Realm Walker

Xiao Yuan finished speaking and waited two seconds in silence before gripping the door handle and turning it gently.

The view in front of her shifted. The hotel corridor rippled, resolving itself into an ancient and solemn Buddhist temple. A towering Buddha statue stood in the middle, its fingers pinching a flower, its eyes half lidded, its brows slightly lowered. Its expression held both compassion and ferocity in equal measure.

She studied the statue carefully, then quietly withdrew her gaze.

The temple was an illusion, one born from the depths of Master Wuhen's mind. It did not truly exist. That Buddha, at once merciful and wrathful, was the manifestation of his inner self. He had conjured this temple and imprisoned himself within it.

The statue was a mirror of his heart. So long as it remained still, Master Wuhen would not lose control. But should the day come when all its compassion faded and it took on the furious glare of a Vajra guardian, it would mean the master could no longer contain his killing intent.

"Master Wuhen, Yuanshi Tianzun has helped Kou Beiyue avenge his grievances. The boy's worldly debts are settled. He wishes to take his place under your guidance and begin his cultivation anew," Xiao Yuan said with earnest sincerity. "Please accept him."

The green robed figure sat motionless, his back turned to her. There was a long silence before a voice echoed through the hall, strained, as though each word was being wrung from somewhere deep and painful.

"Just this once. Never again!"

Relief flooded through Xiao Yuan, and she couldn't suppress a smile. "Yes!"

She quickly bowed her head, pressed her palms together, and offered a respectful bow to the Buddha. She was about to withdraw from the temple when the low, anguished voice echoed through the hall once more.

"You may ask Yuanshi Tianzun to help search for Evil-class Walkers who still carry goodness in their hearts."

Xiao Yuan froze, a surge of indescribable joy rising in her chest. Was Master Wuhen entrusting something this important to Yuanshi Tianzun? Had he truly accepted him?

When she had first asked for advice on joining the Return of the Dead guild, Master Wuhen's response had been simple: go and verify it yourself.

What he had just said showed he had been watching, weighing whether Yuanshi Tianzun's ideals were genuine conviction or hollow slogans. Now, at last, the young man had proven himself through action.

Master Wuhen had fully accepted him, and fully recognized him. Their little team had finally welcomed its first Lawful member.

A smile curved the corners of Xiao Yuan's lips upward.

"Understood!"

***

In the first floor living room of a Fu Family Bay villa, Zhang Yuanqing was sunk into an expensive leather sofa when he heard the notification chime of his phone. He pulled it out, read the message, and looked up eagerly at Fu Qingyang sitting across from him.

"Centurion, Master Wuhen's people just got back to me. You really can predict everything. They've fully accepted me."

He slipped in the flattery without a trace of effort.

Xiao Yuan's message had been simple. She had offered him thanks, and then relayed Master Wuhen's request: to help them find Evil-class Walkers who leaned toward good.

The subtext was clear. Master Wuhen now considered him one of their own.

From this time onward, he could ask the master for help without guilt. If he ran into the Demon Eye Heavenly King, he'd have the means to protect himself. And with the two thousand Morality points on top of it all... He hadn't busied himself calculating the benefits of helping Kou Beiyue when he'd done what he did, but the returns were gratifying all the same.

Zhang Yuanqing savored the feeling.

Fu Qingyang lifted his porcelain cup, took a measured sip of tea, and rose to his feet. "Good. Come with me to interrogate Chi Yue'an."

Zhang Yuanqing stood at once and followed. The two of them descended the twin staircase back down to the underground level.

"Centurion, last time you got Elder Teddy's permission before you killed Steward Pang."

They had just been discussing Chi Yue'an's situation upstairs. That was the first time Zhang Yuanqing learned the man had amassed over two billion in illicit wealth over the past several years, and more than half of that money had gone to unknown destinations. There was almost certainly a bigger fish behind him.

Zhang Yuanqing was inclined to simply kill Chi Yue'an and use spirit communion to interrogate his ghost. He was already a Level 3 Nocturnal Specter. With the Demon-subduing Awl, he could withstand the spiritual contamination of a Level 4 Lawful Walker.

"That was an extraordinary circumstance. Do you think the Fallen Holy Grail and Dark Rose are comparable to this Bronze Sparrow Tower?" Fu Qingyang replied coolly.

Oh, so our principles have some flexibility to them, Zhang Yuanqing grumbled internally.

Fu Qingyang's expression didn't change. "Are you talking about me behind my back in your head?"

"No, no, not at all," he denied instantly, then pivoted without missing a beat. "Centurion, do you think Chi Yue'an might be a money laundering tool for the Zhu family?"

"It's not the Zhu family," Fu Qingyang said simply, as though the matter were obvious.

Zhang Yuanqing gave a quizzical look. Not the Zhu family?

The tall, straight backed centurion moved with elegant strides as he explained, "The Zhu family sells Life Essence to the Five Elements Alliance every year, bringing in over ten billion yuan. That's not even counting their other ventures. When you can make money cleanly at that scale, why would you risk your reputation for pocket change? That said, the Zhu family is a sprawling clan, with plenty of internal factions. There are always those who'll chase profit through crooked channels."

Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up with understanding. "You mean Chi Yue'an's ex-wife?"

"It's also possible Chi Yue'an belongs to another organization entirely," Fu Qingyang said evenly. "We won't know until we've finished the interrogation. It's a shame the Tiger Seal has already been sent back to headquarters. And my lie detection item isn't very effective against someone at the Saint tier."

Whoever was behind this, they had to be dragged into the light. Someone this depraved couldn't be allowed to walk free. Zhang Yuanqing's anger still simmered beneath the surface.

They talked as they walked, passing down a long corridor lined with cells on either side, until they reached the very last one at the end.

Chi Yue'an was held in this final cell.

He still wore his white suit, though it was now a ruin of wrinkles and grime. His slicked-back hair hung in tangled disarray. A wooden cangue encircled his neck and shackles wound around his ankles. He lay half-collapsed on the bed, visibly weakened.

The cangue and shackles were both Spirit Realm items, though they were barely sufficient to restrain a Saint-tier Walker. To enhance their effectiveness, Ling Jun had supplemented them with an injection of biological toxin.

These items were Spirit Realm items and could be brought into the Spirit Realm. If Chi Yue'an were to enter a dungeon in this state, it would be a death sentence.

At the sound of footsteps, Chi Yue'an snapped his head around. His gaze bypassed Fu Qingyang entirely and locked onto Zhang Yuanqing's face.

"Yuanshi Tianzun!"

Fury and hatred flickered across the Fire Sage's features, and he ground out each syllable through clenched teeth.

It was obvious who the target of his hatred was. He didn't even blame the Enchanting Demon. That one was a small fry, incapable of making waves or posing any real threat. It was all because Yuanshi Tianzun had stuck his nose where it didn't belong. Because of him, Bronze Sparrow Tower had been shut down, and Chi Yue'an himself had become a prisoner.

"I think I preferred you last night, when you were swaggering around like you owned the world," Zhang Yuanqing said with a mocking smile. "Take a look at yourself now. You look like a dog."

The hot tempered Fire Sage couldn't stomach that kind of provocation. Veins bulged across Chi Yue'an's forehead, and his eyes looked ready to burst from their sockets.

He forced the rage down. Then, abruptly, he let out a cold laugh.

"How long do you think your little victory lap will last? Colluding with an Evil-class Walker, and conducting an unauthorized investigation... Even if you are Yuanshi Tianzun, the Council of Elders won't let you off."

Given the state of things, where the Lawful and Evil alignments were locked in a war of annihilation, associating with Evil-class Walkers was a grave offense. Yuanshi Tianzun had no background. No matter how great his achievements, there was no escaping accountability.

"Oh, that Evil-class Walker? He just left," Zhang Yuanqing said casually. "The Council of Elders has already ruled me innocent."

Chi Yue'an sneered. "Keep putting on your brave face."

"He really is innocent," Fu Qingyang said flatly.

The centurion's endorsement wiped the sneer right off Chi Yue'an's face. His expression froze, and his voice rose sharply.

"Impossible! Colluding with an Evil-class Walker is a serious crime! And you severely injured, even killed, public security officers..."

He refused to believe the powerful figures behind the scenes would simply accept being slaughtered. They would fight back. They had to.

He was a steward of the Five Elements Alliance, and the organization had full authority to deal with him. But the influential people weren't under the Alliance's jurisdiction. Even the Songhai municipal government would need authorization from the capital to handle them.

Until the capital weighed in, the power brokers of Shakou District would maneuver on their own. And the violent raid by the Kangyang District Walker squad was their biggest opening.

Zhang Yuanqing grinned. "The collaboration with the evil class practitioner was authorized by the Council of Elders. As for the injured public security officers, sorry, that wasn't me."

Chi Yue'an glared at him. What difference does that make?

"The one who did it was Ling Jun." Zhang Yuanqing dropped the name like a bomb.

Ling Jun... Chi Yue'an blinked, and his furious expression turned to ice.

He knew that name. One of the Four Young Masters. Son of the Taiyi Sect Master, and grandson of the Hundred Flowers Society Grand Elder. In terms of background and connections, he was way beyond even Fu Qingyang.

The power brokers of Shakou District didn't have the clout to use that as leverage against someone of that caliber.

Despair settled over Chi Yue'an like a shroud. And then it got worse. From beyond the iron door, Zhang Yuanqing spoke again.

"The Council of Elders has decided your sentence. Death. Once headquarters approves it, your time is up."

Chi Yue'an seemed to crumble. The light went out of his eyes. He had expected it, but hearing the words aloud was something else entirely, and he couldn't stop the wave of despair and terror that crashed through him.

Zhang Yuanqing's tone shifted. "Chi Yue'an. You still have a chance. Give up whoever's pulling the strings, and we'll petition the Council of Elders for leniency. Life imprisonment instead. You'd lose your freedom, but it beats dying."

A spark of hope ignited in Chi Yue'an's dull, ashen eyes, but a second later, the cold sneer returned. "There's no one behind it. I did everything myself. Nobody else was involved."

Zhang Yuanqing immediately looked to Fu Qingyang. When it came to interrogation, he was a complete novice. Chi Yue'an was a steward-level figure, not someone who could be fooled by clever words. Better to leave this to the professional.

Fu Qingyang met his subordinate's gaze, then turned back to the cell with his usual calm.

"Chi Yue'an," he said calmly, "I've reviewed your psychological evaluation. It highlights tendencies toward violence and sexual sadism. Every pathology has a root cause. You were once a live-in son-in-law of the Zhu family. That old matriarch of the Zhu household shared your particular... proclivities. You suffered immensely under her, didn't you?

"Prolonged exposure to that kind of environment usually goes one of two ways. Either the mind breaks entirely, or it's conditioned into submission. But you're a Fire Sage. Fire Sages never accept being dominated.

"So instead, you came to resent women. To hate them. To find satisfaction in tormenting them the way you were once tormented. When you left the Zhu family and joined the Five Elements Alliance, you thought you were finally free. But gradually, you realized the years of abuse had already warped something fundamental inside you.

"And so, under your direction and protection, Bronze Sparrow Tower came into being. A place to vent your twisted desires. You found your self-respect—your joy, even—in that wretched woman's suffering. How pathetic. I don't make a habit of pitying anyone, but I find myself feeling genuinely sorry for you."

Zhang Yuanqing shuddered internally. That's vicious. Going straight for the soul.

He glanced at Fu Qingyang, then remembered the man was a high level Scout and quickly looked away.

Chi Yue'an's eyes had gone crimson, shot through with blood. His fists clenched unconsciously,the veins on the back of his hands standing out in sharp relief. His expression was twisted into something barely human.

Fu Qingyang continued on in a perfectly even tone, as though the cruelty had come from someone else entirely. "I haven't made any of this public yet. If you don't mind, I'd be happy to spread the word on your behalf. Who knows, you might even garner some sympathy. A commuted sentence isn't out of the question."

Chi Yue'an's lips moved. He wanted to say something, but bit it back. He drew a deep breath.

"If you really want answers, send an elder," he spat instead. "I'm not going to trust the two of you."

He was clearly a tough nut to crack. Zhang Yuanqing relaxed inwardly, concealing his satisfaction. This was exactly the outcome they wanted. They'd never planned to extract a confession directly. When they'd discussed strategy upstairs, the goal had been simply to get Chi Yue'an to crack the door open.

Fu Qingyang wore the calm expression of a man whose plan was proceeding exactly as designed. "I'll report this to the Council of Elders."

Chi Yue'an lowered his head slightly, letting out a sigh of relief. Then his head snapped back up, teeth clenched and eyes burning with hate.

"Yuanshi Tianzun. Why?"

***

A long table draped in yellow silk sat at the center of a dimly lit chamber flanked by two candlesticks, the red candles they held burning in perfect stillness.

On the table lay a copper basin filled with glutinous rice, copper coins strung on red thread, yellow paper talismans drawn in cinnabar, and a wooden puppet no larger than a palm.

The puppet had no features—just the crudest approximation of a human form.

A talisman paper was affixed to its chest. The markings on it were not incantations, but a name: Chi Yue'an. Beneath the name were his birth date and time.

A pair of hands, white as jade, gripped a syringe and pushed its contents, fresh blood, into a small white porcelain bowl. Then came a dark liquid, followed by a scattering of glutinous rice. Finally, those elegant fingers plucked up a talisman, set it alight, and dropped the ashes into the bowl.

When it was done, the jade-white hands dipped into the mixture and lightly touched the puppet's blank face twice, painting on a pair of eyes.

The dark liquid sank into the wood and was absorbed, and Chi Yue'an's features materialized on the puppet's face.

The hands lifted the puppet. With practiced grace, they picked up a silver needle and plunged into the puppet's forehead.

With a hiss, dark smoke curled upward from the point of puncture.

***

"What do you mean, 'why?'" Zhang Yuanqing shot back.

Chi Yue'an's voice was sharp, almost shrill. "There is no grudge between you and I! Why go out of your way to make my life hell? Why risk your life sneaking into Bronze Sparrow Tower? All for one Enchanting Demon?"

His emotions spiraled higher with every word, and his voice climed from an angry accusation to a full-throated roar that echoed through the narrow corridor.

Fu Qingyang turned his gaze on Zhang Yuanqing as well.

Zhang Yuanqing was quiet for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was level.

"Because I was angry. Because it disgusted me. Because I'm young. Because... it's what a human being does."

Chi Yue'an reacted as though he'd been slapped. Not physically, but somewhere deeper, somewhere that touched the core of what he was. He threw his head back and laughed, wild and unhinged.

"How noble of you! How righteous! Yuanshi Tianzun, you've made too many enemies. Sooner or later, you'll die without a burial ground to your name—"

Mid-tirade, a wisp of dark smoke suddenly rose from the space between Chi Yue'an's brows. Then, with a soft whoosh, black flames erupted across his body. His flesh dissolved in the fire, followed swiftly by bone.

In less than two seconds, the towering man burned away to nothing. His clothes, his trousers, the wooden cangue and shackles, all of it remained perfectly intact.

It was as if he had simply been erased from existence.

Zhang Yuanqing's eyes went wide. The sight before him sent a chill crawling down his spine.

Dead. He's dead?

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