The sound of electric current crackled from the Elvis Presley speaker before fading into silence.
Zhang Yuanqing sat at his desk, stunned. His mind was a tempest, a chaotic jumble of thoughts.
After an unknown amount of time, he finally broke free from the emotional turmoil and sighed, pinching his brow.
“Seriously, so even you were a servant of the Devil Eye Judge.”
Having gotten over the initial shock, the clues and details from the past coalesced in Zhang Yuanqing’s mind, gradually piecing together the truth.
The Demon Lord was a servant of the Devil Eye Judge, controlled since he was weak.
A past audio recording could attest to this. The Demon Lord had a monthly quota to hunt down Lawful practitioners. Who issued these missions?
Zhang Yuanqing hadn't understood before, but it all made sense if the Demon Lord was the Devil Eye Judge's servant. The Devil Eye Judge was a big shot in the evil faction, inherently opposed to the Lawful side.
Arranging for his "servant" to suppress Lawful practitioners within his jurisdiction (the Eastern Branch of the Spiritual Power Association) was perfectly logical.
Yuan Ting of the Taiyi Sect had said that the Demon Lord was capricious and arrogant, mixing Lawful and evil professions together. This was because Night Watchers belonged to the Lawful side, and killing fellow Lawful would deduct his moral points, especially if they had reputation.
Therefore, the Demon Lord had to hunt down evil professions to avoid being wanted by the Spirit Realm.
"The Demon Lord, controlled by the Devil Eye Judge when he was weak, struggled for survival, diligently seeking a way to undo the Holy Grail's control until he was about to reach the pinnacle of power and finally saw hope.
"Then, he colluded with Brother Bing, also a servant, to hunt down the Devil Eye Judge. All the information I’ve gathered validates this reasoning. The motive and logic align."
Zhang Yuanqing continued his deduction. Now that he understood the Demon Lord’s motive for hunting the Devil Eye Judge, he combined this with the information about the mysterious man.
His face suddenly turned grim as a chilling hypothesis surfaced in his mind:
If the Demon Lord was the Devil Eye Judge’s servant, his identity information must be recorded in the registry.
If, if that mysterious man was the Demon Lord's man, and his purpose in tearing out a page of the registry wasn’t to hide Brother Bing’s identity information, but because Brother Bing and he were recorded on the same page.
"That shouldn't be. If the Demon Lord wasn't dead, how did Brother Bing get his character card? Come to think of it, Li Dongze once said that character cards are issued by the Spirit Realm, but my character card was given to me by Brother Bing..."
At this thought, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly felt his scalp tingle.
"If it really is the Demon Lord, then the reason he didn't kill me becomes terrifying. No, I must confirm whether he is truly dead."
Zhang Yuanqing rubbed his face, steadied his mind, and took out his notebook from the drawer, writing down:
"How can a The Way of the Extraordinary practitioner remove their character card?"
"How can someone obtain another person's character card?"
If I can figure out these two questions, I can probably deduce a lot, but I absolutely can't ask the officials, especially Fu Qingyang. He knows too much. Zhang Yuanqing spun his pen, locking onto an individual in his mind. Master Wuhen!
Master Wuhen was an evil practitioner, completely separated from the Lawful side. However, since he belonged to the Chaotic Good alignment, he wouldn't harbor malice or pose a threat to him. Plus, Master Wuhen's level was high enough.
Asking him was better than asking Palace Master Zhishen.
Although the Palace Master was on the Lawful side, she was too crazy.
"Whether there's something or not, I can go to Master Wuhen's place to show my face, latch onto him, and shamelessly beg for a dream jade talisman, unless he explicitly tells me not to go anymore..."
Zhang Yuanqing was confident in his social skills and thick skin.
Having made up his mind, he put away the Elvis Presley speaker, covered himself with the blanket, and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, Zhang Yuanqing was woken up by his grandmother's incessant calls, sprawling on the bed, stretching his limbs.
After a night's rest, he was completely refreshed.
Coming to the living room, his cousin Chen Yuanjun had just finished breakfast, pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth, nodded to his cousin, and then said:
"Grandma, I'm going to work."
Zhang Yuanqing was taken aback: "Cousin, it's Sunday."
Chen Yuanjun said helplessly: "There's been a situation at Third Elementary School. We have to seal off the scene and maintain order. An old man also died in a nearby residential area. My colleagues said it was an accidental fall, but the neighbor next door said someone was fighting downstairs that night.
"The deceased's family believes he was murdered and has been causing a ruckus at the Public Security Bureau since early this morning. There's a lot to deal with today..."
He was indeed murdered. His roar stunned Black Impermanence. I couldn't even save him. Zhang Yuanqing sighed silently.
The old men and women in Songhai have always been quick-tempered. If you displease them, they'll dare to point their fingers and curse even the heavenly king, but he was unlucky to encounter a tough nut like Black Impermanence.
After Chen Yuanjun left for work, Zhang Yuanqing picked up a steamed bun and took a bite, asking as he ate:
"Grandma, where's Little Aunt?"
"Sleeping in her room. It's Sunday, and I don't bother to manage her." Grandmother gave her grandson a fried dough stick, then took out five hundred yuan from her pocket and said:
"Next week's living expenses."
"Thank you, Grandma."
Zhang Yuanqing was a big shot worth five hundred thousand, but it wasn't good to refuse the allowance from his family. He couldn't say: Your grandson licks blood from the edge of a knife every day, killing and robbing. I'm not short of money these days.
Grandmother generously slapped down five hundred yuan and went to the balcony to water the flowers. At this moment, Little Aunt, wearing pink cotton pajamas with Pikachu printed on the chest, walked out in slippers.
She squinted listlessly, her hair disheveled, exuding a lazy air.
Speaking of which, although Little Aunt was the sweet and well-behaved type, her figure was still top-notch. Even Pikachu had gained weight.
Jiang Yuer sat down next to her nephew and shouted: "Mom, where's my porridge!"
"Can't you go to the kitchen and get it yourself?" Grandmother scolded.
Jiang Yuer coquettishly said: "Mom, don't you love me anymore?"
"Get lost!"
She slinked into the kitchen.
Zhang Yuanqing waited for Little Aunt to return with her white porridge and asked, "We didn't play games last night, so why did you sleep so late?"
"My period came!" "My period came!"
"Does your period come twice a month?"
"Nosy!" Little Aunt raised her hand and delivered a fierce chop to her nephew's head: "When is it your turn, a junior, to nag in front of your aunt."
Having just displayed her power, Little Aunt had her hands pinned behind her back by her nephew and was pressed onto the dining table.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Little Aunt's upturned buttocks, and an uncontrollable thought flashed through his mind: Such beautiful buttocks, it's a pity there isn't a long pig tail...
Damn it!
He cursed inwardly and immediately released Little Aunt, sitting upright.
Jiang Yuer, who was about to call her mother to show how her nephew was bullying her, paused: "Why are you being so tame?"
Zhang Yuanqing sneered: "Woman, you can no longer attract me."
Then, he added tearfully in his heart: Sows have gradually entered my field of vision...
"Want to go shopping later?" Jiang Yuer said.
"No, I have something to do in the morning. I'll see how the afternoon goes."
In the dim room, an orange table lamp emitted a weak light.
In front of the brown wooden desk, the burly strongman popped the cork from the glass test tube and drank the pale golden liquid in one gulp.
He let out a satisfied sigh as the sword wounds and claw marks all over his body rapidly healed without leaving scars.
Then, the Fire Master looked at the black-robed Grand Protector standing by the window watching the rain and said in a deep voice:
"I just received news that Black Impermanence was killed. The Holy Grail has fallen into the hands of the Songhai Branch. Grand Protector, we have no chance."
The Grand Protector by the window quietly watched the rain, remaining silent for a long time before speaking in a hoarse voice:
"Who killed Black Impermanence?"
The Fire Master snorted coldly: "Yuan Shi Tian Zun. The official database shows that he just obtained an A-level merit. Heh, A-level merit. I remember that to become an Elder, besides having enough level, you also need at least one A-level. If he didn't kill Black Impermanence, how did he get an A-level?"
The Grand Protector said: "Find a way to kill him. Also, release the news that Black Impermanence was killed and the registry has fallen into the hands of the Five Elements Alliance to stimulate the Fallen ones on the registry."
At 9:30 in the morning, Zhang Yuanqing, carrying a backpack and wearing a smiling face, walked into the lobby of "Wuhen Hotel" and went straight to the front desk.
"Aunt Xiaoyuan, I'm here again." Zhang Yuanqing approached the front desk.
The flamboyant aunt in a burgundy suit paired with a white shirt glanced at him and said lightly, "What is it this time?"
I'm here to thank Aunt Xiaoyuan for her help last time. The Black Impermanence issue has been resolved." Zhang Yuanqing said, opening the zipper of his backpack and taking out a stack of banknotes, placing them on the front desk:
"This is 100,000. The extra 50,000 is my personal gesture."
"Black Impermanence is dead?" Aunt Xiaoyuan raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in her cold eyes, followed by fear.
The Five Elements Alliance's ability was beyond her expectations, actually managing to ferret out Black Impermanence and kill him in such a short time.
She frowned delicately and said, "I remember that the person in charge of this matter was Fu Qingyang, the White Tiger Warrior of Kangyang District."
Zhang Yuanqing said: "It was him, but in this incident, I was the one who made the first contribution."
Xiaoyuan directly ignored his words, her heart was more and more afraid of Fu Qingyang.
Immediately, she shifted her attention to the thick stack of cash. After a moment of silence, she accepted the 100,000.
For a group like them living in the cracks, there were moral restrictions and the pursuit of official practitioners. Their source of income was extremely limited. They couldn't be said to be struggling, but they certainly couldn't be called wealthy. Without funds, it would cause great inconvenience.
Maintaining channels, gathering information, trading, etc., all required money.
The Way of the Extraordinary practitioners also need to live.
Seeing Aunt Xiaoyuan accept the money, Zhang Yuanqing immediately said, "Actually, there's another request."
Aunt Xiaoyuan's heart sank.
"I want to see Master Wuhen." Zhang Yuanqing said with a sincere face.
Xiaoyuan looked down at the money in her hand, her eyes twitching slightly. She said with a cold face, "Wait! I can only ask for you. Whether he sees you or not is up to Master Wuhen."
With that, she walked toward the elevator in high heels.
A few minutes later, the elevator descended, and Aunt Xiaoyuan returned, nodding:
"Go ahead!"
Zhang Yuanqing took the elevator to the fourth floor and stopped in front of the second room on the left, room "404."
He grasped the doorknob and gently twisted it open.
The scene before him distorted like water. The door disappeared.
The hotel corridor transformed into a simple and spacious hall. The red carpet under his feet turned into mottled stone bricks. Under the caisson painted with a sky full of gods and Buddhas, a golden Buddha held a flower and lowered his brows, his expression both compassionate, dignified, and stern.
Zhang Yuanqing put his hands together and bowed to the figure on the futon: "Master Wuhen."
"What is it?"
The ethereal, deep, and pain-enduring voice echoed.
"This junior has two doubts and would like to ask for your guidance." Zhang Yuanqing said: "How can a The Way of the Extraordinary practitioner undo the binding of their character card without dying?
How can I obtain someone else's character card?"
Master Wuhen pondered for two or three seconds and said slowly:
"Any The Way of the Extraordinary practitioner can only undo the binding of their character card through death. Even the five leaders of the Five Elements Alliance and the highest leaders of evil organizations are no exception.
As for how to obtain other people's character cards, I have never heard of such a method, but based on my limited knowledge, there must be one prerequisite: that is, being inside the Spirit Realm."
Even the five leaders can't undo their character cards? Given Master Wuhen's level and status, if he dares to say that, he must be confident.
So the Demon Lord is really dead?
You can only get other people's character cards in the Spirit Realm. I can understand that because after a practitioner dies, the Spirit Realm will take back the character card. If you want to "intercept" it, you must be in the Spirit Realm.
Master Wuhen doesn't know of such a method, but Brother Bing did it. Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and then asked:
"High-level Night Watchers have immortal souls. Is there a possibility of feigned death?"
"Feigned death cannot undo the character card. If the character card is undone, it means certain death." Master Wuhen said.
Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing's guess wavered.
The Sect Leader of Taiyi said that the Demon Lord died. Master Wuhen also said that if the character card is undone, it means death. Is my reasoning more reliable than the knowledge of two big shots?
Obviously not! But if the mysterious man isn't the Demon Lord, who is it?
Zhang Yuanqing sighed in his heart and said, "Thank you, Master, for resolving my doubts."
Master Wuhen said lightly: "Our camps are different, and you are a member of the official organization. It's best not to associate with each other in the future. The Five Elements Alliance's physical examination isn't just for show. Don't endanger yourself." Indeed, thick thighs aren't so easy to hold onto. Zhang Yuanqing said with a wry smile, "Understood."
As the words fell, the scenery in the hall gradually showed illusory special effects, finally disappearing.
He returned to the "404" room door.
Alas, Little Green Tea's dream jade talisman hasn't been used. She's not an official member. In the future, if there's a chance, I can let her scout the way. If she refuses, I've already thought of the reason—Don't you feel sorry for your brother?
Taking the elevator back to the lobby, Zhang Yuanqing bid farewell and left. Aunt Xiaoyuan suddenly stopped him and said:
"Have you encountered something recently?"
Zhang Yuanqing was taken aback, a hint of joy rising in his heart, but he remained expressionless on the surface: "What do you mean?"
He thought, could it be that Aunt Xiaoyuan can see something?
Xiaoyuan pondered for a moment and said:
"The first time you saw me, you looked at my chest three times, my face twice, and my legs five times. The second time you saw me, you looked at my face once, my chest four times, and my legs six times..."
Zhang Yuanqing interrupted in shock: "Aunt, I didn't! Don't accuse me. Do you evil practitioners like to make baseless accusations?"
Aunt Xiaoyuan said lightly:
"But this time, you only looked at my face once.
"Your spiritual body has been polluted. Although it's not deep, the polluted part won't have a big impact on your personality, but it corresponds to 'desire.'"
Zhang Yuanqing swallowed and tentatively asked, "You are...?"
Aunt Xiaoyuan said lightly: "A level 5 Witchcraft Master."
Zhang Yuanqing's attitude changed, like a person with a chronic illness finding a good doctor. He spoke rapidly:
"It's like this, Aunt Xiaoyuan. I recently obtained a Witchcraft Master profession item. Its price is that it will gradually change my sexual orientation. No, it's species orientation. To be honest, when I look at Little Aunt today, I really think it's a shame she isn't a pig.
"But I didn't use it. I just put it in my item bar."
Aunt Xiaoyuan's eyes showed pity:
"The price of some items is slow to affect but won't stop. But when you put it in the item bar, it has already recognized you as its master, and the effect has already been generated.
"The price of some items is visible, intuitive, and paid after use. You don't need to consider it before use.
"The corruption of the Witchcraft Master profession belongs to the former."
Zhang Yuanqing listened in horror and immediately said, "Aunt, I plan to sell it to you at a low price."
Aunt Xiaoyuan sneered: "What would I do with it, gradually develop an interest in male pigs?"
Keep it yourself.
Zhang Yuanqing looked desperate.
What a pit, even more of a pit than the Heavenly Toad Incense Burner that poisoned the entire tribe. Zhang Yuanqing walked out of the hotel, deeply troubled about how to deal with the "Scarecrow."
This item is undoubtedly very powerful. It can even defile and corrode Red Dancing Shoes. In a battle of the same level, it's equivalent to a strategic weapon.
But the price is really unbearable. Black Impermanence is an evil profession, thoroughly bad, and doesn't care about changing species orientation. The reason Aunt Xiaoyuan doesn't want it is probably because she doesn't think she's evil and has a good heart.
Therefore, she would rather give up the opportunity to strengthen herself.
I also have a good heart. Zhang Yuanqing's heart stirred: "I can turn it over to the organization and exchange it for items."
Just as he was thinking this, his phone rang. It was Fu Qingyang calling.
"Hello, Centurion?"
Zhang Yuanqing answered the phone.
"Come to my place. The branch's reward for you has been determined. In addition to merit and bonuses, the Elders have decided to reward you with two items. Choose two from ten items."
Fu Qingyang's voice was still cold, but it sounded like a wealth-giving child to Zhang Yuanqing.
"Okay, Centurion!" Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed.