Chapter 367: The Veil of Truth
If eliminating the Followers of the Snow God outright were feasible, Xiao Honglian and Wei Dinghai would have done so without hesitation. However, the risks were mounting. Negotiation offered a safer route to extract benefits while preserving their advantage.
Though the coalition had the upper hand, pressing the attack further could lead to significant losses.
Wei Dinghai nodded approvingly at Xiao Honglian's decision. "My trusted lieutenant, Wang Ruixuan, also died in West Hill Base's territory. The most likely suspects with the capability and motive are you, the Followers of the Snow God!"
"Zheng Yixian," he said coldly, "today you will give us an explanation. If not, we will level your entire cult!"
At the leaders' command, both sides pulled back their forces.
As the cultists retreated, their sheer numbers became evident, numbering in the thousands. While most were unarmed civilians, the sheer scale was enough to unnerve both Xiao Honglian and Wei Dinghai.
Their disdain for the cult wasn’t baseless. If left unchecked, such a group could grow strong enough to challenge their dominance.
They were no fools. They knew the coalition's shift to negotiation came only after realizing a drawn-out battle would cost too much.
Han Chang, visibly seething, tossed the severed head of a Chaoyu Base soldier onto the ground. His beast-like claws gleamed menacingly.
"Your dead men have nothing to do with us! Where’s your proof that we killed them?"
Xiao Honglian sneered. "Proof? What a joke. Why don’t you go call the police?"
Her mocking tone made Han Chang’s face turn red with fury.
In the post-apocalypse, law and order were relics of the past. Power determined everything, not evidence.
Zheng Yixian raised a hand to calm Han Chang.
“I see why you’re here now,” Zheng Yixian said. "But the Followers of the Snow God have always honored our agreements. We’ve never killed any of your people."
Wei Dinghai chuckled, his cold breath swirling. "Yet, besides you, who else in Tianhai City has the strength and ambition to strike at both our factions simultaneously?"
"Whoever did it made no mistakes—eliminating two Superhuman-led squads without leaving a trace."
The Qingfu Base members, known for their fiery tempers, were dismissed as suspects. They lacked the ambition for territorial expansion and were too distant to act in both locations simultaneously.
The Followers of the Snow God remained the most plausible culprits.
Zheng Yixian took a deep breath. "Have you considered that another hidden force might be at play here?"
Xiao Honglian and Wei Dinghai frowned, dismissing the suggestion.
Tianhai City’s five regions had long been divided among the major factions. Only the cult had managed to grow in the chaotic early days of the apocalypse, seizing their foothold before the others could react.
Any emerging force would have been swiftly crushed or absorbed.
Zheng Yixian, however, insisted. "You’re overlooking something. What about the disturbances in Lu River District over the past month?"
Both leaders paused, recalling reports of skirmishes in the former West Hill Base’s territory.
West Hill Base, once the most formidable, controlled the city’s military, its soldiers, and its weaponry.
Yet, over the past month, scouts had reported gunfire and massive explosions in Lu River District—far beyond what a minor skirmish would produce.
No one believed West Hill Base had been bested by another faction until a missile strike from Jiangnan District destroyed the base.
The earlier conflicts had been largely ignored in the rush to seize West Hill’s territories.
Zheng Yixian’s words now brought those events back into focus.
"Could there really be a powerful force capable of standing up to West Hill Base?"
Xiao Honglian’s expression grew heavy. If true, it would complicate their plans to expand into West Hill’s former territory.
Wei Dinghai shared her concern.
Neither wanted another rival to emerge in Tianhai City.
"Zheng Yixian, you’re trying to shift our focus," Xiao Honglian said sharply. "You think we’ll believe you just because you said so?"
Her gaze hardened. "Prove your cult’s innocence, or we’ll take matters into our own hands!"
Han Chang clenched his fists, fuming, but Zheng Yixian restrained him.
"Stay calm. We can’t win this fight outright."
The cult’s power was still too weak. Even facing a single base was a challenge, let alone two.
Their survival hinged on the fanatical devotion of their followers, who believed in the Snow God’s promise of a bountiful afterlife.
Turning to Xiao Honglian and Wei Dinghai, Zheng Yixian offered, "We were at West Hill Base that day. We encountered your man, Wang Ruixuan."
"Alongside him were individuals from another faction—perhaps the ones you seek."
Wei Dinghai’s eyes narrowed. "Who? Who dares challenge Chaoyu Base?"
Wang Ruixuan wasn’t just a valued subordinate; he was a long-time comrade and a Superhuman, invaluable to their faction.
Han Chang’s eyes gleamed with defiance. Glaring at the coalition leaders, he growled, "That day, I saw people wearing West Hill Base combat gear."