“Sizzle.”
The Cat King Speaker emitted a sound of electric current, then returned to silence.
Zhang Yuanqing sat dazedly in front of his desk, his mind boiling over with myriad thoughts, surging like tumultuous waves, a tangled mess.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally broke free from the chaotic emotions, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed:
“Seriously, it turns out even you are a servant of the Sinister Eye Judge.”
After the initial shock had passed, the pieces of the puzzle—past clues and details—began to fall into place in Zhang Yuanqing’s mind, gradually revealing the true nature of the events.
—The Demon Lord was a servant of the Sinister Eye Judge, controlled by him since he was very weak.
An old audio recording could testify that the Demon Lord had a monthly mission to hunt down members of the Lawful Faction. Who issued these missions?
Zhang Yuanqing hadn’t figured it out before, but if the Demon Lord was a servant of the Sinister Eye Judge, then the logic was clear. The Sinister Eye Judge was a big shot in the Evil Classes, naturally opposed to the Lawful Faction.
It made perfect sense for him to have his “servant” suppress the Lawful operatives within his territory—the East District Branch of the Spiritual Energy Society.
Yuan Ting of the Taiyi Sect had said that the Demon Lord was capricious and unruly, lumping Lawful and Evil Classes together in one pot. This was because the Night Wandering Deity belonged to the Lawful Classes—Lawful killing Lawful. If they had Reputation Points, then the Demon Lord would lose Moral Value.
Thus, the Demon Lord had to hunt Evil Classes to ensure he was not wanted by the spirit realm.
“As a weakling, the Demon Lord was controlled by the Sinister Eye Judge, struggling to survive, trying to find a way to break free from the Grail’s control, until he was on the verge of ascending to the top and finally saw hope.
“Then, together with Brother Bing, who was also a servant, they plotted to hunt down the Sinister Eye Judge. All the information I had obtained so far corroborated this reasoning, with both motive and logic aligning.”
Zhang Yuanqing continued to ponder, having now understood the Demon Lord’s motive for hunting the Sinister Eye Judge, and then considering the Mysterious Figure…
His expression suddenly turned grim, a chilling conjecture emerging in his mind:
If the Demon Lord was a servant of the Sinister Eye Judge, then his personal details would surely be recorded in the Register.
What if, what if that Mysterious Figure was one of the Demon Lord’s men, and the purpose of tearing out a page from the Register was not to conceal Brother Bing’s identity, but because, by chance, Brother Bing and he were recorded on the same page?
“It doesn’t make sense though, if the Demon Lord isn’t dead, how did Brother Bing get his Character Card? Come to think of it, Li Dongze once said that Character Cards are issued by the spirit realm, but my Character Card was given to me by Brother Bing…”
With this thought, Zhang Yuanqing’s scalp tingled.
“If it really is the Demon Lord, then the reason he didn’t kill me is very disturbing. No, I must verify whether he is dead or not.”
Zhang Yuanqing rubbed his face, steadied his mind, and took out a notebook from the drawer, writing down:
“How can a spirit realm walker remove a Character Card?”
“How can one obtain someone else’s Character Card?”
Figuring out these two questions, I could probably deduce a lot, but I absolutely cannot ask the Official, especially Fu Qingyang, he knows too much. Zhang Yuanqing twirled his ballpoint pen, his mind locking onto a target.
Master Traceless!
Master Traceless is from the Evil Classes, a group completely at odds with the Lawful Classes, but since he belongs to the Chaotic Good alignment, he won’t harbor any malice or threat towards me. Plus, Master Traceless is high-ranking.
Asking him is better than asking the Palace Master of the Ending Killing Sect.
Although the Palace Master is from the Lawful Faction, she can be such a crazed fanatic.
“I can always go to Master Traceless to show my face, hug his thigh, and pester him for a Dream Connection Jade Talisman, unless he explicitly tells me not to come again.”
Zhang Yuanqing was quite confident in his social skills and thick skin.
Once he had made up his mind, he put away the Cat King Speaker, covered himself with a blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, Zhang Yuanqing was woken up by his grandmother’s persistent calling, sprawled out on his bed, stretching out his limbs.
After a night’s rest, he was fully rejuvenated.
In the living room, his older male cousin Chen Yuanjun had just finished breakfast. He wiped his mouth with a tissue, nodded to his younger cousin, and said:
“Grandma, I’m off to work.”
Zhang Yuanqing was startled: “Brother, it’s Sunday today.”
Chen Yuanjun replied helplessly: “There’s a situation at the Third Elementary School. We need to seal off the area and maintain order. Plus, an old man in the nearby residential community died from an accidental fall, or so my colleagues say. But the neighbors next door said there was a fight downstairs that night.
“The deceased’s family thinks he was murdered, and they caused a commotion at the Public Security Bureau early this morning. There’s a lot of trouble today.”
He was indeed murdered, and I couldn’t even save him before the Black Guards of Impermanence confused him with a shout, Zhang Yuanqing silently sighed.
The elders in Songhai are known for their fiery temper, not afraid to scold anyone, even the Celestial King, if they’re upset. Unfortunately, they had the bad luck of encountering the tough Black Guards of Impermanence.
After Chen Yuanjun left for work, Zhang Yuanqing took a bite of his steamed bun and asked while eating:
“Grandmother, where’s aunt?”
“She’s sleeping in her room. It’s Sunday; I can’t be bothered to manage her today.” Grandmother stuffed a piece of fried dough into her grandson’s bowl and then took out five hundred yuan from her pocket, saying:
“Here’s your allowance for next week.”
“Thank you, grandmother.”
Zhang Yuanqing may be worth half a million, but he couldn’t refuse the household allowance; it wouldn’t be right to say: “Your grandson lives life on the edge, making a killing every day, I’m not short on cash anymore.”
Grandmother slapped down the five hundred bucks with pride and went to the balcony to water the plants. That’s when his aunt, wearing a pink cotton nightgown with Pikachu printed on the chest, came out shuffling in her slippers.
She squinted her tired eyes, her hair a messy disarray, exuding a sense of laziness.
Speaking of which, although Jiang Yuer is the sweet and obedient Type, she’s quite formidable in stature; Pikachu has gained a circle.
Jiang Yuer sat down next to Zhang Yuanqing and called out, “Mom, where’s my porridge?”
“Can’t you fetch it from the kitchen yourself?” Grandmother scolded.
Jiang Yuer whined, “Mom, don’t you love me anymore?”
“Scram!”
With that, she sulkily went into the kitchen.
When Jiang Yuer returned with a bowl of white porridge, Zhang Yuanqing asked, “We didn’t play games last night, why did you sleep so late?”
“It’s that time of the month!”
“Do you get that time of the month twice a month?”
“Watch it!” Jiang Yuer raised her hand and delivered a fierce chop with the edge of her hand, which landed on her nephew’s head with a Duang: “Since when is it your place to nag in front of your aunt?”
Having just exerted her authority, Jiang Yuer was swiftly subdued by Zhang Yuanqing, who twisted her arms behind her back and pressed her down onto the dining table.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Jiang Yuer’s pert bottom, and an uncontrollable thought flashed through his mind: Such a pretty butt, it’d be a pity if it didn’t grow a pig’s tail.
Damn it!
He cursed in his mind and immediately let go of Jiang Yuer, sitting up straight.
Just as she was about to call for her mother to see how Zhang Yuanqing was bullying her, Jiang Yuer hesitated: “Why did you back down?”
Zhang Yuanqing snorted coldly: “Woman, you’re no longer attractive to me.”
Then, with tears in his heart, he added: Mother pigs have gradually come into my view.
“How about we go shopping later?” suggested Jiang Yuer.
“No, I have things to do this morning; I’ll see about the afternoon.”
The dimly lit room was faintly illuminated by the weak glow of an orange desk lamp.
At the brown solid wood desk, a burly man with a “pop” pulled the cork from a glass test tube and downed the pale golden liquid inside.
He let out a satisfied sigh as the sword and claw marks that covered his body healed rapidly, leaving no scars.
Afterward, the Fire Warrior looked towards the Grand Protector, who stood by the window watching the rain, and said gravely:
“I’ve just received word that the Black Guards of Impermanence have been killed, and the Grail has fallen into the hands of the Songhai Branch. Grand Protector, we’ve lost our chance.”
The Grand Protector at the window remained silent for a long time, his voice hoarse:
“Who killed the Black Guards of Impermanence?”
The Fire Warrior scoffed: “Primordial Celestial Lord, according to the official database, he’s just been awarded A-level Merit. A-level Merit, I recall that to become an Elder, aside from the required level, one must also have at least one A-level. If it wasn’t him who killed the Black Guards of Impermanence, how else would he get an A-level?”
The Grand Protector said: “Find a way to kill him, and also, release the news that the Black Guards of Impermanence have been killed and the Register has fallen into the hands of the Five Elements Alliance to stir up the Fallen on the Register.”
At 9:30 in the morning, Zhang Yuanqing, with a backpack slung over his shoulders and a smile on his face, walked into the lobby of the Traceless Inn, heading straight for the front desk.
“Aunt Xiao Yuan, I’m back,” Zhang Yuanqing approached the front desk.
The dazzling aunt in a wine-red Small suit and white shirt glanced at him and said flatly: “What is it this time?”
“I came to thank Aunt Xiao Yuan for her help last time. The Black Guards of Impermanence have been killed, and the Grail incident is resolved,” said Zhang Yuanqing. He then unzipped his backpack, took out a stack of banknotes, and placed it on the front desk:
“Here’s one hundred thousand, the extra fifty thousand is a personal token of my gratitude.”
“The Black Guards of Impermanence are dead?” Aunt Xiao Yuan raised her eyebrows, surprise flashing through her indifferent eyes, followed by wariness.
The capabilities of the Five Elements Alliance had exceeded her expectations, managing to find and kill the Black Guards of Impermanence in such a short time.
She furrowed her delicate brows and said: “I remember that the Director in charge of this matter from the Kangyang District was Fu Qingyang of the White Tiger Warriors.”
Zhang Yuanqing replied, “It was him, but in this incident, I was the one who made the most Merit.”
Aunt Xiao Yuan ignored his claim, her mind growing increasingly wary of Fu Qingyang.
Almost immediately, her attention turned to the thick stack of cash. After a moment of silence, Xiao Yuan accepted the one hundred thousand yuan.
Groups like theirs, squeezed between the cracks of society, were constrained by Moral Value limits and the pursuit of Official Walkers, which made their income sources extremely limited. Life was not exactly difficult, but it was far from wealthy, and a lack of funds could cause significant inconvenience.
Maintaining channels, gathering information, and trading all required money.
Even spirit realm walkers needed to make a living.
Seeing that Aunt Xiao Yuan accepted the money, Zhang Yuanqing immediately said, “Actually, I have another favor to ask.”
Aunt Xiao Yuan’s heart sank.
“I would like to meet Master Traceless,” Zhang Yuanqing said with a sincere face.
Xiao Yuan glanced at the money in her hand, her eyes twitching slightly, and said with a cold face, “Wait a moment! I can only ask for you. Whether you get to meet him or not is up to Master Traceless.”
With that, she walked towards the elevator in her high heels.
A few minutes later, the elevator descended, and Aunt Xiao Yuan returned, nodding:
“Go ahead!”
Zhang Yuanqing rode the elevator to the fourth floor and stopped in front of the second door on the left, room “404.”
He grasped the doorknob and gently turned it.
The scene before him rippled like water; the door vanished, the hotel corridor transformed into an ancient and spacious hall, the red carpet beneath his feet became mottled stone bricks, and beneath the ceiling decorated with gods and buddhas, a golden Buddha sat, holding a flower and looking down with an expression that was both compassionate and stern.
Zhang Yuanqing brought his hands together in a salute towards the figure on the cushion: “Master Traceless.”
“What is it?”
A distant and low, pain-enduring voice echoed.
“I have two puzzles I wish to ask the master,” Zhang Yuanqing said. “How can a spirit realm walker unbind a Character Card without dying? And how can I obtain someone else’s Character Card?”
Master Traceless pondered for two or three seconds before slowly saying:
“Any spirit realm walker can only unbind their Character Card through death. Even the five Alliance Leaders of the Five Elements Alliance and the highest leader of the Evil Organization are not exceptions.
“As for how to acquire someone else’s Character Card, I have not heard of such a method, but from my limited knowledge, there must be one prerequisite: being in the spirit realm.”
Even the five Alliance Leaders can’t unbind a Character Card? With the level and status of Master Traceless, if he says this with certainty, then it must be reliable.
So, the Demon Lord is truly dead?
Only in the spirit realm can you get someone else’s Character Card; I can understand that because after a walker dies, the spirit realm will reclaim the Character Card. To ‘intercept’ it, one would definitely need to be in the spirit realm.
If even Master Traceless is unclear about such a method, but Brother Bing managed to do it, Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and then asked:
“Is there a possibility of feigned death for high-level Night Wandering Deities whose souls are immortal?”
“If it’s a feigned death, it’s impossible to unbind the Character Card. Unbinding the Character Card definitely means death,” Master Traceless said.
Hearing this, the speculation in Zhang Yuanqing’s mind wavered.
The Sect Master of Taiyi Sect said the Demon Lord was dead, Master Traceless also said that unbinding the Character Card signifies death; could my own reasoning be more reliable than the insights of these two giants?
Clearly not!
But if the Mysterious Figure isn’t the Demon Lord, then who is it?
Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly and said, “Thank you, Master, for resolving my doubts.”
Master Traceless said indifferently, “You and I are from different factions, and you are a member of an Official organization. It’s better not to have any dealings in the future. The Grand Physical Examination by the Five Elements Alliance is not a trifling matter; do not lead yourself astray.”
Indeed, it seemed that the sturdy thighs were not so easy to cling to. Zhang Yuanqing forced a smile and said, “Understood.”
As his voice faded, the scenery in the hall gradually displayed virtual effects and finally disappeared.
He found himself back in front of room “404.”
Sigh, the Dream Connection Jade Talisman given by The green tea wasn’t used, and since she’s not officially affiliated, maybe in the future, I could let her scout for me. If she refuses, I’ve already thought of a reason—don’t you feel sorry for your brother?
Taking the elevator back to the lobby, Zhang Yuanqing bid farewell and left. Suddenly, Aunt Xiao Yuan called out to him:
“Have you encountered something recently?”
Zhang Yuanqing was taken aback, a wave of pleasure rising in his heart, but he kept his composure: “What do you mean?”
He wondered if Aunt Xiao Yuan could see something amiss.
Aunt Xiao Yuan pondered for a moment and said:
“The first time you met me, you looked at my chest three times, my face twice, my legs five times. The second time you saw me, you looked at my face once, my chest four times, and my legs six times.”
Zhang Yuanqing, horrified, interrupted her: “Aunt, I didn’t, please don’t wrong me. Do Evil Classes always like to slander?”
Aunt Xiao Yuan said indifferently:
“But this time, you only looked at my face once.
“Your Spirit Body has been tainted, although not deeply, and the tainted part won’t affect your personality too much—it corresponds to ‘desire.'”
Zhang Yuanqing swallowed nervously, probing, “You are?”
Aunt Xiao Yuan said indifferently: “A Level 5 Gu Sorcerer.”
Zhang Yuanqing’s demeanor changed, like a person plagued by a chronic illness finding a good doctor, and he quickly said:
“Aunt Xiao Yuan, I’ve recently acquired an Item belonging to the Gu Sorcerer profession. The price to pay is that it will gradually change my sexual orientation—no, my species orientation. Frankly, I looked at you today and felt it’s a pity you’re not a pig.
“But I haven’t used it, I just placed it in my Inventory.”
Aunt Xiao Yuan’s eyes showed pity:
“Some Items exact a toll slowly, but incessantly, and the moment you put it in your Inventory, it recognized you as its master, and the influence began.
“Some Items have a visible, immediate cost, which is paid after use and needn’t be considered beforehand.
“The corruption of a Gu Sorcerer’s profession falls into the former category.”
Listening, Zhang Yuanqing was terrified and immediately said, “Auntie, I’m thinking of selling it to you at a low price.”
Aunt Xiao Yuan scoffed: “What do I want it for, to gradually become attracted to male pigs?”
You keep it.
Zhang Yuanqing looked desperate.
What a cursed object, even more troublesome than the Celestial Toad Furnace that could poison an entire tribe. Zhang Yuanqing left the hotel, deeply troubled about how to deal with the “Scarecrow” Item.
This Item was undoubtedly powerful, able to taint and corrupt even the Red Dance Shoes, and in a fight at the same level, it was equivalent to a strategic Weapon.
But the price was unbearable. The Black Guards of Impermanence were Evil Classes, utterly corrupt, not caring about changing species orientation, while Aunt Xiao Yuan’s refusal probably stemmed from her belief that she wasn’t evil and possessed a kind heart.
Therefore, he would rather give up the chance to strengthen himself.
“I do have a kind heart,” Zhang Yuanqing made up his mind. “It seems best to hand it over to the organization and exchange it for an Item.”
Just as he was thinking, his phone rang. It was a call from Fu Qingyang.
“Hello, Centurion?” Zhang Yuanqing answered the phone.
“Come over to my place. The Branch has finalized your reward. In addition to Merit and a cash bonus, the Elders have decided to award you two Items. You’ll get to choose them from a selection of ten.”
Fu Qingyang’s voice was still indifferent, but to Zhang Yuanqing, it sounded like the arrival of a wealth-bringing child.
“Alright, Centurion!” Zhang Yuanqing responded joyfully.
“Sizzle.”
The Cat King Speaker emitted a sound of electric current, then returned to silence.
Zhang Yuanqing sat dazedly in front of his desk, his mind boiling over with myriad thoughts, surging like tumultuous waves, a tangled mess.
After what felt like an eternity, he finally broke free from the chaotic emotions, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed:
“Seriously, it turns out even you are a servant of the Sinister Eye Judge.”
After the initial shock had passed, the pieces of the puzzle—past clues and details—began to fall into place in Zhang Yuanqing’s mind, gradually revealing the true nature of the events.
—The Demon Lord was a servant of the Sinister Eye Judge, controlled by him since he was very weak.
An old audio recording could testify that the Demon Lord had a monthly mission to hunt down members of the Lawful Faction. Who issued these missions?
Zhang Yuanqing hadn’t figured it out before, but if the Demon Lord was a servant of the Sinister Eye Judge, then the logic was clear. The Sinister Eye Judge was a big shot in the Evil Classes, naturally opposed to the Lawful Faction.
It made perfect sense for him to have his “servant” suppress the Lawful operatives within his territory—the East District Branch of the Spiritual Energy Society.
Yuan Ting of the Taiyi Sect had said that the Demon Lord was capricious and unruly, lumping Lawful and Evil Classes together in one pot. This was because the Night Wandering Deity belonged to the Lawful Classes—Lawful killing Lawful. If they had Reputation Points, then the Demon Lord would lose Moral Value.
Thus, the Demon Lord had to hunt Evil Classes to ensure he was not wanted by the spirit realm.
“As a weakling, the Demon Lord was controlled by the Sinister Eye Judge, struggling to survive, trying to find a way to break free from the Grail’s control, until he was on the verge of ascending to the top and finally saw hope.
“Then, together with Brother Bing, who was also a servant, they plotted to hunt down the Sinister Eye Judge. All the information I had obtained so far corroborated this reasoning, with both motive and logic aligning.”
Zhang Yuanqing continued to ponder, having now understood the Demon Lord’s motive for hunting the Sinister Eye Judge, and then considering the Mysterious Figure…
His expression suddenly turned grim, a chilling conjecture emerging in his mind:
If the Demon Lord was a servant of the Sinister Eye Judge, then his personal details would surely be recorded in the Register.
What if, what if that Mysterious Figure was one of the Demon Lord’s men, and the purpose of tearing out a page from the Register was not to conceal Brother Bing’s identity, but because, by chance, Brother Bing and he were recorded on the same page?
“It doesn’t make sense though, if the Demon Lord isn’t dead, how did Brother Bing get his Character Card? Come to think of it, Li Dongze once said that Character Cards are issued by the spirit realm, but my Character Card was given to me by Brother Bing…”
With this thought, Zhang Yuanqing’s scalp tingled.
“If it really is the Demon Lord, then the reason he didn’t kill me is very disturbing. No, I must verify whether he is dead or not.”
Zhang Yuanqing rubbed his face, steadied his mind, and took out a notebook from the drawer, writing down:
“How can a spirit realm walker remove a Character Card?”
“How can one obtain someone else’s Character Card?”
Figuring out these two questions, I could probably deduce a lot, but I absolutely cannot ask the Official, especially Fu Qingyang, he knows too much. Zhang Yuanqing twirled his ballpoint pen, his mind locking onto a target.
Master Traceless!
Master Traceless is from the Evil Classes, a group completely at odds with the Lawful Classes, but since he belongs to the Chaotic Good alignment, he won’t harbor any malice or threat towards me. Plus, Master Traceless is high-ranking.
Asking him is better than asking the Palace Master of the Ending Killing Sect.
Although the Palace Master is from the Lawful Faction, she can be such a crazed fanatic.
“I can always go to Master Traceless to show my face, hug his thigh, and pester him for a Dream Connection Jade Talisman, unless he explicitly tells me not to come again.”
Zhang Yuanqing was quite confident in his social skills and thick skin.
Once he had made up his mind, he put away the Cat King Speaker, covered himself with a blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, Zhang Yuanqing was woken up by his grandmother’s persistent calling, sprawled out on his bed, stretching out his limbs.
After a night’s rest, he was fully rejuvenated.
In the living room, his older male cousin Chen Yuanjun had just finished breakfast. He wiped his mouth with a tissue, nodded to his younger cousin, and said:
“Grandma, I’m off to work.”
Zhang Yuanqing was startled: “Brother, it’s Sunday today.”
Chen Yuanjun replied helplessly: “There’s a situation at the Third Elementary School. We need to seal off the area and maintain order. Plus, an old man in the nearby residential community died from an accidental fall, or so my colleagues say. But the neighbors next door said there was a fight downstairs that night.
“The deceased’s family thinks he was murdered, and they caused a commotion at the Public Security Bureau early this morning. There’s a lot of trouble today.”
He was indeed murdered, and I couldn’t even save him before the Black Guards of Impermanence confused him with a shout, Zhang Yuanqing silently sighed.
The elders in Songhai are known for their fiery temper, not afraid to scold anyone, even the Celestial King, if they’re upset. Unfortunately, they had the bad luck of encountering the tough Black Guards of Impermanence.
After Chen Yuanjun left for work, Zhang Yuanqing took a bite of his steamed bun and asked while eating:
“Grandmother, where’s aunt?”
“She’s sleeping in her room. It’s Sunday; I can’t be bothered to manage her today.” Grandmother stuffed a piece of fried dough into her grandson’s bowl and then took out five hundred yuan from her pocket, saying:
“Here’s your allowance for next week.”
“Thank you, grandmother.”
Zhang Yuanqing may be worth half a million, but he couldn’t refuse the household allowance; it wouldn’t be right to say: “Your grandson lives life on the edge, making a killing every day, I’m not short on cash anymore.”
Grandmother slapped down the five hundred bucks with pride and went to the balcony to water the plants. That’s when his aunt, wearing a pink cotton nightgown with Pikachu printed on the chest, came out shuffling in her slippers.
She squinted her tired eyes, her hair a messy disarray, exuding a sense of laziness.
Speaking of which, although Jiang Yuer is the sweet and obedient Type, she’s quite formidable in stature; Pikachu has gained a circle.
Jiang Yuer sat down next to Zhang Yuanqing and called out, “Mom, where’s my porridge?”
“Can’t you fetch it from the kitchen yourself?” Grandmother scolded.
Jiang Yuer whined, “Mom, don’t you love me anymore?”
“Scram!”
With that, she sulkily went into the kitchen.
When Jiang Yuer returned with a bowl of white porridge, Zhang Yuanqing asked, “We didn’t play games last night, why did you sleep so late?”
“It’s that time of the month!”
“Do you get that time of the month twice a month?”
“Watch it!” Jiang Yuer raised her hand and delivered a fierce chop with the edge of her hand, which landed on her nephew’s head with a Duang: “Since when is it your place to nag in front of your aunt?”
Having just exerted her authority, Jiang Yuer was swiftly subdued by Zhang Yuanqing, who twisted her arms behind her back and pressed her down onto the dining table.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Jiang Yuer’s pert bottom, and an uncontrollable thought flashed through his mind: Such a pretty butt, it’d be a pity if it didn’t grow a pig’s tail.
Damn it!
He cursed in his mind and immediately let go of Jiang Yuer, sitting up straight.
Just as she was about to call for her mother to see how Zhang Yuanqing was bullying her, Jiang Yuer hesitated: “Why did you back down?”
Zhang Yuanqing snorted coldly: “Woman, you’re no longer attractive to me.”
Then, with tears in his heart, he added: Mother pigs have gradually come into my view.
“How about we go shopping later?” suggested Jiang Yuer.
“No, I have things to do this morning; I’ll see about the afternoon.”
The dimly lit room was faintly illuminated by the weak glow of an orange desk lamp.
At the brown solid wood desk, a burly man with a “pop” pulled the cork from a glass test tube and downed the pale golden liquid inside.
He let out a satisfied sigh as the sword and claw marks that covered his body healed rapidly, leaving no scars.
Afterward, the Fire Warrior looked towards the Grand Protector, who stood by the window watching the rain, and said gravely:
“I’ve just received word that the Black Guards of Impermanence have been killed, and the Grail has fallen into the hands of the Songhai Branch. Grand Protector, we’ve lost our chance.”
The Grand Protector at the window remained silent for a long time, his voice hoarse:
“Who killed the Black Guards of Impermanence?”
The Fire Warrior scoffed: “Primordial Celestial Lord, according to the official database, he’s just been awarded A-level Merit. A-level Merit, I recall that to become an Elder, aside from the required level, one must also have at least one A-level. If it wasn’t him who killed the Black Guards of Impermanence, how else would he get an A-level?”
The Grand Protector said: “Find a way to kill him, and also, release the news that the Black Guards of Impermanence have been killed and the Register has fallen into the hands of the Five Elements Alliance to stir up the Fallen on the Register.”
At 9:30 in the morning, Zhang Yuanqing, with a backpack slung over his shoulders and a smile on his face, walked into the lobby of the Traceless Inn, heading straight for the front desk.
“Aunt Xiao Yuan, I’m back,” Zhang Yuanqing approached the front desk.
The dazzling aunt in a wine-red Small suit and white shirt glanced at him and said flatly: “What is it this time?”
“I came to thank Aunt Xiao Yuan for her help last time. The Black Guards of Impermanence have been killed, and the Grail incident is resolved,” said Zhang Yuanqing. He then unzipped his backpack, took out a stack of banknotes, and placed it on the front desk:
“Here’s one hundred thousand, the extra fifty thousand is a personal token of my gratitude.”
“The Black Guards of Impermanence are dead?” Aunt Xiao Yuan raised her eyebrows, surprise flashing through her indifferent eyes, followed by wariness.
The capabilities of the Five Elements Alliance had exceeded her expectations, managing to find and kill the Black Guards of Impermanence in such a short time.
She furrowed her delicate brows and said: “I remember that the Director in charge of this matter from the Kangyang District was Fu Qingyang of the White Tiger Warriors.”
Zhang Yuanqing replied, “It was him, but in this incident, I was the one who made the most Merit.”
Aunt Xiao Yuan ignored his claim, her mind growing increasingly wary of Fu Qingyang.
Almost immediately, her attention turned to the thick stack of cash. After a moment of silence, Xiao Yuan accepted the one hundred thousand yuan.
Groups like theirs, squeezed between the cracks of society, were constrained by Moral Value limits and the pursuit of Official Walkers, which made their income sources extremely limited. Life was not exactly difficult, but it was far from wealthy, and a lack of funds could cause significant inconvenience.
Maintaining channels, gathering information, and trading all required money.
Even spirit realm walkers needed to make a living.
Seeing that Aunt Xiao Yuan accepted the money, Zhang Yuanqing immediately said, “Actually, I have another favor to ask.”
Aunt Xiao Yuan’s heart sank.
“I would like to meet Master Traceless,” Zhang Yuanqing said with a sincere face.
Xiao Yuan glanced at the money in her hand, her eyes twitching slightly, and said with a cold face, “Wait a moment! I can only ask for you. Whether you get to meet him or not is up to Master Traceless.”
With that, she walked towards the elevator in her high heels.
A few minutes later, the elevator descended, and Aunt Xiao Yuan returned, nodding:
“Go ahead!”
Zhang Yuanqing rode the elevator to the fourth floor and stopped in front of the second door on the left, room “404.”
He grasped the doorknob and gently turned it.
The scene before him rippled like water; the door vanished, the hotel corridor transformed into an ancient and spacious hall, the red carpet beneath his feet became mottled stone bricks, and beneath the ceiling decorated with gods and buddhas, a golden Buddha sat, holding a flower and looking down with an expression that was both compassionate and stern.
Zhang Yuanqing brought his hands together in a salute towards the figure on the cushion: “Master Traceless.”
“What is it?”
A distant and low, pain-enduring voice echoed.
“I have two puzzles I wish to ask the master,” Zhang Yuanqing said. “How can a spirit realm walker unbind a Character Card without dying? And how can I obtain someone else’s Character Card?”
Master Traceless pondered for two or three seconds before slowly saying:
“Any spirit realm walker can only unbind their Character Card through death. Even the five Alliance Leaders of the Five Elements Alliance and the highest leader of the Evil Organization are not exceptions.
“As for how to acquire someone else’s Character Card, I have not heard of such a method, but from my limited knowledge, there must be one prerequisite: being in the spirit realm.”
Even the five Alliance Leaders can’t unbind a Character Card? With the level and status of Master Traceless, if he says this with certainty, then it must be reliable.
So, the Demon Lord is truly dead?
Only in the spirit realm can you get someone else’s Character Card; I can understand that because after a walker dies, the spirit realm will reclaim the Character Card. To ‘intercept’ it, one would definitely need to be in the spirit realm.
If even Master Traceless is unclear about such a method, but Brother Bing managed to do it, Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and then asked:
“Is there a possibility of feigned death for high-level Night Wandering Deities whose souls are immortal?”
“If it’s a feigned death, it’s impossible to unbind the Character Card. Unbinding the Character Card definitely means death,” Master Traceless said.
Hearing this, the speculation in Zhang Yuanqing’s mind wavered.
The Sect Master of Taiyi Sect said the Demon Lord was dead, Master Traceless also said that unbinding the Character Card signifies death; could my own reasoning be more reliable than the insights of these two giants?
Clearly not!
But if the Mysterious Figure isn’t the Demon Lord, then who is it?
Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly and said, “Thank you, Master, for resolving my doubts.”
Master Traceless said indifferently, “You and I are from different factions, and you are a member of an Official organization. It’s better not to have any dealings in the future. The Grand Physical Examination by the Five Elements Alliance is not a trifling matter; do not lead yourself astray.”
Indeed, it seemed that the sturdy thighs were not so easy to cling to. Zhang Yuanqing forced a smile and said, “Understood.”
As his voice faded, the scenery in the hall gradually displayed virtual effects and finally disappeared.
He found himself back in front of room “404.”
Sigh, the Dream Connection Jade Talisman given by The green tea wasn’t used, and since she’s not officially affiliated, maybe in the future, I could let her scout for me. If she refuses, I’ve already thought of a reason—don’t you feel sorry for your brother?
Taking the elevator back to the lobby, Zhang Yuanqing bid farewell and left. Suddenly, Aunt Xiao Yuan called out to him:
“Have you encountered something recently?”
Zhang Yuanqing was taken aback, a wave of pleasure rising in his heart, but he kept his composure: “What do you mean?”
He wondered if Aunt Xiao Yuan could see something amiss.
Aunt Xiao Yuan pondered for a moment and said:
“The first time you met me, you looked at my chest three times, my face twice, my legs five times. The second time you saw me, you looked at my face once, my chest four times, and my legs six times.”
Zhang Yuanqing, horrified, interrupted her: “Aunt, I didn’t, please don’t wrong me. Do Evil Classes always like to slander?”
Aunt Xiao Yuan said indifferently:
“But this time, you only looked at my face once.
“Your Spirit Body has been tainted, although not deeply, and the tainted part won’t affect your personality too much—it corresponds to ‘desire.'”
Zhang Yuanqing swallowed nervously, probing, “You are?”
Aunt Xiao Yuan said indifferently: “A Level 5 Gu Sorcerer.”
Zhang Yuanqing’s demeanor changed, like a person plagued by a chronic illness finding a good doctor, and he quickly said:
“Aunt Xiao Yuan, I’ve recently acquired an Item belonging to the Gu Sorcerer profession. The price to pay is that it will gradually change my sexual orientation—no, my species orientation. Frankly, I looked at you today and felt it’s a pity you’re not a pig.
“But I haven’t used it, I just placed it in my Inventory.”
Aunt Xiao Yuan’s eyes showed pity:
“Some Items exact a toll slowly, but incessantly, and the moment you put it in your Inventory, it recognized you as its master, and the influence began.
“Some Items have a visible, immediate cost, which is paid after use and needn’t be considered beforehand.
“The corruption of a Gu Sorcerer’s profession falls into the former category.”
Listening, Zhang Yuanqing was terrified and immediately said, “Auntie, I’m thinking of selling it to you at a low price.”
Aunt Xiao Yuan scoffed: “What do I want it for, to gradually become attracted to male pigs?”
You keep it.
Zhang Yuanqing looked desperate.
What a cursed object, even more troublesome than the Celestial Toad Furnace that could poison an entire tribe. Zhang Yuanqing left the hotel, deeply troubled about how to deal with the “Scarecrow” Item.
This Item was undoubtedly powerful, able to taint and corrupt even the Red Dance Shoes, and in a fight at the same level, it was equivalent to a strategic Weapon.
But the price was unbearable. The Black Guards of Impermanence were Evil Classes, utterly corrupt, not caring about changing species orientation, while Aunt Xiao Yuan’s refusal probably stemmed from her belief that she wasn’t evil and possessed a kind heart.
Therefore, he would rather give up the chance to strengthen himself.
“I do have a kind heart,” Zhang Yuanqing made up his mind. “It seems best to hand it over to the organization and exchange it for an Item.”
Just as he was thinking, his phone rang. It was a call from Fu Qingyang.
“Hello, Centurion?” Zhang Yuanqing answered the phone.
“Come over to my place. The Branch has finalized your reward. In addition to Merit and a cash bonus, the Elders have decided to award you two Items. You’ll get to choose them from a selection of ten.”
Fu Qingyang’s voice was still indifferent, but to Zhang Yuanqing, it sounded like the arrival of a wealth-bringing child.
“Alright, Centurion!” Zhang Yuanqing responded joyfully.
