Chapter 517: Enter the City
Translator: Oneshotwonder Editor: Hitesh_
“Let me think about it.” Ye Zi answered, as she needed time to weight her options. She wouldn’t have given the question a second thought if Wang Tong was only a legendary level warrior. However, he was beyond legendary; he was a god.
Every field medic that got sent out of the Divine Mastery Sect was told to serve the host faction with a full heart. However, most field medics refused to sever the ties with the Sect, and therefore, it was difficult for them to become truly loyal to their team. Ye Zi was an exception; after having gone through the difficult time with Battle Wolf, she and the band had developed a special bond. Not only did she genuinely feel that she was part of the band, but her feeling could be considered even stronger than that of the original band members, such as Hamir.
Wang Tong came back to the camp after some time and saw the rueful expression on Ye Zi’s face, so he asked.
“What did you guys do to her?”
“Nothing, boss.” Duo Lun answered with a reluctant smile.
“It was not me anyway.” Tan Bu murmured.
“Buzz off! Did you just throw me under the bus?” Duo Lun refuted. If Tan Bu was not injured, he would have kicked his a*s.
Ye Zi was still engrossed in her thoughts. She thought about Michaux, and the time she had spent with Battle Wolf; the latter seemed much more lurid than the face of the young master. She knew that if she chose to be loyal to the Sect, she would regret it later.
Duo Lun explained what had happened, and Wang Tong nodded. He had anticipated Ye Zi to arrive at this moment. He conceded that even if he had never appeared in Battle Wolf, she would still have to make a choice between Michaux and Guan Dongyang. If Ye Zi stayed, she would play one of the most pivotal roles in Battle Wolf.
Wang Tong trusted Ye Zi’s judgment. So, he didn’t try and persuade her to think one way or another.
The three waited patiently for a while until Ye Zi finally stood up and walked to them with a solemn face.
“As a Martian, I cannot defy the Sect. Plus, I have learned everything from the Sect.”
Duo Lun and Tan Bu’s hearts sank, thinking that Ye Zi was going to leave them because of the pressure.
“However, the goal of the Sect was to help everyone on Mars. Therefore, I will stay with you guys and continue to save your hides.” Ye Zi announced with a mischievous smile.
Hearing this, Duo Lun and Tan Bu heaved a sigh of relief.
“Ye Zi, don’t do this again. Finish your words in one sentence, please! You scared me!” Tan Bu lamented.
“Good! Be scared, you rascal!”
“Yes, yes… Tan Bu, you are a little rascal. How dare you pressure our goddess Ye so hard? ” Duo Lun chimed in and threw his best friend under the bus like he had done to him earlier. His words made everyone chuckle.
“Welcome aboard, Ye Zi.” Wang Tong reached out his hand for a handshake.
The warmth in Wang Tong’s palm felt comfortable in Ye Zi’s hand.
Wang Tong was delighted by the development. With Ye Zi on their side, things would be much easier once they entered Jade City. Wang Tong was convinced that the Divine Mastery sect, however powerful it was, would never become the dominating power on Mars. The culprit for the Sect’s downfall was none other than their young master, Michaux.
Although Michaux was hands down one of the best fighters and the most benevolent leader Wang Tong had ever seen, the world had never been kind to nice people such as Michaux, much less if he were a leader.
Michaux had always been obsessed with the cultivation of the divine way. However, the circumstances forced him to focus on the war. The hasty swelling of the Sect’s ranks, albeit necessary, had significantly tarnished their reputation. Wang Tong doubted that the young master would ever know about the crimes his new additions had committed.
To put it simply, he was not good at managing people.
Wang Tong, on the other hand, had grown up from the ghettos and had seen all sorts of sordid businesses. He knew the thoughts of the people at the bottom of the totem pole better than any leader would.
Wang Tong wagered that Charles was not the only case of corruption in the Sect.
After a few Zerg encounters, Wang Tong and his entourage finally reached the Jade City. Duo Lun and Tan Bu had driven the Zergs away with ease despite the latter’s injuries.
When they reached the city gate, they felt that they had finally reached civilization. The gate was big and heavy, and was guarded by many soldiers. It was estimated that there were over a hundred thousand soldiers stationed inside the city. The deep ranks combined with the wide and tall city walls quickly taught Zergs a lesson about human defense.
Although the Zergs had an advantage in number, their siege ability was crippled at the beginning of their invasion. However, ever since the dark ones were introduced into the battlefield, their learned ability started to shine, and the Zergs were finally able to breach a well-fortified city wall. As human settlements fell one after another, the humans also changed their strategy from defense to offense. They were thus able to revert the crisis and drag their imminent extinction into a stalemate.
By the law of the city, anyone who passed through the city would be questioned about their loyalty to the city and the human race. It was not uncommon for individuals to turn themselves into the enemy and work for them as spies. However, thanks to Ye Zi’s connection with the Sect, the four were let into the City without any questioning.
Despite the bustling streets, the war had left its mark at every turn of the streets. The city had been taken over by the Zergs, and its dark history was brazenly visible in the piles of rubble and on the blood-stained pavement. It was only recently that the dark ones started to preserve the human architecture within the cities they occupied.
“I haven’t seen so many people in a long while! It makes me feel more like a human than an animal.”
“Hehe! Things are expensive though! If not for Ye Zi, we might not even be able to afford the entrance fee at the gate.”
“So, not just anyone can live in the city?” Wang Tong asked.
“Of course not! The population of the city is tightly controlled and monitored, and only those deemed valuable to the city are allowed to stay. I, at best, could be a temporary laborer in the city.”
“Not a laborer, a slave.” Tan Bu put in.
Wang Tong glanced at Ye Zi for a confirmation, and the latter nodded.
“Although this is against the teachings of the Divine Master, Michaux can’t do much about it. The leaders are not altruistic sect commissioners… they are warlords.”
It was apparent that some people were reveling in the time of chaos, enjoying their life to the full extent at the expense of others’ suffering.
“Duo Lun, you can help Tan Bu with selling our goods.”
“We are not meeting Sanders today?”
“There’s no hurry.”
“Okay! I will contact my friends in the city.” Ye Zi said.
“Sounds good! Let’s meet here in two hours.”
After everyone was gone, Wang Tong summoned charcoal.
“What is the city’s defense level?”
Charcoal’s screen flashed, and then it announced, “Level B.”
