Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 1: The Gift

Songhai City. At 7:30 in the morning, in a dimly lit room, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly jolted awake on a soft, plush bed, clutching his head and curling up like a shrimp. His head felt as if it were about to split open; it was as though steel needles had been embedded in his skull. The pain caused his scalp to twitch, leading to auditory and visual hallucinations. Chaotic images flashed through his mind, and his ears were filled with chaotic, meaningless noise. Zhang Yuanqing knew his old condition had flared up again. He staggered out of bed, pulled open the nightstand drawer, fumbled shakily for the medicine bottle, eagerly unscrewed the cap, poured out five or six small blue pills, and swallowed them whole. Then he flung himself back onto the bed, gasping for breath as he endured the excruciating pain. A dozen or so seconds later, the soul-shredding headache subsided and eventually eased. “Phew…” Zhang Yuanqing exhaled with a sense of relief, his forehead covered in cold sweat. When he was in high school, he contracted a strange illness. The symptoms included his brain uncontrollably recalling all past memories—including long-forgotten trivial details—as well as uncontrollably gathering and analyzing external information; his brain’s control over his body reached an incredible degree. Fortunately, this state could not last long; it would eventually be interrupted because his body could not withstand the strain. It was precisely because of this ability that he had breezed into Songhai University—a prestigious institution ranked among the nation’s top universities. Zhang Yuanqing referred to this state as “brain overload.” He believed he might be evolving into a superhuman, but the frequent interruptions occurred because his body couldn’t sustain this evolution. When he shared this theory with his doctor, the doctor said he didn’t understand it but was deeply shocked, and suggested he see the psychiatrist downstairs. In the end, the hospital couldn’t pinpoint the cause of his condition. Later, his mom brought him a special medication from abroad, and only then was his condition brought under control; as long as he took the medicine regularly, he wouldn’t have any episodes. “It must be because I didn’t get enough rest last night—I’m just too tired. It’s all Jiang Yuer’s fault; she insisted on coming to my room in the middle of the night to play video games...” Although he said this out loud, his heart was quietly heavy, because Zhang Yuanqing knew that the medication’s effectiveness was beginning to wane, and his condition was growing increasingly severe. “I’ll have to increase the dosage from now on...” Zhang Yuanqing slipped on his cotton slippers, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtains with a swift motion. Sunlight poured in, filling the room. It was April in Songhai City—the spring sunshine was bright, and the morning breeze blowing in was cool and refreshing. “Knock, knock!” Just then, a knock came at the door, and his grandmother called out from outside “Yuanzi, time to get up.” “No way!” Zhang Yuanqing refused coldly and ruthlessly; he wanted to sleep in. With the beautiful spring weather and it being the weekend, 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 water on you to wake you up.” His grandmother was even more ruthless. “Okay, okay...” Zhang Yuanqing immediately backed down. He knew his hot-tempered grandmother was actually capable of doing just that. When Zhang Yuanqing was still in elementary school, his father died in a car accident. His strong-willed mother never remarried; she brought her son back to Songhai to settle down and left him in the care of his maternal grandparents. She threw herself into her career, becoming a successful career woman whom her relatives all praised. Later, his mother bought her own apartment, but Zhang Yuanqing didn’t like that spacious, empty flat, so he continued living with his maternal grandparents. After all, his mom left early and came home late every day, went on business trips every few days, and devoted herself entirely to her career. Even on weekends when she wasn’t working overtime, she’d order takeout when it was time to eat. The thing she told her son most often was, “Do you have enough money? If not, tell Mom.” Having a career-driven mother who could financially provide for him without limit sounded great. But Zhang Yuanqing would always smile and tell his mother, “The pocket money Grandma and my aunt give me is enough.” Well, and from his aunt, too. The woman who insisted on coming to his room last night to play video games was his aunt. Zhang Yuanqing yawned, turned the doorknob to his bedroom, and walked into the living room. This apartment at his grandmother’s house, including common areas, was 150 square meters. Zhang Yuanqing remembered that when they sold their old house to buy this new one, the price was over 40,000 per square meter. Six or seven years have passed, and property prices in this neighborhood have now risen to 110,000 per square meter—nearly double what they were. It was a good thing his grandfather had had the foresight back then; if they’d kept the old house, Zhang Yuanqing would have had to sleep in the living room—after all, he was all grown up now and couldn’t share a bed with his aunt anymore. At the long dining table by the living room, the very source of his headache was slurping her porridge, her pink slippers bobbing up and down under the table. She had delicate, beautiful features; her round, oval face looked quite sweet, and there was a tear mole at the corner of her right eye. Having just woken up, her voluminous, tousled waves hung loosely around her, lending her an air of lazy allure. His aunt’s name was Jiang Yuerr, and she was four years older than him. When she saw Zhang Yuanqing come out, Auntie licked a bit of porridge from the corner of her mouth and exclaimed in surprise “Wow, up this early? That’s not like you.” “That’s all thanks to your mom.” “Why are you swearing at me?” “I’m just telling it like it is.” Zhang Yuanqing gazed at his aunt’s beautiful, flower-like face—she looked full of energy, radiant, and captivating. They say the night never shortchanges those who stay up late—it may give you dark circles under your eyes, but that rule doesn’t seem to apply to the woman standing before him. Grandma in the kitchen heard the commotion, poked her head out to take a look, and a moment later emerged carrying a bowl of congee. Her jet-black hair was streaked with silver, and her gaze was sharp—she was clearly the kind of elderly woman with a fiery temper. Although her sagging skin and faint wrinkles had robbed her of her former radiance, one could still vaguely make out that she had been quite attractive in her youth. Zhang Yuanqing took the porridge from his grandmother, gulped down a mouthful, and asked “Where’s Grandpa?” “He’s out for a walk,” Grandma said. Grandpa was a retired detective; even in his old age, he maintained a very regular routine—he went to bed at 10 p. m. sharp every night and woke up at 6 a. m. Her pretty aunt sipped her porridge and said with a smile “After breakfast, I’ll take you to the mall to buy some clothes.” “Are you really that kind?” Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to agree, Grandma, sitting next to him, shot him a murderous glare “If you dare go, I’ll break your legs.” “Mom, why are you being like this?” My aunt said with a sassy smirk. “I just want to buy Yuanzi a few spring outfits—is that so wrong? He may be my ‘outsider’ nephew, but he’s still family, after all~” Grandma’s response cut through all arguments: “Do you want your legs broken too?” His aunt pouted and lowered her head to slurp her porridge. As soon as Zhang Yuanqing overheard the mother-daughter standoff, he knew his grandmother had surely set up another blind date for his aunt, and his mischievous aunt was trying to drag him along to stir things up. That’s how it always went: she’d bring her nephew to the blind date, sit there for a few minutes, and her socially adept nephew would win over the date in no time. The two men would hit it off, chatting about everything from the state of the nation to the global landscape—and she’d be completely left out of the conversation. All she had to do was sip her drink and scroll through her phone, while the suitor would feel pleased with himself, convinced he’d demonstrated sufficient social experience and insight in front of such a beauty. Jiang Yuerr had been delicate and adorable since childhood, the envy of the neighborhood. With her striking looks, sweet and well-behaved nature, she was a favorite among the elders. With such a beautiful granddaughter, her grandmother naturally kept a tight watch over her. As early as middle school, she was repeatedly warned against early romance and going out with male classmates. Her youngest daughter certainly didn’t disappoint her; she didn’t have a boyfriend until she graduated from college. But once she entered the workforce—especially after turning 25 earlier this year—her grandmother started to get a little restless. She thought to herself, “I just didn’t want you to date too young—I didn’t mean for you to end up as a ‘leftover woman.’ How many years of youth does a woman really have?” So she rounded up her old friends and scoured far and wide for information on promising young men, arranging blind dates for her daughter. “Grandma, she clearly isn’t ready to date yet. You can’t force a relationship—it won’t work if she’s not into it,” Zhang Yuanqing said, munching on a steamed bun as he volunteered “Why don’t you set me up on a blind date instead? I’m a real catch.” Grandma snapped, “You’re still young—what’s the rush? You’re surrounded by female classmates at college—can’t you find someone yourself? If you keep causing trouble, I’ll beat you.” Grandma was a woman from the south, but her temper was anything but gentle—she was particularly fiery. Not even Zhang Yuanqing’s mother—a career-driven powerhouse—dared to talk back to her. “I’m all grown up now, okay? I’ve been taking care of myself for years...” Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself. After breakfast, at Grandma’s insistence, my aunt went back to her room to change clothes and put on makeup before heading out for her blind date. His aunt wore light makeup, which made her look even more radiant and charming. She paired a loose, round-neck knit top with a long coat, and light-colored skinny jeans hugged her long, shapely legs. The tapered hems were tucked into black Dr. Martens boots. Her minimalist, nature-inspired outfit was neither flashy nor ostentatious, yet exceptionally refined. His aunt gave him a knowing glance, grabbed her purse, and swayed her hips as she walked out the door “Mom, I’m off to a blind date.” Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room and, without haste, changed into a black T-shirt and a windbreaker, then slipped on his running shoes. A few minutes later, he opened the bedroom door. His grandmother was cleaning the living room. When she saw him come out, she stopped what she was doing and looked at him silently. Zhang Yuanqing mimicked his aunt’s tone “Mom, I’m going on a blind date, too.” “Get back here,” his grandmother said, raising her broom threateningly. “If you dare step out that door, I’ll break your legs.” “Okay!” Zhang Yuanqing obediently returned to his bedroom. Sitting at his desk, he held his phone and sent his aunt a text “The campaign is not yet won, yet the hero has already fallen; forever leaving heroes’ sleeves drenched in tears.” “Speak plainly!” His aunt must have been driving; her reply was brief and to the point. “Grandma’s keeping me at home. You’d better go on that blind date by yourself.” His aunt sent a voice message. Zhang Yuanqing tapped to play it, and Jiang Yuerr’s indignant voice blared from the speaker “What good are you anyway?!!” His aunt recalled the voice message and sent another one right after, this time in a completely different tone—sweet and coquettish “Good nephew, come on over! Auntie loves you the most. Mua~” Hah, women! Thinking she can get me to cross Grandma’s line just by acting all sweet and cute? She should at least send a red envelope. Just then, a slightly jarring ringtone sounded. Zhang Yuanqing walked into the living room and, under his grandmother’s watchful gaze, pressed the intercom button and said “Who is it?” “Delivery.” a voice came through the speaker. Zhang Yuanqing pressed the door-opening button. After two or three minutes, a delivery guy in uniform rode the elevator up, holding a package in his arms “Is this Zhang Yuanqing?” “That’s me.” But I didn’t order anything online... He signed for it with a puzzled look, glancing at the package details. There was no sender listed, but the address was Hangzhou City in neighboring Jiangnan Province. He returned to the room, pulled a utility knife from his desk drawer, and opened the package. Inside, a black card and a yellow envelope were wrapped in shock-absorbing air cushions. Zhang Yuanqing picked up the ID-sized black card. It seemed to be made of metal, yet felt exceptionally smooth to the touch. The card was exquisitely crafted, with faint silver cloud patterns along the edges and a black crescent moon at its center. The black crescent moon was exquisitely engraved, with its irregular patches clearly visible on the surface. “What is this?” Feeling puzzled, he tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter. “Yuanzi, I’ve come across something quite interesting. I once thought it could change my life, but my abilities are limited, and I can’t master it. I think it shouldn’t be a problem for you. “As brothers, this is my gift to you. “Lei Yibing!”