Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 40: The Witch Doctor

“What is it?” Zhang Yuanqing had a hunch. “A fight broke out between Spirit Realm Walkers here in Fenghui District—one dead, one injured. I need you to come and conduct a spirit inquiry.” The background noise on Li Dongze’s end was chaotic; it sounded like people were arguing. Just as he’d expected—he knew it had to be a spiritual inquiry. The squad leader wouldn’t have called him just to ask for backup, and besides, there wasn’t much else he could do; after all, he was still just a kid. “Where’s the Night Patrol in Fenghui District?” The Taiyi Sect had assigned Night Patrol Gods to every major district in Songhai; in Kangyang District, it was Yuan Ting. Naturally, Fenghui District would have one as well. “The deceased was a witch-bug master. The spirit forms of witch-bug masters are notoriously sinister, bizarre, and ferocious—and this particular one was a bit different… The risk of soul-devouring is quite high. The Taiyi Sect’s Night Patrol God is unwilling to take the risk, which has led to a dispute with our colleagues in Fenghui District.” Li Dongze’s voice sounded subdued. As he spoke, the commotion on the other end of the line grew even louder. The spirit of a witch-sorcerer? Zhang Yuanqing’s eyes lit up at the news. He’d been reviewing plenty of class profiles these past few days, and if ranked by mental power, Night Wanderers and Illusionists tied for first place, with witch-sorcerers coming in second. This would yield a lot of experience. However, Zhang Yuanqing frowned and said, “The Taiyi Sect is also an official organization. This falls within the scope of their duties—isn’t anyone keeping an eye on them?” Even if there are risks, since they enjoy official benefits and perks, they should be doing their jobs—not just sitting around doing nothing. “The Taiyi Sect is different from the Five Elements Alliance. Night Wanderers are few in number, and the Council of Elders is based in the capital. The Night Wanderer captains in each major region are all of equal rank,” Li Dongze said with a hint of resignation in his voice. Of course, a complaint could be filed, but it would have to be reported to the capital—there’s no direct authority in Songhai. A complaint would certainly be filed later, but for now, they had to get the job done. And because of the savagery of the witch-sorcerer’s spirit form, Night Patrol captains from other districts wouldn’t risk their lives for an incident in someone else’s jurisdiction. At times like this, the importance of the Five Elements Alliance’s own Night Patrol members becomes all too clear. “I’ll be right over,” Zhang Yuanqing said. Just then, he faintly heard someone speaking over the loudspeaker: “Li Dongze, what you’re doing isn’t right. Although I really need to consult the spirit, he’s still only Level 1...” The voice cut off abruptly as Li Dongze hung up the phone. Zhang Yuanqing hung up the phone. Lao Siji swiveled her office chair around, turned to face him, and smiled “From the voice, it sounds like Li Yuanfang from Team 2... Team 2 in Fenghui District hasn’t achieved any notable accomplishments in a long time; their performance has consistently been at the bottom, which is why the Night Wanderers in that district act so high and mighty.” Li Yuanfang? What a great name! Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself. Guan Ya added, “The captain of Team 2 in Fenghui District is also one of our White Tiger Soldiers.” Lao Siji flashed him a flirtatious glance. She’s hinting that I should build good relationships with the mid-level members of the White Tiger Brigade and curry favor with them... Zhang Yuanqing said with a complex expression “Sister Guan Ya, you’re being so nice to me—have you fallen for me? Are you trying to be an older woman with a younger man?” Pfft! Wang Tai, who was drinking water at the next table, suddenly spit it out. He looked at his two colleagues with a hint of panic. When did they start dating? How come I hadn’t noticed a thing? “Old bull?” Guan Ya’s willow-like eyebrows shot up, veins throbbing on her smooth forehead as she bit her full lips. “Yuan Shi, I think we’ve got just enough time for a sparring match before Shi Zhang’s car gets back.” “I was wrong!” Zhang Yuanqing knew when to back down. A black minivan pulled into the Fenghui District Public Security Bureau. Through the car window, Zhang Yuanqing saw Li Dongze, leaning on his cane, waiting in front of the office building well ahead of time. After getting out of the car, the two exchanged a nod and then entered the office building together. A few minutes later, they arrived at the morgue. Outside the morgue, in the spacious, well-lit hallway, seven or eight Spirit Realm practitioners had gathered. Zhang Yuanqing cast a casual glance at them, guessing their professions based on their appearance and demeanor. Muscular and looking quite hot-tempered—definitely a Fire Master... What profession is that person with a bird perched on their shoulder? Hmm, the Squad Leader mentioned that the Wood Demons of the Hundred Flowers Society love animals... The one with the blank expression is clearly an Earth Spirit... These Spirit Realm practitioners all looked somewhat resentful. Finally, Zhang Yuanqing turned his gaze to the middle-aged man approaching them. The man was about forty years old, with sunken eyes, a hawk-like nose, and thin lips—giving off an intense and stern impression. “Let me introduce you. This is the captain of Team 2 in Fenghui District, a Level 3 Scout, whose Spirit Realm ID is ‘Li Yuanfang of the Great Tang.’ ” A smile played at the corner of Li Dongze’s mouth as he mentioned the man’s ID. “Li Dongze, you’d love to introduce my Spirit Realm ID to everyone every single day,” the middle-aged man sighed, then turned to Zhang Yuanqing, a hint of a smile breaking through his stern expression “I was obsessed with Tang Dynasty-themed TV dramas a few years back, so I chose that name. You must be the Night Wanderer we recently recruited for the White Tiger Army—so young and handsome.” I wonder if there’s anyone named Di Renjie out there—it’d be pretty awkward, no, actually hilarious, if the two of you ever met... Zhang Yuanqing stifled a chuckle as he eagerly shook the man’s hand, repeatedly addressing him as “Captain.” This made Li Yuanfang smile even more broadly. “Our own Night Wanderer is the best, after all.” After a moment of reflection, he continued “You’ve heard the details from Li Dongze, right? I’m sorry, but the Night Wanderer stationed in the Fenghui District by the Taiyi Sect refused to perform a spirit inquiry. We had no choice but to turn to you for help.” The muscular young man snorted. “Even if devouring a witch-puppet master carries risks, it’s not exactly life-threatening. Do you think we’re not taking risks when we’re fighting evil classes on the front lines? The Night Wanderers of the Taiyi Sect always act so high and mighty—every time we ask them for help, it’s as if we’re the ones begging them.” The young man with a bird perched on his shoulder chuckled, “That’s why it’s best to rely on our own people.” Li Yuanfang waved his hand, cutting off his subordinate’s grumbling, and mused “Although Li Dongze has given you his word, I still need to warn you: witch-bug masters possess extremely powerful mental energy and are chaotic and erratic—and that deceased individual was a Level 3 witch-bug master. “His lingering spirit is extremely dangerous. Are you confident you can handle it?” Several team members immediately turned to look at Zhang Yuanqing, their eyes brimming with expectation. Zhang Yuanqing nodded: “No problem. I’m confident.” The Spirit Realm Walkers from Fenghui District wore expressions of relief; Li Yuanfang’s features softened slightly, and his gaze toward Zhang Yuanqing held a touch more approval. “Thank you,” he said with a nod. Li Dongze immediately led Zhang Yuanqing into the morgue, closed the door, and kept their colleagues from Fenghui District—who were waiting to come in and watch—outside. Leaning on his cane, Li Dongze walked to a steel morgue cart and lifted the white sheet covering the body. Upon seeing the body beneath the white sheet, Zhang Yuanqing was startled and looked stunned. The corpse had short, dark green hair and rough, tough, dark brown skin. The joints—such as the elbows and knees—were covered with thick, calloused skin, resembling armor. The fingernails were jet-black, with sharp, curved tips that contained a potent toxin. The skin on his face was also dark brown; his dilated, dull pupils stood vertically like those of a snake, and his eyes were amber in color. Leaning on his staff with one hand, Li Dongze explained “Witch-insect masters at the Transcendent Realm possess two primary abilities. The first is raising insect pests to kill imperceptibly. The second is assimilating with the insect pests, acquiring a specific ability based on their characteristics to enhance close-quarters combat prowess. For example, self-healing, vitality, strength, speed, or toxicity...” Zhang Yuanqing remarked with admiration, “That sounds incredibly powerful—truly a profession worthy of its evil reputation.” It’s worth noting that among the local Spirit Realm professions, Wugushi, Illusionists, and Seductive Demons are all top-tier professions, standing on par with the Night Wanderers. Therefore, there are only three evil classes, and their numbers pale in comparison to those of the official Spirit Realm Walkers. Li Dongze said, “He was killed while transforming into a bug, and his body has remained in this state ever since. Hah, it was a far from elegant death. Precisely because he fused with the bug, his spirit is filled with malevolence and bestiality, causing extreme mental corruption—which is why the Night Wanderers of the Taiyi Sect don’t want to touch him.” Zhang Yuanqing nodded. Protected by his Demon-Subduing Mace, he feared no mental corruption. Li Dongze continued “The ones who fought him were also witch-bug masters. When our people arrived, they killed one and the other fled, wounded. Our preliminary suspicion is that this person might be a member of the Spiritual Energy Association or a subordinate of the Black Wuchang. “Let’s make the most of our time and see what clues we can find. I imagine our colleagues from Team Two out there are already getting impatient.” Zhang Yuanqing nodded, opened his inventory, took out the Demon-Subduing Mace, and handed it to Li Dongze. He then walked over to the humanoid corpse and awakened the residual mental energy slumbering within the body. A phantom figure slowly materialized, its expression vacant yet radiating savagery and darkness. It was even more frenzied than Bi Ou Xiangrong’s spirit—he both wanted to devour it and didn’t want to… Zhang Yuanqing sighed silently as a viscous black light surged in his eyes, filling his eye sockets. He opened his mouth, sucked it in, and swallowed the spirit whole. A throbbing pain surged in the center of his brow as countless chaotic memories flashed through his mind. These memories were fragmented and chaotic, and through a mix of observation and deduction, Zhang Yuanqing pieced together parts of the deceased’s life story. Before becoming a Spirit Realm Walker, this witch doctor had been a drifter—violent and aggressive—who specialized in collecting debts for loan-sharking financial firms, working as a bouncer at nightclubs, setting up honey traps, and forcing women from out of town into prostitution, among other things. He had committed every conceivable evil, yet lived a life of luxury. By a twist of fate, he gained the Spirit Realm’s favor; a character card fell from the heavens, and he became a Spirit Realm Walker. He named himself “Outlaw Beyond the Law.After becoming a Spirit Realm Walker, he became passionate about charity work; once he had accumulated a certain amount of moral points, he began killing ordinary people and violently abusing women to vent the evil thoughts deep within his heart. These fragmented and chaotic memories were agonizing for Zhang Yuanqing; his worldview was severely shaken, and a spirit of contempt for everything began to fester within him. At that moment, he accessed the crucial memory he had been seeking. In a lavishly decorated teahouse, a man with the upper half of his face covered by a silver mask sat at a round glass table, sipping tea from a ceramic cup. He looked at the “Zhang Yuanqing” across the table and said “The Judge with the Eerie Eyes is dead. The position of East District Chairman of the Spiritual Energy Association belongs to none other than the Master. After all these years of rivalry between the two vice-chairmen, the matter has finally been settled.” “How did the Judge with the Eerie Eye die?” Zhang Yuanqing heard the host’s voice. “That’s none of your business.” The man in the silver mask’s gaze hardened. “I’m sorry, Esteemed Steward.” The masked man’s gaze softened as he poured him a cup of tea and said “Black Wuchang has gone into hiding with the Holy Grail and the Register. The Holy Grail is a rule-based artifact specific to the Witch-Bug Master profession—its importance goes without saying. The Register compiles all the servants the Judge with the Eerie Eyes has subjugated over the years. “Whoever controls the Register controls the multitude of Spirit Realm Walkers. Both items are of the utmost importance. Madman, our chance to prove ourselves has arrived. Help our Master track down Black Wuchang and consolidate the strength of the Eastern District Branch, and we’ll be able to stand up to the Songhai Branch of the Five Elements Alliance.” “So, Esteemed Steward, what should I do?” Outlaw’s breathing was slightly rapid, his tone tinged with excitement. “I have a list of Black Wuchang’s subordinates. Follow the list to track them down—you might uncover Black Wuchang’s hideout. Of course, the people on the list have long since gone into hiding. They are: ‘Unrestrained,’ ‘The Way of Heaven Is Unjust,’ ‘The Master Kills Without Blinking,’ and ‘The Young Wife Is Very Alluring.’ Their corresponding real-world identities are...”