Chapter 120: Elder Sun: Let Yuan Ting Come See Me

Chapter 120: Elder Sun: Tell Yuan Ting to Come See Me

"Yuanzi, Yuanzi, are you asleep? I’m coming in. Your beautiful and lovely aunt is coming in..."

Jiang Yu'er did not knock, lowering her voice as she spoke stealthily outside the door.

Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath, pushing his negative emotions deep down into his heart, rubbed his face, and said softly:

"Come in."

The doorknob turned, opening a crack, and his aunt tiptoed in, slipping through the gap like a ghost before quickly shutting the door.

Jiang Yu'er was wearing a white nightgown with lace along the collar, her mid-calf legs like white jade beneath the knee-length hem, her delicate, shapely feet resting in pink sandals, her toes rounded and neat, coated in bright red nail polish.

"Always so stealthy," Zhang Yuanqing said testily.

In his mind, he thought that anyone who didn't know better would think she was slipping away to meet a secret lover.

It was worth mentioning that after the day's events, the clinic doctors who had been on duty that day had all been granted a full week of vacation.

Upon returning home, his aunt had described the crisis she endured with theatrical flourishes, throwing herself into Grandma’s arms and weeping: I was only a single step away from never seeing you again, Mother!

Grandma had been frightened out of her wits, and mother and daughter wept into each other's arms.

As a result, his aunt won Grandma's boundless pity, and the old woman's tolerance for her soared so high that she couldn't bear to scold her no matter how wildly she misbehaved.

Jiang Yu'er pattered over to the edge of the bed in her sandals, smoothing her skirt over her hips as she sat down, and whispered secretly, "Where did you go afterward? After the constables rushed in, I couldn't find you anywhere."

By the time the constables rescued the hostages, Zhang Yuanqing had already been spirited away for medical treatment by Li Dongze and the others.

Zhang Yuanqing looked at his aunt; her eyes were bright, her expression brimming with anticipation and excitement, like a little girl who had uncovered a grand secret.

What an innocent aunt... Zhang Yuanqing sighed in his heart, his face growing solemn as he spoke:

"It seems my identity can no longer be hidden. To tell you the truth, I am actually a member of the National Special Agent Squadron. We specialize in dealing with evil forces lurking in the dark. By day I am a student, but by night I wander the city streets, punishing evil and promoting good."

"A special agent squadron?" Jiang Yu'er covered her small mouth with her hand, letting out a low gasp.

Zhang Yuanqing said, "Yes. In truth, there are many people with extraordinary abilities in this world. For the harmony and stability of society, we must conceal our identities and become unsung heroes. I awakened a long time ago and joined the squadron to become one of them. According to organizational regulations, I am forbidden from exposing my identity, but since you have already discovered it, Auntie, I have no choice but to confess. You must keep this an absolute secret."

His aunt nodded repeatedly. "I understand, I understand. I signed a non-disclosure agreement today."

The more she thought about it, the more excited she became, but soon her brow furrowed into a look of worry:

"Yuanzi, this special agent squadron business sounds very dangerous..."

"Don't worry!" Zhang Yuanqing scoffed:

"Though I am young, I am actually a high-ranking member. The entire Extraordinary Abilities Bureau of Songhai must respect my opinion and follow my command. You saw it today; I settled the entire matter all by myself."

"Are you really that incredible?" Only then did his aunt put her mind at ease, her face filled with adoration.

It was as though she were meeting her nephew for the very first time.

Zhang Yuanqing maintained an impassive exterior, but in his heart, he deeply relished her worship.

"Then can I awaken too?" Jiang Yu'er asked with immense yearning.

"Well..." Zhang Yuanqing shook his head. "Not to boast, but awakening depends on innate talent. Only those with exceptional gifts like mine can awaken. If you haven't awakened by eighteen, you basically have no talent."

Having spoken, he saw his aunt pout her cheeks, a look of disappointment washing over her.

"You really are amazing..." Jiang Yu'er said admiringly.

She believed it completely; I saw adoration and reverence in her eyes, haha, no wonder those cult leaders can swindle money and affection so easily... Zhang Yuanqing coughed and said:

"You must never let a word slip. Our line of work is highly dangerous, and we must constantly guard against retaliation from wicked men. If my identity is leaked, it will endanger the family."

"Like an undercover narcotics officer?"

"Precisely."

His aunt asked a great many more questions, and Zhang Yuanqing answered fluently and with calm composure. When she demanded a demonstration of his powers, Zhang Yuanqing refused with gravity, saying: A great master once said—extraordinary abilities are not a circus act; we only strike heavily against the wicked.

Well, that great master happens to be me!

"How is the pay and benefits?" Having asked nearly everything else, his aunt remembered she hadn't inquired about the salary and hastily supplemented her query.

At the mention of this, Zhang Yuanqing grew animated, thinking to himself that he carried a vast sum of over two million, yet suffered from a lack of anyone to flaunt it to.

He deliberately adopted a slow, measured tone:

"The income is decent. This year alone, in the span of just five months, I have earned five million."

Praise me, adore me quickly! his heart cried out.

As expected, his aunt let out a cry of astonishment. "Five million? If you save for a few years, you’ll be wealthier than your aunt-in-law."

Zhang Yuanqing spoke with righteous dignity:

"In our line of work, money is secondary. The main goal is to serve the country and benefit the people."

Jiang Yu'er said gleefully, "Then I can spend your money in the future, since you don't have a girlfriend anyway."

Woman, you are dreaming! Zhang Yuanqing let out a scoff. "That won't do. My money is to be used for the benefit of the people, not to buy clothes and bags for you."

"Miser!"

"Woman, mind your tone. The person sitting beside you is a millionaire."

Jiang Yu'er stayed in his room until two in the morning before finally taking her leave with great reluctance.

Whew, I finally managed to bluff my way through! Having displayed his grandeur before his aunt and reaped her worship and envy, Zhang Yuanqing’s mood had turned remarkably better. The frustration left by today's bitter defeat had vanished imperceptibly, leaving him feeling light all over.

Indeed, a man still needs to show off; flaunting is the best way to dispel gloom... He pulled up his air-conditioned blanket, coaxing himself to sleep.

Tomorrow I will go see the little green tea girl; this business of "comforting" people is best left to her. Heh, though I wonder if the Xie family will change their attitude toward me because of Li Xianzong.

I still need to go to the office over the next few days, but I must disguise myself. I need to learn combat arts from Guan Ya; I've never had the time or the motivation before, but I can delay no longer...

Before the third dungeon opens, I must raise my combat skills, and when I return, I will eliminate Li Xianzong... I hope Elder Dog returns with the Red Dancing Shoes as soon as possible...

As his thoughts drifted, he fell into a deep sleep.

...

In the early morning of the capital, the first ray of sunlight spilled down. The scholar trees in the courtyard stretched in the dawn light, their tender green leaves shimmering with a seven-colored aura.

A gentle breeze stirred, the branches and leaves swaying to produce the sound of children giggling and playing.

The lounge chair beneath the scholar tree was empty; its master had not rested beneath the tree for many days.

Suddenly, the scenery of the courtyard warped, rippling like water, and immediately afterward, a figure appeared out of thin air upon the lounge chair.

The man had graying hair, a white undershirt, and large boxers, looking no different from an ordinary old citizen of the capital.

Yet the moment he manifested, the skin all over his body split open, and beams of scorching golden light erupted from within, pouring from his pupils, his mouth, and his nasal cavities.

The old man's body rapidly carbonized, turning into a charred corpse within seconds.

The blistering golden light scorched the leaves of the scholar tree, causing the "children" hidden within the branches to emit bursts of panicked, terrified cries.

A dozen seconds later, the charred corpse opened its eyes. The carbonized skin flaked away piece by piece, revealing newly born, tender red flesh.

The heart within his chest thumped once more. Elder Sun slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and said:

"Go fetch some clothes for this old master, you blind little brats."

A gust of yin wind darted out from the treetops, pushing open the window. In a short while, the wind returned, swaying as it carried an undershirt, underwear, and large boxers through the air.

Elder Sun shook off the carbonized flesh, donned clean clothes, and added,

“Go find Little Wang.”

The dark wind that had fetched the clothes did not leave but returned to the treetop, and then from the lush foliage came a youthful argument:

“You go, it’s your turn.”

“I’m not going.”

“Go or I’ll hit you...”

Seconds later, one side gave in, transformed into a dark wind, and drifted out of the courtyard.

Elder Sun reclined on the rocking chair, closing his eyes to rest; his face was slightly pale, and the bags under his eyes were puffy.

A few minutes later, hurried footsteps approached. A middle-aged man dressed in black clothes and trousers, led by the dark wind, crossed the threshold and entered the courtyard.

“Elder Sun, you’re finally out,” Little Wang said in surprise.

Elder Sun gave a grunt of acknowledgment: “Contact Elder Dog of the Songhai branch; I need to speak with him.”

Among the five major organizations of the Five Elements Alliance, the Hundred Blossoms Society was the closest to the One Truth Sect, so Elder Dog and Elder Sun usually interacted frequently.

“Elder Dog is in the capital; he came yesterday and has been waiting for you.”

Elder Sun opened his eyes. “He’s in the capital? Go and invite him over.”

The black-clad middle-aged man withdrew. About half an hour later, a curly-haired poodle, stepping with an elegant gait and holding its head high, arrived at the courtyard.

The middle-aged man followed behind, holding a silver tray with both hands; on it lay a pair of red dance shoes that were dull and grayish, like rags abandoned by their owner for years.

“I figured with my calculations that you’d be leaving the spirit realm around now,” Elder Dog said, scrutinizing him with a slight hum of surprise:

“You’re quite injured. Need my help with healing?”

Elder Sun, naturally not one to pass up the chance to use a healer, said, “Please do! Hah, although the Night Wanderer has decent self-healing abilities, this injury of mine is somewhat different.”

The poodle nodded slightly, paced slowly to the rocking chair, lifted a paw, and placed it on Elder Sun’s leg.

A bright but not blinding green light rose, coating the courtyard in a vivid green. Bathed in the green glow, Elder Sun’s face gradually turned ruddy, and the swollen bags under his eyes faded.

“Whoosh...”

Elder Sun let out a comfortable breath and said, “That’s enough. Did you come to the capital to ask a favor of me?”

Elder Dog lowered his paw and said calmly, “It’s not exactly a favor—just asking you for a small help. The treatment I gave you just now counts as payment.”

With that, he turned his head and gestured for the middle-aged man to come forward.

The latter approached with the tray, and Elder Dog said, “This artifact has been contaminated by witchcraft.”

Elder Sun stared at the red dance shoes, feeling an inexplicable familiarity but unable to place it.

“Easy!”

Without overthinking, Elder Sun extended his hand, his palm hovering above the red dance shoes. A clear and scorching golden light gushed forth. Bathing in the golden light, the red shoes twisted, and the grayish hue covering their surface peeled away rapidly like washed-off stains.

Seconds later, they became brand-new again.

“Tap-tap-tap...”

The red dance shoes happily leaped off the tray and bounced around the courtyard.

Quite lively—this was a sentient artifact... Elder Sun initially thought it was expressing joy at being freed, until he saw a message float above the shoes:

[Will you dance with me? If so, please tap your foot once.]

[Hey, where is the person?]

He suddenly realized that the shoes were looking for someone but couldn’t find their target, so they were wandering around the yard.

At the same time, Elder Sun finally understood why they felt familiar. These shoes were the rule-based artifact from the Snake Spirit Tunnel, matching the records in the old guide.

Which meant their owner was Primordial Heavenly Lord!

Elder Sun withdrew his gaze and looked at the poodle, saying in a deep voice,

“These shoes belong to Primordial Heavenly Lord?”

Elder Dog nodded.

“I was just about to look for your Five Elements Alliance...” Elder Sun paused to choose his words. “In the Night Wanderer exclusive spirit realm, I encountered the Three Mountain Lady; she was the one who injured me.”

Elder Dog raised the fur above his eyes.

“That lady is very powerful—I barely made it back—but I also gained no small insight. I think I know why she’s searching for Primordial Heavenly Lord,” Elder Sun said with emotion.

“That kid took away the Three Mountain Lady’s Yang Soul. Without that part of her Yang Soul, she can’t advance further, let alone break through the spirit realm.”

Elder Dog’s face took on a human-like change—shock, astonishment, and wild joy.

That kid had actually taken control of an ancient Day Wanderer’s Yang Soul...

This was something most rule-based artifacts could not compare to.

Elder Sun coughed and got straight to the point: “The Three Mountain Lady will surely do everything to retrieve the Yang Soul. Primordial Heavenly Lord’s level is too low to bear this karma. The One Truth Sect is willing to trade; name your price.”

Elder Dog fell silent.

Elder Sun frowned, somewhat taken aback: “You’re unwilling? The Five Elements Alliance has no Night Wanderer—her Yang Soul would be of little use to you. You can’t even meet her.”

“We don’t need it, but Primordial does. Keep the Three Mountain Lady’s Yang Soul, and when he becomes an Overlord in the future, he will naturally be able to bear this karma,” Elder Dog said.

Elder Sun looked astonished: “You have such high expectations for him? Do you know how difficult it is to become an Overlord?”

“Sigh!” Elder Dog sighed. “He’s become the key cultivation target for the Five Elements Alliance from now on. As soon as he passes the comprehensive check-up, we’ll spare no expense to nurture him.”

“Why...” Elder Sun found it hard to understand.

Elder Dog replied, “Because he cleared two S-rank spirit realms, and because he was just awarded an A-level contribution a few days ago. Moreover, with this karma, isn’t he even more worthy of cultivation?”

Elder Sun was stunned. He stared at Elder Dog: “A-level contribution? Are you joking with me?”

Given the difficulty of an A-level contribution, one would have to slay an Overlord-level evil profession, resolve a major crisis, or capture an important artifact—things that only Overlord-level elders could accomplish.

How could a low-level walker possibly achieve that?

Elder Dog glanced at him and said with some pity, “Old Sun, you’ve lost your head!”

What had he lost his head about? Elder Sun didn’t understand, and again felt that the words were strangely familiar. Just as he was about to ask, the red dance shoes came pattering over and stopped in front of the rocking chair.

A message appeared:

[Will you dance with me? If so, please tap your foot once.]

Elder Sun waved his hand in a shooing gesture and continued his previous topic: “If you can’t decide, I can have the Sect Leader communicate with the Female Marshal...”

The moment the words fell, Elder Sun got dazed from a hard slap.

He turned his head in astonishment and looked at the red dance shoes beside the rocking chair.

Since when did an artifact dare to slap him across the face?

Elder Sun’s shooing gesture just now had triggered the attack rule of the red shoes. For those who wouldn’t dance with them, the red shoes showed no mercy.

Thud, thud, thud... The red shoes leaped onto Elder Sun and launched a follow-up attack, forcefully stomping on the elderly man again and again.

Elder Dog’s gaze was full of pity: “Haven’t you forgotten the rule of these dance shoes?”

"If I don't dance with it, it kills..." Elder Sun recalled.

"Its pursuit ignores all obstacles, inescapable, indestructible, unless you dance with it." Elder Gou added.

"..."

Elder Gou's gaze was mocking: "I never thought I'd have the fortune to admire Elder Sun's dancing—I can grant you the time of one dance."

Elder Sun snorted: "A crude rule."

He closed his eyes, letting the red dancing shoes trample him, as his spirit left his body.

Elder Sun's aura vanished instantly, his heart stopped beating, not a trace of life remained.

For a Night Wanderer, spirit projection was routine; once consciousness left the body, the flesh fell into a deathlike state.

The red shoes slowed their stomping. They paused by the rocking chair, observing for a few seconds, then suddenly kicked—another fierce slap across the face—but Elder Sun showed no reaction.

Seeing he had died, the red shoes immediately turned, pattering over to Elder Gou. A message appeared:

[Would you like to dance with me? If yes, please march in place.]

...Elder Gou's canine face abruptly stiffened.

Elder Sun's spirit returned; he opened his eyes and said mockingly: "I never thought I'd have the fortune to admire your dancing—I can grant you the time of one dance."

Elder Gou sneered: "As if I had no tricks. Can these shoes harm me in the slightest? Enough, my business in the capital is done; time to return to Songhai. I will never agree to give you the Yang Soul of the Three-Path Mountain Goddess, unless the Alliance Leader permits."

He snorted coldly, stepped with an elegant gait, braced himself as he endured each stomp, and quickly departed.

Watching the teddy bear disappear beyond the courtyard gate, Elder Sun withdrew his gaze, frowned in thought for a moment, then suddenly asked:

"What happened while I was away? How was that Primordial Celestial Venerable awarded A-rank merit?"

The black-clad middle-aged man, while rejoicing that the shoes hadn't targeted him, narrated the recent events to Elder Sun.

"I see," Elder Sun realized, and sighed: "That kid's growth rate surprised me. Not recruiting him back then was my mistake..."

He paused abruptly, beginning to understand what Elder Gou meant by "foolish."

Elder Sun was silent for a moment, then asked cautiously:

"Have there been any rumors about me in the sect lately?"

The black-clad man looked conflicted. Under Elder Sun's gaze, he had no choice but to take out his phone, open the Night Wanderer official site, and in the search bar type: Elder Sun, so foolish!

Then he carefully handed the phone over: "See for yourself..."

Elder Sun took the phone with half-doubt and half-gravity. He focused his eyes and saw that in the forum, posts containing the phrase "Elder Sun, so foolish!" numbered over two hundred.

This esteemed elder's hand began to tremble slightly.

He scrolled the screen, quickly skimming those posts—all accusing Elder Sun of being foolish, of missing out on talent. Gradually, "Elder Sun, so foolish" became the Taiyi Sect Night Wanderers' special phrase for expressing grievous emotions.

When in a bad mood, when stricken by remorse, when enraged, they would utter: Elder Sun, so foolish!

Elder Sun's hand trembled more violently.

He scrolled further down and discovered that the first dozens of "Elder Sun, so foolish" posts all originated from the same person, the same name:

Yuan Ting!

"Outrageous! These wretched dogs dare to slander me in the forum."

"It's not exactly that..." said the black-clad man.

"Hmm?" Elder Sun looked at him.

"They slander you in the chat groups too."

"..." Elder Sun exploded in fury: "Summon Yuan Ting before me! If I don't see him tonight, I'll go to Songhai myself and break his dog legs."

...

"Elder Sun, so foolish!"

In the Night Wanderer chat group, Yuan Ting habitually issued his lament, then continued:

"I think that even though the Primordial Celestial Venerable nearly died at Li Xianzong's hands yesterday, that doesn't mean his potential is poor. We all know the gap between Level 2 and Level 3, not to mention Li Xianzong has been through many spiritual realms and has plenty of items."

Jian Ji: "Yuan Ting, you need to be careful too. If Li Xianzong can't find the Primordial Celestial Venerable, he'll try to hunt other Level 3 Walkers. You're a Night Wanderer; your bounty will be higher than other Order professions."

Yuan Ting: "Heh, I'll let him know how powerful a Level 3 Night Wanderer can be."

As they chatted, an incoming call replaced the group interface.

"Steward Wang looking for me?"

Seeing the name on the caller ID, Yuan Ting was taken aback. Steward Wang was Elder Sun's assistant and confidant; they rarely crossed paths.

Although they had exchanged contact information, they never called each other all year.

Yuan Ting answered the call: "Steward Wang, what are your instructions?"

Steward Wang's low voice came through the speaker:

"Yuan Ting, Elder Sun is out. He found out about you guys making fun of him and is very angry. He named you specifically.

"You... what can I say? Sigh, you're on your own."

Is it too late to write my last will... Yuan Ting felt himself turning to stone bit by bit, his face full of utter despair.

...