Pushing open the door, Zhang Yuanqing saw Yuan Ting seated at the conference table, a cigarette lazily perched between his fingers as he leaned back in his chair with a relaxed posture, looking over with a faint smile.
Next to this Night Wanderer's hand was a pen holder, and sticking out of it was a command flag—metal-tipped, made of silk fabric. The flag's surface was pitch black with silver-threaded cloud patterns embroidered around a single large character in the center: "令"—Command.
At first glance, it looked no different from the military command flags used in ancient times.
Zhang Yuanqing took his seat, straightening his back and asking, "Captain Yuan, what can I do for you? Just to be clear up front, I'm quite happy in Second Squad—I'm not looking to transfer."
He adopted a teasing tone, trying to gauge the other party's intentions.
"You cleared Sheling Tunnel. Captain Fu thinks highly of you. I couldn't poach you even if I wanted to," Yuan Ting said with a sigh. "You probably don't know this, but when Captain Fu requested that dungeon walkthrough for you, Elder Sun of Taiyi Sect said you wouldn't be able to clear it, so he didn't bother asking. Now, it's too late for regrets. Quite a few folks in the sect have voiced their discontent. They think you have great potential—might even advance to Saint rank in the future... Oh, but I digress."
He smiled and added, "I tend to talk a lot. Hope you don't mind."
So that's what "Elder Sun miscalculated" meant... Zhang Yuanqing nodded in understanding.
"Smoke?" Yuan Ting offered.
"I don't really smoke…"
"I didn't either at your age. But then I became a Night Wanderer, got traumatized in a trial, and picked up the habit. Not exactly healthy, but it does relieve stress. Every Night Wanderer has their quirks.
"I've got a friend named Jian Ji. Back when he first became a Night Wanderer, the trauma was so bad he had to watch an hour of Teletubbies every day just to keep himself sane. Still hasn't broken the habit. Haha…"
Captain Yuan, you sure do like to talk. But did your friend agree to you sharing that story with everyone... Zhang Yuanqing thought, maintaining a facade of attentiveness.
After some rambling, Yuan Ting finally got to the point. He cleared his throat and said seriously:
"We're currently looking for a certain 'lucky individual'—someone who inherited the legacy of the Devil Monarch. Every Night Wanderer who advanced this year is under scrutiny. That includes you. 'Devil Monarch' was the ID of a high-level Spiritwalker."
"Devil Monarch's legacy?" Zhang Yuanqing frowned slightly. "I'm not sure I follow…"
"Let me spell it out." Yuan Ting lit another cigarette. "Based on our official hypothesis, the number of role cards issued by the Spirit Realm isn't unlimited. There's a cap. When a Spiritwalker dies, everything about them gets reclaimed by the Spirit Realm, including their role card.
"But when high-level Spiritwalkers die, the Spirit Realm doesn't completely erase everything. Some parts of the role card are preserved and passed on to a new person. We call this phenomenon a legacy."
There's such a thing? Zhang Yuanqing nodded slowly, absorbing the concept.
"Can you tell me who the Devil Monarch was? And what you plan to do with the successor? I hope you understand—it concerns me personally."
Yuan Ting answered with surprising transparency:
"I don't know why higher-ups want to find the Devil Monarch's successor. Folks at my level just follow orders. As for the Devil Monarch…"
His face turned grim with a mix of dread and hatred.
"He was a fallen Night Wanderer—and a sworn enemy of Taiyi Sect. Many official Spiritwalkers died at his hands—some from the Five Elements Alliance, some from our own sect. Even our Elders were wary of him. He once threw the entire official circle into a panic.
"Our sect leader once said: this man was the most talented—and the most terrifying—Night Wanderer in the past thirty years."
Terrifying? Maybe. But he definitely sounds like an edgelord, Zhang Yuanqing thought, then asked, "So how do you identify the successor? And how can I help?"
From what he could tell, the successor didn't seem to be inherently evil. As a righteous organization, Taiyi Sect surely wouldn't punish someone just for being the successor… right?
Yuan Ting said frankly:
"There are two distinguishing traits. First, the role card will show a full moon instead of a crescent. Second, in dungeon clears, the card will grant an additional exclusive reward."
!!!
Zhang Yuanqing kept his expression calm, but inwardly, waves of shock crashed through his mind.
That's my role card!
The one Soldier Bro gave me… is from the Devil Monarch?
Why would he have that? What's his connection to the Devil Monarch?
I always thought the exclusive reward—like the Red Dancing Shoes—was normal. But now it turns out it's a result of this legacy? Fortunately, I never told anyone about the exclusive reward, thanks to how rare rule-based items are. Shichang and Old Siji just think I got lucky…
Thoughts flashed through his mind at lightning speed.
But he quickly reined in the mental chaos and chuckled, saying with mock regret:
"Guess that rules me out. I always thought I was special, what with clearing Sheling Tunnel and all."
He added, "Captain Yuan, how do I show my imprint? It's not something I can control."
The imprint—representing the Spirit Realm—only ever appeared during card reboots or level-ups inside dungeons. Most of the time, it stayed hidden.
Yuan Ting glanced at the command flag in the pen holder and replied:
"Low-level Spiritwalkers can't influence their imprint. Fancy visual effects are for higher-levels. I don't need to see yours—I can tell if you're lying."
He picked up the pen holder and explained:
"This command flag is a tool I borrowed from Captain Fu. It forces obedience. You can't lie under its effect—and neither can I."
...Zhang Yuanqing struggled to maintain a calm smile.
No words could describe what he was feeling right now.
Without further ado, Yuan Ting drew the flag and pointed it toward Zhang Yuanqing, saying in a solemn tone:
"Now, tell me—your Night Wanderer imprint. Is it a crescent moon or a full moon?"
As the words left his lips, a vast, oppressive power descended on Zhang Yuanqing. He was gripped by reverence and fear, compelled to obey, his secrets on the verge of spilling out.
His mind tensed to the breaking point.
Why is Taiyi Sect so intent on finding the successor? If it's just to recruit talent, they wouldn't be so vague. There must be deeper motives. This card came from Soldier Bro… maybe it involves him too.
As anxiety mounted, he suddenly remembered the infant ghost spirit inside him. Its special ability let him transfer damage or negative effects to it. The command flag wasn't a physical attack—but maybe it counted as a "mental influence"?
He immediately calmed his thoughts and connected his soul with the ghost infant's.
Suddenly, that vast and oppressive force diverted from his spirit into the ghost infant.
The infant kicked in its sleep, as if startled by a nightmare.
And Zhang Yuanqing's mind relaxed. The fear and reverence vanished.
"Crescent," he answered in a low, steady voice.
Yuan Ting stared at him for several seconds, flag still pointed, then asked:
"Do you have an exclusive reward from your role card?"
"No..."
Again, a pause.
After ten seconds or so, Yuan Ting lowered the flag with a sigh.
"You've passed the screening. I'll report the result. Taiyi Sect takes this matter seriously, so it may come up again. If you ever come across another Night Wanderer with both traits, let me know. The reward will be generous."
I wouldn't rat myself out for all the money in the world… Zhang Yuanqing silently sighed in relief and patted his chest. "If I find anything, you'll be the first to know."
Yuan Ting nodded in satisfaction.
"Truthfully, being the Devil Monarch's successor might not be a blessing. The Spirit Realm balances itself. Those with special gifts often receive more difficult missions. Always remember—risk and reward are proportional."
"…Poor bastard," Zhang Yuanqing said sincerely.
And he meant it.
Yuan Ting packed away the pen holder and flag, then offered his phone.
"Mind adding me on WeChat? There aren't many Night Wanderers in the Five Elements Alliance. If you ever need help understanding your class, you can ask me."
You're actually a good guy... Zhang Yuanqing accepted and scanned the code.
After putting away his phone, Yuan Ting added with a smile, "Consultations come with a fee."
Wait, I have to pay? Zhang Yuanqing's face froze.
"Oh, by the way, it's been almost a week since your promotion, right?" Yuan Ting said. "Based on past cases, new Night Wanderers usually re-enter the Spirit Realm within a week or two. It'll probably be a team-based, competitive dungeon."
So I've got, at most, a week before the next mission? A mix of apprehension and excitement welled up in Zhang Yuanqing. Wait—I do remember this guy now. He's the one who scammed me out of 200 yuan last night!
"How much does this piece of intel cost?" he asked.
"This one's free."
Free? You're a good guy after all... Zhang Yuanqing beamed. "In that case, can I ask a few more questions? On the house?"
"Depends if they're worth the answer," Yuan Ting replied.
"Do Night Wanderers eventually gain the power of the Sun God?"
"Yes. But I'm not sure which level it unlocks."
That's all I needed. Now I know the class eventually encompasses both day and night—yin and yang. Pretty damn cool! Zhang Yuanqing nodded. "No more questions."
…
After watching the Night Wanderer from Taiyi Sect head downstairs, Zhang Yuanqing walked toward the squad leader's office.
He still had to report the situation at the hospital—but he'd need to rework his story. There could be no mention of his ghost infant. Not yet.
From inside the office, Li Dongze heard an exaggerated howl:
"I stand upon the winds of fate, clasping the turning of sun and moon—may heaven and earth spin in perfect order...!"
The singing stopped, replaced by knocking.
"Come in," Li Dongze called out.