Chapter 1251: Methods
"The path to victory…?"
These few words instantly opened up Yan Zhichun's train of thought. She had never imagined that a name like "Tracking" could produce the effect of "Karma."
If this line of thinking was correct… then "Sound Transmission" could also be used to send messages to one's future self, and "Reach into the Bag" could directly steal the fruits of victory. It seemed that only by being truly unhinged could one actually touch the essence of "Echoes."
"Just watch."
The old man gently pinched Yan Zhichun's long strand of hair. The strand then moved like a small snake in his hand.
In the distance, the collision between the Black Sheep and the Longhorn Beetle continued to produce thunderous sounds. The two of them seemed like street performers in this empty square, putting on a vigorous show while everyone around held their breath to watch. But this performance would draw no cheers, and no one would leave.
Gradually, some members of the "Extreme Path" began attempting to direct their "Echoes" toward what they believed to be the Longhorn Beetle's position. But all those "Echoes" fell into a deep ocean, receiving no response whatsoever.
Yan Zhichun stared at the strand of hair in the old man's hand. After twisting for a moment, it stiffened like a hook, pointing rigidly in a specific direction.
She followed the direction indicated by the tip of the hair. It wasn't pointing at the Black Sheep or the Longhorn Beetle, but at some strange corner of the square.
If one had to say what was in that corner, there was only an "Ant."
"Do you see it, young lady?" the old man said. "This is the 'path to victory.'"
Naturally, Yan Zhichun was skeptical of this claim. If the strand of hair was pointing at an "Ant," that didn't seem like the path to victory she had in mind. Rather, it seemed to be something the old man subconsciously wanted.
Seeing Yan Zhichun's hesitation, the old man's expression gradually turned sour. "You don't believe me…?"
"I…" Yan Zhichun didn't know how to answer.
"Even if you knew the Longhorn Beetle's location, what then?" the old man continued. "You know where it is now, don't you?"
He reached out with his mud-covered finger and pointed toward the Black Sheep. "We all know she's over there. How do we kill her?"
Yan Zhichun followed his finger and looked over, her expression heavy. Yes, everyone knew the Longhorn Beetle was right there, but they still couldn't gain an advantage through numbers or "Echoes."
When the members of the "Extreme Path" would die depended entirely on how long the Black Sheep could hold out.
It was merely a long, helpless wait for death.
"Perhaps I have no choice but to believe you," Yan Zhichun said, turning her gaze back to the "Ant" that the strand of hair was pointing at. "If you employ someone, don't doubt them; if you doubt them, don't employ them. I'll go now and see what's so strange about that 'Ant.'"
Just as she was about to leave, the old man grabbed her again and said, "What about the 'secret' you promised me?"
"My 'secret'…" Yan Zhichun paused before answering. "All I can say is that a 'Faceless One' in my memories was created by a certain 'Zodiac.'"
"A 'Zodiac'… created a 'Faceless One'?" The old man's entire expression shifted upon hearing this. The wrinkles on his face seemed to smooth out as if he had heard something utterly astonishing. "Then that 'Zodiac' would be a creator…?"
"If we survive this, I can tell you the story of that 'Zodiac' in detail." Yan Zhichun paused again. "It might be a very long story."
With that, Yan Zhichun bent down, stood up, and began walking toward the direction of that "Ant," leaving the old man standing there dumbfounded.
The Black Sheep had taken six attacks from the Longhorn Beetle in succession. Although his arms ached fiercely, he never felt any real threat.
Of those six attacks, three came from directly in front, and three from an oblique angle above.
Would a normal person have three out of only six attacks coming from above?
If it wasn't a preference for jumping, there was only one answer.
The Black Sheep rubbed his arms and muttered softly, "'Concealment,' 'Amplification,' 'Levitation.' Longhorn Beetle, I've seen through you. These three abilities aren't enough to kill me."
He didn't seem to be speaking to anyone in particular, but after his words, the Longhorn Beetle's attacks indeed slowed down.
A few seconds later, not far away, a member of the "Extreme Path" suddenly split into pieces, clearly having been hit by an extremely powerful impact.
By now, all the "Extreme Path" members had changed expressions. It was as if a wild beast that had been surrounded and watched had now lost control.
"Interesting." The Black Sheep rubbed his arms as he walked forward. "Even if you kill everyone here, it's useless. In the end, you still have to deal with me."
Another "Extreme Path" member was shattered beside the Black Sheep. The burst of blood stained his jet-black fur.
Immediately after, a fierce wind began to rush toward Yan Zhichun, the only person still moving across the square.
Seeing this, the Black Sheep slowly curled his lips. "What a pathetic display… It would take too long for you to kill dozens of people yourself. Want me to help you?"
Without another word, he reached out and grabbed the neck of the nearest "Extreme Path" member, then hurled him viciously toward Yan Zhichun.
Every "Extreme Path" member present widened their eyes at the sight. Even Yan Zhichun turned back in shock. The thrown man was about to crash into her when he suddenly slammed into something invisible right before her eyes.
The sound of bones cracking echoed loudly. The resulting gust nearly blew Yan Zhichun off her feet.
Anyone could see that the Black Sheep had hit the Longhorn Beetle. That should have been good news. But just seconds ago, he had personally killed one of the "Extreme Path."
Yan Zhichun felt this was a tactic by the Black Sheep to "besiege Wei to rescue Zhao." This attack had two purposes.
First, to tell the Longhorn Beetle that these "Extreme Path" members were not his weakness. Even killing them all wouldn't threaten him, which would greatly reduce the Longhorn Beetle's motivation to kill them. Second, to let the Longhorn Beetle know that if it didn't keep its attention on him, he would seize the opportunity to find a weakness and strike.
Sacrifice a pawn to protect the king. Yan Zhichun felt she might have misunderstood the White Sheep's meaning. The Black Sheep wasn't someone who would stop at nothing—his methods were simply too brilliant.
Sure enough, the Longhorn Beetle once again hid its form and stopped launching attacks.
Yan Zhichun could only take this opportunity to continue toward that "Ant." Along the way, she deliberately observed how this particular "Ant" differed from the others. After all, all these "Ants" had their facial features gouged out and looked mostly the same. Only their postures and movements allowed Yan Zhichun to tell them apart.
She soon noticed a strange phenomenon. Unlike the situation a few minutes ago, all the "Ants" now seemed to be crouching on the ground, their hands caressing the earth. Their movements gradually became uniform, as if they were all performing the same strange task.
A thought involuntarily arose in Yan Zhichun's mind.
These "Ants" had lost all their senses. In theory, they had no way of knowing that people were fighting and killing each other in this square.
Could it be that their method of perceiving the outside world was to touch the ground with their hands and feel the vibrations of the earth?