Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies Chapter 1309: Behind the Scenes

The Xia Zha family residence.

Upon his return to the family, Xia Zha Gyatso found himself consumed by potent anger.

Not only had their efforts yielded no results, but his trusted right-hand man, Losang, was also lost. If it hadn't been for Deji's subordinate perishing as well, Xia Zha Gyatso might have suspected Deji had deliberately orchestrated a trap to ensnare them.

Nevertheless, Deji's subsequent actions were undeniably disgraceful, completely disregarding their shared standing by confiscating all compensation from the Pagyi Family and leaving nothing for the other two families.

Xia Zha Gyatso sat in the main hall, his expression grim, and waved his hand, signaling for everyone else to depart.

However, several superhumans remained by his side.

Yet, when they began to speak, their Mandarin was strikingly standard and precise.

"Patriarch Xia Zha, you likely perceive the current situation in the Snowy Region as being quite disadvantageous for your family."

One man, seated on a sofa adjacent to Xia Zha Gyatso, addressed him with a pleasant smile.

His demeanor suggested respect for Xia Zha Gyatso, yet he exhibited no apprehension.

"If my assessment is correct, once the Prayer Festival concludes and the gateway to the Demon Kingdom is opened, the final remnants of tranquility on the Snowy Plateau will undoubtedly vanish."

"At that point, I fear the Xia Zha Family may find it exceedingly difficult to evade the fate of being annihilated by the Yasha Langtai family."

Xia Zha Gyatso cast a glance at the speaker.

He was already aware of these grim pronouncements in his heart, needing no external confirmation.

For the past two years, Deji's primary focus had been the Pagyi Family.

With the Pagyi Family absorbing the brunt of the direct conflict, his own family and the La Min Family had experienced significantly reduced pressure.

Furthermore, they had been effectively manipulated into uniting against the Pagyi Family.

However, Xia Zha Gyatso understood the principle of discarding the bow once the birds are gone.

Once Yasha Langtai dealt with the Pagyi Family, they would inevitably turn their attention to the remaining two families as a matter of course.

This recent operation clearly demonstrated Deji's utter disregard for them.

Now, his most significant hope rested entirely on this mysterious individual before him.

Secret contact had been established a full year prior.

After showcasing considerable power, the other party had assured him that if the Xia Zha Family agreed to cooperate and facilitate their entry into the Demon Kingdom.

Upon successful completion of their objectives, they would ensure the Xia Zha Family's ascendance to supremacy over the Snowy Plateau.

At the very least, they pledged their support to prevent the Xia Zha Family from being absorbed by the Yasha Langtai family.

Although Xia Zha Gyatso acknowledged that the other party would not act without seeking personal gain and likely harbored ulterior motives.

Even so, much like Pagyi Gesang in the past, he found himself without any viable alternatives.

The man retrieved a cup of warm tea from nearby, took a slow sip, and continued,

"Today, you have already witnessed the Pagyi Family securing external aid. Without our assistance, I suspect your Xia Zha Family will struggle to survive the impending conflict."

Xia Zha Gyatso's breathing grew noticeably heavier.

His substantial right hand clenched slightly, his gaze fixed intently on the man and the subordinates positioned behind him.

"If you intervene, can you genuinely guarantee the safety of my Xia Zha Family?"

The man responded with a meaningful chuckle, addressing Xia Zha Gyatso directly, "I aim to forge a lasting partnership with you, Clan Leader Xia Zha."

"You should grasp the profound implications of this offer."

The man offered no further explanation. His status and position rendered it unnecessary to elaborate further for Xia Zha Gyatso.

Xia Zha Gyatso contemplated the situation for a moment, only to sadly realize that both he and the entire Xia Zha Family were out of viable options.

"Very well, I agree to cooperate with you."

The words felt as though he were conceding a significant sacrifice.

And in truth, this was precisely the case.

Unlike Zhang Yi, whose ambitions were relatively straightforward, the Xia Zha Family would need to offer a substantial price to secure the backing of such potent forces.

Especially when dealing with an Epsilon-level superhuman, the cost would invariably be considerable.

...

Following the significant conflict that involved all four major families and the monk soldiers from Sangha Monastery, a period of peace indeed descended.

The Prayer Festival was drawing near, representing the most crucial grand event for the entirety of the Snowy Plateau.

No one dared to instigate any form of disturbance.

Historically, even amidst ongoing warfare, hostilities were temporarily suspended during this sacred period.

It was not uncommon for monarchs from opposing factions to attend the Prayer Festival together at Sangha Monastery, only to resume their conflicts upon departing.

Faith constituted a formidable power, capable of influencing even the highest echelons of royal authority.

Perhaps this is why, across the history of the Central Plains, rulers have always sought to suppress religious movements.

During the intervening days, Zhang Yi and his companions had not been idle either.

Zhang Yi was acutely aware that turbulent undercurrents were stirring throughout the Snowy Plateau.

Both open adversaries and hidden foes were making their preparations, steadily building their momentum.

It was only after the conclusion of the Prayer Festival, coincident with the opening of the gate to the Demon Kingdom situated beneath the Great Snow Mountain, that the truly decisive confrontations would commence.

Given that Zhang Yi had arrived in this place under a veil of secrecy and could not reveal his presence publicly.

His only recourse was to reach out to Deng Shentong, an individual he considered relatively trustworthy, requesting his assistance in investigating the superhumans they had encountered on that particular night.

However, owing to the brevity of their engagement, precisely discerning the nature of the opponents' abilities proved to be a challenging task.

Consequently, Deng Shentong also found himself struggling to identify their affiliations.

Zhang Yi then declared, "That matter is easily resolved. Simply provide me with all the data you possess concerning every Epsilon-level superhuman globally, and I shall conduct the screening myself!"

Deng Shentong chuckled, responding, "Old Zhang, your greed knows no bounds. This information is all classified material!"

Zhang Yi rolled his eyes, retorting, "Spare me the pretense. I am now a major shareholder in your Deng Family. Send it over, quickly!"

Deng Shentong offered a shrug.

With Zhang Yi now serving as the Deng Family's influential backer, it was natural that he would not dare to offend him.

"Allow me some time to organize it. Certain data will necessitate retrieval from Shengjing."

Shengjing's intelligence network was, without question, the most comprehensive available. Yet, leveraging the Deng Family's established connections among Shengjing's high-ranking officials, acquiring specific classified data was not an insurmountable obstacle.

Before long, Deng Shentong transmitted the meticulously organized data to Zhang Yi.

Zhang Yi subsequently summoned Yang Xinxin and the others, enlisting their aid in a collaborative brainstorming session.

After ensuring the door was securely fastened, Zhang Yi initiated the playback of the footage captured on the night in question.

He had refrained from showing this recording to the group previously, likely because its viewing at that earlier juncture would not have yielded significant insights.

However, at this present moment, a meticulous analysis of this sole piece of evidence was essential to unraveling the clues and identifying the precise identities of these individuals.

Simultaneously, Zhang Yi caused the data provided by Deng Shentong to be projected into the air.

This dataset encompassed a total of thirty-seven individuals.

In other words, excluding Zhang Yi himself, the number of Epsilon-level superhumans known to Deng Shentong worldwide stood at thirty-seven.

Zhang Yi and his companions examined the information closely. Among the Epsilon-level superhumans within the Huaxu Kingdom, Xuanwu, Li Changgong, and Han Shanzuo could be definitively ruled out.

The distinct characteristics of their respective abilities did not align with those exhibited by the several individuals observed that night.