Spirit Realm Walker - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Gift

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Songhai City.

At 7:30 AM, in the dim room, on the big soft bed, Zhang Yuanqing suddenly woke up. He held his head and arched like a cooked shrimp.

The splitting headache made the inside of his head feel like it was embedded with steel needles. The pain made his scalp twitch such that he started hearing things and hallucinating. Disorderly images flashed through his mind as his ears were filled with meaningless noise.

Zhang Yuanqing knew that the old illness had relapsed.

Trembling, he got out of bed and pulled open the nightstand drawer. Trembling, he reached for the pill bottle, eagerly uncapped it, poured out five or six small blue pills, and swallowed them.

Then he threw himself back on the bed, gasping for breath and enduring the pain.

Ten seconds later, the splitting headache eased and vanished.

“Phew…” Zhang Yuanqing exhaled in relief, his forehead covered in a cold sweat.

He had once contracted a strange illness in high school. The symptom was that his brain would uncontrollably recall all of his past memories such as forgotten junk information.

Together with the collection and analysis of outside information, it also gave the brain uncanny control of the body.

Fortunately, this state could not last long before he snapped out of it due to the strain.

It was precisely because of this ability that he got into Songhai University—one of the top famous universities in the country.

Zhang Yuanqing called this state brain overload. He thought that he might evolve into a superhuman, but because his body could not support this evolution, it kept interrupting and stopping.

When he shared this speculation with the doctor, who indicated that he could not understand but was greatly shaken, he suggested that Zhang Yuanqing visit the psychiatric department downstairs.

In short, the hospital could not find out the cause of the illness. Later, his mother brought back special medicine for him from overseas which helped to control the illness. As long as he took the medicine regularly, it would not relapse.

“It must be because I didn’t rest well last night. I was too tired. It’s all Jiang Yu’er’s fault. She insisted on coming to my room to play games in the middle of the night…”

Although he said that, his mood was secretly heavy. This was because Zhang Yuanqing knew that the effects of the medicine were starting to weaken and his illness was getting worse.

“I’ll have to increase the dosage in the future…” Zhang Yuanqing put on his cotton slippers, went to the window, and pulled open the curtain.

Sunlight rushed in and filled the room.

It was April in Songhai City. The spring sun was bright, and the morning breeze was cool and comfortable.

“Knock, knock!”

Then there was a knock on the door and Grandma called out: “Yuanqing, get up.”

“No!” Zhang Yuanqing rejected coldly. He wanted to go back to sleep.

It was the weekend of the comfortable spring season. Wouldn’t it be a waste of life not to sleep in?

“I’ll give you three minutes. If you don’t get up, I’ll splash you awake.”

His grandmother was even more ruthless.

“Got it, got it…” Zhang Yuanqing immediately gave in.

He knew that his grumpy grandmother could really do such a thing.

When Zhang Yuanqing was still in primary school, his father died in a car accident. His stubborn mother did not remarry and brought her son back to Songhai City to settle down, leaving him in the care of his grandparents.

She dived into her career and became a strong woman praised by her relatives.

Later, his mother bought a house herself, but Zhang Yuanqing didn’t like the big empty flat and still lived with his grandparents.

In any case, his mother left early and returned late every day. She went on business trips every few days and was focused on her career. Even if she didn’t work overtime on weekends, she would order takeout for meals.

The one thing she said to him, her son, most often was, “If you don’t have enough money, you have to tell Mom.”

This was a reliable mother who could satisfy him financially.

It sounded great.

However, Zhang Yuanqing always smiled and said to his mother: Grandma and Aunt give me enough pocket money.

Indeed, his aunt.

The woman who insisted on coming to his room to play games last night was his aunt.

Zhang Yuanqing yawned, turned the knob of the bedroom door, and went into the living room.

His grandmother’s house was 150 square meters in size. When they sold the old house to buy this new house, Zhang Yuanqing remembered that it was more than $6,000 dollars per square meter.

After six or seven years, the price of housing in this neighborhood had risen to $17,000 per square meter, nearly triple that.

Fortunately, his grandfather had the foresight back then. If it were the old house, Zhang Yuanqing could only sleep in the living room. After all, he had grown up and could not sleep with his aunt anymore.

At the long dining table by the living room, the culprit who had caused his headache was slurping porridge. Her pink slippers were sticking up under the table.

Her features were exquisite and beautiful, and her round oval face looked rather sweet. There was a mole at the corner of her right eye.

Because she had just woken up, her fluffy and messy hair was loose, making her look lazy and charming.

His aunt was called Jiang Yu’er, and she was four years older than him.

When she saw Zhang Yuanqing come out, his aunt licked the porridge around her mouth and said in surprise, “Yo, you’re up early. That’s not like you.”

“Thanks to your mother.”

“Why are you cursing?”

“I’m just telling the truth.”

Zhang Yuanqing examined his aunt’s beautiful face. She was energetic and beautiful.

It was said that the night did not mistreat those who stayed up late. It gave you dark circles under your eyes, but that rule did not seem to work on the woman in front of him.

Grandma, who was in the kitchen, heard the commotion and stuck her head out to look. A moment later, she came out with a bowl of porridge.

Grandma’s dark hair was streaked with silver, and her eyes were sharp. She was one of those old ladies with a bad temper.

Although her loose skin and shallow wrinkles had stolen her elegance, one could vaguely tell that she had good looks when she was young.

Zhang Yuanqing took the porridge from his grandmother and gulped it down.

“Where’s Grandpa?”

“Out for a walk,” said Grandma.

His grandfather was a retired police officer. Even at his advanced age, his lifestyle habits remained regular. He slept every night at ten and woke up at six in the morning.

The pretty aunt ate her porridge and grinned.

“After breakfast, I’ll take you shopping at the mall for clothes.”

Are you that kind? Zhang Yuanqing was about to agree when his grandmother gave him a murderous glare.

“I’ll break your legs if you dare.”

“Mom, why are you like this?” Aunt said, “I just want to buy some spring clothes for Yuanqing, and you’re unhappy? Although my nephew isn’t my son, he’s still my family~”

Grandma replied nonchalantly, “You want your legs broken too?”

Aunt pursed her lips and looked down at her porridge.

When Zhang Yuanqing heard the mother and daughter’s conversation, he knew that his grandmother must have arranged another blind date for his aunt. His mischievous aunt wanted to drag him into trouble.

In the past, she had always done this. She would bring her nephew to a blind date and sit for a few minutes. Her socially awesome nephew would ruin the blind date. The two men would have a good chat about their future plans and move on to world politics. She was relevant the entire time.

All she had to do was drink her beverage and play with her phone. Her blind date would also think that he had shown enough social experience and knowledge in front of a beauty and feel good about himself.

Jiang Yu’er had been pretty since she was young, often praised by the neighbors. She was beautiful, sweet, and obedient, very liked by the elders.

Of course, Grandma had to keep such a beautiful daughter safe. When she was in junior high school, she had told her daughter not to get into a relationship and not to go out with male classmates.

Her daughter did not disappoint her. She had never had a boyfriend until she graduated from university. However, after entering society, especially after her 25th birthday at the beginning of the year, Grandma could not sit still anymore.

She thought to herself, I just don’t want you to fall in love early. I’m not asking you to be a leftover woman. How many years of youth can a woman have?

Hence, she gathered her old friends and searched for information on young talents from all over the world to arrange blind dates for her daughter.

“Grandma, it’s obvious that she doesn’t want to date yet. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink.” Zhang Yuanqing ate a bun while recommending himself, “Do you want to arrange a blind date for me? I’m quite thirsty.”

His grandmother said angrily, “You’re still young. What’s the hurry? The university is filled with female students. Can’t you find one yourself? If you continue to cause trouble, I’ll beat you up.”

Grandma was from the south, but her temper was not gentle at all. She was especially hot-tempered.

Even Zhang Yuanqing’s career-driven mother did not dare to contradict Grandma.

‘I’ve grown up. I’ve been a handyman for several years…’ Zhang Yuanqing muttered in his mind.

After breakfast, at his grandmother’s strong request, his aunt returned to her room to change her clothes and makeup before going out on a blind date.

His aunt wore light makeup, which made her look even more beautiful.

She wore a puffy, round-necked knit shirt paired with a long coat. Pale, narrow-cut jeans wrapped around her long, slender legs. The narrow-cut pants were tucked into her black Doc Martens.

The minimalist style was neither flirtatious nor flashy, but especially exquisite.

Aunt threw him a signal-like glance as she carried her bag and sashayed out the door.

“Mom, I’m going for the blind date.”

Zhang Yuanqing returned to his room and unhurriedly changed into a black T-shirt, windbreaker, and running shoes.

After a few minutes, he pulled open the bedroom door.

Grandma was cleaning the living room. When she saw him come out, she stopped what she was doing and stared at him silently.

Zhang Yuanqing imitated his aunt’s tone.

“Mom, I’m going for a blind date too.”

“Get back here,” Grandma threatened, raising her broom. “If you step out of this door, your dog legs will be broken.”

“Okay!” Zhang Yuanqing returned to the bedroom.

Sitting at the desk, he cradled his phone and messaged his aunt: “Death before the march, I weep the hero’s tears.”

“Speak properly!”

His aunt must have been driving as the reply was short.

“Grandma stopped me from leaving. You should go on your own blind date yourself.”

Aunt sent him a voice message.

Zhang Yuanqing pressed it and her angry voice sounded from the speaker: “What’s the use of having you then!!”

Aunt unsent one voice message and sent another. This time, she changed her tone and wheedled.

“Good nephew, come quickly. Aunt dotes on you the most~”

Ha, woman!

Do you want me to touch my grandmother’s reverse scale just by acting cute? You should at least give me a red packet.

At that moment, a slightly harsh ringtone sounded. Zhang Yuanqing came into the living room and pressed the call button for the building intercom while his grandmother watched.

“Who’s there?”

“Delivery.”

A voice came over the speaker.

Zhang Yuanqing pressed the button to open the door. Two or three minutes later, the uniformed delivery boy rode up in the elevator, a package in his arms:

“Is it Zhang Yuanqing?”

“That’s me.”

I didn’t buy anything online… He signed for it with a puzzled expression and glanced at the package’s information. The package didn’t indicate the sender, but the address was Hang City, Jiangnan Province.

He returned to the room, found the box cutter in the desk drawer, and opened the package.

Inside was an air cushion wrapped around a black card and a yellow leather letter.

Zhang Yuanqing picked up the black card the size of an ID card. The material seemed to be metal, but it was extremely warm to the touch. It was well designed. The edges were shallow silver cloud patterns, and there was a black full moon in the center.

The black full moon was exquisitely imprinted, and the irregular patches on its surface were clearly visible.

What was it?

Perplexed, he opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.

Yuanqing, I got something very interesting. I thought it could change my life, but my abilities are limited and I can’t handle it. I think it shouldn’t be a problem for you.

We’re brothers after all, so this is my gift to you.

From: Lei Yibing

….