Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 31: Cover-Up

The entrance to the underground parking garage was teeming with people. Li Dongze, leaning on his cane with one hand and gripping a gun with the other, rushed into the underground parking garage and quickly scanned the scene with a sharp gaze. First, he saw Xu Yingying, who was unconscious; then he noticed the faint bloodstains on the ground and several private cars with damage to their bodies. As a scout, it wasn’t hard for Li Dongze to tell that a brief but dangerous battle had taken place here. The fact that Xu Yingying was still alive meant the situation hadn’t yet reached its worst possible outcome. Several Spirit Realm practitioners also scanned the scene with equal vigilance and speed. Suddenly, they spotted a figure emerging from the shadows near the rear of a car not far away. Instantly, everyone instinctively turned their guns toward him. “Don’t shoot—it’s me…” Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly raised his hands high while sizing up the Spirit Realm practitioners other than Guan Ya and Li Dongze. A burly man in a workout outfit—who looked like a gym instructor—stood at least 1. 9 meters tall, his muscles bulging with power; he wore red fingerless gloves. A beautiful woman in a cheongsam adorned with ink-wash painting motifs wore her hair in a classical bun. Her figure was graceful and curvaceous; though she appeared to be of a certain age, her face was fair, delicate, and well-preserved, showing no wrinkles. A middle-aged man wearing a miner’s cap and dark brown construction work clothes, with tanned skin and a face weathered by the elements. A young woman in a white racing suit had a delicate, oval face and fair, beautiful skin. Her thick, arched eyebrows gave her a spirited, heroic air, and she carried a long black sword in her hand. The other two armed men were unremarkable in both appearance and demeanor. When they saw Zhang Yuanqing emerge from the shadows, Li Dongze and Guan Ya’s tense expressions visibly relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Right after the meeting ended, they received a call from Wang Tai, who reported that Yuanshi had located Ou Xiangrong at Songhai University, where he was holding Xu Yingying hostage with the intent to commit a crime. Li Dongze and Guan Ya were startled; they immediately summoned the few squad leaders who hadn’t yet left and hurried to Songhai University. Li Dongze kept a stern expression throughout the journey, his heart heavy with worry that Yuan Shi might act impulsively and recklessly. When newcomers first become Spirit Realm Walkers and experience supernatural powers for the first time, they often become overconfident. Combined with their lack of experience and poor judgment, they’re prone to getting carried away. Seeing that Zhang Yuanqing was safe and sound, they both breathed a sigh of relief. “Is he the Night Wanderer?” The hot-tempered muscle-bound giant first asked Li Dongze; upon receiving an affirmative answer, he scanned the underground parking garage and barked in a gruff voice “Kid, where’s Ou Xiangrong? Which way did he run?” In his view, a Level 3 Seduction Demon was no match for a Level 1 Night Wanderer. After a brief skirmish, Ou Xiangrong, fearing that official Spirit Realm Walkers would arrive, had fled in a hurry. If it hadn’t been too long since Ou Xiangrong fled, they might still be able to catch up to him right now, relying on the scouts’ tracking abilities. Li Dongze, Guan Ya, and several other squad leaders fixed their gaze on Zhang Yuanqing, waiting for his answer. “He didn’t escape!” Zhang Yuanqing said. He didn’t escape? A chill ran through the group; they all raised their guns and looked around in astonishment and alertness. Then they heard this rookie, fresh out of training, point to the shadow behind him and say, “I took him out.” What did he say? Fire Master Big Muscle almost reached for his ear, wondering if he’d misheard. His temper flared instantly, and he growled in a deep, rumbling voice “Don’t mess with me. This isn’t the time for your little jokes.” Li Dongze and the others were also taken aback, then furrowed their brows, their gazes toward Zhang Yuanqing now tinged with caution. Why are you being so mean? Can’t you just talk normally? You’re not part of the Red Fire Gang, are you…? Zhang Yuanqing patiently explained “I’m not lying. His body is right in the back of the car. If you don’t believe me, go take a look yourself.” The muscle-bound guy glanced in that direction. The shadow cast by the protruding pillar in the wall intersected with that of the car, so from where he stood, he couldn’t see what was happening in the corner. He was about to go check it out. “Wait a minute,” said the middle-aged man wearing a miner’s helmet as he stepped forward. He glanced at Zhang Yuanqing and told the burly man, “I’ll go check it out.” Seeing the grave expression on his colleague’s face—as if he’d just remembered something—the burly man cast a wary glance at Zhang Yuanqing and nodded. Zhang Yuanqing noticed that Li Dongze and Guan Ya looked somewhat strange, while the others’ gazes carried undisguised wariness. At that moment, the middle-aged man in the miner’s cap approached the rear of the truck with slow but steady steps. Then, he stared blankly at a certain spot, his eyes wide open, as if he were a statue. “Mr. Tang?” Seeing his companion’s look of shock and bewilderment, Da Jiba’s heart sank; the muscles in his upper body suddenly bulged, ready to strike at any moment. Captains like Qing Teng and Bai Long immediately went on high alert. Tang Guoqiang’s appearance was strikingly similar to how he looked when he was under a spell. But soon, they saw Tang Guoqiang “snap out of it.” He bent down, dragged a corpse out, and pulled it into the spotlight—into everyone’s line of sight. The corpse was wearing loose camouflage pants, a black tank top, and a black jacket. Its face was a bloody mess with hollow eye sockets, but the contours of its features were just barely recognizable—it was indeed Ou Xiangrong. The underground parking garage fell suddenly silent as everyone stared blankly at Ou Xiangrong’s body. Li Dongze’s expression gradually shifted from solemnity to shock, and he muttered to himself “Oh, my God, my God...” Guan Ya glanced at the body, then at Zhang Yuanqing; suddenly, something occurred to her, and she fell deep in thought. A beautiful woman wearing a cheongsam with an ink-wash painting design strode briskly over in her high heels. She stopped beside the body, examined it closely, then pursed her lips and said “It is indeed Ou Xiangrong.” After saying this, she looked up at Zhang Yuanqing with a somewhat complicated expression. Big Muscle’s eyes widened, and he blurted out, “How did you do that?” The eyes of several squad leaders were fixed on Zhang Yuanqing, scrutinizing him repeatedly. Ou Xiangrong had actually been taken down by a mere Level 1 rookie—even though he was severely injured and not at his peak. Team Two had just pulled off a major feat. What kind of crazy luck did Li Dongze have to recruit such an outstanding subordinate? How did he do it? Isn’t it just a matter of having the right shoes...? Zhang Yuanqing didn’t answer, but instead looked at his superior. Li Dongze immediately stepped forward and cleared his throat “Yuan Shi, excellent work—you’ve done us a huge favor. Just moments ago, while you couldn’t reach us, we were in the conference room getting chewed out by our superiors.” This remark effectively diverted their attention, and the captains’ faces broke into relieved smiles, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. Zhang Yuanqing shot him a sidelong glance: “Then why were you pointing your guns at me just now?” “A ‘Bewitching Demon’ of the Transcendent Realm can temporarily influence a person’s mind. If given enough time to repeatedly manipulate them and deepen that influence, it can achieve the effect of controlling its target. Rather than believing you killed Ou Xiangrong, we thought it was more likely that you’d been deceived.” A young woman in a white racing suit walked over, knife in hand, and sized up Zhang Yuanqing from head to toe before nodding in satisfaction “We were all wrong. Let me introduce myself: Bai Long, a Level 3 Water Spirit.” This female captain possessed an indescribable air of boldness; there was no trace of feminine reserve or coyness about her. Her every glance exuded confidence, as if everyone else were just a bunch of puny little brothers. “Yuanshi Tianzun,” Zhang Yuanqing said. The team leaders paused for a moment: “What a name...” It was indeed a good name—one that made you want to punch him the moment you heard it. Bai Long chuckled, “We’ll just call you Yuanshi. That’s fine—I’ve always thought guys your age would go for some weird and wacky names.” “Like what?” Zhang Yuanqing asked with a smile, shrugging his shoulders. Bai Long was taken aback; he hadn’t expected this kid to be so forward—and to actually turn the question back on him. Logically speaking, when faced with a superior’s teasing, wouldn’t a normal person offer a few words of modesty or look a bit stiff? “Like ‘Big Muscle Boss,’” Guan Ya said with a smile as she walked over and picked up the thread of the conversation for Bai Long. Big Muscle Boss: “... The meaning behind my name is: ‘dominant muscles.’ ” “That’s exactly what I meant,” Guan Ya said with an innocent, guileless expression. Big Muscle was at a loss for words. Just then, several more official Spirit Realm practitioners hurried over, carrying a stretcher and a body bag. They had just received a call stating that the killer had been shot dead, so they hurried over to recover the body—and carried Xu Yingying out as well to take her to the hospital for treatment. Li Dongze wasted no more time and said, “Yuan Shi, come with us to take a look at Ou Xiangrong’s memories.” “No, he can’t come,” Tang Guoqiang shook his head. “Ou Xiangrong has been corrupted by evil forces; we’re not sure if his spirit body has been tainted as well. Besides, the Bewitching Demon is bloodthirsty and brutal, and its spirit body radiates intense negative energy—that’s more than he can handle. Yuan Ting will be back in Songhai this afternoon; we can leave it to him.” Zhang Yuanqing immediately recalled the incident at the hospital where his spirit body had been devoured, and a wave of apprehension washed over him. But then he thought: if other Night Wanderers witnessed him killing Ou Xiangrong the Red Dance Shoes would be impossible to hide. Of course, that didn’t mean exposure would inevitably lead to rivalry and covetousness, but he still needed to keep a low profile. “That’s not a problem. I’ll find a way to resolve it for him,” Li Dongze said, waving his hand dismissively with a firm tone. “Ou Xiangrong’s memories are crucial; the sooner we interrogate the spirit, the better. We can’t tell how much of his memory the contaminated spirit still retains.” Tang Guoqiang thought for a moment and nodded slightly. He still didn’t agree with Li Dongze’s approach, but since their Second Squad had killed the man, they had the authority to decide his fate. Just then, a beautiful woman in a cheongsam stepped forward and asked with concern “Are you injured? Do you need medical attention?” Her tone was gentle, her manner warm—as if Zhang Yuanqing were her closest confidant. Li Dongze smiled and introduced her “This is Captain Qingteng of the Hundred Flowers Society. She specializes in healing. Within the Five Elements Alliance, Wood Demons are also known as healing mages. If you have any injuries, feel free to tell her.” Healers? Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, Are these so-called healers even legitimate? Could they force people to seize their future? Li Dongze then introduced the burly man and the one wearing the miner’s hat “Big Muscle from the Red Fire Gang, and Tang Guoqiang from the Central Courtyard. Both captains are experienced Spirit Realm Walkers.” So they’re from the Red Fire Gang after all... Zhang Yuanqing immediately said, “Hello, Captains. I look forward to your guidance.” Big Muscle nodded approvingly “Want to add each other as friends?” “Sure!” Qing Teng and Bai Long nodded in agreement. Tang Guoqiang wasn’t one for many words, but he was the first to pull out his phone. Li Dongze’s mouth twitched slightly. After Zhang Yuanqing and several team leaders had added him as a friend, Li Dongze said “Let’s take the body back first. The rest of the team will stay behind to assist the security officers in clearing the scene. Yuanshi, ride back to the office with Guan Ya and file a report.” A moment later, the official Spirit Realm Walkers drove a minivan and a blue sports car into the underground parking garage. “Squad Leader, can I ride in your minivan?” Zhang Yuanqing had something he wanted to discuss privately with Li Dongze—such as asking him to delete the surveillance footage. “No, you’re too dirty right now—not elegant enough.” Li Dongze shook his head in refusal, then turned to the other captains: “Let’s head back together.” Zhang Yuanqing opened his mouth, then closed it again, hesitating to speak. Finally, he watched helplessly as Li Dongze and the squad leaders drove away in the minivan. Guan Ya’s eyes sparkled as she glanced at him and smiled “The squad leader has taken all the troublemakers with him. Let’s go—I’ll take you to delete the surveillance footage.” ...... Zhang Yuanqing kept his eyes fixed on his nose and his mind on his heart. The blue sports car sped down the wide street. Guan Ya, wearing sunglasses and gripping the steering wheel, hummed a tune under her breath; she seemed to be in a good mood. She clicked her tongue and said “You’re one lucky guy—you just became a Spirit Realm Walker and already got a Rule-type artifact.” She felt she was pretty lucky herself—she’d just been short on merit points, and now here they were. “Did you guys know about this all along?” Zhang Yuanqing showed no embarrassment; instead, he paid her a compliment: “Scouts truly are the most perfect profession.” As someone skilled in social interactions, he was adept at adjusting his mindset. “It was just a guess before—I misremembered. Insight is a Scout’s natural talent,” Guan Ya said with a smile. “The fact that you picked up on my hint and kept the Rule-type artifact a secret shows you’re not completely clueless.” Zhang Yuanqing immediately probed the matter “The organization isn’t going to make me hand over the item, is it?” “We won’t force you, but if you choose to hand it over voluntarily, the organization will gladly accept it and reward you with merit points and money. However, human nature is complex. If word gets out that a rookie like you is holding a rule-based item, it’s bound to tempt some people to take desperate risks.” Guan Ya advised earnestly, “Your squad leader can cover for you for a while, but not forever. You might want to consider finding yourself a powerful backer—someone like your superior’s superior.” “Can that centurion really protect me?” Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, How can you guarantee that the superior’s superior won’t get greedy when he sees the treasure? “That guy comes from a wealthy family; he grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. He’s arrogant and haughty. I don’t know about the other stewards, but I can vouch for his character,” Guan Ya said with a smile. “Besides, that guy always boasts about winning people over with virtue, but in reality, he loves to throw money around—he’s a real big spender. A single rule-based item wouldn’t be enough to shake his pride. “However, he has very high standards; he looks down on ordinary people and prefers elite talent.” Zhang Yuanqing gave a noncommittal “Hmm,” neither agreeing nor refusing, and let the topic drop. Guan Ya snorted twice “You really stole the show today. Once word gets out, there’s bound to be people within the Five Elements Alliance trying to poach you—both openly and covertly. Watch out for beauty traps; there have been cases of sexual enticement before. Those two female squad leaders are quite interested in you.” Zhang Yuanqing said with righteous conviction, “I am utterly loyal to the Second Squad; I will never fall for a beauty trap.” Unless I can’t resist! he added silently to himself. “But you’re a Scorpio,” Guan Ya said, pursing her lips. Huh? What does that have to do with being a Scorpio...? Zhang Yuanqing looked completely bewildered. “Have you ever heard that zodiac saying: ‘Pisces men won’t even talk to a dog, but Scorpio men will sleep with one’?” Inside the black minivan, Li Dongze was driving himself. He kept his eyes on the road and said with a broad smile “Oh my, oh my, I accidentally finished everyone’s work all by myself. I’m a lousy teammate—sorry, guys, I didn’t let you take any credit.” “What’s there to be so smug about...?” The four team captains’ faces darkened. “Once the bonus comes in, I’ll treat everyone to a meal,” Li Dongze chuckled. “Don’t be jealous—it was all just a coincidence. This kid just happened to make it through the Sheling Tunnel by chance, and he just happened to take out Ou Xiangrong by chance. It’s no big deal.” “The way you talk makes you look like you’re asking for a beating,” the muscle-bound giant growled in a deep, booming voice. “Be more composed—don’t always be so hot-headed. I’ll go report to Captain Fu first.” Amid the team leaders’ glares—which practically screamed “I want to punch you”—he pulled out his phone and dialed Sergeant Fu’s number. In the Ou Xiangrong incident, Captain Fu had taken on considerable risk due to their mistakes. Now that Ou Xiangrong has been killed, as his subordinate, he must report this immediately to his superiors. That kid Yuan Shi has really made him look good.