Chapter 1260: Counterpoint

“Go, hurry!” Tianma flashed and instantly appeared beside Dima. “Take me there now!”

Tianmouse immediately sensed something was wrong as an unusual odor began flooding his nose.

But before he could identify the scent he smelled, Tianma had already flashed away with her in tow, vanishing further into the distance.

“Hey!!” Tianmouse shouted urgently. “That Dima is lying!!”

Yet Tianma seemed too consumed by the matter of Tianhu to hear him. She pressed forward with a frantic expression, completely ignoring Tianmouse’s cries behind her.

“Leader…” Dimouse sidestepped, blocking Tianmouse’s path and obscuring his view. “If there’s something, you can tell me. I’ll handle it for you. Do you need me to fetch Leader Tianma?”

Tianmouse frowned slightly at these words. He glanced around—three “Earth-level” figures had positioned themselves around him, each carrying a complex scent.

He knew Dimouse well—slippery-tongued, indecisive, always exuding a convoluted aura. But the other two were harder to read.

When he first met them, their scents weren’t this intricate. Why the sudden change?

A sense of unease rose in Tianmouse’s heart. Even if he didn’t want to admit it, he had to prepare for the worst now.

What if these two newcomers weren’t here under “summons” but were instead “rebels” heading for the “locomotive”? How should he handle that?

A cold sweat trickled down his forehead. If that were the case, he’d have to fight two “Earth-level” opponents while injured—and Dimouse would likely just stand by and watch.

Tianmouse’s eyes flickered rapidly. The best move now was to escape this dangerous situation.

Even if those two were indeed “rebels,” it had nothing to do with him. They were heading to the locomotive earlier, meaning he wasn’t their target.

“Aren’t you looking for Tianhou and Tianji?” Tianmouse said. “They’re probably still in their rooms. Hurry, or you’ll miss them.”

The three exchanged glances.

Dihou looked at Diji, who then turned to Dimouse. Finally, Dimouse gave a slight nod.

Taking the hint, Diji and Dihou stepped back subtly. “Our apologies. We’ll take our leave then.”

The two departed. Tianmouse watched their retreating figures until they turned toward the corridor where the “Heaven-level” rooms were. Only then did he exhale slightly in relief.

Now only Dimouse remained. Even if he was a “rebel,” Tianmouse wouldn’t lose in a one-on-one.

“You damn rat,” Tianmouse spat. “You just waltzed over here without seeing any trace of ‘rebels’ along the way?”

“You flatter me,” Dimouse said humbly, bowing his head. “I can’t smell their scents. That’s why I came straight to you for help.”

“Then tell me which rooms are suspicious,” Tianmouse said, stepping forward.

“Perfect, Leader.” Dimouse’s expression darkened. “I happened to pass a few questionable rooms. Let me show you.”

The two of them, each harboring ulterior motives, walked ahead and soon vanished into the depths of the hallway.

Not long after, two more figures flashed through the corridor—a white snake and an exceptionally tall Earthrabbit.

“Why are you following me?” the white snake asked cautiously, leading the way.

“I’m not…” Earthrabbit shook his head. “Actually, I didn’t mean to tail you. If you’d prefer, walk behind me.”

“You’re heading to the ‘locomotive’ too?” the white snake asked.

“Something like that.” Earthrabbit paused, then corrected himself. “No, I can’t say. What about you?”

The white snake no longer seemed to care about hiding his intentions. “I’m going to kill Tianshe. And you?”

Earthrabbit hesitated before answering. “Funny. I’m going to kill Tiantu.”

“So we *are* heading the same way?” The white snake smirked. “Let’s go together, then.”

“Because of ‘counterpart elimination,’ right?”

“No.” The white snake shook his head. “Personal grudge.”

The two strode toward the “locomotive” as if no one else existed. The sounds of commotion echoed from the other Heaven-level rooms, but they paid no mind. The white snake walked straight to Tianshe’s door.

After a moment, he noticed Earthrabbit hadn’t entered. Suspicion crept into his voice. “What’s wrong?”

“Sorry,” Earthrabbit said. “Which one is Tiantu’s room? I’ve been here so long, but I’ve never seen that person.”

The white snake nodded. He was familiar with this place, having visited Tianshe frequently for experiments. After mentally eliminating the options, he pointed to a door in the corner. “Probably there. It’s either Tiantu or Tianzhu. I heard Tiantu’s a woman.”

“Got it…” Earthrabbit nodded and headed toward the door.

The two exchanged one last glance before pushing their respective doors open without hesitation.

When the white snake entered, he found Tianshe standing by a table, where a naked girl was slowly sitting up.

Her back, like his own, was marred by several cuts—each housing a moving eyeball. A pang of pity struck him.

Tianshe had found a new test subject.

“Hmm…?” Tianshe frowned as the door opened. “Who told you to come in?”

The white snake lowered his gaze. “Teacher, chaos has broken out outside. Shouldn’t we check on it?”

“Do I need *you* to remind me?” Tianshe snapped. “Since when have you been so ill-mannered? You didn’t even knock. Next time I get new eyes, I won’t test them on you.”

A strange feeling twisted in the white snake’s chest.

He reached up, slowly unbuttoned his shirt, and removed his bloodstained undershirt.

Still staring at the ground, he murmured, “Teacher, there’s something I truly don’t understand. I hope you can enlighten me.”

“Speak.” Tianshe wiped his hands with a towel. “What is it this time?”

“That girl has four cuts on her back—and four *living* eyes. Did I see that right?” the white snake asked.

Tianshe’s brow twitched. “…Yes. What about it?”

Xiao Ran, sensing the tension, quickly grabbed her clothes to cover herself and retreated to the side.

“Then why do I have countless wounds… but only *one* living eye?” The white snake turned slowly, revealing his pale, scar-riddled back.