Chapter 287: My Trial
We three kept our heads down, none of us speaking.
It was as if we all couldn’t accept that this day had truly come.
Big Brother Goat saw us silently hanging our heads, but instead smiled and stood up, saying, “Truth is, I don’t want to leave either, but I’ve been here far too long… It’s time to see what’s out there.”
“Brother Goat…” Uncle Tiger said in a low voice, “I… I told you before… if you need to go, then go… don’t worry about us… we’re just dead weight after all…”
Those words were like a pen dipped in ink, deepening the sorrow in our hearts.
“You’re not dead weight. On this ‘train’… you are my family,” Big Brother Goat said. “I’m leaving soon, and I don’t want to hear any sad talk before that.”
“Brother Goat…” Uncle Tiger’s voice grew a bit choked. “They say once you become a ‘Sky,’ you can come and go freely… but we don’t know what they look like or what their name is… How am I supposed to find you? How will I know whether you’ve left or come back?! I…”
“Tiger, I promise you,” Big Brother Goat said. “After I become a ‘Sky,’ I will definitely come back to see you. When I return here… I will leave you a mark. I’ll draw ram’s horns everywhere I walk, to guide you forward.”
“Really…?” Uncle Tiger asked.
“Really.” Big Brother Goat nodded. “By then, if you’ve already reached ‘Earth,’ I’ll visit your game in person and see how much you’ve improved.”
“Good!” Uncle Tiger suddenly stood up. “Brother Goat! It’s settled then… If I become ‘Earth,’ and a single day passes without news from you, I won’t kill a single person that day.”
“Ha!” Big Brother Goat gave a bitter laugh. “Tiger, are you punishing me or yourself?”
“I don’t care!” Uncle Tiger waved his hand grandly. “We’ve agreed! I’ll keep waiting for your news!”
“Alright.” Big Brother Goat nodded.
After saying that, Brother Goat turned and looked at Uncle Snake as well.
He was silent for a moment, then pulled a thick notebook from his pocket and handed it to Uncle Snake.
“Brother Goat… What’s this…?” Uncle Snake asked.
“I owe you something,” Big Brother Goat said. “So I’ve also paved a path for you.”
“What…?”
“I’ve written down one hundred difficult problems,” Big Brother Goat said. “If someday you can write down all the answers, I’ll definitely come back and find a way to make you ‘Earth Snake.’”
“One hundred difficult problems…” Uncle Snake took the notebook and lowered his head silently. “Brother Goat… Are you really not just trying to comfort me? With a brain like mine… how can I ever finish answering the puzzles you’ve set?”
“One day you will.” He smiled at Uncle Snake. “This is a promise between you and me. We’re settled on it too.”
Uncle Snake gave a wry smile: “Brother Goat… You’re about to leave, yet you still worry about us… Are you afraid we’ll lose our motivation to move forward…?”
Big Brother Goat didn’t answer. He just shook his head and said, “I still need you two to promise me one thing.”
“What is it…?”
“Take good care of Rat.” Big Brother Goat pointed at me. “Remember what I said. In this world, only we can teach her a lesson. No one else is allowed to touch her.”
Hearing that, I finally couldn’t hold it in anymore.
Tears kept streaming down beneath my mask, making me feel terrible.
Big Brother Goat was leaving.
The one who gave me food, gave me a place to stay, never complained that I couldn’t earn ‘Dao,’ and always stood up for me—Big Brother Goat was leaving.
I would never see him again.
On this train, no ‘Zodiac’ would ever dote on me the way he did.
“Big Brother Goat…” I stood up, sobbing so hard I could barely breathe. “Big Brother Goat… Can you at least tell me your name… Can you tell me what you look like…”
Uncle Tiger and Uncle Black Goat had already stopped paying me any attention. And now Big Brother Goat was leaving too.
He walked over slowly, gently stroked my head, and then pulled me into his arms.
“Alright, Rat… don’t cry,” he said softly. “You don’t need to know what I look like, and you don’t need to know my name. Because when I see you again, I’ll recognize you immediately. And then you’ll find out that I don’t sound like a goat anymore either.”
“But I don’t want you to leave…” I clung tightly to his clothes. I felt that if I let go this time, I would have nothing left.
“You need to grow up,” Big Brother Goat said. “If I’m not around… can you still earn ‘Dao’?”
“I… I can…” I kept sobbing, my heart aching so much.
“Then stop crying. I’ll give you something good.” Big Brother Goat reached into his pocket and pulled out two ‘Dao.’ They looked like they’d been kept for a long time—their color had already turned a bit dark. “Rat, these two ‘Dao’ are my lucky charms, given to me by my two best brothers. I’ve carried them on me all these years. Now I’m giving them to you.”
“Lucky charms…?” I reached out carefully and took the two ‘Dao,’ as if I were holding my entire world.
“Next time we meet, you’ll pay me back ten—with interest,” Big Brother Goat said with a smile. “Then we can have a good long chat. Can you promise me that?”
“I can!” I nodded firmly.
That night, we watched Big Brother Goat walk all the way across the train. Even Uncle Black Goat, who I hadn’t seen in ages, came out to pay his respects.
All the ‘Zodiacs’ stepped out respectfully and stood on both sides of the corridor to welcome the birth of a ‘Sky-level.’
Their eyes were filled with complicated emotions, but I was the only one crying the whole time.
We watched with our own eyes as Big Brother Goat vanished in a flash of golden light, completely leaving the ‘train.’
Uncle Tiger put his arm around me from the side and whispered, “Little Mouse… I’ll get promoted to ‘Earth’ as soon as I can… I’ll bring you snacks every day… Just wait a few more days…”
I buried my head in Uncle Tiger’s belly and cried even harder.
The three of us had lost our teacher. And I had lost Big Brother Goat.
After that, Uncle Tiger, Uncle Snake, and I were assigned to different new teachers’ rooms.
Staring at that huge crowd of unfamiliar older brothers and sisters, I felt extremely nervous. I was someone who couldn’t earn any ‘Dao’ every day, so naturally, I wouldn’t win my new teacher’s favor.
In a place like this, only Big Brother Goat never looked down on me.
I missed Big Brother Goat every single moment. The two ‘Dao’ left in my hand were my only solace. I would often just stare at them blankly.
It had already been over ten days since Big Brother Goat left…
He should be back in the real world by now. That’s great… I… I’m happy for him.
Even as I said I was happy… I somehow felt like crying for no reason.
Big Brother Goat… What do you really look like, and what is your name?
When we meet again, will you let me hear your real voice?
By then, Uncle Tiger and Uncle Snake should have become ‘Earth’ too, right? I wonder if we can still eat at the same table? At that time… will Uncle Tiger still give me chicken drumsticks?
I was lost in thought when I saw two men and two women approaching from a distance.
Ahhh! Participants!
The very first group of participants after I perfected my rules!
I have guests here!
Big Brother Goat, just you wait!
I will definitely earn ten ‘Dao,’ and I won’t embarrass you anymore! Next time we meet, I’ll shock you for sure!
I am Shu Hua… no, I am Human Rat.
I am Big Brother Goat’s most beloved student. I am about to begin my ‘trial’!