Realm Walker

Chapter 1: The Gift

Somewhere in Songhai City, at seven-thirty in the morning.

In a dim room, on a plush, oversized bed, Zhang Yuanqing jolted awake with a gasp, clutching his head and curling into himself like a shrimp.

It felt as if his head were being split open, and steel needles had been driven into his skull. The pain was so intense that even his scalp twitched and spasmed. Chaotic images flashed through his mind while meaningless noise roared in his ears, auditory and visual hallucinations brought on by the unbearable agony.

He knew that his old illness had flared up again.

Trembling, he dragged himself out of bed, yanked open the nightstand drawer, and fumbled around with shaking hands until his fingers found the pill bottle. He twisted the cap off without a second thought, shaking out five or six small blue pills, and swallowed them in one gulp.

Then, he let himself collapse back onto the bed, his chest heaving as he endured the agony.

A few moments later, the soul-rending headache weakened and finally subsided.

”Haaah...” Zhang Yuanqing exhaled with immense relief, cold sweat drenching his forehead.

Back in high school, he’d come down with a bizarre illness. The symptoms: His brain would uncontrollably replay every memory he’d ever had, including long-forgotten junk information, while at the same time compulsively absorb and analyze external data. Finally, he would also have an almost inconceivable degree of control over his body.

Fortunately, this state would not persist for long. His body would quickly buckle under the strain, forcing a shutdown.

It was precisely because of this ability that he’d breezed into Songhai University, one of the nation’s top-ranked institutions; he’d practically treated the entrance exams like a game.

Zhang Yuanqing called this state Brain Overload. He reckoned he might be evolving into a superhuman, but since his body couldn’t support the transformation, it kept getting interrupted.

When he shared this theory with his doctor, the doctor said he didn’t understand. He was nevertheless deeply shaken and suggested that Zhang Yuanqing visit the psychiatry department downstairs.

In any case, the hospital couldn’t identify the cause. It was only later, when his mother brought back a special medication from overseas, that his condition was finally brought under control. As long as he took his pills on schedule, it wouldn’t flare up.

”It has to be because of last night... Didn’t rest well... too exhausted. It’s all Jiang Yu’er’s fault, barging into my room in the middle of the night to play games...”

His rant was lighthearted, but his heart quietly grew heavy. Zhang Yuanqing knew the medication was losing its effectiveness. His condition was getting worse.

”Gonna have to up the dosage from now on...” He slipped on his cotton slippers, shuffled to the window, and pulled the curtains open.

Sunlight poured in like it had been desperately trying to get through, flooding every corner of the room.

April in Songhai meant a bright, glorious spring. The morning breeze that kissed his face was cool and refreshing.

A knock was heard on the door, following which, Grandma’s voice came from outside. ”Yuanzi, time to get up!”[1]

”No way!” Zhang Yuanqing refused with cold-blooded ruthlessness. He wanted to go back to sleep.

Gorgeous spring weather, a weekend morning... Not sleeping in would be a crime against life itself!

Grandma countered him with even more ruthlessness. ”You have three minutes. If you’re not up, I’m splashing you awake.”

”Okay, okay, okay...” Zhang Yuanqing surrendered immediately. He knew his fiery-tempered grandmother was absolutely capable of following through.

Zhang Yuanqing’s father had died in a car accident back when he was still in elementary school, and his strong-willed mother never remarried. She brought her son back to settle in Songhai, left him in the care of his maternal grandparents, and threw herself headfirst into her career, becoming the ”powerhouse businesswoman” that all the relatives praised.

Eventually his mother bought her own place, but Zhang Yuanqing didn’t like that big, empty apartment. He preferred staying with Grandpa and Grandma.

After all, Mom was out the door early and home late, away on business trips every few days, and her mind was entirely consumed by work. Even on weekends, when she wasn’t putting in overtime, she’d just order delivery whenever mealtime rolled around.

The thing she said most often to her son was, ”Do you have enough money? If you don’t, tell Mom.”

Having a career-driven mother who could satisfy your every financial need sounded pretty great, but Zhang Yuanqing would always smile and tell her, ”I get plenty of pocket money from Grandma and Auntie.”

Oh, right—there was his young aunt too.

The woman who’d barged into his room the night before to play games was none other than his young aunt.

Zhang Yuanqing yawned, turned the knob of his bedroom door, and walked into the living room.

Grandma’s apartment measured about a hundred fifty square meters including shared space. He remembered it costing over forty thousand per square meter when they first bought it after selling off their old place.

Six or seven years after that, housing prices in this neighborhood had climbed to one hundred and ten thousand per square meter—nearly triple! Good thing Grandpa had the foresight back then. If they were still in the old place, Zhang Yuanqing would’ve been sleeping on the living room couch. He was all grown up now, after all, and he couldn’t exactly share a bed with his aunt anymore.

The very culprit responsible for his headache was sitting at the long dining table next to the living room and scarfing down congee, her pink slippers bobbing up and down under the table.

Her features were refined and lovely—a soft, oval face that radiated sweetness, with a small beauty mark near the corner of her right eye. Having just woken up, her tousled waves of hair tumbled loosely around her shoulders, lending her an air of languid allure.

His aunt’s name was Jiang Yu’er, and she was four years older than him.

Spotting Zhang Yuanqing, she licked a bit of congee from her lips and said with theatrical surprise, ”Oh? Up this early? That’s not your style.”

”It sure isn’t, but it’s your mom’s fuckin’ style.”

”Hey, rude! Do you kiss your mom with that mouth?”

”Hey, I’m just stating facts.”

Zhang Yuanqing studied his aunt’s exquisite, flower-like face; she looked radiant, bright-eyed, and bursting with energy. They say the night never lets night owls off easy—it gifts them dark circles. Clearly, the woman in front of him had never heard that saying.

The commotion seemed to have reached Grandma’s ears. She poked her head out of the kitchen for a look, then emerged a moment later carrying a bowl of congee.

Her dark hair was threaded with silver. Her gaze was sharp, the kind that immediately marked her as an old lady with a temper. Although loosened skin and faint wrinkles had stolen her former radiance, you could still catch glimpses of the beauty she’d been in her youth.

Zhang Yuanqing took the congee she handed him, gulped down a mouthful, and asked, ”Where’s Grandpa?”

”Out for his morning walk,” Grandma said.

Grandpa was a retired criminal detective. Even in old age, his routine was ironclad: lights out at ten every night, awake at six on the dot.

His pretty aunt sipped her congee, then flashed him a grin. ”After breakfast, Auntie will take you shopping for clothes~”

Since when were you so generous? Zhang Yuanqing thought and was about to agree when Grandma shot him a murderous glare.

”You step one foot out that door and I’ll break your legs.”

”Mom, how can you be like this?” his aunt said with a perfectly bratty pout. ”I just want to buy my little Yuanzi a few spring outfits. Is that so wrong? He might not be my son[2], but he’s still family, you know~”

Grandma smashed all pretense with brute force. ”You want your legs broken too?”

His aunt pursed her lips and went back to her congee.

The moment Zhang Yuanqing heard their little exchange, he knew exactly what was happening—Grandma had set up another blind date for his aunt, and the cunning Jiang Yu’er wanted to drag him along to sabotage it.

This was their usual play. Bring the nephew to the blind date, and after sitting down for a few minutes, the socially fearless nephew would charm the date so thoroughly that the two men would hit it off like old friends, debating everything from domestic policy to global geopolitics, while she became completely irrelevant.

All she had to do was sip her drink and scroll on her phone. The date would even leave feeling great, convinced he’d showcased impressive worldliness and intellect in front of a beautiful woman. Everybody won. Except Grandma.

Jiang Yu’er had been adorable since childhood. She was the darling of every neighbor on the block—beautiful, sweet, well-behaved, and a hit with all the elders. Grandma naturally guarded this gorgeous daughter like a fortress. From middle school onward, the rules were hammered in: No dating. No going out with boys.

And her little daughter didn’t disappoint. She made it all the way through college without ever having a boyfriend. But once she entered the workforce, and especially once she’d turned twenty-five, Grandma started getting antsy.

”I told you not to date early, but I didn’t tell you to become a spinster! How many years of youth does a woman have?”

And so she rallied her network of old friends. She cast her net far and wide to gather dossiers on eligible young men, and personally started arranging blind dates for her daughter.

”Grandma, she obviously doesn’t want to date yet. You can’t force a melon to ripen,” Zhang Yuanqing said between bites of a steamed bun. He then volunteered himself. ”How about you set me up on blind dates instead? I’m a very sweet melon.”

Grandma snapped, ”You’re too young! What’s the rush? Your university is full of girls—go find one yourself. Wait, no. Cause trouble again and I’ll smack you!”

Grandma was a southern woman, but there wasn’t an ounce of gentleness in her. In fact, her temper was absolutely explosive. Even Zhang Yuanqing’s career-powerhouse mother didn’t dare talk back to her.

I’m grown up, okay? I’ve been handling my problem for years now... Zhang Yuanqing grumbled internally.

After breakfast, following Grandma’s ironclad orders, his aunt retreated to her room to change and do her makeup before heading out for her blind date.

With light makeup on, she looked even more stunningly radiant.

She wore a fluffy round-neck knit sweater paired with a long overcoat on top, while light-colored slim-fit jeans hugged a pair of long, shapely legs below, with the tapered cuffs tucked neatly into black Martin boots.

A minimalist, earthy-chic look—nothing flashy, nothing gaudy, everything effortlessly polished.

His aunt flicked him a little you-know-the-deal glance, grabbed her bag, and headed for the door, swaying her hips.

”Mom, I’m off on my blind date~”

Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room and calmly changed into a black T-shirt and a windbreaker, then laced up his running shoes.

He waited a few minutes, then opened the bedroom door.

Grandma was in the living room, cleaning. The moment she saw him emerge, she stopped what she was doing and silently stared him down.

Mimicking his aunt’s tone, Zhang Yuanqing said, ”Mom, I’m off on my blind date too~”

In response, Grandma raised the broom like a weapon. ”Get back in there. Step through that door and I’ll break your legs.”

”Yes ma’am!” Zhang Yuanqing squeaked and obediently retreated to his room.

Sitting at his desk, he picked up his phone and texted his aunt.

Zhang Yuanqing: The battle has yet to begin, but the hero has already fallen. Oh, the eternal lament!

Jiang Yu’er: Cut the crap!

His aunt was probably driving; her reply was blunt and to the point.

Zhang Yuanqing: Grandma blocked me. You’re on your own for this one.

His aunt sent a voice message.

Zhang Yuanqing tapped to open it, and Jiang Yu’er’s furious voice blasted out from the speaker.

”YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING—?!”

She recalled the message, then sent another one, this time in an entirely different tone, syrupy-sweet and cloying.

”Dearest nephew~ Come on~ Auntie loves you the most~ Muah~”

Heh. Women. A little pout and a kissy noise and she thinks I’ll defy Grandma’s wrath? At the very minimum, she needs to send a red envelope.

Just then, a sharp buzzing rang out. Zhang Yuanqing walked to the living room and, under Grandma’s watchful eye, pressed the intercom button. ”Who is it?”

A voice crackled through the speaker. ”Delivery.”

Zhang Yuanqing hit the door release, and a couple of minutes later, a uniformed courier stepped off the elevator with a package cradled in his arms.

”Zhang Yuanqing?”

”That’s me.”

I didn’t order anything though...

He signed for it with a puzzled look, then checked the package info. It did not contain the sender’s name, but the return address was in Hangcheng City in Jiangnan, a neighboring province.

He went back to his room, fished out a box cutter from the desk drawer, and sliced the package open.

Inside, cushioned by shock-absorbing air pillows, were two items: a black card and a yellow envelope.

Zhang Yuanqing picked up the black card. It was about the size of an ID card and seemed to be made of metal, yet it felt impossibly smooth and warm to the touch. The craftsmanship was exquisite: The edges were lined with delicate silver cloud patterns, and at its center sat a black full moon.

The moon was printed with remarkable precision, its irregular surface markings clearly visible.

What is this? With curiosity gnawing at him, he tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter.

Yuanzi, I’m sending you something very interesting. I thought it could change my life when I came across it, but I just wasn’t good enough to master it. I think it’s not going to be a problem for you, though. You’re my good bro, so take this as a gift.

Signed, Lei Yibing

1. The ”zi” here (子) is used to refer to a youngster. ☜

2. The original here says something along the lines of ”the word ’nephew’ has the character ’outside’ in it.” The word used in the raws is 外甥 (wàisheng), literally ”outside+sister’s son.” ☜