Chapter 28

In the café, under the awning.

Zhang Yuanqing held a steaming cup of coffee, his gaze fixed on the street, where the streetlights, car lights, and shop lights intertwined to form a dazzling and bustling night scene.

After a long while, he took a big gulp, then sighed, as if expelling all the mental pollution.

"Swallowing spirit bodies to enhance one's power seems like a crooked path."

He finally understood why the night wanderers of the Taiyi Sect were unwilling to swallow spirit bodies.

If the world is compared to a sea of suffering, ordinary people are like small boats floating in it, burdened with sorrow and pain, each with their own misfortune and suffering.

These sufferings would be transferred to the night wanderers along with the spirit bodies, even if only a small part. However, when accumulated to a certain extent, the mental pollution would be extremely terrifying.

In the long run, even mental分裂 would be a minor issue.

But the benefits were indeed immediate. His current experience was 46%, the duration of the "Night Wander" skill had not been extended, still nine seconds, but his physical attributes had improved significantly, and his vitality and healing ability had also increased.

This was a tangible gain.

"Right, I still don't know the cause of that queer's death. No, I don't want to know at all."

He drank a sip of coffee with lingering fear.

In the morning, at the villa.

In a large conference room that could accommodate thirty people, Fu Qingyang scanned the long table, his eyes calm and profound, like clouds gathering before a storm.

He was handsome, with the noble and proud air of a scion of a prominent family. When he had no expression, his presence was powerful, exerting immense psychological pressure.

"Five team leaders, over a dozen team members, and dozens of security officers were deployed, but the bewitching 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 of the operation, five team leaders and twelve team members, including Li Dongze and Guan Ya.

Faced with criticism from a senior executive, the team leaders lowered their heads, not daring to speak.

The muscular man hesitated but couldn't hold back, and said in a low voice:

"Captain Fu, Ou Xiangrong seemed to be contaminated by some evil force, becoming extremely powerful and crazy. This is the reason for our failure. Besides, the bewitching demon is a top-tier profession."

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

His sharp gaze swept over everyone, and none of the spirit realm walkers at the table dared to meet his eyes, except for Guan Ya.

Guan Ya was absentmindedly playing with her nails, head down.

Fu Qingyang continued:

"Due to your failure, the situation has escalated. A severely injured and contaminated bewitching demon is likely to lose control completely. Given the cruelty of the bewitching demon, it will inevitably cause massive casualties.

"Now, all the spirit realm walker teams in Songhai City are involved in the search. If you cannot kill Ou Xiangrong within three days, you will all be sent back to the training camp."

Li Dongze, Qingteng, Tang Guoqiang, and other team leaders exchanged uneasy glances.

Fu Qingyang sneered:

"Of course, in this matter, I have also failed. I had the wrong expectations and overestimated your abilities. Therefore, in the next three days, I will personally participate in the search. Since Ou Xiangrong is looking for the roster and the Holy Grail, his target will likely shift to Zhao Yingjun's family or women with close relationships. Follow this lead to search."

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

"You don't have much time left. Dismissed! Guan Ya, stay behind."

The long meeting finally ended, and it was past mealtime.

The spirit realm walkers got up, somewhat dejected, bowed to the end of the long table, and orderly left the conference room.

The five team leaders led the way, and the muscular man, who was 1.9 meters tall, lowered his voice in anger:

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

He touched the knife wound on his chest, which was still bleeding, and said with a snort:

"While we were fighting outside, he was sitting on a handmade sofa in the villa, sipping fine wine, smoking cigars, and enjoying the service of bunny girls."

As he spoke, three bunny girls carrying pastries walked upstairs and entered the conference room.

The villa was served by young bunny girls, all tall and beautiful.

Bailong lightly patted a bunny girl's buttocks and said in a low voice:

"I heard that Captain Fu is very popular among the White Tiger soldiers. He is the only one among the four young masters who can compete with the young master of the Chihuo Gang."

Fu Qingyang was transferred from the capital to Songhai at the end of last year. It was said that after a few years of training and accumulating experience, he would return to the capital as a candidate for the Elder Council.

The muscular man snorted, "Just rumors. Our young master is the best among the young generation of the Five Elements Alliance."

Qingteng looked at Li Dongze, "What do you think, Li?"

Li Dongze put a cigarette in his mouth and said with a laugh:

"Of course, it's because of money, right?"

Isn't it? The other team leaders glanced at him.

"Stupid!"

Li Dongze pointed to his head:

"Think with your not-so-smart brains. If it really comes to what Captain Fu said, such a serious incident will need someone to take responsibility. Can you just go back to the training camp for such a big deal?

"Captain Fu said to send us back to the training camp, but the other meaning is that if the worst happens, he will take all the responsibility, and we won't be dismissed or held accountable. We just need to stay in the training camp for three months, even if we mess up such a serious matter."

He took out a lighter, lit the cigarette, and shrugged: "Alright, let's get to work. Let's catch that scoundrel Ou Xiangrong as soon as possible."

In the conference room, Fu Qingyang stared at the woman filing her nails, frowning:

"Li Dongze said you were injured?"

Guan Ya blew on her nails, then took out a makeup mirror from her handbag, applying powder while saying:

"Spit it out if you have something to say. I have work to do."

Fu Qingyang's stern face showed a hint of helplessness: "Auntie called me. She wants you to return to the country next month to meet the fiancé she arranged for you."

"When I came back, I already told her clearly that I won't do it for the family's arranged marriage. She can be a sacrifice for the family, but I don't want to."

Guan Ya snapped the makeup mirror shut and said: "Your Fu family is so boring. Qingyang, take power soon and let the old folks retire."

Fu Qingyang said in a deep voice:

"If you don't want to arrange a marriage, then show some results. Don't just loaf around and waste your talent. The elders of the family only respect the strong, like me, like her.

"Here's what I'll do. I'll transfer you to another team. The Third Team in Changtai District is very good. They win several collective second-class merits every year. You can polish your skills there, and I'll have a reason to refuse Auntie.

"Li Dongze's Second Team has too few talents and it's hard to achieve anything."

Guan Ya frowned and sighed: "The Second Team is indeed not up to par. It's hard for me to refuse. We have a new kid in our team, quite interesting. Let me observe him for a while."

She put away the makeup mirror, picked up her handbag, and walked to the door, smiling:

"Take care of yourself first. If Ou Xiangrong causes a massacre in Songhai, it will be a stain on your resume. They will do everything to stop you from entering the Elder Council.

"Bye, cousin."

In the morning, Zhang Yuanqing, with his backpack, walked toward the comprehensive building.

His schedule for the day was to attend professional classes in the morning, and to chat with Lao Siji in the afternoon, no, to communicate with colleagues, enhance friendship, and expand his social circle.

A few people were heading to the comprehensive building. Just as he reached the building, Zhang Yuanqing heard someone calling his name.

He turned around and saw Li Lesheng and a few classmates.

Li Lesheng, with a few boys, caught up, looking expectant as he extended an invitation: "We plan to have a joint activity with some girls this weekend. Do you want to join? I heard you are from Songhai."

A joint activity? This weekend, which is the day after tomorrow. Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment and said: "Sure."

Li Lesheng and the other boys sighed in relief and smiled: "Let's add each other as friends. With you, I'm sure the girls will be willing to come out and play."

"Let's add each other as friends."

"Let's add each other as friends." The other boys took out their phones.

After adding friends with his classmates, they all walked toward the comprehensive building together.

Li Lesheng said with a smile: "I heard from a female classmate that a security officer came to Xu Yingying's dorm yesterday, and Xu Yingying cried a lot in her dorm."

"Security officer? What happened?"

The boys were surprised, as security officers were a distant group to college students.

Li Lesheng said: "I heard that the rich man who was keeping Xu Yingying had some trouble, but the details are unclear. The security officer was there to gather information about the man."

"Maybe he fled after a financial scandal. The economy is not good, and there are many examples of rich people going bankrupt." Someone speculated.

Zhang Yuanqing listened to his classmates' gossip, his gaze scanning the students coming and going. In the not-so-crowded crowd, he saw a familiar figure.

It was a beautiful girl in a white dress, with long, straight black hair and delicate makeup, the very girl they had just been talking about, Xu Yingying.

She was leaning on a man, who was wearing a mask, with short hair and sparse eyebrows. A small scar was visible above the mask.

Zhang Yuanqing's pupils suddenly contracted.

Ou Xiangrong?!

He looked at Xu Yingying again, observing her closely. At this moment, he noticed something odd.

Xu Yingying's expression was stiff. She seemed to be leaning on Ou Xiangrong, but it was more like she was being forced to lean on him.

ps: Typos will be corrected later.