"Although I am not a Spirit Realm walker, sitting in the seat of the Relief Society's president gives me plenty of insight," Chen Shu answered affirmatively.
She did not keep him in suspense, sighing, "Zhang Zizhen was cursed by Taiyin."
*Cursed by Taiyin?* Zhang Yuanqing's pupils contracted slightly, and he blurted out, "Ling Tuo did it?!"
To transform a peak Day Wanderer into a yin creature and force him to incinerate himself—if it was the Lord of Taiyin, that would indeed make sense.
"So Ling Tuo was already in possession of a fragment of Taiyin origin back then," Zhang Yuanqing sighed.
Both were Night Wanderers, and both were peak Dominators. Yet Zhang Zizhen was eroded by the curse, his condition deteriorating by the day, while Ling Tuo, though corrupted, grew even stronger.
He had obtained a fragment of Taiyin origin ahead of time, stepping into the realm of demigods.
Chen Shu shook her head. "To be precise, six years ago, when Ling Tuo was resurrected and returned, he was already half a Lord of Taiyin. Remember the major incident your father spoke of? After the extermination of the Chu family, your father went out frequently to visit old acquaintances and seek helpers, intending to kill Ling Tuo once more. Your uncle took part as well."
"They failed to kill Ling Tuo, and Zhang Zizhen was cursed by Taiyin instead, turning into a yin creature six years later and incinerating himself?" Zhang Yuanqing finally understood the sequence of events and pieced together the past.
Chen Shu shook her head again. "It wasn't entirely in vain. In that battle, they heavily wounded Ling Tuo and tore away a piece of Taiyin origin."
Zhang Yuanqing's pupils shrank instantly.
Chen Shu sighed. "Yes. Back then, Ling Tuo was already the Lord of Taiyin. It was your father and your uncle who led a group to grievously wound him and snatch away a Taiyin fragment."
Zhang Yuanqing swallowed involuntarily. "What happened to the Taiyin fragment they snatched?"
Chen Shu answered, "After your father returned to the Spirit Realm, the Taiyin fragment was taken by your uncle. Last year, he handed that fragment of Taiyin origin over to the Demon Lord."
*So that's how the fragment of Taiyin origin in the character card came to be.* Zhang Yuanqing suddenly realized the truth. Looking at it this way, the Demon Lord being able to defy heaven, earth, and the very air itself after advancing to Dominator was partly because he had inherited Zhang Zizhen's legacy.
"To tear away a piece of the Lord of Taiyin's origin, the people involved back then must have been terrifyingly strong," he remarked with feeling, then asked, "What was really the deal with the Demon Lord? Why did Uncle support a corrupted one?"
Chen Shu smiled wryly.
"By now, you should understand the importance of the 'Sun, Moon, and Stars.' After the battle for the Compass of Light, every faction strove to nurture their own Night Wanderers. Originally, your uncle wanted to cultivate Zizhen, but subsequent developments caused the Xiaoyao Organization to fall apart. Ling Tuo fell to corruption, and Zizhen perished. Out of options, he could only search for a replacement.
"As Zizhen's and my son, you were actually the ideal candidate. He kept waiting for you to grow up, waiting for you to become a Spirit Realm walker. But until you reached adulthood, you remained an ordinary person."
Zhang Yuanqing uttered an "Oh," finally understanding why his uncle had said to him ever since he was little: *Yuanzi, you are my true successor!*
Chen Shu picked up her glass of water and took a sip, continuing in a calm, measured voice:
"Two years ago, he suddenly told me he had scouted a genius Night Wanderer. The only flaw was that this genius was controlled by the Corrupted Holy Grail. However, as long as he became the Lord of the Sun, the Grail's corruption would be nothing to fear.
"As for what happened after that, I'm not really clear, because the Demon Lord was strictly in one-way contact with your uncle, and your uncle rarely spoke to me about him.
"The Demon Lord was indeed a genius. In just two short years, he advanced to peak Dominator, falling short of becoming the Lord of the Sun by only a hair... only a hair."
Hearing this, a long-standing question flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind.
"So after the Demon Lord died, Uncle gave his character card to me. He did mention earlier that he was the one who gave it to me...
"When a Spirit Realm walker dies, their character card should return to the Spirit Realm. Exactly what method did Uncle use to intercept it? I've met quite a few demigods, and I've never heard of such an ability."
Chen Shu asked in turn, "What authority does your uncle hold?"
Enlightenment struck Zhang Yuanqing like a thunderbolt. "The Spirit Realm Marketplace? No, transaction... I get it! You mean he used his authority to make a transaction with the Spirit Realm, 'purchasing' the Demon Lord's character card!"
Having said that, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly froze.
"Wait, the character card was mailed to me by Brother Bing, not Uncle..."
If his uncle had impersonated Brother Bing to mail the character card, then Brother Bing's notebook could not have existed. He had followed Brother Bing's notes to find the Elvis Presley speaker.
Furthermore, *The Romantic History of Emperor Yang of Sui*, which had served as sex education reading for the two sworn brothers, was something only they knew about. Uncle couldn't possibly have known.
Therefore, the only explanation was that Brother Bing and Uncle were on the same side.
"Then the Demon Lord..." He vaguely realized something.
Chen Shu nodded. "The Demon Lord was your uncle's test subject. Supporting a Lord of the Sun would inevitably draw the scrutiny and obstruction of all factions, especially Ling Tuo. So he used the Demon Lord as a pawn, having him trigger the traps and take the hits. Otherwise, why would he give a fragment of Taiyin origin to someone who was neither kin nor friend?
"After the Demon Lord died, he transacted for the character card and mailed it to you. With the experience from the first attempt, supporting you to become the Lord of the Sun became much easier and far safer. Of course, if the Demon Lord had lived up to expectations and attained the status of Lord of the Sun, your uncle would have been just as glad to let his nephew live an ordinary, peaceful life."
*So Brother Bing and Uncle were both playing the Demon Lord? That's brutal for the Demon Lord...* Zhang Yuanqing digested the information and changed the subject.
"Uncle wants me to integrate the Relief Society, the Mechanism Tech Company, and the Palace of Slaughter to form a new organization. What do you think?"
Chen Shu had extensive administrative experience; consulting her was far better than trying to figure it out on his own.
"The only thing you need to pay attention to regarding this matter is gaining the recognition of the Five Elements Alliance and the Spirit Realm prominent families, establishing yourselves as a semi-official, semi-underground organization. Only then can you leverage official channels to play the game against the evil faction," Chen Shu said.
"Next, pull in as many Dominators as possible to bolster the organization's high-tier strength. As for low- and mid-tier Spirit Realm walkers, you don't need to worry about them. Just be the figurehead; leave the recruiting to me."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded along as he listened.
"The Relief Society has five Dominators in total: two Level 8 and three Level 7. Even adding Yu'er, that's only six. To become an organization on par with the Spirit Realm prominent families, there's still quite a gap," Chen Shu said.
Zhang Yuanqing replied immediately, "Seven. My guild member Xiahou Aotian has already advanced to Dominator. Still, that's not enough, especially since we have too few Level 8 combatants."
With his own strength, thrashing a Level 7 was no problem, but facing a Level 8 Dominator was still an uphill battle.
At the Dominator stage, every level up was a qualitative leap. Winnie Berrent was a Level 8 Lightning Mage; even while injured, she could fight two Krakens alone in close combat—the very thing a Lightning Mage was worst at.
Had she been in top condition, slaying two Level 7 Krakens would have been effortless. And she was only an early Level 8 Dominator.
A late Level 8 Dominator could essentially mop the floor with Zhang Yuanqing; even as a dual-class Dominator, he wouldn't be able to hold out.
*I don't know many unaffiliated Dominators, though I know plenty of official ones. But for those I'm on good terms with, keeping them in the official system offers far greater benefits than roping them into the new organization...*
*Lian Sanyue is worth trying to win over. As for high-tier combatants, Demon Eye would actually be an excellent choice, but his personality is too extreme. Besides, he's a Heavenly King of the Soldier Master sect, so he might not be willing to leave.*
*And if he doesn't leave the Soldier Master sect, the Heavenly King of Fear will most likely use Demon Eye against my organization...*
Zhang Yuanqing pulled his thoughts back. "I have other business to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
Chen Shu did not stop him, merely humming in acknowledgment.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at the steak in front of him, speared it with a fork, and stuffed it into his mouth. As he chewed, he grumbled, "Too greasy! Way too greasy!"
Starlight rose, and he vanished.
Looking at the empty plate, a touch of tenderness finally appeared on Chen Shu's elegant face.
***
New York County, Chinatown.
Zhang Yuanqing walked down the late-night street. The dim yellow glow of streetlights did little to dispel the dark. Chinatown's infrastructure had always been poor, and many broken streetlamps were left unrepaired.
As a result, vast swathes of the area were cloaked in darkness. Residents dared not step out at night, terrified that around any corner, someone might press a gun to their forehead—a shooter who blended seamlessly into the shadows, undetectable unless they flashed their pearly whites.
Walking through the shadows, Zhang Yuanqing listened to Fu Qingyang on the phone, sneering repeatedly.
"Send me to the Qinghe Branch? Heh, Boss, at the next meeting, ask the Nine Elders for me whether they still remember how Poison Chaser died. I'm not going back to the Five Elements Alliance. The President told me to build my own faction..."
He relayed the President's arrangements to Fu Qingyang.
After hearing him out, Fu Qingyang said with gratification, "Whether for you or for me, this is the best possible choice."
By breaking away from the Five Elements Alliance, he would no longer be subject to the headquarters' Nine Elders. Establishing a new organization would allow him to serve as Fu Qingyang's blade, checking the headquarters from the outside.
Zhang Yuanqing then asked about the idea of recruiting Demon Eye Heavenly King into the organization.
Fu Qingyang pondered for a few seconds before answering:
"Given Ling Tuo's knack for strategizing and the Heavenly King of Fear's methods, if Demon Eye does not leave the Soldier Master sect, it would be best for you to maintain your current relationship with him."
"Understood. Once I've handled the matters at hand, I'll make a trip to the northwest to talk to Demon Eye."
Zhang Yuanqing hung up and stopped in front of a townhouse, ringing the doorbell.
Amid the harsh buzz echoing through the entryway, a middle-aged woman's voice came from the intercom speaker:
"Who are you looking for?"
Zhang Yuanqing looked toward the camera and replied, "I am Carefree Sword Immortal. I'm here to see Deng Jingguo."
This was none other than the residence of Deng Jingguo, leader of the Anti-Black-and-White League.
"Hold on a moment," the middle-aged woman said, trotting away in a hurry.
A moment later, her voice came through again: "Come on in."
With a click, the iron gate unlocked and opened automatically.
Zhang Yuanqing pushed the gate open and crossed the front courtyard. Guided by the maid, he entered the house and sat down on the living room sofa.
A few minutes later, the burly, towering Deng Jingguo descended the stairs in pajamas.
The league leader had square features and thick brows, his commanding aura undiminished, though his complexion was rather poor, as if he had been injured.
He examined Zhang Yuanqing with some surprise and said:
"Zhai Cai told me the matter with the Holy See relics was concluded. I thought you had returned to China."
Chapter 811