Chapter 1171: Merely Fate
"Phew... Tiantian, I finally found you."
Yun Yao said as she walked in, "I was so worried... Are you okay?"
Tiantian was currently bandaging Qiao Jiajin's fists. The wounds on Qiao Jiajin's body were not only numerous but also extensive, and some were concentrated on his face, making the bandaging quite difficult.
"I..." Tiantian smiled when she saw Yun Yao and paused her movements, "I'm fine. It's dangerous outside. What did you come looking for me for?"
"Nothing much, I was just afraid you were being bullied." Yun Yao walked in and sat down as if she hadn't seen anyone else.
"Oh, the big star." Chen Junnan greeted as he turned back to Zhang Chenze, "Great lawyer, how about you let me do this myself? Little Master is really feeling a bit flustered."
"It's fine, you can't manage it yourself." Zhang Chenze shook her head and said, "Even though I'm not very good at bandaging, at least I can stop the bleeding."
"The idol girl's here." Qiao Jiajin laughed. "Don't worry, with us here, who would bully Sweet Girl?"
Yun Yao looked around the room, her gaze stopping on Qi Xia, who had just walked out from inside.
"Qi Xia... you're here too." Yun Yao looked at him with a complicated expression. "What are you all doing here?"
"Consider this a rest stop." Qi Xia said. "What's the situation outside like?"
"Outside... my god..." Yun Yao took a breath and said slowly, "When I left, the Giant Bell was destroyed. The White Tiger looked like he had gone mad, constantly clamoring to find the 'Clever Object.' The Black Tortoise also showed up at the time, but was lured away by a group of people in leather jackets."
"Good." Qi Xia nodded, confirming his speculation.
"Now the streets are truly in chaos..." Yun Yao said. "I'm a bit worried about tonight."
"How so?"
"This commotion can no longer be called a 'commotion.' Some people, for no apparent reason, started rushing into the streets, randomly attacking anyone to seize 'Dao.'" Yun Yao said. "They don't even know why everyone is gathered together, yet they start using violence indiscriminately, as if they are creating chaos for the sake of chaos itself..."
"Normal." Qi Xia said. "Many wars start as small-scale disturbances under the banner of 'justice.' When enough people get involved, the scope gradually expands, and the reasons become increasingly absurd."
"So you dare to stay in such a large building, swaggering around like this?" Yun Yao continued. "The violent acts should reach here soon. The dead of night in this situation is very dangerous."
"Don't worry, we won't be here when night falls." Qi Xia said.
"What...?"
"Yun Yao, what guided you here?" Qi Xia asked. "Was it 'Great Luck'?"
"Yes." Yun Yao nodded. "I tossed my lipstick and told myself, 'I want to go to the place I most want to go.' The lipstick guided me here."
"'The place you most want to go'..." Qi Xia suddenly understood the meaning behind all this.
"Whoa!" Chen Junnan laughed. "Big star, is Tiantian that important to you?"
"At least that's what the lipstick told me." Yun Yao replied. "I was really worried about Tiantian."
"Maybe what you truly wanted to go to was something else." Qi Xia pondered for a moment before saying, "Since fate has brought you here, you must have a role to play."
"Mm...?"
"Tonight, you'll come with us."
"Where exactly are you all going?"
"Come to think of it, I've never seriously brought this up to you all." Qi Xia said. "Now the entire 'Land of End' is in chaos. I doubt the 'Ears' are tuned into me either. It's time to give you a chance to choose."
Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin thought Qi Xia's words sounded a bit strange. At such a critical moment, was there still a need to choose?
But they quickly realized that Zhang Chenze, Tiantian, and Yun Yao were also in this room. Perhaps what he was about to say was meant for them.
"I've planned something big. The goal is to lead everyone out of the 'Land of End' and return to the place we should be living." Qi Xia said. "For me, the more people who join this plan, the better. After all, everyone present is an 'Echo,' and at some point, you might play a role."
"Lead everyone... out?" Yun Yao was stunned. She looked at Tiantian and Zhang Chenze beside her.
Although the two had never mentioned their lives back in reality, Yun Yao could tell from their eyes that they weren't eager to escape.
"I..." Zhang Chenze took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Qi Xia... 'return to the place we should be living'... does that mean..."
"Exactly what you're thinking." Qi Xia said.
Zhang Chenze's expression gradually turned troubled. After a moment, her brow furrowed, as if she was engaged in a complicated mental struggle.
After a long while, she spoke, "I... can accept it."
"Good." Qi Xia nodded. "You are an absolutely rational person, and I respect your choice."
"I want to face what I need to face." Zhang Chenze nodded. "I want to go back and try one more time. Maybe everything will turn out for the better."
"You will definitely succeed." Qi Xia nodded to Zhang Chenze, then looked at Tiantian. "And you?"
Tiantian's expression was calmer than anyone else's, as if she had never considered the feasibility of this plan from the start.
A few seconds later, she asked, "So where are we going tonight?"
"'The Train.'" Qi Xia replied. "The place where all the 'Zodiacs' gather."
"Can I die there?" Tiantian asked again.
"You..." Qi Xia had anticipated Tiantian would say that, but he had never figured out how to answer this question.
"Sis, what are you saying?" Chen Junnan said. "Is there anything that must be solved by dying?"
"I won't allow it." Yun Yao said. "Since it's come to this, if you can go out and see once... why do you insist on dying?"
"Going out or not doesn't matter to me." Tiantian shook her head. "I'm really different from Lawyer Zhang... She is willing to fight fate to the death, but my personality has decided that I can only resign myself to suffering. I can't go back out there."
"Even now?" Lawyer Zhang asked. "After going through all this, after witnessing so much life and death... do you still think you can't overcome such a small fate?"
"I..."
"I think Lawyer Girl is right." Qiao Jiajin nodded, taking the bandage from Tiantian and starting to wrap it around himself. "Sweet Girl, Liar said that 'Cangjie Chess' only succeeded because of you. Do you know who you've beaten? The opponents were all monsters."
Tiantian was taken aback, feeling as if she had been encouraged.
"You will succeed too." Qi Xia said. "It's merely 'fate.' I've spent decades doing all this just to tell myself that we can overcome 'fate.'"
"Qi Xia..." Tiantian looked up, her eyes complex as she gazed at him.
"If you've all made up your minds..." Qi Xia said, "rest here for now. Dusk is coming, and I will lead you to sneak onto 'The Train.'"