Chapter 1307: Final Variable

Chapter 1307: The Final Twist

Tian Gou seemed unable to worry about the details anymore. Seeing that Yan Zhichun was still hesitating, he had no choice but to speak up:

"Yan Zhichun, I'll be straight with you... I know you have a connection with Bai Yang. Right now, the only thing you need to consider is whether to stay completely loyal to Bai Yang or to look after the bigger plan. After all, your people have suffered countless losses in this battle... You owe them an explanation, don't you?"

At that moment, Yan Zhichun realized that Tian Gou knew a lot of information. He might have been watching her every move all along.

"All right..." Yan Zhichun swallowed hard. "Even if I can apply 'Duoxin Po' to this 'Chuneng'... I can't guarantee that I'll be able to seize other people's rationality... I've never done anything like this before."

"You still don't get it..." Tian Gou sighed. "All three of you from 'Jidao' are here. Since you've already brought 'Jifa' and 'Yinguo' along, this isn't about whether you can do it on your own. The three of you working together will make it happen."

"The three of us...?" Yan Zhichun was stunned for a long time. "Are you saying that even the current lineup was arranged by Qi Xia...? Come on... That's such a slim chance..."

As she spoke, she seemed to lose confidence and turned to look at Zheng Yingxiong.

Zheng Yingxiong seemed to understand what Yan Zhichun meant and shook his head. "Jiejie... The other person isn't lying..."

He thought this would put Yan Zhichun at ease, but this time, it was different from before. Instead of reassuring her, it made Yan Zhichun feel that even Zheng Yingxiong's appearance was part of the plan.

Normally, as long as Zheng Yingxiong spoke up, Yan Zhichun would believe him and follow through with the plan. So, Tian Gou had said from the start that Qi Xia had instructed him to bring Zheng Yingxiong, Jiang Ruoxue, Lin Geng, and himself inside.

What a strange feeling this was? All the hard work she had put into her life turned out to be a carefully orchestrated game by others, making her doubt herself all over again.

Not just herself.

Thinking about it... Was Jiang Ruoxue's appearance reasonable?

Was Lin Geng's appearance reasonable?

Was her entire life in "Zhongyan Zhidi" reasonable?

...

"She'll go mad eventually."

Qi Xia slowly closed his eyes and said, "Because she's just too smart... There are always people in this world who think they're wide awake, but the mad are mad on their own—she can't escape it."

...

Yan Zhichun turned around and stared at Lin Geng and Jiang Ruoxue behind her for a long time before finally sensing where the unease came from.

Thinking carefully, all the prominent figures in "Jidao" had been personally recruited by Jiang Ruoxue. Whether it was Lao Sun, Lao Deng, Tong Yi, Xiao Xiao, or even that old man who dug the ground, they were all the same. And the one who seemed not recruited by her, Zhou Mo, had come from the same room as Jiang Ruoxue.

What about the people she had recruited herself...?

She had never tried to figure out one thing: Who exactly was Jiang Ruoxue?

Was this organization that revered her as the leader and followed her all the way to the "Huoche" really connected to her?

If everything had to be explained by "Yinguo," wasn't that a bit far-fetched...?

"Zhichun... Your eyes look a bit off..." Jiang Ruoxue stepped forward, her face full of concern. "What are you thinking? Don't keep it to yourself—let's discuss it together."

"Don't speak..." Yan Zhichun frowned and said, her whole body trembling slightly. "From now on... No one is going to tell me what to do..."

"Zhichun..." Jiang Ruoxue glanced at Lin Geng beside her in confusion, and even Lin Geng didn't know what to say.

"I don't need anyone giving me advice right now..." Yan Zhichun's gaze gradually turned cold. "I just need to think for myself..."

She quietly stepped back, as if drawing a line between herself and the people in front of her.

"Zhichun... What's wrong with you?" Jiang Ruoxue asked, puzzled. "Don't let Tian Gou get to you... How could a few words from him make you like this...?"

"No..." Yan Zhichun shook her head. "This isn't just about a few words... There are way too many issues here..."

The two of them watched Yan Zhichun's slightly trembling figure but couldn't think of anything to say to calm her down.

"A friend who always shows up at key moments... A 'Jidao' member with seniority equal to mine who drops from the sky... And a kid who can 'Ce Huang' and travels from another city to join us... Ha..." Yan Zhichun gave a bitter laugh. "Now they're all here, perfectly set up to carry out an important task... Am I the only one who finds this situation incredibly weird?"

"Weird..." A look of sadness gradually crossed Jiang Ruoxue's face. "Zhichun, we've known each other for so many years... And you're calling this experience 'weird'? Sure, there are a lot of coincidences that might not make sense, but if I wanted to harm you, why wait until now?"

"My heart is dirty." Yan Zhichun stared at Jiang Ruoxue and said, "From my selfish perspective, I just can't understand how someone could help me for so many years without asking for anything in return. You tell me it's my 'Yinguo'... But what are you trying to achieve with this 'Yinguo'? Who's behind you?"

"I don't need to achieve 'Yinguo' for anyone or anything." Jiang Ruoxue replied firmly. "Because my existence itself is 'Yinguo'."

"I've had enough." Yan Zhichun interrupted with a frown. "I'll just complete the last task Qi Xia set up, and in exchange, from this moment on, none of you can interfere with my life anymore... Living a life where I think I'm smart but end up being manipulated by others will just make me feel utterly defeated."

The air fell silent at that moment.

Jiang Ruoxue was quiet for a long time before saying sadly, "Zhichun, I've told you... No matter what you want to do, I'll support you... Even now, you can use my 'Yinguo'..."

Lin Geng nodded after hearing this. "I have my own reasons for unleashing this place, whether you believe I'm 'Jifa' or not. I'll join this operation."

...

"I've given you enough time, haven't I...?" Qi Xia murmured to himself. "The entire 'Huoche' is completely still... Do I need to go over there and say it myself?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a faint sound came from the door.

According to Qi Xia's calculations, this should be the Tiantian trio finishing their task and returning to create a new "Men," so he lifted his head expressionlessly, ready for what was coming next.

But when he looked toward the door, things unexpectedly deviated from his expectations once again.

The one who arrived wasn't anyone else—it was the "Bian Shu."

"Kid..." A disheveled old man poked his head in, showing a complicated smile. "I never thought... it would be you in here?"

Qi Xia slowly furrowed his brow, looking at the old man in front of him, as if piecing together the sequence of events.

"Tian Gou, I'll give you two more minutes, or you won't make it past dawn."

...

"Damn it..." Tian Gou gritted his teeth and cursed, though he wasn't sure who he was cursing at. "What's the difference between you and Tian Long or Qing Long...?"

He looked up at the three women in front of him.

Although things had been delayed a bit, the three of them seemed to have reached some kind of agreement and were now walking together to the workbench.