A Face Full of Misfortune

Early morning, overcast. Zhang Yuanqing dressed, drew back the curtains, and glanced at the sky blanketed in pale gray clouds. It would probably rain today. If not for the heavy price of the Great Luo Astrolabe, he certainly would have brought it out to check. In the living room, the family was seated neatly around the dining table, enjoying their morning meal. His grandmother scooped a bowl of congee for Zhang Yuanqing, chattering endlessly about the previous evening. She complained that a proper young lady had come over for dinner only to leave with such an aggrieved expression. It was poor hospitality on the Chen family's part, and she hoped Yuanzi would bring Guan Ya home again next weekend. Grandma promised to treat her properly then. His grandparents were people who cared deeply about propriety and decorum. Once they learned the truth, they felt terribly guilty toward Guan Ya, deeply ashamed, and eager for a chance to make amends. "Sure thing, Grandma. We'll see when there's a chance," Zhang Yuanqing brushed it off casually. In his heart, he thought, *Your grandson already made it up to her. When she left, her face was flushed pink, and she'd spent half an hour grazing on tender young grass. She didn't feel the least bit aggrieved.* "Cousin, are you working today?" Zhang Yuanqing looked over at the precociously mature Chen Yuanjun. Chen Yuanjun hesitated briefly before replying, "It's my weekend off, but I'll probably head over to the police station to check in on the missing persons case." Hearing this, Grandma frowned deeply. "Just the day before yesterday you were saying your waist and knees were sore and you weren't feeling well. Yuanjun, your health is the foundation of everything. You haven't even started a family yet. Don't let your job run your body into the ground." *To be precise, he doesn't even have a girlfriend yet...* Feeling superior as someone already happily in love, Zhang Yuanqing silently quipped in his head. Taking a sip of congee under his grandmother's nagging, Chen Yuanjun's brow furrowed into deep vertical creases. "There's nothing wrong with my body. I might have caught a chill the other day, which was why I felt unwell. After my morning jog, I felt completely back to normal." Indeed, after jogging yesterday morning, he hadn't felt the slightest soreness in his waist or knees all day. While his cousin and grandmother spoke, Zhang Yuanqing quietly opened his astral eyes, covertly observing his cousin. The bloody calamity was still there, but it hadn't intensified. That meant everything was proceeding along destiny's normal course—it would fall upon his cousin during the arrest, rather than striking through some sudden accident. As a Starlord, Zhang Yuanqing silently interpreted the signs. He had to see Fu Qingyang today. To be safe, he would have Bai Lan guard his cousin shortly. Closing his astral eyes, Zhang Yuanqing nudged his young aunt's arm with his elbow. "Want to go shopping this afternoon?" His aunt replied coolly, "No! And even if I did, not with you." Her sweet, charming round face, accented by the alluring teardrop mole, gave her anger zero bite. "Come on, let's go!" Zhang Yuanqing urged. His aunt considered it, then huffed, "Then beg me." "I beg you, I beg you," Zhang Yuanqing complied readily. His aunt instantly beamed, her eyes curving into crescents as she patted her nephew on the head. "Well, since you're so sincere, your aunt will do you the favor of letting you accompany me." *** After breakfast, Zhang Yuanqing summoned Bai Lan and gave her the order to protect his cousin. Then he returned to his bedroom to fetch his phone, preparing to hail a cab to Fujia Bay. The moment his fingers gripped the phone, a sudden sensation stirred within him as a Starlord, and a thought popped into his head: *Let me check my fortune for today!* The impulse was entirely a flash of inspiration, an instinct of the Starlord profession. Instinct told him he ought to inspect today's fortune. *Right, I told Yuan Ting about the Chu family's extermination, which is supposed to be confidential. Elder Dog will definitely punish me...* As Zhang Yuanqing analyzed the source of his whim, he walked over to the full-length mirror by the window. Staring at his reflection, a glimmer of stardust flared in his eyes, condensing into a brilliant galaxy. The next instant, Zhang Yuanqing drew a sharp breath of cold air. In the mirror, dark miasma swirled between his brows; dark miasma drifted at the corners of his eyes; and beneath his lips, a vivid red light surged. They represented the three major physiognomic palaces: Misfortune, Affinity, and Labor. *What a picture of bad luck...* Zhang Yuanqing bared his teeth and began deciphering the omens: *Dark miasma swirling in the Palace of Misfortune indicates danger in the near future. But there is no sign of bloodshed, so my life isn't at risk, though I might get injured...* *Dark miasma in the Palace of Affinity... I haven't been involved in marriage, contracts, trade, or lawsuits recently, and my relationship with Guan Ya is already solid—it won't just fall apart out of nowhere. That leaves only social matters. My social life is about to take a hit...* *Red light surging in the Palace of Labor heralds a promotion, a raise, and plenty of subordinates under my command soon... Hmm, that aligns with why Fu Qingyang summoned me.* Zhang Yuanqing hissed through his teeth. An intuitive conviction told him that this upcoming misfortune was tied to Fu Qingyang and Elder Dog. There were many ways to neutralize bad luck, such as avoidance, seeking reinforcements, or compromising, depending on the situation. For example, with his cousin's bloody calamity, the best course was simply avoidance. Abandon the investigation, and the calamity would largely be averted. Yet Zhang Yuanqing could not avoid his own misfortune, because its source was Fu Qingyang and Elder Dog. You could hide for a moment, but you couldn't hide forever. The proper way was to face it head-on and resolve it. *Elder Dog punishing me makes complete sense, but why would Fu Qingyang target me? Could it be that he found out I secretly consulted the Life Mentor about pursuing Guan Ya? Is that why my Palace of Affinity has gone wrong?* After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing chose to press forward. A Starlord's intuition told him this was the correct choice. Shoving his phone into his pocket, he strode toward the bedroom door. Just then, a sizzle of static came from his desk, followed by audio from the Cat King Speaker: "The weather is so nice, let me keep running like the wind~" *It wants to go out and play?* Zhang Yuanqing stopped. Come to think of it, he hadn't taken the Cat King Speaker outside in a long time. The last time had been when the old crone descended into reality, and it hadn't dared remain in the room. "Just guard the house." This thing had a habit of blurting out lines regardless of the atmosphere, causing endless embarrassment. Zhang Yuanqing didn't want to bring it along. The Cat King Speaker grew frantic, buzzing with static before blaring an urgent, high-pitched clip: "When you watched the moon with me in the past, you called me your sweetheart! Now that the new has replaced the old, I'm just Madame Bull!" From the living room, Grandma shouted, "Yuanzi, turn the TV down!" Zhang Yuanqing's lips twitched. He walked to the desk, pulled open the drawer, stuffed the Cat King Speaker into his waist pack, zipped it shut, strapped it around his waist, and decisively left the apartment. He was genuinely worried that if he pushed the speaker too far, it might start blasting recordings of the Demon Lord sweating and dripping with passion. *** *Splatter, splatter~* Half an hour later, Zhang Yuanqing arrived at Fujia Bay Villa. Heavy rain was now pouring from the heavens, battering the concrete jungle of the city. The streets were quickly drenched in rainwater, wheels kicking up a misty spray as cars rolled by. Songhai was a coastal city situated at an estuary. Rain almost always brought biting winds. The phrase "wretched wind and bitter rain" felt as though it had been coined specifically for this place. Amidst the dreary downpour, Zhang Yuanqing spotted a bunny girl standing gracefully under an umbrella. She was the very same one who had guided him during his first visit to Fujia Bay. The taxi came to a slow halt. Before Zhang Yuanqing could push the door open, the bunny girl trotted over elegantly in her high heels, holding the umbrella to shield him from the falling rain. "The young master said you definitely wouldn't have brought an umbrella and instructed me to wait for you at the entrance," the bunny girl said with a radiant smile. Zhang Yuanqing nodded and followed her through the gates of the Fujia Bay villa complex. They boarded a commercial van parked by the roadside and drove toward Fu Qingyang's mansion. Led by the bunny girl, Zhang Yuanqing entered the villa, crossed the courtyard, and went straight to the training hall on the ground floor. "The young master is holding a meeting inside and has been waiting for you for quite some time." The bunny girl paused outside the training hall, raised her hand, and knocked gently. The brown wooden door swung open on its own. Zhang Yuanqing poked his head in, and his eyes widened in astonishment. The training hall was brightly lit, its clean rubber flooring gleaming under the overhead lights. A curly-haired toy poodle sat cross-legged on a cushioned pad. Facing it sat Fu Qingyang, clad in an immaculate white suit, seated on the floor. Behind Fu Qingyang were Guan Ya, Li Dongze, Bailong, Qingteng, Big Muscle Tyrant, Tang Guoqiang, and six others, making twelve official walkers in total. All of these official walkers were Fu Qingyang's direct subordinates. Elder Dog turned his head and spoke gently, "Yuanshi is here. Have a seat." Zhang Yuanqing nodded to everyone and walked over to Guan Ya, who was dressed in training clothes. He sat cross-legged beside her, their positions so close that their knees brushed. Elder Dog's button eyes fixed on Zhang Yuanqing as he said, "Headquarters has already issued the paperwork regarding your rewards for clearing the killing trial. You can review the itemized list on your own later. I am primarily here to inform you about adjustments to your posting." Zhang Yuanqing perked up. "Elder, I don't want to be transferred away from Songhai. If there are no deacon vacancies in Songhai, I can wait." He had no desire to leave Songhai just yet. He had neither the resolve to abandon his hometown nor any wish to part ways with Guan Ya right now. With his Life Mentor coaching him from the sidelines, it might not be long before he could move into Guan Ya's home. To leave Songhai at such a crucial juncture would waste all his prior efforts. Elder Dog did not reply. Instead, Fu Qingyang spoke first, saying, "Li Dongze has already conveyed your request to me. Headquarters intends to transfer World Returns to Fire to Songhai to take my position. "I will remain stationed in Songhai as the city's Patrol Elder, commanding the Songhai patrol teams. You may choose to become a deacon within the patrol forces and lead a squad of your own. "Alternatively, you may remain in Kangyang District's Second Team and follow World Returns to Fire's orders." Patrol teams and garrison teams were opposite concepts. In the official organization's middle and lower tiers, roles broadly fell into these two categories. The so-called garrison teams were stationed and active in a fixed city, responsible for local public security and handling Spirit Realm walker incidents. The colleagues Zhang Yuanqing had dealt with so far all belonged to garrison teams. Patrol teams, on the other hand, had no fixed office. Their duties involved patrolling several primary assigned cities, providing reinforcements, and conducting cross-provincial and cross-city manhunts. This system existed because the number of Spirit Realm walkers was limited, and experts at the Saint and Dominator stages were rarer still. A tier-one megacity like Songhai was overseen by five elders. Provincial capitals had at least one elder stationed. Yet in small county towns and remote cities, official walkers were scarce, let alone high-tier experts. To strengthen control over these areas and prevent peripheral regions from becoming fertile soil where evil organizations could take root and flourish, patrol teams had been created. —Of course, certain underdeveloped and insignificant cities remained playgrounds for evil organizations nonetheless. Fu Qingyang continued, "The Songhai patrol team's jurisdiction covers Jiangnan Province, Sanzhuang Province, and Jianghuai Province, and can radiate nationwide when necessary. Every year, patrol squads are required to log three months of field patrol duty; for the rest of the time, you may still remain in Songhai. "However, that is under normal circumstances. If a branch within our jurisdiction requests aid, you must deploy immediately. Yuanshi, the choice is yours." Zhang Yuanqing fell into thought. A few seconds later, he looked at Guan Ya. "Sister Guan Ya, what about you?" Under her cousin's gaze, Guan Ya kept her eyes fixed forward, assuming the posture of a purely professional colleague to Yuanshi Tianzun. "I have already chosen to join the patrol squad." Zhang Yuanqing immediately said, "Centurion, then I choose the patrol squad as well." With no current vacancies for deacon positions, joining the patrol squad offered numerous benefits. First, he could still stay in Songhai, which laid his worries to rest, even if business trips would be more frequent. Second, he would have far more opportunities to gaze at the stars. Third, it would make investigating Brother Bing's case much easier, freeing him from being tied down to Songhai with daily office hours. Fourth, it meant a promotion and a raise. If he stayed in Songhai with the Second Team, he would end up subordinate to World Returns to Fire. How could Yuanshi Tianzun submit to another's command—unless that person was the Money Prince, who excelled at winning people over with virtue? Fu Qingyang nodded in satisfaction. "Every patrol squad leader has the authority to command ten Level 3 walkers. You may recruit unaligned wild practitioners on your own, have headquarters assign them to you, or submit requests to the organization for specific individuals you want." A Level 3 walker was the minimum requirement to join a patrol squad. In terms of elite caliber, they far outclassed garrison teams. *Ten slots? I can pull in Little Green Tea, pull in Queen, and let me think about what other beauties I know...* Zhang Yuanqing's imagination ran wild, and a touch of anticipation stirred within him. Just then, Fu Qingyang stood up, looking down on Zhang Yuanqing from above. "We've finished the official business. Now, let's address some personal matters." As he spoke, Fu Qingyang reached into thin air and drew out a rust-encrusted Han eight-faced ancient sword. Expressionlessly, he said, "I hear you broke the record on the Transcendent stage score leaderboard. I would like to ask the record-breaking Yuanshi Tianzun to offer some pointers to an arrogant, reckless madman like me, who dared to call the Marshal trash." Zhang Yuanqing: "...?" Outside, rain poured down in sheets. Inside, murderous intent radiated from the Money Prince's eyes. *Bzzt, bzzt...* Right on cue, the Cat King Speaker in his waist pack started playing: "The rain keeps falling, the atmosphere is hardly pleasant~" Zhang Yuanqing backhanded the pack, instantly turning his gaze toward Elder Dog in hopes that the venerable elder would put a stop to the Money Prince's shameless bullying of a junior. Elder Dog truly did not disappoint. He said in a deep voice, "Elder Fu, swords and blades have no eyes. How can live weapons be used in a sparring match? Do not fool around." Zhang Yuanqing was just about to praise the elder's wisdom when he suddenly saw Elder Dog raise a paw and tap the empty air. The next instant, two half-meter-long wooden clubs materialized out of nowhere, completely covered in sharp barbs. Elder Dog said cheerfully, "Use these instead. I've already prepared them!" Zhang Yuanqing: "???" The entire room looked upon Yuanshi Tianzun with pity, their hands moving in tacit unison to pull out their phones. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly understood. The dark miasma rising from his Palace of Misfortune meant he was about to get beaten half to death. The dark miasma in his Palace of Affinity meant he was about to suffer total social death. Yuanshi Tianzun's towering, glorious image was about to be utterly ruined by this pack of phone cameras.