Chapter 1010: Next Stop
"Yes, brother." Jin Yuanxun said. "He seemed to be deliberately trying to sow discord. What do you think?"
"This is worth pondering." Chu Tianqiu raised a finger to touch his forehead. "Would Chen Junnan really use such a crude tactic right in front of several intelligent people?"
"Crude...?" Jin Yuanxun felt a bit confused.
Because in his eyes, this method was still quite clever, yet in Chu Tianqiu's view, it had become a crude tactic.
"Brother... maybe Chen Junnan is just that kind of person? His thinking is straightforward, without much purpose."
"No..." Chu Tianqiu frowned. "Chen Junnan is definitely not as carefree as he appears on the surface... He was able to stand in front of a group of people carrying many 'characters', clearly fully prepared. Besides, according to what you said... he started going after Doctor Zhao from the very beginning, which shows he had already figured out what to do."
"I don't understand... brother..." Jin Yuanxun said. "What exactly is he trying to do?"
Chu Tianqiu thought for a long time without speaking. He understood Chen Junnan, but he couldn't figure out the other's intentions.
Could it be...
"Deflect trouble elsewhere, advance secretly by stealth." Chu Tianqiu suddenly frowned. "This means there's a 'needle' in our group, but it's not Zhao Haibo."
"A 'needle'...?" Jin Yuanxun was taken aback.
"That's it... that makes sense." Chu Tianqiu slowly revealed a smile. "Using a clumsy tactic to cover up the truth that's easiest to overlook... that's something Chen Junnan would do. The more we dismiss and suspect his tactics, the more successful his tactics will be... because he's using Doctor Zhao, this 'fake needle', to speak the 'truth'."
"Brother! Does 'needle' mean 'spy'?" Jin Yuanxun asked again. "Do you know who it is...?"
"I can't say for sure." Chu Tianqiu frowned. "When two armies are at war, how could there not be 'spies'..."
Chu Tianqiu felt that everyone in the team except Jin Yuanxun could potentially turn against him, including Wen Qiaoyun.
This time, Wen Qiaoyun was created by Qixia using his own will. He couldn't be completely sure whether Wen Qiaoyun would have the same thoughts as back then, nor could he confirm whether Wen Qiaoyun would be willing to stand entirely on his side.
Add to that Yan Zhichun, a 'Jidao' who seemed to have a deep friendship with Qixia, Xu Liunian personally chosen by Qixia, and Zhang Shan who had always maintained a skeptical attitude towards him...
Anyone could be a 'needle' planted by the other side.
"It's hard to say now, but we'll know soon." Chu Tianqiu said. "The urgent matter is to get news from the 'front line'. Jin Yuanxun, you need to stand next to them and overhear what they're saying. Remember, don't let yourself be drawn into the game."
"But won't you be in great danger...?" Jin Yuanxun asked again. "Brother, don't you need me here to protect you?"
"Don't worry." Chu Tianqiu said. "If I'm not mistaken, the other side also has our 'needle'. Both 'commanders' are equally at risk. It's just a pity that the opposing team is too stable, so this 'needle' stands out conspicuously and will be exposed early."
"Alright... in that case..." Jin Yuanxun said. "I'll go take a look at the 'front line'. I'll make sure the 'character' is safe."
"Good." Chu Tianqiu said. "Also... you need to study how to 'Echo' in this place."
"I understand."
...
Qinglong sat cross-legged on a pure black floor tile, his face heavy as he propped up his chin with his hand.
Dilong stood one step behind Qinglong, not daring to say a word.
"Were you always... this silent of a person?" Qinglong asked.
"Huh...?"
Dilong's voice was very soft, because she felt Qinglong seemed to be talking to himself.
"Where do you want to go after this game?" Qinglong looked down and asked softly.
Dilong wasn't sure if Qinglong was talking to her, so she could only whisper back, "Are you speaking to me...?"
"Who else?"
"Ah... I..." Dilong quickly replied, "After this game, I'll probably go inspect the rooms to see if any of the 'Earthly rank' have been hiding contraband in their rooms lately... Also, I received a few contract applications that might need to go to 'Tianlong'..."
Dilong felt like she had said something wrong, and her voice grew softer.
And Qinglong just stared downwards in silence.
"Qinglong... why did you suddenly ask that?" Dilong asked.
"I've known for a long time that you're one of Qixia's people." Qinglong said. "'Tianlong' too."
Upon hearing this, Dilong's expression changed, and she involuntarily took half a step back.
"But I'm really curious." Qinglong continued. "After all of you finish doing all this... where exactly are you going to go?"
"I..." Dilong only felt her heartbeat instantly quicken, and her mind gradually went blank.
She didn't understand what Qinglong's question meant, nor did she ever recall Qinglong showing such an expression.
He looked both dangerous and desolate.
"Assuming the best-case scenario..." Qinglong said expressionlessly. "All the 'Heavenly rank' are killed, the 'Divine Beasts' are killed, even if all the 'Zodiacs' are killed... what difference does it make?"
Dilong was silent for a long time before slowly saying, "I... don't know."
"By the way, did you know?" Qinglong said again. "The 'train' can't get out."
"What...?"
"The 'train' only has three stops total." Qinglong said. "Besides the 'Peach Blossom Land' stop, there are two pitch-black void spaces where nothing exists."
Dilong frowned upon hearing this, unable to judge the truth of his words.
"But strangely enough..." Qinglong continued. "Qixia seemed to have used some method to open a brand new 'platform'."
"You mean... that 'door' glowing with red light...?"
"Yes." Qinglong nodded. "When your game started this morning, luckily all the 'Zodiacs' had already left the 'train' to go to work... otherwise, if anyone had opened the door at that time, they would have gone straight to that eerie platform."
Qinglong sat on the ground, slowly turning his head, almost looking up at Dilong, and said softly, "Did you hear...? The sound coming from that 'door'."
"I... heard it." Dilong answered truthfully.
"What terrible wailing and howling... what an eerily deep red light..." Qinglong said. "If I'm not mistaken, if Qixia really masters the method to operate the 'train', he will take everyone to that blood-red world."
Hearing this, Dilong was momentarily stunned, feeling a chill in her back.
Because she clearly remembered Qixia saying that door led to a 'new world'.
"So I'm really not sure anymore." Qinglong said. "What exactly does Qixia want to do...? And where does he want to take all of you?"