Chapter 801: Supporters
"What...?" Yun Yao was momentarily stunned.
"I want to go see," Zheng Yingxiong said again. "We'll meet their people soon, right?"
"Hero brother... what if... I mean, what if... his purpose isn't what you imagine it to be? What then?"
Zheng Yingxiong slowly raised the slip of paper in his hand, his face serious. "He didn't have to tell me this, but he did. If he could have said it so easily, he wouldn't have used this method to inform me. I think passing this message to me came at great risk."
The others were almost hearing Zheng Yingxiong speak so much for the first time, simply staring at him in surprise.
"Besides, this note never once mentioned himself," Zheng Yingxiong said. "I find it hard to believe he would wait for me in this dark alley all that time, only to use this method to kill me."
Zheng Yingxiong remembered Gu Yu once saying he had two paths before him: either return to Jade City to help himself and Li Siwei escape, or go to Dao City to become a human monkey.
But now it seemed that wasn't entirely true. At that time, there should have been three paths before Gu Yu.
Besides becoming a Zodiac in Dao City, he could also become a Jidao here.
Perhaps after a long period of deliberation, he ultimately chose to become a Zodiac. After all, Gu Yu, who came from Jade City, had a deeper impression of the Zodiac. He had witnessed countless times how Earth-rank Zodiacs slaughtered participants, and the participants didn't even have a chance to fight back.
And Gu Yu's way of thinking wouldn't differ much from Zheng Yingxiong's, since they had similar experiences. They believed that wherever there are people, there are rivalries, so they didn't just oppose the Jidao—they rejected all organizations entirely.
With all these preconditions, it made perfect sense that Gu Yu hadn't chosen to become a member of the Jidao.
This was the first time Zheng Yingxiong was thinking through a problem entirely based on his own judgment, without needing to consider anyone else's feelings. He felt his reasoning was very close to the truth.
And now, having become a Zodiac, Gu Yu had discovered that this path was a dead end, so he pointed out the road he had once rejected to Zheng Yingxiong.
From this perspective, Zheng Yingxiong found it hard to see any malice in the note.
"I don't think it's a good idea," Yun Yao said. "Little brother, some Jidao might kill people just to disrupt other organizations from collecting 'Dao.' No matter how you look at it, this organization doesn't sound legitimate. I suggest you join Heaven's Mouth instead. Many strong fighters are gathering there now. Even though I'm no longer a member, Heaven's Mouth still seems to have the better odds."
"Yun Yao..." Lawyer Zhang interrupted her. "Let him make his own choice."
"What...?"
"Using what you know to predict what might happen to others in the future—that's not quite fair," Lawyer Zhang said. "He should have the right to choose for himself. Even though he looks under ten years old, he's retained his memories for a long time and should be able to take responsibility for his actions."
Yun Yao's face flickered with sadness upon hearing this, then she turned to look at Tiantian.
"Tiantian, do you think so too?"
"Mm," Tiantian nodded. "None of us can choose where we come from, but we can choose where we're going. I respect Hero brother's decision."
"Even if it means becoming enemies with him later? You'd still be okay with that?" Yun Yao asked, her gaze sorrowful.
"It won't come to that," Tiantian said. "I've always believed that everyone here is working toward the same goal. Our paths might be different, but the end point is the same."
Yun Yao sighed after hearing this, then nodded. "I just want all the participants here to be safe and not suffer anymore. Each of us has already endured enough hardship, yet the Zodiacs and Jidaos keep making things worse... I truly grieve for all the teammates we've lost."
Tiantian didn't know how to comfort Yun Yao, so she just took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Everything is getting better," Lawyer Zhang said. "We're about to meet Wen Qiaoyun soon. We'll have our answers then, won't we?"
"Mm, I hope so." Yun Yao turned to Zheng Yingxiong and said softly, "Hero brother, it's my fault. You should have your own choice."
"Thank you, Sister," Zheng Yingxiong said. "Don't worry. Even if I become a Jidao, I won't turn into someone else."
"Mm."
The four of them pulled themselves together and set off again. They trudged across the sticky ground for over half an hour until every footprint they left was stained red, and then they saw several figures slowly emerge from the street corner ahead.
First came Lin Qin and a woman they had never seen before, followed by Yan Zhichun and Jiang Ruoxue.
"There we go," Yun Yao said. "They're all together. We can achieve all our objectives at once."
"Ah! Xiao Yao!" Jiang Ruoxue spotted Yun Yao from afar and waved enthusiastically, like a long-lost friend.
But Yun Yao kept her face stern, clearly harboring resentment toward her.
The two groups slowly approached and finally stood together.
"Lin Qin!" Lawyer Zhang and Tiantian spoke first.
"Thank goodness," Lin Qin smiled. "You're all right?"
"You're asking us?" Lawyer Zhang pulled Lin Qin closer with a worried look and examined her. "It's really incredible. You were right before my eyes... Ah, forget it. What matters is you're back."
Lin Qin exchanged a few pleasantries with Lawyer Zhang and Tiantian, then turned to look at Zheng Yingxiong, whom she had only met once before. She reached out and patted his head.
"How did you end up bringing this kid along?"
"It's a long story. This kid wants to join the Jidao," Yun Yao said. "And we... we're here to welcome Wen Qiaoyun back."
These brief statements made the four in front of them all frown, as if every word was unexpected.
After speaking, Yun Yao looked at the unfamiliar woman before her and asked, "You're Wen Qiaoyun, aren't you?"
"And you are...?" Wen Qiaoyun asked cautiously.
"We are your 'advocates,'" Yun Yao said. "Now we need to borrow your strength and work together to find a way out of here."
"Advocating for me...?" Wen Qiaoyun eyed the few people before her warily, feeling a strange sensation in her heart.
None of these people looked like bad guys, but they all seemed to have designs on her.
"Yes, we came this time to take you back," Yun Yao said. "Though it'll be hard for you to fully trust us right away, I hope you'll give us a chance to cooperate."
Wen Qiaoyun looked over the young woman again after hearing this. She noticed her striking beauty—a face no bigger than a palm, like a movie star—and couldn't help but let down her guard a little.
"Alright," she thought for a moment and nodded. "Even if you hadn't said anything, I was planning to check things out. I'm too curious about you all."