Chapter 81: Doting on Big Brother
A tidal wave of emotions crashed through Zhang Yuanqing's mind. Holy crap, Demon Lord really killed Ghost Eye Judge!
The theory that Demon Lord had killed Ghost Eye Judge was one he himself had proposed, but it had been nothing more than a bold hypothesis, completely lacking the careful verification stage. So when Fu Qingyang had stated with absolute certainty that the Fallen Holy Grail was influenced by Demon Lord and that Ghost Eye Judge had been slain by his hand, Zhang Yuanqing had felt the centurion's judgment was overconfident. Reckless, even.
But now, after listening to that conversation, he believed it. Demon Lord had killed Ghost Eye Judge, and he was also the reason why Black Wuchang connected with Dark Rose in the first place. All the puzzle pieces now fit perfectly together.
So Dark Rose's influence has already seeped in as deep as the steward level? Damn. The Five Elements Alliance is just too massive. The presence of crooks and snakes is inevitable. Bro Bing told me not to trust the officials too much. Maybe this is part of what he meant...
But why did Demon Lord say that killing ten Lawful-class Walkers every month was his 'task'? Where did that task come from? Was it assigned by the Spirit Realm? Is that why he fell, and why the Taiyi Sect despises him?
In any case, Demon Lord was definitely entangled with both Ghost Eye Judge and Black Wuchang. Bro Bing's reason for wanting him to obtain the Registry was starting to make perfect sense.
Zhang Yuanqing immediately considered whether he should subtly pass this information along to Fu Qingyang. It was undeniably a golden opportunity to earn major favor.
No, he concluded. There's no need. Rampaging Recklessly's memories already contained enough hints. I don't need to spell it out. Besides, if Dark Rose can influence someone at the steward level, it's worth questioning if Fu Qingyang himself is trustworthy.
He waited a moment longer, but no further audio came from the Cat King Speaker. Zhang Yuanqing promptly wrapped the speaker in a thin blanket for makeshift soundproofing and burrowed under his covers.
Demon Lord went through a dungeon set in the Ming Dynasty, and the characters inside it cultivated their way to become Spirit Realm Walkers. Isn't that exactly what the journal in the Temple of the Three Paths Mountain Goddess described? If the Spirit Realm is a parallel world, then are we outsiders with a 'system,' leveling up by completing tasks?
It seems I'm not the only one who noticed the Spirit Realm might be hiding secrets. Demon Lord was a high-level Walker. I wonder if he kept up his investigation after that. The best approach would be to meet the Three Paths Mountain Goddess directly, but that old crone is terrifying.
The Cat King Speaker has recorded far too many secrets. It can offer me information well beyond my clearance level. If I leverage that information gap properly, I can command more secrets and knowledge than any other Walker...
His thoughts drifted and scattered, and he gradually slipped into sleep.
***
It was morning. Xie Lingxi was in a luxurious private dining room in the Huayu Hotel restaurant, warmly receiving two distinguished guests—Xiahou Xin and Xiahou Tianyuan.
"It's been years since I last saw my dear niece. You've grown more stunning than ever." Xiahou Xin took a sip of his coffee, then snatched at the air with one hand. A small mirror materialized in his grip, bronze handled with a brass face, roughly the size of his palm.
He smiled, then offered it to her. "A gift from your Uncle Xiahou. A minor item, nothing terribly useful. Think of it as a toy."
Xie Lingxi's eyes lit up and she clasped the mirror with a sweet, girlish delight. "Thank you, Uncle Xiahou."
Xiahou Tianyuan, seated beside his father, couldn't help sneaking a few extra glances at Xie Lingxi. He hadn't seen the girl in years. The last time, she was still in middle school. Pretty enough, sure, with the makings of a beauty, but far too young.
He never expected that a few years would transform her so completely. She was ethereally lovely now, her voice soft and honeyed, with bright eyes and white teeth, radiating a pristine innocence.
Once the gift was presented, Xiahou Xin got straight to business. "Lingxi, I've heard you came to Songhai to see that person from Slaughter Cessation Palace?"
Xie Lingxi nodded obediently. "That's right. I haven't seen the Palace Master in so long, so I came to visit her."
Xiahou Xin gave a satisfied nod, and asked gently, "Do you know where she is?"
Xie Lingxi shook her head. "After she fought with Grandfather Xiahou, she went into hiding. I don't know where she is either."
The answer did not surprise him. He smiled faintly and changed the topic. "You and Tianyuan are of the same generation. You two should spend more time together. Tianyuan may not have fully come into his own yet, but he's already reached Level 3. It will only be a matter of time before he reaches the Saint tier."
Xie Lingxi immediately put on an expression of admiration, pressing her palms together as stars practically sparkled in her eyes. "Brother Tianyuan is so amazing!"
Xiahou Tianyuan blinked. He had seen plenty of women fawn over him with flattery, but this kind of pure admiration, like an innocent little girl looking up at the boy next door, was something different. It felt genuine. Beautiful, even. He couldn't help feeling a swell of pride.
Then Xie Lingxi pivoted. "I heard there's a young man in the Five Elements Alliance called Yuanshi Tianzun. They say he's a genius."
Xiahou Tianyuan's expression darkened. An inexplicable anger surged through him, as though something precious had been snatched away. He glanced at his father and then replied with a dismissive wave, "Being able to clear two S-rank Spirit Realms shows some ability, I suppose."
Xie Lingxi looked at him and smiled radiantly. "I'm sure Brother Tianyuan is even stronger."
The Xiahou father and son finished breakfast and took their leave. The moment they were gone, the innocence and sweetness vanished from Xie Lingxi's face, replaced by a calm stillness.
It seems there's some kind of conflict between Xiahou Tianyuan and Brother Yuanshi, she mused. At the very least, something unpleasant happened between them.
Two days ago, Brother Yuanshi had called her asking for information about the Xiahou family. She had found it odd at the time. If it were simple curiosity, he could have made a few quiet inquiries within the Five Elements Alliance. Basic information was easy enough to come by, more than sufficient to satisfy idle interest. So why ask her?
That was why she had just run her little test. Given Xiahou Tianyuan's overbearing personality, her flattery, laced with the subtle power of a Musician, should have sent him soaring. And it had. But the moment she pivoted to praising Brother Yuanshi, Xiahou Tianyuan had reined himself in.
There had almost certainly been a conflict, and the Xiahou family did not want anyone knowing about it. Brother Yuanshi had earned Merit, after all. Had he been bullied by Xiahou Tianyuan?
Xie Lingxi was just considering whether to call and fuss over her dear brother when her female assistant spoke up.
"Miss, they were using a lie detection item to probe you just now."
Xie Lingxi gave a soft grunt of acknowledgement. "Go find out whether the Xiahou family is in conflict with Yuanshi Tianzun. Look into the reason why."
"Yes, Miss!"
***
In the elevator, Xiahou Tianyuan clicked his tongue appreciatively. "That girl gets prettier every time I see her. Dad, I want to marry her. Go propose to the Xie family for me."
Unlike his older brother Xiahou Tianwen, whose failings lay in an obsession with women, Xiahou Tianyuan's flaws were a matter of personality. Domineering, arrogant, and overbearing to the bone.
Xiahou Xin considered this for a moment. "Your third aunt on your mother's side is from a branch of the Xie family. We could have her test the waters. With your talent, you'd be more than a worthy match."
Neither father nor son spoke again. They exited the elevator, flanked by bodyguards, and climbed into their car.
Xiahou Xin stared straight ahead and turned to business. "The girl genuinely doesn't know where the Palace Master is hiding. She may have a way to contact her, but that's no longer important. We can't put pressure on a direct heir of the Xie family. The leads on the other Slaughter Cessation Palace members have gone cold as well. You've been watching me handle things for some time now. What are your thoughts?"
Just as the official organizations were searching for Black Wuchang like a needle in a haystack, the Xiahou family's hunt for the Palace Master was equally daunting. Tracking down a high-level Walker among the vast sea of humanity was extraordinarily difficult. Their target had far too many methods at her disposal to evade a real-world investigation.
Xiahou Tianyuan grinned. "No matter how powerful a Walker is, once you figure out their real-world roots, you can force them to comply. The Xie family has contact with her, so they must know something about her real identity. She has to have people she cares about in the real world. We can't touch the Xie family's inner circle, but we can buy off their ordinary members and have them dig for information."
Xiahou Xin glanced at his son. Of his sons, he had always preferred the younger one. Yes, the boy was domineering and arrogant, with no regard for rules, but that very disregard meant rules could never cage him.
He had spotted this quality in Xiahou Tianyuan when the boy was still small. Over the years he had indulged him, offering the occasional correction here and there, and felt the results were rather good. The young man had certainly not disappointed. There were plenty of young talents in the family with comparable gifts, but when things turned ugly, it was never Xiahou Tianyuan who came out on the losing end.
With a few more years of tempering, and once he learned to walk the fine line of his own arrogance, his achievements would surely surpass those of his older brother Xiahou Tianwen.
"Anything else?" Xiahou Xin asked.
"Of course." Xiahou Tianyuan fingered his silver stud earring and let out a cold laugh. "That guy Wang Qian may have gone into hiding, but his family can't hide. His relatives and friends can't hide. I'll have someone drive a car into one of his family members as a warning. He'll come crawling out on his own."
Xiahou Xin shook his head. "That's too extreme. This isn't our territory. It would invite intervention from the Five Elements Alliance."
Xiahou Tianyuan seemed to have anticipated his father's response, and immediately offered a second plan. "Then we kidnap his family. Capture them, but don't kill anyone. Once Wang Qian takes the bait, we'll release them. The Five Elements Alliance won't have any reason to turn on us."
Xiahou Xin gave a slight nod. "Execute both plans."
He said nothing more, instead turning his gaze out the window. A shadow of worry lingered between his brows. That woman had been able to trace things back to the Xiahou family. Someone was definitely backing her. This whole affair was thorny, and even the most extreme measures were worth trying.
***
Xie Lingxi changed into workout clothes, then stood beside the window and stretched her willowy figure. She planned to spend half an hour at the hotel gym. She had no choice. She had been eating too much lately, all rich meats and post-meal desserts, and a Musician at the Transcendent tier did not gain much in terms of physical constitution. Without regular exercise, she still ran the very real risk of gaining weight.
Not that gaining weight was necessarily bad. Her fear was that it would go to all the wrong places and none of the right ones.
Xie Lingxi glanced down at her uncooperative little chest and consoled herself. "This is actually better. It's advantageous in combat. Big chested women die more quickly..."
Just then, her female assistant pushed through the door in her fitted blazer and pencil skirt. "Miss, I just found out something. The Xiahou family's people approached Yuanshi Tianzun. One of Slaughter Cessation Palace's members is his informant, and the Xiahou family wanted him to help lure that member out. However, it appears the two sides did not engage in open conflict."
The first half of her report had made Xie Lingxi's brow furrow, but the second part caused a smile to break out across her face. "So after Brother Yuanshi refused them, the Xiahou family went after him in secret. Hurry, bring me my phone. I need to call him and fuss over him. He was definitely beaten up by Xiahou Tianyuan."
The assistant walked to the bedside, unplugged the phone from its charger, and walked over to join Xie Lingxi at the floor-to-ceiling windows. "There's one more thing. This is from last night."
