Realm Walker

”Break free from the Grail’s control? That’s easier said than done!” he heard Bro Bing declare in a low voice as the recording continued to play. ”The Fallen Holy Grail is a rule-type item. I don’t need to explain what that means, do I? Anyone controlled by the Grail can never escape it for the rest of their life. Death is the only way out.

”I’m bound by the Grail. I can’t disobey Ghost Eye Judge’s orders. What’s this talk about joining forces? What, join forces with Ghost Eye Judge to kill you?”

The Demon Lord snorted softly. ”The only thing that can oppose a rule is another rule. I’ve already found a way to counter the Grail. I can free you from its control, if only briefly.”

Bro Bing’s voice quickened, trembling slightly. ”Really?”

Demon Lord broke into a laugh. ”There is a rule-type item specific to the Nocturnal Specter class. Well, let’s call it a rule-type item for now. It represents the absolute pinnacle of the Power of the Diurnal Spirit, the bane of all impurity in this world. Once I obtain it, I’ll be able to suppress the Fallen Holy Grail.”

A long silence followed. Just when Zhang Yuanqing thought the recording had ended, the Demon Lord’s voice returned softly.

”Back then, when you stumbled upon a Character Card and encountered the Spirit Realm, you chose to report it. You chose to trust the Public Security Bureau. And what happened? What awaited you was a cup of ’poisoned wine.’ You placed too much faith in the authorities, in every sense of the word.

”Your talent is extraordinary. Your future was limitless. But while you were still a fledgling eagle, Ghost Eye Judge snapped your wings. All these years, you’ve pushed away your family, pushed away your brothers. Every single day, you’ve endured the Fallen Holy Grail’s corrosion, living a life worse than death. Are you content with that? Work with me. It’s time to break free from your chains and spread your wings. I need your strength.”

”Okay...”

The recording finally ended. Zhang Yuanqing sat at his desk, motionless for a long time. At last, he finally understood the full picture, the whole chain of events. But he wasn’t the least bit happy.

Zhang Yuanqing hung his head low, utterly still. So you were the Ghost Eye Judge’s ”servant” all along. No wonder you never mentioned anything about Spirit Realm Walkers. No wonder you distanced yourself from me after starting classes at the university. No wonder your personality changed so drastically. All these years... how did you even survive?

After some time, he scrubbed his face hard with both hands, forcing the surge of emotions back down into his chest. ”At least... At least Bro Bing might still be alive.”

He drew a deep breath, steadied himself, and began piecing together the threads of the whole affair.

Before starting university, Bro Bing had stumbled upon a Character Card and become a Spirit Realm Walker. After encountering the supernatural, what would any normal person do? The answer was obvious: report it to the Public Security Bureau. And then, just like that, Ghost Eye Judge had gotten his hooks into him.

Ghost Eye Judge had planted operatives inside certain branches of the Bureau. Zhao Yingjun, the man Ou Xiangrong had killed, was a prime example. But if Zhao Yingjun was also one of the Ghost Eye Judge’s servants, how did he pass the full inspection?

No, he wasn’t necessarily a servant. He could have been a collaborator. By now, I understand perfectly well what the official authorities really are. An organization that massive is destined to be a mixed bag. Not everyone in it harbors a sense of justice.

He continued sorting through the details.

The Demon Lord had found a way to suppress the Grail, a rule-type item belonging to the Nocturnal Specter class. That meant the Grail really had run into issues. That was exactly why Black Wuchang had chosen to make contact with Dark Rose, because that organization’s leader was a Nocturnal Specter. The issue with the Grail could most likely only be resolved by a Nocturnal Specter. This detail lined up perfectly.

But Dark Rose’s leader would never help Black Wuchang for free. There had to be something in it for them. What could Black Wuchang offer? It certainly wasn’t the Fallen Holy Grail itself. Was it that rule-type item for the Nocturnal Specter class? He probably couldn’t be sure until he understood the current state of the Fallen Holy Grail.

Bro Bing had mailed him the Character Card after Demon Lord’s death. By that point, both Demon Lord and Ghost Eye Judge had perished. Immediately after sending the card, Bro Bing had vanished.

He definitely wasn’t dead, but for some reason, he’d been forced into hiding.

Zhang Yuanqing thought for a few seconds and concluded that the reason for Bro Bing’s disappearance was to suppress the corruption within his own body. Because even though they had successfully killed Ghost Eye Judge, the Fallen Holy Grail had fallen into Black Wuchang’s hands. And with the Grail malfunctioning and unable to be used normally, Bro Bing most likely still hadn’t been freed from its control.

Bro Bing might have a way to temporarily suppress the corruption, but that’s just speculation. It still needs to be verified. But why was the task he gave me to obtain the Registry, rather than the Grail?

A sudden jolt ran through Zhang Yuanqing. A thought struck him that made his scalp tingle.

Ghost Eye Judge’s Registry contained the names of every Spirit Realm Walker he had controlled. And Bro Bing was one of Ghost Eye Judge’s ”servants.”

If the authorities ever got their hands on the Registry and learned Bro Bing’s true identity, and if they discovered the truth about Bro Bing and Demon Lord hunting down Ghost Eye Judge together, then even a fool could figure out that the Demon Lord’s successor was none other than Yuanshi Tianzun himself.

Black Wuchang was in possession of the Registry and presumably knew Bro Bing’s identity. But Black Wuchang had no idea that Bro Bing had mailed a Character Card to his sworn brother. That asymmetric information meant Zhang Yuanqing wouldn’t be drawing unwanted scrutiny, at least for the moment. However, if Black Wuchang ever learned about it, the Demon Lord’s successor would be exposed all the same.

Worst of all, Dark Rose, which was already in secret contact with Black Wuchang, had agents embedded within the official organizations. They knew the Demon Lord’s successor existed. The moment those two parties connected the dots...

A chill crawled up Zhang Yuanqing’s spine. He felt a sense of crisis unlike anything he’d experienced before. No wonder Bro Bing wanted me to find the Registry. Its priority was even higher than the Fallen Holy Grail.

Although he had been following Bro Bing’s instructions and participating in the hunt for Black Wuchang, he hadn’t understood the Registry’s importance. His attitude had been lukewarm at best.

Now, everything was different. Now it felt like members of Taiyi Sect could come knocking on his door at any moment, or agents of Dark Rose could be plotting against him in the shadows.

I can’t panic. The more I rush, the more my thoughts unravel. Hunting down Black Wuchang is a long-term effort. It can’t be rushed.

Zhang Yuanqing steadied his emotions and continued his analysis.

The gap in information between the three factions—Black Wuchang, Dark Rose, and the official organzations—is something I can exploit. Following Xiahou Xin’s death, Dark Rose will surely accelerate their cooperation with Black Wuchang. I don’t have much time left.

I can hunt Black Wuchang through the official channels, while leveraging Slaughter Cessation Palace to investigate Dark Rose. Oh right, I can also go to the Wuhen Inn for help. Evil-class Walkers probably share the same circles.

Then again he’d honestly rather not have any dealings with the people at the Wuhen Inn unless it was absolutely necessary.

His thoughts then drifted to the events of that day, to Xiahou Xin’s death.

Nocturnal Specters have the ability to glimpse fate. Based on what Fu Qingyang said, it seems like they need to be face-to-face to do it. And that kind of skill should only reveal the short term trajectory of someone’s fate.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have silenced Xiahou Xin just as we were about to make our move. Instead, they would have done it the moment the Xiahou family arrived in Songhai—No, they would have made the Xiahou family turn around and go home entirely.

If that was the case, then it was still manageable.

At the same time, Zhang Yuanqing thought of the beautiful old bat and that enigmatic smile she’d worn. Did she also glimpse my fate? But nothing significant happened for a long time after I cleared the trial mission. Why did she smile like that?

Zhang Yuanqing sat at his desk in silence all the way until five in the morning before finally slumping over the table for a brief nap.

***

”Abba abba...”

In his drowsy haze, Zhang Yuanqing heard Little Goofball’s call. He stirred awake and saw Little Goofball had crawled onto the desk, propping himself up on his stubby little arms, staring at him with his glossy black eyes and an unmistakable look of pride.

Perched atop his sparse baby fuzz was a leather wallet.

Phew, not underwear this time. Zhang Yuanqing let out an instinctive sigh of relief before erupting in fury. ”If it’s not stealing women’s underwear, it’s stealing wallets! Are you a child or a delinquent? I’ve been teaching you since you were little to be an upright person!”

”Abba...” Little Goofball tilted his head and gazed at his master with a wounded expression, clearly baffled as to why he was being scolded.

This wallet is pretty thick, though, Zhang Yuanqing noted as he reached over and opened the leather wallet. Inside was a fat stack of crisp red banknotes.

His angry expression vanished instantly, replaced by one of visible inner conflict. ”That’s... that’s too much.”

He looked more closely and spotted an ID card. Oh. It’s Uncle’s wallet. Never mind then.

As the true inheritor of his uncle’s ways, Zhang Yuanqing plucked out three hundred-yuan bills, placed the wallet back on Little Goofball’s head, and whispered, ”Return the wallet.”

”Abba...” Little Goofball acknowledged the command, paddled his limbs to the edge of the desk, and dove off like a tiny seal, landing on the floor. He then wriggled his arms and legs with impressive speed, phased straight through the wall, and vanished from sight.

At the breakfast table, Little Aunt was biting into a meat bun, her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk. ”Mom, did you find my underwear?”

”Who knows where you left it?” Grandma snapped back. ”I searched everywhere and couldn’t find it.”

Auntie looked deeply suspicious. ”I clearly remember putting it in the bamboo basket. How could it just disappear?”

She immediately fixed her gaze on her nephew. ”Did you take it?”

Before Zhang Yuanqing could say a word, Grandma erupted in outrage, reaching over and smacking her daughter on the back of the head. ”What nonsense! Why would Yuanzi take your stinking clothes? If you keep spouting this garbage, I’ll beat you senseless!”

”Exactly. All she ever does is slander me,” Zhang Yuanqing complained, brimming with righteous indignation.

It was actually Little Goofball who took it, he added silently. But if Grandma ever found out about that, I’d be done for. She’d disown me on the spot.

After breakfast, Zhang Yuanqing hailed a cab to Fu Family Bay. He had already contacted Fu Qingyang ahead of time, so he waited at the entrance of the residential compound for a moment before the same woman from the day before came to pick him up.

The long-legged woman in black stockings handed over two cards—one black and one white—with a smile. ”These are the access cards from the centurion. The white one is for the compound gate, and the black one is for the villa.”

Zhang Yuanqing’s plan for the day was to first ”report” his deductions to Fu Qingyang, pointing out the potential problems with the Fallen Holy Grail and filling the centurion in on the full picture. Of course, he couldn’t lay it out directly. He’d have to frame it as a discussion.

After that, he would contact Slaughter Cessation Palace to inform them that Xiahou Xin had been silenced. Finally, he’d make a trip to the Wuhen Inn to fish for intelligence about the Hex Master community.

The woman in black stockings led the way, smiling warmly. ”The centurion was just about to rest. After receiving your call, he sent me out to meet you.”

”Rest?” Zhang Yuanqing asked, blinking in surprise.

”The centurion hasn’t slept all night. He’s probably hit a wall with the case.” Her smile was gentle and refined. ”I’ve been with the young master for a long time, and I’ve never seen him this troubled over a single case. Please do help him however you can.”

Zhang Yuanqing nodded. Before long, he found himself standing once again at the entrance of the luxurious villa.