Chapter 413: The Echoer?

At the Mao headquarters, in the prison.

That morning, the eerie sun rose as usual, casting its not-so-bright light upon this abandoned prison. And the so-called prison has always been a place full of fantastical elements.

Some people come here and reform themselves, then walk out the gate toward a new life. Others arrive for something as minor as pickpocketing wallets, and by the time they leave, they've mastered all sorts of skills. So, for those with a heart inclined toward goodness, no matter what mistakes they've made, as long as a glimmer of light shines on them, they can break free from the quagmire and rush toward the blue sky above. But for those who willingly fall into darkness, no matter how much sunlight is overhead, they will only see the abyss of the deep chasm at their feet.

Qian Wu arranged for two members to quickly tidy up the staff lounge here, then called in Qi Xia, Qiao Jia Jin, Chen Jun Nan, Li Shang Wu, Zheng Ying Xiong, and the others to enter.

"Everyone..." Qian Wu walked in with Zhou Liu and the one ranked nineteenth, Jian Mo, then casually closed the door. But today, Qian Wu's appearance was quite strange—he was a male dwarf.

"Qian... Wu?" Qi Xia looked at the scar on Qian Wu's left cheek and asked tentatively.

"It's me." Qian Wu nodded. "What, does this look of mine scare you?"

"I'm not interested in your appearance at all." Qi Xia said. "Let's get started."

"But I'm feeling quite sentimental today." Qian Wu smiled. "It's been at least seven years since the senior members of Mao have all gathered here... except for Zhang San—I wonder where she is now..."

"Cut the chit-chat and get to the point." Qi Xia said. "You'll have plenty of time to catch up later."

"How harsh, Qi Xia." Qian Wu chuckled. "You seem to have changed a lot. I remember you weren't like this before..."

"I've always been this way." Qi Xia said.

Qian Wu nodded and said no more, turning back to give a signal to number nineteen. Number nineteen understood and closed his eyes.

Jian Mo was activated.

It seemed like several people had things they wanted to say, as they all opened their mouths, but seeing that others wanted to speak, they held back their own words.

"I just have one thing to say—let me go first..." Qian Wu spoke up first to Qi Xia. "I originally wanted to take this opportunity to tell you about the true purpose of Mao, but now that Da Wa is here, I'll step back and let him lay out Mao's final plan in full."

Qi Xia nodded and turned to look at Chen Jun Nan. The others also turned their eyes to him. Chen Jun Nan nodded along, but after a few seconds, he felt something was off.

"What... what the heck? Mao's final plan... Where did that come from?"

"Hmm...?"

As soon as he said this, everyone present was stunned, with Qian Wu being the most shocked.

"What... what..." Qian Wu slowly stood up from his chair, but awkwardly, he ended up shorter than when he was sitting. "How could you not know...? Have you forgotten the 'final mission' you assigned me?"

"How the hell would I know, boss?" Chen Jun Nan was a bit confused too. "Isn't it just about gathering intelligence here, earning some rewards, and making sure that if Qi Xia ever comes back, he has a place to stay?"

"You..." Qian Wu sighed helplessly, then propped himself up with both hands and sat back down. "Da Wa, are you messing with me? What about your 'army' plan?"

"Army..." Chen Jun Nan was stunned for a while, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh, you're talking about... that..."

Chen Jun Nan recalled that right before he was about to return to the "interview room," he had made up a bunch of stuff about an "army" plan for Qian Wu. He had suggested that Qian Wu expand his influence, turn Mao into a well-organized army where everyone wore uniforms, used unified code names, and underwent military-style management, including daily combat training and theoretical lessons. Since this goal was nearly impossible to achieve, especially for someone like Qian Wu with a disability, it would likely make him give up, allowing them to part ways amicably.

Back then, Qian Wu had earnestly asked about the purpose of all that. Chen Jun Nan's response was: "If Lao Qi really comes back, we can take this army and go kill the Shen Shou together." But now, to his surprise, not only had Qian Wu turned those joking words into reality, but Qi Xia had also returned.

So, didn't that make him the most unreliable one here?

"Wait... hold on..." Chen Jun Nan waved his hand firmly. "I—I’ve thought about it more over these years, and the plan to kill the Shen Shou... well..."

"Kill Shen Shou?" Qi Xia let out a cold laugh. "That's interesting. Tell me more."

"Huh?!" Chen Jun Nan paused. "Wait, wait, wait... Lao Qi, are you out of your mind? Did you get up too fast this morning and leave your brain in bed?"

"I want to hear your plan." Qi Xia said. "I never imagined that Mao's ultimate goal would be the Shen Shou. I feel that the Shen Shou rank above the Sheng Xiao but below the Tian Long. If Mao's plan is this ambitious, I'd like to hear the details."

After hearing this, Chen Jun Nan felt a bit dizzy, as if things were spiraling out of control. Kill Shen Shou...? What an absurd plan! Why would anyone here actually believe in something like that?

"Through our investigations over the years, we've figured out the abilities of two Shen Shou." Qian Wu said. "If you all agree, we can target these two Shen Shou."

"Go on." Qi Xia said.

"First, I think the easiest one to take down is Xuan Wu." Qian Wu began. "There are a few reasons for this."

Qian Wu clearly outlined the possibilities of killing Xuan Wu to the group. First, Xuan Wu desperately seeks death and will give those trying to kill it countless opportunities. Second, Xuan Wu is easy to encounter, and the simplest way is through "killing to seize the path" to draw it out. Third, we've fully understood Xuan Wu's abilities, and it has significant limitations.

"Hold on..." Qi Xia paused. "Xuan Wu's 'abilities'?"

His mind was filled with memories of his own organs being removed by Xuan Wu, and he couldn't believe such a terrifying ability had limitations.

"That's right." Qian Wu nodded. "'Xuan Wu's abilities are probably just three kinds. The first is Yue Qian, allowing it to appear anywhere at any time. The second is Tan Nang, enabling it to take anything it wants. The third is Li Xi, where it can simply wave its hand to disintegrate lifeless objects..."

After hearing this, everyone present silently widened their eyes. Qi Xia was so shocked he could barely speak: "Are you joking with me...?"

"What?"

"Th-These things... aren't they just Hui Xiang?!" Qi Xia said in disbelief. "Are you saying Xuan Wu not only has Hui Xiang but also three kinds at the same time?!"