Spirit Realm Walker

”What’s the matter?” Zhang Yuanqing asked, although he had already formulated a guess.

Li Dongze answered his question immediately.

—There was a battle between Spirit Realm Walkers in Fenghui District. One dead, one injured. We need you to come over to conduct a spirit interrogation.

There was a lot of noise on Li Dongze’s end. It sounded like a heated argument.

It was just as he’d thought. Squad Leader definitely wouldn’t be calling him to provide backup, and he couldn’t offer much other assistance anyway. After all, he was still just a kid.

”What about the Nocturnal Specter in Fenghui District?” Zhang Yuanqing asked.

Taiyi Sect had arranged for Nocturnal Specters to be stationed in every major district of Songhai. Just as Yuan Ting was stationed in Kangyang District, there would be one in Fenghui District as well.

Li Dongze’s voice grew heavy.

—The deceased is a Hex Master. Hex Master spirits are notoriously savage and malevolent, and this particular one is a little unique, so the risks around this Soul Devouring is quite high. The Taiyi Sect Nocturnal Specter refused to take the risk and got into an argument with our Fenghui District colleagues.

As he spoke, the arguing on the other end of the phone grew more intense.

A Hex Master spirit? Zhang Yuanqing thought, feeling a surge of joy. He’d read quite a bit of material regarding the various classes these past few days. When ranked by mental power, Nocturnal Specters and Illusionists were tied for first place, with Hex Masters coming in second.

This opportunity could give him a lot of experience.

However, there was something else.

”Taiyi Sect is also an official organization,” Zhang Yuanqing said with a frown, ”and this falls within their job responsibilities. Isn’t there anyone managing them?”

Even if there were certain risks, the Taiyi Sect Nocturnal Specter should also be doing their job since they enjoyed official benefits and treatment, instead of being deadweight.

—Taiyi Sect is different from the Five Elements Alliance. Nocturnal Specters are few in number, and the Council of Elders is stationed in the capital. The Nocturnal Specter captains in each major district are all on equal footing.

There was an undercurrent of helplessness in Li Dongze’s voice. Filing a complaint was certainly possible, but it would require sending a report to the capital. There was no direct supervisor in Songhai.

They would definitely file a complaint afterward, but the work had to be done first. And because of the ferocity of Hex Master spirits, Nocturnal Specters from other districts wouldn’t risk their lives for incidents in someone else’s territory.

This was when the importance of the Five Elements Alliance having their own Nocturnal Specter became apparent.

”I’ll head right over,” Zhang Yuanqing said.

At that moment, he caught the faint sound of another voice through the phone. 

—Li Dongze, this approach isn’t appropriate. Although I really need this spirit interrogation, he’s still only Level 1—

The voice cut off abruptly as Li Dongze hung up.

Zhang Yuanqing hung up the phone. The adventurous lady in front of him spun her office chair around and smiled.

”That voice sounded like Li Yuanfang from Squad Two,” she said. ”Fenghui District’s Squad Two hasn’t recorded any merits for a long time. They are dead last in terms of performance, which is why that district’s Nocturnal Specter can behave so arrogantly.”

Li Yuanfang? What a great name! Zhang Yuanqing complained internally.

”The captain of Fenghui District’s Squad Two is also part of our White Tiger Legion,” she added with a flirtatious glance.

Clearly, it was a hint that he should build good relationships with the White Tiger Legion’s middle management and earn favors. 

”Guan Ya, you’re being so good to me,” Zhang Yuanqing said, looking rather troubled. ”Have you fallen for me? Are you an old cow wishing to eat tender grass?”

Pfft! Wang Tai, who was drinking water at the next desk, spat it out immediately.

He looked at his two colleagues with some alarm, wondering, When did they get together? How did I completely fail to notice?

Guan Ya’s willow brows shot up, the blue veins on her smooth forehead pulsing as she bit her plump lips. 

”Old cow?! Yuanshi, I think we have time for a sparring match before the Squad Leader’s car returns.”

”Forgive me!” Zhang Yuanqing cried out. 

He knew when to yield.

***

A black SUV pulled up at the Fenghui District Public Security Office. Peering out the window, Zhang Yuanqing saw Li Dongze leaning on his cane, waiting early in front of the office building.

After getting out of the car, the two men nodded to each other, then entered the office building together.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the morgue.

Seven or eight Spirit Realm Walkers had gathered in the spacious and bright corridor outside the morgue. Zhang Yuanqing casually glanced over them, guessing their classes based on their appearances and temperaments.

Muscular and looking irritable, definitely a Fire Sage. The one with a bird on his shoulder, what class is that? Hmm, the Squad Leader mentioned that Wood Demons from the Hundred Flowers Society love animals. The one with the wooden expression is obviously an Earth Wraith.

The Spirit Realm Walkers all looked somewhat indignant.

Finally, Zhang Yuanqing set his eyes on the middle-aged man approaching them. He was about forty years old, with sunken eyes, an aquiline nose, and thin lips all contributing to his stern and piercing look.

”Let me introduce you,” said Li Dongze. ”This is the captain of Fenghui District’s Squad Two, a Level 3 Scout. His Spirit Realm ID is Great Tang Li Yuanfang.” 

Li Dongze’s mouth curled into a smile when he mentioned the other’s ID.

”Li Dongze, you really love to introduce my Spirit Realm ID to people every day,” the middle-aged man said with a sigh. He looked over at Zhang Yuanqing, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

”A few years back, I was obsessed with Tang Dynasty TV dramas, so I chose this name. You must be our White Tiger Legion’s newly recruited Nocturnal Specter. So young and handsome.”

I wonder if there’s anyone called Di Renjie. If you two met it would be very awkward—no, very funny. 

Zhang Yuanqing suppressed his laughter and warmly shook hands with the other man, repeatedly calling him captain.

This made Li Yuanfang’s smile grow wider. ”Our own Nocturnal Specter is the best.”

He sighed, then continued, ”Li Dongze informed you about the situation, right? I’m sorry, but the Taiyi Sect Nocturnal Specter stationed in Fenghui District refused to perform the spirit interrogation. We had no choice but to turn to you for help.”

The muscular young man snorted coldly and spat, ”Even if there are risks to devouring a Hex Master spirit, it’s not life threatening. Don’t we face risks when we fight the Evil classes on the front lines? Taiyi Sect Nocturnal Specters always act so high and mighty. Every time we ask them to do something, it’s like we have to beg them.”

The young man with a bird on his shoulder laughed and replied, ”That’s why it’s better to have our own people.”

Li Yuanfang waved his hand, interrupting his subordinates’ complaints, and said thoughtfully, ”Although Li Dongze vouched for you, I still need to remind you that Hex Masters have extremely potent mental power that’s both chaotic and violent. 

”The deceased was a Level 3 Hex Master, and his remnant spirit is very dangerous. Are you confident?”

Several team members immediately looked at Zhang Yuanqing, their gazes full of expectation.

Zhang Yuanqing nodded and replied, ”No problem. I’m confident.”

The Spirit Realm Walkers from Fenghui District looked pleased. Li Yuanfang’s expression relaxed slightly, and the approval in his gaze increased.

”Thank you,” he said with a nod.

Li Dongze immediately led Zhang Yuanqing into the morgue and closed the door, barring the Fenghui District colleagues who were eager to watch the process from entering.

With the aid of his cane, Li Dongze walked over to a steel morgue cart and pulled back the white cloth covering the corpse.

Zhang Yuanqing was startled by what he saw underneath that white cloth.

This corpse had short, ink-green hair and dark brown skin that was roughly-textured and tough-looking. His elbows, knees, and other joints were covered with thick keratin-like armor. His fingernails were ink-black, with sharp, curved tips containing deadly poison.

The face on his skin was also dark brown. His eyes had dilated pupils that were vertical like a snake’s, and what should have been the whites of his eyes were amber-colored instead.

Li Dongze leaned on his cane with one hand and explained, ”There are two major abilities that Transcendent-tier Hex Masters can access. The first is to raise venomous creatures, using them to kill invisibly. The second is to fuse with the creatures, gaining abilities based on their characteristics to improve their close combat abilities, such as healing, vitality, strength, speed, and toxicity.”

Zhang Yuanqing sighed. ”That sounds very powerful. They are truly worthy of being an Evil class.”

It is worth mentioning that among the local Spirit Realm classes, Hex Masters, Illusionists, and Enchanting Demons were all top-tier classes, on par with Nocturnal Specters.

However, there were only three Evil classes, and their numbers couldn’t compare to those of the official Spirit Realm Walkers.

”He was killed while he was merging with his venomous creature, so his body has retained this appearance. Heh, not an elegant way to die at all. However, it is precisely because he fused with the creature that his spirit is full of malice, and contains a bestial side to it. The transformation has left his mind severely corrupted. This is also why the Taiyi Sect Nocturnal Specter did not want anything to do with this.”

Zhang Yuanqing nodded. He had the Demon-subduing Awl to protect him, so he didn’t fear mental corruption.

Li Dongze continued, ”The one who had been fighting with him was also a Hex Master. When our people arrived, we killed this one, and the other escaped injured. Our initial suspicion is that this person might be a Psychic Assembly member, or one of Black Wuchang’s subordinates. Let’s hurry up and see what clues we can get from this. I think those Squad Two colleagues outside are getting impatient.”

Zhang Yuanqing nodded. He opened his Inventory, took out the Demon-subduing Awl and handed it to Li Dongze, then walked to the humanoid corpse and awakened the residual consciousness sleeping inside the body.

A ghostly figure slowly emerged, its expression vacant yet somehow containing both savagery and gloom.

It’s even more violent than Ou Xiangrong’s spirit, Zhang Yuanqing sensed. Part of me wants to devour it, but part of me doesn’t…

Zhang Yuanqing sighed silently, and inky blackness surged within his eyes and filled his eye sockets. He opened his mouth and inhaled, swallowing the spirit into his abdomen.

His forehead throbbed with pain as countless chaotic memories flashed through his mind.

The memories were fragmented and disorderly. Zhang Yuanqing half-watched, half-guessed as he learned about some of the deceased’s life experiences.

Before becoming a Spirit Realm Walker, this Hex Master had been unemployed, fond of fighting, and specialized in debt collection for predatory loaning companies. He worked as security at nightclubs, ran honey traps, and forced women from out of town into prostitution.

He did countless evil deeds, yet lived quite comfortably. Through chance encounters, he gained the Spirit Realm’s favor and received a Character Card from heaven, becoming a Spirit Realm Walker.

He named himself ”Outlaw.” After becoming a Spirit Realm Walker, he enthusiastically did charity work. When he accumulated enough Morality points, he would begin slaughtering ordinary people and assaulting women to vent his inner evil thoughts.

These fragmented and chaotic memories were painful for Zhang Yuanqing. Their influence was strong, and slowly, he felt a malice and a contempt for everything seeping into his heart.

At that moment, he accessed the memory he had been looking for—the crucial one.

He was in a luxuriously decorated tea room. A man was seated at a round glass table, sipping tea from a ceramic cup. The upper half of his face was covered by a silver mask.

He looked toward ”Zhang Yuanqing”, who was on the other side of the round table, and said, ”Ghost Eye Judge is dead. Without question, the position of President of the Psychic Assembly’s East District belongs to our master. The two vice presidents have competed for the position for so many years, and the dust has finally settled.”

Zhang Yuanqing heard the host’s voice.

”How did Ghost Eye Judge die?” 

The gaze of the silver-masked man sharpened, and he warned, ”That’s not something you should know.”

”Sorry, Lord Steward.”

The masked man’s expression softened as he poured some more tea. ”Black Wuchang has hidden himself away with the Holy Grail and the Registry. The Holy Grail is a rule-type item for the Hex Master class, and its importance does not need to be explained. The Registry contains all the servants Ghost Eye Judge subdued over the years.

”Controlling the Registry means controlling numerous Spirit Realm Walkers. Both items are extremely important. Outlaw, our chance to achieve merit has come. Help our master find Black Wuchang and bring the full strength of the East District together, then we can contend with the Songhai branch of the Five Elements Alliance.”

Outlaw’s breathing quickened slightly, and his voice took on an undercurrent of excitement. ”What should I do, Lord Steward?”

”I have a list of Black Wuchang’s subordinates. If you search for each of these people according to this list, you might be able to discover Black Wuchang’s hideout. Of course, the people on the list have also gone into hiding. They are ’Rampaging Recklessly,’ ’Heaven’s Injustice,’ ’Master Kills Without Blinking,’ and ’Mature Women Are Moist.’ Their real world identities are…”