“Twin Flowers”…?
Qi Xia turned to look at Zheng Yingxiong again, sensing that this child’s abilities were extraordinary.
He was practically a walking “display screen,” able to know the names of others’ “Echoes.”
Qiao Jiajin and Li Shangwu stared dumbfounded at Qian Wu, watching as he transformed from a woman into a man—something even movies rarely depicted.
“You… you’re really a freak, huh…?” Qiao Jiajin felt the alcohol in his mouth suddenly tasted a little less sweet.
“No,” Qian Wu shook his head. “I am Qian Wu of the ‘Twin Flowers.’ One of my abilities is to alter my form.”
Qi Xia looked up at Qian Wu. Though his physique had changed in an instant, nothing in the “Land of the End” was too shocking to accept.
“Why can’t we collect 3,600 ‘Tao’?”
Qian Wu took a moment to steady his breathing before releasing Qi Xia’s arm, leaning back into his seat. “Qi Xia, don’t you find it strange? What exactly is ‘Tao’? Where does it come from, and what is its purpose? What happens when someone gathers 3,600 ‘Tao’?”
“I don’t know. But since someone set the rules, we follow them.”
“You’re wrong,” Qian Wu shook his head. “All I can tell you is that ‘Tao’ is the biggest scam in the Land of the End. Once a ‘participant’ collects 3,600, Tianlong and Qinglong will both appear. They will wipe everyone’s memories, slaughter all in sight, and then reshuffle the entire Land of the End. Everyone will be as if they just arrived—this is the so-called ‘way out.'”
Qiao Jiajin and Li Shangwu slowly raised their eyebrows, realizing things had taken an unexpected turn.
It all seemed unbelievable, yet somehow inevitable.
So, 3,600 “Tao” wasn’t an escape route—it was a path to destruction.
“Qi Xia, you should also know that the Land of the End has likely existed longer than we have. How could no one have collected 3,600 ‘Tao’ before?”
Qi Xia nodded silently. “That’s true.”
He knew even his past self must have gathered 3,600 “Tao.” With a firm grasp of the rules, it wouldn’t have been difficult.
“If you linger here long enough, you’ll notice a uniform fracture in people’s memories,” Qian Wu frowned, as if recalling something painful. “Some retain seven years of memory, some five, and others only two.”
Li Shangwu stiffened slightly. “You mean… the reason these specific time points remain intact is because someone collected 3,600 ‘Tao’ at those moments?”
“Exactly,” Qian Wu nodded. “Some in ‘Team Cat’ retain five years of memory, while most only have two. As for seven or more… I’m the only one.”
Li Shangwu wanted to ask more, but Qi Xia silently placed a hand on his arm, stopping him.
“Qian Wu, how have you escaped every ‘reshuffle’?” Qi Xia asked. “Seven years ago, five years ago, two years ago—you avoided them all?”
Qian Wu blinked, then pulled a cigarette from the box on the table and lit it.
“My ‘Echo’ has a special effect—it lets me escape the ‘reshuffle.'”
“So, are you implying that your memories are the complete history of the Land of the End?”
“No. As I said, this place likely predates us. I just happened to discover a way to escape the ‘reshuffle’ ten years ago. Anything before that, even I don’t remember. But this method is my lifeline—I won’t reveal it.”
Qi Xia narrowed his eyes slightly, lost in thought.
“Qi Xia, I’ve laid everything out this time because I want to hear your plan,” Qian Wu sighed. “If I find it viable, I’ll rally all of ‘Team Cat’ to stake our lives on it.”
“Oh?” Qi Xia rested his chin on his hand, carefully weighing the truth in Qian Wu’s words. “I recall ‘Team Cat’ is a mercenary group. You take contracts here—why the sudden urge to leave?”
Qian Wu glanced at Song Qi, Zhou Liu, and Shi Jiu before replying, “This is something only a few of us know…”
“What is it?”
“The number of participants in the Land of the End is dwindling. If we don’t find a way out soon, everyone will be trapped forever. But recklessly fighting ‘Tianlong’ is unwise. We’re waiting for the right moment.”
“Is that so…?” Qi Xia tilted his head slightly. “Your team spans from ‘Five’ to ‘Twenty-One’—seventeen members at most. You once said even ten thousand couldn’t accomplish it. How can seventeen?”
“Back then, I knew nothing—just followed you blindly. But now it’s different.” Qian Wu exhaled smoke into the center of the room. “Qi Xia, ‘Team Cat’ is a disciplined team capable of any mission.”
“Then why shouldn’t I seek Chu Tianqiu’s help?” Qi Xia countered. “He wants to kill ‘Tianlong’ even more than you do. And ‘Paradise Gate’ has nearly twice your numbers.”
At this, the “Team Cat” members present scoffed. Zhou Liu, in particular, spat out the gum he’d been chewing and glared at Qi Xia. “Tch! What kind of talk is that? No matter how many ‘Paradise Gate’ has, they’re just cannon fodder. Can’t you see they lack unity?”
Qian Wu patted Zhou Liu’s shoulder, his form shifting back into a woman. “Zhou Liu, no need.”
“Tch, Fifth Brother, look at this guy,” Zhou Liu spat again in frustration. “I’ve held back this whole time, but does he even want to talk properly?”
Qian Wu frowned slightly. “Zhou Liu, pick up the gum. It’s a hassle to clean.”
Zhou Liu took a deep breath, clenched his teeth, and retrieved the gum.
Turning back to Qi Xia, Qian Wu said, “Qi Xia, I’ve always wondered—why did you join Chu Tianqiu’s side? Do you two… really get along?”
Qi Xia knew there was subtext. He nodded. “Chu Tianqiu is an interesting man. He’s hidden many things from me.”
“Right…” Qian Wu smiled. “So you know he isn’t part of the ‘two-year’ group.”
“Of course not,” Qi Xia replied with a smirk. “Though he’s deceived me, our ultimate goals don’t conflict. For now, we can stand together.”
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