Chapter 18 - The Wrap-Up

Xia Liang took over the management of the Fourth Team from Zhu Yanchen, but the investigation on Erosion Marsh still couldn’t advance.

Just after the concert, Xia Liang looked at herself in the mirror and used a hair curler to fix her hairstyle. She chose her perfume while looking at the report from the Fourth Team.

It was all perfunctory nonsense.

Sure enough, Xia Liang pursed her lips.

The Fourth Team was an investigation team trained by Zhu Yanchen, who specialised in collecting rarely-known information about Erosion Marsh. These days, anyone who cherished their lives knew they should stay away from those marshes. The members of the Fourth Team were willing to take up these dirty jobs not because of any profound attachment with their leader, rather, it was because of the money that the Zhu family had. Only thanks to such thing that the current Marshal Zhu could make these people dance around death like that.

Most of the Fourth Team were mercenaries who traded their lives for money. On normal days, they nestled at the corner, listening to the wind while doing their own small business. Only when Zhu Yanchen gave out the rewards for the task that these men were willing to come together and work towards the same goal.

This was just investigation, not research.

Since humanity invented the purifier, the research progress on Erosion Marsh had mostly stagnated.

Erosion Marsh wasn’t a virus or bacteria. As long as there was a purifier, the research couldn’t be carried out normally. But if the purifier was turned off, even if they put on a few layers of protective clothing, humans would still be slowly be eroded by the erosive substance in the air.

Not to mention, the purifier was already effective enough, there were already solutions to the issue and talents were already in short supply. With some reliable protection methods in existence, no one was willing to gamble their lives with an effort that might very well be futile.

Anyone could research Erosion Marsh as they wanted, but protective equipment wasn’t usually affordable for ordinary people. With all these factors adding up, except for Zhu Yanchen, no one had bothered investing in this area. The government had also been fixated on their own research direction. All focus should be on improving the synthesised humans, while Erosion Marsh was just a minor addition.

Zhu Yanchen was part of the research project on synthesised humans too. But in reality, he just looked at the information and never made any substantial contribution to optimising these humans. On the contrary, he would spend time writing Erosion Marsh analysis reports, but their content was incredulous and entirely irrelevant to the improvement of synthesised humans.

After a while, everyone came to accept that — The son of the previous marshal just wanted to doze on his father’s reputation. The Zhu family was of high status and friends of the previous marshal wanted to act in his favour, so whenever there was research, they would call Zhu Yanchen to let him have a bit of the limelight. Zhu Yanchen also knew how to behave and thus kept himself quiet, never spilling any unnecessary commands.

Considering that Zhu Yanchen’s strategic skill was indeed top-notch, even if the other researchers were dissatisfied, they wouldn’t really make a fuss and tarnish the name of the whole team.

Xia Liang sighed, put the selected perfume into the bag and muttered in exasperation: “Academically-inclined people are way too honest.”

In the upcoming leader election, if Yi Ning was a candidate favoured by the common folks, then Zhu Yanchen was a candidate favoured by the previous leading party. It was just that — They had judged Zhu Yanchen wrongly. The guy was nowhere as ‘obedient’ as they thought.

The previous marshal didn’t even know about the existence of the Fourth Team, let alone Zhu Yanchen’s private research. Even for Xia Liang, who self-proclaimed to have a very powerful intelligence network under her command, Zhu Yanchen’s secrets were something that she only learnt upon becoming his subordinates.

She didn’t care why Zhu Yanchen was keen on doing this, but she never liked people who didn’t obey orders.

If she wanted to deal with this Fourth Team, she had to strike the head. She didn’t know how to research Erosion Marsh, but she was good at other things — She wasn’t stupid. After working under Zhu Yanchen for so long, she still knew where she could get the information she needed.

So at the break of dawn, Lao Dong appeared at Ai Xiaoxiao’s clinic.

…Xia Liang really never thought that the captain of the Fourth Team was actually a woman.

“Lao Dong?” Ai Xiaoxiao said with contempt: “I’ve never heard of Lao Dong. If you come to beg for food, I still have some dumplings left in my kitchen. Would you like them?”

Xia Liang’s face under the hood twitched. This woman totally doesn’t look like she’s joking…

“There’s no need to joke, Miss Ai.” Xia Liang stretched her foot and jammed the door: “You never gives any news nor replies to the messages, and all the reports you’ve given so far are rather shitty. So this old man has to come here when the sun isn’t even up yet… Ouch, my old waist…”

After speaking, Xia Liang feigned a sigh. She was an expert at acting after all.

Ai Xiaoxiao raised her eyebrows, her face clearly saying: So you know those reports are shitty. Not simple, aren’t you?

“Then come in and have supper.” Ai Xiaoxiao thought for a moment, her tone barely polite: “There are still some dumplings left in the kitchen…”

Xia Liang: “…”

“It’s not that I don’t want to write the reports. The other members of the team are all short of time. The matter with that Erosion Marsh is over, there’s no need to crack your brain over it anymore.” Ai Xiaoxiao really went to stir-fry the dumplings and even poured in some vinegar. Xia Liang didn’t pick up the chopsticks, so Ai Xiaoxiao started eating by herself. “Anyway, you just don’t understand. Isn’t it a waste of time to write this report so seriously?”

You’ve barely worked under me and already want to fool me. Not bad, aren’t you? Xia Liang inwardly complained. “So what’s the matter with the disappearing Erosion Marsh?”

Ai Xiaoxiao Skin Xiaorou raised her head and gave a smile that carried no smiling intent, then she made a gesture of zipping her mouth: “Marshal Zhu wants me to keep it a secret.”

“The higher-ups will come to check, so if I know things in advance, I can prepare well.” Xia Liang patiently continued. “It’s Zhu Yanchen who asked me to take over the Fourth Team, so please don’t make it so hard for this old man.”

“They won’t find out… Oh, now that we’re at this, you come just at the right time.”

Ai Xiaoxiao wiped her hands and took out a chip from inside the room. The chip smelled like dumplings.

“This thing, remember to find a chance to get it into the upper system. Zhu Yanchen wants to erase some information related to that Erosion Marsh. It’s up to you next, Mr. Dong.”

Xia Liang didn’t manage to get the answer she wanted and now had to shoulder some other errands. Having to run errands might not be that bad, but this woman really showed no respect at all. Her anger was crawling up her throat, and as she was about to open her mouth — 

“I know what you’re thinking. There’s still lots of time left. Anyway, Zhu Yanchen certainly is unable to come back. If you want to hit me, there’s enough time in the future.”

Unable to come back? Xia Liang swallowed down the anger in her throat.

“You really don’t know.” Ai Xiaoxiao waved her hand: “Treat this information as a meeting gift for you.”

Xia Liang didn’t let her off easily: “Tell me clearly.”

“What did he tell you? Let me guess, ‘Be well-prepared for both success and failure’?” Ai Xiaoxiao turned on the faucet and rubbed the plate in her hands. “Isn’t Zhu Yanchen always like this? He gives some information to one person and some other information to another person. What he reveals to each person is like the tip of the iceberg. He doesn’t tell you about his physical condition, just like how he doesn’t tell me about his real plan… Of course, I don’t care either.”

Waving the water off her hands, she put the plate back on the shelf: “I’ve worked with him for more than ten years, and it’s not that I haven’t tried to persuade him. Zhu Yanchen has long known that it’s only a matter of time before he dies in the midst of the research.”

“At this point in time, this is the issue that you need to understand.” She said: “Ok, now go back. I don’t like to keep people with me late at night.”

“Why?” Seeing that this woman really knew things, Xia Liang couldn’t hold back the question.

“Why what?”

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“Zhu Yanchen doesn’t lack resources. Simply being a marshal can earn him a good ending. He could have just taken a step back, done nothing and peacefully waited for his death. The Zhu family can definitely give him such a life.”

Why did he choose a meaningless dead end? There were already solutions to the contamination issue, so why did he still want to research Erosion Marsh? Wasn’t this absolutely pointless?

Ai Xiaoxiao looked up and down at her: “Who knows? Anyway, I’ve said all that I wanted to say to him. Nice words aren’t enough to persuade a man who is running towards death by himself. What else can I do?”

Glancing at the silent Xia Liang, she continued: “Don’t think too much. His situation is surely more serious than you think. He’s given me lots of money in order to make him look like a normal person and I’ve worked very hard too — Where do you think my skills in hospice care and plastic surgery come from? Practice?”

……

Dr. Ai’s clinic was still active despite the late night. Meanwhile, Zhu Yanchen was fully armed and hanging in mid-air with Shu Jun right above Village of The Impaired — After the Erosion Marsh was snatched away, the villagers definitely didn’t have a good night’s sleep.

“So in short, what we have to do is to convince them to stop trying to raise another Erosion Marsh.” Shu Jun carried his new broadsword, his tone light.

“Yes.”

“I did guess that you’d do this. Let me try first. If they don’t concur with me, you can come forward.” Shu Jun pulled out the sword: “I also have something to say to them.”

Zhu Yanchen frowned. Before he could voice out his concern, his feet had landed on the ground and Shu Jun had already rushed dozens of meters away.

Shu Jun didn’t immediately come into contact with the villagers. He specifically stopped about ten meters away from the camp to allow the villagers some time to gather. Seeing the thief who had robbed their Erosion Marsh come back by himself, the villagers also acted along — They noisily picked up their weapons and crowded at the entrance of the camp.

Wrapped in a lot of bandages, Lao Wei was being held by the woman who pretended to be a corpse handler earlier.

“Return the marsh to us!” He scolded Shu Jun head-on.

The woman wasn’t covering up her head, her deformed eyes swollen like two peaches. Obviously, she had been crying.

“You still believe that your dead family members can be revived through the Erosion Marsh, don’t you?”

“My daughter calls me ‘Mother’.” The woman said with a hoarse voice: “She’s the one who has been revived the most here. She has always recognised me and always hugged me. I know, she definitely must be in there…”

Shu Jun thrust his broadsword into the ground. Seeing that the sword remained silent, he kicked it again.

The broadsword finally let out a word: “Bah.”

Its tone was exactly the same as the voices of those ‘family members’ that rose from the marsh during the ritual.

“Let me introduce you, this is your Erosion Marsh. We have reached a friendly agreement.” Shu Jun patted the hilt. “I don’t think it looks anywhere like a little girl.” 

Chattering instantly filled the camp. The woman covered her mouth, as if she wanted to throw up: “You… You’re cruel —”

“You just said that your daughter is the most ‘revived’ one that had always recognised you” Shu Jun’s voice was clear but didn’t sound too happy. “Then let’s experiment a bit.” 

Before the villagers could react, a wind suddenly blew up. With a move as light as a feather, Shu Jun already stood in front of the woman, his thick blade smoothly swinging and aiming at her neck.

His movement stopped exactly where it needed to. The blade pressed on the woman’s skin without hurting her.

Monday the broadsword thought that he could finally drink some blood, but Shu Jun braked halfway. It immediately screamed in dissatisfaction: “Slash! Slash!”

“This is the ‘daughter’ who has always recognised you.” Shu Jun lowered his voice, his grey eyes as cold as ashes. “Jie jie1, it’s okay to be deceived, but don’t be deceived for too long.” 

The woman’s legs crumbled and she sat down on the ground. Shu Jun took back the sword and squinted his eyes: “Who else wants to experiment? I’ll help you out any time.” 

The villagers were completely silent.

Since the woman was supporting Lao Wei, as she fell, Lao Wei also fell along. With the gunshot wound caused by Zhu Yanchen still there, he snorted twice: “Then… Then we can also keep them as memories…”

“And you.” Shu Jun knelt down, shoved his sword into the ground and stared straight into Lao Wei’s eyes: “My friend must have warned you that if this Erosion Marsh grows up, it’ll eat all of you.”

“Even if what you say is true, we’re all half-dead. If we can be buried in the same place with our family and friends, we’ll have no more regret……”

“I don’t mean that.” Shu Jun’s tone became even lighter: “My friend is worried about you. As to what I feel about you…… how do I say it, there’s a limit to how much I can sympathise. “

He stretched out his hand and a few tiny drops of erosive substance in his palm slowly came together to form a ball.

“This place isn’t too far from the city. If the Erosion Marsh grows up, ‘players’ would have to eliminate its danger. By then, there’ll be sacrifices. I don’t want to see that scene.”

The ball was lifted up by the wind and floated around Lao Wei, then it flew towards the villagers to make sure everyone could see it.

“I can turn the Erosion Marsh into a sword, so of course, I can also turn the marsh into my spy. If you want to continue roaming around freely, no problem, the marsh will always follow this village. If I find out that you start raising another marsh, I’ll rush over and send you back to the city with my own hands. In this way, you all will reunite at the corpse disposal site — Ah wait, sorry, the corpses are processed in batches, maybe not everyone will be in the same group.”

Shu Jun laughed, revealing his sharp canine teeth.

Being threatened and eyed upon by a monster, Lao Wei swallowed hard.

“That’s all I want to say.” Shu Jun’s voice was still very low. “You guys take care of yourself.”

After that, he stood up, drew his sword and swaggered back to Zhu Yanchen.

“So fast?”

“They won’t do it again.” The coldness in Shu Jun’s eyes had long disappeared.

“What did you tell them?” Zhu Yanchen didn’t stand close enough, and Shu Jun’s voice went up and down intermittently so he couldn’t hear everything.

“A harmless little lie.” Shu Jun smiled: “I scared them by saying that I could use the Erosion Marsh as my spy. The next thing is just a usual threat. When it comes to threats, I’d like to thank Marshal Zhu for his advice… Marshal Zhu, where are we going next?”

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