Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1492 - 1485: Outwardly Harmonious but Inwardly Divided

Chapter 1492: Chapter 1485: Outwardly Harmonious but Inwardly Divided

"There’s a sense of fighting violence with violence," Cheng Ziang said with a bitter smile.

"Isn’t that the case?" Baiyue asked, as if it were a matter of course.

"Perhaps..." Cheng Ziang nodded, falling silent once again.

After leaving the fog, it took only one day for the merchant ship to arrive at the Continent’s port. The group, with the help of insiders, disembarked from the merchant ship and boarded the carriages prepared for some time.

Looking at the bustling scene of people coming and going on the port streets, Cheng Ziang couldn’t help but voice his concern: "These merchants have been a great help to us, aren’t you afraid it will implicate them?"

"No fear," Zisu shrugged and said, "We’ll notify them in advance. As long as we can keep the plague contained within a certain area, there’s no worry about it leaking out."

"What if it can’t be contained?" Cheng Ziang asked.

"If it can’t be contained, then we’ll intervene manually," Zisu said.

Cheng Ziang said no more. Although Zisu didn’t spell it out, he understood very well that the so-called manual intervention Zisu referred to meant controlling the spread of the epidemic by dealing with the infected.

But regardless of the method, one thing was certain, the deployment of this gene weapon would undoubtedly cause serious casualties among the innocent, an outcome Cheng Ziang was most reluctant to see.

"Have you ever thought about what to do if the weapon targets not only the people from Kyushu but also the Demon Clan?" Baiyue looked at Cheng Ziang and initiated the question.

"I trust the Ghost Race. Their statements have always been very precise, neither exaggerating nor downplaying," Zisu answered.

"Entrusting the fate of your own race to the words of another race, isn’t that a bit laughable?" Baiyue said emotionlessly.

"You don’t need to persuade me. My mind is made up. From the day I set foot on Aximiya Island, I never thought of backing down," Zisu made it very clear to Cheng Ziang and Baiyue, cutting short any further conversation.

"I hope you know what you’re doing. Even as powerful as we are, we have never used such humanity-erasing weapons in war," Baiyue said, pressing her lips together and eventually closing her mouth.

So, the group began their journey back in the carriages. Although they needed to pass through the territories of the three major aristocratic families, Zisu didn’t seem to plan to use the gene weapon as an opportunity for attack. Clearly, she wanted to use it at the front line first, to deter the other aristocratic families, achieving a strategy of warning by a striking example.

After a month of travel without incident, Zisu and the others finally arrived secretly and safely at the frontline camp where the Demon Clan and the Nine Thousand Battalion were engaged in battle. Upon arrival, she immediately went to discuss further strategy with Yunji, while Cheng Ziang and the others were finally able to reunite with Hu Daoke and Yichuan Ying.

"Little brother!"

"Third brother!"

Hu Daoke and Cheng Ziang hugged each other excitedly, crying out in plaintive voices, while Baiyue watched them emotionless, shaking her head and muttering to herself, "Are you two genuinely crying or faking it?"

"Yue’er!" Hu Daoke opened his arms and pounced towards Baiyue.

Baiyue reluctantly accepted his hug and complained, "Okay, I still have a gun in my hand, you don’t want the lower half of your body, do you?"

"Why so fierce, it’s only Little Fengye who can warm my heart," said Hu Daoke with aggrieved tone, lifting the child high.

"You guys are back..." Having not seen Cheng Ziang for a long time, Yichuan Ying seemed a bit unfamiliar and greeted them timidly.

"Did they give you a hard time?" Cheng Ziang looked at her and asked.

"No, it’s been quite peaceful during this time," Yichuan Ying shook her head.

"Hey, what’s been going on with the Demon Clan’s army and the Yichuan Clan’s army recently?" Baiyue pinched Hu Daoke’s arm, signaling him to put down Little Fengye, and asked.

"During your absence, both families have been behaving. They just stand off each other and haven’t really fought; probably both think they can’t beat the other," Hu Daoke grimaced in pain and, after setting Little Fengye down, scratched his head and spoke.

"What a pity, such balance is to be disrupted," Baiyue said, emitting a long sigh.

"What’s wrong, your trip doesn’t seem to have gone smoothly?" asked Hu Daoke with a clueless expression.

"What do you mean travel? We’re on a mission," Cheng Ziang said annoyedly, kicking him lightly.

"Speaking of which, what’s that thing hanging from your waist?" Hu Daoke patted his rear and pointed at the mask hanging from their waists.

"Oh, this is a mask brought over from Aximiya Island, a specialty of the Ghost Race; we had them custom-made," Cheng Ziang paused momentarily then picked up the mask and handed it over to him.

"And you say you’re not traveling; you even bought souvenirs," Hu Daoke said as he received the mask.

"What nonsense are you talking about? This is for you guys; you’re really ungrateful," Cheng Ziang replied irritably.

"Alright, alright, thank you, brother," Hu Daoke said ingratiatingly, as he studied the mask.

What he held was a Black Tortoise Mask, with very smooth relief cracks on it, which made the whole mask look particularly fierce. He flipped it over to look at both sides and scratched his head, "Why so intimidating?"

"The Ghost Race wear masks to deter their enemies, of course it’s intimidating," explained Cheng Ziang.

"But it’s not bad," nodded Hu Daoke.

"If you like it that much, it’s yours," said Cheng Ziang.

"For me? When did you become so generous?" Hu Daoke seemed very surprised.

"You jerk, is my impression in your eyes that bad?" rolled Cheng Ziang’s eyes and said, "It was brought for you guys anyway; if not given to you, should I sell it instead?"

"Okay then, thanks, brother!" Hu Daoke grinned, showing a genuine smile, and then he put on the mask.

Seeing Hu Daoke’s happy appearance, Cheng Ziang felt a pang of discomfort in his heart and let out a deep sigh.

"What’s wrong? You all have had gloomy faces since the start. Has something bad happened?" Hu Daoke adjusted the mask while looking at the three with concern, making sure nothing had happened to any of his comrades.

"It’s nothing," Cheng Ziang rubbed his nose and then turned to Baiyue and said, "So, tomorrow, Yue’er, you take Feng and Yichuan Ying away from the front lines and go back to Big South East Peace City."

"I thought we were going back together, why the separation?" Baiyue asked with a furrowed brow.

"I want to stay behind and see if I can salvage something. Little Fengye and Yichuan Ying can’t afford to get into any trouble, so I have to trouble you to take them away," Cheng Ziang stated.

"What can you do by staying behind? What if the weapon indiscriminately wreaks havoc? How will you cope then?" Baiyue stepped forward and challenged.

"I have my own sense of measures," Cheng Ziang mused.

"What kind of measures can you have? You’re just relying on Liseya, and Liseya can’t protect you from virus infection," Baiyue said earnestly.

"Liseya indeed can’t ensure that I won’t be infected, but she can help me clear any potential threats around," Cheng Ziang replied.

"No, why are you two arguing? What happened?" Hu Daoke, witnessing their confrontation, couldn’t help but interject worriedly.

"It’s nothing," Cheng Ziang took a deep breath and then looked at Hu Daoke, "It’s just that I have to impose on you, Old Hu; I need you by my side to assist me, so I can’t let you go back with Yue’er."

"Why so suddenly sentimental?" Hu Daoke scratched his cheek, "Actually, it doesn’t matter where I am... Eh, wait a minute, what are you planning to do? Why does it look like you’re saying a final farewell?"

"When we went to Aximiya Island, I thought about it; we’ve been away from home too long, it’s time to go back. Where Luo’er is, that’s home, isn’t it," Cheng Ziang stated.

"You finally say something human," Hu Daoke nodded in agreement.

"So, Yue’er, take the girls back first, and Old Hu and I will cover the rear," Cheng Ziang continued.

"Cover what rear? Why does it feel like we’re about to go to war with the Demon Clan?" Hu Daoke asked uneasily.

"It’s not a matter of war," Cheng Ziang shook his head, his expression becoming somber, "Only, our relationship is not as close as it used to be!"