Chapter 87: Good Deeds
Xu Zhi’s driving was… a bit reckless. The main issue wasn’t her skill level—it was her nerve. For example, the wild swerve she just pulled nearly flung Hou Ze out of the back seat. Being blind only heightened the sensation; it felt to him like the entire car was going to flip. All he could do was desperately cling to anything within reach.
In the very moment of that hairpin turn, gunshots rang out from behind. Hou Ze only realized afterward that Xu Zhi had likely swerved to dodge them.
“We’re already nearby?” he asked.
“More or less, probably just outside the perimeter,” Xu Zhi replied, keeping her eyes on the road.
The two gunmen behind them didn’t get off a second shot. They had been holed up inside a building and only came out to the window when they heard the car. Before they could fire again, Zhen had already taken them out.
Hou Ze had said the high-rank zealots had gathered over a hundred fanatics. But Xu Zhi had already eliminated nearly thirty of them during their pursuit of Yu Shenwei. She figured the bulk of their manpower had been dedicated to hunting her down. Hou Ze, on the other hand, was just a bonus. From the number of pursuers, it was clear that Shenwei’s heart was absolutely critical to the high-rank zealots—possibly indispensable.
Xu Zhi didn’t understand the exact mechanics of the high-rank zealots’s ritual, so to be safe, she decided not to kill every believer they came across. What if they were needed as sacrifices?
As they got closer and encountered another group of believers, Xu Zhi instructed Zhen to leave one alive. She then parked the car nearby and got out with Yu Shenwei and Hou Ze to approach the captured fanatic.
Even though his three companions had just been brutally killed, the surviving fanatic still looked crazed and ecstatic to see Xu Zhi—like he wanted to leap at her. He was promptly smacked down by the dog-like creature beside Xu Zhi.
She crouched down and asked, “Can you understand what I’m saying?”
The fanatic could understand but had no intention of listening. His eyes were filled with rabid longing, as if his only thought was how to kill Xu Zhi, not talk with her.
Xu Zhi sighed and called over Hou Ze. “You talk to him. Tell him to go get the high-rank zealots and say we’ve brought the Saintess to negotiate.”
She figured the high-rank zealots probably already knew someone had broken in—just not that it was Hou Ze bringing the Saintess back voluntarily.
Xu Zhi found herself genuinely curious: what kind of expression would the high-rank zealots wear upon discovering a human transcendent had willingly walked into their camp?
The fanatic, still pinned by the creature, went berserk upon seeing Hou Ze. He screamed, “Traitor!”
He looked even more enraged at Hou Ze than at Xu Zhi.
Hou Ze tried to talk to him but got nowhere. Embarrassed, he stepped back. Xu Zhi could tell the fanatics were even more blindly loyal than she expected. Seeing the “traitor” in front of them triggered more hatred than seeing a living enemy.
Out of options, Xu Zhi had Yu Shenwei give it a try. Surprisingly, the fanatic’s demeanor instantly shifted when he saw her.
“Saintess? You’re back?”
“We’ve been looking for you for so long. You look well—that’s good.”
But his eyes were glued to her chest, and anyone could tell what he truly cared about: her heart was still intact.
His attitude wasn’t unexpected—Yu Shenwei had seen it plenty of times—but this time, it made her feel as if a thorn was stuck in her throat. Uncomfortable.
Her eyes were closed. Though Xu Zhi hadn’t ordered her to cover them, she didn’t want the believers to see them. So, with eyes shut, she calmly said, “Yes, I’m back. Please go tell the high-rank zealots.”
“Of course, I’ll go right away,” the fanatic replied eagerly.
Xu Zhi signaled the dog-creature with her eyes to release him. He quickly bolted toward the base.
Watching him go, Xu Zhi pondered. These low-level fanatics were only slightly smarter than her small Aberration, and their behavior was very straightforward. Based on his reaction, she could tell she ranked the lowest on their priority list as prey.
Apparently, upon awakening as believers, they instinctively knew these “truths.” How convenient.
About ten minutes later, Xu Zhi sensed—through her connection with Zhen—that many fanatics were quietly surrounding them. They hadn’t stepped into the open yet, but their positions formed a clear encirclement, likely under someone’s command.
Soon after, an elderly woman approached with more than a dozen fanatics trailing behind. Her eyes were slightly clouded, though her pupils looked normal—unlike the black-eyed believers beside her. She stared at Xu Zhi for a long time without speaking, as if observing or sensing something. Eventually, she asked:
“Young one, why have you come?”
Xu Zhi could feel an ominous pressure around her, like invisible eyes were gauging her threat level. If they deemed her harmless, these people might attack in an instant.
But she wasn’t worried. She just smiled and replied, “What if I said I was here to do a good deed?”
The old woman’s expression turned odd for a moment. She shook her head. “I don’t believe that.”
“Well, fair enough,” Xu Zhi shrugged. “Honestly, I’m just curious.”
“I’m a Moth-attributed transcendent. Do you know what that means?”
The old woman nodded. Her previously furrowed brow even relaxed slightly—as if to say, Ah, Moth attribute? Never mind then.
Apparently, she knew that Moth-types tended to produce chaotic lunatics—sometimes even more unhinged than the fanatics themselves.
Xu Zhi went on: “I found these two on the road. After hearing their story, I started wondering—Hou Ze doesn’t seem that bad. Why wasn’t he your chosen one?”
At that, visible anger spread across the old woman’s face—and those of the others nearby.
“You told an outsider all of this?!” she snapped at Hou Ze.
Then she turned to Xu Zhi. “So you’re the one who killed those we sent to chase him?”
Xu Zhi nodded. “Yep. I’m just really interested in the whole situation, so I wanted to see it for myself. Hope that’s not a problem?”
The old woman wasn’t sure what to make of Xu Zhi’s strength or intentions. She held back for now and simply asked, “What exactly do you want to see?”
Xu Zhi asked, “Who was your chosen candidate? I’m curious what makes him better than Hou Ze.”
