On Saturday, at eleven o'clock late at night, the steel beast soared above the clouds, the indicator lights at the wingtips and tail cone blinking rhythmically.
Looked at from the ground, it resembled a slowly drifting star.
Aboard the international flight bound for the Free Confederation, a blonde, blue-eyed flight attendant glided gently down the business-class aisle, murmuring soft inquiries to the passengers and attending to their comfort.
The business-class passengers were either napping lightly beneath thin blankets or wearing headphones to listen to music and watch movies. Aside from the hum of the aircraft, silence enveloped the cabin.
Zhang Yuanqing lay beneath a thin blanket without the slightest urge to sleep. Night Walkers were spirits of the dark, legendary night owls to ordinary mortals; the later the hour, the sharper his energy grew.
There were three flight attendants serving business class: two blonde, blue-eyed foreign beauties and one lady of Chinese descent.
Narrowing his eyes, Zhang Yuanqing appraised the foreign stewardesses' delicate features and slender figures. The standard among business-class cabin crew was exceptionally high; pick any one at random, and she would stand out as an undeniable stunner.
Their poise had been professionally refined as well, their bearing outclassing average street beauties by a mile.
Back home, brazen ogling like Zhang Yuanqing's would have been branded vile male gaze and gotten him pummeled. But the blonde, blue-eyed foreign woman simply offered a radiant smile, not minding the young passenger's scrutiny in the least.
International flights differed from domestic short-hauls; passengers who could afford business class on an overseas route were premium clientele.
They were premium clients to the airline, and even more so to the flight attendants.
To Zhang Yuanqing's left was the aisle, and to his right sat Annie. To Annie's right sat a handsome foreign man with brown hair and green eyes, who had fallen in love at first sight with Annie and was eagerly chatting her up.
Annie responded with smiles and light laughter. Their conversation was hushed, like intimate murmuring between old friends.
Zhang Yuanqing's foreign language listening comprehension was mediocre at best. Annie's chatter with the handsome foreigner sounded to him like two outsiders conversing in dialect; he had to rely half on guesswork and half on listening to piece together the gist.
The handsome fellow claimed to be a rising star on Man Island's financial street, whose dream was to become a successful banker.
Through polished rhetoric, he showed off his extensive knowledge, strutting like a peacock fanning its tail feathers during courtship, hoping the girl beside him would reveal an expression of adoration and yearning.
In truth, Annie's current appearance was far from glamorous—plainly attractive at most. Zhang Yuanqing had altered her looks with an illusion. Unlike an Illusionist's disguise technique, it merely tricked the human eye without changing her aura or presence.
Consequently, the innate allure of the Desire class remained unclouded.
Proud, conceited, full of himself, driven by a desperate urge to show off, yet fundamentally rooted in insecurity, hammering repeatedly on how well he's doing on the financial street... Sure enough, whatever people lack most is what they brag about most... Zhang Yuanqing inwardly roasted the man while sensing his emotions.
His current cover identity was an unaffiliated cultivator who had offended a big shot in the official circles of the Second District and was forced to head abroad to build a new life, accompanied by a foreign assistant of ordinary features yet irresistible charm.
The destination of this journey was New York County, known as the city that never sleeps, one of the most bustling metropolises in the Free Confederation. In the Confederation's popular culture, it went by another renowned moniker—or running joke: Gotham!
Gotham—no, New York County—was an economic powerhouse with a labyrinthine, chaotic organizational landscape, serving as headquarters to the First District's renowned orthodox organization, the Sea God Church.
The class corresponding to the Sea God Church was Siren, colloquially dubbed the "Patron of Horses."
Zhang Yuanqing had chosen this world-renowned metropolis as the first stop of his overseas journey primarily because it was where his mother, Chen Shu, worked.
Or so she claimed, at least.
The other factor was New York County's "chaos." The Sea God Church had its headquarters here, while the Association of God of Beauty, Heaven's Punishment, and the Merchant Guild had all established massive branch divisions in the city.
As for the evil faction, the Dionysus Club, Biological Alchemy Society, and Night God Church maintained quite a few secret strongholds across New York County as well.
From a practical perspective, New York County was a melting pot of immigrants from numerous countries with a wide diversity of ethnicities, whose friction and chaotic blend generated endless varieties of conflict.
Such intricate demographics made it impossible for any single faction to run rampant with wide manhunts and purges. It was a metropolis where one could indulge in lavish, decadent debauchery while fishing in troubled waters amid the disorder.
Annie concluded her small talk with the brown-haired, green-eyed man, and the two exchanged contact information.
Then, she leaned her head gently against Zhang Yuanqing's shoulder, unlocking her phone to browse the Heaven's Punishment forum.
After scrolling for a moment, Annie sighed softly. "Mr. Yuanshi, your glorious feat at the tribunal is still the talk of the town in Heaven's Punishment. I've never seen them discuss the Second District with such avid fascination."
"A correction: my current handle is 'Cult Master Tongtian.'" Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the forum full of English text. "What are they saying?"
Annie sighed. "They're calling you the disgrace of the orthodox faction and have already labeled you a 'corrupted one.' They're gloating together, saying the Five Elements Alliance suffered a dog-eat-dog bloodbath where a peerless prodigy and a peak Dominator perished at the same time."
Zhang Yuanqing let out a dry chuckle. "Do they still not know the full details?"
"No, they do," Annie replied. "With an incident this massive, Heaven's Punishment must have investigated every detail and grasped the full context. But that doesn't stop them from slandering you."
Zhang Yuanqing voiced an understanding "Oh." He considered how he had humiliated Heaven's Punishment by thoroughly crushing their three peak Saints. People harboring private hatred, envy, and jealousy toward him were everywhere, so being smeared came as no surprise.
A quote from a renowned author crossed his mind: Those who envy you and will never surpass you will spare no effort in smearing you.
Once I reach New York County, I'll find a chance to give those Heaven's Punishment runts a proper thrashing... Scorpio Zhang Yuanqing plotted vindictively in secret.
Seeing the pair whispering intimately into each other's ears, the handsome man beside them practically reeked of jealousy, his bitterness enough to permeate the cabin.
Detecting his feelings, Zhang Yuanqing murmured in a low voice, "Don't make idle chatter with men from now on. It causes trouble for me too easily."
It was fortunate the fellow considered himself an elite and was merely an ordinary mortal; had he been a Spirit Realm walker, he would probably have stepped up to teach his romantic rival a lesson.
Annie hurriedly explained, "You misunderstand, Master Cult Leader. The Association of God of Beauty is headquartered in the Windy City, so I'm not very familiar with New York County. Adding him as a contact was to expand your network. That is an assistant's duty."
Zhang Yuanqing's overseas tour didn't need to be kept under wraps, but it had to be cautious. He planned to adopt a new identity to flex his wings, so for the moment, he wished to avoid excessive contact with the Association of God of Beauty and the Merchant Guild.
He intended to get familiar with the environment first.
Annie had taken his words to heart, which prompted her to actively leverage the Desire class's social prowess to broaden connections for her boss.
Better to add him first; what if he proved useful later?
"I see!" Zhang Yuanqing nodded, expressing approval of his assistant's diligence, then lowered his voice. "Two rows ahead to our left front, those two guys are very suspicious."
Annie's expression tightened. Following Zhang Yuanqing's indicated direction with her gaze, she whispered in a mosquito-soft voice, "Suspicious?"
Zhang Yuanqing explained, "Ever since they boarded, their emotions have been strung taut. They're on high alert against everyone. Whether it's the flight attendants or other passengers, the moment anyone walks past them, their tension spikes instinctively."
Annie knitted her brows. "Wanted criminals?"
Her breath was warm and carried a delicate fragrance; her casual gestures brimmed with alluring, heart-tugging charm.
Yet Zhang Yuanqing had now mastered the skills of an Illusionist, capable of actively calming stray thoughts to remain immune to the sway of beauty. Completely unfazed, he said, "Not wanted criminals. Judging by their emotional feedback, they act more like ordinary folks traveling with five million in cash—viewing everyone as a crook, constantly on guard. They might be carrying something important."
Annie murmured an "Oh" and leaned her head back against Mr. Yuanshi's shoulder, paying little mind to the two strained passengers. They might indeed be carrying expensive items, commercial intelligence, business contracts, or the like.
She had no interest in such things; by comparison, she treasured this rare opportunity for physical intimacy far more.
She had fully embraced the assignment from her organization: providing one-on-one service to Yuanshi Tianzun and acting as his assistant in both work and life.
Within the Association of God of Beauty, being appointed as a private assistant meant becoming the client's lover and intimate comrade-in-arms; the client's achievements directly impacted the diplomat's performance assessment.
Betty had risen to become one of the deputy directors in the Diplomatic Department precisely because she had served the Demon Lord so well.
However, Zhang Yuanqing's next words piqued her interest slightly: "Their emotional resilience is quite tough. After remaining on guard for several hours, their mental state shows no sign of fatigue. They're likely Spirit Realm walkers."
"Spirit Realm walkers..." Annie pondered. "If you're interested, you could weave a dream to probe them."
Zhang Yuanqing considered it and shook his head. "Not interested for now. Let's see how things develop."
Just then, outside the small cabin window, a streak of dawn pierced the sky, banishing the darkness and softening the ink-black clouds into pale gray.
Daylight had broken.
The flight attendant's voice came over the intercom: "We will soon arrive in New York County and are preparing for landing. Passengers, please fasten your seatbelts and refrain from moving about the cabin. This flight is..."
Meanwhile, in Songhai, at seven in the evening.
In the Good Music Hotel, the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter leaned lazily against the edge of the bed. Her crimson skirt spilled over the pure white sheets, revealing two long, fair legs beneath the hem, their flesh fine and taut. Her toes were rounded and glistening, slightly curved as they gripped the bedsheet, the arches of her feet delicately arched.
She twirled her hair with one hand while listening to the phone call.
"I have no idea where he is. He went into hiding the moment he resurrected, saying he would remain in closed-door seclusion until the end of the year," the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter replied offhandedly to the woman on the other end.
"He wouldn't tell you?" Chen Shu's voice was full of skepticism. "And you wouldn't cling to him?"
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter sighed. "The tribunal hit him very hard. Even though he was resurrected, his mood remains bleak. He wanted to clear his head, so I let him be."
"I can't tell whether you're lying through your teeth or not," Chen Shu took a deep breath. "In any case, he can no longer stay in the Five Elements Alliance. It's just as well—it's time for him to temper himself in the First District. Find a way to send him over."
"You're too impatient. Haste makes waste," the Palace Master chuckled.
"Of course I'm anxious. The Relief Society's growth has hit a bottleneck—connections, channels, funding, and the number of Spirit Realm walkers have all stalled. Over the past six years, there hasn't been any expansion; in fact, signs of decline are showing," Chen Shu said grimly. "Money alone won't cut it. What we need is to recruit more members, but while Spirit Realm walkers will work for money, they won't submit for money. To break through the bottleneck, we must have a leader. Yuanzi is the ideal candidate. He possesses peerless talent, along with sufficient fame and prestige. The moment he takes charge as the head of the Relief Society, countless unaffiliated cultivators will flock to join us."
The Palace Master of Halting Slaughter fell silent for a few seconds. "At his current level, he can't shoulder the banner of the Relief Society. If you rush to put him in charge, the most likely outcome is exposing him to the gaze of the major powers in the First District, which does him no good at all. Don't rush. At the very earliest, wait until he ascends to Dominator."
Chen Shu pondered for a moment. "Is this his thought as well?"
"No, it's mine. As for him..." The Palace Master curled her lips. "He's flippant and irresponsible all day long. Who knows what goes on in his head? You can never even tell when he's being serious and when he's joking."
Chen Shu ground her teeth. "Not a single one of you is reliable. If Zizhen hadn't died, I wouldn't even bother dealing with either of you."
In the island nation, the Thousand Cranes Group.
Clad in a cherry blossom kimono and clacking along on wooden geta sandals, Asano Ryo knocked on the door of a private room in Oyama House.
The executives of the Thousand Cranes Group were gathered in full force. The female entertainers under the Thousand Cranes Group's banner had not been summoned to serve drinks and dance today. Normally, every weekend, the group's executives would call their favored female entertainers to Oyama House to accompany their drinking; after eating and drinking to their fill, they would sweep the actresses downstairs to the guest rooms for private tutoring sessions.
Today was Saturday, yet every one of the executives wore a grim, depressed expression, lacking the spirit to tutor any actresses.
More than a week had passed since Yuanshi Tianzun's return to the Spirit Realm. Upon hearing the tragic news, the executives of the Thousand Cranes Group had wept copiously, beating their chests and stomping their feet. Their wails had been even more sorrowful and piercing than those of the actresses. How could they not weep? The Yata no Kagami was gone.
After letting a week pass, the executives had finally emerged from their gloom and assembled at Oyama House for the first time, summoning Asano Ryo as well.
With time, Asano Ryo had also gradually stepped out of the shadow of Yuanshi-kun's return to the Spirit Realm, though she still seemed solemn and subdued.
Gazing at the melancholy young beauty, Kobe Ichiro spoke solemnly, "Ryo-chan, Yuanshi-kun's demise brings unbearable grief, but now is not the time for despair. With Yuanshi-kun gone, the Thousand Cranes Group plans to withdraw the chip we placed on the Five Elements Alliance—namely, you."
Asano Ryo's mentor, Ryuzaki Hajime, followed up, "We submitted an application to Heaven's Punishment for an internship placement for you, and it has been approved. Ryo-chan, make the most of this opportunity. With your talent and beauty, you will surely gain support in Heaven's Punishment. You must secure more resources and recognition for the Thousand Cranes Group."
The executives seated here had all interned at Heaven's Punishment in their youth, studying its management methods and accumulating networks.
The Thousand Cranes Group's steadily growing voice and increasing freedom and independence were inextricably tied to the efforts of these former "Heaven's Punishment interns."
Yet for over half a century, the Thousand Cranes Group had never managed to produce an elite who infiltrated Heaven's Punishment's middle-to-high echelons. The closest they had ever come to the upper tier was over two decades ago, when the group produced a woman of remarkable talent and beauty. She became the mistress of a First-Class Bronze Executor.
The Thousand Cranes Group held high expectations for Asano Ryo—not hoping she would latch onto a patron, but because Ryo-chan's potential and growth rate were already comparable to the top talents of Heaven's Punishment and the Five Elements Alliance. The island nation was too small to nurture such a prodigy; if she wanted to advance further, she had to undergo tempering in Heaven's Punishment.
Asano Ryo had no heart or desire for duties lately, but she could not decline the elders' arrangements. Lowering her head, she murmured, "To Heaven's Punishment headquarters?"
Ryuzaki Hajime shook his head. "Your seniority is still too shallow for headquarters, but Heaven's Punishment appreciates your talent and has assigned you to an internship in New York County. Return to pack your bags. You depart tomorrow morning at nine."
"New York County..." Asano Ryo whispered to herself.
New York County, Queens District, Dia Airport.
The plane landed smoothly. Zhang Yuanqing and Annie exited the airport together, wheeling their suitcases side by side.
With her dazzling golden hair and azure eyes, dressed in a black skirt suit and a white blouse, Annie looked every bit the alluring corporate siren.
Zhang Yuanqing's attire was far more casual: jeans, a black long-sleeve shirt, holding a cup of hot chocolate in his hands.
Meanwhile, Annie pulled her luggage with one hand and tapped away on her phone with the other. "Cult Leader, we'll be staying in New York County for a while. I've rented an upscale apartment in Chinatown, in lower downtown Man Island, on a six-month lease."
Chinatown? Worried I wouldn't adjust to the Free Confederation? How considerate... Zhang Yuanqing took a sip of hot chocolate and said, "I like the sound of that. I've long wanted to see the famous Man Island for myself."
The five boroughs of New York County were Man Island, Queens District, Kings County, Bronx District, and Staten Island District.
Among them, Man Island was indisputably the most prosperous district—a global financial capital where major banks, premier stock exchanges, and colossal monopolies converged.
As for Kings County and Bronx District, the former was home to people of many nationalities and ethnicities. It had once been the area with the highest crime rate, with a highly complex demographic that harbored many evil classes.
The latter had been a working-class white enclave twenty to thirty years ago. Later, as the buildings aged and the white residents moved out, it had become a haven for street gangs. Its degree of chaos was in no way inferior to Kings County's.
Queens District, meanwhile, was the largest in land area and second in population, housing the headquarters of numerous fashion brands. With a diverse economic structure, it was a hub for the middle class.
Annie added, "Besides Man Island's Chinatown, I also rented an apartment in Queens District's Flushing, an enclave of Chinese residents."
She lowered her voice. "Heaven's Punishment's branch is located on Man Island, which boasts the heaviest security. For an outside Spirit Realm walker, Man Island isn't really an ideal choice. Moreover, both presidents requested that you register as a bounty hunter; residing on Man Island makes your movements inconvenient and leaves you prone to being pinpointed. But since you are both an Illusionist and an Astromancer, whose specialties are concealment and escape, staying on Man Island isn't a problem. If trouble truly strikes later, we can simply alter our appearance and relocate to Flushing."
Zhang Yuanqing remarked with feeling, "Annie, I suddenly regret not keeping you by my side sooner." He then teased with a chuckle, "I just hope you don't spoil me rotten."
It was worth mentioning that in the Spirit Realm walker communities of the Free Confederation and several European nations, the role of bounty hunter existed.
Bounty hunter was not a Spirit Realm class, but a profession certified by an independent organization formed through a coalition of capital conglomerates. The organization's full title was the Bounty Hunter Guild.
The Bounty Hunter Guild had official backing yet did not belong to the authorities, as it was open to all Spirit Realm walkers, including evil classes. Anyone could register an account and become a bounty hunter.
Its gray, half-black-and-half-white nature destined it never to be an official establishment.
The reason the Bounty Hunter Guild could exist stemmed, on the one hand, from the fertile soil of freedom and human rights. After all, evil classes had human rights too, as well as the right to work—or so the guild's founder claimed...
On the other hand, it provided unofficial walkers with a lawful channel to earn money, which had an immediate, tangible effect on public safety, significantly lowering the crime rate among unaffiliated cultivators and evil classes.
Furthermore, the Bounty Hunter Guild accepted any mission. No matter who posted it, so long as the funds were provided, the guild would put up the contract and broadcast it to every bounty hunter in the city.
For major figures who found it inconvenient to handle certain matters personally, the Bounty Hunter Guild was undeniably useful.
As for Zhang Yuanqing registering as a bounty hunter, that was entirely at the request of his generous patrons.
Mr. President had no desire to see him cower in the Free Confederation, lazing about all day with Annie in hedonistic pleasure. Thus, he had set a small goal for him: become a Silver Bounty Hunter within one month.
This inevitably required clashing with both orthodox and evil classes in the First District, thereby broadening his horizons and enriching his experience in actual combat.
In addition, the Merchant Guild and the Association of God of Beauty occasionally encountered sensitive missions where mobilizing their own members was unfeasible. The presidents hoped that whenever either organization was in need, Yuanshi Tianzun would step forward to serve them well.
His patrons hadn't showered him with money and resources just to worship him like a bodhisattva. He had to put in the work!
Amid Zhang Yuanqing's swirling thoughts, he saw the two passengers who had remained on edge throughout the flight hurriedly overtake him and Annie, striding away side by side.
They were two typical white men: a middle-aged man with a slightly receding hairline and a fair-skinned young man with delicate features.
The middle-aged man carried a briefcase half-shielded against his flank, while the young man followed closely behind, vigilantly scanning left and right.
There isn't much negative energy in their emotions, so they shouldn't be of an evil class. I wonder which official organization they belong to... Zhang Yuanqing thought.
Suddenly, a burly, middle-aged man came into his field of vision, advancing directly toward the two orthodox walkers.
The burly man who had suddenly appeared sported an unkempt beard. Both his demeanor and appearance were scruffy, and his round beer belly stuck out like that of a heavily pregnant woman.
As a peak Level 6 Dream Master, Zhang Yuanqing instantly sensed the malice radiating from the beer-bellied man—malice directed squarely at those two orthodox walkers.
Chapter 650