Zuo Feng squinted his eyes; currently, only Zuo Feng and the girls could control the Mutants.
The “Master” Wen Dizhi spoke of could not possibly control the sacrificial ceremony out of thin air without a Mutant as a guide.
So, another possibility was to use Zuo Feng and the Firefly girls to meet the conditions required for the ritual, reaping the ready-made results.
However, among the girls who could currently fully control the Mutants and Born Beasts, only Da Bai Tu, Xiao Mi Tao, Da Yuanyuan, and Xiao She Jing could. They would never betray Zuo Feng, nor would they cooperate in completing the sacrificial ceremony.
As for the other girls, Zuo Feng also trusted them immensely; they would never betray him, nor could they possibly be secretly replaced or manipulated.
But the word “timing” now made Zuo Feng’s thoughts fluctuate. What could Wen Dizhi’s “timing” refer to?
Could it be one of the Firefly girls who had not yet had an intimate relationship with Zuo Feng, and thus had not yet fully controlled the Mutants and Born Beasts?
This was not because Zuo Feng distrusted the girls, but because it concerned the survival of all humanity, leaving no room for even the slightest chance.
Zuo Feng’s fingertips trembled slightly, his mind constantly replaying the faces of each Firefly girl, the scenes of their first meetings, and the countless small details of their daily lives, trying to find any trace of abnormality.
But there was no abnormality at all. Was he overthinking it?
Da Bai Tu, Xiao Mi Tao, Da Yuanyuan, and Xiao She Jing could already fully control the Mutants and Born Beasts, so naturally, there could be no problem with them. Xiao Chu Niang and Xiao Nv Pu had followed Zuo Feng within two days of the apocalypse’s arrival, so the Master Wen Dizhi spoke of could not have planned ahead or secretly manipulated them; the timeline simply didn’t match up.
As for the later-joining girls, Little Maid, Xiao Lingxian, Xiao Dian Dian, and Little Knife Girl, the possibility was also very low. They had always been under Da Yuanyuan’s protection; if Da Yuanyuan was fine, they couldn’t possibly have problems.
As for Bai Duanqian and Huan Jingjing, they had not yet fully entered the core circle and could not access the core of the Mutants. However, they were essentially considered core members of Firefly and would sooner or later become Zuo Feng’s women. Could it be one of them?
Or was Wen Dizhi’s Master planning for a woman who had not yet appeared to become Zuo Feng’s woman?
Or had she already appeared, but had not yet revealed herself?
Although all of this was merely speculation, Zuo Feng’s mind repeatedly pondered every detail as if carved by a knife; he could not penetrate the truth behind this fog.
Of course, there was another possibility: kidnapping a girl to threaten Zuo Feng, or directly choosing one from Da Bai Tu, Xiao Mi Tao, Da Yuanyuan, and Xiao She Jing. But this possibility was immediately ruled out; the girls were either guarded by Mutants or in the base. Even if Wen Dizhi’s Master possessed extraordinary abilities, it would be absolutely impossible to abduct them without alerting Zuo Feng.
But there was no doubt that if the Mutants and Born Beasts were indeed the key to the ultimate sacrifice, Firefly was very likely targeted by Wen Dizhi’s Master.
Zuo Feng forcibly suppressed his fluctuating emotions, a cold glint appearing in his eyes, only to be covered by an even deeper vigilance.
He could not allow suspicion to spread internally, especially when surrounded by powerful enemies and with unclear clues.
Every girl was a companion in life and death; any baseless suspicion could become an entry point for the enemy to dismantle them from within.
He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, as if to temporarily seal away that heavy doubt.
His gaze refocused on Mao Wudi and the other two, his voice returning to its usual composure, even carrying a hint of undeniable resolve:
“Chief Rou’s conjecture is very valuable, pointing us in a direction.
Born Beasts and Mutants indeed might be the key to unlocking the mystery of the ‘materials.’”
“But currently,”
He changed his tone, his knuckles unconsciously tapping on the edge of the table, making a soft thudding sound, like the rapidly operating logical chain in his mind,
“What we need more is action.
Finding the identity of Wen Dizhi’s Master, as well as the missing 990,000 corpses. As long as we can pinpoint one link, the entire hidden line will be exposed to light.”
Zuo Feng’s eyes flickered slightly. Regarding the Mutants and Born Beasts, I can tell the three of you:
“I will not let Firefly become the breakthrough point for Wen Dizhi’s Master… If he truly dares to harbor even the slightest covetousness, I will certainly let him see what true Firefly is!”
Mao Wudi slammed the table heavily, making it hum:
“Exactly! No matter what demons or monsters, if they dare to target our H City, if they dare to scheme against Firefly, they must be prepared to be burned to ashes! Chief Zuo, tell us, what do we do next? I, Mao Wudi, and the Brothers of Spear of Victory will be the first to charge!”
Tie Zhenshan’s steady voice rang out, with a metallic quality:
“We all see Chief Zuo’s determination.
But as Chief Rou speculated, the opponent’s scheme is so vast, and the missing ‘key’ points to Firefly’s core strength. This is no coincidence.
We must assume that the opponent’s understanding of Firefly, especially of the Mutants and Born Beasts, might exceed our expectations.
Any subsequent action must consider the safety of the Mutants and Born Beasts; they are the key, and they are the most likely targets for the opponent to act upon.”
Rou Moyu nodded lightly, her gaze still sharp:
“Chief Tie is absolutely right. Protecting the Mutants and Born Beasts is of utmost importance, but passive defense is by no means the best strategy.
Wen Dizhi mentioned ‘the time is not right’ and ‘the materials are not complete,’ meaning the opponent is also waiting for certain conditions, or a certain opportunity.
This ‘timing’ might not just be a point in time, but more likely the achievement of a certain state, the appearance of a certain key item, or… the trigger of a certain specific person.”
Her gaze subtly swept over Zuo Feng, but quickly moved away, pointing to the holographic map on the table,
“E City is the obvious clue, the ‘transit station’ directly revealed by Wen Dizhi.
Whether it is a decoy or not, we must investigate it.
Perhaps there, we can find clues about the ‘Master’s’ identity, or further leads about the ‘materials.’
I suggest organizing an elite team of scouts to infiltrate E City and investigate.
As for the Mutants and Born Beasts, I believe Chief Zuo will make the most appropriate arrangements.”
Zuo Feng nodded and said:
“There is no need to worry about the safety of the Mutants and Born Beasts. I can expose my strength without fear; currently, there is no power in the world that can threaten their existence.
As for E City, I will trouble the three of you to send people to investigate. If we can uncover even a trace of the person behind the scenes, we will gain the initiative. Also, are there any clues about the 990,000 corpses now?”
Tie Zhenshan said in a deep voice:
“Speaking of which, it’s even stranger. We turned the Brothers Alliance upside down and questioned all the survivors, but there was not the slightest clue, as if those 990,000 corpses never existed.
Even the Giant Tiger Alliance and Luoxia Alliance, including the various large and small forces in Dream City, have not received any news.
990,000 corpses cannot disappear into thin air without leaving a single trace. The power behind this is unfathomable.”