Chapter 31

At the entrance of the underground parking garage, figures were bustling about.

Li Dongze, leaning on a cane in one hand and holding a gun in the other, rushed into the underground parking garage and quickly scanned the scene with his sharp eyes.

First, he saw the unconscious Xu Yingying, then the not-so-obvious bloodstains on the ground, and several private cars with damaged bodies. As a scout, Li Dongze could easily tell that a brief and fierce battle had taken place here.

The fact that Xu Yingying was still alive indicated that the situation hadn't reached its worst point.

Several Spirit Realm Walkers also scanned the scene with caution and speed, and soon they saw a figure emerging from the shadow behind a nearby car.

Instantly, everyone instinctively turned their gun barrels to aim at him.

"Don't shoot, it's me."

Zhang Yuanqing quickly raised both hands and sized up the Spirit Realm Walkers other than Guan Ya and Li Dongze.

A muscular man in a fitness outfit, looking like a gym coach, was at least 1.9 meters tall, with bulging muscles and a powerful presence, wearing red half-finger gloves.

A beautiful woman in a traditional Chinese ink painting qipao, with a classical hairstyle, had a graceful figure. Despite her apparent age, her face was well-maintained, white, and smooth, without any wrinkles.

A middle-aged man wearing a miner's helmet and a dark brown work uniform, with tanned skin and a weathered face.

A young woman in a white racing suit, with a oval face, fair skin, and a beautiful appearance, had thick, arched eyebrows and a bold, heroic demeanor, holding a black long sword in her hand.

The other two armed personnel had no distinctive features in terms of appearance or demeanor.

Seeing Zhang Yuanqing emerge from the shadows, Li Dongze and Guan Ya's tense expressions visibly relaxed, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

After the meeting, they received a call from Wang Tai, saying that Yuanshi had discovered Ou Xiangrong at Songhai University, and that the latter had kidnapped Xu Yingying with ill intentions.

Li Dongze and Guan Ya were shocked and immediately called a few team leaders who hadn't left yet, rushing to Songhai University.

Li Dongze's face was grim throughout the journey, his mood heavy, fearing that Yuanshi might act rashly without considering the consequences.

New Spirit Realm Walkers often become overconfident after experiencing extraordinary powers for the first time, and with their lack of experience, they tend to act impulsively.

Seeing Zhang Yuanqing unharmed, both of them breathed a sigh of relief.

"Is he the Night Walker?"

The impatient muscle man asked Li Dongze first. After receiving a nod, he looked around the underground parking garage and asked in a rough voice:

"Kid, where did Ou Xiangrong go?"

In his view, a Level 3 Deceptive Demon was not something a Level 1 Night Walker could handle. After a brief confrontation, Ou Xiangrong, fearing the arrival of official Spirit Realm Walkers, fled hastily.

If Ou Xiangrong hadn't been gone for long, they might still be able to catch him with the tracking skills of a scout.

Li Dongze, Guan Ya, and the other team leaders stared at Zhang Yuanqing, waiting for his answer.

"He didn't escape!" Zhang Yuanqing said.

Didn't escape? Everyone's hearts skipped a beat, and they raised their gun barrels, looking around in shock and alertness.

Then they heard the rookie point to the shadow behind him and say, "I took him out."

What did he say? The muscle man almost wanted to check his ears, suspecting his hearing was faulty. He then lost his temper and said in a gruff voice:

"Don't joke with me, this isn't the time for your humor."

Li Dongze and the others were also taken aback, then frowned, looking at Zhang Yuanqing with more caution in their eyes.

Why are you so aggressive? Can't you speak nicely? You're not from the Red Fire Gang, are you? Zhang Yuanqing patiently explained:

"I'm not lying, his body is behind the car. If you don't believe me, go check it out yourself."

The muscle man glanced in that direction, but the protruding pillars and car bodies formed intersecting shadows, and from his position, he couldn't see the situation in the corner.

He was about to go check.

"Wait a moment," the middle-aged man with the miner's helmet stepped forward, glanced at Zhang Yuanqing, and said to the muscular man: "I'll go check."

The muscle man, seeing his colleague's serious expression, seemed to recall something, looked at Zhang Yuanqing with caution, and nodded.

Zhang Yuanqing noticed that Li Dongze and Guan Ya's expressions were somewhat strange, and the others' gazes were filled with unmasked vigilance.

At this moment, the middle-aged man with the miner's helmet slowly but steadily approached the car's rear. Then, he stared at something, eyes wide open, as if he were a statue.

"Mr. Tang?"

The muscle man, seeing his colleague's shocked and bewildered expression, felt a chill, his upper body muscles suddenly bulging, ready to act at any moment.

Qingteng and Bai Long, the team leaders, immediately became alert.

Tang Guoqiang's appearance was very similar to that of someone under the influence of a Deceptive Demon.

But soon, they saw Tang Guoqiang "recover," bend down, and drag a body out into the spotlight, bringing it into everyone's view.

The body was wearing loose camouflage pants, a black tank top, and a black jacket, with a bloodied and mangled face, empty eye sockets, and facial features that could still be identified as Ou Xiangrong.

The underground parking garage fell silent, and everyone stared at Ou Xiangrong's body in shock.

Li Dongze's expression gradually changed from serious to astonished, muttering to himself:

"Oh my God, oh my God."

Guan Ya looked at the body, then at Zhang Yuanqing, and seemed to recall something, looking thoughtful.

The beautiful woman in the traditional Chinese ink painting qipao, wearing high heels, quickly walked over, stopped by the body, and after a careful inspection, pursed her lips and said:

"It's indeed Ou Xiangrong."

After saying that, she looked up at Zhang Yuanqing with a complex expression.

The muscle man's eyes were wide open, and he blurted out: "How did you do it?"

The team leaders all focused their gazes on Zhang Yuanqing, repeatedly sizing him up. Ou Xiangrong had been taken out by a Level 1 rookie, despite the latter being heavily injured and not at his peak.

This was a significant achievement for the second team. What kind of luck did Li Dongze have to recruit such an outstanding subordinate?

How did you do it? Isn't it just a matter of having the right shoes? Zhang Yuanqing didn't answer but looked at his superior.

Li Dongze stepped forward and cleared his throat:

"Yuanshi, you did a great job. You've earned a significant achievement. Just now, while we couldn't reach you, we were being scolded by our superiors in the meeting room."

This effectively shifted the focus, and the team leaders' faces showed a relaxed smile, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

Zhang Yuanqing glanced at him: "Why did you point your guns at me just now?"

"An Extraordinary Deceptive Demon can briefly influence a person's mind. If given enough time, they can repeatedly deceive and deepen their influence, ultimately controlling the target. We thought it was more likely that you were under their influence rather than having killed Ou Xiangrong." The young woman in the white racing suit, holding a sword, walked over, sized up Zhang Yuanqing, and nodded in satisfaction:

"We were wrong. Let me introduce myself, Bai Long, Level 3 Water Ghost."

This female team leader had an indescribable coolness. There was no trace of feminine reserve or coquettishness in her, and she exuded a commanding presence, as if everyone else was just a bunch of rookies.

"Yuanshi Tianzun." Zhang Yuanqing said.

The team leaders were taken aback: "Good name."

Indeed, it was a good name, one that made people want to punch him just by hearing it.

Bai Long laughed: "Just call you Yuanshi. It's fine. I always thought that guys your age would have some weird names."

"Like what?" Zhang Yuanqing smiled and shrugged.

Bai Long was taken aback, not expecting this kid to be so familiar and even ask her back. Normally, when faced with a superior's teasing, a person would be modest or look拘谨 (restrained).

"Like the muscle man." Guan Ya walked over with a smile, picking up where Bai Long left off.

The muscle man: "The meaning of my name is: dominant muscles."

"That's exactly what I meant." Guan Ya looked innocent and pure.

The muscle man was speechless.

As they spoke, several more official Spirit Realm Walkers rushed over, carrying stretchers and body bags.

They had just received a call saying the culprit had been killed and hurried over to remove the body, taking Xu Yingying to the hospital for treatment.

Li Dongze didn't waste any time and said: "Yuanshi, come with us to review Ou Xiangrong's memories."

"No, he can't come." Tang Guoqiang shook his head:

"Ou Xiangrong was tainted by evil forces, and we're not sure if his spirit body was also affected. Additionally, Deceptive Demons are bloodthirsty and cruel, with strong negative energy in their spirit bodies. This is beyond his capacity. Yuan Ting will return to Songhai this afternoon; we'll hand it over to him."

Zhang Yuanqing immediately recalled the incident in the hospital where a spirit body was devoured, feeling a sense of unease. But then he thought, if the process of killing Ou Xiangrong was seen by other Night Walkers,

the Red Shoes would be exposed. Of course, exposure doesn't necessarily mean there will be a struggle or covetousness, but it's better to be low-key.

"This isn't a problem; I'll find a way to resolve it." Li Dongze waved his hand, speaking with authority:

"Ou Xiangrong's memories are crucial, and the sooner we review them, the better. We can't determine how much memory a tainted spirit body can retain."

Tang Guoqiang thought for a moment and nodded slightly.

He still disagreed with Li Dongze's approach, but since the second team had killed the person, they had the right to handle it.

At this moment, the beautiful woman in the qipao stepped forward and asked with concern:

"Are you injured? Do you need treatment?"

Her tone was gentle, and her attitude was warm, as if Zhang Yuanqing were her trusted subordinate.

Li Dongze introduced her with a smile:

"This is Captain Qingteng from the Hundred Flowers Association, skilled in healing. In the Five Elements Alliance, Wood Demons are also known as Healers. If you have any injuries, just let her know."

Healers? Zhang Yuanqing thought, are your healers really proper? Do they force people to grab the future?

Li Dongze then introduced the muscular man and the miner's helmet:

"The muscle man from the Red Fire Gang, and Tang Guoqiang from the Central Court. Both are experienced Spirit Realm Walkers."

Sure enough, the Red Fire Gang. Zhang Yuanqing immediately said: "Greetings, team leaders, please take care of me."

The muscle man nodded in satisfaction:

"Do you want to add me as a friend?"

"Sure!" Qingteng and Bai Long nodded in agreement.

Tang Guoqiang, who didn't say much, was the first to take out his phone.

Li Dongze's lips twitched.

After Zhang Yuanqing and the team leaders added each other as friends, Li Dongze said:

"Let's take the body back first. The other team members will stay to assist the security officers in cleaning up the scene. Yuanshi, you'll ride with Guan Ya back to the office and write a report."

A moment later, official Spirit Realm Walkers drove a minivan and a blue sports car into the underground parking garage.

"Team leader, can I ride in your minivan?" Zhang Yuanqing wanted to talk to Li Dongze alone, for example, to ask him to delete the surveillance footage.

"No, you're too dirty right now, not elegant enough." Li Dongze shook his head, then looked at the team leaders: "Let's go together."

Zhang Yuanqing opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopped, and finally watched helplessly as Li Dongze and the team leaders left in the minivan.

Guan Ya's eyes twinkled, and she glanced at him, smiling:

"Team leader took away all the troublemakers. Let's go, I'll take you to delete the surveillance."

Zhang Yuanqing kept his eyes on his nose, his nose on his heart.

The blue sports car sped down the wide street. Guan Ya, wearing sunglasses, held the steering wheel, humming a tune, and seemed to be in a good mood.

She said with a whistle:

"You're really lucky, getting a rule-class item right after becoming a Spirit Realm Walker."

She felt her luck was also good, as she had just needed some merit points, and they came.

"Did you know about it beforehand?" Zhang Yuanqing wasn't embarrassed but instead flattered: "Scouts are indeed the perfect profession."

As someone skilled in socializing, he could adjust his mindset well.

"Before, it was just a guess. Insight is a scout's talent." Guan Ya smiled: "You can understand my hints and keep the rule-class item hidden, which shows you're not too stupid."

Zhang Yuanqing immediately probed:

"Will the organization make me hand over the item?"

"They won't force you, but if you voluntarily hand it over, the organization will gladly accept it and reward you with merit points and money. However, human nature is complex. As a rookie with a rule-class item, word will spread, and some people will take risks."

Guan Ya advised: "Team leader can cover for you for a while, but not forever. You might consider finding a patron, like a higher-up."

"Can that Centurion protect me?" Zhang Yuanqing thought, how can you guarantee that the higher-up won't be tempted by the item?

"That guy comes from a wealthy family, grew up with a silver spoon, and is proud and ambitious. I don't know about other executives, but I can vouch for his character." Guan Ya smiled:

"Moreover, he always claims to be virtuous, but in reality, he likes to show off and is a big spender. A rule-class item won't shake his pride."

"But he has high standards and doesn't look at ordinary people. He likes elite talent."

Zhang Yuanqing "hmm"ed, neither agreeing nor refusing, and moved on from the topic.

Guan Ya hummed:

"You made a big splash today. Once your deeds are known, there will be people in the Five Elements Alliance who will try to recruit you. Be careful of honey traps. There have been cases of seduction before, and those two female team leaders seem quite interested in you."

Zhang Yuanqing said with a righteous tone: "I am loyal to the second team and will not fall for honey traps."

Unless I can't resist! He added in his mind.

"But you're a Scorpio." Guan Ya pouted.

What does that have to do with being a Scorpio? Zhang Yuanqing looked puzzled.

"Have you heard the astrological saying, 'Pisces men are not worth talking about, Scorpio men will do anything.'"

"..."

In the black minivan, Li Dongze drove personally, looking ahead with a smile:

"Oh, oh, I accidentally did everyone's job. I'm not a good team member, sorry everyone, I didn't let you get the credit."

What are you so smug about? The four team leaders' faces darkened.

"Once the bonus comes in, I'll treat everyone to a meal." Li Dongze smiled: "Don't be envious, it's all coincidences. This kid coincidentally passed the She Ling Tunnel and coincidentally killed Ou Xiangrong. It's not a big deal."

"You look like you're asking for a beating." The muscle man said in a gruff voice.

"Be elegant, don't be so irritable. I'll report to Centurion Fu first."

He took out his phone under the team leaders' angry gazes and dialed Centurion Fu's number.

In the Ou Xiangrong incident, due to their mistakes, Centurion Fu had taken on significant risks.

Now that Ou Xiangrong had been killed, as a subordinate, he needed to report it promptly.

This kid Yuanshi has really made me proud.