Chapter 19: The Phone Call
"Fuck, that scared the shit out of me."
Zhang Yuanqing plopped down on the edge of the bed, his heart pounding.
He suspected that if he had returned a second later, he might have come back as a mangled corpse.
When he finally managed to calm down, he caught sight of the red dancing shoes on his feet and nearly had another heart attack.
"Remove, remove."
The red shoes dissipated into red light.
Phew, he almost stomped his feet! Zhang Yuanqing completely relaxed, got up and walked to the window, staring at the high-rise buildings outside, the lush green leaves reflecting iridescent light, listening to the chatter of the elderly in the neighborhood and the faint noise of vehicles in the distance.
It was mealtime, and the delivery guy in a blue uniform was speeding through the neighborhood on his electric scooter.
From the windows of the neighboring residential building, the sizzling of vegetables hitting hot oil could be heard, along with the clanging of spatulas stir-frying.
The human world is still good, the metropolis is still good.
Just standing there for a few minutes, he finally felt that he had completely gotten rid of that eerie feeling.
Once he calmed down, he couldn't wait to walk to the mirror to test his skills.
Settling his emotions, calming his inner lake, he silently communicated with the Taiyin power within his body.
Soon, Zhang Yuanqing saw his body in the mirror being erased inch by inch, disappearing into thin air.
He could really turn invisible, hehehe.
Nine seconds later, his body was redrawn and appeared in the mirror again.
"Mm, a bit tiring, like running a few laps on the track."
Next, he tested the strength of his physical body, easily denting a battery, cutting a small wound on the back of his hand with a utility knife, which healed in less than five minutes.
Putting aside supernatural powers, just the increase in muscle strength alone had already transcended ordinary people.
As for the other active skill "Soul Devouring", there was no opportunity to use it yet, because there were no spirits around.
"Now that my physique is so strong, if it triggers my old ailment, can my body endure the overloaded state for longer? No, what I should be thinking about is whether there are any doctor professions among the spirit travelers. I need to find someone to look at my strange illness."
Zhang Yuanqing then opened his inventory to admire his props, but didn't take them out.
Never mind the Demon Subduing Staff, but if he took out the red shoes, what if they demanded that he dance with them?
Staring at the Demon Subduing Staff, Zhang Yuanqing fell into contemplation.
"If I remember correctly, the banyan tree spirit said that the Demon Subduing Staff seals the yang souls of the Three Paths Mountain Goddess. Will she come looking for me?"
Just thinking about it made him feel afraid.
"The NPCs in the spirit realm shouldn't be able to appear in the real world, right? And the chances of me going back to the mountain temple are slim. The small mountain temple has already been fully explored and won't be able to support another quest."
Although he said that, he wasn't sure. The smiling face of the Three Paths Mountain Goddess kept flashing through his mind.
"I'll go to the unit later and ask Old Mechanic and Translator Voice Freak to confirm."
At this moment, someone turned the door handle a few times, but because Zhang Yuanqing had locked the door beforehand, the person outside couldn't get in.
"Zhang Yuanqing, why did you lock the door? Are you secretly doing something bad?"
His aunt's charming and clear voice came through, humming, "Time to eat."
Only then did Zhang Yuanqing realize that he was starving. Responding quickly, he hurriedly put away the Demon Subduing Staff, took off his dust and blood-stained clothes and pants, changed into a spring baseball uniform and black sweatpants, and hid the dirty clothes.
Only then did he walk to the door and open it.
His aunt stood outside, peering into the room with her round, pretty egg-shaped face, suspiciously asking, "Why did you lock the door?"
"Practicing divine arts."
"What divine arts?"
"The art of using foreign technology to subdue foreigners."
"You little brat, are you looking for a beating?"
His aunt glared fiercely. Her eyes were very charming, round and big, bright and lively, without any redness or dullness.
The ancients spoke of autumn water bright eyes, referring to this kind of sparkling big eyes.
At the dinner table, Zhang Yuanqing wolfed down the food, his appetite greatly increased. Grandma was both pleased that her cooking skills had improved and troubled that she had made too few dishes today.
"You're starting school tomorrow, so go to bed early tonight. Don't make me have to wake you up," Grandma warned.
"I can go to bed early if Auntie doesn't come to my room to play games at night," Zhang Yuanqing immediately shifted the blame.
Under the table, his calf was kicked.
"She has to go to work herself," Grandma turned to her daughter and said, "If you're working overtime tomorrow, call me in advance."
His aunt was a resident doctor in the obstetrics and gynecology department at a public tertiary hospital. When it was quiet, it was very quiet, but when it got busy, it was more tiring than being a corporate slave.
"When you have time, interact more with your male colleagues. There must be many male doctors pursuing you at the hospital, right?" Grandma probed.
"Mom, you're thinking too small. Even men who bring their wives for prenatal checkups often secretly ask me for my contact information," Auntie said proudly, hands on her waist.
Grandma raised her palm, and Auntie ducked her head, silently eating her rice.
While the mother and daughter were talking, Zhang Yuanqing's thoughts flew to the things he had to do in the afternoon.
"After lunch, I'll contact Guan Ya and tell the officials that I successfully cleared the instance. I also need to write an instance report. I wonder if the report for the first clear is worth anything and how many merits it can be exchanged for."
"I have to mention the awakening of the Mountain Goddess. I can't forget that. I always feel like it's a hidden quest."
After finishing the meal and solving the issue of hunger, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room and found that his phone was out of battery.
Because of the rush and worry about the spirit realm, he forgot to charge his phone.
After plugging it in, he saw that there were four or five missed calls.
Caller ID: Guan Ya
Two of them were an hour ago when he was still in the spirit realm. The remaining three were two minutes ago.
"So anxious to confirm whether I'm dead or not?" Zhang Yuanqing grumbled inwardly, tapping his finger to return Guan Ya's call.
In a two-story building with glass walls reflecting the sunlight.
In the spacious and luxurious office, Li Dongze finished his simple lunch, glanced at his watch, and leaning on his cane, walked to the office area.
"Guan Ya, any news from Yuanshi?"
This was already the third time he had asked the same question.
Although he didn't have high hopes, until the matter was settled, it kept lingering on his mind.
Li Dongze had already written an apology letter, just waiting for the result, and then he would admit his mistake to the Centurion. He had been careless this time, lacking the professionalism of a scout.
As for this kid Yuanshi Tianzun, although it was a pity, the trial mission triggered by the character card was beyond human control.
"His phone is turned off," Guan Ya shook her head. "I've already called him five or six times."
Li Dongze seemed to have expected this outcome, silently letting out a breath.
"Let's wait a little longer, wait a little longer."
"Okay, Captain," Guan Ya brushed aside her hair, revealing a smile, comforting, "Before the result comes out, anything is possible. It's like Schrödinger's cat. Until you open the box, you never know if it's alive or dead."
Next to them, Wang Tai couldn't help but interject, "That's not how Schrödinger's cat works. From a probability standpoint, without special means or assistance, the chances of him clearing the Sheling Tunnel are nearly zero."
Guan Ya and Li Dongze's faces darkened. "Shut up!"
Did I say something wrong again? Wang Tai silently lowered his head.
This social idiot! Li Dongze and Guan Ya criticized inwardly.
Having been colleagues for so long, they had long given up on cultivating Wang Tai's emotional intelligence.
Guan Ya felt that interesting and boring souls were immediately contrasted. Look at that kid Yuanshi, handsome and well-spoken. If he could become a colleague, going to work in the future wouldn't be so dull and boring.
Unfortunately, he had bad luck.
If there was still no contact by the end of the workday, then there was truly no hope. Guan Ya sighed, lazily leaning back in the soft chair, letting her ample breasts stretch the white shirt taut.
"Report to me immediately if there's any news."
Li Dongze said, about to turn and leave, when Guan Ya's phone on the desk suddenly rang.
At this moment, the phone on the desk rang.
Li Dongze paused, his eyes fixed on Guan Ya's phone.
Caller ID: Yuanshi Tianzun.
Li Dongze's breathing quickened.
Guan Ya abruptly jumped up from her chair, slamming into the desk with a clang, knocking over the items on the table.
Her beautiful eyes widened, her face filled with shock and wild joy.
She grabbed the phone while looking at Li Dongze.
Li Dongze's face was tense. "Speaker!"
His voice was low and serious.
The two of them had solemn expressions, as if taking a call from kidnappers.
Guan Ya answered the phone, filled with anticipation, suppressing her wild joy. "Yuanshi?"
"I cleared the trial mission and came out of the mountain temple," Zhang Yuanqing's voice came from the speaker.
Guan Ya and Li Dongze were both stunned.
Wang Tai, who had been immersed in his own world, suddenly looked up. This scholar obsessed with data showed shock and astonishment on his face.
After a few seconds of daze, the two small mustaches on Li Dongze's mouth fluttered at a visible speed as he exclaimed, "Oh, God! Did you hear my prayers? This is too unbelievable. Oh my, I can't believe this is real."
Then, realizing his loss of composure, he hurriedly restrained his expression. "Elegance, must be elegant."
Li Dongze knew what clearing the Sheling Tunnel meant. An S-rank spirit realm that the Taiyi Sect had deemed impossible to clear had been conquered, which would inevitably attract high-intensity attention. Although Yuanshi was a newcomer, it was foreseeable that he would become famous overnight and become a spirit traveler with some renown.
Moreover, the information and items contained within an S-rank spirit realm were solid gains and were bound to be abundant.
Both official and private organizations were eager to conquer high-difficulty spirit realms, especially for the first clear, because it was the quickest and most effective way to strengthen the organization.
The last point, and the most important one, was that in the Songhai area, there were only a few Yeyou God trial spirit realms. The existence of this bug in the Sheling Tunnel had caused the official organizations to lose many Yeyou God candidates.
If they had a detailed strategy guide, then in the future, the number of Yeyou Gods born each year would increase.
Although the rewards for clearing a spirit realm could not be as generous as the first clear, what the officials valued was the increase in the number of Yeyou Gods.
This was enough to attract the attention of the Five Elements Alliance's Elder Council.
"How... did you do it?" Guan Ya murmured.
"It was nothing difficult. I cleared it with ease. Heh, you just need legs to pass it."
Yuanshi Tianzun said something befitting his ID.
Guan Ya was momentarily speechless, unable to tell if he was joking or being a studious show-off. In her impression, Zhang Yuanqing was a smart college student, good at socializing, but to say he was extraordinary was definitely impossible.
Her liking for this new colleague was limited to his pleasant speech and humorous wit, but definitely not an acknowledgment of his abilities.
And now, she needed to reevaluate this newly minted Yeyou God.
"Very good, well done." Li Dongze excitedly tapped his cane, urging, "Come to the unit right away, come immediately."
"Okay," Zhang Yuanqing said.
Ending the call, Wang Tai couldn't help but say, "He has abilities beyond ordinary people. We don't know in which aspect yet, but he definitely does. Captain, it seems you've picked up a freak."
Hearing this, the smile on Li Dongze's face spread uncontrollably. He coughed and said displeasedly, "What freak? He's a genius!"
With that said, as if he had urgent business, he hurriedly walked towards the office.
Li Dongze felt that the title of the apology letter should be changed to something more elegant, such as: "I'm very sorry, Centurion, I accidentally picked up a freak."
He couldn't wait any longer.
(End of chapter)
Read ahead full this novel and more female-dominant novels at yuushil<.>com