Chapter 594: Divide and Conquer
"Haha!" The controlled Earth Tiger let out a derisive laugh. "Bringing your student to demand an explanation? How laughable!"
"You fucking dare to laugh?" Earth Pig tightened his grip. "Your life is in my hands now, and you're still acting arrogant?"
"I just can't help it—laughing or I'll choke..." Earth Tiger chuckled a few times. "You beat and curse your own students, threaten their lives to make them hand over their 'Dao,' and when your life's on the line, you drag them along to fight for you... How the hell do you, a dwarf, have the nerve?"
"I personally keep a tight leash on my own students—what's wrong with that?" Earth Pig sneered. "I don't think those idiots would dare rebel against me here."
"That's right." The black sheep standing opposite Earth Pig spoke up. "Your students didn't rebel against you, but they're still pitiful."
"Oh?" Earth Pig frowned at him. "And what brilliant insight do you have?"
"You probably don't know this yet." Black Sheep sneered. "Your senior disciple, Human Pig—when he was in his most desperate moment, the person he sought help from wasn't you, but Brother Sheep."
"What...?"
"What? Your senior disciple died gambling his life with a 'Participant,' and you're pretending not to know?" Earth Sheep sneered. "I heard he often defied your orders? From what I saw, he was very humble when communicating with Brother Sheep—courageous, decisive, and thoughtful. Such a good man... why would he be at the end of his rope, kneeling before Brother Sheep?"
Earth Pig's expression changed colors, clearly furious.
"Oh, could it be because he became your student that he ended up at a dead end?" Earth Sheep tossed his iron rod aside and said, "Earth Pig, whether you admit it or not, you're a paper tiger now. You're used to throwing your weight around in the 'Human Tier,' but we 'Earthly Tier' aren't afraid of you."
Seeing Earth Pig still silent, Earth Sheep continued, "Earlier I said I had a few words for you. Why not hear them out first before deciding whether to crush that stupid cat in your hand?"
"Who the fuck are you calling a stupid cat?!" Earth Tiger flared up, twisting his head with difficulty to say to Earth Pig, "Dwarf, killing me is fine, but after you kill me, you'd better go butcher that pitch-black bastard too, or else I won't die happy!"
"What makes you think you can order me around?"
"Order your mother?!" Earth Tiger cursed. "What's the matter? You're quick to kill me, but scared to take on Black Sheep? What the hell are you afraid of?!"
Earth Pig's eyes darted around. He looked up at Earth Sheep and asked, "What exactly do you have to say?"
"I..." Earth Sheep glanced at Earth Horse, who was on the ground clutching her ankle and moaning, and asked, "I'd like to know how exactly she relayed the message to you?"
"Huh?" Earth Pig looked at Earth Horse, then at Earth Sheep. "What do you mean?"
"You're not stupid, are you?" Earth Sheep laughed. "Blinded by rage? You started a full-blown fight in front of so many Earthly Tier members over someone else's words... The news you heard must be different from what we heard, right?"
At this point, Earth Rat sneered and stepped forward. "Brother Sheep has a point, Brother Pig. You seem like a very smart man, so why are you acting like a fool, being used as a pawn? Was this fight something you wanted, or did someone else want it?"
Earth Pig seemed to think of something after hearing this. He looked down at Earth Horse. "Hey... you're not... lying to me, are you?"
"I..." Earth Horse didn't speak, but her hesitant expression said it all.
"Damn it..." Earth Pig immediately released Earth Tiger, stepped forward, and grabbed Earth Horse by the collar. "It wasn't 'Heavenly Horse's' arrangement, was it?!"
"Don't waver... Brother Pig..." Earth Horse said with a pained smile. "Even if it wasn't Heavenly Horse's arrangement, taking them down will still earn you merit..."
"Merit...? You think I care about 'merit'?" Earth Pig's expression gradually turned cold. "Haven't I earned enough merit over the years? What I want isn't these superficial achievements—I want a 'promise'... a promise from the 'Heavens'!"
"It's the same... Brother Pig... As long as you take them down, it's all the same..."
"No, it's not!! I'm just one step away... If they would just give the word, I could definitely be promoted..." Earth Pig gritted his teeth. "I've long since killed enough—three thousand five hundred and ninety-nine people. I'm only short one 'Participant' to complete the task. Do you think I haven't finished it?! I've been waiting all along for the 'Heavenly Tier' to give the order! Today, those people in leather jackets came swaggering before me, and I had to deliberately go easy on them so they'd all survive. Do you have any idea how frustrating that feels?!"
Black Sheep narrowed his eyes and exchanged a glance with Earth Rat.
"Hold on..." Black Sheep said. "Earth Pig, why didn't you just kill three thousand six hundred people? What are you waiting for?"
"I..." Earth Pig froze slightly when he heard this, then sighed. "I'm waiting for a chance to guarantee my promotion to the 'Heavenly Tier.' I don't want to end up like White Sheep..."
"You..."
Everyone in the room widened their eyes at these words.
"If I'm not mistaken... White Sheep never got promoted..." Earth Pig's body began to tremble involuntarily as he spoke. "He was really too foolish. In the 'Endlands,' you can go against anyone, but you must never go against 'Heavenly Dragon.' That person is the 'God' who towers above all others... Do you know why the 'Zodiacs' never 'Resonate'...?"
"...Why?"
"Because 'Resonance' can shake 'Heavenly Dragon's' position..." Earth Pig lowered his head. "It's either 'Immortal Arts' or 'Divine Power.' To make it easier to manage this place, 'Heavenly Dragon' separated these two forces and gave them to 'Participants' and 'Zodiacs' respectively... We 'Zodiacs' might have strong bodies, but we're still fragile stone giants—utterly insignificant before Heavenly Dragon. And 'Participants' are even more laughable—a bunch of mortals wielding 'Immortal Arts,' risking qi deviation at best, or self-destruction at worst... Even with all that power, Heavenly Dragon achieved this, and yet some people still delude themselves into thinking they can overthrow him..."
The expressions of everyone present shifted. Earth Pig was truly a veteran here; he had been surviving by lying low, and he seemed to possess more intelligence than any other 'Zodiac.'
"It sounds like another form of divide and conquer..." Earth Rat nodded, his smile returning as he stepped forward and asked, "Brother Pig, I still want to ask: why do you believe White Sheep's promotion failed?"