Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 8: Making Contact

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yuanqing did his best to keep his voice calm “Officer Li, this is Zhang Yuanqing.” “... Oh, it’s you,” the voice on the other end chuckled. “What brings you calling in the middle of the night?” Zhang Yuanqing said in a low voice, “I have a lead to report. Actually, before Lei Yibing went missing, he sent me a card.” “Why didn’t you mention that before?” There wasn’t a trace of surprise in Li Dongze’s tone. “Well...” Zhang Yuanqing hesitated briefly, then recounted his theories about Brother Lei’s disappearance in full detail. There was a long silence on the other end, then a chuckle “You sure know how to make a big deal out of things, don’t you?” Guan Ya was right—Zhang Yuanqing was actually quite reclusive by nature. A normal college student who was cheerful, optimistic, and positive wouldn’t be so guarded. “Sorry...” Feeling a bit awkward, Zhang Yuanqing immediately changed the subject—no, got straight to the point “I encountered some rather strange and baffling things tonight. Um, do you know what I mean?” “So it seems you’ve successfully made it out of the Spirit Realm.” Li Dongze’s tone carried a hint of relief. Yes, I just got out—I almost died in there... Hearing this response, Zhang Yuanqing felt a sudden sense of relief. Sure enough, the other person knew about the Spirit Realm. Li Dongze said, “College student, congratulations on becoming a Spirit Realm Walker—that’s what people like us are called. I’m a Spirit Realm Walker too, but the difference is that I’m an official one, while you’re an unofficial one.” Spirit Realm Walker... Zhang Yuanqing mulled over the phrase and asked “What is the Spirit Realm?” He had so many questions he wanted answered that he could only start with the most basic one. “I can’t tell you right now. If you want to learn about the Spirit Realm, you’ll have to make a choice,” Li Dongze said in a solemn tone “The authorities have two approaches to the Spirit Realm: one is to recruit and train, and the other is to regulate and control. The former means joining us and becoming an official Spirit Realm Walker. “The latter means becoming an independent cultivator. You’ll simply need to register with us and promise not to abuse your abilities or violate the law—we won’t interfere. Of course, you won’t receive any assistance from the authorities either.” Zhang Yuanqing replied without hesitation, “I’m willing to join the organization and give my life for the country and the people.” Li Dongze chuckled, “As expected of someone from a family of public security officers—you have a strong sense of duty.” For a moment, Zhang Yuanqing couldn’t tell whether the other man was mocking him or praising him. “Well then, get some rest. I’ll pick you up at eight o’clock tomorrow morning,” Li Dongze said. “Huh? Not right now?” Zhang Yuanqing hesitated for a moment. “Tomorrow?” “What else? What time is it now? If you want to lay down your life for the organization, you’ll have to wait until the organization opens for business.” He didn’t want to say it over the phone, did he? Afraid I’d change my mind and get the intel for free? That’s why he wants to wait until we meet in person tomorrow... Zhang Yuanqing could only say helplessly, “All right.” After hanging up, he glanced at his phone—it was 11:00 p. m. Time in the Spirit Realm flowed just as it did in the outside world. Having successfully made contact with the official organization, Zhang Yuanqing felt a great sense of relief. Just then, the exhaustion from his struggle for survival in the Spirit Realm washed over him. He lay down on the bed, set his alarm, and as his eyelids grew heavier and heavier, he drifted into a deep sleep. The next morning at 7:15, Zhang Yuanqing was startled awake by the alarm, nearly suffering a heart attack and dying on the spot. He turned off the alarm and got out of bed, yawning incessantly. He hadn’t slept well the night before; he’d had several nightmares, each involving ghosts and monsters, and had woken up in a start multiple times. In the living room, his grandfather sat on the sofa watching the news. He had sparse, silver-white hair and a tall, imposing build; his face, crisscrossed with wrinkles, was stern and unsmiling. Grandma was clattering about in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. At the long dining table, my aunt was crouched on a chair playing with her phone, her cheeks puffed out like a cute hamster. “Up this early?” His aunt eyed her listless nephew and grumbled, “You look like you’ve been indulging yourself too much. Did you get up to no good last night? I’m going to check your trash can.” On any other day, Zhang Yuanqing would have shot back, “Looking for something to eat?” But right now, with his mind on the Spirit Realm and his upcoming meeting with the official organization, he wasn’t in the mood to bicker with his aunt. He slumped down listlessly beside her, staring blankly as he waited for the meal to be served. Soon, his grandmother came out carrying steaming rice porridge, fried dough sticks, hard-boiled eggs, and a steamer basket of meat buns. Zhang Yuanqing took a sip of the hot congee to moisten his throat, looked at his grandfather, and asked tentatively “Grandpa, I remember that after the construction crew at the Sheling Tunnel disappeared back then, the Public Security Bureau organized a search party to look for them, and you were part of it.” Grandpa grunted in acknowledgment and asked, somewhat puzzled, “That’s all ancient history. Why are you asking about this?” “I saw that story online again yesterday. Do you know how that worker who was found is doing now?” Her grandfather frowned and said, “I’ve forgotten. It was so long ago; I can’t remember.” “Didn’t they say he went missing again?” Grandma, sitting nearby, chimed in, joining the discussion with keen interest. “And it was a mysterious disappearance. Back then, it caused quite a stir within the police force—it wasn’t until a high-ranking official from the Police Headquarters came down personally to calm everyone down that the matter was finally put to rest.” “Did that really happen?” Grandpa denied it. “Old Chen, are you getting too old? Are you developing dementia? You told me this yourself,” Grandma argued forcefully. Grandpa lowered his head and sipped his porridge. “We should trust science and not get caught up in this superstition. The older you get, the more of a gossip you become.” Found and then vanished again........ Zhang Yuanqing took a sip of porridge, feeling somewhat downcast. Clearly, the survivor had re-entered the Spirit Realm 36 hours later, and this time, he didn’t make it out alive. His prediction had been correct—the mortality rate at the Mountain God Temple was extremely high, and the second main quest was very, very dangerous. To stay alive, relying on the authorities was the wisest decision. After finishing breakfast and freshening up briefly, Zhang Yuanqing took the elevator downstairs and waited at the entrance to the complex for over ten minutes. A black minivan pulled up slowly; the electric doors slid open automatically. Li Dongze sat on a white leather sofa, leaning on his cane with his legs crossed. Just like yesterday, he was dressed in a black suit, a black vest, and a white shirt; his hair was neatly slicked back, and he sported a pair of neat, small sideburns. “Get in, college student.” Li Dongze said with a smile. “Sure, Investigator,” Zhang Yuanqing replied with a smile. Once he was inside, the black minivan merged into traffic, cruising at a steady pace along the early-morning streets. As Li Dongze opened the in-car cooler, he asked, “What would you like to drink?” “Coke!” “Then you’ll just have to go buy it yourself at the supermarket later.” Li Dongze poured himself a glass of whiskey, dropped an ice ball into it, leaned back in his seat, and said leisurely “I’m taking you to go through the onboarding process now, and I’ll give you some basic training while I’m at it. First, let me introduce myself: Li Dongze, Level 3 Spirit Realm Walker, Songhai Branch of the Five Elements Alliance, Squad Leader of the Second Squad in Kangyang District, and my profession is Scout.” Scout? Are there other professions besides Night Wanderers? Zhang Yuanqing adopted a posture of attentive listening. Although he was puzzled, he didn’t interrupt. As someone skilled in social interactions, Zhang Yuanqing knew that interrupting others casually was impolite; he wouldn’t let himself lose points over such trivial matters. Li Dongze took a sip of wine and said, “First, let me explain what the Spirit Realm is!” Zhang Yuanqing immediately perked up.