A Bloodbath and a Plea for Help

Outside a twenty-four-hour convenience store. Kou Beiyue squatted on the curb, holding a cup of pickled-cabbage instant noodles and slurping them down. His gaze wandered blankly into the distance, lost in thought. *I’ve already figured out where he works, but it’s full of official walkers. I might not even win one-on-one... And killing someone in an office area would drag in innocents, which Master Wuhen doesn't allow.* *Ideally, I could track down the neighborhood where he lives and sneak in at night, but I'm no good at tailing people. I'd be spotted too easily...* *According to his habits, he's going clubbing with his colleagues tonight. That's my chance...* Kou Beiyue's eyes gradually turned fierce. Right then, he heard an amused voice from beside him: "A Bewitching Demon in the Transcendent stage with decent fundamentals. Are you an unaffiliated walker, kid, or with an organization?" The hairs on Kou Beiyue's back bristled. Still squatting, he sprang two meters straight up while flinging the instant noodles in his hands toward the source of the voice. Only after completing these instinctive reflexes did he look over and get a clear view of the speaker—a young man wearing an athletic headband, sunny and handsome, the athletic hunk type. The piping-hot broth and noodles flew forward, but before they could even touch the young man, they slid down an invisible barrier of air. At the same time, Kou Beiyue's body froze. He stood rigid on the spot, his limbs spasming, incapable of making another move. Invisible chains bound him tight. The headband-wearing young man smiled. "I'm not with the authorities, so don't be nervous. I just noticed you don't carry much malice despite being a Bewitching Demon. You're quite an oddity, so I came over to take a look." Kou Beiyue didn't lower his guard at the man's words, but with his body held hostage, he had no choice but to comply. He growled in a low voice, "What do you want?" Heavenly King Demonic Eye asked, "Which organization do you belong to?" "Unaffiliated!" "Why don't you like killing? You should know that the more you kill, the heavier your malice grows, and the stronger a Bewitching Demon becomes. The orthodox faction doesn't call us an evil profession for nothing. A Bewitching Demon who isn't bloodthirsty is nothing more than trash," Heavenly King Demonic Eye asked with a chuckle. *We? He's a Bewitching Demon too? But how did he see through my profession?* Kou Beiyue sneered. "Whether I kill or not is my own decision. Why should I let a profession dictate who I am?" Heavenly King Demonic Eye was taken aback, then laughed. "Interesting. You're an interesting fellow." With that, he stepped forward and slapped Kou Beiyue across the face. *Smack!* The crisp slap drew stares from passersby. Kou Beiyue's cheek swelled high. His brows snapped together, rage blazing in his eyes as he roared like an enraged lion, "If you've got the guts, let me go! I'll take you down with me!" Heavenly King Demonic Eye came to a sudden realization. "Ah, so you're combative. From ancient times to the present, Bewitching Demons have always been the fiercest warriors. Your temperament certainly fits. If you could just be a bit more bloodthirsty, your future achievements would be limitless. "Kid, interested in following me? My right-hand man got slaughtered, and I'm looking to groom a new one. You're not bad." Although Li Xianzong had been innately murderous, he was arrogant and proud; as long as ordinary people didn't provoke him, he disdained killing them. As for killing walkers of the orthodox faction, that was only natural. Moreover, Li Xianzong was not lustful and never engaged in abusing women. Combined with his exceptional talent, he had caught Heavenly King Demonic Eye's eye and received focused cultivation. If it had been a Bewitching Demon without any bottom line, Heavenly King Demonic Eye would never have looked twice. Kou Beiyue's eyes practically spewed flames as he snorted coldly, "Not interested!" "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?" Heavenly King Demonic Eye asked with a smile. "If you want to kill me, just do it. Cut the crap." With the temperament of a youth, Kou Beiyue was stubborn to the bone. "Fascinating." Rubbing his chin, Heavenly King Demonic Eye chuckled. "No rush. You'll agree. Once I finish what I have on hand, I'll take you back to the north." With that, he quietly marked Kou Beiyue, turned, and strode away. *** Good Music Hotel. A taxi pulled up outside the hotel. Wang Qian stepped out of the car, entered the lobby, and stopped before the front desk. "The Palace Master and the others are in Suite 409. Head on up," the pretty female receptionist whispered. Wang Qian nodded slightly and walked deeper into the hotel, taking the elevator up to the fourth floor. Finding Room 409 with practiced ease, he knocked on the door in the agreed-upon rhythm. The door swung open. Mad Love Great Sage, his hair exploding like a lion's mane and his beer belly protruding, stood in the doorway. Recognizing Wang Qian, he urged, "Get in, quick." Wang Qian nodded and slipped through the doorway. Looking around, over twenty members of the Palace of Halting Slaughter were gathered in the large suite—men and women, seductive beauties and sullen men alike. There were Transcendent walkers like him, as well as powerhouse Saints. Naturally, the strongest among them was the woman seated behind the desk, resplendent in a vibrant red dress. She was the goddess in the hearts of all Palace of Halting Slaughter members. Men and women alike were infatuated with their peerless Palace Master—a blend of the Musician profession's attribute buffs and her own innate charismatic allure. Wang Qian didn't know the exact headcount of the Palace of Halting Slaughter, but had a rough idea: thirty-something, fewer than forty. That was nearly half the size of a Spirit Realm aristocratic family, making them a behemoth among non-governmental organizations. With a Sovereign-level walker presiding over them, even the authorities had to treat them with considerable respect and approach them on relatively equal terms. "Everyone is here. Those unable to make it have already been notified by me personally," the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter announced, sweeping her eyes over the room. "Starting today, everyone will temporarily withdraw from Songhai. I have already secured a place to stay. Mad Love Great Sage will take you there." The members' expressions shifted slightly as they exchanged glances. Puffing out his beer belly, Mad Love Great Sage explained, "Heavenly King Demonic Eye of the Soldier Master Sect is searching for the Palace Master and has placed a bounty on us in the black market. Any lead concerning us is worth a hundred thousand. I believe leaving Songhai to steer clear of the storm is the wise choice. "In addition, during our time away from Songhai, the Palace Master will provide a monthly stipend of ten thousand per person." A glamourously dressed woman frowned. "Then when can we return? Palace Master, I just got a new boyfriend. If I leave Songhai..." The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter cast her a cool glance. The woman instantly changed her tune, sighing, "Then again, for the Palace Master, dumping that dog of a man is no loss." The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter nodded in satisfaction, smiling faintly. "Later on, I'll tie up Yuanshi Tianzun and deliver him right to your bed." The glamorous woman's eyes lit up. "It's a deal!" The Palace Master chuckled and asked softly, "Lizhi, how long has it been since you were strung up and beaten?" "..." *** After dinner, in the living room. Jiang Yu'er lounged lazily on the sofa, her long legs draped across her nephew's lap and a plate of grapes resting on her belly. She popped grapes into her mouth while watching the news. They were tuned to the Songhai News Channel, the channel Grandfather watched regularly. *Pfft!* Jiang Yu'er tilted her head, opened her mouth, and spat a grape skin straight into the trash can several meters away. Zhang Yuanqing was dumbfounded. "Auntie, it's a real shame you didn't play basketball." "What's so special about that? Even if it were a few meters farther, I'd still make the shot," Auntie hummed, shifting into a more comfortable posture. "Yuanzi, massage your aunt's feet." "No way, they reek!" "You brat, who knows how many men would die to massage your aunt's exquisite feet? Don't take your blessings for granted." Lying flat, Jiang Yu'er cut her eyes sideways toward her nephew by her feet. Even from the notorious "death angle" looking from below, Zhang Yuanqing couldn't find a single flaw on his aunt's face; she was still impossibly cute, and the beauty mark beneath her eye remained charmingly alluring. Just then, Grandfather pulled his gaze away from the TV screen, turned around, and asked, "Since when did you two start watching the news?" "I'm not watching. I just wanted to keep Grandfather company," Zhang Yuanqing replied immediately. "I wanted to keep Dad company too," Jiang Yu'er chimed in sweetly. Grandfather gave them a skeptical look. "I know full well what kind of virtue you two possess." One only knew how to act cute to get perks, while the other was a glib talker angling for advantages. Neither had an ounce of genuine filial piety. Jiang Yu'er and Zhang Yuanqing laughed dryly and went back to playing dead. Lightly kneading the soles of his aunt's feet, Zhang Yuanqing freed his right hand to work his phone and sent a text to Auntie Xiao Yuan: *Auntie Xiao Yuan, have you thought about joining the faction?* Auntie Magic Xiao Yuan: *We'll talk about it later!* *Sigh. Xiao Yuan is a Saint, a powerhouse in her own right. It would be amazing if she joined the faction... If I can recruit Auntie Xiao Yuan, I'll have a much better shot with Master Wuhen.* Master Wuhen and his associated forces were targets Zhang Yuanqing had always wanted to win over. To build his own network, ordinary wild walkers didn't amount to much; at the very least, he needed non-governmental organizations. The Palace of Halting Slaughter and Wuhen Hotel were the two ideal, formidable avenues. At present, he was on decent terms with the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter and growing closer, but on the Wuhen Hotel front, his efforts had yielded little. An evil profession was still an evil profession after all; there was an inherent rift and wariness between Xiao Yuan and him that couldn't be won over with a few sweet words. It would take patient, persistent effort—or a turning point. *I can only take it one step at a time...* Putting down his phone, Zhang Yuanqing pressed no further. Just then, the news anchor announced: "In other news: at 5:32 PM today, an assailant broke into a company named 'Huiteng Finance' in the Rongchuang Building and carried out an inhumane massacre of the staff. The cruelty of the methods was unprecedented. Of the twenty-nine people in the company, only a single receptionist survived. "According to eyewitnesses, the perpetrator was a young male wearing a headband, roughly thirty years of age. At present, the Public Security Bureau has launched an investigation..." The screen cut to surveillance footage. In the blurry video, a young man wearing an athletic headband was pushing open the financial company's glass doors. The footage froze on that single still frame. *Heavenly King Demonic Eye. It's definitely him. That guy really wasn't going to lie low. He just got to Songhai and already caused such a massive incident...* Zhang Yuanqing's grip tightened abruptly on his phone. "Ouch!" Auntie cried out in pain, eyes welling with tears as she grumbled aggrievedly, "You're hurting me!" "Sorry, sorry..." Zhang Yuanqing quickly let go of her foot, apologizing profusely. "Humph!" Jiang Yu'er gave his chest a light kick, stood up, and headed toward the bedroom. "Not watching anymore. Going to sleep." Zhang Yuanqing instinctively tracked his aunt's retreating figure for a second before looking down to text Li Dongze: *Decurion, was the massacre at Rongchuang Building done by Heavenly King Demonic Eye?* He had been watching the news specifically to see if Demonic Eye would stir up trouble, and his suspicion had proved true. Li Dongze replied quickly: *Yes. Elder Gou and Centurion Fu are already tracking him in secret. Hopefully they can find him.* *It really was him.* Zhang Yuanqing typed: *Why did he slaughter that financial company?* Li Dongze: *Unclear for now. The Public Security Bureau is still investigating, but based on the intel gathered so far, the company's background isn't clean—it's a loan-sharking outfit. As for how they provoked Demonic Eye, that will require further investigation.* *Understood,* Zhang Yuanqing replied with concern. *Could Demonic Eye target the Public Security Bureau? I belong to Team Two, and he probably knows Team Two's office address. You'll all be in danger.* Team Two's office was at the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. This wasn't an absolute secret; while ordinary evil professions might not know, with Heavenly King Demonic Eye's resources and status, finding it wouldn't be difficult. Li Dongze replied: *Heh, we have the explosive seed. Its aura is exceptionally thick, and Demonic Eye won't fail to sense it. He won't risk having his Morality Points wiped out just to kill a few irrelevant ants. *That's also what the Centurion wants; after all, we can't actually let the seed detonate, or a lot of people would die. Besides, with today's massacre, Demonic Eye has lost quite a few Morality Points. He'll likely lay low for a while and refrain from killing.* While they were chatting, the keypad beeped outside, and the security door opened. Chen Yuanjun walked in carrying a briefcase, looking exhausted. Zhang Yuanqing replied: *Decurion, extraordinary times call for extraordinary caution. Stay safe.* Stowing his phone, he asked, "Brother, why are you back so late?" "Things came up at work." Setting his briefcase on the coffee table, Chen Yuanjun took a seat by the dining table and called out, "Grandma, could you dish me a bowl of rice? I'm starving." Having just heard about the Rongchuang Building tragedy, Zhang Yuanqing quickly came over and sat at the dining table, fishing for gossip. "Is it because of that financial company case? Rongchuang Building. They just talked about it on the news." Chen Yuanjun frowned out of habit, looking all the more weathered. He sighed. "More than just that. A lot happened today... Our Public Security Bureau Director jumped to her death." "What?" Zhang Yuanqing froze in surprise. Over in the living room, Grandfather turned his head to look over as well. Just then, Grandmother emerged with a bowl of rice, handing it over as she pried eagerly, "The Director jumped? How did that happen?" When it came to gossip, Grandmother was second to none. Chen Yuanjun hadn't planned on talking, but seeing the deep interest written across his grandmother's face, he knew that if he refused to answer, the bowl of rice in his hands would likely be taken right back. Grandmother was entirely capable of doing that... "It's Zhou Yan, the one we talked about yesterday," Chen Yuanjun said between mouthfuls of rice. "The one who was reported for bribery and corruption, serving as an umbrella for loan sharks." Grandmother asked curiously, "Why did she jump?" *A loan-sharking company, Zhou Yan, the Rongchuang Building massacre...* Zhang Yuanqing thought, *What a coincidence.* Before Chen Yuanjun could answer, Grandfather, sitting on the sofa across the room, asked in a deep voice, "Is she connected to that financial company in the Rongchuang Building?" Though he hadn't been an officer in years, Grandfather's instincts remained sharp. Chen Yuanjun nodded slightly. "That company was the lending platform she shielded." "Hmph!" Grandfather turned his head back, remarking flatly, "Good riddance." He didn't care to say more and returned his attention to the television. Grandmother sat at the table and peppered him with question after question. Once she felt she had gotten the full picture, she instructed, "Eat up," then turned and headed straight for her daughter's room to share the gossip. Zhang Yuanqing went to the bathroom to wash up. After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he returned to his bedroom, summoned Little Doubi to roam freely, and lay back on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. *Demonic Eye's style is indeed just as the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter described... Tsk, killing twenty-eight—no, twenty-nine people in one go means two thousand nine hundred Morality Points lost. He probably won't be killing recklessly anytime soon; he'll choose to lie low and perform good deeds, making him even harder to track down. And in the meantime, he might very well redirect his energy to finding me and the Palace Master. Besides, is the Soldier Master Sect really so well-informed? Doesn't that make me even more endangered?* *Ding!* A notification chimed from a phone. Heavenly King Demonic Eye pulled out his phone to check the message: *Heavenly King, your subordinate just uncovered a piece of intel. Over a month ago, Ou Xiangrong, who was controlled by Deceitful Eye Judge, died at Songhai University. The Yuanshi Tianzun who killed him might be a student at Songhai University.* *Songhai University...* Heavenly King Demonic Eye replied: *Can you get a photo of Yuanshi Tianzun?* *Apologies, very few people have seen Yuanshi Tianzun, and they are mostly with the authorities. We cannot get one, at least not in the short term.* After reading it, Heavenly King Demonic Eye sent no reply and put away his phone. It didn't matter if there was no photo; he could easily stake out Songhai University. *** 11:00 PM, Wuhen Hotel. A shrill ringtone jolted Xiao Yuan from a light sleep. She picked up the phone from the nightstand. The caller ID displayed: *Kou Beiyue!* Xiao Yuan's delicate eyebrows arched. She answered the call, her voice icy. "You still have the nerve to call me?" "Xiao... Xiao Yuan..." The youth's voice came through awkward and low, edged with anxiety. Xiao Yuan fell silent for a second before saying, "What is it? Spit it out." "I... I'm trapped in a nightclub by my enemies. They're searching for me, and I can't hold out much longer," Kou Beiyue said in an undertone. Xiao Yuan shot upright, her face turning grave. "Tell me your location. Right now!" "Kangyang District, Red Dragon Nightclub on Baixing Road," Kou Beiyue murmured. "I didn't call to ask for help. It's too late; you won't make it in time. By taking it upon myself to assassinate an official walker, I already broke the rules Master Wuhen set. He won't save me. "I was too impulsive this time. I didn't realize he'd already noticed I was stalking him... I only called to tell you that I've always viewed you like a mother. I've got a bad temper, irritable and reckless, but after my sister died, you were the only one who didn't despise me and put up with my foul moods. I'm sorry..." He said a lot, but Xiao Yuan didn't take in a single word. Her heart sank to rock bottom. From Jinshan City to Songhai, the journey took at least forty minutes; rushing over was out of the question. Master Wuhen had laid down the rules: do not associate closely with evil professions, do not initiate conflict with the authorities, forget the past, and let go of what came before in order to achieve redemption. Kou Beiyue had broken the rules, so Master Wuhen would never save him. *What can I do? Who else can save him...* Xiao Yuan's face was cold, her thoughts racing. *Kangyang District?* Suddenly, Yuanshi Tianzun came to mind.