Horror

Smack! Smack! Smack! Zhang Yuanqing drove high kicks into the young man’s face one after another, sending him staggering back. The youth tried several times to mount a counterattack, but each attempt was broken by the ferocious assault. Yet despite taking such a relentless beating, the official walker remained completely uninjured. Only the sting on his flesh made him grimace in pain. He was an Earth Monster with astonishing defense. On the other side, having notified his comrades, the middle-aged man immediately stowed his walkie-talkie and slipped on a strange, dark brown mask made of tree bark. *Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!* From a dozen meters away, the middle-aged man exhaled repeatedly toward the two locked in combat. Tiny, sharp wooden spines hissed softly with nearly imperceptible whooshes, flying silently toward their target. The bark mask was an item meant for the Wood Demon profession. By exhaling, the wearer could fire tiny wooden spines. Their lethality wasn't high, but they carried biological toxins that caused paralysis, pain, and difficulty breathing. Moreover, there was no limit to how many spines could be fired. As long as the user possessed enough lung capacity, they could sustain continuous fire, making it exceptionally cost-effective. Wearing the Eye of the Insightful, Zhang Yuanqing sensed the wooden spines ahead of time. He kicked off the Earth Monster’s chest and hurled himself sideways into a roll, evading the barrage with extraordinary agility. The young Earth Monster was not so fortunate. In an instant, more than a dozen spines struck him, sending small, earthy-yellow ripples across his surface. The spines lacked the force to pierce an Earth Monster’s defense. At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing looked straight through the reinforced concrete walls and spotted three walkers with powerful auras charging toward the entrance. Behind the building, the official walker stationed at the rear was also circling around the nightclub to rush here. *That's about enough.* Hesitating no longer, Zhang Yuanqing sprang to his feet and bolted toward the street across from the nightclub. “Trying to run?” Seeing this, the middle-aged man spat out wooden spines to cut off his escape route, then lunged toward his back as nimbly as an ape. His palms flattened into blades, the skin rapidly taking on the grain of tree rings as his hands and fingers morphed into sharp wooden spikes aimed straight for the enemy’s back. He was a Level 3 Wood Demon, an expert at the captain level. Mid-sprint, Zhang Yuanqing came to an abrupt halt. With a twist of his waist, his fist thrust backward like a returning spear. The middle-aged man raised his left arm horizontally, willing wood grain to ripple across his skin and harden it like iron. *Bang!* Zhang Yuanqing leaned aside to dodge the wooden hand-blade, which merely sliced through his clothes, while his fist slammed into the man’s raised forearm with the dull thud of striking timber. *Thump, thump, thump.* The middle-aged man staggered back. A crisp crack sounded from his arm, and streams of blood seeped from the fracture. *He got stronger?!* His expression shifted slightly. He had tested this Bewitching Demon’s capabilities not long ago, and the boy hadn't been this powerful. By all logic, after being injured by the Deacon, his combat strength should only decline, not increase. *Right, Bewitching Demons frenzy when they see blood, and he just killed someone inside the nightclub.* *This guy is weaker than I thought. No, I’m just too strong... I’m already Level 3, and it’s night—the peak hour for a Night Wanderer. If I weren't worried about blowing my cover and didn't hold back Howl to the Moon, I could probably settle this within ten moves.* *Thud, thud!* Zhang Yuanqing sprinted two paces, planting both feet hard into the ground. Force surged from his taut legs straight to his neck and shoulders, finally erupting down his arm. *Whack!* Another straight punch tore through the air with a crisp boom. The middle-aged man’s breath caught. Dropping his center of gravity, he tilted acrobatically to the left, narrowly dodging a blow meant to shatter his skull. Right after, his spine snapped back like a spring, vaulting him backward as he spat out two sharp wooden spines with soft puffs. Zhang Yuanqing let the spines sink into his chest, stepped forward with his right foot, and drove an uppercut upward. *Boom!* The middle-aged man curled like a shrimp, his eyes bulging wide and bloodshot. Just then, the three official walkers burst out. Taking in the scene, the leading man—clad in a white suit, his hair combed back, built like a tiger with a commanding presence—sprinted two paces and dropped into a javelin-throwing stance. *Sizzle...* Flames erupted from his palm, condensing into a blazing spear of fire. With a low roar, the Deacon hurled it with all his might. The spear streaked through the air like a beam of light. At the same time, the middle-aged man snapped his fingers, attempting to use Fire Walk to close the distance to his enemy using the flaming spear as a medium. Zhang Yuanqing reached into the void and drew out a Daoist robe with a deep black base, adorned with an embroidered yin-yang symbol on the back, silver patterns on top, and flames along the hem. *Flap!* The robe billowed open and draped itself over his shoulders. Watching the spear whistle toward him, Zhang Yuanqing stretched out his hand and clenched it abruptly. *Boom!* A nearby fire hydrant ruptured, unleashing a torrent of water that surged like a white dragon, instantly drowning the flaming spear. The flames that had just flared across the white-suited man sputtered and died. Instead of giving chase right away, he uttered a puzzled grunt, scrutinizing the unruly youth clad in the Daoist robe. As an experienced Deacon, he keenly sensed something amiss. *This brat is clearly a Bewitching Demon. When did he learn to manipulate water? What's with that robe? If he had an item like that, why didn't he use it earlier?* *Where did his blade go?* One question followed another, and the more he thought, the more wrong it felt. Right then, the unruly youth who had tried to assassinate him let out a cold sneer, pointed a thumb downward, and yelled, “Death to cuckolds!” With that, he turned and bolted. Veins bulged across the white-suited Deacon’s forehead. His face twisted into a savage scowl, and with a roar, fury erupted like a volcano. He threw caution to the wind and chased after him, entirely consumed by rage. His five subordinates immediately fell in behind their direct superior, pursuing the youth’s retreating figure into the distance. A dozen seconds after they left, a pale youth with thick brows and bright eyes stepped warily out of the nightclub. He glanced left and right at the entrance, and once he confirmed the coast was clear, he slipped away and melted into the darkness. *** Kou Beiyue stuck strictly to gloomy alleys, skulking through the shadows without daring to pause for a second. Only when his wounds began to ache and his breathing turned ragged did he finally stop. Collapsing onto the curb, he panted heavily, sweat pouring from his pores like water through an opened sluice gate. *I should be far enough by now...* He breathed in the muggy night air, rested for a moment, and then slammed his fist into the ground, letting out a muffled roar. “Damn it... Damn it, damn it, damn it!” Kou Beiyue hammered the ground again and again, venting the bitter frustration in his chest until the concrete cracked and his knuckles were bloody. Only then did he take a deep breath to rein in his emotions. He pulled out his phone, intending to call Xiao Yuan back to let her know he was safe so she wouldn't worry. Lighting up the screen, he noticed that the unfamiliar number had sent a text half an hour earlier: *Get out!* He had already slipped out of the nightclub before that message arrived. *Ring...* He dialed Xiao Yuan’s number. The call connected almost instantly, and Xiao Yuan’s voice came through icy cold. “Kou Beiyue?” “Xiao Yuan, it’s me...” Kou Beiyue instinctively lowered his voice like a child who had done something wrong. Then he heard a soft exhale on the other end, like a fully inflated balloon finally deflating. Just when he braced himself for a barrage of scolding, the voice from the speaker asked, “Where is he? Where’s the person who saved you?” “I don’t know. After he lured the official walkers away, I ran,” Kou Beiyue answered honestly. “You’re really something!” Xiao Yuan sneered, her voice tight with suppressed fury. “Next time you want to get yourself killed, don’t call me. Die quietly on your own. Don’t drag other people down with you.” Kou Beiyue hung his head in dejection. “I’m sorry. I’ll go back and find him right now,” the unruly youth gritted his teeth and said. “No need to look. I’m already here.” Kou Beiyue spun around sharply to see a young man’s silhouette materialize out of the dim gloom a few meters behind him. He looked plain and dull-faced, wearing black-rimmed glasses—the sort of young man who easily brought to mind words like "tech nerd," "shut-in," or "introvert." *Is he Xiao Yuan’s friend? The one who just saved me?* Before the thought could settle, Xiao Yuan’s relieved voice sounded from the speaker: “Hand him the phone.” Kou Beiyue tossed the phone over. Zhang Yuanqing caught it, brought it to his ear, and chuckled. “I’m fine. Not hurt, and my identity wasn't exposed.” The other end fell silent for a dozen seconds before Xiao Yuan softly replied, “Thank you.” She immediately added, “I agree to join your guild.” A grin spread across Zhang Yuanqing’s face, and he said insincerely, “Oh, don’t put it like that. You make it sound like a transaction. I was happy to help purely because of Auntie Xiao Yuan’s personal charm. We’re friends, after all.” *Heh heh, Xiao Yuan, you’re mine from now on.* Xiao Yuan took a deep breath. “Regardless, thank you. I will repay this favor.” Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the unruly youth. “Let’s leave it at that for now. I still have a few things to ask him.” He hung up, walked over to the youth, and handed the phone back. “What’s your name?” As he returned the phone, he caught a glimpse of his own reflection in the screen. This time, Zhang Yuanqing hadn't disguised himself as Wang Tai, but had used a photo found online by searching keywords like "shut-in" and "socially awkward." With the Disguise Ring, he could turn into whoever he wanted. He couldn't keep plucking wool from poor Wang Tai every single time. “Kou Beiyue!” The unruly youth sized up the man who looked considerably older than himself and asked, “You’re a Night Wanderer? From the Taiyi Sect? How do you know Xiao Yuan?” Kou Beiyue was hardly naive. On the contrary, reaching Level 3 as a Bewitching Demon and cultivating under Master Wuhen meant that a single look at how the man had phased into sight was enough to deduce he was a Night Wanderer. After asking, he realized he hadn't expressed his gratitude yet, and quickly added, “Thank you. Thank you for saving me. I’ll repay this debt.” *You sure care a lot about how I know Xiao Yuan. By the way, aren't you her son or something?* Zhang Yuanqing said flatly, “My saving you has nothing to do with you; Xiao Yuan will repay it on your behalf. Now tell me, why did you try to assassinate a Five Elements Alliance Deacon?” Kou Beiyue frowned. Zhang Yuanqing continued, “Since you know I’m a Night Wanderer, you should know that the Taiyi Sect and the Five Elements Alliance share deep ties. Killing an official Deacon is a capital crime. Even though I saved you for Xiao Yuan’s sake, I need a reasonable explanation.” Kou Beiyue fell silent for a long while, seemingly recalling memories he couldn't bear to revisit, before gritting his teeth. “Because he killed my sister. “I was born in rural Jinshan City. I didn’t even finish high school before I got expelled for fighting. My sister was more promising than me—she went to university in Songhai and stayed here to work after graduating. “The year before last, my parents thought I was idling around at home doing nothing productive, so they told me to come to Songhai to stay with her and find a decent job. Everything was going fine at first, but then one day, my sister went missing. “I went to her company, and her colleagues told me she’d resigned long ago, saying she was going into business with a fellow townsman from Jinshan. But she’d never mentioned that to me. When she didn't come back the next day, I immediately reported it to the Public Security Bureau and notified my family. “For a whole month after that, there was no news of my sister at all. I quit my job and ran to the Public Security Bureau every single day, but the only answer I ever got was to go home and wait, that an investigation was underway. “Until one day, a little over a month later, my sister came back...” At this point, bone-deep hatred flared in Kou Beiyue’s eyes. “She was covered in injuries, gaunt, and completely shattered mentally. I noticed she was wearing slippers. She... she must have escaped. As soon as she got home, she started frantically packing her things, muttering non-stop to me, ‘Run, hurry and run...’ “I asked her what had happened and where she’d been all this time, but she wouldn’t tell me. She just kept repeating, ‘Hurry and run.’ I lost control and shouted at her, demanding answers, and she was so terrified that she dropped to the floor, clutching her head and screaming, ‘Don’t hit me...’ It was impossible to imagine what kind of torture she had endured during that month.” Even after more than two years, the pain and hatred flowing in Kou Beiyue’s eyes remained thick and unrelenting. Zhang Yuanqing’s face slowly lost all expression as he listened in silence. “And then?” he asked. “Before we could leave, that beast tracked her down. Yes, the Deacon you fought just now. Right in front of my eyes, he battered my sister to death. I will never forget what he snarled as he killed her: *Fucking bitch, you dare run? I wasn’t even done playing with you, and you dared run away?*” Kou Beiyue let out a harsh laugh, baring his white teeth. “Then he killed me too. But I didn’t die. The Spirit Realm granted me a character card, and through it, I was reborn with a second life. I suppose even the Spirit Realm felt there was too much evil in this world, that violence must be met with violence, and evil checked by evil.” *That doesn't make sense. With a Deacon’s status, what kind of woman couldn't he have? Whether ordinary women or female walkers, as long as a Deacon is willing, he'd never lack options.* *Why treat an ordinary person like this? Unless he has some sick perversion, or there’s an inside story. Tsk, if what Kou Beiyue said is true, I can’t just turn a blind eye to this.* Zhang Yuanqing frowned inwardly and asked, “Then how did you end up joining Master Wuhen’s team?” “Because I don’t dare kill people. Every time I see the weak begging for mercy, shivering in terror, I remember how my sister looked before she died. If I indulged in slaughter and bared my fangs against the weak, how would I be any different from the beast who killed my sister?” Kou Beiyue’s expression was pained. *You actually have principles. Then again, anyone valued by Master Wuhen has to be an oddity among evil professions.* Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to voice his approval, a smiling voice spoke up beside them: “Not bad, not bad at all. What difference is there between a beast and someone who bares their fangs at the weak? The essence of slaughter is to meet violence with violence, cleansing this filthy world through fast and efficient means.” Zhang Yuanqing and Kou Beiyue started, snapping their heads to the side in unison. Beneath the orange glow of the streetlamp stood a young man wearing an athletic headband, his hands clasped behind his back, looking at them with a bright, sunny smile.