Spirit Realm Walker

As Sun Miaomiao broke apart into motes of drifting light, a Spirit Realm notification chime went off in Zhang Yuanqing’s ears.

【Ding! Congratulations on clearing the multiplayer Spirit Realm mission, The Great Reporting Era. Difficulty: S. Settling rewards…】

【Calculating… Item acquired: Indomitable Battle Armor (Damaged) (Unclaimed)】

【Experience awarded: 0】

【Settlement complete. Exiting the Spirit Realm in 30 seconds…】

It’s time to exit, then, he thought to himself. So the third round, the ultimate showdown, is tomorrow? That works for me. I fought myself ragged today, and I’m nowhere in peak condition. Having the rest of the day off is more than fair. 

Zhang Yuanqing turned his attention to what he’d just won. The helmet Earth God had handed him was the Indomitable Helmet, which meant the top scorer’s prize was the whole armor set. That put a grin on his face. It was a Saint-tier set. No one could call the reward stingy.

Then, he noticed the tag. The armor was marked as ”Damaged.” However, when he’d taken the helmet off Earth God, there hadn’t been any such tag in the item’s description.

Huh. Are they afraid a clean set would wreck the balance, so it has to be given to me damaged? Fine. Busted or not, the full set together would still be a sight to behold. The gap between him and Zhao Chenghuang had shrunk one more notch.

He opened his inventory to look at the armor, but found nothing there.

Right. I wouldn’t get it till tomorrow’s final, Zhang Yuanqing figured.

Just then he heard Zhao Chenghuang exhale softly, cool and even.

”I’m in a bit of a mood today. Yuanshi Tianzun, I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s showdown.”

”Looking forward to beating me up?” Zhang Yuanqing said.

Zhao Chenghuang didn’t answer. He scattered into motes of light and was gone.

***

The arena was silent. The crowd sat with faces turned up to the projection, a black mass of heads packed shoulder to shoulder, yet not one mouth was moving.

That included the elders in their high seats. The Taiyi Sect elders had gone a little stiff in the face, while the Five Elements Alliance elders gaped at the image, looking just as stunned. Yuanshi Tianzun’s comeback from a place of certain loss had actually surprised these Sovereigns.

They were all at the peak of the Sovereign tier, and so a Transcendent-tier fight, no matter how intense, wouldn’t have caused much of a stir, no matter how much dust was kicked up. It was akin to adults watching kids scrapping. Amusing, sure, but not enough to get the blood pumping.

However, what Yuanshi Tianzun had done was another thing. It hadn’t been a display of raw combat power, but a tight, patient mind and a plan laid down long before it was needed.

Even the elders hadn’t seen it. From his first move he’d been playing Sun Miaomiao, quietly buying himself an insurance policy against the worst-case scenario.

And the thing that mattered most, nobody had caught. Nobody. Sun Miaomiao was the one who’d asked to hold the spirit servant. Sun Miaomiao was the one who’d gleefully squeezed and pawed at the little infant. Sun Miaomiao was the one who’d the reports on herself. There was hardly a fingerprint of his on any of it, and yet he’d had her boxed in the whole time. Even to the elders, that was impressive.

Elder Sun’s mouth twitched, his face shriveled up with a sour look. ”This kid. Young as he is, he’s rotten to the core already.” 

In his black robe, Elder Zhao’s brows were knit together, that old face just slightly unable to stay composed. He’d just finished bragging about his great-grandson’s head for schemes, but even before his words stopped ringing, Yuanshi Tianzun had forced them back down his throat. And now, this great-grandson was the stepping stone Yuanshi Tianzun had used to make his name, the green leaf adorning the flower.

Elder Teddy lifted a paw and stroked the whiskers on his cheek. ”Elder Zhao. This boy’s ability to scheme isn’t half bad, eh?”

The Five Elements Alliance elders’ faces cracked into grins, mirth tugging at the corners of their mouths, a sharp contrast from the silence and the sulking a minute ago. Even if Yuanshi Tianzun missed out on the championship, he had still secured second place, saving face for the Five Elements Alliance.

The white-haired old man from the Crimson Fire Gang chuckled. ”Elder Sun, you’re still the fool here.”

Quiet laughs went up and down the elders’ row, and the atmosphere relaxed.

The two figures in the projection scattered into motes of light and disappeared. Bated breaths gave way to deep inhales. Someone in the stands let out a strangled whoop, and that was the lighted match that set off the powder keg. With a boom, noise exploded around the arena. This concert had reached its peak.

”Holy shit! That reversal was so clean!”

”Dude had that tucked away the whole time?? Okay, I’ll take it all back. Earlier, when I saw Yuanshi feeling up Sun Miaomiao, I called him a creep in chat. Yeah. A genius’ brain just doesn’t work the same way as ours.”

”Was that a bout, or a rollercoaster? My heart almost gave up when Yuan Ting reported Zhao Chenghuang. I had Yuanshi to win for sure, but then Tone Deaf went out and I was like, ’Okay, Zhao Chenghuang’s got it locked away…’ But then Yuanshi flips it again. I can hardly wrap my mind around it!”

”That man cleared two S-rank dungeons back-to-back, of course he’s built differently. This is the gap, people! Thank goodness we’ve got him, if not, there won’t be anyone from the Alliance in the top two.”

”Right?! Those elders’ faces were like thunderclouds a second ago!”

Call Me Queen shot to her feet and threw both arms in the air, an idol’s fangirl working the pit. ”Yuanshi Tianzun! Yuanshi Tianzun!!” 

Clap, clap, clap! 

Guan Ya was up too, slapping her palms together, her face all lit up.

Both of them had been sure, a minute ago, that he was finished. Call Me Queen had been chewing her lips as Guan Ya frowned, both drowning in the same helpless gloom. Then the tables turned, and he handed them a huge surprise.

Ling Jun, in the seat behind Fu Qingyang, sighed. ”He’s hogging the spotlight, that lucky bastard.”

Guan Ya and Call Me Queen were just a small drop in the sea of women screaming across the arena. That one move had won Yuanshi Tianzun an impossible number of new female fans. The Flowery Young Master fancied himself a charmer, and this exact kind of spotlight was the thing he envied most.

Then he heard Call Me Queen bawling, ”I am so in awe of Yuanshi Tianzun! And here I thought when his spirit servant grabbed Sun Miaomiao’s chest it was just his old bad habits kicking in!”

Guan Ya, dialed her smile down a notch and looked at her best friend. ”Old bad habits?”

Call Me Queen shrugged. ”Last time when we dove into the river in Yin Yang Town, he smacked my butt.”

”Ohh, gotcha.” Guan Ya nodded, her smile unchanged, like it was nothing. The second she turned her head away, though, her gritted teeth lost all their mirth.

Not everyone understood what he’d pulled off. Some thought the crowd was losing it over nothing. Jiang Jingwei, the fourteen-year-old Fire Sage, was one of them.

”What’s there to lose your mind over?” she complained as she looked over at Guan Ya, completely lost. ”They yammered on for ages and didn’t even throw a punch.”

Guan Ya was ever the reserved, dignified big sister, never one for a loud, showy move. Jumping around and screaming her head off wasn’t a thing one would catch her doing.

A short way off, a man in a sharp formal suit was swinging his cane around like a rabid fan waving a flag. ”That’s my subordinate! I trained him myself! Oh my God, oh my God!”

Where’d his elegance go? The thought flicked through Jiang Jingwei’s head, and all at once, Guan Ya’s demeanor made a little more sense to her.

Higher up in the stands, Bill Tarantino was clearly delighted. ”Magnificent! A magnificent show. This one bout alone made the whole trip worth it. I had no idea this Five Elements Alliance Tournament could provide such an entertaining fight! Heh. The others are forever looking down on the Alliance’s tournaments. ’They’re playing house with the doors shut,’ they always say.”

There were plenty of famous Spirit Realm Walker events held overseas, drawing Walkers from every country, including China’s seven Lawful classes. Those were a real gathering of the best. Next to those global stages, the Alliance’s in-house tournaments naturally got the side-eye. ”Playing house” wasn’t a crazy thing to say.

(It’s worth noting that China and the countries around it sat in one big regional zone. Those smaller nations also had Water Ghosts, Wood Demons and Nocturnal Specters, just too few of them to add up to any real force. Most of them were freelance Walkers.)

Annie’s cheeks had gone pink as she stared into the distance. ”Mr. Bill, he’s smarter than I pictured. I like a man like that.”

She was warming up to Yuanshi Tianzun by the minute, and she’d started to daydream. Perhaps this was a Nocturnal Specter who could stand next to Demon Lord.

The Xie mother-and-daughter pair were just as pleased with him.

Mama Xie was thrilled. ”Now isn’t this a lot more fun than those TV dramas? We’re coming every year from now on. That’s this month’s gossip with the ladies sorted. This Yuanshi Tianzun really is something! I’ll have a word with your father.”

”It’s not every year you get a player like Bro Yuanshi in the field,” Xie Lingxi said proudly. Then it caught up with her, and her eyes lit up. ”So you agree the Xie family should reel him in, don’t you?”

Mama Xie blinked at her, her eyes wide and innocent. ”Reel him in? Who’s reeling in anyone? I’ve no idea what you’re on about.”

Xie Lingxi remained quiet. Clearly, she still had a long road ahead of her. Her mother was the one true green tea princess in all the world.

***

Zhu Rong sat with her chin tipped back, still staring blankly at the empty projection. The noise around her slowly faded, and in its place, she heard a man’s cold laughter, followed by a hoarse growl.

”A dragon doesn’t trouble itself with the snarling of ants. You’re fit for only one thing in this life, my toy.”

And then again, ”Tsk, tsk. Little Miss Zhu, you’re more of a slut by the day, aren’t you. There’s no getting back to who you were.”

Her eyes grew red-rimmed. She sat there, lost in her memories for a long while, then dragged in a breath and shoved the old images out of her head. 

She let out a laugh, jagged and unhinged. ”I’ll ruin you. I’ll ruin you!”

***

The world in front of him rippled, and when it settled, he was looking at his own bedroom, familiar as ever.

The first thing he did was pull out the red dancing shoes and let them have their dance. With that one routine done, he glanced over at the nightstand. The clock read 12:30 PM.

It’s past lunch. No sooner had that complaint surfaced when his stomach picked up the cue and emitted a long growl. He hadn’t had time for breakfast, and a full morning grinding through the dungeon had left him starving.

Zhang Yuanqing cocked an ear. There was not a sound out in the living room. At this hour, Grandpa and Grandma would be in bed taking a nap. That was their standard midday habit.

He crept out to the living room. Grandpa and Grandma were indeed asleep in their room, and the dining table, as expected, was empty. The household didn’t believe in leftovers. Grandma had tossed it all out.

He went outside and put away two big bowls of braised chicken at a place nearby, then waddled home, round-bellied and happy. On the way he grabbed a cup of milk tea from a stand on the street.

”Ohh, that’s the good stuff,” he cooed as he lay half-off the edge of the bed, enjoying the air conditioning with cold milk tea in hand. His full stomach and the broad daylight caused his eyelids to start feeling heavy.

I’ll have a nap and wake up good as new, he decided.

He texted Auntie Xiao Yuan that he’d cleared the dungeon and made it to the last two, and that his final against Zhao Chenghuang was happening the next day. Then he dropped face-first into the pillow and was out like a light.

***

At the dining table of his Fu Family Bay villa, Fu Qingyang and Ling Jun were working through a lavish lunch. When the two highborn young masters had stepped out of the dungeon, a tall, striking bunny girl had greeted them.

”Young masters, lunch is ready. Would you like to be served now?” she’d asked in a soft voice.

They weren’t like a certain casual individual who had to sneak outside for a bowl of braised chicken.

Ling Jun speared a near-translucent slice of ham with his fork, put it in his mouth, and talked around it. ”That was brilliant. That fight will stay with me for a long time. You’ve got an eye for talent. Yuanshi really does have the gift. So how do you rate his chances tomorrow?”

Fu Qingyang’s face took on a thoughtful expression. ”On raw strength alone, I’d give him a two-in-ten chance. With his strong items, three. But he’s got a warrior’s heart. That’s one more point. So four out of ten.”

”Under fifty percent, then. So you think he’s more likely to lose?” Ling Jun sighed, then caught himself, surprised. ”Hold on… A warrior’s heart? You almost never grant trash the title of warrior.”

Fu Qingyang continued to chew on some grilled meat, completely unbothered. ”He’s not like you lot. He’s not trash.”

Ling Jun blinked.

”Talent has nothing to do with being a warrior,” Fu Qingyang said evenly. ”If one has a warrior’s heart, they’re worthy of respect, even if they’re an ant. It’s about never giving up, continuously grinding to get stronger, and choosing to walk into a bad situation on purpose. I’ve watched him since his Sheling Tunnel trial until now. There’s no question Yuanshi’s got a warrior’s heart. It’s the same as mine.”

Just then, a bunny girl hurried over with quick little steps, her heels clicking against the tiled floor, a phone cradled in both hands. ”Young master. The family elder is calling.”

The caller ID on the phone showed ”Old Fossil No. 2.”

Fu Qingyang’s brows drew together. He set down his fork, took his time wiping his hands on the napkin, then picked up the phone and answered.

He listened for a moment, and his face fell. The corner of one eye began to twitch.

Ling Jun caught scraps of conversation bleeding out of the speaker.

—What did you say to Yuanshi Tianzun… the White Tiger Legion brass have come to the family demanding answers. They want the truth out of you, or the investigation team will move into the Fu estate… Have you lost your mind? How could you leave a handle this big lying around… What in god’s name did you say to him…”

The Fu family was clearly scrambling. They believed Fu Qingyang had let slip something to Yuanshi Tianzun that didn’t belong in the daylight. Perhaps roughing up a female subordinate, or sleeping around where he shouldn’t, or something even further over the line, like outright breaking the law.

Why else would Yuanshi Tianzun have used words like ”ruined and disgraced,” and ”thrown out of the White Tiger Legion,” words ugly enough to raise the hairs on the back of anyone’s neck?

The Council of Elders wanted Fu Qingyang to own up to whatever he’d done, so they could get to work quickly and see whether they could spin a large scandal into a smaller one, or make a small one disappear.

Fu Qingyang hung up without a word, his face gone cold as stone.

”I take it back,” he said quietly. ”Yuanshi Tianzun’s trash too.”

***

Deep in the grip of sleep, Zhang Yuanqing felt his breathing being disturbed. Something soft and springy had come down hard across his chest and gut.

”Jiang Yu’er, will you ever quit sitting on my stomach…?”

He hadn’t opened his eyes, but he already knew it was his aunt, up to her usual antics. That thin, lingering fragrance in the air was hers and no one else’s.

”Dinner~” Jiang Yu’er chimed, then lifted her pert backside and dropped it down forcefully.

That would have been enough to knock the wind out of the old him.

He opened his eyes, yawning, and looked her over. She was dressed up nicely, an off-shoulder tee showing a slice of collarbone paired with loose, high-waisted trousers that puddled around her ankles, a striking outfit that emphasised both her full chest and narrow waist. She’d put on a thin coat of foundation and some eyeliner as well, with a touch of mascara.

”What’s going on with you?” he asked, looking away. 

A woman with makeup and without were two different people, and his aunt bare-faced was already a beauty. With her face done up, she was an absolute knockout.

Jiang Yu’er tipped over and flopped down on the bed next to him with a long groan of suffering. ”It’s my company’s day off, and that black-hearted witch at home shipped me off on a blind date.”

He raised a brow. His aunt normally went on these dates bare-faced and couldn’t be bothered with her outfit. Was this guy she had been set up with actually worth the effort?

She sighed again. ”He’s some far-flung nephew of your Auntie’s nephew, I think. Whatever, he’s tangled up in the family tree somewhere. Your Auntie forced me to put makeup on and frog-marched me there herself.”

It’s a rare day that both Grandma and Auntie lined up on the same side of this endeavor, he thought to himself.

”So?” he asked. ”Are you happy?”

She nodded. ”Very. Very happy with the coffee at that place.”

His face dropped. ”Ugh. They’ve failed to offload you again. What a shame. Guess you’ll just curdle into an old maid here at home.”

She snapped up straight and was back up astride him in an instant, one hand on her nephew’s chest to pin him down, the other balled up into a fist and cocked like she was about to fight a tiger. ”You little demon-spawn! I’m beating you to death today.”

They squabbled and fought through dinner, and afterward, he ducked back to his room and picked up his phone.

There were dozens of unread messages in his chat app, mostly congratulatory notes from Xie Lingxi, the Kangyang District captains and some others from unaffiliated Walkers he’d met along the way. Xiao Yuan had texted back too.

Xiao Yuan: No way. Liar!

He was immediately annoyed, as if his word was being called into question. She doesn’t believe me?

He’d started typing ”Believe it or not” when his thumbs stopped dead and it hit him. Auntie Xiao Yuan’s reply had clearly been intended to keep the conversation going. This ”Oh, really? Come on, tell me” kind of text was not the polite dead-end you traded with a plain friend.

He quietly erased his half-typed reply. 

Remember Coach’s teaching. When you receive a woman’s reply, read it first, then break it down. Think. And if nothing comes, give her a heart.

He sent a heart emoji first, then opened his laptop and logged into the official forum. There’d be write-ups from the official Walkers on that day’s fight, plus bets on the next day’s ultimate showdown. He could screenshot those for Xiao Yuan. Moreover, when it came to Zhao Chenghuang specifically, the other officials knew a lot more than he did, so their reads on the situation were worth examining.

He could already see the potential headline of the pinned post: 

【#SHOCKING: Yuanshi Tianzun Storms Back From The Brink, Famous Overnight, The Man Who Turns Every Head#】

What he did not see coming was the actual headline:

【#By Decision of Headquarters: Formal Reprimand for All Eight Transcendent-Tier Quarterfinalists#】

【During the second round, Yuanshi Tianzun took the lead in performing indecent acts. Zhao Chenghuang, the Earth God, Sun Miaomiao, Yuan Ting, World Ablaze, Green Pine, and Tone Deaf each followed suit.

【Afterward, the eight contestants showed no shame. On the contrary, they took pride in it, performing indecent acts again and again in breach of public decency, damaging the organization’s image and setting an extremely bad example.

【By decision of Headquarters, Yuanshi Tianzun is issued a formal reprimand. He will forfeit his mid-year bonus, year-end bonus, and this quarter’s bonus, and will be docked three months’ salary.

【The remaining seven are issued formal reprimands. They will forfeit their year-end bonuses and be docked two months’ salary.

【Let all colleagues take this as a warning. Upholding the organization’s image is a responsibility we share.】

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