Lady of Three Paths Mountain

The next day, Zhang Yuanqing received a text from Guan Ya:

"Wang Qian's identity has been verified. There's no problem. Since it was an accident, it doesn't count as illegally creating a Spirit Servant."

"Okay."

"Go to the hospital and have Wang Qian fill out a Spirit Realm Walker File and a written pledge. Bring them back for the records. After all, this is your case."

"Okay."

"So obedient. Then Big Sister will give you another piece of advice. You've been part of the official organization for a while now. It's time to build up your connections and channels. Stop-Killing Palace is an influential civilian organization in Songhai. You could try bringing Wang Qian on as an informant. Maybe you'll be able to get in touch with Stop-Killing Palace in the future."

"Good idea. That way, my future wife won't have a difficult labor."

"Haha, you're hilarious. Anyway, speaking of which, isn't it almost time for you to enter the Spirit Realm for the second time?"

"I hope it won't be S-rank again."

"It probably won't be, but statistically speaking, it's not impossible. Squad Leader and I are both looking forward to seeing how you perform in your second Spirit Realm."

"Why?"

"Solo Spirit Realms test your talent, while group Spirit Realms hone your abilities. The dungeons might not be as dangerous as solo Spirit Realms, but you'll meet other Spirit Realm Walkers there, which adds a lot of unpredictable factors. That's when a person's overall abilities really show."

While they chatted intermittently, Zhang Yuanqing finished washing up and sat down at the table.

"Which little vixen are you chatting with?" His aunt hurried over, looking annoyed.

"What's it to you?" Zhang Yuanqing pressed a hand to her forehead and shoved her away.

Jiang Yu'er angrily challenged him to a duel. Zhang Yuanqing accepted without hesitation, and then they were both subdued by their short-tempered Grandmother.

After breakfast, Zhang Yuanqing put on a baseball cap and mask, then went out and took a taxi to Pingtai Hospital.

In the outpatient office, Zhang Yuanqing looked at the young doctor's dejected expression and smiled.

"You look like you're in a bad mood."

After a moment of silence, Wang Qian said with a bleak look in his eyes, "He's vanished. I can't sense him anymore."

Poor guy! Zhang Yuanqing comforted him. "He was already lost before he was born. It was only a matter of time before you had to say goodbye."

Wang Qian's spirits remained low.

"He was my sister's first child and my first nephew. My mother quit her job so she could take better care of my sister. She'd bought a stroller, pacifiers, and clothes long ago. Our whole family was waiting for him to be born, getting ready to welcome the next generation."

"After the miscarriage, my sister was devastated. She cried every day. My mother would hide away and cry, too. She blamed herself, thinking she hadn't taken good enough care of her daughter.

"For the past half month, I've been afraid I'd sense him at the hospital. It would remind me of how helpless I was and of how much pain my family was in. But I can't help wanting to get close to him, to keep him company. He's so little. He must be so lonely."

Zhang Yuanqing didn't try to comfort him again. He listened quietly as Wang Qian poured out his feelings.

If you do well in the future, I'll let you see him. But first, agree to become my informant.

Once Wang Qian had recovered, Zhang Yuanqing said, "I called you here for two things. First, fill out a form and sign a written pledge. From now on, you'll be a registered Spirit Realm Walker. The authorities won't interfere with you too much, as long as you don't break the law or use your abilities to do evil.

"Second, would you be interested in becoming my informant?"

"The first thing's no problem. As for the second..." Wang Qian studied him. "I don't become just anyone's informant. Besides, I need to report this to my superior and get permission."

Stop-Killing Palace had a decent relationship with the authorities, and he didn't mind serving as an informant for the official organization. If it had been the woman who'd fought with such ruthless precision the day before, he would have accepted without complaint.

But this guy in front of him looked even younger than he was. Wang Qian wasn't convinced by him.

"That's no problem." Zhang Yuanqing nodded.

"What's your Spirit Realm ID? I need to know who you are," Wang Qian asked.

Every time I tell someone my ID, I'm afraid I'll get beaten up. Zhang Yuanqing's expression turned solemn, and he enunciated every word.

"Yuanshi Tianzun!"

"Yuanshi Tianzun? That's a pretty imposing name, but I've never heard of you."

Wang Qian shook his head and casually typed out a text to report the matter to his superior.

Stop-Killing Palace and the authorities generally kept out of each other's business, and their relationship was decent. Still, there was a clear distinction between officials and civilians. The organization didn't want its members getting too close to the authorities.

So his superior would never agree.

Besides, if he was going to work with an official, it should be someone at the level of a team leader or an executive. That young man was clearly a low-level employee. If he were a well-known Spirit Realm Walker, Wang Qian would have heard of him.

But the name "Yuanshi Tianzun" meant nothing to him. He didn't think there was much point in working with a government Walker like that.

After that, he focused on his work. Once he'd seen several patients, his phone rang. The caller ID read: Great Sage of Love Madness.

Wang Qian answered. A deep male voice came through the speaker.

"Saint Hand, did you say the person you're working with is named Yuanshi Tianzun?"

Wang Qian's ID was "Divine Physician Saint Hand."

"Yes, Group Leader," Wang Qian said. "I didn't agree. I turned him down indirectly."

At the same time, he found it a little strange. A text would have been enough to tell his superior about this. Why had he called?

Songhai wouldn't be peaceful in the near future. They needed to keep a close eye on the authorities' movements. Agree to it," Great Sage of Love Madness said.

"All right. I'll get back to him," Wang Qian replied in a low voice.

"Keep an eye on him while you're at it. I mean Yuanshi Tianzun."

"Huh? Why?" Wang Qian was taken aback. The man was just an ordinary government Walker.

"I learned through a confidential channel that a newcomer cleared Sheling Tunnel a while ago and broke the record. A few days ago, he also killed a Level 3 Bewitching Demon."

"Could it be..."

"His ID is Yuanshi Tianzun."

The name Yuanshi Tianzun flashed through Wang Qian's mind, along with the expression on the young man's face when he'd introduced himself.

Respect!

The full moon hung high above the abandoned ancient temple, which stood silent beneath its light.

A beautiful woman in an ancient-style skirt stood proudly on the roof of the main hall, gazing at the full moon in the sky.

She had a delicate, oval face, eyes clear as autumn water, brows like distant mountains, and full, sensual lips. Her cool beauty carried an indescribable brightness.

"This isn't Great Ming. Who pulled me into this pocket dimension while I was asleep?"

She furrowed her delicate brows and murmured to herself.

After a moment of thought, she fixed her gaze on the full moon.

Two brilliant beams of golden light shot from her eyes toward the Lunar Moon in the sky.

"Hmm!"

The entire space shook violently. The golden beams struck an invisible barrier and burst into blinding rays, bathing the world in a dazzling golden glow.

The twin beams held for half a quarter of an hour before slowly fading.

Crimson blood trickled from Lady of Three Paths Mountain's eyes and ran down her pale cheeks.

"Without finding the other half of my yang soul, I can't break out of here."

She raised a slender hand and gently wiped the blood from her cheek, then gave a cold snort. "If I can't return, I'll cause a great commotion in this world instead."

Lady of Three Paths Mountain formed hand seals rapidly, made a sword sign with her fingers, and abruptly pointed at the sky.

Whoosh!

A terrifying sword aura surged from her fingertips and shot into the heavens, melting a hole in the sky that collapsed inward.

Lady of Three Paths Mountain transformed into a golden beam and shot through the rift in the heavens.

Capital City, Siheyuan.

Beneath the locust tree, Elder Sun lounged comfortably in a rocking chair. Peking opera drifted from the radio on the tea table.

Suddenly, a golden sun appeared between his brows. It trembled violently, radiating scorching heat, while a tremendous pressure surged from the mark.

This... Elder Sun sprang to his feet, his expression grave.

Just then, a distant, dignified voice echoed in his heart.

"The Night Wanderer Spirit Realm has changed. Notify our disciples in every region. Missions may behave abnormally in the near future. Report any anomalies immediately."

"Yes, Sect Master."

Mu Qiu was a Level 2 Night Wanderer of Taiyi Sect. As a profession with top-tier combat strength, he could hold his own against Level 3 members of other professions, even without considering items.

That made him the team leader of Liusha District in Hangzhou.

"Captain, the Hangzhou Branch of the Five Elements Alliance sent you an email. Please take a look." His assistant brought over a laptop.

Mu Qiu glanced at the screen and said coolly, "Reply and tell them to find a Night Wanderer from another district."

The email asked him to perform Spirit Inquiry. Recently, branches of the Five Elements Alliance had been frantically arresting and interrogating unaffiliated Spirit Realm Walkers, screening them for potential Fallen ones.

Those who stubbornly resisted were to be killed on the spot.

Nine out of ten unaffiliated Spirit Realm Walkers who were killed deserved it. Those who obeyed the law and had a clear conscience weren't opposed to dealing with the official organization.

They simply didn't join because they didn't want to be constrained.

Only those with criminal records feared being invited in for tea.

Mu Qiu refused to perform Spirit Inquiry, but not because he feared the aftereffects of Spirit Devour. He was a man of principle. If he held a position, he had to fulfill its responsibilities. Since he'd taken the job, he had to shoulder the duties that came with it.

But not these next few days, because his solo Spirit Realm dungeon was about to open.

If he cleared this solo Spirit Realm, he'd advance to Level 3 and enter the ranks of the peak Transcendence Realm.

Over the past few days, he'd applied for a large number of Level 2-to-Level 3 solo Spirit Realms. Although the Spirit Realm changed in real time, it still followed certain cycles, and Taiyi Sect compiled its guides faster than the Spirit Realm changed.

That made the guides extremely useful. They could greatly improve the chances of clearing a dungeon.

Just then, Mu Qiu heard the familiar Spirit Realm notification:

[ Ding, Spirit Realm map opening. You will enter the Spirit Realm in three minutes. Your current Spirit Realm is "Night Wanderer—Minghu Town." Number: 0128 ]

[Difficulty: S]

[Type: Solo (death-type)]

[Main quest: Investigate the cause of the townspeople's mysterious deaths.]

[Note: Items not belonging to the Spirit Realm cannot be brought in.]

[Spirit Realm No. 0128 introduction: No one knows when it began, but the residents of the town started dying one after another. No one knows why. Some say it's because fishermen pulled a coffin from the lake. Some say a cat's head was hung from the locust tree at the village entrance. Some say a strange snake with a woman's face appeared on the back hill. Some say the widow at the head of the village became mysteriously pregnant.]

[Shh. Don't speak. Don't speak. They're coming.]

Mu Qiu's face turned as pale as paper. Despair and bewilderment filled his eyes.

When had Minghu Town become an S-rank mission?

PS: I have to get a filling this afternoon, and it'll probably take several hours. I'm afraid I won't have time to write tonight, so I worked like crazy to finish a chapter ahead of time. Enjoy the early update.