Chapter 96: The Little One
How should she put this?
“You see what faction she’s in?”
Xu Zhi asked tentatively.
Zhong Lingfan shook her head. “I need to make eye contact to tell.”
She didn’t mind openly revealing the limitations of her extraordinary ability to Xu Zhi.
“Then once she wakes up, help me take a look.”
Though she was fairly certain that followers of the [Cup] attribute were “Evil,” Xu Zhi wasn’t sure what the second factional trait might be for Yu Shenwei after undergoing that ritual.
Might as well check.
“So, who exactly is she?” Zhong Lingfan couldn’t help but grow more curious, sensing Xu Zhi’s rare hint of caution.
“Mm, no one special. Just a high-tier follower I lured over. Higher than that guy we caught earlier—one rank up at baseline. You know the type, right?”
Zhong Lingfan’s eye twitched slightly. “Why the hell did you bring that back?”
“And you’re just leaving her out in the open like that?!”
She clearly didn’t get it. But then again, remembering Xu Zhi’s ever-unconventional thinking, she figured the problem might be trying to understand her in the first place.
“…Fine.” She relented. “Not my business what you’re planning with her, but while she’s in the residential zone, you better keep her under control.”
“Of course.” Xu Zhi nodded. “But—”
“You got any research on these high-tier followers?”
Zhong Lingfan sighed again. “You think I’m omnipotent? Of course not.”
Where would she even find a chance to study high-tier followers? She hadn’t even seen many, let alone captured one alive for research.
“What, you planning to hand her over to me to experiment on?”
“Oh—no, no!” Xu Zhi quickly waved her hands. She had her own sinister, unspeakable plans for Yu Shenwei—no way she’d give her away!
Hearing this, Zhong Lingfan looked slightly disappointed. “Well, I wouldn’t have the time anyway.”
If not for her extraordinary physique, and the rationality and knowledge boosts from her [Lamp] attribute, she’d probably have collapsed from exhaustion by now.
After Zhong Lingfan left, a small black kitten crawled out from under the sofa.
Xu Zhi was exasperated. “What, are you still scared of strangers or something?”
The kitten’s tail flicked but it didn’t respond.
Oh—got it. Not scared, just antisocial.
“You guys stay here and keep an eye on her. I’m heading out for a bit, won’t be long.”
She only planned to bring the little aberration, but didn’t intend to let it act first. Xu Zhi wanted to test how her personal combat skills now compared to current Transcendents.
Zhong Lingfan had already made an excuse earlier to keep everyone in the residential zone, so now all she had to do was find the gang and beat them up.
Thinking it over, she grabbed a wooden practice sword she used during training.
After all, these people were going to work for her later—she didn’t want to accidentally kill one of them.
Since they hadn’t joined the residential zone’s management system, they didn’t live in the core area. But relying on their strength, they’d settled in the closest building to the center.
As Xu Zhi walked out, she was thinking—could these people be growing resentful, seeing those less powerful than them living better and holding more authority?
That’d be a natural reaction. But refusing to follow orders, refusing to join the system, harboring dissent—that wouldn’t be acceptable.
These four prideful Transcendents weren’t ones Xu Zhi picked up; they’d stuck together as a group and encountered some residential zone explorers, who invited them in.
And all this happened while Xu Zhi was away—so although they’d heard the rumors of a powerful founder, they hadn’t seen just how powerful she really was.
Without a concrete impression, it was hard to instill awe or fear.
Soon, Xu Zhi arrived at their building. The four had taken up an entire floor—the fourth—so no need to knock door by door.
Once she reached the fourth floor, Xu Zhi casually knocked. The door quickly opened. A man around thirty saw the unfamiliar Xu Zhi and frowned. “Who are you? What’s this about?”
Xu Zhi was quite polite. “Hello, I’m Xu Zhi. I heard you guys aren’t too satisfied with the management system here?”
The man’s eyes showed no recognition of the name “Xu Zhi,” which was expected—most residents only knew her as “the one who built this place,” not her actual name.
“What nonsense are you spouting?” he denied bluntly—he wasn’t stupid.
“Oh, no dissatisfaction? Then why haven’t you joined?” Xu Zhi asked with apparent sincerity, though to the man it sounded faintly mocking.
Why hadn’t they joined?
Everyone knew the real reasons—did she really have to say it?
“Whose kid are you? Run along now.”
Though he didn’t recognize Xu Zhi, he still didn’t speak rudely—words like “get lost” were avoided. In Cloud City, caution was carved into people’s bones.
This disappointed Xu Zhi.
She sighed and stopped beating around the bush. “Call your buddies out. Let’s fight. If I win, you all join the system tomorrow and start working for me.”
She didn’t even mention what would happen if she lost.
The man’s expression twisted slightly, his disbelief leaking through even though he was trying to stay calm. “What the hell are you talking about?”
This little girl—is she part of the management system?
Why hadn’t he seen her before?
As that thought crossed his mind, he suddenly had a bold guess.
If he hadn’t seen her—could she be the one rumored to have built the residential zone?
No way. A place this big, built by a kid?
“…Wait a minute.” Though his face still showed how absurd he thought this all was, his actions had turned cautious as he began to call the others over.
Before long, all four stood in the hallway. They exchanged glances, and the man in front asked, “You haven’t said what happens if you lose?”
Xu Zhi thought for a moment. “If I lose, you take over as head of the zone. The administrator team will assist you too.”
It was just stating a fact.
But this sentence made it quite clear: she was the founder of the zone.
The men shared looks, and someone finally said, “Alright. Let’s fight. Keep it friendly—no killing.”
They didn’t think they’d necessarily lose, but they had no reason to completely offend someone who could build a place like this.
Xu Zhi nodded approvingly. Friendly sparring was fine by her.
“Let’s go to the plaza outside then—it’s more spacious.”
And with more people watching, it’d be easier to move forward with their plans if they won.
