Chapter 1259: The Dead Ones
"Damn, what do we do then?" Ground Monkey shoved his hands into his pockets, a cigarette dangling from his mouth as he asked, "You want us to go up there and help?"
Ground Rooster paused after hearing this. "Fat Old Monkey, what's your mission?"
"Can you stop calling me Fat Old Monkey? Don't you already know who I am?" Ground Monkey asked again.
"Ha... weren't you the one pretending not to recognize me just now?"
"Too many outsiders around. What was I supposed to do?"
"Hurry up and tell me—what mission did Qi Xia assign you?"
"My mission is to go to the 'locomotive' and break a door." Ground Monkey shook his head and said, "What about you, Quail? Besides the 'counterpart kill,' what's your mission?"
"Mine's already done." Ground Rooster said, "My only mission was to deliver the 'rebellion plan' to the 'zodiac' in the compartment next to mine and rally them together."
"So you're just here to see me off now?" Ground Monkey asked.
"No." Ground Rooster shook his head. "Better than sitting around idle. I want to do something for Qi Xia."
"This is deadly business, you know." Ground Monkey said again.
"Deadly?" Ground Rooster chuckled, covering his mouth. "Fat Old Monkey, we already died in that 'gathering of the old dead.' I've got no fear of death now—only the joy of reuniting with an old friend like you. You still have your 'spiritual vision,' right?"
"Obviously." Ground Monkey said. "What about the others? All still alive?"
"Hard to say." Ground Rooster shook his head. "I haven't fully identified all of them. Ground Ox is my good sister—I'm a hundred percent sure of her identity. I'm roughly certain about Ground Pig and Ground Rabbit, but their fates are unknown. Also... Sister Zhuang is definitely dead, and Dingding, who became Ground Dragon, is probably..."
"What a bloody mess." Ground Monkey gave a bitter smile. "Everyone thinks the war starts today, but little do they know we've been losing people all along."
"Yeah. I'm even worried I've been acting too calm today." Ground Rooster shook his head. "Would it seem strange if I gossip with the other 'zodiacs'?"
"Not strange at all." Ground Monkey said as he walked forward. "Just now I was strolling through the crowd pretending to be a 'participant.'"
"Good, then."
As they spoke, the pair found themselves not far behind Ground Rat, who was groveling before two 'Heavenly levels.'
"He one of us?" Ground Monkey whispered.
"Yeah, but I didn't expect him to just stand here by himself." Ground Rooster whispered back. "What now?"
"Play it by ear." Ground Monkey said. "Withdraw your 'echo.' Be careful not to expose yourself."
As they continued forward, Ground Rat's voice reached their ears:
"...Yes, I did receive the message. I rushed over as soon as I heard the 'summons.' The killing along the way was quite bloody... So what exactly are the two leaders' arrangements?"
"What do you mean by 'two leaders'?" Heavenly Rat said with displeasure. "Who exactly is your superior?"
"Now, now, don't say that..." Ground Rat shook his head with a smile. "You two are both 'Heavenly levels.' I'm too lowly to offend either of you. Since I don't know which of you is stronger, I can only follow orders. I dare not ask anything else."
"You wretched beast... what do you mean 'don't know who's stronger'? Do you even need to ask?" Heavenly Rat said. "Who was it that made you live in fear every day? Have you forgotten?"
"Haha." Heavenly Horse, an old woman, let out a light laugh. "What an interesting young man. Heavenly Rat, you went through all that trouble to make 'Ground levels' obey you, but I just stand here and they do the same."
"Are you stupid too?" Heavenly Rat barked. "If I weren't here, would he give you that much face?"
"I suggest you watch your tone!"
As the two were arguing, they noticed a Ground Monkey and a Ground Rooster slowly approaching.
They walked on either side, moving forward as if they hadn't seen the two 'Heavenly levels' at all.
Ground Rat, still groveling, frowned the moment he saw Ground Rooster. He quickly calculated the current tactical situation.
Three against two?
No, he felt he was being too optimistic. The direction these two were heading clearly wasn't aimed at Heavenly Horse and Heavenly Rat—they were looking for their 'counterparts.'
"Hold it!" Heavenly Rat stared at the pair and snapped coldly. "Anything beyond here is the 'locomotive.' What are you doing?"
Ground Rooster frowned and glanced at Ground Monkey across from him.
Ground Monkey knew they had to gamble again. He paused, recalled Ground Rat's words from a moment ago, and followed that line:
"Greetings to the two 'Heavenly levels.' We also received the 'summons' and are now heading to the rooms of Heavenly Rooster and Heavenly Monkey to receive orders."
After Ground Monkey spoke, Heavenly Rat clearly didn't believe him. He slowly opened his mouth, revealing his few remaining teeth. He believed Ground Rooster was probably really one of Heavenly Rooster's people, but this monkey...
"That little girl Heavenly Monkey... she has a 'Ground level' like you under her command?"
"Yes, she didn't tell you?" Ground Monkey countered.
Heavenly Rat felt that the Ground Monkey before him spoke with conviction, as if he wasn't lying. Besides, everyone heading to the 'locomotive' now was either summoned or a rebel.
But how could there be rebels who just swaggered across the 'train' in a pair?
To be safe, he lifted his nose and sniffed. He detected no 'immortal arts' on either of them.
"Fine, go on."
He waved his hand behind him, as if shooing away flies.
The two felt a wave of relief and let out a breath before moving forward. After all, if they went head-to-head with these two 'Heavenly levels' at once, all their plans would be ruined.
Just as they were about to pass by the two 'Heavenly levels,' a faint, almost imperceptible flicker of 'luck' in Ground Monkey's heart was keenly caught by Ground Rat.
"Stop!" Ground Rat immediately halted them. But when he stepped closer, that scent was gone again.
"Is there something else?" Ground Monkey asked expressionlessly.
Both of them had followed Qi Xia through storms, had won, lost, and died. At this moment, their hearts were calm. This emptiness in the scent left Heavenly Rat momentarily baffled.
He thought it over and said, "Better to kill the innocent than let them slip... I can't afford to provoke Qinglong."
"Oh?" Heavenly Horse raised an eyebrow, and the wrinkles on her forehead bunched together. "Something wrong with these two?"
"Possibly." Heavenly Rat nodded. "If I kill the wrong ones, just say my nose was off. I'm a bit injured, but if the two of us attack together, plus this wretched beast beside me, even two 'Ground levels' will have to kneel."
"Alright..." Heavenly Horse reached back and rubbed her lower back. "I am getting old. Time to stretch my bones a bit."
Ground Monkey frowned, ready to go all out, when he heard footsteps behind him.
A limping female Ground Horse slowly approached. "Heavenly Horse! I finally found you... I just saw Heavenly Tiger. He's surrounded by some 'rebels'!"
"What?!" Heavenly Horse was instantly shocked. She quickly assessed Ground Horse's injuries. "Are there many?!"
"Yes... too many..." Ground Horse said, bracing herself against the wall. "They've already wounded me. You need to come with me right away."