Spirit Realm Wanderer

Chapter 41: Diverting the Calamity Eastward

A brilliant golden light shone into his mind’s eye. The malevolence in Zhang Yuanqing’s heart dissipated, and he broke free from the “Questioning the Spirit” state. He saw Li Dongze, whose clothes were in disarray, and at the same time felt pain throughout his body, as if he’d been subjected to a brutal beating. “Seriously, every time I devour the spirit of an evil profession, the Night Wanderer goes berserk...” Li Dongze tossed the Demon-Subduing Mace back to Zhang Yuanqing, then straightened his clothes. He pulled a pack of wet wipes from his pocket and handed them over, saying, “Wipe your nose. You must always maintain your elegance.” Zhang Yuanqing took the wet wipes and wiped the blood from his nose. He opened his stats panel to take a look—his experience had increased by 5%, bringing his total to 52%. Next, he sorted through the fragments of his memory. The “Eastern District Branch of the Psychic Association” had two vice presidents: one was the Judge with the Eerie Eye, and the other was the superior of the “Outlaw Beyond the Law’s” superior. The two vice presidents had vied for the presidency, engaging in both open and covert struggles for many years. After the Judge with the Eerie Eye’s death, that vice president attempted to obtain the Holy Grail and the Register, take over his rival’s legacy, and consolidate the Eastern District Branch. That’s why he’s also searching for the Black Wuchang. The Spiritual Energy Society’s influence is vast—the Eastern District Branch alone has two vice-presidents, both high-level Spirit Realm Walkers... Zhang Yuanqing composed himself and said, “Squad Leader, I’ve discovered a major lead.” He immediately relayed the list he’d seen in the memory fragment to Li Dongze. Li Dongze listened and nodded as he went along, but when he heard the list, his eyes suddenly lit up “Excellent, absolutely excellent. With this list, we can conduct targeted investigations instead of floundering around aimlessly. As expected, the enemy knows itself best.” Zhang Yuanqing mused, “I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off. First it was Ou Xiangrong, then the Outlaw—it’s as if someone is feeding us clues.” Li Dongze smiled wryly. “You’re very perceptive. Here’s what we’ll do: write up an analysis report for me. This will be a test of your abilities.” “You’re so strange—you’re going to lose me this way…” Zhang Yuanqing’s expression froze instantly. “Li Yuanfang got off easy. Their Second Squad really pulled off a major feat,” Li Dongze remarked with a sigh. He said no more, leaning on his cane as he walked toward the door and opened the iron gate. Team Two members in the hallway immediately rushed forward. Facing the stern and serious Li Yuanfang, they asked with a hint of anticipation “So, any leads?” Li Dongze smiled slightly. “We’ve obtained a list of Black Wuchang’s subordinates. You guys in the Second Squad have done a great job.” A smile spread across Li Yuanfang’s stern face. The captains of the Second Squad were overjoyed, their faces beaming with delight. The significance of this list was self-evident; the more important the list, the greater their merit—and the entire squad would benefit. Li Dongze said in a solemn tone, “However, the authenticity of the list still needs to be verified.” Li Yuanfang nodded calmly, then turned to Zhang Yuanqing, who stood behind Li Dongze, and said “Once the rewards are distributed, we’ll set aside ten percent to compensate you. Thank you...” His tone was surprisingly gentle. Then, with a look of envy, he remarked, “Squad Leader Li is really lucky.” The members of the Second Squad looked at Zhang Yuanqing with eyes full of goodwill and approval. No one objected to the squad leader’s proposal for compensation; they all felt Zhang Yuanqing deserved it. Dinner. Zhang Yuanqing sat at the dining table, enjoying the meal his grandmother had prepared. Jiang Yuerr scrolled through short videos while eating. She was wearing a pink hoodie with two large, fluffy ears on the hood. I remember when my aunt was eighteen or nineteen, she liked to collect black stockings and short skirts to showcase her mature charm. After turning 25, her style became more girlish, and she began calling herself a “little girl” or a “fairy.” The older she gets, the more she tries to act young. “Don’t play with your phone while eating,” Grandma scolded. “Just for a little while…” my aunt said in a whiny voice. Chewing her food, she added “Yuanzi, I saw a mixed-race girl at the hospital today. She had an amazing figure and was really pretty. Do you know how old her husband is?” Not only did that mixed-race girl have a great figure, but she was also a great driver... Zhang Yuanqing played along and asked “How old?” “He’s still in college,” Auntie said with a look of disdain. “Now look at you—still single, and you’ve got absolutely no ambition.” “Aren’t you single too? What gives you the right to say that about me?” Zhang Yuanqing shot her a sidelong glance. “You don’t know anything. When I’m single, it’s because I’m keeping myself pure; when you’re single, it’s because you’re a loser.” “Even the Hegemon-King of Western Chu couldn’t take a punch like that.” Grandma overheard this and scolded her daughter, “How dare you criticize Yuanzi? He’s focusing on his studies right now—what’s wrong with that? And ‘keeping yourself pure’? Are you trying to be some kind of saint? Go on another blind date for me next week. I’m not asking you to get married right away, but at least find a boyfriend to date.” His aunt deflected the blame onto her nephew: “Well, I haven’t been made a full-time employee yet either—I need to focus on my career too. Your grandson is thirty years old and doesn’t have a partner either.” Grandma heard this and thought it made sense. She looked at Chen Yuanjun and mused “Yuanjun, Grandma will set up another blind date for you. Last time, when I sent your photo to the woman, she told me she wasn’t looking for someone older. Grandma just thought her family lacked good judgment… I’ll have Yu’er retouch your photo to make you look younger.” His cousin’s mouth twitched slightly, and he instinctively furrowed his brow, saying in a deep voice “As long as Grandma’s happy, that’s fine. But I think Yuanzi has been sleeping during the day and playing video games at night these past few days—he hasn’t taken his studies seriously at all. College isn’t the end of learning; it’s the starting point for entering society. With Auntie abroad, Grandma, you should be keeping a closer eye on Yuanzi. You should just smash that PS5.” Upon hearing this, Grandma thought he had a point and scolded him angrily: “All you do is play video games all day, you good-for-nothing! Are you trying to force me to smash your console?” Come on, bro, you’re way too ruthless... Zhang Yuanqing’s scalp prickled. Seeing his grandmother start to rant, he quietly summoned the little prankster, ordered him to climb onto his grandfather’s head, then, after composing himself, took matters into his own hands and tampered with his grandfather’s hearing. “Grandma, just look at Grandpa—he doesn’t lift a finger and leaves you to run this whole household all by yourself. That’s not fair.” His aunt and cousin exchanged surprised glances—this kid was really getting bold today. Hearing this, Grandma immediately turned to Grandpa and frowned. “Old Chen, say something… Old Chen? Old Chen?” With a chubby, adorable baby perched on his head, Grandpa ignored her completely and continued eating in silence. Zhang Yuanqing quietly tucked the little rascal back under his arm. Grandpa suddenly looked up, as if he’d only just heard someone call his name, and furrowed his brow: “What?” “I’m talking to you,” Grandma snapped. “I didn’t hear you.” “What do you mean? Are you pretending to be deaf? All you do all day is go for walks, play chess, and watch TV. Am I some kind of servant to your Chen family? You don’t take care of your own daughter, your grandson, or your granddaughter. Now I know exactly who that family scoundrel takes after...” Grandma’s temper was completely out of control. Zhang Yuanqing kept his head down and ate, keeping his achievements and fame to himself. Mos Pet Café. The roll-up door was half-closed, and the interior was dimly lit; the orange glow mingled with the elm wood floor, creating a soothing and tranquil atmosphere. Steward-level figures from Fenghui, Kangyang, Jinjiang, and Puning Districts had gathered here—eleven in total. They were seated around a round table, steaming cups of coffee within arm’s reach. Without a doubt, this was a high-level meeting, and the only person capable of summoning the Stewards to such a gathering had to be an Elder. Beneath the orange chandelier, right in the center of the round table, a curly-haired Teddy bear sat perched proudly, speaking in a human voice “Everyone is here. I’ll make this brief. The fall of the Judge of the Eerie Eyes is a matter of great significance. What have you discovered over the past few days?” This was an elder of the Hundred Flowers Society and one of the leaders in charge of the Case of the Eerie-Eyed Judge. He oversaw all Spirit Realm Walkers’ teams across the four major districts mentioned above and was a figure of real power who could report directly to the Alliance Leader. The other stewards remained silent. The steward from Fenghui District raised his hand and said in a deep voice “My men killed a witch-bug master today. We’ve confirmed he was one of the Bug King’s men, and we obtained a list from the spirit’s memories...” He then read out the contents of the list. A look of approval flashed in Doudou the Curly-Haired Teddy Bear’s eyes “Well done. Hmm, the spirit of that witch-bug master was exceptionally agitated. The Taiyi Sect’s ‘Night Wanderer Spirit Inquiry’ requires a significant cost; I’ll see to it that they’re compensated later.” The Fenghui District Steward nodded and added “I believe the Ou Xiangrong incident was no coincidence. He was bait set by the Bug King to alert us to the demise of the Judge with the Eerie Eye. The bug sorcerer we killed today was also one of the Bug King’s henchmen; he intended to use our official resources to track down the Black Wuchang.” The Bug King is another vice president of the Spiritual Energy Association’s Eastern District; he and the Judge with the Eerie Eyes have been vying for the presidency for quite some time. The two sides are like oil and water. “When we share a common goal, anyone can become an ally. But the Fallen Holy Grail poses an immeasurable threat; it must be kept in our official custody and must never fall into the Gu King’s hands.” Curly Teddy, with his beady eyes, scanned the crowd and said “Does anyone else have anything to add?” The stewards silently jotted down the list. A female steward furrowed her brow and said “Zhao Yingjun’s case serves as a warning. I suggest we conduct a screening of all members of the Songhai Branch, including the Night Wanderers of the Taiyi Sect—there may be agents of the Spiritual Energy Association lurking among them.” The curly-haired Teddy Bear pondered for a few seconds before slowly nodding. “In that case, we’ll need to invoke the ‘Tiger Token.’ I’ll submit a request to the Marshal.” With the business matters settled, Teddy turned his head toward Fu Qingyang, who stood silently in a white suit, and said “I hear you’ve recently recruited a Night Wanderer with considerable potential—one who cleared the Sheling Tunnel?” Fu Qingyang nodded slightly, then added, “He was the one who killed Ou Xiangrong, too.” Curly-haired Teddy said “A few days ago, Elder Hongying from the Taiyi Sect contacted me, hoping to take that Night Wanderer. I know Elder Sun said we shouldn’t take that kid, but after all, the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyi Sect have signed an agreement. “Personnel matters fall under Elder Hongying’s jurisdiction; Elder Sun doesn’t have the final say… Qingyang, what’s your opinion?” Fu Qingyang replied calmly “Just turn her down. If it’s inconvenient for you, Elder, I’ll make the call myself.” An attendant from the Hundred Flowers Society immediately laughed and said “It’s no big deal. It’s just one Night Patrol God—giving him to the Taiyi Sect won’t hurt. Isn’t Elder Hongying’s favor worth even more? Besides, we have a Taiyi Sect Night Patrol God stationed in every district. When we need them to do their job, they cooperate wholeheartedly, don’t they, Old Zhang?” Old Zhang was the steward of the Fenghui District. The other stewards remained silent, refraining from commenting on such a sensitive issue. Noticing everyone’s gaze, Old Zhang furrowed his brow and said “Since this involves Captain Fu’s people, I won’t comment on personnel transfers, but I do need to address the work ethic of the Taiyi Sect’s Night Patrol. The witch doctor we killed today wasn’t interrogated by a Taiyi Sect Night Patrol officer—he refused to cooperate, claiming he wasn’t feeling well. “The squad leader under my command had no choice but to reach out to the Second Squad of Kangyang District. Heh, they showed up with just one phone call, without a single complaint—and he’s only a Level 1 Night Walker. “Personally, I think there’s a difference between our own Night Wanderers and those from other units.” Fu Qingyang was taken aback; he hadn’t known about this. After hearing Old Zhang’s account, the several stewards each offered their opinions “I think we should keep him. The Taiyi Sect isn’t short on Night Wanderers.” “We’re in a period where we need manpower; we can trust our own people more.” The steward from the Hundred Flowers Society looked awkward and said nothing more. Curly Teddy nodded “Then let him stay. I’ll go and decline Elder Hongying’s request. Qingyang, Lingjun from the Taiyi Sect will be arriving in Songhai in a few days to lead a team and assist us in hunting down the Black Wuchang. Since you’re of the same generation, are close on a daily basis, and are one of the Four Young Masters, you should go and welcome him.” Fu Qingyang gave a soft “Mm-hmm.”