Chapter 153 – The End

Volume 3: Rising Winds and Clouds

"That's it?"

Sequence 1 pulled up a chair beside Lin Haifeng. He didn't seem to mean anything by the question. He was probably just making conversation.

Lin Haifeng looked at Yang Pengguang's corpse on the floor and shook his head with a sigh.

"That's it. A shame to lose someone so strong. If only I could have put him to use…"

Sequence 1 pursed his lips. To ordinary people, Yang Pengguang was strong. To him, dealing with the man had taken only two words.

Lin Haifeng relaxed a little, took a Stamina Recovery Potion from his Spatial Ring, and tipped it down his throat.

His earlier Skill had clearly consumed a great deal.

He brought out fresh tea leaves. His hands worked swiftly, and soon another pot of steaming tea was ready.

After filling everyone's cup, he looked at the calm-faced Fang Bai.

"The Demon Worship Cult can't cause any more trouble. Come back."

Fang Bai hesitated briefly, then nodded.

Lin Haifeng turned to Sequence 1.

"Have you found out which Treasure Land Sequence 2 and Sequence 3 are trapped in?"

"Yes. A large-scale one that's extremely tedious, but not especially dangerous."

Sequence 1 set his cup on the table. His expression grew serious.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. We have roughly two months before the Demon Disaster officially begins."

"That doesn't worry me."

Lin Haifeng sounded very confident.

"Huaxia has plenty of strong fighters now. You, Wen Yu, Kuangliu, Qin Min, and Fang Bai-that's five in the top ten of the Sequence. And we have more than a dozen others in the top hundred. If we can't withstand the first wave with that strength, there's no hope for the Human Race."

With Suzuki Masao, Andrei, and Yang Pengguang dead, Fang Bai had risen from Sequence 11 to Sequence 8. Qin Min had also just learned that his own Sequence Number had advanced another place.

Sequence 1 remained grave.

"That's the problem."

…

"We don't know why the Sequence exists. But the Ruler's old enemy-the Demon Race-does."

"Sequence 1 has different privileges from every other Sequence holder. Add my own identity to that, and I can obtain a great deal of information."

"When the Demon Disaster arrives, the Demon Race will launch the Human Sequence Hunt Plan. Their targets will be the top ten. Every hunter they send will be an outstanding Demon Seed. And they'll send a lot of them."

"Imagine five top-ten Sequence holders fighting Demon Seeds as strong as they are, or stronger, inside Yanjing Settlement. How much damage do you think that would do?"

Lin Haifeng fell silent.

The answer was obvious. If Kuangliu fought an equally powerful opponent, destroying a sizable portion of the city would be no problem.

Yanjing Settlement had strong defenses, but a battle between so many powerhouses would still be more than it could bear.

After a long consideration, he spoke.

"Yanjing Settlement could provide some support."

Sequence 1 shook his head.

"I don't need it. I'll go to Siberia soon and fight my hunters there. Qin Min doesn't need it either. He has somewhere of his own. Here's my advice."

"Keep Fang Bai in Yanjing Settlement. But Wen Yu and Kuangliu absolutely cannot come back. The hunters sent after Sequence 2 and Sequence 3 will be on a different level from Fang Bai's. Yanjing Settlement can't withstand them."

"So…"

He gave Lin Haifeng a peculiar smile.

"I've already used my authority to make a few little arrangements. Those two probably won't be back for a while."

Lin Haifeng thought for a long time.

"That may be for the best."

He drained his tea, then looked at Fang Bai.

"Since Kuangliu won't be back soon, you should take over as the White Tiger War God."

"All right."

Fang Bai accepted at once.

To the public, the Military's White Tiger War God was simply the War God. The title was a symbol, a banner, a standard to rally around. Its symbolic significance outweighed its practical function.

Kuangliu could disappear. The War God could not.

With Kuangliu missing and Fang Bai strong enough to replace him, it made little difference who held the position, as long as he had the necessary strength.

"Since we're finished, I'll be going. Zhang Ziping and the other two will stay in Yanjing Settlement for now. I trust you won't send them on suicide missions, Commander Lin."

"Of course not."

Lin Haifeng nodded.

"And thank you."

His gratitude was sincere.

The Demon Worship Cult affair had remained under his control, but without Sequence 1, eliminating Peng Jun would have cost him dearly.

He watched Sequence 1 and Qin Min leave, thought for a long while, then turned to Fang Bai and Zhang Ziping.

"Yanjing Settlement is secure. Go to the front and finish dealing with the Demon Worship Cult. Let as few of those Cannibals escape as possible."

"Yes, sir!"

They saluted together, then turned and left.

…

Three days later.

Modu Settlement.

Fang Bai stood at the window of what had been Peng Jun's office, looking out.

The turmoil had long since subsided. When the Military's main force arrived the day before, led by Fang Bai and Vermilion Bird, it encountered no meaningful resistance.

Most of the garrison were Military personnel. At most, Peng Jun had bought off a few members of the High Command. Bringing the rest back into the fold was easy. With Peng Jun and Yang Pengguang dead, the Settlement had no formidable fighters left.

Even the Cannibal legion Peng Jun had personally assembled had vanished.

Light footsteps sounded behind Fang Bai.

"Mission complete. There are no more traces of the Cannibals in Modu Settlement. We killed some, but I don't think we got them all."

"Then that'll do. You've worked hard, Xiao Xue."

She shook her head, walked softly up behind him, and took his hand.

"I knew you wouldn't betray the Military, Fang Bai-Ge. You're the one who's had a hard time lately."

Fang Bai smiled and shook his head, tightening his grip on her hand.

"You'll stay this time, won't you?"

"Yes. I'm not leaving again."

"I'm glad."

…

Outside Modu Settlement, a pale middle-aged man in a grass-green robe watched Military units coming and going. Fear flashed in his eyes.

It's over. The Demon Worship Cult is finished. So is Peng Jun!

He activated Teleportation without a thought for the stamina cost. In moments, he reached a concealed cave.

It was small, but packed with pale-faced Cannibals.

Several hundred pairs of eyes fixed on their returning leader, desperate for an answer.

He could only shake his head.

"It failed…"

Silence filled the cave.

At last, someone spoke.

"What do we do now?"

The man in green looked bitter. He shook his head again.

"I'm sorry, everyone. We're too big a target together!"

He vanished through several successive Teleportations, leaving them staring after him.

Now they truly were The Forgotten.

After a moment, someone slowly rose from among them.

"I have an idea… We can't stay here anymore. After this, Lin Haifeng will never let us go. There's only one road left to us…"

"What road?"

Under hundreds of watching eyes, the man lowered his hood.

"Why not go to Taiwan? There won't be that many Class Holders there, and they can't be too strong. With our strength, we can survive! If you trust me, I, Li Quan'an, hope we can look after each other as brothers and keep living in this fucked-up world!"

The others considered it for a long time. Then someone answered.

"We could try. Everyone in Huaxia wants us dead anyway. We can't survive here. Might as well try Taiwan!"

"Right. Let's go to Taiwan."

Li Quan'an smiled faintly as more and more voices joined in.

Then…

"It's a long journey. We ought to choose a leader. I think Li Quan'an would be good. Reliable, does things properly, and he's fairly strong."

"Agreed. Li Quan'an's a generous man too."

"Doesn't matter to me who leads."

Listening to the discussion, Li Quan'an smiled and raised a hand with a leader's poise.

"I haven't been in the Demon Worship Cult for very long. Making me leader might be…"

Before he could finish, several Cannibals spoke up.

"Li-Ge, this is a crisis. You were the first to stand up and show us a way out. I see no problem with you leading us!"

"Exactly! Don't turn us down, Li-Ge!"

The first few voices drew in more and more. Once most of the Cannibals agreed that Li Quan'an would make a suitable leader, he stopped protesting.

After a brief meeting, they set out for the coast under cover of night.

…

Working together, Lin Haifeng and Sequence 1 had resolved the Demon Worship Cult affair in remarkably little time.

As the opening of the Demon Realm Gate drew nearer, the entire world entered a strange lull. Humans and the Mutant Beasts led by Divine Beast Species alike prepared for the fiercer storm to come.

…

In Mudanjiang City, Wang Zhigang was organizing a convoy. Laden with bags and bundles, the people were leaving their hometown for Yanjing Settlement.

Wen Yu had advised them to do so before he left. Yanjing had also sent word.

"Uncle Wang, will we see Wen Yu-Ge when we get there?"

At Zheng Ye's question, Wang Zhigang nodded firmly.

"Of course."

"I wonder whether he'll be surprised to see you've become a Level 3 Class Holder."

Zheng Ye's eyes lit up, as though he could already picture Wen Yu's astonishment.

To him, Wen Yu was both an idol and a goal.

At the very rear of the great migrating column, a gaunt, sallow-faced man trudged mechanically along like a walking corpse. Dirt covered his body. He kept muttering to himself like a madman.

…

In an ordinary house in Yanjing Settlement's Outer City, dozens of Class Holders in assorted clothing gathered to eat and drink heartily.

Wan Ping sat at the head of the table, smiling as people came up to toast him.

He had arrived in Yanjing Settlement early. Unfortunately, his connections weren't strong enough to uncover any news of Wen Yu. He had therefore returned to his old trade: running a gang, while building an extensive intelligence network on the side.

At Level 4, establishing a power base in the Outer City was easy.

Perhaps the "death" of Wan An's departed soul had cleared his mind somewhat. Wan Ping had come to understand the gulf between himself and Wen Yu.

Gather strength-his own, and that of his followers.

That was the wisest choice.

He was in no hurry now. No hurry at all.

…

Wen Yu and Kuangliu were on the eighty-fifth floor of the Demon-Suppressing Tower, enduring the endless "terrible Trials."

"Catch fifty Mutated bees within thirty seconds. Begin!"

Looking at all the flying insects filling the chamber, the two exchanged a helpless glance.

"At least a month before we get out."

"Yeah. I've accepted it. I just hope the old man has something else up his sleeve."

"At least the rewards are decent now. Otherwise, wasting a month here would be unbearable."

Wen Yu's hands never stopped moving. His keen eyes picked out the bees, and he snatched several in quick succession. In less than thirty seconds, they cleared the floor and headed up.