"Breaking free from the Holy Grail's control? Easier said than done!" Bing Ge's deep voice rumbled through the recording.
"The Fallen Holy Grail is a Rule Item. What's a Rule Item? I don't need to explain, do I? Anyone controlled by the Grail can never escape its grasp. Death is their only release."
"I'm bound by the Grail, unable to disobey the Eerie Eye Judge's commands. Team up? You want me to team up with the Eerie Eye Judge to kill you?"
The demon lord scoffed.
"Only Rule can counter Rule. I've found a way to temporarily free you from the Grail's control."
Bing Ge's voice grew urgent, a tremor creeping into his tone. "Really?"
The demon lord chuckled, his voice raspy. "Among the Nightwalker class, there exists a Rule Item—let's call it that for now—that embodies the pinnacle of Solar Divine Power. It's the bane of all worldly corruption. Once I obtain it, I can suppress the Fallen Holy Grail."
A long silence followed.
Just as Zhang Yuanqing thought the recording had ended, the demon lord's voice returned, soft and measured.
"Remember when you first obtained your Character Card and encountered the Spirit Realm? You chose to call the police, to trust the Public Security Bureau. And what was the result? A cup of 'poisoned wine' awaited you. You placed too much faith in The Officials—in every sense of the word."
"Your talent is extraordinary, your future limitless. But even as a fledgling, the Eerie Eye Judge clipped your wings.
"Over the years, you've distanced yourself from your family and brothers, enduring the corrosive influence of the Fallen Holy Grail daily, living a life of unbearable torment. Are you content with this? Join me. It's time to break free from these shackles, spread your wings, and soar. I need your strength."
"Alright."
The audio recording finally ended.
Zhang Yuanqing sat motionless at his desk for a long time.
At last, he understood the full story, but he felt no joy.
So you were the Eerie Eye Judge's "slave," huh? No wonder you never mentioned the Spirit Realm Walkers to me. No wonder you grew distant after starting university. No wonder your personality changed so drastically. How have you been coping all these years? Zhang Yuanqing lowered his head, frozen in place.
After a dozen seconds, he abruptly rubbed his face, burying the surging emotions deep within his heart.
At least... at least Bing Ge might still be alive.
Zhang Yuanqing took a deep breath, regained his composure, and began piecing together the sequence of events:
Before university, Bing Ge had accidentally obtained a Character Card, becoming a Spirit Realm Walker. After encountering a supernatural incident, what would a normal person do?
The answer was obvious: report it to the Public Security Bureau!
Then, he was controlled by the Eerie Eye Judge.
The Eerie Eye Judge had infiltrated the Public Security Bureau, planting his own agents within its ranks. Zhao Yingjun, whom Ou Xiangrong had killed, was one such example.
But if Zhao Yingjun was also a servant of the Eerie Eye Judge, how did he pass the Grand Inspection? No, he might not have been a servant—perhaps he was a collaborator. By now, I understand what kind of organization The Officials truly are. Its sheer size guarantees internal corruption; not everyone within its ranks can be righteous.
He continued to piece together the puzzle:
The demon lord had found a way to suppress the Holy Grail—a Rule Item belonging to the Nightwalker class. So, the Holy Grail was indeed malfunctioning. That explains why the Black guard of Impermanence contacted the Night Rose; their leader is a Nightwalker, and the Holy Grail's problem could likely only be resolved by someone of that class. This detail aligns perfectly.
But the Night Rose's leader wouldn't help the Black guard of Impermanence for free. There must be something in it for them. What could the Black guard of Impermanence offer in return?
Certainly not the Fallen Holy Grail. Could it be the Nightwalker's Rule Item? We'll need to understand the Fallen Holy Grail's condition before we can make that judgment.
Bing Ge sent me the Character Card after the demon lord's death. By then, both the demon lord and the Eerie Eye Judge had already perished. Immediately after sending the Character Card, Bing Ge vanished.
He definitely wasn't dead, but for some reason, he had to lie low.
Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a few seconds, concluding that Bing Ge's "disappearance" was likely due to suppressing the corruption within him.
Although they had successfully killed the Eerie Eye Judge, the Fallen Holy Grail had fallen into the hands of the Black guard of Impermanence. Moreover, the Grail was malfunctioning and unusable. This meant Bing Ge likely hadn't broken free from its control.
"Bing Ge might have a temporary method to suppress the corruption. Hmm, this is just speculation, and it needs verification. But why did he task me with obtaining the Roster instead of the Holy Grail?"
Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing's pupils trembled violently as a chilling realization struck him.
The Eerie Eye Judge's Roster contained records of all the Spirit Realm Walkers he controlled.
And Bing Ge was the Eerie Eye Judge's "servant."
If The Officials obtained the Roster and learned Bing Ge's true identity, uncovering the truth about Bing Ge and the demon lord's hunt for the Eerie Eye Judge, even a fool could deduce that the Successor of the Demon Lord was none other than Primordial Heavenly Venerable—himself.
The Black guard of Impermanence, having seized the Roster, likely knew Bing Ge's identity. However, they were unaware that Bing Ge had sent Character Cards to his close friends.
Due to information asymmetry, they wouldn't notice him for now.
However, if the Black Guard of Impermanence learned about this, his identity as the Successor of the Demon Lord would be exposed.
Worse still, the Night Rose, currently in secret contact with the Black Guard of Impermanence and with agents infiltrated within the Officials, already knew of the Successor of the Demon Lord's existence.
Once these two factions connected on this topic...
No wonder Bing Ge had prioritized finding the Roster even above the Fallen Holy Grail. Zhang Yuanqing nearly broke out in a cold sweat.
He felt a sense of crisis he had never experienced before.
Previously, though he had participated in the hunt for the Black Guard of Impermanence under Bing Ge's instructions, he hadn't fully grasped the Roster's importance, so his efforts had lacked enthusiasm.
Now everything was different. Now he felt like members of the Taiyi Sect might come knocking at any moment, pretending to check the water meter, or that the Night Rose might be plotting against him.
Don't panic, he told himself. The more you rush, the more chaotic your thoughts become. Hunting the Black Guard of Impermanence is a long-term endeavor, not something that can be hurried. Zhang Yuanqing steadied his emotions and continued analyzing.
"The information asymmetry between the Black Guard of Impermanence, the Night Rose, and the Officials is my advantage. After Xiahou Xin's death, the Night Rose will undoubtedly accelerate their collaboration with the Black Guard of Impermanence, leaving me little time."
"I'll hunt down the Black Guard of Impermanence through official channels, investigate Night Rose through the Palace of Ceasing Slaughter, and... oh, right, I can also seek help from the Wuhen Hotel. Evil Classes must have some connections, right?"
He wasn't eager to contact the Wuhen Hotel unless absolutely necessary.
Then, Zhang Yuanqing remembered Xiahou Xin's death earlier that day.
"Nightwalkers can glimpse fate. According to Fu Qingyang, they need face-to-face contact to do so, and this ability likely only reveals short-term future trends.
"Otherwise, they wouldn't have silenced Xiahou Xin just as we were about to move against him. Instead, they would have eliminated him as soon as the Xiahou Family arrived in Songhai—no, they would have sent the Xiahou Family packing right away."
If that were the case, things wouldn't be so bad.
At the same time, Zhang Yuanqing thought of the beautiful Old Hag and her knowing smile.
Did she also see my fate? But for a long time after completing the Trial Mission, nothing major happened.
Why did she smile like that?
Zhang Yuanqing sat at his desk, lost in thought, until five in the morning, when he finally collapsed onto the table for a brief nap.
"Aba aba..."
Half-asleep, Zhang Yuanqing heard Little Goofball's calls.
He woke up to see Little Goofball had climbed onto the desk, its short, chubby arms supporting its body as it looked up at him with shiny, expectant eyes.
Perched atop its sparse baby hair was a leather wallet.
Phew, not underwear, Zhang Yuanqing unconsciously sighed in relief, then erupted in anger:
"Either you're stealing women's underwear or wallets! Are you a child or a hooligan? I've taught you since you were little to be an honest child!"
"Aba..." Little Goofball tilted its head, looking at its master with hurt confusion, unable to understand why he was scolding it.
This wallet is quite thick, Zhang Yuanqing thought as he reached for it. He opened the wallet to find a thick stack of crisp, red banknotes.
His anger instantly dissipated, replaced by a conflicted expression. "Too... too much..."
A closer look revealed an ID card. Oh, it's Uncle's wallet. Never mind then.
As the Successor of the Demon Lord, Zhang Yuanqing withdrew three hundred-yuan bills, placed the wallet back on Little Goofball's head, and whispered:
"Return the wallet."
"Abba," Little Goofball chirped, receiving its instructions. It paddled over to the desk like a tiny seal, leaped off, and landed on the floor. With nimble movements, it slid through the wall and vanished.
At the dining table, Aunt, her cheeks puffed out as she chewed on a meat bun, asked, "Mom, did you find my underwear?"
Grandmother snapped, "Who knows where you lost it? I searched everywhere and couldn't find it."
Aunt eyed her suspiciously. "I distinctly remember putting it in the bamboo basket. How could it be gone?"
She immediately glared at her nephew. "Did you take it?"
Before Zhang Yuanqing could respond, Grandmother slapped her daughter on the head, her voice rising in fury. "Nonsense! Why would Yuanzi want your stinky clothes? If you keep making such accusations, I'll beat you to death!"
"Exactly! She's always trying to smear my name," Zhang Yuanqing declared indignantly.
It was Little Goofball who took it, he added silently.
But if Grandmother finds out, I'm done for. I'll be disowned.
After breakfast, Zhang Yuanqing took a taxi to Rich Family Bay.
After contacting Fu Qingyang, he waited briefly at the residential complex entrance until the same young woman from the previous day arrived.
"These are your access cards from the Centurion," the long-legged woman in black stockings said with a smile, handing over two cards—one white for the residential complex gate and one black for the villa.
Zhang Yuanqing's plan for the day was to first "report" his deductions to Fu Qingyang, highlighting potential issues with the Fallen Holy Grail and ensuring Fu Qingyang understood the full context of the matter.
Of course, he couldn't simply state his conclusions directly; he needed to frame it as a discussion.
Next, he would contact the Palace of Ceasing Slaughter to inform them of Xiahou Xin's assassination. Finally, he would visit the Wuhen Hotel to gather intelligence on the Witchcraft Master community.
The woman in black stockings led the way, smiling gently. "The Centurion was about to rest when he received your call. He asked me to come and fetch you."
"Rest?" Zhang Yuanqing blinked in surprise.
"The Centurion hasn't slept all night. He must be facing a bottleneck in the case," she said with a warm smile. "I've been serving the Young Master for a long time, but I've never seen him so troubled by a case. You must help him."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the luxurious villa once more.