But Qin Siyang had no idea what exactly an [Apocalypse Fragment] was. With so little information, it was better to keep quiet and rest than mislead others with wild guesses.
Meanwhile, a hundred li away, the Sigma District had already been churned into a murky mess by the currents stirred up by the World-Destroying Church.
Like sharks scenting blood, the various factions gathered in the shadows of this Lawless Land.
Halfway up a mountainside at the edge of an Abandoned Mine in the Sigma District stood a shack.
The dilapidated little structure, cobbled together from rotten wood and sheet metal, swayed in the mountain wind.
Inside were only two makeshift bedrolls and a heating stove fashioned from a discarded oil drum.
Jiang Hao and Guo Jiuxiao, two allies each harboring ulterior motives, had slipped away from everyone and hurried to the Sigma District immediately after finishing their visit to the Vine Heart Trade Fair. Now they huddled inside this shack that reeked of mold and rust.
"Principal Guo," Jiang Hao's voice broke the silence, "you arranged to meet me alone in this godforsaken place half a month ahead of time, and even deliberately avoided Minister Xiao. What earth-shattering matter do you want to discuss?"
He tossed two pieces of dry wood into the stove, where they crackled.
The firelight lit up Guo Jiuxiao's lenses, obscuring his eyes.
Jiang Hao continued, "Don't tell me you suspect Minister Xiao is a mole Qin Siyang planted among us. That sort of joke isn't funny."
"Chairman Jiang," Guo Jiuxiao began, his voice low and even, "you and I are in the same boat now, aren't we?"
"What do you mean?"
"We're planning to finish off Qin Siyang and the others here, once and for all. That counts as staking our lives on each other,