What?! I Became the Zombie Beauty in the Villain’s Arms – CH205-207

Chapter 205| Chapter 206| Chapter 207

Chapter 205: Can’t Stay Away

Pei Xiqing paused for a moment, then offered a calm, polite smile. “I’m afraid Brother Duan and I can’t help you with that. We came to this valley specifically to distance ourselves from the bases, and we have no intention of leaving anytime soon.”

She scanned the anxious faces in the room. “Uncles, Aunts, that is all I can tell you about life at the base. Ultimately, what you choose to do is entirely up to you. However, Liu Dongshu’s whereabouts are completely unknown, and the only person who possessed the clearance to guide you into that sector is gone. If you still insist on leaving this valley, you will have to find a way to navigate the wasteland on your own.”

With that, she gently but firmly disengaged Aunt Chen’s fingers from her arm. “I’m quite exhausted, and Xiaobai needs to be fed. Please make yourselves at home.”

Aunt Chen and the remaining refugees stared blankly at the firmly closed bedroom door, exchanging bewildered, heavy glances. In the end, they could do nothing but let out a collective, defeated sigh.

“There’s nothing we can do but wait,” one muttered. “Wait for the rain to stop, and wait for that brat Liu Dongshu to show his face.”

“Honestly, we don’t necessarily have to leave,” an elderly man rasped, shaking his head. “We’ve survived in this valley for fifty or sixty years. If I suddenly pack up and move to some strange city, an old man like me won’t have a moment of peace.”

“But the infrastructure at the base is structurally sound!” a younger woman countered bitterly. “Look at the life we’ve been living here. This downpour completely leveled our homesteads. How can we possibly talk about building a future in a place like this?”

Inside the bedroom, Pei Xiqing guided Xiaobai onto the covered balcony and began running a slicker brush through his thick, damp fur. The door behind her clicked open, and Duan Xiaolin walked in. Without a word, he crouched down beside her, taking a dry towel to help dry the giant pup.

The rain continued to hammer down outside, the violent gusts spraying a fine mist across the balcony. Duan Xiaolin reached out to latch the outer storm windows shut, then pulled over two small wooden stools.

Pei Xiqing sat down, continuing her rhythmic brushing. “You overheard what we were discussing downstairs, didn’t you?”

Duan Xiaolin gave a slow nod.

“A quiet panic is starting to spread through the village,” she murmured, her brow furrowing. “And with this relentless storm destroying their property, everyone’s desperate desire to flee to a major base is only going to intensify.”

“The deluge will pass shortly.”

“Even so,” Pei Xiqing said, raising her eyes to meet his. “The village is already in a fragile state. The major bases possess advanced, fully automated equipment and medical facilities. Surely relocating wouldn’t be the worst fate for them?”

Duan Xiaolin met her gaze, his expression unreadable. “The storm will not bring about their destruction. The real catastrophe lurking in their future is entirely of their own making.”

Pei Xiqing stared at him, sensing the underlying weight behind his words. She opened her mouth, intending to press him for details, but after a moment of hesitation, she let the matter drop.

Shadow had only materialized a handful of times since they arrived in the valley, but every single appearance was accompanied by a high-priority intelligence brief delivered straight to the Chief Judge. It almost certainly concerned the volatile political climate back at Central Headquarters. Combined with Duan Xiaolin’s ominous warning, it wasn’t difficult to deduce that severe operational failures were crippling the core sectors, and the parasitic black markets had likely never been thoroughly purged.

Anywhere humans gathered—anywhere there was a transactional demand and a desperate need—a dark market would inevitably manifest to fill the void.

Xiaobai finished his meal, curled his massive body into a tight ball beside her feet, and promptly fell fast asleep. Pei Xiqing, also full and utterly drained from the day’s events, stretched out across the sofa, resting her head comfortably on the man’s lap.

Listening to the rhythmic, roaring thunder and the relentless sheets of rain lashing against the thick glass, the noise faded into a soothing white noise. Enveloped in the absolute warmth and security of their home, she gradually drifted into a deep sleep.

Duan Xiaolin gently stroked the stray silk of her hair, pulling a thick fleece blanket over her shoulders. For a long, silent interval, he merely stared down at her resting features, his eyes dark with a protective intensity.

Suddenly, a series of light, precise taps vibrated against the balcony glass.

The man sharply raised his hand, gesturing for absolute silence.

Shadow froze instantly, standing perfectly still amidst the swirling rain outside the glass. He lowered his voice to a bare whisper. “Chief Judge, the directorate has arrived.”

Duan Xiaolin cast one final look at the sleeping woman. “Wait for me below.”

“Yes, sir.” Shadow’s figure dissolved into the dark curtain of rain in an instant.

Nearly an hour passed before Pei Xiqing stirred slightly, murmuring as she tried to roll onto her side. Duan Xiaolin carefully slid his arms beneath her, lifting her horizontally into his embrace and carrying her over to the bed.

As he tucked the duvet securely around her shoulders, Xiaobai blinked his eyes open. Duan Xiaolin fixed the giant pup with a cool, commanding stare. “Stay put. Guard her.”

The massive beast lolled his tongue out, seemingly understanding the gravity of the command. He shifted closer to the mattress, obediently resting his heavy chin on the carpet beside the bed.

Duan Xiaolin pushed the bedroom door shut, glided down the staircase, and stepped out into the raging storm alone beneath a large black umbrella.

Parked just beyond their front gate were two heavily armored, pitch-black luxury transports. Three middle-aged men clad in immaculate, tailored business suits stepped out into the mud, while their personal elite bodyguards frantically scrambled to hold wide umbrellas over their heads.

The moment their eyes locked onto Duan Xiaolin’s approaching figure, the dignitaries completely ignored protocol, rushing forward through the deep mud. “Chief Judge! We have finally established contact! Thank the heavens we found you!”

The man halted in the shadows of the path, his voice terrifyingly calm. “You went to great lengths to locate me.”

The men spoke over one another, their voices laced with frantic, uncontained panic. “A catastrophic failure has breached Central Headquarters! We humbly implore the Presiding Judge to return immediately and reclaim control of the state!”

“Reclaim control?” Duan Xiaolin let out a low, dangerous chuckle, the glare of the lightning flashing sharply across the lenses of his glasses. “You gentlemen are the supreme pillars of the directorate. Since when does a localized crisis require my intervention to stabilize your domain?”

“Please, Chief Judge, do not mock us at a time like this,” the lead official stammered, his face pale. “The internal infrastructure of Central Headquarters is entirely beyond our capacity to manage. We lack the authority, and frankly, the tactical capability to restore order. Only you possess the administrative ruthlessness and the sheer power required to purge the sectors!”

“You flatter yourselves by assuming I care.”

“We… we are truly backed into a corner, Your Honor. That is why we personally traversed the wasteland to seek Franlun’s alignment. Surely you do not wish to watch the foundation of the human alliance crumble into absolute ruins?”

“Is that so?” Duan Xiaolin’s thin lips curled into a slight, mocking silhouette. “During my absence, I systematically transferred the entirety of headquarters’ executive powers into your hands. And this pathetic display is the absolute best your council can deliver?”

“Chief Judge, we recognize that you harbor deep resentment regarding the previous budget blackmail incident,” one of the directors blurted out, desperately stepping forward into the driving rain to display his submission. “The council should never have attempted to bottleneck Franlun’s operational funding. Moving forward, the directorate grants your division absolute, uncontested autonomy. Whatever directives you dictate, we will execute with total compliance!”

“The financial blackmail was a trivial administrative game. I never committed it to memory,” Duan Xiaolin dismissed flatly. “Are you certain you didn’t travel all this way merely to force me to clean up a lethal mess your associates created?”

The three men exchanged deeply guilty, panicked glances, the stark embarrassment in their eyes completely laid bare beneath the lightning.

“Chief Judge… the biological contamination within the inner sectors has completely compromised our defense lines,” the director confessed, his voice trembling. “Please, return to the capital. We beg for your absolute clemency.”

“Compromised?”

“An… an anomalous biological entity has breached the subterranean levels of headquarters. After sacrificing multiple scout units, we managed to extract a fraction of viable intelligence regarding their classification.”

The director swallowed hard against the chill. “They are an aggressive, hyper-adaptive species that relies entirely on cellular parasitism to propagate. Their reproductive rate matches, if not exceeds, the standard zombie mutation curve. Currently, our outer outposts and core logistics hubs are not only enduring endless undead sieges, but our defensive personnel are being systematically hollowed out from the inside by these parasites.”

The official let out a ragged sigh. “The viral payload carried by these organisms is mathematically anomalous—far more volatile and destructive than the baseline zombie pathogen. Several major sectors have already devolved into total anarchy, and Central Headquarters is on the verge of structural collapse. We are entirely powerless to contain the breach. That is why we resolved to secure your intervention at any cost.”

“Appealing to my office will not resolve a biological containment failure,” Duan Xiaolin stated evenly. “I am an executioner, not a research scientist.”

“But our intelligence divisions confirmed that you and the prime host… cough…”

Before the director could finish his sentence, his eyes collided with the cold, dead detachment radiating from the man beneath the black umbrella. A sudden, visceral terror seized his chest, and he violently snapped his jaw shut, dropping his head in submission.

The second official quickly stepped into the gap, his voice frantic. “Chief Judge, the entire alliance is fully aware of Franlun’s absolute military supremacy. The weight of your baseline abilities alone can effortlessly rewrite the trajectory of this war and preserve the survival of the base circuit. You cannot simply sit idly by and watch humanity burn!”

“What a grand sentiment. ‘The trajectory of war.'”

The dark rim of his umbrella tilted down slightly, completely obscuring any trace of human emotion in his eyes.

In the exact same second, an overwhelming, suffocating wave of pure, unadulterated genetic energy erupted from his frame, pressing down upon the clearing. The sheer atmospheric pressure of his aura instantly eclipsed the freezing chill of the torrential rain, making the environment feel like a zero-degree glacial cell.

The three directors gasped, their lungs seizing.

His power… how is this possible?! His genetic baseline… what exactly happened to him?!

Their legs shook violently under the invisible weight, their muscles turning to absolute water as they fought the overwhelming urge to drop straight onto their knees in the mud. Their lips trembled, and though their expensive suits were completely caked in foul mud and rain, they forced the remaining air from their lungs to offer a final, desperate plea.

“We beg of you, Chief Judge!”

This was no longer a political negotiation; it was a matter of immediate life and death for the ruling elite. If he refused them, they would be executed by the breach within the month.

The man didn’t grant them another glance. He turned his back to the transports, his long strides moving smoothly toward the gate.

“Chief Judge! We will sign over absolute executive governance!” the lead director screamed frantically into the wind. “The entirety of the central military command will be restored to your uncontested authority! You can restructure the sectors however you see fit! We only beg that you deploy your units to cleanse headquarters! The biological breach has evolved… we desperately require your hand!”

Behind the cold lenses of his glasses, Duan Xiaolin’s eyes narrowed into a precise, flawless calculation. The aura he projected was one of absolute, terrifying dominion—dictatorial, immovable, and entirely in control of the board.

“There is no rush,” he murmured into the storm.

Chapter 206: What’s So Good About a Remote Area?

“Chief Judge!”

No one dared to stand in the man’s way as he walked away.

Not long after, Shadow stood alone in the downpour, his expression completely blank. “You may leave now.”

The directors immediately swarmed around him, pleading desperately. “Master Shadow, we beg you to speak with the Chief Judge on our behalf. Please, ask him to make some concessions for us…”

As he spoke, one of the officials discreetly tried to slip two glowing crystal cores into Shadow’s hand. “Someone at the base recently secured these priceless treasures. They are ultra-rare, high-tier crystal cores, practically impossible to come by on the open market. Consider this a token of our highest esteem. We ask for nothing in return, only that Lord Shadow whispers a few favorable words about our predicament to the Chief Judge.”

The face beneath the faceless tactical mask didn’t register a single hint of emotion. Shadow simply opened his palm, letting the priceless artifacts drop callously into the thick mud. “The Chief Judge’s dictates are not subject to your manipulation, nor are they subject to mine.”

The crystal cores rolled a few times through the dirt. The directors scrambled frantically to retrieve them, clutching the soiled stones tightly against their chests like buried treasure.

The faint, iridescent light radiating from the cracks in the stones caught Shadow’s attention. The eyes hidden beneath his visor narrowed slightly. “Where exactly did your sector source those?”

“They were delivered to the council by an elite salvage unit from the deeper zones,” the director stammered, eager to please. “Without these anomalies, our command staff wouldn’t be able to force their genetic upgrades. We brought these prime specimens out here exclusively to honor you and the Chief Judge, Master Shadow.”

Shadow slowly extended his hand.

The directors practically beamed with joy, hurriedly offering the crystal cores up for his inspection.

The official leaned in, lowering his voice to an urgent whisper. “As long as the Chief Judge consents to reclaim his seat at headquarters, the directorate will grant Franlun unlimited access to our remaining inventory. We can deploy our entire logistics division to harvest as many as your units require—provided the Chief Judge returns to the capital.”

He pressed on, desperate to seal the alignment. “As you are well aware, Central Headquarters has always fundamentally relied on the Chief Judge’s administrative ruthlessness to maintain structural integrity. A month ago, his sudden disappearance during the black market purge threw the upper echelons into absolute chaos. With his office vacant for so long, the criminal syndicates in the lower sectors have grown terrifyingly bold. They are openly massacring Franlun’s enforcers and defying the alliance charter! The moment the Chief Judge returns, those black markets will be dismantled overnight!”

Shadow tilted his head slightly, a terrifying stillness settling over his frame.

The directors felt their chests tighten, an icy nervousness washing over them as they stood trapped beneath the gaze of that cold, faceless mask.

Shadow’s voice dropped into a low, smooth cadence. “Exactly how many of these high-tier cores does the directorate currently retain in its central vault?”

“No more than… ten pieces,” the official whispered frantically. “Their existence is heavily classified—the highest tier of secrecy within the alliance. They were all retrieved by black-ops salvage teams seeking executive pardons.”

“Compile a comprehensive manifest detailing the acquisition parameters of every single core.”

“Yes, yes, of course! Right away!”

A sudden, razor-sharp flash of murderous intent bled through Shadow’s aura. “You will also prepare a complete registry containing the identity of every single individual who possesses knowledge of this operation. Absolutely nothing is to be withheld from my office, otherwise…”

“We understand completely! When dealing with Franlun, the council only delivers results. We never presume to ask questions!”

In the blink of an eye, Shadow’s silhouette dissolved completely into the dark curtain of rain.

The three directors rapidly wiped their foreheads, their hands trembling violently. They couldn’t even tell if they were wiping away the freezing rain or the cold sweat triggered by pure terror.

They knew with absolute certainty that the moment they crossed back into the jurisdiction of Central Headquarters, they were strictly forbidden from uttering a single syllable regarding the coordinates of this hidden valley. If they dared to breathe a word of it to the remaining factions, their execution would be absolute. They wouldn’t even be permitted to discuss their immediate encounter with the Chief Judge.

The only reason they had possessed the suicidal leverage to seek out this sanctuary in the first place was due to their historic, deep-rooted ties with the Chief Judge’s executive administration. If they misstepped now, they wouldn’t even realize how they had died before their files were permanently erased.

The three officials shook their heads in bitter defeat, wiped the heavy rain from their faces, and climbed back into the reinforced safety of their armored transports under the tight shield of their bodyguards.

They truly couldn’t fathom what could possibly be so magnificent about this primitive, isolated dirt hole. They couldn’t comprehend why the legendary supreme commander of Franlun would willingly chose to entrench himself in a place like this.

Pei Xiqing slept heavily, only waking up when the afternoon light began to shift. When she blinked her eyes open, she noticed the heavy gloom outside had broken, and the torrential downpour had finally subsided into a gentle drizzle. Surprised and relieved, she hurried out onto the balcony, peering out across the sprawling ridges.

The worst of the flash floods had finally broken. The stagnant waters that had choked the lower paths were rapidly draining into the village stream and its surrounding tributaries.

Pei Xiqing quickly changed into a set of clean clothes and headed downstairs. The moment she reached the first floor, she found the displaced villagers who had been occupying her guest rooms frantically packing their remaining bundles.

“Miss Pei! We’ve caused you an immense amount of trouble over the last week!” an older woman called out, bowing slightly. “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for keeping us safe and fed. We’re finishing up our packing so we can head out.”

Pei Xiqing paused on the bottom step. “Where exactly are you going?” Seeing them hauling every single piece of their worldly possessions, she had initially assumed they were merely transitioning back to salvage their old homesteads down the ridge.

“To the survivor base, of course! Have you forgotten?” the woman replied, her eyes bright with anticipation. “Even though Liu Dongshu hasn’t resurfaced and nobody knows where he’s hiding his head, his mercenary squad is still fully operational. The moment this weather completely clears, they’re packing up their transports to leave the valley. We have to move fast if we want to secure a spot in their convoy.”

Pei Xiqing’s brow furrowed tightly. “That squad is bound to active military objectives across the badlands. If you trail behind their units, I’m terrified they won’t possess the operational capacity to protect you when a breach occurs.”

“What does that matter?” an older man scoffed, hoisting a heavy sack over his shoulder. “We aren’t afraid of a little hardship out there—the only thing we’re truly terrified of is dying of poverty in this mud. Besides, this is the only realistic shot at survival we have left. More than half of our old houses have been entirely leveled by the flood; they’re completely uninhabitable. If we stubbornly cling to this dirt hole, we’ll be sitting ducks the exact second a wandering horde breaches the valley walls.”

Pei Xiqing opened her mouth, but the words died in her throat. She realized there was nothing she could say to sway them. Every survivor viewed the wasteland through a different lens of trauma, and those conflicting perspectives ultimately dictated entirely different survival strategies. The absolute best outcome she could hope for was that they would somehow navigate the badlands and reach the fortified sectors in one piece—even though, to her, those bases represented nothing but a den of lethal conspiracies.

Pei Xiqing gave a gentle nod. “In that case… let me walk you to the gate.”

“Thank you, Miss Pei.”

By the time the floodwaters had cleanly receded from the lower tracks, a massive crowd of refugees had congregated in the wide clearing at the village entrance. Practically two-thirds of the valley’s population had abandoned their fields, desperate to secure passage.

Zhang Tian stood at the head of the convoy, conducting a final inspection of her squad’s tactical vehicles. Spotting Pei Xiqing walking down the path, she immediately broke away from her operatives and marched over. “Xiqing, how have you been holding up through the storm?”

“I’m perfectly fine,” Pei Xiqing smiled warmly. “What about you, Sister Tian?”

“I managed,” Zhang Tian sighed, gesturing toward the surrounding elders. “I stayed with one of the families up the ridge; the locals were incredibly hospitable to me.”

Pei Xiqing glanced at the long line of carts. “Are you truly going to escort them back to the base circuit?”

“My original directive was strictly bound to long-range resource tracking, and I shouldn’t be wasting fuel babysitting a civilian migration,” Zhang Tian admitted, her voice dropping into an annoyed whisper. “But our operational chain of command completely shattered the moment we arrived. Liu Dongshu has been entirely missing for days, which effectively forces an immediate suspension of our core mission. I have to return to Base Six to submit a formal casualty report regarding the captain’s disappearance, so I figured I might as well guide these folks across the river boundary while we’re charting the return route.”

Pei Xiqing let out a genuine sigh of relief. “Knowing they’re trailing behind an elite ability user like you makes me feel a million times more at ease about their safety.”

“Ha, don’t give the bases too much credit—they aren’t exactly a paradise, but the structural defense walls are a hell of a lot safer than an open valley. When are you and your old man going to pack up and join us? If you ever decide to make the transition, just come find me at the Base Six garrison. I don’t hold supreme executive clearance over there, but my rank is more than enough to easily secure a comfortable apartment and stable rations for you and Mr. Duan.”

“Thank you, Sister Tian.” Pei Xiqing stepped forward, wrapping her arms around her friend in a tight, lingering embrace. “If a day ever comes where we need a place to run, I promise I’ll seek you out. Please, keep your wits about you out there.”

“Mhm. You stay sharp too,” Zhang Tian murmured, patting her back. “It isn’t just the zombie variants you have to worry about anymore; those hyper-adaptive parasites have been tearing through the outer sectors recently. Keep your eyes open. This valley isn’t the permanent sanctuary you think it is.”

“Parasites?”

“There haven’t been many reported sightings in this specific quadrant—they only started breaching the perimeter a few weeks ago. Either way, just maintain a high state of vigilance.”

“I will.”

Zhang Tian gave a crisp hand signal, and the military engines roared to life. The mercenary convoy moved out swiftly, kicking up thick plumes of wet dirt as they guided the massive line of eager villagers out through the valley gap.

Within an hour, the once-bustling clearing fell completely dead.

Pei Xiqing turned around, finding Ma Mengxiang standing quietly right behind her. Beyond her, only a handful of elderly, disabled villagers remained, leaning heavily on their wooden crutches as they stared blankly at the empty path. The vibrant, lively sanctuary they had known had been rendered utterly desolate in a single afternoon.

Pei Xiqing looked around the clearing, a sudden realization striking her. “Where is your cousin? Didn’t Ma Mengjia come down to join the convoy?”

Ma Mengxiang let out a dry, hollow laugh. “Oh, she vanished ages ago—long before the storm even broke over the peaks. She told me she had personally negotiated a guaranteed ticket straight into the inner sectors of the base, and then she packed her backpack and slipped away in the dead of night.”

Pei Xiqing’s eyes widened slightly. “What?”

“I’m assuming she hitched a ride with one of the traveling scouts,” Ma Mengxiang murmured, shrugging her shoulders in resignation. “But honestly… I have absolutely no idea whose truck she climbed into.”

Chapter 207: Tamed

“Everything happened so fast,” Pei Xiqing sighed, watching the dust settle.

“I didn’t expect it either. I suppose they all thought our valley had become too unsafe.” Ma Mengxiang leaned heavily on her hoe, her voice dropping to a quiet murmur. “I wonder if I’ll ever see any of them again after today.”

Deep down, both of them knew the probability was slim to none.

The rumors from the outside world grew more terrifying and perilous by the day. It wasn’t just the evolving zombie variants anymore; there were other anomalous, predatory creatures breaching the borders. Just thinking about it sent a violent shiver down one’s spine. Out in the lawless badlands, a person could be ripped open and devoured by some monstrous entity at any moment.

“Everyone has their own path to walk,” Pei Xiqing said, offering her a reassuring smile. “Don’t let it weigh on you too much.”

“Well, I guess from now on, it’s just the two of us relying on each other.” Ma Mengxiang shifted closer, a curious glint in her eyes. “But Miss Pei, you seemed incredibly well-acquainted with Vice-Captain Zhang Tian. She even explicitly promised to look out for you. If a day comes where you decide to join her at the base, would you bring me along with you?”

“If that time ever comes, I promise I won’t abandon you.”

“That’s a promise! Just for saying that, I’ll take care of all your heavy chores around here from now on.”

Pei Xiqing smiled warmly at her enthusiasm. “Mengxiang, do you have a boyfriend?”

Ma Mengxiang froze, caught completely off guard. “Me? No way. Why do you ask? In a tiny valley like this, all the local boys only have eyes for my cousin. Most of them won’t even look in my direction. Not that I care, honestly. I know I’m not a classic beauty, so I don’t waste my energy daydreaming about those kinds of things.”

“You are beautiful, Mengxiang. It’s just a different, resilient kind of beauty.”

“Really?” Ma Mengxiang blinked, flushed with sudden embarrassment. “You aren’t just teasing me, are you?”

“Believe in yourself.” Pei Xiqing kept her eyes fixed on her face, studying her features with thoughtful focus.

The intense scrutiny made the local girl squirm. Ma Mengxiang scratched her head, shifting uncomfortably. “Hey, don’t just stare at me like that all of a sudden, especially after asking such a bizarre question… You aren’t plotting something weird, are you?”

“No,” Pei Xiqing laughed softly. “I was just asking casually.”

“Whew, you seriously gave me a heart attack.” Ma Mengxiang patted her chest in relief.

Pei Xiqing turned her attention back to the few remaining villagers, stepping forward to support an elderly woman who was struggling to maintain her balance. “Let’s head back to the village center. There’s still a massive amount of debris and damage that requires our attention.”

Ma Mengxiang hoisted her hoe and tools over her shoulder, calling out to the remaining seven or eight elderly residents to follow them.

The hidden valley had completely lost its former vitality. With fewer than ten residents left, the community’s active footprint had shrunk significantly. Except for Pei Xiqing and Duan Xiaolin, who remained in their original homestead, the remaining elderly villagers chose to move into adjacent, clustered houses so they could easily look after one another as next-door neighbors.

Pei Xiqing spent the remainder of the day helping the frail elders clear out water-damaged furniture and scrub down their rooms. By the time she finally trudged back to her own porch, evening had fallen, and she was rhythmically rubbing her aching arms.

The moment she reached the threshold, a light drizzle began to fall again. She hurried under the shelter of the eaves, but before she could press her hand against the front door, the muffled sound of Shadow’s voice drifted through the wood.

“Chief Judge, the political instability at Central Headquarters has hit a critical threshold. Do you truly intend to delay your return?”

“Let the factions bleed each other out a while longer,” the man replied, his tone entirely flat and detached. “The syndicates running the black markets are already hitting their limit. They’ll be forced to fully expose their operations shortly.”

“And the Marshal…?”

“The lines of communication remain open.”

“Understood.”

“There is one more development…” Shadow began, but before the words could fully leave his mouth, his sharp senses registered the subtle shifting of footsteps on the porch outside. He instantly flashed a silent hand signal to his commander.

Duan Xiaolin didn’t need a summary to know exactly who was standing on the other side of the threshold. “Continue your brief.”

Shadow smoothly resumed, “The host parasite has successfully emerged from its hibernation.”

“Oh?” A trace of genuine interest finally bled into Duan Xiaolin’s voice. “I see.”

“The creature’s biological baseline is staggering. I harbor severe reservations regarding the laboratory’s capacity to contain its energy grid for much longer.”

“I will handle the containment protocols shortly.”

“Yes, sir.”

Neither of them had any real intention of keeping the operational truth from Pei Xiqing. Even if she was currently lingering outside the door, neither man would deliberately move to expose her.

Pei Xiqing pushed the front door open, stepping directly into the room. “I want to see the parasite.”

Shadow reached up, adjusting the edge of his tactical mask. “It may require a few days to coordinate clearance, Miss Pei. The containment sector is currently a disaster zone.”

“That’s fine,” she said firmly. “As long as you guarantee I can see it.”

It had taken more than a month for the primary host creature to fully recover from its trauma. Given its colossal mass and its continuous, anomalous weight gain, she figured the initial injuries it sustained couldn’t have been a simple matter.

“The previous parasite I encountered was a rabid, bloodthirsty beast,” she noted thoughtfully. “What about this one?”

Shadow answered evenly, “This specific host is entirely manageable. It remains completely tamed—provided the Chief Judge is physically present within the sector. If anyone else attempts to interface with it… the grid collapses.”

“I see.”

Pei Xiqing found the concept hard to fathom. She had never heard of a docile or tamed host parasite. According to the original lore of the world, any dominant host was a biological nightmare synthesized from the fused consciousness of hundreds of mutated organisms. Every single one was described as a vicious, grotesque abomination driven exclusively by a primal hunger to consume its handler.

The idea of one being house-trained felt like absolute fiction.

Pei Xiqing shot a doubtful look toward the man sitting on the sofa, only to find a faint, knowing smile playing in the depths of his eyes. She let out a soft, embarrassed cough, looking away.

What exactly is he smiling at?

Unable to resist, she reached back to massage her lower back, which was still stiff and aching from his recent intensity. “The village is practically empty now. Mengxiang and I spent the entire afternoon clearing mud out of the grandparents’ houses. However, the external structural walls and the roofs desperately need reinforcing before the next downpour. Brother Duan, do you have any free time over the coming days?”

“I do,” the man agreed smoothly, his gaze locked onto her. “Leave the heavy labor to me.”

“Good.”

Pei Xiqing turned toward the staircase, intending to head up to the bathroom to wash away the day’s grime.

Shadow bowed his head slightly toward his commander. “Chief Judge, I will take my leave to prep the logistics.”

“In three days,” Duan Xiaolin directed, his voice steady. “I will personally escort her to the containment bay to view the specimen.”

“Understood.”

Pei Xiqing paused on the stairs, looking back over her shoulder. “That’s a very tight timeline, Brother Duan. What exactly is unfolding back at headquarters?”

Duan Xiaolin rose from the sofa, tracking her steps up the stairs. Reaching her side, he smoothly unclasped her damp outer coat, drawing the heavy fabric away from her shoulders. Before Pei Xiqing could even process his sudden proximity, he had systematically stripped away her outer layers until she was left standing in nothing but a whisper-thin silk camisole.

The man stepped closer, trapping her against the landing. His thin lips dropped to press a slow, lingering kiss against the bare curve of her shoulder. He hovered there for a long moment, his warm breath fanning across her skin before he spoke in a low, raspy cadence. “It concerns the syndicates governing the underbelly of the capital. A significant portion of headquarters’ high-ranking directorate is actively invested in the black market infrastructure. We merely need to engineer the correct operational pressure to force them to reveal their hands.”

“The directorate…” Pei Xiqing murmured. She had never personally set foot inside the capital’s inner sectors, and she harbored very little interest in their political games.

But the moment his large hand made physical contact with her skin, a familiar, visceral tremor rippled through her entire body. She could feel his long fingers slowly, methodically tracing the intricate contours of the totem etched into her lower back.

The moment that specific brand flared to life, her cognitive control would completely unravel, leaving her mind entirely swallowed by a dark, intoxicating fog she could scarcely comprehend. And the exact second his palms smoothed over her skin, her body immediately began to betray her, reacting to his touch.

A familiar, burning heat began to bleed across her back. His damp, scorching kisses trailed intermittently down the column of her neck.

Suddenly, his movements went entirely rigid, his breathing pausing against her skin.

Pei Xiqing blinked through the haze of her senses, turning her head back to glance at him in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

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