Chapter 37: Descendant of the Demon Lord

Chapter 37: The Heir of the Demon Lord

Pushing the door open, Zhang Yuanqing found Yuan Ting seated at the conference table, a cigarette wedged between his fingers, reclining against the back of his chair in a somewhat indolent posture, looking over with a smile.

At this Night Wanderer’s elbow sat a pen holder, into which a single command flag was thrust—a steel tip atop a silken cloth, its square canvas of pure charcoal-black embroidered with silver cloud motifs, at the center of which was stitched the character for "Command."

By appearance alone, it differed in no way from the command flags deployed by ancient militaries.

Taking his seat with a straightened spine, Zhang Yuanqing inquired, "Captain Yuan, what business did you have with me? Let us establish beforehand that I am very content in Team Two and have no desire to change groups."

He employed a jesting manner to sound out the other man's intent.

"You cleared the Sheling Tunnel, and Centurion Fu holds you in high regard; I could never entice you away. Ah, you perhaps do not know, but when Centurion Fu originally asked for that walkthrough on your behalf, Elder Sun of our Taiyi Sect believed it impossible for you to survive it, and so passed on you. It is too late for regrets now; quite a few within the sect are murmuring their discontent, feeling you possess immense potential, perhaps enough to ascend to a Saint in the future... ah, I have spoken too much, far too much." Yuan Ting explained himself:

"I am a rather garrulous individual; I hope you do not mind."

Ah, so that was what it meant for Elder Sun to be muddled? Zhang Yuanqing nodded in comprehension.

"Do you smoke?"

"I do not quite know how..."

"When I was your age, I did not know how either, not until I became a Night Wanderer and was left with psychological trauma during a trial mission, thus contracting the addiction. Though it is no wholesome thing, it does indeed alleviate stress. Every Night Wanderer possesses a quirk of some sort.

"I have a friend named Jian Ji who, during the period immediately following his ascension to a Night Wanderer, was so traumatized by fear that he needed to watch Teletubbies for an hour each day to channel his emotions and soothe his terror. Even now, he cannot rid himself of the habit, ha ha ha..."

Captain Yuan, you are indeed exceedingly garrulous, but how could you spread your friend's embarrassing secrets far and wide... Zhang Yuanqing lampooned inwardly, while maintaining a posture of earnest listening on the surface.

Having rambled for a spell, Yuan Ting finally recalled his proper business. He cleared his throat and assumed a solemn expression:

"We are seeking a fortunate soul, one who has obtained the inheritance of the Demon Lord. Any newly elevated Night Wanderer of this year is an object of our screening, yourself included. 'Demon Lord' is the ID of a high-level Spirit Realm Walker."

The Demon Lord’s inheritance? Zhang Yuanqing expressed blank bewilderment: "I do not take your meaning..."

"Let me speak with greater clarity. According to our official deductions, the Spirit Realm’s issuance of Character Cards is not limitless; there exists a certain upper bound. Consequently, whenever a Spirit Realm Walker perishes, everything pertaining to him is reclaimed by the Spirit Realm, which includes the Character Card."

Yuan Ting lit another cigarette. "Among these, when a high-level Spirit Realm Walker dies, the Spirit Realm does not format the card completely; said Character Card retains certain peculiar elements before being reissued to a newcomer. We refer to this phenomenon as an inheritance."

There was such a concept? Zhang Yuanqing understood, and after a moment’s rumination, said:

"May I ask what manner of person this Demon Lord was, as well as your objective in seeking his heir? This concerns me personally; I hope you can understand."

Yuan Ting was uncommonly candid, speaking without evasion:

"I am entirely unaware of the higher-ups' objective in searching for the Demon Lord’s heir. For middle-management cadres such as ourselves, it suffices to act upon orders. As for the Demon Lord..."

A look of abhorrence and dread manifested upon Yuan Ting’s countenance as he spoke in a low tone:

"He was a fallen Night Wanderer, a mortal enemy to our Taiyi Sect. Many official Spirit Realm Walkers perished at his hands, some from the Five Elements Alliance, some from the Taiyi Sect; even the elders within the sect held him in extreme trepidation, and he once plunged the official ranks into widespread panic.

"The Sect Master once appraised that this individual was, within the last thirty years, the most potent and most terrifying Night Wanderer."

Whether he was terrifying or not I do not know, but he must have been deeply chuunibyou. Zhang Yuanqing hastily inquired:

"Then how is one to distinguish the Demon Lord's heir? Or rather, how ought I to cooperate with you?"

From the sound of it, the heir of the Demon Lord had no real connection to the Demon Lord himself; surely the Taiyi Sect, as an orthodox organization, would not vent their wrath upon an innocent party.

Yuan Ting spoke candidly once more:

"The distinctiveness of the Demon Lord's heir lies in two points. First, the insignia stamped upon the Character Card is not a crescent moon, but a full moon. Second, upon clearing a dungeon instance, they receive one more exclusive Character Card reward than an ordinary Night Wanderer."

!!! Zhang Yuanqing betrayed no sign on his visage, yet an overwhelming tempest erupted within his soul, his entire mind flooded with a single expletive.

Was this not precisely his Character Card.

The Character Card Brother Bing sent to me... belonged to the Demon Lord?

Why would Brother Bing possess the Demon Lord's Character Card, and what was his relationship to the Demon Lord?

I had always assumed the exclusive Character Card reward from the Red Dancing Shoes was the norm. Seen in this light, it was the Demon Lord's inheritance that granted me this peculiarity; fortunately, due to the scarcity of rule-based items, I had concealed the matter of the exclusive Character Card reward.

The Corporal and the Old Driver only knew I possessed a rule-based item, but remained ignorant of the exclusive Character Card reward.

All manner of thoughts flashed through Zhang Yuanqing’s mind.

He did not permit his thoughts to scatter into disorder, swiftly stabilizing his mind and offering a smile of simulated regret:

"It appears I am not the Demon Lord's heir. I had always fancied myself special, given that I even cleared the Sheling Tunnel.

"Captain Yuan, how am I to display my insignia? It is not under my control."

The insignia represented the Spirit Realm; save for the night the Character Card rebooted, and when the dark moon mark materialized upon his brow during his level advancement within the Spirit Realm, it seemed non-existent at all other times.

Yuan Ting glanced at the command flag resting in the pen holder and remarked:

"Low-level Spirit Realm Walkers are incapable of influencing the insignia; that sort of stylish 'cosmetic' is the privilege of high-level Walkers. I have no need to view your insignia; I only require the discernment of falsehood."

As he spoke, he looked toward the pen holder at his elbow and explained:

"This command flag is an item I borrowed from Centurion Fu. Its capability is to compel obedience, rendering one incapable of uttering a lie. And the price is that I, too, cannot lie."

... Zhang Yuanqing exerted his utmost to maintain the smile upon his face.

At this precise moment, no language could depict his current state of mind.

Yuan Ting wasted no further words, drawing forth the command flag and pointing it through the air toward Zhang Yuanqing, speaking in a heavy voice:

"Therefore, I ask you now: is your Night Wanderer insignia a crescent moon or a full moon."

As the words fell, Zhang Yuanqing felt an invisible, majestic, and vast power envelop him from the unseen void, inspiring a reverence born from the depths of his heart, an involuntary obedience that forbade concealment, making him long to pour forth every secret he possessed.

His spirit tightened uncontrollably, his scalp tingling in successive waves.

What was the Taiyi Sect’s objective in seeking the Demon Lord’s heir? If it were to recruit talent, they should not be so vague and ambiguous, for that would be entirely normal.

There was bound to be a deeper reason.

The Character Card was given to me by Brother Bing; it might even involve him.

His taut emotions gradually curdled into anxiety... suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing thought of the infant spirit nurtured within his body. A master could transfer received harm and negative influences onto a spirit servant, allowing it to share the damage.

Though the command flag’s power was vast and majestic, it possessed no substantive harm; the little rascal should be unharmed, so it was worth a trial...

He immediately settled his emotions, communicating with the infant spirit within him, allowing the souls of both parties to connect briefly.

Suddenly, the vast and majestic force coursed along his spiritual form, flooding into the infant spirit's body.

The slumbering infant spirit kicked its legs, as though beset by a nightmare.

Meanwhile, his spirit instantly relaxed, and that sensation of reverent dread dissolved into nothingness.

"A crescent moon!"

Zhang Yuanqing uttered the answer in a low tone.

Yuan Ting remained silent for several seconds, maintaining his gesture with the command flag pointed like a halberd, and inquired:

"Do you possess an exclusive Character Card reward."

"No..."

Yuan Ting fell into silence once more. After a dozen seconds, he sighed and withdrew the command flag. "You have passed the screening. I shall convey the result back to the organization. The Taiyi Sect attaches immense importance to the Demon Lord's heir, and similar verifications may follow in the future. Furthermore, should you discover any Night Wanderer possessing these two characteristics, you must inform me; the Taiyi Sect will bestow a grand reward."

No matter how much wealth is offered, I shall never report myself... Zhang Yuanqing exhaled a silent breath of relief, thumping his chest as he said:

"The moment I discover one, I shall notify you immediately."

Yuan Ting nodded with satisfaction:

"Actually, being the heir of the Demon Lord isn't necessarily a good thing. The Spirit Realm has a balancing mechanism. Travelers with such special status are often assigned high-difficulty missions. Remember, gains and risks are always proportional."

...Zhang Yuanqing laughed. "The Demon Lord's heir is really pitiful."

This was his true thought.

Yuan Ting put the pen holder and command flag back into his briefcase, and at the same time handed out his phone:

"If you don't mind, add me as a friend. There are too few Night Wanderers in the Five Elements Alliance, and no one can teach you the experience and knowledge of this profession. If there's anything you don't understand, you can consult me."

You're really a good person... Zhang Yuanqing happily scanned the code and added the friend.

Yuan Ting put away his phone and added with a smile, "I'll charge a consultation fee."

Have to pay? Zhang Yuanqing's face instantly froze.

"By the way, it's been almost a week since you advanced to Night Wanderer." Yuan Ting said:

"According to our summarized experience, newly promoted Night Wanderers will enter the Spirit Realm again within one to two weeks, most likely a multi-player confrontation Spirit Realm."

So, I'll receive a mission within a week at most? I think I remember who this guy is—he made two hundred bucks off me last night! Zhang Yuanqing felt both grave and expectant, and asked, "How much does this information cost?"

Yuan Ting smiled. "This one is free."

Free? Oh, you really are a good person... Zhang Yuanqing immediately said, "Then I have another question for Captain Yuan. Can it be free?"

"Depends on whether your question is worth anything." Yuan Ting said.

"Among the Night Wanderer's subsequent skills, is there Solar Divine Power?"

"Yes, but I'm not sure what level exactly."

That's enough. I have a clearer understanding of the future direction of this profession. Combining sun and moon, yin and yang in one body, that's pretty cool! Zhang Yuanqing said:

"I have no more questions."

......

Watching the Night Wanderer from Taiyi Sect leave the meeting room and go down the steel stairs, Zhang Yuanqing walked toward the Squad Leader's office.

He still had to report on the situation at his aunt's hospital, but he needed to change his wording. He couldn't reveal any information related to the little rascal, or let anyone know he had a spirit servant. Not at this stage.

In the office, Li Dongze heard a howl from the doorway:

"I stand at the crest of the wind and waves, firmly grasping the rotation of sun and moon, wishing that heaven and earth might be in perfect order..."

The singing stopped, followed by a knock.

Li Dongze responded, "Come in."