Chapter 574.1: Exposed?!

At the very center of Pinecone Ranch stood a magnificent estate.

Inside the study of the manor, the farm owner Zhao Tiangan held a binoculars in his hands, staring intently out the window. His gaze swept over rows of densely packed houses and fell upon the trade station by the wall.

Six trucks were parked there, guarded by caravan escorts and mercenaries, surrounded by a ring of heavily armed soldiers.

Wu Wenzhou had just stepped down from one of the trucks and was speaking with an officer who had come forward to question him. Soon, several soldiers carrying LD-47 assault rifles walked up and dragged down a few wooden crates.

One soldier pried the boxes open with a crowbar, revealing stacks of golden ammunition and neatly packed rifles.

It was precisely the goods Zhao Tiangan needed.

Seeing them, Zhao’s face finally broke into a broad smile. He set the binoculars down on the table beside him.

Almost at the same moment, there was a knock at the door behind him.

In good spirits, Zhao said casually, "Come in."

The door opened and his butler entered.

"Yang He’s caravan has returned. As you instructed, he converted the silver coins he earned into arms and ammunition..." Ma Zhongxian reported respectfully, his eyes involuntarily glancing at the table and the open window.

He knew full well that his master had already seen it for himself.

With a proud smile, Zhao Tiangan said casually, "I knew Mr. Yang was a smart man. He was only delayed a bit on the road. We almost wronged a good fellow."

Ma Zhongxian bowed slightly. "There is another matter... regarding Prophet Zhang Zhengyang."

Zhao immediately asked, "Any news?"

Ma Zhongxian nodded silently before he continued, "After your orders, I sent scouts from the guard to Dust Town to investigate. It had already been destroyed."

"Destroyed?!" Zhao’s eyes widened, and he stared at him anxiously. "And... The Prophet?"

A bitter expression crossed Ma Zhongxian’s face. He shook his head. "We don’t know. The whole town was burned to ashes, but no body was found. Our men searched the town and saw no trace of him, but in the burial mounds to the north they did find a pile of corpses... The guys we sent to assist Mr. Zhang were among them."

Zhao clenched his fists.

It wasn’t the 41 dead soldiers he cared about, there were always more slaves in the farm. They were as plentiful as livestock.

What worried him was Zhang Zhengyang’s uncertain fate.

In the past, he could afford not to take the Torch Church seriously, not caring whether he offended those lunatics. But he no longer dared to.

Ever since the Na Fruit cured the illness in his lungs, he could no longer live without the Gospel.

"And Prophet Zhang’s body?!"

Ma Zhongxian replied respectfully, "Our men searched carefully. It wasn’t among the dead."

Zhao breathed a sigh of relief, muttering, "At least he’s still alive."

After a moment of hesitation, Ma Zhongxian continued, "Our men expanded their search in the area, trying to find his trail... but when they moved about 10 kilometers south, they discovered signs of Mutant Human activity."

At this, Zhao’s face showed a trace of shock.

"... Mutant Humans?"

"Yes, and in numbers no less than a hundred." Ma Zhongxian nodded gravely. "There were clear signs of battle. All evidence points to that band of Mutant Humans having destroyed Dust Town."

"Afterwards, they went to Hope Town!"

Zhao stared blankly out the window.

He could understand them going to Dust Town. The Qi tribe in the city were allies of the Torch Church, of course they would help allies in trouble.

But what were they doing going to Hope Town?

Wasn’t that within the Torch Church’s plans?

He remembered Prophet Zhang himself promising that as long as they converted to the faith, they would be free of Mutant Human harassment.

That was one of the reasons he had converted.

His instincts told him something was happening on the wasteland, something he didn’t understand. And very likely, he was already being drawn into it...

After much thought, he gritted his teeth and said, "... Summon the pastor."

He had to speak to the Torch Church immediately!

Ma Zhongxian bowed slightly. "Yes, sir."

...

While Zhao Tiangan paced back and forth in his study, a group of players stood at the gate of Pinecone Ranch, curiously taking in their surroundings.

Though called a ranch, the place looked much like a classical town. Granite walls enclosed rows of brick-and-wood buildings, with orchards and fields outside.

If not for the trees covered in pustules and the farmland crawling with green mold, it might even have resembled a pastoral idyll.

The Little Feathers looked around uneasily.

Noticing the reaction, Falling Feather whispered, "What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Little Feather murmured softly, "Yiwuu..."

There was a presence here it deeply disliked.

There was something foul nearby.

It felt like standing next to waste. The filth wasn’t threatening, but its instinctive discomfort made it restless.

"Bear with it a little longer. We’ll leave soon." Hearing the unease in Little Feather’s voice, Falling Feather soothed it quietly over the communication channel.

Little Feather answered with a soft murmur, "Yiwuu..."

At the same time, beside the lead truck, Wu Wenzhou handed a cigarette to a portly middle-aged officer.

The officer accepted it with practiced ease, leaned in to light it, and exhaled smoke as he said, "Why didn’t that fellow Yang come back this time?"

Wu Wenzhou replied respectfully, "Mr. Yang He had some business to handle..."

The officer grinned. "He didn’t want to be with his darling daughter?"

"He’s busy for now. He’ll reunite with his family soon enough." Wu Wenzhou smiled, glancing around. "Quite a lot of changes here, I see..."

"That’s right." The officer chuckled, puffing smoke as he explained. "Since the lord brought in new crops from the south, life’s been getting better."

"New crops?"

"Emerald Trees, take a look at those."

The officer raised his smoke-stained hand and pointed to the orchards outside the walls, smiling mysteriously as he continued, "They not only fetch a good price, but have other uses too... Isn’t that great?"

"Yes... they are truly wonderful." Wu Wenzhou forced a smile, though inside he sighed quietly.

He had read about Na Fruit in The Survivor’s Daily, citing New Alliance Biological Research Institution analyses. According to their findings, the plant was actually a fungus like a mushroom. Animals or humans that ate it would ultimately become its food source.

By planting it in the ranch...

The settlement was already doomed.

"If only we could sell it north." The officer was still daydreaming, squinting northward.

Wu Wenzhou chuckled, "That might be difficult. Northern survivors... aren’t ready to accept something so advanced."

"Where there’s a will, there’s a way." The officer pulled his gaze back, clapping Wu Wenzhou’s shoulder with a grin. "Once they’ve had a taste, they won’t be able to live without it."

If the northern factory owners got addicted to Na Fruit, Brocade River Province’s importance would rise again.

Watching the man’s daydreams, Wu Wenzhou gave a cooperative smile.

Won’t be able to live without it, indeed...

If that day ever came, knowing the New Alliance’s style, they would likely come and eliminate the problem physically.

Meanwhile, as the farm soldiers inspected the cargo crates, Night Ten was quietly observing them.

"Good god... these soldiers use LD-47s too?"

Looking only at their weapons, he almost felt like he was back home.

Ample Time glanced at their rifles and said, "Looks like they’re using the export version."

Night Ten looked at him curiously and asked, "What’s the difference?"

"Simply put, less power and recoil. The 7mm full-power round was replaced with an intermediate cartridge. In theory, at 100 meters, it can’t pierce the armor of a K-10 Iron Wall or Type-6 Heavy Cavalry exoskeleton."

As he spoke, Ample Time swept his eyes around, quickly gauging the settlement’s defensive strength and mentally noting the placement of the gate’s firepoints.

Like most farm-style settlements in Brocade River Province, Pinecone Ranch had virtually no independent industrial capacity. Most weapons came from Boulder Town or New Alliance arms factories.