Chapter 14: The Blood of Pangu
That night, several high-ranking executives from Qilin headquarters arrived at Silver City. These big shots had flown straight from the capital and literally "descended into" the city.
Yu Xian stayed with Jin Sheng and came across several of these big shots, whose auras were like those of monstrous overlords. Although they all smiled warmly, acted perfectly affable, and even shook his hand, patted his head, and praised him as a good kid when they met him, Yu Xian remained stiff as a board throughout the ordeal. He felt exactly like a tiny chick that had accidentally stumbled into a pride of lions.
The following day, one of them took away Yu Wei's corpse, along with the Aberrant Parasite Jin Sheng had captured. Undoubtedly, Qilin headquarters would extensively research them and perhaps soon develop a method to screen for and identify hidden victims controlled by the Aberrant Parasites among the populace.
***
The midday sun blazed with scorching heat, yet the soldiers standing beneath it maintained flawless, rigid posture despite being drenched in sweat. Yu Xian sat outside his tent, browsing his phone while soaking up the sun. This smartphone was an exclusive device issued internally by Qilin. Not only was it waterproof, dustproof, drop-resistant, fireproof, and shockproof, but it could also maintain a flawless signal in most remote areas.
Furthermore, the phone came pre-installed with several government-issued applications. One of the core apps, the Qilin app, had many fascinating sections. Yu Xian's absolute favorite was the archive. It contained a massive collection of records on supernatural incidents that various Qilin squads had successfully resolved in the past.
For instance, there were files on criminals who had accidentally acquired supernatural abilities or animals that had wrought havoc after consuming Forbidden Fruits, detailing how the squads matched wits and brawn against these supernatural beings to resolve the crises. Naturally, the section also documented cautionary tales where infighting among teammates or a captain's failure to trust their squad members ultimately led to mission failure and casualties.
The reason the state made these case files open to the members was the severe and complex nature of supernatural crimes. Only by constantly learning and broadening their horizons could members avoid being misled by a dizzying array of bizarre abilities and prevent themselves from getting mentally boxed in.
Yu Xian was taking in a lot and learning quickly. For example, he had always believed that eating a Forbidden Fruit would allow one to soar to great heights overnight. It was only after reading one of the case files that he learned the Forbidden Fruits were far from omnipotent and came with numerous limitations.
A case detailed a youth named Chen Xing, who had discovered a Forbidden Fruit on his residence's balcony and became a "god" after consuming it. However, the price of gaining supernatural abilities was that his sense of self had been completely erased.
Today, Chen Xing was sealed within Qilin headquarters' Supernatural Containment Facility, classified as No. 006, codename "God of Fortune." Those who knelt and worshipped him would receive a blessing of good luck. However, once the worship began, it had to be maintained sincerely every day. Otherwise, misfortune would strike. However lucky these worshippers had been before was exactly how miserable they would become afterward.
There was also No. 001, codename Pangu. His situation was similar, except that he had fallen into eternal slumber. According to the archive, he would awaken only once the world came to an end, whereupon he would create a new world. The "Blood of Pangu" in the Qilin app's Merit Shop was sourced from him. The state had found a way to draw his blood without injuring him.
The more Yu Xian read, the more he understood just how profound the state's foundations truly were. Compared to the sheer might of the State, the Blood Race truly amounted to nothing.
After he read one of the case files, curiosity appeared on his face. "I wonder how much of a boost I'd get if I took a sip of the Blood of Pangu?"
The squad that had resolved the incident mentioned in that file was led by someone who had originally been an ordinary soldier, but because of his outstanding merits, he was able to exchange for the Blood of Pangu and become a Sparrow-rank supernatural being.
A single drop of the Blood of Pangu could give birth to a Sparrow-rank expert.
As it turned out, nobody was above shameless self-contradiction. Although Yu Xian had solemnly sworn he would never drink blood again for the rest of his life, truth be told, he was salivating a little over this Blood of Pangu.
Some individuals in Silver City, namely members of the Public Security Bureau's Combat Police unit, had already consumed the Blood of Pangu. However, the blood that most of them received was heavily diluted, which placed their strength roughly at the lower Insect rank. Aside from physical abilities superior to those of ordinary humans, they possessed no additional special abilities.
The Combat Police unit was deployed alongside the armed police, systematically sweeping through every building in Silver City to clear out any Aberrant Parasites in hiding.
Silver City had a population of nearly thirty million, so conducting such a thorough screening was no easy task. In the past, the city's population had hovered around ten million. But due to the Hibiscus City Tragedy, a massive wave of refugees had migrated to Silver City, and its population had skyrocketed.
Presently, Silver City was one of only two cities nationwide with a residential population exceeding thirty million. Speaking of which, because of that massive influx of residents from Hibiscus City, the few properties Yu Xian owned had actually appreciated.
However, after this incident, Yu Xian estimated that the remaining two properties in his possession would likely depreciate significantly. Fortunately, now that he had joined the Wickedness Purging Squad, he had a stable salary and an official government position. That minor financial loss was nothing more than a drop in the bucket to him now.
Just as Yu Xian opened the next case file, Zhang Shou, Chen Ling, and several other classmates walked over.
Zhang Shou sidled up to him, asking in a hushed, sly tone, "Hey, Salted Fish, rumors are flying online that the government is planning to universalize supernatural education. Is that for real or what?"
"Universalize supernatural education?" Yu Xian was taken aback, then shook his head. "No idea. I haven't heard anything about it."
In truth, the entire nation was currently hyper-focused on the situation in Silver City, and major cities across the country had initiated mandatory health screenings for all citizens, leaving many feeling as though they were going up against hidden enemies. But the moment the news regarding the universalization of supernatural education leaked, netizens immediately shifted their focus, passionately debating the pros and cons of the policy.
Zhang Shou's face was flushed with yearning. "Man, I hope it's true. When the time comes, I'm definitely going to become a cultivator. My fate is mine to decide, not heaven's!"
Yu Xian pulled up the contact list inside the Qilin app. "Let me ask. Maybe the captain knows."
Over the past two days, he had finally come to comprehend the sheer weight of being ranked 89th. Jin Sheng not only held a seat at various high-level meetings at Qilin headquarters but also possessed voting rights and had advanced access to many policy decisions and insider news.
He tapped on Jin Sheng’s profile picture and swiftly typed out a message.
Salted Fish: Captain, are you busy right now?
Lion Radiance: Just finished dealing with a piece of trash trying to stir up trouble in the chaos. What's up?
Salted Fish: Rumors are going around online that the state is going to universalize supernatural education. Is that true?
Lion Radiance: It's definitely under deliberation. Honestly, they have been actively discussing it ever since the Hibiscus City Tragedy. This incident in Silver City simply accelerated the process. After all, both times, students discovered the Aberrant Parasites, and both you and that other student from Hibiscus City happen to be supernatural beings as well. However, I doubt it will roll out nationwide so quickly. They'll likely select a few cities to serve as pilot zones first.
Salted Fish: Ah, got it.
Yu Xian looked up at Zhang Shou. "The captain says it's true, but they'll likely select a few cities to act as testing grounds first."
Since ancient times, individual strength has always posed a threat to social order. While making supernatural education universal would allow more hidden geniuses to emerge, it would also grant power to individuals with malicious intent. Naturally, the government had serious reservations about such a policy and could not make such a monumental decision lightly.
Zhang Shou immediately exclaimed, "I've decided. Once the authorities announce which city will be the pilot program, I'll be attending school there."
Chen Ling, however, offered a calm analysis. "I think there's a very high chance our Silver City and Hibiscus City will be among the pilot cities. After all, we were both direct victims of the Aberrant Parasites. The State will definitely show our cities a bit more care."
A female classmate sighed. "I really hope they pick Silver City."
Over the past two days, good news had been incredibly scarce, while bad news seemed to crop up relentlessly. Rumor had it that the casualties at First High and Second High were higher than those at Third High. The parasites seemed to use schools as the epicenter for their infiltration, leaving the students to bear the brunt of the onslaught.
In particular, in many primary schools, not a single survivor was reported. There was no telling how many families were about to have their worlds utterly collapse.
Looking at his anxious yet hopeful classmates, Yu Xian felt a profound stirring in his heart. He realized that before he was diagnosed with ALS, he had been exactly like his classmates, harboring nothing but pure romanticized yearning for supernatural abilities. Later on, he had slowly accepted the reality of his own ordinary existence.
Evidently, after surviving a brush with death, his classmates had developed an even deeper craving for supernatural abilities, just as he had when he was sick. The essence of this craving was actually an underlying anxiety about the future and a fundamental dread of death.
In truth, everyone was the same. Even though Yu Xian had obtained supernatural abilities, he had simply become more "robust." At his core, he was still human, and his emotions were identical to everyone else's.
That female staff member had been entirely correct. As long as he considered himself human, no matter what supernatural being he turned into, he would always be a human. Being a vampire was merely a matter of bloodline.