Chapter 990: The Train is Ready
Tianniu was about to exit the door when a red light pierced her eyes, forcing them shut.
Although the door was closed, she felt as if something had barged in.
Qinglong's expression darkened. He turned to look behind him and found that the same red light was seeping out from beneath the door to Tianlong's room. It was as if the entire group was being surrounded by this crimson glow.
"How could this be..."
"Who's playing tricks...?" Tianniu shouted coldly, stepping forward to open the door.
But Qinglong, a look of terror on his face, leaped forward and grabbed Tianniu with immense force.
Tianniu wanted to ask something, but this was the first time she had seen Qinglong with such an expression, so she swallowed her words.
The many "Heavenly rank" individuals in the room seemed to sense that something was wrong. Having been on this "Train" for so long, they had never witnessed a scene like this.
The red light continued to seep into the room, as if a great fire were raging just outside the door.
They rose to their feet one by one, distinctly aware that some living thing was behind both doors—something that sounded like it was both clamoring and wailing.
Even though everyone present was of the "Heavenly rank," they still feared certain unknown things.
After a few seconds, Tianniu began to roll up her sleeves, revealing her muscular forearms.
Worst-case scenario... could it be that the "Train" had been invaded?
It was understandable if the door to the "Earthly rank" area had been breached, but why was there also a strange noise coming from Tianlong's room?
No one could open the door to Tianlong's room; only Qinglong's "Teleportation" could cross that threshold. How could anyone have invaded Tianlong's room?
"Why won't you open it...?" Tianniu couldn't help but ask quietly. "What's out there?"
Qinglong didn't answer. He just stared at the red light with wide eyes until, after a full minute, the light faded completely. Only then did he breathe a slight sigh of relief.
"How could this be..." Qinglong's previous manic expression changed, and his eyes now held a hint of panic.
He slowly reached out, placing his hand on the doorknob. After a long pause, he finally opened the door a crack.
Only after confirming there was nothing outside did he open the door fully. The familiar corridor lay before him.
The hallway was completely empty.
"Bastard..." Qinglong's expression gradually shifted from panic to anger, as if he had been betrayed. "Tianlong... you damned murderer..."
The many "Heavenly rank" individuals, not knowing what had happened, looked at each other in bewilderment.
In that instant just now, the door had seemed as if it could lead to another place. But what could have caused this?
"The 'Train' just moved..." Qinglong said through gritted teeth. "Tianlong... you've been pulling strings behind the scenes all along... you've been making a fool out of me..."
Before the many "Heavenly rank" individuals could understand what was happening, Qinglong vanished on the spot.
Seeing this, Tianniu frowned. Choosing to ignore this madman, she quickly hurried towards the "Cargo Hold."
The next second, Qinglong appeared in Tianlong's room.
In a few swift movements, he was before the sleeping Tianlong, his expression burning with rage.
"The 'Train' can actually be started...?" Qinglong roared. "You had it ready all along? You were planning to leave by yourself...?!"
Tianlong rested his cheek lightly on his hand, his breathing steady.
"Bastard..."
Qinglong reached out and grabbed Tianlong by the throat, but at the same moment, five finger marks instantly appeared on his own neck.
"I was too merciful... I thought I still had plenty of time to figure out how to kill you..." Qinglong said, struggling to breathe. "But I never expected you to pretend you wanted to kill me, when in reality you were planning to 'flee'..."
The tighter he gripped Tianlong's throat, the harder it became for him to breathe.
And at that moment, Tianlong's brow furrowed.
"Aren't you, 'Tianlong,' the 'Zodiac'? Why can you 'desert'? You don't even follow the rules you set yourself..." Qinglong said through clenched teeth. "You even hid from me that the 'Train' was ready... You really deserve to die..."
After a few seconds, Qinglong released his hand, and the frown on Tianlong's brow relaxed.
Qinglong bent over, breathing heavily for a moment, then let out a bitter laugh. "You've never been willing to tell me how to control the 'Train'... so this is your trump card, isn't it? You don't want to kill me, and you don't want to rule here again. Instead, you want to run... Ha... Haha..."
Tianlong slept peacefully, but the more Qinglong looked at his expression, the more he felt Tianlong was laughing at him.
"Yes... escape from here... then you don't have to worry about the 'Twin Flowers' anymore..." Qinglong shook his head. "Lucky for me... if it hadn't been for all the 'doors' shaking this time, I really would have been fooled by you."
After speaking, Qinglong turned his head to look back at the great tree.
"It doesn't matter anymore... I really want to know which of us is right. You want to go to the 'New World,' and I will build the 'Old World.' I still firmly believe that the root of everything is those 'people' who are like livestock."
He calmed his emotions and walked to the door once more.
"Just wait and see, Tianlong. When you die, be sure to tell me... I don't want to be buried with you... Let this tangled life of ours end right here."
...
After being stopped by Dilong, Qixia was silent for a few seconds. Finally, he wrote a name on the display screen that was within reason yet unexpected.
"Han Yimo."
"Qixia..." Chutianqiu gave a light laugh upon seeing this. "What does this mean...?"
"What's the matter?"
"Wen Qiaoyun is still outside," Chutianqiu reminded him. "Isn't she an option for you?"
"Wen Qiaoyun?" Qixia shrugged. "Do you want me to bring her into the team?"
"It's not that I want it, but you should do it," Chutianqiu said. "If I want to know the gap between you and me, I have to let you hold my weakness. Now that 'Yan Zhichun' is in my hands, it would be fairer if you took 'Wen Qiaoyun.'"
"I think you've misunderstood something," Qixia said. "'Yan Zhichun' is not my weakness. Which team she's on doesn't matter. And as for 'Wen Qiaoyun'..."
Qixia chuckled softly and said in a low voice, "You want me to use 'Wen Qiaoyun' as a shield, forcing you to kill the person you love... How could something so ideal exist in this world?"
"What...?"
"Being coerced and acting willingly... the motivation derived from these two starting points is completely different," Qixia said. "Chutianqiu, at this critical juncture, you're still expecting me to help you... This is too disappointing. Think about it carefully... How should Wen Qiaoyun die?"
Chutianqiu closed his eyes slightly and took a deep breath, seeming to both understand Qixia's meaning and have made a certain decision.
A few seconds later, he opened his eyes and asked, "Qixia, 'Severance' is already in my hands. Even if you take 'Han Yimo,' what can you do?"
"This is the right state of mind..." Qixia smiled upon hearing this question. "But... you have 'Severance,' so why can't I take 'Han Yimo'?"
"I see..." Chutianqiu seemed to realize something. "What you want to use isn't Han Yimo's 'Seven Black Swords,' but 'Disaster Invitation.' A bold idea indeed."
Qixia gave an ambiguous shrug, signaling Dilong to open the door.