Chapter 28: Four-City Market
During these past days, the four cities had been cleaning up the battlefield together.
At first, Meow Meow, Blue Leaf, and Withered Star hadn’t even dared to let their own residents handle the cleanup. All three cities tacitly agreed that the crystal nuclei scattered across the plain belonged entirely to Blue Sea.
What? At least half of the ordinary zombies were killed by their own residents?
So what? The truth was simple: Blue Sea could have killed them all if she wanted to. The fact that she didn’t demand tribute was already something to be grateful for.
So when Cheng Qisheng proposed that everyone had suffered losses and that the crystals should be distributed according to contribution rates, the three Safe Cities first reacted with disbelief—then went absolutely ecstatic.
They eagerly took on all the hard labor, sending their residents to collect the scattered ordinary crystal cores.
—The Tier-4 and Tier-3 crystals had already been taken back by Blue Sea’s army.
But no city had any objections. In fact, when residents from the three cities were collecting crystals, they even supervised one another, afraid that someone might secretly pocket them. All the collected ordinary crystals were piled outside Blue Sea Safe City, waiting for distribution.
At this moment, if you asked the three city lords to name the most trustworthy person in the world—the one least likely to take the crystals for herself—it would undoubtedly be Blue Sea.
Cheng Qisheng sat at her desk, writing and sketching, quietly observing the scene.
Of course she was willing to distribute the cores.
The distribution system was based on contribution rates. Even under normal calculations, the Tier-4 crystal belonged entirely to her because of the final “Holy Bullet,” and most of the Tier-3 crystals were hers as well. As for the ordinary crystals, she would still receive half—or even more.
In the end, Blue Sea’s single city received nearly 80% of the total spoils.
Of course, rationally speaking, the three city lords understood this was a distribution based on contribution rates—completely fair.
But emotionally, after exhausting themselves, sending troops, and putting in immense effort, only to share the remaining 20% between three cities, it was inevitable that they still felt a slight discomfort.
So Cheng Qisheng had deliberately not brought up the issue of distribution at the beginning.
She had been waiting for all three city lords to assume that all the crystals belonged to Blue Sea—to the point where they had already convinced themselves that “they were just lucky to survive against someone that strong, what more could they possibly ask for?”
Only then did she speak.
“Friends, let’s distribute the crystal nuclei!”
As expected, all three city lords were both shocked and overjoyed, almost wishing they could bow to her on the spot.
This was human nature.
If someone expects 5 and only gets 1, they will feel dissatisfaction and frustration.
But if they expect 0 and receive 1, it becomes a windfall—a great blessing.
They would be endlessly grateful to Cheng Qisheng and trust her words without hesitation, truly recognizing her as the most fair and just existence in the alliance.
Of course, there are also people who, after expecting 0, still fantasize about getting 5. When they receive 1, they feel resentful and dissatisfied.
Those kinds of people are useless.
Fortunately, none of the three city lords were like that.
Otherwise, right after finishing the battle with a Tier-4 zombie, she would have had to fight a war against the Safe Cities again.
Although she wouldn’t mind swallowing another city core, in this zombie world, people who could be used were clearly more valuable than cores.
In short, because all three city lords happily expressed things like “thank you, we are grateful, we are willing to offer our loyalty,” the Four-City Alliance smoothly completed the crystal core distribution.
And no one left. The Mianyan City was large enough—and naturally also held more resources.
Most of the zombies had already been cleared.
Naturally, this was the perfect time to strike while the iron was hot and thoroughly explore the entire city.
Because they had just fought together, the “friendship” between the four cities had grown rapidly, and it was only natural for them to act together.
Residents of Meow Meow Safe City could transform into smaller cats, making it easier for them to avoid zombies. They would serve as scouts at the very front, probing the terrain.
Blue Leaf Safe City and Withered Star Safe City would follow behind—one led by transcendent experts, the other specializing in weaponry—to expand and secure the explored areas.
Blue Sea Safe City, with its overwhelming combat strength and firepower suppression, would remain at the rear, anchoring the formation and protecting allies whenever they were in danger.
The residents of the three Safe Cities were all very happy, because with Blue Sea covering the rear, they could venture farther, bring back more resources and crystal cores, and greatly improve their living standards.
Cheng Qisheng was also very happy, because with the other Safe Cities drawing away zombie attention, the mortality rate among her believers had significantly decreased, while the resources and crystals they brought back had increased exponentially.
In less than half a month, the total harvested crystals had already exceeded the two-tenths she had distributed by more than three times.
The residents at the frontlines of the three cities also needed time to rest.
They needed a moment to tally up what they had gained from their past dangerous explorations—and how much their wealth had increased.
Then they would realize that risk and opportunity always coexist. The current exploration missions were dangerous, and people did die—but those who survived gained a great deal.
And so they would conclude that what they were doing was right: they were fighting for themselves, for their families, and for a better future.
They would regain their strength, feel reassured, and once again charge forward with renewed determination.
So Cheng Qisheng proposed:
“Let’s hold a Four-City Assembly!”
“Since the four Safe Cities are rarely gathered together, we come from different civilizations and different worlds—but we can still cooperate to resolve dangers. Isn’t that a kind of fate?”
“So, let’s hold a gathering. Let’s exchange what we have, let the residents trade resources, go shopping, do business, and stop fighting zombies—just like in the days before the apocalypse.”
In Withered Star Safe City, Withered Star finally managed to gather a few psychologists from among his residents and had them analyze Cheng Qisheng’s words line by line, trying to determine her personality.
No matter how they analyzed it, the only conclusion they could reach from her speech was that she was an open, friendly person.
And this time, there was an additional conclusion:
“She likely has nostalgia for the peaceful era.”
“She very possibly wishes the apocalypse had never happened, and that everything could return to the peaceful world before it. This four-city gathering may be a form of emotional consolation for her.”
The psychologists didn’t reach this conclusion solely because of her phrase “like in the days before the apocalypse,” but also because the relationships between the four city lords had recently improved dramatically, and their communication had increased many times over. From Blue Sea’s chat logs, they had extracted numerous expressions that suggested a longing for pre-apocalyptic life.
“Many of her statements don’t directly say it, but the underlying meaning points toward it. It’s possible even the Blue Sea City Lord herself isn’t fully aware that she desires peace.”
Withered Star was overjoyed.
Desiring peace was excellent!!
Only then did he finally feel completely at ease.
Blue Leaf Safe City was experiencing a similar situation, except that Blue Leaf Dynasty didn’t have psychologists, so ministers were doing the analysis instead. Their conclusion was much the same.
A city lord who could annihilate everyone if she wished, yet chose not to; who not only refrained from doing so but even distributed crystal cores; who, despite overwhelming strength, allowed her residents to cooperate with the other three cities in joint exploration; and who now even proposed a pre-apocalypse-style gathering where everyone could happily spend a day together—
How could someone like that be called anything other than someone who loves peace?
Blue Leaf was very pleased.
“We are truly lucky—to have encountered a ruler without a strong expansionist drive.”
Although the casualty rate among residents had increased significantly due to exploration activities, Blue Leaf had gained far more resources. The number of people starving to death had greatly decreased, and the faint waves of rebellion emerging among the populace had been calmed as more resources flowed to the lower classes.
Having clearly benefited, Blue Leaf now felt far less pressure, and he immediately supported whatever Cheng Qisheng proposed.
“Then let’s hold a gathering. Let any residents who have time go and enjoy themselves properly. If this is what the Blue Sea Lord wants, then we will do our utmost to fulfill it.”
In Meow Meow Safe City, Meow Meow didn’t think so much about it. The moment Cheng Qisheng spoke, she immediately agreed.
“Okay, okay, meow!”
She hadn’t gone shopping in a long time. After the apocalypse, every cat was busy—including herself. It really had been far too long since she last relaxed.
The Second Elder and Third Elder hesitated as if they wanted to speak, but were stopped by the Great Elder’s gaze.
After Meow Meow went off to handle state affairs, the three elders began their discussion.
Second Elder: “The Blue Sea City Lord’s actions are unpredictable. We should advise Her Majesty to convene a council of elders and make decisions only after careful deliberation.”
Third Elder: “Indeed. Although the Blue Sea City Lord is certainly a respectable human, isn’t Her Majesty placing too much trust in her?”
For a Safe City Lord, placing complete trust in another city lord was no different from handing over one’s life.
The Great Elder was silent for a few seconds before speaking softly.
“I understand your concerns. But have you forgotten? Her Majesty’s awakened supernatural ability is Heaven’s Mandate.”
“Heaven’s Mandate” was a psychic-type supernatural ability. Among all awakened abilities, it was considered relatively weak in the early stages.
How weak?
So weak that Meow Meow only discovered she even possessed it upon reaching Tier 3.
In simple terms, Heaven’s Mandate allows an awakened individual to be guided toward making the correct decision at critical moments.
This can be described as a kind of intuition. If developed well, it would be an absolute life-saving ability.
Unfortunately, like “prophecy,” it is something that is almost useless in the early stages. Worse still, the awakened individual has no idea when it is being used—they are in a completely uncontrollable state.
It might appear when choosing between salty dried fish or sweet dried fish for a meal.
It might appear when deciding whether to sleep holding a pillow.
Or it might appear at a life-or-death moment.
But regardless of how it manifests, a “Heaven’s Mandate” user cannot distinguish it. They may simply assume it is their own will, or that they were forced into a choice.
In the previous world, Meow Meow Safe City had finally managed to learn that “Heaven’s Mandate” only becomes faintly perceptible after reaching Tier 5.
At this moment, the Great Elder sat upright, carefully placing her tail over her paw.
“When the Blue Sea City Lord told Her Majesty to open the shield, Her Majesty immediately did so without hesitation. Afterwards, I asked her why she so readily chose to listen to Blue Sea. Do you know what she said?”
The Third Elder lowered his orange face solemnly, his whiskers trembling slightly.
“Could it be… that she sensed the Heaven’s Mandate?”
The black-cat Great Elder slowly raised her head.
“No. She said it was because I told her: ‘Just listen to Blue Sea.’”
Second Elder and Third Elder: “? You said that?”
The Great Elder flicked her tail lightly.
“How could I have possibly meant it that way?”
“When I said it to Her Majesty, that was clearly not my intention.”
“Her Majesty is intelligent. She could not have misunderstood such a simple sentence. I believe the reason she interpreted it that way is because the Heaven’s Mandate was at work, even though she herself is unaware of it.”
“After that, as you all saw, Her Majesty chose to follow Blue Sea’s advice and activated the shield. Blue Sea protected us, and the Catfolk civilization survived.”
Second Elder and Third Elder suddenly understood.
“…So it had already manifested before the crisis? As expected of the Heaven’s Mandate.”
They bowed toward the direction of the city lord’s residence.
“If that is the case, then we should simply follow the city lord’s heart—follow Blue Sea, obey Blue Sea.”
“Fate! In our Catfolk civilization!”
The Great Elder watched the two elders’ excited expressions and flicked her tail without saying anything.
She was thinking:
If Heaven’s Mandate led the city lord to choose to obey Blue Sea Safe City…
Then where the true “mandate of fate” actually lay—wasn’t it obvious?
—
“Yuan Yuan!”
Right after class ended, Pan Yuan’s roommate grabbed her.
“I heard there’s a Four-City Market today. Let’s go check it out together!”
Pan Yuan hesitated a little. She had originally planned to stay in the library until nightfall.
As someone not originally born in Blue Sea, she always felt a strong urge to absorb as much knowledge of Blue Sea as possible, as if she wanted to use every single minute for learning.
Perhaps because she was intelligent—or perhaps because she had grown up in Blue Sea’s linguistic environment—while her older sister Pan Tuan still spoke Blue Sea’s language awkwardly, Pan Yuan was already fluent, and even the written language came easily to her.
She had graduated from a specialized language school and quickly advanced through intense competition into the First Military and Political University.
Blue Sea currently had only three categories of universities:
Military & Political, Science & Technology, and Agriculture.
Pan Yuan’s goal was very clear: she wanted to enter Blue Sea’s administrative core through excellent academic performance.
This was a carefully considered decision. She knew that if she pursued research, she would likely achieve results—but deep down, she was not willing to devote long years of effort just for a single outcome.
Back when she and her family were ensl*ved in the “Cosmic Lord Safe City,” she would hide behind her relatives. By observing the traits of her family members, other sl*ves, and the Klan overseers, she repeatedly helped her family avoid crises.
That was when her personality had been shaped.
From a rational perspective, compared to becoming a researcher, what she truly studied was human nature and rules. That path suited her better.
From an emotional perspective, becoming a high-ranking government official would allow her to better protect her family.
This was a Safe City—one that continuously descended into different disaster worlds through interdimensional traversal. And reality was not a fairy tale. In such dangerous worlds, casualties were inevitable.
During the half-year she spent as a sl*ve, Pan Yuan had seen too much death. At that time, because of her severe myopia, she couldn’t go anywhere and could only wait helplessly for her family to return one by one.
If any of them returned late, she would fall into extreme panic, fearing she had miscalculated something—or that something had happened to them.
Why did she panic?
Because in the board game of the “Cosmic Lord Safe City,” she and her family were nothing more than insignificant pieces. The lives of sl*ves didn’t even count as cannon fodder.
No matter how carefully Pan Yuan calculated, a chess piece would always remain a chess piece. If the player decided she and her family should die, they had no choice but to obey.
Just like when they were sent to the front lines during Blue Sea’s attack on the Cosmic Lord—if they refused to advance, the Klan overseers behind them would kill them first; if they moved forward, Blue Sea’s forces might kill them instead.
Fortunately, Blue Sea did not kill them. They were accepted into Blue Sea—not as sl*ves.
And this time, she even had a path for advancement.
Of course Pan Yuan would seize that opportunity. She would step by step climb upward, becoming part of Blue Sea’s upper ranks, and one of the decision-makers on this new chessboard.
Her faith in the Creator God made her completely loyal to that great deity—and to Blue Sea.
But when the next battle came, when the next disaster arrived, as a player on the board, Pan Yuan could ensure that—without affecting Blue Sea’s overall strategy—her parents and sister, those three small pieces, would be moved to safety.
If someone had to die…
She hoped it would not be her family.
So she had to achieve it—keep contributing to Blue Sea, earn the qualifications needed to become a high-ranking official, and obtain the authority of a “player on the chessboard.”
“Yuan Yuan, are you going?”
Her roommate had already finished packing and was looking at her expectantly.
Pan Yuan looked at her roommate. She knew her father was the Strategic Security Director.
Then she looked at another classmate waiting at the door. His mother was the State Council Chief Adviser.
One advantage of entering the First Military and Political University was that it gathered not only many outstanding younger generations, but also the children of many high-ranking officials.
Fortunately, Blue Sea did not follow a bloodline-based system, but rather a merit-based one.
In simple terms, it respected strength.
This was an instinct embedded deep within its civilization. In Blue Sea’s early, primitive era, danger was everywhere. To survive, people not only had to become strong themselves, but also follow the strong.
Following someone who could kill a wild boar with one hand meant both survival and the opportunity to learn how to do the same.
Because of this, the children of high-ranking officials were also willing to associate with outstanding peers.
From the very first day of entering the university, a network of relationships had already begun to form.
Pan Yuan smiled, looking genuinely expectant.
“Alright. I’ve been studying hard every day anyway—I was just thinking of going out to relax.”
Together with her classmates, she left the university and found that the streets of Blue Sea were also filled with cheerful people. Some were carrying or pushing small bundles of goods, planning to sell them at the gathering.
Children had also finished school and were running through the crowds, darting across streets—only to obediently return to their designated paths when their wrist devices reminded them.
Outside, simple stalls had already been set up.
Most were just cloths spread on the ground with goods placed on top. Some were even more rudimentary, with items simply laid directly on the ground.
The residents included Blue Sea people, who were notably taller than those around them; Blue Leaf people with a single red mark between their brows; Withered Star people with generally darker brownish skin tones; and Catfolk citizens who either had feline forms or cat-headed humanoid bodies moving with light, agile steps.
Scattered among them were individuals from other civilizations—some with long ears, some with tails, some tall and heavily built, some with three eyes, others with four ears, or even eight arms.
All of them were non-native civilizations living within the four Safe Cities. Those who were able to come out and shop all held official resident status in their respective cities, with enough wealth to participate in the market.
But regardless of what civilization they came from, everyone wore smiles. After the apocalypse began, many of them had never once experienced such a peaceful gathering—let alone one shared among multiple civilizations.
This calm and harmonious atmosphere brought out the best in everyone. Even when languages didn’t match, gestures were used freely, and most faces still carried goodwill.
Pan Yuan watched the scene and, for a moment, froze.
This… aside from everyone looking different, felt just like a large market from before the apocalypse.
No zombies. No oppression.
It made even her—whose heart had gradually grown colder and harder since half a year ago—unknowingly soften her gaze.
—Ding. Ding. Ding.
With several clear chimes of bells,
the Four-City Market officially began.
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