Yan Zhichun had long heard from Bai Yang about similar situations—this black sheep would stop at nothing to take the life of the Heavenly Ox, and when the time came, he wouldn’t hesitate to use the bodies of the “Extreme Path” members as weapons to hurl at the Heavenly Ox.
Though the “Extreme Path” members were bound to die here sooner or later, this particular way of dying was something many simply couldn’t accept.
Since the mission had to be completed no matter what, the only option left was to adjust their approach.
“I’ll go in first,” Yan Zhichun declared.
The “Extreme Path” members all turned to look at her. Not only did none of them want to be the first to enter, but they also didn’t want Yan Zhichun to take the lead.
If Yan Zhichun died, the “Extreme Path” would be left without a leader, making the situation far more precarious than it already was.
“I object,” Jiang Ruoxue said firmly. “Zhichun, step aside. I’ll go in first.”
“You—” Yan Zhichun turned to glare at her, lowering her voice. “This isn’t the time for nonsense. Only if I go first will the others follow.”
“No way,” Jiang Ruoxue retorted, equally annoyed. “If you go first, I’ll turn around and leave. Your call.”
“Ruoxue!”
“Don’t you want to keep an eye on the Black Sheep?” Jiang Ruoxue pressed in a hushed tone. “He’s going last… doesn’t that make you wonder if he’s up to something? What if he locks the door behind us once we’re all inside?”
Yan Zhichun paused, realizing there was some truth to Jiang Ruoxue’s words. Bai Yang had only said that this Black Sheep would “stop at nothing,” but to what extent would his methods go?
Would he send all the “Extreme Path” members as vanguard troops, use their various “echoes” to wound the Heavenly Ox… and then swoop in to claim the spoils?
“But…” Yan Zhichun wanted to argue further, but upon reflection, she couldn’t think of a better plan.
“Let’s settle it like this, sis,” Old Sun chimed in, waving a hand. “I’ll go in with Xiao Jiang. If anything happens, I can look out for her. You stay back and cover the rest of us.”
Yan Zhichun hesitated for a few seconds before finally nodding.
The group of several dozen lined up, led by Old Sun and Jiang Ruoxue, and stepped into the seemingly bottomless staircase.
Meanwhile, the Black Sheep stood by, watching the crowd with detached coldness. Yan Zhichun couldn’t read anything from his expression.
Even after seven years with Bai Yang, she still couldn’t decipher anything from a goat’s face.
“It’s hard for us to be open with each other, isn’t it?” the Black Sheep murmured, his gaze fixed on Yan Zhichun.
“The only reason we’re standing here together is Bai Yang,” Yan Zhichun replied. “I don’t know you, yet I’m willing to bring my people to fight alongside you—solely because I trust Bai Yang, not you.”
“Same here,” the Black Sheep nodded. “Whether you’re just ordinary ‘participants’ or fellow students of Brother Goat, if a fight is necessary, I’ll fight. If killing is needed, I’ll kill.”
Yan Zhichun stared into his eyes and abruptly changed the subject. “So why are you entering last? Do you really expect these so-called ‘ordinary participants’ to intimidate the Heavenly Ox?”
“Not entirely,” the Black Sheep admitted. “Letting her kill a few might weaken her resolve, but these ‘participants’ aren’t much of a challenge. She might not even need to use her ‘divine techniques’ to finish them off.”
“Then what’s your plan?” Yan Zhichun glanced at the dwindling crowd—only a small fraction remained.
“I’m worried about a ‘mole,'” the Black Sheep said bluntly. “Call it a hunch, but your team doesn’t seem familiar with each other. We’ve been walking together, yet hardly anyone has spoken. Do they even know one another?”
“You’re right,” Yan Zhichun nodded. “Many in this group don’t know each other. It’s an ‘isolated organization’ built by ‘isolated individuals.'”
“Good… so even if there’s a ‘mole’ among us, you, as the leader, wouldn’t know their identity, correct?” the Black Sheep pressed.
“True, but I think that concern is unnecessary.”
“Why?”
Yan Zhichun sighed. “Every step we’ve taken since gathering has been life-threatening. Infiltrating this group would be a death sentence. I don’t see the point.”
“That’s a fair argument,” the Black Sheep conceded. “But I’d rather be cautious.”
“So how does standing at the back make you ‘cautious’?” Yan Zhichun challenged. “Once everyone’s inside, you’ll somehow figure out who the ‘mole’ is?”
“Hopefully, there isn’t one,” the Black Sheep said. “What I fear is someone shutting this door early, cutting off our retreat and leaving us stranded.”
“What…? Stranded…?”
The Black Sheep turned his bright yellow eyes to her, expression grave. “This door only leads to the ‘cargo hold’ if the Heavenly Ox opens it—or if she’s inside.”
His words caught Yan Zhichun off guard, yet the scenario felt eerily familiar.
Different people opening the same door could lead to different places.
Like in “Cangjie’s Game.”
“In other words,” the Black Sheep continued, “only if the Heavenly Ox is inside or opens the door herself can we return to the ‘train.'”
Yan Zhichun quickly processed the implications and realized a fatal flaw. “Then if… the Heavenly Ox dies inside… can we still come back?”
“Hard to say,” the Black Sheep admitted. “No one’s ever been in this situation before.”
“Isn’t that too risky?” Yan Zhichun pressed. “We could end up trapped in another dimension forever after killing her.”
“Another ‘dimension,'” the Black Sheep mused. “As expected of someone close to Brother Goat—you grasped such a complex concept so quickly.”
Yan Zhichun knew her understanding didn’t come from her ties with Bai Yang, but from her grueling experience in “Cangjie’s Game.”
“Since you understand the principle of ‘dimensions,’ this’ll be easier to explain,” the Black Sheep said. “My suggestion is for you to stay here, blocking the door with your body—preventing it from closing while keeping others away.”
“Huh…?”
“That way, even if we kill the Heavenly Ox below, we can still retrace our steps,” he explained. “At least, that’s what Brother Goat advised. Since even he couldn’t predict what would happen if she died inside, he told me to plan ahead.”
“Me… guarding the door?”
Yan Zhichun hadn’t expected the Black Sheep’s final strategy to involve leaving someone behind—let alone that someone being her.
“Honestly, in this mission, there are only two people I trust,” the Black Sheep said. “Either me, or you. Everyone else could be a ‘mole’ or under the influence of another ‘Zodiac.'”
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