On the playground of the orphanage, a streak of golden light descended, revealing a majestic golden dragon with Zhang Yuanqing standing upon its back.
Leaping down from the dragon's back, he looked around before turning his gaze toward the classroom.
The classroom door stood open, where Demon Eye Heavenly King stood alone, his silhouette tinged with desolation.
Half an hour ago, having just finished breakfast with the Saints of Return of the Dead, Zhang Yuanqing had suddenly received a message from Demon Eye Heavenly King asking to meet in person, accompanied by an address.
*What a coincidence,* Zhang Yuanqing had thought to himself. *I was just looking for you, and here you come right to my door.*
And so, using a teleportation jade talisman to return to the country, he had ridden the divine dragon here.
Starlight was suitable for short distances; for long journeys, riding a dragon was still the way to go.
Stepping into the classroom, Zhang Yuanqing cast a solemn gaze across the small body bags lined up on the floor, then turned his eyes to Demon Eye Heavenly King.
He did not ask anything, for he could sense Demon Eye's current emotions—like profound darkness, like frozen solid ice, concealing extreme sorrow within the darkness, while beneath the ice surged an intense hatred.
After roughly four or five minutes, Demon Eye Heavenly King suddenly pointed to the child on the far left and spoke:
"His name was Xiao Dong, eleven years old. His parents abandoned him in front of the municipal government building. His dream when he grew up was to be a great philanthropist and open a hundred orphanages, so that children abandoned by their parents would all have a shelter from the wind and rain."
Pointing to the child beside him, he continued, "Her name was Yang Cui, nine years old. Her parents died in a car accident, and having no direct relatives, she was sent here. Her dream was to marry me when she grew up, because I always brought them clothes and snacks. Those things were the most precious treasures in the children's eyes, so she felt she had to pledge herself in marriage to make it right.
"His name was Erhu..."
Through the body bags, Demon Eye Heavenly King introduced the dead children one by one.
His tone was calm, and his expression was equally composed, betraying no sign of anger or sorrow, as if he were simply introducing his family's children to a friend.
Having finished introducing the children, Demon Eye Heavenly King spoke in a low voice:
"When Morality Points vanished, Fear kept me at the northwest headquarters. I stayed voluntarily, because the disappearance of Morality Points aligned with my anticipation of cleansing the world. Yet I didn't want to watch those bastards slaughtering the weak, so I chose out of sight, out of mind.
"Yet I never imagined that these children would die in this disaster too... They were nobodies, like humble weeds by the roadside, putting in every ounce of effort just to survive.
"I don't understand. Why would a group like this become targets for those scumbags? To the evil classes, these children held no value whatsoever."
Zhang Yuanqing weighed his words for a moment before answering:
"You only see their deaths, but you don't see the far greater number of innocents sacrificed in this disaster. The evil classes represent chaos, and chaos breeds slaughter, which knows no distinction of targets. Before death, all are equal—regardless of whether one is noble or humble, young or old."
"So the root is chaos, and we should maintain order and eliminate chaos? No, Yuanshi. I am an evil born within order. You must have heard that evil classes are the karmic flames of humanity itself. Upholding order cannot eliminate chaos." Demon Eye Heavenly King showed neither joy nor grief:
"I wanted to cleanse the world, washing away humanity's ugliness and malice. But humans change. A good person today becomes a bad person tomorrow. To truly cleanse the world, one must eliminate all of humanity.
"In that process, slaughtering the weak is inevitable... Caught in such confusion and conflict, I grew more and more extreme, more and more mad."
Zhang Yuanqing was rather astonished. Mentally ill patients never admit they are ill; the crazier people are, the more they consider themselves normal.
In the past, Demon Eye had never made statements like "there is something wrong with my head," and had always viewed cleansing the world as a sacred and magnificent undertaking.
Had he attained great enlightenment today?
Zhang Yuanqing did not think so, asking with a trace of wariness:
"Why did you ask to meet with me in person?"
"Fear told me that Morality Points vanished this time because Ling Tuo obscured the Merit Roster. That causality-type item is the root source of Morality Points," Demon Eye Heavenly King said.
"And the reason Morality Points returned is that the Demon Lord's lingering obsession appeared in the dungeon, borrowing your body to channel the Sun and bringing the Merit Roster back to the light of day, pacifying this disaster. Fear also told me that you are the Lord of the Sun supported by the President and the Association of God of Beauty."
*Tsk, as a demigod-level combatant, Fear really has access to this core information. That Uncle and the God of Beauty are backing me to become the Lord of the Sun isn't hard for discerning eyes to see, so there really is no need for me to keep too low a profile...* Zhang Yuanqing said:
"And so?"
Demon Eye Heavenly King said, "I thought about it for a very, very long time today, and I finally came up with a way to 'cleanse' the world."
Zhang Yuanqing's heart skipped a beat. "What do you want to do?"
Demon Eye Heavenly King turned his head toward him. Bit by bit, madness and extremism burst from his pitch-black pupils. Curving the corners of his lips, he said slowly:
"Yuanshi, order is defined by humans, and laws are defined by the strong. Things set by humans will always have loopholes, while things set by the strong can never bind the strong.
"Yet Morality Points treat everyone equally. They will not show favoritism because of noble birth, nor will they yield because of great strength. I want to support you in becoming the Lord of the Sun. I want to use that causality-type item to put shackles and chains on all of humanity.
"I want all of humanity to be bound by Morality Points!"
***
Inside a medieval-style conference hall, figure after figure appeared beside a simple, unadorned wooden long table.
Seated at the head was the newly advanced Day Wanderer, Zhang Yuanqing. To his left sat Percy Edison, Vice President of the Merchant Guild, and to his right sat Diana, Foreign Minister of the Association of God of Beauty.
Down the left side, in order: Palace Master of Halting Slaughter, Demon Eye Heavenly King, Zhai Cai, Madam JoJo, and Deng Jingguo.
Down the right side, in order: Sophia, Wujiang, Little Spider, Apple Pie, and Schindler—the Dominators of the Relief Society.
As for Xiahou Aotian, unable to claim the head seat, he had taken the initiative to sit at the opposite foot of the table, emphasizing his uniqueness.
Apart from Zhang Yuanqing, the other Dominators were all scrutinizing one another, eager to see what kind of figures their future fellow organization members were.
Zhang Yuanqing said in a clear, resonant voice, "Thank you, everyone, for being seated here today. From now on, we are brothers, family, and beloved companions who support one another."
Looking to his left, he introduced, "This is the Vice President of the Merchant Guild, Percy Edison."
Vice President Percy, wearing a shrewd merchant's smile, said, "I represent the Merchant Guild at this meeting. If any of you need to purchase materials or items, feel free to come to me. Faction members enjoy a fifty percent discount."
*A fifty percent discount after marking up the cost price by two hundred percent?* Zhang Yuanqing quipped inwardly. Raising a hand, he introduced Diana to his right:
"The Foreign Minister of the Association of God of Beauty, Madam Diana."
Diana gave an elegant smile. "I represent the Association of God of Beauty at this meeting."
*Auntie, you're being far too reserved and conservative. At times like this, you should be handing out perks to members, like club discount cards...* Zhang Yuanqing looked toward the far end of the conference table, introducing Xiahou Aotian first to give the protagonist his due treatment.
"Xiahou Aotian, Level 7 Artificer, hailing from the Xiahou family of scholars. He is the youngest and most gifted Dominator in the Xiahou family, and the only one who dared say to the Xiahou demigod: 'Thou art my Dao protector. When I ascend to the pinnacle of scholars, all of you shall bow before me!'" Zhang Yuanqing said solemnly.
"Yet despite such rampant arrogance, the Xiahou demigod could do nothing to him."
At these words, everyone was startled. Was this extraordinarily handsome young man truly such a formidable figure?
*Yuanshi, you kid, you sure know how to treat a man!* Xiahou Aotian puffed out his chest, head held high, his face filled with pride.
Zhang Yuanqing then looked toward Demon Eye Heavenly King and said, "This is the Morality Heavenly King—ah, no, Demon Eye Heavenly King of the Soldier Master sect. He has now officially left the Soldier Master sect and joined us."
*Demon Eye Heavenly King?*
Except for the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter, the Dominators around the conference table were visibly shaken.
They had long heard that Yuanshi Tianzun and Demon Eye Heavenly King of the Soldier Master sect had a close relationship, but they never expected it to run this deep. As one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Soldier Master sect, if Demon Eye broke away from the organization without permission, could Fear Heavenly King tolerate it? Could Asura tolerate it?
Alongside their shock, apprehension inevitably arose in the hearts of the seated Dominators. Since ancient times, the orthodox and evil factions were irreconcilable. Demon Eye Heavenly King possessed formidable combat power; having such a person join the organization felt like a ticking time bomb, leaving everyone feeling uneasy.
"This is the sole inheriting Knight of the Holy See, Spirit Realm ID Zhai Cai," Zhang Yuanqing said, introducing the sole inheritor Knight. "He is not a member of our organization, but a witness I invited for the covenant. At this meeting, we will establish an oath of mutual aid and never betraying one another."
Zhai Cai shrugged. "With so many Dominators, if all of you turn traitor in the future, I wouldn't even be able to finish killing you all."
His speaking style was as punch-worthy as ever.
Yet the Dominators around the table breathed a sigh of relief. Covenants and oaths were a Knight's greatest power. Having a Dominator-level Knight bear witness was equivalent to having a remarkably solid insurance policy.
Zhang Yuanqing then introduced the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter, the five leaders of the Relief Society, and Deng Jingguo of the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance.
Among the five Dominators of the Relief Society, Wujiang was a Level 8 Dominator of the Earth Monster class, and Apple Pie was a Level 8 Desire, a former member of the Association of God of Beauty and an old acquaintance of Diana's.
Little Spider and Schindler were a Level 7 Siren and a Level 7 Lightning Mage, respectively.
These five Dominators of the Relief Society looked upon the Young Master in a whole new light. In their initial estimate, the number of Dominators the Young Master could gather would not exceed three.
Yet he had recruited Demon Eye Heavenly King into the organization, along with a genius Scholar whom even a demigod couldn't bear to punish, and had even engaged a Dominator-level Knight to serve as an impartial arbiter.
A Dominator-level Knight was a rarity a hundred times more precious than a giant panda.
Finally, Zhang Yuanqing looked toward the sleek civet cat with gray and black stripes and introduced:
"This is Madam JoJo, a Dominator-level battle pet whose former master was a Spring God of the Republican era who has already returned to the Spirit Realm. At my invitation, she has come out of retirement."
Madam JoJo, the civet cat, nodded reservedly.
Her agreement to join Jumang's—no, Yuanshi Tianzun's—organization was, on the one hand, because the task assigned by her master, Lu Yueshuang, was complete, and having grown restless from long tranquility, she wanted to see the world; on the other hand, lacking the nourishment of a Spring God for so long had left her lifespan and physical condition terribly weakened, and Yuanshi Tianzun had promised to find a Spring God for her.
A Wood Monster's battle pet was very similar to a Night Wanderer's yin corpse: both required the nourishment of their master's spiritual power and had to be fed natural treasures corresponding to their class.
Once the introductions were complete, Zhang Yuanqing turned his gaze to Zhai Cai.
The sole inheritor Knight raised his hand and reached into the void, producing a book wrought of gold. Upon it, he "wrote" the covenant: those present must not betray one another, nor harm each other in any form.
"Write your Spirit Realm ID upon the Book of Gold and smear your blood on it." Zhai Cai pushed the golden book to the center of the conference table.
The Dominators signed and sealed it in turn.
Retrieving the golden book, Zhai Cai said in a deep voice, "In the name of the Knight, I bear witness: the covenant is established!"
A brassy light flared up abruptly, and in the unseen depths of reality, a set of rules was established.
Zhai Cai said, "The covenant is complete. You had best not violate today's oath, for even if you flee to the ends of the earth, I will kill any who forsake it."
He was not threatening the Dominators, but stating a fact.
Should anyone seated here violate the covenant, the Knight would perceive it instinctively and follow that sensation to locate the target.
Against contract-breakers, Knights received a rule-based bonus of instant death.
As long as they had not reached peak Dominator, Zhai Cai posed a genuine threat to the lives of everyone present, including Demon Eye Heavenly King.
Once Zhai Cai took back the golden book, Zhang Yuanqing said in a heavy voice:
"Next, I declare the official founding of the 'Return of the Dead' organization. I was the dead, and today I return. If no one has any objections, let us allocate duties."
*Isn't 'Return of the Dead' a bit too ominous?* the Dominators thought, though none spoke up to object.
Zhang Yuanqing said:
"Madam JoJo, you can communicate with animals and commune with plants; you will be in charge of intelligence work for the organization. Palace Master, you are an Arbiter of Fate; the supply of life fluid and healing duties will be left to you.
"Xiahou Aotian, you will oversee the supply of mechanical weapons and the crafting of items; the weapons division is in your hands. Demon Eye Heavenly King will oversee the enforcement department, taking charge of combat.
"Members of the Relief Society will handle all overseas affairs, with Alliance Leader Deng assisting. When necessary, you must come to the Second District to support in combat. If you encounter danger that you cannot resolve, you may apply to the organization for assistance.
"The Lord of Taiyin is skilled in star observation, so all future communications and secret gatherings must be conducted within Spirit Realm dungeons, under the watchful gaze of the President."
Everyone nodded.
Next, the leaders of the Mechanical Technology Company, Halting Slaughter Palace, the Anti-Black-and-White Alliance, and the Relief Society discussed monthly supply quotas for mechanical weapons and life fluid, set internal pricing, and agreed on how spoils of war would be distributed when assisting in combat.
After establishing the preliminary faction rules, the Dominators produced the teleportation jade talismans provided by Mr. President and returned to reality one after another.
***
Fujia Bay.
In the study, Fu Qingyang raised his eyes to see Yuanshi Tianzun appear soundlessly.
Unsurprised, he asked flatly, "Is the meeting over?"
Zhang Yuanqing gave an "mm."
"It wasn't as difficult as I imagined. Everyone has their own factions and usually goes their own way; they were simply brought into a partnership by me, their Alliance Chief of the Five Mountains."
"No rush. Once you advance to Level 8 or achieve notable merits, you can centralize power," Fu Qingyang said. "I'll call the Grand Marshal now."
He picked up the landline phone and dialed the Grand Marshal's number. "He has returned to reality."
Having said that, he set down the receiver.
Ten or so seconds later, the Spirit Realm notification chimed in Zhang Yuanqing's ear:
[Ding! Fu Qingxuan invites you to join the White Tiger Brigade.]
Zhang Yuanqing selected agree.
Speaking of which, although he was a member of the White Tiger Brigade, he had never officially joined the faction.
Initially, his level and position had not met the requirements; later on, Yuanshi Tianzun had grown rebellious and untamed, unwilling to officially join the White Tiger Brigade.
Fu Qingyang had also felt that joining the White Tiger Guard was enough; if he truly joined the White Tiger Brigade, Yuanshi would be subject to checks and balances from the two vice faction leaders, which was unnecessary.
In the Spirit Realm's faction system, Spirit Realm walkers could join factions repeatedly without restriction, but that was by no means a good thing.
Because of the restriction that faction members "must not betray," mercenaries serving multiple masters could easily crash. For example, if the White Tiger Guard and Return of the Dead got into a fight today, Zhang Yuanqing would be thoroughly doomed.
In good spirits, Fu Qingyang said, "Now that you've advanced to Dominator, once you finish handling the matters at hand, we can team up to enter the White Tiger Brigade's dungeon."
Zhang Yuanqing said immediately, "I'd like to let the Palace Master, Xiao Yuan, and Xiahou Aotian join the White Tiger Brigade as well. Er, just temporarily. Once we clear the dungeon, Cousin can kick them out."
At the Dominator realm, large organizations controlling faction dungeons effectively held a resource for rapid leveling, even if ordinary people had neither the fortune nor capability to enjoy it.
Fu Qingyang pondered for a moment. "Xiao Yuan belongs to an evil class. How could she join the White Tiger Brigade?!"
Casting a glance at his trusted subordinate, he changed his tune: "Though if it's just to run a dungeon, that won't be an issue."
As he spoke, Fu Qingyang drafted a message, submitting an application to headquarters for a supreme council meeting.
"Yuanshi, it's time to say hello to the old fellows."
The next step was to play the game with the Nine Elders of the Five Elements Alliance to secure official backing for Return of the Dead.
Chapter 813