Chapter 1245: The Two-Way Door
Yan Zhichun had long heard White Goat mention a similar situation. This Black Goat would stop at nothing to take Celestial Ox's life, and when the time came, he would not hesitate to use the bodies of the "Ultimate Path" members as weapons to hurl at the Celestial Ox.
Although the "Ultimate Path" members were doomed to die here eventually, this manner of death was unacceptable to many.
Since the mission had to be completed no matter what, they could only adjust their thinking.
"I'll go first," Yan Zhichun said.
The "Ultimate Path" members all looked at her. Not only did they not want to go first themselves, they also didn't want Yan Zhichun to go first.
Once Yan Zhichun died, the "Ultimate Path" would be as leaderless as a dragon without a head, making the situation even more difficult than it already was.
"I object," Jiang Ruoxue said. "Zhichun, you go stand aside. I'll go first."
"You—" Yan Zhichun turned back angrily and said in a low voice, "This is not the time for nonsense. Only if I go first will the others follow me."
"I don't agree," Jiang Ruoxue said with slight irritation. "If you go first, I'll turn around and leave. Deal with it yourself."
"Ruoxue!"
"Don't you want to keep an eye on the Black Goat?" Jiang Ruoxue continued in a low voice. "He's going last... Is he planning something? If we all enter the door, what if he locks it shut?"
Yan Zhichun paused slightly upon hearing this, feeling that Jiang Ruoxue's reasoning had some merit. White Goat had only said this Black Goat would "stop at nothing," but what exactly would his methods entail?
Send all the "Ultimate Path" members out as vanguard troops, using various "Echoes" to injure the Celestial Ox... and then have the Black Goat reap the benefits while they were exhausted?
"But—" Yan Zhichun wanted to refute further, but after careful thought, there really was no better option.
"It's settled then, little sister," Old Sun also waved his hand and said. "Xiao Jiang and I will go in together. If anything happens, I can look after you. You're responsible for covering our rear."
Yan Zhichun thought for a few seconds, then finally nodded.
Dozens of people lined up, led by Old Sun and Jiang Ruoxue, and immediately entered the seemingly bottomless staircase.
Meanwhile, the Black Goat stood by indifferently, coldly watching the crowd. Yan Zhichun could read nothing from his expression.
Although she had spent seven years with White Goat, she still couldn't read any information from a goat's face.
"It's hard for us to be open with each other, isn't it?" the Black Goat asked softly, staring at Yan Zhichun.
"The reason we can appear here together is all because of White Goat, isn't it?" Yan Zhichun said. "I don't know you, yet I'm willing to bring my people to fight alongside you, solely out of trust in White Goat, not you."
"Same for me," the Black Goat nodded. "Not to mention ordinary 'participants' like you. Even among fellow students of Brother Goat, if I have to fight, I will fight; if I have to kill, I will kill."
Yan Zhichun stared into the Black Goat's eyes and changed the subject: "So why do you want to be the last one through the door? Don't tell me you're really counting on these so-called 'ordinary participants' to intimidate the Celestial Ox?"
"Not entirely," the Black Goat replied. "Having the Celestial Ox kill a few people can indeed consume some of her conviction, but these 'participants' are nothing to her. If she wants to kill you, she might not even use 'Immortal Techniques'."
"So what's your plan?" Yan Zhichun looked at the advancing crowd; only a small portion remained.
"I'm worried about 'moles'," the Black Goat said truthfully. "I don't know if it's my imagination, but from what I can see, the 'allies' in your team don't seem familiar with each other. Throughout our journey, hardly anyone has spoken to one another... Do they really know each other?"
"Your intuition is correct," Yan Zhichun nodded. "Many people in this organization don't know each other. This is an 'isolated organization' built by 'isolated people'."
"Good... That means even if a 'mole' has infiltrated the team, you as the leader have no way to identify them, correct?" the Black Goat asked again.
"Yes, but I feel this concern is a bit unnecessary."
"How so?"
Yan Zhichun sighed. "Ever since I started gathering these people, every step we take is deadly. To act as a mole in such an organization is equivalent to signing one's own death warrant. I can't see what purpose it would serve."
"That's a fair point," the Black Goat nodded. "But I can only be as careful as possible."
"So what kind of 'carefulness' is standing at the back?" Yan Zhichun said. "Once everyone enters the door, will you be able to tell who the 'mole' is?"
"If there isn't one, that's best," the Black Goat said. "What I'm worried about is someone closing this door early, leaving us isolated and unable to retreat."
"What...? Unable to retreat...?"
The Black Goat turned his head, fixing his bright yellow eyes on Yan Zhichun, and said seriously, "This door only leads to the 'Cargo Hold' when the Celestial Ox opens it, or when the Celestial Ox is inside it."
What the Black Goat said exceeded Yan Zhichun's expectations, yet she felt this situation was familiar.
Different people opening the same door could lead to different places. Like in "Cangjie Chess."
"Conversely... only if the Celestial Ox is inside it, or if the Celestial Ox personally opens it, will this door allow us to return to the 'Train'."
Yan Zhichun quickly thought about the current situation and felt a fatal problem: "What if... the Celestial Ox dies inside... can we still return?"
"I can't say," the Black Goat shook his head. "No one has ever experienced this situation."
"Wouldn't that be too risky...?" Yan Zhichun said. "We might end up wandering in another space forever after killing the Celestial Ox."
"'Space'." The Black Goat nodded. "As expected of Brother Goat's acquaintance. You understood this complex issue so quickly."
Yan Zhichun knew that understanding this issue had nothing to do with her acquaintance with White Goat; it was due to her hard-won experience in "Cangjie Chess."
"Now that you understand the principle of 'space,' this matter becomes simple," the Black Goat said. "My suggestion is that you stay here and block the door with your body, preventing it from closing and also keeping others from approaching."
"Huh...?"
"That way, even if we kill the Celestial Ox downstairs, we can still return the same way," the Black Goat said. "At least that's what Brother Goat instructed. Since he couldn't predict what would happen if the Celestial Ox died inside, he told me to plan ahead as much as possible."
"Me... stay here?"
Yan Zhichun hadn't expected the Black Goat's final strategy to involve leaving someone behind, and even less did she expect that person to be herself.
"To be honest, there are only two people in this mission that I can trust," the Black Goat said. "Either me or you. Everyone else could be a 'mole' or under threat from other 'Zodiacs'."