Black Sheep smiled as he saw off Xiao Ran, then turned back to look at the crowd gathered at the other end of the corridor.
He had heard he would have allies, but he never expected so many.
At least a hundred people were packed into that corridor, making it seem less like a covert operation and more like an all-out war.
Black Sheep found himself in a dilemma. He wasn’t sure if that massive group of “Participants” were the allies the White Sheep had arranged for him. If he approached and they panicked upon seeing his “Zodiac” appearance, things would only get messier.
Some time had passed since the “Zodiacs” had clocked out, and most were resting in their rooms. Only a few “Human-Level” individuals idling in the corridor had noticed the strange sight. They likely had a few minutes before the situation escalated.
As Black Sheep predicted, more and more Zodiacs stopped in their tracks upon entering the corridor and witnessing the scene.
Among them were genuine “rebels” and scattered “Participants.”
Only now did the group truly grasp the magnitude of their “rebellion.”
The “Train” had only one path. Once it was blocked, everyone’s progress would be hindered.
Black Sheep paced anxiously, feeling somewhat passive. He didn’t recognize any of his supposed teammates and could only wait for the first one to appear before asking for details.
Just then, a door nearby swung open, and a brightly colored pheasant emerged with an elderly man in tow. After surveying the scene, they strode toward him, followed by about ten “Participants.”
“Oh…?” Black Sheep slowly raised an eyebrow—this seemed like the right group.
The Pheasant sighed as she walked, muttering irritably, “Just because White Sheep is handsome doesn’t mean he can pull something like this… This is way too risky.”
Black Sheep hesitated before replying, “You’re the first to arrive.”
“I would’ve been here sooner if it weren’t for the noise outside,” the Pheasant snapped. “Take care of the old man. I’m leaving.”
“Leaving…?” Black Sheep blinked.
“What, you expect me to stay?” She crossed her arms. “You think I’m gonna stand around in this crowd when things are this dangerous? I’m hiding.”
Black Sheep chuckled. “Your friend, the Ox, said something about ‘counterpart kills,’ didn’t she? If you leave, what happens to the Celestial Pheasant?”
The Pheasant stepped closer, lowering her voice. “You and I both know that ‘counterpart kills’ are a lie. Why ask me about the Celestial Pheasant? How should I know what to do with her?”
“True, we know it’s fake,” Black Sheep said, narrowing his eyes. “But the others don’t. If the first to arrive doesn’t head to the ‘Celestial-Level’ rooms, how will the others react to your friend’s little scheme? Won’t her plan fall apart?”
The Pheasant rose onto her tiptoes, glaring at Black Sheep as she enunciated each word. “You’re both Sheep, but you’ve got no class.”
“Ah.” Black Sheep nodded flatly. “So I’ve got no class.”
The Pheasant scoffed and stepped back.
“You know how the Celestial Pheasant and the Celestial Monkey are—they’re practically joined at the hip,” she sighed. “If I go alone, I’ll run into both of them. Even if this ‘counterpart kill’ is just for show, shouldn’t there at least be a Monkey with me?”
“Don’t you trust the Sheep’s methods?” Black Sheep countered. “The ‘Monkey’ is definitely here. He just hasn’t shown himself yet.”
“Fine, but let me make this clear.” The Pheasant jabbed a feather-tipped finger at him. “I have high standards for my partners. If I’m gonna risk my life, that Monkey better be handsome. I don’t expect him to be as good-looking as White Sheep, but he’d better not be uglier than you. Got it?”
Black Sheep felt a twinge of exasperation—it was hard to tell if that was a compliment or an insult. “What good does it do if I hear you? I don’t pick the Monkey, and looks aren’t part of the criteria. But who knows… maybe the Sheep considered it.”
“Considered it?!” The Pheasant’s temper flared. “That Sheep of yours is perfect in every way except when it comes to romance—he’s as dense as a log! How could he possibly think of something like that for me?”
“Then he didn’t,” Black Sheep sighed. “You’re just teaming up with the Monkey to kill someone, not marry him. Besides… how good-looking can a Monkey even be?”
“Like the Great Sage Equal of Heaven,” the Pheasant shot back. “At the very least, as handsome as the Six-Eared Macaque.”
Black Sheep lowered his head, rubbing his horns. Every woman he’d encountered today seemed more troublesome than the last.
“Whatever.” The Pheasant waved a hand. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll go find my sisters and scout around. When the time’s right, I’ll deal with the Celestial Pheasant.”
As she walked away without another word, Black Sheep didn’t try to stop her. After all, every Zodiac who’d joined this rebellion was a problem in their own right.
He turned his attention back to the elderly man before him—filthy, covered in dust, as if he’d lived a hard life.
“You’re the leader?” Black Sheep asked.
“Yeah…” The old man nodded, stepping forward with a toothy grin. “What’s the plan?”
“We wait,” Black Sheep said. “We’ve got a little time. However many groups show up, that’s how many I’ll lead forward.”
The old man nodded, though standing there with over a dozen people felt far too conspicuous.
“Uh… is there anywhere we can hide for now?” he asked.
“Hide?” Black Sheep smirked. “What for?”
“It just feels… a bit too dangerous out here.”
No sooner had he spoken than a Centaur emerged from a door behind Black Sheep, his eyes widening in shock.
“Ah! ‘Participants’?!” the Centaur shouted before turning back. “Hey! Everyone, come—”
Black Sheep spun around—in the next instant, he lunged forward.
By the time the old man and his group could process it, Black Sheep had already torn off the Centaur’s mask and clamped a hand over his mouth.
“W-Wait…” The Centaur’s muffled voice trembled. “I… I didn’t see anything…”
“Too late.”
Black Sheep slowly slid his thumb into the Centaur’s mouth. Then, under the stunned gazes of the old man and his group, he pierced straight through the Centaur’s tongue with his finger.
A scream erupted, blood spraying from the Centaur’s mouth. He wouldn’t survive this.
The old man’s friendly expression vanished, replaced by cold realization—the Zodiac aiding the “Extremists” was far from benevolent.
“As long as I’m here,” Black Sheep said calmly, “there’s no need to hide.”
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