Chapter 908: Gate of Life or Death
I swallowed hard and looked at this young man.
He seemed to be someone who often helped people deal with similar issues, but this time the situation had clearly exceeded his control.
Why did White Goat insist on having him present when communicating such an important matter with me?
But no matter how experienced this young man was, he was now terrified.
Yes, if he hadn't shown that expression, I would have forgotten how startling every word White Goat said was. It's just that I had long grown accustomed to it.
"So what?" White Goat asked. "Are you going to break the contract?"
"No, not breaking the contract." The young man shook his head. "I still won't reveal a single word of your conversation, but I can no longer participate in what comes next. Otherwise, it won't just be me—even 'Cat' will face deadly consequences."
With that, he breathed a sigh of relief, as if about to withdraw the strange barrier surrounding us. But White Goat reached out and grabbed him.
"Wait a moment," White Goat said. "Are you sure you want to ruin 'Cat's' reputation like this?"
"It's no longer a question of 'reputation,'" the young man said. "The reason 'Cat' has survived to this day is our neutrality. If we are seen serving 'insurgents,' our nature changes. I cannot gamble with 'Cat's' future."
"'Cat's' future is me," White Goat said in a low voice.
"What...?" The young man was momentarily stunned. "You?"
"You can listen now," White Goat said. "After you return, tell Qian Wu that this time, the 'Zodiac' knows 'Cat's' final mission. He will explain the reason to you."
After hearing this, the young man fell into obvious silence, as if he didn't believe White Goat's words.
Yes, not just him—even I found it hard to believe.
To be honest, although I often saw these people in black leather jackets on the streets, they rarely appeared around White Goat. I thought White Goat was already busy enough; he didn't have the spare time to lead another organization.
"You are now carrying 'Cat's' mission," White Goat said. "This task must be completed, otherwise it will severely damage 'Cat's' reputation. I'm in a hurry. You choose."
The young man slowly narrowed his eyes, pondered for a few seconds, then said, "Fine, I'll stay until the end, but I need to add an extra layer of insurance."
With that, he pulled a short knife from his waist. Seeing this, I immediately activated my "Conviction," thinking he was about to harm White Goat. But within a single second, the young man flipped the blade in his hand toward himself and then aimed it at his own ear.
*Slap!*
White Goat grabbed his hand just as the knife tip was about to pierce his ear canal.
The young man's force was strong—this was no joke.
What was he doing?
I didn't quite understand. This young man, to avoid hearing our conversation, was choosing to stab himself deaf?
I almost felt that this organization's "Conviction" was even stronger than the "Jidao."
"There's no need," White Goat said to the young man. "Doing this is only tormenting yourself."
"Sorry... I can't trust anyone," the young man said. "I only know I can't let Fifth Brother down. If 'Cat' is ruined in my hands, I'll never be able to atone for it in this lifetime, so let me take this 'compromise.'"
White Goat frowned slightly but ultimately let go.
The young man softly said "Thank you," then decisively plunged the knife into his ear canal.
A flicker of pain crossed his face, and he swayed as if losing his balance for a long moment before finally steadying himself. Pale-faced, he nodded to us.
White Goat sighed helplessly and said, "I didn't expect everyone to be doing quite well."
"Huh?" I looked at him.
"Never mind. Yan Zhichun, this is fine too," White Goat said. "From now on, among everyone in the entire 'Land of Finality,' only you will know what I'm about to say. You will be my most powerful 'needle.'"
"I'm a 'needle'...?"
This was the first time I'd heard that term. Ever since I met White Goat, my sense of my own role had become blurred. Sometimes I thought I was a pawn, sometimes a subordinate, sometimes a dog or a tool.
But White Goat considered me his "own person," and now he was calling me a powerful "needle."
"That's right," White Goat said. "I need all the 'needles' to pierce the vital points of Azure Dragon and Heavenly Dragon."
"What do you want me to do...?"
White Goat looked at me, silent for a long time, then said, "After destroying the giant bell and the display screens, lead everyone to hide and evade pursuit with all your might. Then head to these eight locations. Remember, you must arrive before dark."
White Goat took out a pre-drawn map and handed it to me. It showed the road conditions of the nearby area, with markings at certain spots labeled "Zi, Chou, Yin, Mao."
"This is...?"
"These are the locations of eight 'Zodiacs,'" White Goat said. "Spread everyone out near these eight individuals. When they finish work, enter the 'Train' together through the teleportation portals beside them."
"What?!"
No wonder... no wonder White Goat had said the first task was simple...
Yes, compared to the second task, the first one really was too simple...
"The 'Train'—isn't that where the 'Zodiacs' gather?! Can ordinary people enter?!"
I blurted out, probably the first time in my memory I'd lost my composure like this.
"Yes, 'Train' is full of 'Zodiacs,' but nobody said 'Participants' can't enter the 'Train,' because we all came from the 'Train' in the first place," White Goat said. "Entering the 'Train' is just the first step. There's a second step."
"Wait a minute... I still don't understand this 'first step' you're talking about..." I said to White Goat. "Why do we have to enter the 'Train' from these eight locations?"
"Because these eight 'Zodiacs' will most likely not attack you," White Goat said. "They are like you—they are 'our people.'"
"I still don't quite understand... If they're 'our people,' wouldn't one be enough?" I voiced the question in my mind. "If I spread all my people across eight locations, not only can we not support each other, we might also get taken out one by one. So why do you want my people so scattered...? If we enter the 'Train' from places so far apart, we won't be able to regroup on the 'Train' immediately, right?"
"To be honest, it's embarrassing," White Goat shook his head. "Because I can't be sure which of these eight people isn't 'one of us.'"
"What...?"
"Yan Zhichun, to tell you the truth." White Goat raised his cold eyes to look at me. "Among eight people who should be our own, one is a fake. That means seven 'Gates of Life' and one 'Gate of Death.' The purpose of dispersing your team is ultimately to ensure the survival of as many people as possible. If you wait at just one 'gate,' and you bet wrong... the whole force will be wiped out."