Read advance chapters for both of my work, exclusively on Patreon at - www.patreon.com/Sniperwoof
-----------------
The sign outside read "Clinic" but inside, it was a whole different world.
The three of them were led into a spacious room, seated on warm cushions while a young girl served them fragrant, milky tea.
The old man from earlier told them to rest here for a while and have something to eat.
"Honored guests, please."
The girl spoke with a slight accent as she placed the tea in front of them.
"Miss, are you related to A'Zhen...?"
Mrs. Yin took a sip of the tea and immediately recoiled—her tongue burned from the scalding heat, nearly making her spit it out.
She had forgotten that in Saizhou, they liked adding butter to their tea!
"I'm A'Zhen's cousin," the girl replied, hiding a giggle behind the serving tray. "Honored guests—"
"Miss, just call us normally," Li Zhezhan cut in, waving a hand.
All this "honored guest" talk was making his hair stand on end—it was painfully awkward.
But at this, the girl, who had been lively and mischievous just a moment ago, suddenly turned serious, enunciating each word clearly.
"You are Chi Zang-ge's friends. That makes you honored guests!"
A woman's voice called from outside, and the girl bowed before excusing herself.
Silence returned to the room.
"When did you meet this 'Chi Zang'?" Mrs. Yin asked. "He seems to be highly respected here."
Li Zhezhan sighed. "Honestly, I don't know much either. A friend introduced us, said he'd contact me once we got to Laya City. But look."
He pulled out his phone—zero signal.
No reception in the old district?
Li Xiang opened his mouth but didn't speak. This wasn't just a lack of signal towers—someone was actively jamming it.
"...I'm a little worried."
Mrs. Yin voiced exactly what Li Xiang was thinking.
"It's fine. My friend is completely trustworthy. Besides, I'm here—nothing will happen."
Li Zhezhan took a sip of his tea. "Hm, tastes good. Just a bit scalding. Be careful."
That last part was directed at Li Xiang—the only one in the family with a "cat's tongue," meaning he couldn't handle anything too hot without his tongue going numb for ages.
Li Xiang nodded but didn't drink.
From what he'd observed, everyone here wore the emblem of the Snow Cult on their chests.
Meaning, this entire place was full of believers.
If he already suspected they might be shady, why eat their food?
Just as he was thinking this, several people entered carrying large metal trays.
"Everyone! Please enjoy some authentic Saizhou cuisine!"
A rosy-cheeked woman announced loudly as she and others laid out an overwhelming spread of food.
And overwhelming was an understatement—the table couldn't even hold everything.
Their hospitality was relentless, especially once the old man returned. Even their Pokémon were being pampered.
At this point, unless Li Xiang faked a bathroom emergency, there was no way to avoid eating.
With no other choice, he nibbled on some intact-looking berries and tried using motion sickness as an excuse.
And then… He got dragged away to take medicine, just in case he had altitude sickness.
Oh right—this was a clinic.
Fantastic.
Resigned, Li Xiang drank some supposedly "miracle" herbal concoction.
Then, Chi Zang arrived.
At a glance, he couldn't be older than thirty—thick black eyebrows, sharp eyes gleaming with intelligence, and a towering height of at least 190 cm, taller than even Li Zhezhan.
His muscles were taut, his skin slightly tanned with a healthy flush.
'Ah, the classic highland complexion.'
Li Xiang glanced around—most people here had that same reddish tint to their cheeks.
Come to think of it... Bian Zhen's face was normal. Probably from living outside Saizhou long enough for it to fade.
Behind Chi Zang was a Pokémon—short, blue-bodied, with white arms and belly, and a distinctive spiral pattern in the center.
A Poliwrath. Water- and Fighting-type.
"Hahaha! You must be the 'Boss Li' that Mr. Xu mentioned!" Chi Zang boomed, pulling Li Zhezhan into a bear hug.
'So it was Xu Dongran.'
Li Xiang mentally sighed. In an unfamiliar place like this, having connections within the system was invaluable.
And apparently, Xu Dongran's connections were too good.
How did he even know someone from the Snow Cult?
Li Xiang had no idea.
The meal lasted forever, and in a way, both hosts and guests left satisfied.
That night, Chi Zang offered to let them stay, but Li Zhezhan declined, citing discomfort with unfamiliar places. Li Xiang quietly exhaled in relief.
But then— Chi Zang immediately arranged for them to stay at the best hotel in Laya City.
In the new district, of course.
Once they left the clinic, their phones regained signal.
Li Zhezhan took an anti-hangover pill and called Xu Dongran. With Li Xiang's new intel, he confirmed that Chi Zang was indeed trustworthy—a high-ranking member of the Laya City Association, even.
The Snow Cult... and the Association?
Li Xiang could hardly believe his ears. Was the Snow Cult actually a legitimate organization?
...Now that he thought about it, the internet never labeled them as a terrorist group.
It was just the online disputes between the Snow Cult and the Sun Cult, combined with the earlier attack, that made him wary.
At first, he'd only been suspicious of Bian Zhen. It was only after learning she was a believer that he started imagining the worst about the entire cult.
No one had ever said the Snow Cult was dangerous.
The most he'd seen were mentions of its resurgence in recent years.
'Pride and prejudice indeed…'
Li Xiang hugged Torracat, staring blankly at its big head.
But he was still curious— Who were the people who attacked Bian Zhen?
…...
Clinic.
Bian Zhen sobbed in the arms of a sturdy woman.
The old man sat nearby, smoking his pipe with little enthusiasm.
"Ha Tong... was really taken by them?" he asked quietly.
"It has to be them! Those sewer rats! That so-called New Sun Cult!" Bian Zhen spat, voice thick with hatred. "They're the only ones who'd do this! I only told Chi Zang-ge my location once—they must have been monitoring his phone!"
Afraid that the call had been intercepted, Bian Zhen hadn't dared contact Chi Zang again, worried she'd endanger Li Xiang's family.
"If it weren't for our ancestors, they would've died out long ago." Her teeth ground together. After so many years, finally returning home only to face this—who wouldn't be furious?
Contrary to online rumors, the Snow Cult and the original Sun Cult had never clashed in ancient times. They hadn't even interacted.
It was only when the Sun Cult collapsed that its remnants, hiding their faith, fled to Saizhou. The Snow Cult took them in, helping them survive.
But instead of gratitude, they sought to usurp their benefactors.
Within twenty years of settling, just as their lives stabilized, they bared their fangs—
They began spreading their own faith across Saizhou.
Then, the conflict began.
There had never been any "great rivalry across Zhu Xia"—just a localized struggle that lasted centuries, until the Alliance crushed all resistance.
In recent years, the Snow Cult had resurfaced, testing the waters.
But the Sun Cult? They hadn't. During the Alliance's development of Saizhou, they'd apparently fractured internally.
Now calling themselves the New Sun Cult, they'd absorbed a new wave of dangerous elements, acting in ways that contradicted their own teachings—far from the "light of the sun," they operated in shadows.
Worse, they had access to advanced technology, allowing them to intercept communications and harass their enemies.
After several covert attacks (though no deaths), the Snow Cult's daily lives had been disrupted enough that they were forced to go underground, avoiding open conflict.
"The true Sun Cult followers died out within those first twenty years," the old man sighed.
The Sun Cult had always been prone to infighting. Even in exile, they never stopped.
Historically, their internal "reforms" had happened again and again.
This "New Sun Cult" was just the latest iteration.
Yet somehow, they always survived, no matter how many times they were shattered.
"They've entrenched themselves in the northern wilds, and their urban hideouts are too well-hidden. Without proof, the Association can't justify sending teams to sweep the area," Chi Zang said, stepping inside.
"But this time, they've gone too far. I've already heard—both the Association and the Rangers are preparing to move in."
The Snow Cult had long understood that against the might of the Alliance, faith alone meant nothing.
Which was why Chi Zang had joined the Association.
Whether the New Sun Cult had similar plans was unknown, but the Snow Cult had learned one thing— It's easier to get things done when you have friends in high places.
The old man shot him a look. "That family settled in safely?"
"They're fine. I kept a low profile—those rats shouldn't know they're connected to us," Chi Zang nodded.
"You can't take chances like this!" The old man rapped his pipe against the table. "It's because you got careless last time that our last hideout was exposed!"
As a high-ranking Association member, Chi Zang had nothing to fear from the New Sun Cult. But the rest of the Snow Cult did.
"Then... should we invite them to our village?"
The old man glared. "The New Sun Cult is desperate now. Bringing them to the village would just put them in danger. Find a way to escort them to Snowpeak City and get them on a flight home."
"Explain the situation. They'll understand." He took a long drag. "As for repaying our debt to them... and compensating for dragging them into this... Chi Zang, figure something out."
"I'll... figure something out."
Chi Zang scratched his head, exasperated. Who knew repaying a favor could be this hard?
'Ah, headaches everywhere.'