Chapter 1118: The Song of Obsession
The members of "Ultimate Path" had expected Xuanwu to team up with Baihu on the spot, but to their surprise, Xuanwu flew out instead, chasing after a few members of the "Cat" squad as they rapidly retreated.
"Brother Eleven!!"
Wu Shisan, who looked to be nearly fifty years old and was known for his ability to "Hover," ran frantically while shouting "brother" at the young Luo Shiyi. The scene was somewhat absurd.
"Speak!!"
"Is this really the right move, Brother Eleven?! A pitch-black Xuanwu is chasing us?!"
"Stop fucking talking!" Luo Shiyi shouted back. "Before, running into her meant death, but now it's even worse! Just run!"
"Can our strategy even work?!" Wu Shisan asked. "What about Xuanwu's back and eyes?! Goddammit... what about her weakness?!"
Luo Shiyi's face was naturally grim. Just moments ago, he'd been laughing about how the first link of the "Ultimate Path" mission had already resulted in casualties, and now they were being chased by a disheveled, cosmic horror.
This situation had become ridiculously absurd in an instant.
As he ran, Luo Shiyi glanced back at Xuanwu and saw her using "Teleport" repeatedly, rapidly closing the distance between them.
Each "Teleport" shot her forward several dozen meters, her long hair instantly pulled taut by the immense speed.
The sight made Luo Shiyi's hair stand on end.
"Brother Eleven!" Wu Shisan called out again. "It looks like we're fucking separated from Ninth Sister and the others!"
"We need to report Xuanwu's position to them, then strike first!" Luo Shiyi said. "Twelve, proceed with the plan. No one dies!"
Ma Shier, known for his "Shift" ability, nodded upon hearing this, then stopped running. He turned back and shouted loudly at Xuanwu: "Hey, Xuanwu, do you want to die?!"
Xuanwu halted in the distance, then replied: "I do."
"We want to kill you. Give us a chance!" Ma Shier continued.
"Kill me..." Xuanwu paused. "Yes, that's good—come kill me..."
Ma Shier immediately pulled a slender rod from his pocket, pulled the ring on one end, and used "Shift" to launch it at Xuanwu. Once again, Xuanwu made no move to dodge, letting the thing stick into her shoulder.
A few seconds later, bright red smoke burst from the rod—clearly a marker flare.
The crimson smoke rapidly rose into the sky within moments.
Xuanwu merely turned her head to look at her shoulder, showing no reaction.
"Brother Eleven! Marked!" Ma Shier turned and ran, catching up to Luo Shiyi.
"Sister Six!" Luo Shiyi called down. "Have everyone confirm their positions! It looks like the plan is finally fucking on track!"
"Tch!" Saturday's voice transmission quickly rang out. "Is it really 'on track'? That Xuanwu doesn't seem right to me!"
"We're past the point of 'right' now!" Luo Shiyi said. "Even 'Ultimate Path' ran into a huge mess. It's normal for us to have a few hiccups, isn't it?!"
"Tch!" Saturday had no choice. "I'll have the nearby standby members rendezvous with you. Remember, you need to provoke Xuanwu first, or you'll die quickly."
"She's already provoked! Hurry it up!" Luo Shiyi yelled, then continued running for his life.
They all knew that facing the old Xuanwu wouldn't have been this panicked—they could have just taunted her a few times and led her to the ambush site. But this Xuanwu could even swallow an entire tree into her body.
What the hell was she now?
"'Ultimate Path'... may the odds be ever in our favor," Luo Shiyi murmured.
...
Qin Dingdong stood panting at the doorway of a classroom in the "Heaven's Gate" school, struggling to calm herself.
She had no idea how this damned organization worked. A large group had left early in the morning, and now another batch had gone. The entire "Heaven's Gate" was almost empty—barely a living soul in sight.
She stood at the door, thinking for a moment, then impatiently pushed it open.
Wei Yang was leaning back on a chair inside, gazing at the sky with great interest.
Hearing the noise at the door, he turned to look at Qin Dingdong and immediately broke into a smile: "Yo, if it isn't my beloved apprentice...?"
"You..." Qin Dingdong's face darkened. "And here I was, making a long detour to the 'Farm'... only to find you weren't even there. You were at 'Heaven's Gate' the whole time. What are you trying to pull?"
"Oh?" Wei Yang raised an eyebrow casually, then stared into Qin Dingdong's eyes. "When the 'Heavenly Serpent Moment' came, I wanted to ask your senior brother a question. Unfortunately, the guy's grown his wings now—doesn't acknowledge me anymore. He just told me that 'Heaven's Gate' had enough resources for me to establish a new 'Farm,' so I came here."
"Qi Xia...?" Qin Dingdong paused. "Are you sure this place is better than the 'Farm'?"
"Who knows if your senior brother is deceiving his own master? Anyway, I can't see through those eyes of his."
"He never really saw you as a 'master' anyway. You just thought you appreciated talent and tried to take him as a disciple, only he was always stronger than you."
"What a perfect candidate for becoming a con artist." Wei Yang said with a look of regret. "Too bad—what a waste of good talent going down the straight and narrow."
"You..." Qin Dingdong shook her head, at a loss for words.
Wei Yang smirked, then looked back into Qin Dingdong's eyes. "What's the matter? Are you more anxious than I am?"
"Of course I'm anxious..." Qin Dingdong said. "Did you not hear that huge voice from the sky just now?"
"I can hear the voices in your heart, so why wouldn't I hear that person's voice?" Wei Yang slowly raised his head, a grin spreading across his dry, pale lips. "It's an old friend... it's 'Heavenly Ox.'"
"And you can still sit still?" Qin Dingdong pressed. "Old Wei, you told me before... that someone asked you to find a way to control the 'Natives' and lead them into battle at the critical moment. Isn't that this moment?"
"Unfortunately," Wei Yang shook his head. "I've been reading the hearts of the 'Natives' for too long. I've become one of them."
"So... you're not going?" Qin Dingdong asked again.
"I'm still thinking it over." Wei Yang said, his expression heavy. "Over the years, I've heard too many songs from the hearts of the 'Natives.' Even I've become somewhat addicted to them."
"Addicted...?"
"What they sing in their hearts is nothing but 'obsession.'" Wei Yang gave a bitter smile. "I've planted all those 'obsessions' into the ground and watered them with blood. But the 'obsessions' in their hearts never dissipate. Countless obsessions echo back into a song... and now I'm supposed to use those same obsessions to turn them into weapons again? I may be a con artist, but I'm not an animal."
Wei Yang turned to look at Qin Dingdong again, his clouded eyes flickering. "Life is already hard enough, isn't it?"
Qin Dingdong blinked, then let out a deep sigh. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but felt that even if she didn't speak, Wei Yang would hear it anyway. So she shook her head, turned, and left the room.