Is this what a zombie is?

129. Bai Ze Tai Sui

Ai Yi, unable to contain herself any longer, slammed her hand on the table and complained, "Hey, can't you guys be a little more serious about this kind of top-tier intelligence deal? There are private rooms over there, you can go to a private room there. Conspiring so loudly here, do you think we're invisible?"

This isn't how intelligence trading works, is it? You might as well just send QQ chat messages; wouldn't that be faster and more convenient?

Bai Ze lifted one eyelid and glanced sideways at Ai.

"There's a service fee for the private rooms. Are you going to pay for it?"

Bai Ze yawned again, his confidence so strong that no one could refute him.

Ai Yi complained that this kind of intelligence transaction was not serious at all, and it was different from what he remembered.

In fact, Jiang Chen also agreed, saying, "Shouldn't you two have met on the rooftop?"

Even so, this unserious deal continued to proceed.

"Recently, Japan, South Korea, and several Southeast Asian countries, including India, have been making some small moves, but they haven't had much impact on China yet, so the foundation isn't paying much attention and is just taking a wait-and-see approach."

"But combining their actions with events of the past year, I've come up with a bold guess, though if that guess holds true..."

Dongfang Liang didn't elaborate on what would happen if the inference came true, but judging from his solemn expression, it was clear that nothing good would come of it.

"So, I came to find you."

"You're asking me for confirmation, right?"

Dongfang Liang nodded, but Bai Ze immediately gave an affirmative answer.

"Your deduction is absolutely correct; it's exactly as you thought."

"All of this is related to the five-clawed golden dragon totem, Ying Gou."

Upon hearing this, Ai Yi and Jiang Chen sat up straight at the same time. Ai Yi is the rightful inheritor of the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Totem.

Jiang Chen and Dongfang Liang both received some gifts, which were related to the matter. They were also very concerned about the whereabouts of the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon Totem. Although it was just an empty shell, it was still a symbol of Chinese faith.

"The five-clawed golden dragon totem is now just an empty shell, isn't it? Although I admit it's meaningful, an old monster like Ying Gou shouldn't have this kind of collecting obsession, right? What does he plan to do with this empty shell?"

"Since you're paying tonight, I'll answer your question for free."

Hearing the word "free," Ai Yi was a little reluctant.

"What are your pricing standards? Money? I have plenty of that stuff."

Dongfang Liang helped Bai Ze answer the question so that he wouldn't waste a free opportunity.

"He doesn't charge money, he only charges for lifespan."

"The more serious the problem, the wider the scope of impact, and the more people affected, the greater the causal relationship involved, the heavier the fee, starting at ten years with no upper limit."

Ai Yi swore and looked at Dongfang Liang in shock.

"Ten years is the minimum, and you only make so much money a month. You're not going to risk your life for a few messages, are you?"

"You're overthinking it. You'd risk my own life."

"The foundation has many criminals who have been sentenced to death for numerous crimes, and the foundation generally treats them as consumables."

"Using their lives to obtain strategic intelligence is a very worthwhile deal, a way to make the best use of them, and their deaths were very valuable."

"Wow, I never knew the foundation had this side to it."

Dongfang Liang chuckled, "This only proves that your understanding of the foundation is superficial and not deep enough."

Jiang Chen sat on the opposite side, remaining silent. He neither commented on nor felt comfortable commenting on Dongfang Liang's actions.

If he were in Dongfang Liang's position, he would have chosen the same approach, and he seemed to have become much more cold-blooded.

"Now to answer your question, the five-clawed golden dragon was not originally a totem, but a spiritual pattern, the spiritual pattern of the First Emperor."

The name "First Emperor" carries immense weight; he is the most fascinating ancestor in Chinese history.

Yes, one of them.

"Back then, the First Emperor swept across the six kingdoms and conquered the eight directions, unifying the world and becoming the first emperor in history. It was from that time that the imperial destiny took on a clear form."

"At the end of his life, on his deathbed, he used the very essence of the nation's destiny to peel away his spiritual runes and imprint them onto the Imperial Seal, the symbol of imperial power. Through thousands of years of dynastic changes, the incense offerings of hundreds of millions of Chinese people, the blessing of national fortune, and the nourishment of faith..."

Bai Ze's voice gradually deepened, carrying a sense of historical weight, "The path that was originally impossible was forcibly opened up by the First Emperor's plan and with the immense human fortune. The First Emperor's spiritual patterns then gradually transformed, eventually surpassing the limits of mortals and becoming the five-clawed golden dragon totem that suppresses the fate of the nation."

This is a secret that has been completely buried by time. The advancement from spirit runes to totems gave Jiang Chen a new understanding of spirit runes and totems.

"Although you inherited the core power of the totem, Ying Gou only holds an empty shell in his hands, which is why it has degenerated from a totem into a spirit pattern."

"But if the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon has already gone through the path of advancement once on the land of China, then going through it again will reduce the difficulty of advancing again from the nightmare level of five stars to two or three stars, or even one star."

"What he needs to do is not complicated; he just needs to fill the pot with enough faith power."

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Liang closed his eyes in pain, pressing his index finger tightly against his throbbing temples.

His worst-case scenario ultimately came true.

If Ying Gou's plan succeeds, they will face a zombie progenitor with a totem. Dongfang Liang dared not think further about what price they would have to pay to destroy him.

Although Ai Yi is usually unserious, he is clear-headed when it comes to matters of principle. If this matter really goes through, then countless people in China will probably die.

"How can we stop him?" Ai Yi pointed at Dongfang Liang. "The foundation will pay for the answer to that question."

Bai Ze shook his head indifferently, "The Foundation cannot afford the price to answer this question. Even if the Foundation could afford it, I would not tell you. The people and things involved are beyond my capacity to bear."

"The only thing I can say is that even if you don't go to him, he will come to you because you have what he wants. So before he comes to you, you'd better grow up quickly."

Bai Ze's words seemed to be directed at Ai Yi, but Jiang Chen had a feeling that there was something more to them, that he was also talking to him.

After saying this, Bai Ze got up and prepared to leave.

"This time, the reward is five hundred years of lifespan. Let me know when you're ready to collect it. I don't offer credit here. If it's overdue, I'll have to take it from you."

"I know, it's not the first time."

Jiang Chen pouted. "You're the kind of person who always buys drinks on credit, yet you don't allow others to buy on credit either."