Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies

Zhang Yi listened silently to the legend Pagyi Gesang was telling, his expression calm and unruffled on the surface.

It was just a legend. Pagyi Gesang was deliberately creating an air of mystery and urgency, but Zhang Yi wasn’t buying it.

Seeing this, Pagyi Gesang took a deep breath and then settled his plump body back into the chair.

”Do you, sir, find these things utterly preposterous?”

Zhang Yi nodded. ”A little bit, yes.”

Pagyi Gesang sighed, looked up at the ceiling, and slowly said, ”In the past, I would have thought so too. But the many changes that have occurred in this world have altered my perspective.”

He looked at Zhang Yi, his gaze profound.

”Mr. Chaos, you are one of the few people in the Huaxu Kingdom who has traveled to Star Island out on the ocean and delved deep beneath the Qinling Mountains.”

”You have a deeper experience of the mysterious world underground than most people.”

”Aren’t you curious to know what that mysterious world beneath the earth truly is?”

Only then did Zhang Yi give Pagyi Gesang a serious look.

”I don’t know. Do you?”

Pagyi Gesang’s little mustache twitched upward, a hint of slyness in his expression.

”I have the information you seek in my possession.”

”The Snowy Plateau Region still preserves the original text of the epic from King Gesar’s era. It’s in my Pagyi Family, the only copy in existence.”

”It is the most comprehensive record in the entire Huaxu Kingdom, past and present, concerning the underground world.”

The ancestors of the Pagyi Family were once the official historians of the great dynasty established by King Gesar.

Their forebears started as historians and gradually grew in power and influence.

Because the cultural heritage of the Snowy Plateau Region was held exclusively by the nobility, commoners had no right to learn to read or write, didn’t even have surnames, and could only exist as serfs to the nobles.

Thus, the position of historian was passed down for over a thousand years and held a lofty status.

Eventually, through generations of accumulation, the Pagyi Family became one of the revered great chieftain families of the West ruling the Snowy Plateau Region.

Zhang Yi’s gaze sharpened.

Only their Southwest Region had participated in the operation beneath the Qinling Mountains this time.

The details of the mission had absolutely not been disclosed to the outside world.

The East Sea Region and the Southwest Region were not involved in the mission and could not have known about their experiences in the underground world.

Yet, Pagyi Gesang had stated it with pinpoint accuracy.

Could it be that he truly knows some things unknown to others?

The Snowy Plateau Region is a mysterious land.

Throughout the history of Huaxu civilization, it was also ruled for a considerable period by peoples of other civilizations.

Therefore, it retains unique civilizations and cultural heritage.

Even those great fires in history that burned civilizations could not completely incinerate the culture of the Snowy Plateau Region.

Zhang Yi’s expression turned grave.

Pagyi Gesang had hit upon what Zhang Yi feared most.

The black-armored superhumans in Mist Valley on Star Island, the white snake with a human head and serpent body beneath the Qinling Mountains, Bai Longzi who could transform into human form.

Those powerful existences filled him with deep apprehension.

Moreover, he had taken precious things from the hands of these very existences.

The Divine Source from Star Island, and the Purple Crystal from deep within the Qinling Abyss.

To this day, the warning the Dragon King uttered before his death still occasionally echoes in Zhang Yi’s mind.

He hated this feeling of the unknown. Only by understanding the origins of those mysterious existences could he figure out how to deal with them.

”Chief Pagyi, the stories you’ve told are quite interesting. I am indeed somewhat interested.”

”But what do you want me to do? You must know, in this world, if a person wants to obtain something, they must pay an equal, or even excessive, price in exchange.”

Zhang Yi stated his thoughts plainly.

The smile on Chief Pagyi’s face grew wider.

He wasn’t afraid of Zhang Yi discussing terms; he was afraid Zhang Yi wouldn’t be interested in what he was talking about.

In fact, compared to Zhang Yi, Chief Pagyi’s heart was far more urgent.

Because looking across the entire Huaxu Kingdom, perhaps only Zhang Yi could help him now.

Chief Pagyi said, ”Three months from now, at the Sangha Monastery in Lhasa City, the annual Prayer Festival will be held. At the same time, that is also the day when we, the great chieftain families of the West, will join forces to open the gate to the Demon Kingdom sealed beneath the Great Snow Mountain.”

”I hope that by then, you can help me seize the treasure beneath the Great Snow Mountain.”

Zhang Yi lowered his eyelids slightly.

”The gate to the Demon Kingdom? Treasure? That sounds rather absurd. If I weren’t hearing this now, I would definitely think you’ve lost your mind.”

Pagyi Gesang chuckled, then let out a long sigh.

”You’re right. Who would believe such a preposterous myth?”

”But now, it has all become true.”

The ballads of King Gesar have been passed down through the Snowy Plateau Region for generations.

Each generation’s Heaven-granted singers awaken memories and chant this ancient story.

Therefore, anyone who tries to hide the truth of history cannot succeed.

The existence of the Demon Kingdom is engraved in the minds of every child of the Snowy Plateau. They deeply believe in it and all know that King Gesar once destroyed the Demon Kingdom and suppressed its demonic lair located beneath the Great Snow Mountain.

Thus, for the children of the Snowy Plateau, the Great Snow Mountain is both a sacred mountain they worship and a demonic lair filled with danger and fear.

”The Demon Kingdom beneath the Great Snow Mountain is something similar to the abyss beneath the Qinling Mountains, or the abyss in Mist Valley on Star Island.”

Pagyi Gesang stated with absolute certainty.

”Ever since that night when I saw the Buddha’s light descending upon the Lord of the Charnel Ground from the Great Snow Mountain, I understood that something extraordinary must be hidden down there.”

”And we, the great chieftain families of the West, hold in our hands the map to the Demon Kingdom.”

”And next year’s Prayer Festival,” he narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice as he spoke to Zhang Yi, ”we, the great chieftain families, have agreed to combine the maps each of us holds. Then we will go together to the Demon Kingdom to search for that substance that can grant people powerful strength.”

”Oh, right, that probably includes the Divine Source you once found, and some other... wonderful things.”

Zhang Yi looked at Pagyi Gesang, staring at him for a good ten seconds.

Zhang Yi narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with undisguised skepticism.

”If such a good thing really exists, why would you come to me?”

”I’m an outsider. Aren’t you afraid I’ll snatch away what should be your opportunity?”

There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

During the trip to Shengjing, Zhang Yi experienced a major crisis deep beneath the Qinling Mountains.

If Bai Longzi hadn’t, for some unknown reason, refrained from killing them at the most critical moment, it would be hard to say whether Zhang Yi and the other three could have returned alive.

Therefore, Zhang Yi wouldn’t be easily swayed by someone’s words.

Pagyi Gesang pondered for a long moment before finally speaking. ”We, the great chieftain families of the West, once had an agreement that matters of the Snowy Plateau Region must be resolved internally. We would absolutely not allow outsiders to get involved.”

”But now, we have reached a critical juncture of life and death. I can’t afford to care about that anymore.”

Author’s Note