Suffocation.
Even though the typhoon was on the verge of making landfall, what everyone felt right now was an oppressive swelter so heavy it made drawing breath nearly impossible.
Excessive moisture saturated the air. Every mouthful felt thick and viscous, difficult to inhale and even harder to exhale.
When the first raindrop the size of a soybean plummeted from the heavens, the long-awaited cool failed to arrive with it. Instead, a torrential downpour blanketed everything in an instant.
It was as though the entire world had been submerged in a deluge.
All things distorted.
Amid peals of thunder, wild gales swept up violently, whipping up sheets of rain, dust, and even withered branches, dead leaves, and bits of gravel. Air that had once been impossible to breathe was now forced relentlessly into their lungs.
Merely standing in the rainstorm inspired a terror akin to drowning in the abyssal depths.
Furious winds and torrential rains devoured everything in their path.
Under the steadily climbing wind speeds, the surroundings swayed and shuddered incessantly. Even the buildings anchored deep in the earth trembled faintly, groaning and creaking under the strain.
Within the brightly lit city proper, the lights of Haian Industries were dim.
Power had been cut long ago. Unlike other corporations, a makeshift outfit like Haian was now little more than a lighter factory with virtually no business to speak of. After firing up the generator to keep the air conditioning and lights running, the only two or three souls on the payroll gathered around an office desk to enjoy hotpot.
Outside the reinforced tempered glass, a ceaseless clatter echoed as raindrops and debris hurled by the gale slammed into the pane.
In the turbulent currents, the entire building swayed faintly, imparting a floating sensation.
Unlike the calm demeanor of the others, Yan Fei was fidgeting anxiously, his gaze repeatedly darting out the window. He was the one who had handled the renovation and maintenance of the entire building, including the material property reinforcement and waterproofing. If anything went wrong, he would be subjected to absolute hell.
With delicious food right before him, he could hardly swallow a bite.
"Just swish it for a few seconds, everyone fish it out quickly."
Ji Jue placidly extended his chopsticks. "Eat more, A-Fei. You're going to have your hands full in a bit."
"Huh? Ah!"
Yan Fei froze, and then, seemingly grasping his meaning, broke into a cold sweat. He tremulously reached out with his chopsticks. *Crap, did he catch me cutting corners?*
"Still..."
Yan Chang sat obediently in his seat, sipping cold water after tasting a few bites, expertly steering the conversation away for his brother's sake.
"...Why is it named White Stag?"
He looked curiously out at the raging storm. "Could it just be a coincidence?"
"Not necessarily."
Ji Jue shook his head and sighed. "I don't know the exact details either. But... to name a typhoon after a Supreme Virtue means the waters running beneath this are anything but shallow."
*Thud!*
A dull impact sounded as a vulture caught in the gale was flung directly against the window. The collision slammed against Yan Fei's heart, making the boy jump out of his skin.
Fortunately, the glass did not shatter. The bird merely left behind a smear of blood before tumbling down into the void. If it had cracked the glass, knowing Mr. Ji's habits, he would have slung Yan Fei outside on a harness to patch the leak on the spot...
Yet Yan Fei was an Embers artisan, after all.
Almost immediately, he picked up on something bizarre.
*Something's wrong!*
The wash of the typhoon and driving rain quickly rinsed away the blood, leaving behind only a faint smudge of grime.
In weather like this, why would a vulture be out? In the middle of a typhoon? Furthermore, even after crashing against the glass with broken bones and at death's door, its talons were still clutching the writhing half of a snake.
Hunting prey?
Could it have been starved to such a degree that it chose to hunt right now?
He instinctively looked toward his mentor.
"Mr. Ji..."
"Yeah, something's off."
Ji Jue nodded. He turned to look at the corner of the office, where Little Niuma crouched in its metallic doghouse, drooling and fast asleep. Beneath the gaps of its curled, wolflike body, streaks of bloody light flickered actively in and out.
Pan Ying.
Pan Ying was chiming faintly.
At this very moment, across all of Tacheng—no, across the entire Mid-Continent—the aura of the Swarm was subtly surging.
At the same time, with the arrival of the storm, Ji Jue's own heart began beating a fraction faster. Zhanlu was exhilarated, sensing the scent of disaster.
In such abnormal weather, the heightened activity of Entropy was natural and expected. But what was with the Swarm?
Even Embers seemed to be stirring with changes. Ji Jue lowered his eyes as the workshop within the Doomsday Express spun up slightly to collect data.
By comparing the metrics against Punabantu and Xinquan, he found that the elevated activity of Embers across the Mid-Continent indirectly boosted the yield rate of alchemical creations. After testing and contrasting two production batches, calculations yielded a conclusion: a rise of roughly 0.0007 percent.
And what was happening with White Stag?
Out in the wilderness of the Mid-Continent, wild beasts were likely growing active and excited, driven by primal instincts to hunt, grow, mate, and reproduce...
Had some shift occurred among the Supreme Virtues?
At Ji Jue's current level, it was exceedingly difficult to perceive. This did not even count as an Advent; it was merely the lingering ripple cast by some colossal entity undergoing a change.
It was much like observing the shifts of celestial bodies in deep space.
Perhaps there had been a collision and entanglement within that magnificent, solemn tapestry, and by the time the faint afterglow crossed the immense distance to reach the mortal realm, all that remained was a single wisp of the disturbance.
Without a doubt, the aura of the White Stag was present within this storm.
It almost felt... like a riot.
If one were to interpret it by human metrics, it felt more like the fading aftershock of rage, a faint and distant cold scoff.
What had actually transpired?
He could not fathom it.
Ji Jue's thoughts raced. In the brief time it took to dip a piece of meat into sauce, his mind combed through everything he had experienced over the past few days. He could confirm that the root of this disturbance was not in Tacheng.
Perhaps what was truly affected was the entire Mid-Continent?
Then who was pulling the strings behind the scenes? The Empire, or the Federation?
Could those two monstrosities have committed another atrocity?!
Ji Jue could hardly be blamed for the prejudice. After all, entities of such immense scale in the mundane world were vanishingly rare, and the individuals or organizations capable of engineering this could be counted on one hand.
If Tianlu had acted, the phenomenon of falling stars like kindling would have been impossible to hide.
While the aura of corruption in Tacheng was currently exceeding standard levels, when was it ever normal? It had not spiked off the charts, so he could be sure the Saintly Fool was not the one driving this.
If not the Federation or the Empire, who else could it be?
With so little intelligence, it was impossible to figure out.
*Eat, just eat!*
In the second he had looked away, Old Gou had almost completely fished out the meat!
That damn hound was still keeping his head down and scarfing it all down—
*Boom!*
The tempered glass shuddered once more. In the furious gale, the entire unfinished building shook violently—once, twice, thrice...
The lights flickered erratically.
*Damn it, did that bastard surnamed Dugu palm off a shoddy build on me? It's buckling already? Just how much graft did that dog take from the construction project!*
Soon, Ji Jue realized he had misjudged.
The corrupt party was not Dugu Ming...
Because, along with the shaking of the building, a thunderous roar rolled in from the far reaches of the downpour. The earth vibrated, and all of Tacheng seemed to rock.
"An earthquake?!"
Yan Fei instinctively scooped up his brother's wheelchair, prepared to bolt.
"Not an earthquake."
Ji Jue's expression gradually turned cold as the bad news he had anticipated finally arrived before him.
"...The embankment outside the city burst."
With the typhoon and torrential rain driving water levels relentlessly higher, the dam north of Tacheng—jointly funded by the Federation and the Empire, and constructed by the New White Nation Coalition Government—did not disappoint. It collapsed.
One could only guess how much actual substance was left for the project once the commissioners finished skimming their cuts, but no one cared anymore.
Amid the rumbling roar, a massive torrent of muddy water surged violently down the dried riverbed, sweeping down from the mountainside.
It crashed down toward the pitch-black slums below...
Ji Jue's phone vibrated slightly as several alerts flooded in simultaneously.
Tacheng authorities issued a public bulletin: *Due to a once-in-a-century deluge, the dam has failed. Citizens, please do not panic; the flooding will not affect the city center...*
Next came an advertisement from the municipal emergency rescue squad: *Floods are merciless, but people have warmth. At your service twenty-four hours a day to ensure your property suffers zero losses. Fees are as follows...*
Immediately following were notices from insurance firms like Empire Greatness and Federation All-Heart, reminding policyholders that natural disasters were excluded from standard coverage.
Finally, a warning from the military garrison base: *The central city will be placed under military administration shortly. Unlawful possession of weapons or unauthorized movement is strictly prohibited.*
Most people who received the notices would curse aloud, set down their phones, and scoff derisively.
Since Tacheng's downtown was situated on high ground, no matter how severe the flood grew, it would never reach them. Naturally, they could rest easy. Sadly, the "downtown" referred to only this densely packed corporate district—prosperous beyond measure, yet comprising less than a tenth of Tacheng as a whole.
The remaining nine-tenths—the shantytowns, slums, and squatter camps scattered across the surrounding wasteland—were not included.
The Federation still paid lip service to equality for all, and the Empire's texts still paid lip service to safeguarding the realm and its people.
In the Mid-Continent, however, there was no need for pleasantries. They could say it straight out: the destitute were like cockroaches, utterly useless aside from being an eyesore.
The lower classes were not seen as human.
If they died, they died. No one cared.
Amid the howling wind and rain, Tacheng stood as steady as Mount Tai, completely unmoving.
In the central district, at thoroughfares and checkpoints, armored vehicles bathed in the downpour projected stark headlights, coldly sneering at the filthy faces trying to flee into the downtown district amid the chaos.
*Clack.*
The crisp sound of a round being chambered echoed from the vehicles.
Farther out, amid the steadily rising floodwaters, the roar of the raging torrent merged indistinguishably with the thunder rolling across the heavens.
"Mr. Ji..."
When Ji Jue picked up his phone again, a weary, raspy voice came through the receiver, mingled faintly with the crying of children and background commotion. "I think... I need your help."
"No need to stand on ceremony, Elder Longge,"
Ji Jue answered decisively. "Time is pressing. What do you need? Organizing an evacuation, or relocating the victims?"
"Both. Would you be able to temporarily open up your factory grounds?"
The Church of Chongguang elder sat in his wheelchair, struggling to wade through the rising muddy water. "The church has taken in some homeless orphans, as well as unfortunate folks with physical disabilities. I promise not to cause you any further trouble, I only hope—"
"No problem,"
Ji Jue replied firmly. "Give me your location. What else do you need? Medicine? Emergency supplies? I've prepared a bit here, though I'm not sure if it will be enough."
"I have plenty of supplies here as well, but when it comes to transportation, I will have to trouble you."
Longge paused for a moment, sounding as though an immense weight had lifted from his chest. "I still have some hands here who will help with the relocation."
"It's the least I can do, don't mention it. I'll make the arrangements. Just get your people organized and ready to evacuate."
Ji Jue hung up, stood, and looked at the bewildered Yan Fei.
"Are you full?"
"Huh?" Yan Fei reflexively set down his chopsticks and snapped to attention. "F-Full!"
"If you're full, get to work. It's an emergency. You're a Celestial Chosen, after all; when something happens, every bit helps." Ji Jue tapped his own phone, and the transfer of data finished instantly. "What are you standing there for? Move!"
At the same time, the screen on Ji Jue's phone blinked.
Amid the raging wind and rain, the factory perched on the high ground outside the city lit up in an instant.
Inside the quiet workshop, forklifts powered on automatically, lifting obsolete production equipment and stacking it in the corners.
Simultaneously, a convoy of trucks with glowing headlights fired their engines, roaring out in single file into the tempest.
Over a dozen trucks, equipped with raised air intakes fitted directly atop the cabs, plunged fearlessly into the muddy water over a meter deep. Charging through the mud, they ploughed straight ahead.
Honking their horns without restraint, they tore through streets and alleys, shoving aside floating roofs and furniture, thundering right over the crocodiles, snakes, and insects lurking beneath the water.
In barely ten minutes, they arrived at the church on the periphery of the slums.
The church was already packed to the brim.
Chapter 581