Chapter 63: Zheng Xuan (Please vote!)

Let us set aside, for now, how Zhang Yunfeng used the Celestial Master's Sword of Zhang Daoling to subdue the demons. In the pouring rain, Bai Xian found Meng Dejun, who had been frightened by the explosion into running wildly in all directions, and then returned to the small building to rescue the three archaeologists trapped by the zombies.

Finding an open area, Bai Xian activated the contact on her satellite phone.

In no time at all, the roar of engines echoed overhead as a military helicopter approached the clearing, braving the rain. Bai Xian lit the signal flare in her hand, guiding the aircraft to a gentle landing.

Aside from two uniformed pilots, a man in a suit sat in the rear of the helicopter.

“Bai Xian?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

“I’m Xia Yu from the Sichuan Special Investigation Department. The rain’s too heavy—let’s get aboard and talk.”

They boarded. The pilot pulled the controls, and the helicopter lifted smoothly into the air.

They passed over the three-story building, over Old Grave Village...

Through the veil of rain, bodies swayed everywhere on the ground below—Old Grave Village had been completely overrun by zombies.

“Is that... Wu Hao!”

They peered down through the window.

In front of the building, a mangled, barely human corpse was slowly writhing. Who else could it be but Wu Hao?

Tian Tingting covered her mouth and turned away, unable to look.

“Is your team all that’s left of the archaeologists?” Xia Yu indicated Bai Xian should put on a headset; his voice came through the earpiece.

“I think so,” Bai Xian replied, nodding. She stowed the disassembled iron spear into her “little treasury” and, with a tense face, protested, “We ran into so many problems on this expedition.”

Before Xia Yu could reply, Meng Dejun interjected.

“Comrade leader, this really isn’t Miss Bai’s fault. If not for her, none of us would have made it out alive.”

He had witnessed the power of the Wishing Jade—conjuring weapons and boulders out of thin air, even resurrecting the long dead. That Bai Xian had managed to bring them out at all was nothing short of a miracle.

Xia Yu nodded repeatedly. “I’m not blaming Miss Bai. The fault lies in our own poor preparations—we didn’t investigate this site thoroughly enough. I’ve already reported it, and when we return to Yudu, the organization will give you a proper explanation.”

Hearing there might be compensation, Bai Xian’s expression eased a little. She really had been set up by the Special Investigation Department this time; had she known how dangerous it would be, no amount of money would have tempted her to take the job.

By now, the helicopter had left the rain behind.

Brilliant sunlight poured in, dazzling those inside the helicopter.

It was still daytime!

Around the edge of the rain, military vehicles blocked intersections, armed soldiers and suited Special Investigation personnel standing at the ready.

“What exactly is this jade, that it warrants such a commotion?”

“No idea.”

“You don’t know, or you can’t say?”

“I truly don’t,” Xia Yu replied with a wry smile. “This ruin was only discovered in the last year or two. Professor Guan’s team came to solve the mystery of the vanished ancient kingdom. If we had any clues, we wouldn’t have approved his application for excavation.”

“The only lead comes from Taoist Zhang of Mount Qingcheng. He said the jade connects to the abyss, within which lies a demon god. While it grants wishes, it also plants a seed of curse in the heart, guiding the holder into madness. Eventually, everyone who benefits from the Wishing Jade becomes a sacrifice to the demon god.”

Bai Xian asked, “Then why hasn’t the Wishing Jade surfaced again after all these years?”

“You saw those two stone steles, didn’t you?” Xia Yu continued. “They were set up by a master to suppress the demon god. The master tricked the monkeys who ruled the ancient kingdom into erecting the stones willingly, then used the yin-yang tomb to mislead any future tomb raiders.”

“If the archaeological team hadn’t discovered the entrance and drawn human presence, the jade would never have seen daylight again.”

Bai Xian thought of the mural in the tomb that had been smashed—presumably the work of that same master.

“Headquarters has already decided to clear out this entire area. The Wishing Jade must not be allowed to escape.”

Recalling what the black-robed Taoist Zhang Yunfeng had said—

“With missiles?”

Xia Yu nodded.

Soon, the helicopter landed in a clearing dozens of kilometers from Old Grave Village, where military tents and temporary command posts were already set up.

After settling the archaeologists in, providing clothes and food, Xia Yu hurried off.

When Bai Xian returned in clean clothes, she happened to see Zhang Yunfeng disembarking from another helicopter, looking quite disheveled. They exchanged brief greetings before he hurried away.

With Zhang Yunfeng’s return, the camp atmosphere grew tense. Armed guards stood at every tent entrance.

In the distant mountains, a column of thick smoke rose. Amid the haze, a massive fireball propelled an army-green missile slowly skyward, piercing the clouds like a giant arrow.

The roar of engines and the rush of wind swept overhead, the missile’s trajectory aimed directly at Old Grave Village.

It was the first time Bai Xian had seen a missile so close in real life; her eyes widened unconsciously.

A brief silence.

A blinding flash lit up the rain, followed by a deafening boom. A huge mushroom cloud rose, its shockwave sweeping across the land.

Even ten kilometers distant, the force was palpable.

Everything in Old Grave Village was obliterated beneath the missile.

The sheer power left Bai Xian secretly awed.

Perhaps Gao Sheng hadn’t deceived her about one thing:

In this age bereft of magic, human power is ultimately limited—there is no way to compare with the might of a nation.

...

Victoria Bay

District Three, Villa

“Bai Xian!”

“Why are you still using men’s facial cleanser? And your shampoo, too! Where are your skincare products? Makeup?”

“Oh my god! You’re washing your underwear with the rest of your clothes in the machine...”

In the bathroom, Zheng Xuan’s voice rose in waves, sharp and piercing, drilling into the ears.

In the living room, Bai Xian and her father, Bai Yaobin, exchanged resigned smiles.

“Dad, I told you we shouldn’t let Mom come over,” Bai Xian whispered.

Bai Yaobin shrugged helplessly. “She insisted. Do you think I’d dare stop her?”

Two days earlier, when the Old Grave Village incident ended, Bai Xian took the train back to Yuqing.

The news later reported that continuous rain in Old Grave Village had triggered a landslide, but the authorities had evacuated all local residents in time. Apart from two archaeology students, an associate professor, and a driver from Sichuan University who sadly perished, there were no other casualties...

Bai Xian had barely settled in at home when she received a call from her father. But it was her mother, Zheng Xuan, who spoke on the line.

During Bai Xian’s recent mission, Bai Yaobin had finally found the chance to tell Zheng Xuan about their son becoming a daughter.

He had expected her to be deeply shocked, perhaps even unable to accept it for some time.

But after only half a day of surprise, Zheng Xuan’s concern shifted to her daughter’s well-being.

Would there be aftereffects? Could she adapt to her new life? Was anyone bullying her out there alone?

A barrage of questions, none of which her husband could answer.

Frustrated, Zheng Xuan simply brought Bai Yaobin with her and came over herself.

The moment they met, she pulled her daughter into a big hug—not a trace of difficulty accepting it, only gentle reassurance.

“There’s nothing wrong with being a girl. Promise me you won’t do anything foolish. If you’re ever troubled, tell me. I’ll face everything with you.”

As a man, Bai Yaobin had only worried about whether he could accept his son becoming a daughter.

But Zheng Xuan, with a mother’s care, immediately thought of whether her child could accept such a sudden change.

After more than twenty years as a man, what if she couldn’t adapt?

Only after confirming her daughter wasn’t harboring dark thoughts did Zheng Xuan finally relax and start organizing the villa—hence the earlier commotion.

Soon, Zheng Xuan emerged from the bathroom with a large bag.

“All of this needs to go.”

Bai Xian glanced at the contents.

Almost all the items from her days as a man were inside, even several packets of sanitary pads she had bought before.

“Even these have to go?”

“You bought the largest size. With your build now, you don’t need them.” Zheng Xuan scolded, “Girls aren’t like boys. Even if you’re naturally beautiful, you still need proper care. This afternoon, I’ll take you shopping for everything you need—your father will pay.”

Sitting in the corner, Bai Yaobin looked bewildered.

“What, you’re not willing to spend money on your daughter?”

The old father surrendered on the spot. “Willing! Of course I’m willing—a thousand times over!”