Operation Failed

Holding the crystal chalice, he waited a few seconds until an item notification surfaced: [Name: Fallen Holy Grail (Damaged)] [Type: Vessel] [Functions: Control, Corruption] [Description: The favored chalice of a certain great existence. By sheer happenstance, it was stained with that existence's blood, internalizing the blood's intrinsic laws and evolving into a rule-based item.] [Remark 1: Grovel at my feet. Submission is your only choice, and only death may end it.] [Remark 2: Please gather the appropriate materials as soon as possible to repair this rule-based item.] "The description for the damaged state is quite simple, but the simpler it is, the more terrifying it gets... Being controlled by the Fallen Holy Grail means only death can release you." With time running short, Zhang Yuanqing stowed the Fallen Holy Grail into his inventory. Next, he pried the straw doll from the corpse of Hei Wuchang and pocketed it without checking its stats. Then came the red bridal veil and the red dancing shoes. After sweeping the battlefield clean, he crouched beside the corpse and began searching. The roster! Zhang Yuanqing had not forgotten his ultimate objective in tracking down Hei Wuchang. The roster was the medium recording the Fallen, much like a private ledger kept by the Deceitful Eye Judge. Unlike the Fallen Holy Grail, it was unlikely to be an item. Non-item objects could not be stored in the inventory. Therefore, Hei Wuchang had either kept it on his person or hidden it carefully somewhere. After a quick pat-down, Zhang Yuanqing felt a small booklet in the corpse's trouser pocket. Instead of pulling it out right away, he activated Night Walk to vanish from sight. Only then did he retrieve the thin booklet. The roster was only palm-sized, bound in a black cover with pale yellow pages. Zhang Yuanqing flipped through it rapidly, scanning for information on Brother Bing. *Rustle, rustle.* The pages turned swiftly. It was very slim, recording only several dozen "slaves," and he finished skimming it in no time. Nothing! There was no record of Brother Bing! "That doesn't make sense. According to the audio recording in the Elvis speaker and Tiandao Bugong's memories, Brother Bing was definitely one of the Deceitful Eye Judge's slaves. There's no question about it. Why isn't his information listed in the roster?" Zhang Yuanqing was baffled. Suddenly, his expression shifted. He reopened the roster, turning the pages more slowly this time. *Rustle, rustle.* The pages turned until he paused at a certain spot. Near the spine, jagged tear marks remained. A page was missing. Evidently, the sheet containing Brother Bing's true identity had been torn out. *Who tore out Brother Bing's information? Hei Wuchang? No, the entire roster belonged to him; he had neither the need nor the motive... By that logic, the Deceitful Eye Judge wouldn't have either. The mysterious figure from earlier?* *The mysterious figure had even less reason to tear a single page. He could have taken the roster altogether...* After pondering for a few seconds, Zhang Yuanqing stepped out of stealth. Darkness churned in the depths of his eyes as he attempted to contact Hei Wuchang's spirit body. He was not trying to use Spirit Devouring, but to verify a suspicion. Sure enough, not a shred of a spirit body remained within Hei Wuchang's corpse. *That mysterious powerhouse wiped out Hei Wuchang's spirit. Why would he do that? Right, judging from Hei Wuchang's reaction earlier, they knew each other—and the person was an old acquaintance whom Hei Wuchang believed couldn't possibly appear. In that case, erasing the spirit body makes sense.* *Is the mysterious person a Night Wanderer? Well, a big shot of that level would have means to purge a spirit body even if he weren't a Night Wanderer, such as an item...* *It's a pity the mysterious person silenced Hei Wuchang so quickly. If Hei Wuchang had spoken a few more words, I might have learned who it was... Oh, but then I would've been killed, too. Better not to know, after all.* Zhang Yuanqing's mind raced, analyzing and weighing every detail. He realized a massive undercurrent lurked behind the Holy Grail incident. On the surface, it appeared to be a chain of events sparked by the Demon Lord and the Deceitful Eye Judge perishing together, followed by Hei Wuchang fleeing into hiding with the Holy Grail. Underneath, however, lay the appearance of the mysterious powerhouse, the destruction of Brother Bing's records, and the erasure of Hei Wuchang's spirit body... Zhang Yuanqing excelled at analysis. Finding this tangled mess of clues impossible to unravel, he adopted the method taught by his grandfather: trace it back to the source. Everything had a cause and an effect. What lay before him was the effect; the cause was that hunt targeting the Deceitful Eye Judge. This raised a glaring question: Why had the Demon Lord hunted the Deceitful Eye Judge in the first place? *Brother Bing was one of the 'killers' who took part in hunting down the Deceitful Eye Judge back then. If I can find him, perhaps I can unravel this mystery.* Right then, his ears twitched at the sound of hurried footsteps in the distance. Looking down the street, he spotted a group sprinting through the night. Leading them was Decurion Teng Yuan. This middle-aged man, typically thoroughly passive toward both life and work, was spearheading the charge when it came to rescuing a comrade. Flanking Decurion Teng Yuan were Jiang Jingwei and Guan Ya. The former kept pace purely through raw speed, running alongside a Level 4 Plague God with effortless ease. Guan Ya was another story. The seasoned driver's long legs were practically running themselves off; she gripped a gun in each hand, her face etched with frantic worry. The second tier consisted of Bailong, Qingteng, and Tang Guoqiang. The third tier comprised elite members whom Zhang Yuanqing vaguely recognized but could not name. A dozen-strong group surged forward in formidable momentum. From a distance, they saw one figure standing by the roadside while another lay collapsed on the pavement. The official walkers, lacking night vision, felt their hearts plummet. Yuanshi Tianzun against Hei Wuchang—anyone could figure out who was lying face down without even thinking. Frost gathered on Guan Ya's pretty face, killing intent flaring in her gorgeous eyes as she raised her muzzle toward the distant figure. A few seconds later, as the gap closed, her icy expression froze. Then, delight sparked in her eyes, melting the frost from her features. Teng Yuan, Bailong, Qingteng, and the others all pulled up in stunned disbelief, their faces a mix of confusion, shock, and overwhelming relief. The person standing was Yuanshi Tianzun. Then... who was the one lying on the ground? A daring thought sprang up in everyone's minds, yet none dared believe it. It was impossible. Just then, the young man standing proud by the street clasped his hands behind his back. Looking at his late-arriving teammates, he remarked nonchalantly: "You're late. Hei Wuchang is already a ghost beneath my blade." The sprinting group skidded to a halt in unison, staring slack-jawed at the corpse on the ground. A long face, narrow eyes—distinctively hideous. Decurion Teng Yuan looked at the corpse, then back at Zhang Yuanqing. Pushing up the spectacles on the bridge of his nose, he asked slowly: "You... killed... a peak Saint stage Witch Doctor?" As he spoke, he scrutinized Zhang Yuanqing, as though needing to get reacquainted with his subordinate. *No, I didn't, but let me posture for a moment...* Zhang Yuanqing gave a subtle nod. Qingteng's large, doe-like eyes widened. "Have you grown to this level already...?" Bailong stared blankly, utterly lost for words. Jiang Jingwei planted her hands on her hips and threw her head back in loud laughter. "As expected of the guy I'm looking out for! Pretty impressive! But you finished him too fast—couldn't you have waited for me so we could beat him up together?!" Guan Ya slid her two silver pistols back into the holsters at the top of her thighs, walked over to Zhang Yuanqing, and looked him up and down with knitted brows. "Are you poisoned? How are you feeling? Any discomfort?" Zhang Yuanqing chuckled softly. "Worried about me?" With an ordinary girl, he would never have dared utter such suggestive banter. Guan Ya shot him a sidelong glance, replying with a sweet smile, "I heard that Witch Doctor poison attacks the reproductive system and causes vascular atrophy. You're so young, and you don't have much to boast of down there to begin with. Shorten that by another few centimeters, and tsk-tsk, even dogs would turn their noses up..." Zhang Yuanqing wracked his brain but failed to come up with a sharper retort. He could only concede for now, resolving to take revenge tomorrow when his inspiration flowed. Decurion Teng Yuan stepped forward, examined Hei Wuchang's corpse, and asked, "How did he end up here?" Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. "I just ran into him by chance." That part was true! Teng Yuan pressed, "How did you happen to run into him?" *I haven't thought of an excuse for that yet!* Zhang Yuanqing said solemnly, "I think we should contact the Centurion first. Hei Wuchang's presence here definitely points to a trick." Teng Yuan nodded. "Makes sense." He promptly pulled out his phone and dialed Fu Qingyang's number. *** Songhai Third Primary School. The big shots locked in the free-for-all suddenly saw Hei Wuchang grunt, collapse stiffly to the ground, and quickly lose both his soul and all signs of life. Dead? This sudden twist caught everyone off guard. Halting their fight, they observed Hei Wuchang's avatar. *Did Hei Wuchang sever the link with his avatar early to preserve his strength, or has he already relocated to a safe location...?* The black-robed Great Protector frowned. With Hei Wuchang gone, he lost all desire to prolong the engagement. The Fire Master was struggling desperately under Fu Qingyang's assault; this man, dubbed near-invincible in the Saint stage, was simply no match for the Fu family's young master. Meanwhile, under the combined assault of the Gu King, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter, and Elder Gou, the Great Protector's defeat was merely a matter of time. Fortunately, the goal of buying time had been achieved. Though the transaction had not gone through, they had suffered no loss. The Great Protector opened his inventory and pulled an item from the Void. It was a longsword polished from ink-black carbon, glossy and glistening with a dark sheen. Wreathed in yin energy, merely looking at the blade sent chills down the spine, as if one's soul were about to be pulled from the body. "Leader, lend me your aid!" Grasping the hilt with both hands, the Great Protector plunged the blade upright before him. Instantly, dark clouds gathered above the school, rolling and churning to outline countless ferocious ghosts and resentful spirits. The lush, dense "forest" withered rapidly at that moment, while the illusory phantoms of beasts prostrated themselves, shivering in terror. The churning yin clouds ultimately formed a colossal, blurred face. A giant hand reached down from the cloud layer, pressed against the pale cyan light barrier, and gave a gentle shove. Trees, grasses, and animal phantasms all dissolved into pure green light. "Go!" The Great Protector vanished, reappearing beside the battered Fire Master before carrying him away in a Night Walk. The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter let out a furious cry. The red threads behind her exploded outward, sweeping and stretching aimlessly, but failed to snag either of their figures. The Gu King gave a cold snort, his fleshy matter sinking into the earth as he made a swift departure. Elder Baihui did not intervene, crouching quietly on the roof of the school building and gazing into the distance. After venting her fury, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter slammed her red threads against the ground. Using the recoil to shoot skyward, her skirt and dark hair fluttering, she rode the wind and vanished like Chang'e ascending to the moon. Fu Qingyang stowed away the flags planted behind him, scanned the devastated school grounds, and frowned. "Elder, we failed." Elder Baihui gave an acknowledging hum. "There is no longer any way to stop the transaction between Hei Wuchang and Dark Night Rose. I will report this to headquarters and shoulder full responsibility." Fu Qingyang exhaled softly, easing the frustration in his chest. Over two weeks of hunting, all for naught in the end. As for entering the Council of Elders, that would have to be shelved until he could earn merit in the future. Sheathing his Eight Directions Bronze Sword, he retrieved his phone from his pocket, switched off airplane mode, and prepared to order his subordinates to retreat. Before he could dial, his phone rang. The caller was Teng Yuan. Fu Qingyang answered without expression, his tone flat. "The capture operation has failed. Pull back, everyone." A brief silence hung over the line before Teng Yuan's listless voice replied: "Perhaps... it hasn't failed. Centurion, Yuanshi Tianzun just killed Hei Wuchang nearby."