Voodoo Master

"What is it?" Zhang Yuanqing had a guess in his heart.

"A battle between Spirit Realm Walkers occurred here in Fenghui District, leaving one dead and one injured. We need you to come over for a Spirit Inquiry."

The sound on Li Dongze's end was chaotic, as if people were arguing.

Just as he thought, it was for a Spirit Inquiry. He knew the Squad Leader wouldn't be calling him for reinforcements, and he couldn't help with other matters anyway—after all, he was still just a kid.

"What about the Night Wanderer in Fenghui District?"

The Taiyi Sect assigned a Night Wanderer to every major district in Songhai; for Kangyang District, it was Yuan Ting.

Fenghui District naturally had one too.

"The deceased is a Voodoo Master. The spirit bodies of Voodoo Masters are notoriously evil and ferocious, and this particular Voodoo Master is a bit different. The risk of Spirit Devour is quite high. The Taiyi Sect's Night Wanderer is unwilling to take the risk, which led to a dispute with our colleagues in Fenghui District," Li Dongze's voice sounded heavy.

As he spoke, the noise on the other end of the phone intensified.

A Voodoo Master's spirit body? Zhang Yuanqing felt a surge of joy upon hearing this. He had read a lot of occupational data over the past few days; if ranked by mental strength, Night Wanderers and Illusionists were tied for first, with Voodoo Masters coming in next.

This could yield a lot of experience.

However, Zhang Yuanqing frowned and said, "The Taiyi Sect is also an official organization. This falls within their scope of duty. Is there no one to manage him?"

Even if there were risks, since they enjoyed the benefits and treatment of an official organization, they should do their jobs instead of occupying a position without doing any work.

"The Taiyi Sect is different from the Five Elements Alliance. Night Wanderers are rare, the Council of Elders is in the Capital City, and the Night Wanderer captains of each major district are all of equal rank," Li Dongze's tone was filled with helplessness.

Complaining was certainly possible, but it would require filing a report to the Capital City; there was no direct superior in Songhai to handle it.

He would definitely file a complaint later, but for now, the work had to be done.

Because of the ferocity of the Voodoo Master's spirit body, Night Wanderers from other districts wouldn't risk themselves for an incident in someone else's jurisdiction.

At this moment, the importance of the Five Elements Alliance's own Night Wanderers became apparent.

"I'll be there right away," Zhang Yuanqing said.

Just then, he vaguely heard someone speaking through the speakerphone: "Li Dongze, your approach is inappropriate. Although I really need a Spirit Inquiry, he is still only Level 1."

The voice cut off abruptly, and Li Dongze hung up.

Zhang Yuanqing hung up the phone. Old Driver spun her office chair around, turned to face him, and smiled.

"Judging by the voice, it sounds like Datang Li Yuanfang from the Second Team. The Second Team in Fenghui District hasn't made any contributions for a long time, and their performance has always been at the bottom, which is why the Night Wanderer in that district is so arrogant."

Datang Li Yuanfang? What a name! Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself.

Guan Ya added, "The captain of the Second Team in Fenghui District is also from our White Tiger Corps."

Old Driver shot him a flirtatious look.

She was hinting that he should build good relationships with the middle management of the White Tiger Corps and trade favors. Zhang Yuanqing said with a complicated expression:

"Sister Guan Ya, you're so good to me, are you in love with me? Are you trying to rob the cradle?"

Pfft! Wang Tai, sitting at the next desk, was drinking water and sprayed it out instantly.

He looked at his two colleagues in horror. When did they get together? How did I not notice at all?

"Rob the cradle?" Guan Ya's willow eyebrows arched, veins throbbing on her smooth forehead as she bit her luscious lips. "Yuanshi, I think we have time for a sparring match before the Squad Leader's car returns."

"I was wrong!" Zhang Yuanqing knew when to yield.

The black business car drove into the Public Security Bureau of Fenghui District. Through the window, Zhang Yuanqing saw Li Dongze leaning on his cane, waiting early in front of the office building.

After getting out of the car, the two nodded at each other and entered the office building together.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the morgue.

Outside the morgue, in the spacious and bright corridor, seven or eight Spirit Realm Walkers were gathered. Zhang Yuanqing scanned them casually, guessing their professions based on their appearance and temperament.

Muscular and looking irritable—definitely a Fire Master. What profession has a bird standing on its shoulder? Hmm, the Squad Leader said that Wood Demons of the Hundred Flowers Society love animals. The one with the dull expression must be an Earth Monster.

These Spirit Realm Walkers all looked quite indignant.

Finally, Zhang Yuanqing looked at the middle-aged man walking toward them. He was about forty, with sunken eyes, an aquiline nose, and thin lips, giving off a sharp and serious impression.

"Let me introduce you. This is the captain of the Second Team in Fenghui District, a Level 3 Scout. His Spirit Realm ID is Datang Li Yuanfang." Li Dongze's lips curled into a smile as he introduced the other's ID.

"Li Dongze, you can't wait to introduce my Spirit Realm ID to everyone every single day." The middle-aged man sighed, looked at Zhang Yuanqing, and a smile appeared on his serious face:

"I was obsessed with TV dramas set in the Tang Dynasty a few years ago, so I chose this name. You must be the new Night Wanderer recruited by our White Tiger Corps. Young and talented."

I wonder if there's anyone named Di Renjie; if you two met, it would definitely be awkward—no, hilarious. Zhang Yuanqing suppressed his laughter, shook hands with him enthusiastically, and kept calling him "Captain."

This made the smile on Li Yuanfang's face grow wider. "It's still better to have our own Night Wanderer."

After sighing, he continued:

"You've heard about the incident from Li Dongze, right? I'm very sorry, but the Taiyi Sect's Night Wanderer stationed in Fenghui District refused to perform the Spirit Inquiry. We had no choice but to ask for your help."

The muscular young man snorted coldly, "Even if there are risks in devouring a Voodoo Master, it's not like it's fatal. Do we not face risks when we fight Evil Professions on the front lines? The Taiyi Sect's Night Wanderers are always so high and mighty. Every time we ask them for help, it's like we're begging them."

The young man with the bird on his shoulder laughed, "That's why I said, it's better to have our own people."

Li Yuanfang waved his hand, cutting off his subordinate's grumbling, and mused:

"Although Li Dongze has vouched for you, I still have to remind you that a Voodoo Master's mental strength is extremely powerful, chaotic, and manic, and the deceased was a Level 3 Voodoo Master."

"His residual spirit is extremely dangerous. Are you sure you can handle it?"

Several team members immediately looked at Zhang Yuanqing, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "No problem, I'm sure."

The Spirit Realm Walkers of Fenghui District looked relieved. Li Yuanfang's expression softened, and he looked at Zhang Yuanqing with a touch of newfound approval.

"Sorry for the trouble," he said with a nod.

Li Dongze immediately led Zhang Yuanqing into the morgue and closed the door, blocking out the colleagues from Fenghui District who were eager to crowd in and watch.

Leaning on his cane, Li Dongze walked to a steel gurney and pulled back the white sheet covering the corpse.

Seeing the body beneath the sheet, Zhang Yuanqing was startled, his face showing shock.

The corpse had short, ink-green hair, and its dark brown skin was rough and tough. Thick, armor-like keratin covered its joints, such as the elbows and knees. Its fingernails were ink-black, sharp, and curved at the tips, containing deadly poison.

The skin on its face was also dark brown, and its unfocused, dull pupils were vertical like a snake's, with amber-colored irises.

Li Dongze leaned on his cane with one hand and explained:

"Voodoo Masters of the Transcendental Realm have two main methods. First, raising voodoo insects to kill invisibly. Second, assimilating with the voodoo, gaining an ability based on the insect's characteristics to enhance close-quarters combat—such as self-healing, vitality, strength, speed, or toxicity."

Zhang Yuanqing sighed. "Sounds powerful. Truly worthy of an Evil Profession."

It is worth noting that among the local Spirit Realm professions, Voodoo Master, Illusionist, and Bewitching Demon are top-tier, on par with the Night Wanderer.

Therefore, there are only three Evil Professions, and their numbers cannot compare to the official Spirit Realm Walkers.

Li Dongze said, "He was killed while undergoing voodoo transformation, so his body remained in this state. Hah, he didn't die very gracefully. Because he fused with the voodoo insect, his spirit is full of malice and bestiality, carrying immense spiritual pollution. That is why the Night Wanderers of the Taiyi Sect don't want to touch it."

Zhang Yuanqing nodded.

He had the Demon Subduing Pestle to protect him, so he did not fear spiritual pollution.

Li Dongze continued:

"The person who fought him was also a Voodoo Master. After our people arrived, we killed one, and the other escaped with injuries. We suspect this person might be a member of the Spirit Energy Society or a subordinate of Black Impermanence.

"Let's hurry. Let's see what clues we can get this time. I think the Second Team colleagues outside are already impatient."

Zhang Yuanqing nodded, opened his inventory, took out the Demon Subduing Pestle to hand to Li Dongze, and then walked to the humanoid corpse, awakening the residual spiritual energy sleeping within it.

A phantom figure slowly floated out, its face dull yet filled with ferocity and gloom.

It's even more manic than the spirit of Ou Xiangrong. I want to eat it, but I don't want to eat it. Zhang Yuanqing sighed silently. Thick black light surged in his eyes, filling his sockets. He opened his mouth and inhaled, swallowing the spirit into his belly.

A throbbing pain erupted in the center of his forehead as countless chaotic memories flashed through his mind.

These memories were fragmented and messy. Zhang Yuanqing half-guessed and half-pieced together parts of the deceased's life.

Before becoming a Spirit Realm Walker, this Voodoo Master was an unemployed drifter who loved to fight. He specialized in collecting debts for loan sharks, working security at nightclubs, running honey traps, and forcing migrant women into prostitution.

He did every evil deed imaginable, yet lived a comfortable life.

Through a stroke of fate, he gained the favor of the Spirit Realm, a Role Card descended from the heavens, and he became a Spirit Realm Walker.

He named himself "Outlaw." After becoming a Spirit Realm Walker, he became obsessed with "charity." Once he accumulated enough morality points, he began slaughtering ordinary people and raping women to vent the evil in his heart.

These fragmented, chaotic memories were painful for Zhang Yuanqing. His worldview suffered a violent shock, and a sense of malice that despised everything began to grow in his heart.

At that moment, he read the key memory he was looking for.

In a luxuriously decorated tea room, a man whose upper face was covered by a silver mask sat by a glass round table, sipping tea from a ceramic cup.

He looked at "Zhang Yuanqing" across the table and said:

"Judge of Ghostly Eyes is dead. The position of the East District President of the Spirit Energy Society belongs to the Master. The two vice presidents have been fighting for so many years; it's finally settled."

"How did Judge of Ghostly Eyes die?" Zhang Yuanqing heard the host's voice.

"That is not something you should know." The man in the silver mask's gaze sharpened.

"Apologies, Deacon."

The masked man's gaze softened. He poured him a cup of tea and said:

"Black Impermanence has gone into hiding with the Holy Grail and the Roster. The Holy Grail is a rule-based item for the Voodoo Master profession; its importance goes without saying. The Roster gathers the servants that Judge of Ghostly Eyes has subdued over the years.

"Control the Roster, and you can control numerous Spirit Realm Walkers. Both items are very important. Outlaw, our chance to perform a meritorious service has arrived. Help the Master find Black Impermanence and consolidate the strength of the East District branch, and we will be able to contend with the Songhai branch of the Five Elements Alliance."

"Then, Deacon, what should I do?"

Outlaw's breathing grew slightly rapid, his tone tinged with excitement.

"I have a list of Black Impermanence's subordinates. You will follow the list to search for them; perhaps you can find Black Impermanence's hiding place. Of course, the people on the list have already gone into hiding. They are 'Unbridled', 'Unjust Heaven', 'Merciless Killer', and 'Moist Matron'. Their real-world identities are..."