Chapter 149: Demon Eye Heavenly King Who Punishes Evil and Promotes Good

Chapter 149: The Demon-Eyed Heavenly King, Punisher of Evil and Promoter of Good

"Are you from the Bureau of Public Security, or the Disciplinary Committee?"

Hearing this, the middle-aged man's vigilance and hostility diminished slightly, and he scrutinized him with suspicion.

A red light flashed and vanished in the eyes of the Demon-Eyed Heavenly King, and he said with a smile, "Whatever you believe I am, that is what I am."

His words seemed to carry some sort of persuasive power; the middle-aged man's eyes went blank for a moment, and then he immediately showed a look of joy, hastily making way into the room and saying in pleasant surprise:

"So it is a comrade from the Disciplinary Committee! Come in, come in, please step inside. You have finally arrived..."

The Demon-Eyed Heavenly King nodded with reserve, entered the house, and sat down on the living room sofa.

He casually scanned the layout of the living room; the furniture was simple and cheap, and at a glance, nothing of value could be found, let alone any smart home gadgets.

"I have already reviewed the materials you submitted, but now I want to hear you say it again to fill in any gaps." The Demon-Eyed Heavenly King took a disposable cup handed over by the middle-aged man and took a sip of tea.

In truth, he had tracked down this location through his subordinates in the black market.

The very first thing the Demon-Eyed Heavenly King did upon arriving in Songhai was to order the cultists lurking in the city to gather information on corruption and bribery. The rank of the official did not matter, but the severity of the matter had to be significant.

If killing to excess was the addiction of the Bewitching Demon, then this was the addiction of the Demon-Eyed Heavenly King.

If he went too long without killing corrupt officials or tyrants who oppressed ordinary people, he would lose control over the desire to destroy the world lurking in his heart, thereby degenerating into an irrational killing machine.

"Alright," the middle-aged man said. "Many of the 'financial companies' in Puning District are just loan sharks, and they all enjoy the protection of Zhou Yan, the Chief of the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau. Financial companies of different scales target different groups of people.

"Financial companies with substantial capital extend loans to small and medium-sized enterprises, while the lower-tier financial companies target individuals with some assets. Furthermore, they are not ordinary lending platforms.

"They open casinos to lure people into gambling and set up romance scams. Every single person who enters eventually loses everything until they are penniless, and then they seize the opportunity to offer loans...

"To ensure that the loaned money can be recovered, these financial companies have trained many thugs. They collect debts every day, causing trouble at the debtors' homes every day. Calling the police is useless because they have backing from above; at most, they are locked up for a few days before being released. Then they continue collecting debts until the debtors are forced to sell their homes or jump off buildings. Yes, there is a popular saying in their circle: the debt is cleared only when the person dies.

"That is how my son was driven to his death. He was a student at the business school who was lured into a casino and got trapped. Money came too fast in gambling, with massive ups and downs. Once he tasted the sweetness, how could he settle down to live a proper life...

"I heard from my son that some financial companies specifically target university students, and many students at his school fell into the trap this way, including female students. Right, those financial companies also organize prostitution in secret, controlling many female students who owe debts..."

The Demon-Eyed Heavenly King listened quietly, nodding from time to time and taking sips of tea. Before he knew it, the cup of tea was empty.

Only then did he stand up and say:

"I have received your feedback. Thank you for your cooperation."

The middle-aged man froze and said anxiously, "Wait, I still have evidence that I haven't given you yet. I'll go get it..."

With that, he limped toward the bedroom.

By the time he came out with the evidence, he found that the young man had already left.

"Just another one going through the motions!"

The middle-aged man punched the wall in anger, but then he suddenly froze. Only then did he remember that the young man had never explicitly stated his identity, nor had he even admitted to being an official agent.

How could I let an outsider into the house and tell him so much?

...

That evening, Zhang Yuanqing was exchanging text messages with the veteran speedster, Guanya.

Zhang Yuanqing: "Is everything fine at the unit lately? Have you been followed by anyone? How about you skip work for a while and hide out in Fu Qingyang's villa?"

Guanya: "Haha, do you know how to kill a Dominator at the lowest cost?"

Zhang Yuanqing: "Gather five elders and bully them with numbers?"

Guanya: "It's by using some reasonable method to drain the opponent's moral points to zero, forcing the Spiritual Realm to announce his real-time location and put a city-wide bounty on him."

Zhang Yuanqing: "What is the specific method of implementation?"

Guanya: "It's very simple. Implant a device inside your body that explodes or releases toxic gas upon being killed, and then stay in a crowded downtown area. If the Demon-Eyed Heavenly King kills me, a group of ordinary people will be buried with me.

"According to the punishment mechanism for moral points, he will have to bear most of the responsibility, and his moral points will be deducted."

Zhang Yuanqing: "Holy crap, such an operation is possible? What's the underlying logic?"

He did not know much about the punishment mechanism for moral points; he only knew that killing someone deducted 10 points, while theft and robbery were below 10 points, and incidents causing major casualties were calculated differently.

Guanya replied: "It's very simple. Carrying flammable and explosive materials is my right. As long as I don't use them to kill people, no moral points will be deducted. And as long as I die before the explosion, no moral points will be deducted from me because the explosion occurs after my death, and the deceased are not within the target group for deductions.

"Of course, you must ensure that the explosion is 'passive'—that it is triggered only because the Demon-Eyed Heavenly King killed you. If you actively detonate it before your death, then it has nothing to do with the Demon-Eyed Heavenly King."

Zhang Yuanqing roughly understood.

In short, it meant applying a buff to oneself through an item or other means where death would cause a massive explosion, involving a distinction between the subjective and the objective.

For example, if the Red Dancing Shoes were an item that exploded immediately upon the owner's death, this was an inherent characteristic of the item, unalterable and objectively existing.

Then, if the Demon-Eyed Heavenly King killed him, the Red Dancing Shoes would explode, causing the deaths of innocent people, and the Demon-Eyed Heavenly King, who brought about the tragedy, would have his moral points deducted.

Conversely, if Zhang Yuanqing strapped a time bomb to himself in an attempt to perish together with the Demon-Eyed Heavenly King, and the resulting explosion killed nearby ordinary people, that would have nothing to do with the Demon-Eyed Heavenly King; the responsibility would lie entirely with Yuanshi Tianzun.

Zhang Yuanqing: "So?"

Guanya: "Elder Dog gave the members of our Second Team seeds of the 'Exploding Flower.' Once our hearts stop beating, the seeds will explode with a force equivalent to ten high-explosive grenades. Of course, this method is mainly used for deterrence and self-preservation; it's a last resort."

The seeds of the Exploding Flower were objectively existing plants of the Spiritual Realm. The characteristic of exploding after the host's death had nothing to do with the owner. The host harbored no subjective intent to harm people.

Zhang Yuanqing: "I always feel that the setting of moral points is very idealistic. Did Elder Dog come up with this trick?"

Guanya: "It's a rule that several generations of Spiritual Realm Walkers have figured out through practice. Evil occupations know about this method too."

Zhang Yuanqing: "Elder Dog is no human, actually using my beloved Sister Guanya as a chess piece. I'm going to find him right now to demand justice for you."

A few minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing: "Huh, why aren't you speaking?"

Guanya: "I'm waiting for you to get justice for me."

Zhang Yuanqing: "...Next time, for sure."

Guanya: "By the way, Yuanshi, did you join Fu Qingyang's White Tiger Guards?"

Zhang Yuanqing: "Centurion Fu pleaded with me in every possible way, stating bluntly that if the White Tiger Guards lost a genius like me, they would degenerate into a third-rate minor gang. He hopes I can join him in restoring the glory of the White Tiger Guards and making a name for ourselves."

Guanya: "I've forwarded that to Fu Qingyang."

Zhang Yuanqing: "Sister, let's talk things out nicely."

Guanya: "I have things to do later, so I won't talk nonsense with you anymore. Here's the thing: June features the large-scale slaughter instance. Barring any accidents, it should open in mid-June, so there's still more than a month left.

"According to the custom of the Five Elements Alliance, at the beginning of June, the headquarters will host arena matches, trial battles, and the like, inviting experts at the Extraordinary and Saint stages to participate. On one hand, it's to select seed players for future cultivation; on the other hand, it's to warm up for the large-scale slaughter instance.

"With your reputation and aptitude, you definitely have to participate. Remember to look over the materials later; there are still many powerful individuals at the Extraordinary stage within the Five Elements Alliance. Well, I just don't know if the Taiyi Sect will participate this year."

Zhang Yuanqing: "Is there a reward for first place?"

Guanya: "Yes, rewards include collective merits, money, and items. It was like that in previous years, but sometimes it changes. This depends on the notice from headquarters; it's too early to discuss it now."

Zhang Yuanqing: "Understood. The matter concerning Zhou Yan that I asked you to look into, remember to get on it."

Guanya: "I know, I know. I will report it to the Bureau of Public Security system. But don't hold out too much hope; for an official of Zhou Yan's level, the only thing that can bring her down is a failure in political struggles. Ordinary reports don't have much of an effect."

The two chatted idly for a few more sentences until Guanya left to handle her business. Only then did Zhang Yuanqing put down his phone and stretch lazily on the bed.

Because of the Demon-Eyed Heavenly King, there was no need to go to the unit these past few days. His schedule had turned into attending school, practicing combat alone, engaging in awkward dancing with his uncle, playing games with his aunt, and repeating the cycle.

During this time, whenever he had free time, he would chat with Guanya, showcasing his increasingly profound innuendo skills to the veteran speedster.

After lying down for a while, Zhang Yuanqing rolled over and sat up, opened his laptop, and made a summary of the things he needed to do recently and the events he was about to face.

The first matter was to evade the bounty of the Demon Eye Heavenly King and find a suitable opportunity to report his whereabouts to the five elders. This concerned his life and safety, so it was ranked first.

The second matter was the opening of the solo instance. This matter was not urgent; there was still at least half a month's time, but before the instance opened, he had to enhance his strength as much as possible. The method of devouring spiritual bodies to improve yielded little effect and could basically be abandoned. Zhang Yuanqing thought that if he had the chance, he would hunt a level 3 bewitching demon and refine it into a yin corpse. The positioning of the Night Wanderer was as an assassin and "necromancer." This was very important; he could not neglect his profession's characteristics.

The third matter was the official arena competition that Guan Ya had just mentioned. If he could achieve a good ranking or rewards, the success rate for the solo instance would increase significantly.

The fourth matter was the large-scale killing instance! Whether he could become a strong practitioner in the spirit realm depended on mid-year. The Saint realm was the mainstay of various organizations; becoming a Saint meant becoming a true strong practitioner.

…

Night fell, and the darkness was deep.

After the sun set, the scorching air finally gained a hint of coolness.

On the rooftop of an old residential building.

A young man wearing a sports headband stood by the railing, gazing at the dazzling lights of the city.

Behind him, a middle-aged woman sat slumped, dressed in exquisite formal attire, looking like a corporate elite.

"Young man, you should know my identity. Regardless of your purpose, we can talk. You have any demands; I will try to satisfy them as much as possible."

Zhou Yan maintained the composure and calmness befitting a leader.

After work today, she had just returned to her residence and parked her car when she was knocked unconscious by a criminal hiding in the garage. When she woke up, she was on this unfamiliar rooftop, with only this young man beside her. After experiencing brief panic, Zhou Yan calmed down and tried to pry into the other's identity and the purpose of the kidnapping, seeking a possibility for negotiation.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King withdrew his gaze and turned to look: "You are Zhou Yan, the chief of the Kangyang District Public Security Office, right?"

Zhou Yan spoke gently: "If you need any help, just say it. I am a public servant; the people's affairs are my affairs."

The Demon Eye Heavenly King smiled brightly: "With your words, I am at ease."

He stepped forward to Zhou Yan and dragged her to the edge of the rooftop.

Zhou Yan looked down and felt a dizzying sensation. She finally showed a terrified expression and said with a trembling voice: "What are you going to do? Don't be impulsive. I said, you can bring up any matter, and I will try to satisfy you. Really, impulsiveness won't solve anything."

The Demon Eye Heavenly King was unmoved and said to himself: "I hate executing without teaching the most. Someone reported you for acting as a criminal force…"

He smilingly listed her crimes one by one. Then, under Zhou Yan's terrified gaze, he lifted her and carried her over the edge. This high-positioned woman turned pale as paper, pleading desperately, one hand tightly gripping the Demon Eye Heavenly King's arm, the other reaching for the railing, trembling with fear.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King grinned and said: "The people don't need you to serve them; they just want you to die!"

He loosened his fingers and dropped Zhou Yan from the rooftop.

The Demon Eye Heavenly King did not look down but gazed at the bustling metropolis and muttered: "Time for business. Let me see how many spirit realm practitioners are in this area."

As he spoke, he removed his headband, revealing a vertical eye on his forehead. The white of this eye was crimson, the pupil was golden red, filled with coldness, cruelty, and madness.

The Bewitching Eye!

This was the demon eye born when the "Bewitch" skill proficiency was maxed out and cultivated to the extreme. Spirit realm practitioners below the Dominion realm, once they met the demon eye's gaze, would at best suffer severe mental damage, at worst go mad and die. And the temptation from the demon eye could even affect elders. This demon eye was so powerful that it usually had to be sealed with a tool; otherwise, wherever the Demon Eye Heavenly King passed, all living beings would die in madness.

Additionally, the demon eye could discern spirit realm energy and identify strong practitioners hidden among the masses. On that day in the Northern Region, he had used this skill to find the Palace Master of Zhisha. The downside was that this method was only slightly better than searching for a needle in a haystack, with enormous effort, and if it inadvertently scanned an elder-level figure, it would alert the enemy.

The golden red pupil trembled violently, and a blood-red light invisible to ordinary people suddenly shot out, silently penetrating the steel-reinforced concrete buildings, sweeping over the nearby area like a searchlight. Soon, the Demon Eye Heavenly King saw a spirit realm practitioner and locked onto the first target.