Chapter 929: The Blind Man's Lamp
“A ‘Magician’ man-monkey…?” Yan Zhichun asked with some confusion.
“Yes, the Magician.” Zheng Yingxiong nodded. “You do know him, after all—he’s friends with ‘Cause and Effect.’”
“Why do you talk so strangely, kid…?” Yan Zhichun looked at Zheng Yingxiong with puzzlement. “What do you mean by ‘Cause and Effect’…?”
“I don’t need to know your names,” Zheng Yingxiong said again. “For example, the moment I met you, I knew you were ‘Heart Snatcher.’ This ability of mine should be useful to you. You really will need me.”
Yan Zhichun paused briefly after hearing this. She felt that the boy before her truly had some skill.
Even though she really was the Heart Snatcher, her mastery over her Echo was so refined that even the Great Bell couldn’t identify her. Yet she never expected to be seen through so easily by this little boy.
A faint, barely perceptible spark of inspiration flashed through Yan Zhichun’s mind. She quickly lowered her head and asked:
“Little brother, how did you find out what our Echoes are?”
“I can smell the scent on you.” Zheng Yingxiong said. “Everyone has their own unique scent, and what you call ‘Echoes’ also have corresponding names. Distinguishing each person’s scent is my ability.”
Zheng Yingxiong was introducing himself to Yan Zhichun in an almost interview-like torrent of words.
After listening, Yan Zhichun slowly narrowed her eyes. Identifying someone’s Echo by the scent on them—she had never heard of such a bizarre ability. But looking at it now… wasn’t this ability just what they needed?
She then turned her head to glance at Jiang Ruoxue, as if wanting to say something, but Jiang Ruoxue didn’t understand.
“Uh… that look…” Jiang Ruoxue was taken aback. “Zhichun… you want to take in this kid…? At a time like this…?”
“Yes…” Yan Zhichun said. “Although joining the Jidao right now is no different from committing suicide… but when you’re going to kill yourself, you still pick a comfortable tool, right?”
Jiang Ruoxue frowned and pondered for a moment, then spoke: “Zhichun, I’m not trying to deny you, but can you tell me… what exactly is it we’re supposed to do when all the Jidao gather?”
“We…” Yan Zhichun faltered for a moment after hearing that.
“Why would we need a little boy who can identify Echo types to join us?” Jiang Ruoxue asked again.
Yan Zhichun was silent for a long time, but still didn’t say, “We want to destroy the Great Bell and the display screens.”
After all, according to what Aries had said back in the Silence, if the higher-ups learned of this plan, someone would definitely step in to stop it. Since the display screens and the Great Bell also benefited the higher-ups, they would never allow such a thing to happen.
Even though Qi Xia had said Azure Dragon was already on his side, she still didn’t dare to gamble on it.
Azure Dragon might stand with Qi Xia, but would he stand with the Jidao?
Even if Azure Dragon could guarantee Qi Xia’s safety, that didn’t mean he would guarantee the safety of all Jidao members.
If the plan went wrong, everyone close to her—whether Jiang Ruoxue, Zhou Mo, Old Sun, or Aunt Tong—would die.
This bet was too hard to place.
After all, Yan Zhichun had met Azure Dragon once. That madman, no matter how you looked at him, didn’t seem like someone who could be reasoned with… He would make decisions on a whim based on his own preferences.
“I can’t say.” Yan Zhichun replied. “Ruoxue… but I really do have my own considerations. The entire Jidao is about to become deaf and blind. This child will be the ‘lamp’ for all of us. This is exactly the ‘trolley problem’… If he comes, we might live, but he himself will die. What would you choose?”
Jiang Ruoxue was silent for a while, then looked at Zheng Yingxiong.
Yan Zhichun also knew that this situation was fraught with danger, so she bent down, placed both hands on Zheng Yingxiong’s shoulders, and said: “Kid, I need to explain the situation to you in advance. If you still want to join the Jidao after hearing it out, then I’ll respect your choice.”
“No need to explain the situation.” Zheng Yingxiong shook his head. “The worst case here is just disappearing. I’ve been ready for that for many years already.”
“You…”
“Heart Snatcher,” Zheng Yingxiong called out. “I saw you go into Qi Xia’s room just now… Is this organization connected to him?”
Yan Zhichun didn’t answer. She just looked at Zheng Yingxiong with a deep gaze, as if pondering something.
“Your scent tells me I guessed right.” Zheng Yingxiong continued. “You might not know how determined I am. He is your ‘master,’ and he is also the ‘master’ I have acknowledged. I am willing to bow to him and carry out his plans. Even if I die on this road, it doesn’t matter. Even if this place is already so wretched, I still have people I must save, and I have a ‘paradise’ I yearn for.”
Yan Zhichun blinked after hearing this. Then she turned her head to look at Jiang Ruoxue and said, “Is this kid always like this?”
“Don’t call me ‘kid.’” Zheng Yingxiong said. “I am a hero. I will protect everyone.”
This brief self-introduction made Yan Zhichun not know whether to laugh or cry.
“Zhichun, he’s more mature than you think. Because he’s a ‘Seed’ from Jade City,” Jiang Ruoxue said. “He has experienced despair that none of us have ever gone through.”
Hearing the words “Seed,” Yan Zhichun understood something.
“No wonder the man-monkey said that to you… After all, you carry the hope of an entire city.” Yan Zhichun nodded, then said seriously, “Kid, what is your ‘ultimate goal’?”
“My ultimate goal is to liberate this ‘prison,’” he said. “If possible, I want to let everyone return to the normal world. No matter what kind of people they are… I don’t want them to suffer here any longer. For this goal, many people around me stayed behind, but they used their last strength to push me out. So I am destined to die on the road forward.”
“Good…” Yan Zhichun nodded. “Now you are part of the Jidao. Our goal is to protect this place. The recognition code is ‘Long live the Jidao.’ Normally, you would need to use the code to identify yourself to other members, but that’s not necessary now. You’ll see them soon.”
Zheng Yingxiong looked at Yan Zhichun, was silent for a long time, then slowly said, “Okay.”
Just as Yan Zhichun was about to end the conversation, she seemed to think of something else and asked, “Hero, you said your memory has been preserved for a long time… How long exactly?”
“Over ten years,” Zheng Yingxiong said. “But I can’t remember the exact number. At first, I had no concept of time, so I didn’t keep an accurate count.”
Hearing this answer, Yan Zhichun frowned and asked, “Then… do you remember things from about twelve years ago?”