Chapter 418: Deadline

Just as Qian Wu was about to speak, he suddenly felt a tightness in his chest and a dull pain. He quickly clutched his chest, and everything went black before his eyes.

"Shuang Sheng Hua... are you okay?" Tian She asked with a worried expression.

"I have many organs I made myself... How can you only copy my body? You can't handle it..." After speaking, Tian She slowly covered his own chest, also feeling short of breath.

"What kind of monster are you..." Qian Wu gasped heavily. "You make organs for yourself...?"

"You, this Shuang Sheng Hua... exactly what is it?" Tian She lowered his head silently, struggling to breathe, his heartbeat quickening as if he was afraid of something.

Qian Wu said nothing more and immediately pulled a dagger from his waist, holding it against his own neck. "Tian She... you're out of luck."

Both Qi Xia and Qiao Jia Jin were startled by this sudden turn of events. Although Qian Wu had said he wanted to kill a "Tian Ji" zodiac member, they hadn't expected him to act so decisively.

The moment the blade cut into his neck, a small wound also appeared on Tian She's neck. But before the knife could fully strike, two more figures suddenly appeared before them.

It was an old lady leading a naked little boy—exactly Tian Ma and Tian Hu.

Seeing these two, Qian Wu's hand froze mid-motion. He quickly turned and touched Qi Xia, his own body instantly expanding to match Qi Xia's build exactly, with the wound on his neck vanishing without a trace.

Only then did Tian She react, reaching up to touch his neck and finding a wound there.

"Shuang Sheng Hua..." Tian Ma smiled as he stepped forward a few paces. "What are you all doing here?"

"Zhou Liu, alert." Qian Wu said gravely, then lifted his head and stared coldly at the three before him.

Now, three "Tian Ji" zodiac members had appeared at once at the prison entrance. Although Qian Wu could insist on taking one away, what would happen if he died? If no one was left to lead, what about the "Mao" team members? What about Qi Xia and his companions?

These "Sheng Xiao" seemed to have abandoned the "rules," free to kill as they pleased. If they didn't handle this carefully, "Mao" could dissolve entirely, which would be the worst possible outcome after seven years of endurance.

"Tian Ma..." Qian Wu murmured.

Qi Xia and Qiao Jia Jin were slightly taken aback by his words and looked at the two in front of them—these two had crossed paths with them once before.

Back then, they had merely brushed by each other without a word.

"Shuang Sheng Hua..." Tian Ma said with a fawning smile, "A whole day has passed... Where's the person I asked you to find?"

Qian Wu's eyes turned slightly cold, unable to think of any strategy at that moment. In this cycle, a large number of "Tian Ji" zodiac members were on the move, even doing business with "Mao"—anyone would be at a loss.

"Time is too short," Qian Wu replied. "I need a few more days. If I can't find that person, I'll come with my head in hand."

Qi Xia glanced at Qian Wu discreetly. This statement was meant for Tian Ma, but it felt like it was also for him to hear—clearly, Qian Wu had decided not to hand him over.

After all, Qian Wu's every hope was tied to "Mao." Now that he had brought Chen Jun Nan, Qiao Jia Jin, and Li Jing Guan to join, he had no reason left to collaborate with the "Sheng Xiao."

"A few days...?" Tian Ma smiled faintly. "Shuang Sheng Hua... do you think I'm a fool?"

"How so? You give me a task, and I don't need time to complete it?"

"But if a few more days pass... what meaning would your 'coming with your head in hand' have?" Tian Ma said, his aged and piercing eyes fixed on him. "By then, everyone in your team will have gained the 'Hui Xiang.' So, what difference would it make if you live or die?"

"Then what do you want?"

"Tomorrow is the final deadline," Tian Ma said. "I'll be waiting here tomorrow morning. If you don't hand over that person by then, I'll activate the 'Tian Ma Shi Ke' and completely dismantle your organization."

Qian Wu slowly furrowed his brow: "Tomorrow...?"

"I've given you plenty of face, Shuang Sheng Hua. Remember, you're negotiating with a 'Tian' right now." Tian Ma finished speaking and slowly turned his head toward Tian She. "Snake bro, are you here looking for that 'huge Hui Xiang' too?"

Tian She fidgeted awkwardly: "Huge... 'Hui Xiang'? That's... ah?"

"You..." Tian Ma's expression turned mockingly playful. "You're quite the favorite in front of 'Tian Long'... How could you forget your mission? Doesn't he get angry?"

"Oh, right... yes... we have a mission..." Tian She said awkwardly, turning to Qian Wu. "Could you help me find a 'huge Hui Xiang'? If I can't, 'Tian Long' will get angry..."

Qian Wu's face turned ice-cold.

"Then, tomorrow morning," Qian Wu said. "If I can't hand over that person by tomorrow morning, I'll willingly accept the 'Tian Ma Shi Ke.'"

"That's what you said." Tian Ma smiled slightly and took Tian Hu's hand.

"Grandma, can I eat him?"

"Good boy, he's not tasty." Tian Ma reached out with her other hand to pat Tian Hu's head. "He's playing mind games with grandma, so his meat is sour."

"Ah? Is that so?" Tian Hu blinked. "Then I won't eat sour meat."

As the two vanished from sight in an instant, Qian Wu turned back with a somber expression toward Tian She.

"Hey, what do you say?"

"Ah... what?" Tian She was stunned. "Me...?"

"Since I've made an agreement with Tian Ma, do you want to wait one more day?" Qian Wu said. "We'll discuss that 'Chen Jun Nan' matter after tomorrow."

Tian She stared carefully into Qian Wu's eyes, but Qian Wu was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses, making it impossible to read his thoughts.

"Tian Ma said you're playing mind games... I don't know if I should believe you."

"You..." Qian Wu pursed his lips. He desperately wanted to kill the person in front of him, but if he died, everyone in "Mao" would surely face the "Tian Ma Shi Ke."

Seeing Qian Wu's dilemma, Qi Xia spoke up on his own: "If you don't believe Shuang Sheng Hua, that's fine, but do you believe Tian Ma?"

"What...?" Tian She was slightly taken aback and turned to Qi Xia, only to find that he couldn't read anything in his eyes either.

"It seems like that Tian Ma is quite dissatisfied with you..." Qi Xia said. "Is it possible... that what she just said was deliberately for you to hear?"