Chapter Eight: The Mysterious Xiao Yang (Part Two)

Xiao Yang was exceptionally intelligent; even as a child, he was a prodigy with computers, a genius in the field. He had a passion for deduction and mysterious events. Though doctors had long given up hope of restoring the use of his legs, he never stopped searching for unconventional remedies, hoping to find a way to walk again.

As for the armor he wore, it was his own design, crafted by engineers at his behest. It was built to protect him from harm, and coupled with a remarkable wheelchair that enabled him to move freely through towering buildings, it granted him a mobility that defied his physical limitations.

Having heard all of this, Wujue suddenly interrupted him, asking, “Why did you come here? Was it because of the apocalypse?”

“That’s not the only reason,” Xiao Yang replied. “My grandfather bought this land long ago. A few years back, when the company was struggling and short on funds, my father refused to sell or develop it. I found it odd, so I looked into it and discovered that there was an ancient treasure vault hidden beneath us.”

From that moment, Xiao Yang began to sneak down here, gradually uncovering the secrets of the vault. He even transformed it into his own private sanctuary.

Having finished his account, Xiao Yang seemed to regain his composure. He fixed his gaze on Wujue and asked, “So, what do you think I should do next?”

Wujue suddenly grabbed Xiao Yang’s wrist and, by force, took his pulse. Drawing on years of experience, Wujue quickly detected the congenital weakness in Xiao Yang’s body.

“Your meridians have a birth defect, and the problem has accumulated over many years. But it’s not unchangeable. If you were to train in our Daling Temple’s ultimate technique, the ‘Bone-Easying Classic,’ you could recover, though it would require long, diligent cultivation and medicinal nourishment.”

Hearing him speak with such seriousness, Xiao Yang burst out laughing. “Daling Temple? Do you take me for a child? How could I possibly fall for such an obvious trick?”

“Believe it or not, it’s up to you. I never said I had to help you,” Wujue replied, releasing his hand and beginning to search the vault.

He vaguely remembered that there were three stone chambers here; aside from the central entrance, there should be two more layers, one before and one after. He wondered what they had been turned into.

Venturing forward, he saw several glowing machines that resembled the devices salvaged from the flying ship.

Watching the endless data streams flash across the screens, Wujue, drawing on Huron’s memories, surmised that these must be modern high-tech computers.

He approached one of the monitors and was surprised to see some screens displaying footage from outside, as though they were capturing images from every corner.

Other screens were transmitting data, downloading and analyzing all kinds of information. Wujue realized he had a great deal of new things to absorb, and it would take time to digest the knowledge Huron had given him.

He shook his head and turned to ask, “You’re monitoring everything outside. It seems you care a great deal about what’s happening in the city?”

Xiao Yang steered his wheelchair over and sneered, “Monk, didn’t you say you don’t know anything? These machines are advanced. Even though the city’s electricity and network are down, I prepared generators and tapped into the few small networks still online. All these files were downloaded from the remaining active computers. There’s no way to get more.”

Turning back, Wujue said gravely, “With this, perhaps we can recover from the disaster more quickly. You should put your talents to use.”

Xiao Yang laughed. “Why should I? Isn’t it survival of the fittest in the apocalypse? What’s wrong with choosing to be selfish? Monk, you’re so capable—let’s make a deal. You be my bodyguard, and I’ll provide your food. If you really can cure me, I’ll give you even more than you can imagine. With my intelligence and your help, if I could move freely like everyone else, then together we could…”

But Wujue cut him off, smiling. “You’re mistaken. If, as you say, people should be selfish in the apocalypse, then I too am selfish. I could just torment you and seize all the resources here for myself. Why should I help you?”

Saying such words, even Wujue found himself a little frightening. Huron’s influence on him extended beyond knowledge and awareness; even his temperament was slowly changing.

Perhaps, this was the transformation wrought by the end of the world.

Having learned from past failures, Wujue knew he needed an iron hand to keep others in check.

For example, this arrogant young man before him—Xiao Yang.

Wujue’s retort left Xiao Yang deep in thought, speechless for a long time.

Finally he asked, “Are you threatening me?”

Wujue walked closer and replied, “I want you to understand who’s really in control here.”

The reasoning was simple. By Xiao Yang’s logic, Wujue had no reason to go to such lengths or spend months to restore him.

After all, in the apocalypse, circumstances could change in an instant, and everyone might soon be facing desperate straits.

At last, Xiao Yang relented. “What do you want to do?”

Wujue nodded. “I want to turn this place into a shelter. Soon, I’ll bring a group of people here for safety. Don’t worry, I won’t help just anyone, but we need unity. You don’t yet understand what you’re facing.”

“You mean, besides the zombies, the aliens?” Xiao Yang seemed to know something. He quickly rolled over to a computer and pulled up a display. It was footage of the previously destroyed Celestial Executioners’ warship hovering in the air.

“In fact, I witnessed your actions. I thought you must have died—no one’s foolish enough to risk their life being a hero, trying to save the world. But you actually did it.”

Xiao Yang wheeled back to face Wujue and extended his hand. “All right, perhaps I was overly suspicious. I was born unable to trust people. If you’d gone through what I have, you’d understand how hard it is to put faith in anyone.”

Wujue realized suddenly that all of this had been a test from the young man—he truly was clever.

So he shook Xiao Yang’s hand. “What I said before was true. I can help you. But before that, I’ll need your assistance. How much food do you have left here?”

Xiao Yang shook his head. “Not much. My stores were enough for me alone for two or three years, but if we’re to help others—even if it’s less than a hundred people—it won’t last more than a week.”

Wujue knew food supply was the most urgent concern, especially under such dire conditions. They would have to find a way to gather more resources.

He fixed his gaze on a screen displaying the map of Tianhai City and asked, “Can you monitor the situation in the city? Do you know where we can find water or food?”

Xiao Yang rolled over and brought up the local coordinates. “About a kilometer east, there are several supermarkets; two kilometers west, there’s a water supply station that should still be uncontaminated. But with zombies roaming the streets, getting there won’t be easy.”

Wujue nodded, committing the locations to memory. “That’s good enough. I’ll go round up people to transport supplies. Other than the elderly and girls, anyone wanting to enter here must pass this test.”

“You mean, you want to see who’s willing to contribute and help?” Xiao Yang’s eyes lit up. He realized Wujue had a sharp mind, not just brute strength.

He turned his wheelchair and said, “Very well, I’ll wait here. Take this—it’ll let us stay in contact.”

He handed Wujue a transparent earpiece, indicating he should put it in his ear. Wujue immediately heard a faint sound, like music playing.

Xiao Yang rolled to another machine and turned up the volume. “How’s that? Clear enough? With my wireless headset, we can communicate within a radius of five kilometers.”

Wujue nodded and stored the earpiece carefully, preparing to retrace his steps.

The Divine Warrior of the Apocalypse, Chapter Eight: The Mysterious Xiao Yang—end of update.