Chapter 472: Wen Qiaoyun
"Even though I don't know this 'Wen Qiaoyun' you're talking about..." Qi Xia slowly gathered the fragments on the ground, speaking in a casual tone, "I still think I'm stronger than her."
"You..." Earth Horse was momentarily at a loss for words. "You've never even met Wen Qiaoyun... how can you possibly know how powerful she is?"
"It's precisely because I've never met her that I say I'm stronger." Qi Xia continued to reveal that unreadable smile, relentlessly chipping away at Earth Horse's psychological defenses. "If I'm not mistaken, I've also faced many dangers where I was on the brink of disappearing, yet I'm still standing here... I'm still active in 'Zhongyan Land,' but Wen Qiaoyun has vanished."
Earth Horse stared intently into Qi Xia's eyes, as if trying to discern truth from falsehood in his words.
"This proves that the 'path' I've laid is stronger than anyone else's... As long as you're willing to resist 'that person,' then we're on the same side," Qi Xia said. "No matter how strong I am, I still need the help of the 'Zodiac.'"
Earth Horse silently gathered the fragments on the ground, his expression as if his mind had gone completely blank.
Qi Xia waited quietly for a while, and when he realized Earth Horse truly had nothing more to say, he stood up, placed all the collected fragments onto the nearby "Wooden Oxen & Gliding Horses," and turned to leave the freezing basketball court.
He had done what he needed to do and said what he needed to say.
As he reached the entrance of the venue, Qi Xia turned back once more to look at Earth Horse's lonely figure, murmuring softly, "The 'needles' I've planted... the rest is up to you now."
Shrouded in cold air, he walked toward the foul-smelling street to rejoin the members of the "Cat" team, and together they set off toward Qian Wu's location.
In a dark corner unnoticed by anyone, Earth Horse slightly curled the corners of his mouth, revealing a strange smile.
"The matter of Wen Qiaoyun... has been conveyed. What's next?"
...
It took Zhang Chenze about the entire morning to reach the entrance of "Heaven's Gate."
This time, her purpose was very clear: not only did she want to ask Chu Tianqiu about Wen Qiaoyun, but she also needed to find Xu Liunian.
If the plan went smoothly, she might be able to learn from these two how to turn a "Native" back into a "Participant," thereby awakening Qiaoyun, a powerful ally, bringing them one step closer to escaping this place.
Standing guard at the entrance of "Heaven's Gate" today were Old Lyu and Aunt Tong. When they saw Zhang Chenze returning alone, they merely furrowed their brows slightly.
After all, in their memories, Zhang Chenze had left with several others yesterday. Now that she was returning alone, the situation was bound to be unfavorable.
"Little girl..." Old Lyu stepped forward and asked, "How come it's just you? Where are the others?"
"This big brother," Zhang Chenze said with a smile, "I had a bit of a falling out with them. Let's just say we went our separate ways."
"A falling out...?" Old Lyu nodded with slight relief after hearing this. "Hey, a falling out is nothing serious. As long as you're safe and sound."
"Yeah, thanks for your concern." Zhang Chenze smiled, bypassed Old Lyu and Aunt Tong, and walked into the playground. After just a few steps, she saw Chu Tianqiu and Dr. Zhao discussing something at the entrance of the classroom building.
Behind Chu Tianqiu stood the young man named Jin Yuanxun. When the three saw Zhang Chenze returning, they only slightly turned their heads to acknowledge her before quickly resuming their conversation.
Unfazed, Zhang Chenze walked up and entered their circle of conversation.
Chu Tianqiu stared at Zhang Chenze for a long moment, then revealed an elegant smile and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Chu Tianqiu, I have something I want to ask you. Can we talk somewhere convenient?"
Chu Tianqiu nodded after hearing this. "Alright. Dr. Zhao, go ahead and handle what we discussed earlier for me, please."
"Okay." Dr. Zhao nodded with a grave expression and turned to enter the classroom building.
Chu Tianqiu then turned to Zhang Chenze and gestured. "Let's go to my classroom."
...
Chu Tianqiu opened the classroom door, instructed Jin Yuanxun to wait outside, and walked in with Zhang Chenze.
He pulled over a chair and sat down. Before Zhang Chenze could even speak, he asked first, "Did Yun Yao send you here?"
Zhang Chenze naturally knew who Chu Tianqiu was—he was like the most formidable opponent in a courtroom. If she kept hiding the truth, she would likely put herself in a passive position, so she immediately nodded in acknowledgment.
"More or less," Zhang Chenze said. "But I'm not here to relay Yun Yao's words. I have something else to ask you about."
"Go ahead. I'm listening." Chu Tianqiu took off his glasses and pulled a soft cotton cloth from his shirt pocket to wipe them. "But I can't guarantee I'll tell you the truth."
"Alright." Zhang Chenze nodded and then asked, "Who is Wen Qiaoyun?"
This simple sentence was like a thunderclap, stirring ripples in Chu Tianqiu's heart.
"You... you... who did you say?"
Seeing Chu Tianqiu's expression, Zhang Chenze couldn't help but pause.
She hadn't expected that even someone with Chu Tianqiu's deep composure would lose control over his micro-expressions. What kind of relationship did he have with this Wen Qiaoyun?
"I said 'Wen Qiaoyun,'" Zhang Chenze repeated. "You must know her, right? I want to know what happened between you two."
"You..." Chu Tianqiu finished wiping his glasses, slowly put them back on his nose, and then regained his composure. "That's strange... Is there still someone on this land who remembers that name? You... where did you hear it?"
"By chance," Zhang Chenze said directly. "An old man who has preserved his memories for a long time told me."
"Is that so?" Chu Tianqiu let out a bitter laugh. "There's still such a person?"
"So, are you going to tell me?" Zhang Chenze asked.
"Before I do, can I know your motive?" Chu Tianqiu asked back. "Wen Qiaoyun is already a figure etched into the history books. What good will knowing about her do for you?"
"Yes." Zhang Chenze nodded. "We found Wen Qiaoyun, and we want to awaken her. If you know her as well, you must know that she was once the leader of all 'Participants.' She will definitely help us escape from here."
Upon hearing this, Chu Tianqiu slowly stood up and looked out the window at the playground.
Although she couldn't see his expression, Zhang Chenze felt that there was something strange about Chu Tianqiu's back.
He looked very desolate.
Seeing that Chu Tianqiu wasn't speaking, Zhang Chenze continued her verbal offensive. "Chu Tianqiu, in the real world, I was a lawyer. If you're willing to tell me everything, I will do my best to help you."
"Help... me?" Chu Tianqiu let out another bitter laugh as he gazed out the window. "But you don't even know what I want. How can you help me?"
"Then consider it helping Wen Qiaoyun," Zhang Chenze changed her approach. "You're alive and well right now, but you must know that Wen Qiaoyun isn't doing so well, right? Are you going to let her continue like this?"
Chu Tianqiu stood frozen in place for a long time before slowly turning around, letting Zhang Chenze see his utterly desperate eyes.
"Lawyer Zhang, are you sure that after learning what's on my mind, you'll have a way to help me?"