Chapter 1201: Reinforcements?
Azure Dragon reached out and lightly tapped the table, feeling that something was off about the current situation.
Nothing had happened... so why did he have this uneasy premonition?
He had been walking through the "Peachland" for so long, yet he had never felt this way before.
It was as if he were waiting to die.
Chaotic thoughts and restless agitation made him fidget in his seat.
He turned his head and caught sight of Tian Snake and Tian Dog sitting at the same round table, and immediately felt a surge of irritation.
"Everyone else is busy with their own affairs... and you two are just idling around?" Azure Dragon said coldly.
"Huh?" Tian Snake looked up, about to say something, but then caught a glimpse of Azure Dragon's eyes and quickly lowered his head in fear. "B-but there are no 'research projects' at the moment..."
"No projects?" Azure Dragon frowned. "Is the Giant Bell reconstruction complete? Have you found a replacement for Black Tortoise yet?"
"Well..." Tian Snake said timidly, "It's getting a bit late today... I was thinking I'd start after dawn tomorrow..."
"Tomorrow is the tenth day," Azure Dragon said. "The Heavenly Dragon will be waking up. Do you think you'll still have time to prepare research?"
Tian Snake had almost forgotten about that. He quickly stood up. "Yes... I'm sorry. I'll go find a suitable candidate right away."
Once Tian Snake left the room, Azure Dragon turned his gaze to Tian Dog.
Tian Dog didn't know what Azure Dragon wanted to say, so he just lowered his head and remained silent.
"You should leave too. Let me have some peace and quiet," Azure Dragon said. "If there's news, come find me in this room."
"I... alright." Tian Dog nodded, then shifted his bulky body to stand up. Just as he was about to step out the door, he was called back again.
"Is there really nothing unusual going on down below?" Azure Dragon asked.
"Unusual... no." Tian Dog shook his head. "Someone just broke the rules, Vermilion Bird went to handle it. It's done now."
Azure Dragon stared into Tian Dog's eyes for a long time, then finally let out a sinister smile. "Tian Dog, if you dare lie to me... you know what will happen."
Tian Dog shuddered all over, then glanced at the head in the center of the table.
That head of Tian Pig had been sitting there all night, the bloodstains on the face already dried and clinging to the skin.
"Yes..." Tian Dog gritted his teeth and nodded. "Everything I said is true..."
When Tian Dog also left the room, Azure Dragon slowly closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair.
What exactly is going on...?
After walking out of the "Cangjie Chess" venue, why did everything suddenly feel different?
What really happened in that game?
...
"Brother!" Old Sun waved at Earth Tiger from the corridor of the "Train." "Since I'm already on board, I've got to go! I can't be causing my brother any more trouble today!"
"Come on! Are you not giving your little brother face?" Earth Tiger grabbed Old Sun's arm. "Since you're here, come over to my place for a bit!"
"Really can't, brother. I came empty-handed!" Old Sun waved his hands repeatedly. "Who shows up at someone's place for the first time without bringing anything?"
"Are you being distant with your little brother?!"
Monkey-Human watched the two making a ruckus, stepped forward, and said quietly, "Teacher, you're being too loud. You'll attract the other 'Zodiacs.'"
"Ah...?" Earth Tiger paused, then lowered his voice and said to Old Sun, "Give your little brother some face. Come over to my place. I've got wine. We brothers can have a couple of bottles."
"Even with wine, I wouldn't..." Old Sun hesitated for a moment. "If there's wine, then..."
"Old Sun..." one of the "Jidao" couldn't stand it anymore. "We still have a mission."
"Oh, right!" Old Sun quickly looked at Earth Tiger and asked, "Brother, we've got official business. Where's the 'cargo hold'?"
"Cargo hold...?"
"Black Sheep will do too!" Old Sun said. "Do you have a Black Sheep here?"
...
Earth Pig led the members of the "Cat" team out through the door behind them, then looked around. The corridor was temporarily empty, the only figures visible at least a hundred meters away.
"This is way too damn thrilling..." Luo Shiyi said. "We actually made it up...?"
"Be careful," Earth Pig said. "Every step we take now carries a chance of death. I'll take you straight to hide in my room and try not to alert anyone."
"So how are your relationships usually?" Luo Shiyi asked. "If we run into other 'Zodiacs'... would they turn a blind eye?"
"My relationships..." Earth Pig paused. "Terrible."
"Huh?"
Earth Pig knew that he had always been arrogant and ruthless in his dealings. He suspected many of the "Zodiacs" were just waiting for him to die.
In the past, his vicious methods kept others from daring to provoke him. But now that he had lost his "Brute Force," he was nothing but an ordinary person. In this state, leading a group of "Participants" around so conspicuously was naturally dangerous.
"Feisty woman." Earth Pig turned to look at Weekend. "You're a 'Telepath,' right? Why don't you ask what's happening elsewhere?"
"Yeah." Weekend nodded, then closed her eyes.
She had never tried telepathy on the "Train" before, so she was inevitably a bit nervous.
But after a few attempts, she gradually realized something was wrong.
No matter what information she tried to send to the other side, it was like tossing a stone into a deep well—no echo came back.
"Hmm, strange... My 'Echo' seems to..."
She turned to look at Qian Wu, Bai Jiu, and Luo Shiyi.
"Can any of you control your 'Echo'?"
The three of them lowered their heads and tried to adjust their beliefs, only to find that there seemed to be a river between them and their "Echo," completely out of reach.
"It's fine." Earth Pig tried to reassure them. "That's how it always is at first."
"By the way," Weekend said, "You also have an 'Echo.' How do you do it?"
"I don't know," Earth Pig answered honestly. "I always thought I hadn't successfully brought my 'Echo' onto the 'Train,' so for a long time, I didn't pay it any attention. Then one day, when I almost forgot I even had an 'Echo' with me, it just appeared out of nowhere."
Earth Pig's answer only made the others more confused.
"Hmm, but we don't have that much time," Weekend said. "Isn't there some simple, straightforward method? If I can't use my 'Echo'... the situation will be worse than I imagined."
Bai Jiu thought for a few seconds, then reached up and touched her ponytail. "If you forget... will it appear?"
"Xiao Jiu, do you have any idea?" Weekend asked.
"Not yet..." Bai Jiu said. "Maybe I'll think of something later."
"Let's go," Earth Pig said. "Let's just hope we don't run into any 'Zodiacs' along the way. My room is far from here—more than a hundred and fifty doors away."
The group carefully walked a few steps, then suddenly heard footsteps behind them.
They turned around to see a group of unfamiliar "Participants" emerging from the door they had just come through.