PSW - Chapter 136
Chapter 136
She was completely unreadable.
Yun Lingjian sighed inwardly, but she wasn't overly surprised. Instead, she felt a sense of, as expected.
Zheng Yi didn't speak, merely gesturing for them to eat first. Yun Lingjian didn't press the matter, joining Zhao Haiyue and the others in serving herself and starting her meal.
Zhou Xiyue was also extremely quiet now. Even though Zheng Yi appeared perfectly ordinary and wasn't exuding any sort of intimidating aura, she hadn't actually perceived anything terrifying about her. But… looking at the large table laden with dishes that were perfect in color, aroma, and taste, and then thinking carefully about the ingredients, and then looking at the full bowl of hot, steaming rice in her own hands…
To be able to live a cozy life reminiscent of the time before the apocalypse, in the middle of the apocalypse, meant she was absolutely no ordinary powerhouse.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they watched as Zheng Yi effortlessly used her ability to clean everything up. In just three to five minutes, the room was back to its original state, and even the magical shower stall that had suddenly appeared was gone.
Yu Yinan kept the temperature in the room at a perfectly comfortable level. When Zheng Yi finished tidying up and sat on the sofa, she sat down beside her.
But an unusual silence fell over the room. Neither Zhao Haiyue, Yun Lingjian, nor Zhou Xiyue took the initiative to ask anything. Yu Yinan glanced at Zheng Yi, only to see the young woman's eyes were half-closed, as if she were growing weary.
She reached out and took Zheng Yi's hand, stroking the back of it. As if drawing strength from her, Yu Yinan spoke up, breaking the silence. "Chu Yi should have told you everything, right? If you have any questions, just ask."
"Yes, I do have many questions," Yun Lingjian said softly. She watched Zheng Yi intently, trying to observe any minute changes in her expression or movements, but the girl truly seemed tired. She was lounging lazily on the sofa, leaning half her body against Yu Yinan. Even the fingers held by Yu Yinan were slack, without a trace of tension. Was Zheng Yi… in a completely relaxed and unguarded state right now? Could that be?
The words "extremely skilled at deception" came to Yun Lingjian's mind, but she found it hard to trust what she was seeing, sensing, and deducing. She sighed inwardly, casting aside all her thoughts and tactics. Closing her eyes for a moment, she spoke again. "That special mental-type zombie. According to Haiyue, when it used its ability, its head shone as brightly as a lightbulb with a pure, intensely blazing cerulean blue. Was it the liquid inside its head that made it glow blue and gave it abilities far surpassing other zombies?"
No longer trying to guess or judge, Yun Lingjian asked her question directly, not dwelling on whether Zheng Yi might hide something or deceive her. Since she was the one asking for a favor, she had to show her sincerity.
"It was," Zheng Yi's dark eyes half-opened, a faint smile playing on her lips as she looked at Yun Lingjian. She slightly raised her free right hand, and the familiar cerulean glow lit up the room. The liquid that had been inside the lightbulb zombie's head materialized above her palm, floating there under her control. "Want it?"
"I do." Yun Lingjian's reply was completely frank. She lowered her gaze, showing no hint of sharpness, her entire demeanor gentle. "What do you require? The enhancement potions we've produced so far aren't very effective. There's still a lot of wasted energy, and plenty of room for improvement. If you don't mind, no matter what finished products we develop in the future, we are willing to give you the best batch."
"Beyond that, if you are willing to enter into some form of cooperative relationship with Humanity's Light… Zhou Xiyue will also do her utmost to accommodate you within her capabilities."
"As for faith and recognition… we can believe in you on a personal level, but we cannot force the other ability users and ordinary people in the shelter. For that, we apologize."
"So, you think…" Zheng Yi drew out the last syllable softly, her tone so light and airy it was impossible to grasp. She sat up a little straighter, the slight curve of her lips suggesting a smile. "That's what I need?"
No. You don't need it. Yun Lingjian answered quickly in her mind. Although Zheng Yi hadn't shown anything and her attitude was perfectly normal, Yun Lingjian felt an inexplicable sense of pressure. Her hands clenched together unconsciously, her knuckles turning white. "This is what we can offer."
"Supplies, resources, help with bounty missions, sharing of research results and progress, and our insignificant recognition and faith…" Yun Lingjian breathed out the words like a sigh. After she finished, Zhou Xiyue's voice picked up where she left off:
"And all the support the director, who is not at the center of power, can provide."
It was an indescribable, mystical feeling, an invisible and inexplicable pressure… Being watched calmly by those dark eyes, the feeling of being scrutinized, of being seen through completely, was not pleasant. When you felt her gaze sizing you up, a shudder that rose from the depths of your soul, from the very marrow of your bones, would involuntarily spread through your entire body.
Darkness, oppressive and damp. A confined space. The feeling of being targeted prey with nowhere to hide.
Silence descended once more.
Until the languid, limp-bodied girl on the sofa let out a soft chuckle. "Everyone~ why the serious faces?"
When Zhao Haiyue came to her senses, she swallowed a mouthful of saliva as if in relief, her throat feeling unbearably dry. A delayed sense of numbness spread through her body before slowly receding. She could hear her own rapid heartbeat and feel the cold sweat on her back, despite being in such a warm room.
Zheng Yi had grown stronger. She had gone from one terrifying stage to an even more terrifying one, stages that Zhao Haiyue had never experienced even a tenth of from any other ability user.
"…Are you still human?"
Zhao Haiyue turned in shock to see Yun Lingjian asking the question calmly, her gaze firm.
"Of course~" Zheng Yi replied with a beaming smile. Her lazy weariness seemed to have dissipated considerably because of the question. She watched Yun Lingjian, the smile in her eyes growing more apparent. Patting Yu Yinan's hand, she withdrew her own and stood up, walking step by step until she was right in front of Yun Lingjian. "The liquid, I can give it all to you."
"You can't handle the energy from the meteor fragments, but I can grind a little powder for you to study… You can also use it to improve your potions."
"So, using that, invent a device that can detect energy and give it to me in the shortest time possible. That shouldn't be a problem, right?" Zheng Yi raised her hand. For a moment, her fingertip seemed as if it would touch Yun Lingjian's unblinking eye, but it stopped just short. She let out a sudden, low laugh and said softly, "I need all the meteor fragments."
"I need the devout faith and recognition of the souls of all who receive my grace."
Grace… what did that include? Zheng Yi was providing the materials, so if other ability users took the potions made from them, would they have received Zheng Yi's grace? Zheng Yi had previously provided a lot of water for the shelter, which most people had drunk. Did that also count as grace? The scope was too vast, too broad. It was no different from bringing the entire shelter under her control.
"…We can't decide how other people think," Zhou Xiyue said, sounding troubled.
"It's the Saint, isn't it?" Yun Lingjian interrupted Zhou Xiyue. She looked at Zheng Yi. "You won't promote some ethereal church or proclaim the existence of a god. You are just Zheng Yi, a human, a powerful ability user. Your codename is Saint, and we will promote you as a person."
"Talk to Zhou Xiji. As long as he understands Zheng Yi's strength, he will never refuse to cooperate with such a powerful ability user, nor will he refuse to publicize her existence. Once the extreme cold period is over, isn't Humanity's Light planning to expand? He'll be overjoyed to have a guardian deity like her watching over us." Yun Lingjian looked at Zhou Xiyue, and after saying her piece, she turned back to Zheng Yi. "How about that?"
"Ah, I suppose that's acceptable~" Zheng Yi nodded with a smile. "And the device?"
"I will do my best," Yun Lingjian said. "I'll start conceptualizing the design as soon as I get back. If it's just for detecting energy, it shouldn't be a problem. Do you want it mass-produced? So that every ability user on an away mission has one."
"Knowing the specific locations of the other meteor fragments sooner will be beneficial for your shelter's development, and for all of humanity's survival in the apocalypse~" Zheng Yi merely remarked this with a sigh, then changed the subject. "Once you've decided on a meeting time, remember to let me know in advance. It's best to sort these things out during the extreme cold period. After all, once it's over, Jiejie and I are going to visit other cities."
"As for what the other higher-ups in the shelter think, and how you all handle that… don't trouble me with it~ You have to solve your own problems, right?"
"I'll handle it," Zhou Xiyue said. She clenched her fists slightly, already running through various arguments in her head.
In the early days of the shelter's founding, there were simply too many people in charge. Even though she and her brother had been the dominant figures in terms of both strength and influence at the beginning, as the apocalypse dragged on, all sorts of differing opinions had begun to sprout…
In the end, it all came down to strength and intelligence.
After their discussion, Zheng Yi and Yu Yinan didn't stay long. They just said to contact them anytime if needed, as they would be resting at Humanity's Light for the duration of the extreme cold.
A preliminary cooperation had probably been reached. Zheng Yi's attitude was friendly.
The meteor fragments were the cause of the apocalypse. They contained extremely violent energy that could enhance the world's creatures and trigger mutations… They were the source of all calamities, and also the cornerstone of evolution for all living things.
And Zheng Yi wanted all the meteor fragments.
Yun Lingjian's head throbbed. She sighed once again, feeling she had sighed far too much today. She didn't want to delve too deeply into what this all meant, or what it might represent… After all, even if she knew, given the energy radiated by the fragments and the upper limits of what ability users like them could currently withstand… there was nothing they could do.
"Zheng Yi…"
Such a special existence. Perhaps she should try to befriend Yu Yinan? If she could get even a little more information from her, it would put her mind at ease.
Yu Yinan… How did those two end up together? Why were they together? The disparity between them was so vast…
"Haiyue, tell me again, in detail… about when they first arrived at Humanity's Light."
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