Night Wanderer Meeting

He opened his mouth, but couldn't bring himself to ask.

Being different from the mainstream meant being unusual.

Until he knew whether it was good or bad, he couldn't go around talking about it. Besides, the fact that there was nothing about it on the forum meant the black full moon wasn't something people at lower levels could learn about.

The higher the level of something, the more it needed to be kept secret. That was common sense.

Especially since he was still a rookie, without the ability or experience to handle unexpected situations.

Why is the Role Card Brother Bing gave me different from those of ordinary Night Wanderers? That bastard never tells me anything, and now he's gone missing again.

Then he left the post and clicked the forum's search box, intending to look up the Temple of the Lady of Three Paths Mountain.

After he typed "Temple of the Lady of Three Paths Mountain," two results came up: the dungeon guide he had seen before, posted by the Five Elements Alliance, and an introduction to the temple.

"Temple of the Lady of Three Paths Mountain: A shrine on Three Paths Mountain in Songjiang Prefecture during the early Ming dynasty. The deity worshipped there was the Lady of Three Paths Mountain, who excelled at praying for rain, driving out ghosts, and refining pills to cure illnesses, bringing blessings to the local people. After the Lady of Three Paths Mountain ascended to immortality, the local government, gentry, and common people raised funds to build a temple in her honor.

"The Temple of the Lady of Three Paths Mountain fell into disrepair early on, and many valuable research materials have been lost. —From the Song Prefecture Library."

From the Song Prefecture Library.

As he stared at those words, Zhang Yuanqing's face went blank, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

The Temple of the Lady of Three Paths Mountain really existed? It was part of history?

If so, had that lady truly existed? Or, more precisely, had she been a real person?

Could real people appear in the Spirit Realm?

If she was a real person, could she climb out of the Spirit Realm to come after me? Zhang Yuanqing was frightened by his own thoughts.

"Guan Ya, I have a question..."

He never wore himself out thinking over things he could simply ask someone about.

Guan Ya turned around.

Zhang Yuanqing told her his suspicions about the Lady of Three Paths Mountain.

"Squad Leader should have told you that the Spirit Realm exists between reality and fantasy." Old Driver lifted her cup, took a sip, and said:

"Many of the settings in the Spirit Realm are based on reality. For example, Lingang Reservoir and Xiangshui Amusement Park—these Night Wanderer Trial Spirit Realms all have corresponding locations in the real world. But obviously, those things don't exist in reality. Otherwise, everything would have descended into chaos."

So the Lady of Three Paths Mountain really did exist, but the one I saw was a creation of the Spirit Realm? Zhang Yuanqing felt relieved.

Old Clapper, just stay in the Spirit Realm where you belong.

Capital City, Beishuimen Airport.

Yuan Ting, with his lean features, sat in the spacious seat of a business-class cabin. Dressed in a black suit and shirt, with his hair combed neatly, he looked like a polished business executive.

Through the small airplane window, he gazed down at the glittering sea of lights below.

He had just reported the successful clearance of Sheling Tunnel to the organization that day. By afternoon, he would be summoned to the Capital City.

But his return had nothing to do with Sheling Tunnel. The reason he was coming back was that the Taiyi Sect Master had summoned the Night Wanderers stationed across the country to the Capital City for a meeting.

Large-scale meetings like this were usually held only at the end of the year, when Night Wanderers from around the country came to the Capital City to report on their work.

If an exception was made, something important must have happened.

I hope it isn't bad news. Yuan Ting watched the city lights draw closer, his thoughts churning.

The plane landed smoothly. Yuan Ting got off and headed straight to the underground parking garage with his suitcase, where he boarded the car sent to pick him up.

Forty minutes later, the car arrived at a five-star hotel. Yuan Ting put away his luggage, took the elevator to the large conference hall on the top floor, and stepped inside.

A banquet was underway. Men and women in black suits, jackets, and long dresses moved between the food with glasses in hand, chatting and laughing amid the clinking of glasses.

"Well, look who it is! Captain Yuan!"

Yuan Ting had just taken a glass from a server's tray when a man in a black shirt came over to greet him. He had a neat crew cut, bright eyes, sharply defined features, and a classic inverted-triangle build.

"Jian Ji!"

Yuan Ting smiled at his approaching friend. "Long time no see."

"Everyone's been waiting for you. Come on, let's go say hello."

Jian Ji put an arm around Yuan Ting's shoulder and led him to the table. Six people sat there, three men and three women. They had all trained alongside Yuan Ting when he first joined the Taiyi Sect.

Now scattered across the country, they had all become captains.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Yuan Ting asked, "What's the Sect Master called everyone to the Capital City for?"

Yang Qian, who wore her hair in a ponytail and was dressed in a leather jacket and pants, pursed her lips and spoke quietly.

"We were just talking about that. All we know is that the confidentiality level is extremely high. Even the stewards don't know."

She had a graceful figure and a practical hairstyle. With no makeup or jewelry, she looked bold and spirited.

Even the stewards weren't allowed to know? Yuan Ting gave a slight nod and didn't ask anything else.

Jian Ji smiled and raised his glass. "We'll find out when the meeting starts. No point speculating now. By the way, has anything interesting happened lately?"

Yang Qian, radiating confidence, smiled.

"I've got an interesting story. A while ago, the eldest son of the Xiahou Family on the coast was crippled by the master of the Stop-Killing Palace. I heard that by the time the Xiahou elders arrived, he was on the verge of death.

"He was saved with Life Essence, but he was still badly weakened. He probably won't dare leave the house for a long time. And if he gets a Spirit Realm mission anytime soon, he's dead for sure."

"The Stop-Killing Palace?" One of the men looked at Yuan Ting. "If I remember right, that's a Spirit Realm Walker organization in Songhai. How did they end up feuding with the Xiahou Family?"

Yuan Ting shook his head. "The people from the Stop-Killing Palace are all pretty extreme, especially their master. She's a complete lunatic. You shouldn't be surprised when they pick a fight with anyone. But they're fairly friendly toward the official organizations and usually keep to themselves."

Yang Qian sighed. "That master's a high-level Spirit Realm Walker. Even a steward might not be able to beat her. As long as someone like that doesn't go too far, we can just turn a blind eye."

After chatting for a while longer, Jian Ji glanced around and said, "There are still too few of us Night Wanderers. All we can do is watch the other professions stir up trouble and hog the spotlight."

"Come to think of it, it's been years since our sect produced a truly outstanding Night Wanderer," Xia Liang said. She had a round, adorable face and a soft, slightly coquettish voice.

Since the topic had come up, Yuan Ting grew interested. "I do have some big news. It's about us Night Wanderers."

Everyone at the table turned to look at him, curiosity written all over their faces.

"Remember Sheling Tunnel?" Yuan Ting asked.

"Yeah, that beginner-level bugged Spirit Realm. Jiang Lin and Zhao Kai died in there back in the day." Jian Ji frowned in confusion. "Did that hellhole claim someone else?"

"From now on, no one's getting first clearance in Sheling Tunnel. A kid's already cleared it."

Yuan Ting's words landed like a dud firecracker. The Night Wanderers at the table fell silent.

After a few seconds, Jian Ji asked blankly, "That really happened?"

Xia Bing's eyes widened. In her coquettish voice, she exclaimed, "Yuan Ting, don't joke around!"

The others all looked skeptical.

Yuan Ting nodded firmly. "The sect's already been notified. You can ask your respective superiors. If you just ask about it and don't ask for the guide, the stewards should tell you."

Their skepticism turned to exclamations of astonishment. The Night Wanderers around the table looked stunned and excited.

"That's huge!"

"That guy's incredible! How did he do it? Damn, now I just want to see the guide. I don't even want to go to the meeting."

"Wake up. You don't have the clearance for that."

Yang Qian looked around before asking, "Has this newcomer joined the Taiyi Sect? Is he in the Capital City?"

Yuan Ting seemed to grow even more eager to talk. He shook his head regretfully.

"You don't know the whole story. Someone from the Five Elements Alliance recruited that guy. Fu Qingyang personally called Elder Sun to ask for the guide. When Elder Sun heard that the trial mission was Sheling Tunnel, he said on the spot that he didn't want the guy.

"But once you've said it, you can't take it back. Sigh, the elder really was muddleheaded."

"He really was."

"Elder Sun, you've gone too far. Now I'm angry."

As they were criticizing the high-ranking elder, Yuan Ting suddenly saw a middle-aged man in black walking toward him.

"Yuan Ting, Elder Sun says not to leave after the meeting. Go see him first."

Yuan Ting's expression froze instantly.

The banquet soon drew to a close. The servers cleared away the plates and drinks.

The soft lighting changed to bright, glaring conference lights. The Night Wanderers filled the round tables, sitting in silence as they waited. More than a hundred people kept quiet; not a pin could be heard dropping.

After a long wait, an old man in a white martial arts uniform entered the conference hall amid eager anticipation.

He stood nearly two meters tall and was powerfully built. His face was unlined, his gaze sharp as a blade, and a golden sun marked his brow like a tattoo.

If not for his head of silver hair, which revealed his age, he would have looked more vigorous than a young man.

The Taiyi Sect's First Grand Elder, Spirit Realm ID: Crimson Sun Executioner.

The Night Wanderers sat up straight, giving the strongest Night Wanderer beneath the Sect Master the respect he deserved.

Crimson Sun Executioner looked over the assembled sect members and said slowly:

"Not long ago, the Sect Master sensed the Demon Lord's death. The Taiyi Sect's greatest threat has been eliminated. But the Demon Lord's Role Card has not returned to the Spirit Realm, and its whereabouts are unknown. From now on, you are to search everywhere for the Demon Lord's successor.

"That successor has two distinguishing features: their profession mark is a black full moon, not a crescent moon. When clearing Spirit Realm dungeons, they receive a Role Card reward that ordinary Night Wanderers do not."