Chapter 574: Breaking the Lock

"If that's the case, won't our hands be stained with fresh blood?" Zhao Yisheng frowned and asked, "Once we start killing, what can we do even if we escape?"

"Oh?" Chu Tianqiu looked at the two with a desolate gaze. "You two have clearly killed people before... Now you're talking nonsense?"

"But...!" Zhao Yisheng furrowed his brows tightly, pondering for a while before saying, "But we only indirectly caused people's deaths... In plain terms, we didn't actively kill anyone... The nature is different..."

"If you want to quibble, you don't even need to 'actively' kill anyone right now." Chu Tianqiu sighed. "Those people won't die by your hands; they'll die because of Hui Xiang. So, it's not you killing them, but Hui Xiang. Besides, these powers are granted to you by Zhong Yan Zhi Di. In essence, they're dying under the rules of Zhong Yan Zhi Di. No matter how gruesomely they die, they'll revive next time, so you don't need to feel any psychological burden."

The two stood there blankly, surprisingly finding some truth in Chu Tianqiu's words.

"Just treat this place like a game," Chu Tianqiu said. "Anyone who dies in this round will come back unchanged in the next. You're not killing them; you're just eliminating them for this round, and that's it."

Zhao Yisheng still felt it wasn't quite right, but when he turned back, he saw that Han Yimo's eyes already held a bit more determination.

He had accepted this bizarre game.

"This is just like the settings in novels... Since the 'Savior' isn't helping the protagonist anymore, the protagonist has a high chance of turning dark..." Han Yimo slowly forced a smile and muttered to himself, "I've seen this plot before; it's entirely possible. So, let's go all out... Zhao Yisheng..."

"Go all out... How absurd...!"

Zhao Yisheng's eyes widened. When a normal person faces a madman, they might still resist, but when facing two madmen, they end up looking like the abnormal one.

"Then I'll ask one last question..." Zhao Yisheng swallowed and looked at Chu Tianqiu. "If you're having us kill for you, what will you be doing?"

"Me...?" Chu Tianqiu thought for a moment and shook his head. "My hands have never been stained with blood... And they never will be."

"You're not even willing to pretend for our sake..."

Zhao Yisheng felt extremely hesitant at that moment. If the other had given him even a vague excuse, he might have agreed to the request. But Chu Tianqiu had been treating him and Han Yimo as tools from the start, without any concealment.

"I don't need to pretend," Chu Tianqiu said. "When a lion collaborates with a rabbit, it never sheathes its fangs just to appear harmless. It serves no purpose."

Zhao Yisheng was at a loss for words, but Han Yimo asked at that moment, "Where should we go to kill... And who should we start with?"

Chu Tianqiu didn't answer; he just smiled and said, "I have something to take care of, so I'll step out for a bit. You two can handle the rest on your own."

He pushed past them and walked out of the classroom. Under their gaze, he crossed the playground and left Tian Tang Kou.

"What does he mean by that?" Han Yimo looked at Zhao Yisheng in confusion. "I asked where we should kill, and he just walked away."

"The meaning is clear..." Zhao Yisheng lowered his head silently. "Tian Ma Shi Ke is over, and the nearby 'participants' will gradually return to Tian Tang Kou. He's telling us to act right here."

"Kill the people in Tian Tang Kou...?"

"What a brilliant strategy..." Zhao Yisheng said. "Whether we succeed or fail, Chu Tianqiu, as the leader, won't be here. He can play innocent or tell others we've turned against him... Especially since we're from Qi Xia's side. No matter what we do, Chu Tianqiu always has a way out."

"Are you saying he planned this from the beginning?" Han Yimo asked.

"Yes, he's been using us the whole time." Zhao Yisheng sighed. "He values the destructive power of your and my Hui Xiang. Mine is precise and covert, while yours is grand and indiscriminately destructive. That's why he recruited us."

"Isn't that perfect...?"

"What do you mean?"

"Being used... Doesn't that mean we still have value?" Han Yimo turned his head, looking at Zhao Yisheng with slightly vacant eyes. "In the real world, no one ever uses me because of my abilities. Isn't that a good thing?"

Zhao Yisheng felt like he was trapped in a madman's logic, unable to escape. Chu Tianqiu was like that, and so was Han Yimo.

Perhaps one day, he would become as deranged as they were.

At that point... he might be able to "dissect" humans, right?

"So, are you planning to go through with it?" Zhao Yisheng asked with a hint of sadness. "Even knowing Chu Tianqiu is using you as a tool, you'll still use your abilities to kill others without hesitation?"

"Using me as a tool..." Han Yimo murmured the words softly, then slowly smiled. "You're too naive, Zhao Yisheng."

"What...?"

"In all stories, what happens to the person who tries to use the 'protagonist' as a tool...?" Han Yimo's smile grew more unsettling. "He's just a 'Destroyer.' He thinks he's controlling the 'protagonist,' but one day, the 'protagonist' will grow and make him regret it."

Zhao Yisheng felt like he was trying to reason with someone completely unreachable. Han Yimo had shown signs of madness in front of him more than once.

"Zhao Yisheng, don't you want to hone your skills?" Han Yimo gazed at the sky and smiled. "This is the path to leveling up by fighting monsters! We can master the use of Hui Xiang through countless battles. If we get some lucky break, our strength will soar even higher. Then, we could take down Chu Tianqiu and take control here ourselves."

"Oh my god..." Zhao Yisheng slowly sat down on a chair and covered his eyes with his hands. He felt his situation was precarious.

Han Yimo was already insane; he could summon a nonexistent Qi Hei Jian to kill people. But Zhao Yisheng still clung to a thread of sanity.

That thread made him suffer terribly.

He knew that both Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu were madmen, and following either wouldn't lead to a good outcome.

But besides them, who else had a chance of escaping this place?

"We're clearly a perfect match..." Han Yimo added. "As long as you're here, my Qi Hei Jian can kill anyone in absolute safety."