Chapter 29: First Battle

 

Chapter 29: First Battle

Why would Ou Xiangrong appear at Songhai University? And why is he with Xu Yingying?

How dare he show up at Songhai University while being a wanted criminal? Is he just daring or is there something wrong with his brain?

Zhang Yuanqing's body tensed up, and he stopped walking, telling his classmates next to him, "You guys go ahead; I'll make a call."

First, I should make a call to confirm the situation... He walked to the side of the road, took out his phone, and dialed Li Dongze's number.

"Sorry, the number you dialed is turned off," the voice prompt said.

His call went straight to voicemail. He then dialed Guan Ya's phone, but it was also turned off.

Are they in a meeting? Deploying an operation? Or maybe lurking around Songhai University? Zhang Yuanqing's mind flashed with various speculations.

If it's the latter case, then it has nothing to do with me. However, if Ou Xiangrong, a wanted criminal, is indeed staying in Songhai University and I miss this opportunity, it would be a pity.

Thinking of this, Zhang Yuanqing opened his contact list and dialed Wang Tai's number.

Thanks to their social habit, he also saved Wang Tai's number in his contacts, even though this guy was not fond of speaking and didn't like to interact. Every time he tried to chat with him, he would give a "Get lost, don't bother me" look on his face.

"What's up?" Wang Tai's disinterested voice came through the speaker.

"I saw Ou Xiangrong, the one who killed Zhao Yingjun, the suspect in the case. You know about this, right?"

"Yes, but why are you contacting me? You should be contacting the squad leader." Wang Tai's tone remained as calm as ever.

Aren't you supposed to say something like "Wow, that's amazing"? So composed... Zhang Yuanqing silently complained as he explained, "I can't get in touch with the squad leader or Guan Ya."

"Who is Guan Ya?"

"That's not important." Zhang Yuanqing briefly explained the situation on this end and asked, "Can you get in touch with other teams' Spirit Walkers?"

"I can..." Wang Tai's fingers tapped the keyboard, and he continued, "I have accessed Zhao Yingjun's case files. He had many female college students he supported financially, and one of them is from your school – Xu Yingying. Based on your feedback, I assume he wants to find a breakthrough from the women around Zhao Yingjun."

So Xu Yingying was one of Zhao Yingjun's sponsors. No wonder the security officers came to look for her yesterday... Zhang Yuanqing suddenly realized.

Wang Tai continued, "Ou Xiangrong, a Level 3 Enthrallment Entity, is possessed by evil power. He was severely injured in the ambush yesterday, so his danger level has decreased significantly, but he's still not someone you can handle."

"I've analyzed it for you. The correct approach is to keep an eye on him and wait for official support. You can use your Night Walk skill to harass him appropriately, but don't engage in direct combat; otherwise, you'll end up in a miserable state."

Even though he wasn't good at socializing, he seems reliable when it comes to work. While pretending to enjoy the scenery, Zhang Yuanqing followed Ou Xiangrong and Xu Yingying from a distance.

"What about the squad leader and Sister Guan Ya? Can you get in touch with them near Songhai?" Zhang Yuanqing asked with anticipation.

"No, Xu Yingying is just an ordinary female college student with no value. As for Ou Xiangrong... he's losing his sanity." Wang Tai said, "Your female classmate is in big trouble."

With Ou Xiangrong's cruelty, there's no way he'll spare anyone.

At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing saw Ou Xiangrong "embracing" Xu Yingying and entering the underground parking lot of the comprehensive building.

The two of them disappeared from his sight as they descended the steep slope.

"They entered the parking lot. Let's talk later. Notify members of other teams as soon as possible." Without waiting for a response, Zhang Yuanqing hung up the phone.

It's not a crowded area here, so I can't use passersby as a cover like before. If I follow them into the underground parking lot, they'll definitely notice me.

After a few seconds of contemplation, Zhang Yuanqing took off his backpack and threw it into the greenbelt by the roadside. Then, he triggered the power of Taiyin inside him, and the illusionary black mist burst open with a bang, wiping away his figure.

After using Night Walk, he sprinted into the underground parking lot.

With the Red Dancing Shoes and the Night Walk skill, even if I can't defeat Ou Xiangrong, escaping won't be a problem.

So it's worth taking the risk. Although Xu Yingying is materialistic and opportunistic, she is, after all, a living being.

In the circumstances where he could, Zhang Yuanqing wouldn't stand by and watch someone die. Moreover, dealing with someone like Eu Xiangrong, who had a twisted mind, sooner the problem was solved, the better for everyone's safety.

In his night-traveling state, Zhang Yuanqing didn't need to deliberately hide his footsteps, as this ability concealed any sound or body heat he produced. Just as he entered the underground parking lot, he heard Xu Yingying's trembling voice with a quivering tone:

"I... I don't know where the things you're looking for are. I was with Zhao Yingjun just for his money. He gave me twenty thousand a month, and I acted as his girlfriend..."

"Twenty... twenty thousand? Before I became a regular, my monthly salary was only two thousand. You make a lot of money..." Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself as he followed the sound. Xu Yingying was standing against the wall, near the rear of a black sedan in the parking lot, while Eu Xiangrong held a knife and stood on one side.

"Don't tell me you don't know. Don't tell me you don't know..." Eu Xiangrong's eyes were fierce, and he spoke with a nervous tone.

"I'm giving you one last chance. Did Zhao Yingjun ever mention the Holy Grail and the roster to you?"

"I... I really don't know what you're talking about..." Xu Yingying's eyes were red, and tears streamed down her face.

Eu Xiangrong fell silent for a few seconds, then sighed wearily in the underground parking lot. His pupils glowed crimson, and a manic and ferocious expression appeared under his mask as he muttered:

"I gave you a chance, and you couldn't use it. I gave you a chance, and you couldn't use it..."

Eu Xiangrong's calloused hand gripped Xu Yingying's fair neck, lifting her off the ground. Her face quickly turned red, then purple, and her legs flailed while her eyes rolled back.

A sinister smile spread across Eu Xiangrong's face as he brought the blade closer to Xu Yingying's chest. Just as he was about to plunge the knife into her heart, his instincts as a bewitching creature sent a warning signal. Suddenly, he felt a profound sense of danger, without any signs of nearby people or disturbances. Nevertheless, he sensed an inexplicable threat approaching, enveloping him.

Spiritual Realm Walker!

Experienced as he was, Eu Xiangrong immediately realized that he was under attack by a Spiritual Realm Walker. He grasped Xu Yingying's neck and, relying on his intuition, violently threw her backward.

With a loud thud, Xu Yingying crashed to the ground, rolling several meters before losing consciousness. Seeing that the attacker had no intention of saving the woman, Eu Xiangrong quickly stepped back and swung his willow blade forward.

A sharp arc of light traced the path of his blade, and a clear ringing sound echoed through the air as sparks flew.

He had struck the attacker's weapon.

By feeling the collision of their weapons, Eu Xiangrong judged the enemy's position. He then flexed his leg muscles like a spring, crouched, and launched himself forward like a fierce predator.

With a muffled impact, Eu Xiangrong's knees received a solid blow, and he heard a grunt from the assailant.

Suddenly, a figure flew out of thin air—a young university student wearing sporty pants and a baseball jersey, with good features and a sunny temperament. He held a brass cudgel half an arm's length long.

"Night-traveling deity?" Eu Xiangrong understood in an instant why last night's attack had come so swiftly and who it was from. He realized who had nearly killed him.

With a malevolent expression in his eyes, a mix of ferocity and hatred, Eu Xiangrong felt a strong urge for revenge and murder towards the Night-traveling deity before him.

Gripping the willow blade tightly, he leaped into the air, and his powerful jump carried him over ten meters, aiming to strike down the rolling university student.

He looked like a ferocious, humanoid velociraptor.

Witnessing this scene, Zhang Yuanqing was almost about to shout: "I'm sorry for interrupting, spare me!" He didn't attempt to get up but continued rolling, drawing upon his Yin Night-traveling power, once again entering the night-traveling state.

Mid-roll, he abruptly vanished from Eu Xiangrong's sight, causing the bewitching creature to lose its target.

After evading the attack, the invisible Zhang Yuanqing hunched down and sprinted towards a white car on his left, leaning against the wheel, catching his breath heavily.

The knee strike from earlier had nearly caused his heart to stop.

"It hurts so much..." He paled from the chest pain, even breathing felt agonizing. Fortunately, as a Night-traveling deity, he had strong vitality and a considerable ability to self-heal, so the injuries would soon subside.

Through their brief exchange, Zhang Yuanqing had become aware of the gap in strength between them. The bewitching creature possessed keen intuition, rich combat experience, and an incredibly powerful physical strength, seemingly specializing in close combat.

At that moment, he heard a "thud" sound, and Eu Xiangrong leaped onto the roof of a black sedan several meters away.

Glancing over the underground parking lot with eyes full of malevolence, Eu Xiangrong spoke in a cold and sinister tone: "You think you can hide from me? Well, then let's play a little game of cat and mouse."

"You're the Night-traveling deity from the Taiyi Sect. Shouldn't you be in Taiyi City? Are you the Night-traveling deity from the Five Elements Alliance?"

"Hmph, a mere Level 1 Night-traveling deity dares to ambush me. Let me think, a Level 1 Night-traveling skill, the invisibility time won't exceed twenty seconds. How long can you hide?" Eu Xiangrong was certain that the opponent was a Level 1 Night-traveling deity because if it were Level 2, he wouldn't have gained the upper hand in their previous clash.

And if it were Level 3, then it would be him who needed to escape now. In his heavily injured and weakened state, he couldn't possibly defeat a Night-traveling deity of the same level. Both Night-traveling deities and bewitching creatures were top-tier professions.

"Twenty seconds? You're giving me too much credit. I can hold it for at most ten seconds..." Zhang Yuanqing huddled next to the car tire, holding his breath, trying to stay hidden.

Note: The levels mentioned here are referring to the proficiency and skill level of the Night-traveling technique. Level 1 indicates a lower level of proficiency, while higher levels indicate greater mastery and capability.

"This guy is incredibly strong, and he hasn't even used the abilities of the Bewitching Creature. Let me think about the abilities of the Bewitching Creature..." Zhang Yuanqing recalled the information about the Bewitching Creature from the official forum.

This evil profession excelled in combat in the Transcendent Realm, becoming even more ferocious after killing someone. Furthermore, once a battle began, the Bewitching Creature could mark its opponent using a special method. Even if the prey escaped, they would relentlessly pursue them.

Lastly, there was the core ability of the Transcendent Realm - bewitchment. It was a skill of spiritual control, combined with its powerful close combat capabilities, making it almost unbeatable.

After ten seconds, his figure appeared. In the next moment, the whistling sound of an attack echoed, and Zhang Yuanqing knew that Eu Xiangrong's attack had landed. He didn't dare to look and rolled on the ground, disappearing once again into invisibility.

"Bang!" The white car's body was hit hard, leaving a deep dent, and the alarm rang loudly. Eu Xiangrong scanned the surroundings with cold and fierce eyes, staying on guard while trying to provoke his opponent.

"You seem like a student from Songhai University. Do you know that for a Spirit Realm practitioner, exposing one's identity means endangering their family? Since I know you're a student, I can take my time finding you, killing you, and wiping out your entire family."

Madman... Zhang Yuanqing's heart sank. Despite knowing it was a provocation, he couldn't help feeling angry and fearful.

Hiding behind another car's tail, Zhang Yuanqing's mind raced, thinking of a strategy against the enemy.

"This guy's intuition is terrifying. If I can't take him down with one strike, I shouldn't risk a surprise attack. But I can't hide forever; I can only use Night Traveling two more times at most, and then I'll have to escape. Official personnel won't be able to arrive in such a short time."

"If I let him escape, my grandma and the others will be in danger."

"The Bewitching Creature's three abilities - Ferocity, Mark, and Bewitchment. The first one is irrelevant unless he kills someone, so I don't have to worry about it. The second one, I'm most likely marked, but Night Traveling can shield his perception."

"What I truly need to be wary of is his close combat prowess and Bewitchment skill. Ah, if only it were nighttime now..."

Amidst these thoughts, Zhang Yuanqing had already devised a plan. He would have Red Dance Shoes act as the main force, while the useless owner would assist from the side, waiting for the opportunity to strike.

This would also be a good test for the performance of this rule-type item.

"Bang!" Eu Xiangrong leaped onto the car roof again, overlooking the underground parking lot from above. He silently counted the time, waiting for his opponent to exit the Night Traveling state, when suddenly, he heard eerie footsteps behind him.

The sudden footsteps echoed in the empty garage, causing even the experienced Eu Xiangrong to shudder. Reflexively, he turned around with his knife in a defensive stance. Then, he saw the source of the eerie footsteps.

It was a pair of brand-new Western-style red dance shoes, about three meters away from him, seemingly being stepped on by an invisible person, creating the impression of someone taking steps in place.

This eerie and terrifying scene would make an ordinary person's legs go weak, prompting them to scream in fear.

A paranormal item?

As Eu Xiangrong saw the red dance shoes, a message appeared in his field of vision:

【Would you like to dance with me? If so, please take steps in place.】