Chapter 299: The Mad King

Chu Tianqiu waved his hand, and Xiao Nian and Zhang Shan beside him walked out of the classroom.

“Song Qi, have a seat.” Chu Tianqiu gestured with a wave.

Song Qi nodded and unceremoniously dragged over a chair to sit down.

“What do you want to ask?” Chu Tianqiu smiled.

“We’re looking for a ‘massive Echo,'” Song Qi said. “Direct orders from Fifth Brother.”

“Oh?” Chu Tianqiu raised an eyebrow. “‘Massive Echo’?”

“That’s right.” Song Qi nodded. “Fifth Brother suspects this ‘Echoer’ was triggered due to our large-scale assault, so you must know something.”

“Of course I do.” Chu Tianqiu grinned happily. “I spent ten million to wipe out the entire ‘Cat’ team—naturally, it was for this ‘massive Echo.'”

“I want to know who it is,” Song Qi said.

“Is that possible?” Chu Tianqiu ran a slender finger over his flushed lips. “I’m the one who paid, so the ‘answer’ is mine alone to see.”

“We can make an exchange,” Song Qi said, frowning. “We might not have ten million, but we can do something of equal value for you.”

“Ha!” Chu Tianqiu burst into laughter. “Do you think I care about ten million?!”

“Then what do you—?”

“Song Qi, whose mission did Qian Wu take this time?” Chu Tianqiu abruptly changed the subject.

“That… It’s against our rules to disclose client information.”

“Hahahaha!” Chu Tianqiu laughed loudly before leaning back and murmuring, “Song Qi… this ‘client’ personally sought out Qian Wu, mobilized the entire ‘Cat’ team—except the leader and deputy leader—and aggressively stormed ‘Paradise Gate.’ Are they richer than me?”

Song Qi remained silent.

“So it’s highly possible they didn’t pay a single cent.” Chu Tianqiu smirked. “To make Qian Wu act like this without spending a dime in the ‘Land of the End’—must be a ‘big shot,’ right?”

“Stop guessing,” Song Qi interrupted. “For the client’s privacy, even if you’re right, I won’t confirm it.”

“Privacy… hah.” Chu Tianqiu’s expression suddenly darkened, a trace of ferocity flashing in his eyes. “Tell me—what’s worth protecting about them?!”

Song Qi paused briefly before shaking his head. “Regardless, ‘Cat’ doesn’t break its rules.”

“Fine.” Chu Tianqiu nodded, his smile vanishing as he changed tack. “Then I want to know—what’s ‘Cat’s’ stance? What do you plan to do after finding this ‘massive Echo’?”

“I don’t know.” Song Qi shook his head. “I never pry into Fifth Brother’s details. All I know is we’re supposed to bring that person to him.”

Chu Tianqiu fell silent for a moment before speaking again. “Song Qi, if this move turns ‘Cat’ against all ‘Participants,’ would you still charge ahead?”

“What do you mean?” Song Qi asked.

“You and I both retain two years of memories. We know an ‘Echo’ of this magnitude has never appeared before. It could reshape the ‘Land of the End’—maybe even be everyone’s hope for escape.” Chu Tianqiu wiped his lips again. “Yet the ‘big shot’ who hired you wants to stop that from happening. Even so… you’d still help them?”

Song Qi stayed silent for a long while before replying, “Chu Tianqiu, you know why ‘Cat’ has survived this long—we don’t interfere with the changes in the ‘Land of the End.’ Whether it’s the ‘Zodiacs,’ the ‘Extremists,’ the ‘Participants,’ or any other faction, we treat them all the same.”

“So you treat the ‘Land of the End’ as a workplace?” Chu Tianqiu found the man pitifully amusing. “Go home once every ten days, then spend the rest of your time here earning money for your family?”

“Is that so bad?” Song Qi adjusted his posture, trying to sit more comfortably, then chuckled bitterly. “We know our sins are unforgivable. Even if we return, we’d be executed. Besides… in the real world, we could never earn this much for our families.”

Chu Tianqiu nodded. “So ‘Cat’s’ ultimate motive aligns with the ‘Extremists’? You want to preserve this place—because for you, it’s a ‘gold mine’?”

“Not exactly.” Song Qi shook his head. “We simply follow fate’s course. If we can profit along the way, all the better.”

“Alright, I understand.” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “This ‘massive Echo’ is crucial to my ‘escape.’ It’s hard for me to reveal who it is.”

“No room for negotiation?” Song Qi pressed.

“There is…” Chu Tianqiu mused. “But my price is steep.”

“Name it.”

Chu Tianqiu glanced at the ‘Cat’ members sitting in the schoolyard and asked, “How many did you bring?”

“Eighteen,” Song Qi answered.

“How many have ‘Echoed’?”

“Six.”

“Ha…” Chu Tianqiu chuckled again, slowly standing and stepping close to Song Qi. He bent down, his face inches away, and enunciated each word: “I want all of your right hands—one from each of you. Leave them here now.”

Song Qi’s brow twitched before a furious grin spread across his face. “Chu Tianqiu… you’re truly insane…”

“Don’t misunderstand, Song Qi.” Chu Tianqiu straightened up. “This isn’t a threat or a declaration of war—just ‘business.’ You can refuse, or you can haggle.”

“One right hand per person—what do I get in return?”

“I’ll tell you who it is.” Chu Tianqiu smiled. “If you’re willing to raise the price—say, both hands from each, or the corpses of the six ‘Echoers’—I’ll rally all of ‘Paradise Gate’ to help you capture them.”

Song Qi’s expression darkened. “So… to complete the mission, we’d have to leave behind at least eighteen hands.”

“Breaking the rules is also an option.” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “We could just declare war outright. ‘Paradise Gate’ currently has about five or six ‘Echoers’—fairly even odds.”

“That’s not part of the mission. Fifth Brother wouldn’t approve.” Song Qi swiftly drew a dagger from his waist. “Here’s my right hand.”

Chu Tianqiu leaned in closer. “Such an old knife—can it even cut through a wrist?”

Song Qi stared at his right wrist, hesitating briefly.

“Chop it off…” Chu Tianqiu’s gaze fixated on Song Qi’s hand, his eyes unblinking.

“You’re too close. The blood might splash on your face.”

Chu Tianqiu slowly pointed to his left eye. “My eye’s cold. Splash it here.”

Song Qi’s brow furrowed—then the dagger plunged in with a muffled thud. A small spurt of blood shot up, landing precisely on Chu Tianqiu’s left eyeball.

Chu Tianqiu didn’t flinch. Instead, he grinned and rolled his pupil, spreading the blood evenly across his eye. A crimson tear trickled down, staining his refined face with an eerie touch.

Song Qi tossed his severed hand to the ground, then unbuckled his belt and tightly wrapped it around his wrist. Not a sound escaped him, though a thin sheen of sweat coated his forehead.

“I take back what I said earlier.” Chu Tianqiu wiped away the bloody tear and licked his finger. “Your knife is excellent.”

“And I take back my earlier words…” Song Qi said, pale-faced. “You really do have the aura of a ‘leader.'”