Chapter 286: Drifting Apart
The three uncles all stood up upon hearing this, expressions filled with shock.
"Sheep brother... you..." Tiger uncle said incredulously. "You could have left long ago, couldn't you?! You've been saving up 'Dao' for us all this time?!"
"I told you, I don't have a family. We shared a meal at the same table, so that makes us family." White Sheep brother said, pulling three more sheets of paper from his pocket.
"It's just a pity that Celestial Dragon knows all the 'Dao' was earned by me, so he only gave me two copies of the 'Zodiac Ascension Bet Contract' and one 'Interview Room Collaboration Contract'." White Sheep brother spread the papers on the table. "You three can pick whichever you want to sign... Whether you're willing to gamble on becoming 'Earth-level'... or prefer to become an assistant who never needs to hand over 'Dao'... that's up to you..."
The three uncles looked up at the papers on the table, feeling uneasy.
"No matter which path you choose..." White Sheep brother continued, "I'll be waiting for you here. I'll take care of Mouse during this time. After all, there are many paths in this world, and everyone has their own."
The three uncles exchanged glances, as if all hesitant about how to choose.
After a long while, Black Sheep uncle reached out and took a 'Zodiac Ascension Bet Contract', signed his name, then folded the contract in half.
I knew—the 'Zodiac' can never reveal their true names.
Now there was only one 'Zodiac Ascension Bet Contract' and one 'Interview Room Collaboration Contract' left.
Tiger uncle and Snake uncle seemed even more hesitant.
"Little Tiger, you go out," Snake uncle said after a moment of silence. "I feel pretty good staying here. I'll keep Sheep brother and Little Mouse company."
"What the hell!" Tiger uncle roared. "Why the hell shouldn't you go out? What about your family?"
"Hey..." Snake uncle waved his hand. "I've made too many mistakes. I don't have the face to see my family... Just let me live out my days here."
Without waiting for Tiger uncle to react, he snatched the 'Interview Room Collaboration Contract', bit his own thumb, and pressed a bloody thumbprint onto it.
"Your mother..." Tiger uncle slowly stood up. "Who the hell gave you the right to decide for me?! I haven't even decided whether I want to go out yet!"
"Be good, you losing-money Tiger. Go see your daughter," Snake uncle said with a smile. "No matter how many years it takes... you must see her."
"You..." Tiger uncle was breathing heavily, looking extremely angry.
"Oh my... don't be so mad!" Snake uncle said. "As long as you don't die in the interview room, we can still see each other every night!"
Tiger uncle slowly sat back down, his face full of dejection.
I didn't know exactly what was happening... but I felt sad too. I felt like I was drifting away from them...
"Mouse, don't make that face," White Sheep brother said. "Before long... your uncles will become just as strong as me."
"Huh...?" I looked at him. "R-really?"
"Mm. They're all excellent," White Sheep brother nodded.
From that day on, the atmosphere among the five of us seemed to change.
Every time Tiger uncle and Black Sheep uncle came back, they carried a strong smell of rust on them.
They didn't seem to want to talk to me anymore... Whenever I tried to chat with them, their eyes would avoid mine.
What was wrong with them?
Luckily, Snake uncle was still willing to talk to me... He told me that Tiger uncle and Black Sheep uncle were in a bad mood—they were doing things they didn't like.
But he wouldn't tell me what those things were.
This went on for about a year.
In that entire year, not a single participant had come to my game.
My warehouse was small and remote. Although I'd gathered a lot of odds and ends from the vicinity to fill it up, no one came to play.
Thinking about it carefully, ever since the game was set up, I hadn't received a single 'participant'. That made me feel pretty down.
Tiger uncle and Black Sheep uncle's demeanor was slowly changing too... Their masks seemed to be getting more and more realistic.
Finally, one day half a year later, Black Sheep uncle completely transformed.
When he came back that day, I noticed he was just like White Sheep brother... The sheep head on his face was no longer a mask, but a real sheep head.
Apparently, the time Black Sheep uncle took to reach this state was very short, breaking all the records among the 'Zodiac'.
A year and a half... was that short?
That day, he came specially to thank White Sheep brother, packed his things, and prepared to leave this room.
White Sheep brother called him over. They whispered a few words to each other, but judging by their expressions, it seemed they had some unpleasant disagreement.
From then on, Black Sheep uncle never came back to this room again.
Only Snake uncle and Tiger uncle would return every few days.
I felt like our 'family' was slowly falling apart... I didn't know what to do, so I just helped White Sheep brother clean the room whenever I had free time...
I did every chore I could, hoping it would make them look a little happier.
But it seemed like each of them had a lot on their minds. I didn't know how to help them.
Tiger uncle rarely spoke to me anymore... I barely knew how to treat him. Was he angry at me?
Then one day I ran into Sister Ruoxue again. She came specially to play with me and gave me a bag of snacks.
I didn't want to eat them myself, so I brought them home to give to Tiger uncle after work. Even though I didn't know what I'd done to upset him, I hoped he wouldn't be mad at me.
But he just looked at the bag of snacks, silently took it, and still didn't say a word to me.
I felt like crying, but then I thought about it—Tiger uncle and I had no real relation. He was never obliged to keep looking after me...
White Sheep brother seemed off too. In my memory, he had always been a very serious person.
But lately, he seemed to often be distracted.
What was he thinking about?
Half a year later, another change came.
That day, as usual, we went to White Sheep brother's room to eat.
Even though the atmosphere at meals grew more silent by the day, I still felt at ease when I was with them.
"Tiger, how many more do you have?" White Sheep brother asked.
"Almost... only two people left in my room," Tiger uncle replied.
"Then I probably won't be able to wait for you." White Sheep brother looked up at the three of us, then said meaningfully, "I'm leaving tonight."
"To... tonight?!"
Although we all knew this day would come, none of us could accept it actually arriving.
"That's right... After tonight, I'll be a Celestial Sheep, free to come and go from 'Terminus Land'," White Sheep brother said with a bitter smile, then looked at us again. "Is there... anything you want to say to me?"