Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 479 - 449 Shadow of Ming Zhuo

Chapter 479: 449 Shadow of Ming Zhuo

"You provoked Ming Zhuo?"

Surprised, I searched my mind for the relationship between Weichi and Ming Zhuo. Aside from their ideological opposition, I couldn’t find any necessity for Ming Zhuo to target Weichi. These two were practically unconnected before this.

Moreover, Weichi was a trusted lieutenant of Fa Zheng and had represented Fa Zheng in inviting me in the past. Although only at the Great Success Rank, his uniqueness made him highly valued by Fa Zheng. Through previous interactions, I even thought he might hold value in operations and logistics comparable to that of Impermanence, likely occupying a crucial role in Fa Zheng’s future plans.

Unlike other solitary Impermanences, Fa Zheng valued collectivity and others’ opinions highly. Failing to avenge a trusted subordinate like Weichi might dishearten many people. If Ming Zhuo truly intended to harm Weichi, Fa Zheng might very well confront Ming Zhuo openly.

So, leaving aside Ming Zhuo’s intentions, why didn’t Weichi seek help from Fa Zheng and instead came to me for assistance?

Weichi showed a bitter expression and said, "It’s not that I provoked Ming Zhuo... it’s because Divine Light died."

"What’s that got to do with Divine Light?" I asked, puzzled.

"Do you remember that Ming Zhuo handed all his Divine Seal Fragments to Divine Light?" Weichi asked. "The Power of Divine Seal Fragments holds infinite possibilities and might solve Ming Zhuo’s lifespan countdown problem. Yet, he willingly placed it in Divine Light’s hands. Do you know why?"

"It’s because holding onto the Divine Seal Fragments might bring trouble from Xuanming again," I replied.

"That’s just one reason," Weichi said. "Ultimately, Xuanming’s target is only the Divine Seal Fragments. Even if Ming Zhuo accidentally exposed the fact that he had them, so what?

"Unlike you, Xuanming wouldn’t spend ten years wearing down Ming Zhuo. They only need to grab the Divine Seal Fragments. During this time, even if Ming Zhuo were killed a few or a dozen times, after revival, he’d just dust himself off and go back to his own business.

"One of the conditions for transferring the Divine Seal Fragments to Divine Light was Ming Zhuo’s hope that Divine Light could take over his research, developing techniques to address the lifespan countdown using the Power of Divine Seal Fragments, while Ming Zhuo looked for methods from another direction. Divine Light was far ahead of Ming Zhuo in research on the Power of Divine Seal Fragments."

The information he provided matched my knowledge. Divine Light was a "fierce individual" who could decipher gray mist on the first entry into the Void Realm, showing deep research into the Power of Divine Seal Fragments.

At the same time, I grasped why Ming Zhuo might be hostile to Weichi.

"And now, with Divine Light dead and unable to help him develop the technology, and finding no success with me in exploring the method to open the Naraku Gate through Mazao," I analyzed, "even knowing the potential threat from Xuanming, he might very well resume the task of using the Power of Divine Seal Fragments to overcome the lifespan countdown...

"For that, the Divine Seal Fragments are essential.

"The problem is, all the Divine Seal Fragments owned by Divine Light when he was alive were either given to you and me, or finally taken by the Master of Divine Seal... or rather, taken away entirely by Xuanming.

"Ming Zhuo, even after searching all of Divine Light’s relics, couldn’t find a single Divine Seal Fragment. The most likely conclusion he might draw is that someone secretly moved these Divine Seal Fragments."

Weichi continued, "The person responsible for sorting Divine Light’s relics was his confidant. Ming Zhuo probably investigated thoroughly in that direction, but couldn’t find any clue. Naturally, he’ll suspect someone else next..."

I said, "This is someone who had close ties with Divine Light when he was alive, seemed to have done much undisclosed work; and after Divine Light’s death, he’s still living well and having covert conversations with me in the Great Impermanence Grave Area. Worse, this person did indeed receive Divine Seal Fragments from Divine Light when he was alive."

"Yes..." Weichi said awkwardly, "That person is me.

"Just yesterday, while researching Divine Seal Fragments within my own array, I suddenly had a premonition of impending doom. I immediately realized it was likely a sign that Ming Zhuo was going to act against me, probably pondering how to handle Fa Zheng’s anger while kidnapping me...

"Honestly, I was almost scared to death."

You startled me too. It’s incredible that someone at the Great Success Rank can sense the distant thoughts of an Impermanence.

An Impermanence, in some sense, embodies a natural disaster. Just a thought could cause natural signs, terrifying countless birds and beasts like sensing an oncoming earthquake, not to mention a demon hunter with an extremely sharp intuition; and if Impermanence’s killing intent is consciously hidden, it can go unnoticed by all living beings. Even demon hunters outside of Impermanence, armed with powerful divination skills, can’t detect signs of impending doom.

For an Impermanence like Ming Zhuo, who habitually does bad deeds behind the scenes, even I dare not say I can always catch his killing thoughts. That Weichi could, even if it might be due to the blessing of his so-called array, is beyond belief.

I could understand why he didn’t seek help from Fa Zheng. Since I needed his help to contact Little Bowl in the future, I naturally agreed to his request for help.

He immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"...Sometimes I can’t understand why someone like Ming Zhuo, who likes to hide his intentions, can have so many believers," I said. "I’ve heard that even after I defeated him once, many demon hunters still believed in him."

Weichi said, "It’s not just ’many.’ According to statistics, among all current Impermanences in Luo Mountain, he has the highest number of followers."

"Is that so?" This was my first time hearing of it. "Perhaps I do have some negative stereotypes about Ming Zhuo, but even from an objective perspective, Ming Zhuo doesn’t seem like a character with personal charisma, does he?"

Granted, great power can attract those who admire strength, and an arrogant personality could be seen from another angle as a form of leadership. However, there are Impermanences stronger than Ming Zhuo, and leadership formed by a domineering style is hard to classify as ideal.

In terms of power and achievements, the Old Fist God is the strongest Impermanence in Luo Mountain; in terms of wisdom and seniority, Gua Tianshi is unrivaled; regarding ideals and ethics, Fa Zheng is the first that comes to mind for people.

I really can’t see where Ming Zhuo, as a God, surpasses other Impermanences. Even Fa Zheng, seeing demon hunters killed by the power shockwaves in the Human Bureau headquarters battle, would sigh sadly. Ming Zhuo wouldn’t even bother to look at them—his subordinates, brought to the battlefield personally by him.

"Because Ming Zhuo is the only Impermanence in Luo Mountain who has ever signed a contract with Naraku’s will," Weichi said nonchalantly. "In the past, Luoshan demon hunters took pride in being able to freely move between the Living World and Afterlife, worshipping the will of the Heavenly Dao in the afterlife."

"But after they could no longer enter and exit the afterlife, many demon hunters turned that regret towards Ming Zhuo, seeking psychological compensation in him. Since among the Impermanences, Ming Zhuo has the closest connection with the Afterlife, dying and returning no matter how many times, he’s sometimes seen as an incarnation of Naraku’s will in the Living World. Hence, Ming Zhuo, who once had few followers, suddenly became the God with the most believers."

"Although the modern human rights thought also somewhat affected Luo Mountain, traditional thinking still dominates. In this context, Ming Zhuo’s moral flaws are ignored by many. Because in Luo Mountain’s traditional mentality, since Ming Zhuo is a God, he shouldn’t be criticized by the moral system; he himself is the fundamental reference of that moral system.

"If the existing moral system criticizes Ming Zhuo as evil, then the problem lies not with Ming Zhuo, but with a flaw in this moral system, which should be adjusted to a system that evaluates Ming Zhuo as a good God, making it correct."

Probably because his late wife was an Impermanence, Weichi was surprisingly calm compared to ordinary demon hunters in his view of Impermanences. I couldn’t help but marvel again at the transcendent status of Impermanences in Luo Mountain. If I were an ordinary demon hunter who newly joined Luo Mountain, I’d likely find this mindset highly objectionable.

But now I am one of the Impermanences, so it doesn’t matter, anything goes. Such issues should be left for others to worry about, and it wouldn’t matter if a reformation of thoughts is truly completed.

If Zhu Shi wanted to do it, I might even actively support her.

Besides, since Ming Zhuo wants the Divine Seal Fragments, I need to remind Mazao and Zhu Shi, as they both possess Divine Seal Fragments as well. Although they already have strong confidentiality awareness, involving Ming Zhuo warrants an upgrade in secrecy consciousness.

"The reason I can’t seek help from Fa Zheng in this matter is that if I told him, I’d have to hand over all the Divine Seal Fragments I have," Weichi explained. "I need the Divine Seal Fragments, and I need more..."

"Is it to defeat the Old Fist God?" I asked.

Weichi nodded, "Yes..."

Although I didn’t know the specifics of the "method to become strong enough to defeat the Old Fist God" that the Master of Divine Seal traded to Weichi, it seemed easy to think that achieving such a miracle would require a Divine Artifact like the Divine Seal Fragment.

I casually asked him how many, and he showed hesitation. Seeing this, I withdrew the question.

It seemed he needed a considerable number, enough to make him worry that revealing it might trigger my alertness. Though no one would really care about the fragment competition proposed by the Master of Divine Seal, one’s thoughts are the only things one can grasp; as for what goes on in others’ minds, it remains impossible to fully discern.

"Perhaps it’s not really necessary to gather so many Divine Seal Fragments," he seemed to rationalize his earlier behavior. "If I could know the Old Fist God’s special ability, I should be able to prepare accordingly before actually fighting him, which could reduce the number of Divine Seal Fragments needed...

"The Old Fist God actually has ’special abilities’?" I asked, very surprised.