Yuanshi: I've Become a Spy?

"Not many, not many." Zhang Yuanqing waved his hand dismissively. Just as Li Dongze and Guan Ya were starting to think it really wasn't a big deal, he shifted gears: "Two thousand points." Guan Ya almost choked on her fruit juice. "T-Two thousand Morality Points?!" "Oh, heavens, I've never seen that many Morality Points in my entire life..." Li Dongze exclaimed in awe. The methods ordinary Spirit Realm walkers used to accumulate Morality Points were quite limited, amounting to little more than community service and good deeds. Their Morality Points generally hovered around a hundred. Official walkers had designated channels for donations, and the Five Elements Alliance organized large-scale charitable events every year, making it much easier to build up Morality Points than it was for unaffiliated walkers. An ordinary official walker's points typically ranged between 100 and 200. Though Li Dongze was hardly passionate about charity work, he had never done anything evil either. The points he had accumulated over the years sat around two hundred. Yet Yuanshi, from a single case, had pulled in ten times that amount. "Two thousand Morality Points. Tsk, tsk, a case this big is truly rare. You can murder and commit all kinds of atrocities to your heart's content now." Ling Jun speared a piece of melon and ate it. *That's what I was thinking too, but isn't it bad form to say it out loud?* Zhang Yuanqing spoke with righteous indignation: "How could I ever do bad things? I'm an upstanding, law-abiding citizen. Sigh, these Morality Points are completely wasted on me." "How can you say you don't do bad things? You're always sneaking peeks at Guan Ya's chest," Ling Jun exposed him. "That's not sneaking peeks. That's admiring and appreciating beauty. Besides, Sister Guan Ya is right here; saying that makes you seem very disrespectful to her." Zhang Yuanqing shot a glance at the captivating, mixed-race beauty. Besides, peeking at a busty bro didn't deduct Morality Points, so it didn't count as doing evil. Ling Jun spat. "Back when she punched out my front teeth, I didn't see her showing me much respect either." *Huh? The veteran speed racer beat up Ling Jun back in the day?* Zhang Yuanqing's curiosity flared up immediately, and he prodded for gossip: "What happened?" Guan Ya smiled sweetly. "He was a lecher back then. Whenever he saw a pretty girl, he'd go hit on her. Once, he visited the Fu family with his maternal grandfather. The moment he laid eyes on me, he wanted to hold my hand, arrogantly calling me Sister Lin or whatever. "I'd only been studying Chinese for a few years at the time and didn't know who Sister Lin was, so I beat him to a pulp. Ah, neither of us were Spirit Realm walkers back then. Now he's a Saint, and I can't beat him anymore." *Oh, childhood sweethearts...* Zhang Yuanqing felt a twinge of jealousy. Ling Jun gave a dry laugh. "That's ancient history. Why bring it up? You're making me look bad." After those two incidents, Ling Jun's pride had taken as heavy a blow as his drafty, missing teeth. From then on, women surnamed Fu were completely off the menu—no matter how gorgeous, he wouldn't touch them. Ling Jun glanced at Zhang Yuanqing and smiled lazily. "I just don't like girls I'm too familiar with. Otherwise, with my elegance and charm, Guan Ya would be my girlfriend by now. You really lucked out, kid." His words carried an obvious attempt to play matchmaker. Guan Ya shot him a look. "What do you mean by that?" Ling Jun snickered. "I just want to see Fu Qingyang call his own subordinate 'brother-in-law.' That'll be hilarious." Guan Ya scoffed, then turned to Zhang Yuanqing and teased, "Yuanshi is quite famous now. Countless women fancy him. Queen texted me just a moment ago asking about you. Tsk, tsk, she seems to have a real thing for you. Interested in hooking up?" *Guan Ya really does have feelings for Yuanshi. It hasn't reached the level of lovers yet, but it far exceeds ordinary platonic friendship. If this keeps up, Fu Qingyang really might have to call him brother-in-law...* Thoroughly versed in women's hearts, Ling Jun could tell at a glance that Guan Ya was feeling sour; the more she teased, the more she actually cared. Zhang Yuanqing possessed no such intuition. Skilled as he was at socializing, he was clueless when it came to a woman's heart, and subconsciously stepped on the gas: "She really is a woman whose valleys run as deep as yours, Sister Guan Ya, and whose assets are just as evenly matched. When she finally sees the light one day, Sister Guan Ya, you've got to let me know." *Is this guy an idiot...?* Hearing this, Ling Jun's heart sank. He hurried to look at Guan Ya. Guan Ya giggled delightfully. "Sure, sure." Though she smiled, there wasn't a trace of amusement in her eyes. Zhang Yuanqing was very pleased with his driving skills and laughed heartily as well. *He really is an idiot...* Ling Jun thought to himself that he ought to take this kid out to get some real experience someday so he could learn more about women and realize how foolish it was to make bawdy remarks about another woman in front of one who liked him. The correct response should have been: *That woman might be fine, but compared to a beauty like Sister Guan Ya—with such depth and razor-sharp wit—the difference is night and day.* Just then, Fu Qingyang pushed open the double wooden doors of the study. His cool, pale gaze swept over the four of them as he said, "Yuanshi, step outside with me." Zhang Yuanqing quickly put down the small silver spoon he had been using to eat ice cream and trotted over eagerly. Fu Qingyang walked straight ahead, speaking without turning back: "The case has officially been settled. You must have received quite a few Morality Points as a reward." "Two thousand," Zhang Yuanqing said. Fu Qingyang nodded. "When handling incidents in the future, your hands won't be tied on account of ordinary mortals, nor will you need to fear being schemed against by enemies over Morality Points. Well, do you have any thoughts on this case?" Zhang Yuanqing was silent for a moment. "I'm very disappointed in Songhai. In my heart, I've always been proud of being from Songhai. It's so developed, so affluent, so outstanding—even globally, it ranks among the very best. But now, I only feel it's trash." Pausing, he added, "Even trashier than Ling Jun, Jiang Jingwei, Guan Ya, and the female Grand Marshal." Because of his grandfather, he possessed deep patriotic sentiment. It wasn't that he had never encountered horrific crimes before, but reading about them in the news versus witnessing them with his own eyes struck his worldview on completely different levels. When he learned the full extent of Master Wu's atrocities and the complicity of Shakou District's dignitaries, and entertained the thought of informing Heavenly King Demonic Eye, he had in fact already begun to resonate slightly with that Heavenly King's ideal of "cleansing the world." That was an extremely dangerous sign. "Then it truly is quite trash..." Fu Qingyang nodded, then said, "If this causes you to develop world-weary thoughts, remember to see Deacon Sun. He will provide you with psychological counseling." Walking a few steps forward, his tone was calm yet solemn. "Do not harbor extravagant hopes for human nature, nor despair toward the world." *The Centurion is counseling me?* Zhang Yuanqing felt flattered. Walking down the corridor and descending the double staircase, Fu Qingyang spoke again: "Kou Beiyue belongs to Wuhen. How do you think we should deal with him?" At this, Zhang Yuanqing knew the real business had arrived, and immediately replied, "The Centurion decides." Fu Qingyang hadn't called him out merely to ask how to handle Kou Beiyue. "The Five Elements Alliance's stance toward evil professions has always been to kill by mistake rather than let one slip through. For someone like Kou Beiyue, even if his life were spared, he would face long-term imprisonment. But I believe his usefulness extends far beyond that," Fu Qingyang said. "For example?" "For example, we need someone who can infiltrate that small group." *That small group must refer to Master Wuhen's group...* Zhang Yuanqing came to a sudden realization. "You mean you want to turn Kou Beiyue into an informant, a spy planted inside Master Wuhen's treasonous group?" "Why does the second half of your sentence sound so awkward?" Fu Qingyang glanced at him and said, "I interrogated that Kou Beiyue. He doesn't seem very bright, and his mind is rather simple. Someone like that isn't suited to be a spy." "Then what do you mean..." Zhang Yuanqing's heart skipped a beat. Fu Qingyang nodded, confirming his fear: "You're right: the branch needs a spy to keep an eye on that faction at all times. Yuanshi, you have a sharp mind and excel at socializing. You are prime material for a spy, and Kou Beiyue is your certificate of allegiance. With this matter, Wuhen and the evil professions under him will certainly view you in a much more favorable light." *True, if Xiao Yuan knows I avenged Kou Beiyue and saved him, she'll definitely be grateful from the bottom of her heart, and Master Wuhen will accept me even more. But...* *Your concubine can't do this!* Zhang Yuanqing thought. *If Master Wuhen finds out I infiltrated his organization as a spy, he'll kill me!* His whole motive for clinging to Master Wuhen's coattails was to have a backer in moments of crisis—to save his life, not throw it away! As a high-level Scout, Fu Qingyang saw through his concerns and rich inner turmoil at a single glance, explaining, "You're only being asked to keep an eye on them; you don't need to do anything. Just provide intelligence when necessary." "When is 'when necessary'?" "When Wuhen loses control," Fu Qingyang said calmly. "You should know that anyone who becomes an evil profession is a real-world criminal. But what you don't know is that being a criminal is only the beginning. The higher the level of an evil profession, the more warped their mentality becomes. This is an inherent trait of the profession, unavoidable. "Even though that Dominator has always been disciplined and kept a low profile, the profession's traits will not change. The more he suppresses it, the more horrifying the evil festering within becomes, and the day will inevitably come when he snaps. And when that happens, disaster will strike." Zhang Yuanqing suddenly recalled that every time he met Master Wuhen, the man's voice was laden with agony, as if he were bitterly enduring something. No wonder he chose to spend his remaining years accompanied by a blue lamp and ancient Buddha statues; no wonder Xiao Yuan had said Master Wuhen found it inconvenient to take action. "Then how can the evil within be dispelled?" Zhang Yuanqing frowned. "Slaughter!" Fu Qingyang said in a heavy voice. "The bloodthirstiness of a Bewitching Demon, the insidious malice of a Witch Doctor, the wickedness of an Illusionist—all ultimately converge on slaughter. And once the prohibition against killing is breached, the floodgates open. But before Wuhen loses control, the branch Elders are unwilling to make an enemy of him, as the cost would be too high. That is why we need you to keep watch." "I understand..." Zhang Yuanqing said quietly. As they spoke, they reached the bottom of the stairs. Ahead lay a black iron door. Fu Qingyang took out an access card and handed it over. "Once you finish dealing with him, come interrogate Chi Yue'an with me," he said impassively. *Interrogate Chi Yue'an? What's there to interrogate? Just give him the death penalty...* Zhang Yuanqing swiped the access card, stepped into the private jail, and followed Fu Qingyang's instructions to the third iron door. Inside a small room combining a sleeping and washing area, a pale youth with thick eyebrows and bright eyes leaned weakly against the bed, his face calm. He carried the calm resolve of one whose wish had been fulfilled, ready to face death without fear. His injuries had already been healed by that Beastmaster, but Kou Beiyue knew that death remained unavoidable. In the hands of the Five Elements Alliance, execution was the only outcome. Orderly and evil were like water and fire; there was simply no reason for him to be spared. Hearing footsteps, the youth who sat with his head bowed looked up. Seeing Zhang Yuanqing, his eyes lit up. "How is your branch going to deal with Chi Yue'an?" He couldn't wait to learn the result. "Death penalty!" Zhang Yuanqing said somberly. Kou Beiyue breathed a sigh of relief, finding his own fate all the easier to accept. "Good. I'll beat him up again on the road to the underworld. Yuanshi Tianzun, remember to thank Xiao Yuan for me. In my loneliest, most despairing moments, she took me in and guided me. Otherwise, I might have fallen into depravity long ago. To me, she was like a mother and an elder sister. I'm very grateful to her." Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "Anything else?" Kou Beiyue thought for a moment and said, "Make sure to publicize Chi Yue'an's case—like on the news—so my parents can see it. They'll know their son never did such beastly things. Their son fought hard to stay alive just for revenge..." As he spoke, remembering the bitterness and pain of the past two years, this youth who had never cried out or begged for mercy even while severely injured felt tears well up, his face clouded with grief. Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Anything else?" "Nothing... Well, thank you as well. You're a good person, and I respect you a lot." Kou Beiyue was surprised to find that while saying these words, he didn't feel the slightest bit of awkwardness or embarrassment. Normally, he would never have uttered such sentimental words. *Perhaps when a person faces death, their words become kind?* Zhang Yuanqing nodded and swiped the cell door open. "All right. Since you're done, come on out. The Songhai Branch has decided to pardon you. Go back where you came from." ??? Kou Beiyue stared at him blankly. For a moment, an eerie silence settled over the cell. After two or three seconds, Kou Beiyue's face twisted, and he gritted his teeth. "Respect your ass! You're a total bastard!" *** Shakou District, street side. A man in jeans and a peaked cap stood by the roadside, listening on his phone while warily scanning his surroundings. "Chi Yue'an has been arrested. Tongque Tower, which he operated, was seized by the authorities, and he's now in official hands. Before his arrest, he threatened you to save him, or else he'd expose everything about you." "Where is he being held? Elder Gou's zoo?" a calm voice asked over the line. "My apologies, I couldn't find out. But he was taken away by the Spirit Realm walkers from Kangyang District. You should have seen the post on the official forum." "Mm." "Do you want me to kill Yuanshi Tianzun? The kid doesn't know restraint and offends people everywhere." "You can't kill him. Heh, I'm quite interested in him, actually. I'll dispose of Chi Yue'an. You remain under cover." "Understood." *** Kou Beiyue walked along the bustling street, feeling thoroughly conflicted. Right after cursing Yuanshi Tianzun, he had awkwardly realized he had no money on him, and had stammered to beg for twenty yuan for bus fare, planning to take a coach back to Jinshan City. Unlocking his phone, he saw more than a dozen missed calls from Xiao Yuan. *Xiao Yuan must be worried sick. I should call her back first...* Kou Beiyue dialed the number of the woman who was like a mother and sister to him. He knew Xiao Yuan hadn't built an intelligence network of her own; to gather information, she had to periodically visit familiar black markets. What happened early this morning hadn't started fermenting yet, so Xiao Yuan had no way of finding out immediately. *Beep... beep...* The call connected, and Xiao Yuan's icy voice came through the speaker: "Kou Beiyue, you've really outdone yourself. You even learned how to turn off your phone. Yuanshi turned his off too—did you learn that from him?" Words that had once sounded annoying and dripping with motherly nagging now felt like heavenly music. Kou Beiyue felt as though a lifetime had passed. A smile devoid of gloom and heaviness spread across his face: "Xiao Yuan, I can finally let go of the past. I'm reborn!" Silence hung on the other end of the line for a few seconds before Xiao Yuan's cautious voice came through: "You mean..." Kou Beiyue said excitedly, "Yuanshi Tianzun took me to smash Chi Yue'an's den and captured that beast alive! The upper management of the Songhai Branch decided to execute him." "Yuanshi Tianzun helped you resolve this? Captured Chi Yue'an alive? Was he hurt—" Xiao Yuan's voice spiked sharply, but she abruptly stopped, quickly adding as a cover-up, "Are you hurt?" "I'm fine." Oblivious as ever, Kou Beiyue didn't notice anything odd about Xiao Yuan. "Pity. It would've been better if you died out there," Xiao Yuan remarked scathingly, then said coolly, "Get your ass back here. I'll plead with Master Wuhen to take you back." "Yeah!" Kou Beiyue automatically ignored Xiao Yuan's slip-up. *** Wuhen Hotel. At the front desk, Xiao Yuan, dressed in a white shirt and a wine-red blazer, put down her phone. Her icy expression melted away like ice, replaced by relief and delight, putting her in high spirits. Xiao Yuan turned away from the reception desk, the corners of her mouth curling slightly upward. Taking the elevator, she arrived at Room 404. *Knock, knock!* She knocked on the door and said softly, "Master Wuhen, I have something to report."