Evidence of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable's crimes?
The assembled Evil Class members exchanged puzzled glances, unable to grasp the purpose of such a request.
Find evidence of the Primordial Heavenly Venerable's crimes, report him to the Five Elements Alliance, and let the Officials punish him? Why not just find him and kill him directly? Simple and efficient—why go through all this unnecessary trouble?
Auntie Xiao Yuan raised her hand from the crowd and said calmly, "The Primordial Heavenly Venerable you're talking about is the one who killed Li Xianzong, right? Why bother collecting evidence? Wouldn't it be easier to just kill him?"
The Demonic Eye Celestial King turned to her with a smile. "You don't need to know. Just do as I say."
Auntie Xiao Yuan nodded slightly. "What kind of evidence are you looking for?"
A nearby Evil Class member chimed in, "He killed Li Xianzong, Ou Xiangrong, and the Black Guard of Impermanence. Wouldn't those count?"
"No, no, no!" The Demonic Eye Celestial King shook his finger, his smile bright and cheerful. "Those aren't crimes—they're acts of justice. The evidence I want is bribery, abuse of power, bullying the weak, sexual harassment, and rape. Anything illegal will do."
The Evil Class members exchanged uneasy glances. This new representative of the Military Doctrine Sect must be out of his mind.
They had only ever heard of Evil Class members committing murder and arson, never collecting evidence against their enemies. What use could such information possibly have?
"What's the reward?" someone shouted.
"Two hundred thousand for each piece of evidence. If it's for a particularly heinous crime, five hundred thousand," the Demonic Eye Celestial King said with a grin, his forehead adorned with a sports headband.
It seemed the Military Doctrine Sect was targeting the Primordial Heavenly Venerable because of Li Xianzong's affair. They were sore losers. But whether they had a reason or not, Evil Classes hunted Orderly Classes regardless. Even without Li Xianzong's case, the Military Doctrine Sect would still hunt down Auntie Xiao Yuan, Zhang Yuanqing thought.
Auntie Xiao Yuan pondered for a moment, then raised her hand and asked coldly, "What's the reward for killing the Primordial Heavenly Venerable directly?"
The Demonic Eye Celestial King shook his head. "There's no reward for that. I only require you to collect evidence. Whether you kill him or not is my business."
After a satisfying meal, Zhang Yuanqing and Xie Lingxi left the restaurant side by side and arrived at the elevator. He seized the moment to bid farewell.
"Lingxi, when are you heading back to the Scattered Province?"
"Why would I go back there?" Xie Lingxi asked pitifully. "If I go back, I'll miss Brother Primordial. I can't bear to be away from him~"
"I plan to stay in Songhai until autumn, until the crabs get fat," Xie Lingxi continued. "The Xie Family hosts a River Crab Feast every year. Brother Primordial, will you come with me to the Xie Family after autumn? My mom and dad want to meet you."
As she spoke, a bashful expression crept across her face, as if she were inviting her lover to meet her parents.
"Your tea art is truly masterful," Zhang Yuanqing grumbled, half-amused. "Just be grateful you're only seventeen. Try talking to me like that next year, and you'll see how terrifying a brother who knows how to exploit every weakness can be!"
As he spoke, his phone rang. The caller ID flashed: Magic Auntie Xiao Yuan!
Zhang Yuanqing rejected the call and stepped into the elevator with Xie Lingxi. As the elevator descended, Xie Lingxi reached her floor, stepped out, turned back, and waved.
"Bye-bye~"
Zhang Yuanqing gave a noncommittal "Mm-hmm" and closed the elevator doors.
After leaving the hotel, he pulled out his phone and returned Xiao Yuan's call.
"Auntie Xiao Yuan?"
"Someone from the Military Doctrine Sect is looking for you. They've put a bounty on evidence of your crimes."
"Huh?" Zhang Yuanqing was momentarily stunned. It wasn't the fact that the Military Doctrine Sect had put a bounty on him—that was inevitable. But a bounty on evidence of his crimes?
What crimes could a weak, bookish college student like me, who feels guilty even for farting in public, possibly have committed?
Zhang Yuanqing chuckled in disbelief. "What's going on?"
Auntie Xiao Yuan briefly explained the reopening of the black market and how the Military Doctrine Sect's Representative had put bounties on the Palace Master of Ceasing Slaughter and the Primordial Heavenly Venerable.
A young man with a sports headband? A bounty on evidence of my crimes? Zhang Yuanqing suddenly remembered something, and his smile slowly faded.
The Demonic Eye Celestial King seems to have arrived in Songhai recently. He has a vertical eye on his forehead and is an extremist, a fanatical zealot. Zhang Yuanqing swallowed hard, his mind racing with a single thought:
What do I do? The Sovereign-level powerhouse has put a bounty on my head! Urgent help needed!
He knew the Demonic Eye Celestial King would eventually come after him, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly, and not with a "kill on sight, otherwise forget it" attitude, but with a hefty bounty.
Being targeted by such a powerful figure was incredibly stressful.
"Auntie Xiao Yuan, I think I know who this person is," Zhang Yuanqing said.
"Who?" Xiao Yuan frowned, sensing the unease in his voice.
"It's the Demonic Eye Celestial King from the Military Doctrine Sect."
"Him?!" Xiao Yuan's voice sharpened.
Zhang Yuanqing let out a resigned "Mm," his heart sinking. "I killed Li Xianzong. He wants revenge."
Auntie Xiao Yuan fell silent for a long moment, her tone complex. "You truly are a prodigy. Your experiences in just two months have been richer and more tumultuous than most people's in two years."
Having barely survived Li Xianzong's hunt and finally turned the tables, he'd killed the lesser foe only to attract the greater one.
"Auntie Xiao Yuan, please don't mock me," Zhang Yuanqing said with a wry smile.
The corners of Xiao Yuan's lips twitched upward before vanishing. She said coolly,
"This is just the beginning. The more famous you become, the more Evil Classes will want to kill you. It's the fate of every genius, unless you can become like Fu Qingyang."
"How so?"
"Kill so many that no one dares to trouble you. Sovereign-level Walkers are rare, and they typically don't hunt lower-level Walkers. If you can achieve invincibility in the Saint Stage and avoid provoking Sovereigns, you'll generally be safe."
"That's too difficult," Zhang Yuanqing said. "There are so many Spirit Realm Walkers, but how many are like Fu Qingyang?"
"Auntie Xiao Yuan, can Master Wuhen defeat the Demonic Eye Celestial King?"
"I don't know!"
"You don't know?"
Auntie Xiao Yuan snapped, "I've never seen Master Wuhen fight. Besides, he can't act easily. You've met him a few times; you should know his condition isn't normal."
Zhang Yuanqing perked up at this. "What's wrong with Master Wuhen's condition?"
"...You don't need to know, and you're not qualified to know," Auntie Xiao Yuan replied, reverting to her cold, aloof demeanor.
Zhang Yuanqing stopped pressing the matter and rephrased his question. "Auntie Xiao Yuan, I want to report the black market's location to the Branch's higher-ups and have the Elders deal with it. What do you think?"
"What a terrible idea!" Xiao Yuan scoffed.
"First, since the Demonic Eye Celestial King has publicly revealed himself, he's unlikely to make a direct appearance anytime soon. He'll probably operate from the shadows, pulling the strings. Don't underestimate the wisdom and caution of a Sovereign.
"Second, the black market has information on all the Evil Class members invited to this gathering. If the Demonic Eye Celestial King discovers the black market has been raided, his first suspects will undoubtedly be those who attended today's event, putting me in grave danger.
"Finally, how do you know the Demon Eye isn't setting a trap?"
Zhang Yuanqing frowned in thought.
Xiao Yuan shifted her tone. "Ambushing him isn't out of the question, but we need to wait for the right opportunity."
"I understand, Auntie Xiao Yuan," Zhang Yuanqing replied, realizing the current situation wasn't suitable. "How's the Faction matter coming along?"
Xiao Yuan hesitated. "Let me think about it some more. To be honest, I'm not very keen on the idea. Besides, Master Wuhen doesn't want me getting too involved with you."
Master Wuhen disapproves? Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly. These Sovereign-level figures are notoriously difficult to win over. But if I can manage it, I'll have a powerful ally for life.
After thanking her, Zhang Yuanqing hung up.
Wuhen Hotel.
Xiao Yuan parked her car in the hotel's parking lot, retrieved her key, and unlocked the U-shaped lock.
She entered the staff changing room behind the front desk, shed her casual clothes, and removed her pants. The full-length mirror in the room reflected her voluptuous figure clad in black lace lingerie.
Her wasp waist, shapely hips, and long, shapely legs were complemented by a bra that accentuated her deep, creamy cleavage. Combined with her cold, alluring features, she was a sight that would stir any man who still harbored interest in the opposite sex. Yet Auntie Xiao Yuan remained utterly indifferent, not even glancing at her reflection. She swiftly changed into her hotel staff uniform before finally looking in the mirror to straighten her collar.
Leaving the changing room, Xiao Yuan walked to the front desk, grabbed her employee card, and took the elevator upstairs.
The elevator stopped on the third floor. She stepped out, swiped her card to unlock room 306, and gripped the door handle. At that moment, Auntie Xiao Yuan's expression shifted slightly. She paused, listening intently for a few seconds before urgently barging into the room.
The guest room was empty. The pristine white bedding lay neatly arranged, resembling an unoccupied room.
Xiao Yuan glanced around the room. On the small table by the window, a bottle of mineral water pressed down a note.
With a grim expression, she walked over to the table, picked up the note, and read the neatly written words:
"Xiao Yuan, I've gone to Songhai for revenge. Don't look for me, don't try to stop me. This time, I'll be thoroughly prepared. I'm not going to die."
"Foolish idiot," she muttered.
Xiao Yuan's chest heaved violently as she took several deep breaths to suppress her surging anger and worry.
During dinner, Zhang Yuanqing glanced at his cousin, who looked deeply troubled, and said, "Cousin, if you keep frowning like that, I'll have to call you Grandpa."
The words had barely left his mouth when his grandmother smacked him on the head.
"Is it a case?" his aunt, who was busy shoveling rice into her mouth, chimed in.
Chen Yuanjun's brow furrowed even deeper as he sighed. "We recently received a case. Someone reported our Chief for corruption and bribery, accusing him of protecting financial companies that target students and people in need with predatory loans. You know, high-interest loans.
"Over the past few years, they've driven six people to suicide. They even force female students who can't repay their debts into prostitution. Let's not talk about it anymore."
Zhang Yuanqing's eyebrows shot up. "Just report it to higher-ups," he said. "What's the problem?"
Chen Yuanjun glanced at him but remained silent.
"You've already reported it, and it did nothing, right?" His usually taciturn grandfather scoffed.
Chen Yuanjun nodded. "Yuanzi, Grandfather tried this before. The report failed, and his superiors made his life miserable."
Zhang Yuanqing vaguely recalled such an incident. He had been too young to understand the details at the time, but he remembered his grandfather's furious outbursts at home, during which he smashed several bowls.
His grandfather said calmly, "What Yuanjun has told you is likely just the tip of the iceberg. There must be far more serious cases hidden beneath the surface. The reports fail because of widespread corruption and vested interests. You'll get used to it."
Though his grandfather spoke calmly, Zhang Yuanqing detected a hint of resignation in those final words.
Having spent most of his life in the Public Security Bureau, his grandfather knew its inner workings better than anyone.
"Hey, what's the name of your Public Security Bureau Chief, bro?" Zhang Yuanqing asked casually.
"Zhou Yan."
"Oh!"
He silently lowered his head to eat, memorizing the name.
Although the Five Elements Alliance and the Public Security Bureau were separate power structures operating independently, pursuing an official investigation into Chief Zhou seemed nearly impossible.
However, he could leverage his abilities as a Spirit Realm Walker to conduct a covert investigation and gather evidence.
Unfortunately, he had to stay home recently and couldn't go to work.
After dinner, his uncle knocked on the door, still dressed in his flamboyant clubbing attire.
"Yuanzi, come over here for a moment."
His uncle gestured for his nephew to sit at the table, pulled out his wallet, and extracted a crisp, red 1,000 yuan bill.
"This is from your aunt. I don't know what's gotten into her, suddenly wanting to be nicer to you. She even claimed it was my idea, which is strange—I never said anything like that."
"Thank you, Uncle!" Zhang Yuanqing happily accepted the money, pretending not to hear his uncle's last remark.
His uncle beamed. "Come on, let's go dancing at my place! Oh, and by the way, I might be misremembering, but lately, the money in my wallet seems to be disappearing faster than usual. It's barely enough to get by."
What a naive fool, Zhang Yuanqing thought, feeling guilty yet secretly mocking his uncle. He still hasn't noticed his wallet's being picked clean every day.
"So, since your aunt gave you money, lend me five hundred, okay?" Uncle slapped Zhang Yuanqing's shoulder heartily. "After all, I raised you single-handedly, and that was really hard work, you know?"
"No," Zhang Yuanqing refused coldly, clutching his money protectively.
Uncle glanced at him. "You already did."
Already did? Zhang Yuanqing froze, then realized with a jolt: Aunt gave me fifteen hundred? That bastard Uncle already swindled me out of five hundred?!
Uncle patted his nephew's shoulder with satisfaction. "Don't look so glum. I'll pay you back next month. Gotta run now. Come over sometime and we'll practice our dance moves."
No need to pay me back, Zhang Yuanqing thought through gritted teeth. My son will avenge me.
Watching Uncle leave, Zhang Yuanqing walked to his aunt's bedroom door, knocked lightly twice, and called out:
"Aunt, wanna come over tonight and play games?"
"Sure, sure!" his aunt replied sweetly.
Grandmother, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, poked her head out and glared at her grandson before shouting at her daughter's door:
"Yu'er, let Mom join in too!"
"Huh?" his aunt exclaimed in surprise. "Mom, you don't even know how to play games."
Grandmother sneered. "You play games, I'll play you."
The room suddenly fell silent. Zhang Yuanqing quietly turned and left.
Back in his bedroom, he lay on the bed, pondering how to deal with the Demonic Eye Celestial King.
"Letting the Demon Eye stay in Songhai isn't safe. I feel uneasy, like he could come knocking at any moment, pretending to be a meter reader."
Zhang Yuanqing pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on.
Being targeted by a powerful Sovereign was bound to make anyone feel insecure. Even though Songhai had a large population, making it unlikely for the Demon Eye to find him by chance, what if he did?
After all, this was a Sovereign. Who knew what methods he might employ?
"Our only chance for a preemptive strike is when he appears at the black market. The Five Elders can swarm him and kill him together. With the Palace Master of Ceasing Slaughter, that madman, joining in, six Sovereigns should be able to take down one Demon Eye without much trouble.
"If that fails, I can borrow the Dream-Entering Jade Talisman from little green tea and summon Master Wuhen. With that, the Demon Eye would have no chance of survival. I need to contact the Five Elders in advance, devise a detailed plan, and then just wait for him to walk into our trap. Fu Qingyang could handle this part.
"Sigh, what a curse. Enduring life-threatening situations in the Instances is one thing, but even back in reality, I'm still walking on thin ice. Becoming too famous isn't always a good thing—it makes you an easy target for evil people."
Puning District.
The night was deep, and a gentle breeze stirred.
In a dilapidated residential building, a young man wearing a sports headband climbed the stairs to the fifth floor and knocked on the worn security door.
"Who are you?"
A middle-aged man with graying hair answered, his expression somber.
The Demonic Eye Celestial King smiled.
"You're the one who reported Zhou Yan for embezzlement, bribery, acting as a protector for loan sharks, and controlling and exploiting dozens of students and members of the public, right?
"Furthermore, she abused her power to benefit her spouse and relatives, selling projects and illegally profiting hundreds of millions."
The middle-aged man's face paled, and he slammed the door shut, but it was stopped halfway by a foot.
"What do you want? I'm telling you, the neighbors are here. Don't try anything!" the man shouted, his face contorted with fear, anger, and humiliation.
"You broke my leg! What more do you want? What more? If you touch me, I'll fight you to the death!"
He displayed the final resolve of a common man.
The Demonic Eye Celestial King's smile remained unchanged. "I'm gathering evidence of Zhou Yan's crimes. If you don't mind, let's talk inside."