Looking at the blood-red holes on the faces of the corpses, Zhang Shan’s fury reignited.
“Absurd…” he gritted his teeth and said. “Even if Chu Tianqiu ordered you to kill, did he also order you to gouge out these people’s eyeballs?”
At that moment, Little Glasses keenly sensed something was amiss.
“Zhang Shan, it might be true,” he interjected. “Though they were the ones who killed, their hands have no bloodstains—they probably didn’t remove the corpses’ eyeballs.”
After speaking, he took a step forward and said gravely, “Mr. Han, Mr. Zhao, was Mr. Chu’s original goal to obtain these people’s eyeballs?”
“Yes!” Dr. Zhao replied. “We really were acting under his orders…”
Just as the five stood at an impasse in the middle of the field, a cold voice echoed from the distance.
“It was indeed my command.”
Everyone turned to see Chu Tianqiu walking toward them from the school gate.
Step by step, he approached, carrying with him a nauseating scent of blood.
Zhang Shan stared blankly at him. The man before him matched Chu Tianqiu in build and appearance, yet he was nothing like the person in his memories.
His hair was slicked back, revealing his forehead, and around his neck hung a strange string of beads, as if he were some kind of bizarre cultist.
What puzzled Zhang Shan even more was the overwhelming stench of blood emanating from Chu Tianqiu. It was as if his entire body was dripping with it—even the coat draped over his shoulders was stained crimson.
Little Glasses cautiously lowered his gaze to Chu Tianqiu’s hands and indeed found them drenched in red.
“Chu… Tianqiu?” Zhang Shan ventured hesitantly.
“What?” Chu Tianqiu smiled faintly, continuing his approach. “Has it only been a day, and you don’t recognize me anymore?”
“We were only gone for a day… How could you change this much?” Zhang Shan spoke aloud, but his mind was racing with unease.
Had Chu Tianqiu lost his mind in such a short time?
“I’ve simply… come to some realizations,” Chu Tianqiu said. “Thanks to many people, I’ve finally understood what I must do.”
“And what you must do… is gouge out the eyeballs of your own comrades?” Zhang Shan asked.
“Exactly.” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “I ordered them to kill, and I personally removed the eyeballs.”
Zhang Shan hadn’t expected such a blunt admission and could only stand frozen for a moment before asking, “Why?”
“Because the eyeballs are useful to me.” Chu Tianqiu replied. “Zhang Shan, give me yours as well.”
“What…?” Zhang Shan slowly furrowed his brow.
Old Lv glanced between Chu Tianqiu and the two men, Han Yimo and Dr. Zhao, sensing the situation was turning dire.
Though they were still talking, he felt violence could erupt at any second.
Little Glasses’ eyes darted quickly before he tugged at Zhang Shan’s sleeve. “Something’s wrong. Let’s leave.”
At that moment, Han Yimo finally regained his composure. A wave of dizziness and intense tinnitus overtook him as he summoned the “Seven Black Swords” once more.
With a sharp whistling sound, an inky-black sword descended from the sky.
Zhang Shan coldly scanned his surroundings before looking up at the sky. “You want to kill me here and take my eyeballs?”
“No.” Chu Tianqiu shook his head. “Zhang Shan, you’re now ‘Tian Xing Jian’—you possess regenerative abilities. Just remove your own eyeballs and hand them to me, and I’ll let all three of you leave. You’ll suffer no loss, and I’ll gain what I need. Isn’t that ideal?”
“Chu Tianqiu… Do you know how much I trusted you?” Zhang Shan turned to face him. “Even after ‘Paradise Gate’ fell apart twice, I thought it was just bad decisions—that we could start over. But now you want to gouge out my eyes and string them into a necklace? How is this any different from madness?”
“Zhang Shan.” Chu Tianqiu shook his head with a smile. “We’ve restarted too many times. Before you joined ‘Paradise Gate,’ Yun Yao and I tried countless times—but it never worked.”
“Oh? So you’ve been lying to me all along?” Zhang Shan laughed bitterly. “Damn it! You said you met me over a year ago and invited me to join ‘Paradise Gate’ to defeat all the ‘Zodiacs’—was that all a lie?”
“That part was true. But I’ve also remembered many things from the past.” Chu Tianqiu touched his forehead. “My memories return to me day by day, even the first time I met you… Unfortunately, that wasn’t a year ago.”
“Oh?”
“Zhang Shan… You should know this yourself.” Chu Tianqiu crossed his arms, smiling. “You’re brave, loyal, possess a stronger ‘Echo’ than most, and your ‘Trigger’ isn’t complicated… So why have you been an unknown wanderer all these years?”
“What’s your point?”
“For nearly a decade, ‘Paradise Gate’ has been recruiting. If I’d known a man like you was roaming the streets, I would’ve brought you under my wing long ago. So why did you never make a name for yourself?”
“I don’t understand.” Zhang Shan frowned. “I’ve never been one for fame—it’s normal if people don’t know me.”
“True… That’s what I thought at first.” Chu Tianqiu chuckled. “But I overlooked one crucial detail. A little over a year ago, not only did I meet you, but I also heard of a major event. Had I connected the two, I might’ve realized the truth sooner—even Qi Xia’s plan would’ve been clearer to me.”
“A major event…?” Zhang Shan’s expression turned puzzled. He glanced at Little Glasses and Old Lv, who looked equally confused.
“Roughly a year ago, ‘Vortex City’ fell. The remaining survivors were so few they couldn’t even pass the interview rooms. And around that time, a man named Zhang Shan appeared on these streets.”
“‘Vortex City’…?” The name was unfamiliar to everyone present, leaving them speechless.
Chu Tianqiu shook his head. “Zhang Shan, how could you be Little Glasses and Old Lv’s teammate? When we first met ten years ago, you stood beside Nie Bei. You were a renowned warrior of ‘Vortex City.’ So how did you end up here?”
Zhang Shan only grew more bewildered. “Nie Bei… Who’s that?”
“Ha…” Chu Tianqiu didn’t answer, merely laughing to himself. “Nie Bei really gave ‘Dao City’ a grand gift… But fate had its way. You forgot his instructions and ended up serving under me.”
Zhang Shan let out another bitter laugh. “And how does this justify gouging out my eyeballs?”
“Of course it does.” Chu Tianqiu said. “Nie Bei sent you to ‘Dao City’ to preserve a sliver of hope for himself—and that hope is me.”
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