Passing the Buck

A brilliant golden light shone into his sea of consciousness, dispersing the malevolence in Zhang Yuanqing's heart. Snapping out of the spirit-questioning trance, he saw Li Dongze with his clothes disheveled. At the same time, he felt aches and pains all over his body, as though he had just endured an inhumane beating. "Seriously. Every time a Night Wanderer devours a spirit body from an evil profession, they go wild..." Li Dongze tossed the Demon-Subduing Pestle back to Zhang Yuanqing, adjusted his attire, and pulled a pack of wet wipes from his pocket to hand over. "Wipe off your bloody nose. One must maintain elegance at all times." Taking the wet wipe, Zhang Yuanqing cleaned off the traces of blood. First, he opened his attribute panel for a look: his experience had increased by 5%, bringing him to 52%. Next, he sorted through the memory fragments. The Spirit Society Eastern District Branch had two vice chairmen. One was the Deceitful Eye Judge, and the other was Desperado's superior's superior. The two vice chairmen had vied for the chairman position, engaging in overt and covert struggles for years. After the Deceitful Eye Judge died, that other vice chairman tried to obtain the Holy Grail and the roster to inherit his rival's legacy and unify the Eastern District Branch. That was why he was also searching for Hei Wuchang. *The Spirit Society's influence is massive. Just the Eastern District Branch alone has two vice chairmen, both high-level Spirit Realm walkers...* Steadying his mind, Zhang Yuanqing said, "Decurion, I discovered a major lead." He immediately shared the list of names he had seen in the memory fragments with Li Dongze. Li Dongze nodded as he listened. When he heard the list, his eyes flashed brightly. "Good, very good! With this list, we can carry out targeted screenings instead of running around like headless flies. As expected, no one knows an enemy better than another enemy." Zhang Yuanqing pondered. "I can't shake the feeling that something's off. First Ou Xiangrong, now Desperado—it feels like someone is deliberately feeding us clues." Li Dongze smiled faintly. "You have sharp insights. How about this: write an analysis report for me. Consider it a test of your abilities." *Elegance freak, keep this up and you're going to lose me...* Zhang Yuanqing's face went completely blank. "Li Yuanfang and his team got lucky today. Team Two has earned major merit," Li Dongze remarked with a sigh. Without another word, he leaned on his cane, walked to the door, and pushed the iron door open. The members of Team Two waiting in the corridor surged forward at once. The stern, cold-faced Li Yuanfang looked at him with a trace of anticipation. "How did it go? Any leads?" Li Dongze smiled. "We obtained a list of Hei Wuchang's subordinates. Your Team Two has earned great merit." A broad smile broke across Li Yuanfang's austere face. The captains of Team Two were overjoyed, beaming with delight. The weight of such a list spoke for itself. The more crucial the list, the greater their merit, benefiting the entire team. Li Dongze said gravely, "However, the authenticity of the list still needs verification." Li Yuanfang nodded steadily, then looked past Li Dongze toward Zhang Yuanqing. "Once the rewards are distributed, we'll set aside ten percent as compensation for you. Thank you." His tone was remarkably gentle. Then, looking envious, he sighed. "Decurion Li, you have incredible luck." The members of Team Two looked at Zhang Yuanqing with eyes full of goodwill and approval. No one objected to their captain's decision to offer compensation; they all believed Zhang Yuanqing had earned it. *** Dinner time. Zhang Yuanqing sat by the dining table, enjoying the food his grandma had cooked. Jiang Yu'er scrolled through short videos as she ate. She wore a pink hoodie, its hood sporting two large, fluffy ears. He recalled that when his aunt was eighteen or nineteen, she loved collecting black stockings, short skirts, and the like to show off her mature charm. After her twenty-fifth birthday, her wardrobe had shifted toward a girlish style, and she fancied herself a young maiden, a little fairy. The older she got, the harder she tried to act young. "Don't play with your phone while eating," Grandma chided. "Just for a little bit..." his aunt coaxed playfully. Chewing on her food, she said, "Yuanzi, I saw a mixed-race babe at the hospital today. Her figure was top-notch, and she was drop-dead gorgeous. Do you know how old her husband is?" *Not only does that mixed-race babe have a great figure, but she's also great at driving people wild...* Zhang Yuanqing played along and asked, "How old?" "Still in college!" His aunt gave him a look of utter disdain. "Now look at you. Single to this day, completely hopeless." "Aren't you single too? Who are you to talk?" Zhang Yuanqing shot her a sideways glance. "What do you know? My being single is staying pure and keeping my standards high. Your being single is just having no game." "Even the Hegemon of Western Chu couldn't withstand that low blow." Grandma caught every word and scolded her daughter, "You have the nerve to talk about Yuanzi? Right now, he's prioritizing his studies. What's wrong with that? Staying pure? Are you trying to become a holy virgin? You're going on another blind date next week! I'm not telling you to get married right away, but at least find a boyfriend and start dating." Passing the buck, his aunt deflected the spearhead toward her nephew. "I haven't even secured my permanent position yet. I need to prioritize my career too! Your grandson is thirty, and isn't he single as well?" Hearing that, Grandma felt there was truth to it. She looked at Chen Yuanjun and pondered. "Yuanjun, let Grandma arrange another blind date for you. Last time, I gave your photo to the lady's side, and they told me they didn't want an older man. Grandma thought their family had terrible taste... I'll have Yu'er touch up your photo to make you look younger." The corner of the cousin's mouth twitched. His brow furrowed into its habitual stern creases, and he said in a deep voice, "Whatever makes Grandma happy is fine. But I think Yuanzi has been sleeping during the day and playing video games all night lately, not taking his studies to heart at all. College isn't the finish line for learning; it's the starting point for entering society. With Eldest Aunt abroad, Grandma, you should supervise Yuanzi even more closely. Better just smash that PS5." Grandma thought that made sense and flared up in anger. "All you know is playing games all day! You useless thing, are you trying to force me to smash your console?!" *Wait, brother, that's just dirty...* Zhang Yuanqing felt his scalp tingle. Seeing Grandma about to lecture him endlessly, he quietly summoned Little Doubi, directed him to climb onto Grandpa's head, and then focused his thoughts to personally intervene, stripping away Grandpa's hearing. "Grandma, look at Grandpa! He doesn't lift a finger and leaves running this entire household to you alone. It's just not fair!" His aunt and cousin shot him surprised glances. *This kid has some nerve today.* At his words, Grandma immediately turned to Grandpa, frowning. "Old Chen, say a few words too... Old Chen? Old Chen!" With a plump, adorable infant perched on his head, Grandpa remained completely oblivious, eating his meal in silence. Zhang Yuanqing quietly recalled Little Doubi. Grandpa jerked his head up as though he had only just heard someone calling him, his brow furrowed. "What?" "I'm talking to you!" Grandma snapped. "I didn't hear you." "What's that supposed to mean? Playing deaf with me? All you do day in and day out is wander the streets, play chess, and watch television! Am I the Chen family's maid? You don't look after your own daughter, you don't look after your grandson, and you don't look after your maternal grandson! Now I finally see who that family disgrace took after..." Grandma's fiery temper flared out of control. Zhang Yuanqing buried his head in his bowl, eating quietly and keeping his great deed hidden. *** Morse Pet Cafe. The roll-up door was half-lowered. Inside, the lighting was dim; the amber glow and the elm-wood flooring blended into a soothing, tranquil ambiance. Deacon-level figures from Fenghui District, Kangyang District, Jinjiang District, and Puning District had gathered together—eleven people in total. They sat around a round table, steaming cups of coffee resting by their hands. Without question, this was a high-level meeting, and whoever had the authority to summon Deacons for a conference had to be an Elder-level figure. Beneath the amber pendant light, right at the center of the round table, a curly-haired toy poodle sat with an imposing, dignified posture. It spoke in a human voice: "Everyone is present. I'll make this brief. The fall of the Deceitful Eye Judge involves significant matters. What have you all turned up over the past few days?" This was an Elder from Baihui, one of the officials in charge of the Deceitful Eye Judge case. He oversaw all Spirit Realm walker teams across the four districts mentioned above, a heavyweight figure who could report directly to the Alliance Leader. The other Deacons remained silent. The Deacon of Fenghui District raised a hand and said in a low voice, "My subordinates neutralized a Witch Doctor today. He was confirmed to be Gu King's man, and from his spirit body's memories, we obtained a list..." He then disclosed the contents of the list. A look of approval appeared in the poodle's beady eyes. "Well done. Mmh, Witch Doctor spirit bodies are extraordinarily frantic and erratic. A Taiyi Sect Night Wanderer pays no small price to perform spirit questioning. Make sure to provide compensation later." The Fenghui District Deacon nodded, then added, "I don't believe the Ou Xiangrong incident was a coincidence. He was bait cast out by Gu King to let us know of the Deceitful Eye Judge's demise. The Witch Doctor killed today was also Gu King's subordinate; he wants to leverage our official strength to ferret out Hei Wuchang." Gu King was the other vice chairman of the Spirit Society Eastern District Branch. He and the Deceitful Eye Judge had fought over the chairman seat for years. The two sides were like fire and water. "When goals align, anyone can be an ally. But the Fallen Holy Grail brings endless harm. It must be kept by us officials and must never fall into Gu King's hands." The poodle's beady eyes swept over the crowd. "Does anyone else have anything to add?" The Deacons quietly committed the list to memory. A female Deacon frowned and said, "Zhao Yingjun's case serves as a warning. I suggest conducting a screening of all members in the Songhai Branch, including the Taiyi Sect Night Wanderers. Pawns of the Spirit Society might be lurking among them." The poodle pondered for a few seconds before slowly nodding. "In that case, we would need to deploy the 'Tiger Tally.' I will submit an application to the Marshal." With business concluded, the toy poodle turned its head toward Fu Qingyang, who sat in a white suit, remaining silent throughout. "I heard you recently recruited a Night Wanderer with decent potential who cleared the Sheling Tunnel?" Fu Qingyang gave a slight nod, then added, "He was also the one who killed Ou Xiangrong." The poodle said, "A few days ago, Elder Hongying of the Taiyi Sect contacted me, hoping to have that Night Wanderer transferred over. I know Elder Sun previously said he didn't want the little fellow, but after all, the Five Elements Alliance and the Taiyi Sect have signed an agreement. "Personnel matters fall under Elder Hongying's jurisdiction, not Elder Sun's... Qingyang, what is your opinion?" Fu Qingyang replied indifferently, "Just reject her. If it is inconvenient for you, Elder, I can make the call myself." A Deacon from Baihui immediately chuckled. "It's no big deal, just a single Night Wanderer. Giving him to the Taiyi Sect wouldn't hurt, and wouldn't a favor from Elder Hongying be far more valuable? Besides, every one of our districts has a Taiyi Sect Night Wanderer stationed there. Whenever we need them to work, don't they cooperate actively? Right, Old Zhang?" Old Zhang was the Deacon of Fenghui District. The other Deacons kept silent, refraining from voicing opinions on such a sensitive topic. Seeing everyone look his way, Old Zhang frowned and said, "Since he's Centurion Fu's man, I won't voice an opinion on personnel transfers. But regarding the Taiyi Sect Night Wanderers' work attitude, I have some feedback to give. The Witch Doctor killed today was not questioned by a Taiyi Sect Night Wanderer. He cited poor physical condition and outright refused to cooperate. "My Decurion had no choice but to seek help from Team Two of Kangyang District. Ha, their man came after a single phone call without any complaints, and he's only a Level 1 Night Wanderer. "Personally, I believe there's still a difference between our own Night Wanderer and someone else's." Fu Qingyang was slightly startled; he hadn't known about this matter. After hearing Old Zhang's words, several Deacons voiced their opinions: "I think we should keep him. It's not like the Taiyi Sect lacks a single Night Wanderer." "We need hands right now. Our own people are more trustworthy." The Baihui Deacon looked embarrassed and said nothing more. The poodle nodded. "Then he stays. As for Elder Hongying, I will turn her down. Qingyang, Ling Jun of the Taiyi Sect will lead a team to Songhai in a few days to assist us in hunting down Hei Wuchang. You two are peers, quite close in private, and both among the Four Young Masters. You should go receive him." Fu Qingyang gave an affirmative murmur.