Entering the Zoo

Elder Dog looked as though he had practically wet himself. Was this the literal definition of stunned dog-still? Seeing the curly-haired poodle's reaction on the video call through the screen, Zhang Yuanqing could barely keep from curling his lips in a smirk. He had previously used the Great Detective Pipe from the White Tiger Guards' warehouse to profile Zhang Zizhen, learning that his late father had been mild-mannered, dramatic in an adolescent way, and serious. He hadn't possessed any grand charismatic aura, far less amusing than the "Crouching Dragons and Fledgling Phoenixes" Zhang Yuanqing knew. Yet such a personality was easy to simulate. A gentle smile blossomed across Zhang Yuanqing's lips, and in a raspy voice, he said, "Long time no see, old friend. Surprised to see me?" He spoke with a bit of scheming intent, eager to see how Elder Dog would respond. On the other side of the screen, Elder Dog froze for a long time before tentatively leaning in, pushing his head close to the display. His black button-like eyes reflected the fluorescent blue light. He stared deeply at the old friend on the screen. "You are not Celestial Master Zhang. Who are you!" Whether it was an illusion or not, Zhang Yuanqing felt that Elder Dog's voice had suddenly aged with deep weariness. In a low, gravelly tone, Elder Dog said, "Celestial Master Zhang has already returned to the Spirit Realm. I confirmed it myself. Who on earth are you, and why are you calling me disguised in his form?" Zhang Yuanqing reined in his smile, assuming a solemn expression. "Old friend, I am Celestial Master Zhang. I did not return to the Spirit Realm; back then, I had no choice but to fake my death. All these years, I've been hiding abroad, only recently returning to our homeland." Elder Dog sneered. "Utter nonsense!" Suddenly baring his teeth and exposing his snow-white fangs, he assumed a posture of extreme fury. "Who are you, what is your motive, and how dare you make a mockery of my departed friend!" *As expected, Elder Dog and Zhang Zizhen were indeed friends—now that's rock-solid proof. He saw my file and knew my father was Zhang Zizhen, so he knew all along that I was the son of an old friend. No wonder he treated me so well and even tolerated me rubbing his dog head. And here I thought I had won him over with my sheer charm and deference.* Zhang Yuanqing had anticipated this, yet witnessing Elder Dog's reaction still startled him. In his memory, Elder Dog was gentle and easygoing, a very amusing dog—no, a very amusing elder. He had never seen him so enraged. *Elder Dog and my dad must have had quite a history back then!* he thought, letting out a sigh. "I know you don't believe me, and I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark for so long. I want to meet with you. I'm on the rooftop of the Silver Building in Rouzong City—" Before he could finish, Elder Dog had already raised a paw toward the hang-up button, remarking indifferently, "This old man has no interest." Zhang Yuanqing was not in the least flustered. A subtle smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "After so many years, have you fully mastered the Zoo I gifted you?" Elder Dog's paw froze midair, his gaze instantly deepening. *Dominators aren't easy to fool. Fortunately, I have genuine hard facts—as if I couldn't bluff you!* With a gentle expression, Zhang Yuanqing spoke in an unhurried tone: "You know my real name. A Spirit Realm Walker's true name is only ever disclosed to the closest of people." Pausing briefly, he said slowly, "Zhang Zizhen!" In the next second, Zhang Yuanqing saw Elder Dog's pupils violently contract in shock. The entire person—no, the entire dog—froze. Zhang Yuanqing had no intention of giving him time to compose himself, immediately dropping another series of bombshells: "Speaking of which, back then, the first to return to the Spirit Realm was Ling Tuo. After the Chu family was annihilated, Xiaoyao disbanded, and I was forced to fake my death to escape... You know all of this." "You..." Elder Dog's expression changed completely, brimming with shock and suspicion. Staring at Zhang Zizhen on the screen, he forcibly reined in his frantic emotions and probed, "You claim you've been hiding abroad all this time, so why have you suddenly returned to your homeland?" Zhang Yuanqing answered smoothly with a gentle smile: "The prophecy of the Compass of Light is about to come to pass, and the entire world will face monumental upheavals. I have been waiting for this exact opportunity, which is why I returned. "Old friend, I'll be waiting for you at the Silver Building. I have confidential matters to discuss." Without waiting for Elder Dog's response, he hung up. Elder Dog might not necessarily believe that the Zhang Zizhen on the other end of the line was the real deal, but he would definitely come to Rouzong City. If only for an answer. The bizarre resurrection of a deceased old friend—nothing could pique one's urge to investigate more than that, just as when Zhang Yuanqing had learned of Brother Bing's disappearance and been anxious enough to wish he could rush off to Jiangnan Province to search for him in person. On the rooftop of the Silver Building, night winds howled. Zhang Yuanqing promptly powered off the phone, popped out the SIM card, and pulled a pre-written slip of paper from his pocket, weighting it down with a chunk of concrete. Having finished all this, he walked over to the edge of the rooftop and looked into the distance. The streetlights were like glowing pearls strung together, while the lights behind the windows of towering apartment blocks were scattered like stars cast across the night sky. "I should've worn the Gale Gloves..." Zhang Yuanqing muttered. Raising a hand to his face, accompanied by ripples of watery light, he disguised himself as an ordinary passerby, pushed open the rooftop door, and vanished into the gloomy stairwell. A gust of night wind fluttered the slip of paper. On it, hasty scribbles read: "I've been targeted. Please meet at 'From Baicao Garden to Sanwei Bookstore.'" *** The Zoo. *Zhang Zizhen, Ling Tuo, the prophecy of the Compass of Light...* Elder Dog stared solemnly at his phone screen, not reacting for a long time. Roughly three minutes later, he leapt down from the desk, stepped outside, and made his way along the Zoo's wide avenues. After several twists and turns, he reached the Lion Enclosure. Elder Dog entered the small shed where Demonic Eye was imprisoned and said to the thick camphor tree hung with dangling vines, "Go to the core area!" The bead-curtain-like vines swayed gently, seemingly in response. "Pulling your roots out of the soil will kill you? It won't. Don't think of yourself as that fragile—you're just lazy." Elder Dog glared at the camphor tree and said crossly, "If you don't agree, I'll hand the job of sealing Demonic Eye to the old banyan tree next door. He's been eyeing your mate for ages." *Thud! Thud! Thud!* The concrete floor fractured. The camphor tree briskly yanked its roots out from beneath the ground, the gnarled, tangled root mass dragging up clods of soil that nearly filled the entire room. At the same time, the hanging vines whipped upward, tearing through the roof, sending concrete ceiling slabs crashing down in a clattering avalanche. With heavy strides, this stout yet not overly tall camphor tree trudged off toward the Zoo's core area, looking almost impatient. "What happened?" Inside the tree trunk, Demonic Eye turned his head and looked at the curly-haired poodle crouched among the ruins. His face was looking increasingly listless. Elder Dog paid him no mind. Raising his head toward the dark night sky, he murmured, "I have to go out for a while. In the meantime, anyone who intrudes into the Zoo is an enemy." The night was deep and heavy. Aside from the rustling sounds of the camphor tree's shifting roots, silence reigned. Elder Dog repeated the sentence once more. From the void finally came an impatient response: "Understood..." Elder Dog was long accustomed to the Zoo's cold detachment. It was like an honest husband whose wife still pined for her long-dead ex-boyfriend; aside from feeling helpless, the honest man had no other recourse. He transformed into a green streak of light, leaping between plants, and soon departed the Zoo. Using the street vegetation as springboards, the green streak flickered a few times, instantly covering hundreds of meters and rapidly receding into the distance. Outside the Zoo, under the goose-down yellow lamplight. Wearing a silver mask, Zhang Yuanqing disengaged from Night Roaming, revealing his figure. He took out his phone and dialed a number: "Elder Dog has left." After ending the call, a few minutes later, a crimson ribbon woven of red strings arced gracefully through the night sky, landing beside him. With a soft *bang*, the red strings burst open, transforming into a fiery beauty clad in a red dress. "You know the rules of the Zoo, right?" Zhang Yuanqing looked at the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter. "Demonic Eye is held in the Lion Enclosure. There's a white lion there that only appears at night; it's the guard watching over him. Palace Master, you handle it." The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter nodded slightly, smiling faintly. "Are you truly going to release Demonic Eye? If this gets exposed, there won't be a place left for you in the Five Elements Alliance." "I've observed the astrological signs. If I don't rescue Demonic Eye, a great calamity will surely befall me. But if I do rescue him, it will bring good karma in the future." Taking the opportunity to play the victim before his noble clan big sister, Zhang Yuanqing added, "You know I'm entangled in karmic ties. Who knows when I might run into a hurdle I can't overcome? So I have to grasp every piece of good karma tightly." *Well, the 996 grind doesn't count as a blessing...* "This is your fate," the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter said calmly. "We don't have much time. Let's go in." Her red dress billowed, transforming once more into a crimson ribbon that drifted with the wind, darting into the distant Zoo. *Snap!* Zhang Yuanqing snapped his fingers and dissipated into dreamlike starlight. The Zoo was situated on the outskirts, with no high-rises around, and the nearest residential complex was three kilometers away. At night, it was completely deserted. *Patter...* Upon entering the Zoo, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter touched down gracefully. Lush vegetation filled the grounds, with main avenues and small paths crisscrossing like a spider's web. The streetlights shed a feeble glow, as though veiled behind black gauze. "During the day, this place is packed with tourists—it's an internet-famous spot in Songhai. But come nightfall, all staff members must leave." This wasn't Zhang Yuanqing's first visit, so he led the way with familiar ease. Rule number one: Never say the word "animal." Thus, Zhang Yuanqing intentionally avoided the taboo word. Walking shoulder to shoulder with him, her hem brushing the ground, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter said, "That should be a rule as well. At night, it awakens." The lunatic woman clearly knew too, referring to the Zoo simply as "it." Zhang Yuanqing nodded, then leaned closer to her and murmured, "Did you know that this park is an heirloom left by my dad, and Elder Dog was an old acquaintance of his?" Surprise crossed the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter's face. "Is that so?" "The first time I came here, the item spirit mistook me for him," Zhang Yuanqing said. As for this trip, he wasn't afraid of being recognized by the item spirit, because he had channeled the power of the Fragment of Taiyin Origin to mask the aura of his soul. The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter tilted her head in thought for a moment before shaking it slightly: "I'm not quite sure. I don't really have any impression of your father's items. Who would show their items to a child for no reason?" Zhang Yuanqing nodded with an expression of complete agreement. "Indeed!" Meanwhile, he communicated mentally with Yi Chuanmei: *Is she telling the truth or lying?* Yi Chuanmei's voice echoed in his mind: *Master, I cannot perceive the emotional fluctuations of a Dominator.* *Worthless, what use are you!* The two hastened forward. Along the way, they encountered a rabbit and a staff member in a blue uniform. The fluffy little rabbit trailed after them tenaciously, only to dash helplessly into the green belt when the two visitors paid it no attention. As for the staff member in the blue uniform, after Zhang Yuanqing politely declined assistance, he stopped following them. Before long, under Zhang Yuanqing's lead, the two arrived at the enclosure. The sight before them gave Zhang Yuanqing quite a shock. The roof of the small shed that originally housed Demonic Eye had been ripped away. The path outside was strewn with clods of mud and messy footprints from an unidentifiable beast. Most importantly, the camphor tree that sealed Demonic Eye was gone. "He's been moved." The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter crouched by the roadside and prodded a clump of dirt with her finger. "Very fresh. It wasn't long ago. If we follow these strange tracks, we should be able to find Demonic Eye." *Because the Grand Marshal is away and he had to step out himself, Elder Dog relocated Demonic Eye? Tsk, I underestimated him...* Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank, a wave of inexplicable irritation washing over him. *No matter how formidable a Starlord is, they can't calculate every single detail...* Silently summarizing, he suppressed his irritation and said, "We've got no choice but to bite the bullet and keep going." He suddenly turned to glance at the Lion Enclosure. The massive boulder within was empty; the white lion that had always been present on his past visits was nowhere to be seen. *Did it get relocated along with Demonic Eye?* he wondered silently. Following the chaotic "tracks," they made their way forward. Ten-odd minutes later, they halted at a fork in the road. Two signposts stood at the intersection. The one pointing left read: "Staff Lounge." The one pointing right read: "No Entry." Below the words "No Entry," there was also a small note in fine print: "When you see this sign, it means it is late at night. Do not enter the core area of the Zoo late at night. Upon seeing this sign, immediately turn back the way you came, or proceed to the Staff Lounge to seek assistance from staff." His expression somewhat stiff, Zhang Yuanqing looked toward his child-bride big sister. "What were the rules for the core area of the Zo—the park again?" The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter looked back at him placidly. "Do you think I would know?" "Fuck, then what do we do?" "Mind your language... A Dominator-grade rule-based item. Just treat it as an S-rank dungeon experience. It's quite interesting." "Interesting my ass—people die here!" Zhang Yuanqing let out a sigh. "Which way do we go? Let me read our physiognomy." The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter raised a hand to press against her silver mask. "Look at your own." Zhang Yuanqing immediately engaged Night Roaming, took off his mask, retrieved the Ghost Mirror, faced the "No Entry" path, and opened his Star Eyes. The Ghost Mirror reflected his face, with bloody light cloaking his brows and eyes. *Hiss, mortal danger...* Zhang Yuanqing turned toward the direction of the "Staff Lounge" and looked closely. It was still shrouded in bloody light. No matter which path they took, it was a dead end.