Chapter 966: See Through
"Lying...?" Earth-Ox said expressionlessly. "Where did I lie?"
"‘Counterpart Kill’... How ridiculous?" Black-Goat snorted coldly. "If Brother Goat had come up with that plan, I'd break one of my own hands today."
"Quite confident, aren't you." Earth-Ox sighed. "You can tell I'm lying just from a ‘Counterpart Kill’?"
"Money-Losing Tiger's counterpart is ‘Heaven-Tiger’. How could Brother Goat possibly send Money-Losing Tiger to kill a child?" Black-Goat said through gritted teeth. "Isn't that just sending him straight to his death? In my eyes, Money-Losing Tiger could die at any moment, but I will never allow him to die under such a ridiculous lie. If you dare to scheme against him, I won't hesitate to cripple you right now."
Earth-Chicken remained silent, slowly taking a step back. She too wanted to figure out what Earth-Ox was really up to. For now, all she could do was stand by and watch.
"Isn't calling him a ‘child’ a bit too harsh?" Earth-Ox replied. "Even if ‘Heaven-Tiger’ is a naked little brat, he's been in ‘Peach Blossom Spring’ for decades, just like us. How is he any different from an old monster?"
"The difference is his appearance," Black-Goat said. "That's Money-Losing Tiger's only weakness. Brother Goat knows his people well and uses them accordingly. Even though I can't figure out many of his strategies, such a reckless plan doesn't sound like something he'd propose. What exactly are you up to?"
"It seems you've misunderstood me." Earth-Ox shook his head and found a chair to sit down. "I'm just thinking about everyone. The arrows are already on the string. Only a bunch of ‘Heaven-level’ stand in our way. No matter what, we should deal with them first."
"Don't tell me what you think is ‘right’." Black-Goat continued. "Tell me Brother Goat's real plan. If you dare to use this plan to get Money-Losing Tiger killed, I will never forgive you for the rest of my life."
"This is Brother Goat's plan." Earth-Ox said again. "Believe it or not."
"I'll give you one more chance..." Black-Goat's expression grew colder. "If you dare to deceive me again with a lie like ‘Counterpart Kill’, be prepared for a fight."
As he spoke, Black-Goat unbuttoned his suit cuffs, rolled up his sleeves, and loosened his tie.
"Isn't this plan reasonable?" Earth-Ox frowned. "You should be grateful that I've freed you. After all, you don't have to kill ‘Heaven-Goat’. Your situation in this plan is relatively safe, unlike mine—I still have ‘Heaven-Ox’ to deal with."
Black-Goat smiled faintly. "I'm alone and powerless. There's not much I can do. I'll just take this chance to help Brother Goat pull out a rusty ‘needle’."
As soon as he finished speaking, Black-Goat vanished from where he stood. The air around him had no time to react before his figure shot forward.
But Earth-Ox was clearly no pushover. In the next second, he also disappeared from the chair. Their bodies collided, and a tremendous noise erupted instantly.
"Hey!" Earth-Chicken stepped forward nervously. "Black-Goat... I know you have many questions. Why not ask for the full story first?"
"Earth-Chicken, I know you're not involved in this matter," Black-Goat said. "If you really want to get to the bottom of it, let this fight decide first. On this ‘train’, trusting everyone will only make you suffer."
Earth-Ox snorted, pushed Black-Goat back with a hand, and said softly, "Black-Goat, don't think you have the advantage in a fight. I heard you used to paint fan faces, but I was an athlete."
"Doesn't matter," Black-Goat replied. "On this ‘train’, no ‘Goat’ is easy to mess with. You not only want to kill Money-Losing Tiger, but you also concoct a plan full of holes to insult Brother Goat. That makes me furious. Even if I can't kill you today, I won't let you off easy."
Ignoring Earth-Chicken's advice entirely, the two clashed again in an instant.
This fight was clearly different from the usual brawls in Earth-Tiger's room. Both seemed intent on killing each other. Every punch and kick sent out bursts of loud noise, and the wooden floor and door looked like they might shatter at any moment.
"Annoying..." Earth-Chicken muttered with a frown. "What now? Suddenly changing your story like this... Now we've got trouble..."
She could only position herself at the door, hoping the others had grown accustomed to such fights over the past few days. If they alerted ‘Earth-Dragon’, the consequences would be dire.
...
Earth-Rat dragged Lying-Dog back to his room. He first poked his head out the door to make sure no one was following, then waved his hand to dismiss the few students inside.
"What the hell is going on...?" Lying-Dog waited until Earth-Rat's students had left before cautiously asking, "Is that Earth-Ox really suspicious?"
"Dog Boss..." Earth-Rat closed the door and whispered, "Did you eat shit or something? You were about to admit you have the ‘Echo’ with you back there?"
"I..." Lying-Dog found the couch in Earth-Rat's room, adjusted himself to an extremely comfortable position, and slowly lay down. "What's wrong with that? We're at such a critical moment. What's the point of hiding it anymore?"
"We've only met that Ox Boss for the first time," Earth-Rat said cautiously. "Without a care, you laid all your cards on the table. Do you really think the ‘Counterpart Kill’ plan is feasible?"
"Is there a better way?" Lying-Dog asked in confusion. "You and I are both here to kill our own superiors, aren't we? Only when they're dead can you and I become ‘Heaven-level’."
"That's exactly the problem. That ox is using that very point..." Earth-Rat pulled up a chair. "If ‘Counterpart Kill’ could actually succeed... would we have needed to go through all this trouble to board Brother Goat's ship? Heaven-Snake can read your thoughts, Heaven-Dog can hear your movements, Heaven-Rat can smell your killing intent. Each of them has extremely strong self-defense abilities... How are we supposed to beat these monsters with just our fists?"
"So you're saying..." Lying-Dog narrowed his eyes. "That Earth-Ox is lying?"
"Exactly," Earth-Rat said. "Dog Boss, please eat something nutritious and take care of your brain. You were the one who brought me onto this ship. Saving your life once settles the score between us. Don't be this stupid again."
"But I don't understand..." Lying-Dog continued. "What's the purpose of her lie? If she's on ‘Heaven-Dragon's’ side, having evidence of our rebellion would be enough to kill us a hundred times over. Why come up with a lie to send us to our deaths instead?"
"Humble as I am... I have a bold guess." Earth-Rat turned to Lying-Dog. "Dog Boss, that ox probably isn't on ‘Heaven-Dragon's’ side, but she has her own agenda."
"What...?"
"Brother Goat's plan should have already started by now," Earth-Rat said. "Including me, you shouldn't trust anyone present anymore. The reason Earth-Ox wants everyone to create chaos is so she can carry out her own plan in the confusion."