Realm Walker

The moment Zhang Yuanqing spotted the young man who had materialized out of nowhere, that trademark athletic headband unmistakable under the lamplight, his pupils contracted violently. Every hair on his spine stood on end as his body flooded with adrenaline, recognizing the crisis for what it was and scrambling to cope.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King? The Demon Eye Heavenly King!! How is he here? Has he finally tracked me down?

No. Impossible. My home address can't have been exposed, and even if the Demon Eye Heavenly King had somehow dug it up, he'd go to the apartment, not show up on a random street corner.He's not here for me. It's the kid he's after. Or maybe he's just passing through?

In the span of a heartbeat, a thousand possibilities raced through Zhang Yuanqing's mind while his face held onto its expression of shock and fear. He tugged Kou Beiyue back a step, then deliberately moved forward two paces and fixed the Demon Eye Heavenly King with a stare.

"Who are you, and why are you following us?" he demanded loudly.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King is an Evil-class Walker. Kou Beiyue is also one. The odds that they're allies rather than enemies are pretty high. If I show a hint of protectiveness toward Kou Beiyue, the Demon Eye Heavenly King won't just slaughter a potential ally over it, right? Even if I'm Lawfully aligned myself.

It was a small, calculated gambit. And once he'd guessed that the Demon Eye Heavenly King wasn't there for him, Zhang Yuanqing's heart had settled considerably. Otherwise, his only option would have been to drop to his knees in the legendary "tiger falling from a cliff" kowtow and wail, "Spare me, Your Majesty!"

But then, Kou Beiyue did something he hadn't expected at all. The teenager shifted into a combat stance.

"He's most likely a Saint-tier Enchanting Demon," the youth muttered under his breath. "This guy is extremely dangerous. Stay on your guard."

Zhang Yuanqing's expression stiffened. Extremely dangerous, stay on your guard. On your guard?What's that supposed to mean? You two aren't friends? Because that defensive posture of yours is making me panic.This guy isn't just some Saint. He's a Sovereign-tier heavyweight.

The sudden shift left Zhang Yuanqing scrambling. Running was a death sentence. Night Wandering might be the ultimate stealth skill, but with a gap in power this vast, he had zero hope that he could use it to fool a Sovereign tier monster. Brute force was equally out of the question. He couldn't muster an ounce of fight against someone as terrifying as the Demon Eye Heavenly King. If anything, every bone in his body had gone soft as wet noodles.

Kou Beiyue, on the other hand, hadn't gone soft at all. Everything about the boy was rigid, from his spine to his temper.

He glared at the young man he'd met once before and spat, "You marked me, didn't you?"

How else could the bastard have found him?

The Demon Eye Heavenly King smiled warmly. "I told you, I want to take you up north for training. Naturally, I've been keeping tabs on you. Earlier, I sensed something not right about your condition and came to check in. Didn't expect to find you hanging around with someone from the authorities."

His gaze drifted to Zhang Yuanqing. He studied him for a moment and said, "You look like a Nocturnal Specter. One of the Taiyi Sect's Nocturnal Specters, eh? Tsk, tsk. Why would you be associating with an Evil-class Walker?"

Before Zhang Yuanqing could answer, the Demon Eye Heavenly King's eyes narrowed, cold light flashing within them. "Oh, I know. Officials colluding with criminals, oppressing the common folk. People like that aren't worth the air they breathe."

His tone carried not a shred of killing intent, and he was even smiling. But his gaze was so piercing that Zhang Yuanqing felt as though his body and soul were frozen through, as if he'd been plunged into an ice cold cellar.

"You're the criminal here. Who I hang out with is none of your business," the defiant teenager snapped.

Will you shut up? If you've got a death wish, leave me out of it! Zhang Yuanqing cursed inwardly. Still, Kou Beiyue's interruption bought his brain enough time to catch up.

So the Demon Eye Heavenly King has taken an interest in Kou Beiyue. He wants to bring him north and develop him?If that's the case, then "allies rather than enemies" was the right read. And this guy's an idealist, the type who despises corrupt officials and bullies above all else. I should say things that appeal to his sensibilities and earn some goodwill.This isn't sucking up to the enemy. It's strategic risk mitigation!

Zhang Yuanqing slowly steadied his nerves and put on a serious expression. "I am an official, yes. But he is no criminal. He's a good person. Back at the nightclub, he could have healed himself by killing ordinary people then fought to the bitter end, or fled after restoring himself. But he didn't. He'd rather hover at the brink of death than sacrifice a single innocent life.

"That kind of character is rarer than what you'll find in most people on this earth. Even plenty of official Walkers lack that conviction. If he's a criminal, then every person alive is a criminal."

Kou Beiyue listened with his jaw hanging open. Apparently I possess such noble qualities. This is news to me.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King smiled, eyes crinkling. "But he's of an Evil class."

"So what?" Zhang Yuanqing shot back, squaring his shoulders, voice ringing with passion. "Even the worst group has good people in it. Not every Evil-class Walker is beyond redemption, and not every Lawful-class Walker is kindhearted. I stopped judging everyone by their class alignment a long time ago. If someone is a good person, I consider them my friend, Evil or Lawful. If someone breaks the law, Lawful or Evil, they're my enemy."

In that instant, Kou Beiyue's mental image of Zhang Yuanqing blazed with radiance, towering and immense, second only to Master Wuhen himself. He suddenly understood why the cold, guarded Xiao Yuan had become friends with this man. Nobody could refuse the friendship of someone like that.

Even the Demon Eye Heavenly King seemed caught off guard by the answer. He blinked, then broke into a brilliant smile.

"Interesting. Very interesting! I've met plenty of good people among the Lawful classes, but I've never liked any of them. Their thinking is rigid. They do righteous things, sure, but they're guardians of the old order, obstacles to the cleansing of the world.

"You're different. You care about following the compass of your own heart, your own sense of right and wrong, above the rules themselves. And that is exactly what I pursue."

He clicked his tongue as admiration flashed through his eyes. "Then let me see for myself whether what you just said was sincere."

The words had barely landed before twin crimson runes surfaced in his pupils, blazing with red light.

Zhang Yuanqing's body immediately seized up, becoming stiff and rigid. His pupils glazed over as a thick haze clouded his mind, all capacity for thought stripped away.

He never had a chance to react. In a single instant, the enchantment had taken hold.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King conjured up a gleaming fruit knife, flipping it idly between his fingers as he asked with a grin, "Have you ever exploited your position for personal gain? Accepted bribes? Extorted money? Embezzled public funds? Seized illegal income? Raped or coerced a woman...?"

He rattled off a long string of questions, cycling through virtually every crime an official could commit. He was so terribly familiar with the list.

Zhang Yuanqing's face was blank, his voice hollow. "No."

No? The Demon Eye Heavenly King fell silent. A few seconds later, he let out something between a sigh and a lament.

"You're very lucky. I can't find any justification to kill you, for now."

He released the enchantment at once.

Kou Beiyue watched the entire scene from the sidelines, his expression dazed. For a moment, he couldn't tell who was the law enforcer and who was the Enchanting Demon.

An Evil-class Walker interrogating a Lawful-class Walker about possible misdeeds. Could anything in this world be more absurd?

Yes, actually. The fact that the Lawful-class official genuinely hadn't done a single bad thing. Was that guy even human?

Zhang Yuanqing regained control of his body, and cold sweat broke out across his back. Damn it. One slip and I was under his control, just like that. Thank God I haven't been an official Walker long enough to have taken any bribes. Also, apparently distributing explicit images and videos isn't a capital offense in his book.

"May I leave now?" he asked, keeping his composure on the surface.

"Of course!" The Demon Eye Heavenly King nodded with a beaming smile. "What's your Spirit Realm ID?"

"Yuan Ting," Zhang Yuanqing replied evenly.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King gave a small nod. "Kangyang District?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then answer me one more question." He rubbed his chin, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "What kind of person do you think Yuanshi Tianzun is?"

Zhang Yuanqing's face went dead serious. He spoke slowly, enunciating every word.

"He is a man of nobler character than mine. Braver. More righteous. Standing beside him, I often feel out of place for not being upright enough."

The Demon Eye Heavenly King stared, visibly stunned.

***

Inside Wuhen Inn, in an austere Buddhist hall fragrant with sandalwood, Xiao Yuan bowed toward the blue-robed figure standing with his back to her beneath a statue of the Buddha.

"Kou Beiyue violated the rules you set. He went after an official steward on his own and ended up cornered by his enemy at the nightclub."

"You want me to save him?"

Master Wuhen's voice echoed through the hall, laced with barely suppressed pain.

Xiao Yuan shook her head gently. "I've already reached out to Yuanshi Tianzun for help. He rescued Kou Beiyue. In return, I plan to join his guild."

Master Wuhen seemed somewhat surprised. A long silence stretched through the hall. At last, his voice rose into the stillness.

"Very well."

So, even Master Wuhen approves of that kid.

"What should be done about Kou Beiyue?" she asked.

"Kou Beiyue's six roots remain impure. He cannot let go of his hatred. Effective immediately, he is expelled from Wuhen Inn. The day he turns over a new leaf is the day he may return."

"Understood."

***

The stunned look on the Demon Eye Heavenly King's face slowly faded, replaced by the curl of a smile. "Interesting. Very interesting. Now I can't help wanting to meet this little fellow. He must be a lot of fun."

He thought for a few seconds, then said, "Truth be told, I'm also a law-abiding Enchanting Demon. I admire your perspective, and I agree that Lawful and Evil class alignments aren't the yardsticks of good and bad. The human heart is.

"Let's add each other as friends. Keep in touch. And if you could pass along Yuanshi Tianzun's social media handle, I'd be even happier."

The only thing I'd pass along to you is Elder Teddy. Still, Zhang Yuanqing didn't dare refuse. Steeling himself, he fished out his phone and added the Demon Eye Heavenly King as a contact.

The phone instantly felt as though it weighed a thousand pounds. He wanted nothing more than to hurl it into the gutter.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King quietly placed a mark on Yuan Ting of the Taiyi Sect, pocketed his own phone, and turned to leave. He waved over his shoulder at the two of them as he walked away.

"Until we meet again. And next time, I hope you still won't give me any reason to kill you."

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