Chapter 476: The Source of Food
“Three or four thousand?”
Bian Junwu’s tone carried a hint of surprise upon hearing the number.
He glanced at the surrounding environment.
The defensive infrastructure was rudimentary at best, far inferior to that of the major bases.
In the freezing cold, despite having many followers, the Bai Xue Jiao lacked the resources to build strong fortifications. They relied on the existing terrain to fight against the zombies.
A group that once boasted over ten thousand members had lost only three or four thousand after prolonged battles with zombie hordes. It was unexpected, to say the least.
“So, how are you addressing the food supply issue?”
“In an apocalypse, feeding thousands of people requires a massive amount of food. I’m curious how you manage it.”
Food supply was the core issue for any faction.
Had Bian Junwu not been from Jiangnan District, asking this question would have been seen as provocation.
Zheng Yixian hesitated briefly before answering, “We search nearby areas for buried supermarkets and malls to obtain food and survival supplies.”
Bian Junwu stared at Zheng Yixian, his eyes obscured by reflective sunglasses, yet his disbelief was palpable.
Under such harsh conditions, even searching for food consumed significant energy.
How could the Bai Xue Jiao sustain thousands—at one point, tens of thousands—by digging food from beneath meters of snow?
Zheng Yixian and the priests behind him wore uneasy expressions.
It was evident they were hiding a major secret about their food source.
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
The investigation team, including Baili Changqing, looked on with amused expressions. A theory was beginning to take shape in their minds, one not uncommon in the apocalypse.
Wu Di broke the silence.
“Nearly half of your people died. That’s probably how you managed to feed the rest, isn’t it?”
The Bai Xue Jiao erupted in outrage.
Han Chang shouted, “How dare you say that! We’d never do such a thing!”
Dai Mei scowled, “Don’t compare us to animals!”
Wu Di shrugged mockingly. “What then? Are you surviving on air?”
“Enough! Both of you, stop talking.”
Before the argument escalated, Zheng Yixian and Bian Junwu simultaneously intervened to restore order.
Taking a deep breath, Zheng Yixian bowed slightly to Bian Junwu.
“There is indeed a secret, but it concerns the survival of the Bai Xue Jiao and cannot be disclosed to outsiders.”
Bian Junwu’s cold tone implied he wasn’t satisfied with this response.
In such times, any hidden secret could potentially be connected to the zombie hordes.
Bian Junwu had even considered the possibility that the zombie outbreaks in Tianhai City were deliberately caused by local factions.
After a long pause, Zheng Yixian met Bian Junwu’s gaze and said, “If you insist on knowing, I can share the details.”
Bian Junwu nodded. “Alright.”
Zheng Yixian straightened up. “Please follow me.”
The priests and clergy behind him panicked.
“Grand Priest, can we really reveal this to outsiders?”
Zheng Yixian gestured for calm. “It’s fine. The investigation team from Jiangnan District wouldn’t be interested in what little we have.”
Despite his reassurance, the Bai Xue Jiao members were visibly uneasy.
They understood that if this secret were exposed, it would become a major vulnerability for their faction.
Even these outsiders from Jiangnan District might covet the treasure they guarded—a treasure that formed the foundation of the Bai Xue Jiao’s survival.
Zheng Yixian, however, had made his decision. As the Grand Priest, his authority was second only to Yuan Kongye’s, and no one could overrule him.
He led Bian Junwu and his team toward an abandoned building adjacent to St. John’s Cathedral.
As they approached, Bian Junwu suddenly stopped.
His brows furrowed deeply.
The building ahead exuded an unsettling aura.
The gray concrete structure jutted out of the snow like a funeral tomb, evoking an ominous feeling.
Bian Junwu’s sharp instincts warned him to stay away.
Baili Changqing whispered, “Captain, the stench of blood is overwhelming here.”
Ahead, Zheng Yixian turned back to them, a faintly eerie smile on his lips.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Bai Xue Jiao’s secret. Do you still wish to proceed?”
Wu Di crossed his arms and scoffed. “Enough theatrics.”
Adjusting his glasses, Bian Junwu followed without a word.
He hadn’t told his team one crucial detail:
After losing his sight, his perception had grown sharper.
Just moments earlier, his senses had revealed something bizarre.
What appeared to be an abandoned building was, to him, a massive, grotesque creature.
The structure seemed alive—over a hundred meters tall, with countless limbs flailing madly and roots burrowing deep underground.
Inside, the stench of blood grew stronger.
But it wasn’t the decayed odor of corpses; it was the fresh, sweet scent of blood still warm from the living.
As they ventured deeper, the true nature of the “creature” was revealed.
The building’s interior was overrun by a massive, mutated plant.
Its vines and branches stretched throughout the structure, glowing faintly with an eerie red light.
Red fruit hung from the branches, each one glistening unnaturally.
Seeing this, Bian Junwu and his team began to understand.
“This… is the source of your food?”
Zheng Yixian plucked a red fruit from the vine and offered it to Bian Junwu.
“Correct. This is a mutated plant we discovered, which we call the Blood Vine.
“It has extraordinary vitality, absorbing all surrounding nutrients to sustain itself and produce these fruits.
“These red fruits are our primary food source.”
Bian Junwu took the fruit, examining it carefully rather than eating it.
Zheng Yixian smiled faintly.
“Don’t worry—it’s not poisonous. We’ve consumed it for months without any adverse effects.”
Bian Junwu replied flatly, “That explains a lot. But does it yield enough fruit to feed thousands of people?”
Zheng Yixian continued forward.
“Ordinarily, no. But there are ways to accelerate its fruit production. For instance, this.”
He pointed toward the ceiling.
Bian Junwu and the others looked up to see an oval-shaped object entwined in the vines.
The red leaves encasing it emitted a faint glow, and its silhouette resembled a human figure.
Meng Siyu’s eyes widened in shock.
“You’re using humans as nutrients for this plant?”
Zheng Yixian remained expressionless.
“To be precise, human remains.”