Chapter 328: Meeting Yan Zhichun
"What kind of 'Echo' is this...?"
Chen Junnan tried to remove his right hand from his neck, but realized it seemed to have become someone else's hand, completely beyond his control.
"Miss..." Chen Junnan said through gritted teeth, "What do I need to do to make you believe I want to kill Earth Snake?"
"What do I care whether you kill Earth Snake or not?" The white-clad girl smiled faintly. "Do you even know who I am?"
Chen Junnan felt she was being deliberately difficult. He hadn't been active in the Land of Endings for years—how was he supposed to know which temple her Bodhisattva belonged to?
"Let me go first..." Chen Junnan said. "I didn't want to kill you, but aren't you just painting a target on your own back?"
"But killing you costs me nothing." The white-clad girl continued. "Besides, you don't even know who I am."
"Wait... let me guess..." Chen Junnan felt his breathing becoming labored. "Let me take a guess at who you are... okay?"
"Ha? Go ahead, then."
"I've never heard of anyone whose 'Echo' can directly control another person. But I have heard of another situation."
"Oh?"
Chen Junnan forced a grin, letting out a "heh heh" laugh. "If I'm not mistaken... you're also grabbing your own neck with your right hand right now, aren't you? You're just putting on a show—if you choke me to death, you won't be having a good time either."
Inside the room, the white-clad girl, who was indeed gripping her own neck with her right hand, froze.
"You force others to mimic your own actions..." Chen Junnan felt his breathing starting to recover, so he continued. "And the method of control... I remember it's by hearing your 'voice,' right?"
The white-clad girl sensed something was off. She had always been cautious while walking the Land of Endings for years. Anyone who knew her "Echo" had to die, and she always pretended to be an "Unfortunate" in front of other Echo users. That was the only way to perfectly conceal her identity here.
But today, something seemed wrong.
This man seemed to know her ability.
Chen Junnan felt himself gradually regaining control of his right hand. It seemed the girl's conviction was wavering.
"What's your name?" the girl asked.
"I'm Chen Junnan."
The girl thought carefully. She always asked for names before killing, but she had never heard the name "Chen Junnan" before. Could she have actually missed someone?
Hearing the white-clad girl remain silent, Chen Junnan asked, "What should I call you, big sis?"
The white-clad girl paused, then said, "Yan Zhichun."
"Yan... Zhi... Chun...?"
Silence.
An eerily strange silence hung between them.
"What's wrong...?" Yan Zhichun tapped the ceiling. "Why aren't you talking? Do you know me?"
"Ah, no..." Chen Junnan frowned. "I don't think I know you... but there's something weird about it..."
Chen Junnan was certain he had never seen this girl's face before, but the name "Yan Zhichun" was definitely familiar. He had heard it somewhere.
But too much time had passed—he couldn't recall it at all.
"I'm curious too," Yan Zhichun said. "Chen Junnan, before today, you should have been the first person in the entire Land of Endings to name my 'Echo.' Why didn't I kill you back then? And how do you know my 'Echo'?"
Chen Junnan snapped back to attention, sensing there was more to Yan Zhichun's words. He followed her lead. "I don't think now is the time to dwell on that, Sister Chun. Look, since you didn't kill me back then, that proves I'm not your target, right? Maybe we were even teammates years ago."
Yan Zhichun frowned, mulling it over. She wasn't some nobody in the Land of Endings—she wouldn't trust Chen Junnan so easily.
But...
"Chen Junnan, since you managed to climb onto the ceiling, you must have found the 'immortal method' in this game, right?"
"Of course, Sister Chun." Chen Junnan nodded. "I might be a bit beneath you, but I'm clever enough."
"I found that 'immortal method' too," Yan Zhichun said. "Even if you throw that iron ball at my head, I won't die."
"That you found it doesn't surprise me." Chen Junnan agreed. "I know you're smart. But this time, my target isn't you—it's Earth Snake. I made a life-or-death bet with that old bastard, and I really want to kill him."
Yan Zhichun thought for a moment, then said, "In that case... I suppose I can give you a hand."
"Oh?" Chen Junnan immediately broke into a smile. "You're truly the Lei Feng of the Endland! What can little me do to repay you?"
Yan Zhichun smiled and nodded. "Of course... I need your 'eternal' repayment."
"What...?" Chen Junnan was taken aback. "That's a heavy word. Eternal?"
"I want you to become a 'Jidao practitioner,'" Yan Zhichun said. "From now on, swear to protect the Land of Endings. 'Long live the Jidao' shall be your sole creed. As long as you have memory, you must never allow anyone to collect three thousand six hundred Dao seeds."
"Huh?" Chen Junnan felt his brain short-circuit. "'Jidao practitioner'...? I feel like I heard that term somewhere recently... Is this some newly popular organization? Are you the 'Jidao King'?"
"'Jidao King' is too high a title." Yan Zhichun replied. "I'm just one of many Jidao practitioners. Our existence is to protect the Land of Endings from destruction."
"Oh, I see."
"You don't sound surprised at all." Yan Zhichun said. "I thought you'd ask some meaningful questions. Aren't you curious why we want to protect this place?"
"That doesn't interest me." Chen Junnan suddenly showed a wicked grin. "I was never going to let anyone collect three thousand six hundred Dao seeds anyway. Even if it's the person I trust most... I'd never let them succeed."
"Oh...?" Now it was Yan Zhichun's turn to be stunned. "You, you are..."
"It seems you 'Jidao practitioners' are really interesting people..." Chen Junnan relaxed and lay flat on the ceiling. "And I've remembered... That girl named Lin Qin—she's also a Jidao practitioner, right?"
"Lin Qin?" Yan Zhichun smiled, as if understanding something. "So you're one of Lin Qin's people?"
"I'd love to be her person, but I don't know if she'd want to be mine." Chen Junnan chuckled. "I'm nobody's person. I'm just one of the few who have seen through the true 'rules' of this damned place. But I never expected you Jidao practitioners to share the same goal as me."
"You also happened to see through the true 'rules' of this place by chance...?" Yan Zhichun paused, then said, "Then you're practically a born Jidao practitioner."