Spirit Realm Walker

Zhang Yuanqing ran through the backgrounds of his two incoming colleagues one more time. One was a Level 3 Fire Sage, a direct descendant of some higher-up in the Crimson Fire Gang. The other was a Level 4 Water Ghost who had already reached the Saint tier.

The latter might not have any powerful connections, but a Saint… Well, a Saint was a Saint. Once he accumulated enough merit, a promotion to steward was practically guaranteed. Saint-tier Walkers could kill Transcendent-tier ones as easily as slaughtering dogs.

Please don’t let them be difficult to work with, he prayed, as he kicked off with both legs and rolled his office chair back to his desk, then pulled up the official database and searched for ”Bing Zhu Sect.”

After carefully reading through the suggested posts, he had a much clearer picture of how Evil-class organizations were structured.

There was a common saying about the Evil-class organizations: ”Three Assemblies, Two Sects, One Asura.” The so-called ”Three Assemblies” referred to the three regional branches of the Psychic Assembly, which was made up of Hex Masters. They were the Central Branch, the Eastern Branch, and the Southern Branch. Each branch controlled its own territory and rarely interacted with the others. The position of Eastern Branch President had been vacant for some time, with Ghost Eye Judge and Hex King, the two vice-presidents, vying for the seat for years.

The ”Two Sects” referred to the Void Sect, composed of Illusionists, which was divided by region into the Southern Sect and the Northern Sect. Finally, the ”One Asura” referred to the Bing Zhu Sect, made up of Enchanting Demons. The leader of Bing Zhu Sect’s ID was Asura.

”Sis Guan Ya, about this ’Three Assemblies, Two Sects, One Asura’ thing, why is it ’One Asura’ and not ’One Bing Zhu’?” Zhang Yuanqing asked, addressing his question to the open-minded lady in front of him.

Guan Ya swiveled around gracefully. ”Are you looking into Evil-class factions?”

”Well, Black Wuchang belongs to the Psychic Assembly’s Eastern Branch,” he said. ”Since I’m part of the manhunt, I figured I’d do some research on the other evil organizations while I was at it.”

She nodded, then her expression grew distant, as though she were sinking into memory. ”Asura… When I was little, my mom used to scare me with stories about the Bing Zhu Sect’s Asura. And when my mom was little, my grandmother used to scare her with the same stories.”

Good lord, so this Asura is your family’s generational boogeyman? Zhang Yuanqing thought humorously, unable to keep from cracking an internal joke.

”He is an invincible existence among Spirit Realm Walkers, a terrifying existence. Like the demon god of myth and legend, the one destined to destroy the world. Terrifying, invincible, yet impossibly distant. That’s my impression of him.” Guan Ya’s voice was quiet, almost reverent.

”How do the five Alliance Chiefs compare to him?” Zhang Yuanqing asked, curious.

She thought about it for a moment, then shook her head. ”How would I even begin to estimate combat power at that level? But in terms of reputation alone, the five Alliance Chiefs don’t come close to Asura. And judging from the fact that the saying is ’Three Assemblies, Two Sects, One Asura,’ I’d guess the five Chiefs are no match for him either. But that’s just my opinion.”

”If there were combat footage of each of them, I could run the data and analyze who’s stronger between the Alliance Chiefs and Asura,” Wang Tai chimed in.

”Where would you even find combat footage at that level?” Zhang Yuanqing asked with a shrug. ”Bro Wang Tai, how about you analyze this instead: if Sis Guan Ya and I got into a fistfight, who wins?”

”Without using any items, even two of you wouldn’t be a match for her,” Wang Tai answered with complete sincerity.

Guan Ya shook her head. What a boring man. At a moment like this, the correct answer was, ”Do you even need to ask? The ox always dies of exhaustion before the field gives out.”

Yuanshi was far more entertaining.

***

Around noon, Zhang Yuanqing heard a burst of hearty laughter echoing up from the first floor. ”Hahaha, you guys still remember me! Hello, hello everyone! I’ll be coming to work a lot more from now on. If you need anything, come find me. I’ve got your backs!”

The words were bold and heroic, but spoken in a voice that was light and childish. From the sound alone, Zhang Yuanqing’s mind conjured the image of a little girl standing with her hands on her hips, her head thrown back as she let out a booming laugh.

A few seconds later came the clanging of footsteps, making their way up the steel staircase.

Zhang Yuanqing leaned over to look. The first person he spotted was a girl. She was short, probably around eighth grade, with delicate features that hadn’t quite finished growing into themselves, and a mane of fiery red hair cascading past her shoulders. She had her hands planted on her hips, and was climbing the stairs with a swagger so bold she clearly didn’t give a damn about anyone, each step thundering with authority.

Behind the girl was a middle-aged man in a white dress shirt and casual slacks, wearing black-framed glasses. He had a gloomy aura about him, and his hair a disheveled mess. At first glance, he looked a bit like an edgy, brooding version of Wang Tai.

Wang Tai, is that your brother? Zhang Yuanqing couldn’t help but steal a sideways glance at Wang Tai’s desk, but Wang Tai was working away with his head down, paying no attention to the commotion.

Guan Ya rose with a smile to welcome the two returning colleagues.

”Hey there, Sis Guan Ya, I’m back!” The red haired girl raised her hand in a sweeping wave, then her gaze landed on Zhang Yuanqing. She bellowed, ”Is he the new guy? The one who charged into enemy territory alone and battled the Xiahou family’s lackeys for three days and three nights? The legendary Yuanshi Tianzun?”

Zhang Yuanqing’s brain short-circuited for a moment. Huh? When did I battle the Xiahou family’s lackeys for three days and three nights?

Guan Ya gestured toward the girl with an open palm, introducing her to Zhang Yuanqing. ”Jiang Jingwei. Level 3 Fire Sage, fourteen years old, still in middle school. Well, you should still be in school, right?”

”Not anymore. My dad says school is a waste of good talent and everything they teach is total garbage.” Jiang Jingwei strode over, rose up on her tiptoes, and slammed her palm onto Zhang Yuanqing’s shoulder with a resounding clap, then threw her head back and roared with laughter. ”Ahahaha! You’re as handsome as they say! Stick with me from now on. I like young people with a sense of justice.”

The slap sent a jolt of stinging pain up through Zhang Yuanqing’s shoulder and set his brain buzzing. It didn’t feel like a fourteen year old girl had just clapped him on the back. It felt like he was seeing Lu Zhishen[1] himself, broad-shouldered and barrel-chested, about to clasp his fists together and rumble, ”Brother!”

Is this the soul of Lu Zhishen, in the skin of a teenage girl? Zhang Yuanqing wondered.

Just then, Jiang Jingwei noticed Wang Tai and did a double take. ”Huh? Are you new here too?”

”I’m not,” Wang Tai said flatly. ”We’ve met before.”

The girl looked even more shocked. ”Impossible. How come I have absolutely zero memory of you?”

Wang Tai fell silent. Zhang Yuanqing watched it all unfold, unsure whether to roast Wang Tai for his supernatural gift of being forgettable or Jiang Jingwei for her spectacular obliviousness.

Guan Ya continued with introductions. ”This is Senior Teng Yuan, a Level 4 Water Ghost. He’ll be serving as Acting Squad Leader.”

Zhang Yuanqing snapped to attention and dipped his head respectfully. ”Squad Leader Teng Yuan.”

The middle-aged man stared back at him with vacant eyes and a deadpan expression, looking like a man who had long since lost all enthusiasm for life. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and said in a hollow voice, ”A small correction. The title for Water Ghost after the first class change is Plague God.”

He paused, then gave Zhang Yuanqing a slight nod. ”Not bad. Young people are always full of energy and a sense of justice. I appreciate that about young people like you. But let me also remind you, this is just a job. Always remember that your life is the most important thing. Risking your neck for the sake of work is a truly pathetic way to go.”

What? Zhang Yuanqing blinked. That was nothing like the motivational pep talk he had been expecting.

”Last night, I stayed up drafting a new set of rules and regulations,” Teng Yuan said. ”For as long as I serve as Acting Squad Leader, everyone must strictly follow this system. Anyone who violates my rules will be punished severely.”

Zhang Yuanqing perked up. This was the classic ’new boss lighting his three fires on the first day’ play. The new commanding officer was laying down the law.

Squad Leader Teng Yuan pushed his glasses up again, his demeanor listless, his voice hollow. 

”Rule one: Overtime is prohibited.

”Rule two: Paid leave is permitted.

”Rule three: Clocking in is prohibited.

”Rule four: Taking days off does not require my approval.

”Rule five: If overtime is absolutely unavoidable, overtime pay is tripled.

”Rule six: The two day weekend is now a three day weekend.

”Rule seven…”

Zhang Yuanqing’s jaw slowly fell open. His expression went blank and his brain buzzed with a jumble of incoherent thoughts. Is this really a boss? Do bosses like this actually exist? Can we transfer the Vision Ward Squad Leader away permanently?

***

The sun sank toward the horizon as a blue sports car pulled into the underground parking garage of a hotel. The black market was three levels below the hotel’s ground floor. Besides the black market, Champion Fist also ran an underground fighting ring down there.

Guan Ya parked the car and popped the door open. ”We’re here.”

She had thrown on a long trench coat that concealed her stunning figure, and swapped her heels for running shoes.

Her explanation for the change in attire was that the Spirit Realm Walkers who frequented the black market were all registered, sure, but freelance Walkers tended to be unruly and defiant, with little respect for rules. And since she was so beautiful, so devastatingly gorgeous, she would inevitably attract unwanted attention from lecherous types and invite trouble for no reason, hence the coat.

Zhang Yuanqing thought the woman was every bit as full of herself as her cousin. But as he took in her peach-shaped curves, the proud swell of her chest, and that alluring, delicate face, he could only swallow his retort and suffer through the boasting.

With Guan Ya leading the way, the two of them arrived in front of a freight elevator. A hulking, broad-shouldered brute stood guard at the elevator entrance, and he swept his fierce gaze over the pair as they approached. Guan Ya fished a thick stack of cash from her trench coat pocket and handed it over. This was the ”admission fee” for the black market: ten thousand yuan per person. 

The brute accepted the money and called for the elevator. The freight elevator’s doors rumbled open, and Guan Ya led Zhang Yuanqing inside.

As the elevator descended, they both put on face masks and baseball caps. A quiet chime announced their arrival on the correct floor, and the doors slid apart. A stale, stifling wave of air thick with the smell of sweat and cigarette smoke slammed into them, accompanied by a roar of noise.

The space beyond the elevator was vast. The black market was a converted underground parking garage and was divided into two main areas. On the left stood an enormous fighting ring, where two muscular, bare-chested men were trading brutal blows, every punch landing with a meaty impact as the crowd below roared and cheered. The outside of the ring was lined with stalls selling food and drinks.

The right half of the space was much quieter. Neat rows of ground level stalls were laid out in orderly fashion, with only a sparse scattering of people browsing the wares on offer.

Zhang Yuanqing spotted a familiar face at one of the stalls. It was White Dragon, the big sis herself, strolling casually from stall to stall with two of her lackeys in tow.

Guan Ya had noticed her too and smiled. ”White Dragon used to be the reigning champion of that ring. She likes to do her shopping first, then fight a few rounds to earn back everything she spent. Spirit Realm Walkers are restricted by their Morality, so making money isn’t hard, but getting rich is, and Spirit Realm materials and items all cost a fortune.”

A fortune? Zhang Yuanqing was starting to worry about his wallet.

The two headed right. The goods being sold at the stalls were a chaotic assortment, mostly made up of materials, information, and dungeon guides. Actual items were almost nowhere to be seen, and the few that existed had fairly useless abilities.

Zhang Yuanqing stopped in front of one stall and pointed at a jar filled with a dark green paste. He could sense powerful yin energy emanating from within. 

”What’s this?” he asked the vendor.

”Jiangshi body fluid,” the vendor said.

”How much?”

”Fifty thousand.”

”What the hell? It’s that expensive?” Zhang Yuanqing recoiled, then pointed at a crimson red crystal. ”And what’s that?”

”Burst Stone. A common drop from Fire Sage dungeons. A consumable,” the vendor informed him.

”How much?”

The vendor gave him a tired look. ”A hundred thousand.”

You’re begging for a beating, aren’t you? Zhang Yuanqing thought as he fell silent.

He scanned the wide variety of materials spread across the stall, mulled it over for a few seconds, then quietly summoned Little Goofball. What materials were the best fit was something only the spirit servant itself would know.

1. Lu Zhishen, nicknamed Flowery Monk, is a martial artist and the main character of the first book of Water Margin, one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature. He has bushy eyebrows and a large beard.