Realm Walker

”Got it!” Zhang Yuanqing answered readily enough, but his mind drifted to Ashamed Father, and to Master Wuhen, who had taken him under his wing while he tried to redeem himself.

An Evil-class Walker had been trying to redeem himself, while a Lawful-class Walker had lashed out over a personal vendetta and dragged innocent civilians into the crossfire. He sighed inwardly. Where in this world was there ever pure good and pure evil? Human nature was always complicated. He now understood the weight and depth behind Li Dongze’s words, ”Lawful doesn’t mean good.”

As for the branch leadership’s stance on the matter, it was true that the Palace Master of Slaughter Cessation Palace had acted in self-defense rather than provoking the conflict, yet lives had still been lost and damage had been done. Arresting her was the right call. Whatever punishment followed would be a separate matter, and Zhang Yuanqing reserved judgment on that. But the punishment handed down to the Xiahou family? That was entirely predictable.

On one hand, the Xiahou family was a well-connected noble Spirit Realm Walker family with deep roots and vast influence. The authorities would never tear apart their relationship with a major family over the lives of a few ordinary people. Sometimes, the people at the top only saw the big picture. They never noticed the ants beneath their feet.

The Xiahou family itself was entangled with the official organizations in countless ways. The government was, at its core, just another organization, a chaotic one riddled with factions and a mix of good and bad actors. You couldn’t even define them simply as good or bad—everyone just had their own interests. If you had to sum up the authorities with a single concept, it would never be justice or kindness. It would be order.

Zhang Yuanqing had understood these truths since childhood, back when his grandfather used to curse out the former corrupt head of the public security bureau at the dinner table.

All things considered, the Xiahou family, with its close ties to certain factions within the government, would naturally receive ”preferential treatment.”

Guan Ya watched him nod and smiled with satisfaction. Yuanshi was no hothead. He was shrewder and more worldly than most people his age, and that was a good thing. People like that could navigate the system.

Just then, Li Dongze stepped out. ”Guan Ya filled you in?”

”Squad Leader, I’m leaving it in your hands,” Zhang Yuanqing said immediately.

The Squad Leader broke into a grin. ”Guan Ya and I will handle the pressure for you. Selling out an informant isn’t the conduct of a gentleman. Besides, the feud between the Xiahou family and Slaughter Cessation Palace has nothing to do with us. Don’t get dragged into it.”

He leaned on his cane and laid out the stakes plainly. ”Slaughter Cessation Palace’s motto is ’End war with war, end killing with killing.’ They’re extremists. If you sell them out today, they will come for you tomorrow, and the Xiahou family won’t lift a finger to protect you.”

Zhang Yuanqing nodded. ”Understood.”

Li Dongze glanced at Wang Tai, who was buried in his work, then said, ”Yuanshi, come to my office. I’ll update you on the Black Wuchang case.”

Wang Tai wasn’t part of the investigation team, and protocol dictated they couldn’t discuss it in front of him.

Now this was the real business. Zhang Yuanqing stood up at once and followed the Squad Leader.

***

The two entered the office, one after the other. Zhang Yuanqing turned to close the door while Li Dongze walked straight to his desk and pulled a stack of documents from the drawer.

”Cola?”

The Squad Leader opened the liquor cabinet.

With my current net worth of 650,000 yuan, I should be drinking 1982 Lafite, Zhang Yuanqing mused inwardly.

Instead, he nodded in assent and replied, ”Light on the ice!”

Li Dongze shrugged, tossed a few ice cubes into a glass, poured some cola and whiskey, then returned to the sofa.

”Remember the list you provided previously?”

”Of course!”

”We used that list to identify those individuals in the real world. Over this period, we successfully arrested one and killed two. Of the two that were killed, one served under the Hex King.”

The Hex King was another vice president of the Psychic Assembly, and a rival of the Ghost Eye Judge.

The Five Elements Alliance moved fast. It hadn’t been long at all, yet they’d already rooted out three Hex Masters from the Psychic Assembly.

Zhang Yuanqing was no longer a rookie. He knew how difficult it was to track down Spirit Realm Walkers in a sea of ordinary people. If the targets had items like the Disguise Ring, it would be nearly impossible. For the authorities to eliminate three Hex Masters in such a short time meant they were taking this seriously.

Li Dongze took a sip of his liquor and continued, ”After the spirit interrogation, we obtained some useful leads. It seems Black Wuchang is hiding in Songhai for a reason beyond what we initially assumed.”

It seemed there was another purpose.

Zhang Yuanqing nodded slowly as realization dawned on him. ”I’ve been wondering about that. If I were Black Wuchang and both the authorities and the Hex King were hunting me, why wouldn’t I relocate? Do we know why he’s staying in Songhai?”

Li Dongze shook his head. ”Perhaps only Black Wuchang himself knows. But we can work backward from the clues available. Whatever is keeping him in Songhai despite such enormous risk must be extraordinarily important. Important enough to stake his life on.”

Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brow. ”At this stage, shouldn’t his priority be claiming Ghost Eye Judge’s legacy? By the way, what level is Black Wuchang?”

”Level 6—the peak of the Saint tier.”

Hex Masters were among the most combat-capable classes. A Level 6 Hex Master might not be able to go toe-to-toe with a Level 7 Walker of the Lawful class, but would certainly overpower anyone of the same rank by a wide margin. In other words, unless an elder-level figure personally intervened, taking down Black Wuchang would be nearly impossible.

Zhang Yuanqing sighed to himself. The Squad Leader wasn’t seriously expecting something from him, was he? He was a mere Level 2 Nocturnal Specter. Black Wuchang could squash him with a single finger.

Li Dongze finally handed over some documents. ”Take a look.”

Zhang Yuanqing opened the file. It was a personnel dossier. The ID photo showed a man of about thirty with a gaunt face, upturned eyes, sharp, sword-like brows, and lips tightly pressed together. Everything about him radiated a cutting, aggressive edge.

He read the profile information out loud. ”Spirit Realm ID: Rampaging Recklessly. Real name: Zhu Jingyao. Level 3 Hex Master. Financial criminal, former securities firm employee, exploited his position for illicit gains.”

He looked up at his superior. ”I remember this person. He was on the list I provided.”

Li Dongze nodded. ”Two days ago, Captain Green Vine of the Hundred Flowers Society received a tip that someone had spotted this individual in Kangyang District, but he vanished quickly. This case has been assigned to our Kangyang District Spirit Realm squad. He’s our immediate target.”

Too bad we don’t have the target’s DNA. Otherwise the Red Dancing Shoes could handle everything, Zhang Yuanqing thought with a pang of regret.

Still, having a concrete target was better than fumbling around blind.

***

Knock, knock!

There came two sharp raps on the glass door, followed by Guan Ya’s voice. ”Squad Leader, the Xiahou family is here.”

Li Dongze and Zhang Yuanqing exchanged a glance. Zhang Yuanqing tucked away the documents while the Squad Leader called out in a deep voice, ”Show them in.”

A few seconds later, Guan Ya led two men into the office. The first was a middle-aged man in a formal suit, his hair cropped close and his posture ramrod straight, exuding a sharp and capable air. His features were decent enough, though his eyes were on the small side.

The second was a young man in his mid-twenties wearing a white dress shirt with the collar open and the hem untucked, projecting an air of careless defiance. He bore a passing resemblance to the older man but was notably more handsome, with tousled Korean-style long hair that managed to look artfully disheveled, accented by a silver stud earring on his left ear. He was the kind of roguishly attractive type that turned heads in nightclubs.

”I am Xiahou Xin, and this is my son, Xiahou Tianyuan,” the middle-aged man said with a polite smile.

”Welcome, welcome!” Li Dongze’s pencil thin mustache lifted in tandem with his broad grin. ”Mr. Xiahou, please, have a seat!”

He shook the man’s hand warmly, guided both visitors to their chairs, and asked Guan Ya to prepare some hot tea.

Xiahou Xin waited unhurriedly for the tea to be served, then spoke. ”Squad Leader Li, I’m sure you know why I’m here. That woman from Slaughter Cessation Palace went too far and nearly killed my eldest son. This grudge cannot go unanswered. We’ve discovered that a doctor at Pingtai Hospital named Wang Qian is a member of their organization. When we went to apprehend him, he had already fled.

”According to our information, this man is one of your informants. I hope you might do us the courtesy of luring him out. Once it’s done, the Xiahou family will repay you generously.”

So the Palace Master beat up this Xiahou Xin’s son? Zhang Yuanqing recalled what Xie Lingxi had told him. That person had been an immediate heir to the Xiahou family, which meant Xiahou Xin held considerable status within the family. He couldn’t help stealing another glance at the middle-aged man.

That was when he noticed the young man called Xiahou Tianyuan shooting him an arrogant, sidelong look.

Li Dongze’s face was all smiles, though his tone carried a helpless note. ”Well... The Palace Master daring to humiliate Young Master Xiahou Tianwen was indeed outrageous. She deserves no sympathy. However, after last night’s battle, Slaughter Cessation Palace is on high alert. They won’t fall for a trap. I’m afraid my hands are tied.”

Xiahou Tianyuan shot Zhang Yuanqing yet another contemptuous glance and said impatiently, ”How is this even difficult? Send Wang Qian a message saying someone inside the Five Elements Alliance disapproves of the Xiahou family, and ask if Slaughter Cessation Palace needs any help. Extend the olive branch, hook him in, then reel him in slowly. If you can’t manage that, just hand over your phone.”

As long as they could establish a line of communication with Wang Qian, the Xiahou family had plenty of ways to draw him out. What they lacked was someone Wang Qian would be willing to talk to.

Li Dongze let out a sigh. ”Very well, I’ll be honest with you. When gods fight, mortals suffer. We have no desire to insert ourselves into the feud between the Xiahou family and Slaughter Cessation Palace. I’m sorry, but we can’t help.”

Xiahou Tianyuan could barely believe his ears. ”What did you just say?”

The Xiahou family had already tracked down leads on several Slaughter Cessation Palace members, and this Squad Two from Kangyang District was one of them. In Xiahou Tianyuan’s view, a squad this unremarkable should have been falling over itself to comply with the Xiahou family’s request. In fact, they should have been grateful for the opportunity.

It wasn’t blind arrogance, either. Squads like this were a dime a dozen within the Five Elements Alliance, but noble Spirit Realm Walker families of the Xiahou family’s stature could be counted on one hand. It was as if a small local enforcement team had just refused the request of a government-backed corporate giant.

Guan Ya rolled her eyes. ”Did you have trouble understanding what he said? Do you want me to translate it into a foreign language for you?”

Xiahou Tianyuan’s face twisted with fury. ”You—!”

Since when did a female staffer dare speak to him like that? There was no such thing as pretty privilege when it came to him.

Xiahou Xin glanced at Guan Ya, then silenced his enraged son with a look before speaking sincerely. ”This matter is very important to the Xiahou family. Squad Leader Li, I respectfully implore you to agree to our request.”

His words were addressed to the Squad Leader, but his gaze was fixed on Guan Ya.

Li Dongze wore a pained expression. Given his position, refusing once was already pushing his limits. Another rejection might invite retaliation from above. This was where Guan Ya needed to step in.

”What does the Xiahou family’s business have to do with us?” She said, giving the father and son a dismissive glance. ”Why are we obligated to help just because it’s important to your family? If Slaughter Cessation Palace retaliates against my colleague afterward, will the Xiahou family shield him, protect him around the clock, forever? Or are you just leveraging your family’s power to pressure us into using my colleague as a disposable pawn?

”Do you think one vague promise of ’generous repayment’ is enough for us to risk our lives? That’s some impressive arithmetic. You want us to lure out Wang Qian? Fine. Bring ten magical items in exchange.”

”Are you insane?” Xiahou Tianyuan was so angry he laughed. ”Who do you think you are? Ten items? You wouldn’t live long enough to enjoy them.”

Guan Ya’s expression hardened into a cold sneer. ”Say one more word and I’ll put a bullet in you.”

Xiahou Xin pinned his son in place with a vicious glare, cutting short his explosive rage. He studied Guan Ya for a long moment, then rose to his feet.

”I apologize for the intrusion,” he said, as Xiahou Tianyuan stared at his father in disbelief.

Xiahou Xin stood, his face devoid of expression, and walked out of the office.

Xiahou Tianyuan shot Guan Ya one last venomous glare before following his father out.

***

Li Dongze let out a slow breath, stood up to stretch, and said with visible relief, ”Well, that’s that. These powerful families are not to be trifled with.”

To salvage his dignity, he quickly added, ”Working within the system means constantly dealing with situations like this. Muddling through and compromising—those are the supreme laws of bureaucracy.”

Squad Leader, you don’t need to explain any of this to me, Zhang Yuanqing mused.

In the end, the Xiahou family wasn’t all that overbearing in the end. Or perhaps Guan Ya’s background ran deeper than he realized. He suspected he might have been underestimating this open-minded lady all along.

Anyone with functioning eyes could see that Xiahou Xin, a direct line member of the Xiahou family, had been wary of Guan Ya.

And this useless Squad Leader, acting all steady and composed like an old dog, had actually been hiding behind Guan Ya’s skirt the whole time.

But I don’t recall any ”Guan” family among the noble Spirit Realm Walker families—oh, right. Guan Ya is her Spirit Realm ID, not her real name.

”Compared to being the Xie family’s live-in son-in-law, I’d much rather marry into the Guan family,” Zhang Yuanqing said, half-joking and half-probing.

The open-minded lady didn’t take the bait. She looked him up and down, then clicked her tongue twice and said, ”You’re not up to the task. You’re too small.”

Zhang Yuanqing refused to accept that lying down. ”You’ve never even seen it. How would you know it’s small?”

”Sure, let’s go to the bathroom and you can show me.”

”Let’s go then!”

”Let’s go!”

Li Dongze leaned on his cane and shook his head slightly. One had never had a boyfriend, the other had never had a girlfriend. All their skill was concentrated entirely in their mouths.

***

Zhang Yuanqing had lunch at the bureau and lingered until one in the afternoon. Remembering he still had a major class later, he slung his backpack over his shoulders, left the security office, secured a shared bicycle for himself, and pedaled leisurely toward campus.

He had just crossed a traffic light when a black sedan came barreling toward him, forcing him to stop by the roadside.

In the back seat of the black sedan sat Xiahou Xin and his son.