Realm Walker

An upscale villa, second floor.

Fu Qingyang sat on the balcony with a wine glass in hand, letting the cool evening breeze wash over him.

Across the round table, Ling Jun perched in a squat on a single seat armchair. ”You know, Steward Pang belongs to the Hundred Flowers Society. You did kind of disrespect me there.”

”Oh?” Fu Qingyang replied. ”Are you saying you were also involved in harboring Xiahou Tianyuan?”

Ling Jun flared up. ”Oh, wonderful. Here I was thinking you were Yue Fei, but it turns out you’re Qin Hui.”

He speared a piece of honeydew with a toothpick and ate it while musing aloud. ”That trick of yours for winning people over isn’t bad though. That Yuanshi kid is going to be your loyal little follower from now on.”

Fu Qingyang frowned slightly. ”I call it winning people through virtue.”

He disliked the calculating implications of ”winning people over,” but he also couldn’t be bothered to explain himself.

Ling Jun remained squatting on the armchair, pinching his phone between two fingers to check the time.

”Five minutes until the meeting starts. Have you figured out how to deal with them? The Fu family Council of Elders isn’t holding you accountable, which is good. But they’re not going to back you up either.

”Without the Fu family behind you, those people won’t be nearly as afraid of you. After all, you’re just a Steward.”

He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. ”Want me to help you? All you have to do is call me Big Bro.”

”You don’t actually want to help me,” Fu Qingyang replied coldly.

Given his personality, there was no universe in which he would call anyone Big Bro. Ling Jun knew this perfectly well, which was precisely why the offer was made without a shred of sincerity.

Ling Jun sighed. ”A kidnapping charge isn’t going to be enough to bury Xiahou Tianyuan. Xiahou Chi is still in Songhai, and he’s the man’s grandfather. As long as he stands, Xiahou Tianyuan won’t face any real consequences.”

Xiahou Chi was the same man who had fought the Palace Master of the Slaughter Cessation Palace.

Fu Qingyang didn’t argue. It was the truth.

He glanced at his watch and rose, walking toward the study. ”Time for the meeting.”

Inside the study, a tall and slender Bunny girl had already booted up the computer and logged into the meeting software for him.

The Five Elements Alliance had a rule: small meetings were held in person, large meetings were conducted online. Large scale meetings were prone to leaks, and one careless slip could give Evil class operatives an opening to throw a ”nuclear bomb.” Of course, exceptions existed for events like the Taiyi Sect’s annual review assembly or the Alliance Chief’s summit.

When the time arrived, the Stewards came online one by one. The screen showed twenty two participants. Two thirds of the Songhai Branch’s Stewards had joined.

This meeting had been formally requested through a joint petition from several Stewards to the Council of Elders. Similar gatherings happened a few times each year in Songhai. Normally, Elders initiated the meetings themselves, but when a matter proved difficult to resolve, Stewards could submit a formal request for a large scale session.

The agenda had two items: the handling of a Xiahou family direct heir, and cross complaints. Steward Pang was accusing Fu Qingyang of maliciously assaulting a colleague. Fu Qingyang was reporting Steward Pang for harboring a criminal and corruption.

Everyone’s microphones were muted.

Elder Teddy spoke in a deep, authoritative voice.

”I’m giving you fifteen minutes. After fifteen minutes, I want a result.”

The highest authority in the Songhai Branch rested with five Elders, beneath them were the district Stewards, and below that, the Spirit Realm Walker squads. As one of those five powerful Elders, Elder Teddy couldn’t care less about the fate of one noble family’s heir. He had no intention of wasting time on this.

”Pang Wudi, you go first.” Elder Teddy unmuted the Steward’s microphone.

”Elder, Xiahou Tianyuan assaulted someone in my jurisdiction. I arrested him entirely by the book. Fu Qingyang forced his way into my office with his squad and nearly killed me. According to Five Elements Alliance regulations, harming a colleague warrants execution.”

A faction of Stewards immediately typed messages in agreement, demanding severe punishment for Fu Qingyang.

Elder Teddy promptly enabled Fu Qingyang’s voice. ”Fu Qingyang, what do you have to say?”

”Everything I have to say is in my report,” Fu Qingyang replied flatly.

”You knew Xiahou Tianyuan had already turned himself in, yet you insisted on seizing him anyway, disregarding Five Elements Alliance procedure. That’s a fact. Am I wrong?” Elder Teddy’s voice was stern.

”No.” Fu Qingyang’s tone remained detached.

Elder Teddy muted him and turned back to Steward Pang. ”Pang Wudi, first explain something to me. Xiahou Tianyuan assaulted someone in your jurisdiction, so why did he voluntarily confess to a kidnapping charge? Is your presence so awe inspiring that it moved him to bare his soul?”

The Steward replied, ”Xiahou Tianyuan knew he’d done wrong. That’s why he turned himself in.”

Fu Qingyang let out a derisive scoff.

Elder Teddy’s tone turned icy.

”This is an internal meeting, so I won’t waste words. The hostage had already been rescued before Xiahou Tianyuan turned himself in. He surrendered to protect himself. That is my assessment. Fu Qingyang has reported you for accepting bribes, harboring a criminal, and corruption. Pang Wudi, you’d better give me an explanation.”

”There is no truth to those claims,” Pang Wudi declared gravely.

”Can you withstand an investigation?” Elder Teddy snorted.

Pang Wudi fell silent.

The flurry of typed messages from the other Stewards slowed considerably.

Elder Teddy continued. ”Since both sides are at fault, you’ll each get fifty lashes, so to speak. The Black Impermanence case still needs investigating. I’ll settle accounts between you two later. For now, this matter is tabled. Regarding the disposition of Xiahou Tianyuan, I’d like to hear your opinions.”

Seven or eight Stewards immediately requested to unmute.

”Elder, Xiahou Tianyuan’s kidnapping target was a family member of someone from the Slaughter Cessation Palace. While his actions were wrong, there was no intent to harm. It was only to draw out a target. We could consider leniency.”

”Elder, Xiahou Tianyuan is after all a direct heir of the Xiahou family. Since no serious consequences resulted, a lighter punishment is warranted. Have him compensate the victim, obtain forgiveness, and a detention of ten days to two weeks should suffice.”

”Kidnapping is unacceptable and should be punished. Two weeks detention.”

Elder Teddy considered. Although the Elder held decision making power, the Stewards were the ones who actually ran things day to day. He had to account for their positions.

Additionally, a few members of the Fu family on the periphery of the family’s inner circle had privately contacted him, delicately suggesting that the matter be handled quietly and with leniency.

But two weeks was far too little. It wouldn’t satisfy anyone. Elder Teddy spoke evenly.

”Xiahou Tianyuan violated public security law by instigating a kidnapping. Two months detention.”

Two months... The Stewards led by Pang Wudi didn’t protest further. It wasn’t the ideal outcome, but two months was manageable. He could treat it as a period of self reflection.

”Elder, I have something to say!”

Fu Qingyang typed his response.

Elder Teddy unmuted him. ”You have five minutes.”

What more does he want? Pang Wudi and the other Stewards frowned in silence.

Fu Qingyang’s voice was steady, measured, unhurried.

”According to my investigation, I’ve uncovered a substantial amount of criminal activity tied to Xiahou Tianyuan. In February of this year, he leveraged his family’s power to coerce multiple enterprises in the Coastal Province into selling him shares at below market prices.

”Last November, he colluded with leaders of local state owned enterprises to embezzle state assets. Last August, he committed three rapes. Two were buried with money. The third victim refused to settle, so he dispatched captive Spirit Realm Walkers to murder her and eliminate the evidence.

”Furthermore, multiple sources report that he has been secretly recruiting Freelance Walkers as enforcers to carry out illegal operations on his behalf. He has also been keeping underage girls for the entertainment of his inner circle...

”I have detailed criminal files, evidence, and signed statements from some of the victims.”

The meeting went dead silent.

Pang Wudi and his allied Stewards felt their hearts sink, shock and fury crashing over them in equal measure. How had Fu Qingyang managed to dig up this much information and gather evidence in such a short time?

A second later, the answer surfaced in their minds. The Xiahou family itself.

A traitor within. It had to be a traitor within.

No outsider could possibly possess such detailed records of Xiahou Tianyuan’s crimes.

He’d been planning to take down Xiahou Tianyuan all along? He’d already been secretly coordinating with rival factions inside the Xiahou family, gathering evidence in advance?

It was over.

”I’ll send you copies of the materials shortly,” Fu Qingyang added.

The moment he finished, the Stewards who had remained silent throughout the entire meeting suddenly spoke up one after another, demanding severe punishment for Xiahou Tianyuan. As if they had coordinated it in advance.

Elder Teddy deliberated for several seconds before asking one final question.

”Does anyone else have something to say?”

The only option now is for Xiahou Chi to intervene personally... Pang Wudi and his allies understood the tide had turned against them. They chose silence.

”I will verify the evidence. Until then, Xiahou Tianyuan will remain in Fu Qingyang’s custody. Meeting adjourned!”

· · ·

”The meeting’s over?”

In his room, Zhang Yuanqing shot upright in bed the instant Fu Qingyang’s message arrived, reading through the contents with intense focus.

The Centurion reported that Xiahou Tianyuan’s criminal files had been submitted. Sentencing was still undetermined, but the man wouldn’t be getting out for several years at minimum.

However, the Centurion had also hinted at a concern. Xiahou Tianyuan’s grandfather, Xiahou Chi, was currently in Songhai. Although the Five Elements Alliance was keeping him contained, the old man remained a ticking time bomb.

Fu Qingyang told Zhang Yuanqing to watch his back, to stay away from the Kangyang District station for now, and to wait for further instructions.

Besides Xiahou Chi, there’s also Xiahou Xin. I just put his son behind bars. If he’s desperate enough to lash out in retaliation, I’ll be in serious danger. I need to contact the Slaughter Cessation Palace and deliver a killing blow to the Xiahou family.

With that thought, Zhang Yuanqing dialed Wang Qian’s number.

A Chinese Odyssey answered the phone. The reply was simple: wait a little longer.

The Palace Master had entered a dungeon and hadn’t returned yet. They couldn’t reach her.

If she died in there, that would be a real circus... Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself, then buried his head in the pillow and forced himself to sleep.

At four in the morning, his phone’s ringtone jolted him awake.

The caller ID showed Wang Qian’s name.

Zhang Yuanqing’s spirits surged, every trace of drowsiness vanishing. He answered immediately.

A Chinese Odyssey’s voice came through, unmistakably pleased.

”Our Palace Master is out. She wants to meet you.”