Realm Walker

Criminal evidence on Yuanshi Tianzun?

The request left every evil class practitioner in the room bewildered. None were able to fathom its purpose. Were they supposed to find evidence against Yuanshi Tianzun and then report him to the Five Elements Alliance so the authorities could sanction him? Why bother with something so roundabout when they could just track him down and kill him?

Xiao Yuan raised her hand. "This Yuanshi Tianzun you're talking about, he's the one who killed Li Xianzong, right? Why go through the trouble of gathering evidence when killing him would be simpler?"

The Demon Eye Heavenly King turned his gaze toward her and smiled. "You don't need to know. Just do as you're told."

Xiao Yuan gave a slight nod, then pressed further, "What kind of evidence?"

Another Walker nearby chimed in. "He killed Li Xianzong, Ou Xiangrong, and Black Wuchang. Don't those count?"

"No, no, no!" The Demon Eye Heavenly King exclaimed, waggling his finger as he flashed a bright, sunny grin. "Those aren't crimes. Those are acts of justice. The evidence I want is for bribery, abuse of power, bullying the weak, sexual harassment, rape, that sort of thing. Information on anything illegal, I want it all."

The gathered practitioners exchanged baffled glances. The new Bing Zhu Sect representative had to be out of his mind. They had heard of Evil-class Walkers committing arson and murder, but never of them collecting criminal evidence against an enemy. What was the point?

"What's the reward?" someone called out.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King smiled, the sports headband around his forehead catching the light. "Two hundred thousand per piece of evidence. If the offense is particularly severe, five hundred thousand."

So the Bing Zhu Sect is coming after Yuanshi Tianzun over the Li Xianzong affair, Xiao Yuan realized. Sore losers, really, though it wouldn't have mattered either way. Evil-class Walkers hunt Lawful-class Walkers with or without a reason.

She mulled it over, then raised her hand again and asked in a cold voice, "If someone kills Yuanshi Tianzun outright, what's the reward for that?"

The Demon Eye Heavenly King shook his head. "No reward whatsoever. I only need you to collect evidence. Whether he lives or dies is my business."

***

With their meal finished, Zhang Yuanqing and Xie Lingxi left the restaurant side by side and arrived at the elevator landing. He took the opportunity to excuse himself.

"Lingxi, when are you heading back to Jiangsu?"

Xie Lingxi pouted pitifully. "Back to Jiangsu? Why would I do that? If I go back, I'll miss you, Yuanshi. I just can't bear to leave you. I'm planning to stay in Songhai until autumn, wait for the crabs to fatten up, then head home. The Xie family holds a river crab banquet every year. Yuanshi, after autumn sets in, come with me to visit the Xie family, okay? My mom and dad want to meet you."

As she spoke, a shy blush crept across her face, as though she were inviting a lover to meet her parents.

Zhang Yuanqing scoffed internally. The art practiced by this green tea princess is truly world class.You'd better thank your lucky stars you're only seventeen. Next year, if you keep talking to me like this, you'll find out just how terrifying a man who seizes every opening can be!

While they were still talking, his phone rang. He looked down and saw the caller's ID. Magic Auntie Xiao Yuan!

He rejected the call and stepped into the elevator car with Xie Lingxi. The elevator descended. When it reached her floor, she walked out, turned back, and waved.

"Bye bye~"

Zhang Yuanqing grunted in acknowledgement and let the doors close. After leaving the hotel, he pulled out his phone and called Xiao Yuan back.

"Auntie Xiao Yuan?"

—Someone from the Bing Zhu Sect is looking for you. They've put a bounty on your criminal evidence.

What? Zhang Yuanqing's brain couldn't process it right away. He wasn't surprised that the Bing Zhu Sect had put a bounty on him; that was inevitable. But a bounty on criminal evidence? What the hell?

I'm a frail college student who feels guilty about passing gas in public. What criminal evidence could there possibly be against me?

He let out a bewildered laugh. "What's going on?"

Xiao Yuan gave him a brief rundown of the black market's reopening, the Bing Zhu Sect representative's bounties on the palace master and Yuanshi Tianzun, and the full sequence of events.

A young man wearing a sports headband? Offering a bounty for my criminal evidence? Zhang Yuanqing's thoughts latched onto something, and the smile slowly drained from his face.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King recently came to Songhai. He has a vertical eye on his forehead. He's a radical fanatic, a zealot through and through.

He swallowed hard as a single thought ricocheted through his skull. What do I do? A Sovereign level big shot has a bounty on me. This is urgent! Help!

He had known the Demon Eye Heavenly King would come after him eventually, but he hadn't expected it to happen this fast. And it wasn't the casual "kill him if I run into him, forget it if I don't" kind of attitude. This was a lavish bounty, paid in full. Being targeted by a figure of that stature brought crushing psychological pressure.

"Auntie Xiao Yuan, I think I know who he is," Zhang Yuanqing said.

Xiao Yuan heard the shift in his tone, and hers altered in response.

—Who?

"The Bing Zhu Sect's Demon Eye Heavenly King."

—Him?!

Her voice pitched up several notes.

Zhang Yuanqing let out a hollow, defeated grunt of confirmation. "I killed Li Xianzong. He's here for revenge."

Xiao Yuan was silent for a long while. When she next spoke, her voice was full of irony.

—You really are a genius. Two months in and your life has been more eventful and harrowing than most people's first two years.

He had barely survived Li Xianzong's hunt, clawed his way to an upset victory, and now, having killed the underling, the boss had arrived.

"Auntie, please, spare me the sarcasm," Zhang Yuanqing said with a bitter smile.

He sensed a grin tugging at the corner of Xiao Yuan's lips, but that mirth vanished just as quickly, and her voice settled back into its usual cool detachment.

—This is only the beginning. The more famous you become, the more Evil Walkers will want you dead. That's the fate of every genius, unless you can become like Fu Qingyang.

"How?"

—Kill until no one dares challenge you anymore. Sovereign-tier Walkers are few and far between, and they don't usually bother hunting low-level practitioners. As long as you can become invincible within the Saint tier, and you don't provoke any Sovereigns, you'll generally be fine.

That's far easier said than done. There are countless Spirit Realm Walkers out there. How many of them are anything like Fu Qingyang?

"Auntie Xiao Yuan, could Master Wuhen take on the Demon Eye Heavenly King?" he asked instead.

—I have no idea.

"No idea?"

Xiao Yuan's voice took on an edge of irritability.

—I've never seen Master Wuhen fight. Besides, he can't just step in whenever he pleases. You've seen him a few times by now. You should know his condition. There's something not right.

That piqued Zhang Yuanqing's interest immediately. "What exactly is wrong with Master Wuhen's condition?"

Xiao Yuan retreated behind her icy facade.

—You don't need to know, and you don't have the standing to know.

Zhang Yuanqing let it go and chose his next words carefully. "Auntie Xiao Yuan, I'm thinking about reporting the black market's location to the branch leadership and letting the elders deal with him. What do you think?"

Xiao Yuan snorted.

—That's a terrible idea. First, since the Demon Eye Heavenly King showed his face there openly, he won't be appearing in person again anytime soon. He'll control things from the shadows. Don't underestimate the cunning and caution of a Sovereign. Second, the black market has records on every Evil-class Walker who was invited. The moment the Demon Eye discovers the place has been raided, his list of suspects will be everyone who attended today. That would put me in serious danger. Finally, how do you know the Demon Eye isn't fishing? This could be bait.

Zhang Yuanqing frowned and fell into thought.

—An ambush isn't off the table, but we'd need to wait for the right opportunity.

Not yet, though.

"I understand. Auntie Xiao Yuan, have you given any more thought to the guild?"

She hesitated, and he could sense there was an element of personal pride involved.

—Let me think about it a bit longer. Honestly, I'm not particularly inclined, and Master Wuhen doesn't want me getting too closely involved with you, either.

His spirits fell slightly. Master Wuhen doesn't approve? Big shots at that level aren't easy to win over, but if I could get on his good side, I'd have a real safety net going forward.

Zhang Yuanqing thanked her and hung up.

***

Xiao Yuan parked her car in the parking lot outside Wuhen Inn, fished out her keys, and unlocked the U-shaped lock around the inn's front entrance.

She slipped into the changing room behind the front desk and stripped off her street clothes. A full length mirror stood against one wall, reflecting her voluptuous figure clad in black lace lingerie. Her long, smooth legs caught the light, widening into generous, shapely hips that curved inward to a narrow waist. Her bra supported deep, pale cleavage, and her striking, icy features completed the picture.

Any man who harbored the faintest interest in the opposite sex would have felt his pulse quicken at the sight, yet Xiao Yuan paid herself no attention whatsoever. She didn't even glance at the mirror as she swiftly changed into her staff uniform. Only then did she turn toward her reflection to straighten her collar.

She left the changing room, walked out from behind the front desk, grabbed her employee keycard, and took the elevator up.

The elevator stopped at the third floor. She stepped out, swiped open the door to Room 306, and the instant her hand touched the handle, her expression grew wary. She pressed her ear close, listening for several tense seconds, then shoved the door open and rushed inside.

The room was empty. The white bedsheets were tucked and smoothed with military precision, as though no one had ever stayed here at all.

Xiao Yuan scanned the room. On the small table by the window, a note sat pinned beneath a bottle of mineral water. She strode to the table with a grim expression and snatched up the note. It was written in neat handwriting.

Xiao Yuan, I've gone to Songhai to settle a score. Don't look for me. Don't try to stop me. I'll prepare carefully this time. I'm not going to throw my life away.

"Reckless fool," she hissed through clenched teeth.

Her chest heaved violently. It took several deep breaths before she managed to tamp down the churning mix of fury and worry.

***

At dinner that evening, Zhang Yuanqing glanced at his visibly-troubled cousin and said, "Bro, if you keep scrunching your brow like that, I'm going to have to start calling you Grandpa."

The words had barely left his mouth when Grandma reached over and smacked him on the back of the head.

"Did you catch a tough case?" Aunt Yu'er butted in casually between mouthfuls of rice.

Chen Yuanjun's brow stayed knotted as he let out a long sigh. "We did get a case recently. Someone reported our bureau chief for corruption and bribery by providing cover for financial companies that target students and people in desperate need of money. Loan sharks, basically. Over the past few years, six people have been driven to suicide. They've also been coercing female students who can't pay their debts into prostitution. Forget it, I shouldn't go into details."

Zhang Yuanqing's eyebrows shot up. "Report it to the higher-ups, then. What's there to agonize over?"

Chen Yuanjun looked at him but said nothing.

Grandpa, who rarely spoke, let out a contemptuous snort. "You already reported it, but it didn't work, right?"

Chen Yuanjun nodded. "Yuanzi, Grandpa went through the same thing back in the day. Filed a report, got nowhere, and got punished by his superiors for his trouble."

Zhang Yuanqing searched his memory and vaguely recalled the incident. He had been too young to understand the details, but he remembered Grandpa exploding in rage one day, smashing several bowls in the kitchen.

"What Yuanjun described is probably just the tip of the iceberg," Grandpa explained calmly. "There are bound to be far worse cases hiding underneath. The reports go nowhere because there's a web of mutual back scratching holding it all in place."

He paused, then added, "You get used to it."

The words were delivered without inflection, but Zhang Yuanqing caught the bone-deep disillusionment buried in those last words. Grandpa had spent the better part of his life inside the Public Security Bureau. No one understood its inner workings better than he did.

"Bro, what's your bureau chief's name?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, keeping his tone casual.

"Zhou Yan."

"Oh."

He lowered his head and went back to eating, quietly filing the name away.

The Five Elements Alliance and the Public Security Bureau answered to entirely separate power structures. Trying to investigate this Bureau Chief Zhou through official channels would be virtually impossible. But he could use a Spirit Realm Walker's abilities to investigate in secret and gather evidence on his own.

Unfortunately, he had been told to lie low at home for the time being, and was barred from going to headquarters.

***

After dinner, his uncle came knocking. The nightclub lord was dressed in his usual flamboyant style.

"Yuanzi, come here for a sec," he said as he beckoned his nephew to the dining table, pulled out his wallet, and produced a crisp stack of bills totaling a thousand yuan. "This is from your auntie. I don't know what's gotten into her. She suddenly said she wanted to be nicer to you and claimed it was my idea, which is strange, because I definitely never said that."

Zhang Yuanqing snatched the money with a grin, conveniently ignoring the second half of his uncle's statement. "Thanks, Uncle!"

His uncle beamed. "Come on, let's go dancing at my place."

There was a pause, then he said quizzically, "Oh, and I've been meaning to ask, I might be remembering wrong, but lately it feels like the cash in my wallet keeps shrinking. I can barely make ends meet."

Uncle, you're a sweet, clueless soul. I can't believe he still hasn't figured out that his wallet's been pickpocketed every single day. Zhang Yuanqing felt a twinge of guilt even as he silently mocked the man.

Uncle clapped him heartily on the shoulder. "So anyway, about that money your auntie gave you, lend your uncle five hundred, yeah? After all, I raised you with my own two hands. That wasn't easy, you know."

"No!" Zhang Yuanqing refused with stone cold indifference, clutching his money protectively.

Uncle eyed him. "You already did."

I already did? Zhang Yuanqing blinked, then it hit him like a truck. Auntie gave me fifteen hundred. This bastard already skimmed five hundred off the top!

Uncle patted his nephew's shoulder with a satisfied smile. "Don't make that face. I'll pay you back next month. I've gotta head out. Come by when you're free and we'll spar on the dance floor."

Forget about paying me back. My future children will avenge me! Zhang Yuanqing seethed inwardly.

He watched his uncle leave, then walked to Aunt Yu'er's bedroom door and knocked twice. "Auntie, want to come play games in my room tonight?"

"Sure, sure!" she chirped back happily.

Grandma poked her head out of the kitchen where she was washing dishes, shot her grandson a glare, then hollered toward her daughter's door. "Yu'er, let Mama play too!"

"Huh?" Aunt Yu'er sounded bewildered. "Mom, you don't even know how to play games."

Grandma gave a cold laugh. "You two play the games. I'll play you."

The room went dead silent. Zhang Yuanqing quietly turned and walked away.

Back in his bedroom, he flopped onto the bed and began strategizing against the Demon Eye Heavenly King. Letting the Demon Eye roam free in Songhai isn't safe. There's this nagging feeling in my gut, like someone could come knocking down my door any second.

He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Being targeted by a powerful Sovereign stripped away any sense of security. Sure, Songhai was a massive city and the odds of a random encounter were slim, but how could he be sure? He was dealing with a Sovereign, after all. Who knew what kinds of methods he might have at his disposal?

There would be only one shot at a preemptive strike, and that's the moment he shows up at the black market. All five of the Songhai elders could swarm him at once and take him down together. Throw in that lunatic palace master, and that's six Sovereigns against one Demon Eye. That should be enough, right?

And if it isn't, I can borrow the Dream Entry Jade Talisman from the little green tea princess and summon Master Wuhen. With him in the mix, if the Demon Eye still doesn't die, then truly isn't any justice in this world. I'll need to coordinate with all five elders in advance and draw up a detailed plan, then it's just a waiting game. I can have Fu Qingyang handle the arrangements.

He sighed inwardly. Ugh, what a life. It's bad enough that the dungeons are one near death experience after another. Now reality is just as treacherous. Being famous isn't all it's cracked up to be. I just end up with a target on my back for every Evil Walker out there.

***

Night pressed down thick and heavy over Puning District, stirred only by a faint evening breeze.

In a rundown residential building, the young man with the sports headband climbed the stairwell to the fifth floor and knocked on a battered security door.

"Who is it?"

The man behind the door was middle aged, his hair streaked with grey, his expression clouded and wary.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King smiled warmly. "You're the one who reported Bureau Chief Zhou Yan for corruption and bribery, for acting as an umbrella for loan sharks, for the exploitation and coercion of dozens of victims including enrolled students and ordinary citizens, correct?

"Furthermore, she used her position for personal gain, greenlighting contracts for her spouse and relatives, and flipping projects for illegal profits amounting to hundreds of millions."

The middle aged man's face slowly drained of color. He slammed the door shut, but it stopped halfway, blocked by a foot wedged in the gap.

The man's face twisted with fear, anger, and humiliation as he shouted, "You, what do you want? I'm warning you, all my neighbors are home. Don't try anything! They already broke my legs! What more do you want?! You lay one finger on me and I'll fight you to the death!"

It was the last shred of defiance a powerless man could muster.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King's smile never wavered. "I'm currently collecting criminal evidence against Zhou Yan. If you don't mind, let's step inside and talk."

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