Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 19: The Phone Call

“Fuck, that scared the shit out of me...” Zhang Yuanqing plopped down on the edge of the bed, his heart still pounding. He suspected that if he’d returned even a second later, he might have come back as nothing more than a mangled corpse. By the time he’d finally calmed down, he caught a glimpse of the red dance shoes on his feet and nearly had a heart attack all over again. “Cancel, cancel...” The red dancing shoes dissolved into a red glow and vanished. Phew, that was a close call! Zhang Yuanqing relaxed completely, got up, and walked to the window. He gazed at the skyscrapers outside, watched the lush green leaves reflecting a dazzling rainbow of colors, and listened to the chatter of the elderly neighbors in the complex, as well as the faint hum of passing cars in the distance. It was dinnertime, and food delivery riders in blue uniforms were zipping through the neighborhood on their electric scooters. From the windows of the neighboring apartment building came the sizzling sound of vegetables hitting hot oil, along with the clanging of a spatula stirring the pan. Life on earth is still the best; big cities are still the best... He stood there for a few minutes before he finally felt he’d completely shaken off that sense of dread. Once he had calmed down, he couldn’t wait to walk over to the mirror to test his skills. He settled his emotions, calmed his mind, and silently connected with the Taiyin energy within him. Soon, Zhang Yuanqing watched as his reflection in the mirror was erased inch by inch, vanishing into thin air. He really could become invisible—hehehe... Nine seconds later, his body was redrawn and reappeared in the mirror. “Hmm, I’m a little tired—it’s like I ran a few laps around the track...” Next, he tested the strength of his physical body, effortlessly denting a battery with his fingers and cutting a small gash on the back of his hand with a craft knife—which healed completely in less than five minutes. Setting aside his superpowers, the increase in his sheer muscle strength alone had already surpassed that of an ordinary person. As for his other active skill, “Soul Devour,” he hadn’t had a chance to use it yet, since there were no spirit entities around. “With my physique this strong now, if I were to trigger my old ailment, could my body withstand the overload for longer? No, what I should be thinking about is whether there’s a healer class among the Spirit Realm Walkers—I need to find someone to take a look at my strange condition.” Zhang Yuanqing then opened his inventory to admire his items, but didn’t take any of them out. The Demon-Subduing Mace was one thing, but what if he took out the Red Dance Shoes and they demanded he join them in an awkward dance? Staring at the Demon-Subduing Mace, Zhang Yuanqing fell deep in thought. “If I remember correctly, the Banyan Tree Spirit said that the Demon-Subduing Mace contains the Yang Soul of the Lady of San Dao Mountain. Could she come looking for me…?” Just the thought of it was terrifying. “NPCs from the Spirit Realm shouldn’t be able to appear in the real world, right? It’s also unlikely I’ll enter the Mountain God Temple again—I’ve already explored that tiny temple thoroughly; it couldn’t possibly trigger another quest.” Although he said this aloud, he wasn’t entirely sure; the smile of the Lady of San Dao Mountain kept flashing through his mind. “I’ll swing by the office later and check with Old Si Ji and the ‘Translation-Style’ Guy.” Just then, someone turned the doorknob a few times, but since Zhang Yuanqing had double-locked the door beforehand, the person outside couldn’t get in. “Zhang Yuanqing, why did you lock the door? Are you up to no good?” His aunt’s sweet, crisp voice drifted in, and she hummed, “Dinner’s ready.” Only then did Zhang Yuanqing realize how ravenous he was. He replied eagerly, quickly stowed away the Demon-Subduing Mace, stripped off his dust- and blood-stained clothes, changed into a spring baseball jersey and black sweatpants, and hid the dirty clothes. Only then did he walk to the door and unlock it. His aunt stood outside the door, peering inside with her round, pretty oval face, and asked suspiciously, “Why did you lock the door?” “Practicing a divine art.” “What kind of divine art?” “The Great Art of Learning the Enemy’s Techniques to Defeat the Enemy.” “You little brat, are you asking for a beating?” His aunt glared at me menacingly. Her eyes were full of charm—round and large, bright and lively, without a trace of bloodshot or cloudiness. The ancient description of “eyes as clear as autumn water” referred precisely to this kind of sparkling, large eyes. At the dinner table, Zhang Yuanqing devoured the “Scattered Clouds” dish with gusto, his appetite having increased significantly. His grandmother was pleased with her improved cooking skills but worried she hadn’t prepared enough food for the day. “School starts tomorrow, so go to bed early tonight. Don’t end up complaining that you can’t wake up,” Grandma advised. “I’ll be able to go to bed early if my aunt doesn’t come to my room to play video games tonight,” Zhang Yuanqing immediately shifted the blame. She immediately got a kick to the shin under the table. “She has to go to work herself,” Grandma turned to her daughter and added, “If you have to work overtime tomorrow, call me ahead of time.” Her aunt was an intern in the obstetrics and gynecology department at a top-tier public hospital; she had plenty of downtime when things were slow, but when she was busy, she worked harder than the average overworked office worker. “When you have time, try to mingle with your male colleagues a bit more. There must be plenty of male doctors at the hospital trying to woo you,” Grandma probed. “Mom, you’re thinking too small. Even the men who bring their wives to prenatal checkups often sneakily ask me for my contact info,” my aunt said, hands on her hips, looking smug. Grandma raised her hand, and my aunt flinched, then silently went back to eating her rice. While the mother and daughter were talking, Zhang Yuanqing’s mind wandered to what he had to do that afternoon. “After dinner, I’ll get in touch with Guan Ya to let the authorities know I’ve successfully cleared the dungeon. I’ll also have to write a dungeon report. I wonder if a first-clear report is worth anything—how many merit points it’ll get me.” “We should also mention the Mountain Goddess waking up—we can’t forget that. I can’t help but feel like it’s a hidden quest.” After finishing his meal and taking care of his basic needs, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room and discovered that his phone was dead. He’d been so busy and worried about the Spirit Realm that he’d forgotten to charge it. After plugging it in, he saw four or five missed calls. The caller ID read: Guan Ya Two of them were from an hour ago—when he was still in the Spirit Realm—and the remaining three were from two minutes ago. “Are they that desperate to confirm I’m not dead?” Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, tapping the screen lightly to call Guan Ya back. In the two-story building, the sunlight glinted off the glass walls. In the spacious, luxurious office, Li Dongze finished a simple lunch, glanced at his wristwatch, and walked over to the work area, leaning on his cane. “Guan Ya, any news from Yuanshi yet?” This was already the third time he’d asked the same question. Although he didn’t harbor much hope, he couldn’t help but keep thinking about it until the matter was settled. Li Dongze had already drafted his letter of apology; he was just waiting for the results so he could admit his mistake to the Centurion—he’d been careless this time and had failed to demonstrate the professional competence expected of a scout. As for that young man, Yuanshi Tianzun—though it was a pity—the trial quest triggered by his character card was simply beyond human control. “His phone is turned off,” Guan Ya shook her head. “I’ve already called him five or six times.” Unable to reach him... Li Dongze seemed to have anticipated this all along, letting out a silent sigh “Let’s wait a little longer. Just a little longer...” “Okay, Squad Leader.” Guan Ya tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiled, and offered words of comfort: “Until the results are in, anything is possible—just like Schrödinger’s cat. Unless you open the box, you’ll never know if it’s alive or dead.” Wang Tai, standing nearby, couldn’t help but speak up “That’s not how you use the Schrödinger’s cat analogy… From a probabilistic standpoint, without special means or assistance, his chances of making it through the Sheling Tunnel are practically zero.” Guan Ya and Li Dongze’s faces darkened. “Shut up!” Did I say the wrong thing again...? Wang Tai silently lowered his head. “What a social clueless guy!” Li Dongze and Guan Ya thought to themselves. Having worked together for so long, they had long since given up on trying to improve Wang Tai’s emotional intelligence. Guan Ya felt that the contrast between an interesting soul and a boring one was immediately apparent. Just look at that guy Yuan Shi—he’s handsome and has a way with words. If he could be a coworker, work wouldn’t be so dull and boring in the future. Too bad—she wasn’t having any luck. If she still couldn’t get in touch with him by the end of the workday, then there’d be absolutely no hope left... Guan Ya sighed, leaning lazily back in her soft chair, her full breasts straining against her white blouse. “Report to me immediately if there’s any news.” As soon as Li Dongze finished speaking and was about to turn away, Guan Ya’s cell phone, which was sitting on the desk, suddenly rang. Just then, the phone on the desk rang. Li Dongze stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on Guan Ya’s phone. Caller ID: Yuanshi Tianzun. Li Dongze’s breathing quickened. Guan Ya jumped up abruptly from her chair, causing the desk to clatter loudly as the items on it toppled over. Her beautiful eyes widened, her face a mix of astonishment and ecstasy. As she grabbed her phone, she glanced at Li Dongze. Li Dongze’s face was tense as he said, “Put it on speaker!” His voice was low and stern. Both of them wore grave expressions, as if they were taking a call from kidnappers. Guan Ke answered the call, her voice filled with anticipation and suppressed elation, and asked “Yuan Shi?” “I’ve completed the trial quest and made it out of the Mountain God’s Temple,” Zhang Yuanqing’s voice came through the speaker. Guan Ya and Li Dongze froze simultaneously. Wang Tai, who had been oblivious to the world around him, suddenly looked up; the scholar, usually obsessed with data, wore an expression of shock and bewilderment. After a few seconds of stupor, the two small tufts of mustache on Li Dongze’s upper lip began to quiver at a visible speed as he exclaimed “Oh, my God! Did you hear my prayers? This is unbelievable—oh, my goodness, I can’t believe this is real.” Realizing his lack of composure, he quickly regained his composure. “Composure, stay composed...” Li Dongze knew what clearing the Sheling Tunnel meant. Conquering an S-rank Spirit Realm that the Taiyi Sect had deemed impossible to clear would inevitably attract intense attention. Although Yuan Shi was a newcomer, it was foreseeable that he would make a name for himself overnight and become a Spirit Realm traveler of some renown. Furthermore, the information and items contained within an S-class Spirit Realm were tangible rewards—and they were bound to be substantial. Whether official or private organizations, all were eager to conquer high-difficulty Spirit Realms—especially first kills—because this was the fastest and most effective way to expand their ranks. Finally, and most importantly, there are only a handful of Night Wanderer Trial Realms in the Songhai region. The existence of the Sheling Tunnel “glitch” has caused official organizations to lose a significant number of prospective Night Wanderers. If a detailed guide were available, the number of Night Wanderers produced each year would increase. Although the rewards for clearing a Spirit Realm are never as generous as those for a first clear once it has been conquered, what the authorities value is the increase in the number of Night Wanderers. This is enough to catch the attention of the Five Elements Alliance’s Council of Elders. “How… did you do that…?” Guan Ya murmured. “It wasn’t hard at all. I breezed through it. Heh, anyone with legs can do it.” Yuanshi Tianzun spoke in a manner befitting his in-game ID. Guan Ya was momentarily speechless, unsure whether he was joking or just being a “genius” being modest. In her mind, Zhang Yuanqing was a smart college student who was good with people, but to call him extraordinary would certainly be a stretch. Her fondness for this new colleague was limited to his smooth talk and sense of humor—it certainly wasn’t based on any recognition of his abilities. But now, she needed to reassess this newly appointed Night Wanderer. “Excellent, very well done,” Li Dongze said excitedly, tapping his cane and urging, “Come to the office right away—come immediately.” “Okay,” Zhang Yuanqing replied. After ending the call, Wang Tai couldn’t help but remark “He has abilities beyond those of ordinary people. We don’t know exactly what they are yet, but he definitely has them. Squad Leader, it looks like you’ve stumbled upon a real oddball.” Hearing this, Li Dongze’s smile spread uncontrollably across his face. He cleared his throat and said, somewhat annoyed, “What do you mean, ‘oddball’? He’s a genius!” With that, he hurried toward the office as if he had an urgent matter to attend to. Li Dongze felt that the title of the apology letter should be made a bit more elegant—something like: “I’m Sorry, Centurion: I Accidentally Stumbled Upon a Freak.” He couldn’t wait.