Chapter 28: Cousin

Under the awning of a café, Zhang Yuanqing held a steaming cup of coffee in his arms and stared blankly at the street. The streetlights, car headlights, and the lights from the shops intertwined, creating a splendid and bustling night scene.

After a long while, he took a big gulp of coffee and then exhaled a sigh of relief, as if expelling all the spiritual pollution from his chest.

"Devouring spiritual bodies to enhance one's strength seems to be a crooked path."

He finally understood why the Nightwalkers of the Taiyi Sect were reluctant to devour spiritual bodies.

If the world were compared to a sea of bitterness, ordinary people were like small boats bobbing up and down in it, burdened with sorrows. Everyone had their own misfortunes and sufferings.

These miseries would be transferred to the Nightwalkers along with the spiritual bodies. Even if it was just a small part, when the quantity accumulated to a certain extent, the resulting spiritual pollution was extremely terrifying.

If this went on for a long time, schizophrenia would be the least of the problems.

However, the benefits were indeed immediate. His current experience value was 46%. The time limit of the "Nightwalk" skill hadn't been extended and was still nine seconds, but his physical quality had been significantly improved, and his vitality and healing ability had also increased.

These were tangible gains.

"By the way, I still don't know the cause of that queer guy's death... No, I don't want to know at all."

He took a sip of coffee with a lingering fear.

...

In the morning, at the villa.

In the large conference room that could accommodate thirty people, Fu Qingyang swept his gaze across both sides of the long table. His eyes were calm and profound, like storm clouds gathering.

He was handsome, exuding the noble and haughty air of a young master from an aristocratic family. When he had no expression on his face, his aura was so powerful that it exerted a strong psychological pressure on others.

"We dispatched five team leaders, more than a dozen team members, and dozens of peace officers, but still let the Enchanting Demon escape." Fu Qingyang said with an indifferent expression, "I'm very disappointed in you."

On both sides of the long conference table sat the participants of this operation: five team leaders and twelve team members, among whom were Li Dongze and Guan Ya.

Facing the criticism from their superior at the deacon level, the team leaders lowered their heads and didn't dare to make a sound.

The muscular man hesitated for a moment but couldn't hold back and whispered:

"Centurion Fu, Ou Xiangrong seems to have been contaminated by some evil force. He became extremely powerful and crazy. That's why we failed. Moreover, the Enchanting Demon is a top-notch profession in itself..."

Fu Qingyang said indifferently, "Failure is failure. Any excuse is just a coward's way of refusing to admit their failure."

He swept his sharp gaze across the crowd. None of the Spirit Realm Walkers at the table dared to meet his eyes, except Guan Ya.

Guan Ya was lowering her head and playing with her nails, looking absent-minded.

Fu Qingyang continued:

"Because of your failure, the situation has escalated. A seriously injured Enchanting Demon contaminated by evil power is very likely to completely lose control. With the cruelty of the Enchanting Demon, it will surely cause a large number of casualties.

"Now, all the Spirit Realm Walker squads in Songhai City are involved in the search. If you can't kill Ou Xiangrong within three days, all of you will be sent back to the training camp."

Li Dongze, Qing Teng, Tang Guoqiang and other team leaders exchanged a look of dismay.

Fu Qingyang sneered:

"Of course, I also failed in this matter because I had the wrong expectations of you and overestimated your abilities. So, in the next three days, I will personally participate in the manhunt. Since Ou Xiangrong is looking for the roster and the Holy Grail, his target will surely shift to Zhao Yingjun's family or women who have a close relationship with him. Search along this line."

After his subordinates nodded, he glanced at his expensive wristwatch and said:

"You don't have much time left. Meeting adjourned! Guan Ya, stay behind."

The long meeting finally ended, and it was already past the meal time.

The Spirit Realm Walkers stood up dejectedly, bowed towards the end of the long table, and left the conference room in an orderly manner.

The five team leaders led the way. The muscular man, who was 1.9 meters tall, lowered his voice and said angrily:

"I don't deny my failure, but Centurion Fu is too arrogant. He wasn't on the scene at all and doesn't know how powerful Ou Xiangrong is."

Wearing a tight-fitting outfit, he touched the bleeding knife wound on his chest and snorted:

"While we were fighting outside, he was sitting on the handmade sofa in the villa, sipping fine wine, smoking cigars, and enjoying the service of the bunny girls."

Just as he was speaking, three bunny girls came upstairs with refreshments and entered the conference room.

All the girls serving in the villa were young bunny girls, tall and good-looking.

Bai Long gently patted the buttocks of one of the bunny girls and whispered:

"I heard that Centurion Fu is extremely popular in the White Tiger Battalion. Among the Four Great Young Masters, he is the only one who can compete with the young master of the Chihuo Gang."

Fu Qingyang was transferred from the capital city to Songhai at the end of last year. It was said that after a few years of experience here and accumulating qualifications, when he returned to the capital, he would be a candidate for the Elder Council.

The muscular man snorted upon hearing this, "It's just a rumor. Our young master is the most outstanding among the younger generation of the Five Elements Alliance."

Qing Teng then looked at Li Dongze, "What do you think, Sergeant Li?"

Li Dongze put a cigarette in his mouth and sneered:

"Of course, you think it's because of money, right?"

Wasn't it? The other team leaders looked at him.

"Idiots!"

Li Dongze pointed at his head:

"Use your not-so-smart brains to think about it. If it really comes to the situation that Centurion Fu mentioned, for such a serious incident, someone always needs to take the blame. For such a big matter, is it enough just to go back to the training camp?

"What Centurion Fu means by saying that he wants us to go back to the training camp is that once the worst-case scenario occurs, he will take all the responsibility. We won't be dismissed or held accountable. We just need to stay in the training camp for three months, even if we mess up such a serious matter."

He took out a lighter to light the cigarette, shrugged his shoulders, and said, "All right, let's get to work. Let's dig out that bastard Ou Xiangrong as soon as possible."

...

In the conference room, Fu Qingyang frowned at the woman who was manicuring her nails and said:

"Li Dongze said you were injured?"

Guan Ya blew on her nails, took out a makeup mirror from her handbag, and while applying powder, she said:

"Spit it out if you have something to say. I still have work to do."

A trace of helplessness appeared on Fu Qingyang's stern face, "Aunt called me and asked you to go back to the country next month to meet the fiancé she arranged for you."

"I already made it very clear to her when I came back that I won't get married for the family's arranged marriage. Just because she's willing to be a victim of the family doesn't mean I am too."

Guan Ya snapped the makeup mirror shut and said, "You people of the Fu family are really boring. Qingyang, take power as soon as possible and let those old fogies retire."

Fu Qingyang said in a solemn voice:

"If you don't want an arranged marriage, show some results. Don't idle around all day and waste your talent in vain. The elders in the family only respect the strong, like me, and like her.

"All right, I'll transfer you to another team. Team Three in Changtai District is very good. They can get collective second-class merits several times a year. You can gain some prestige there, and I'll have a reason to reject Aunt's request.

"Team Two led by Li Dongze has too few talents and it's very difficult to achieve merits."

Guan Ya frowned and sighed, "Team Two is really disappointing. It's hard for me to refuse... Let's talk about it later. There's a young guy in our team. He's quite interesting. Let me observe him for a while longer."

She put away the makeup mirror, picked up her handbag, and walked towards the door with a smile:

"You'd better worry about yourself first. If Ou Xiangrong goes on a killing spree in Songhai, it will be a stain on your resume that can't be erased. They will do everything they can to prevent you from entering the Elder Council.

"I'm leaving, cousin~"

...

In the morning, Zhang Yuanqing carried a backpack on his shoulders and walked towards the comprehensive building.

His schedule for today was to attend professional courses in the morning, and chat with his colleagues at noon and in the afternoon. No, it was to communicate with his colleagues, enhance their friendship, and expand his social circle.

People in twos and threes were heading towards the comprehensive building. Just as he reached the downstairs, Zhang Yuanqing heard someone calling him.

He turned his head and saw Li Lesheng and several of his classmates.

Li Lesheng, along with several boys, caught up and invited him with an expectant look on his face, "We're planning to have a mixer with some girls this weekend. Do you want to join us? I heard you're a native of Songhai."

A mixer? If it was this weekend, it would be the day after tomorrow... Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment and said, "Sure."

Li Lesheng and the other boys heaved a sigh of relief and smiled, "Then let's add each other as friends. With you joining, I believe the girls will be willing to come out and play."

"Let's add each other as friends too."

"Me too." Several other male classmates took out their mobile phones one after another.

After Zhang Yuanqing added his classmates as friends, they all walked towards the comprehensive building together.

Li Lesheng smiled and said, "I heard from a female classmate from my hometown that some peace officers came to find Xu Yingying yesterday, and then Xu Yingying cried her eyes out in the dormitory."

"Peace officers? What happened?"

Several boys were taken aback. After all, for college students, peace officers were a very distant group.

Li Lesheng said, "I heard that the rich guy who was keeping Xu Yingying got into trouble, but I'm not sure about the specific situation. The peace officers came to ask her about that guy."

"Could he have run away with the money? The economy is not doing well now, and there are so many examples of rich people going bust." Someone guessed.

As Zhang Yuanqing listened to his classmates gossiping, he scanned the students coming and going. In the not-too-crowded stream of people, he saw a familiar figure.

It was a beautiful girl wearing a white long dress, with long black hair flowing down her back and wearing delicate light makeup. It was Xu Yingying, the heroine of the previous topic.

She was snuggling up to a man like a little bird. The man was wearing a mask, had a crew cut, sparse eyebrows, and a small scar was revealed above the edge of the mask.

Zhang Yuanqing's pupils suddenly shrank.

Ou Xiangrong?!

He looked at Xu Yingying again and observed carefully. Only then did he notice something strange.

Xu Yingying's expression was stiff. She seemed to be snuggling up to Ou Xiangrong, but it was more like she was being coerced with his arm around her shoulder.

...