Chapter 28: Older Cousin

Chapter 28 Cousin

In the café, under the awning.

Zhang Yuanqing cradled a cup of steaming coffee, staring blankly at the street. Streetlights, car lights, and shop lights wove together into a dazzling and prosperous nightscape.

After a long while, he took a big gulp, then sighed out the turbid air in his chest, as if expelling all the mental pollution.

"Devouring spirits to increase power seems like a heretical path."

He finally understood why the Night Wanderers of Taiyi Sect were unwilling to devour spirits.

If the world is compared to a sea of suffering, mortals are the small boats drifting on it, burdened with sorrow, each person carrying their own misfortunes and pains.

These sufferings, along with the spirits, are transferred to the Night Wanderer. Even if only a small part, when accumulated to a certain degree, the resulting mental pollution is extremely terrifying.

Over time, even schizophrenia would be a mild outcome.

But the benefits were immediate. His current experience points were 46%. The duration of the "Night Walk" skill hadn't increased, still nine seconds, but his physical fitness had improved noticeably, and his vitality and healing power had also grown.

This was a tangible gain.

"Right, I still don't know how that gay guy died... No, I don't want to know at all."

He took another sip of coffee, still shaken.

…

Early morning, the villa.

In the large meeting room capable of holding thirty people, Fu Qingyang swept his gaze across both sides of the long table. His eyes were calm and deep, like clouds gathering for a storm.

He was handsome, with the nobility and pride of a scion of a noble family. When expressionless, his aura was powerful, imposing immense psychological pressure on others.

"Five squad leaders, over a dozen members, and dozens of security officers were deployed, yet the Corrupting Demon still escaped." Fu Qingyang's expression was cold. "I am very disappointed in you."

On both sides of the long conference table sat the participants in this operation: five squad leaders and twelve members, including Li Dongze and Guan Ya.

Faced with the criticism from their executive-level superior, the squad leaders lowered their heads, daring not to speak.

Big Muscle hesitated, but couldn't hold back and said in a low voice:

"Centurion Fu, Ou Xiangrong seemed to have been corrupted by some evil force, becoming exceptionally powerful and especially crazy. That's why we failed. Moreover, Corrupting Demons are top-tier professions to begin with..."

Fu Qingyang said flatly, "Failure is failure. Any excuse is just a coward's way of refusing to admit their own failure."

His sharp gaze swept over the crowd. None of the Specter Walkers by the table dared to meet his eyes, except Guan Ya.

Guan Ya was looking down, playing with her nails, distracted.

Fu Qingyang continued:

"Because of your failure, the incident has escalated. A seriously injured Corrupting Demon, polluted by evil energy, can easily spiral completely out of control. Given the cruelty of Corrupting Demons, it will inevitably cause massive casualties.

"Now, all Specter Walker squads in Songhai City are involved in the search. If Ou Xiangrong is not eliminated within three days, all of you can get the hell back to training camp."

Li Dongze, Qingteng, Tang Guoqiang, and the other squad leaders exchanged grim glances.

Fu Qingyang sneered:

"Of course, I have also failed in this matter, because I had wrong expectations of you and overestimated your abilities. So, for the next three days, I will personally participate in the search. Since Ou Xiangrong is looking for the register and the Holy Grail, his target will surely shift to Zhao Yingjun's family or the women he had close relationships with. We'll search along that line."

After the subordinates nodded, he glanced at his expensive watch and said:

"Your time is running out. Dismissed. Guan Ya, stay."

The lengthy meeting finally ended, and it was already past mealtime.

The Specter Walkers rose rather dejectedly, bowed towards the head of the long table, and filed out of the meeting room in an orderly fashion.

The five squad leaders led the way. Big Muscle, who was 1.9 meters tall, lowered his voice and said angrily:

"I don't deny my failure, but Centurion Fu is far too arrogant. He wasn't even at the scene; he doesn't know how powerful Ou Xiangrong was."

Wearing a skintight suit, he touched the bloody knife wound on his chest and snorted:

"While we were fighting outside, he was sitting on the handmade sofa in the villa, sipping fine wine, smoking cigars, and being served by bunny girls."

As he spoke, three bunny girls carried pastries upstairs and entered the meeting room.

Everyone serving in the villa was a young bunny girl, tall and slender, with lovely features.

Bai Long gently slapped a bunny girl's perky bottom and lowered his voice:

"I heard that Centurion Fu is very popular among the White Tiger Soldiers. Among the Four Young Masters, he's the only one who can compete with that young master from the Red Fire Gang."

Fu Qingyang had been transferred from the capital to Songhai at the end of last year. It was said he was sent down to gain experience for a few years, and after accumulating credentials, he would return to the capital as a candidate for the Council of Elders.

Upon hearing this, Big Muscle snorted lightly: "That's just a rumor. Our young master is the most outstanding of the younger generation in the Five Elements Alliance."

Qingteng then looked at Li Dongze. "Squad Leader Li, what do you think?"

Li Dongze lit a cigarette and let out a chuckle:

"It's because he's rich, isn't that what you're all thinking?"

Wasn't it? The other squad leaders glanced at him.

"Foolish!"

Li Dongze pointed at his own head:

"Use your not-so-bright brains to think it through. If things really reach the point Centurion Fu mentioned, with such a severe incident, someone has to take the blame. For something this big, would just going back to training camp cut it?

"When Centurion Fu said for us to get the hell back to training camp, the other meaning is that if the worst happens, he will take all the responsibility. We won't be fired, we won't be held accountable. We just have to stay in training camp for three months, even though we screwed up something this serious."

He took out a lighter, lit his cigarette, and shrugged. "Alright, let's get to work. Let's drag that bastard Ou Xiangrong out as soon as possible."

…

In the meeting room, Fu Qingyang stared at the woman who was manicuring her nails and frowned:

"Li Dongze said you were injured?"

Guan Ya blew on her nails, then took a compact mirror from her handbag, powdered her face, and said, "If you have something to say, spit it out. I still have work to do."

A hint of helplessness appeared on Fu Qingyang's stern face. "Aunt called me. She wants you to come back to the country next month to meet the fiancé she has arranged for you."

"I made it very clear to her when I came back. I'm not going to marry for the family's sake. She's willing to be the family's sacrifice, but that doesn't mean I am."

Guan Ya snapped the compact mirror shut and said, "You Fu family people are so boring. Qingyang, take control early and let the old fogeys retire."

Fu Qingyang said in a deep voice:

"If you don't want an arranged marriage, then show some results. Stop fooling around all day and wasting your talent. The elders in the family only respect the strong, like me, like her.

"How about this: I'll transfer you to another team. Team Three in Changtai District is very good; they get collective second-class merits several times a year. You can polish your credentials there, and I'll have a reason to refuse Aunt.

"Team Two under Li Dongze has too few talents; it's hard to earn merits."

Guan Ya frowned and sighed. "Team Two really is unambitious. It's hard for me to refuse... Let's talk later. There's a new kid in our team, pretty interesting. Let me observe a bit longer."

She put the compact mirror away, picked up her handbag, and walked towards the door, laughing:

"You'd better worry about yourself first. If Ou Xiangrong goes on a killing spree in Songhai, it'll be an indelible stain on your record. They'll do everything to stop you from entering the Council of Elders.

"Your cousin is leaving. Bye~"

……

In the early morning, Zhang Yuanqing, backpack slung over his shoulders, walked toward the comprehensive building.

His schedule for the day: specialized courses in the morning, and at noon and in the afternoon, chatting with Old Sis Ji—no, it was about communicating with colleagues, deepening bonds, and expanding his social circle.

Crowds of people streamed toward the comprehensive building in twos and threes. Just as he reached the entrance, Zhang Yuanqing heard someone calling him.

Turning his head, he saw Li Lesheng and several classmates.

Li Lesheng, along with a few male students, caught up, expectation on his face as he extended an invitation: “We’re planning a mixer with some girls this weekend. You want to come? I heard you’re a local from Songhai.”

A mixer? This weekend, that’s the day after tomorrow… Zhang Yuanqing hesitated briefly, then said, “Sure.”

Li Lesheng and the others breathed a sigh of relief, breaking into smiles. “Let’s add each other. Ha, with you coming, I’m sure the girls will be willing to hang out.”

“Let’s all add each other too.”

“Let’s add each other as well.” The other male students pulled out their phones.

After Zhang Yuanqing and his classmates had exchanged contact info, they all headed toward the comprehensive building together.

Li Lesheng laughed. “I heard from a girl from my hometown that some public security officers came to see Xu Yingying yesterday, and then Xu Yingying had a huge cry in the dorm.”

“Public security officers? What happened?”

The male students were startled; for college students, public security officers were an impossibly distant group.

Li Lesheng said, “I heard it’s something about the rich guy who was keeping Xu Yingying. But I don’t know the details. The officers came to ask her about his situation.”

“It’s not that he took the money and ran, is it? The economy’s bad lately, plenty of cases of rich people crashing and burning,” someone speculated.

Zhang Yuanqing listened to his classmates gossip, his gaze sweeping over the passing students. In the not-too-crowded flow of people, he spotted a familiar figure.

It was a beautiful girl in a white dress, with long, straight black hair loose and delicate makeup—the very Xu Yingying at the center of their recent topic.

She was clinging to a man like a trusting little bird. The man wore a mask, had a buzz cut, sparse eyebrows, and a small scar showing above the edge of the mask.

Zhang Yuanqing’s pupils contracted sharply.

Ou Xiangrong?!

He looked at Xu Yingying again, observing carefully. Only then did he notice something off.

Xu Yingying’s expression was stiff. She seemed to be nestling in Ou Xiangrong’s arms, but it looked more like he had an arm around her shoulders, forcing her along.

…