Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies Chapter 1229: Southwest Region Structure

Zhang Yi quietly absorbed the tale Pagyi Gesang recounted, maintaining a composed and steady facade outwardly.

It remained nothing more than a myth. Pagyi Gesang intentionally wove an aura of enigma and haste, yet Zhang Yi refused to be swayed.

Noticing this, Pagyi Gesang drew in a deep breath before easing his rotund frame back into the seat.

"Do you, sir, consider these matters completely ridiculous?"

Zhang Yi nodded. "A bit, yeah."

Pagyi Gesang let out a sigh, tilted his head toward the ceiling, and spoke leisurely, "Back then, I would have shared that view. However, the numerous transformations sweeping this world have reshaped my outlook."

His eyes met Zhang Yi's, carrying a depth of insight.

"Mr. Chaos, among the rare individuals in Huaxu Kingdom who've ventured to Star Island across the sea and explored far into the depths under the Qinling Mountains, you stand out."

"Your encounters with the enigmatic subterranean realm surpass those of the majority."

"Doesn't that pique your interest about the true essence of that hidden world below the surface?"

At that moment, Zhang Yi finally regarded Pagyi Gesang with genuine attention.

"I haven't a clue. But do you?"

Pagyi Gesang's small mustache curved upward, revealing a touch of cunning in his features.

"I possess the details you're after."

"The Snowy Plateau Region safeguards the authentic epic script from King Gesar's time. It's housed in my Pagyi Family—the sole surviving version."

"This document offers the fullest account across Huaxu Kingdom's history regarding the underground realm."

The Pagyi Family's forebears served as the court chroniclers for the mighty empire founded by King Gesar.

They began as record-keepers and slowly amassed authority and prominence over time.

Since the Snowy Plateau Region's traditions were monopolized by the elite, ordinary folk lacked access to literacy, even names, and lingered merely as bonded laborers to the aristocracy.

As a result, the role of chronicler endured for more than a millennium, commanding immense respect.

Through successive eras of buildup, the Pagyi Family rose to become one of the esteemed leading clans governing the Snowy Plateau Region in the West.

Zhang Yi's eyes intensified.

Exclusively, their Southwest Region engaged in this expedition under the Qinling Mountains.

The operation's specifics were never revealed beyond their circle.

The East Sea Region and Southwest Region stayed uninvolved and unaware of their subterranean adventures.

Nevertheless, Pagyi Gesang described it with striking precision.

Was it possible he held knowledge beyond common reach?

The Snowy Plateau Region harbored profound secrets.

In Huaxu civilization's timeline, it endured extended dominion by foreign societies.

Hence, it preserved distinct societies and legacies.

Not even the massive blazes of yore that razed other cultures could fully erase the Snowy Plateau's heritage.

Zhang Yi's face grew solemn.

Pagyi Gesang had struck at Zhang Yi's deepest concern.

The dark-armored enhanced beings in Mist Valley of Star Island, the serpentine white snake with a humanoid face under the Qinling Mountains, Bai Longzi capable of shifting to human shape.

These formidable entities instilled profound unease in him.

Furthermore, he had claimed valuables directly from such beings.

The Divine Source from Star Island, alongside the Purple Crystal from the Qinling Abyss's core.

Even now, the Dragon King's parting admonition lingered in Zhang Yi's thoughts.

He despised this veil of uncertainty. Grasping the roots of those arcane forces alone would allow him to devise countermeasures.

"Chief Pagyi, your narratives are captivating. You've sparked my curiosity to some degree."

"Yet, what exactly do you expect from me? Remember, in this era, gaining anything demands an equivalent—or greater—sacrifice in return."

Zhang Yi voiced his stance directly.

A broader grin spread across Chief Pagyi's countenance.

He welcomed Zhang Yi's negotiation; what worried him was Zhang Yi's disinterest in the topic.

Truthfully, Chief Pagyi's urgency outweighed Zhang Yi's by far.

For within all of Huaxu Kingdom, Zhang Yi might be the sole ally he could enlist now.

Chief Pagyi continued, "In three months, the yearly Prayer Festival convenes at Sangha Monastery in Lhasa City. Simultaneously, us Western leading clans unite to unlock the sealed portal to the Demon Kingdom under the Great Snow Mountain."

"I request your aid then to claim the riches hidden beneath the Great Snow Mountain."

Zhang Yi slightly drooped his gaze.

"A portal to the Demon Kingdom? Riches? That notion strikes me as wildly implausible. Had I not heard it firsthand, I'd swear you'd taken leave of your senses."

Pagyi Gesang gave a light laugh, followed by a drawn-out exhale.

"You're spot on. Who could credit such an outlandish legend?"

"Except everything has turned real now."

King Gesar's ballads echoed across generations in the Snowy Plateau Region.

Each era's divinely inspired bards revive recollections and intone this timeless saga.

Thus, suppressing history's facts proves impossible.

The Demon Kingdom's reality imprints on every Snowy Plateau youth's consciousness. They hold it as sacred truth, aware that King Gesar demolished the Demon Kingdom and sealed its infernal den under the Great Snow Mountain.

For Snowy Plateau offspring, the Great Snow Mountain serves as both a revered holy peak and a perilous infernal site brimming with dread.

"The Demon Kingdom under the Great Snow Mountain resembles the chasm below the Qinling Mountains or the one in Mist Valley on Star Island."

Pagyi Gesang affirmed with unwavering conviction.

"From the night I witnessed the Buddha's radiance beaming down on the Lord of the Charnel Ground from the Great Snow Mountain, I realized some phenomenal secret lurked there."

"Moreover, we Western leading clans possess the Demon Kingdom's chart."

"And during next year's Prayer Festival," he squinted, dropping his tone as he confided in Zhang Yi, "our leading clans have resolved to merge the charts we each guard. We'll venture jointly into the Demon Kingdom to hunt for that essence bestowing immense power upon people."

"Oh, and incidentally, it likely encompasses the Divine Source you discovered before, plus certain other... marvelous items."

Zhang Yi fixed his stare on Pagyi Gesang for a solid ten seconds.

Zhang Yi narrowed his eyes, his look brimming with open doubt.

"Should such a boon truly await, why seek me out?"

"As a newcomer, don't you fear I'll claim what destiny earmarks for you?"

No gifts come without strings.

On the Shengjing journey, Zhang Yi faced a dire threat deep under the Qinling Mountains.

Without Bai Longzi mysteriously sparing them at the pivotal instant for reasons unclear, survival for Zhang Yi and his two companions remained uncertain.

Hence, Zhang Yi wouldn't yield readily to mere persuasion.

Pagyi Gesang mulled deeply before responding. "Us Western leading clans once pledged that Snowy Plateau affairs stay confined within. We'd bar any external interference outright."

"But at this do-or-die threshold, such vows no longer bind me."

Author's Note