Chapter 1178: Heaven's Past

Chu Tian Qiu gave the rat a meaningful glance, then returned to the Tian Tang Kou team.

"How should we put it...?" Wen Qiao Yun asked. "What is that 'Di Ji's stance?"

"It's hard to describe," Chu Tian Qiu said expressionlessly. "It seems like he's on the same side as 'Tian'."

"Tian...?"

"He said that if it's the 'Tian Yi' for us to live, then he'll step in to help," Chu Tian Qiu replied, furrowing his brow as he tossed the eyeball in his hand into his mouth.

"Helping only if we survive... What's the difference from not helping at all...?" Wen Qiao Yun murmured.

"There's a difference," Chu Tian Qiu nodded. "He's left us a sliver of faint hope."

Chu Tian Qiu bit into the eyeball, then summoned a jumble of withered trees on the ground, disrupting the surrounding formation. At that moment, his eyes began to turn red.

Today was destined to be a day of madness for everyone.

Chu Tian Qiu only remembered that since entering the "Cang Jie Qi" that morning, the group had been using "Hui Xiang" extensively. Then came destroying the giant clock display screen, breaking through the encirclement—those who survived had nearly exhausted their "Hui Xiang".

So, was there really no way for them to use "Hui Xiang" anymore?

No, if he had to describe the feeling now, it was like someone knowing they were about to get drunk and subconsciously rejecting all the alcohol on the table.

Because they knew that drinking more would make them lose control, become muddled, lose their senses, and expose every weakness.

"But what if this is the last time you'll ever drink in your life?"

Zhang Shan, Jin Yuan Xun, Xiao Yan Jing, and the others turned back to look at Chu Tian Qiu.

"Mr. Chu, what did you say?" Xiao Yan Jing asked.

"Chu Ge..." Jin Yuan Xun said, looking at him.

The Tian Tang Kou members also turned around at that moment, gazing at their former leader.

"I'm sorry," Chu Tian Qiu said with a smile. "Theoretically, I should be saying a lot of words to boost your morale right now, but I can't say any of them, because we're going to die."

"Ah, screw it..." Zhang Shan said with a laugh. "What's the big fuss? Who among us hasn't died before?"

"This time, it's for real," Chu Tian Qiu said. "We're not just gaming and getting lucky—we're challenging the entire rules. Let's disband Tian Tang Kou right here. You all scatter and flee for your lives; I'll probe the 'Tian Yi' on my own."

"Tian Qiu..." Wen Qiao Yun frowned and tugged at his arm. "Why are you saying this now... Isn't Tian Tang Kou your faith?"

"Tian Tang Kou is a faith I inherited," Chu Tian Qiu said. "Now, that faith has pretty much reached its end. There's no need for all of you to die in vain."

"Inherited...?"

At that moment, Chu Tian Qiu's memories drifted hazily back to many years ago.

...

A man with tattooed arms stood at the entrance of an old inn, waving enthusiastically at him.

"We meet again!" the man called out. "Tian Qiu kid! Want to join our 'Tang Kou' and give it a try? It was just founded half an hour ago—it's full of energy!"

"'Tang Kou'...?" Back then, Chu Tian Qiu couldn't help but laugh and cry at the name. "What a strange name. It sounds like some kind of gang—typical of an organization you'd create."

"What's strange about it? 'Miao Jie' or 'Tang Kou,' they're all about gathering followers," the man with tattooed arms said. "Now that we've split from 'Hu Lu Wa,' we have to build ourselves up!"

"So, what does this gang of yours mainly do?" Chu Tian Qiu asked.

"This... I haven't figured it out yet," the man with tattooed arms shook his head. "Probably hanging around with 'Sheng Xiao,' taking care of the followers who join us from all sides, and then going up against 'Hu Lu Wa.' Most importantly, waiting for the trickster to come back... Anyway, that's about it."

"It sounds a bit ridiculous," Chu Tian Qiu said, adjusting his glasses. "Like a group of people with nothing better to do just hanging around."

"Hey... I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed," the man with tattooed arms said. "You seem smarter, so that's why I'm asking if you want to join."

"I..." Chu Tian Qiu hesitated. "How many people are there now?"

"Now there are two," the man with tattooed arms said confidently.

"...'" Chu Tian Qiu's expression went blank. "One boss... and me as the follower?"

"One day, I might even let you be the boss," the man with tattooed arms pressed on. "With my brain, who knows when I might lose my memory and end up dead in the streets? Then someone will need to look after all the followers. I'm planning to start recruiting in droves from today!"

"Interesting," Chu Tian Qiu nodded, glancing at the inn behind the man. "In that case... I suggest you don't die."

"How so?"

"If you die, the organization becomes mine," Chu Tian Qiu said with a laugh. "I'd definitely seize power and change that awful name of yours right away."

"Whether you seize power or not doesn't matter," the man with tattooed arms shook his head. "There are too many people here who need looking after—no matter who does it. I just want to give them a place to stay."

"You're quite open-minded," Chu Tian Qiu said with a bitter smile. "I've never seen anyone build an organization like this."

"By the way, Tian Qiu kid... do you think 'Tang Kou' sounds bad?" the man with tattooed arms scratched his head. "Maybe three words would be better? A lot of gangs have three-word names..."

Chu Tian Qiu didn't respond and stepped into the inn.

The man with tattooed arms kept asking from behind, "Tian Qiu kid, what do you think of names like 'Qing Long Bang' or 'Tian Di Hui'? But that might make the organization seem too big—not really like a 'Tang Kou'... Hey! Tian Qiu kid! Help me pick one!"

Chu Tian Qiu still didn't say anything, just surveying the size of the inn.

The place looked like it could house quite a few people, though some rooms were rundown, it could easily accommodate a dozen or twenty.

"But if we call it 'Tian Di Hui'... how will people know from the name that I want to help them?" the man with tattooed arms seemed to have confused himself. "It sounds like we're out to cause trouble... Damn it, the trickster and the handsome guy aren't here... My brain..."

"Alright, alright, I get it," Chu Tian Qiu said. "Three words, feels like a 'Tang Kou,' helps the followers—that's all noted. If I ever change the name, I'll make sure it's something you'd recognize."

"Ah, I just thought of something!" the man with tattooed arms slapped his forehead. "Why not name it after you? Like 'Qiu Qiu Tang'!"

"Say that again and I'm out."

...

So, how could it not be an inherited Tian Tang Kou?

Later, that person forgot about "Tang Kou."

Later, he himself forgot about "Tang Kou."

But Tian Tang Kou still existed; it remembered everything.

Was it waiting for someone, or saving someone?

It didn't speak; it just lingered on in the "Zhong Yan Zhi Di."

So, those memories didn't matter anymore.

Because it would disappear today too.

"The 'Tian Yi' has tilted in my favor many times," Chu Tian Qiu said to the group. "I can gamble on my own, but I won't drag all of you into it. This is where it ends."