Chapter 164 Holding the Tai'a Axe Upside Down (1)
The ground in the new land was already a mess.
The further down you go, the darker and narrower it becomes.
Water dripped sparsely down the rough, carved walls, pooling on the ground to form a shallow puddle, which was then dried by the fire.
The newly lit fire in the enclosed space soon went out, and in the sizzling smoke of the remaining embers, human figures gradually appeared.
The group of people who had been casually sitting around the fire stood up one after another, watching the figure lying prone in the smoke.
The smoke gradually dissipated.
The person lying prone clenched their fists tightly, their head wrapped in a bright red turban, and remained completely still.
The people surrounding him didn't move. The girl with brown and pink hair standing at the back hesitated for a moment, then walked to his side first, a white halo appearing in her outstretched hand.
Erice bit her lip and used her "purification" ability on him, but did not speak.
She really didn't know what to say.
The person wearing the red turban was undoubtedly a remnant of the Intori Red Sand Party. In the eyes of the Pignes, these radical factions of the Intori were undoubtedly highly aggressive terrorists. It was unknown what this person's purpose was or how he managed to sneak into Pignes territory.
She disapproved of taking in Gitane, and even more so of him becoming a member of Prometheus.
If he were to act as a human like Prometheus, then the nature of Prometheus would be completely altered.
Ke Youan suggested that she keep this person.
The superhumans were extremely powerful allies to them, and could also prove that they were completely different from the Pinheid government that had instigated the war.
Gitane also assured that he would not use Prometheus's name to cause trouble.
...But now.
The light beneath his palm gradually dimmed, and the man let out a painful groan.
Erice looked up straight ahead. The boy's red hair swayed under his black and red cloak, covering half of his terrifying face. She always felt a pang of heartache when she saw You An's face, but as he became more and more silent, a silent fear crept into that heartache.
You An's gaze lingered on the man.
After catching his breath, the man in the red headscarf spoke, his hands clenching tightly again: "There is a woman with Lucie."
You An immediately interrupted him.
His voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear in the quiet underground environment: "I know."
Yu An knelt on one knee beside him, leaned down and spoke a few words to Gitane, a terrifying smile spreading across his face: "I have good news."
Eric looked away and placed his fists on his knees.
...But now, where does this intense unease of hers come from?
The entire church district was closed in self-defense, making it difficult for them to steal electricity. In the dim underground, Yu'an's figure, shrouded in a robe, resembled a ghost. He said to Gitane, "It's alright, she's not an obstacle for us, we don't need to worry about her."
Erice bit his lip: "Our biggest obstacle right now isn't Lucico, but Manla disease! We need to let the world see Manla disease, otherwise we'll all die sooner or later!"
In recent days, the number of new patients with Manla has reached a level that the local authorities cannot handle.
The number of new patients each day is several times higher than in the past, and they have no idea why this has happened.
The disease, like moss, gradually spread in the new land. The high walls of isolation kept the new land firmly outside the city of Pinheis, as if nothing had happened, letting it rot away on its own.
Sister Liang's health gradually deteriorated, and there was no sign of improvement in this environment. She had more control over things, but she didn't know what was right. She hesitated, and everyone around her seemed to have a point.
It was at this time that Yu An proposed the plan to continue assassinating Lucico.
He gained considerable support by promising that the operation would only involve himself and half of the unofficial members, Gita, and that no one else would be implicated.
Someone nearby said, "If Phineas doesn't rebel, no one will ever listen to us. Now Phineas has even blocked all the signals in the new land, clearly intending for us all to die."
Eric stared intently at You An: "But doing this would be suicide. We can't kill Lucicolai; he's surrounded by superhumans."
She turned to look at Gitané, who was lying on the ground. "The woman he was talking about is Shu Ningmiao, right? With her there, it's even more impossible!"
Erice couldn't help but suspect that he was still trapped in hatred and just wanted to kill Lucicolai for revenge, but it would be too cruel to say such a thing to his friend.
“We had an agreement.” Unlike before, You An didn’t say anything amusing to ease the tension. Instead, he spoke with a serious tone: “This won’t affect you, nor will it kill Prometheus’s people. It might even change the status quo of the new land—even if we do nothing, aren’t we just waiting to die anyway? I’m not the real Achini; I’m just using his influence to make everyone see our existence again and confront the problems that exist in this world. Pine is not a utopia…”
He raised his hand, holding a brand-new pendant, and placed this freshly made "symbol of life" beside Gitane.
After arriving in the new land, Yu'an kept talking to the other people in Prometheus to learn about what had happened before.
These earth-shattering events, no matter how they unfold, cannot escape the central figure of Achini.
Yu An was inspired. He was very familiar with the name "Achini". Who would choose such a name as their real name? It might just be the code name of the previous leader.
He can also play a role under this code name.
And they can play the role even better.
After much research, he finally imitated the life runes left behind by others and created a teleportation device in the shape of a life rune.
Making supernatural items requires an abundance of Pandora, which he cannot achieve through normal means. However, he has an advantage over other supernatural item makers: he is not afraid of exhausting resources.
He is not afraid to exhaust his own life.
If the Pandora within me doesn't meet the requirements for creating supernatural items, then I'll burn my own life force.
If he hadn't been in this situation, he probably wouldn't have known that he was so gifted in this area.
You An made some supernatural items and distributed them to others, hoping they would cause a stir in Pigne and, ideally, appear before the higher-ups.
The same red hair, the corroded face, the fire-based powers—what once caused him pain has now become a bargaining chip he can use.
He wanted to revive the fear of Pines and recreate a myth that had already died.
He wants to revive "Achini".
“Eric.” You An looked at her. “If you’re too weak, no one can save you.”
Eric's wrist trembled, as if stung by his words, and he suddenly stood up, drawing everyone's attention.
She walked out without saying a word, emerged from underground, squatted in the corner of the open space outside, and pulled out her terminal, pressing buttons repeatedly.
Even in a large, open area without any obstructions, the signal received by the terminal was still weak. Pigne had cut off the signal from the new land, so they couldn't even send messages.
She mechanically tapped the pinned chat box, requesting a call, requesting a call, requesting a call, and the message "Call request failed" would immediately pop up.
The blank profile picture on the other side was silent, without any movement.
——
Sand rises during the day and frost forms at night.
The world's attention is now focused on this barren place.
Yet, this barren land has given rise to insane plants, and beneath its surface lie the planet's most precious resources.
"Everyone I've met here is just as difficult to talk to as you."
Trucks rustled through the shade of the trees, behind which stood a row of unmarked buildings.
"It's boring."
The man standing by the window spoke softer and softer, becoming increasingly indistinct: "But it'll be over soon."
The blackened window was closed again, and the person who spoke turned to look further inside. His hair covered half of his face, with a streak of red in his bangs, making him look like a handsome and young star.
Zhao is thirty years old, but she still looks like a pretty but inexperienced vase.
People can hardly imagine his abilities from his face, yet they must grovel and submit before this dazzling power.
Like oil being cooked over a raging fire, or flowers being adorned with vibrant colors.
His posters were plastered in every corner of Pinhé, and his speeches were broadcast on big screens to nearly three hundred countries. Even people who didn't know his name knew who he was.
The person he complained to only responded with silence.
Zhao turned around and said, "Why don't you congratulate me on my promotion? I'm now the commander-in-chief of the Intoli war zone. When I go back, I might be your boss."
In the dim, soft light, the man was wearing only a thin, sleeveless training shirt, his uneven black hair cascading over his shoulders and barely tied up.
He finally raised his head and stared at Zhao for a long time.
His calm, unwavering blue eyes made it impossible to discern whether his seemingly gentle demeanor concealed murderous intent or goodwill.
It wasn't until that gaze made Zhao's back tingle that Shu Changyan looked away and casually picked up the equipment on the table.
Zhao continued to annoy him: "Aren't you really going to congratulate me?"
Shu Changyan countered, "Are you really sure about this?"
Without waiting for Zhao's response, he stood up abruptly, put on his mask, and walked out.
Zhao looked around and changed the subject: "Oh dear, someone's heart has flown away."
Shu Changyan did not pause for his words.
"Oh right, don't leave yet."
Even during the day, there was no natural light in the building. The overhead light illuminated a handsome face with a slight smile: "I forgot to tell you, this morning, Pigne sent over a recall document."
The recall document, printed with a special pattern, lay open on the table. A pen swished across the paper, and a name was signed in cursive script.
Lucicolay.
The middle-aged man twirled the pen in his hand: "It's signed. Now you should completely believe me, right? Do you want to take another look?"
Shu Ningmiao stood by the window, maintaining a certain distance, her gaze and movements not shifting towards his position.
Lucico chuckled softly, casually tossing the documents aside. Soon, a secretary took them to the unified data entry terminal, and his desk was piled high with documents.
"According to reports from the front, the main strategic locations of the Intori can be completely controlled in eight to nine days at most. At that time, I will give a public speech at the United Building to stabilize public sentiment. This will allow your brother to return first and the acting envoy to receive commendation."
Not only was she recalled ahead of schedule, but she also received additional commendations. Lucico was clearly trying to win her over with benefits, but unfortunately, she had no interest in it. Shu Changyan's personal pursuits were like those of an ascetic, and his desires changed entirely according to her own will.
Lucico looked her over with interest for a moment, then continued to lower his head and correct the documents.
He promoted her to close protection, giving her a promising future. Her abilities certainly lived up to expectations. With her and other operators on duty at the Union Building, plus Sisi's special abilities, it was practically watertight.
The man didn't hide from her when he was reviewing documents, and she wasn't so foolish as to openly peek at them; instead, she looked out the window.
From the top floor of Union Tower, you can see several districts in the distance.
Looking beyond the Union Building, a group of people were stopped outside the military cordon, holding white signs, jostling and shouting.
She could only make out the exaggerated opening and closing of people's mouths, but she couldn't hear what they were shouting.
Every day since the start of the war, there have been protests outside Union Buildings, and today seems to be no different.
But this time she watched for a while longer because the leader's eyes were bloodshot, so deep they looked like black.
She observed for a long time until several fully armed soldiers took these people away one by one.
They usually don't pay much attention to these kinds of protests, since Lusicola has already been thoroughly criticized by the public, so a few more words won't make a difference.
Shu Ningmiao was still thinking about the strange yet familiar eyes of the leader.
Lucico, not wanting her to have nothing to do, called her over and precisely pulled out a document from the files, handing it to her: "Take a look, and then tell me your thoughts."
Shu Ningmiao paused for a moment, then reached out and took it, glancing at the signature of the National Research Center for Life Sciences.
She flipped it open; inside was an investigation report.
Shu Ningmiao glanced at Lucico Lai, whose expression was calm, before continuing to read.
The document contained words she never expected to appear in her discussions with Lucico.
"As of now, the number of Manila disease cases this month has shown a significant increase compared to the same period last year, with a year-on-year increase of 121 times."
This single line of text was enough to make Shu Ningmiao's fingers, which were turning the page, come to a complete stop.
121 times.
Although the initial base was small, this is still a terrifying growth figure.
At the same time, a thought popped into her mind: Pinheis had indeed been secretly counting the number of people infected with Manla over the years.
And now, Lucicolai casually handed this confidential document to her.
This can easily create the illusion of trust, as if she were an important member of his cabinet, and he was essentially telling her openly that he trusts her, has high hopes for her, and is willing to nurture her to a higher position.
“I’ve seen the record of the confidentiality agreement you signed, and you should also know about Yelüqi’s matter.” Lucicolai looked at her with his hands clasped together: “Tell me, what do you think?”
She thought that with such a number of infections, Pigne would soon be unable to hide it.
The simultaneous outbreak of war and disease left Pines wondering what kind of future he would be dragged into.
The earliest known case of Manla can be traced back to the day humans discovered Pandora. Although the mortality rate is 100%, the number of patients has remained small for hundreds of years, with only a few sporadic cases in the capital. It has never multiplied like an infectious disease, which allowed it to be successfully concealed with the intervention of the Pinheid government.
The current rate of increase is approaching that of major infectious diseases. If a treatment cannot be found, it could very well become a catastrophe for Pines and even humanity.
The contents of the document are obvious: the research center failed to find the cause of the outbreak, let alone develop a cure. Manla disease itself is a mystery that has remained unsolved for over a century.
Shu Ningmiao was too cautious to speak, but Lucicolai spoke slowly and deliberately, as if guiding her: "If it were you, what would you do?"
Unsure of his purpose, Shu Ningmiao chose a relatively conservative answer: "...Let's establish a specialized medical clinic first."
"That's right, I've already approved the budget for the quarantine facility."
Lucico Lai nodded, and for some reason, he was very open with her: "The last time Kim Chang-seo's envoy came was for this matter. We will also gradually extradite the Pinheites who have developed symptoms abroad back to the country for quarantine. The information from the country to the country has been processed, and there will be no major riots."
Isolation, not medical treatment.
Shu Ningmiao's gaze met his unexpectedly, and neither of them looked away. "Manla disease is not contagious."
The pen that spun in Lucicolai's hand stopped and rested on the edge of his jawbone.
He gazed at her for a moment, then smiled faintly at her: "Fear is the most contagious disease."
The air quieted down, gradually turning into a deathly silence.
Shu Ningmiao knew she shouldn't ask any more questions.
He paused for two seconds before speaking again, "If they're all locked up in isolation, how are they going to be treated?"
"There is no treatment plan, only end-of-life care."
The ink from Lucico's pen nib bleeds into a small blot on the paper.
After a long while, he put down his pen, his gaze passing through her as if he could see into her heart.
"You think I did a terrible job?"
“If the research institute has the ability to develop a specific drug for Manla disease, I would certainly be willing to approve a large medical budget so that every patient in Pigne can receive medication for free, and this damned disease will cease to exist.” Lucico seemed amused by his own words, taking a sip of tea to moisten his throat: “But no, there is no effective treatment for Manla disease. The endless passing the buck only leads to death for the patients. The dead shouldn't drag the living into hell. The stability of Pigne is paramount. This is the only way I can handle it, young lady.”
Shu Ningmiao gave him a deep look, and Lucicolai seemed to have found her weakness: "If something happens in the capital, the front lines won't be any better. Once the matter in Intori is temporarily resolved, I will allocate more resources to deal with the Manla disease. If you were sitting in my position as Pinnech's representative, you wouldn't have a better solution either."
He crossed his arms, leaned back in his chair, and looked at the window where she had just been standing: "But at the speed of the Manla disease outbreak, there will be more and more protests like this. It's impossible to completely cover it up. And some people want to use this incident to fuel the flames. You see, ordinary people can't get into such a core area to protest. It's really a headache."
These people could be from the Whig Party or other political enemies of Lucico. Whatever the issue, as long as it occurred during his term, it could become a weapon for attack. How could others let it go?
Lucico's hands were clasped together, a steady smile on his face, but his deep, unwavering eyes betrayed a heavy weariness. The fate of a nation rested on his shoulders, and before the changes took effect, no one could guarantee whether the road ahead would lead to ascent or descent.
Shu Ningmiao had nothing to say, but her silence did not mean she agreed.
Lucico was afraid she wouldn't understand, so he made it clear.
She decided to be clear, so he would know she understood: "You want me to deal with these people?"
“No rush.” Lucicolet smiled. “It’s not the right time yet.”
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