Realm Walker

Kou Beiyue squatted on the curb outside a 24 hour convenience store, cradling a bowl of pickled cabbage instant noodles, slurping them down with abandon. His gaze was unfocused, the clear sign of someone lost in thought.

I've already figured out where he works, but the place is crawling with official Walkers. I'm not even sure I could win a one-on-one fight, let alone take on a whole office. And if I kill someone in their workplace, innocent people will get caught in the crossfire. Master Wuhen would never allow that.

The best move would be to find out which neighborhood he lives in and slip in at night. But I'm terrible at tailing people. I'd get spotted in a heartbeat.Going by his habits, though, he'll hit a nightclub with his coworkers tonight. That's my opening.

His eyes gradually hardened with killing intent. Just then, an amused voice drifted over from beside him.

"A Transcendent tier Enchanting Demon with a solid foundation. So what are you, kid, a freelance practitioner? Or do you belong to some organization?"

Every hair on the back of Kou Beiyue's neck stood on end. He launched straight up from his crouch, easily clearing two meters, and flung his bowl of noodles at the source of the voice in the same motion. Only after completing this chain of instinctive reactions did he actually notice the speaker. It was a young man wearing a sports headband, sunny and handsome, the athletic type.

The scalding broth and noodles hurtled toward him but never made contact. Instead, they hit an invisible barrier and slid down meekly before they could touch his body.

At the same time, Kou Beiyue felt his body lock up. His limbs seized up and he was rooted in place, unable to move a single muscle. Unseen chains had bound him tight.

The headband-wearing youth smiled. "Relax, I'm not with the government. I just noticed your bloodlust is surprisingly faint for an Enchanting Demon. That makes you an oddity, so I came over to have a look."

Kou Beiyue didn't let his guard down just because of a few reassuring words, but trapped as he was, he had no choice but to cooperate.

"What do you want?" he demanded roughly.

"Which organization are you with?" the Demon Eye Heavenly King asked.

"I'm freelance!"

"Then why don't you enjoy killing?" The Demon Eye Heavenly King asked, his tone was casual, almost cheerful. "You should know that the more people you kill, the stronger your bloodlust grows, and the stronger an Enchanting Demon becomes. The Lawful alignment designates us as evil for a reason, and not just to slander us. An Enchanting Demon that doesn't crave slaughter is deadweight."

Us? He's an Enchanting Demon too? But how did he identify my class? Kou Beiyue let out a cold laugh. "Whether I kill or not is my decision. I'm not about to let some class dictate who I am."

The Demon Eye Heavenly King blinked, then broke into a grin. "Interesting. You're an interesting one."

With that, he stepped forward and slapped Kou Beiyue across the face.

The sharp crack drew stares from passersby. Kou Beiyue's cheek swelled high, his brows shooting upward as fury blazed in his eyes. He roared like a cornered lion.

"Let me go if you've got the guts! I'll fight you right here and now!"

A look of realization crossed the Demon Eye Heavenly King's face. "Ah, so you're the combative type. Since ancient times, Enchanting Demons have always been the fiercest warriors. The temperament fits. If you could develop a taste for killing on top of that, your future would be limitless."

He paused, studying the youth. "How about it, kid? Want to follow me? My right hand man got himself killed recently, and I'm looking to train a replacement. You'd do nicely."

Li Xianzong had been a bloodthirsty soul, true, but proud and defiant as well. He never bothered with ordinary people who didn't provoke him, considering it beneath him. As for killing Lawfully-aligned Walkers, that was simply the natural order of things. He also had no interest in women and never debased himself with that kind of cruelty. All those qualities on top of his extraordinary talent were precisely what had caught the Demon Eye Heavenly King's eye and earned his personal mentorship.

A completely unprincipled Enchanting Demon wouldn't have been worth a second glance.

Kou Beiyue's eyes blazed, and he snorted coldly. "Not interested!"

The Demon Eye Heavenly King's smile didn't waver. "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

"If you're going to kill me then kill me. Quit wasting my time." Kou Beiyue had the unyielding stubbornness of youth, fierce and unbending.

"This is fun." The Demon Eye Heavenly King rubbed his chin, still smiling. "There's no rush. You'll come around. Once I've finished what I came here to do, I'll take you back up north."

He silently placed a mark on Kou Beiyue, then turned and walked away.

***

Good Music Hotel.

A taxi pulled up outside the hotel and Wang Qian climbed out, striding through the lobby and stopping at the front desk.

"The Palace Master and the others are in Suite 409. Head on up," the pretty receptionist said in a low voice.

Wang Qian gave a slight nod, made his way deeper into the hotel, rode the elevator to the fourth floor, and found Room 409 with practiced ease. He knocked on the door in the prearranged rhythm.

The door swung open to reveal A Chinese Odyssey, his hair exploding outward in a wild lion's mane, beer belly thrust forward. Seeing it was Wang Qian, he ushered him in quickly. "Get in here."

Wang Qian nodded, squeezed through the gap, and surveyed the suite. More than twenty members of Slaughter Cessation Palace had gathered inside, men and women alike. Among them were seductive, alluring beauties and men with dark, brooding auras. Some were Transcendent tier Walkers like himself, others were powerhouses at the Saint stage.

But the strongest of all sat behind the writing desk, a stunning woman draped in a crimson gown.

She was the goddess of every Slaughter Cessation Palace member's heart. Regardless of gender, all of them were captivated by the Palace Master's breathtaking beauty. Part of that was the innate charisma boost of the Musician class. The rest was simply who she was.

Wang Qian didn't know the organization's exact headcount, but he had a rough idea. Somewhere north of thirty, short of forty. That was roughly half the size of a Spirit Realm noble family, making it a juggernaut by civilian organization standards. And with a Sovereign tier Walker at the helm, even the government had to treat them with a measure of respect and something approaching equality.

"Everyone who could make it is here. Those who couldn't, I've already contacted personally." The Palace Master swept her gaze across the room and made her announcement. "Effective immediately, all of you are to withdraw from Songhai. I've already secured a fallback location. A Chinese Odyssey will take you there."

The members' expressions shifted. Uneasy glances ricocheted around the room.

A Chinese Odyssey patted his beer belly and explained. "The Bing Zhu Sect's Demon Eye Heavenly King is hunting for the Palace Master and has posted bounties on all of us through the black market. Any lead connected to us is worth a hundred thousand. I believe pulling out of Songhai and lying low is the smart move."

He paused. "Also, while you're away, the Palace Master will compensate each of you with ten thousand per month."

A glamorously dressed woman furrowed her brow. "How long until we can come back? Palace Master, I just started seeing a new boyfriend. If I leave Songhai now..."

The Palace Master gave her a single, flat look. The woman immediately changed her tune with a sigh. "But for you, Palace Master, I can ditch whatever lousy man I want."

The Palace Master nodded in satisfaction, her smile returning. "When this is over, I'll tie up Yuanshi Tianzun and deliver him to your bed."

The glamorous woman's eyes lit up. "That's a promise!"

The Palace Master laughed, her voice turning silky. "Lizhi, how long has it been since I hung you up and gave you a beating?"

"..."

***

After dinner, Jiang Yu'er lounged lazily across the sofa in the living room, her long legs draped over her nephew's lap, a plate of grapes balanced on her stomach. She popped them one by one into her mouth while watching the news.

The Songhai news channel was on, the same one Grandpa always watched.

Jiang Yu'er tilted her head, pursed her lips, and launched a grape seed with an audible puff. It sailed several meters through the air and landed squarely in the trash can.

Zhang Yuanqing stared. "Auntie, it's a crime you never took up basketball."

"That's nothing. A few more meters and I could still make the shot." She gave two satisfied little huffs and shifted into an even more comfortable position. "Yuanzi, rub my feet for me."

"No way. They stink!"

Jiang Yu'er glared sideways at her nephew from her reclined position, peering up at him. "You brat! Do you have any idea how many men would kill for the chance to touch these feet? You don't know how good you have it."

Even from such a notoriously unflattering angle, Zhang Yuanqing couldn't find a single flaw on his aunt's face. She was still adorable, still cute, and her beauty mark was as bewitching as ever.

Just then, Grandpa's gaze drifted away from the television and he turned to them with a curious look. "Since when do you two watch the news?"

"I don't really. I just wanted to keep you company, Grandpa," Zhang Yuanqing said immediately.

"Me too, Daddy," Jiang Yu'er purred, her voice suddenly all sweet and clingy.

Grandpa gave them both a suspicious look. "I know exactly what you two are like."

One only ever turned sweet when she wanted something, while the other only revealed his silver tongue when he wanted something. Neither of them had a filial bone in their body.

Jiang Yu'er and Zhang Yuanqing both gave awkward laughs and continued on as though nothing had happened.

Zhang Yuanqing gently kneaded the sole of his aunt's foot with one hand while using his free hand to text Xiao Yuan on his phone.

Zhang Yuanqing: Auntie Yuan, have you thought any more about joining the guild?

Magic Auntie Yuan: Not now!

He gave an inward sigh. Xiao Yuan is a Saint-tier Walker. She's a powerhouse all by herself. If I could get her into the guild, it'd give me way more leverage with Master Wuhen.

Master Wuhen and his network of influence was the prized nut Zhang Yuanqing wanted to crack. Building his own web of connections meant thinking beyond mere random freelance Walkers. At minimum, he needed to engage with civilian organizations. Slaughter Cessation Palace and Wuhen Inn were the two most ideal and powerful channels available to him.

So far, his relationship with the Slaughter Cessation Palace Master was coming along nicely, warming up with each interaction. But on the Wuhen Inn front, progress had been painfully slow.

An Evil-class Walker was still an Evil-class Walker. Xiao Yuan harbored an instinctive wariness and distance toward him that no amount of sweet talk could overcome. It would take patience and persistence, or one decisive turning point.

There's nothing to do but play the long game, Zhang Yuanqing consoled himself as he set down his phone and didn't push further.

Just then, the news anchor spoke up. "For our next story. Today at 5:32 PM, an assailant broke into the offices of Huiteng Financial, a company located in Rongchuang Tower, and carried out a savage massacre of the company's employees. The brutality defies description. Of the twenty nine people in the office, only one receptionist survived.

"According to eyewitness testimony, the perpetrator was a male in his early thirties wearing a sports headband. The Public Security Bureau has launched an investigation..."

The screen cut to surveillance footage. In the grainy video, a young man wearing a sports headband could be seen pushing open the glass door of the financial company. That single frozen frame was all the cameras had captured.

Zhang Yuanqing's grip tightened around his phone. The Demon Eye Heavenly King. It has to be him! That man didn't even bother lying low. He's barely arrived in Songhai and he's already causing mayhem.

"Ow!" His aunt let out a yelp of pain, tears springing to her eyes as she pouted at him. "You're hurting me!"

Zhang Yuanqing hastily released her foot, apologizing over and over. "Sorry, sorry!"

"Hmph!" Jiang Yu'er gave him a light kick to the chest, swung her legs off the sofa, and headed for the bedroom. "I'm done. Going to sleep."

Zhang Yuanqing's gaze instinctively followed her retreating figure for a moment before he looked down and fired off a message to Li Dongze: Squad Leader, the Rongchuang Tower massacre. Was that the Demon Eye Heavenly King?

He'd been watching the news specifically to see whether the Demon Eye Heavenly King would stir up trouble. Sure enough, his instinct had been right.

Li Dongze's reply came quickly: Yes. Elder Teddy and Centurion Fu are already tracking him in secret. Let's hope they can find him.

I knew it.

Zhang Yuanqing: Why did he slaughter that financial company?

Li Dongze: Still unclear. The bureau is investigating, but based on what we've gathered so far, the company wasn't clean. It was a loansharking operation. As for how they crossed the Demon Eye, that's still being looked into.

After reading the squad leader's message, Zhang Yuanqing's brow furrowed with worry.

Zhang Yuanqing: Got it. Will the Demon Eye come after the bureau? I'm on Squad Two. He probably knows where our office is. You guys could be in real danger.

Squad Two's office was at the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. That wasn't exactly classified information. The average Evil-class Walker might not know it, but with the Demon Eye Heavenly King's resources and connections, finding that out would be trivial.

Li Dongze: Heh. We've got the Explosion Flower seeds. Their aura is extremely potent. There's no way the Demon Eye Heavenly King wouldn't sense them. He's not going to risk his Morality dropping to zero just to kill a few insignificant ants. That's exactly what the Centurion is counting on. After all, we can't actually let those seeds detonate, since that would kill a lot of people. And with today's massacre, his Morality took a massive hit. He'll probably lie low for a while and stop killing.

Just as they were texting, he heard the sound of someone typing pressing buttons on the front door keypad, followed by the click of the deadbolt. Chen Yuanjun walked in carrying a briefcase, exhaustion written across his face.

Zhang Yuanqing sent one last message: Stay safe out there, Squad Leader. These are dangerous times.

He pocketed his phone and addressed his cousin. "Bro, why are you so late?"

"Work stuff," Chen Yuanjun replied as he dropped his briefcase on the coffee table, collapsed into a chair at the dining table, and called out, "Grandma, can you get me a bowl of rice? I'm starving."

Zhang Yuanqing, still reeling from the Rongchuang Tower news, hurried over to the dining table and sat down across from him, eager for gossip.

"Was it because of that financial company case? Rongchuang Tower? It was just on the news," he asked urgently.

Chen Yuanjun frowned out of habit, deepening the weary lines on his face, and sighed. "That's not the only thing. It's been a hell of a day. Our bureau chief jumped off a building."

"What?" Zhang Yuanqing blinked, momentarily stunned.

Grandpa turned to look from across the living room.

At that moment, Grandma emerged from the kitchen carrying a bowl of rice. She handed it over while leaning in with obvious curiosity.

"The bureau chief jumped? Is that so?"

When it came to gossip, Grandma yielded to no one.

Chen Yuanjun hadn't planned on sharing details, but seeing the eager glint in his grandmother's eyes, he knew that if he refused to talk, his bowl of rice stood a fifty-fifty chance of being confiscated.

"It's that Zhou Yan I mentioned yesterday," he said between mouthfuls. "The one who got reported for corruption and acting as a loan shark's protection."

"How did she end up jumping?" Grandma pressed.

Loan sharking company. Zhou Yan. The Rongchuang Tower massacre. Zhang Yuanqing's mind raced. That's one hell of a coincidence.

Before Chen Yuanjun could answer, Grandpa spoke up from his spot on the sofa, his voice low and steady. "Was she connected to that financial company in Rongchuang Tower?"

The old man hadn't been a public security officer in years, but his instincts were as sharp as ever.

Chen Yuanjun gave a slight nod. "That company was the very loansharking operation she'd been shielding."

Grandpa turned back to the television with a flat, dismissive verdict. "Hmph. Good riddance."

He returned his attention to the screen and said nothing more.

Grandma sat at the table, peppering Chen Yuanjun with questions from every angle until she felt she had the full picture.

"Eat your dinner," she finally instructed, before she turned and disappeared into her daughter's bedroom to share the gossip.

Zhang Yuanqing headed to the bathroom to wash up. After brushing his teeth and splashing water on his face, he returned to his room, summoned Little Goofball to roam about freely, and flopped onto his bed. He stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

The Demon Eye's style is exactly as the Palace Master described. Twenty-eight dead—no, twenty-nine. That's 2,900 Morality points gone. He won't be killing indiscriminately anytime soon. He'll go underground and start doing good deeds to recover, which means finding him will be even harder. And in the meantime, he might just shift his attention to hunting for the palace master and myself.Also, how is the Bing Zhu Sect's intelligence network this good? That makes me even more of a target.

***

Ding!

A notification chimed on his phone.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King pulled out his device.

The message was simple: Heavenly King, I've just uncovered some intelligence. Over a month ago, Ou Xiangrong, who was being controlled by Ghost Eye Judge, was killed in Songhai University. There's a strong possibility that the Yuanshi Tianzun who killed him is a student there.

Songhai University? The Demon Eye Heavenly King typed out his reply: Can you get a photo of Yuanshi Tianzun?

The subordinate's response was quick: I'm afraid not. Very few people have actually seen him in person, and nearly all of them are government officials. We can't get access. Not in the short term, at least.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King read the message, didn't bother replying, and put his phone away.

No photo? No problem. He could simply stake out Songhai University himself.

***

It was eleven o'clock at night. Xiao Yuan, who was sleeping at Wuhen Inn, was jolted awake by the shrill ringing of a phone. She grabbed the device from her nightstand and checked the caller ID.

Her delicate eyebrows twitched. Kou Beiyue!

She answered and spoke in an icy tone. "You've got some nerve calling me."

The voice on the other end was a boy's, low and strained with embarrassment, threaded through with anxiety.

—Xi... Xiao Yuan...

Xiao Yuan was silent for a beat. "What is it? Talk fast."

Kou Beiyue kept his voice barely above a whisper.

—I'm pinned down in a nightclub by my target's people. They're sweeping the building, looking for me. I can't hold out much longer.

Xiao Yuan shot upright in bed, her expression turning deadly serious. "Give me your location. Now!"

—Kangyang District. Red Dragon nightclub on Baixing Road.

Kou Beiyue's voice stayed low.

—I'm not calling for a rescue. There's no time. You'd never make it. I went after an official Walker on my own. I've already broken Master Wuhen's rules. He won't save me. This was my fault for being reckless. I didn't think the target had already noticed me watching him.

He paused, his voice cracking just slightly.

—I'm calling because I wanted to tell you something. I've always thought of you as a mother. I know I have a terrible temper, that I'm hotheaded and impulsive. After my sister died, you were the only person who didn't despise me, who put up with all my garbage. I'm sorry...

He said a lot more after that, but Xiao Yuan didn't hear a single word. Her heart sank like a stone. It was a forty-minute trip from Jinshan City to Songhai. There was no way she could get there in time.

Master Wuhen had laid down his rules. No deep ties with Evil-class Walkers, no provoking conflict with official forces. Let go of the past, forget old grudges, and find redemption.

Kou Beiyue had broken those rules. Master Wuhen would never step in to save him.

Xiao Yuan's face was a frozen mask as her thoughts raced at breakneck speed. What should I do? Who else could possibly help him?Wait. Kangyang District?

Suddenly, she thought of Yuanshi Tianzun.

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