Chapter 1285: Remote Gambling

The "Lou Yi" targeted the eyes on her back. The middle-aged woman began to resist vigorously in her panic.

Her whole body started to turn metallic, but she had forgotten that these "Lou Yi" had also enhanced their bodies. Under this overwhelming force, she could only focus on protecting herself and had no way to escape.

The lead "Lou Yi" touched the middle-aged woman's body as it became increasingly hard, trying several angles in succession but finding only metal everywhere, as if there were no vulnerabilities left.

In the chaos, his withered arm brushed against the woman's neck. The warm sensation confirmed that only this spot was still skin, while all her other parts had turned to steel.

Seizing the last opportunity, he opened his mouth and bit down on her throat.

The middle-aged woman hadn't even processed what was happening before her eyes widened in shock. Her metallic transformation rapidly receded, her throat torn apart as fresh blood gushed from her mouth.

Upon seeing this, Yan Zhichun and Jiang Ruoxue quickly entered the room and helped Di Tu up from the ground. The group had a hasty meeting at Hei Yang's place and could barely recognize each other as comrades.

"This is..." Di Tu stared at the horrifying scene, like a pack of wild beasts tearing into a living person.

"This is the last unit." After Yan Zhichun spoke, she glanced at Di Tu and saw how extremely weak he looked.

He already had old injuries, and now his body was covered in countless new wounds. A massive amount of fresh blood had dyed his fur red, with the blood-soaked strands standing out distinctly, strand by strand.

"That's great..." Di Tu leaned unsteadily against the wall, his blood-streaked gray-red face breaking into a relieved smile. "I was just worrying whether I'd get to take her out before I died... Now it's all good..."

Yan Zhichun could see that Di Tu was extraordinarily fatigued, not just physically but mentally as well.

After confirming that Tian Tu had completely stopped moving, Di Tu's expression changed. He took a slow breath, then began spitting out large mouthfuls of fresh blood.

It seemed that every breath he took made him cough up more blood, his face full of helplessness.

"Cough... This is unbearable..." He clutched his chest and spoke with difficulty. "Just now, all my thoughts were suppressing the urge to breathe... Now that I've relaxed... my whole body feels off..."

Seeing how labored his breathing was as he spoke, Yan Zhichun felt at a loss, unsure how to help him.

"Don't make that face... Ha..." Di Tu looked up and said. "I'm already a dead man anyway... It's fine..."

Jiang Ruoxue noticed Yan Zhichun's worried expression and stepped forward, gently taking hold of Di Tu's hand.

"Di Tu, you need to understand the logic here..." Jiang Ruoxue murmured. "This is the 'Zhong Yan Zhi Di'. Even if you don't breathe..."

"No..." Di Tu interrupted her, pulling his hand away. "Whatever you're planning, don't bother with me... I don't want to live anymore..."

"You..." Jiang Ruoxue paused. "Don't worry, saving you isn't complicated..."

"No need..." Di Tu shook his head. "My plan for my life only goes up to this moment. After I've accomplished all my goals, I have no idea how to keep going with this beast skin. What you're doing isn't saving me—it's a curse."

He slowly walked out the door, leaving a gruesome bloody handprint on the doorframe.

"While I can still move, I want to take one last look at Tian Shu's body..." Di Tu said. "Don't worry about me anymore..."

Yan Zhichun and Jiang Ruoxue watched his tall, lonely figure and could only shake their heads helplessly.

At that moment, the "Lou Yi" burst through another door. The two followed the sound and ran out, finding that the room ahead was much larger, filled with black hair that obscured the details.

The group of "Lou Yi" outside seemed to sense something and charged toward the center of the black area, only to be met with a fierce counterattack. Several "Lou Yi" had their necks snapped on the spot.

...

Di Gou slowly stood up, tilting his ear to listen to the sounds outside the door. Then he turned to the people in the room and said,

"It's about time. It's our turn to act."

Xiao Xiao, Lin Qing, Zheng Yingxiong, and the remaining "Ji Dao" members all wore complex expressions.

"What's your plan exactly?" Xiao Xiao asked. "We've delayed for so long—whatever's happening outside probably doesn't need us anymore, right?"

"Oh? So what?" Di Gou asked lazily. "Even work allows for being late, so why not a rebellion?"

"If the outside battle is won, what use are we going out?" Xiao Xiao asked with an irritated expression. "And if it's lost, we'll just be walking to our deaths."

"How can you say that..." Di Gou smiled and shook his head. "I feel like the fight is just reaching its climax... Striking now is perfect. If my judgment is wrong, then we'll all share the blame."

"You..." Xiao Xiao gritted her teeth. "We're unlucky to be acting with a 'Sheng Xiao' like you. You'd better not be making excuses for your laziness and cowardice."

"No need to rush to die..." Di Gou stretched. "Everyone will get their chance."

Lin Qing took a few deep breaths to steady her thoughts, then approached Di Gou and asked,

"I really don't understand—what role are you playing in this rebellion?"

"I..." Di Gou thought for a moment. "Theoretically, I need to kill Tian Gou."

"Then why not go?" Lin Qing asked. "If we leave Tian Gou alone, it could cause problems, right?"

"No... It's precisely because I know Tian Gou that I changed my strategy temporarily." Di Gou explained. "This is a minor bet that doesn't matter much. If I win the bet, it'll add the final touch to the plan. If I lose, we'll all be seen as cowards who didn't contribute at all."

"What...?"

"I'm betting that the more Tian Gou knows, the more cautious he'll become." Di Gou said. "I've observed this plan from the sidelines—its precision is beyond my expectations. Sadly, Tian Gou knows even more than I do. He'll weigh in his mind which side has the upper hand in this rebellion."

Lin Qing paused. "I think I get it..."

"If Tian Gou thinks we'll win, he'll defect to save himself, and we'll win without fighting." Di Gou said. "But if he believes he can turn the tide, then whatever we do is pointless. So, I'm boldly guessing that in this battle, we don't need to take out Tian Gou specifically."