Disappearances

At Lady Sandao's question, the thick yin energy stirred slightly. Lady Sandao listened intently for a few seconds before her expression darkened. "He has already been to Jinshui Amusement Park, and you let him slip away?" A trace of anger surfaced on her face. The Ghost Bride curtsied once more and said something further. Lady Sandao's face softened a fraction, and she murmured thoughtfully, "You mean he gained the right to summon you three times, and only one remains? Next time he summons you, fetch the Demon-Subduing Pestle for me." The Ghost Bride shook her head gently. "True. You cannot open the storage artifacts of his kind. Let us do this, then: I shall leave a wisp of divine sense with you. If he summons you again, I will sense it immediately." The Ghost Bride suddenly dropped to her knees. Lady Sandao's expression turned stern. "You ask me not to harm him? Because he is your husband? Hmph! How I act is not for you to dictate." Soon, however, her gaze softened, and she said calmly, "I am an orthodox deity bestowed with rank by the Imperial Court, not like the rabble of demonic sects and evil cults." Only then did the Ghost Bride rise and silently report her findings. Lady Sandao listened with a pensive look, but after a while, her beautiful eyes lit up. "You say that night you discovered a divine power of the sun even purer than my own? What a pity you were kept outside reality... Did you clearly see his appearance? Good, draw it for me." A moment later, several little ghosts scurried over carrying brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone, placing them at the Ghost Bride's feet with trembling fear. A brush floated up on its own, dipped into the ink, and began sketching rapidly across the rice paper. A few minutes later, the likeness of a young man emerged—ordinary facial features, a smile lingering at the corner of his lips, seemingly high-spirited, yet harboring an unspeakable depth of weathered sorrow between his brows. Lady Sandao stared at the portrait for a few seconds, committing the man's appearance to memory. Then, with a sweep of her sleeve, she set the rice paper ablaze in golden flames, reducing it to ashes. Turning toward the deep, heavy night sky, she pondered for a moment and suddenly chuckled. "When I saw him in the temple that day, I could tell his fate was fraught with tribulation and tangled with karma. Fascinating indeed." *** Late at night, in a suburban hotel. Li Xianzong stood by the window, holding an old mobile phone to his ear, listening patiently to the voice coming through the receiver. "In some time, a new Mist Lord will arrive in Songhai to establish a secret base. Tian Lingling's death was brought on by your actions. For now, the organization reserves the right to hold you accountable. If you manage to advance to Saint in the mid-year killing scenario, the slate will be wiped clean." The voice sounded fairly young, with a raspy edge that carried a magnetic masculine tone. Li Xianzong asked in a low voice, "Lord Demonic Eye, is the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter truly an orphan of the Chu family? Which Heavenly King carried out that massacre twenty-one years ago?" Heavenly King Demonic Eye gave a cheerful laugh. "It wasn't me, in any case. Over the past few days, intelligence reports indicate that cultists in the northern territory have died at that woman's hands. She has come north—she must have pried plenty of information out of Tian Lingling." Li Xianzong was stunned, then let out a cold sneer. "An orthodox profession who barely just stepped into the Dominator stage dares to seek revenge against a Heavenly King? She doesn't know death when she sees it." Heavenly King Demonic Eye smiled. "I couldn't care less about that. What I care about is when your multiplayer Spirit Realm mission will arrive." Li Xianzong answered, "Within ten days." "Once you clear that multiplayer Spirit Realm, your experience will reach the peak of Level 3. At that point, you will truly rank among the strongest echelon of the Transcendent stage. By the way, how is that Yuanshi Tianzun in Songhai? What is his aptitude?" "Lord Demonic Eye, there is no need for you to pay attention to such a minor character. Yuanshi Tianzun possesses a fair number of items and a bit of petty wit, but he is fundamentally a rookie. Rest assured, within half a month, you will receive word of my successful hunt of Yuanshi Tianzun in Songhai." Just then, Li Xianzong heard the innocent laughter of children through the phone. "Mister, Mister, come play with us!" Heavenly King Demonic Eye said immediately, "Let's leave it at that." Li Xianzong said respectfully, "Understood." The call ended. *** In a remote northern county town, at a suburban welfare home. The sunlight was bright and warm. In the welfare home's modest courtyard, beneath the shade of a tree, a young man was handing out fruit, snacks, fairy-tale books, and dolls to the children gathered around him. The children surrounding him ranged from five or six years old at the youngest to barely ten at the oldest. Dressed in simple clothes, their faces were sun-browned and beaming with innocent smiles. The man appeared around twenty-six, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and thin lips—strikingly handsome. He wore a black T-shirt, black sweatpants, and a black athletic headband across his forehead. He radiated a sunny, cheerful demeanor. The director was a middle-aged woman with gentle features and a kind expression. Walking out of the building, she stepped into the shade of the tree and said with a smile, "Mr. Yang, you've arrived?" The young man gave an affirmative hum and asked, "Have the overdue subsidies from above been issued?" The director sighed with feeling. "They've finally been distributed. Quite coincidentally, I heard the official from Civil Affairs mysteriously went missing. Word has it he embezzled too much and fled with the funds. The new official promptly released all our backlogged subsidies." The young man's smile broadened brightly. "That's good, then. That's very good!" The female director said, "Mr. Yang, why don't you join the children for lunch in the cafeteria today?" She had only taken over the welfare home this year. Originally, she had been reluctant to accept the post because the directors here always vanished without a trace—several consecutive predecessors had already gone missing. However, higher-ups had promised her that if she completed a full three-year term here, she would be transferred to the municipal government. For someone without connections like her, there seemed to be no alternative. After arriving at the welfare home, she had spent half a year working diligently and conscientiously, and her view of the place had completely transformed. The children were pure, innocent, sensible, and obedient, far removed from office politics and institutional intrigue. What was more, she had met the warm-hearted Mr. Yang. Long before her arrival—before many of her predecessors, in fact—Mr. Yang had been quietly providing for the welfare home. He regularly brought snacks and toys, played with the children, and was deeply adored by all of them. "Go about your business, Director. I'll take the children to fly kites," the young man said with a beaming smile. The director nodded, reminded the children to listen to Uncle Yang, and turned back toward the building. The young man called the children to pick up their kites and led them out to the lawn outside the welfare home. Patting their heads, he asked gently, "Do you like the new director?" "Yes!" "Is the food in the cafeteria good? Has she ever beaten or scolded you? Does she still distribute clothes regularly?" Once the children had answered every question earnestly, the young man nodded in satisfaction and smiled warmly. "If you ever start disliking the director in the future, remember to tell me." *** *Smack! Smack! Smack!* Zhang Yuanqing circled Guan Ya, delivering punch after punch, sliding forward one moment, retreating the next, evading and shifting, relying primarily on straight jabs and hooks supported by elbows and forearms. After a week of intense training—or rather, a week of taking beatings—his combat skills had advanced by leaps and bounds, allowing him to hold out against Guan Ya's fierce onslaught for three full minutes without collapsing. In Jiang Jingwei's words: *Who knew you were a combat genius, brat?* Regrettably, his period of training was still short, and he had yet to master utilizing lower-body strength in response. His application of footwork and kicks remained at an elementary level. "Rapid progress..." Guan Ya dodged Zhang Yuanqing's hook and planted a kick right on his chest, saying, "But don't get cocky. Every rookie hits a rapid growth spurt after getting started, but pushing further becomes far more difficult." "Then what should I do?" Zhang Yuanqing stumbled backward, stabilized his stance, and moved in close with a flurry of rapid punches. Guan Ya evaded effortlessly and replied, "Under normal circumstances, there are three paths. First, strength training to build a more powerful physique, which can compensate for technical deficiencies. Second, learning martial forms and routines to understand your own body better. Third, massive amounts of practical combat experience. "Mm, theoretically speaking, there's also a fourth path." Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up, and he slowed his punching rhythm. "Do tell." Guan Ya laughed. "The fourth path is to enrage your opponent, detonating their emotions so they lose all reason and composure, turning into a wild bull that can only charge blindly. You're an expert at that, and entirely self-taught at that." "You mean Provocation, right?" Zhang Yuanqing's eyes sparkled. Guan Ya's face promptly darkened. "If you try the 'Dragon Claws' on me again, I won't show any mercy." "Don't worry, won't use it this time. I'll switch techniques... Black Tiger Steals the Heart!" *Smack!* Guan Ya delivered a spinning high kick, sending him flying through the air. Three hours later, Zhang Yuanqing emerged from the combat room bruised and battered. Dragging his exhausted feet, he headed to the shower, peeled off his training uniform, and changed back into his regular clothes. Then he descended to the first-floor dining room to enjoy the meal meticulously prepared by the bunny girls. Realizing he had been so focused on combat training recently that he hadn't checked the official forum in days, he fished out his phone and logged in. The first things that caught his eye were three stickied posts highlighted in red: *#Fire Scion and Divine General Gluttony Clash in Beijing Suburbs to a Draw#* *#Acalanatha of Central Court Battles Two Spirit Society Deacons Solo; Foes Fail to Breach Defense and Retreat in Defeat#* *#Taiyi Sect's Spirit Corpse Deacon Slays A-Rank Wanted Fugitive 'Hand of Ghosts and Gods' Yesterday; Five Elements Alliance Saints Report Successive Victories#* *Has it been this lively these past few days? Battles between Saint-stage walkers must make quite a ruckus. Grandpa watches the news every day; how come I haven't heard him mention anything happening anywhere?* Zhang Yuanqing read through the three stickied posts carefully, thinking to himself that the official organization was indeed the official organization—brimming with experts. In the hunts and counter-hunts at the Saint stage, the official champions won far more often than they lost. He continued scrolling down, only to spot another post: *#Taiyi Sect's Yuan Ting Missing Without a Trace, Suspected to Have Been Summoned by Sect Elder#* *Right, Elder Sun is out of his scenario. Captain Yuan, safe travels on your journey ahead. I'll burn some paper money for you. Amen, may there be no Elder Sun in heaven...* Zhang Yuanqing silently crossed himself over his chest. Reading further down, however, he found the tables turned. If the official side was reporting victory after victory at the Saint stage, then at the Transcendent stage, the evil organizations were winning across the board. After browsing for barely ten minutes, he saw at least six or seven notices of Level 3 captains being hunted down by evil organizations. At the very top of the Transcendent bounty list, "A-Yi" had even launched a hunt against a local Level 4 deacon. "Disheartening as it is to admit, in the Transcendent stage, our orthodox faction is truly no match for the evil faction." "I'm extremely vigilant every time I go out on a mission now, and I don't dare travel alone." "Our captain was ambushed yesterday too and suffered severe injuries. Sigh, we desperately need a major victory in the Transcendent stage." "What are you dreaming about up there? Even Songhai's Yuanshi Tianzun has been beaten into hiding his head like a turtle by Li Xianzong—and that guy's supposed to be a genius who cleared two S-rank scenarios in a row." *Fuck, they're dragging my name through the mud again...* Zhang Yuanqing felt utterly depressed. Just then, Guan Ya walked over carrying a plate of steak and sat down opposite him. Having just showered, her hair was still damp, and she wore no makeup, showing her bare face. Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help staring at the experienced lady driver for a few seconds, inwardly marveling that a woman so gorgeous without makeup truly deserved to be called a stunner. "Don't look at me. Every time you look at me, I'm reminded of your Black Tiger Steals the Heart and Dragon Claws," Guan Ya said, gritting her teeth. "That's only because you haven't seen my Sea-Calming Needle yet," Zhang Yuanqing huffed. "A pity, though. This Great Sage has nurtured his Sea-Calming Needle for twenty-one years and has yet to find the sea eye to plunge it into." Guan Ya giggled. "I'm just afraid it's not a Sea-Calming Needle, but a toothpick. Well, needles and toothpicks are pretty much the same anyway—not much difference." Zhang Yuanqing braced himself. "My needle is very big; I'm afraid you'll have to bear with it." This was pushing his limit. If the banter got any bolder, his thin skin wouldn't be able to take it. He coughed a few times and shifted the subject. "Sister Guan Ya, our Transcendent colleagues are taking quite a beating lately, aren't they?" Cutting into her steak, Guan Ya said, "It's quite normal. Orthodox professions are inherently disadvantaged against evil professions, and walkers at the Transcendent stage rarely have many items—some don't have any at all. When encountering an evil profession stronger than themselves, defeat and death are virtually inevitable. "As for the Saint stage, they can already apply to requisition items from the branch treasury. Those with great talent receive even more focus and vigorous nurturing from the organization, so naturally, they have more trump cards." *Just as I thought!* Zhang Yuanqing lowered his head and sliced a piece of steak. Guan Ya sighed. "It's like this every year. Official walkers at the Transcendent stage are always on the receiving end—when they're caught alone, of course. Haven't you taken beatings too?" "Sister Guan Ya, when I have time, I'll bring Xie Lingxi over to hang out with you. You should learn a thing or two from how she speaks." "Oh? How far have you and Xie Lingxi progressed? Have you popped her cherry yet?" "..." As they spoke, footsteps came from the dual staircase. Da Jiba, Li Dongze, Bailong, Quanwang, Tang Guoqiang, and the other captains descended with grave expressions. Zhang Yuanqing set down his knife and fork, walked over to meet them, and looked at his Decurion. "What happened?" Unless something serious occurred, Fu Qingyang wouldn't convene a meeting with his subordinates. Leaning on his cane, Li Dongze sighed. "Three members in our Kangyang District have gone missing. Members from other districts have disappeared as well. The cumulative count has already reached ten." "Missing?" Zhang Yuanqing frowned. "Were they hunted down by evil professions?" Da Jiba snorted coldly. "No, they were abducted by Li Xianzong. He left writing at every single crime scene..." The one-meter-nine Fire Master looked at Zhang Yuanqing and said, "He wrote: *Yuanshi Tianzun, your turn will come sooner or later.*" Zhang Yuanqing's face darkened. Having been provoked time and again, his anger was truly stoked. *When I grow stronger in the future, this guy will just end up being an embarrassing stain on my history...* The gentle-natured Qingteng changed the subject, murmuring, "We still don't know his motive for abducting official walkers. The fear is that he might be trying to replicate a second terrorist attack." That was why Fu Qingyang had called this meeting. *It shouldn't be about brewing a second terrorist attack. My worry is that this guy possesses Witch Doctor methods to refine those walkers into gu beasts, and then command them to swarm and kill me...* The more Zhang Yuanqing thought about it, the more plausible it seemed, and the heavier his heart grew. Bailong knitted her willow brows and fumed, "This Li Xianzong is going too far! He's thrown all the members under my command into a panic!" Li Dongze added, "We must capture him as quickly as possible. If this drags on, the branch's reputation will suffer. People on the forum are already posting about it." "Aren't everyone's personal records kept confidential?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. Tang Guoqiang shook his head. "Investigating someone's residence doesn't necessarily require confidential records; it can be done through surveillance and tailing. We have incidents to handle and shifts to work. During that process, it's easy to be baited out and followed." Li Dongze did not pursue that topic further. Instead, he said, "Yuanshi, your next scenario should be coming up soon, right?" Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Within the next few days."