Chapter 62

Chapter 62

After the battle beneath the zombie city, the conflict concluded with both the Human Faction and the Zombie Faction losing roughly half of their combat strength. It could be said that neither side gained any real advantage.

The only winner was Lu Wei.

In this battle, he took over all of Xiao Mo's subordinates and territory, causing his power to skyrocket nearly a hundredfold. The number of ordinary zombies within his jurisdiction reached nearly two million. The number of Superpower Zombies patrolling and managing the various districts, however, had decreased due to losses in the previous battle, dropping from over ten thousand during Xiao Mo's era to just over six thousand now.

But while this might be a loss for Bone Fiend and Tian Mo, it had no impact on Lu Wei whatsoever. His Favored Ones quickly filled this gap, and then some.

It could be said that under Lu Wei's control, his domain became even more powerful than it was under Xiao Mo. Bone Fiend and Tian Mo, whose strength had been depleted by the war, dared not provoke him.

And the most terrifying thing about Lu Wei was far more than just what he currently possessed.

Ever since absorbing Yang Qing's core energy and taking over Xiao Mo's territory, he had been converting the ordinary zombies within his jurisdiction at an astonishing, relentless pace.

Currently, the total number of Superpower Zombies under Bone Fiend and Tian Mo combined was only around thirteen or fourteen thousand. If Lu Wei converted all the ordinary zombies in his domain, the number of Favored Ones under his command would reach a terrifying two million.

Even if he himself possessed no Superpower, and even if no top-tier 3S-level powerhouses emerged among his subordinates, sheer numbers alone would be enough to overwhelm and kill 3S-level powerhouses like Bone Fiend and Tian Mo.

Even though they understood this perfectly, what could Bone Fiend and Tian Mo do?

They could do nothing.

With the Psychics of the human faction acting as a counterbalance, they simply dared not risk a life-or-death struggle with Lu Wei.

They faced two foreseeable outcomes. If they did not break with Lu Wei and he ruled the city, the worst they would face was accepting his mark and becoming his subordinates. However, if they fought Lu Wei to a mutually destructive stalemate and humans conquered the city, death would be their only fate.

Therefore, they could only watch helplessly as Lu Wei's power within the zombie city grew stronger and more unshakable with each passing day.

...

Three years later.

Inside the verdant villa hall of the Green Emperor base, Wei Xiao, whose aura had now risen to the 3S level, slammed this month's ledger onto the face of his trusted subordinate Hao Hongyi with a sharp *smack*. "What's going on? We took in less than five hundred thousand refugees this month? How are you handling your duties?!"

Hao Hongyi gave a bitter smile, peeling the ledger off his face. "Chief, ever since He Ran defected from Green Emperor, the rumors outside just won't stop... They all say this place is a slaughterhouse for ordinary humans. Any ordinary human with any other option or means would never dare to come seek refuge here. Even these less than five hundred thousand people, we had to rack our brains to get them. Your subordinates... your subordinates truly did their best."

He Ran, the former Prince Consort of the Ice Queen, had long been relied upon by Wei Xiao. However, unable to accept Wei Xiao's current governing philosophy, he had finally reached his limit four months ago. He defected from Green Emperor, taking with him some elite managers who were ordinary humans.

"Alright, alright, you may go." Wei Xiao was also aware of the current predicament. He sighed helplessly and waved his hand.

Hao Hongyi bowed to Wei Xiao and retreated respectfully.

Wei Xiao pondered countermeasures as he walked to the window. In the brilliant sunlight filling the courtyard, he saw several of his subordinates, as usual, "walking the dog" on the expansive lawn.

Naturally, the "dog" was completely naked.

The "dog" was emaciated, covered in scars, missing its right leg, and had lost the eyeball in its left eye socket. It was being pulled by a welded iron chain around its neck, kicked and beaten back and forth amidst laughter. It could only curl up, hands protecting its head, emitting pitiful whimpers of pleading from its throat.

Three years ago, although Wei Xiao had also ordered Lu Ying to be abused, he had been mindful of his "shell." The methods used were relatively "mild," such as sleep deprivation, binding, and forced drowning. Even if surface wounds were left, they would be quickly healed. He had never truly allowed Lu Ying's body to suffer irreversible damage, nor had he ever let him leave the basement.

As for the prisoners ordered to abuse Lu Ying, five batches were replaced during that period, all of whom were later silenced by Wei Xiao.

After all, if Lu Wei were to ever use Lu Ying's "shell," Wei Xiao didn't want to hear any unpleasant rumors.

After that battle, once Wei Xiao knew Lu Ying had lost his value as a potential vessel for Lu Wei, Lu Ying became the "dog."

Wei Xiao no longer had any reservations about Lu Ying. He handed him over to his most brutal subordinates to treat as they pleased. Reading Wei Xiao's intentions, these subordinates showed no mercy in their abuse.

Wei Xiao watched expressionlessly from the window as the ugly "dog" was kicked and beaten until it lost control, urine spraying everywhere. While his subordinates laughed heartily, he began to feel a twinge of nausea.

Three years... that's about enough. After all, he was the brother Lu Wei doted on. Let Lu Ying end it here.

Wei Xiao thought coldly, then teleported to the expansive lawn, appearing not too far from Lu Ying.

Wei Xiao was a bit of a neat freak. Whenever possible, he avoided touching things he considered filthy. So, even though punishing Lu Ying was his idea, he had never personally laid a hand on him, always leaving it to others to carry out the sentence.

Because of this, for three years he had only watched from a distance. This was the first time he had appeared within Lu Ying's line of sight.

Lu Ying lay on the ground. Seeing Wei Xiao appear before him, a glimmer of hopeful light suddenly ignited in his previously dull, single eye. He lifted his neck, looking at Wei Xiao with agitation. "Brother Wei... sob sob, I was wrong, Brother Wei! Please forgive me, okay?"

"When you pushed Lu Wei into the zombie horde, did you ever think about sparing him?" Wei Xiao glanced at Lu Ying coldly and ordered his subordinates, "He has lived long enough. Take him back and dispose of him today."

"No! Brother Wei, you can't do this to me!!" Lu Ying shook his head frantically, his fingers desperately clawing at the grass, refusing to let go. But as someone yanked the iron chain around his neck, he was forcibly dragged away, leaving a brown trail on the lush green grass from his violent struggle.

At this moment, Lu Ying could care about nothing else. He screamed at the top of his lungs, "Brother Wei, Brother Wei! I can't die like this, I've already died once before! There's a reason!! I have a secret to tell you, about my brother, about the future of this world! I'll tell you everything!"

Wei Xiao made a gesture. His subordinates stopped dragging Lu Ying. Lu Ying lay on the grass, breathing heavily as if granted a reprieve from certain death.

Wei Xiao walked step by step to stand before Lu Ying. Using the tip of his shoe, he lifted Lu Ying's tear and snot-streaked face. A pair of green eyes looked down at Lu Ying from above. "What did you say?"

"Brother Wei... you know how much my brother loved me, and he swore in front of Grandpa that he would take good care of me no matter what. I had no reason to treat him like that, right?" Lu Ying knew this was his last chance for survival. He swallowed and began organizing his words, preparing to reveal his greatest secret. "Actually, I died once in the future and was reborn back to the moment my brother and I escaped from Green Emperor..."

"So that's how it is." After hearing Lu Ying's secret, Wei Xiao gave a cold laugh. The hard sole of his leather shoe pressed down on one of Lu Ying's fingers, cruelly and meticulously crushing the knuckle. "Since I was the one who killed you, why did you harm Lu Wei?"

"Brother Wei... you're too strong, too strong!" Lu Ying wailed. "No one can resist you! I couldn't, my brother couldn't, even the Ice Queen was killed by you... I just didn't want to die, I just wanted to live, that's all!"

"I'm still useful! My original death date is still three years away! I know how the world's power structure will change over the next three years! I know which human powerhouses will rise during this time! I can help you, Brother Wei!!"

Wei Xiao slowly released Lu Ying's finger, barely suppressing the urge to kick him to death in a fit of rage. He ordered the surrounding subordinates, "Clean him up, bandage his wounds, get him some clothes, and then await my summons at any time."

Seeing that he had finally saved his life, Lu Ying breathed a sigh of relief. He whimpered and sobbed quietly as he was led away obediently.

Wei Xiao stood alone on the lawn, closing his eyes wearily for a moment. Then he lifted his head, gazing into the distance at a massive, towering column of gray smoke that pierced the clouds.

This plume of gray smoke had been rising ceaselessly, day and night, above the Green Emperor base ever since Wei Xiao returned three years ago.

It was the smoke from the crematorium, burning, naturally, the remains of dead zombies.

Wei Xiao had done something utterly insane.

He announced to all his subordinates that the weak should not waste food. Then, under the pretext of administering vaccines, he organized the ordinary humans within the base—who were unaware of the truth—and injected them with the zombie virus in batches.

Out of every one to two hundred ordinary humans injected, only one would awaken as a Psychic. The rest would transform into zombies.

The fortunate ones who awakened were naturally taken under Wei Xiao's wing.

The unfortunate ones who transformed into zombies were ordered by Wei Xiao to be beheaded on the spot and sent to the crematorium for incineration.

Of the two hundred thousand ordinary humans who had previously depended on Green Emperor for survival, only a little over twelve hundred awakened as Psychics. The rest were all stuffed into the massive crematorium.

Wei Xiao was clearly dissatisfied with this number.

Thus, Green Emperor began expanding its territory and taking in refugees. While other bases refused to accept the old, weak, sick, and disabled, Green Emperor treated everyone equally. Moreover, thanks to the presence of high-level Plant Control Psychics, everyone could eat their fill.

It didn't take long for Green Emperor's reputation to become extremely favorable. Vast numbers of ordinary human refugees, hearing the news, flocked to Green Emperor.

At its peak, Green Emperor could take in nearly three million ordinary humans in a single month.

Of course, the vast majority of these ordinary humans, clinging to hopes of survival, ended up as mere ashes in the incinerators.

Built on the backs of these ordinary humans, Wei Xiao now commands over two hundred thousand espers, making his the largest and most formidable force in the region.

As Wei Xiao's confidant and an ordinary human himself, He Ran could no longer bear Wei Xiao's methods. He repeatedly pleaded with him to pull back before it was too late, lest he become a man irredeemably steeped in sin.

And those around Wei Xiao would all be accomplices beyond redemption.

Wei Xiao, of course, wouldn't listen to He Ran. He knew he was in the wrong, but he couldn't stop.

He had to grow strong fast, and this was the only path forward. Even if he had to carry the weight of his crimes, he had to keep going.

Unable to endure it any longer, four months ago, He Ran gathered some ordinary humans from management and angrily left Qingdi, exposing the truth about how the refugees were really being treated.

This created Wei Xiao's current predicament.

Wei Xiao lowered his long lashes, looking down at the small purple flowers blooming by his feet.

I've come too far... He Ran, do you really think this can stop me?

No, no one can stop me.

Lu Wei, I'm waiting for you to uphold justice and take my life.

Or, for you to belong to me completely.

We will meet without fail, until death ends it.

Author's Note: Wei Xiao has already gone mad; he is racing down a destructive, anti-human path~