In the dark of the night, beneath the streetlight's glow, Kou Beiyue stared quietly at the ordinary-looking young man with black-rimmed glasses and a cigarette dangling from his lips. After a dozen seconds or so, he spoke: "No wonder Xiao Yuan thinks so highly of you. She's sensitive and guarded—ordinary official walkers can hardly get near her, yet she trusts you alone and calls you a friend. It wasn't without reason. From now on, well... from now on, we're friends too."
Young people were often awkward and thin-skinned; extending goodwill tended to leave them feeling bashful and embarrassed.
Having said his piece, seeing Zhang Yuanqing remain silent in solitary thought, Kou Beiyue felt his pride take a hit. He pressed, "Aren't you happy to be friends with an expert like me?"
Zhang Yuanqing snapped back to reality and instinctively answered, "Yeah, yeah, totally..."
Then he asked with a puzzled look, "Wait, what did you just say? I didn't catch that."
Kou Beiyue's face turned green and white. He let out an angry huff and twisted his head away.
*What's his problem?* Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath and said, "I was thinking over an action plan. Since we've decided to meddle in this matter, analysis and preparation are indispensable. Rushing into Bronze Sparrow Tower on a hot impulse is the stupidest thing we could do, and it would put us in serious danger."
*Why not just fight our way into Bronze Sparrow Tower?* The words jammed in Kou Beiyue's throat. Swallowing them back down with effort, he asked, "Why? From what I can tell, that Master Wu ought to be an ordinary person, not a Spirit Realm walker. We don't need to be so cautious against an ordinary person, do we?"
Master Wu was definitely not a Spirit Realm walker—Zhang Yuanqing agreed on that point. A Spirit Realm walker's Morality Points could never withstand that kind of abuse.
For a Deacon like Chi Yue'an, indulging occasionally to vent the dark side of his mind was like living on a salary: as long as he budgeted carefully, nothing would go wrong.
But running an establishment for trading power and sex, cultivating a syndicate for pyramid schemes, fraud, and forcing decent people into prostitution—no Spirit Realm walker had enough Morality Points to squander on that.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at his phone, calculating the ride-hailing car's arrival time, and explained, "Chi Yue'an knows you, right? Your grudge with him stems from Bronze Sparrow Tower. After surviving your assassination attempt, he's bound to notify Bronze Sparrow Tower to beef up security, perhaps even dispatching Spirit Realm walkers to station there and protect Master Wu."
Kou Beiyue frowned deeply. "That makes sense."
"Still, there's no need to worry too much. You belong to an evil profession, not the officials, and you're all on your own. In Chi Yue'an's eyes, you're at most a somewhat troublesome enemy. I suspect his approach will be to lay an ambush around himself or at Bronze Sparrow Tower, waiting for you to walk into the trap. As for an investigation from the officials, he won't even consider it, because this affair involves far too many dignitaries who can easily suppress the matter." Zhang Yuanqing laid out his analysis with clear, convincing logic.
Listening to him, Kou Beiyue was gradually won over, his thoughts falling entirely into line. "Then what should we do?"
What to do?
Zhang Yuanqing had two lines of thought. The first was to sneak into Bronze Sparrow Tower, gather evidence, and report it to Fu Qingyang so he could bring it before the Elders.
That way, the officials would naturally deal with Chi Yue'an—provided they could find solid evidence implicating him.
Yet another hidden hazard remained: Chi Yue'an was a Deacon, a figure who governed an entire district, backed by the Zhu family. On top of that, he was merely a patron of Bronze Sparrow Tower, not the ringleader.
Such an offense might not be enough to cost him his life.
As for the murder of Kou Yusi, Kou Beiyue belonged to an evil profession and could never step forward as a witness. While the Five Elements Alliance had means to compel the truth, according to alliance regulations, investigating a case based purely on items did not follow protocol; corroborating evidence was required.
That would give Chi Yue'an and the forces behind him plenty of room to stall and dispute. Like fighting a lawsuit, the procedure was always cumbersome and difficult, yet indispensable.
The second line of thought was simple: drive the tiger to devour the wolf.
Feed the Bronze Sparrow Tower case to Heavenly King Demonic Eye, letting one villain wear down the others.
This was the lowest-risk approach with high feasibility, but it suffered from a fatal flaw—it was impossible to control.
Zhang Yuanqing remembered the Decurion mentioning that Heavenly King Demonic Eye had caused two bloody incidents in Songhai, killing nearly twenty people. Having lost considerable Morality Points, he was expected to lie low for a while.
In the Bronze Sparrow Tower incident, far too many people deserved death. With Heavenly King Demonic Eye's temperament, he would never let them go, but he was no fool and would have to account for his shortage of Morality Points.
The reasonable approach would be to note their names in his little ledger first, waiting until he stockpiled enough Morality Points before making a move.
Zhang Yuanqing could not afford to wait, however. Interrogating Kong Liangping tonight meant the case had to be settled swiftly. The moment Chi Yue'an and the other dignitaries learned of Kong Liangping's death, they would make arrangements to wipe away every trace.
When it came to political maneuvering and scheming, Zhang Yuanqing possessed enough self-awareness to know he was no match for those seasoned operators.
Furthermore, the plan to pit the tiger against the wolf had another drawback: who knew when Heavenly King Demonic Eye would amass enough Morality Points? Meanwhile, the Elders of the Songhai Branch were preparing to make a move soon.
If Heavenly King Demonic Eye suffered a major defeat and decided to withdraw from Songhai, all their efforts would come to nothing.
"Let's head to Bronze Sparrow Tower first to scout for intelligence," Zhang Yuanqing declared, choosing the prudent path.
Kou Beiyue gave him an odd look. "So how is that any different from what I wanted—charging straight over to Bronze Sparrow Tower?"
Zhang Yuanqing retorted dismissively, "The difference is that before you made that decision, nothing was going on in your head. But before a wise man makes a decision, he has already played out an entire political drama in his mind."
Kou Beiyue refused to concede. "So there's still no difference, is there?"
The corner of Zhang Yuanqing's mouth twitched. "Fine, don't obsess over the details. The car's almost here. Once we reach our destination, follow my lead on everything."
To prevent the kid from arguing further, Zhang Yuanqing changed the subject: "How did you and Xiao Yuan meet?"
Kou Beiyue cast his mind back. "We met in a multiplayer confrontation scenario. Back then, I... well, through a momentary lapse of caution, I was ambushed by an orthodox walker and nearly died. Xiao Yuan saved me. Later, we exchanged contact info. She thought I was good seedling material, so she brought me into Master Wuhen's team to cultivate."
In truth, his heart had softened at the crucial moment, unable to commit to killing. He had only just become a Bewitching Demon then and still had a psychological barrier against taking a life, but his pride would not let him admit it.
"I always thought you were Xiao Yuan's son. So, does Xiao Yuan have a husband or a boyfriend?" Zhang Yuanqing asked nonchalantly.
At this, Kou Beiyue immediately turned guarded. "What are you after?"
*Her, of course,* Zhang Yuanqing teased internally, but answered with total uprightness: "Xiao Yuan is beautiful and attractive. Isn't it only natural to be curious about whether she has a partner? Pure curiosity, of course."
"No idea. I've never seen one, anyway." Kou Beiyue scoffed with an arrogant sneer. "How many men in this world are worthy of Xiao Yuan?"
*You sure look at Xiao Yuan through thick rose-tinted glasses.* Zhang Yuanqing let out an "oh" and fell silent.
Kou Beiyue, however, could not stop talking. "You know Yuanshi Tianzun, right? I heard that guy is a recently risen prodigy who killed Li Xianzong from the Soldier Master Sect. Between you and him, who's stronger?"
Zhang Yuanqing didn't hesitate for a second. "In front of him, I'd have no choice but to drop to my knees and sing 'Conquered.'"
Kou Beiyue blinked in bewilderment. "That formidable? That doesn't make sense. Li Xianzong was about on par with me, and you're slightly stronger than me. By logic, you shouldn't be far off from Yuanshi Tianzun."
*You're about on par with Li Xianzong?* Zhang Yuanqing could not help sizing up Kou Beiyue. The kid didn't strike him as a braggart—was he truly that strong? Right, he seemed to be a Level 3 Bewitching Demon.
No wonder Heavenly King Demonic Eye had taken an interest in him.
Just then, a white sedan slowed down and pulled over beside them. The ride had arrived.
Half an hour later, the car reached Xinyuan Road and parked about a hundred meters away from No. 38.
Zhang Yuanqing paid the fare and got out with Kou Beiyue.
Walking to the roadside, he sat cross-legged under some shrubbery and summoned the Bloodthirsty Blade. "I'm going in. Watch over my physical body, little brother. Don't go stabbing me in the back."
This was the plan they had agreed upon in the car: he would project his spirit body out of his flesh to slip into Bronze Sparrow Tower and gather intelligence, after which they would decide their next step based on the actual situation.
Once his spirit body left, his physical form would become meat on a chopping block.
Kou Beiyue rolled his eyes.
What he couldn't see was that beside his feet, a plump, adorable infant with sparse peach fuzz was tilting its head, watching him intently.
Little Doubi was Zhang Yuanqing's second layer of insurance. Though he didn't believe Kou Beiyue would turn on him, one could never be too cautious.
At a critical juncture, Little Doubi could buy him time.
*I need to refine a yin corpse as soon as possible so that next time my spirit body ventures out, I'll have a strong enough bodyguard at my side,* Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself as his spirit body drifted out of his physical shell.
Floating up to the height of the shrubbery, he looked down at his body seated beneath the greenery and Kou Beiyue scanning the surroundings vigilantly. Pulling back his gaze, he enveloped the Bloodthirsty Blade and drifted off into the distance.
Built beside a river in a remote spot, Bronze Sparrow Tower consisted of two residential buildings—one five stories high, the other two—surrounded by a perimeter wall equipped with a pulsed electric fence.
Judging strictly from their exteriors, the buildings looked thoroughly ordinary, even somewhat dilapidated.
As Zhang Yuanqing's spirit body drifted over the wall, he spotted several patrol teams in security uniforms, moving in pairs with short batons in hand and walkie-talkies clipped to their chests.
They looked well-trained and remarkably professional.
Transforming into a gust of yin wind, Zhang Yuanqing slipped into the five-story building on the left. The ground floor served as a security room, where monitor screens packed the large space.
Every floor was fitted with iron security doors requiring access cards to enter and exit. The women living inside were like birds trapped in cages, devoid of hope and stripped of freedom.
The second floor was an office area lined with desks, currently deserted and pitch-black.
From the third floor up to the fifth were the women's dormitories—the very site where the prostitution ring operated.
Every bedroom here was enormous, resembling a luxury hotel suite with pink decor, large circular soft beds, bronze bathtubs beside the beds, and glass cabinets showcasing various adult novelties.
Zhang Yuanqing intended to pry information from the women familiar with Bronze Sparrow Tower first; this would yield far more detailed intelligence than questioning spirits after killing people.
His spirit body drifted past room after room, witnessing women sunk into plush mattresses and patrons lost in lust, indulging their carnal desires.
The decadent moans and sounds were sickening.
How many of these women were held against their will? Tricked into coming here for all kinds of reasons, reduced to tools for clients to vent their lust, forced to receive one stranger after another...
Kou Beiyue's sister had once been trapped here as well, enduring the exact horrors they were suffering now. She had fought so hard to escape, only to be brutally murdered.
Finally, Zhang Yuanqing paused inside one suite. A round table sat by the bay window, where a potbellied man sat with a cigarette pinched between his fingers.
From the bathroom by the door came the rush of running water; a woman was showering.
*He'll do...* Zhang Yuanqing sighed softly, and his spirit body slammed into the man, taking possession of him.
After searching for so long, he had finally found a pair not actively engaged in business. He truly could not bring himself to possess men in the middle of venting their lust.
Zhang Yuanqing stowed away the dropped Bloodthirsty Blade, stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray, and casually picked up the phone from the table. Unlocking it with facial recognition, he skimmed through the messaging apps and quickly pieced together the man's identity.
This middle-aged man was a senior executive at a state-owned enterprise, a regular patron of Bronze Sparrow Tower, and a contact of Master Wu. However, their chats were sparse—mostly polite formalities without any blatant evidence.
Just then, the rush of water in the bathroom ceased, and a woman wrapped in a bath towel pushed open the glass door and emerged.
She looked around twenty-five, with short hair, a slender figure, and remarkably delicate features.
"Darling, I'm done. You go ahead and wash up." A forced smile squeezed onto her delicate face.
Zhang Yuanqing remained seated in his chair without moving. Casting a glance at her, he said, "Come sit."
Not suspecting anything, the woman sat down across from him, picked up the cigarette pack from the table, and lit one for herself.
At that moment, she saw the customer opposite her draw a cold, gleaming yanagiba from beneath the table and stab it into the tabletop with a sharp *thud*.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Caught entirely off guard, the woman jumped in fright. A mouthful of smoke choked her throat, leaving her coughing until tears streamed down her flushed face.
Zhang Yuanqing's gaze was frosty. "I ask, you answer. Dare to lie, dare to waste my time, dare to call for help, and I will kill you!"
This was an act of necessity. Given the identity of the body he occupied, getting the woman to confess Master Wu's criminal operations and evidence through pleasant conversation was entirely impossible.
Nor did a Night Wanderer possess manipulation skills like Bewitch.
The simplest and most effective method was intimidation.
The woman shot a cautious, frightened glance at the yanagiba. Though baffled by the situation, she complied and nodded.
Zhang Yuanqing asked, "What's your name, and how many years have you been here?"
"Cao... Cao Jing. Don't you already know? I've been working here for five years. I came when I was twenty," the woman said.
"How did you end up here?"
"I came after seeing an online recruitment ad..."
"You were tricked, weren't you?"
The woman fell silent for a moment before nodding.
"They lied and said it was a sales assistant job. But after I was hired, I was brought here, and the job became eating, drinking, and sleeping with customers."
Zhang Yuanqing said coldly, "Keep talking. Don't wait for me to prompt every sentence. My patience is limited."
With that, he pulled the yanagiba from the table.
The woman turned pale with fright and spoke cautiously:
"I refused at first, so Master Wu had his men beat me, rape me, lock me in a solitary confinement room, confiscate my phone, and deny me food and water.
"I couldn't endure it, so I submitted. From then on, I had to sleep with customers every day, and occasionally I was taken out to accompany clients for drinks, sleeping with other men like a prostitute. No, we're not even as good as prostitutes, because we don't get any money.
"The other women in the building told me they were all treated the same way; every one of them was beaten. Compared to them, I'm relatively lucky. Some women were forced to sell their eggs and lost their fertility. Others vanished after trying to escape a few times... Heh, I hope they managed to run home.
"To keep us from running, Master Wu brought over some of the women's families, giving them jobs as cleaners and security guards.
"He also promoted obedient women to supervisors to set an example for us, having them manage all of us with salaries and benefits. Many of the girls envy them immensely."
*Envy...* Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help inhaling deeply to steady his emotions.
After pouring out so much, Cao Jing looked cautiously at this customer who had suddenly turned into a stranger. "What else do you want to know?"
Zhang Yuanqing kept his expression flat. "Focus on the key points. For instance, evidence of Master Wu's crimes."
Cao Jing thought for a moment and said, "He installed a lot of surveillance cameras in the building, specifically to record videos of us sleeping with the clients. Beyond using the footage to threaten us, he uses it to blackmail the guests who come to play. Those guests..."
She sneaked a glance at Zhang Yuanqing's face. "You already know that."
*Videos...* Zhang Yuanqing prompted, "What else?"
"I heard Master Wu also keeps an account ledger recording every single patron who deals with him. Well, I don't know if that's true or not. I heard it from a supervisor. That supervisor is Master Wu's mistress and bore him a child, but originally she was just like us, sleeping with guests." Cao Jing recounted everything in detail:
"Besides Bronze Sparrow Tower, Master Wu owns many other places outside—hair salons, nightclubs, and so on. But this place is the most exclusive and secretive; all the guests who come here are figures of status.
"Those storefronts of his on the outside were all seized using thugs and connections across both the underworld and the establishment, without paying a single cent. Supposedly, there are over a thousand locations."
Confusion gnawed at her internally; the customer sitting opposite her ought to have known these things far better than she did.
The patron across from her lit a cigarette, staring blankly into space without smoking it.
The cigarette soon burned down to the filter. Cao Jing had run out of things to say; she had spilled everything she knew, down to the pettiest trifles, including how some young women had humiliating, repulsive tattoos carved into their skin by Master Wu.
There was also a sadistic customer who beat and abused the women in the building, sending several of them to the intensive care unit.
"That violent customer—was he burly, with short hair, and fond of wearing white shirts...?"
Zhang Yuanqing briefly described Chi Yue'an's appearance.
"That's him! He's a demon... I—I served him once..." Cao Jing seemed to recall an unbearable nightmare, shuddering violently.
"I see. Thank you for your cooperation."
Zhang Yuanqing swung the edge of his hand, striking the woman unconscious.
Chapter 158