Chapter 505: The Zombie Horde, Bai Xue Jiao, and the Blood Vine
Only then did Zhang Yi remember that he hadnât checked Zheng Yixianâs file yet.
He raised an eyebrow. "At this point, does he even matter?"
Zheng Yixian was strong, but after multiple battles, Zhang Yi was certain he was at most on the same level as Xiao Honglian, Wei Dinghai, and Xing Tian.
He wasnât a major threat.
Zhang Yi said, "For a long time, Yuan Kongye hid in the shadows, seemingly uninvolved in Bai Xue Jiaoâs affairs, leaving everything to Zheng Yixian."
"But now, itâs clearâZheng Yixian was just a puppet."
Yang Xinxinâs slender, fair fingers lightly tapped the armrest of her wheelchair.
Leaning lazily on her hand, she tilted her head and opened Zheng Yixianâs file.
"But thereâs one thing we still donât know," she said.
"Is this Yuan Kongyeâs personal scheme, or is the entire Bai Xue Jiao in on it?"
"That makes all the difference."
"If itâs the latter, then weâre up against an entire cult of sinister superhumans."
"But if everyone else has been deceivedâif Yuan Kongye tricked her own peopleâthen we have a chance to turn her followers against her."
Zhang Yi stuffed his hands into his pockets, recalling the time he had spent in Bai Xue Jiaoâs encampment.
"In that battle, Bai Xue Jiao lost nearly 90% of its people."
"Even their superhumans suffered heavy casualties."
"If they knew the truth, then theyâre damn good actorsâbecause they threw their lives away without hesitation."
"So I donât think many people knew what was really going on. Itâs likely that only Yuan Kongye and a select few were in on it."
Yang Xinxin nodded. "Then letâs see what Zheng Yixianâs file says. Maybe weâll find some answers."
Zhang Yi leaned forward and scanned through Zheng Yixianâs personal records.
His life story was rather uneventful.
He was born into a middle-class family in Tianhai City and had a comfortable upbringing.
His parents werenât religious, but they were neighbors with Yuan Kongyeâs family.
As a result, he had known Yuan Kongye since childhood.
He was five years older than her and had always acted as her big brother.
After Yuan Kongyeâs tragic ordeal, her whereabouts became a mystery.
But interestingly, records showed that Zheng Yixian also left Tianhai City around the same time.
Xiao Honglian speculated in her report that the two of them likely lived together.
There were indications that the mentally shattered Yuan Kongye had spent time in a well-known rehabilitation center.
And Zheng Yixian had been by her side the whole time.
After reading the file, Zhang Yi fell into deep thought.
"It seems Zheng Yixian knows everything about Yuan Kongyeâs plans."
"In fact, itâs possible that this entire scheme was something they devised together."
"As for the rest of Bai Xue Jiao⊠most of them were just blind followers, drawn in by Yuan Kongyeâs so-called âBlessing,â only to be led to their deaths."
A bitter smile tugged at Zhang Yiâs lips.
"Itâs just like that joke."
âYou think youâre earning interest, but in reality, theyâre after your principal.â
"Those who joined Bai Xue Jiao thought they were gaining protection. They had no idea that most of them were walking straight to their deaths."
"And the ones who are still alive⊠probably wonât last much longer either. Especially the superhumans."
"They were nothing more than Yuan Kongyeâs livestock, raised for her to harvest."
Suddenly, everything clicked into place.
"This all makes sense now!"
Zhang Yiâs thoughts became clearer as he analyzed the situation.
"Iâve always said that thereâs no such thing as a free lunch."
"No wonder Bai Xue Jiao was so aggressive in recruiting followers, even when their own resources were running low."
"Because those people werenât recruits⊠they were food!"
"That was the only way to secure a steady supply of test subjects."
"The Great Decree was used to filter out those with potential, bestowing them with the Ice Soul to awaken their abilities."
"And once they awakened, they were eliminated in various ways, allowing Yuan Kongye to reclaim their powers!"
Zhang Yiâs mind flashed back to the battlefield during the Five Armies War.
He had found so many corpses of superhumansâempty husks.
When they died, he couldnât absorb their abilities.
That was because their powers had already been transferred back to Yuan Kongye!
"Just how many abilities has she absorbed?"
A shiver ran down Zhang Yiâs spine.
Yuan Kongye had been planning this since the very beginning of the apocalypse.
Now, she had become the most powerful superhuman in Tianhai City.
Her level of scheming was terrifying.
Zhang Yi rubbed his temples.
The sheer amount of information he had just processed left his mind in chaos.
Too much.
"âŠI need to go back and think this through. Xinxin, help me figure this out too."
"How do we keep Bai Xue Jiao from wiping us out?"
Zhang Yi wasnât deluding himself with false hope.
Yuan Kongye had sacrificed tens of thousands of her own followers without hesitation.
There was no reason she would spare him.
Especially since she had given him the Ice Soul.
And among the superhumans of Tianhai City, Zhang Yi was undoubtedly one of the strongestâperhaps second only to her.
Have you ever seen a cat that doesnât eat fish?
Zhang Yi had only two choices.
Flee to Jiangnan District and abandon everything.
Or find a way to kill Yuan Kongyeâeither by taking her life or stripping her of her power so that she was no longer a threat.
Yang Xinxin nodded, fully aware of the gravity of the situation.
There were still too many unanswered questions.
And this wasnât just about Zhang Yi.
The survival of their entire shelter depended on their next move.
They had to be extremely careful and come up with a flawless plan.
Zhang Yi left the control room and returned to his quarters.
Kicking off his shoes, he jumped onto his velvet-covered bed.
This bed was a custom order from Rome, purchased by Young Master Wang for millions.
It was ridiculously comfortable.
Zhang Yi thought:
If I really have to leave Tianhai City, Iâm taking this bed with me.
No, not just the bed. Iâll take all the furniture I can.
Then he laughed at himself.
At a time like this, he was thinking about furniture?
Was it really the bed he couldnât bear to leave behind?
No.
It was the peaceful, comfortable life he had built in the shelter.
But right now, a massive crisis loomed ahead, forcing him to plan ahead.
"Zombie horde, Bai Xue Jiao, Ice Soul, Blood VineâŠ"
The words swirled through his mind.
There were still too many unanswered questions.
And until he figured them out, he wouldnât know what move to make next.
Every battle plan depended on two key factors.
First, overwhelming power.
Second, detailed intelligence.
Neither could be lacking.
Author's Note