Successor of the Devil Lord

Pushing the door open, Zhang Yuanqing saw Yuan Ting sitting by the conference table, a cigarette pinched between his fingers, leaning back in his chair with a slightly lazy posture and a smile on his face.

Beside this Night Wanderer sat a pen holder, in which a command flag was inserted. It was made of silk with an iron-tipped pole, the flag surface a solid black background embroidered with silver cloud patterns, with the character "Command" stitched in the center.

Looking at it, it was no different from the command flags used in ancient armies.

Zhang Yuanqing took a seat, straightened his back, and asked, "Captain Yuan, what do you need me for? Let's get this straight: I'm very happy in the Second Team and have no intention of jumping ship."

He used a joking tone to probe the other's intentions.

"You cleared the Sheling Tunnel, and Centurion Fu values you highly; I couldn't poach you even if I wanted to. Sigh, you might not know this, but when Centurion Fu was asking for that walkthrough for you, our Taiyi Sect's Elder Sun thought you couldn't possibly clear it and didn't claim you. Now it's too late to regret it; many in the sect have voiced their complaints, feeling you have great potential and might ascend to Saint in the future. Oh, I've said too much, said too much." Yuan Ting explained himself:

"I'm a rather talkative person; I hope you don't mind."

Oh, so that's what it means for Elder Sun to be muddled? Zhang Yuanqing nodded.

"Smoke?"

"I don't really smoke."

"When I was your age, I didn't smoke either, until I became a Night Wanderer and was scared out of my wits during a trial mission, which led to my addiction. Although it's not a good thing, it really does relieve stress. Every Night Wanderer has quirks, more or less."

"I have a friend named Jian Ji. When he first became a Night Wanderer, he was so traumatized that he needed to watch an hour of Teletubbies every day to soothe his emotions and ease his fear. He still hasn't been able to break that habit to this day, hahaha."

Captain Yuan, you are indeed very talkative, but how can you spread your friend's embarrassing stories everywhere? Zhang Yuanqing complained inwardly, while maintaining a look of earnest listening on the surface.

After chattering for a while, Yuan Ting finally remembered the main business, coughed, and said solemnly:

"We are looking for a lucky person, the lucky person who obtained the Devil Lord's inheritance. Every newly promoted Night Wanderer this year is a target of our investigation, including you. 'Devil Lord' is the ID of a high-level Spirit Realm Walker."

Devil Lord's inheritance? Zhang Yuanqing said blankly, "I don't understand what you mean."

"Let me be clearer. According to our official speculation, the Spirit Realm does not issue Role Cards without limit; there is a certain cap. Therefore, when every Spirit Realm Walker dies, everything they possess is reclaimed by the Spirit Realm, including their Role Card."

Yuan Ting lit another cigarette. "Among them, when high-level Spirit Realm Walkers die, the Spirit Realm does not perform a 100% format; the Role Card retains some special attributes, which are then issued to newcomers. We call this phenomenon inheritance."

There's such a thing? Zhang Yuanqing understood and pondered:

"May I ask who the Devil Lord was, and the purpose of your search for his successor? This concerns me personally, and I hope you can understand."

Yuan Ting was surprisingly frank and spoke bluntly:

"I don't know the higher-ups' purpose in searching for the Devil Lord's successor. For middle-level cadres like us, we just follow orders. As for the Devil Lord..."

A look of hatred and fear appeared on Yuan Ting's face as he said in a low voice:

"He was a fallen Night Wanderer, a mortal enemy of our Taiyi Sect. Many official Spirit Realm Walkers died at his hands—some from the Five Elements Alliance, some from the Taiyi Sect. Even the elders in the sect were extremely wary of him, and he once threw the official organization into a panic."

"The Sect Master once commented that this man was the most potential-filled and terrifying Night Wanderer of the last thirty years."

I don't know if he's terrifying, but he must have been a chuunibyou. Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly asked:

"Then how do we identify the Devil Lord's successor? Or rather, how should I cooperate with you?"

It sounds like the Devil Lord's successor has nothing to do with the Devil Lord himself. As a righteous organization, the Taiyi Sect wouldn't vent their anger on an innocent person, would they?

Yuan Ting said frankly again:

"There are two special features of the Devil Lord's successor. First, the mark on the Role Card is not a Crescent Moon, but a Full Moon. Second, when clearing a dungeon, they receive one more exclusive Role Card reward than an ordinary Night Wanderer."

!!! Zhang Yuanqing remained calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil, his mind filled with "Holy crap."

Isn't this exactly my Role Card?

The Role Card Brother Bing sent me. Is it the Devil Lord's?

Why would Brother Bing have the Devil Lord's Role Card, and what was his relationship with the Devil Lord?

I always thought the Red Dancing Shoes' exclusive Role Card reward was the norm. It seems the Devil Lord's inheritance gave me this specialty. Fortunately, the scarcity of rule-based items allowed me to hide the fact about the exclusive reward.

Squad Leader and Old Driver only know I have a rule-based item, but they don't know about the exclusive Role Card reward.

Various thoughts flashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind.

He did not let his thoughts wander aimlessly, quickly steadying his mind, and said with a regretful smile:

"It seems I am not the Devil Lord's successor. I always thought I was special, after all, I even cleared the Sheling Tunnel."

"Captain Yuan, how should I show my mark? It's not under my control."

The mark represented the Spirit Realm. Except for the night the Role Card was activated and when leveling up in the Spirit Realm, where a Black Moon mark appeared on his forehead, it seemed non-existent at other times.

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

"Low-level Spirit Realm Walkers cannot influence their marks. This kind of stylish 'fashion' is a privilege of high-level walkers. I don't need to see your mark; I only need to discern lies."

As he spoke, he looked at the pen holder beside him and explained:

"This command flag is an item I borrowed from Centurion Fu. Its ability is to make people obey and make it impossible for them to lie. The cost is that I cannot lie either."

Zhang Yuanqing tried his best to maintain the smile on his face.

At this moment, no words could describe his current mood.

Yuan Ting stopped wasting time, pulled out the command flag, pointed it at Zhang Yuanqing from a distance, and said in a low voice:

"Then, I ask you now: is your Night Wanderer mark a Crescent Moon or a Full Moon?"

As the words fell, Zhang Yuanqing felt a majestic and vast power from the void envelop him, making him feel awe from the bottom of his heart, forcing him to obey involuntarily, afraid to hide anything, and wishing he could pour out all his secrets.

His nerves tightened uncontrollably, his scalp tingling in waves.

What is the Taiyi Sect's goal in searching for the successor of the Devil Lord? If it were simply to recruit talent, they wouldn't be so vague and ambiguous; after all, that would be standard practice.

There must be a deeper, underlying reason.

The Role Card was given to me by Brother Bing, so it might even involve him.

His taut emotions slowly curdled into anxiety. Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing thought of the Infant Spirit residing within his body; a master can transfer damage and negative effects to a spirit servant, letting it share the burden.

Although the power of the Command Flag was vast and majestic, it didn't possess substantive lethality. Little Doubi should be fine—it was worth a try.

He immediately calmed his emotions and communicated with the Infant Spirit within, briefly linking their souls.

Suddenly, that vast and majestic power surged along his spiritual body and into the Infant Spirit.

The slumbering Infant Spirit kicked its legs, as if having a nightmare.

In an instant, his mind relaxed, and that feeling of awe and fear dissipated.

"Crescent Moon!"

Zhang Yuanqing stated the answer in a low voice.

Yuan Ting remained silent for a few seconds, maintaining the gesture of pointing the Command Flag, and asked:

"Do you have a Role Card exclusive reward?"

"No."

Yuan Ting fell silent again. After a dozen seconds, he sighed and retracted the Command Flag. "You have passed the screening. I will report the results to the organization. The Taiyi Sect attaches great importance to the successor of the Devil Lord, so similar checks may follow. Additionally, if you discover any Night Wanderer with these two characteristics, you must inform me. The Taiyi Sect will offer a heavy reward."

No matter how much money you offer, I won't report myself. Zhang Yuanqing breathed a silent sigh of relief, patted his chest, and said:

"Once I find one, I will notify you immediately."

Yuan Ting nodded with satisfaction:

"Actually, becoming the successor of the Devil Lord isn't necessarily a good thing. The Spirit Realm has a balancing mechanism. Spirit Realm Walkers who possess such special traits are often assigned high-difficulty tasks. Always remember: rewards and risks are always directly proportional."

Zhang Yuanqing laughed: "The successor of the Devil Lord is truly pitiful."

That was his honest thought.

Yuan Ting put the pen holder and Command Flag back into his briefcase and held out his phone:

"If you don't mind, let's add each other. There are too few Night Wanderers in the Five Elements Alliance, and no one can teach you the experience and knowledge of your own profession. If you have any questions, you can consult me."

You really are a good person. Zhang Yuanqing happily scanned the code and added him as a friend.

Yuan Ting put his phone away and added with a smile: "I do charge a consultation fee."

I have to pay? Zhang Yuanqing's expression went blank.

"By the way, you've been a Night Wanderer for almost a week, right?" Yuan Ting said:

"According to the experience we've gathered, newly promoted Night Wanderers will enter the Spirit Realm again within the next one to two weeks, most likely in a multi-player adversarial Spirit Realm."

Does that mean I'll receive a mission in at most a week? I think I remember who this guy is—he swindled two hundred yuan out of me last night! Zhang Yuanqing felt both heavy-hearted and expectant, and asked: "How much for this intelligence?"

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 Squad Leader Yuan. Can it be free?"

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

"Among the subsequent skills of a Night Wanderer, is there Solar Power?"

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

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

"I have no more questions."

Watching the Taiyi Sect's Night Wanderer leave the conference room and head down the steel stairs, Zhang Yuanqing walked toward the office of the Squad Leader.

The situation at his aunt's hospital still needed to be reported, but the narrative had to be changed. He couldn't expose any information related to Little Doubi; he couldn't let anyone know he had a spirit servant—not at this stage.

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

"I stand at the forefront of the storm, gripping the rotation of the sun and moon, wishing that in both heaven and earth, all may be in perfect order—"

The singing stopped, followed by a knock on the door.

Li Dongze replied: "Come in."