Pushing the door open and stepping inside, Zhang Yuanqing saw Yuan Ting sitting by the conference table, a cigarette between his fingers. He leaned against the back of his chair in a slightly lazy posture, looking over with a smile. Beside the Night Wanderer's hand stood a pen holder holding a command flag. It had an iron spike tip and was made of silk, with silver cloud patterns embroidered across a pitch-black background and the character "Command" stitched in the center.
Judging purely by appearance, it was indistinguishable from the command flags used in ancient armies.
Zhang Yuanqing took a seat and straightened his back. "Captain Yuan, what did you want to see me about? Let's get one thing straight first—I'm very happy in Team Two and have no plans to jump ship."
He probed the other man's motive with playful banter.
"You cleared Sheling Tunnel, and Centurion Fu thinks very highly of you. I couldn't poach you even if I tried. Ah, you probably don't know this, but back when Centurion Fu asked for that walkthrough on your behalf, our Taiyi Sect's Elder Sun assumed you had no chance of clearing it and passed on taking you. Now it's too late for regrets. Quite a few people in our sect are grumbling about it; they think you've got serious potential and might even advance to Saint one day... Oh, I'm rambling, rambling." Yuan Ting offered by way of explanation, "I'm a bit of a talker. Hope you don't mind."
*Oh, so that's what was meant by Elder Sun being muddled?* Zhang Yuanqing nodded.
"Smoke?"
"Not really my thing..."
"When I was your age, I didn't smoke either. Not until I became a Night Wanderer. The trial quest traumatized me so badly that I picked up the habit. Even though it's bad for you, it really does take the edge off. Every Night Wanderer has their quirks, more or less.
"I have a friend named Jian Ji. When he first became a Night Wanderer, he was traumatized so badly that he had to watch an hour of Teletubbies every day to vent his emotions and calm his terror. To this day, he still hasn't kicked the habit, hahaha..."
*Captain Yuan, you really are a talker, but how can you go around broadcasting your friend's embarrassing secrets like that...* Zhang Yuanqing complained inwardly, though on the outside, he maintained an attentive posture.
After blathering for a bit, Yuan Ting finally remembered their actual business. Clearing his throat, his expression turned solemn.
"We are looking for a lucky individual—one who received the Demon Lord's inheritance. All new Night Wanderers who advanced this year are subjects of our screening, including you. 'Demon Lord' is the ID of a high-level Spirit Realm walker."
"The Demon Lord's inheritance?" Zhang Yuanqing asked blankly. "I don't understand what you mean..."
"Let me explain more clearly. According to our official deductions, the Spirit Realm does not issue character cards limitlessly; there is a ceiling. Therefore, whenever a Spirit Realm walker dies, everything they have is reclaimed by the Spirit Realm, including their character card."
Yuan Ting lit another cigarette. "Among them, when a high-level Spirit Realm walker dies, the Spirit Realm doesn't format the card a hundred percent. Certain special elements are preserved, and then the card is issued to a newcomer. We refer to this phenomenon as an 'inheritance.'"
*There's such a thing?* Zhang Yuanqing understood, musing aloud:
"May I ask who this Demon Lord is, and what your purpose is in looking for his heir? This concerns me personally, so I hope you understand."
Yuan Ting was surprisingly candid, speaking without reservation:
"I don't know why the higher-ups are searching for the Demon Lord's heir. For mid-level cadres like us, we just follow orders. As for the Demon Lord..."
A mixture of hatred and dread appeared on Yuan Ting's face. He said in a deep voice:
"He was a fallen Night Wanderer, and a sworn enemy of our Taiyi Sect. Many official Spirit Realm walkers died by his hand—some from the Five Elements Alliance, some from the Taiyi Sect. Even the elders in our sect were deeply wary of him. At one point, he threw the official factions into sheer panic.
"Our sect master once remarked that this man was the most promising, and the most terrifying, Night Wanderer of the past thirty years."
*Whether he was terrifying or not, I don't know, but he was definitely chuunibyou.* Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly asked, "Then how do you identify the Demon Lord's heir? Or rather, how should I cooperate with you?"
By the sound of it, the Demon Lord's heir had no actual relationship with the Demon Lord himself. As an orthodox organization, the Taiyi Sect surely wouldn't vent their anger on an innocent person, right?
Yuan Ting once again answered with frank honesty:
"There are two unique traits that distinguish the Demon Lord's heir. First, their character card is imprinted with a full moon rather than a crescent. Second, upon clearing an instance, they receive an additional character card exclusive reward compared to ordinary Night Wanderers."
*! ! !*
Zhang Yuanqing remained impassive on the outside, but tempestuous waves surged in his heart, his mind screaming *holy shit*.
Wasn't that exactly his character card?
The card Brother Bing mailed him... belonged to the Demon Lord?
Why did Brother Bing have the Demon Lord's character card? What was his relationship to the Demon Lord?
He had always assumed that receiving a character card exclusive reward like the red dancing shoes was standard. Looking at it now, it was the Demon Lord's inheritance that made him special. Fortunately, due to the rarity of rule-based items, he had kept the card-exclusive reward quiet.
The Decurion and Old Driver only knew he possessed a rule-based item, not that it had been a character card exclusive reward.
All kinds of thoughts flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind.
Instead of letting his thoughts scatter aimlessly, he swiftly steadied his composure and smiled with a touch of regret.
"Looks like I'm not the Demon Lord's heir then. I always thought I was special, considering I even managed to clear Sheling Tunnel.
"Captain Yuan, how do I display my mark? It isn't under my control."
The mark represented the Spirit Realm. Aside from the night the character card rebooted and when he leveled up inside the Spirit Realm—where the black moon mark appeared between his eyebrows—it was virtually nonexistent at all other times.
Yuan Ting glanced at the command flag in the pen holder and said, "Low-level Spirit Realm walkers can't affect the mark. That kind of stylish 'cosmetic' is the privilege of high-level walkers. I don't need to see your mark; I only need to detect lies."
Saying so, he looked toward the pen holder beside his hand and explained, "This command flag is an item I borrowed from Centurion Fu. Its ability is to compel obedience and prevent someone from lying. The cost, however, is that I cannot lie either."
Zhang Yuanqing did his best to maintain the smile on his face.
At this very moment, no words could describe what he was feeling.
Wasting no more words, Yuan Ting pulled out the command flag, pointed it through the air at Zhang Yuanqing, and asked in a low, solemn voice:
"Then let me ask you now: is your Night Wanderer mark a crescent or a full moon?"
The moment the words fell, Zhang Yuanqing felt a vast, majestic force descend upon him from the unseen, inspiring awe from the depths of his heart and compelling instinctive obedience. He dared not conceal anything, seized by an urge to pour out all of his secrets.
His nerves tightened uncontrollably, and his scalp prickled with waves of numbness.
*What is the Taiyi Sect's objective in searching for the Demon Lord's heir? If it were just to recruit talent, there would be no need to be so vague and ambiguous about it—that's completely normal.*
*There must be a deeper reason.*
*The character card was given to me by Brother Bing; this might even involve him.*
As the tension mounted into anxiety, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly thought of the infant spirit housed inside him. A master could transfer damage and negative effects to a spirit servant, having it share the burden!
Although the command flag's power was vast and majestic, it caused no physical harm. Little Doubi should be fine—it was worth a shot...
He immediately settled his emotions and communicated with the infant spirit within him, briefly linking their souls.
In a flash, the vast, majestic force flowed along his spiritual body and surged into the infant spirit.
The slumbering infant spirit kicked its little legs, as if experiencing a nightmare.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yuanqing's mind abruptly relaxed as the sensation of awe and terror vanished without a trace.
"A crescent!"
Zhang Yuanqing uttered the answer in a low voice.
Yuan Ting remained silent for several seconds. Keeping the command flag pointed like a halberd, he asked:
"Do you have a character card exclusive reward?"
"No."
Yuan Ting fell silent once more. After a dozen or so seconds, he sighed and withdrew the command flag. "You passed the screening. I will report the result back to the organization. The Taiyi Sect takes the Demon Lord's heir very seriously, so there may be similar verifications in the future. Also, if you discover any Night Wanderer with these two traits, be sure to inform me. The Taiyi Sect will reward you handsomely."
*No matter how much money you offer, I'm not reporting myself...* Silently breathing a sigh of relief, Zhang Yuanqing patted his chest and said, "The moment I find anyone, I will inform you immediately."
Yuan Ting nodded in satisfaction.
"Actually, becoming the Demon Lord's heir isn't necessarily a good thing. The Spirit Realm has a balancing mechanism. Special Spirit Realm walkers like that are often assigned high-difficulty missions. Always remember: rewards and risks are forever proportional."
Zhang Yuanqing smiled. "The Demon Lord's heir truly is pitiful."
Those words came straight from the heart.
Yuan Ting put the pen holder and command flag back into his briefcase, simultaneously offering his phone.
"If you don't mind, let's add each other as friends. There are too few Night Wanderers in the Five Elements Alliance, so no one can teach you the experience and knowledge of our profession. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to consult me."
*You really are a good guy...* Zhang Yuanqing gladly scanned the QR code and added him.
Putting his phone away, Yuan Ting smiled and added, "Consultation fees apply, of course."
*I have to pay?* Zhang Yuanqing's face instantly froze.
"By the way, it's been almost a week since you advanced to Night Wanderer, right?" Yuan Ting noted. "Based on our collective experience, newly advanced Night Wanderers enter the Spirit Realm again within the next one to two weeks, most likely a multiplayer competitive realm."
*In other words, I'll receive a quest within a week at most? Wait, I think I remember who this guy is—he earned two hundred yuan off me last night!* Feeling both solemn and expectant, Zhang Yuanqing asked, "How much does this piece of intel cost?"
Yuan Ting chuckled. "This one's free."
*Free? Oh, you really are a good guy...* Zhang Yuanqing immediately said, "Then I still have a question for you, Captain Yuan. Can that be free too?"
"Depends on whether your question has value," Yuan Ting said.
"Among the Night Wanderer's later skills, is there one called the divine power of the sun?"
"Yes, though I'm not entirely sure which level unlocks it."
*That's enough. Now I have a clearer idea of my profession's progression path. Sun and moon, yin and yang gathered in one person—how cool is that!* Zhang Yuanqing said, "I have no more questions."
Watching the Taiyi Sect Night Wanderer leave the conference room and head down the steel stairs, Zhang Yuanqing walked toward the Decurion's office.
He still needed to report the situation at his aunt's hospital, but his story needed tweaking. He couldn't expose anything related to Little Doubi, nor could he let anyone know he had a spirit servant—not at this stage.
Inside the office, Li Dongze heard a howl from outside the door:
"I stand at the wind and waves' crest, grasping the turning of sun and moon / May heaven and earth remain in fine order..."
The singing cut off, followed by a knock on the door.
Li Dongze called back, "Come in."
Chapter 37