novelraw Chapter 147: The Aftermath
Chapter 147: The Aftermath
However.
After a thorough search.
To Hu Qi’s surprise,
all the Black Blood Species that had been in Anshan City were dead. Not a single complete corpse remained, only some foul-smelling, dark red bloodstains.
It felt as though all the Black Blood Species had been struck by some irresistible, fatal blow in a single instant, leading to their complete demise.
Giving it a moment’s thought, Hu Qi understood that this must be inextricably linked to the enormous face that had appeared in the sky earlier.
Only an existence of that caliber could kill all the Black Blood Species in Anshan City in a single instant.
Beyond that, some other rather bizarre things had also happened in Anshan City.
...
「One day later.」
"Yesterday! A catastrophic disaster struck Anshan City—a massive 8.9 magnitude earthquake, followed by a giant tsunami. Preliminary statistics show the death toll has already surpassed one hundred thousand. The Federation is arranging for material aid. While disasters are merciless, humanity’s compassion endures..."
On the television screen,
a young, short-haired female reporter stood before a stretch of ruins, holding a microphone and reporting with a serious expression.
In the ruins behind her, rescue workers in orange uniforms could be seen urgently clearing the collapsed rubble and rescuing the injured.
However.
Strangely.
Everyone around seemed to turn a blind eye to the giant, several-meter-wide claw marks sunk deep into the outer walls of some of the ruined buildings.
Even the camera intentionally avoided those areas.
CLICK!
With a strange expression, Hu Qi picked up the remote and turned off the TV, leaning back into the black leather seat behind him.
His gaze drifted into the distance.
He was no longer in Zhu Xi’s original headquarters, but at a temporary stronghold the organization was now using.
The reason for this
was that Zhu Xi’s original headquarters had been reduced to a pile of rubble from the fight between Helinta and Jiang Zuo.
The very ground had collapsed by several meters.
Fortunately, however, because Zhu Xi operated like a guild that took on missions, most of its members had been dispatched and were stationed at strongholds throughout Anshan City when the incident occurred.
Therefore, the casualties were few, limited to just a few ordinary staff members.
After such a severe incident,
Hu Qi had originally thought that the existence of the Black Blood Species and Secret Martial Artists could no longer be covered up—that even the truth of the Inner Earth World would be revealed to the public.
After all, there was the current state of Anshan City and the marks left behind by the Black Blood Species.
Plus, there were bound to be survivors who had encountered the Black Blood Species.
With all these circumstances combined, not even the Xia Federation’s formidable public relations department
should have been able to cover it up.
But reality had far exceeded his expectations.
Ever since the giant face had left and the gray fog had dissipated,
the surviving ordinary people seemed to remember nothing of what had happened before.
To them, the disaster in Anshan City was caused simply by an earthquake and a tsunami.
They remained completely oblivious, even when they saw marks on the ground that no human could have made, pools of stinking Black Blood, and pieces of torn-off human limbs.
It was as if, in their eyes, all these things were perfectly ordinary and normal.
The sight sent a chill down Hu Qi’s spine.
’It’s like all these people were hypnotized and had their memories altered.’
’No, it’s not just a simple memory alteration. It’s as if their very ability to perceive reality has been twisted.’
’The result is actually somewhat similar to the Twisted Light.’
This situation
reminded him of how he had been unable to leave Anshan City before.
Compared to being killed outright,
this inconceivable power to arbitrarily alter a person’s perceptions and memories was far more terrifying.
’You wouldn’t even know if you were still yourself.’
’Everything you know could just be a fabrication, something someone else wants you to know.’
This kind of power could grant complete control over a person, making them do whatever was willed of them, like a marionette with no thoughts of its own.
’But a power like this must have its limits. If it didn’t, one could just twist the perception of the Black Blood Species and make them treat their own kind as food.’
’It wouldn’t take long for the Black Blood Species to annihilate themselves through infighting.’
Still, this incident also made him understand why the Black Blood Species, despite having been around for so long and causing no small number of casualties, had never been discovered by ordinary people.
It was because an Ability like this existed.
Unlike ordinary people, Life Martial Artists, who cultivate Qi and Blood, were not subjected to this effect.
They still remembered what happened in Anshan City.
Of course, this might also have been the giant face’s intention.
Naturally, none of them would go around spreading the word.
Never mind that the people with altered memories wouldn’t believe them anyway—
there was no benefit to doing so.
They would also be held accountable by Zhu Xi. Only a fool would even try.
As he thought of this,
something suddenly occurred to Hu Qi.
His expression darkened.
’That’s not right.’
’What if Secret Martial Artists have also had some of their memories altered, just like the ordinary people, and we just don’t know it?’
Thinking of this,
a chill ran through him.
But it was just a hypothesis.
An unlikely one at that.
If that being was truly powerful enough to alter the memories of a Qi Dao Grandmaster at will, then there was no point in worrying about it.
It was this feeling of powerlessness, of not being in control, that made him feel deeply insecure.
These chaotic thoughts flickered through his mind.
In the end, he just let out a long sigh.
He stopped overthinking it.
There was no use dwelling on these things now. As long as he was strong enough, all other problems would fall into place.
Now, because of what happened yesterday, there were naturally many matters to deal with in Anshan City.
But there were dedicated people to handle them.
Only a few major issues required Hu Qi’s opinion.
Additionally,
because Hu Qi had drawn the attention of a large number of Black Blood Species by rampaging through Anshan City,
casualties among the Secret Martial Artists were low, aside from a few unlucky, weaker ones.
Among the Direct Disciples,
the most severely injured was Du Wang. He was now critically wounded and near death, his entire lower body gone.
With the Recovery Power of a Qi Dao Grandmaster, an ordinary injury would have been nothing.
Nourished by True Essence Power, he could have recovered completely in ten-odd days at most.
But the one who injured him was a Food Master comparable to a Refining God Venerable.
That entity’s power lingered in his body,
making his recovery incredibly slow.
Although his powerful Life Force kept him from dying immediately,
it was clear he wouldn’t be recovering anytime soon.
Therefore,
all of the Shexin Sect’s affairs were naturally handed over to ’Helinta’ to manage.
And ’Helinta’ naturally became the ultimate decision-maker for the entire Shexin Sect.