Chapter 380: The Messenger

Chapter 380: The Messenger

Zhang Yi was already preparing for war.

This battle would be his chance to establish his name in Tianhai City, deterring any faction from daring to provoke him again. Only through this show of strength could he achieve lasting peace.

Liang Yue, though consumed by anxiety, was, after all, an emotional woman. Zhang Yi believed that with enough comforting words, she’d calm down soon enough—especially since her students wouldn’t last much longer.

Once they were gone, Liang Yue’s obsession would vanish, and the matter would be resolved once and for all.

Throughout the day, Liang Yue couldn’t bring herself to eat anything.

Zhou Ke’er expressed concern: “If she keeps this up, won’t she ruin her health?”

“She’ll be fine,” Zhang Yi replied indifferently. “She’s strong enough to go three days without food. If she wants to use self-inflicted suffering as a way to seek solace, let her be.”

Zhou Ke’er couldn’t help but smirk. “Don’t you feel sorry for her?”

“Sorry? What’s there to feel sorry about?” Zhang Yi countered with a smile.

“Do you have any feelings for Liang Yue? Or have you ever been tempted by her?” Zhou Ke’er teased, blinking playfully.

Zhang Yi chuckled. “I admire her. If she can prove herself to be a reliable ally, that would be ideal. But first, she has to get through this ordeal.”

For Zhang Yi, emotions were merely a seasoning in life. While they could add flavor, they weren’t essential—he could live just fine on the basics alone.

Since his rebirth and his extended time in the apocalypse, Zhang Yi had grown increasingly indifferent to love and relationships.

In this world, thinking of oneself first was the key to happiness.

While Zhang Yi was willing to support Liang Yue in practical ways, he refused to let emotions dictate his actions. Once entangled by emotions, a person became soft and hesitant—something he couldn’t afford.

Liang Yue could be a friend, but never a lover.

That afternoon, Zhang Yi summoned Uncle You and Fatty Xu to prepare them for potential combat.

“Yangsheng Base’s forces have already encroached near the shelter’s perimeter,” Zhang Yi explained. “They’ve located Xu Family Town, and they’re bound to find the shelter soon.”

“The only reason they haven’t attacked yet is because they’re not ready.”

Uncle You remained composed. “Ever since we killed those Superhumans from Chaoyu Base, I knew this fight was inevitable.”

Fatty Xu, on the other hand, sighed heavily. “What a pain! Can’t these people just live peacefully in the apocalypse? Why fight over territory?”

Zhang Yi replied calmly, “Ambition exists in every era. Once survival is no longer an issue, some people’s desires inevitably grow. Not everyone is as content as we are.”

“From their perspective, eliminating nearby threats ensures absolute safety. I’d do the same if I found a nearby armed faction—wipe them out.”

He smiled, attempting to reassure Fatty Xu. “But don’t worry. Everything is under control. Once they see our strength and realize we’re not easy prey, they’ll back off.”

Zhang Yi harbored no deep grudges against the factions in Tianhai City. While he had killed a Superhuman and some soldiers, such incidents could be resolved if his power was respected.

Although launching an offensive on their base would be difficult, Zhang Yi was confident in his ability to defend the shelter.

Uncle You laughed heartily. “Then let’s fight! Every good day we’ve had here was won with our fists. If they want to mess with us, we’ll teach them a lesson!”

Fatty Xu sighed again, resting his chubby face in his hand. “Well, if it’s come to this, we might as well fight.”

Though they grumbled, neither was new to combat. With the shelter’s robust defenses, they weren’t overly concerned.

Suddenly, the faint sound of an engine reached their ears.

The three men immediately sharpened their focus.

“Someone’s coming!”

“It’s a vehicle!”

Zhang Yi sprang up from the sofa and dashed to the second-floor window.

Peering through the one-way glass, he spotted a modified snow vehicle a few hundred meters from Cloud Manor. Its design looked strikingly similar to those used by Yangsheng Base.

“Yangsheng Base? Why only one vehicle? Could it be a scout—or a messenger?” Zhang Yi wondered aloud.

Grabbing a sniper rifle from his spatial storage, he aimed it at the approaching vehicle.

The snow vehicle sped toward the manor without hesitation. As it passed the front, someone leaned out of a window and fired a black arrow into the ice wall. Then, the vehicle accelerated away.

“You’re not leaving so easily,” Zhang Yi muttered, a cold smile curling his lips.

He opened the window, set up his sniper rifle, and aimed at the vehicle’s tracks.

Bang!

With a single shot, the snow vehicle’s tracks shattered, sending it skidding uncontrollably before toppling over and sliding toward the frozen river.

Zhang Yi leapt from the window, the snow compacted beneath him barely shifting as his spatial energy cushioned the landing. His mastery of his powers had grown significantly over time.

Behind him, Uncle You and Hua Hua followed closely.

Riding on Hua Hua’s back, Zhang Yi and Uncle You reached the immobilized vehicle in a few swift bounds.

They found two soldiers in flame-emblazoned combat uniforms crawling out of the wreckage.

One soldier’s leg was crushed, and the other, trying to help him, hesitated when he saw Zhang Yi approaching. Dropping his comrade, the uninjured soldier turned to flee.

Zhang Yi calmly raised his rifle and shot him in the leg.

Thud!

The soldier screamed and collapsed into the snow.

The other soldier tried to draw his weapon, but Uncle You quickly restrained him, pinning him by the neck.

“Doesn’t look like they’re Superhumans,” Zhang Yi observed, noting that both were regular soldiers.

He tied them up, intending to interrogate them. Capturing a few tongues was always a chance to glean valuable intel.

However, the soldiers gritted their teeth and, before Zhang Yi could act, their faces turned purple. Black blood seeped from their lips as they slumped lifelessly to the ground.

“Suicide?” Zhang Yi frowned.

Uncle You knelt to inspect their jaws. “Poison capsules hidden in their teeth. It’s standard for scouts to carry these to prevent capture and interrogation.”

“Smart,” Zhang Yi muttered, exhaling in frustration. “Even if I’d promised to spare them, they wouldn’t have believed me.”

While Zhang Yi had hoped to gather intel before executing them, these soldiers clearly hadn’t entertained any illusions about survival.

“Still, now I have no idea what they were here for,” he said, disappointed.

Just then, Fatty Xu came running over, panting heavily.

“Boss! They left something!” he called, holding up a black arrow with a piece of white cloth tied to it.

Zhang Yi’s eyes narrowed as he barked, “Stop! Don’t move!”

Author's Note