Chapter 118: Finally Found You

Chapter 118 Finally Found You

As far as the eye could see, there was thick fog, granular mist flowing with the air currents, like a stream, like a dancing gossamer.

Zhang Yuanqing did not wander about; he stood cautiously in place.

Li Xianzong summoned this dense fog—was he not going to give up? The longer he dragged it out, the less chance of escape. Did this guy have some other support, or was his mind failing...

Also, although Fu Qingyang couldn't be contacted, the Security Bureau must have reported it up. It was understandable that the stewards couldn't come in a short time, but could Patriarch Dog not come either?

When I see him next time, I'll fiercely rub his dog head...

Just as he was thinking, he heard a gunshot, immediately alert, and instinctively dropped and rolled.

"Bang bang..."

Two more gunshots rang out, and Zhang Yuanqing felt a pain in his abdomen, knowing he had been hit.

From memory, he rolled all the way to the public seating area, using the inquiry counter to block subsequent bullets.

"Da da da..."

Footsteps came from the depths of the thick fog, followed by a nonchalant laugh:

"I still have two minutes, Primordial Heavenly Venerate. If you can hold out under me for two minutes, then we'll play again next time. Otherwise, I'll end the trial early today and trade your head for bounty."

Arrogant!! Zhang Yuanqing was extremely irritable and angry, instinctively raising his pistol to shoot toward the source, then suppressing his volatile temper.

He's provoking me to act... Zhang Yuanqing recalled the details just now.

When the gunshot sounded, he had been standing still. If the opponent had already locked onto him then, his head would have been blown off long ago.

But it was only when he rolled that the bullet hit his abdomen.

Was it because a moving target was easier to hit than a stationary one? Obviously not, but rather that he, standing unsteady, hadn't exposed his position at the time; only when he rolled was he locked on.

The opponent was likely judging my position based on the disturbance of the fog. Let me try... Zhang Yuanqing quietly summoned Xiaodoubi, manipulating him to climb onto the inquiry counter and knock over a potted plant.

"Clatter... bang..."

The sound of the pot breaking synchronized with the gunshot.

Indeed, he was relying on the fog's disturbance to locate me... In the instant the gunshot sounded, Zhang Yuanqing leaped out and fired toward the source.

The slide moved, the muzzle spat flame and smoke, and the bullet scraped a faint red trail through the thick fog.

The bullet didn't hit the enemy, turning into a stray shot that ricocheted between the walls.

This was his real shooting level.

Damn, missed... Zhang Yuanqing rolled continuously, entered stealth, and fled towards the exit of the waiting hall.

No need to go head-to-head with this guy; the hostage had been rescued, so fleeing was the right choice.

I have plenty of companions—why should I duel with you?

As soon as he moved, the fog behind him surged, rolling in like a tidal wave.

Without a second thought, Zhang Yuanqing turned and fired.

The attacker behind seemed to have anticipated his movement; before he turned and raised his arm, he tilted his head, and the pale red flash shot past his ear.

"In my fog, you cannot escape..."

Close enough, a sharp-featured face appeared in the thick fog, with a high nose bridge, knife-like sharp eyes, and a faint smile that seemed both mocking and challenging.

As Zhang Yuanqing saw this face clearly, he also saw dark red strange runes protruding in the opponent's eyes.

Bewitchment!

The signature skill of Bewitching Demons at the transcendent stage. Long-term bewitchment could reach the level of controlling others, while short-term bewitchment could impact a person's mental strength.

Zhang Yuanqing remained unmoved, raised his muzzle, and fired a bullet over.

With the experience from his previous battle with Ou Xiangrong, he had given himself a purification in advance.

Li Xianzong's face showed obvious astonishment. Displaying the reaction speed befitting a Bewitching Demon, he leaned back, swung his right leg, and "slap" kicked Zhang Yuanqing's wrist, sending the bullet towards the ceiling.

The burst pistol in Zhang Yuanqing's hand flew free, spinning and falling over the railing, landing in the first-floor hall.

Without any hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing activated his Night Wander skill, concealing his form.

At this moment, he saw Li Xianzong raise his pistol and point it at himself, who had already dodged to the side.

Can he see me? He's judging my position based on the fog flow... Zhang Yuanqing's heart tightened.

Night Wander could conceal sound, scent, and body heat, but it wasn't true invisibility; movement inevitably caused air currents.

To some extent, this ability of the Bewitching Demon was quite effective against the Night Wanderer's stealth.

Bang bang!

Bullets hit the ground, cracking the tiles. Avoiding the bullets, Zhang Yuanqing hunched down and circled behind Li Xianzong, closing the distance to prevent him from firing.

In one hand he held the Vajra Pestle, in the other the Bloodthirsty Blade; the former stabbed at the back of the heart, the latter struck at the neck.

Li Xianzong's lips curved as he stepped diagonally to the side, pivoted, and his right fingers danced; the silver butterfly knife opened its wings during the twirl, revealing dangerous blades.

Li Xianzong swung backhand, exactly meeting the edge of the Bloodthirsty Blade. Ding, sparks flew.

Zhang Yuanqing's tiger's mouth went numb, and he almost could not hold the hilt.

Suddenly, in Zhang Yuanqing's vision, he saw Li Xianzong's leg muscles bulge, then his waist and back muscles tighten, releasing a force from top to bottom.

The Eye of Insight granted him the ability to anticipate the opponent's movements.

Zhang Yuanqing immediately pressed down with his palm.

"Crack!"

A faint sound of bone fracture came; his palm bone was fractured by the hard knee.

Zhang Yuanqing staggered back.

The thick fog still somewhat blocked his view; otherwise, he could have reacted faster.

Flames rose from Li Xianzong's knee, burning through his pants and scorching his knee, but he seemed to feel no pain, relentlessly continuing his attacks without pause.

The butterfly knife stabbed, jabbed, slashed, and thrust, leaving hard-to-heal bloody wounds on Zhang Yuanqing's body.

At the same time, his free hand and his legs were terrible weapons, forcing Zhang Yuanqing back step by step.

Li Xianzong's close combat skills were several levels above Zhang Yuanqing's, and his Level 3 physique exceeded that of a Level 2 Night Wanderer.

Were it not for the gift of foresight from the "Eye of Insight" and the agility from the Brawler's Gloves, Zhang Yuanqing would already be dead.

"Pfft!"

Li Xianzong slashed open Zhang Yuanqing's chest with a single stroke, blood gushing out in large spurts. The Bewitching Demon tasted the flavor of blood, his eyes bloodshot, his fighting spirit high.

Tap tap tap... Zhang Yuanqing retreated while gasping.

He was now in a terrible state, in great pain all over, and the wounds that wouldn't heal had led to signs of excessive blood loss, causing symptoms like dizziness and fatigue.

Obviously, the butterfly knife in Li Xianzong's hand also had a bleeding effect.

Why hadn't reinforcements arrived? Was it the thick fog hindering them? I can't hold on much longer. Fortunately, I didn't use the Toad Incense Burner, or I'd be playing with fire and get burned... Zhang Yuanqing's physical condition plummeted.

Facing the enemy's rain-like intense attacks, he didn't even have time to take out the Red Cover, and summoning the Ghost Bride required a two-to-three-second "charge" before she appeared, unsuitable for this moment.

Must find a way to create time...

"Not bad, but much weaker than I imagined." Li Xianzong stuck out his tongue, as if wanting to lick the blood on the blade, but for some reason he held back and grinned.

"One minute left. Don't think reinforcements will come to save you. The thick fog will make them lose their way, creating an effect like ghostly walls. No one will come to save you, a piece of meat on the chopping block."

While saying this, his hands and feet didn't slow down, giving Zhang Yuanqing no chance to catch his breath as he sprang forward.

Arrogant bastard! Zhang Yuanqing's eyes flashed with fire, and he clenched his fists, striking them together hard against his chest.

Boom!

Flames and shockwaves rolled and ravaged the waiting hall.

Zhang Yuanqing's eyes blazed with fury, not stopping at all, striking his fists together repeatedly.

Boom boom boom!

The explosions came one after another, the impact like a tidal wave.

Li Xianzong was stunned by the dense explosions; the blast pushed against his chest, flinging him backward, forcing him to curl up with his arms wrapped around himself, abandoning his attack.

The explosions lasted over ten seconds and finally subsided. Zhang Yuanqing collapsed to the ground, blood oozing from his seven orifices, many organs damaged, but he had managed to create an opportunity.

Without hesitation, he immediately summoned the red bridal veil.

But at that moment, Zhang Yuanqing began coughing violently, coughing up blood, blood oozing from the tip of his nose. Hallucinations appeared before his eyes, his lungs burned like fire, and his kidneys rapidly failed.

He was poisoned.

Li Xianzong, curled up on the ground, laughed. His arrogant and pleased laughter echoed. He slowly climbed to his feet, curling his lips.

"As expected, the Night Wanderer's vitality is strong. The poison I fed on the blade only took effect after more than a minute. Though sorcerers are base and filthy, their methods are indeed effective."

He had killed a level 4 sorcerer—he had poison... Zhang Yuanqing's vision blurred more and more, his hands and feet lost strength, his heartbeat began to weaken, and despair filled his heart.

Without further ado, Li Xianzong drew the pistol tucked in his waistband and aimed it at Zhang Yuanqing's head.

"Sorry, but I'll be taking your head..."

The next moment, he lost his sight.

At Li Xianzong's calf, a small infant spirit clung tightly, having traded away his sight.

Little Joker... Zhang Yuanqing was stunned. He hadn't given Little Joker any attack commands, partly because he was too busy dealing with the enemy, partly because the Brute's Gloves had made him reckless and mindless.

But seeing his master in danger, Little Joker acted on his own. Come to think of it, he already possessed considerable intelligence.

Seizing this opportunity, Zhang Yuanqing's trembling hands struggled to put the red bridal veil over his head.

"Hmph!"

Having lost his sight, Li Xianzong was not panicked. He grabbed a foul-smelling coat from his item bar and draped it over himself.

Then he pressed his palms together and bowed toward his feet.

Fortune cutting, curse!

The fortune cutting and curses of sorcerers made no distinction between body and spirit. Though not as adept as Illusionists against spirits, this Saint-level item could be quite effective against low-level revenants.

The filthy coat rippled with dark light, washing like a tide toward the infant spirit at his calf.

Little Joker shrieked, his body rapidly dissipating and becoming murky, stained with filth, but he refused to let go.

One second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds...

The sight exchange went through. Little Joker held on until the end, collapsing limply to the ground, growing fainter and fainter...

As soon as his sight returned, Li Xianzong looked at Zhang Yuanqing and found his head covered with red cloth. A terrifying and overwhelming Yin energy descended like a flood, like a tsunami.

Li Xianzong's hair stood on end; the instinct of the Bewitching Demon began to warn him.

He fired two shots at the enemy's head, not waiting to see the result, and quickly took out a piece of chalk from his pocket, drawing a circle on the ground.

The next moment, a yellowish translucent barrier covered the circle, covering him.

Li Xianzong disappeared within the barrier.

At that moment, Zhang Yuanqing's body was taken over by the Ghost Bride. His arms turned pitch black, muscles bulging, black veins protruding, and sharp nails extended from his fingers.

But the enemy had already vanished.

The Ghost Bride couldn't find the enemy and stood still in a daze.

Go, go save him... Zhang Yuanqing silently pleaded in his heart.

The Ghost Bride sensed his will and slowly walked toward the fading Little Joker.

Zhang Yuanqing influenced the Ghost Bride, slowly kneeling down, opening his arms to embrace the fading infant spirit, as if holding something regained.

He merged Little Joker into his body, and finally lost consciousness in relief.

...

Fujia Bay.

As the sun set, in the spacious meeting hall.

Fu Qingyang's face was like frost as he listened to his subordinates' reports.

At the conference table sat captains from Kangyang District: White Dragon, Green Vine, Teng Yuan, Super Muscle, Fist King, as well as some important members.

"In this attack on Pingtai Hospital, seven people were killed, twenty-three lightly injured. The bombs have been defused, but it caused a very bad impact. It has been handed over to the Public Security Department..."

Li Dongze briefly glossed over the aftermath; these were not the responsibility of the Five Elements Alliance. Their main task was to eliminate the rebellious Spirit Realm Walkers.

"Except for the mastermind Li Xianzong, who escaped, all the other assailants have been killed. Li Xianzong had been plotting this for a long time. He seduced the Fallen Ones, deepening their determination to perish together in flames, leading them to launch a suicide attack, while Li Xianzong himself had long prepared an escape route..." Li Dongze picked up the remote control and turned on the projector.

A photo appeared on the screen, showing a circle drawn with chalk.

"After on-site investigation, we found the method Li Xianzong used to escape. According to analysis by our colleagues in Zhongting, this should be a tool of the 'Earth Fiend' profession. Unfortunately, the surveillance was turned off at the time, so we didn't see the details," Li Dongze said.

Ling Jun, who rarely attended meetings, said:

"Fortunately, this kind of attack is hard to replicate. According to the morality penalty system, although the Fallen Ones did the killing, Li Xianzong seduced them, so he will also have his morality deducted. For a long time, he won't dare to play such games."

The morality mechanism is divided into direct and indirect. Indirect killing is when a Spirit Realm Walker uses their ability to control others to commit crimes.

However, compared to direct killing, the morality deduction for indirect actions is smaller, and it also depends on the strength of control.

For example, directly controlling a 'puppet' to kill deducts the same morality as directly killing, but inciting or encouraging others to commit crimes will see the morality deduction reduced or halved depending on the degree of incitement.

The Spirit Realm has no bugs; it's like a carefully written program. Any loopholes people think of have already been anticipated.

At that moment, Jiang Jingwei complained: "If the Elder had arrived in time, things would have been solved long ago."

She said what the captains had dared not say.

They knew that Fu Qingyang had encountered an attack by Yichuan Mei, the female protector of the Nihilism Sect, but they didn't understand why the Dog Elder had been delayed in coming.

Fu Qingyang looked around the table and said: "The Dog Elder went to the capital on business."

To purify that pair of red dancing shoes for Yuan Shi Tianzun.

After a brief explanation, he looked at Guan Ya and asked:

"How is Yuan Shi?"

Guan Ya was a bit down: "He's been injected with Life Essence; his life is not in danger, but after waking up, he's been somewhat depressed."

The squad leaders couldn't help but recall the scene when they found the Primordial Lord—he was kneeling on the ground, his arms as if cradling something, motionless, his vital signs already extremely weak.

When they examined his injuries, they found over a dozen knife wounds and two gunshots scattered across his body, severe blood loss, and organ failure.

It was hard to imagine what kind of onslaught he had endured in that brief minute or two.

Fu Qingyang frowned slightly, then smoothed his expression, saying, "It's already fortunate that he survived under Li Xianzong's hands. The Primordial's rise has been too fast; a blow or two won't hurt."

He paused, then added, "No one is to go comfort him."

It would only sting his pride.

Fu Qingyang continued:

"From now on, your task is to scour your jurisdictions at full strength, hunt down Li Xianzong, and warn the subordinates in your teams to be on guard against potential attacks."

"You Third-Level Walkers, no more solo operations. Keep your phones open. I've already wounded Yi Chuanmei; she won't show up in the short term. Ling Jun and I will be online 24/7."

"As for the Primordial, let him stay home for the next few days and not go out."

The trial mission of the evil organization was jointly launched by the Spirit Energy Society, the Soldier Bishop, and the Void Sect, aimed at all evil professions—anyone could hunt official Walkers for a bounty.

But most of the time, the skirmishes among small fry were seen by most as petty brawls, hardly worth attention. The real highlights were the duels between geniuses or strong fighters.

The squad leaders nodded slightly.

They were experienced official Walkers, having been through this many times.

Every mid-year and year-end, evil professions would launch a unilateral hunt against official Walkers. Both sides engaged in reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance, hunting and counter-hunting, with casualties on both sides.

On the whole, the officials still had the advantage. The only headache was that these rats in the sewers excelled at guerrilla warfare—their tracks were erratic, putting the official Walkers on the back foot.

They weren't afraid of a direct fight; they dreaded being ambushed.

"Dismissed!" Fu Qingyang glanced at the mixed-blood beauty. "Guan Ya, stay a moment."

The others filed out of the conference room, leaving only the cousins in the spacious chamber.

"You should be entering the Spirit Realm soon, right?" Fu Qingyang asked.

"Within half a month." Guan Ya nodded.

Fu Qingyang opened his item inventory and pulled out a rifle, about 1.2 meters long, with a jet-black body and dazzling gold-patterned engravings.

He slid the rifle to Guan Ya: "I remember you applied for this artifact from the family, but the Council of Elders disapproved because of your indolence. From now on, it's yours."

Guan Ya raised an eyebrow: "The Council relented?"

Fu Qingyang shook his head:

"This is a reward from the family, an early celebration for my upcoming entry into the Council of Elders—provided I can advance to Dominator in the mid-year slaughter instance. You've deliberately stayed at Level 2 for a long time. For this Spirit Realm, I hope you'll rise to Level 3. This rifle will qualify you to participate in the mid-year instance.

"You can't keep dragging your feet like this. The Primordial is already Level 2."

This time, Guan Ya didn't refuse. She stared at the weapon she had long coveted, falling silent.

…

Songhai suburbs, underground bar.

The lighting was soft, the air thick with smoke and sweat. Soothing music played from the speakers.

Though it was a bar, there were no dazzling lights or noisy clamor, because this place was a black market where evil professions gathered—for exchanging intel, making deals, and holding secret meetings.

Indulging in pleasure was secondary.

By the booths, two or three dozen evil professionals sat—some whispering in deep conversation, others haggling, and a few engaging in indecent acts in public.

Li Xianzong descended the stairs into the underground bar and sat down beside "Tian Lingling," saying, "Get me a drink. Anything will do."

The bartender slid a glass of beer over.

Li Xianzong downed it in one gulp and let out a satisfying burp.

"Killing then drinking—nothing beats it." Tian Lingling patted the younger man's shoulder, laughing. "We've all heard about what you did today. You just arrived in Songhai, and you've already made a name for yourself."

Li Xianzong scoffed. "I haven't killed the Primordial Lord yet. Celebrate when I've taken that brat down."

Tian Lingling swirled his glass. "You've crossed swords with him? What's he like? As freakish as the rumors say?"

"Freakish enough—he's got a Saint-tier artifact. As for him personally, he's not bad, but killing him won't be hard." Li Xianzong said casually.

"Good that you're confident." Tian Lingling nodded, then added, "What kind of artifact?"

"A scrap of cloth—Night Wanderer profession. Uncle Tian, do you have any leads to get me an Illusionist artifact? Without countering that thing, killing him is tough." Li Xianzong stated the purpose of his visit.

Tian Lingling laughed at that. "Go find Yi Chuanmei. With your build and face, just sacrifice a couple of kidneys and you'll be set."

Li Xianzong rolled his eyes.

Tian Lingling stood up, looking toward the crowd, and raised his voice: "Everyone, heard what happened at Pingtai Hospital today? Satisfying?"

The evil professionals stopped what they were doing and turned to look, cheering.

"Satisfying!"

"Feels good?"

"Good!"

"Let's welcome our big hero. Drinks are on the house tonight."

The shouts grew louder.

"Kid, you really aren't afraid of death. To walk away clean from that—well done. I like madmen like you."

"Hahaha, the trial just started, and you've already given the Songhai branch a slap in the face. That's way more impressive than those who went to the capital."

"Did you beat the shit out of that Primordial Lord brat?"

"Big hero, we'll follow you from now on. Take us hunting official Walkers, let us earn some extra cash."

Shouts and laughter rose and fell.

The woman engaged in her act let out a deliberately piercing scream.

Li Xianzong grinned. "A bunch of idiots!"

When the noise died down, Tian Lingling said, "You weren't followed, right? Did you take care of your trail?"

Li Xianzong replied nonchalantly, "I know what I'm doing. I timed it—I left before the Saints and Elders arrived."

Among the Transcendent-rank Walkers, no one who could track him had been born yet—not even Scouts.

Just then, footsteps sounded from the staircase.

"Thump, thump, thump…"

The footsteps were strange, each step pausing for a few seconds, like a toddler learning to walk.

At first, no one paid attention. But gradually, more and more people frowned and turned their gazes to the stairway.

The footsteps continued downward at a slow, deliberate pace, as if trying to draw attention.

Finally, they saw who was coming.

She was a woman in a long ancient-style dress of vivid red, embroidered with splendid gold thread, and a silver mask.

In her hand, she held a faintly visible red thread.

Li Xianzong’s expression changed; he abruptly looked down and saw, tied around his ankle at some unknown moment, a red thread as fine as a hair.

The woman in red released the thread, letting it vanish, put her hands behind her back, and like a little girl, rose on tiptoes, saying with a giggle:

“Hey, how lively! What is everyone playing? Can I play too?”

The gaze beneath the silver mask moved to the bald man, and she exclaimed with joyful surprise:

“Ah, it’s you, Tian Lingling. I’ve finally found you~ Do you still remember the Chu family massacre twenty‑one years ago?”

...