Horror

"Character cards serve as protection for spirit walkers." This sentence reminded Zhang Yuanqing of an ancient cultivator—Sect Master Chunyang. Back then, that master of the old crone had forcibly cultivated the mental methods of an Illusionist in order to break through his realm, only to fall into madness and turn into a bloodthirsty maniac.\n\nFrom this, it was clear that when an orthodox class cultivated the spiritual power of an evil class, the consequence was mental collapse. Thus, character cards were indeed a form of protection for orthodox walkers.\n\n—A character card restricted a spirit walker from cultivating the spiritual power of other classes.\n\nFurthermore, Zhang Yuanqing believed Fear Heavenly King was correct in saying that a character card could only transition from orthodox to evil.\n\nEmpress Wa was living proof.\n\nEmpress Wa possessed dual classes as a Musician and a Scholar, yet she had never gone mad. This showed that dual cultivation between orthodox classes was possible without adverse side effects, which meant no protection was needed.\n\nThe core meaning of a character card's protection was to prevent orthodox classes from cultivating evil spiritual power—to stop them from being "corrupted."\n\nBut what did he mean by the spirit realm's self-defense mechanism?\n\n[Yuanshi Tianzun: The character card protects orthodox classes, right? What do you mean by the spirit realm's self-defense mechanism?]\n\nFear Heavenly King ignored him.\n\n[Yuanshi Tianzun: Great Heavenly King of Freedom, please resolve my doubts.]\n\n[Fear Heavenly King: Whether I answer or not is my freedom. I don't feel like telling you now.]\n\nZhang Yuanqing furrowed his brows. For a moment, he couldn't tell whether the guy was acting up or if the "spirit realm's self-defense mechanism" touched upon higher-level secrets that he was unwilling to disclose.\n\nEither way, the fact that Fear Heavenly King was willing to ramble was a good thing.\n\nThe ramblings of a demigod—even mere complaints and unhelpful chatter—were priceless intelligence to a low-level spirit walker.\n\n"Compared to the strictly regulated officials, the Free classes are far more unrestrained and willing to talk. Fear Heavenly King makes for a fantastic repository of intelligence, but that's no reason to lower my guard and overlook the nature of evil classes."\n\nAt his core, Fear Heavenly King remained a bloodthirsty, reckless lunatic.\n\nEven Heavenly King Demonic Eye, who championed justice, was an exceptionally dangerous figure.\n\nTheir personalities might seem amusing, but they would never bat an eye when killing someone.\n\nExiting the chat interface and deleting his chat history with Fear Heavenly King, Zhang Yuanqing left his desk and walked over to the window, staring blankly at the garden bathed in brilliant sunlight.\n\nMidsummer had passed, and early autumn had arrived; it was already August.\n\nIn another week, he would have to enter an instance again, facing his second instance since becoming a Starlord—a multiplayer instance.\n\nThe Mirror of Fate's prophecy still rang in his ears: he had only three months left to live.\n\nThree months was neither long nor short; after all, it had only been a little over four months since he first became a spirit walker.\n\nThe future crisis that would cause his death hadn't even shown the slightest sign yet.\n\nZhang Yuanqing was entirely at a loss about it, unable even to take precautionary measures.\n\nAs a result, he felt a desperate yearning for astromancy. Only Level 5 Starlords could learn astromancy, and with the help of his astrolabe, his deduction skills should be on par with a Level 6.\n\nWhen that time came, he would be able to gain revelations through astromancy regarding where the fatal crisis stemmed from, how it arose, and who the enemy was.\n\n"It would be great if I could get the Taiyi Sect's core cultivation manual. If all else fails, focusing primarily on the Stars should yield more accurate and clearer revelations, allowing me to avoid the fatal crisis."\n\nAt that thought, Zhang Yuanqing took out his phone, stood by the window, and sent Yin Ji a message:\n\n[Yuanshi Tianzun: Sister Yin Ji, how can I obtain the core cultivation manual from the Taiyi Sect?]\n\nLess than ten seconds after sending the message, Yin Ji replied, but her response left Zhang Yuanqing somewhat stunned.\n\n[Yin Ji: This is an unshared secret of the Taiyi Sect. Please do not ask me questions like this again.]\n\nA reply had come, but between the lines lay distance and coldness, nothing like a gentle older sister.\n\nZhang Yuanqing thought to himself, *It's only been a few days since we last saw each other, and you've already forgotten our friendship? We're at least friends, aren't we?*\n\nHis suddenly deteriorating luck with women gave him a vague feeling that something was amiss, though he couldn't put his finger on what.\n\nZhang Yuanqing didn't waste time dwelling on trivial matters, turning his thoughts instead to the operation to rescue Demonic Eye.\n\nIf possible, he would rather not take the risk.\n\n"Fear Heavenly King's curse on me is that if I don't rescue Demonic Eye within a month, I will surely die. The curse itself isn't the main issue; the crux is that he used the power of a contract to insure the curse.\n\n"The terms of the contract state: do not convey this matter by any means to anyone, and under no circumstances remove the curse."\n\nZhang Yuanqing thought about it. The crucial point was that final clause—*under no circumstances remove the curse*.\n\nPossessing the Perfect Human Skin, he could completely transfer causality by having his avatar don the skin and violate the contract. After the contract's power killed the avatar, he could ask the old crone to purify the curse for him.\n\nHowever, if he used the Perfect Human Skin with the intention of removing the curse, would he be killed on the spot by the contract's power?\n\nBefore his avatar could even put on the skin, his true body might return to the spirit realm first.\n\n"I need to be especially careful about this. When using the human skin in the future, I must control my thoughts and avoid thinking along those lines. But once the skin is on, can I proceed with the plan?"\n\nAt this point in his pondering, Zhang Yuanqing thought again of the prophecy of his death in three months.\n\nThis prophecy actually indicated that he wouldn't die over the matter of Demonic Eye.\n\n"Perhaps because of this maneuver, I avoided Fear Heavenly King's curse, so I didn't have to rescue Demonic Eye and survived as a result? Uh, or maybe I successfully rescued Demonic Eye..."\n\nRescuing Demonic Eye would earn him the man's gratitude. Not rescuing him might ensure safety for a time, but Fear Heavenly King would then wonder how Yuanshi Tianzun had bypassed both the contract and the curse.\n\nZhang Yuanqing really didn't want to be targeted by the chief of all idiots.\n\nAfter pondering for a while, he decided to put the matter aside for now. Once he advanced to Level 5 and learned Stargazing, he would consider whether to rescue Demonic Eye based on the revelations he received.\n\n***\n\nKangyang InterContinental Hotel, revolving restaurant.\n\nLingjun produced an exquisite jewelry box from his pocket, pushed it gently across the table toward the woman opposite him, and sighed:\n\n"The journey of life is always full of partings and meetings. Today's parting may very well be for tomorrow's reunion. My beloved girl, the most beautiful scenery is always up ahead. I can no longer walk alongside you. Go on—you are a free bird."\n\nThe truth was, he had run out of money. He had to wait until next month, when Baihui and the Taiyi Sect paid his salary, before he could resume picking up girls.\n\nThe woman—with an oval face, wavy hair, clad head-to-toe in designer brands, refined and stylish—accepted the jewelry box, reluctance written all over her face as she said mournfully:\n\n"Lingjun, if I reach out to you later, you're not allowed to reject me, block me, or ignore my calls."\n\nLingjun's smile was warm and sunny. "You will always have my tenderness."\n\nJust then, his phone rang.\n\n"Excuse me, I need to take this." Lingjun rose and stepped away from the table.\n\nWalking out of the restaurant into a quiet stairwell, he answered the call and smiled.\n\n"Uncle Zhao, what instructions does my uncle have?"\n\nThe voice of a middle-aged man came through the phone:\n\n"Young Master Lingjun, Elder Yunzhongzi asked me to pass along a message. Keep a close eye on Yuanshi Tianzun recently. Watch for any changes in him, especially regarding items and materials."\n\nLingjun was taken aback. "What happened?"\n\nThe middle-aged man then briefly informed Lingjun of what had transpired at Qinfeng Academy.\n\n"I see." Lingjun narrowed his eyes, his smile turning cold. "Uncle suspects that Yuanshi Tianzun solved the hidden quest? No problem, I'll keep tabs on him. Heh, Qinfeng's hidden quest has remained unsolved to this day. I actually hope Yuanshi Tianzun succeeded—we at Baihui would love to take the prize off his hands."\n\nThe middle-aged man said, "Keep it as discreet and gentle as possible."\n\n"Understood. That kid Yuanshi Tianzun trusts me a lot. It won't be hard to pry information out of him. Await my good news." Lingjun curled the corners of his lips.\n\n***\n\n"What's wrong with you, kid? You can't even handle a tiny matter properly. My uncle is suspecting you now."\n\nIn the cigar lounge, Lingjun lounged lazily in a cushioned chair with his legs crossed, utterly disappointed in his student's competence. "The other day, hearing Fu Qingyang mention the hidden quest to you, I knew you two were plotting something."\n\nBefore Zhang Yuanqing could speak, Fu Qingyang, seated on the sofa, remarked flatly:\n\n"No matter. They have no evidence, and I won't let anyone from Baihui get near Yuanshi."\n\nWith that, Money Prince glanced at Lingjun. "From now on, all your expenses in Songhai can be reimbursed by me. And the tiger pelt in the White Tiger Guards' guild warehouse is yours."\n\nLingjun understood immediately. "On my uncle's side, I'll brush it off for Yuanshi."\n\nThe three said no more, leisurely puffing white smoke.\n\nAfter a while, Zhang Yuanqing asked, "Boss, did you snip something off of me?"\n\nHolding his cigar between his fingers, Fu Qingyang picked up the glass of whiskey from the table and took a sip. "The red string."\n\n"What?"\n\nMoney Prince repeated, "The red string. The red string that symbolizes romantic destiny."\n\n"Pfft!" Lingjun burst out laughing. "With the red string cut, you'll walk through a sea of blossoms without a single leaf clinging to you—because no woman will like you at all."\n\n*Doesn't that mean I'm just like Sanyang Kai Taitai, not even getting laid anymore? No more women throwing themselves at me?*\n\nZhang Yuanqing's expression changed drastically.\n\nFu Qingyang explained in an even tone, "The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter is a Musician. As long as she wishes to, she can make any man fall in love with her. Neither Lingjun nor I would be an exception."\n\nAs for why he had snipped everything in one go, it was because he wasn't a Musician and couldn't perform such delicate operations.\n\nLingjun waved a hand. "Not necessarily. As long as she's pretty enough, I'd fall in love with her even without a red string. Besides, the red string has a time limit. This skill is quite troublesome in combat—just like Lust's charm, it easily softens people's hearts."\n\n*He was worried I'd be enchanted by the red string and fall into the Palace Master's trap. No wonder Boss stopped objecting after that snip...* Zhang Yuanqing grasped Fu Qingyang's intent.\n\n"Th-then will my red string recover?" he asked.\n\nFu Qingyang said, "The red string will reconnect on its own after twenty-four hours."\n\n*That's a relief, that's a relief. For these twenty-four hours, the worst that can happen is I avoid women...* Just as Zhang Yuanqing thought this, he saw the bunny girl enter the cigar lounge, stop beside Fu Qingyang, and bow.\n\n"Young Master, Miss Guan Ya has returned."\n\nLingjun clapped his hands. "Yuanshi, break up with Guan Ya right now, and I'll introduce Teng'er to you."\n\n***\n\nLeather City.\n\nInside the sprawling villa of the Xiahou family, Xiahou Aotian sat at his desk, the computer screen displaying the notification of a successfully sent email.\n\nHalf an hour ago, official authorities had called the Xiahou family, demanding that he submit a report on Qinfeng Academy.\n\nUnreliable though Xiahou Aotian's personality was, as a Scholar, he was far better suited than Yuanshi Tianzun and the others to draft a report devoid of flaws.\n\nHaving sent the email, he picked up his phone again, glanced at the chat log, and snorted dismissively:\n\n"What could possibly be wrong with a terracotta warrior core? Yuanshi Tianzun only knows how to scare people."\n\nWith that, he slumped into his ergonomic chair and stared up at the ceiling with an expression of disdain.\n\nA few seconds later, he bolted upright. "Better go get it checked after all."\n\nLeaving his room, he headed downstairs into the living room, where the nanny was preparing lunch in the kitchen.\n\n"Is the young master going out? Madam mentioned that you suffered a fright in the instance recently and is in the kitchen stewing some calming tonic for you." The nanny tactfully reminded him to return home for lunch.\n\nThe Xiahou family's nannies were equivalent to the born-and-raised domestic servants of prominent households in ancient times.\n\nSpirit realm clans maintained a strict vetting system for their workers. They would adopt orphans and groom them into butlers, assistants, nannies, and a wide array of service staff.\n\nThey would also recruit ordinary people who had accidentally become entangled in spirit walker incidents to work for the clan.\n\nThey would even absorb wild spirit walkers to serve the family.\n\nAfter over a century of multiplication and growth, several thousand ordinary people worked for the Xiahou family. For most of them, it was an ancestral iron rice bowl—even more secure than a job within the civil service system.\n\nIf a domestic servant showed promise, the Xiahou family would place them in family-run businesses, granting them immense boosts in status, benefits, and income.\n\n"Tell the old lady I'm going over to the clan head's place." Xiahou Aotian waved a hand and walked out the door.\n\nBright sunlight shone over the community, where level roads wound between neatly arranged luxury villas, their private yards filled with expensive ornamental flora.\n\nStaff members in uniforms patrolled around in shuttle carts.\n\nXiahou Aotian strolled beneath the sun in slippers, shorts, and a T-shirt. With his unruly, untamed hairstyle paired with handsome facial features, if one disregarded his personality, he truly looked the part of an anime male lead.\n\nBefore long, Xiahou Aotian sauntered into the clan head's grand estate. Ignoring the security guards' attempts to stop him and kicking the clan head's grandson flying, he reached the clan head's study.\n\n"Great-Uncle, I want to go into your treasury," Xiahou Aotian called out loudly as he pushed the door open.\n\n"Grandfather, this guy barged in again!" shouted the clan head's grandson, who was of similar age.\n\n"Get lost."\n\nXiahou Aotian kicked him flying once more.\n\nThe white-haired old clan head, who was poring over a manual on artifact crafting, looked up and forced a smile:\n\n"Aotian, what do you need in the treasury?"\n\n"I'm not feeling well. Just getting a health check."\n\nJust like that, Xiahou Aotian obtained the key to the clan head's treasury. In truth, diagnostic items were also kept in the Xiahou family's guild warehouse.\n\nHowever, applying to use items from the guild warehouse required the Old Ancestor's approval, and he had already been blacklisted by the Old Ancestor.\n\nWalking down the stairs to the basement level, he reached a heavy black iron door engraved with embossed runes at the end of the steps.\n\nXiahou Aotian inserted a ten-centimeter-long key into the keyhole and turned it with a click. From behind the door came a series of faint mechanical whirs as gears and bearings engaged.\n\nImmediately after, the runes across the door lit up one by one like fluorescent-blue LED fairy lights.\n\nThe light from the runes suddenly converged toward the center of the door, collapsing into a swirling, fluorescent-blue passage.\n\nXiahou Aotian stepped through the passage and arrived inside the clan head's treasury.\n\nThe treasury spanned well over a thousand square meters, with a dome roughly ten meters high supported by six massive pillars.\n\nThe most abundant items piled here were discarded items—failed refinements—followed by spirit realm materials, with usable items being the fewest.\n\nFamiliar with the layout, Xiahou Aotian walked straight to a machine resembling an MRI scanner, powered it on, and lay inside.\n\nThis was the equipment used during the Xiahou family's grand health checks.\n\nThe cylindrical machine hummed into operation, its infrared beams scanning Xiahou Aotian's body over and over.\n\n*Beep, beep—*\n\nJust then, a synthesized female voice issued from the display monitor connected to the apparatus:\n\n"Please do not scan two people at the same time. Please do not scan two people at the same time."\n\n*???*\n\nHearing the machine's warning, Xiahou Aotian's mind first filled with a string of question marks, followed immediately by a tingling numbness in his scalp as an unspeakable chill rushed to his heart.