Chapter 1 Attacker Killed, Uncle Zhang Dead!

The sudden news snapped Zhang Yuanqing awake, then plunged him back into confusion. He sat blankly on the bed.

After about seven or eight seconds, he took a deep breath, calmed himself, and said rapidly, "How was the killer identified? Where was he killed? Give me the details."

Guan Ya's voice came through the speaker:

"This morning, Wei Yuanzhou caught the attacker from last night while patrolling the hospital. He ambushed and successfully killed the enemy. The body has been transported back to the Jinghai City Public Security Bureau.

"He's about 1.7 meters tall, around sixty years old, with dark skin, thick fingers, and heavy calluses… He also has burn marks on his chest, and the new flesh that grew overnight proves it. The knife wounds you inflicted are still there…"

It was Uncle Zhang, dead in the hospital… In an instant, Zhang Yuanqing understood and felt a stab in his heart. He leaped out of bed, and clad only in boxer shorts, he ran barefoot out of the room.

*Thump!*

With a grimace, he kicked open the door to the adjacent standard room. The room was empty, and the bed where someone had slept last night was neatly made.

Uncle Zhang was gone.

"Yuanshi, what's wrong over there?" Guan Ya heard the sound of the door being kicked.

"I'm fine, Sister Guan Ya. Send me a photo, a photo of Zhang… the attacker." Zhang Yuanqing stared at the empty bed.

"The body's been taken to the Public Security Bureau. I'm at the hospital… Okay, I'll head over to the Public Security Bureau now. Luckily, it's not far. Wait a moment." Guan Ya had no choice but to hang up.

Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room, quickly put on his clothes and shoes, and went out into the corridor, taking the stairs down to the first floor.

He didn't have the patience to wait for the elevator.

Hotel lobby.

The air conditioner hummed, blowing out cold air. Xiao Yuan, dressed in a white shirt and suit, stood ramrod straight at the front desk.

Hearing footsteps, she turned her head, glanced coldly, and turned back. But halfway through, she turned back again, scrutinizing Yuanshi Tianzun's face, and frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Where did Uncle Zhang go?"

Xiao Yuan's beautiful face darkened, and she said calmly, "I don't know. If you're worried about him fleeing, there's no need. Uncle Zhang will keep his word. If he doesn't, I'll be responsible for finding him."

She was finding it increasingly difficult to control her temper in front of Yuanshi Tianzun, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Uncle Zhang is dead," Zhang Yuanqing said softly. "He died this morning outside Jinghai City People's Hospital, killed by Wei Yuanzhou."

Xiao Yuan froze. The coldness in her eyes quickly crumbled. Her hands clenched into fists, so tightly that she abruptly closed her eyes, as if afraid that uncontrollable sorrow would escape from them.

After a long moment, she opened her eyes, her expression calm. "I see. It was his choice."

His choice… Zhang Yuanqing was silent for a moment, then said softly, "He wouldn't come with me. His so-called unfulfilled wish, wasn't it all for that?"

To use his own life to help his grandson advance to the position of deacon.

For decades, he had toiled with his face to the earth, raising his grandson with every grain of rice, supporting his education with every penny, and in the end, he had to sacrifice his withered body for his grandson's future.

How foolish… Zhang Yuanqing wanted to sneer, but a strange pain constricted his chest.

Xiao Yuan hummed in agreement. "He probably had that idea for a while. Half a month ago, he was injured by an official Xingzhe (Spirit Wanderer) in Jinghai City. I went to see him. He was badly injured, but he was very happy.

"I've known him for so many years, and I rarely saw him smile so happily. He said his wish had finally been fulfilled, and he would devote the rest of his life to cultivating with Master Wuhen, bidding farewell to the past."

Zhang Yuanqing listened quietly.

"But yesterday, when he came to see Master Wuhen, he was like a different person. He looked gloomy, with a heavy heart… I knew something was wrong, so I secretly followed him to Jinghai City and learned that he was assassinating official Xingzhe…"

Because he didn't want to break his vows, but for his grandson's future, he had to go against his conscience? Zhang Yuanqing frowned, feeling something contradictory and wrong.

Just then, his phone pinged with a text message.

He took out his phone and checked the message. It was a photo from Guan Ya.

In the photo, a dark, gaunt old man lay quietly on a mortuary slab, the sorrows etched by time forever etched on his face. There was a dark red gash on his chest, and a large patch of new flesh.

"It's Guan Ya…"

Zhang Yuanqing sighed. "He didn't transform into a Gu."

When a Wugu Master (witchcraft master) died in battle while transforming into a Gu, their body would retain a half-human, half-beast appearance. But Uncle Zhang died in human form, which meant he had not chosen to fight, but had willingly embraced death.

*Ping!*

The notification tone sounded again, and Guan Ya sent a long text message:

"The call was interrupted earlier. I haven't finished yet. There are a few details I don't understand. The attacker was ambushed from behind by Wei Yuanzhou, stabbed through the heart and died. After death, he was infected with a serious illness, which is the ability of a God of Plague.

"But such injuries and illness shouldn't have been fatal with one blow. The attacker should have had a chance to struggle, but he didn't transform into a Gu, which is very strange…

"I didn't ask these questions in person. Come back and try spirit questioning."

"No need to ask, you guys go back…" Zhang Yuanqing typed, replying to Guan Ya, but halfway through, he saw Guan Ya's second message:

"I always felt that there were many unreasonable things about this. The attacker's motive for assassinating Baihu Wansui (White Tiger Long Live) is unclear, and how did he find Baihu Wansui's residence?

"Based on the video of last night's battle, the attacker was agile and good at pursuit. As a veteran Saint, why did he let Baihu Wansui escape when he had the advantage of an ambush?

"I watched the surveillance of the second assassination. I don't believe the attacker's assassination skills." Guan Ya complained about her views on the incident.

Zhang Yuanqing's brows furrowed as he looked at the messages, noticing the contradictions.

According to Uncle Zhang himself, he assassinated Baihu Wansui to clear the way for his grandson's promotion, so there was no possibility of holding back. An old-brand Saint ambushing a newly promoted Saint with such a great advantage, yet failing, was indeed doubtful and unreasonable.

The most unreasonable thing was that since Baihu Wansui was just an insignificant passerby, and there was no long-planned stalking or investigation, how could Uncle Zhang, an evil profession, easily find Baihu Wansui's address?

Unless there was a mole!

Zhang Yuanqing's brow twitched. "I need to see Master Wuhen."

Xiao Yuan looked at him in confusion.

But Zhang Yuanqing didn't explain. He turned and ran towards the stairwell, rushing down four floors in one breath. He stopped at the door of "404", knocked on the door, and said, "Master, I have something to ask."

After shouting, Zhang Yuanqing tried to turn the doorknob.

*Click!*

The doorknob turned easily. The next second, the hotel corridor disappeared, and the wooden door vanished, replaced by a Buddhist hall filled with incense smoke and lit candles.

Zhang Yuanqing subconsciously looked at the towering golden Buddha that reached the top of the hall. It sat in a lotus position, its eyes half-closed, seemingly benevolently and ferociously overlooking the world.

The golden Buddha hadn't changed. The master's state of mind was still stable… Zhang Yuanqing lowered his gaze and bowed to the green-robed figure sitting cross-legged on the prayer mat. "Master, Uncle Zhang has returned to the Lingjing Xingzhe (Spirit Wanderer world). I have a question and have come to ask for your guidance."

After a pause, without waiting for Master Wuhen to respond, he asked directly, "What did Uncle Zhang see you about yesterday? Did you know about his affairs?"

The hall was silent for a moment, and Master Wuhen's suppressed voice echoed through the hall. "He said that he had found his grandson after many years of separation. His grandson forced him to assassinate an official Saint. He didn't want to commit more killings. I was very happy… But he felt guilty towards this child. He had no choice.

"He planned to use his life to compensate his grandson. Last night, he came to say goodbye to me. He was going to return to the Lingjing Xingzhe (Spirit Wanderer world) early."

Wei Yuanzhou forced him to assassinate Baihu Wansui (White Tiger Long Live)?

Zhang Yuanqing's mind exploded as if struck by lightning, and his expression suddenly froze.

After a brief moment of confusion and shock, his thoughts quickly returned, no longer doubting, no longer confused, and the whole chain of events became clear.

Before the start of the slaughter dungeon, the number of official Saints had increased dramatically, squeezing the promotion space of veteran Saints. Wei Yuanzhou's chances of promotion were already slim and difficult because of his "uncooperative" relationship.

It just so happened that he reunited with his long-lost grandfather a while ago, and he was still an evil profession, so he had crooked thoughts and forced his grandfather to assassinate Baihu Wansui (White Tiger Long Live) to clear the obstacles for him.

So, Baihu Wansui (White Tiger Long Live) clearly didn't realize he was being followed, but his residence was exposed because the enemy was from within.

The doubts raised by Guan Ya were all explained… Zhang Yuanqing smiled bitterly in his heart.

According to Uncle Zhang's mindset, the next step should have been "voluntary dedication", but things didn't go as planned. He didn't expect that the person who came to support would be me.

Zhang Yuanqing followed the logic.

No wonder Uncle Zhang looked so horrified when Xiao Yuan introduced me last night. Yuanshi Tianzun had a reputation for being righteous and selfless. He also knew it from Kou Beiyue.

If Wei Yuanzhou's act of forcing him to assassinate a colleague was exposed, he would definitely not forgive him, so he took all the blame.

You knew I wasn't a scout. I shouldn't have seen through it last night. Sigh, I was thinking of solving it in private.

Um… There's one more thing I don't understand. In that case, there's no need to ask Songhai for help. "Solving" it in private, and Wei Yuanzhou killing the attacker to take all the credit, wouldn't that be perfect?

Forcing his grandfather to assassinate a colleague, failing that, killing the grandfather who raised him as a meritorious service… Wei Yuanzhou is a seemingly humble and gentle man with a paranoid heart.

Why didn't Sister Guan Ya see it? Does he have a special item to hide his temperament? Or has he been pretending to be a gentleman for so long that he has really become one, making it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood?

That beast… Zhang Yuanqing let out a breath of stale air and said, "Master, I understand."

He turned around with a cold look and walked towards the hall. Master Wuhen's warning came from behind him:

"This matter has its own cause and effect. This monk respects his choice. You don't need to meddle."

Was that telling me not to interfere? Don't get involved anymore? Zhang Yuanqing paused. He stopped at the entrance of the hall, thought for a few seconds, and retorted, "Master, I am not your disciple, and you don't need to teach me how to do things."

He strode away.

I returned to the lobby, walked back to the front desk, and looked at Xiao Yuan:

"Drive.

"Take me to the Jinghai City Public Security Bureau."

Jinghai City, Hemen District Public Security Bureau.

Outside the mortuary, Wei Yuanzhou stood alone by the mortuary slab, silently gazing at the old man's remains.

The past years surged in his heart. He had lost his parents at a young age and had lived with his grandfather since he could remember. His grandfather knew nothing but farming, and life was poor and difficult.

Wei Yuanzhou had always envied his classmates for having pocket money, envied them for not having new clothes and pretty schoolbags, while I wore a piece of clothing for eight years, mending it year after year, and I couldn't even get poverty assistance.

From elementary school to junior high school, the shoes he wore were the ones that the older brother next door didn't want.

A child who depended on his grandfather for life and couldn't even afford new clothes was destined to be alienated by the children in the village. After going to school, it was even worse. The children in the village would at least show some face to the parents and at most alienate him.

The classmates in the school would only resort to violence against a poor child like him who had no parents to support him.

Wei Yuanzhou remembered the year he first went to middle school, when there was a parent-teacher conference, and his grandfather, who had just finished farming, came to the school in a hurry, covered in mud.

As a result, he wasn't even allowed to enter the school gate.

He would remember that look in the eyes of his classmates and teachers for the rest of his life.

He hated these classmates and teachers, and even more so his grandfather, who made him lose face. Couldn't he even change his clothes?

Wei Yuanzhou's first half of his life was spent in alienation, contempt, and violence, so he studied desperately. This was the only way for him to change his destiny.

In order not to be looked down upon, in order not to suffer violence again, he actively expressed himself, participated in class activities, helped classmates, cooperated with teachers, was kind, courteous, thrifty, and yielding, and became a good person in the eyes of classmates, a good student in the eyes of teachers, and a good dog in the eyes of school bullies.

If you are a perfect person, you will not be despised or bullied, because they cannot find fault with you.

The year his grandfather had an accident, he was extremely afraid, afraid of being retaliated against by the relatives of that family. Decades of hard life had not tempered his will, but had brought him severe psychological trauma.

He couldn't understand why his grandfather wanted revenge, why he wanted to disrupt the peaceful life.

The weak will be bullied by the strong, a principle since ancient times. His grandfather, who had not read books, was very sad because he did not understand these principles.

If you want to become strong, you should not rely on the courage of the common man, but on wisdom and hard work. He relied on his own efforts to successfully complete university, and by chance became a Lingjing Xingzhe (Spirit Wanderer) and entered the Five Elements Alliance, finally ushering in a good life.

In recent years, he has not dared to make the slightest mistake. He is afraid of making mistakes and afraid of encountering violence and punishment.

But his grandfather's shadow has always loomed over him, and his grandfather's crimes have hindered his future, preventing him from becoming a key observation object of the organization.

And just half a month ago, he saw his long-lost grandfather again.

What he felt was not affection and joy, but fear, yes, intense fear.

Because he was an evil profession.

For Wei Yuanzhou, this was a catastrophe.

Why did you have to come back? Since you chose to abandon me in the first place, please disappear completely from my world. Why do you have to disrupt my life and my future?

Wei Yuanzhou came up with a plan to kill two birds with one stone. He told his grandfather that if you really think about me and really want to compensate me, then clear out the competitors for me.

But that assassination was not successful. After watching the surveillance, he knew that his grandfather was unwilling to do it.

Then he had to clear him out - that's what Wei Yuanzhou thought at the time.

But his grandfather was a senior Saint and an evil profession that was better at defense than offense, so he was not sure.

So he persuaded the superior deacon to ask the Songhai branch for support.

By doing so, on the one hand, the people from the Songhai branch would not know his details and would not be able to know the relationship between him and his grandfather, while the senior management of the Jinghai branch knew his family background and were likely to catch a clue during the investigation.

On the other hand, the merits gained by the people from the Songhai branch would not affect him and would not become his competitors.

And he could not rely on that merit to go further and become a deacon.

But he did not expect that Yuanshi Tianzun would join the Songhai patrol team and be sent to handle this matter.

Fortunately, there were twists and turns, but it finally came to a perfect end.