Chapter 54: Sowing Chaos

The group ultimately decided that it was best to leave first and discuss matters later. Since Wang Chao had chosen to abandon Li Yuan here, he was clearly giving up on him. Although the City Lord's Mansion still held an enviable stockpile of resources, it seemed Wang Chao would rely on his own strength to claim them.

“Aren’t you supposed to know about this secret passage? Shouldn’t you be happy that Wang Chao threw you in here?” Dawn had broken, yet they remained hidden within the tunnel. Venturing out now would make them easy targets, so they sat quietly, eating a little dry food. Yue Qi kept questioning Li Yuan about the situation in Qingzhou.

“I do know where the secret passage is, and it’s not far from where I was,” Li Yuan replied with a bitter smile. “But it’s not just that the door to the passage is locked. Even the zombies in the courtyard were too much for me to get past.”

Yue Qi nodded. When they had emerged from the tunnel earlier, the door had indeed been locked. But for him and Bai Lian, this was hardly an obstacle. With the sharp weapons in their hands, they could break any lock as if it were nothing.

“So, what will we do next?” Bai Lian suddenly asked.

“I actually have a suggestion, though I’m not sure what you’ll think…” Li Qinglan, who had been silent for a long while, stepped forward, speaking cautiously.

“Go on, if you have a good idea, let’s hear it!” Yue Qi was open to suggestions. In this apocalyptic world, drawing on others’ strengths was crucial; stubbornly insisting on one’s own way could lead to unforeseen consequences.

“We could create a little chaos…” Li Qinglan’s confidence grew at Yue Qi’s encouragement.

“Oh? Cause chaos?” The group’s eyes brightened; it was indeed a good idea. They doubted Wang Chao and his people would suspect they’d slipped into the city, so this could catch them off guard.

“Yes! Think about it—Brother Yue is an immortal cultivator. For someone like him, causing chaos is hardly any trouble at all. And he wouldn’t even need to kill anyone in secret, so there’s essentially no risk,” Li Qinglan went on.

Everyone nodded—except for one. Bai Lian suddenly spoke up, “This isn’t a good idea.”

Seeing the surprised looks from the others, Bai Lian remained composed, cleared her throat, and continued, “If we use magic to start chaos, Wang Chao will immediately suspect us.”

She paused, then added, “As you said earlier, Wang Chao has gathered all the resources in Qingzhou into one place—spell scrolls and spirit stones included. If Five Elemental Magic suddenly appears, he’ll first suspect us. Then he’ll tighten security, making it even harder for us to kill him.”

“Lian’s right…” Yue Qi mused for a moment and nodded. After all, within dozens of miles, he was likely the only known immortal cultivator.

“I actually have a good idea…” Hong Ye, who had also been quiet, suddenly spoke. “If we can’t use magic, what about zombies? No one will suspect that.”

“Use zombies?” Yue Qi frowned, but then his eyes lit up as he caught on.

“You mean we lure some zombies from the courtyards and let them loose in the city?” Yue Qi asked.

“Exactly! No one will suspect us. There are plenty of zombies in the city; if some escape, people will just think they found an opportunity. Wang Chao won’t suspect us at all!” Hong Ye said excitedly, clearly pleased by Yue Qi’s approval.

“But do you know which courtyards still hold zombies?” Bai Lian’s words poured cold water over the group.

“That’s easily solved. I’ve been in Qingzhou for years; I know which mansions housed large families and have a good idea of their layouts. Of course, a map would help even more,” Li Yuan said.

“Wait! There’s something else we can do besides causing chaos!” Yue Qi suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

“What is it?” The group was curious, seeing the excitement on his face.

“We can also go to the City Lord’s Mansion. Lord Li just said there are many valuables inside. If we can get them, then no matter how many tricks Wang Chao has, he won’t be able to stop us,” Yue Qi grinned.

“That… doesn’t seem like a good idea!” At the mention of the City Lord’s Mansion, Li Yuan’s face fell. “There are too many zombies there. Think about it—only four of my men and I survived. Even the elite guards mutated!”

“Don’t worry. If we go when the city is in chaos, no one will notice anything strange at the mansion,” Yue Qi said with certainty.

“All right, whether you agree or not, we’re going to the City Lord’s Mansion tonight. You’re free to stay here if you wish…” Tired of arguing, Yue Qi made the decision himself.

Hong Ye, Li Qinglan, and Li Yuan exchanged glances, all wearing wry smiles.

Night fell quickly. On the southern city wall, several people were on patrol, but their focus was outside the city, not within.

Suddenly, from the dark courtyards inside the city, came a chorus of zombie howls—far more than a single zombie could produce. The sound was deeply unsettling.

“What’s going on lately? Why are the zombies here so restless?” Two men on the wall paused, looking down, one of them asking.

“Who cares? They’re probably starving. They can’t get out anyway, so there’s nothing to fear,” the younger of the two replied indifferently.

“That may be, but… Wait, is that a shadow?” Just as the other was about to respond, he noticed a dark figure in the gloom of the street.

“No way,” the younger one said, turning to stare, but saw nothing.

“Haha, Old Xu, you’re probably just lonely and thinking about women. There’s no one there,” the young man teased.

“No, look—there! They’re coming out! Who would be bold enough to break curfew?” Old Xu sounded urgent.

“You’re just being paranoid… Wait, there really is a figure. No, more than one—two… Who are these bastards daring to defy the young master’s orders?” The young man finally saw the figures and was displeased.

“No, look at how they walk—not right! They’re zombies!” Old Xu suddenly realized in terror.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!” The sound of drums echoed through the night. Those who had just washed and were preparing to sleep jumped up in alarm.

“What’s happening?!” In a grand building, an angry roar rang out.

“Who’s beating the drums? If you’re playing games, I’ll toss you to the zombies for dinner!” The voice was powerful, but it came from a young man with striking, delicate features. He lay naked on the bed, his muscular body coiled like a dragon, its strength hidden beneath the surface.

Beside him, a beautiful young woman also lay unclothed, frightened and curled into his arms.

This, of course, was Wang Chao, brother of Wang Jian, who had been killed by Yue Qi.

“Boss! Bad news! There are lots of zombies outside! They must have slipped out from some courtyard!” A man burst in, crawling on his knees before Wang Chao.

“Useless fools!” Wang Chao leapt out of bed. His body was still flushed from his previous activities with the young woman beside him.

“Boss, you have to come see! The city’s in chaos! People are fleeing to the walls—I’m afraid if there are too many, the wall might collapse!” The man was so anxious he was practically babbling.

“Shut up! Stop cursing us! Move! Take me to see!” Wang Chao dressed quickly, shot the woman on the bed a longing glance, and strode out.

Meanwhile, Yue Qi and his companions, the true culprits, were already on their way to the City Lord’s Mansion.

Everything was going just as Yue Qi predicted. Everyone’s attention was focused on the southern part of the city. All he had to do was open a few mansion doors, and the zombies, drawn by the torchlight on the walls, came pouring out. The plan was unfolding even more smoothly than he had imagined.

“The City Lord’s Mansion is just ahead—the biggest building there!” they hurried along. Though others darted past them from time to time, in the chaos, no one had the energy to pay attention to anyone else.

At last, they reached the City Lord’s Mansion. But before they could enter, Yue Qi was awestruck by its grandeur. He had spent years at the Qinghe Sword Sect and was no stranger to luxurious buildings, but this mansion was simply massive. The outer wall stretched as far as the eye could see, and here in the heart of Qingzhou, it was truly a city within a city.

“Most of the city’s treasures are kept here, so the City Lord’s Mansion is much larger than those in other cities,” Li Yuan said, proud at Yue Qi’s reaction.

“Let’s hurry inside before we’re spotted!” Bai Lian, ever the calm one, urged.

Yue Qi nodded. The wall wasn’t particularly high—about three men tall—but it would be difficult for ordinary people to climb.

They formed a human ladder and quickly scaled the wall. As the zombies’ howls echoed behind them, the group disappeared into the streets of Qingzhou.

P.S. I tried accessing the website several times today but couldn’t get through. It’s probably a problem with the school’s internet. I’m updating now using a mobile hotspot…