Chapter 415: Whose Plan
"Consequences...?" Qian Wu's expression darkened after hearing this. "Consequences don't matter. We 'Cats'... only follow orders... We don't ask why nor consider what comes after..."
"You're lying," Qi Xia interrupted. "From what I've heard, 'Xuanwu' oversees both 'Killing for the Dao' and 'Zodiac Life-or-Death Gambling.' If this checkpoint were to disappear, the entire fairness of 'The Land of Endings' would completely collapse."
Qian Wu's expression still didn't look good.
Qi Xia knew he had long since considered this problem.
"So do you really want to kill 'Xuanwu'?" Qi Xia asked, looking at Qian Wu with a hint of suspicion. "Once she dies, all participants can kill freely for a single Dao, and the 'Zodiac' life-or-death gambling will have no referee. What do we do then? Just rely on 'killing' to escape this place?"
"That's... not impossible..." Qian Wu said.
"That's only the first scenario," Qi Xia said. "What if there's a second scenario?"
Qian Wu looked up at him. "Second scenario?"
"What if the 'Divine Beasts' are like the 'Zodiacs', and can be replaced at will? What if we kill this Xuanwu, and a new Xuanwu appears the next day?"
"This..."
"Right now we have too little intelligence," Qi Xia shook his head. "To execute such a large-scale plan in this place... relying on us alone isn't enough."
"But who else can you count on besides the 'Cats'?" Qian Wu countered. "'Ji Dao'? 'Paradise Gate'? While the more 'Echoers' the better, the reality is that everyone harbors their own ulterior motives. Throughout the entire 'Land of Endings', there's no team more reliable than the 'Cats'."
"There is one," Qi Xia nodded. "Theoretically, there's a team that can match an army of thousands. Though they all have their own schemes, they share a common goal. The only problem is I don't yet know how to gather them together."
"What team is that?!" Qian Wu didn't understand. "If such a powerful team exists, why have I never heard of it?"
"All the 'Earth-level Zodiacs'," Qi Xia said.
"What...?"
"The 'Earth-level Zodiacs' want to escape more than any 'participant'. Not only do they have the resolve to escape, they've been fighting toward this goal all along. It's like gold panning through sand—they are the elites 'The Land of Endings' has selected for us. Those 'Zodiacs' without sufficient strength were already eliminated at the 'Human-level.'" Qi Xia thought for a moment, then looked at Qian Wu again. "If this team is willing to help... we can try to dismantle the entire 'Land of Endings'."
"Isn't this too bold?" Qian Wu looked into Qi Xia's eyes and felt as if he was looking at a madman. "As you yourself said, 'Earth-level Zodiacs' cherish their lives more than anyone. They spent so long getting promoted to 'Earth-level'—how could they possibly help you destroy this place? If these two paths were truly options... clearly 'becoming Heaven-level' would be safer."
"Becoming 'Heaven-level'...?" Qi Xia curled his lips slightly. "Can they really 'become Heaven-level'...?"
Everyone in the room suddenly thought of something—according to Qi Xia, just when he was about to become a "Heaven-level", he was knocked back to square one and became a participant again.
If all the "Earth-level" heard and believed this, it would undoubtedly be a massive blow to them.
But as opposing factions, how could they make those "Earth-level" believe the words of an ordinary participant?
"I suspect..." Qi Xia, knowing everyone's doubts, spoke up. "I planted 'needles' among the 'Zodiacs'."
Chen Junnan nodded upon hearing this, but suddenly felt something was off. "Wait, Old Qi, you planted 'needles' among the 'Zodiacs'? What are you, some kind of spy?"
Qi Xia realized he hadn't told Chen Junnan about this yet, so he briefly explained his speculation about having been a 'Zodiac'.
Chen Junnan, who had never been serious, was now utterly shocked upon hearing this.
"Old Qi... you were a 'Zodiac'?"
"It's just a reasonable inference," Qi Xia said. "Knowing myself, I wouldn't do something without preparation and a plan... I've been thinking... Why do some 'Zodiacs' remember me so clearly? What did I do to them...?"
"You mean..." Qian Wu felt that the current Qi Xia resembled the man he had first met—one man, one brain, audaciously trying to orchestrate the direction of the entire 'Land of Endings'.
"I would have set things in motion for myself in advance," Qi Xia said. "Once I failed to become 'Heaven-level', the 'needles' I planted would start moving, and then the current me would figure it all out... coordinating from within and without with my past self, out of thin air."
Quite the "out of thin air" coordination.
If Qian Wu hadn't met Qi Xia before, he would have definitely thought the man before him was a complete madman.
After all, this was all just speculation!
Even the idea that Qi Xia himself had been a 'Zodiac' was pure speculation!
Not only did Qi Xia fully believe he had been a 'Zodiac', but he had also reconstructed in his mind what happened after becoming one, and was trying to collude with his past self on such a long-term plan, despite having no memory of it.
Wasn't this madness?
If even one link in this plan went wrong, everything would completely collapse.
"You don't need to look at me like that," Qi Xia said. "I have no choice."
"What...?"
"I can only trust my past self," Qi Xia said. "This is a plan that requires cooperation. If 'I' can't trust 'me', then the plan has already failed."
"But are you really so certain...?" Qian Wu said. "Are you sure your past self really paved the way for your current self?"
Before Qi Xia could speak, Chen Junnan spoke up first. "He probably did."
"Huh?"
Everyone in the room turned to look at him.
"Old Qi has always been a monster. I believe he really did pave the way." Chen Junnan lowered his head, deep in thought. "And that road is much longer than any of us could imagine..."
"What?" Even Qi Xia didn't understand this.
Chen Junnan turned around, facing Qi Xia, and said with complete seriousness: "Old Qi, I suspect that even before you became a 'Zodiac', you already knew you would come back here."
"What...?"
Chen Junnan gave a bitter laugh and said: "Remember? Yesterday you asked me why I held up the entire room for seven years... you said I had another plan."
"Yes," Qi Xia nodded. "Was that not the case?"
"Old Qi, that wasn't my plan at all." Chen Junnan's eyes flickered. "It was your plan!"