"I saw the killer's face!"
Zhang Yuanqing's dull eyes lit up again. He quickly turned his head to his two colleagues.
As he spoke, a wave of intense fear surged through him. The shadow of death lingered in his chest, refusing to fade.
Devouring a soul felt satisfying... but also painful.
Li Dongze and Guan Ya visibly relaxed. The former hurriedly asked:
"What does he look like? Any distinct features?"
Zhang Yuanqing recalled what he saw and began, "Male, around 30 to 35, medium build but strong. He's got a half-finger-long scar on his left cheek, sparse eyebrows, fierce eyes..."
Li Dongze listened patiently, gradually forming a mental image.
The killer had very distinct facial features—easy to identify.
When Zhang Yuanqing finished, Guan Ya asked:
"Did he assault the female victims before killing them?"
Zhang Yuanqing recalled the last scenes of the memory. "I think... yes."
Guan Ya's eyes narrowed as a theory in her mind clicked into place. She turned to Li Dongze, frowning:
"Squad leader, I suspect the killer has psychological issues."
Zhang Yuanqing didn't quite follow. Anyone capable of such cruelty couldn't possibly be sane, right?
Li Dongze nodded, scowling. "That bastard deserves to rot in hell."
Seeing Zhang Yuanqing's confused expression, Li Dongze stroked his beard and explained:
"Remember how the morality system punishes certain behaviors?"
Zhang Yuanqing nodded.
"Killing Zhao Yingjun's mistress to silence her—logical, even if heinous. But sexually assaulting her before that? That adds an extra moral penalty."
Li Dongze believed a university student like Zhang Yuanqing would understand what that implied.
So he really might be unstable... Zhang Yuanqing understood now.
Criminals in the Spirit Realm were penalized for their actions via the morality system. Anyone with a working brain would avoid triggering those punishments. Killing to silence someone was "pragmatic." But to rape first, knowing the consequences...
Only two kinds of people would do that: those with sky-high morality points who didn't care—or those who'd lost their grip on sanity.
The second was far more likely.
Sister Guan, for once, dropped the flirtation. With a serious tone and a hand under her chin, she said:
"Spirit Realm walkers with unstable mental states—whether lawful or evil—are ticking time bombs in cities. They have to be dealt with."
Even if someone's morality dropped below 60 and they got marked for public hunting, a person with supernatural powers could cause mass casualties in the time it took hunters to find them.
Guan Ya looked at the team's rookie and gave a firm warning:
"The Spirit Realm is dangerous—especially solo instances. Death rates are high. Even if you complete the task, the mental trauma can be permanent. Eventually, it messes with your head.
"Especially you Night Wanderers. If you ever feel something's off with yourself, tell us immediately. The organization will help with psychological support."
Zhang Yuanqing was reminded of the horrors in the mountain temple. Still shaken, he nodded. "Got it…"
"Did they find the killer's DNA at the scene?" he asked.
Guan Ya shook her head.
Did the guy bag up his little soldiers and leave? Zhang Yuanqing felt a pang of regret. If they'd had a sample, the Red Dancing Shoes could have tracked him down.
At that moment, Li Dongze finished thinking and asked:
"What else did you see in Zhao Yingjun's memory?"
"I was waiting for you to ask that." Zhang Yuanqing said quickly. "The killer was interrogating him about the 'Holy Grail' and a 'Roster.'"
Holy Grail, Roster...? Guan Ya and Li Dongze exchanged confused looks.
"What do those mean?" Li Dongze asked.
Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. "There was no info in the memory—just those names."
Li Dongze thought for a moment, then frowned. "This case is more complicated than we thought. Zhao Yingjun was hiding a lot."
He patted Zhang Yuanqing on the shoulder. "Good work. You gave us a major lead. Once we catch or kill the bastard, I'll make sure you get credit. For now, follow Guan Ya and help create a facial composite."
"Yes, sir."
Zhang Yuanqing followed the long-legged beauty out.
"Oh, and one more thing," Li Dongze called. "Get him a tailored suit. From now on, he's to wear formal attire at the office."
Zhang Yuanqing opened his mouth to say, But I won't be here much... but before he could, Guan Ya replied, "Understood."
Once they'd left the morgue, Guan Ya chuckled, "Remember, always wear a suit when you're in the office."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded, "I get it. Big companies have dress codes."
Guan Ya laughed sweetly. "Nope. This isn't about the organization. It's the squad leader's personal preference. He thinks casual clothes lack elegance."
What does elegance have to do with anything...? Zhang Yuanqing grumbled internally, but then his eyes drifted over Guan Ya's long legs in black stockings, her round hips in a short skirt, and her cinched waist in a white blouse.
Suddenly, Li Dongze's point made perfect sense. Life was about elegance, after all.
As they walked, he opened his attributes panel:
[Name: Primordial Heaven Sovereign]
[Race: Human]
[Class: Night Wanderer]
[Level: 1]
[Skills: Night Roam, Spirit Devour, Lunar Spirit]
[EXP: 44%]
[Morality: 60 (Initial)]
His EXP had risen from 42% to 44%. After devouring the spirit, a warm current had surged through him. His body felt great, and the power of the lunar spirit had grown.
"Sister Guan, I gained 2% EXP!" Zhang Yuanqing said, delighted.
EXP meant power. Two Night Wanderers at level 1 could have wildly different strength, depending on how full their EXP bar was.
Guan Ya blinked. "Oh right, that's true. You guys can absorb spirits for experience. Though Night Wanderers from the Taiyi faction rarely do it. They always have a sour face when they're asked to commune with the dead."
"Why's that?"
The mixed-blood beauty rolled her eyes. "How should I know? I'm just a powerless scout."
Yeah right. Even if scouts aren't combat specialists, a level 2 scout's base stats could probably crush him. And scouts, once they reach level 4, have terrifying solo combat capabilities. At the Transcendent stage, their physical strength must be insane.
"You sure you're powerless?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.
Guan Ya's gaze drifted downward. With a teasing smile, she said:
"Never tried. Want to help me test it—in the bathroom?"
"Don't do this. I'm still just a kid."
He pulled out his phone. "You free tonight? I'll book a hotel. And if you don't mind, you can work on your squats too."
"Hahaha, you're hilarious." Guan Ya laughed until her shoulders shook. "Yuanshi, you really should come around more often. With you here, I'll never be bored again."
...
The two exited the glass building and entered the main precinct. Guan Ya led him straight to the tech department.
After a thorough interview about the suspect's appearance, the team spent two hours creating a sketch.
Zhang Yuanqing studied the portrait and rubbed his chin.
"Close... but not quite right."
Veteran tech officer Lao Zhang asked, "Is it the facial features or the vibe?"
"The vibe. He had this vicious aura."
"Can you describe that kind of vicious? Got a reference?"
"It's like... I walked in and saw Chang Wei beating the crap out of Lai Fu."
"...Got it."
Finally, the new sketch was done. Zhang Yuanqing nodded in satisfaction.
"Yeah, that's it. Roughly 70-80% accurate."
With the composite ready, they ran it through the national database.
"Ou Xiangrong. From Wu City in Jiangnan province. Long-term resident of Songhai. Convicted of aggravated assault in 2012. Has been off the grid since release..."
Guan Ya smiled from her seat, "With this info, we'll have him in custody by morning."
"That fast?"
"Trust in the system—and in scouts."
She got up. "Yuanshi, your work here is done. You can return to campus. You may be powerful, but you're not yet ready to handle the mental strain of combat."
"Got it." Zhang Yuanqing answered cheerfully.
...
Back in his office in the glass building, Li Dongze reviewed the intel Guan Ya had sent. Then he opened the regional Spirit Realm command chat.
Muscle Bro: "That new Night Wanderer of yours works fast. Already ID'd the suspect, huh?"
Water Walker: "@Li Dongze, how does it feel to have a Night Wanderer under your thumb?"
Li Dongze: "Feels damn good."
Tang Guoqiang sent a red envelope.
White Dragon: "Alright, enough flexing. Deploy your men. Alert Songhai's security bureau to screen all outbound traffic. Mobilize local Spirit Realm squads. Let's hope Ou Xiangrong's still in the city."
The murder had happened that morning—five to six hours ago. Even a regular person could've left Songhai by now, let alone a Spirit Realm walker.
Qingteng: "Honestly, if he's planning to target the authorities, it might be safer if he has left the city."
Assassinations of Spirit Realm officials weren't unheard of.
Li Dongze: "He hasn't left."
Muscle Bro: "How can you be sure?"
Li Dongze: "If he just wanted Zhao Yingjun dead, he'd have done it earlier. Even with our Night Wanderer, he had time to run before we ever identified him. So why now?"
Muscle Bro: "Cut the crap. Spill it."
Qingteng: "So it is revenge on the authorities?"
Li Dongze: "No. I think it's something more. My Night Wanderer got a glimpse in Zhao Yingjun's memory. Ou Xiangrong was after something called the 'Holy Grail' and a 'Roster.'"
Holy Grail? Roster? The others began pondering the significance.
Muscle Bro: "The hell are those?"
Li Dongze ignored him. When no one offered a theory, he sighed and dropped it for now.
Li Dongze: "Forget the Grail for now. Let's focus on the operation."