My brain was racing, considering countless strategies, and within mere seconds, I had devised numerous plans.
But the cruel truth was that for someone of his stature, my survival hinged on “strategies,” while he could snuff out my life with just a finger.
“I truly know nothing about ‘Silence,'” I replied. “If you know my name, it means you recognize me. In your memory, have I ever had any contact with ‘Silence’ before?”
I steadied my nerves and subtly flexed my fingers, unsure whether it was my vision playing tricks or if “Echo” had failed—the man before me didn’t mirror my movements.
“To have come this far…” The man’s eyes gleamed with madness as he stared at me. “For ‘Silence’ to appear now… doesn’t that pique your curiosity? Yan Zhi Chun… this might be your last chance to confess.”
“Last… chance?”
“The fact that I’m even stooping to speak to an ant like you… is already a blessing you’ve earned over three lifetimes.” He let out a deranged chuckle. “How much time do you think I’ll waste on you?”
Ant… I despised that word.
Every single person here desperately wanted to *live*. They experienced joy and sorrow here, died and resurrected here. No one here was an ant.
With that thought, I mustered my resolve and took half a step back, but the man still didn’t move.
I was certain I had activated “Echo,” yet he remained unaffected.
Bai Yang had clearly stated that none of the upper echelons here could be “immune to Echo.” So how was this possible?
If the “Longhorn” I was about to face was the same… then I would undoubtedly lead the “Extremists” to their deaths on the train.
“Ah…?” The man suddenly blinked, then widened his eyes at me. “Yan Zhi Chun, do you know how a toy water gun can pierce through ocean waves?”
“A toy water gun… pierce waves?”
He took a single step forward—and in the next instant, my legs moved against my will, stepping toward him.
*”Mind Snatch”*…
My eyes widened in alarm. *Damn it…*
“Once I realized I could steal people’s sanity, I rarely bothered with such a trivial method of control…” He grinned eerily, and against my will, so did I.
We stood less than three steps apart, both wearing the same mad grin—while I trembled uncontrollably.
Even if I could manipulate others’ movements, I had never been able to control their expressions.
“Yan Zhi Chun… this is the little trick you’ve been relying on to survive, isn’t it?”
Seeing me shake like a leaf, he burst into laughter, as if amusing himself with a bug, then released the “Mind Snatch” grip on me. Though he hadn’t lifted a finger, I had already lost utterly.
This was what it meant to pierce waves with a toy water gun. I was the toy gun, and he was the raging storm.
I knew I was truly done for. Strangely, the moment I accepted that, my fear lessened. Since death was inevitable, I’d rather provoke him than beg for mercy.
Not everyone gets the chance to taunt a monster. I had to cherish it.
“Are you… ‘Qing Long’?” I asked.
“Oh?” The man looked at me with mild interest. “Did Bai Yang mention me?”
“I guessed,” I said. “You don’t seem like a ‘Terrestrial’ or ‘Celestial’—you have no animal traits. And the way you see people as ants matches Bai Yang’s description of the ‘upper echelons.’ But Tian Long, the supreme ruler, suddenly appearing before me would be absurd. So you must be Qing Long.”
“Fascinating!” Qing Long laughed. “Smart ants are the most entertaining!”
I swallowed hard and pressed on. “You’ve got the wrong person. At best, I’m just a pawn following orders. If you have grievances with Bai Yang, settling them with me would be pathetic.”
“Grievances? Hardly.” Qing Long shook his head. “We’re *intimate partners*… and between partners, sharing tactics shouldn’t be difficult, right? So tell me… what exactly did he say in ‘Silence’?!”
Yes. After calming down, I caught the critical detail in his words.
*Why “Silence”?*
“Qing Long… if you’re so curious about Bai Yang’s tactics, you should have many questions. Why fixate solely on what was said in ‘Silence’?”
“Hmm?”
“That means you already know everything else,” I said. “You can hear it all—except for ‘Silence.’ Can you… *eavesdrop*?”
“Hah!” Qing Long’s eyes lit up with amusement, and he nodded vigorously. “Yes! I’ve been listening all along… so why did the plan suddenly stop?!”
If every word he said was true, then he and Bai Yang had indeed collaborated on something. But Qing Long couldn’t decipher Bai Yang’s intentions—asking directly would reveal his incompetence—so he turned his anger on me.
“I won’t tell you,” I answered.
“Fine. Three sentences.” Qing Long raised three fingers. “I’ve given you, an ant, more than enough time. You get three sentences to satisfy me. Fail, and I’ll strip your sanity and toss you into the streets, leaving your *dear Brother Goat* helpless. Your choice.”
“Even if I become a ‘native,’ I won’t talk…” I muttered. “I have my own goals. I’m not like you lunatics.”
“That’s one.” He lowered a finger.
I knew Qing Long wasn’t joking. After all, I wouldn’t kneel to joke with an ant either.
*How do I survive this?*
Right now, I’m the only one who knows Brother Goat’s plan. If I die, the consequences are unpredictable. The “Extremists” may still exist, but they’d lose their ultimate purpose.
Brother Goat would struggle to find another suitable person within a year or two to restart the plan. Even if he did, that person couldn’t command the “Extremists.” Only I and Jiang Ruoxue could—and she only follows my orders.
So I *can’t* die. Otherwise, the “Land of Endings” won’t be liberated, the “Extremists” won’t be freed, and tens of thousands of rotting souls will remain trapped.
“Qing Long, you’ve sinned enough. The ‘karma’ and ’cause-and-effect’ awaiting you will lead to unimaginable evil. Even if you see lives as ants… don’t you care about your own fate?”
For a brief moment, Qing Long’s expression flickered—but then it smoothed over as he lowered another finger.
“That’s two.”
*If this were Brother Goat… how would he survive in three sentences?*
Wait…
*If this were Brother Goat, why would he let himself be cornered into only three sentences?*
I was following *his* logic. I’d already lost.
“Speak,” Qing Long said. “Stalling is pointless.”
“I’m done,” I replied. “Just those two.”
I had my own way of thinking. So what if he was Qing Long?
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