Qi Xia pondered countless questions in his mind, but only this one could quickly determine the direction of their conversation.
“Just as I thought,” Qi Xia nodded. “Let’s keep it brief.”
He pulled out the map given by Qinglong from his pocket and unfolded it in front of Earth Ox. Then he asked, “Do you recognize these people?”
Earth Ox glanced at Qi Xia, took the map, studied it for a long while, and finally asked, “What do these characters represent?”
“Zodiac signs,” Qi Xia replied. “Are these people as trustworthy as you?”
Earth Ox stared at the map for a long moment before slowly shaking his head. “I don’t know.”
“Don’t know…?”
“I only just arrived in this city. I haven’t had time to fully grasp the distribution of these ‘Zodiacs,'” Earth Ox sighed. “But I’ll be honest with you, Qi Xia…”
Hearing his name spoken by Earth Ox, Qi Xia inexplicably felt a pang of sadness.
“After we put on our masks, we basically lost contact,” Earth Ox said. “I don’t even know what masks they wear now. We can’t confirm identities by introducing ourselves, so we’re all isolated.”
Qi Xia frowned slightly. “You mean, even if you met the remaining seven face-to-face, you couldn’t be sure who they are?”
“Exactly. Unless you carry the eight ‘Tian Snake’ beads and personally verify each of the eight people on this map, no one is truly trustworthy.” She refolded the map and handed it back to Qi Xia. “Even if they are who they claim to be, too much has happened over the past decade. ‘Participants’ can fast-forward their time through death, but ‘Zodiacs’ can’t. We live each day in real time. Anyone could break at any moment.”
Qi Xia knew Earth Ox spoke the truth. Under prolonged isolation and doubt, even the closest allies could fracture.
Moreover, “Tianlong” and “Qinglong” didn’t seem foolish. They possessed not only the cunning to lure these “Zodiacs” into the abyss but also the means to enforce threats. Under such dual pressures, even the firmest resolve could waver.
“And that’s not even the deadliest part,” Earth Ox added.
“Oh?”
“The deadliest part is that we’re all independent. Even if we’re certain we haven’t strayed, no one can guarantee you’re still holding onto your original purpose,” Earth Ox said.
“Me…?” Qi Xia looked at her.
“We’re like walking a tightrope thousands of meters in the air,” Earth Ox replied. “The only reason we’re not afraid of the fatal height is because the rope is still beneath us.”
“I see…”
“But after walking it for over a decade… everyone fears it might snap.” Earth Ox shook her head, her expression darkening. “Qi Xia, seeing you made me realize the rope is still strong. My heart can finally settle—I hope the others feel the same.”
Noticing Qi Xia’s silence, Earth Ox studied him for a moment before asking softly, “Those eyes of yours… did you succeed? Did you wound ‘him’?”
Qi Xia gave a slight nod. “Possibly.”
“Possibly?” Earth Ox frowned. “Are you telling me that after planning this path for so long… you’re now in a state of uncertainty?”
Qi Xia exhaled deeply. “Yes, I’m uncertain. My memories are stuck.”
“Stuck?”
“Long-term plans always have gaps in the details,” Qi Xia replied. “I’m working on it. My memories feel… strange now.”
“How so?” Earth Ox asked.
Qi Xia turned slowly, facing the pit beside Earth Ox, and kicked a pile of sand into it.
The sand fell into the hole, far from filling the massive void.
“Plenty of memories have poured in, enough to patch together decades of a fragmented life,” Qi Xia said, staring at the pit. “But the hole is far from filled. I still feel like I’ve forgotten too much.”
He turned back to Earth Ox. “There aren’t many ‘Zodiacs’ I can trust. I need someone to help piece my memories together.”
“So you came to me,” Earth Ox chuckled. “You might be expecting too much.”
“How so?”
“You’ve always stuck to your principles,” Earth Ox said. “Each of us is just a pawn in your plan, only knowing our own role and nothing else. So I can’t tell you what you’ve forgotten.”
“Then tell me your part of the plan,” Qi Xia pressed.
“That’s the unfortunate part,” Earth Ox said, stepping closer with a solemn expression. “You yourself once ordered me never to reveal it—even if you came asking.”
“Oh…?”
“Qi Xia, you can trust me completely, but I might not trust you,” Earth Ox said.
“I see,” Qi Xia narrowed his eyes.
“You told me that if the current you can’t bridge the gap with your past self through your own efforts, it just proves your limits,” Earth Ox said. “We can’t take risks. Better to delay liberation than let anyone escape prematurely.”
Qi Xia nodded slightly. “That’s better.”
“Is it?”
“If you’d given me the answer easily, I’d have suspected it was a trap left by my past self,” Qi Xia said. “That’s exactly the kind of thing I’d do. Better to let my future self die early than risk the plan failing.”
“In that case, is there anything else you need to ask me?” Earth Ox inquired.
“I…” Qi Xia thought for a moment. “I’ve found some new allies—’Zodiacs’ I can trust besides you. Tonight, arrange to meet them.”
“Who?”
“Earth Tiger, the one whose game is called ‘Narrow Escape.’ He’s likely well-known among the Earth-level ‘Zodiacs’ now. Meet him tonight.”
Earth Ox opened her mouth to speak but hesitated, wary of eavesdropping, and simply nodded.
“One more question,” Qi Xia added. “Tell me about the current ‘Earth Dragon.'”
“‘Earth Dragon’…” Earth Ox frowned. “You mean… one of us became ‘Earth Dragon’?”
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