Realm Walker

Fu Qingyang's stern expression froze as he listened to the voice on the other side of the phone. He wondered if he'd misheard, or if Teng Yuan had the audacity to crack a joke with a superior officer.

After several seconds of silence, he asked quietly, "Yuanshi killed Black Wuchang?"

There was no mistaking the hint of anticipation in his voice. In that moment, every shred of his attention narrowed to the tiny phone in his hand.

On the roof of the school building, Elder Teddy's powerful ears had also caught the voice coming from the phone's speaker. The curly-furred dog planted both paws on the edge of the rooftop and craned its head, deep button eyes staring at the phone without so much as a blink.

—That's right, and he did it alone. By the time we arrived, Black Wuchang was already dead.

Teng Yuan's voice still sounded faint and drained, but to Fu Qingyang and Elder Teddy, it rang like a chorus of angels.

Elder Teddy leaned even further over and said, "Ask him. Did they get the Fallen Holy Grail?"

Fu Qingyang gave a small nod. "Did he obtain the Fallen Holy Grail?"

As the words left his mouth, he heard Yuanshi's voice through the speaker. It sounded like he wasn't too far away from the phone on the other side.

—Black Wuchang could see the writing on the wall, so he dropped to his knees and offered up the Fallen Holy Grail, begging me to spare his life. But I was angry, and I did not forgive him...

Fu Qingyang automatically tuned out the rest, and a rare flash of delight broke across his cold features. Over the phone, however, he maintained his customary detached tone. "Understood. Give me your location. I'll come immediately."

—We're already heading back toward the school. Three minutes out.

Fu Qingyang struggled to tamp down the excitement stirring inside him. "Good."

He hung up and turned to glance at his feet. Elder Teddy had somehow teleported down from the rooftop without him noticing.

Fu Qingyang blinked in surprise. "You're not leaving?"

Elder Teddy rarely deigned to meet with other official Walkers outside of his own Stewards. Yet from the look of things, he clearly intended to stick around and wait.

The Elder chuckled warmly. "How could I go home without seeing the Fallen Holy Grail with my own eyes? Besides, I ought to meet the rising star of our Five Elements Alliance."

He gave another hearty laugh. "Elder Sun really is losing his touch. Once that kid comes out of the Spirit Realm, I'll have to thank him properly. Qingyang, Yuanshi Tianzun was recruited by your man Li Dongze. The more merit Yuanshi earns, and the greater his accomplishments, the better it reflects on you. When headquarters evaluates an officer's service record, the achievements of the people under him count as well."

Fu Qingyang grunted in acknowledgment. "I'm planning to bring him into the White Tiger Guard and prioritize his development."

Elder Teddy considered this for a moment. "That works. But first, he has to pass the full inspection."

As he spoke, a group of people came hurrying through the darkness, sheltering a young man in their center. The Elder fell silent at once.

Once Teng Yuan led the group through the school gates, Fu Qingyang took a look at Zhang Yuanqing's pale face and gave a nod of acknowledgement. "How bad are the injuries?"

Zhang Yuanqing cracked a grin. "I got poisoned, but it's mostly cleared out by now."

Only then did Fu Qingyang relax. "Still, have Captain Green Vine check your pulse afterward and flush out whatever toxin remains."

He turned his gaze to Teng Yuan, and the middle aged man pushed his glasses up and reported, "I've dispatched some people to handle transportation of Black Wuchang's body. It'll be here shortly. Also, during the fight between Yuanshi and Black Wuchang, an elderly civilian was unfortunately hit with the hex toxin. I've already handed him over to the nearest Public Security Bureau."

Fu Qingyang listened to the report, then turned back to Zhang Yuanqing. He was just about to ask about the Holy Grail when he noticed the kid trotting merrily toward Elder Teddy. The youngster dropped into a squat and furiously ruffled the fur on the dog's head, cooing praise as he went.

"Centurion, is this your dog? You brought a dog to a fight? I know people from the Hundred Flowers Society can control animals in combat. Did you use some kind of item? Also, this dog's got quite the personality, huh? He seems annoyed that I'm rubbing his head. He's actually side-eyeing me."

Green Vine, White Dragon, and the others saw nothing unusual, but Guan Ya, who knew the truth, stood there with her jaw on the floor, watching in abject despair.

Fu Qingyang glanced at Elder Teddy, whose head was being vigorously petted, then looked at the enthusiastic Zhang Yuanqing.

"Do you enjoy petting animals?" he asked the young man in a flat tone.

"Not usually, but this little guy just looks so stubborn, so I couldn't help myself. He's not an ordinary dog, right? Does he have any abilities?"

"He has the ability to strip you of your rank, expel you from the Five Elements Alliance, and issue a bounty on your head across the entire Walker world."

"Huh?" Zhang Yuanqing's hands went still. Something about that sentence felt very wrong.

"That is one of the Five Elders of the Songhai Branch, and my direct superior." Fu Qingyang paused. "Why are you kneeling?"

"My legs went weak—No, wait, how could you say such a thing, Centurion? Kneeling to welcome a great elder is exactly what subordinates like us should do!" Zhang Yuanqing pressed his forehead to the ground in a full kowtow. "Long live the elder! May he reign for a thousand generations and unite the Walker world!"

The curly-furred poodle gave him a sidelong look and spoke in a human voice that was weathered and ancient. "It's been nearly twenty years since anyone dared touch my head. You're an interesting kid. Now hand over the Holy Grail."

Zhang Yuanqing opened his Inventory at once and summoned the Fallen Holy Grail.

He had no intention of keeping the rule-type item for himself. For one, circumstances wouldn't allow it. The street's surveillance cameras and his call to Squad Leader Teng Yuan requesting assistance meant concealment was never an option. More importantly, his real prize was the Registry, not the Grail.

Beyond that, the Grail was damaged. Repairing a high tier rule-type item was far beyond his abilities, and would continue to be so for a very long time to come. Since that was the case, trading the Grail for Merit, money, and other items as a reward was clearly the smarter play.

Every pair of eyes fell on the exquisite crystal chalice, with its surface laced with cracks.

Elder Teddy's button eyes narrowed as he stared into the empty vessel and deliberated for several seconds. "Well done, Yuanshi... I'll just call you Yuanshi. Your full name is rather difficult to say out loud. Ahem. You killed Black Wuchang and seized the Grail. You deserve the highest credit for this mission. The organization will reward you appropriately."

Zhang Yuanqing dropped into another kowtow. "Thank you, Elder."

"You should have the pride of a genius," the elder couldn't help but remark.

"You speak wisely, elder. Long live the elder, a thousand generations!" Zhang Yuanqing declared as he kowtowed again.

The elder extended a paw. The Fallen Holy Grail drifted toward him of its own accord, glimmered briefly, and vanished from sight.

He glanced at Fu Qingyang. "You handle the rest."

With that, a swirl of cyan light enveloped the small dog, then scattered into nothing.

Fu Qingyang set about assigning tasks with methodical efficiency—sealing off the school, scrubbing the nearby surveillance cameras, and all the rest.

Finally, his gaze fell on Zhang Yuanqing. "Yuanshi. Come with me."

The two of them walked, one in front and one behind, into the deeper reaches of the campus.

The others went about their duties. Only Guan Ya's gaze trailed after them.

***

It was two in the morning, in Fu Qingyang's villa. The centurion sat ramrod straight before a widescreen monitor, watching as the Five Elders came online one by one.

Once everyone had joined, Elder Teddy began the meeting in his steady and weathered voice. "The Grail incident has concluded, and Black Wuchang's death has been confirmed. However, the matter is far from over. I've already distributed the names of the Fallen Ones recorded in the Registry to every regional branch and urged them to launch operations to apprehend them.

"Additionally, two members of Dark Rose intervened in this battle. One was a Sovereign-tier Diurnal Spirit, and the other was a Saint-tier Fire Sage."

The Crimson Fire Gang elder let out a cold snort and cut in with his gruff voice. "I'll report this to the Alliance Chief and open an investigation into our Saint-tier Stewards. If it turns out to be one of our own, I'll personally smash that backstabbing bastard's skull in."

"Watch your language," Elder Teddy said, displeased. "Now then, there appears to be a deeper layer to this Fallen Holy Grail incident. Qingyang, you explain."

Fu Qingyang's report was concise. "Elders, you are already familiar with the course of the battle at Songhai Third Elementary School, so I won't repeat it. I'll explain how Yuanshi Tianzun discovered Black Wuchang. He possesses an item capable of locating treasures. While he was holding his position in the convenience store, his item resonated with the Fallen Holy Grail. He followed the item's guidance and found Black Wuchang.

"On this point, I see no reason for suspicion. Surveillance footage along the route confirms he was moving in a way consistent with a search. I've also administered a lie detection test. Furthermore, the moment he spotted Black Wuchang, he immediately called for backup, which proves he didn't know the target's location in advance."

"A treasure-hunting item? How does he have a Void-class item in his possession?" asked one of the participants. Her voice, which was mature and feminine, had a magnetic pull to it, but also a cold edge.

"I only verified if he was lying," Fu Qingyang replied. "I believe a subordinate's privacy should not be violated."

He paused for several seconds. When the Water God Palace elder offered no rebuttal, he continued, "As for Black Wuchang's death, Yuanshi had no direct involvement in it. Black Wuchang was killed by a mysterious figure. Yuanshi Tianzun was wearing the Red Veil at the time and did not see the stranger's face. The surveillance footage corroborates his account, but it did not capture the mysterious figure's features either. From the footage, the two were in a brief standoff before Black Wuchang simply died, as if from nothing."

"It's perfectly normal for surveillance to miss someone at that level," The Central Court elder noted calmly. "Everyone, what are your thoughts on the exchange between Black Wuchang and the mysterious figure?"

"He clearly knew Black Wuchang," said the cold, magnetic female voice in response. "But what did the mention of 'time' and 'place' mean? A Nocturnal Specter's ability to glimpse fate? That doesn't quite fit either."

The participants fell silent for some time.

"Let's leave aside that question for now," Elder Teddy said into the silence. "I've already reported it to headquarters. We'll see what the Alliance Chiefs have to say. Personally, I'm more interested in the identity of this mysterious figure. He erased Black Wuchang's spirit, clearly to prevent any information from leaking out, but the safer move would have been to silence Yuanshi Tianzun as well. Yet he didn't."

The Crimson Fire Gang elder cut straight to the point. "You're saying the kid knows the mysterious figure?"

"It's also possible," Elder Teddy replied, "that it wasn't deliberate. That the figure simply didn't deign to kill him. Qingyang, you interact with Yuanshi Tianzun more closely than anyone. Have you noticed anything unusual?"

The elders held their silence, waiting for Fu Qingyang's answer. After a few seconds, the centurion responded evenly, "I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary."

The Five Elders moved past the topic without any further discussion. Fu Qingyang was a Scout, while the other party was a Level 2 Nocturnal Specter. If there really was something wrong, he wouldn't have missed it. If he said nothing was unusual, then nothing was unusual.

"The figure took whatever Demon Lord left behind, yet showed no interest in the Fallen Holy Grail," the White Tiger Legion elder mused aloud. "His level is certainly no lower than ours. Is Demon Lord truly dead?"

"The Taiyi Sect Master personally confirmed Demon Lord's fall," Elder Teddy replied. "There's no room for error. Heh, if he's wrong about this, then nothing in this world can be trusted."

"Then there's no need to question Demon Lord's death," the White Tiger Legion elder said, "But that wasn't my point. What I mean is, since the Grail incident clearly has deeper implications, we can't limit ourselves to just looking into Black Wuchang's flight with the grail and its aftermath. We need to reexamine the battle in which both Ghost Eye Judge and Demon Lord perished."

"I've been curious about that myself," Fu Qingyang interjected. "Why did Demon Lord feel compelled to kill Ghost Eye Judge? According to what all the elders have said, Demon Lord had been only one step away from reaching the pinnacle. What could have pushed him to kill Ghost Eye Judge first?"

***

In his bedroom, Zhang Yuanqing stood in front of the full length mirror by the window wearing nothing but a pair of baggy shorts as he toweled off his wet hair.

It was already two in the morning. Once he had reached home and washed away the exhaustion, he felt refreshed and alert. And thanks to the medicinal pills provided by the Hundred Flowers Society, the residual toxin had been cleared out of his system ahead of schedule. Apart from some lingering weakness, he felt no discomfort at all.

The Orb of the Steadfast is shattered, and the Red Dancing Shoes were tainted as well. I'll ask Fu Qingyang tomorrow if there's a way to cleanse the taint. The reward from the organization should be enough to make up for what I lost, both physically and in terms of gear.

The Red Dancing Shoes weren't really a concern. Purifying taint was a Nocturnal Specter specialty, after all. All he had to do was request assistance from the Taiyi Sect through the Five Elements Alliance.

The issue that truly lingered in his mind was that mysterious figure. The stranger's appearance meant there were far deeper secrets hidden behind the Fallen Holy Grail incident.

That little sun inside the Grail... Something in my gut tells me it was extraordinary. But forget it. At my current level, getting my hands on something like that would only put me in danger. It just wasn't meant to be.

He finished drying his hair and flopped lazily onto the bed, then summoned Little Goofball. He stroked the child's head with one hand and produced the straw doll with the other. That item was his share of the spoils, and he hadn't turned it in along with the Grail and the Registry.

He held onto the straw doll, and a few seconds later, its information popped into his field of vision.

【Name: Cursed Straw Doll】

【Type: Special Item】

【Function: Corruption, Curse】

【Description: A human-shaped figure woven from wild grass that grew in a land of curses. It harbors malice toward all things in the world. It will contaminate everything around it, dragging them into the abyss of depravity.】

【Note: If one day you notice that a sow has become fair and alluring, congratulations. You've officially become a Fallen One.】

One of Zhang Yuanqing's eyes twitched. Suddenly, he understood why Black Wuchang's tastes had grown increasingly bizarre.

He was seriously considering whether to keep this item. A girl in black stockings was a thing of beauty worth pursuing. A sow in black stockings was decidedly not.

He hastily shoved the Cursed Straw Doll back into his Inventory, as if it were burning his hands. It was time for bed. Once he woke up, he'd hand that cursed thing over to the organization and trade it for an item that did not have such horrifying side effects.

Zhang Yuanqing pulled the covers over himself and closed his eyes. Just then, the Cat King Speaker sitting in the desk drawer emitted a faint crackling of static. He threw off the blankets at once, sat down at the desk, pulled open the drawer, and set the speaker on the tabletop.

Over time, Zhang Yuanqing had gradually figured out the device's patterns. During the day it would sing without warning, but rarely played anything related to the Demon Lord. Late at night, however, whenever it came to life with a crackle of static, it meant the speaker was about to replay some recording from the past.

The static persisted for a moment, and then the sound of ragged, heavy panting poured from the speaker. A man's panting. The breathing was interrupted by agonized groans, as though the person were enduring tremendous torment.

What the hell is going on? Thank god Grandma's already asleep. If she heard these sounds, her disapproval of modern society would only deepen. Zhang Yuanqing sighed inwardly as he silently cradled the speaker and slipped into Night Wandering.

A long while passed before the labored breathing subsided. Then a familiar, low voice spoke.

"The Grail's corruption is growing stronger. I'm becoming less and less like myself. I've started craving slaughter, craving women... No. That's not who I really am...

"I refuse to believe the Grail's control is inescapable. I will find a way to break free. Ghost Eye Judge, I'm going to kill you. One day, I swear I'll kill you..."

It was Demon Lord's voice.