Chapter 504: A Desperate Situation
"The more people die, the more she benefits."
"From the very beginning, we were all deceived by her."
Yang Xinxin sighed softly. "Even most of Bai Xue Jiao's followers have been fooled, willingly sacrificing themselves for her."
Zhang Yi raised an eyebrow. "Iâd say she has an antisocial personality disorder."
Yang Xinxin looked at him and murmured, "With a past like that, would it be surprising if she turned out this way?"
Zhang Yi took a deep breath.
Yuan Kongyeâs experiences were undeniably tragic.
But she wasnât entirely innocent, either.
Cause and effectâshe had been born into a cult, enjoying the wealth that her parents amassed through deception.
Everything that followed could only be seen as karmic retribution.
"I donât have the energy to pity her right now. What matters is how we deal with the threat she poses."
A heavy weight settled in Zhang Yiâs chest.
A superhuman like Yuan Kongye was like a mountain pressing down on all of Tianhai City.
At this point, no one knew how many abilities she had absorbed.
Just how powerful was she now?
Zhang Yi couldnât say for sure, but he knew one thingâshe was stronger than any superhuman in Tianhai City.
Including himself.
Right now, Yuan Kongye was practically invincible.
And an invincible enemy was almost certainly going to make a move against them.
The Ice Soul she had given themâthat was the signal.
She wasnât asking them to submit.
She was preparing to kill them.
"We need to figure out how to deal with her," Zhang Yi said, exhaling deeply, trying to ease the tension in his chest.
Yang Xinxin lowered her head in thought for a moment before calmly responding,
"We canât take her on alone."
"First, we have to make sure all the factions in Tianhai City know about her conspiracy."
"And most importantly, we must gain the support of Jiangnan District."
"After the recent battles, every faction in Tianhai City has suffered heavy losses. Even if they join forces, they might not be able to defeat Yuan Kongye."
Zhang Yi nodded.
"I understand, and youâre right. But the problem isâeven if I tell them everything I suspect, they may not believe me."
"And as for Jiangnan District⊠Even if Yuan Kongye has deceived everyone, what does that have to do with them?"
He let out a cold chuckle. "Jiangnan District is the dominant power in this region. Their priority is stability, not justice."
"So even if Yuan Kongye manipulates us, as long as it doesnât threaten Jiangnan Districtâs interests, they have no reason to act against her."
"They might even try to recruit her instead."
As he spoke, Zhang Yi felt his heart sink further.
Without Jiangnan Districtâs support, could they really defeat Yuan Kongye?
A bitter thought crept into his mindâif it came to that, maybe he should just accept Bian Junwuâs offer and take his people to Jiangnan District.
If he couldnât fight her, couldnât he just leave?
But⊠could he really abandon the shelter he had spent so much time and effort building?
Zhang Yi gritted his teeth, his expression twisted with conflict.
He didnât want to leave.
Here, he was freeâfree from anyoneâs control, free to make his own choices.
But in Jiangnan District, according to Bian Junwu, heâd become nothing more than a cog in the machine of Blizzard City.
Living there required a price.
Just look at Bian Junwuâ
Even knowing that using his abilities was shortening his lifespan, he had no choice but to keep pushing forward every day.
Yang Xinxinâs amber eyes studied Zhang Yi. A smile played at her lips as she spoke softly,
"Zhang Yi gege, if you want to drag Jiangnan District into this⊠maybe thereâs a way."
Zhang Yi lifted his head, meeting her gaze.
Yang Xinxin was eerily calm, showing no panic despite the dire situation they faced.
"Xinxin, what are you thinking?"
She smiled faintly. "The world moves for profit. As long as you grasp their core interests, you can make them work for you."
"So⊠what is Jiangnan Districtâs greatest concern?"
Zhang Yi answered without hesitation, "That their rule might be challenged."
"That includes the investigation team. The reason theyâre here is to prevent the zombie outbreak from spreading into Jiangnan District and causing further chaos."
Yang Xinxin tilted her head playfully.
"In that case, all we need to do is make sure they know that the zombie horde was artificially created by Yuan Kongye."
Zhang Yi let out a short laugh.
"Iâd love to. If I had proof, I wouldâve already used it. But I donât."
He had been to the Blood Vineâs location, gathered its leaves, and even smuggled out a dried-up corpse.
But after Zhou Keâerâs analysis, no traces of the zombie virus were found.
Yang Xinxin smiled mysteriously.
"Gege, sometimes⊠you donât need solid proof to take action."
"You just need to make Jiangnan District aware that thereâs a possibility."
"If they start suspecting Yuan Kongye, theyâll launch their own investigation. And if she resists, it will confirm that she has something to hide."
"If she doesnât resist and allows them to investigate, then sooner or later, theyâll find evidence on their own."
Understanding dawned in Zhang Yiâs eyes.
"Youâre saying⊠spread a rumor? Exaggerate Yuan Kongyeâs threat so Jiangnan District is forced to intervene?"
"Exactly," Yang Xinxin replied casually.
"As Jiangnan Districtâs ruling power, they wonât tolerate such an unpredictable factor in their territory."
"Besides, thereâs one thing we already know for certainâYuan Kongye has multiple superhuman abilities."
"If you tell Bian Junwu that, what do you think Jiangnan District will do?"
Her final words struck Zhang Yi like a bolt of lightning.
Of course!
All he needed was to attract Jiangnan Districtâs attention.
Whether or not Yuan Kongye was truly behind the zombie crisis didnât matter.
As long as she was exposed and put under scrutiny, she wouldnât be able to act recklessly.
Hell, Jiangnan District might even decide to take her away themselves.
And if that happened, Tianhai City would be safe.
Zhang Yi felt a surge of excitement.
Resting his chin on his hand, he leaned against the control console, deep in thought.
This idea had merit.
He needed to refine it further, but at the very least, it was a viable backup plan.
A reckless decision could be dangerous, but careful planning⊠that was a different story.
Seeing Zhang Yiâs contemplation, Yang Xinxin gave a small, satisfied smile.
"Gege, we still have one more file to read."
Author's Note