and going from the toll windows and various departments.


    Zhang Yuanqing walked through the toll hall and through the bustling crowd to find a seat near the toilet.


    When he sat down, he stretched out his legs and waited.


    To a spirit body, the aura of the Night Wanderer was like a firefly in the dark, so dazzling and vivid.


    There was no need to search deliberately. They would come to him.


    Ordinary people¡¯s spirit bodies only existed for seven days. Unless someone had just died nearby, they would not be able to wait for their spirit bodies to automatically come to them. Therefore, the hospital was the best place to upgrade.


    About five minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing saw an old man in a hospital gown walking stiffly through the crowd towards him.


    The old man¡¯s body was somewhere between illusion and reality. The patients coming and going passed through him as if they were passing through the air.


    He was haggard, white-eyed, and exuded pain and regret.


    It was a vengeful spirit.


    Usually, people would turn into vengeful spirits after death. There was no spirit body with a peaceful aura because no one was willing to die.


    Their nostalgia for life and their fear of death would eventually turn into helpless resentment.


    Seeing the old man walk up to him, Zhang Yuanqing opened his mouth and sucked lightly.


    The old man¡¯s spirit body turned into smoke and floated into his mouth.


    His glabella hurt and his consciousness suddenly swelled. Zhang Yuanqing read the old man¡¯s broken memories when he was alive.


    The old man died of terminal lung cancer. In the latter half of his life, he passed away under the dual torture of chemotherapy and cancer. He coughed up blood, lost his hair, suffered from shortness of breath, pain¡­ He did not die peacefully.


    can


    The last lingering thought was remorse for smoking.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never smoke again¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes and blurted out with regret.


    People around them looked over in surprise.


    Zhang Yuanqing was expressionless. He pretended that nothing had happened to hide the awkwardness in his heart.


    It was not until the passerby looked away and his surging emotions calmed down that he opened the attribute panel. The blue screen unfolded:


    (EXP: 44.5%)


    ¡°Zhao Yingjun¡¯s spirit body is worth 2% experience points while ordinary people only give 0.5%. It¡¯s similar to ordinary monsters and elite monsters? Moreover, the more I grow, the fewer experience points I get. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t even be 0.5%. Looks like I can only accumulate more experience points gradually¡­¡± Zhang Yuanqing pondered.


    In any case, the intuitive, visible improvement was gratifying.


    He returned to his seat and pretended that nothing had happened. After a few more minutes, a middle-aged man in a suit, dressed as an office worker, walked woodenly toward him.


    The people around him ignored the uncle and walked past him as well.


    Zhang Yuanqing absorbed the uncle¡¯s spirit body in the same way. When the spirit body transformed into the power to nourish the Night Wanderer, a portion of his memories surged over like a tide.


    The middle-aged man died of excessive fatigue, sudden heart attack, and the well-known 996 work culture.


    The uncle left the world in peace. After all, sudden death was instantaneous so he didn¡¯t even feel the pain.


    However, after reading the uncle¡¯s memories, Zhang Yuanqing knew that his wife had just given birth to a second child. The child was still in infancy. It was precisely to earn money for milk powder that he worked so hard and devoted himself to the company.


    What was even more worth mentioning was that the uncle was born in the 1980s, and very few people from that era had siblings. Once he died, his parents would have no place to stay in the future.


    He risked his life to earn money, and in the end, it all lost all meaning.


    Zhang Yuanqing returned to consciousness and felt a piercing sadness and confusion.


    What was the point of such a life? He sat in a daze, his face expressionless for a long time.


    At this moment, the third spirit body came over.


    It was a lady with beautiful features, she had half-permanent brows and exuded an air of luxury and delicacy through her clothes.


    A high-quality female human.


    ¡°She passed away so young and beautiful. What a pity¡­¡±


    When he got closer, Zhang Yuanqing realized that her chest was sunken, and her black bodysuit was soaked in illusory blood. In addition, the back of her head seemed to have suffered an unimaginable blow, and the blood had glued her hair into strands.


    She wasn¡¯t wearing a hospital gown. In other words, she didn¡¯t die in the hospital. She died in an accident or murder¡­ Zhang Yuanqing gently inhaled and swallowed the high-quality female spirit body.


    His glabella swelled as memories that did not belong to him poured into his sea of consciousness.


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s vision turned black. Then, he saw a pair of long and fair legs sitting by the bed. She was rolling up her black stockings bit by bit.


    Oh, so this was how women wore stockings¡­ Zhang Yuanqing, who had been single for twenty years, had gained a lot of knowledge.


    Then he heard a man¡¯s rough voice behind him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t send me messages at night again. My wife almost saw it last night.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Man, beds, stockings¡­ Anyone could guess what had just happened.


    It¡¯s better not to devour female spirits so easily in the future. It¡¯s not suitable! He muttered in his mind with extreme relief.


    Fortunately, his memory started from wearing stockings. If it was pushed back a few minutes, he might be lying down or kneeling¡­


    Well, there was no strange taste in his mouth. Fortunately, fortunately¡­ As he was thinking, he heard the woman he had ¡°possessed¡± snort.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that perfect? Divorce her and marry


    me.¡±


    The man behind him put on his clothes and sneered.


    ¡°I have a son and a daughter. I¡¯m planning to have a third child next year. Why should I divorce her? Besides, I still have to give half of my assets away after the divorce.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree at the time that I would give you money if you were a mistress? When you¡¯ve saved enough money, you can marry whoever you want, or find an honest person to marry. One day, if you want to cut ties, just let me know. However, don¡¯t have thoughts that you shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    The woman seemed angry. She didn¡¯t say another word. When the man left, she sped down the street in her little BMW, venting.


    In the end, she got into a car accident and died.


    When the recollection ended, Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes and pinched his swollen brow, feeling a wave of indignation.


    Why do this to yourself? A good woman has suitors everywhere. Why bother to get angry with a man? Out of ten men, how many are good?


    Also, it¡¯s impossible for me to marry an honest man. Not in this lifetime.


    As he thought this, he suddenly realized what was wrong


    Why do I feel so strongly for women? I¡¯m a single man.


    A few seconds later, Zhang Yuanqing came to a realization. He had unknowingly been influenced by the woman. His thoughts were more feminist, and he had a strong desire for money and material things in his mind.


    The ¡°never smoke again¡± that he had blurted out just now was also affected by the old man¡¯s spirit body.


    After he stabilized his mind, a fourth spirit came over. This was a thin and handsome young man. It was easy to think of words like ¡°little puppy¡±.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t look any worse than me. It¡¯s better to absorb a man¡¯s spirit body. It¡¯s safer. If something like that happens, I¡¯ll be the one on top.¡±


    He opened his mouth and sucked the man¡¯s spirit body into his stomach.


    Ear-piercing noise shook the eardrums. Colorful LED headlights spun, creating dazzling light pollution.


    As far as the eye could see, it was full of blur figures, bobbing heads, and the acrid smell of smoke in the air.


    It was a bar.


    Zhang Yuanqing felt his body sway uncontrollably. At the same time, he grabbed the wine glass from the booth and drank with his friend beside him.


    In the euphoric release of their emotions, in the empty joy of alcohol and music, the young man and his friend didn¡¯t exit until two in the morning.


    They called a cab and returned to the rental room. His muscular friend helped him open the bedroom door.


    Although Zhang Yuanqing could not control his body, he was conscious. He sensed that the person he was possessing was drunk and the blood vessels in his brain were throbbing with pain. He guessed that the other party had died from an overdose or heart attack.


    While he was speculating, the young man was left on the bed. His friend removed his shoes, removed his pants, covered him with a blanket, and wiped the sweat from his face with a wet tissue.


    This friend is so considerate¡­ Zhang Yuanqing thought.


    No sooner had that thought occurred to him than he realized that his friend had begun to undress and had thrown back the covers to quickly strip the young man naked.


    Zhang Yuanqing was stunned for a moment and felt that something was wrong.


    Then he heard the young man mumble groggily: ¡°Hubby~¡±


    The ¡°friend¡± pressed against the young man¡¯s limp body, raised the lubricant in his hand, and said, full of jealousy: ¡°Raise your butt up and I¡¯ll smoothen it!¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s mind exploded as if he had been struck by lightning. No! No! No!


    You can¡¯t do this! You can¡¯t do this!!!


    In extreme fear and panic, Zhang Yuanqing forcefully interrupted the reading of the memory.


    In the outpatient building, in the seat next to the toilet, Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s eyes snapped open as if he had been in a nightmare. He was breathing heavily as if he was deprived of oxygen.


    His face was white, his eyes terrified. Sweat soaked his back.


    ¡°Are you all right, lad?¡± the lady in the next seat asked with concern.


    ¡°Have you registered? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing waved his hand to show that he was fine and rushed into the toilet. He turned on the tap and splashed cold water on his face.


    That¡¯s terrifying. Men are terrifying!


    He had suffered a trauma that people of his age shouldn¡¯t have.

 Chapter 35 - Cousin

    Chapter 35 Cousin


    Caf¨¦, under the awning.


    Zhang Yuanqing held a cup of hot coffee and stared blankly at the street. The streetlights, headlights, and shop lights intertwined into a gorgeous and bustling night scene.


    After a long time, he took a deep gulp and sighed, as if he had spat out all the mental pollution.


    ¡°Devouring spirit bodies seem to be an unorthodox path to increase my strength.¡±


    He finally understood why the Night Wanderers of the Supreme Solitary Sect were unwilling to devour spirit bodies.


    If the world was compared to the Sea of Bitterness, mortals were like small boats floating in it, plagued by sorrow. Everyone had their own misfortune and pain.


    These hardships would be transferred to the Night Wanderer along with the spirit body. Even if it was only a small portion, when the amount accumulated to a certain extent, the mental pollution caused would be extremely terrifying


    In the long run, schizophrenia would be the smallest problem.


    However, the benefits were indeed immediate. His current experience points were 46%. The time limit of the ¡°Night Travel¡± skill had not been extended. It was still nine seconds, but his physical fitness had improved significantly. His vitality and healing power had also increased.


    This was a real gain.


    ¡°By the way, I still don¡¯t know the cause of that guy¡¯s death¡­ No, forget it, I don¡¯t want to know.¡±


    He sipped his coffee with trepidation.


    Early in the morning, at the villa.


    In the large conference room that could accommodate 30 people, Fu Qingyang swept his gaze across the two sides of the long table. His eyes were calm and deep, like clouds that were accumulating a storm.


    He was handsome and had the nobility and arrogance of a young master. When he was expressionless, his aura was powerful, giving people extremely strong psychological pressure.


    ¡°Five captains, more than a dozen team members, and dozens of security officers were mobilized, but you still let the Bewitching Demon escape.¡± Fu Qingyang¡¯s expression was cold as he said, ¡°I¡¯m very disappointed in you.¡±


    On either side of the long conference table sat the participants of this operation, five captains and twelve team members. Li Dongze and Guan Ya were among them.


    Faced with the criticism of their deacon superior, the captains lowered their heads and dared not make a sound.


    Big Muscle wanted to speak, then stopped. He couldn¡¯t help himself. He whispered: ¡°Centurion Fu, Ou Xiangrong seems to have been contaminated by some evil power and has become especially powerful and crazy. This is why we failed. Moreover, the Bewitching Demon is a top-notch class¡­¡±


    Fu Qingyang said indifferently, ¡°Failure is a failure. Any reason is an excuse for cowards to refuse to admit their failure.¡±


    He swept his sharp gaze over the crowd. None of the Spirit Realm Walkers at the table dared meet his gaze except for Guan Ya.


    She was looking down and playing with her nails, distracted.


    Fu Qingyang continued.


    ¡°Because of your failure, the situation escalated. A heavily injured Bewitching Demon that has been contaminated by the power of evil can easily lose control completely. With the cruelty of the Bewitching Demon, it will definitely cause a large number of casualties.¡±


    ¡°Now, all the Spirit Realm Walkers in Songhai City are involved in the search. If you can¡¯t kill Ou Xiangrong in three days, all of you can scram back to the training camp.¡±


    I can


    Li Dongze, Qing Teng, Tang Guoqiang, and the other captains looked at each other with ugly expressions.


    Fu Qingyang sneered.


    ¡°Of course, in this case, I¡¯ve failed, too, because I¡¯ve misjudged you and overestimated your abilities. So, for the next three days, I¡¯ll be personally involved in the manhunt. Since Ou Xiangrong is looking for the register and the Holy Grail, his target will surely shift to Zhao Yingjun¡¯s family or women with whom he¡¯s close, and he¡¯ll follow that line of search.¡±


    When his subordinates nodded, he glanced at his expensive wristwatch and said: ¡°You don¡¯t have much time left. Go do your work. Guan Ya, stay behind.¡±


    The long meeting finally ended. It was past lunchtime.


    The Spirit Realm Walkers got up in frustration, bowed to the end of the long table, and left the conference room in an orderly manner.


    The five captains led the way. The six-foot-three Big Muscle lowered his voice and said angrily: ¡°I don¡¯t deny my failure, but Centurion Fu is too arrogant. He wasn¡¯t there at all and doesn¡¯t know how powerful Ou Xiangrong is.¡±


    He touched the bleeding blade wound on his chest and snorted.


    Ner


    ¡°While we were out fighting for our lives, he sat on a handmade sofa in the villa, sipping fine wine, smoking a cigar, enjoying the services of bunny girls.¡±


    As they spoke, the three bunny girls carried the snacks upstairs and entered the conference room.


    The servants in the villa were all young bunny girls. They were tall and beautiful.


    White Dragon gently patted the bunny girl¡¯s buttocks and lowered his voice.


    ¡°I heard that Centurion Fu is extremely popular among the White Tiger Soldiers. He¡¯s the only one among the four young masters who can compete with that young master from the Crimson Fire Gang.¡±


    Fu Qingyang was transferred to Songhai from the capital at the end of last year. It was said that he came down to train for a few years. After accumulating experience, he would return to the capital and become a reserve member of the elders.


    When Big Muscle heard this, he snorted. ¡°It¡¯s just a rumor. Our young master is the most outstanding among the younger generation of the Five Elements Alliance.¡±


    Green Vine looked at Li Dongze. ¡°What does Chief Li think?¡±


    Li Dongze put a cigarette in his mouth and snorted.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of money, of course. That¡¯s what you think, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡± The other captains glanced at him.


    ¡°Stupid!¡±


    Li Dongze pointed to his head.


    ¡°Use your not-so-smart brains to think carefully. If it really comes to the step that Centurion Fu mentioned, someone will have to take responsibility for such a terrible incident. It¡¯s such a big matter, so how can we just return to the training camp? ¡°Centurion Fu said to get our asses back to the training camp. The other meaning of that statement is that once the worst happens, he¡¯ll take all the blame. We won¡¯t have to be fired. We won¡¯t be held accountable. Just three months in the training camp, even if we screw up something this serious.¡±


    He took out his lighter and lit a cigarette, then shrugged. ¡°All right, let¡¯s get to work. The sooner we catch that bastard Ou Xiangrong, the better.¡±


    In the conference room, Fu Qingyang stared at the woman who was trimming her nails and frowned.


    ¡°Li Dongze said you were injured?¡±


    Guan Ya blew on her nails and removed her makeup mirror from her handbag. As she freshened up, she said: ¡°Just spit it out. I have to get back to work.¡±


    Fu Qingyang¡¯s cold face revealed a hint of helplessness. ¡°Aunt called me and asked you to come back next month to meet the fianc¨¦ she arranged for you.¡±


    ¡°I made it clear to her when I returned that I would not marry for the sake of the family. Just because she was willing to be a sacrifice to the family doesn¡¯t mean I am.¡±


    Guan Ya closed the makeup mirror with a bang and said, ¡°Your Fu family is really boring. Qingyang, hurry up and take charge. Let the old things retire.¡±


    Fu Qingyang said in a deep voice, ¡°If you don¡¯t want a marriage alliance, show some results. Don¡¯t loaf around all day and waste your talent. The elders of the family only respect the strong, such as me and her.¡±


    ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll transfer you to another team. Team Three in Changtai District is very good. They get a few group second-class honors every year. You¡¯ll be carried over there, so I¡¯ll have a reason to reject Aunt.¡±


    ¡°Li Dongze has too few talents in Team Two. It¡¯s difficult to make a contribution.¡±


    Guan Ya frowned and sighed. ¡°Team Two is indeed disappointing. It¡¯s hard for me to refuse¡­ Let¡¯s see. There¡¯s a little guy in our team. He¡¯s quite interesting. Let me observe him more.¡±


    She put away the vanity mirror and walked to the door with her handbag.


    ¡°You should worry about yourself first. If Ou Xiangrong goes on a killing spree in Songhai, it will be a stain on your records that can¡¯t be erased. They will stop you from entering the Elders¡¯ Circle at all costs.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving, bye-¡°


    Early in the morning, Zhang Yuanqing carried his backpack and walked towards the comprehensive building.


    His schedule for the day was a morning class. He¡¯d have a chat with the old pervert at noon and afternoon. No, he¡¯d get to know his colleagues, bond, interact, and socialize.


    In twos and threes, people streamed toward the complex. Just as they reached the ground floor, Zhang Yuanqing heard someone calling him.


    He turned around and saw Li Lesheng and a few other classmates.


    Li Lesheng caught up with a few boys and invited them expectantly. ¡°We¡¯re planning to have a social gathering with a few girls. It¡¯s this weekend. Do you want to join us? I heard you¡¯re from Songhai.¡±


    A social gathering? On the weekend, the day after tomorrow¡­ Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Li Lesheng and the boys relaxed and smiled. ¡°Then let¡¯s add each other as friends. Ha, with you around, I¡¯m sure the girls will be willing to come out and play.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s add each other as friends too.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll add that, too.¡± The other boys pulled out their phones.


    After Zhang Yuanqing added his classmates as friends, everyone walked towards the comprehensive building.


    Li Lesheng smiled and said, ¡°I heard from a girl from my hometown that a constable came to look for Xu Yingying yesterday. Then, Xu Yingying cried in the dormitory.¡±


    ¡°A constable? What happened?¡±


    The boys were surprised. After all, to college students, constables were an incredibly distant group.


    Li Lesheng said, ¡°I heard that something happened to the rich man who kept Xu Yingying, but I¡¯m not too sure about the details. The constable is looking for her to ask about that person.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he ran away with illegal money. There are too many examples of rich people getting exposed during a bad economy,¡± someone guessed.


    As Zhang Yuanqing listened to his classmates¡¯ gossip, his gaze swept across the students coming and going. In the sparse crowd, he saw a familiar figure.


    It was a beautiful girl in a long white dress. She had long black hair and exquisite light makeup. This was the female lead of the topic just now, Xu Yingying.


    She snuggled like a little bird against a man who was wearing a mask. He had inch-long hair and thin eyebrows. A small scar showed at the top edge of the mask.


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s pupils suddenly constricted.


    Ou Xiangrong?!


    He looked at Xu Yingying again and observed her carefully. Only then did he discover some clues.


    Xu Yingying¡¯s expression was stiff. She seemed to be snuggled in Ou Xiangrong¡¯s arms, but it was more like she was being threatened by his arm around her shoulders.

 Chapter 36 - First Battle (1)

    Chapter 36 First Battle (1)


    Why was Ou Xiangrong at Songhai University? He was with Xu Yingying?


    How dare he show up at Songhai University? He was wanted by the official organization. Was he bold, or was there something wrong with his head?


    Zhang Yuanqing tensed up and stopped in his tracks. He said to the student beside him,


    ¡°You guys go on up. I need to make a call.¡±


    He had to call the rest first¡­ He walked to the side of the road, took out his phone, and dialed Li Dongze¡¯s number.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the number you have dialed is unavailable.¡±


    The voice prompt turned off.


    He tried Guan Ya¡¯s cell phone again. It was still off.


    ¡°A meeting? In the middle of a deployment operation? Or, lurking near Songhai University?¡± All kinds of guesses flashed through Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s mind.


    If it was the latter, then it had nothing to do with him. But if it was because he couldn¡¯t get in touch with the meeting, Ou Xiangrong, as a wanted criminal, couldn¡¯t stay long at Songhai University. It would be a shame to miss this opportunity.


    Thinking of this, Zhang Yuanqing opened his contact list and dialed Wang Tai¡¯s cell phone number.


    Thanks to his social habits, he had also saved Wang Tai¡¯s cell phone number in his contact list. Although this man did not like to talk or communicate, every time he tried to strike up a conversation with him, he always had a mild expression that said, ¡°Get lost and ignore me.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Wang Tai¡¯s spiritless voice came through the speaker.


    ¡°I saw Ou Xiangrong. He¡¯s the one who killed Zhao Yingjun. You know about this case, right?¡±


    ¡°I do, but why did you contact me? You should have contacted the chief.¡± Wang Tai¡¯s tone was as calm as ever.


    Shouldn¡¯t you say something like ¡°Damn, that¡¯s awesome?¡± You¡¯re too calm¡­ Zhang Yuanqing complained as he said, ¡°I can¡¯t get in touch with Chief and the old pervert.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the old pervert?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point.¡± Zhang Yuanqing briefed him on the situation. ¡°Can you contact any of the other team¡¯s Spirit Realm Walkers?¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Wang Tai typed on the keyboard and said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve retrieved Zhao Yingjun¡¯s case information. Zhao Yingjun has a lot of female university students as mistresses. One of them is from your school. Her name is Xu Yingying. According to your feedback, I guess he wants to find an answer from the women around Zhao Yingjun.¡±


    So Xu Yingying¡¯s sugar daddy was Zhao Yingjun. No wonder a security officer came looking for her yesterday¡­ Zhang Yuanqing suddenly understood.


    Wang Tai went on:


    ¡°Ou Xiangrong, a Level 3 Bewitching Demon. He has an evil power and was severely injured in the siege yesterday. The danger level is greatly reduced, but he is still not someone you can resist.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve analyzed it for you. The right thing to do is to keep an eye on him and wait for the official backup. You can use your Night Wanderer skills to harass him appropriately, but don¡¯t engage him or you¡¯ll die a horrible death.¡±


    Although he was not good at socializing, he was still quite reliable. Zhang Yuanqing pretended to look at the scenery and followed Ou Xiangrong and Xu Yingying from afar with the help of the crowd.


    ¡°Chief and Sister Guan Ya can¡¯t be contacted. Are they deployed near Songhai?¡± Zhang Yuanqing asked expectantly.


    ¡°No, Xu Yingying is just an ordinary female university student. She has no value. This Ou Xiangrong¡­ is already a little mentally unstable.¡± Wang Tai said, ¡°Your female classmate is going to die.¡±


    Given Ou Xiangrong¡¯s cruelty, he would definitely not leave anyone alive.


    At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing saw Ou Xiangrong ¡°hugging¡± Xu Yingying as they entered the underground parking garage of the complex.


    They walked down the steep downward slope and disappeared from sight.


    ¡°They went into the garage. We¡¯ll talk later. Let the rest of the team know as soon as you


    can.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, Zhang Yuanqing hung up.


    This place was secluded. He could not use passersby as a shield like before. If he followed them into the underground parking garage, he would definitely be noticed.


    Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a few seconds before taking off his backpack and throwing it into the greenery by the roadside. Then, he activated the power of Great Yin in his body, and the illusory black fog exploded with a bang. His figure was forcefully erased.


    After casting Night Travel, he sprinted into the underground parking garage.


    With the red dancing shoes and the Night Travel skill, even if he couldn¡¯t defeat Ou Xiangrong, he could escape.


    It was worth the risk.


    Although Xu Yingying was a snobbish woman, she was still alive now.


    If he could, Zhang Yuanqing would not leave her to die. Besides, Ou Xiangrong was a mentally ill fellow. The sooner he was dealt with, the sooner there would be peace.


    He did not need to deliberately hide his footsteps, because the state of Night Travel could cover the sounds he made and even the heat of his body.


    As soon as he rushed into the underground parking garage, he heard Xu Yingying¡¯s trembling voice.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know where the thing you¡¯re looking for is. I¡¯m only with Zhao Yingjun for his money. If he gives me $4,000 every month, I¡¯ll be his girlfriend¡­¡±


    $4,000? That¡¯s the amount I got before I became an official employee. This money is too easy to earn¡­


    Zhang Yuanqing looked in the direction of the voice.


    The back of a black sedan was against the wall. Xu Yingying was standing against the wall in shock. Ou Xiangrong was standing to one side with a blade in his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know, don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know¡­¡± Ou Xiangrong¡¯s eyes were fierce as he shouted crazily.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one last chance. Did Zhao Yingjun give you any information about the Holy Grail or the register?¡±


    ¡°I, I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± Xu Yingying¡¯s eyes were red and tears rolled down her cheeks.


    Ou Xiangrong was silent for a few seconds, his tired sigh echoing through the underground parking garage.


    His pupils lit up with scarlet light, and his expression under the mask became ferocious and crazy.

 Chapter 37 - First Battle (2)

    Chapter 37 First Battle (2)


    Sounding crazy, he murmured: ¡°I gave you a chance, but you¡¯re useless. I gave you a chance, but you¡¯re useless¡­¡±


    Ou Xiangrong¡¯s callused hand grabbed Xu Yingying¡¯s fair neck, and his thick arm lifted her up. Xu Yingying¡¯s face instantly turned red, then purple. Her legs kicked wildly, and her eyes rolled back.


    He grinned with pleasure, then raised the tip of the blade and pressed it against Xu¡¯s chest.


    Just as he was about to send the tip of the blade into this woman¡¯s heart, suddenly, the intuition of the Bewitching Demon sent him a signal of danger. The cold hair on the back of his hand suddenly stood up.


    There was no one nearby, no movement or any anomaly.


    Despite that, he felt a chill run down his spine. The unpredictable danger was closing in, enveloping him.


    Spirit Realm Walker!


    The experienced Ou Xiangrong immediately realized that he had been targeted by a Spirit Realm Walker. He grabbed Xu Yingying¡¯s neck and threw her backward by feel.


    Crack! Xu Yingying fell heavily to the ground, rolled a few meters, and fainted.


    Seeing that his attacker had failed to save the woman, Ou Xiangrong stumbled back. At the same time, he swung the willow blade in front of him.


    The razor-sharp blade sliced through the air in a snow-white arc. There was a sharp ping in the void ahead and a blinding spark.


    He had cut into the man¡¯s weapon.


    Ou Xiangrong relied on the feeling of the collision of weapons to determine the enemy¡¯s position. He immediately expanded his leg muscles and bent his knees as if he was on a spring.


    There was a dull thud, and Ou Xiangrong felt a solid blow in his knees. He heard his attacker grunt.


    Then, someone ¡°flew¡± out of the void. A young college student in sports pants and baseball jerseys. He had good features and a sunny temperament. He held a bronze staff that was half an arm long.


    ¡°A Night Wanderer?¡±


    Ou Xiangrong understood in an instant why last night¡¯s siege had come so quickly.


    He understood the cause of his near-death experience.


    In his state of mind, ferocity and hatred flashed in his eyes, and he felt a strong desire to kill and take revenge on the Night Wanderer in front of him.


    Ou Xiangrong rose into the air with the willow blade in his hand. The powerful bounce allowed him to cross a dozen meters and pounce viciously on the still-rolling university student.


    as a


    e


    a


    His arrogance was as fierce as a humanoid Tyrannosaurus.


    Seeing this scene, Zhang Yuanqing almost shouted, ¡®Sorry to disturb you. Please spare my life!¡¯


    He did not try to get up. Instead, he continued to roll along with the inertia. At the same time, he lured the power of Great Yin and entered the Night Travel state again.


    As he rolled, he suddenly disappeared from Ou Xiangrong¡¯s vision. The Bewitching Demon had lost his target.


    After dodging the attack, Zhang Yuanqing, who was in his invisible state, arched his back and ran to a white car on the left. He leaned against the wheel and panted heavily.


    The knee strike had almost stopped his heart.


    ¡°It hurts so much¡­¡±


    The pain in his chest also made his face turn pale. Even breathing hurt. Fortunately, the Night Wanderer had a strong vitality and considerable self-healing ability. This small injury would quickly recover.


    However, Zhang Yuanqing also realized the difference in strength between the two sides through the exchange just now.


    This Bewitching Demon had sharp intuition and rich combat experience. Moreover, his physical strength was extremely powerful. He seemed to have a close-combat class.


    Then he heard a thud. Ou Xiangrong had leaped onto the roof of a black sedan a few yards away.


    Ou Xiangrong¡¯s ruthless eyes swept the underground parking garage. His tone was cold.


    ¡°The Night Wanderer of the Supreme Solitary Sect shouldn¡¯t be in Songhai. Are you the Night Wanderer of the Five Elements Alliance?¡±


    ¡°Hmph, a mere Level 1 Night Wanderer actually dared to sneak attack me. Let me think. A Level 1 Night Travel skill can¡¯t last for more than twenty seconds. How long can you hide?¡±


    Ou Xiangrong was very sure that the other party was a Level 1 Night Wanderer. If he was a Level 2, he would not have gained the upper hand in the exchange just now.


    If it was Level 3, he would be the one escaping now.


    He was severely injured and weak, so it was impossible for him to defeat the Night Wanderer who was at the same level as him. The Night Wanderer was the same as the Bewitching Demon. They were both top-notch classes.


    Twenty seconds? You think too highly of me. I can¡¯t last more than ten seconds¡­ Zhang Yuanqing hid beside the wheel, holding his breath.


    ¡°This guy is ridiculously strong, and he hasn¡¯t even used the Bewitching Demon¡¯s skills. Let me think about the Bewitching Demon¡¯s abilities¡­¡±


    He recalled the information about the Bewitching Demon in the official forum.


    This kind of evil class had a powerful killing ability in the Transcendent Stage. After killing someone, they would enter a berserk state and gain greater strength.


    In addition, once a battle broke out between the two sides, the Bewitching Demons could mark the other party in a special way. Even if their prey escaped, they would still pursue them relentlessly.


    Finally, there was the core ability of the Transcendent Stage-Bewitchment!


    Bewitchment was a mental control skill. It was released on its own and coupled with a super strong close combat ability, it was simply invincible.


    Soon, the ten seconds were over and he was forced out of concealment.


    In the next moment, the whistling sound of air being torn sounded in his ears. Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s heart skipped a beat and knew that Ou Xiangrong¡¯s attack had arrived.


    He did not even dare to look as he threw himself forward and rolled, turning invisible again.


    Clunk!


    A deep dent was created in the white sedan¡¯s body by the whipping leg. The alarm echoed shrilly.


    Ou Xiangrong glanced around coldly, keeping his guard up while provoking the other party with his words.


    ¡°From the looks of it, you¡¯re a student at Songhai University, right? Do you know that to a Spirit Realm Walker, exposing your identity means harming your family? After knowing that you¡¯re a student, I can take some time to slowly find you and kill you before exterminating your entire family.¡±


    With that, Ou Xiangrong gripped the willow blade in his hand and counted down silently, waiting for the rookie to show himself or attack.


    What a lunatic¡­ Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s heart sank.


    Although he knew that the other party was goading him, he had to admit that he was starting to get angry. He did feel a strong sense of threat.


    Zhang Yuanqing hid in the back of the other car, his mind racing as he thought of a way to deal with the enemy.


    ¡°This guy¡¯s instincts are scary. If I can¡¯t kill him in one hit, I don¡¯t want to risk a sneak attack. But I can¡¯t stay hidden forever. My physical strength will support me for two more uses of Night Travel at most. After that, I¡¯ll have to escape. The authorities won¡¯t be able to get here in time.¡±


    ¡°If I let this guy escape, Grandma and the others will be in danger.¡±


    an


    ¡°The three skills of the Bewitching Demon are Berserk, Mark, and Bewitchment. The first one is useless if he doesn¡¯t kill. As for the second, I¡¯m probably already marked, but the Night Travel blocks his senses.¡±


    ¡°What I really have to fear is his close combat ability and Bewitchment skill. Sigh, if only it was nighttime¡­¡±


    As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Zhang Yuanqing had already formulated a plan.


    That was to let the red dancing shoes be the main damage dealer while the useless owner assisted from the side, waiting for an opportunity to launch a sneak attack.


    It was a good opportunity to test the power of this rule-type tool.


    Bang!


    Ou Xiangrong leaped onto the roof of the car again and looked down at the underground parking garage.


    He counted down silently and waited for the enemy to leave his Night Travel state. Suddenly, he heard strange footsteps behind him.


    This sudden sound of footsteps echoed in the empty garage, causing even the experienced Ou Xiangrong to feel a chill. He reflexively turned back with his blade and assumed a defensive posture.


    Then he saw the source of the strange footsteps.


    It was a brand-new pair of Western-style red dancing shoes. They landed together in the empty, quiet space three meters away from him, like someone invisible was wearing them for a walk on the spot.


    This scene was so sinister and terrifying that ordinary people¡¯s legs would go weak and they would scream.


    ¡°A spiritual-type tool?¡±


    As Ou Xiangrong saw the red dancing shoes, a message came into view:


    [Will you dance with me? If so, please stay put.)

 Chapter 38 - Kill (1)

    Chapter 38 Kill (1)


    Dance? Ou Xiangrong froze, unable to think straight.


    This spiritual-type tool actually invited him to dance.


    Ou Xiangrong sneered. Of course, he could not dance with the enemy¡¯s dancing shoes in battle. He immediately bit the tip of his tongue and spat blood at the edge of the willow blade.


    As an experienced Spirit Realm Walker and an evil class, he had fought many Night Wanderers and knew the skill characteristics of this class.


    Spiritual-type tools were famous for their strangeness. Ou Xiangrong had once been pestered by a spiritual-type tool for several days and was very difficult to deal with.


    However, the flaw was also obvious. The actual lethality was slightly lacking. In addition, spiritual-type tools were generally afraid of things with strong Yang energy. For example, this kind of tool that was suspected to be a parasitic vengeful spirit could be suppressed by blood.


    It was not a big problem.


    The red dancing shoes, which had landed together, waited for a few seconds. When they saw that the human in front of them was unwilling to dance with them, they seemed to be angry. A dark red glimmer appeared on the sides of the shoes and they rushed towards Ou Xiangrong with a rapid clatter.


    Ou Xiangrong remained motionless as he waited for the red dancing shoe to approach. As it leaped toward the front of the car to attack him, he calmly swung his willow blade, trying to severely injure the vengeful spirit residing in the shoe.


    However, when the blade cut through the dancing shoes, it did not feel like it had hit something real. These strange red dancing shoes seemed to be in another time and space and did not exist in reality.


    Bang! Bang!


    The next moment, Ou Xiangrong was kicked twice in the chest and face.


    He experienced the pain that had stopped Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s heart and made it difficult for him to breathe. At the same time, his face burned with pain and warm liquid flowed from his nose.


    This is not a tool for the Night Wanderer class¡­ Ou Xiangrong was stunned and confused.


    ¡°Power of the void?¡±


    The characteristics of this tool looked a little like a foreign country¡¯s class. How could a Level 1 Night Wanderer have a foreign class


    tool?


    There was no time to think. In Ou Xiangrong¡¯s vision, the strange dancing shoes changed direction and trampled him again.


    He didn¡¯t bother to wipe the blood from his nose. He put his arms across his chest and, with two loud thumps, sent the Bewitching Demon tumbling off the roof of the car.


    Ou threw himself forward, sprinting, rolling, and using the vehicles to dodge and weave through the spacious underground garage. He avoided most of the trampling of the red dancing shoes.


    However, he was still unlucky enough to be stepped on several times. Every step caused him immense pain. The injuries left behind by the intense battle last night acted up, and his organs were bleeding.


    So, so strong¡­ The useless master, Zhang Yuanqing, was stunned as he watched the battle of the red dancing shoes.


    Once again, he saw the power and horror of rule-type tools.


    Its pursuit could not be broken or interrupted. The target could only passively endure its pursuit unless its rule was overcome, and that was to dance.


    In battle, that wasn¡¯t practical. Even if Ou Xiangrong gave in to the red dancing shoes and forced himself to tap-dance in shame, Zhang Yuanqing would intervene and cause a mistake in his dance.


    If the dance went wrong, everything would be for nothing.


    However, Zhang Yuanqing also had a clear understanding of the power of the Bewitching Demon. With the stepping power of the red dancing shoes, Ou Xiangrong could actually withstand it.


    His body was terrifyingly tough.


    ¡°Ou Xiangrong won¡¯t wait for death foolishly. When he realizes that he can only be beaten passively and can¡¯t fight back, he will definitely choose to escape¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing was clear-headed. He had to launch a sneak attack before the other party escaped.


    He did not want to kill the enemy, but he had to stall this murderer.


    Bang! Bang! Ou Xiangrong couldn¡¯t dodge in time again and was kicked twice in the face by the red dancing shoes. He staggered back and his vision went black and he was dizzy.


    Chance!


    Zhang Yuanqing darted out like a cheetah. He grabbed the Demon Subduing Staff and ran wildly. He ran in an arc and circled behind Ou Xiangrong


    He swung the Demon Subduing Staff to his back.


    Buzz!


    Suddenly, a dense white light blocked the three-edged spike of the Demon Subduing Staff.


    This power came from the bronze waist token that Ou Xiangrong held tightly in his left hand. An ancient waist token covered in cracks and blood, like the item of a veteran soldier.


    This was Zhao Yingjun¡¯s defensive tool.


    ¡°Defensive tool?¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing, who had failed in his sneak attack, felt a chill in his heart. He took a wrong step and circled around Ou Xiangrong. The Demon Subduing Staff in his hand struck the white light wall again and again, creating ripples of light.


    This time, with the red dancing shoes as cover, he wasn¡¯t beaten instantly by the Bewitching Demon. He narrowly avoided several blades and punches.


    Crack!


    Finally, under the high-frequency blows of the Demon Subduing Staff and the red dancing shoes, the bronze waist token shattered into pieces, and the white light dissipated into light fragments.


    At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s Night Travel ended and his body appeared.


    Ou Xiangrong seemed to have been waiting for this moment. Scarlet appeared in his eyes, and twisted and evil runes surfaced.


    Bewitchment!


    Zhang Yuanqing¡¯s mind exploded. He lost the ability to think as if he had forgotten that he was in the middle of a battle. At the same time, a voice echoed in his head: Put down your weapon, don¡¯t resist. Put down your weapon, don¡¯t resist¡­


    Ou Xiangrong grinned hideously and slashed his willow blade at the neck of the young Night Wanderer.


    He¡¯d rather take the brunt of that terrible pair of dancing shoes than use this defensive tool for the sole purpose of waiting for the Night Wanderer to strike first.


    This tool from the Scout class was already half damaged. If it was used early, it would at most resist the dancing shoes for a moment before being completely damaged.


    He might as well endure it and deliberately expose a flaw to lure the other party into taking the initiative to attack.


    As he had expected, this young Night Wanderer lacked experience and could not keep his cool. He had indeed been fooled.

 Chapter 39 - Kill (2)

    Chapter 39 Kill (2)


    However, just before the blade cut across the young Night Wanderer¡¯s neck, Ou Xiangrong saw the other party¡¯s body suddenly lowering. The willow blade brushed past his scalp and cut off a few strands of hair.


    The pair of red dancing shoes that had been chasing him had somehow found their way onto Night Wanderer¡¯s feet and forced him into a horse stance, avoiding a slit throat.


    At the same time, the eyes of the Night Wanderer, who should have been bewitched, lit up with golden light. He instantly escaped from his dazed state and bounced his legs, knocking himself hard against Ou Xiangrong.


    Ou Xiangrong did not expect this at all. A mere Level 1 Night Wanderer was able to escape his bewitchment.


    At this moment, he was still in the posture of brandishing his blade, unable to restrain his strength. He could only watch helplessly as the bronze staff stabbed towards his chest.


    ¡°Poof!¡±


    Flesh tore, and the Demon Subduing Staff¡¯s tip erupted with a brilliant golden light that burned away the life in his chest.


    Ou Xiangrong¡¯s vision went dark, and he almost fainted from the pain. However, he was still a battle-hardened Bewitching Demon. In the midst of his death, he unleashed his potential. His right arm pulled back, dragging the willow blade towards the Night Wanderer¡¯s throat.


    At the same time, he tensed the muscles of his left arm and flicked his elbow joint, allowing his left fist to transform into a large spear filled with power. He stabbed at his enemy¡¯s shoulder.


    Zhang Yuanqing suddenly raised his head and dodged the sharp blade that cut his throat. Immediately, Ou Xiangrong¡¯s punch hit his shoulder and sent him flying like a sandbag.


    Clunk!


    Zhang Yuanqing slammed into a commercial vehicle, causing the windows to crack. Before he could land, he was erased inch by inch and disappeared from Ou Xiangrong¡¯s vision.


    He slipped back into his Night Travel mode.


    Ou Xiangrong didn¡¯t look at him. He staggered toward Xu Yingying.


    His heart had been destroyed. The only thing that could save him now was the blood essence of the living. He needed to kill to enter the berserk state.


    Then, he would rush out of the underground garage and bathe the campus in blood. With the bloodthirsty characteristics of a Bewitching Demon, he would repair his injuries and reverse life and death.


    However, this way, his moral value would definitely drop below 60. He would be wanted by the Spirit Realm and surrounded by all the Spirit Realm Walkers in the city. However, he could not care less now.


    Tap¡­ Tap¡­ Tap¡­


    Two dark red lights appeared out of thin air and transformed into a new pair of red dancing shoes to kill Ou Xiangrong.


    To Ou Xiangrong, the footsteps sounded like a death knell. It was the sigh of the reaper and the judgment of Hades.


    Bang! Bang!


    Ou Xiangrong was trampled in the face. His face was a bloody mess and he fell backward uncontrollably, but at the last moment, Ou Xiangrong threw out the willow blade.


    The sharp weapon, which was forty centimeters long, turned into a silver light and shot towards Xu Yingying in the distance.


    He stared hard at the blade.


    Ding!


    Suddenly, sparks flew. The willow blade was knocked away by a bronze staff that extended out of the void. A figure appeared beside Xu Yingying


    It was Zhang Yuanqing.


    Seeing this, the hope in Ou Xiangrong¡¯s eyes turned to despair and indignation.


    At this moment, the red dancing shoes descended from the sky and trampled his face. They crushed the bridge of his nose and cracked his lips. Two eyeballs shot out.


    Ou Xiangrong¡¯s limbs spasmed a few times before his life force was completely extinguished.


    Zhang Yuanqing sat down beside Xu Yingying and let out a long breath as if he was exhausted.


    At this moment, his chest was churning with anger, and his limbs were trembling.


    It wasn¡¯t fear. It was the euphoria that came with a surge of adrenaline. When people were in danger and in desperate need of self-preservation, adrenaline pumped through them like crazy. In this state, people could kill without blinking an eye.


    The battle plan was a success.


    Before fighting this battle, he had already thought it through very clearly. The only thing he needed to avoid was the other party¡¯s Bewitchment skill. Therefore, before he decided to launch a sneak attack, he had already made a sacrifice to the Demon Subduing Staff.


    One of the functions of the Demon Subduing Staff was purification.


    The second form of the red dancing shoe was what he relied on to fight in close quarters. It did help him avoid the fatal throat-cutting attack.


    Mark, Bewitchment, Berserk, close combat¡­ He had calculated all of Ou Xiangrong¡¯s abilities and targeted him. If he still couldn¡¯t win, Zhang Yuanqing felt that there was no point in living.


    After panting for a few minutes, Zhang Yuanqing calmed down and heard a Spirit Realm notification.


    (Ding! You have killed a Level 3 Bewitching Demon. You have received 30 moral value points and 15 reputation points. Reputation unlocked.]


    Zhang Yuanqing was stunned. He quickly opened the character attributes panel and found that there was an additional Reputation column.


    Reputation? Killing Spirit Realm Walkers from the opposing faction would reward Reputation? As an old gamer, he was no stranger to Reputation, but he did not know what it was for in the Spirit Realm.


    Zhang Yuanqing thought about it and decided to ignore it for now. He would log into the official forum to check.


    Compared to the Reputation reward of the Spirit Realm, the spoils of war in reality were more important to him.


    He got up and walked over to Ou Xiangrong¡¯s body. He kicked his eyeballs under the car and dragged the body into the shadows in the corner.


    A careful search of the body revealed a phone and a wallet.


    The phone was one of those old-fashioned phones that could only make calls. The wallet, on the other hand, was bulging. He opened it and saw a wad of hundred-dollar bills and a fake ID.


    Zhang Yuanqing counted carefully. ¡°As a wanted criminal, you only have hundreds of dollars on you. Are you serious¡­¡±


    Confiscated! He pulled the money out and raced it into his pocket.


    Then he stepped to the far side and picked up the sharp willow blade.


    The moment he touched the weapon, a message came into view:


    [Name: Bloodthirsty Blade] [Type: Weapon]


    (Function: Bleeding, Bloodlust, Armor Break]


    [Introduction: A powerful Bewitching Demon fed this saber with his blood essence. As time passed, it became extremely bloodthirsty. Its blade can cut through hardened steel, and the wounds it cuts are very difficult to heal. It will absorb the blood essence of its prey and feedback it to its master, making him even stronger.]


    (Remarks: A blade that doesn¡¯t want to cut its master is not a good blade.]


    ¡°This blade looks very impressive. If I had let it kill Xu Yingying just now, Ou Xiangrong would have been able to obtain the weapon¡¯s nourishment¡­ Fortunately, I was careful and guarded Xu Yingying.¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing ran back to Ou Xiangrong¡¯s body and removed the scabbard from his lower back. He equipped himself, then sheathed the Bloodthirsty Blade.


    This blade was currently still ownerless so it was very easy to make it recognize him as its master. He just had to put it in his inventory.


    However, Zhang Yuanqing did not want to accept it yet because the [Remarks) in the item information made him a little flustered.


    The Bloodthirsty Blade should belong to the price-type category. That line of remarks was the price to use it.


    Combined with the introduction of the blade, Zhang Yuanqing could roughly guess what the price of the blade was. There were only two possibilities.


    One, whoever obtained the blade would be cursed and eventually die tragically.


    Two, this blade required the owner to feed it with blood essence regularly. This was the most likely possibility.


    Feed it blood essence? A Demon Subduing Staff has already made me anemic. If I add this Bloodthirsty Blade, how can I live?


    At this moment, Zhang Yuanqing saw the red dancing shoes click over to him. They landed together and a message appeared:


    (Will you dance with me? If so, please stay


    put.]


    Only then did he remember that he had not put this tool back into his inventory. He was about to refuse and take back the tool when he suddenly received a Spirit Realm notification in his mind.


    [Note that the tool requires a dance every time it is used. If you refuse, the red dancing shoes will no longer acknowledge you and will hunt you down.]


    Zhang Yuanqing opened his mouth in surprise. This was the first time he had used the red dancing shoes in reality after subduing them. He did not expect that he would have to pay such a price to use this rule-type tool.


    Kill me if I don¡¯t dance? That¡¯s too much¡­ Zhang Yuanqing stood up with a smile. ¡°My pleasure.¡±


    Soon there was a sharp tap-tap sound in the empty, quiet parking garage.


    This time, Zhang Yuanqing did not trigger his old illness. Instead, he completed a dance with his superhuman physique, but the dance steps were constantly wrong.


    Fortunately, as the master, he was not attacked by red dancing shoes.


    After the dance, the red dancing shoes stepped back on her right foot, stood on tiptoe, and curtsied.


    As soon as he put the red dancing shoes back into his inventory, he heard hurried footsteps coming down the steep slope.


    Turning toward the sound, he saw Li Dongze leading Guan Ya and seven or eight unfamiliar Spirit Realm Walkers into the underground garage.


    Some of them were armed with guns, some with knives, some with cats¡­ they were fully armed.


    Fortunately, he had already finished dancing¡­ Zhang Yuanqing was extremely glad.

 Chapter 40 - Concealment (1)

    Chapter 40 Concealment (1)


    Figures moved at the entrance to the underground parking garage.


    With a cane in one hand and a gun in the other, Li Dongze rushed into the underground parking garage and quickly scanned the scene with his sharp eyes.


    He first saw the unconscious Xu Yingying, then the less obvious bloodstains on the ground and a few damaged private cars. As a Scout, it was not difficult for Li Dongze to tell that there had been a short and dangerous battle here.


    Xu Yingying wasn¡¯t dead, which meant that the situation wasn¡¯t at its worst yet.


    The Spirit Realm Walkers scanned the scene with equal vigilance and speed. Immediately, they saw a figure walk out from the shadows of the back of the car.


    Instantly, everyone instinctively turned their guns toward him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shoot, it¡¯s me¡­¡±


    Zhang Yuanqing quickly raised his hands and sized up the Spirit Realm Walkers besides Guan Ya and Li Dongze.


    The muscular man in the gym suit looked like a gym instructor. He was at least six feet tall, his muscles bulging with power. He wore red half-finger gloves.


    The beautiful woman in the ink painting cheongsam had her hair tied up in a classic bun. She had a graceful figure and looked quite old, but her face was fair and exquisite without any wrinkles.


    The middle-aged man in the miner¡¯s hat and dark brown construction clothes was dark-skinned and weathered.


    The young woman in the white racing suit had an oval face, fair skin, thick eyebrows, and a heroic spirit. She held a long black blade in her hand.


    The other two armed men had no special temperament or appearance.


    When they saw Zhang Yuanqing emerge from the shadows, Li Dongze and Guan Ya¡¯s tense expressions relaxed visibly, as if relieved.


    After the meeting ended, they received a call from Wang Tai saying that Primordial Beginning had discovered Ou Xiangrong at Songhai University. He had kidnapped Xu Yingying and was up to no good. Li Dongze and Guan Ya were shocked. They immediately called the captains who had yet to disperse and rushed to Songhai University.


    Along the way, Li Dongze¡¯s face was tense and his heart was heavy. He was afraid that Primordial Beginning would attack recklessly.


    After newcomers became Spirit Realm Walkers, they would often become arrogant when they experienced extraordinary power for the first time. Coupled with their shallow experience and lack of knowledge, it was easy for them to get carried away.


    Seeing that Zhang Yuanqing was safe and sound, both of them heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Is he the Night Wanderer?¡±


    The impatient Big Muscle first asked Li Dongze a question. After getting an affirmative answer, he looked around the underground parking garage and asked in a rough voice, ¡°Kid, where¡¯s Ou Xiangrong? Which way did he escape?¡±


    In his opinion, a Level 3 Bewitching Demon was not something a Level 1 Night Wanderer could deal with. It was obvious that after a short exchange, Ou Xiangrong fled hurriedly in fear of the other Official Spirit Realm Walkers.


    If Ou Xiangrong had not fled for a long time, if he pursued now, he might be able to catch him with his scout¡¯s tracking ability.


    Li Dongze, Guan Ya, and a few other captains stared at Zhang Yuanqing, waiting for his answer.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t escape!¡± said Zhang Yuanqing.


    He didn¡¯t escape? Everyone felt a chill as they raised their guns and looked around in surprise and alarm.


    Then they heard the rookie, who was just starting out, point to the shadows behind him and say, ¡°I took him out.¡±


    What did he say? The Fire Master almost dug his ears, wondering if there was something wrong with his hearing. He immediately lost his temper and said in a muffled voice, ¡°Don¡¯t joke with me. This is not an occasion for you to show off your humor.¡±


    Li Dongze and the others were also stunned. Then they frowned and looked at Zhang Yuanqing with more caution.


    Why are you so fierce? Can¡¯t you speak nicely? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re from the Crimson Fire Gang¡­ Zhang Yuanqing explained patiently,


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying. His body was in the back of the car. Go over there and see for yourself if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Big Muscle looked that way. The columns protruding from the wall formed intersecting shadows with the body of the car. He couldn¡¯t see into the corner from his position.


    He immediately went over to check.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± The middle-aged man in the miner¡¯s hat stepped forward. He glanced at Zhang Yuanqing and said to the burly man, ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    Big Muscle saw his colleague¡¯s grave expression and seemed to remember something. He looked warily at Zhang Yuanqing and nodded.


    Zhang Yuanqing noticed that Li Dongze and Guan Ya were looking a little strange. The others were looking at him with undisguised wariness.


    At this moment, the middle-aged man in the miner¡¯s hat approached the back of the car slowly but steadily. Then he stared blankly somewhere, his eyes widening in shock.


    ¡°Boss Tang?¡±


    Big Muscle felt a chill when he saw the stunned look on his companion¡¯s face. His upper muscles suddenly swelled, ready to attack.


    The captains immediately became vigilant.


    Tang Guoqiang looked like he had been bewitched.


    But soon, they saw Tang Guoqiang ¡°recovering¡±. He leaned over and dragged a corpse out into the spotlight.


    The corpse was wearing baggy camouflage pants, a black vest, and a black jacket. The face was a bloody mess, and the eye sockets were empty, but the facial features were vaguely recognizable.


    It was indeed Ou Xiangrong. The underground parking garage fell silent as everyone stared blankly at Ou Xiangrong¡¯s body.


    Li Dongze¡¯s expression changed from serious to stunned. He muttered to himself, ¡°Oh my God, oh my God¡­¡±


    Guan Ya looked at the body and then at Zhang Yuanqing. Then she thought of something and looked thoughtful.


    A beautiful woman in an ink-painted cheongsam walked over quickly in high heels. She stopped by the corpse and examined it carefully before pursing her lips.


    ¡°It is indeed Ou Xiangrong.¡±


    Can¡¯t wait read MTL here ¨C> https://readmtl.com/novel/spirit-walker/


    (Start from chapter 33 if you want to continue reading)