"You—" Lingjun had just opened his mouth when he saw Yuanshi Tianzun hold up a hand.
"Let's talk inside," Yuanshi Tianzun said in a low voice. "Victoria's home, right?"
Lingjun took a deep breath to steady his nerves, then pushed open the door and welcomed Yuanshi Tianzun into the house.
It was just past mealtime. Of the two maids in the villa, one was tidying the kitchen while the other was sweeping the living room.
Victoria appeared beside the second-floor railing, dressed in a purple nightgown. Her voluminous chestnut hair fell loosely over one shoulder, framing a flawless oval face with sharp, exquisite features, and her pale blue eyes brimmed with charm.
Looking down at them, she offered a faint smile. "Long time no see!"
*With such a gorgeous, mature woman by his side, he still spends all day chasing skirts? Ptui, what a scumbag Lingjun is!* Zhang Yuanqing gave a slight nod and said, "Elder Victoria, could you set up a secret chamber with Lunar Concealment for me?"
The mature, chestnut-haired beauty studied him for a moment before cheerfully agreeing. "No problem. But you really should learn to control these powers yourself."
Zhang Yuanqing shrugged. "I only ascended to Dominator two weeks ago."
Lingjun drew another deep breath, forcing down his urge to ask questions. He sat down on the soft sofa and watched Victoria descend the stairs, cross the living room, and head toward the basement.
Since Yuanshi Tianzun had asked for a warded, hidden chamber, whatever they were about to discuss could not see the light of day.
That also meant whatever involved his mother was critically important.
Lingjun fished out a cigarette and lit it. Exhaling a plume of white smoke, he instructed the maid, "Bring our guest a glass of iced Coke."
The maid set down her mop and walked toward the kitchen refrigerator.
Zhang Yuanqing looked at him in surprise. "When did you pick up smoking?"
"To me, it's just a prop—specifically for charming beauties who have a thing for gloomy, roguish, or bad-boy types. Though sometimes it really does help calm my nerves." Lingjun burned through half the cigarette in a single drag and exhaled a long trail of smoke. "Like right now, for instance."
He flicked the ash and said, "You'd better stop stirring up trouble lately. My guess is that the Dark Night Rose, the Spirit Society, the Nihility Sect, and the Soldier Master sect are all gearing up to take you down. Your leveling speed is horrifying—it's already reached the point where even demigods are wary of you.
"The unwritten rules are still in place, so demigods might not move personally. But if they dispatch a peak Dominator, a hundred of you wouldn't stand a chance."
The unwritten rule was that demigods could not personally participate in combat to slaughter Extraordinaries, Saints, or Dominators.
Although Spirit Realm walkers of the evil faction hid themselves remarkably well, a demigod could easily locate them if they took action. For instance, if a demigod were to wield the Eye of the Sky in New York County, the rule-based price might not necessarily rob them of their vision. When that time came, what evil class couldn't be rooted out? They could hunt down and slaughter them one by one. But unless the demigods of both factions decided they wanted to be commanders with no troops left to lead, they wouldn't enter the fray themselves.
It operated on the exact same logic as nuclear deterrence in the real world.
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "The decisive battle between the evil and orthodox factions isn't far off. No matter how terrifying my leveling speed is, in the eyes of demigods, I'm just an ill-timed genius. Of course, if I succeed in emulating the Grand Marshal and ascend to peak Dominator within six months, how much they value me will be a completely different story."
Lingjun stared at him for a moment, then suddenly sighed.
"Whether it's a decisive battle between good and evil, or you emulating the Grand Marshal, none of it has anything to do with me anyway. I'm just a Saint with no real ambitions in this life—eating, drinking, having fun, and sleeping with women. That's all there is to it."
Zhang Yuanqing took a sip of Coke and remarked out of nowhere, "The reason you got together with Victoria is because you lack maternal love, isn't it?"
Lingjun was utterly shocked. "Don't talk nonse—"
"Me too."
Lingjun's jaw dropped even further. "No wonder we get along so well!"
Zhang Yuanqing burst into laughter, though he secretly sighed inwardly. Lingjun had lost his mother at an early age, suffered bullying from his older brothers, and later lived under his maternal grandfather's roof, depending on others for shelter.
Victoria had been the sole light in his childhood.
Beneath Lingjun's casual, carefree exterior lay a deeply cautious heart. Unloved and without anyone to rely on, he dared not fight for anything, leaving him no choice but to feign a nonchalant attitude.
Over the years, he had lost all drive for his career and for advancing his level, completely lacking the fighting spirit and unyielding pride Fu Qingyang possessed—that willingness to charge forward even against ten thousand foes, looking down on the world beneath his feet.
Unless something reignited his fighting spirit, someone like Lingjun would probably stay downcast forever, whiling away his days eating, drinking, having fun, and sleeping with women.
All of this analysis came from his Nihilist talents.
In ancient times, Nihilists were also known as "Inner Demons." Sensing a target's truest psychology, unearthing their deepest fears, and peering into their most genuine emotions were the innate talents of an Inner Demon.
According to Empress Sandao, ancient cultivators had to undergo heavenly tribulations at every stage, from Extraordinary to Dominator, and from Dominator to Human Immortal.
And Inner Demons loved nothing more than taking advantage of an ancient cultivator when they were undergoing a heavenly tribulation.
By the time Zhang Yuanqing had nearly finished his cold Coke, Victoria returned from the basement and said, "The space is ready for use. When the door is open, the formation remains inactive, without Lunar Concealment. Shutting the door will activate the formation."
With that, she lazily stretched her waist and padded upstairs in her slippers.
Lingjun rose at once. "I'll take you down."
Victoria's basement was far cleaner and neater than Elder Zhao's. Elmwood covered the floor and steps of the forty-square-meter room, which held some maintenance tools, clean mop heads, brooms, and spare household supplies.
Wealthy families threw out old furniture and worthless clutter directly; they would never hoard it at home.
"This way."
Lingjun led him across the basement to a small room on the left. This was where the Lunar Concealment was set up, its door, walls, and floor densely carved with black talismanic patterns.
Zhang Yuanqing examined the formation closely. He noticed it was somewhat different from the one carved by Elder Zhao, yet remarkably similar—sharing the same core while varying freely in appearance.
*Are there different ways to carve a Lunar formation? Or is it that as long as the core diagram is correct, the minor details can be improvised?* Zhang Yuanqing made a mental note, intending to consult the old crone when he had the chance.
Lingjun pulled the door shut impatiently. Staring at him, he asked urgently, "Why did you come looking for me today? Why did you mention my mother?"
Zhang Yuanqing sat down cross-legged and pulled a palm-sized black speaker from his pocket.
Placing the speaker in front of him, he asked, "Do you know what this is?"
Lingjun shook his head.
"This is a relic of the Demon Lord. Although its grade isn't high, it's very peculiar—an item that cannot be placed into the inventory and must be kept on one's person at all times." Zhang Yuanqing introduced the Elvis Presley speaker. "The Demon Lord used it to record his thoughts, attempting to use the kind self of yesterday to awaken the corrupted self of tomorrow, thereby combating the erosion of the Fallen Holy Grail. Because he carried it with him at all times, it inevitably recorded some content that belongs behind a paywall..."
At this point, Zhang Yuanqing gave the Elvis Presley speaker a slap. "The audio clip I told you about last night—play it now."
*Bzz, bzz...* A low voice came from the speaker: *"I already had my way with her, and if I don't pay, then it's not prostitution!"*
"What does that mean?" Lingjun glanced down at the speaker, then looked at Yuanshi Tianzun with a bewildered expression.
The corner of Zhang Yuanqing's mouth twitched. "It's mocking us for trying to freeload. Take out your phone and play a song for it."
Hearing this, Lingjun fished out his phone while asking, "What kind of song does it like?"
"'The Squirming Warrior.'"
"It's still just a baby, huh?" Lingjun chuckled, opened a music app, and played the children's battle anthem.
The song ended before long.
Lingjun pocketed his phone and gazed at the Elvis Presley speaker with keen anticipation.
*Bzz, bzz...* After a burst of static, a sharp, high-pitched voice emanated from the speaker:
*"You little devil... harder, harder, I can't take it anymore..."*
Lingjun looked up at Zhang Yuanqing blankly, caught between laughter and tears. "You came all the way to the Capital City being all mysterious just to share gossip audio of the Demon Lord sleeping with some woman?"
*Don't you think this woman's voice sounds familiar?!* Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself.
The pleasure in the audio continued as the Demon Lord's raspy chuckle sounded:
*"Auntie, you're just like Teng'er—neither of you can handle a good pounding. Don't tell me you never found another lover after your husband returned to the Spirit Realm?"*
Lingjun's expression froze instantly.
He stared dumbfoundedly at Zhang Yuanqing. Zhang Yuanqing looked back calmly as the sound of rhythmic, heavy clapping echoed between them.
Swift as the wind, sudden as the rain, aggressive as fire, screaming like a surging tide.
Lingjun lunged furiously at the Elvis Presley speaker, his face contorted as if confronting his father's murderer—no, his mother's murderer.
Zhang Yuanqing pounced forward, using his physical strength as a Dominator to pin him down.
Lingjun refused to yield, roaring, "Did you fucking come here just to humiliate me?!"
Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly tried to calm him. "Don't rush, don't rush, the good part is coming!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the Demon Lord's lewd laughter drifted from the Elvis Presley speaker:
*"Auntie, Teng'er mentioned you have an elder sister? Since you're so stunning, your sister must be quite a beauty too."*
Lingjun was beside himself with rage. "You're fucking insulting my mother too?! This is what you called serious business?!"
"Calm down, calm down!" Zhang Yuanqing placated. "Don't fly into a rage just because family's brought up—"
Realizing that if this didn't make someone fly into a rage, nothing would, Zhang Yuanqing stopped talking and opted for physical restraint to keep him quiet.
Finally, after the four people across audio and reality had completed another round of vigorous physical exertion, the sigh of Teng'er's mother sounded from the speaker:
*"My elder sister was the wife of the Taiyi Sect Master. She returned to the Spirit Realm just two years after giving birth. The Taiyi Sect announced to the world that she died in the Spirit Realm, but I don't believe her death was that simple."*
Hearing those words, Lingjun's struggling body went rigid.
In the recording, the Demon Lord asked, *"What makes you say that?"*
*"...She was indeed due to enter the Spirit Realm around that time. But... but before entering, she called me on the phone. She said she had discovered a terrifying secret. My sister didn't tell me what the secret was; she only urged me that if anything ever happened to her one day, I had to raise Lingjun well..."*
*"Why didn't you tell your father about this?"*
*"I was afraid the matter involved the Taiyi Sect Master."*
When the playback reached this point, Zhang Yuanqing climbed off Lingjun and tapped the top of the Elvis Presley speaker. The audio instantly ceased. There was no need for Lingjun to hear the subsequent segment where the Demon Lord injected Life Source Fluid into his aunt.
"That's the whole story," Zhang Yuanqing said.
Lingjun sat cross-legged in silence, his eyes vacant and his soul seemingly gone. "Her death was related to the Taiyi Sect Master..."
Although he had no affection for his stud father and even despised him intensely, hearing his aunt's suspicion still made it impossible for him to accept the cruel possibility that his biological father might have killed his mother.
At the same time, the idea that his mother might have been murdered stoked an unnameable fury in his chest.
"No, no..." Lingjun shook his head violently, his voice growing agitated. "My mother died in the Spirit Realm! I remember Elder Zhao was present back then and witnessed it with his own eyes. The video recordings and the servants could testify to it too, and it really was her scheduled time to enter an instance!"
As the wife of the Taiyi Sect Master and the daughter of Elder Miao, returning to the Spirit Realm was a monumental event. It would have been repeatedly investigated and verified; they couldn't have overlooked it.
"Don't get agitated!" Sensing Lingjun's churning, tempestuous emotions, Zhang Yuanqing quickly helped him calm down—he hadn't soothed his emotions earlier purely out of wicked amusement, wanting to see Lingjun squirm in embarrassment.
Once Lingjun had regained his composure, Zhang Yuanqing got straight to the point:
"Your mother left behind a relic that came into my possession. I won't tell you what it is, nor will I show it to you. Knowing nothing is the safest path for you, as well as for me."
"Then what did you come to me for?"
"That object requires a key to open, and it's related to the Wood Monster class. Think carefully—before your mother returned to the Spirit Realm, did she tell you anything? Or rather, recall everything you can about your mother." Zhang Yuanqing had stopped just short of saying "the cultivation technique for spiritual plants."
However, he couldn't divulge any more information. Saying too much would alter Lingjun's future accordingly.
Lingjun let out a bitter laugh. "Didn't my aunt just say it? She returned to the Spirit Realm two years after giving birth to me. I was only two years old and hadn't even been weaned... I don't even remember her."
He racked his brain for a moment before shaking his head. "She didn't leave me any special or important relics either. Her belongings were either taken by my maternal grandfather or handled by the Taiyi Sect."
*No relics left to Lingjun, and he didn't even have the ability to speak with his mother...* Unwilling to give up, Zhang Yuanqing pressed, "Think again?"
Lingjun pondered earnestly for a while, then shook his head once more.
"I can't think of anything. Even if she left a key, it probably has nothing to do with me. However, if my mother really did leave a key behind, I think it might be with the Miao family.
"My grandfather, my uncle, my aunt—any of them are possible. I'll take you to see them right now."
Before Zhang Yuanqing could refuse, Lingjun suddenly exhaled as if deflated. "No, that won't work. If this involves that stud, revealing it to the Miao family will only bring about total catastrophe."
Zhang Yuanqing's heart stirred. The secret was concealed within the seed; the seed was the crux, whereas the cultivation method was actually inconsequential—inconsequential in terms of "Fate."
If the person who knew the cultivation method had no idea the seed existed, there would be no causal connection between the two.
Only by knowing both the cultivation method and the seed's existence would one stand out in the River of Fate.
In other words, it was very likely that Lingjun's birth mother had shared the cultivation method with her relatives.
Since Lingjun wasn't a Night Wanderer, he didn't understand the underlying principles here, and Zhang Yuanqing had no intention of explaining them. Rising to his feet, Zhang Yuanqing said:
"I'll continue investigating this matter. Just pretend you know nothing, and don't try to look into it yourself. Once you take action, Stargazing will be able to detect it. You hail from the Taiyi Sect, so you should understand that principle.
"Once there are results, I'll let you know."
With that, he picked up the Elvis Presley speaker, slipped it into his pocket, and walked toward the door.
Lingjun drew a deep breath, suppressing all his emotions and forcing himself not to dwell on it. Just as he was about to get up to see him out, the sound of static hissed from Yuanshi Tianzun's pocket:
*"Only a mother is good in this world; a child with a mother is like a treasure..."*
*Is that item comforting me?* A warm feeling rose in Lingjun's chest, but then the audio shifted: *"Eat shit, you!"*
"Sorry, it holds petty grudges." Zhang Yuanqing slapped his pants pocket, pulled open the door, and dissipated into starlight.
***
Inside the bedroom of his maternal grandmother's home.
Zhang Yuanqing's avatar suddenly appeared. He placed the Elvis Presley speaker onto the desk, and his body promptly dispersed.
An invisible hand reached out and picked up the speaker.
Wearing the Companion Spirit Moon and remaining in the Night Roaming state, Zhang Yuanqing took out his phone and played the song "Shouldn't Have Fallen in Love" for the Elvis Presley speaker.
Once the track ended, he said in a deep voice, "I want to hear all the recordings between the Demon Lord and Teng'er's mother."
He suspected the cultivation technique lay with members of the Miao family. Elder Miao didn't have many offspring; counting the late Miao Fengling, he only had three children in total.
Against the backdrop of peak Dominators and demigods acting as studs to aggressively produce progeny, Elder Miao was practically a breath of fresh air.
Given the Demon Lord's hostility toward and obsession with the Taiyi Sect, he would certainly have investigated intelligence regarding the cause of Lingjun's mother's death and her relics. Furthermore, given Miao Teng'er's mother's emotional dependence on the Demon Lord, she would have held nothing back.
*Bzz, bzz...* The familiar static crackled from the Elvis Presley speaker:
*"You... demanding it day and night, are you trying to get me pregnant?"*
The coquettish reproach of "Auntie" drifted from the speaker.
Chapter 833