Second floor of the villa, small conference room.
The setting sun bled through the glass windows, casting crimson light over the carpeted floor. The white wool was dyed a gleaming red by the twilight.
Seated upright around the conference table were several squad leader–level figures: Li Dongze, Qingteng, Bai Long, Tang Guoqiang, and the musclebound Da Ji Ba. Nearly all the capable captains from Kangyang District had arrived.
Besides the Five Elements Alliance captains, Yuan Ting, who had just returned from the capital, was also in attendance.
As a scout, Li Dongze was quick to notice Yuan Ting's poor state. He frowned and asked:
"You're injured?"
Yuan Ting, pale and reclining weakly in his chair with eyes closed, opened them at the question. His gaze was steady.
"No. Elder Sun placed great importance on me during my trip to the capital. He believes I'm a key pillar of Taiyi Sect's future and insisted on personally training me. The training was intense… I'm just worn out."
Everyone straightened their backs in respect.
Fu Qingyang glanced at him, made no comment, and then said sternly:
"Back to the point. What did Yuan Shi see in Ou Xiangrong's memories that made you rush over here like this?"
The other captains immediately turned serious.
As soon as he left the morgue, Li Dongze had summoned them all to the centurion's villa, claiming it was a major incident. When they asked for details, he refused to elaborate—leaving them all anxious and uneasy.
Clearing his throat, Li Dongze looked around the table and said:
"Our Night Wanderer uncovered the true nature of the Holy Grail from Ou Xiangrong's memories. It's actually a tool used by the Evil-Eye Judge, and its full name is the Fallen Holy Grail."
"The Evil-Eye Judge… Fallen Holy Grail?"
The captains looked at one another, some puzzled, others already grim.
The Evil-Eye Judge was the Vice President of the Spiritual Energy Society's Eastern Division.
The Spiritual Energy Society was a notorious evil organization among Spirit Realm Walkers, made up of powerful and deranged sorcerers. The Evil-Eye Judge ranked eighth on the Five Elements Alliance's bounty list—someone capable of shaking mountains and parting seas.
No one had expected a case involving Ou Xiangrong to trace back to someone of this level.
As for the confusion, that came from never having heard of the Fallen Holy Grail.
"Ou Xiangrong was after the Judge's artifact?" Da Ji Ba frowned and muttered bluntly, "That guy really lost his mind."
A mere Enchanting Demon at the Transcendent stage, daring to covet a high-tier Spirit Walker's artifact?
Ignoring Da Ji Ba, the others turned to Fu Qingyang.
He was silent for several seconds, then said with rare gravity:
"I'm going to disclose a classified piece of intel now. At your current clearance level, you shouldn't be privy to this. So once you leave this room, I want you to bury it in your stomach."
Everyone sat up straighter at that.
"The Fallen Holy Grail is a Rule-class item for Sorcerers—extremely high-tier. Its function is to control Spirit Realm Walkers. The Evil-Eye Judge used this artifact to enslave many Walkers from other professions. A large number of the so-called 'Fallen' individuals we clean up every year… were created by him.
"Once polluted by the Grail, you become the Judge's thrall for life. Death is the only escape—there is no cure.
"Moreover, those polluted must undergo regular 'ablutions' from the Grail. Otherwise, they go mad and die."
Li Dongze nodded and added, "Ou Xiangrong was one such thrall."
The captains now understood—everything clicked into place.
Bai Long nodded, but quickly frowned:
"But what does this have to do with him killing Zhao Yingjun? And this still doesn't sound like a major incident."
"Zhao Yingjun was also one of the Judge's thralls," Li Dongze said gravely. "He infiltrated the Five Elements Alliance under the guise of a Security Bureau advisor, secretly working for the Judge, scouting potential recruits.
"Not long ago, the Evil-Eye Judge died. His confidant, Black Wuchang, vanished with the Holy Grail and a registry of all the Fallen. Now, not just Ou Xiangrong, but the other Vice President of the Eastern Division—the Gu King—and his subordinates are all hunting for Black Wuchang.
"Once he has the registry, Black Wuchang will try to gather the Fallen and inherit the Judge's legacy. Zhao Yingjun's undercover status made him critical to this plan. It's likely he already made contact with Black Wuchang. Ou Xiangrong was trying to track him down through Zhao."
The room fell silent.
The death of the Evil-Eye Judge—a high-tier Spirit Realm Walker—was a bombshell. Even Fu Qingyang, usually composed, appeared stunned.
After a tense pause, he tapped the table, eyes narrowed:
"The registry contains a long list of Fallen. Black Wuchang can't possibly manage them all. Walkers like Ou Xiangrong, who have lost their minds, probably aren't the only ones."
Li Dongze smiled bitterly. "That's why I said it's a major incident."
The captains all looked grim.
Fu Qingyang continued:
"Black Wuchang is hiding in Songhai. Things won't stay quiet here. I'll report this to the Elders immediately so they can alert our colleagues across the country to brace for a potential outbreak.
"As of today, all vacations are cancelled. Phones must remain on 24/7. Be ready for action at any time."
The captains nodded solemnly.
Fu Qingyang's expression hardened.
"I'm disappointed in all of you. You were complacent and careless."
Then his tone softened:
"In the Ou Xiangrong incident, Yuan Shi performed exceptionally. From the kill to the spiritual interrogation and uncovering the Evil-Eye Judge's death—he did it all. You veterans were outdone by a rookie. As your superior, I'm embarrassed."
Li Dongze and the others looked ashamed.
"What? That rookie Night Wanderer is the one who killed Ou Xiangrong?" Yuan Ting blurted, blinking in surprise. "You mean the one under Squad Leader Li?"
Li Dongze subtly puffed out his chest and lifted his chin.
Da Ji Ba sighed. "That kid's combat talent is extraordinary. If he stays on this path, he might reach the Saint tier and become an executive someday."
The other captains nodded in agreement.
Captain Qingteng added, "He found Ou Xiangrong's trail first and engaged without hesitation. By the time we arrived, the battle was over. And even though Ou Xiangrong was injured and deranged, he was still no easy kill."
What kind of prodigy is this... Yuan Ting stood frozen for a moment before grief overtook him.
Elder Sun, what were you thinking?!
Fu Qingyang didn't let the topic linger.
"Meeting adjourned."
The captains rose from their seats and filed out.
Yuan Ting stayed behind. Once the others had left, he pushed down his regret and said:
"Centurion Fu, I need a favor."
Fu Qingyang looked at him.
"This time, the Sect Leader summoned us to the capital to disclose a classified secret… The Demon Lord is dead."
Fu Qingyang's expression froze. Even the Evil-Eye Judge's death hadn't rattled him this much. Now, he looked genuinely shocked.
The Demon Lord—a terrifying name known to all official Spirit Realm Walkers. A fallen Night Wanderer, brutal and bloodthirsty, unmatched in assassination and stealth. He had killed countless Spirit Realm Walkers.
At his peak, even the Elders of official organizations had to tread carefully, hiding their identities in the real world.
The evil factions hated him just as much, because he killed indiscriminately—righteous or wicked, all the same.
Last year, he was heavily wounded in a high-tier Spirit Realm confrontation by a stunningly talented female Marshal of the White Tiger Army. He had since vanished.
"And?"
"The Sect Leader assigned us a mission: to find the Demon Lord's successor. Starting two months ago until the end of the year, we've been screening every newly promoted Night Wanderer."
Fu Qingyang frowned.
"Even if some lucky novice got his character card, that doesn't make him the Demon Lord's heir. Don't tell me this is about 'nurturing talent.'"
When a Spirit Realm Walker dies, their character data is wiped. Their card becomes available to others. Some high-tier cards retain perks—special permissions or benefits—but in Fu Qingyang's view, this wasn't worth mobilizing the whole sect.
Even the Demon Lord, for all his power, was ranked below today's top Night Wanderer.
"I don't know the real reason," Yuan Ting admitted. "I just follow orders. Songhai has had four new Night Wanderers this year—one died in the Realm, two joined Taiyi and were sent to the training camp. The last one is under Li Dongze. I want to interrogate him."
Fu Qingyang fixed him with a piercing stare.
Yuan Ting held his ground.
"You may," Fu Qingyang said finally. "But no matter what happens, you report to me first. Don't even think about taking him to the capital on your own."
At his desk, Zhang Yuanqing opened his laptop and hesitated.
"Guan Ya-jie, how do I write a report?"
Guan Ya was watching a drama, barely glancing at him. "Didn't I send you a template? Just follow it."
"It's not the format, it's the content…" Zhang Yuanqing grimaced.
He needed to write a report on killing Ou Xiangrong. The problem: without mentioning the Red Dancing Shoes, it was hard to make the events seem plausible.
You couldn't just handwave that kind of battle.
"Ugh, you're so annoying." Guan Ya spun her chair around with a sigh. "What do you want to say?"
"I want to reasonably emphasize how I used my kingly aura to intimidate Ou Xiangrong, then relied on superb combat skills and brilliant tactics to duel the demon for 300 rounds before finally cutting down the fiend who nearly bathed Songhai in blood."
The mixed-race beauty rolled her eyes.
"Instead of 'reasonably' exaggerating fake stuff, why not 'unreasonably' lower Ou Xiangrong's intelligence? You showed quick thinking in the garage—why are you being dumb now?"
Ah, right. Ou Xiangrong was already mentally unstable and injured. Just how much, no one knew. I can describe it however I want. It's not like he'll crawl out of the grave to correct me...
Yuanqing's eyes lit up. "Got it. Thanks, Guan Ya-jie."
He began tapping at the keyboard, describing Ou Xiangrong's madness and irrational behavior. He also finalized his decision regarding the Bloodthirsty Blade.
The Subduing Demon Pestle was suited for purification and subjugation—not combat. The blade, however, filled that gap. Its bleeding and armor-piercing effects paired perfectly with the assassin-style Night Wanderer class.
Only drawback: it drained blood.
Once I level up and gain better regeneration and vitality, I should be able to handle both artifacts at once… Pestle for demons, blade for the crazed. Sounds good.
After submitting the report to Li Dongze, he asked:
"When will I get the rewards for the Sheling Tunnel and this mission?"
"Your merits have to be approved by the Elders. Same for fund transfers. Should arrive with next month's salary," Guan Ya said with a grin. "Why, itching to treat your big sister to dinner? I want abalone, sea cucumber, roast duck, imported ham, and premium steak…"
No. Too expensive. I'll get you a jianbing with two eggs and a sausage, Zhang Yuanqing thought.
It was already 2:30 p.m. He decided to head home.
"Where's Squad Leader Li and the other captains?" he asked before leaving.
After viewing Ou Xiangrong's memories, Li Dongze had stormed out without a word.
"Meeting," Guan Ya replied, reclining with her phone and a sly smile. Her cleavage swelled as she arched her back. "Important district-wide meeting, held at Centurion Fu's place. Once you've been employed over half a year, you'll get to join the fun."
"Fun? I hate meetings," Zhang Yuanqing muttered.
Guan Ya winked. "They've got lots of sexy bunny girls."
Zhang Yuanqing's eyes sparkled. "I suddenly feel the urge to contribute to organizational development."