Chapter 84: Thorough Preparation
“Trouble.”
The intelligence report was comprehensive.
This time, Zhou Ming wasn’t tricked, and the money he spent was worth it.
However, what he felt now was enormous trouble — this ruin was simply too attractive.
It was said to be related to the path of professional advancement up to the Legendary Saint stage.
Though the chances of success were extremely low, what if…?
There were definitely many others who shared this thought.
At the very least, this expedition to the Northern Wasteland would surely attract countless forces from across the northern region of the Alliance.
Zhou Ming never believed himself to be the so-called “child of destiny” — the kind of person who could casually wander out and stumble upon great fortune.
In this upcoming exploration of the ruin within the Northern Wasteland, there would absolutely be Professional-rank Beast Tamers, and perhaps even Transcendent Masters, though the chances of that were slim.
When Zhou Ming realized the danger hidden behind all this, a splitting headache hit him.
He pressed his temples and rubbed them hard.
With his cautious nature, he would never willingly take part in such a risky matter.
Yet, given his circumstances, he had no choice but to plan ahead.
Moreover, the research system of this ruin seemed somewhat similar to the fallback plan Zhou Ming had secretly been preparing for himself.
This might be his only chance to access high-level knowledge.
After pondering for a long time, Zhou Ming still couldn’t think of a solution.
This situation had already gone beyond what could be solved through cleverness or schemes — only overwhelming strength could decide the outcome.
All conspiracies and stratagems were useless here.
“This time, I can only rely on luck.”
Zhou Ming, eyes closed, suddenly looked up at the computer screen and muttered.
In the Northern Wasteland expedition planned for early spring next year, he intended to trail behind the others and see if there was any opportunity to seize.
If not, he would at least find out who obtained the data within the ruin — that way, he would have a target for future plans.
After much deliberation, this was the only compromise Zhou Ming could make.
The situation forced him to yield; the weak could only endure.
Facing the Qin Family, the Hunter Guild, the Professional Beast Tamers who would appear in the Northern Wasteland, and countless other powers, Zhou Ming had no other choice.
The roar of the powerless was merely the lament of the weak — Zhou Ming saw reality with clear eyes.
Having made his decision, Zhou Ming didn’t immediately shut down his computer.
Instead, he continued analyzing every single piece of intelligence, examining their implications and trying to extract hidden value from them.
After all, no one could say how much these reports might help him on his Northern Wasteland journey — perhaps, they might even save his life.
……
Returning from the Black Market, Zhou Ming once again slipped into his recluse lifestyle.
Besides purchasing basic supplies, his main focus was training his Beast King Body and Mad Python Martial Way.
He didn’t neglect Inkband and Vermilion Jade either.
Apart from regularly extracting Snake Blood, he also found time to train his two contracted beasts.
Since both serpents had their blood drawn frequently, he didn’t push them too hard.
If anything were to happen to Inkband or Vermilion Jade now, it would be extremely difficult for Zhou Ming to recover his strength — even with money.
After all, obtaining a Ferocious Beast-level companion beast required nurturing it from a mutated animal, and spiritual materials were essential resources in that process.
Aside from enhancing his own strength and that of his beasts, Zhou Ming spent his rest hours sitting by the computer, gathering information about the Northern Wasteland.
He forced himself to memorize everything — the geography, the beasts, and the weather.
He refused to overlook even the smallest detail.
Life came only once; though he had already been reborn once, that didn’t mean he could be again.
Being fully prepared before acting — that had always been Zhou Ming’s rule.
Time passed, and it was soon Xiao Yun’s birthday again.
This time, at Xiao Yun’s request, there was no grand celebration.
She simply spent it quietly with family and friends in their new home.
Following her reminder, Zhou Ming didn’t buy anything extravagant.
He simply gave her a basic skincare gift set.
Out of curiosity, Xiao Yun asked when his birthday was, but Zhou Ming only smiled faintly and didn’t answer.
To him, birthdays meant nothing.
Alone as he was, he saw them as a waste of time — a hot bath was far more comfortable.
Seeing his reaction, Xiao Yun didn’t press further.
Perhaps she thought Zhou Ming was an orphan who didn’t like to mention such things.
Instead, she began talking about herself.
She spoke of the changes in the Xiao Family caused by Xiao Lei, the troubles she faced, and as someone who preferred a peaceful life, a faint weariness showed on her face.
As her friend — and as a younger brother — Zhou Ming could only play the role of a good listener.
Some things could only be overcome by Xiao Yun herself.
After Xiao Yun’s birthday ended, Zhou Ming returned to his secluded lifestyle once again.
But he knew this calm wouldn’t last.
As winter came to an end, the Northern Wasteland Expedition would officially begin.
“Ding.”
“The tram has reached the northern city gate. Passengers disembarking, please prepare to exit.”
The familiar voice of the tram announcement echoed.
“Time really flies. It’s already been over a year.”
He couldn’t help but think back to when he had left the Qinshan Base, wearing only a simple windbreaker, searching for resources for his Beast Tamer path.
Zhou Ming couldn’t help but sigh at how reckless he had been.
Yet without that recklessness, he wouldn’t have grown so fast.
Otherwise, he might still be a Rat Exterminator in the sewers beneath Qinshan.
As he reminisced, the tram filled with passengers all began disembarking here — all were hunters leaving Qinshan Base.
Zhou Ming guessed that, without a doubt, their destination was the newly discovered base in the Northern Wasteland.
People die for wealth, birds for food.
No one was foolish.
Everyone could see how dangerous this expedition was — yet for their goals, none could resist the temptation.
Zhou Ming was no exception.
When the tram finally emptied, Zhou Ming shouldered his backpack, filled with supplies he had prepared in advance, and stepped out.
Compared to last time, the northern gate was even livelier.
Nearly all hunters from Qinshan Base had gathered here.
Among the crowd, salesmen from various arms companies bustled about.
It seemed even the arms industry refused to miss the profits that the Northern Wasteland Ruin promised to bring.
Since Zhou Ming had already purchased Firearms last time and stored them at the city defense army’s depot, he didn’t buy new ones this time.
He merely bought additional ammunition for the Thunder Type-2 Revolver and Blood Hunter Type-1 Handgun from a few salesmen, along with some Smoke Grenades and High-Explosive Hand Grenades.
After completing his final preparations, Zhou Ming stood by the gate, waiting patiently.
Half an hour later, a loud shout rang out.
“Open the gates!”
The once-bustling entrance instantly fell silent — then erupted into even greater noise.
Amidst the excitement, Zhou Ming moved forward with the line, slowly stepping out of the base.