At the entrance of the underground parking garage, figures moved about.
Li Dongze, one hand gripping his cane and the other holding a gun, charged into the garage. His sharp gaze swiftly scanned the scene.
He first noticed the unconscious Xu Yingying, then the faint traces of blood on the ground and several privately owned cars with varying degrees of damage. As a seasoned Scout, Li Dongze had no trouble discerning that a brief yet intense battle had taken place here.
The fact that Xu Yingying was still alive meant the situation hadn't gone completely off the rails.
The other Spirit Realm Walkers were equally alert, quickly sweeping their eyes across the scene. They soon spotted a figure emerging from the shadows near the rear of a car.
Immediately, everyone instinctively swung their gun barrels toward him.
"Don't shoot—it's me…"
Zhang Yuanqing quickly raised both hands while glancing at the Spirit Realm Walkers besides Guan Ya and Li Dongze.
There was a burly man in a gym outfit who looked like a fitness trainer. He was at least 1.9 meters tall, muscles bulging with power, wearing red half-finger gloves.
A beautiful mature woman in an ink-painted qipao, hair tied in a classical bun, her figure elegant and graceful. Though she appeared to be older, her fair, well-maintained face was devoid of wrinkles.
A middle-aged man in a miner's helmet and dark brown workwear. His skin was tanned and weathered.
A young woman in a white racing suit, with an oval face, fair complexion, striking brows, and a heroic aura. She held a black long blade in her hand.
Two others holding guns had rather plain features and unremarkable auras.
Upon seeing Zhang Yuanqing emerge from the shadows, both Li Dongze and Guan Ya visibly relaxed, as if a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.
Right after the meeting, they had received a call from Wang Tai saying that Yuan Shi had found Ou Xiangrong at Songhai University and that the latter had attempted to assault Xu Yingying.
The news had shocked both of them. They immediately rallied the remaining squad leaders and rushed over.
Li Dongze had worn a grave expression the entire way, fearful that Yuan Shi might act rashly in a moment of hot-headedness.
Newcomers often became intoxicated with their newfound powers after becoming Spirit Realm Walkers. Inexperienced and impulsive, they were prone to overreaching.
Now, seeing Zhang Yuanqing safe and sound, both Li Dongze and Guan Ya exhaled in relief.
"That's the Night Wanderer?"
The hot-tempered musclehead turned to Li Dongze, and after receiving confirmation, he looked around the garage and asked in a gravelly voice:
"Kid, where's Ou Xiangrong? Which direction did he flee?"
To him, a level-3 Bewitching Demon was not someone a level-1 Night Wanderer could defeat. After a brief clash, Ou Xiangrong must've fled upon realizing official Spirit Realm Walkers were en route.
If he hadn't gotten far, their Scout might be able to track him down.
All eyes turned to Zhang Yuanqing, awaiting his answer.
"He didn't escape," Zhang Yuanqing replied.
Didn't escape? Everyone stiffened and instinctively raised their guns again, scanning their surroundings in shock and vigilance.
Then the rookie pointed toward the shadows behind him and said, "I killed him."
What did he say?
The Fire Faction's musclehead nearly picked at his ear, suspecting he'd heard wrong. His temper flared as he growled:
"Don't joke around. This isn't the time for humor."
Li Dongze and the others froze for a moment, then frowned, their gazes growing more cautious.
Why so aggressive? Can't you speak properly? What are you, from the Red Fire Gang? Zhang Yuanqing calmly explained:
"I'm not lying. His body's back there. Go see for yourself."
The musclehead glanced that way. The pillar and the car formed a shadowed corner—he couldn't see into it from where he stood.
He was about to move when—
"Wait," said the miner-hat man as he stepped forward. He gave Zhang Yuanqing a look, then turned to the burly man. "I'll check."
The musclehead saw the gravity in his comrade's expression and hesitated, then nodded.
Zhang Yuanqing noticed odd expressions on Li Dongze and Guan Ya's faces, and the rest were openly on guard.
The man with the miner's hat approached the rear of the car slowly but steadily. As he reached the spot, he stopped and stared in stunned silence, eyes wide as if struck dumb.
"Boss Tang?" the musclehead called out.
Seeing his teammate look shocked and confused, his guard instantly shot up. His muscles tensed, ready to strike.
The other squad leaders also grew tense.
Tang Guoqiang's reaction looked suspiciously like he'd been bewitched.
But a moment later, Tang Guoqiang "snapped out" of it and bent down to drag a corpse into the light.
The body wore loose camo pants, a black tank top, and a black jacket. The face was mangled, eye sockets empty, but the faint outlines of his features made him recognizable—it was indeed Ou Xiangrong.
The garage fell into silence. Everyone stared at the corpse, dumbfounded.
Li Dongze's stern expression slowly gave way to astonishment. He murmured:
"Oh my god. Oh my god…"
Guan Ya glanced at the corpse, then at Zhang Yuanqing. A thoughtful look crossed her face.
The elegant woman in the qipao clicked over in high heels and crouched by the body. After a moment of careful inspection, she pursed her lips and said:
"It's definitely Ou Xiangrong."
Then she glanced up at Zhang Yuanqing, her gaze complex.
The musclehead's eyes nearly popped from their sockets. "How did you do it?" he demanded.
All the squad leaders stared at Zhang Yuanqing, sizing him up again and again. That Ou Xiangrong had actually been killed by a level-1 rookie was unbelievable—even if the target had been injured and not at his peak.
Looks like Team 2 just scored big. What kind of absurd luck does Li Dongze have, landing a subordinate like this?
How did I do it? Simple—I had the shoes... Zhang Yuanqing didn't answer. Instead, he looked at his superior.
Li Dongze stepped up and cleared his throat.
"Well done, Yuan Shi. You've earned great merit. Just moments ago, while we couldn't reach you, we were in a meeting room getting chewed out by our superiors."
A perfect shift of focus. The squad leaders chuckled in relief, the tension dissipating.
Zhang Yuanqing squinted. "Then why were you all pointing guns at me earlier?"
"A Bewitching Demon at the Extraordinary level can momentarily influence someone's mind. Given enough time and repeated manipulation, they can fully control a person. Between believing you killed him or suspecting you'd been bewitched, we leaned toward the latter," the woman in the white racing suit said as she walked over, sizing him up with approval.
"We were wrong. I'm Bai Long, level-3 Water Ghost."
She exuded a crisp, commanding aura. There was none of the usual coyness found in women—every glance and word radiated confidence, like everyone else was a rookie under her command.
"Yuan Shi Tianzun," Zhang Yuanqing introduced himself.
The squad leaders paused. "Nice name…"
Yeah, too nice. Makes you want to punch him.
Bai Long laughed. "We'll just call you Yuan Shi. Not bad—I thought guys your age usually go for bizarre usernames."
"Like what?" Zhang Yuanqing shrugged and smiled.
Caught off guard by the counter-question, Bai Long hesitated. Most rookies would act modest or awkward in front of squad leaders. This one? Way too familiar.
"Like Daji Ba," Guan Ya chimed in with a sweet smile.
The musclehead: "...The name means 'domineering muscles.'"
"That's exactly how I interpreted it," Guan Ya replied, all innocence.
The big guy was speechless.
Just then, more official Spirit Realm Walkers arrived, carrying stretchers and body bags.
They'd rushed over after hearing the suspect had been killed, ready to collect the corpse—and take Xu Yingying to the hospital.
Li Dongze didn't waste time. "Yuan Shi, come with us to review Ou Xiangrong's memories."
"No, he can't," Tang Guoqiang shook his head.
"Ou Xiangrong was corrupted by dark forces. We don't know if his spirit is also tainted. Bewitching Demons are vicious and bloodthirsty—their spirits radiate overwhelming negative energy. He won't be able to handle it. Yuan Ting will return this afternoon. Let him do it."
Zhang Yuanqing instantly thought of the time his spirit was almost devoured in the hospital and felt a wave of fear. But then he realized—if someone else accessed Ou Xiangrong's memories and saw how he killed him, the red dancing shoes would be exposed.
Not that exposure would definitely bring trouble—but still, it was best to keep a low profile.
"That won't be a problem. I'll find a way to help him cope," Li Dongze waved off the concern, speaking with authority.
"Ou Xiangrong's memories are crucial. The sooner we question the spirit, the better. We don't know how much memory will be left after corruption."
Tang Guoqiang considered this and gave a slight nod.
He still disagreed, but the kill had been made by Team 2, so they had jurisdiction.
The elegant qipao woman stepped forward with concern. "Are you injured? Do you need healing?"
Her tone was warm, her concern so genuine you'd think Zhang Yuanqing was one of her own.
Li Dongze smiled. "This is Captain Qingteng of the Hundred Flowers Guild. She's a Wood Demon, a class known in the Five Elements Alliance as 'healers.' If you're hurt, just let her know."
Healer, huh? Zhang Yuanqing thought. You guys sure you're not from some sketchy hentai light novel?
Li Dongze introduced the others:
"This is Da Jiba of the Red Fire Gang, and Tang Guoqiang of the Central Division. Both are veteran Spirit Realm Walkers."
Knew it… Zhang Yuanqing smiled and greeted them, "Hello, Captains. Please look after me."
Da Jiba nodded with satisfaction. "Want to add me as a friend?"
"Definitely!" Qingteng and Bai Long both agreed.
Tang Guoqiang said little, but he was the first to take out his phone.
Li Dongze's mouth twitched.
Once Zhang Yuanqing had added them all, Li Dongze said, "Let's take the corpse back first. The rest of the team, stay and help law enforcement clean up the scene. Yuan Shi, ride with Guan Ya and prepare a report."
Moments later, a black van and a blue sports car pulled into the garage.
"Captain, can I ride in the van with you?" Zhang Yuanqing had something to say—like deleting the surveillance footage.
"No. You're filthy right now. Not elegant enough," Li Dongze refused with a straight face, then turned to the squad leaders. "Let's go."
Zhang Yuanqing opened his mouth, hesitated, and finally watched helplessly as the van drove off.
Guan Ya shot him a playful glance. "The Captain's taken all the nosy ones with him. Come on, I'll take you to delete the footage."
Zhang Yuanqing pretended not to hear.
...
The blue sports car zoomed through the wide streets. Guan Ya wore sunglasses and hummed a tune, clearly in a good mood.
"Tch tch, you're lucky," she said. "Just became a Spirit Realm Walker and already got a rule-type item."
She felt lucky too. She needed merit points, and here they were.
"You guys knew?" Zhang Yuanqing didn't even try to be subtle. "Scouts really are the perfect profession."
As someone good at social maneuvering, he knew how to adjust his attitude.
"We suspected. Correction—perception and insight are Scout talents," Guan Ya smiled. "You understood my hint and hid your item. Not bad—not dumb."
Zhang Yuanqing tested the waters. "I won't be forced to hand it over, right?"
"No. But if you offer it up voluntarily, the organization would gladly accept it—with rewards in money and merit. Still, people are complicated. A rookie with a rule-type item? That'll attract danger."
She added earnestly, "Your captain can cover for you for now, but not forever. Think about finding a real backer—like your superior's superior."
"You mean the Centurion?" Zhang Yuanqing thought, How can you be sure he won't covet the item too?
"He's from a noble family. Born with a silver spoon, prideful as hell. I can't vouch for other officers, but I know his character. Besides, he's always going on about ruling through virtue. Reality is, he's filthy rich and loves throwing money around. One item won't move his heart."
"But he's got high standards. Only likes elites."
Zhang Yuanqing made a neutral grunt, neither accepting nor rejecting the idea.
Guan Ya snorted. "You made a name for yourself today. Once word spreads, the Five Elements Alliance will try to poach you. Watch out for honey traps—those two female captains are already interested."
"I'm loyal to Team 2," Zhang Yuanqing said righteously. "I'd never fall for a honey trap."
Unless I can't resist… he added inwardly.
"But you're a Scorpio," Guan Ya pouted.
Huh? What does that have to do with anything?
"Ever heard the zodiac saying? Pisces men aren't even worth a dog's attention. Scorpio men? Even dogs would go after them."
"…"
...
In the black van, Li Dongze was driving. He looked ahead, grinning.
"Well, well. We finished the job before you even started. My guy's not very considerate—sorry, folks, no credit left for you."
What the hell are you so smug about... The squad leaders' faces darkened.
"I'll treat you all to a feast once the bonuses come in," Li Dongze said cheerfully. "No need to be jealous. It's all coincidence. The kid just happened to clear Sheling Tunnel, and just happened to kill Ou Xiangrong…"