Chapter 256

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Chapter 256: The Reason Behind the Beast Tide
Wang Liang quickly let go of Zhang Mu, smiling at him and looking him up and down to confirm that he was indeed back.
Zhang Mu looked at the man he hadn’t seen in over a month, noticing how tired he looked with his scruffy beard and dusty gold-rimmed glasses.
He smiled slightly and said, “Don’t you recognize me? It’s only been a month, I don’t think I’ve changed much. But Wang Liang, you look really worn out.”
After hearing about the problems at Wang Liang’s gathering place from Lin Cong, Zhang Mu said, “I know things have been tough for you, but it shouldn’t have affected you this much. What’s going on?”
When Zhang Mu teased him, Wang Liang’s face tensed up, he forced a smile and said, “Ever since becoming an evolver, my body can recover from fatigue quite quickly. It’s more of a mental tiredness.”
Sighing, Wang Liang added, “So, it’s mainly mental exhaustion. Lin Cong told you about the challenges we’re facing. Truth is, we lack the strength and experience. A little pressure and we end up in this situation.”
Zhang Mu chuckled and patted his shoulder, “I’m not mocking you. Based on what Lin Cong said, it’s not something you can easily change now. It’s like the mutant beasts surrounding a city, and the second-ranked Era Sub-merchant, it’s beyond your current abilities.”
Zhang Mu continued, “I’m laughing because you’re now a leader of a gathering place, yet you’re showing this attitude. How do you expect your people to react? You’re their pillar. If you fall, your place will crumble.”
“A leader should remain strong even in the face of disaster,” he added.
Zhang Mu believed in Wang Liang’s character and abilities, which is why he had been supporting him, even if not wholeheartedly.
But, after returning from Shan Xi City this time, Zhang Mu thought it was time to support Wang Liang to rise to power. Now, even though it was only the beginning of the apocalypse, this was the best time for humans to turn the tables.
There was no more time for Wang Liang to unify Luo Yang City on his own. In the current situation, not falling apart was already because he had a group of trustworthy friends.
Focusing on Luo Yang City alone is too narrow-minded.
Wang Liang looked ashamed, lowered his head, and said slowly, “Brother Mu is right. I have been too impatient recently. Originally, the five old city forces on my side had already joined the outer city. I don’t even know how many are secretly in contact with them negotiating conditions. Also, I don’t know if those mutated beasts outside really won’t attack Luo Yang City.”
Wang Liang continued, “If I could tolerate their ways towards ordinary people, I might have surrendered to them long ago to protect my brothers, and given up the idea of leading Luo Yang City myself.”
Wang Liang’s tone became confident as he looked Zhang Mu in the eye and said, “Luckily you returned to Luo Yang, Brother Mu. As long as there are enough resources comparable to the second phase, I am confident I can take over the whole of Luo Yang City.”
Meanwhile, Zhang Mu was pondering another question. He looked at Wang Liang with confusion and asked, “Their ways towards ordinary people? Is something wrong?”
Wang Liang rephrased his words and said to Zhang Mu, “Not exactly wrong, but I just feel it’s not right.”
“They believe the gap in value between ordinary people and evolvers is too large, so they treat them differently. The way they act, my brothers and I can’t accept, which is why we are at a standstill.”
Zhang Mu frowned and asked, “What exactly do you mean?”
Wang Liang spoke slowly, “They believe that since ordinary people cannot contribute much in battles, they should fulfill the evolvers’ needs to the maximum extent in daily life.”
So, in their merged community, for ordinary women, they do not accept regular labor because ordinary women are not strong enough to do much work. They only set up places like red-light districts for them to work and live. In their community, women can only engage in business or be chosen by evolvers to become forbidden fruit.
Similarly, ordinary men have only two options: repairing the city walls and houses, but this way they can’t eat enough. To have enough to eat, they must sign a contract to become servants to the evolvers.
And regardless of gender, all earnings must be handed over to them, just for a full meal.
But we evolvers can only get the second-rate porridge, so you can imagine how little food ordinary people can get in our community.
So, with hunger driving them, more and more ordinary people are leaving here, even if it’s just for that full meal.
We can’t do it. Hard work is one thing, getting paid for it is fair for both evolvers and ordinary people. But treating our own people like livestock, using them as tools, I, Wang Liang, cannot do that.”
Zhang Mu suddenly understood. No wonder Wang Liang and the others couldn’t accept it. They are young and spirited individuals, having only spent a few months in the early stages of the apocalypse. Naturally, they can’t stand for it.
However, this is actually the right way for the gathering place of the future to develop. Even though it’s a harsh reality, it’s in the interest of this group of top evolvers.
If the future Zhang Mu sees Wang Liang and others persisting in these silly principles like human equality and goodness, he would definitely mock them.
Stop dreaming, too naive. The current end of the world has simply peeled off the hypocritical facade of the once cold society. Do you think the previous society wasn’t cruel?
But now, looking at Wang Liang’s firm gaze slightly stirs some deeply hidden thoughts in Zhang Mu’s heart.
Both of these opinions actually have their pros and cons. If the future Zhang Mu was here, he would definitely support the outer city forces’ method of using ordinary people to build up the elite group, ensuring the survival of humanity in this special period.
However, present-day Zhang Mu feels that his reborn self is somewhat inclined towards Wang Liang’s way of thinking.
But this way, things get even more complicated, and the cost is higher.
To achieve this, one must become strong, continuously strong, so that their people don’t have to sell their bodies or souls for a meal.
Humans who lose their humanity will be very lonely.
After thinking a lot, Zhang Mu simply told Wang Liang, “Do what you think is right, I support you. So, don’t lose sight of your true self on the path to seeking power.”
Wang Liang seemed to finally speak out what he had been holding in for a long time, feeling somewhat relieved, and Zhang Mu’s support just now gave him a lot of confidence.
Feeling that the topic was getting a bit heavy, Zhang Mu shrugged and changed to a more relaxed tone, saying, “Do you know the reason behind the Beast Tide surrounding the city? Also, how many leaders of mutated beasts exceeding the first rank are there?”
After careful consideration, Wang Liang replied to Zhang Mu, “I also don’t know the specific reason. The thousands of beasts suddenly appeared, and we have no idea about the situation. All the exploration teams sent out to search for resources have suffered heavy losses.”
As for those exceeding the first rank, I only saw one with a particularly prominent size, surrounded by others. It should be the Leader mutated beast that you mentioned, Brother Mu.”
Zhang Mu became interested and curiously asked, “Only one? That doesn’t seem too difficult then. I thought there might be several at once. What abilities does the mutated beast possess?”
“In terms of abilities, I haven’t seen it demonstrate any. Actually, I only glanced at it from afar on the city wall. It rarely appears. But from the looks of it, it seems to be a tiger with an enlarged version of snow-white fur.”
“Are you sure it’s really a white tiger?”
Memories suddenly rushed back, and Zhang Mu seemed to have just realized the true cause of the Beast Tide this time.