Chapter 197: Bargaining with a Tiger, Sneaking in the Shadows

Night had fallen over the ruins outside Gathering Site 13.

Moonlight pierced through cracks in the earth, cascading like silvery threads into an ancient underground fortress hidden beneath the deserted town.

A heavy, oppressive air hung in the damp space. Moss climbed the stone walls, glowing faintly with a ghostly light, making the entire chamber feel even more sinister. In the circular hall, forty-six black-robed figures stood silently, their presence seemingly isolating the area entirely from the outside world.

Beneath the domed ceiling, candle flames flickered under the cold airflow. Shadows danced long and twisted on the walls, as if stretching the black-robed figures themselves. The atmosphere was suffocatingly tense.

Finally, one of the transcendents on the high platform broke the silence. A low voice echoed through the chamber.

“I’ve called this meeting today to discuss how we deal with that one. Anyone with suggestions, feel free to speak.”

The moment the words that one were spoken, the air seemed to shift.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd, as if the phrase had stirred some primal fear.

“Tch! Can’t even say his name aloud and you dare talk about confronting him?”

“Confront him? What’s there to discuss? Even if we all band together, we’re not enough to stop the Underworld Army. Might as well just surrender.”

“If I’d known it would come to this, I never would’ve gotten involved in that mess.”

“Exactly! If that guy hadn’t come back for revenge, I’d still be living like a king in Gathering Site 51.

Now look at me—once the top expert of Site 51, and now I’m scurrying through the sewers like a rat.”

“We were out of our minds back then, fighting over some so-called Underworld cultivation techniques. The more I think about it, the more wrong it feels.”

“You think someone set us up from the beginning?”

“I never heard of any transcendent with large-scale cognition-manipulating powers, but I did hear the Underworld might have such abilities…”

The underground hall buzzed with chaos. Some were ready to surrender, others to flee, a few cursed the ones who got them into this mess, and still others calculated the best way to survive.

But not a single person considered taking direct action against Lu Yan—not with that terrifying Underworld Army standing behind him.

As the commotion grew, eight transcendents seated above finally moved.

One of them, a tall man in black robes, stepped forward.

“Silence!”

The word cracked through the air like thunder, reverberating through the underground fortress. The voice carried a weight that seemed to crush the soul, instantly silencing the crowd.

Despite his concealed face, everyone knew who had spoken.

Ninth-Rank Transcendent—Zhao Hongzhong, known as the Thunder Lord.

He commanded thunder and lightning, once fighting a Ninth-Rank Corpse King and several Eighth-Rank Corpse Kings to a standstill. Even among his peers, he was considered top-tier.

Lightning flashed in his eyes, illuminating the gloom.

Sweeping a cold gaze across the hall, Zhao Hongzhong spoke with gravity:

“We’ve gathered you here to discuss a strategy against the Underworld Emissary. Spare us the defeatist talk. We need morale, not despair.”

But despite his strength, not everyone accepted Zhao’s authority.

A voice rose from the crowd:

“Thunder Lord, I respect your power, but do you truly believe a few words of strategy will let us defeat the Underworld Emissary?

In this apocalypse, strength rules. Even if we all charge him together, we wouldn’t stand a chance against that army of the dead.

Rather than wasting time with pointless discussion, we should be figuring out how to escape his pursuit.

Reliable sources say he’s been missing for ten days now, and his last known route leads straight to Gathering Site 13.”

The crowd stirred again.

“He’s right! What’s the point of all this talk if we can’t win?”

“If we’re really going to fight him, then at least give us a proper plan.”

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to throw us into the meat grinder while you sit back?”

Zhao Hongzhong’s expression darkened.

Normally, the gap between Eighth and Ninth Rank was vast—few would dare speak out against him.

But ever since Lu Yan began hunting down those who once tried to kill him, dozens of high-level transcendents had fallen to the Underworld Army. Now, the survivors were all in the same sinking boat.

In the face of death, rank meant little.

As the situation teetered on the edge of collapse, another Ninth-Rank Transcendent, Gu Yan, stepped forward.

“Since we’ve called this meeting, it means we do have a plan to deal with the Underworld Emissary. I ask that you all remain calm.”

His words stirred the crowd.

“What plan?”

Gu Yan replied confidently:

“The Underworld Emissary’s greatest strength is his command of the Underworld Army. Thousands of Yin Soldiers moving in formation—any Ninth-Rank Transcendent would fall to such might.

But that also reveals his weakness—his personal strength is lacking. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to chase him in the first place.

From confirmed sources, his cultivation is barely at Fifth-Rank. Anyone here could take him one-on-one.

So we split our forces—some hold off the Underworld Army, others break through to kill the emissary.

Without him, the Underworld Army becomes a headless snake, and we no longer need to fear being hunted down.”

Silence fell across the hall… followed by scoffs.

“That’s the grand plan? Another decapitation strike?”

“Gathering Site 32 tried that. Two Ninth-Rank and twenty-one high-rank transcendents couldn’t even touch the guy.”

“He’s got some kind of spatial ability. If you think this’ll work, you’re delusional.”

Zhao Hongzhong crossed his arms and snorted.

“We have eight Ninth-Rank transcendents and thirty-eight Fifth-Rank or higher. Killing him will be trivial if someone holds the army at bay.

Besides, we’ve brought in reinforcements.”

Confusion rippled across the crowd.

“Reinforcements? Who?”

“In this situation, who’d dare oppose the Underworld Emissary?”

Gu Yan chuckled.

“I never said they were human.”

As he spoke, the shadows in the fortress thickened and coalesced into a sharply dressed figure with a pale, aristocratic air.

Were it not for the corpse-pale flesh, one might mistake him for a nobleman.

He smiled, baring fangs that gleamed with bloodlust in the candlelight.

“Good evening, everyone.”

“Corpse King?!” someone gasped.

Zhao Hongzhong gestured toward the well-dressed figure, smiling.

“Correct. This is the Shadow Corpse King—our ally in this operation.

He’s not alone. Other powerful Corpse Kings and their armies lie in ambush, ready to restrain the Underworld Army. All we need to do is kill the emissary.

Six Ninth-Ranks and forty high-tier transcendents—no matter what tricks he has, he won’t escape alive.”

The hall erupted.

Some looked excited—but more were outraged.

“You? Collaborating with a Corpse King? You’re the leader of Site 13!”

“My parents were killed by zombies! I’d rather die than work with them!”

“You’re insane, Zhao Hongzhong! Bargaining with monsters will only get you killed!”

The Shadow Corpse King smiled politely.

“Yes, the emissary’s vengeance has been brutal, but his attacks on our kind have been even more devastating—entire cities slaughtered, races wiped out.

This alliance is merely for survival. We’re the same.

Kill the emissary, and you remain the rulers of your domains. We get rid of a common threat. A win-win, wouldn’t you say?”

His words were smooth and diplomatic, but many felt a chill deep in their bones.

After thirteen years of apocalyptic war, the enmity between humans and zombies was irreconcilable. No one trusted a Corpse King.

“I’m out. I won’t be a part of this.”

“I withdraw from this meeting.”

But Zhao Hongzhong merely sneered.

“Too late to leave.”

“I’ve already leaked tonight’s meeting location to the Underworld Emissary. By now, he should be almost here.

Your only options are to fight… or die.”

Faces turned pale with fury. Only now did the crowd realize they’d walked into a trap—this meeting was orchestrated by the Ninth-Ranks and the Corpse Kings.

There was no way out from the moment they stepped into this fortress.

Then, one Sixth-Rank Transcendent tore off his black robe and stomped it beneath his feet.

“Pah! Even if I die, I won’t side with monsters like you!”

His defiance stirred the others. The fragile unity cracked.

The Shadow Corpse King cast a meaningful glance at Zhao Hongzhong.

“Seems your grip on the situation isn’t as firm as you claimed.”

Zhao Hongzhong’s face twisted with rage. He glared at the man.

“You’re courting death!”

With a thunderous step, he surged toward the man like a bolt of lightning. The Sixth-Rank’s energy shattered in an instant, and Zhao Hongzhong grabbed him by the throat.

Before the man could react, he was lifted into the air, completely powerless.

“I gave you a chance. Since you refuse to take it—then die!”

As Zhao Hongzhong tightened his grip to snap the man’s neck—

Shhhk!

A formless blade sliced through the fortress.

The man crashed to the ground… followed by Zhao Hongzhong’s severed hand.

His wrist was cleanly sliced, the wound as smooth as a mirror.

“Who would’ve thought that just changing my clothes would let me witness such an entertaining little drama?”

On the high platform, a black-robed figure who had remained silent all this time finally removed his hood.

Underneath was none other than Lu Yan.

(End of Chapter)