Sister Yun looked at the lively group of goslings and chicks around Yu Xifeng and said enviously, “When the weather warms up, I’ll save up some days and exchange for some little ones like yours to raise.”

“Sure, I’ll give you a discount,” Yu Xifeng replied.

“You said that yourself,” Sister Yun laughed. “If you trick me later, I won’t accept it.”

“This afternoon Zheng Weiyang is distributing relief grain. I should go get a share too,” said the Fatty. “Even mosquitoes have meat, right?”

Yu Xifeng asked, “Does Zheng Weiyang distribute relief grain often?”

Fatty said, “This is the third time, I think. The first two times were after the riots. The scenes were spectacular — people even knelt down and kowtowed on the spot. Even those who believe in the Sun God said he was a divine envoy sent by the god to save the world.”

Yu Xifeng asked, “Has Zheng Weiyang responded to that?”

Fatty said, “Someone as big as him? Why would he respond? Those are just believers flattering themselves.”

“There’s no smoke without fire,” Sister Yun said. “I feel like every time he distributes aid, the timing is just right. Talking about saving people from fire and water — the underground shelter is too chaotic, it feels like the troubles never stop. Fatty, you better not go. Half a black bread — our family isn’t that desperate.”

“The patrol teams are busy enough cleaning up corpses every day,” said Fatty. “I heard a lot from the outer district volunteered to go to the surface, and never returned. Sigh.”

Whether it was Zheng Weiyang’s auctions or Zhou Qingsha’s tea parties, Yu Xifeng had heard many complaints.

Narrow spaces, unbearable living conditions, scarce resources.

Some people even saw taking sleeping pills to die as a dignified death.

No pain, passing away in sleep.

Sleeping pills were very popular in Zhou Qingsha’s circle.

Yu Xifeng didn’t even have those; they were strictly controlled prescription drugs not sold in ordinary pharmacies.

Yu Xifeng only had melatonin.

Even the inner circle was like this.

For those in the outer circle,

Going to the surface was already the most dignified way to die they could find.

After Sister Yun left, Yu Xifeng sat on a stool and thought carefully for a long time — it really reminded her of something.

The Sun God cult had organized a self-immolation.

They claimed it was returning to the embrace of light and fire.

Zheng Weiyang’s office.

Opposite the desk sat a bald man with an indifferent expression, a vermilion mark on his forehead, dressed in a strange way, somewhere between a Taoist priest and a monk.

Zheng Weiyang received him solemnly.

No one knew what they talked about in the room.

The secretary personally escorted the man out.

The secretary returned to the office: “Commissioner Zheng, isn’t this too risky?”

Zheng Weiyang smiled, “If it were the old me, I’d think so too.”

What had changed him?

He could no longer remember what Zheng Chengfan, his son, looked like.

He had too many things to plan every day, even sadness had limits.

Zheng Weiyang took a sip of red wine and sighed: “The grapes of this vintage aren’t good enough, the wine tastes a bit off.”

That was all Zheng Weiyang said.

That was already the best red wine the secretary could get.

People who want to move forward, move upward, must have no reservations.

Zheng Chengfan was dead, he no longer needed to care about what happened after, or his legacy.

Anyone who blocked his path deserved to die.

The little chicks’ feathers were very soft to touch.

They pecked food from Yu Xifeng’s palm.

After petting them, Yu Xifeng put the rice from her palm into their feeding bowl.

This was a special privilege for the little chicks.

The big white chicken and grown-up chickens could only eat grains.

The space’s hygiene was cleaned every two to three days without problems, and Yu Xifeng sometimes was lazy and cleaned once every five days.

But this underground shelter’s house was different.

Living under one roof, at least the big white would poop in a corner, so Yu Xifeng put a litter box in the corner.

The little chicks, except they couldn’t get on the bed or table, left traces of poop almost everywhere.

There was almost no ventilation in the house, so Yu Xifeng got an air purifier.

One from the supermarket, seemingly the same brand as the one in Zhou Qingsha’s home.

That night, Yu Xifeng was awakened by the big white’s noisy squawking.

The moment she opened her eyes, she smelled a pungent odor in the air.

Seeing Yu Xifeng awake, the big white stopped calling and sheltered the two chicks under its wings.

Yu Xifeng opened her phone’s surveillance.

It was too dark outside; the monitor only vaguely showed a wheel and a pair of glowing eyes.

Outside the door was Deng Feiyu.

By surface time, it was now the middle of the night.

The underground shelter had no day or night, but generally kept a schedule similar to before.

What was Deng Feiyu doing at her door at this hour?

Wasn’t he supposed to get up early tomorrow to go to the Sun God cult and then report to the rescue team?

A strange unease welled up in Yu Xifeng’s heart.

She beckoned to the big white.

It waddled over to her.

Yu Xifeng tossed the big white into the space, and the two little chicks too.

She slung her bag over her shoulder and gripped her Tang Dao sword.

The big white barked wildly; Yu Xifeng wanted to go teach it a lesson but stopped.

Closer to the door, Yu Xifeng recognized the smell.

It was gasoline.

Gasoline was such a precious resource — how could it be at her doorstep?

What was Deng Feiyu planning?

According to the original plan, Deng Feiyu had other tasks.

He was supposed to burn the guilty one, the one who had defiled the divine envoy.

The priest told him to make a big scene — tonight no patrol would disturb him.

Deng Feiyu wanted to show his loyalty to the Sun God.

The will of powerful people was not always invincible.

Deng Feiyu thought Yu Xifeng was also guilty.

Men knocking on Yu Xifeng’s door kept changing one after another.

“Just a bus, you cheap woman.”

If she were a good woman and married according to her mother’s arrangement, he would have treated her well, and their family could live happily in the underground shelter.

Maybe they would even have a lovely child.

It was Yu Xifeng’s ingratitude that ruined her own life.

They would die together.

As long as Yu Xifeng atoned for her sins, he would forgive her.

He poured more gasoline for Yu Xifeng.

The gasoline dripped down, thick and sticky like blood.

Deng Feiyu took a matchbox from his pocket.

He struck a match, but it did not light.

He hurriedly struck a second one.

He was too excited; all he could hear was his own heartbeat.

He didn’t even hear the click of the lock turning.

Yu Xifeng stepped on the gasoline.

The second match lit.

The flames flickered, casting mottled shadows on Deng Feiyu’s face,

Making him look like a demon.

Deng Feiyu threw the lit match towards Yu Xifeng’s door.

The Tang Dao sliced through the air; the faint glow of the flame flickered in Yu Xifeng’s eyes.

The blade cleaved the match in half.

The match went out and fell far away on the ground.

Deng Feiyu’s face was full of terror.

He remembered that day when five or six people were powerless in front of Yu Xifeng.

He let out a shrill, unhuman scream.

The hatred in his eyes seemed like he was pouring all his life’s energy into cursing Yu Xifeng to a bad death.

Believing in the Sun God cult had ruined his mind.

Yu Xifeng frowned, preparing to finish Deng Feiyu off with one strike.

The patrol teams did nothing, and Deng Feiyu dared to set fire at her door.

She wouldn’t tolerate it even a little.