Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 34: An Unexpected “Guest”

Leaving the conference room, Yuan Ting exhaled deeply and immediately felt the pressure lift. This young master of the Fu family—whether in terms of his own status or his illustrious family background—was simply out of everyone’s league. When facing him, people often felt the pressure of dealing with a superior figure, rather than simply viewing him as a rich kid. Yuan Ting’s gaze swept over two bunny girls walking past him—in their early twenties, with curvaceous figures and lovely faces. There were seven or eight bunny girls in the villa, and every single one was a beauty. Although he was surrounded by a crowd of beauties, Yuan Ting knew that this young master from a wealthy family wasn’t interested in women. Compared to the beginning, the bunny girls in the villa had already been replaced twice. The girls who’d been hired believed they’d been given a chance to rise from rags to riches; unable to contain their restless hearts, they tried to flirt with the young master of the Fu family. All of them were turned away. The girls remaining in the villa were now quite well-behaved, dutifully going about their work, and no longer harboring any unrealistic notions. The bunny girls in the villa were more like a status symbol—or perhaps Fu Qingyang’s personal quirk. Leaving the villa and slipping into his private car, Yuan Ting reflected on the day’s meeting. He first reported key intelligence—including the death of the Judge with the Eerie Eye—to the Taiyi Sect. After handling the business, he sent a message to his close friend Jian Ji “Something major has happened in Songhai. The Judge with the Eerie Eye is dead, and his right-hand man, Black Wuchang, has gone into hiding with the Holy Grail and the Register...” Jian Ji: “I’m so shocked I’m speechless. The Judge with the Eerie Eyes just died out of the blue? It’s like waking up one morning to find a country has been wiped off the map.” The two exchanged a few words of astonishment, then began to agonize over what to do if the Fallen listed in the Register were to collectively travel through time and space. Jian Ji: “Anything else?” “Oh, there’s more. That Night Wanderer who made it through the Sheling Tunnel just took down a Level 3 Bewitching Demon… But I can’t talk about that—if word gets out, Elder Sun will kill me.” Yuan Ting’s expression twisted slightly as he typed the message “There’s one more piece of news—just listen to it, but don’t let it get out. Elder Sun is out of his mind—that Night Wanderer he didn’t want...” Songhai, in a dimly lit bedroom. The lights were off; the only source of light came from three candles on the table, arranged in a triangle. In the center sat a square box lacquered red, its lid adorned with a relief carving of a strange-looking insect. A figure wearing a silver mask knelt by the table and used a small knife to slit the tip of a finger, letting crimson blood seep out. He brought his bloodstained finger to the mouth of the insect relief, and the insect came to life, greedily sucking the blood as the lacquer on the wooden box turned an ever-deeper crimson. Whoosh... A sudden gust of wind stirred, and the candle took on a blood-red hue; the crimson flame shot high, forming a blood-red vortex above the wooden box. “What is this?” A cold, authoritative voice rang out from within the crimson vortex of flame. “I have released the bait as you ordered. The Five Elements Alliance will search for the Black Wuchang at all costs. However, I cannot guarantee that the Black Wuchang will remain hidden in Songhai.” The authoritative voice spoke slowly: “I have divined that Black Wuchang is in Songhai. He must have a purpose for hiding here; the specific reason remains to be verified.” “Is there anything else you need me to do?” “Coordinate covertly with the Five Elements Alliance in their search for Black Wuchang. Notify me immediately if you have any news. During this time, I’ll be in the Spirit Realm and may not be able to respond promptly.” “Do you have a mission for me?” “No. I’m searching for the site where the Judge with the Deceptive Eye perished. As it happens, I happened to run into that member of the Taiyi Sect. Hmm, the death of the Judge with the Deceptive Eye does indeed have deeper implications...” His voice gradually faded, and the vortex formed by the blood-red flames died down. “Knock, knock....” There were two knocks on the door, and Grandma’s voice drifted into the bedroom: “Yuanzi, dinner’s ready.” There was a touch of cheerfulness in her tone; she seemed to be in a good mood. Zhang Yuanqing opened his eyes. The bedroom was pitch black; the curtains blocked out the streetlights. So comfortable—he’d finally recharged after the day’s exertions. Too bad you can’t see the moon in Songhai; otherwise, basking in the moonlight would have made it perfect....... Yawning, Zhang Yuanqing slipped on his cotton slippers, turned the doorknob, and walked into the living room. A rich aroma wafted into his nostrils; the dining table was laden with dishes—sweet and sour pork, braised pork, roast duck, black-bone chicken soup, asparagus, spring bamboo shoots, and more. Grandma, wearing an apron, was bustling back and forth between the living room and the kitchen. His cousin was helping out in the kitchen. Sitting on the living room sofa was his gray-haired grandfather, sitting upright and watching TV intently. Seated at the dining table was a middle-aged couple—Zhang Yuanqing’s uncle and aunt. His aunt had delicate features and fair skin; though she was past her prime, she had aged gracefully. She wore a white, waist-cinched long dress, her hair cascading in waves, and there was a touch of coquettishness in her eyes and brows. The man beside her bore a striking resemblance to Chen Yuanjun. Dressed in a purple suit, slim-fit purple pants, and a rose-colored shirt, he looked as flashy as a nightclub playboy—no, a playboy of a certain age. Zhang Yuanqing’s uncle was a bit of a flake. When he was young, he played in a band, claiming he was chasing his dreams and yearning for “poetry and distant horizons.” So, he packed his bags, put on bell-bottoms, and ran away from home with a few “like-minded” friends to become a wandering singer. A few years later, having failed to find his dream and battered and bruised by society, he returned home. Instead of getting a job, he spent his days lugging around a tape recorder like a vagabond, performing wherever he went—either singing karaoke or hanging out with his ne’er-do-well friends. Of course, that’s how young people in the city were back then—just getting by. Because he was good-looking and had a pleasant voice, he managed to marry my well-off aunt. After the wedding, he did settle down for a few years, but once my aunt gave birth to my cousin, he quickly reverted to his old ways. He spent his days loafing around—since he wasn’t working, he just played. “Yuanzi, have you been missing your uncle?” My uncle was overjoyed to see the one who would carry on his legacy. His uncle loved to rap and dance; his favorite song was “Yo-yo-chek-nao, bring me a set of jianbing guozi,” which he’d perform with a dance routine he’d made up himself. Apart from Zhang Yuanqing, no one in the family was willing to rap or dance awkwardly with him. That’s why Uncle cherished Zhang Yuanqing so much, seeing him as his successor. “Auntie!” Zhang Yuanqing greeted her, then gave his uncle a perfunctory reply. “I brought you a gift,” his uncle said. “Oh, Uncle, you’re finally back! Why didn’t you tell me in advance? If you had, I would’ve definitely picked you up at the airport—God is my witness.” Zhang Yuanqing’s attitude did a complete about-face to express his intense emotions. The uncle and nephew laughed heartily as they shook hands and bumped shoulders. The uncle put his arm around his heir’s shoulder and sat down “Yuanzi, I’ve been traveling abroad lately. I went out of my way to learn rap techniques from chimpanzees. We should incorporate tongue-clicking and lip-trembling into our singing—it’ll make us sound even more powerful...” I know what tongue-clicking is, but what the heck is “lip-shaking”... Zhang Yuanqing stared in disbelief: “That’s amazing! Just like my uncle—you’ve got incredible talent. Uncle, I’ve been short on pocket money lately.” “No problem. Your aunt has money—I’ll have her give you some later.” Before long, my cousin and Grandma brought out the last few stacks of dishes and called everyone to the table. “Why isn’t my aunt back yet?” Zhang Yuanqing asked. “She said she had something to take care of at the hospital and will be back later,” Grandma replied. His uncle raised an eyebrow and chuckled, “Something at the hospital? Or is she on a date with her boyfriend?” Grandma snorted derisively. “Well, I’d be so grateful if that were the case. The way she acts, she won’t get married until she’s at least 30. What’s wrong with young people these days? None of them want to get married.” Grandma was very dissatisfied with the way the world was going. His uncle said, “Come to think of it, Yuanjun is still single. Yuanjun, bring your boyfriend home sometime so Dad can meet him.” My serious and level-headed cousin was taken aback: “What?” His uncle shrugged. “You’re already 30 and still don’t have a girlfriend, so Dad can only look forward to a boyfriend.” No sooner had he finished speaking than Grandma rolled up her sleeves, ready to take matters into her own hands. “Mom, Mom, I was just joking,” my uncle hurriedly protested. “You have absolutely no sense of humor. Male pairings are all the rage these days—young people really love that sort of thing.” His aunt kept her head down and ate in silence. She didn’t get along well with her mother-in-law—after all, harmonious relationships between mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are rare in this world. Grandma had a fiery temper, and my aunt was strong-willed; one complained that her daughter-in-law couldn’t handle household chores, while the other complained that her mother-in-law was too nosy. When Zhang Yuanqing was little, her aunt and grandmother would often argue. Whenever the two of them got into a fight, her aunt would sit on the sidelines, munching on sunflower seeds and watching the show. Zhang Yuanqing would try to mediate, saying, “You two, stop arguing already,” while taking the sunflower seeds from her aunt’s hand. His cousin would usually do his homework while munching on the sunflower seeds his aunt had given him. Now that her aunt has outgrown her hot-headed youth, she no longer bothers to argue with her mother-in-law, but their relationship remains lukewarm. Just then, my cousin looked over and said, “I heard something happened at your school today?” “Huh? I didn’t know—I came back to sleep really early...” Zhang Yuanqing played dumb. Grandma hurriedly asked what had happened, and Chen Yuanjun gave a brief explanation. Upon hearing that criminals had sneaked into the school, Grandma grew even more disillusioned with the state of the world. Just as they were talking, the security door beeped, and the handle turned. Zhang Yuanqing, sitting at the end of the table near the entryway, turned his head and saw that his aunt had returned. Today, his aunt was wearing an off-the-shoulder, openwork sweater that revealed her round, fair shoulders, paired with a black tank top underneath. She wore light-white spring-summer jeans and a pair of white sneakers. Zhang Yuanqing’s gaze lingered on her calves, and his eyes suddenly narrowed. Hanging from Jiang Yuerr’s calf was a plump little baby.