Dusk fell. Zhang Yuanqing dragged his exhausted body into a cab and headed home.
After leaving the International Building, he had turned around and headed to the Fujia Bay Villa to hand the cash over to Fu Qingyang, asking the wealthy young master to transfer it into Yuanshi Tianzun's account.
Then he had confessed his transaction with Mr. Bill, and after that, he had called Guan Ya to invite her to Fujia Bay for some hand-to-hand combat sparring.
Every time he faced a crisis or took a beating, Zhang Yuanqing always burst with a tenacious drive to improve.
Fu Qingyang's observation of him truly missed nothing.
At the dinner table, Zhang Yuanqing chewed on sweet, slightly tangy sweet-and-sour pork and asked, "Grandma, is Cousin working overtime again?"
Grandma picked up a slice of spring bamboo shoot with her chopsticks and said blandly, "Your aunt took him out to socialize."
"Oho, that's rare! My sister-in-law took my big nephew out to socialize?" his maternal aunt exclaimed in an exaggerated tone.
A delicate, pampered mother taking her mature, steady adult son out to work connections sounded like an unreliable older brother dragging his nephew out to start a business.
Grandma took on the expression she wore whenever she was about to spill gossip. Even though they were at home, she lowered her voice unconsciously.
"In a few days, an earthquake will hit Songhai's political circles."
Seeing both her daughter and grandson wear looks of uncomprehending awe, she felt deeply satisfied and continued, "I heard that many people in the public security system will be going down, which will free up quite a few positions. As for Yuanjun, you both know he's worked diligently all these years and accumulated plenty of merits, but promotions are tough in Songhai. No matter how many achievements you have, it still comes down to seniority, which is why he's been stuck as the captain of Team Two for so many years.
"Now that an opportunity has finally come, your aunt wants to pull some strings to see if she can get Yuanjun a step up. Oh, by the way, the contact was introduced by your grandpa."
*Introduced by Grandpa...* Zhang Yuanqing looked over at him.
Grandpa had worked in the public security system his entire life, so he had wide connections. However, the old man prided himself on being upright and never formed cliques or engaged in favoritism. Though he knew many people, he never had deep dealings with them.
Why the sudden change of heart?
Faced with the gazes from his grandson and daughter, the upright and strict Grandpa coughed. "I only asked if there was an opportunity, that's all."
Jiang Yu'er let out an "Oh": "How much money did Sister-in-law prepare?"
Grandpa coughed twice with force. "I was *only* asking if there was an opportunity."
Zhang Yuanqing chimed in with an "Oh": "Is five hundred thousand enough?"
Grandpa couldn't keep a straight face any longer and barked in irritation, "Just eat!"
Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Yu'er obediently went back to eating. Teasing had to be done in moderation. The old man wasn't like his mother; when his mother got mad, it was all bluster without real hits.
When the old man got angry, a vicious slap could come out of nowhere.
Over in Kangyang District, the chief had been pushed off the roof by Demonic Eye, leaving the position vacant, but it was impossible for Cousin to jump two ranks at once. His best bet was in Shakou District. The problem was that the wind was blowing fiercely right now; if someone tried pulling strings at a time like this, the recipients wouldn't dare take gifts even if offered...
Cousin's track record was sufficient for a promotion to brigade commander, but Songhai was notorious for relying on connections and seniority, making advancement difficult. Without external help, moving up would be tough... *I'll ask Guan Ya in a while to see if she has any connections.*
*I took down Bronze Sparrow Tower and earned major merit. The branch hasn't settled that reward with me yet, so it's a good chance to make a request.*
Although the Five Elements Alliance didn't meddle in internal civic matters, rules were rules, and rules couldn't block personal favors.
After finishing dinner, Zhang Yuanqing washed up, returned to his room, lay down, and quietly put on the Silencer mask.
From now on, the mask could not come off except when eating or fighting.
The instant he slipped it on, an indescribable wave of exhaustion swept over him. His vitality, spirit, and presence all "regressed" to that of an ordinary person. His spirit body, constitution, and skills were all completely sealed away.
*Hiss. An item at the Transcendent stage has this kind of power? The foreign evil professions are terrifying. I wonder what that profession is called...* Zhang Yuanqing marveled inward.
However, according to the Spirit Realm's framework, foreign evil professions were probably stronger than orthodox ones too.
He just didn't know whether there was a pinnacle orthodox profession equivalent to the Night Wanderer.
*The Spirit Realm has three major districts. In theory, each district has its own evil professions. If each has three, that's nine evil professions in total. There are even more orthodox ones. I really want to see the foreign professions in action.*
While Zhang Yuanqing let his imagination run wild, a Spirit Realm prompt sounded by his ear:
[Ding! Fu Qingyang invites you to join the White Tiger Guards.]
At the same time, a glowing blue dialogue box popped up in his vision: [Accept] or [Decline].
*Huh, the Centurion's meeting is over? The White Tiger Guards agreed to let me join?*
Zhang Yuanqing clicked "Accept."
[Ding! You have joined the White Tiger Guards. Please read the guild rules carefully. You may view guild perks in the guild storage.]
Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly opened his character profile. Under the [Guild] tab, he located "White Tiger Guards" and clicked on it. The description and rules popped up.
The White Tiger Guards' guild rules were simple: no indiscriminate killing, no bullying the weak, no associating with evil professions, no violating public order and good customs, no betraying fellow guild members, abide by orthodox duties, and remain loyal to the guild leader's orders.
As for the benefits, besides an extra salary benchmarked to positions within the Five Elements Alliance, members were allocated a home worth twenty million in a first- or second-tier city. Furthermore, there was an entire agency dedicated solely to serving the White Tiger Guards.
Next, Zhang Yuanqing opened the guild storage...
A loud "Holy crap!" burst from his mouth.
The guild storage had forty slots, and it was crammed with items and materials covering the seven orthodox professions, the three evil professions, and foreign profession items he couldn't even recognize.
The total value of the inventory in this single storage was easily in the billions.
Zhang Yuanqing silently opened the storage of Return of the Dead, glanced at the straw doll and the Endurance Spray, and wept silent tears in his heart.
Fu Qingyang had truly shown him the vast disparity of the world.
*Ding-dong!*
His phone chimed with an incoming notification.
Zhang Yuanqing closed the guild storage, grabbed his phone, and checked the message.
[Fu Qingyang has invited you to join the group chat.]
The newly joined group was named "White Tiger Guards," with sixteen members.
Ling Jun: [A newcomer is here! Newbie, hurry up and send a red packet!]
Sweeping the Realm: [Newbie's here! Hurry up and send a red packet, preferably paired with a cross-dressing photo.]
Seven-Timer: [Send the red packet so I can go to sleep.]
*Has this corrupt trend of demanding red packets upon joining a group spread across the whole world? Even Spirit Realm walkers play this game?* The corner of Zhang Yuanqing's mouth twitched. Reluctantly, he sent out a red packet of a hundred yuan.
Yuanshi Tianzun: [Big brothers, it's the thought that counts.]
The red packet was completely snatched clean within three seconds.
Ling Jun: [Ten bucks, not bad. Thanks, boss! @Yuanshi Tianzun, the White Tigers in this group are all Saints. Suck up to them properly; if you run into trouble later, ask them for help.]
*Huh? Every single one is a Saint?!* Zhang Yuanqing was stunned.
Although he had known that the caliber of Fu Qingyang's White Tiger Guards would not be low, he hadn't anticipated that every member would be a Saint.
Fu Qingyang: [It might not be long before you're the ones sucking up to him.]
Seven-Timer: [Boss, that's uncalled for. Sure, Yuanshi Tianzun is very talented, but none of us are pushovers either.]
Little Tiger: [By the way, Yuanshi Tianzun is a Level 3 Night Wanderer, right? Boss made an exception to invite you because he believes you can advance to Saint in the mid-year slaughter trial. But if I remember correctly, you only advanced to Level 3 in Yinyang Town.]
Seven-Timer: [Is that so? Then it'll be tough for Yuanshi Tianzun to place in the top ten of the slaughter trial. Generally speaking, the ones who crack the top ten in the mid-year and year-end slaughter trials are geniuses whose experience bars are near or above ninety percent.]
Even at the same Level 3, there was a massive gap between 1% and 99% experience.
Yuanshi Tianzun: [If luck is on my side, I should enter one more solo Spirit Realm before the mid-year slaughter trial. Speaking of which, does anyone have experience with the tournament? Are the items awarded by the organization powerful?]
Little Tiger: [Of course they're powerful—basically top-tier for their corresponding stage. But winning first place is extraordinarily hard. If the Taiyi Sect participates this year, it'll be even harder.]
Ling Jun: [In an unrestricted battle, I think Yuanshi Tianzun is definitely among the strongest in the official Transcendent stage. But the tournament might have restrictions. Yuanshi's close-combat skills still have room to improve.]
Zhang Yuanqing chatted casually back and forth with them, gradually gaining a preliminary understanding of a few guild brothers.
Seven-Timer had a lively, rambunctious personality, loved cracking jokes, and was the unruly troublemaker type.
Little Tiger leaned toward steady and earnest, speaking plainly and giving off a reliable vibe.
Sweeping the Realm seemed to have an unfortunate family life; in just a dozen minutes, he vented multiple times about his wife emotionally abusing him and showing him no respect.
Yet everyone tacitly ignored him.
As for the others, none of them spoke up. Zhang Yuanqing couldn't tell whether a Transcendent newcomer wasn't worth their enthusiastic welcome, or if they simply weren't in the habit of chatting in groups.
After that, the group went silent.
*This group isn't very active, and the folks in the White Tiger Guards don't seem easy to get along with...* Zhang Yuanqing quietly exited the messaging app.
***
Inside a magnificent private dining room, dark gold and rose red decor blended together to create a lavish, upscale ambiance.
At the center of the dining table stood an exquisite, vintage silver candelabra, where six white candles cast a soft glow.
The dinner was extraordinarily sumptuous: prime steak, caviar, foie gras terrine, sliced ham, seared scallops, baked lobster, and rich seafood bisque...
Bill Tarantino sat stiffly at the edge of the dining table, cutting into the steak on his silver plate.
Across from him sat a man dressed in a dark blue casual suit and wearing a silver mask.
The mask reached down to his nose, leaving his mouth unhindered as he feasted ravenously.
"I only came for the sake of a feast, but forget about going to the West with you," the man said between spoonfuls of caviar. "You know I'm from the mainland. My family and friends are all here. Why on earth would I go to the West to be some president just because I'm the highest-level walker of the Void profession?"
Bill Tarantino set down his knife and fork and said earnestly, "We can help your family immigrate. Why not pursue your development in a superior environment? The West has a broader sky; a peerless talent like you ought to soar freely there."
He glanced over the dining table and smiled. "A dinner like this is merely a casual meal to me. Yet you are a being a hundred times nobler than I am. You are destined to take the helm of that immense commercial empire and become the leader of all 'Merchants.'"
"Not interested!" the man replied.
All the arguments Bill Tarantino had prepared caught in his throat, and he let out a soft sigh.
In the century or so since the Spirit Realm emerged, the Merchant profession had seen countless talents emerge, all yearning to ascend to that singular, supreme throne. Yet so many geniuses and seniors had fallen on their climb.
In the end, that supreme seat had been usurped by someone from a foreign land—no, in Chinese that was a derogatory term; he should call it claiming the crown.
The Merchant Guild had been thrilled at first. The Merchant profession had finally produced someone who could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the supreme figures of every major Spirit Realm organization across the globe.
Who could have guessed that this new president would be so stubborn? Not only did he reject the olive branch extended by the guild, but he even threatened them not to disturb his dull, quiet life.
Over the years, through the guild's tireless efforts, the strongest Merchant alive had shown signs of softening his stance.
The guild intended to strike while the iron was hot and welcome their president back.
That was the reason for Bill Tarantino's trip to the mainland.
The man wolfed down the foie gras terrine and caviar, then leaned back into his high-backed chair with a satisfied sigh. "If you want me to join the guild and serve as your president, it's not entirely out of the question. However..."
Bill Tarantino's spirits lifted. "However what?"
"Wait!" the man said.
"Wait for what?"
"Wait for the Demon Lord!" the man said slowly.
*The Demon Lord...* Bill froze for a moment, then after a few seconds, he finally recalled information about this figure. "I heard from Annie that the Demon Lord is already dead. The president of the Goddess of Beauty Association told her so. Could the intelligence be wrong?"
As a Spirit Realm walker from across the ocean, he didn't know much about the Demon Lord, but he knew a little. The Merchant Guild maintained close ties with the Goddess of Beauty Association, and that Demon Lord seemed to have been the association president's favorite lover.
After Annie became his assistant, she had privately lamented several times that since the Demon Lord's death, their president's temperament had shifted drastically, frequently punishing association members without cause.
Her fury hadn't subsided even after months.
"No, the Demon Lord is dead. Utterly destroyed, body and soul. I witnessed it with my own eyes." The man picked up his wine glass, sipped the tart wine, and said, "What I am waiting for is the *new* Demon Lord. Bill, do you know the prophecy of the Compass of Light?"
Bill Tarantino frowned and shook his head.
"Understandable. Fewer than ten people in the entire world know of this prophecy, and all of them are supreme beings." The man set down his glass, drew a deep breath, and enunciated every word:
"When the sun, the moon, and the stars return to their places, the gods slumbering in chaos will awaken. High upon the divine throne, the King shall lead the gods to reignite the war, and the world will enter a new cycle."
Bill Tarantino sank into deep thought.
After a long while, he asked with some hesitation, "The gods slumbering in chaos... do you mean that unopened district?"
It was common knowledge that the Spirit Realm had three major districts, but Spirit Realm walkers from one of those districts had never appeared to this day. Currently, there were only two active districts in the world. The major organizations knew a third existed only because people had recovered items in Spirit Realm dungeons that did not belong to any profession across the two known districts.
For example, the Flawless Human Skin—its properties did not match any profession in existence today.
And there were many similar items.
"Correct. The day the sun, moon, and stars return to their places is the moment that district reboots. When that happens, the Spirit Realm will reveal its original face."
"What does this have to do with the Demon Lord?"
"It has nothing to do with the Demon Lord, but everything to do with the Night Wanderer. And the Demon Lord had already touched the origin of the Night Wanderer. He left that secret inside his character card."
"I see..."
***
Late at night, Zhang Yuanqing was awakened by a burst of static sizzling through the air.
Half-lidded with sleep, he instinctively pulled back the quilt, slid into his slippers, walked to the desk, pulled open the drawer, and took out the Cat King Speaker...
The next instant, the impassioned moans of a woman and the ruthless slapping of flesh against flesh reverberated through the room.
*Holy crap!!*
Zhang Yuanqing's drowsiness vanished instantly. A jolt shot through his entire body as he swiftly ripped off the Silencer mask, gripped the Cat King Speaker, and stepped into Night Walk.
Chapter 169