Chapter 28: Cousin
Beneath the canopy of a coffee shop, Zhang Yuanqing clutched a steaming cup of coffee, staring blankly at the street. Street lamps, car headlights, and shop lights wove together into a brilliant, bustling night scene.
After a long while, he took a large gulp, then exhaled deeply as if expelling all the mental contamination from his chest.
Devouring spirits to increase strength… It seems like a crooked path, he thought to himself.
He finally understood why the Nocturnal Specters of the Taiyi Sect were unwilling to devour spirits.
If the world was a sea of suffering, mortals were like small boats drifting within it, entangled in sorrow and pain. Each person carried their own misfortunes and anguish.
When a Nocturnal Specter absorbed a spirit, a small portion of those sufferings would be transferred over into them. Even though each spirit only transferred over a portion of their pain, when this accumulated to a certain degree, the resulting mental contamination was terrifying.
In the long run, even a mental breakdown would be considered mild.
However, the benefits were immediate and undeniable. He was now 46% to the next level. The duration of his Night Wandering skill remained at nine seconds, but his physical capabilities had improved significantly, and his vitality and healing powers had also grown.
This was solid progress.
By the way, he wondered, I still don't know how that deviant fellow died… No, I actually don't want to know at all.
He took another sip of coffee, still shaken.
***
It was morning at the villa.
In the large conference room that could accommodate thirty people, Fu Qingyang let his gaze sweep across both sides of the long table. His eyes were calm yet profound, like storm clouds gathering their fury.
He was handsome, possessing the nobility and arrogance of an aristocratic heir. When expressionless, his presence was overwhelming, exerting tremendous psychological pressure.
At that moment, his expression was cold.
"We deployed five captains, over ten team members, and dozens of Public Security Officers, yet the Enchanting Demon still escaped. I am extremely disappointed in all of you," he declared.
Seated on both sides of the long conference table were the participants from that operation: five captains and twelve team members, including Li Dongze and Guan Ya.
In the face of such criticism from their steward-level superior, the captains kept their heads down, not daring to speak.
Big Muscle hesitated, but couldn't hold back any longer. He said in a low voice, "Centurion Fu, Ou Xiangrong seems to have been corrupted by some evil force, and has become exceptionally powerful and crazed. That's why we failed. Moreover, Enchanting Demon is already a top tier class—"
Fu Qingyang cut him off flatly, saying, "Failure is failure. Any excuse is just a coward's refusal to admit their defeat."
His sharp gaze swept across all those present. None of the Spirit Realm Walkers at the table dared meet his eyes, except for Guan Ya.
She looked down, absentmindedly playing with her nails.
Fu Qingyang continued, "Because of your failure, the situation has escalated. A severely wounded Enchanting Demon corrupted by an evil force could easily lose complete control. Given the cruelty of Enchanting Demons, massive casualties are inevitable.
"Now every Spirit Realm Walker squad in Songhai City is participating in the search. If Ou Xiangrong isn't eliminated within three days, you'll all be sent back to the training camp."
Li Dongze, Green Vine, Tang Guoqiang, and the other captains exchanged grim looks.
Fu Qingyang sneered, "Of course, I've also failed in this matter because I held mistaken expectations of you and overestimated your abilities. Therefore, I will personally participate in the manhunt for the next three days.
"Since Ou Xiangrong is searching for the Holy Grail and Registry, he will definitely shift his attention to Zhao Yingjun's family members or other women he had intimate relationships with. We'll hunt along that line."
After his subordinates nodded, he glanced at his expensive watch, then declared, "Your time is running out. Dismissed! Guan Ya, stay behind."
The lengthy meeting finally ended. It was already past mealtime.
The Spirit Realm Walkers rose dejectedly, bowed toward the head of the table, and filed out of the conference room in orderly fashion.
The five captains led the way. Big Muscle, towering at a height of nearly six-and-a-half feet, lowered his voice in anger.
"I don't deny my failure, but Centurion Fu behaved too arrogantly. He wasn't even at the site and doesn't know how powerful Ou Xiangrong was."
The man in the tight-fitting suit touched the still-bleeding knife wound on his chest and snorted.
"While we were fighting for our lives outside, he was sitting on handcrafted sofas in his villa, savoring fine wine, smoking cigars, and enjoying the services of bunny girls."
As if on cue, three bunny girls carrying pastries walked upstairs into the conference room.
All the servants in the villa were tall, young bunny girls with slender figures and beautiful faces.
White Dragon lightly patted one bunny girl's shapely rear as she whispered, "I heard that Centurion Fu is extremely popular in the White Tiger Legion. Among the Four Young Masters, he's the only one who can compete with that Young Master from the Crimson Fire Gang."
Fu Qingyang had been transferred from the capital to Songhai at the end of the previous year. Supposedly, he was there to gain experience for a few years and build up his resume, after which he would return to the capital as a candidate for the Council of Elders.
Big Muscle snorted lightly and said dismissively, "Those are just rumors. Our Young Master is the most outstanding among the younger generation of the Five Elements Alliance."
Green Vine looked over at Li Dongze.
"What do you think, Squad Leader Li?" she asked.
Li Dongze chuckled with a cigarette between his teeth, and said, "Of course it's because he has money. That's what you're all thinking, right?"
Isn't it? The other captains glanced at him.
"Foolish!"
Li Dongze tapped his temple. "Use your not-so-bright heads to think things through. If things really escalate to the point Centurion Fu mentioned, someone would have to take responsibility for such a terrible incident. For such a major event, would being sent back to the training camp be enough?
"When Centurion Fu said he would send us back to the training camp, the other meaning behind those words is that if the worst case scenario occurs, he'll shoulder all the responsibility. We won't be dismissed or held accountable. We'd only be sent back to the training camp for three months even if we messed up something this serious."
He pulled out his lighter and lit the cigarette, then shrugged.
"Alright, let's get to work. Let's catch that bastard Ou Xiangrong as soon as possible."
***
In the conference room, Fu Qingyang stared at the woman doing her nails and frowned. "Li Dongze said you were injured?"
Guan Ya blew on her nails, then took out a compact mirror from her purse. While touching up her makeup, she said, "If you have something to say, just say it. I still have work to get back to."
A hint of helplessness broke through Fu Qingyang's otherwise stern face.
"Aunt called me," he said. "She wants you to return home next month to meet the fiancé she arranged for you."
Guan Ya snapped her compact mirror shut and said, "When I went back, I made it very clear to her that I wouldn't agree to a political marriage for the family. Just because she's willing to be a sacrifice for the family doesn't mean I am too.
"All you fellows from the Fu family are really boring. Qingyang, take power sooner and force those old fossils into retirement."
Fu Qingyang said in a deep voice, "If you don't want to go along with the arranged marriage, then show some results. Don't waste your talents by loafing around all day. The family elders only respect the strong, like me. Like her."
He sighed, then continued, "How about this? I'll transfer you to another squad. The third squad in Changtai District is excellent. They earn collective second-class merits several times a year. You can build your resume there, and I'll have good reason to refuse Aunt's proposal.
"There are too few talents in Li Dongze's second squad. It's hard to achieve merit there."
Guan Ya sighed, then said with a frown, "Squad Two really isn't competitive. It's hard for me to refuse. Let me think about it. There's an interesting little guy who joined our squad recently. Let me observe him a bit more."
She put away her mirror, picked up her purse, and walked toward the door with a smile.
"You should worry about yourself first," she warned him. "If Ou Xiangrong goes on a killing spree in Songhai, it'll leave an indelible stain on your record. They'll do everything to prevent you from entering the Council of Elders.
"In any case, your cousin is leaving now. Bye~"
***
It was morning. Zhang Yuanqing walked toward the main campus building, carrying his backpack.
He had specialized courses in the morning, after which he would find that seasoned veteran for a chat in the afternoon.
No, he corrected himself, finding colleagues to exchange feelings, deepen friendships, and expand my social network.
Students flowed toward the main campus building in small groups. Just as he reached the building, Zhang Yuanqing heard someone calling his name.
Turning around, he saw Li Lesheng and several other classmates.
Li Lesheng approached with several male students, his face full of anticipation as he extended an invitation.
"We're planning a mixer with some girls this weekend. Want to join us? I heard you're a local from Songhai."
A mixer? The weekend is the day after tomorrow.
Zhang Yuanqing pondered briefly then said, "Sure."
Li Lesheng and the other boys breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Let's exchange contact info then. With you joining us, I'm sure the girls will be willing to come out and have fun."
"Let's add each other as contacts."
The other male classmates pulled out their phones.
"Us too."
After exchanging contacts with his classmates, they all walked toward the main campus building together.
Li Lesheng smiled and said, "I heard from a female classmate from my hometown that Public Security Officers came looking for Xu Yingying yesterday, and then she cried her eyes out in the dorm."
Several of the male students were shocked by the news. After all, to college students, Public Security Officers were an incredibly distant group.
"Public Security Officers? What happened?"
Li Lesheng explained, "I heard that something happened to the rich guy who was taking care of Xu Yingying. The specifics aren't clear, but the officers were asking her about that man's situation."
"Maybe he ran off with his money? With the economy being bad these days, there are too many examples of rich people going bankrupt," someone speculated.
Zhang Yuanqing listened to his classmates' gossip while scanning the passing students. In the moderately crowded flow of people, he spotted a familiar figure. It was a beautiful girl with long, straight, black hair and light makeup, wearing a white dress.
It was Xu Yingying, the very subject of their conversation.
She was nestled against a man like a delicate bird, but the man wore a mask and had a buzz cut. His eyebrows were sparse, and a small section of a scar was visible above the edge of the mask.
Zhang Yuanqing's eyes narrowed.
Ou Xiangrong?!
He carefully observed Xu Yingying again. Only then did he notice some clues.
Her expression was stiff, and while she appeared to be nestling in Ou Xiangrong's embrace, it looked more like she was being forcefully kept there by his arm around her shoulder.
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