Chapter 41: The Disaster Draws East

Chapter 41: The Disaster Draws East 

A dazzling golden light shone into Zhang Yuanqing's sea of consciousness, dissipating the resentment in his heart and pulling him out of the state of questioning spirits. He saw the disheveled Li Dongze and felt the pain all over his body, as if he had suffered a brutal beating.

"Really, every time Night Wanderer devours the spirits of evil practitioners, he goes mad..."

Li Dongze threw the Demon Subduing Staff back to Zhang Yuanqing, then tidied up his clothes and took out a bag of wet tissues from his pocket, handing it over, saying, "Wipe away the nosebleed and always maintain elegance."

Zhang Yuanqing took the wet tissue and wiped away the bloodstains. He first opened his attribute panel and saw that his experience points had increased by 5%. Currently, his experience points were at 52%. Then, he sorted through the fragments of his memory.

The "Spirit Power Association Eastern District Branch" had two vice-chairmen. One was the Spectral Judge, and the other was the superior of the "Outlaw" organization. The two vice-chairmen had been vying for the position of the chairman for many years. After the Spectral Judge died, the other vice-chairman attempted to obtain the Holy Grail and the register, taking over their competitor's assets and consolidating the Eastern District Branch.

They were also searching for Black Impermanence.

The Spirit Power Association's influence was vast. Just in the Eastern District Branch alone, there were two vice-chairmen, both high-level Spirit Realm practitioners... Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath and said, "Chief, I've found a major clue."

Immediately, he informed Li Dongze of the information he saw in his memory fragments.

As Li Dongze listened, he nodded approvingly. When he heard about the list, his eyes lit up.

"Very good, excellent. With this list, we can conduct targeted investigations, rather than running around blindly. Indeed, the one who knows the enemy best is the enemy itself."

Zhang Yuanqing hesitated and said, "I can't help but feel something is off. First, it was Ou Xiangrong, then the Outlaw, as if someone is feeding us clues."

Li Dongze smiled, "You're quite insightful. Alright, write an analysis report for me. It will be a test of your abilities."

Elegance is strange; you'll lose me if you act this way... Zhang Yuanqing's face instantly turned blank.

"Li Yuanfang got lucky; their second team made a great contribution." Li Dongze sighed but didn't say more. He leaned on his cane and walked to the door, opening it.

Members of the second team in the corridor immediately surged forward, facing the stern and serious Li Yuanfang with some anticipation, asking, "How did it go? Any clues?"

Li Dongze smiled, "Got a list of Black Impermanence's subordinates. Your second team made a great contribution."

Li Yuanfang's cold face was filled with a smile. The captains of the second team were overjoyed, beaming with delight.

The weight of this list was evident, and the more important the list, the greater their contribution, benefiting the entire team.

However, Li Dongze's voice turned solemn, "But the authenticity of the list needs to be verified."

Li Yuanfang nodded calmly and then looked at Zhang Yuanqing behind Li Dongze, saying, "Once the rewards are given out, we'll allocate ten percent as compensation to you. Thank you..." His tone surprisingly gentle.

Then, he sighed with envy, "Chief Li, you're really lucky."

The members of the second team looked at Zhang Yuanqing with kind and approving eyes. No one opposed the idea of compensating Zhang Yuanqing; they all believed it was well-deserved.

...

During dinner, Zhang Yuanqing sat at the table, enjoying the meal cooked by his grandmother. Jiang Yueran ate while watching short videos. She was wearing a pink hoodie with two fluffy ears on the hood.

He remembered that when his aunt was around eighteen or nineteen years old, she liked collecting black stockings and short skirts to showcase her mature charm. After her 25th birthday, her dressing style became more girlish, calling herself a young girl or a little fairy. The older she got, the more she loved to act cute.

"Don't play with your phone while eating," their grandmother reprimanded.

"Just for a while..." Jiang Yueran pouted while chewing her food and said, "Yuanzi, today at the hospital, I saw a mixed-race girl with a perfect figure and stunning looks. You know how old her husband is?"

That mixed-race girl not only had a great figure but was also skilled at driving... Zhang Yuanqing cooperatively asked, "How old?"

"She's married to a college student!" Jiang Yueran said with a face full of disdain. "And look at you, still single until now, with no accomplishments."

"You're single yourself, so why are you criticizing me?" Zhang Yuanqing shot her a sideways glance.

"You don't understand. I'm single by choice, but you being single just shows you have no prospects," she retorted.

"You can't handle this punch from the Western Chu Overlord either," Zhang Yuanqing teased her.

In Grandma's ears, she scolded her daughter, "How dare you talk about Yuanzi like that? He's prioritizing his studies, what's wrong with that? And don't talk about being pure and virtuous like a saint. Next week, continue with the blind dates. I'm not asking you to get married immediately, but at least find a boyfriend."

Jiang Yueran redirected the trouble towards her nephew, "I haven't even become a regular employee yet, and I also prioritize my career. Your grandson is already thirty years old and still single."

Upon hearing this, Grandma felt it made sense and looked at Chen Yuanjun, contemplating, "Yuanjun, Grandma will arrange another blind date for you. Last time, I showed your photo to the girl's side, and they said they didn't want someone older. Grandma thought they lacked vision... I'll have Yueran retouch your photo to make you look younger."

Chen Yuanjun's mouth twitched, and he habitually wrinkled his forehead, saying in a deep voice, "As long as Grandma is happy. However, I feel Yuanzi is just playing games during the day and night, and he doesn't take his studies seriously. University is not the end of learning; it's the starting point of entering society. Big Sis is abroad, Grandma, you should supervise Yuanzi more. Maybe you should smash his PS5."

Tai Chi family, indeed...

Grandma, feeling it was reasonable, scolded in anger, "Always playing games! You're a good-for-nothing! Are you forcing me to smash your gaming console?"

No, brother, you're too cruel... Zhang Yuanqing felt his scalp tingling. Seeing Grandma going on and on, he quietly summoned Xiao Doudou and directed him to crawl onto Grandpa's head. Then, after settling his emotions, Zhang Yuanqing personally intervened and took away Grandpa's hearing.

"Grandma, look at Grandpa. He doesn't care about anything, leaving you to handle everything in this house. It's not fair," Zhang Yuanqing said.

His cousin and aunt looked at him in surprise. They thought he was being particularly bold today.

Upon hearing this, Grandma immediately turned to look at Grandpa, frowning, "Old Chen, can you say something... Old Chen, Old Chen?"

Grandpa had a chubby and adorable baby resting on his head and seemed completely oblivious, silently eating his meal.

Zhang Yuanqing quietly retrieved Xiao Doudou. Suddenly, Grandpa raised his head as if he just heard someone calling him and furrowed his brows, "What?"

"I was talking to you," Grandma said angrily.

"I didn't hear anything," Grandpa replied.

"What do you mean? Are you pretending to be deaf with me? All day long, you just stroll around, play chess, and watch TV. Am I the servant of your Chen family? I have to take care of everything myself. You don't care about your own daughter, grandson, and great-grandson. I've had enough of this worthless family's genes..." Grandma's explosive temper couldn't be contained.

Zhang Yuanqing lowered his head to eat, concealing his accomplishments and fame.

...

At the Moss Pet Cafe, the half-drawn roll-up door created a dim atmosphere inside the shop, with orange light and elmwood floors blending together to create a calming and serene ambiance. High-ranking figures from the Fenghui District, Kangyang District, Jinjiang District, and Puning District were gathered together, a total of eleven people, sitting around a round table with steaming coffee cups placed in front of them.

Without a doubt, this was a high-level meeting, and the fact that they could convene the executives meant that it involved elder-level figures. In the center of the round table, a fluffy Teddy Bear with curly hair sat upright, speaking with a human voice, "Now that everyone is here, I'll be brief. The incident involving the Spectral Judge's death is of great significance. What progress have you made in the past few days?"

This person was an elder of the Hundred Flowers Society and one of those responsible for the Spectral Judge incident. He managed all the Spirit Realm practitioner teams in the four districts mentioned earlier and held real power to report directly to the Alliance Leader.

The other executives remained silent. The executive from the Fenghui District raised his hand and spoke in a low voice, "Under my command, my team killed a witch doctor today, confirming that he was under the command of the Witch King. We obtained a list from the spirit's memory..." He then revealed the content of the list.

In the Teddy Bear's bean-like eyes, a hint of approval appeared. "Well done. The spirit of the witch doctor was unusually agitated. Night Wanderer's questioning cost a considerable price. I will compensate you for that later."

The executive from the Fenghui District nodded, adding, "I believe the incident involving Ou Xiangrong was not a coincidence. He was released as bait by the Witch King to let us know about the Spectral Judge's death. The witch doctor we killed today was also one of the Witch King's underlings. He wants to use our official strength to find Black Impermanence."

The Witch King was another vice-chairman of the Spirit Power Association's Eastern District, and his contention for the position of chairman with the Spectral Judge had been going on for a long time. The two sides were in a fierce rivalry.

"When the targets are the same, anyone can become friends. But the Corrupted Holy Grail is harmful and must be kept under our official control. It must not fall into the hands of the Witch King," the Teddy Bear's bean-like eyes swept over everyone as he said.

"Do any of you have anything to add?"

The other executives silently noted down the list. A female executive frowned and suggested, "Zhao Yingjun's case should serve as a warning. I recommend conducting a screening for all members of the Songhai Branch, including the Night Wanderers of the Night Wanderer Sect. There may be hidden members of the Spirit Power Association among them."

The Teddy Bear Teddy Bear pondered for a few seconds and nodded slowly, "In that case, we'll have to use the 'Tiger Talisman.' I'll submit the application to the Marshal."

After finishing the official matters, the Teddy Bear turned his head and looked at Fu Qingyang, who was dressed in a white suit and remained silent, "I heard that you recently recruited a promising Night Wanderer and cleared the Sheling Tunnel?"

Fu Qingyang nodded slightly and added, "I also killed Ou Xiangrong."

The Teddy Bear said, "A few days ago, Elder Sun from the Night Wanderer Sect contacted me, hoping to take that Night Wanderer with them. I know that Elder Sun said not to take that kid, but Five Elements Alliance and the Night Wanderer Sect have signed an agreement after all."

"Personnel matters are under Elder Hongying's jurisdiction. Elder Sun's opinion doesn't count... Qingyang, what is your opinion?" the Teddy Bear asked.

Fu Qingyang said calmly, "Refusing her is enough. If it's inconvenient for you, I'll make the call myself."

One of the executives from the Hundred Flowers Society smiled and said, "It's not a big deal. It's just one Night Wanderer. It won't hurt to give him to the Night Wanderer Sect. Elder Hongying's favor is more valuable. Besides, each district has a Night Wanderer from the Night Wanderer Sect stationed there. When they need to work, they'll cooperate actively, right, Old Zhang?"

Old Zhang was the executive from the Fenghui District.

The other executives remained silent, not expressing their opinions on this sensitive issue.

Seeing everyone looking at him, Old Zhang furrowed his brow and said, "Since he's Fu Battalion Leader's person, I won't comment on personnel deployment. But I need to give some feedback on the work attitude of the Night Wanderers from the Night Wanderer Sect. The witch doctor we killed today was not questioned by the Night Wanderer from the Night Wanderer Sect. He refused to cooperate, claiming that he wasn't feeling well. I had no choice but to ask for help from the second team in the Kangyang District. They came with just one phone call, without any complaints, and they're only a Level 1 Night Wanderer."

"I personally think there is a difference between our own Night Wanderers and those from other factions," Old Zhang said.

Fu Qingyang was taken aback; he didn't know about this. After hearing Old Zhang's words, several executives expressed their opinions:

"I think it's okay to keep him. The Night Wanderer Sect won't lack one more Night Wanderer."

"It's a time to use people, and we can trust our own people more."

An executive from the Hundred Flowers Society had a somewhat embarrassed expression and didn't say anything further.

The Teddy Bear nodded, "Then let him stay. I'll handle the refusal with Elder Hongying. Qingyang, the Night Wanderer's Ling Jun from the Night Wanderer Sect will lead a team to arrive at Songhai in a few days to assist us in capturing Black Impermanence. You two are peers, close on regular days, and you are also one of the Four Young Masters. Go and receive them."

Fu Qingyang responded with a simple "Okay."