Chapter Sixty-Seven: Appetizer

His right hand clutched the Dragon Whip tightly, a streak of fresh blood trailing from his palm—evidence that, despite its formidable power, the whip had injured even its wielder. Qi Qiuchan seemed to realize her guilt; she lowered her head in silence and slowly drew the Dragon Whip back, resting it behind her.

Weng Dongqi, seething with anger, barked, “I know you disagree with the association’s decision, but your actions now amount to outright insubordination. Do you want to be locked up in the Snow Mountain Prison to cool off for a hundred years?”

In a low voice, Qi Qiuchan replied, “I am willing to bear all responsibility.”

Weng Dongqi snorted heavily. “Bear it? Even I wouldn’t dare claim I could bear all the consequences. Who do you think you are to say such a thing?”

Qi Qiuchan lowered her head and fell silent once more.

With a deep sigh, Weng Dongqi realized this was not the place for admonishments.

He helped the still-breathless Lin Jicang to his feet, rapidly pressing acupressure points along his body. “I apologize, Qi Qiuchan was too reckless. Though your body structure is extraordinary, basic techniques to promote blood flow and ease bruising should suffice.”

Lin Jicang, now regaining his composure, couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m fine, but your young lady ought to see a psychiatrist. She comes in screaming for blood at the drop of a hat.”

Weng Dongqi hesitated, then said, “She was simply… raised this way from the start…”

There was a hint of pity in his voice, which made Lin Jicang drop the subject. After eight precise taps, Lin Jicang felt a wave of comfort throughout his body. Weng Dongqi then withdrew his hands and said, “Forcibly altering the human body is, after all, an act against the heavens. If you continue like this, you’ll eventually collapse. When you have time, perhaps you could study the way of Qi pulse cultivation with me.”

“Huh? Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?” Lin Jicang was caught off guard.

But Weng Dongqi was straightforward. “It’s not a question of appropriateness. Pulse wielders are too rare—one more is always welcome.”

Suddenly, the surroundings fell eerily silent. Lin Jicang shivered. “If you’re looking for Adonsa, it’s already here.”

They looked around—their group was now surrounded by security officers, cold and expressionless, who watched the three non-humans amid the ruins with mechanical detachment.

Weng Dongqi tapped his forehead, as if already feeling a headache from what was to come.

One of the officers stepped forward and spoke in Adonsa’s voice: “Weng Dongqi, for your actions in my city, I have the authority to arrest you.”

Weng Dongqi was speechless. “Do you really see yourself as some local tyrant? Don’t you realize there are three military bases outside, fully prepared to wipe you out at any cost?”

Adonsa replied, “Just joking. Do you have no sense of humor at all?”

“I…” Weng Dongqi nearly choked. To be mocked for lacking a sense of humor by a creature whose true form he couldn’t even fathom—this was a new experience, to say the least.

Adonsa’s avatars quickly dispersed the onlookers and sealed off the area.

Adonsa asked, “What brings you here?”

Weng Dongqi replied, “The association has passed a resolution—we are willing to consider tolerating your existence.”

“On what condition?”

Weng Dongqi answered firmly, “Hunt down Zhang Liaoyuan!”

“That king among pulse wielders, master of Heavenly Capital, the invincible Zhang Liaoyuan?” Adonsa retorted.

“Yes, that king among pulse wielders, master of Heavenly Capital, the invincible Zhang Liaoyuan.”

Adonsa gazed into the distance, as if seeing the preheated cannons aimed straight at this city ruled by the alien. “It seems I have no right to refuse, do I?”

Weng Dongqi snorted. “You think I’m bluffing? If you refuse to serve our purposes, we will not tolerate such an aberration living on this land.”

Adonsa stated coldly, “That won’t destroy me. You don’t even know where my true body is. If you dare wage war, I guarantee my revenge will plunge this nation into the deepest despair and agony. Then, you pulse wielders will have nothing left but memories of your former glory, wandering the wastelands.”

His sharp words struck Weng Dongqi to the core, stirring him. “Then let’s avoid that outcome, shall we? Adonsa, this isn’t just about you and us. It concerns the fate of this nation—perhaps even the world.”

Adonsa met Weng Dongqi’s gaze and uttered four words: “The Black Death Emperor’s Tomb.”

Weng Dongqi sighed helplessly. “I didn’t expect you to know about that place.”

“No, it was just a coincidence. But go ahead and explain.”

He spoke calmly. “A thousand years ago, the demon tyrant known as the Black Death Emperor brought an end to the dynasty of pulse wielders—a monster of terror. The ancient pulse wielders paid a terrible price to kill him and seal his corpse by the banks of the Wu River. That’s the origin of the Black Death Emperor’s Tomb.”

“What does Zhang Liaoyuan want with the tomb—resurrect the Black Death Emperor?” Though Adonsa’s tone remained cool, there was a growing urgency, cutting to the heart of the matter. If the Black Death Emperor truly awakened, Adonsa knew he’d be the first target, as one super-being would inevitably devour the other.

On the path of evolution, there is never room for two. Everyone is a rival for the ultimate throne.

Adonsa and the Black Death Emperor alike longed to consume the other and complete themselves.

Weng Dongqi shook his head. “The Black Death Emperor is truly dead—he can never return. But who knows what horrors Zhang Liaoyuan might attempt with his corpse and legacy. After breaking free, Zhang didn’t rush to overthrow the central government; instead, he went searching for the tomb. He must have his reasons.”

Adonsa tilted his head. “The crucial point is, many people don’t want to stop him, do they? The world we live in now is not what every pulse wielder hoped for.”

The status of pulse wielders in this nation was exceptionally awkward—no one dared speak of it openly.

Even in an era of modern weapons, their power could be decisive. Yet in a society that prized fairness and justice, the existence of a privileged class was intolerable.

Moreover, the coup led by Zhang Liaoyuan thirty years ago had left pulse wielders on the sharpest edge of public scrutiny, forcing them into seclusion for three decades just to calm the storm.

Weng Dongqi hesitated, words catching in his throat, and fell silent.

Meanwhile, at a military base in the southeastern war zone of the Heavenly Capital nation, tension filled the air as everyone busied themselves, moving back and forth in a rush.

Inside the command center, a lieutenant general took advantage of a moment’s inattention, inserting a storage device into the physically isolated command system.

Three minutes later, a shout rang out: “The missile ignition sequence has been triggered automatically!”

“What? Stop it, now!”

“Thirteen missiles have been hijacked—wait, we’re doing everything we can to stop it!”

“Three… five… twelve…”

“We can’t abort the ignition on the last missile!”

“It will follow its preset course… towards Nanhaishi!”

The scene shifts.

Weng Dongqi let out a long sigh. “Since you already know so much, there’s no point discussing anything further. Choose: war, or cooperation.”

Adonsa did not rush to reply, but gazed towards the horizon, his brow furrowing.

Weng Dongqi seemed to sense it as well, focusing his gaze into the distance.

Far away, a tiny black dot suddenly appeared between the clouds, plummeting downward.

“A high-explosive bomb? Impossible! No, I haven’t given the order—the city’s people haven’t been evacuated! How dare they!”