"What is it?" Zhang Yuanqing asked, already suspecting the reason for the call.
"A battle between Spirit Realm Walkers occurred in Fenghui District. One is dead, and another is injured. We need you to Inquire the Soul."
Li Dongze's voice was strained, and the background noise suggested a heated argument.
Just as I thought, Zhang Yuanqing mused. He wouldn't call me for backup, and I can't help with anything else—I'm still just a kid.
"What about Fenghui District's Nightwalker?"
The Taiyi Sect stationed Nightwalkers in every major district of Songhai. Yuan Ting served in Kangyang District, so Fenghui District would naturally have its own.
"The deceased was a Witchcraft Master. Their Spectral Entities are notoriously malevolent and ferocious, and this one is particularly dangerous. The risk of Soul Devouring is high. The Taiyi Sect's Nightwalker refused to take the risk, leading to a conflict with our colleagues at the Feng Hui District Public Security Bureau." Li Dongze's voice carried a heavy undertone.
As he spoke, the argument on the other end of the line intensified.
A Witchcraft Master's Spectral Entity? Zhang Yuanqing's heart leaped with excitement. He had been studying various class profiles recently. According to Mental Energy rankings, Nightwalkers and Illusion Masters were tied for first place, with Witchcraft Masters close behind.
"This will give me a ton of experience."
However, Zhang Yuanqing frowned. "The Taiyi Sect is also an official organization. This falls within their responsibilities. Isn't anyone overseeing them?"
Even if there's risk involved, since they enjoy the benefits and privileges of being official Spirit Realm Walkers, they should be doing their jobs instead of just occupying their positions without contributing.
"The Taiyi Sect operates differently from the Five Elements Alliance," Li Dongze explained, his voice tinged with helplessness. "Nightwalkers are rare, and the Elders' Council is based in the Capital City. The Nightwalker Captains from each major region are all of equal rank."
Filing a complaint was possible, but it would require submitting a report to the Capital City. Songhai had no local authority to address the issue.
A formal complaint would inevitably follow, but for now, they needed to act.
Due to the Witchcraft Master's Spectral Entity's ferocity, Nightwalkers from other regions wouldn't risk their lives for incidents outside their jurisdiction.
At this moment, the importance of the Five Elements Alliance's own Nightwalkers became glaringly apparent.
"I'm on my way," Zhang Yuanqing said.
Just then, he faintly heard someone speaking through the speakerphone: "Li Dongze, this approach is inappropriate. While I urgently need to Inquire the Soul, he's still only Level 1."
The voice cut off abruptly as Li Dongze hung up.
Zhang Yuanqing ended the call, and the Veteran Driver swiveled his office chair around, turning to face him with a smile:
"Judging by the voice, it sounds like Li Yuanfang from the Second Team. The Second Team in Fenghui District hasn't had a successful mission in ages, consistently ranking at the bottom. That's why the Nightwalkers in that district are so arrogant."
Li Yuanfang? What a name! Zhang Yuanqing thought sarcastically.
Guan Ya added, "The Captain of the Second Team in Fenghui District is also a member of our White Tiger Corps."
The Veteran Driver winked at him.
She was hinting that he should cultivate relationships with the mid-level members of the White Tiger Corps and build goodwill. Zhang Yuanqing replied with a complex expression, "Sister Guan Ya, you're being so nice to me. Are you falling for me? Trying to be a cougar?"
Pfft! Wang Tai, who was drinking water at the next table, suddenly spat it out.
He stared at his two colleagues in shock. When did they get together? How did I miss this completely?
"Cougar?" Guan Ya's eyebrows arched sharply, a vein throbbing on her smooth forehead as she bit her full lips. "Primordial, I think we have time for a sparring match before the Chief's car returns."
"I was wrong!" Zhang Yuanqing quickly conceded, knowing when to yield.
The black sedan pulled into the Feng Hui District Public Security Bureau. Through the tinted windows, Zhang Yuanqing saw Li Dongze leaning on his cane, waiting patiently in front of the office building.
After getting out of the car, the two men nodded to each other and entered the office building together.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the morgue.
Outside the morgue, in the spacious and brightly lit corridor, seven or eight Spirit Realm Walkers had gathered. Zhang Yuanqing casually scanned them, guessing their professions based on their appearance and demeanor.
Muscular build, looks irritable—definitely a Fire Master. The one with the bird on his shoulder... what profession is that? Ah, the Chief mentioned it—Wood Spirits from the Hundred Flowers Association love animals. And the expressionless one is clearly an Earth Fiend.
The Spirit Realm Walkers all wore expressions of indignation.
Finally, Zhang Yuanqing turned to the middle-aged man who approached them. The man appeared to be around forty, with deep-set eyes, a sharp aquiline nose, and thin lips, giving off an air of sternness and severity.
"Let me introduce you," Li Dongze said, a smile playing at the corner of his lips as he introduced the man's Spirit Realm ID. "This is Captain Li Yuanfang of the Great Tang, the Level 3 Scout and Captain of Fenghui District's Second Team."
"Li Dongze, you can't wait to introduce my Spirit Realm ID to everyone," the middle-aged man sighed, then turned to Zhang Yuanqing, a rare smile softening his stern features.
"I was obsessed with historical dramas set during the Tang Dynasty a few years ago, so I chose this name. You must be the Nightwalker we recently recruited into the White Tiger Corps, right? Young and handsome."
I wonder if there's anyone named Di Renjie around here. If you two ever met, it would be so awkward—no, hilarious. Zhang Yuanqing suppressed a laugh and shook the man's hand warmly, addressing him repeatedly as "Captain."
Li Yuanfang's smile widened. "It's always better to have our own Nightwalkers."
After a moment of reflection, he continued, "Li Dongze has already explained the situation, right? I apologize, but the Taiyi Sect's Nightwalkers stationed in Fenghui District refused to Inquire the Soul. We had no choice but to turn to you."
The muscular young man snorted. "Even if consuming a Witchcraft Master carries risks, it's not life-threatening. Don't we face risks every day fighting Evil Classes on the front lines? The Taiyi Sect's Nightwalkers always act so superior, like we're begging them for favors whenever we need their help."
The young man with a bird perched on his shoulder chuckled. "That's why it's better to rely on our own people."
Li Yuanfang waved his hand, cutting off his subordinate's grumbling. He pondered for a moment before saying,
"Although Li Dongze has vouched for you, I must remind you that Witchcraft Masters possess exceptionally potent and volatile Mental Energy. The deceased was a Level 3 Witchcraft Master."
"His residual Spectral Entity is extremely dangerous. Are you certain you can handle this?"
The team members immediately turned to Zhang Yuanqing, their eyes filled with anticipation.
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "No problem. I'm confident."
The Spirit Realm Walkers from Fenghui District visibly brightened, and Li Yuanfang's expression softened slightly, his gaze toward Zhang Yuanqing now carrying a hint of approval.
"Thank you for your assistance," he said with a nod.
Li Dongze promptly led Zhang Yuanqing into the morgue and closed the door, blocking his Fenghui District colleagues, who had been eagerly waiting to witness the scene.
Leaning on his cane, Li Dongze walked to a steel morgue cart and pulled back the white sheet covering the body.
When Zhang Yuanqing saw the corpse beneath the sheet, he gasped in shock, his face registering utter astonishment.
The body had short, dark green hair and rough, dark brown skin. Thick keratinous plates, resembling armor, covered the joints at the elbows and knees. The fingernails were black, sharply curved, and tipped with potent venom.
His facial skin was a deep brown, and his pupils, dilated and dull, were vertically slit like a snake's, with amber-colored irises.
Li Dongze leaned on his cane with one hand and explained, "Transcendent Stage Witchcraft Masters have two primary methods. The first is cultivating gu, using gu insects to kill invisibly. The second is assimilating with gu, gaining abilities based on the insect's traits to enhance close-quarters combat skills. These include self-healing, vitality, strength, speed, and toxicity."
Zhang Yuanqing sighed in admiration. "Sounds incredibly powerful. No wonder it's considered an Evil Class."
It's worth noting that among the native Spirit Realm classes, Witchcraft Masters, Illusion Masters, and Seductive Demons are all top-tier professions, ranking alongside Nightwalkers.
Therefore, there are only three Evil Classes, and their numbers pale in comparison to the Official Spirit Realm Walkers.
Li Dongze continued, "He was killed during the gu assimilation process, his body frozen in this grotesque state. Heh, what an undignified death. Because of his fusion with the gu insects, his Spectral Entity is saturated with malice and bestial instincts, causing extreme mental pollution. This is why the Taiyi Sect's Nightwalkers refuse to touch him."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded in understanding.
Protected by the Demon Subduing Pestle, he was immune to mental contamination.
Li Dongze continued, "The one who fought him was also a Witchcraft Master. When our team arrived, we killed one, while the other escaped wounded. We suspect this person may be a member of the Spiritual Energy Association or a subordinate of the Black guard of Impermanence."
"Let's hurry and see what clues we can find this time. I'm sure our colleagues in the Second Team outside are eager to get started."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded, opened his Inventory, retrieved the Demon Subduing Pestle, and handed it to Li Dongze. He then approached the humanoid corpse and awakened the residual Mental Energy slumbering within the body.
A phantom-like figure slowly materialized, its face blank yet radiating a savage and sinister aura.
Even more volatile than Bi Ouxiangrong's Spectral Entity, it seemed both eager to devour Zhang Yuanqing and reluctant to do so. Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly, his eyes filling with viscous black light that overflowed from their sockets. He opened his mouth and inhaled, swallowing the Spectral Entity whole.
A sharp pain surged through his forehead as countless fragmented memories flashed through his mind.
These memories were chaotic and fragmented, forcing Zhang Yuanqing to piece together the deceased's life story through guesswork and glimpses.
Before becoming a Spirit Realm Walker, this Witchcraft Master was an unemployed vagrant, prone to violence and aggression. He specialized in debt collection for loan sharks, worked as a bouncer in nightclubs, ran honey traps, and forced foreign women into prostitution.
Despite his depraved deeds, he lived a life of comfort and luxury.
Through a twist of fate, he gained the favor of the Spirit Realm, receiving a Character Card from the heavens and becoming a Spirit Realm Walker.
He named himself "Outlaw Madman." After becoming a Spirit Realm Walker, he initially indulged in charitable acts. But once he accumulated a certain amount of Morality Value, he began slaughtering ordinary people and raping women, venting the malice festering in his heart.
These fragmented and chaotic memories were agonizing for Zhang Yuanqing. His moral compass was violently shaken, and a contemptuous rage began to fester within him.
Then, he finally accessed the crucial memory he sought.
In a lavishly decorated tea room, a man with the upper half of his face concealed by a silver mask sat at a glass round table, sipping tea from a porcelain cup.
He looked across the table at "Zhang Yuanqing" and said:
"Eerie Eye Judge is dead. The position of President of the Spiritual Energy Association Eastern Branch rightfully belongs to Master. After years of contention between the two Vice Presidents, the matter has finally been settled."
"How did the Eerie Eye Judge die?" Zhang Yuanqing heard the Host's voice.
"That's not something you need to know," the man with the silver mask said sharply.
"My apologies, Deacon."
The masked man's gaze softened as he poured Zhang Yuanqing a cup of tea. "Black guard of Impermanence has hidden himself with the Holy Grail and the Roster. The Holy Grail is a Rule Item for the Witchcraft Master class, its importance self-evident. The Roster contains the names of all the servants the Eerie Eye Judge has subjugated over the years.
"Controlling the Roster means controlling a vast number of Spirit Realm Walkers. Both items are crucial. Outlaw Madman, our chance to prove ourselves has come. If we help Master find Black guard of Impermanence and consolidate the Eastern Branch's power, we can finally contend with the Five Elements Alliance Songhai Branch."
"Then, Deacon, what should I do?" Outlaw Madman's breathing quickened slightly, his voice tinged with excitement.
"I have a list of Black guard of Impermanence's subordinates. Search for them according to this list, and you might uncover his hiding place. Of course, these individuals have already gone into Concealment. They are 'Rampant Recklessness,' 'Heaven's Injustice,' 'I Kill Without a Blink,' and 'Young Widow's Moistness.' Their corresponding real-world identities are..."