"Are you from the Public Security Bureau or the Disciplinary Committee?" Hearing this, the middle-aged man's guard and hostility eased slightly as he examined him with suspicion.
A red glint flickered across Heavenly King Demonic Eye's gaze. He smiled faintly. "I am whatever you believe I am."
His words seemed imbued with a compelling conviction. The middle-aged man's eyes went blank for an instant before lighting up with joy. He hurriedly stepped aside to clear the way inside, exclaiming in delight, "So you're a comrade from the Disciplinary Committee! Come in, come in, please. You're finally here..."
Heavenly King Demonic Eye gave a reserved nod, entered the apartment, and sat down on the living room sofa.
He glanced casually at the layout. The furniture was plain and cheap; a single sweep of the room revealed nothing of value, let alone smart-home appliances.
"I've already reviewed the materials you submitted, but I want to hear it from you directly to fill in any gaps." Demonic Eye took the disposable cup offered by the middle-aged man and sipped the tea.
In truth, he had tracked this place down through his subordinates in the black market.
The very first thing Demonic Eye had done upon arriving in Songhai was command the cultists lurking across the city to gather intelligence on corruption. The rank of the officials didn't matter, but the deeds had to be egregious.
If bloodlust was the addiction of a Bewitching Demon, then this was Demonic Eye's addiction.
If he went too long without killing corrupt officials or ruthless scoundrels who bullied the innocent, he would lose control over his urge to destroy the world, devolving into a mindless killing machine.
"Understood," the man said. "Many of the 'financial companies' in Puning District are loan sharks operating under the protection of Zhou Yan, the director of the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. Financial companies of different sizes target different demographics.
"Those with deep pockets lend to small and medium enterprises. The tier below them targets people with property and assets. What's more, they aren't ordinary lending platforms.
"They run gambling dens, lure people in to gamble, and set up pig-butchering schemes. Everyone who walks through their doors is bled dry until they're ruined, and then they swoop in to offer loans...
"To ensure the lent money gets recovered, these companies groom throngs of enforcers. They collect debts every single day, terrorizing the debtors' homes. Calling the police is useless because someone higher up protects them. At most, they get locked up for a few days before being released. Then they resume collecting until the debtor is forced to sell their home or leap off a building. That's right—there's a saying popular in their circles: death clears all debts.
"That's how my son was driven to suicide. He was a business school student. Once he was tricked into entering their casino, he fell right into the trap. Gambling brings fast money with wild swings. After tasting that sweetness, how could he ever go back to living an honest life...
"I heard from my son that some companies specifically prey on college students. A lot of students at his school fell victim, including female students. What's more, behind the scenes, those financial companies run prostitution rings, controlling many female students trapped in debt..."
Heavenly King Demonic Eye listened in silence, nodding occasionally and sipping his tea. Before long, the cup was drained.
Only then did he rise and say, "I've received your report. Thank you for your cooperation."
The man froze, then said anxiously, "Wait, I still have evidence to give you! I'll go get it..."
Limping, he hurried toward the bedroom.
By the time he emerged with the documents, the young man was gone.
"Just another bureaucrat going through the motions!"
The middle-aged man punched the wall in anger, then suddenly froze. Only now did he recall that the young man had never explicitly stated his identity, nor had he ever claimed to be an official investigator.
*How could I have let an outsider into my home and told him so much?*
***
That evening, Zhang Yuanqing was messaging the seasoned driver.
Zhang Yuanqing: "Is everything okay at the office lately? Has anyone been tailing you? Maybe you shouldn't go to work for a while and just lie low at Fu Qingyang's villa?"
Guan Ya: "Heh, do you know how to kill a Dominator at the lowest cost?"
Zhang Yuanqing: "Summon five Elders to gang up on him?"
Guan Ya: "By finding a legitimate way to wipe out their Morality Points, causing the Spirit Realm to broadcast their real-time location and place them on a city-wide wanted list."
Zhang Yuanqing: "And how do you pull that off in practice?"
Guan Ya: "Simple. Implant a device inside yourself that detonates or releases lethal toxic gas upon death, then position yourself in a crowded downtown area. If Heavenly King Demonic Eye kills me, a whole crowd of ordinary people will be buried alongside me.
"According to the Morality Point penalty system, he would bear the primary responsibility, and his Morality Points would be docked."
Zhang Yuanqing: "Holy crap, that's an option? What's the logic behind it?"
He didn't fully understand the penalty mechanics for Morality Points. He only knew that killing someone deducted ten points, while theft and robbery deducted less than ten, with mass casualties calculated separately.
Guan Ya replied: "It's simple. Carrying flammable or explosive materials is my right. As long as I don't use them to kill people, no Morality Points are deducted. And as long as I die before the explosion, no points will be deducted from me, because the explosion happens after my death, and the deceased are exempt from deductions.
"Of course, the explosion must be purely 'passive'—triggered solely because Demonic Eye killed you. If you proactively detonate it before you die, it has nothing to do with him."
Zhang Yuanqing roughly understood.
In short, using an item or another method, one applied a buff to oneself that caused a massive explosion upon death, which involved subjective versus objective intent.
For instance, suppose the red dancing shoes were an item that instantly exploded upon their owner's death. That was an inherent property of the item, immutable and objectively real.
If Demonic Eye killed him and the shoes exploded, resulting in the deaths of innocent bystanders, Demonic Eye—the author of the tragedy—would suffer a deduction to his Morality Points.
Conversely, if Zhang Yuanqing strapped a time bomb to himself in an attempt to drag Demonic Eye down with him and ended up killing surrounding civilians, Demonic Eye would bear no blame; it would all fall on Yuanshi Tianzun.
Zhang Yuanqing: "So?"
Guan Ya: "Elder Gou gave the members of Team Two 'Explosion' seeds. The moment our hearts stop beating, the seed detonates with the force of ten high-explosive grenades. Of course, this measure is primarily for deterrence and self-preservation—a last resort."
The Explosion seed was an objectively existing Spirit Realm plant. Its post-mortem detonation property had nothing to do with the host, who harbored no subjective intent to harm others.
Zhang Yuanqing: "I've always felt Morality Points were pretty idealistic in their mechanics. Did Elder Gou come up with this wicked trick?"
Guan Ya: "Generations of Spirit Realm walkers figured out these rules through trial and error. Even evil professions know about this trick."
Zhang Yuanqing: "Elder Gou is utterly shameless, treating my beloved Sister Guan Ya as a pawn! I'm going to demand justice from him right now."
A few minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing: "Huh, why aren't you saying anything?"
Guan Ya: "I'm waiting for you to seek justice for me."
Zhang Yuanqing: "...Definitely next time."
Guan Ya: "By the way, Yuanshi, did you join Fu Qingyang's White Tiger Guards?"
Zhang Yuanqing: "Centurion Fu practically begged me, declaring outright that if the White Tiger Guards lost a prodigy like me, they would degenerate into a third-rate gang. He pleaded with me to help him restore their former glory and make a name for ourselves."
Guan Ya: "I forwarded that to Fu Qingyang."
Zhang Yuanqing: "Sister, let's talk this out reasonably!"
Guan Ya: "I have things to do soon, so no more nonsense. Here's the deal: June hosts the large-scale killing dungeon. If nothing unexpected happens, it should open in mid-June, which leaves a little over a month.
"By Five Elements Alliance custom, headquarters holds arena matches and trial battles in early June, inviting experts from both the Transcendent and Saint stages. It's partly to select promising seeds for future grooming, and partly to warm up for the large-scale killing dungeon.
"Given your reputation and potential, you'll definitely have to participate. Make sure to review the briefing dossiers later; there are plenty of formidable figures at the Transcendent stage across the Five Elements Alliance. Well, who knows whether the Taiyi Sect will take part this year."
Zhang Yuanqing: "Is there a prize for first place?"
Guan Ya: "Of course. Collective merit, money, and items. That's how it went in past years, though it sometimes changes. It depends on headquarters' announcement, so it's too early to discuss."
Zhang Yuanqing: "Got it. And don't forget to look into that matter about Zhou Yan I asked you to check."
Guan Ya: "I know, I know. I'll report it through the Public Security Bureau channels. But don't get your hopes too high. For an official of Zhou Yan's level, the only thing that can bring her down is losing a political struggle. Ordinary reports won't achieve much."
They chatted for a few more minutes until Guan Ya left to attend to her tasks. Only then did Zhang Yuanqing set down his phone and stretch lazily on the bed.
Because of Heavenly King Demonic Eye, he didn't need to report to the office these days. His routine had settled into going to class, practicing combat on his own, suffering through awkward dances with his uncle, and gaming with his aunt, on repeat.
Whenever he had spare time, he chatted with Guan Ya, showing off his increasingly sophisticated banter to the veteran driver.
Zhang Yuanqing lay for a while before rolling over and sitting up. He opened his notebook and outlined a summary of his immediate tasks and impending events:
First: evade Demonic Eye's bounty and seek an opportune moment to report his whereabouts to the five Elders.
This concerned his life, so it ranked first.
Second: the opening of the solo dungeon. There was no rush for this; he still had at least half a month or more. Even so, he needed to increase his strength as much as possible before it began.
Relying on devouring spirit bodies yielded negligible gains and could essentially be abandoned. What Zhang Yuanqing had in mind was finding an opportunity to hunt down a Level 3 Bewitching Demon and refine them into a yin corpse.
The role of a Night Wanderer was that of an assassin and a "necromancer." This was crucial; he could not afford to overlook the characteristics of his profession.
Third: the official arena tournament Guan Ya had just mentioned.
If he could secure a good ranking or win prizes, his chances of clearing the solo dungeon would rise considerably.
Fourth: the large-scale killing dungeon!
Whether he could become a powerhouse among Spirit Realm walkers depended on the mid-year trial. The Saint stage was the backbone of every major organization; attaining Saint status meant becoming truly powerful.
***
Night fell, deep and dark.
After the sun set, the stifling heat in the air finally yielded to a hint of coolness.
On the rooftop of a rundown residential building, the young man wearing a sports headband stood at the edge of the railing, gazing out at the glittering sea of city lights.
Behind him slumped a middle-aged woman dressed in sharp business attire, every bit the picture of a corporate elite.
"Young man, you must know who I am. Whatever your purpose, we can talk. Any demand you have, I'll do my best to satisfy it."
Zhou Yan maintained the dignity and composure expected of a leader.
After getting off work today, she had just parked her car in her residential complex when an assailant lying in wait knocked her out cold.
When she woke up, she was on this unfamiliar rooftop with only this young man beside her.
Once the initial panic passed, Zhou Yan quickly regained her cool, probing subtly about his identity and motives for kidnapping her, trying to open room for negotiation.
Heavenly King Demonic Eye withdrew his gaze and looked back. "Your name is Zhou Yan, director of the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau, right?"
Zhou Yan spoke gently, adopting a placating tone. "If you need help with anything, just say the word. I am a public servant. The people's concerns are my concerns."
Demonic Eye grinned brightly. "With those words, my mind is at ease."
He walked over to Zhou Yan and dragged her to the edge of the roof.
Zhou Yan looked down, her head spinning with vertigo. Terror finally crept onto her face, and her voice trembled.
"What are you doing? Don't be rash! Like I said, you can ask for anything and I'll do my best to satisfy you. Truly, acting on impulse solves nothing!"
Demonic Eye remained unmoved, murmuring to himself, "What I despise most is punishing someone without warning. Someone reported that you acted as a protective umbrella for organized crime..."
Smiling, he counted off her crimes one by one. Then, beneath Zhou Yan's terrified gaze, he hoisted her up and held her out over the edge of the roof.
The high-ranking woman turned as pale as paper. Begging desperately, one hand clutched Demonic Eye's arm while the other reached frantically for the railing, trembling from head to toe.
Demonic Eye grinned widely. "The people don't need your services—the people just want you dead!"
Loosening his grip, he dropped Zhou Yan from the rooftop.
Demonic Eye didn't spare a downward glance. Instead, he gazed out across the bustling metropolis and muttered, "Time for business. Let's see how many Spirit Realm walkers are in this area."
With that, he pulled off his headband, revealing a vertical eye in the middle of his forehead. The sclera of this eye was crimson, and its pupil was golden-red, brimming with indifference, brutality, and madness.
The Eye of Bewitchment!
This demonic eye was born after maxing out proficiency in the Bewitchment skill and pushing the cultivation to its absolute peak.
Any Spirit Realm walker below the Dominator Realm who locked eyes with it would, at best, suffer severe psychic trauma, or at worst, succumb to madness and die.
As for the bewitchment channeled through this demonic eye, even Elder-level walkers could fall prey to it.
Because the demonic eye was excessively potent, he had to use an item to seal it under normal circumstances; otherwise, wherever Demonic Eye walked, every living being in his wake would perish in madness.
Furthermore, the demonic eye could detect the aura of the Spirit Realm, uncovering powerhouses hidden within the vast crowds.
Back in the Northern Territory, it was this very skill that had allowed him to locate the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter.
The drawback was that it was only slightly better than searching for a needle in a haystack. The workload was immense, and should he inadvertently sweep an Elder-level figure, he risked alarming his quarry.
The golden-red pupil trembled violently. A beam of bloody light invisible to ordinary humans suddenly shot forth, silently piercing through reinforced concrete high-rises and sweeping across the surrounding district like a searchlight.
Soon enough, Heavenly King Demonic Eye spotted a Spirit Realm walker and locked onto his first target.
Chapter 149