Chapter 95 – When the Roses Bloom (13)
◎ Hurry and bring my sister back! ◎
The exterior of the Shaye base resembled a crouched fierce beast, constructed from reinforced concrete at the base. The active areas primarily concentrated about thirty meters above the ground, seemingly impregnable, like a fortress designed for both battle and defense.
Passing several swaying iron suspension bridges, Song Ke arrived at the giant maw opened by the beast, the main entrance to the base. The steel gates slowly opened, revealing the full view of the Shaye base before her eyes.
Unexpectedly, it was bustling inside, vibrant and full of life, permeated with the atmosphere of everyday living.
Children ran and played on the main streets, young women occasionally glanced around, mostly bowing their heads to focus on sewing and repairing. Under the eaves of adjacent buildings, red chili peppers hung alongside fragrant smoked meats. Various levels of empowered individuals moved through the streets, gathering in groups, preparing to go out hunting.
Seeing Zhang Ci and the others returning, people greeted them warmly.
“It’s Uncle Qiong Qi! Uncle Qiong Qi is so amazing!” The children excitedly gathered around.
“You’re back. Nothing happened outside, right?” a passing awakener casually asked.
“Axiang has prepared breakfast for everyone. Hurry and eat, don’t let your stomachs go hungry,” an elderly lady cautioned worriedly.
Although Zhang Ci was not one to smile or speak much, people in the base, upon seeing him, respectfully nodded to him, exuding a sense of closeness from within. The atmosphere here was completely different from that of Mu City’s. Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters mingled with others comfortably, chatting and laughing, faintly reminding Song Ke of her time in the martial arts school.
This had been the case since the past. Zhang Ci possessed a unique demeanor, and whatever he said or did always seemed to gain people’s trust. Coupled with his mature demeanor and steady actions, despite his young age, he was universally acknowledged as the “Big Senior Brother.”
Several tall observation towers stood atop the base. One of them was half-collapsed, charred by artillery fire, and a huge crane lay fallen on the ground, creating a deep crater. Following Song Ke’s gaze, Zhang Ci explained, “These past few days, I’ve been clashing with Ruan Wenjun, causing mutual injuries.”
Another senior brother, Fan Yiwen, in his thirties, sneered, “Just thinking about it brings bad luck. Recently, Ruan has gone mad, biting at us like a crazed dog, the fighting seems endless.”
Ruan Wenjun has been relentlessly attacking Shaye these past two days?
Song Ke paused in her steps, recalling the reddish-blue crystal from the Hero Banquet.
Suddenly feeling a pang of guilt, she honestly confessed the whole story to them, suspecting that Ruan Wenjun might have put the blame on Shaye for the trouble caused by the stolen Level 3 zombie crystal.
Upon hearing her explanation, everyone fell into a moment of speechlessness. “Well, little junior sister, shall we take the blame for you?” someone joked.
“Who taught you these mischiefs? Return my innocent little junior sister!” Mo Yan covered his mouth, pretending to be deeply distressed. “Junior sister, your actions have brought disaster upon us, causing the loss of an observation tower. Hey, Zhang Ci, aren’t you going to intervene?”
Zhang Ci remained unbiased and made a fair judgment. “If I remember correctly, it was you who deviated the tower with your abilities. If you want me to intervene, then you’ll be responsible for repairing it.”
“Biased! How can our big senior brother be so biased!” Mo Yan was hopping mad.
“Haha, Mo Yan, are you daft? You want Zhang Ci to arbitrate for you?” A senior sister teased.
Knowing each other for over a decade, Song Ke knew they were all just joking, without any ill intentions, joining in their laughter.
The front was lively and bustling, while the rear was quiet and empty.
Xu Xing ruffled his own curly hair into a mess, muttering discontentedly, “Sister was taken away…”
Growing increasingly agitated, he clenched his fists and shouted at the man in the wheelchair, “Hey, she’s been taken away by someone. Aren’t you the most capable? Hurry and bring my sister back!”
“Did you hear that? Bring her back,” mocked Lu Xiaoyu, playfully mimicking pulling actions with the two mechanical arms behind his back.
Zhuang Qingyan: “…” Just shut up.
…
It was breakfast time, and Zhang Ci led them to the cafeteria. As they were among their own, there weren’t many formalities. Just like in the martial arts school days, everyone casually grabbed their breakfast and found a place to sit, engaging in casual conversation.
“Senior brother, how did you become Qiong Qi?” Song Ke finally found an opportunity to ask.
“It’s a long story,” Zhang Ci slowly began to explain.
After leaving the Yue Mountain Martial Arts School, Zhang Ci and his group hurried to District B to participate in Azure Phoenix’s assessment. Along the way, one after another, team members fell ill with a fever, forcing them to stop and recuperate. Once everyone had passed through the fever and awakened to their miraculous abilities, the existence of awakeners was no longer a secret. The impending doomsday arrived inevitably, with zombies and ferocious beasts everywhere, city transportation paralyzed, societal order collapsing, and every step forward becoming exceptionally difficult.
As the team captain, Zhang Ci had to contemplate future plans: should they continue northwards to the base and follow the original plan to take the Azure Phoenix assessment, or should they turn back and slowly build their strength at Yue Mountain?
Quickly, he made a decision. They wouldn’t proceed forward. Zhang Ci had a premonition that the world had changed. The current Alliance was undergoing significant upheaval, and joining Azure Phoenix no longer held any significance. Since they had already awakened their abilities, they should take control of their own destiny.
“After returning to Yue Mountain, we found twenty-three graves. We didn’t know what had happened, so we had to open each one to investigate,” Zhang Ci recalled the feelings of that time. Dark clouds loomed overhead, everyone’s expressions were somber and heavy. Witnessing all the martial arts school students turning into zombies was a hard reality for everyone to swallow.
“Master, Song En, and the others…,” Song Ke choked up. Finally, the day arrived when she told Zhang Ci about what happened at the academy, including having to kill her fellow students.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Zhang Ci assured her. “If he… was still around, he wouldn’t blame you.”
Although it had always been rumored within the school that Zhang Ci was Zhang Ting’s biological son, their relationship was not particularly good. Zhang Ci had always been a role model for all the students. Master had particularly high expectations of him; if anyone made a mistake, he would be the one punished. Zhang Ci, in essence, received the most punishment.
Zhang Ci spoke in a grave tone, “When you arrived at the school, he… had already passed away, right?”
“Yes, there was a hole in his chest,” Song Ke described the scene vividly based on her memory.
Zhang Ci fell silent, deep in thought.
“Senior brother, what happened afterward?” Song Ke couldn’t help but ask.
“Afterward…”
After leaving Yue Mountain for the second time, they continued wandering, passing by numerous shelters and camps established by awakeners but never settling in one. It was during their journey through Shaye that Zhang Ci rescued a group of refugees who had escaped from Mu City. Due to his formidable strength and growing reputation, more and more people gradually pledged their allegiance to him. From leading dozens of individuals, he expanded to hundreds, then thousands, and now as the leader of over tens of thousands of refugees.
In this post-apocalyptic world where strength reigns supreme, Zhang Ci’s reputation with his awakened S-level runic abilities spread far and wide. He remained undefeated. Under his leadership, the Shaye base grew increasingly powerful, to the extent that it began to challenge the foundation of Mu City, causing the despotic ruler Nai Kang and the three warlords to take notice.
Meanwhile, Zhang Ci himself had become the dreaded “Qiong Qi.”
Having finished recounting their group’s experiences, Zhang Ci lowered his head and looked at Song Ke.
“And what about you? How did you end up here?”
“Well…” Song Ke hesitated, rarely finding herself in such a dilemma.
V587’s sole purpose in coming to Mu City was to assassinate the magistrate, Nai Kang. But this matter was too extraordinary. Her senior brothers and sisters were dealing with Ruan Wenjun’s pursuit, protecting the Shaye base and the refugees. Their situation was already dire. Did she really need to burden them with this additional worry?
Song Ke struggled to make a decision. Subconsciously, she turned her head, seeking out Zhuang Qingyan’s position and used her eyes to ask for help: Should she reveal her purpose?
Zhuang Qingyan ignored her, completely unmoved.
Song Ke thought that Zhuang Qingyan didn’t understand her at first, she widened her eyes as she began using her fingers to gesture.
Zhuang Qingyan sighed in his heart, ‘This heartless little thing who couldn’t tell the difference between east and west after a few words of coaxing from others.’ At least she finally thought to ask for his opinion. He nodded slightly.
With his response, Song Ke turned back and honestly said, “Senior brother, I want to kill Nai Kang.”
The others were utterly shocked. “Oh my, little junior sister, you’re even more audacious than Zhang Ci!”
“Your ambition is way too big, isn’t it? Are you planning to become a magistrate on your own?”
“Talk aside, don’t take it seriously, if the magistrate of District C dies, there will definitely be big trouble!”
Zhang Ci didn’t immediately speak up. His gaze shifted from the small actions of the two individuals and he furrowed his brows.
While the senior brothers and sisters were in the midst of advising and persuading Song Ke, Zhang Ci subtly nodded towards Fan Yiwen.
Fan Yiwen immediately stood up, “Hey, little junior sister, Rita doesn’t know you’re here yet. She’s leading a team on patrol outside. Let’s go, I’ll take you to find her.”
Rita, her senior sister, is also in Shaye?
Song Ke’s eyes sparkled, “Okay!”
As Song Ke followed Fan Yiwen out, there was a sudden shift in the atmosphere within the cafeteria. The senior brothers and sisters, who were just laughing moments ago, almost instantly altered their expressions. Each one turned around, some clenched their fists, some folded their arms, quietly encircling the trio of Zhuang Qingyan.
Seated in the center, Zhang Ci adjusted his robe’s sleeve cuffs and abruptly spoke, “May I ask your name?”
Zhuang Qingyan calmly smiled, “I’m Zhuang Qingyan.”
“Where are you from?” Zhang Ci continued to inquire.
“I’m not really from anywhere, I come from the Qinglan Research Institute,” replied Zhuang Qingyan calmly.
‘No records of origin? That would mean he’s a refugee, right?’ Zhang Ci’s brow furrowed even more.
“Although Song Ke mentioned that you are her companions, there are some things I’d like to confirm. If there is any offense, please forgive me,” Zhang Ci said.
“What do you mean?” Zhuang Qingyan raised an eyebrow.
“Just what you’re thinking. Song Ke doesn’t have any family now. I… we have a responsibility to take care of her. We cannot let her be used to do risky things for dubious individuals,” Zhang Ci made a hand gesture, and a serene-faced woman emerged from behind him, “Bai Ruotong, an A-level awakener with the ability to detect lies in the mind.”
“What, are you going to interrogate me?” Zhuang Qingyan smirked.
“Not an interrogation, just a simple inquiry,” Zhang Ci said.
Zhuang Qingyan remained composed, leisurely leaning back in his wheelchair. Despite his physical condition, he still exuded an air of calm and elegance, smiling as if the moon had nestled in his embrace.
“Alright, then come at me,” he replied.
