Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 33: The Fallen Holy Grail

Second floor of the villa, small conference room. The sun was setting in the west; the blood-red afterglow streamed through the glass windows, casting a glow on the conference room floor and staining the white wool carpet with a crystalline red. Li Dongze, Qing Teng, Bai Long, Tang Guoqiang, Da Jiba... several captain-level figures sat upright around the conference table. Nearly all the captain-level Spirit Realm Walkers from Kangyang District who were able to attend had come. In addition to the captains of the Five Elements Alliance, Yuan Ting—who had just returned from the capital—was also in attendance. As a scout, Li Dongze keenly sensed that Yuan Ting was not in good spirits and frowned, asking “Are you injured?” Pale-faced, Yuan Ting leaned weakly back against the chair, closing his eyes to rest. Upon hearing the question, he opened his eyes and replied calmly “No, it’s just that during this trip to the capital, Elder Sun placed great importance on me. He believes I will be a pillar of the Taiyi Sect in the future and insisted on training me personally. I’ve been overtraining, which is why I’m not feeling my best.” Everyone looked at him with deep respect. Fu Qingyang glanced at him, offered no comment, and said solemnly “Let’s get down to business. What did Yuanshi see in Ou Xiangrong’s memories that made you rush over here?” Several squad leaders immediately cast grave glances at Li Dongze. The moment this guy stepped out of the morgue, without a word of explanation, he summoned everyone to the Centurion’s quarters, claiming there was a major incident. When asked what it was about, he wouldn’t say a word, leaving everyone anxious and on edge. Li Dongze cleared his throat and looked around at everyone seated at the table. “Our Night Wanderer has learned from Ou Xiangrong’s memories what the Holy Grail truly is. It is an artifact belonging to the Judge with the Deceptive Eye, and its full name is the Fallen Holy Grail.” “The Judge with the Deceptive Eye… the Fallen Holy Grail?” The team captains on either side of the conference table couldn’t help but exchange glances, their expressions a mix of gravity and bewilderment. The Judge with the Deceptive Eye is the vice president of the Eastern District Branch of the Spiritual Energy Association. The Spirit Energy Society—a notorious and evil organization among Spirit Realm Walkers—is composed of a group of powerful and deranged witchdoctors. The Judge with the Deceptive Eye, as vice president of the Eastern District Branch, ranks eighth on the Five Elements Alliance’s bounty list; he is the kind of figure capable of moving mountains and filling seas. They never expected that Ou Xiangrong’s case would involve a figure of this caliber. As for their bewilderment, it stemmed from the fact that they had never heard of the “Fallen Holy Grail” as an item. “Ou Xiangrong is looking for the Judge with the Deceptive Eye’s artifact?” Big Muscle frowned and spoke bluntly, “That kid really has lost his mind.” A mere Transcendent Realm “Bewitching Demon” dared to covet an item belonging to a high-level Spirit Realm Walker. Everyone ignored Da Jiba’s words and turned their gaze to Fu Qingyang. Fu Qingyang remained silent for a few seconds, his tone unusually grave. “Next, I’m going to share a piece of intelligence with you all, but given your levels, you aren’t yet qualified to know information of this caliber. So once you step out that door, keep this to yourselves.” Hearing this, everyone instinctively straightened their backs and adopted a solemn expression. “The Fallen Holy Grail is a rule-based artifact of the Witch-Sorcerer class—one of the highest tier—designed to control Spirit Realm Walkers. The Judge with the Deceptive Eye has used this artifact to enslave many Spirit Realm Walkers from other classes. A vast majority of the ‘Fallen’ we deal with each year were created by the Judge with the Deceptive Eye. According to intelligence, once tainted by the Fallen Holy Grail, one remains enslaved by the Judge with the Deceptive Eye for the rest of their life; only death can free them—there is no other way. “Furthermore, those who have been tainted must undergo the Holy Grail’s baptism at regular intervals; otherwise, they will go mad and die.” Li Dongze gave a soft “Hmm” and picked up the thread: “Ou Xiangrong is a servant of the Judge with the Deceptive Eye.” That made perfect sense, and the team leaders felt as if a light had gone on. Bai Long nodded at first, then furrowed his brow “What does this have to do with him killing Zhao Yingjun? Besides, this isn’t exactly a major incident, is it?” “Zhao Yingjun was also a servant of the Judge with the Deceptive Eye. He was infiltrating the Five Elements Alliance—ostensibly as an advisor to the Public Security Bureau, but secretly helping the Judge with the Deceptive Eye scout out new recruits, acting as his accomplice.” Li Dongze paused for a moment, then said in an incredibly serious tone “Not long ago, the Judge with the Mysterious Eye suddenly perished. His right-hand man, Black Wuchang, went into hiding with the Holy Grail and a registry containing the identities of the Fallen. Now, it’s not just the Fallen like Ou Xiangrong—Gu Wang, another vice president of the Eastern District Branch of the Spiritual Energy Association, along with his subordinate factions, are all searching for Black Wuchang. “Once Black Wuchang obtains the registry, he will certainly contact these Fallen Ones to claim the Ghost-Eyed Judge’s legacy. Zhao Yingjun’s role as an undercover agent is crucial—it’s highly likely he has already made contact with Black Wuchang. That’s why Ou Xiangrong wants to use Zhao Yingjun to track down Black Wuchang’s whereabouts.” This... left everyone’s minds completely blank. The Judge with the Eerie Eye was a high-level Spirit Realm Practitioner—could such a prominent figure really be dead? The news was so shocking that even the usually composed Fu Qingyang’s expression froze for a moment. Amid the suffocating silence, Fu Qingyang tapped the table and said with a furrowed brow “The Judge of the Eerie Eyes’ registry contains a vast number of the Fallen. The Black Wuchang has gone into hiding with the registry and the Holy Grail; he couldn’t possibly have taken in all his ‘servants.’ A deranged madman like Ou Xiangrong is by no means an isolated case.” Li Dongze let out a bitter laugh: “So, this is a major incident.” The team leaders were weighed down by a sense of foreboding. Fu Qingyang said “Black Wuchang is hiding right here in Songhai. Things won’t stay calm here from now on. I’ll report this to the Council of Elders as soon as possible so they can notify our colleagues across the regions to guard against the Fallen spiraling out of control. “Starting today, all leave is canceled. Keep your devices on 24 hours a day and remain on standby at all times.” The team leaders nodded solemnly. Fu Qingyang’s expression grew stern as he said “Regarding this incident, I must reprimand all of you for negligence, complacency, and a lack of vigilance.” Then, his expression softened as he continued “In the Ou Xiangrong incident, Yuanshi Tianzun performed exceptionally well. From eliminating Ou Xiangrong to interrogating his spirit and uncovering the death of the Ghost-Eyed Judge—he handled it all single-handedly. A group of seasoned veterans couldn’t match a single rookie. As your superior, I find this deeply embarrassing.” Li Dongze and the others looked ashamed. Huh? What? That newly promoted Night Wanderer was the one who killed Ou Xiangrong, that seductive demon? Yuan Ting was taken aback. He looked from side to side, then couldn’t help but raise his hand: “Centurion Fu, are you saying that Sergeant Li’s Level 1 Night Wanderer killed Ou Xiangrong?” Li Dongze quietly straightened his back and lifted his chin. Big Muscle remarked with admiration, “That kid has an extraordinary talent for combat. His future achievements are limitless—he might even rise to the Saint Realm and become a Steward-level figure.” Several squad leaders nodded slightly in agreement. Captain Qing Teng explained, “He was the first to spot Ou Xiangrong’s trail and acted decisively. By the time we arrived, the battle was already over. Although Ou Xiangrong was wounded and largely delirious, it was still no easy feat to kill him.” What… what kind of genius is this…? Yuan Ting froze for a few seconds, then felt a heart-wrenching pain that made it hard to breathe. Elder Sun, you’re out of your mind!! Fu Qingyang didn’t let the conversation continue, saying calmly “Let’s adjourn.” Li Dongze and the others rose from their seats one after another. Yuan Ting, however, remained seated. After the squad leaders had exited the conference room, he suppressed the surging waves of regret and frustration and spoke up “Centurion Fu, there’s something I need your help with.” Fu Qingyang looked at him. Yuan Ting explained, “The Sect Leader summoned us to the capital this time to announce a top-secret piece of news... The Demon Lord is dead.” Fu Qingyang froze. Then, his sculpted, handsome face was overcome with shock—not even the death of the Ghost-Eyed Judge had ever caused such a violent emotional reaction in him. The Demon Lord—a name that struck terror into the hearts of all official Spirit Realm practitioners—was a fallen Night Wanderer, known for his erratic temperament, brutality, and bloodthirsty nature. Because he was a master of assassination and stealth, countless Spirit Realm practitioners had fallen at his hands. At the height of the Demon Lord’s arrogance, even the elders of official organizations trembled in fear, keeping a low profile and daring not to reveal their true identities in the real world. Even the evil organizations detested him, as the Demon Lord killed without mercy, making no distinction between the righteous and the wicked. It wasn’t until early last year, when he encountered the female commander of the White Tiger Army in a high-level Spirit Realm confrontation and was severely wounded by that extraordinarily talented woman, that he finally vanished from the scene. “And then?” Fu Qingyang’s expression turned cold again. “The Sect Leader gave us a mission: to find the Demon Lord’s successor. Starting two months ago and continuing until the end of this year, every new recruit who joins the Night Wanderers is a candidate we’re screening,” Yuan Ting said. Fu Qingyang furrowed his brow. “Even if some lucky soul were to obtain the Demon Lord’s character card, it wouldn’t mean they have any connection to the Demon Lord. Why does your Sect Master want to find him? Don’t tell me it’s out of a desire to nurture talent.” When a Spirit Realm Walker dies, the Spirit Realm clears all “data” associated with that character and then seeks a new owner for the character card. When a high-level Spirit Realm Walker perishes and their character card is formatted, certain elements remain—perhaps a special perk, or perhaps a specific privilege. Such character cards are inherently superior to ordinary ones. But in Fu Qingyang’s view, this slight advantage wasn’t enough to warrant the Taiyi Sect Leader going to such great lengths—after all, even the Demon Lord himself was of a lower rank than the current strongest Night Wanderer. Yuan Ting shook his head: “How should I know? I’m just following orders. This year, only four newcomers from Songhai were promoted to Night Wanderers: one died in the Spirit Realm, two joined the Taiyi Sect and were sent to the training camp. The last one is the man under Li Dongze’s command—I’d like to question him.” Fu Qingyang fixed his gaze on Yuan Ting, his dark brown eyes sharp and piercing. Yuan Ting steeled himself and met his gaze. “All right, but no matter the outcome, you must inform me first. You’re not allowed to take him to the capital on your own.” At his desk, Zhang Yuanqing turned on his computer. After pondering for a long time, he called out “Sister Guan Ya, how should I write the report?” Guan Ya, who was scrolling through a TV show on her phone, replied half-heartedly, “Didn’t I send you the template? Just follow it.” “It’s not about the format—it’s the content…” Zhang Yuanqing looked troubled. He now had to write a report on the elimination of Ou Xiangrong, and what troubled him was that if he omitted the existence of Red Dance Shoes, it would be very difficult for him to provide a coherent account of the process. After all, this wasn’t something he could brush off with just a sentence or two. “Oh my gosh, you’re such a pain,” Guan Ya said, swiveling her office chair lightly and turning around with a playful scold. “How do you want to write it?” Zhang Yuanqing paused to think. “I want to reasonably emphasize how I used my domineering aura to intimidate Ou Xiangrong, then, relying on my exceptional martial arts skills and sharp wit, fought the seductive demon for three hundred rounds before finally slaying this fiend who nearly unleashed a bloodbath in Songhai.” The mixed-race older woman rolled her eyes “Instead of ‘reasonably’ emphasizing things that don’t exist, why not ‘unreasonably’ lower Ou Xiangrong’s IQ? You showed such quick wit in the garage—why are you acting so stupid now?” Oh right, Ou Xiangrong was already mentally unstable and had suffered severe injuries. As for just how bad it was, outsiders had no way of knowing—I could describe it however I pleased. After all, he certainly wasn’t going to rise from the grave to defend himself... Zhang Yuanqing’s eyes lit up “Got it. Thanks, Sister Guan Ya.” He immediately began typing, describing Ou Xiangrong’s madness and irrationality, while having already decided how to handle the “Bloodthirsty Blade.” The Demon-Subduing Mace is designed more for purification and subduing demons than for close-quarters combat, and the Bloodthirsty Blade undoubtedly makes up for this shortcoming. Its built-in bleeding and armor-piercing effects were a perfect match for the Night Wanderer’s assassin class. The only concern was low health. Once my experience points go up and my abilities improve, the Night Wanderer’s formidable vitality and self-healing should be able to sustain both items at the same time....... Using the Pestle to vanquish demons and the Blade to slay madmen—it’s quite a nice thought....... After Zhang Yuanqing finished writing the report and sent it to Li Dongze’s email, he asked “When will I receive the rewards for clearing the Sheling Tunnel, as well as the rewards from this mission?” “Your merit points require approval from the Council of Elders, and the same goes for the funds. They’ll likely be disbursed along with next month’s salary,” Guan Ya said with a smile. “What’s the matter? Are you in a hurry to treat your older sister to a meal? Hmm, I want abalone, sea cucumber, Peking duck, imported ham, and prime steak...” “No, that’s too expensive. I can only treat you to a jianbing guozi with a sausage and two eggs...” Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself. He glanced at the time—it was already 2:30 p. m. —so he decided to head home. “Where did the squad leader and the other team leaders go?” Zhang Yuanqing asked before leaving. Upon learning of Ou Xiangrong’s memory, Li Dongze had rather ungracefully hurried the squad leaders away without leaving any instructions. “They’re in a meeting.” Guan Ya, cradling her phone and leaning back in her chair—her impressive cleavage on full display—smiled and said “Large-scale and mid-level meetings for the Spirit Realm Walkers in Kangyang District are usually held at Sergeant Fu Baifu’s place. Once you’ve been on the job for more than half a year and have gained some seniority, you’ll be able to go there and check it out.” “What’s so fun about that? I hate meetings the most,” Zhang Yuanqing replied, uninterested. Guan Ya batted her eyes, flashing a veteran seductress’s smile: “There are lots of pretty bunny girls there.” Zhang Yuanqing looked utterly captivated: “I really can’t wait to participate in the organization’s meetings and do my part to help build it up.”