“Are you going to tell them the ‘truth’?” Jiang Ruoxue asked.
“Exactly,” I replied in a very serious tone. “If someone actually collects 3,600 ‘Tao,’ everything will reset. So, the ultimate goal of this organization is to ‘protect this place.'”
Jiang Ruoxue stared at me for a long moment before breaking into a smile. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Help…?” I thought for a while. “Honestly, just helping me organize my thoughts is already a huge favor. I’m not a particularly smart person—I’ve just read a bit more than others. Sometimes, I struggle to figure things out. This time, you’ve been a tremendous help.”
“What do you mean, ‘I’m not a smart person’?” Jiang Ruoxue laughed again. “There aren’t that many truly smart people in the world to begin with. Do you really need to emphasize that? I’ve never heard anyone introduce themselves by saying, ‘I’m very smart.'”
“That’s not what I meant…” I shook my head. “Anyway, just having you listen to me is already a great encouragement. From now on, I’ll try my best to follow this direction.”
In the days that followed, Jiang Ruoxue and I not only became the closest of friends but also partners, working side by side in this place.
Working with her was far more comfortable than with Zhang Qiang. Despite her many quirks, she never managed to be annoying.
She loved calling every pretty girl “wife” and couldn’t resist playful physical contact with them—she’d suddenly hug you or just as suddenly ignore you.
She had no plans, acting on whims—sometimes wanting to go east, other times west. But somehow, it felt just right.
She lived far more freely than I ever did.
She once told me that since people only have a few decades in this world, living in fear and neglecting yourself for others is no different from never having existed at all.
Though those words resonated deeply with me, they came too late.
They should have appeared before my worldview and personality were fully set. Had they come earlier, I might have had a more extraordinary life. But now, trying to change… it was already too late for me.
For nearly two years after that, Jiang Ruoxue and I wandered the “Land of the End” as friends.
Though we had a clear goal, taking the first step proved far harder than we imagined.
I told the “truth” to many people, but no one believed me.
Trust between strangers is already fragile, and in a place like this, it’s nearly impossible. Everyone assumes you have ulterior motives, so before you even speak, they’ve already built psychological defenses.
In such an environment, convincing someone of an absurd truth with mere words was nothing short of a fantasy.
I had no tangible evidence, no promised benefits—just weak, empty pleas for them to follow my lead.
And that wasn’t reasonable. If someone had said the same to me, I’d have refused too.
Fortunately, over those two years, Jiang Ruoxue and I met many people and learned the names of some formidable figures. She reminded me that even Liu Bei had to visit Zhuge Liang three times before securing his allegiance—these people weren’t as wise as Zhuge Liang, so perhaps they’d need even more persuasion.
Beyond that, we had a major “competitor”—an enormous, nameless organization active in the city.
Its influence had spread to every corner, and legend had it that its founder was the same participant who had been making waves two years prior.
Since I avoided large-scale activities, I’d always steer clear of gatherings, relying on Jiang Ruoxue for updates.
She told me this organization bore some resemblance to the one we aimed to build. Despite its size, its core members were shrouded in mystery. The leader never appeared in public, and no outsider knew his name. He simply delegated tasks to subordinates.
Now, countless strong individuals and their teams had joined, systematically conquering games and seemingly defeating every “Zodiac” in the land.
I found myself growing curious about this leader. Was he really that capable?
Two years ago, I’d doubted his competence, believing he’d eventually cross paths with Aries and suffer a crushing defeat.
But now, he’d grown stronger while I remained stagnant.
As I’d said from the start, no matter where I went, I’d never be the strongest—there’s always someone better.
If I wanted to fulfill Aries’ goal, should I consider cooperating with him?
But what was my status now? A lone participant with no support, only Jiang Ruoxue by my side.
Neither of us was strong, and our ambitions were hardly grand. The ethos of this organization was fundamentally at odds with ours.
Three more years passed, bringing us to roughly seven years before the present.
Jiang Ruoxue and I still couldn’t establish a strong organization. Even when we had temporary allies, they’d either leave quickly or succumb to memory loss.
But I hadn’t accomplished nothing. With Jiang Ruoxue’s company, my personality had matured. I was no longer as cold and numb as before, sometimes even cracking jokes.
Yet, how much longer could this go on?
Five years had already passed. Thankfully, Aries hadn’t contacted me yet—I still had time.
But on the other hand, even with a clear goal, achieving nothing in five years was downright pathetic.
Time here was frozen, and so was my progress. I might have to persuade the same person multiple times.
Then, just over seven years ago, Jiang Ruoxue shared news that was neither good nor bad.
She told me rumors were spreading like wildfire—the leader of that massive organization had seemingly vanished.
Not dead, not amnesiac, not turned into a native—just “gone.”
But to us, it was inconsequential. I couldn’t care less. Jiang Ruoxue might have had some ties to them, but they were hardly friends.
A leader disappearing wasn’t unusual. Maybe he was tired, disillusioned, or found another path. Where there are people, there are factions. Soon, another strong figure would rise and take over.
But what should I do…?
“Zhichun, what’s on your mind?” Jiang Ruoxue suddenly asked.
“I…” I fell silent. Even I didn’t know what I was doing anymore.
My life seemed to have reverted to its earlier state—I had no goal.
I felt powerless to grow stronger, powerless to solve the challenge Aries had given me.
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