Realm Walker

Zhang Yuanqing took the room key from Xie Lingxi and made his way to the presidential suite. He swiped the keycard against the door lock, and when it chimed, he twisted the handle and stepped inside.

The lavishly furnished living room was empty. Zhang Yuanqing glanced around. "Palace Master?"

An ethereal, melodious voice drifted from the bedroom, laced with exhaustion. "In here."

He crossed the living room at once and pushed open the master bedroom door. He passed through a smaller sitting area beyond it and finally spotted the Slaughter Cessation Palace Master reclining on a long couch by the window.

She still wore her ancient-style crimson gown, with its chest, sleeves, and hem embroidered with cloud motifs in gold thread. She lay on her side atop the plush cushioned sofa, one porcelain pale arm propping up her delicate chin.

Behind the silver mask, her beautiful eyes watched him in silence as he entered.

That's quite an elegant figure, admired Zhang Yuanqing. I wonder what sort of face hides behind that mask.

Zhang Yuanqing's gaze swept, seemingly casually, past the pair of dainty bare feet peeking out from beneath her skirt. This was a woman who didn't like wearing shoes.

He settled into a chair by the writing desk, a comfortable distance from the couch. "I heard you wanted to see me, Palace Master?"

The Palace Master narrowed her eyes and smiled. "I was wounded by one of Bing Zhu Sect's Heavenly Kings. Recovery won't come quickly. My enemy has followed me to Songhai, and I need a way to protect myself. Which means I need you."

One of the Heavenly Kings followed her all the way to Songhai? Zhang Yuanqing's heart seized up.

Then the second half of her words registered, and he blinked. "You... need me?"

Are you asking me to go and die in your place?!

The Palace Master gave a gentle nod, twirling a strand of hair around one pale, slender finger. "I have an item called the Embrace of Nüwa, which has healing properties far surpassing even Life Essence. It can heal my injuries in an instant, no matter how severe. But using it comes with a price, a price I cannot pay myself. That's why I need you."

So that's what this is about. Zhang Yuanqing nodded, but immediately sensed something off. What kind of price had to be paid only by him? Neither Zhang Yuanqing nor Yuanshi Tianzun possessed that sort of special status.

"What price?" he asked cautiously.

The Palace Master sat upright, hands resting on her lower abdomen in a ladylike posture, and sighed. "The cost of using the Embrace of Nüwa is this: to save one person, another must be sacrificed. The sacrifice must be male, and he must be the beloved man of the one offering him up."

A profanity leaped into Zhang Yuanqing's throat, but before he could utter it, the woman in red on the couch vanished. The next instant, a pair of cool, soft hands reached around from behind him and caressed his cheeks.

"You're my boy toy, so a burden like this naturally falls to you. Isn't that right?" the palace master murmured softly beside him, her voice tender and intimate.

Her crimson lips parted, releasing a breath of warm, fragrant air against his skin.

Zhang Yuanqing broke out in goosebumps from head to toe. He sat frozen, unable to move, pinned in place by the sheer pressure of the Palace Master's aura.

They held that tableau for several seconds before she suddenly burst into peals of laughter, her body swaying with mirth, red silk shimmering. "Look how frightened you are! How could I ever bear to sacrifice you?"

She glided back to the fainting couch in graceful, unhurried steps, the long train of her crimson skirt trailing across the floor behind her.

Zhang Yuanqing exhaled slowly, forcefully, and unleashed a torrent of silent curses. Lunatic. You are an absolute lunatic!

For a fleeting moment, he had been certain he was about to die.

"Palace Master, please don't joke with me like that," he chided her as he tamped down his irritation. "Why did you actually ask for me?"

The Palace Master swept open her sleeves and settled back onto the couch. The playfulness drained from her luminous eyes, replaced by a cooler edge.

"I was wounded by the Demon Eye Heavenly King. I nearly died at his hands, and he pursued me all the way to Songhai. I need you to report this up the chain. The Songhai Branch has five elders. Even the Demon Eye wouldn't dare act too brazenly with them involved. Their intervention would take a great deal of pressure off me. As for the second matter..."

She cast a sidelong glance his way. "I hear you killed Li Xianzong inside Yin Yang Town. Well done. That's a feat worthy of a man who'd be my boy toy. However, Li Xianzong was one of the Demon Eye's trusted subordinates. Now that the Demon Eye is in Songhai, he will absolutely settle that score."

Zhang Yuanqing's expression darkened at once. The Demon Eye Heavenly King is in Songhai?

He sat in grim silence for a long moment. "How strong is the Demon Eye Heavenly King?"

The Palace Master spoke slowly. "Without any external assistance, my odds of surviving against him are thirty percent. My odds of defeating him are zero."

In other words, no chance at all. That's absurdly powerful. The Palace Master was a Sovereign-tier Walker, but she was of a Lawful class, and a fresh entrant to the Sovereign tier at that, while the Demon Eye was a seasoned veteran.

Zhang Yuanqing clicked his tongue. "If I run into the Demon Eye Heavenly King, what preparations should I make in advance?"

The Palace Master looked at him, and a note of exasperation crept into her voice. "Your funeral arrangements."

Zhang Yuanqing almost choked, then raised a hand to his mouth and coughed, masking his embarrassment. "What I mean is, what does the Demon Eye specialize in, and what are his weaknesses? I'd like to know more about him."

He certainly couldn't access that intel on his own. Data on Sovereign-tier figures was restricted, even for those with A-rank merit. Only those who held a certain rank in the official organization had that sort of authorization. The palace master, on the other hand, had fought the Demon Eye firsthand. Her intelligence was both genuine and current.

"The Demon Eye Heavenly King is the only person aside from Asura to have cultivated the Enchanting Eye to its absolute peak. A vertical eye has emerged on his forehead because of it, which is where his title comes from."

She paused to consider a moment, then continued. "There's no point discussing his combat abilities or weaknesses. At his level, even if he has a weakness, you wouldn't be able to exploit it. His personality, though, you might be able to take advantage of. He's a madman. An absolute freak."

Madder than you? More of a freak than you? Zhang Yuanqing seized the opportunity for a mental jab, but kept his face calm and composed. "How so?"

"The Demon Eye Heavenly King has another nickname: the Crusader King. He carries a perpetual, seething anger toward the world and the state of it, like a man furious that iron won't become steel. Everywhere he goes, he investigates local officials for corruption, abuse of power, embezzlement, and similar crimes. He gathers evidence, and once he's satisfied that what he has is enough for a death sentence, he stops collecting information and goes to kill his target personally.

"On top of that, rumor has it he despises injustice and can't stand to see the strong bully the weak. Every member of the Bing Zhu Sect is terrified of him. Wherever he operates, not a single Enchanting Demon dares step out of line."

Zhang Yuanqing stared, dumbfounded, his face blank. Is that supposed to be an Evil class Walker? He sounds like a saint sent from heaven to save the world.

"Don't mistake him for a good person," the palace master said flatly. "The Demon Eye is a textbook case of obsession curdling into madness. Someone like that is far more extreme and far more dangerous than a simple bloodthirsty killer. If I recall correctly, of Bing Zhu Sect's Four Heavenly Kings, the official organizations have ranked the Demon Eye Heavenly King as the most dangerous one."

Zhang Yuanqing nodded gravely. "I understand."

Given what I know about Evil-class Walkers, the Demon Eye must have suffered at the hands of corrupt officials before he became a Spirit Realm Walker. No—not just suffered. He must have been persecuted. Brutalized. That's the only thing that explains his "crusader" complex.

The darkness within every Evil-class Walker had a root cause. And while rooting out corrupt officials was a noble impulse, when taken to a fanatic extreme, it became something else entirely.

Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Thank you for the warning. I have a rough idea of who I'm dealing with now."

A fat lot of good it does me, though, he added silently.

The Palace Master inclined her head. "That's all. You can go. I need to rest. Tell Xie Lingxi not to come in unless it's important. If she disturbs my sleep, I'll string her up and give her a beating."

This is technically her room, though, Zhang Yuanqing mused, sparing a silent half-second of sympathy for the little green tea princess.

***

He left the suite without delay and pulled out his phone to call Fu Qingyang. This was too important not to report.

—Speak.

Fu Qingyang's voice was, as always, terse and measured.

The Centurion's voice is always so unnervingly calm. But the instant I drop this bombshell, I want to hear that composure crack.

Zhang Yuanqing lowered his voice. "Centurion, I just received intelligence from the Slaughter Cessation Palace Master. The Demon Eye Heavenly King is in Songhai."

Fu Qingyang's tone shifted, instantly becoming sharp and urgent.

—What? The Palace Master said that? Is the information reliable?

Even the perpetually-cool Centurion Fu couldn't keep the alarm from his voice.

Zhang Yuanqing gave him a brief summary of everything the palace master had told him.

He heard Fu Qingyang take a deep breath.

—Understood. He's extremely dangerous. I'll report this to the Songhai Elders immediately. Yuanshi, don't go to the office for the next few days. Stay home."

Great. Even as an official member, I'm basically a turtle hiding in its shell.

"I know what I'm doing," Zhang Yuanqing reassured his superior.

With nearly thirty million people in Songhai, finding him without knowing his true identity would be like searching for a needle in the ocean. That wasn't an exaggeration. Besides, the Demon Eye's primary target was the Slaughter Cessation Palace Master. Yuanshi Tianzun was small fry, an afterthought, and not the main objective.

Starting today, no more going to the office. If I have to go out, I'll use a disguise. That should be fine.

With that thought, he hung up.

***

Inside his study, Fu Qingyang lowered his phone, his expression grave.

Ling Jun, who was lounging on the guest sofa, popped a grape into his mouth with an air of lazy indifference. "What's wrong? You look terrible. Did one of your colleagues turn out to be a Dark Rose member?"

Fu Qingyang glanced at him. "Yuanshi tells me the Demon Eye Heavenly King from Bing Zhu Sect is in Songhai."

"Pfft!" The grape shot out of Ling Jun's mouth and he leapt to his feet. "I've been in Songhai long enough. I miss my dear old father terribly. There's no time like the present. I'm heading back to the capital today."

Fu Qingyang ignored him and dialed Elder Teddy's number.

"Elder, I just received a piece of intelligence from Yuanshi Tianzun."

Over the phone, Elder Teddy chuckled warmly.

—Him? Let's hear it.

"The Demon Eye is in Songhai."

—What?!

The Elder's voice spiked several decibels as he fired off questions in rapid succession.

—Where did Yuanshi Tianzun get this information? Is it reliable? The Demon Eye has always operated in the north. Why would he suddenly come south for no reason?

As he listened to the elder's tone, Fu Qingyang belatedly recognized his own reaction from moments ago, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

"The Slaughter Cessation Palace Master told him directly," he replied to Elder Teddy, then relayed Zhang Yuanqing's account word for word.

A long silence followed. When Elder Teddy spoke again, his voice was low and heavy.

—This intelligence is both critical and timely. I'll convene an emergency meeting of the Council of Elders to discuss countermeasures against the Demon Eye Heavenly King. I'll also issue a bulletin advising anyone with skeletons in their closet to stay home for the time being.

Had it been any other Heavenly King, the Elder wouldn't have been this worried. But the Demon Eye was different. He was an unreasonable lunatic. A fanatic. A maniac.

—Have Yuanshi stay home too.

With that, Elder Teddy hurriedly hung up.

***

In the revolving restaurant atop Huanyu Hotel, Zhang Yuanqing and Xie Lingxi sat at a table beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, enjoying a lavish lunch.

The round table was laden with sliced prosciutto, borscht, caviar, steak, pan-seared cod, foie gras, and more, but Xie Lingxi had little appetite. She cut her steak listlessly.

"So the Demon Eye followed her to Songhai too. Bro Yuanshi, you absolutely have to be careful. Be very careful, even more careful, and resolutely careful..."

The Demon Eye Heavenly King was a Sovereign-tier Enchanting Demon. Terrifying, powerful, and unbeatable. In the face of someone like that, talk of genius and talent was pale and hollow.

"I know. I'm scared out of my mind right now, honestly," Zhang Yuanqing said with a self-deprecating laugh.

He speared a few slices of prosciutto and chewed. "Let's talk about something else. Lingxi, I picked up a Guild Token in Yin Yang Town. Are you interested in joining my guild?"

Xie Lingxi's eyes lit up, and her pretty little face blossomed with excitement. "Really? You really got a Guild Token, Bro Yuanshi? Hurry up and invite me! I want to be one of your supporters, to help you build your legacy!"

There were many benefits to having a Guild Token, but the most straightforward was the experience boost. It wasn't huge, but experience meant power, and nobody would turn down more power. And that wasn't even counting its other functions.

"Bro Yuanshi, what's our guild called?" The little green tea princess eagerly cut a piece of steak and placed it in his bowl.

Zhang Yuanqing took a deep, measured breath. "Return of the Dead."

"Return of the King[1]?" Xie Lingxi clapped her hands in delight. "How bold! I love it."

It was a bit cliché, but acceptable.

Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. "No. You're thinking 'king' as in royalty. I originally wanted that name too, but it was taken. Besides, I thought it was too cliché."

Xie Lingxi's heart sank. "So...?"

Zhang Yuanqing lifted his chin proudly. "Return of the Dead. As in death."

Xie Lingxi's eyes went wide, and she blanked out for a moment. What...? What kind of garbage name is that? This Guild Token is wasted.

The very next second, though, her face blossomed into an expression of even greater delight and admiration than before. "Return of the Dead! Bro Yuanshi always takes the road less traveled. So unconventional, so original! I love the name. Recruit me already, I can't wait!"

Zhang Yuanqing opened his Inventory, tapped the search icon in the upper right corner of the interface, and traced out the characters for "Xie Lingxi" with his finger.

He selected "Invite."

A beat later, Xie Lingxi perked up. "Mm, I got it."

Her eyes lost focus as she gazed at her status panel and tapped "Accept."

"Let me see what Bro Yuanshi's got stashed away," she said as she eagerly opened the guild warehouse. Sure enough, she found a few items inside.

Two items sat quietly in the guild warehouse. One was an ugly, crudely-made straw doll, while the other resembled a can of pepper spray.

"Bro Yuanshi, can you display the item stats?"

It was possible to display the information and stats of items in the guild warehouse without having a Walker physically touch them. That was one of the warehouse's key features that allowed members to browse and select equipment.

Zhang Yuanqing immediately buried his face in his food. "Maybe some other time."

"Why not? Come on, let me see," Xie Lingxi wheedled, but Zhang Yuanqing refused to acknowledge her.

***

Xiao Yuan drove to an unopened bar under the blazing midday sun.

The street was packed with bars and nightclubs. It was well before business hours, and they were all still shuttered at this hour, but a bar on the corner had its doors thrown wide open. Cars of every stripe, some expensive, some cheap, filled the parking spots out front.

One by one, an eclectic mix of people climbed out. Some wore tailored suits, while others wore flip flops and cropped pants. There were buzz cuts and skintight shirts. A few were bundled in black overcoats with surgical masks and baseball caps pulled low.

Xiao Yuan parked, pulled out her phone, and showed her invitation to the two burly security men at the door.

After confirming the message was authentic, one of the bouncers, a bald man, let his gaze wander over her voluptuous figure.

He grinned. "Go on in. Hey, gorgeous, any interest in having a drink with the two of us later?"

"Sure, if I'm in a good mood and haven't killed you both."

Xiao Yuan's face remained expressionless as she pocketed her phone and stepped inside. Beyond the entrance stretched a spacious hall filled with round tables and rattan chairs. A long bar counter ran the length of the room opposite the entrance.

The tables were full of Evil-class Walkers who had responded to the invitation. Xiao Yuan was one of them.

She had received the invitation that morning. Bing Zhu Sect's newly appointed "representative" had arrived in Songhai and was reopening the black market. All regular patrons were invited to pay their respects and get acquainted.

As one of the three great evil organizations, Bing Zhu Sect commanded a level of respect, so no one dared refuse. Besides, the Evil-class Walker community genuinely needed the black market. Without it, they had to rely on private transactions, which carried the constant risk of getting robbed.

After taking a seat, Xiao Yuan ordered a cocktail from the bartender and waited in silence. Roughly ten minutes later, a young man in athletic wear with a sports headband around his forehead strode out from the back.

He was fairly handsome, with a bright, sunny smile and none of the cold menace typical of Evil-class Walkers. Yet the moment he appeared, every person in the room felt an involuntary tremor of unease.

This is someone far more powerful and terrifying than Tianlingling. Everyone straightened in their seats, shedding their slouched postures without thinking.

The smiling young man surveyed the hall and announced in a clear, projected voice, "Today marks the grand reopening of Bing Zhu Sect's Songhai branch black market. I appreciate you all coming to show your support. From now on, this place is under my protection. Have fun, do as you please, just don't bully the weak or harm the innocent."

Huh? The crowd exchanged puzzled looks. That's his idea of "do as you please"?

"I guarantee you the fiasco at Tianlingling's sorry excuse for a bar will never happen again," the young man continued. "The palace master's actions provoked the Bing Zhu Sect, and an affront to the Sect's authority will not be tolerated. All of you are Songhai locals. From today onward, any intelligence regarding members of Slaughter Cessation Palace, or the palace master herself, can be reported to me. Each lead is worth five hundred thousand. Verified, actionable intelligence on the Palace Master personally is worth five million."

The Evil class Walkers in the hall glanced at one another, excitement flickering across their faces. They were thrilled by the generous bounties, and deeply intrigued by whatever had gone down between Bing Zhu Sect and Slaughter Cessation Palace.

"As for the second order of business," the young man in the headband continued, "I need you to dig up evidence of criminal activity by Yuanshi Tianzun of the Songhai Branch."

What?! Xiao Yuan's expression froze, and she stared at the young man behind the bar counter in disbelief.

1. The Chinese character for "king" (王) and "death" (亡) are pronounced the same way. ☜

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