Realm Walker

Chapter 24: The Murderer

"Oh, right," said one of the captains. "We nearly forgot about that kid."

Li Dongze's words reminded the captains that the Kangyang District Spirit Realm team had already recruited a Nocturnal Specter of their own. There was no need to borrow personnel from the Taiyi Sect anymore.

The muscle-bound captain's face lit up with joy. He immediately said, "Then what are we waiting for? Contact that kid right away. This is exactly why we need to cultivate our own Nocturnal Specters. When push comes to shove, your own people are the most reliable." fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

The other captains' brows relaxed.

The muscle-bound captain's words made sense. Although Taiyi Sect's Nocturnal Specters had always been cooperative on official matters, they were outsiders after all. Using your own people was definitely more convenient.

Li Dongze glanced at Fu Qingyang, saw him nod slightly, then immediately pulled out his phone and walked out of the conference room.

"I'll contact him."

***

After finishing his professional courses that morning, Zhang Yuanqing shouldered his backpack and left the classroom. He planned to skip his afternoon classes and visit the Kangyang District Spirit Realm Squad Two office.

His future social connections and priorities would all be shifted to the Spirit Realm squad.

Zhang Yuanqing wasn't particularly fond of school and had little interest in studying. Young people in Songhai all possessed a bone-deep laziness, lacking the wolf-like hunger and drive needed for success.

Only two types of people in this world would truly succeed: those who developed positive habits from childhood, and those forced by circumstances to grow.

After becoming a Spirit Realm Walker, Zhang Yuanqing finally rediscovered his long lost fighting spirit.

At first, it was because his life was at stake. Now, it was because it could fulfill his boyhood dreams of wandering the world with sword in hand.

The Spirit Realm was full of danger and mystery, but once someone tasted its sweetness, they could never be content being an ordinary person again.

When he exited the main building of the campus, he was about to rent a shared bicycle when his phone rang.

It was Li Dongze calling.

"Squad Leader?" Zhang Yuanqing answered.

Li Dongze cut straight to the point.

—Where are you right now?

"At school."

—It's Songhai University, right? I'm having Guan Ya go pick you up right now.

Pick me up? Zhang Yuanqing wondered.

He detected the urgency in Li Dongze's tone and probed, "What's the matter?"

—A colleague was murdered. We need a Nocturnal Specter to devour the victim's spirit body and extract his memories. You can handle this... right?

There was some uncertainty in Li Dongze's voice.

Uh, it should be fine, Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself before replying, "I'll try, I guess."

Devouring spirit bodies wasn't difficult. It was a natural talent that Nocturnal Specters possessed, and his brain told him he could do it. But when it came to reading memories, he had never actually devoured a spirit body before and had no experience, so he couldn't guarantee success.

—That settles it then.

Without further elaboration, Li Dongze hung up.

Zhang Yuanqing pocketed his phone and walked toward the school gate.

A few minutes later, he stopped at the school entrance, quietly waiting for Guan Ya to pick him up. At the same time, Zhang Yuanqing noticed a girl wearing a long pleated skirt standing by the roadside not far away, carrying a designer handbag as if waiting for someone.

Is that Xu Yingying?

Zhang Yuanqing studied this "class belle" for a few moments. Her outfit was quite refined—bracelet, necklace, earrings, handbag... Everything looked expensive, and completely different from most other female students at school.

Girls from ordinary families couldn't pull off that kind of look.

Noticing Zhang Yuanqing's gaze, Xu Yingying smiled faintly. She swept back her hair and straightened her posture, striking her most captivating pose while feeling a small sense of superiority.

The male student looking at her was quite good-looking, so she instinctively put her beauty on display.

However, she now lived in a completely different world from ordinary college students, a circumstance which filled her with superiority. Her current accessories alone were worth a regular college student's living expenses for an entire year.

Just then, Xu Yingying saw a blue sports car approach and slowly pull up at the school gate.

The woman driving wore a crisp white shirt and sunglasses that concealed her face. But her fair skin, delicate jawline and perfectly sculpted lips made it clear she was a stunning beauty.

Xu Yingying pursed her lips and shifted slightly, angling the logo of her designer bag toward the sports car. At the same time, she watched Zhang Yuanqing jog toward the vehicle, pull open the door, and climb inside.

The rich woman hit the gas and drove off with her kept man.

Xu Yingying's mouth fell open in surprise. For a moment, she couldn't tell whether this male classmate was a low-key heir to a rich family or one of her own kind—a sugar baby.

***

In the morgue of the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau, Zhang Yuanqing stood beside the mortuary table and pulled back the white sheet, revealing a horrifically mutilated corpse.

The deceased's body was covered in bruises and knife wounds, and the large, gaping wound on his chest revealed torn flesh beneath.

If this had been two days ago, the sight of such a corpse would have made Zhang Yuanqing physically ill. But after enduring the ordeal inside the mountain god temple, the mere sight of a corpse could no longer elicit much emotion in his heart. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

Li Dongze leaned on his cane nearby.

"You can begin," he said with anticipation.

Zhang Yuanqing nodded. He studied Zhao Yingjun's corpse and sensed the spirit lingering within his cold body gradually becoming active and awakening.

A Nocturnal Specter's aura held an intrinsic attraction for spirit bodies, capable of rousing sleeping spirits.

He silently channeled the Power of the Dark Moon within his body. The whites of his eyes and even pupils were slowly covered by a layer of pure black as he reached out his hand and made a grasping gesture toward Zhao Yingjun's body.

He pulled out a ghostly figure.

This figure possessed Zhao Yingjun's features, but had a dull expression and vacant eyes.

After death, ninety percent of an individual's consciousness dissipated, leaving behind spirit bodies in this sluggish state. When consciousness scattered, only fragments of memories would be left, only those tied to deep obsessions.

Memories from just before death were usually vivid and, since they were so close to the moment of death, were always preserved.

After extracting the spirit body, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly felt an urge to feed. He naturally opened his mouth and sucked in a gentle breath.

Zhao Yingjun's spirit body turned into wisps of smoke that drifted into his mouth.

His brow throbbed with pain, and his consciousness seemed to expand as many things that didn't belong to him were stuffed inside.

***

Zhang Yuanqing heard quiet sobbing and muffled whimpering.

A vicious, gloomy voice boomed in his ears, "I don't have much patience left. You'd better answer properly."

He knew he was reading the spirit body's final memories. He slowly "opened" his eyes, and his surroundings became clear. He was in a luxuriously-decorated hotel suite.

He sat slumped on a soft bed, completely naked. Clothes were scattered messily across the floor, along with women's undergarments.

Not far away, near the head of the bed, a young woman was curled up, equally nude, her fair, tender legs, taut abdomen, and pert breasts displaying the proud curves of youth.

The sobbing was coming from her.

This scene left Zhang Yuanqing stunned.

A woman? Naked? he thought to himself. Why didn't the Squad Leader explain the crime scene situation clearly? How could he let me see such inappropriate content? I'm still just a kid.

He was seeing from the deceased's perspective. He looked toward the person beside the bed. It was a vicious looking man with a scar a half-finger's length on his left cheek, sparse eyebrows, and cruel, sinister eyes.

He gripped a gleaming yanagiba[1].

It's the murderer, Zhang Yuanqing instinctively knew.

He stared at his face, memorizing every detail.

At this point, his mission was half complete.

The man pressed the tip of the blade against "Zhang Yuanqing's" chest and snarled viciously, "Where is the Holy Grail? Where is the registry?"

He seemed to have asked this question many times. His expression was full of impatience, and his gaze was full of murderous intent.

"I don't know, I really don't know... Please spare me," Zhang Yuanqing heard "himself" pleading desperately.

The man crouched beside the bed completely lost his patience. He rubbed his face wearily and muttered, "I gave you a chance but you're useless. I gave you a chance but you're useless..."

With that, he drove the tip of the yanagiba into "Zhang Yuanqing's" chest.

Intense pain struck him, and his consciousness instantly blurred. Zhang Yuanqing collapsed limply to the ground, watching the man unbuckle his belt, grab the beautiful woman's ankle, and drag her forcefully toward himself.

The woman was still screaming when the scene cut off abruptly.

1. A yanagiba, also known as a willow blade, is a thin Japanese knife used for slicing boneless fish fillets to make sashimi ☜