Fallen Holy Grail

On the second floor of the villa, in a small conference room.

The sun hung low in the west, casting blood-red rays through the glass windows onto the floor of the conference room, staining the white wool carpet with a crystalline crimson.

Li Dongze, Green Vine, White Dragon, Tang Guoqiang, and Big Muscle Tyrant—several captain-level figures—sat upright around the conference table. Almost every captain-level Spirit Realm Walker from the Kangyang District who could attend was present.

In addition to the captains of the Five Elements Alliance, Yuan Ting, who had just returned from the Capital City, also attended this meeting.

As a Scout, Li Dongze keenly sensed that Yuan Ting's mental state was poor and frowned, saying:

"Are you injured?"

The pale-faced Yuan Ting leaned weakly against the back of his chair, closing his eyes to rest. Hearing this, he opened his eyes and said in a steady tone:

"No, it's just that Elder Sun attached great importance to me during this trip to the Capital City. He believes I will be a pillar of the Taiyi Sect in the future and insisted on training me personally. I'm just in poor condition from overtraining."

The group looked on with solemn respect.

Fu Qingyang glanced at him without comment and said sternly:

"Let's get down to business. What did Yuanshi Tianzun see in the memories of Ou Xiangrong that made you rush over here so urgently?"

The captains immediately cast grave gazes toward Li Dongze.

After leaving the morgue, this guy had summoned everyone to the Centurion's location without a word, claiming there was a major incident.

When asked what it was, he wouldn't say, leaving everyone anxious and impatient.

Li Dongze coughed and looked around at the people at the table. "Our Night Wanderer learned from Ou Xiangrong's memories exactly what the Holy Grail is. It is an item belonging to the Judge of Ghostly Eyes, and its full name is the Fallen Holy Grail."

"The Judge of Ghostly Eyes? The Fallen Holy Grail?"

The captains on both sides of the conference table couldn't help but look at each other, their expressions filled with both gravity and bewilderment.

The Judge of Ghostly Eyes was a vice-president of the Spirit Energy Society's Eastern District branch.

The Spirit Energy Society was a notorious evil organization among Spirit Realm Walkers, composed of a group of powerful and insane Voodoo Masters. The Judge of Ghostly Eyes, as a vice-president of the Eastern District branch, ranked eighth on the Five Elements Alliance's bounty list; he was the kind of powerhouse capable of moving mountains and draining seas.

They hadn't expected the case of Ou Xiangrong to involve a figure of such caliber.

As for their bewilderment, it was because they had never heard of an item called the Fallen Holy Grail.

"Ou Xiangrong was looking for an item belonging to the Judge of Ghostly Eyes?" Big Muscle Tyrant frowned and spoke his mind: "That kid's brain really wasn't working right anymore."

A mere Extraordinary-level Bewitching Demon daring to covet the item of a high-level Spirit Realm Walker.

The group ignored Big Muscle Tyrant's remark and looked toward Fu Qingyang.

Fu Qingyang was silent for a few seconds, his tone uncharacteristically grave. "I am about to disclose a piece of intelligence to you, but given your levels, you are not yet qualified to know information at this level. So, once you walk out of this door, keep it buried in your stomachs."

Hearing this, everyone couldn't help but straighten their backs and compose their expressions.

"The Fallen Holy Grail is a rule-type item for the Voodoo Master profession, and its level is extremely high. Its function is to control Spirit Realm Walkers. The Judge of Ghostly Eyes used this item to enslave many Spirit Realm Walkers of other professions. A large portion of the 'Fallen' we deal with every year are those created by the Judge of Ghostly Eyes. According to intelligence, once contaminated by the Fallen Holy Grail, one is enslaved by the Judge of Ghostly Eyes for life. There is no way to escape it except through death.

"Furthermore, those who are contaminated must receive a baptism from the Holy Grail at regular intervals, or they will go insane and die."

Li Dongze gave a hum and took over the conversation: "Ou Xiangrong was a slave to the Judge of Ghostly Eyes."

With that, things made sense, and the captains had an epiphany.

White Dragon nodded first, then immediately frowned:

"What does this have to do with him killing Zhao Yingjun? And surely this doesn't count as a major incident?"

"Zhao Yingjun was also a slave to the Judge of Ghostly Eyes. He was lurking in the Five Elements Alliance, acting as a consultant for the Public Security Bureau on the surface, while secretly helping the Judge of Ghostly Eyes scout for new recruits, acting as an accomplice." Li Dongze paused and said in an incredibly serious tone:

"Not long ago, the Judge of Ghostly Eyes suddenly fell. His confidant, Black Impermanence, took the Holy Grail and the Roster containing the identities of the Fallen and went into hiding. Now, it is not just the Fallen like Ou Xiangrong who are searching for Black Impermanence; the Voodoo King, another vice-president of the Spirit Energy Society's Eastern District branch, and his subordinate forces are all looking for him as well.

"Once Black Impermanence obtains the Roster, he will definitely contact these Fallen to inherit the legacy of the Judge of Ghostly Eyes. Zhao Yingjun's undercover identity was very important; it is highly likely he had already made contact with Black Impermanence. Therefore, Ou Xiangrong wanted to use Zhao Yingjun to find the whereabouts of Black Impermanence."

This left the group with blank minds.

The Judge of Ghostly Eyes was a high-level Spirit Realm Walker; such a big shot had actually died?

This information was too shocking; even the calmest among them, Fu Qingyang, had a dazed expression for a moment.

In the suffocating silence, Fu Qingyang tapped the table and frowned:

"The Roster of the Judge of Ghostly Eyes contains a large number of the Fallen. Black Impermanence has gone into hiding with the Roster and the Holy Grail. He cannot possibly take in all the 'slaves,' and madmen like Ou Xiangrong who have lost their minds are definitely not isolated cases."

Li Dongze gave a bitter smile: "That is why I said it is a major incident."

The captains felt heavy-hearted.

Fu Qingyang said:

"Black Impermanence is hiding in Songhai. The days ahead in Songhai will not be peaceful. I will report this news to the Council of Elders as soon as possible so they can notify our colleagues in other regions to guard against the Fallen losing control.

"Starting today, all leave is canceled. No one is allowed to turn off their phones; stay on standby 24 hours a day."

The captains nodded with heavy hearts.

Fu Qingyang said with a dark face:

"Regarding this incident, I must criticize all of you for your negligence, slackness, and lack of vigilance."

Then, his expression softened as he added:

"In the Ou Xiangrong incident, Yuanshi Tianzun performed a great service. From taking down Ou Xiangrong to performing the soul inquiry and discovering the death of the Judge of Ghostly Eyes, he did everything. A group of experienced veterans is not as good as a newcomer. As your superior, I find it very shameful."

Li Dongze and the others wore expressions of shame.

Huh? What? The one who killed the Bewitching Demon, Ou Xiangrong, was that newly promoted Night Wanderer?

Yuan Ting was stunned. He looked left and right, unable to help but raise his hand: "Centurion Fu, are you saying that the Level 1 Night Wanderer under Squad Leader Li killed Ou Xiangrong?"

Li Dongze quietly puffed out his chest and lifted his chin.

Big Muscle Tyrant sighed with emotion: "That kid has incredible combat talent. His future achievements will be limitless; he might even reach the Saint Realm and become a deacon-level figure."

Several squad leaders nodded slightly, agreeing with his assessment.

Captain Green Vine explained: "He was the first to discover Ou Xiangrong's trail and acted decisively. By the time we rushed over, the battle was already over. Although Ou Xiangrong was already injured and his sanity was mostly shattered, it was still no easy feat to kill him."

What, what kind of genius is this? Yuan Ting froze for a few seconds, then felt a heartache so intense he could barely breathe.

Elder Sun, you are truly muddled!!

Fu Qingyang did not let the topic continue, saying indifferently:

"Meeting adjourned."

Li Dongze and the others stood up and left their seats one after another.

Yuan Ting, however, did not leave. Once the captains had exited the conference room, he suppressed the surging regret and annoyance and spoke up:

"Centurion Fu, there is something I need your help with."

Fu Qingyang looked at him.

Yuan Ting explained: "This time, the Sect Master summoned us to the Capital City to announce a classified piece of news. The Devil Lord is dead."

Fu Qingyang froze. Then, that sculpturally handsome face was filled with shock; even the death of the Judge of Ghostly Eyes had not caused such a violent emotional fluctuation in him.

The Devil Lord, an ID that made all official Spirit Realm Walkers tremble with fear, was a fallen Night Wanderer. He was temperamental, cruel, and bloodthirsty by nature. Because he was proficient in assassination and concealment, countless Spirit Realm Walkers had died at his hands.

During the Devil Lord's most arrogant period, the elders of official organizations had to be cautious and keep a low profile, not daring to expose their identities in reality.

Even evil organizations detested him, as the Devil Lord killed without restraint, slaughtering both the righteous and the wicked alike.

It wasn't until the beginning of last year, when he encountered the Female Marshal of the White Tiger Corps in a high-level adversarial Spirit Realm and was severely wounded by that stunningly talented woman, that he vanished from sight.

"And then?" Fu Qingyang returned to his cold demeanor.

"The Sect Master gave us a mission: to find the successor of the Devil Lord. From two months ago until the end of this year, every newcomer who becomes a Night Wanderer is a target for our screening," Yuan Ting said.

Fu Qingyang frowned: "Even if some lucky person obtained the Devil Lord's Role Card, it has nothing to do with the Devil Lord himself. Why does your Sect Master want to find him? Don't tell me it's out of appreciation for talent."

After a Spirit Realm Walker dies, the Spirit Realm clears all "data" of that character and then scouts for a new owner for the Role Card.

When a high-level Spirit Realm Walker falls, some things remain when the Role Card is formatted—perhaps some kind of benefit, or perhaps some authority.

Such Role Cards are inherently stronger than ordinary ones.

But in Fu Qingyang's view, this bit of specialty was not enough to make the Taiyi Sect Master go to such great lengths. One must know that even the Devil Lord himself was lower in level than that world's strongest Night Wanderer.

Yuan Ting shook his head: "How would I know? I'm just following orders. There are only four newcomers in Songhai who promoted to Night Wanderer this year. One died in the Spirit Realm, and two joined the Taiyi Sect and were sent to the training camp. The last one is the person under Li Dongze's command. I want to question him."

Fu Qingyang stared at Yuan Ting, his dark brown eyes sharp and profound.

Yuan Ting braced himself and met his gaze.

"You may, but regardless of the outcome, you must tell me first. You are not allowed to take him to the Capital City privately."

At his desk, Zhang Yuanqing opened his computer, pondered for a long time, and called out:

"Sister Guan Ya, how should I write this report?"

Guan Ya was busy watching a show with her head down and responded perfunctorily: "Didn't I send you the template? Just write it according to that."

"It's not a matter of format, it's the content," Zhang Yuanqing said with a troubled face.

He now had to write a report on killing Ou Xiangrong. What made it difficult for him was that if he omitted the existence of the Red Dancing Shoes, it would be hard to describe the process of killing Ou Xiangrong in a way that made sense.

After all, this wasn't something that could be brushed off in a sentence or two.

"Oh, you're so annoying." Guan Ya turned her office chair nimbly, looked back, and chided: "How do you want to write it?"

Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment: "I want to reasonably highlight how I relied on my overwhelming aura to intimidate Ou Xiangrong, and then, with my superb skills and wise mind, fought the Bewitching Demon for three hundred rounds, finally slaying this fiend who almost stirred up a bloody storm in Songhai."

The mixed-race beauty rolled her eyes:

"Instead of reasonably highlighting these non-existent things, why not reasonably lower Ou Xiangrong's IQ? You showed great wit in the garage; why are you acting stupid now?"

Ah, right. Ou Xiangrong's mental state was already abnormal, and he was severely injured. As for the extent, outsiders didn't know, so I can describe it however I want. Anyway, he can't exactly crawl out of his coffin to defend himself. Zhang Yuanqing's eyes lit up:

"Understood, thank you, Sister Guan Ya."

He immediately began typing on the keyboard, describing Ou Xiangrong's madness and irrationality, while simultaneously deciding how to handle the "Bloodthirsty Blade."

The function of the Demon Subduing Pestle was more inclined toward purification and suppressing demons rather than melee combat; the Bloodthirsty Blade undoubtedly made up for this shortcoming.

Its inherent bleeding and armor-piercing effects were a perfect match for the assassin attributes of a Night Wanderer.

The only thing to consider was anemia.

Once my experience points go up and my abilities improve, the strong vitality and self-healing power of a Night Wanderer should be able to support using both items at the same time—pestle to extinguish demons, blade to slash the wicked. Thinking about it, it's still pretty good. After Zhang Yuanqing finished the report and sent it to Li Dongze's email, he asked:

"When will the rewards for clearing the Sheling Tunnel and the rewards for this mission be issued?"

"Your merit points require approval from the Council of Elders, and the same goes for the fund allocation; they'll likely be issued along with next month's salary," Guan Ya said with a beaming smile. "What, in such a rush to treat your big sister to a meal? Hmm, I want abalone, sea cucumber, roast duck, imported ham, and premium steak."

No, that's too expensive. I can only afford to treat you to a jianbing guozi with an extra sausage and two eggs, Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself.

He checked the time; it was already two-thirty in the afternoon, so he planned to head home.

"Where did the Squad Leader and the other captains go?" Zhang Yuanqing asked before leaving.

After learning of Ou Xiangrong's memories, Li Dongze had left in a hurry with the other captains, looking quite unrefined and leaving no instructions behind.

"A meeting."

Guan Ya held her phone, leaning back against the chair and accentuating her impressive cleavage with a smile.

"Large-scale meetings for the Spirit Realm Walkers of Kangyang District—mid-level meetings, that is—are usually held at Centurion Fu's place. Once you've been on the job for over half a year and have gained enough seniority, you'll be able to go there and have some fun."

"What's fun about that? I hate meetings the most," Zhang Yuanqing said, showing no interest.

Guan Ya blinked, flashing a knowing, seasoned smile. "There are plenty of beautiful bunny girls there."

Zhang Yuanqing wore a look of yearning. "I truly wish to participate in the organization's meetings as soon as possible and contribute to the building of our organization."