Maybe because he had been silent and staring at her for too long, Shangguan Xinyue put both hands on her hips and raised both eyebrows as she said with clearly feigned anger: “Young gentleman, not only did you interrupt a wonderful meeting between mother and daughter after almost half a year of separation, five months during which either of them could have died… But now you ignore my questions as well? I hope you are not the partner my Bing Xue chose.”
Bai Zemin’s expression did not change at all, and after reaching about 200 meters of distance from her, he stopped.
“Meeting between mother and daughter? I’m afraid if I had arrived a second later my precious friend and treasured general would have turned into a zombie by now.” He said with a smile that wasn’t a smile, casually revealing his relationship with Shangguan Bing Xue in the process.
Shangguan Xinyue not only looked like a juvenile teenager but even her attitude made her look like Shangguan Bing Xue’s younger sister as she pouted and said in a voice full of aggravation, “What’s wrong if I turned my girl into a zombie? Zombies are a race just like the human race! Besides, let me tell you that if you have a particularly strong will, all bad will towards humans will disappear once you break into the Third Order.”
Bai Zemin shrugged his shoulders and got into a combat stance as he said quietly, “Sorry, auntie, but none of that matters to me. I promised I would make you human again so that’s what I will do….. So, I apologize in advance but I’m afraid I’ll have to be a bit rough with you.”
Shangguan Xinyue sighed in exasperation and raised both hands in surrender as she said wearily, “You men really…. Why can’t you let us women make our own decisions?”
Bai Zemin suddenly sensed danger and didn’t even stop to think about what was happening when he kicked to the right and turned into a red flash that in an instant crossed over 100 meters.
BOOM!
Only an instant later, a purple lightning strike fell from the sky and struck with monstrous precision the spot where Bai Zemin had been standing just a second before.
Giving a long look at the crater over 50 meters in diameter with scorched edges and lightning crackling all around, Bai Zemin’s expression was dark as he turned to look at the woman in front of him.
Shangguan Xinyue stuck out her tongue and winked one eye as she said in an innocent voice, “I have a proposal for you, I don’t know if you are interested in listening to it?”
Bai Zemin’s expression was serious as he said with some anger, “I wonder if what you are looking for is to distract me just like before to cunningly attack me?”
“Cunning? I am? Please! You defame me!” Shangguan Xinyue quickly shook her head as if she was unwilling to take on the responsibility of carrying such a title.
Bai Zemin did not know if this was the personality of Shangguan Xinyue’s mother before she turned into a zombie as well or if it was a personality she had acquired after zombification. However, the more Shangguan Xinyue acted like this the more he labeled her as more and more dangerous.
She didn’t give him time to speak and continued, “As I was telling you before…. My proposal is very simple, and I am sure it will benefit us all. Why don’t you listen to it first?”
Bai Zemin narrowed his eyes and didn’t let his guard down when he nodded, “Go ahead.”
“Yay!”
Shangguan Xinyue did little hops in place and clapped her hands as she smiled brightly. She looked genuinely happy and had it not been for the fact that ten seconds ago she had attacked him with a lightning strike capable of destroying a battle tank Bai Zemin might have bought that act.
“Just to confirm, you and my girl are friends, is that so? Regardless of each other’s position in the faction to which you belong.”
“… That is correct. You could say that we are best friends even though she has more best friends too.”
“Great!” Shangguan Xinyue clapped her hands again and her eyes curved into a crescent shape as a beautiful, angelic smile grew on her face.
“Look, it’s much easier for us zombies to rule our race compared to humans. We don’t need to establish a false hierarchy since the zombie with the highest Order or the purest Soul Power can rule and lead a larger number of zombies. Even if tomorrow a Third Order zombie with the same ability as you appear, the leader will be decided in a death match if the other party wishes to challenge the zombie king. Much better to cunning and troublesome humans, don’t you think?”
Bai Zemin subconsciously nodded.
It was true that the hierarchy of the zombie race was simpler and less problematic than that of humans. Among mankind, even an insignificant ant would sometimes muster the courage to challenge the mighty leader, and while they were unlikely to be able to succeed, the leader might experience no small headache depending on the situation. Such a thing did not happen among the zombies, they all obeyed the leader regardless of the order and Bai Zemin had witnessed this several times.
Shangguan Xinyue nodded and the smile on her face grew as she saw Bai Zemin nod.
“Right now, I am the queen of more than 16,000,000 zombies…. Actually, it was over 20,000,000 but during several wars against Xuanyuan Wentian’s troops I lost several soldiers. Be that as it may, that number will grow once I start expanding since the only reason I’ve been stuck is because I’ve been trying to turn that man into a zombie but it hasn’t been easy at all.”
16,000,000 zombies? Bai Zemin remembered the war on the bridge and couldn’t help but shudder. Even if all those zombies were just Unclassified existences, their numbers were large enough that even he would have to spend a good bit of time cleaning them up.
However, there was something else that caught his attention.
“So, your goal was to turn Xuanyuan Wentian into a zombie, not kill him?”
“Oh, that was before. But if you accept my proposal then I will kill him for you, to make you feel more at ease.” Shangguan Xinyue replied with a sweet smile while staring at Bai Zemin.
For some reason, the intense stare of the woman in front of him was making him feel a little uneasy, especially after hearing her words. It was as if Xuanyuan Wentian’s life or death didn’t matter at all now that Bai Zemin had appeared, which he found strange.
“What is your proposal? You haven’t told me too much so far.” Bai Zemin pointed with narrowed eyes.
“That’s because if I told you my proposal right away without first pointing out those factors the likelihood of you accepting would be less than what it already is.” Shangguan Xinyue continued to smile, and Bai Zemin had to admit that her voice was so sweet and pleasant to listen to that he wouldn’t mind listening to her all day if it weren’t for the circumstances they were in.
She continued, “We zombies are guided by strength, the strong lead and rule. Don’t you think that’s fair?”
Bai Zemin nodded without saying anything.
The strongest had the right to lead, he believed so too. It was precisely because he was powerful and because his fist outweighed everyone else’s that everyone obeyed him, otherwise Bai Zemin had no doubt that a young man with no background like him would have already been devoured by the wolves watching him from the shadows.
“I’m glad we understand each other,” Shangguan Xinyue opened both hands and said in a soft voice, “I’ve been looking for a king for myself, but everyone has been disappointing. I’ve killed 3 Third Order zombies so easily that I even felt a little sorry for them….. Everyone’s Soul Power was too disappointing, how could such scraps be able to leave good decendency? It would definitely be a complete waste.”
Despite the content of her words, Shangguan Xinyue’s sweet and innocent voice made it seem as if she was right about everything and as if what she was saying was an obvious thought or reasoning to follow.
Bai Zemin sighed in his heart, finally realizing where this whole conversation was going and what she would say next.
“So, the reason why you wanted to turn Xuanyuan Wentian into a zombie…”
“That’s right. Even though I honestly don’t like that man at all and actually feel some hatred towards him due to my memories of when I was still human, I have to admit that his Soul Power is pure enough to be able to fight against me on equal footing even though he is still in the Second Order while I am in the Third Order.” Shangguan Xinyue revealed without hiding anything as she looked at Bai Zemin with her red eyes brimming with sincerity.
Bai Zemin’s expression was indifferent as was his voice, “However, now you changed your mind… haven’t you?”
“Exactly, now I changed my mind.” Shangguan Xinyue nodded with a smile and said in a gentle voice: “Why should I have to settle for a man I disdain? If I had no choice, then so be it…. But now that you have appeared, there is no need to make such a sacrifice, is there?”
Bai Zemin finally understood the reason why Shangguan Xinyue asked him about his relationship with Shangguan Bing Xue a moment ago.
“If you and my daughter were in a romantic relationship… Then I would first have to talk to her to see if she had a problem with sharing you with me, but I’m sure she wouldn’t have a problem with that. Mother and daughter have been close since forever, sharing our lover should be fine.”
Bai Zemin’s expression did not change at all as he began to close the distance between the two of them.
Shangguan Xinyue seemed not to have noticed, or rather, ignored the fact that Bai Zemin was advancing towards her, “Even though your level is a little too low, your Soul Power is delightfully pure to the point where your blood tastes like the ambrosia of the heavens. I’m sure the reason you haven’t advanced is because your next class will be tremendously powerful.”
She continued, “Our future progeny will definitely be great talents. After we have a few hundred children, in the future they will be great generals, and in less than two centuries we will be the monarchs of the whole Earth… Doesn’t it sound tempting? Not only can you have mother and daughter all to yourself but you will also enjoy many days and nights of pleasure while waiting to become the highest ruler of this whole world. How about it? Why don’t we all join together? We can turn your subordinates into zombies, no one has to die and it will be a simple racial change.”
In the distance, Shangguan Bing Xue looked at her mother with eyes full of sorrow. Her mother’s personality was not like that at all in the past, the Shangguan Xinyue Shangguan Bing Xue knew would never say something like that with a smile on her face…. Her gentle and kind mother seemed to have disappeared even though the smile and gentleness in her eyes were identical.
Many men might have been tempted by Shangguan Xinyue’s words. Not only was Shangguan Xinyue tremendously beautiful with a petite body that might arouse some perversity in some but she was even offering to share a bed with her daughter and give pleasure to only one man.
Not to mention the fact that her words made sense in pointing out the purity of the Soul Power of Bai Zemin, Shangguan Bing Xue, and Shangguan Xinyue herself. Children born from such a union would definitely have much purer and firmer records compared to 99.99% of the living beings in the universe not to mention on Earth.
Unfortunately, Bai Zemin was clear about his goals and priorities…. Besides, his heart had an owner and lust would never be able to overcome his love for Lilith.
When he reached 100 meters from her, he activated Lightning Movement and his body was soon surrounded by small blue electric snakes. At the same time, his boots released a faint white light and an extra 100 points of Agility were added to the 70 points of Lightning Movement.
With now over 1200 total Agility points, Bai Zemin had a little more confidence in facing Shangguan Bing Xue’s mother.
“Don’t worry, auntie. I promised Bing Xue that I would turn you into a human again and that’s what I will do.” He said. After a short pause and even though he knew there was no point in saying it, he added: “I’ll try to be as little rude as possible, but I hope you’ll cooperate with me.”
“… Oh, well… That’s how I assumed it would be.” Shangguan Xinyue smiled sweetly as she waved her hands.
Her white dress fluttered along with her hair as a tornado of wind gathered around her and lifted her off the ground slowly. Snowflakes and lightning began to move strangely, gathering around her and giving her the appearance of an extremely dangerous goddess.
She looked at Bai Zemin like a haunted woman and her gentle voice rang out in the midst of what would soon become a terrifying battlefield again.
“Come, show me your strength on this battlefield first… While we’re at it, I’ll take the opportunity to delight myself with your blood while it’s still possible.”
Bai Zemin slowly watched as the body of Shangguan Bing Xue’s mother lifted off the ground, and instead of attacking her immediately, he first tried to take the opportunity to better understand how her powers worked.
Lightning, wind, snow…. She was practically manipulating three different elements at the same time and she seemed to be doing it so smoothly that it was scary.
… Was she the possessor of three Manipulation-type skills?
* * * * * * *
