Chapter 966: Seeing Through

“Lying…?” Earth Ox’s expression remained unchanged. “Where did I lie?”

“「Counter Kill」… how ridiculous.” Black Sheep sneered. “If Sheep Brother had come up with this plan, I’d cut off my own hand today.”

“You sure are confident,” Earth Ox sighed. “Just because of a 「Counter Kill」, you think I’m lying?”

“Losing-Tiger’s counter is 「Heavenly Tiger」—how could Sheep Brother ever send him to kill a child?” Black Sheep gritted his teeth. “Isn’t that just sending him to his death? Losing-Tiger can die anytime for all I care, but I won’t let him die under some absurd lie. If you dare scheme against him, I won’t hesitate to take you down right now.”

Earth Chicken watched silently, taking a step back. She wanted to figure out Earth Ox’s true intentions, but this time, she had no choice but to stay out of it.

“Isn’t calling him a 「child」 a bit hasty?” Earth Ox countered. “Even if 「Heavenly Tiger」 is just a naked brat, he’s been in 「Paradise」 for decades, same as us. What’s the difference between him and an old monster?”

“The difference is appearance,” Black Sheep shot back. “That’s Losing-Tiger’s only weakness. Sheep Brother knows how to use people. Even if I can’t decipher most of his plans, something this reckless clearly isn’t his doing. What’s your real goal?”

“You misunderstand me,” Earth Ox shook his head, finding a chair to sit in. “I’m only thinking of the group. Right now, all the arrows are nocked—only a few 「Heavenly」 stand in our way. No matter what, we should eliminate them.”

“I don’t care what you think is 「right」,” Black Sheep said coldly. “Tell me Sheep Brother’s real plan. If you get Losing-Tiger killed with this scheme, I’ll never let you go for the rest of my life.”

“This is Sheep Brother’s plan,” Earth Ox insisted. “Believe it or not.”

“I’ll give you one last chance…” Black Sheep’s expression darkened further. “If you dare lie to me again with this 「Counter Kill」 nonsense, prepare for a fight.”

As he spoke, he unbuttoned his suit sleeves, rolling them up, then loosened his tie.

“Is this plan really so unreasonable?” Earth Ox frowned. “You should be grateful I freed you up—you don’t have to kill 「Heavenly Sheep」, so you’re in a safer position. Me? I still have 「Heavenly Ox」 to deal with.”

Black Sheep smirked. “I’m weak and powerless. All I can do right now is help Sheep Brother pull out a rusted 「needle」.”

With that, Black Sheep vanished. Before the air could react, his figure shot forward like a bullet.

But Earth Ox was no pushover—the next second, he too disappeared from his chair. Their bodies collided with a deafening crash.

“Hey!” Earth Chicken took a nervous step forward. “Black Sheep… I know you have questions. Shouldn’t we clarify things first?”

“Earth Chicken, I know you’re in the dark,” Black Sheep said. “If you really want answers, let this fight decide. On this 「train」, trusting anyone will only bring you suffering.”

Earth Ox scoffed, shoving Black Sheep back. “Black Sheep, don’t think you can overpower me. I heard you used to paint fans—but I was an athlete.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Black Sheep replied. “On this 「train」, no 「sheep」 is easy prey. You’re not just trying to get Losing-Tiger killed—you’re even fabricating a sloppy plan to insult Sheep Brother. That pisses me off. Even if I can’t kill you today, I won’t let you walk away unscathed.”

Ignoring Earth Chicken’s pleas, the two clashed again.

This wasn’t like the usual brawls in Earth Tiger’s room. Both seemed intent on killing the other. Every strike exploded with force, shaking the wooden floor and doors to their limits.

“Annoying…” Earth Chicken muttered under her breath. “What do I do? You suddenly changed your story… and now this mess…”

She could only stand guard at the door, hoping the others had grown accustomed to the noise. If 「Earth Dragon」 got involved, things would get much worse.

——

Earth Rat dragged Slacker Dog back to his room. After checking the hallway for eavesdroppers, he waved his students out.

“What’s going on…?” Slacker Dog asked cautiously once they were alone. “Is there something wrong with that Earth Ox?”

“Dog Leader…” Earth Rat shut the door, lowering his voice. “Did you eat shit earlier? Why the hell were you about to admit you had 「Echo」?”

“I…” Slacker Dog flopped onto the couch, sprawling comfortably. “What’s the big deal? At this critical moment, what’s the point in hiding it?”

“That was our first time meeting Ox Leader,” Earth Rat said warily. “And you just blurted out everything. Do you really think this 「Counter Kill」 plan is viable?”

“Is there a better way?” Slacker Dog frowned. “Aren’t we both here to kill our superiors? Only when they’re dead can we become 「Heavenly」.”

“Lying…?” Earth Ox’s expression remained unchanged. “Where did I lie?”

“‘Counterpart elimination’… How ridiculous?” Black Goat snorted coldly. “If Goat Brother had proposed this plan, I’d cut off my own hand today.”

“You seem quite confident,” Earth Ox sighed. “Just because of a ‘counterpart elimination,’ you think I’m lying?”

“Pay-to-Lose Tiger’s counterpart is ‘Celestial Tiger.’ How could Goat Brother possibly send Pay-to-Lose Tiger to kill a child?” Black Goat gritted his teeth. “Isn’t that sending him to his death? Pay-to-Lose Tiger might be expendable in my eyes, but I won’t allow him to die under some absurd lie. If you dare scheme against him, I won’t hesitate to take you down right now.”

Earth Chicken, witnessing this, remained silent and took a step back. She also wanted to figure out what Earth Ox was up to, but this time, she could only stand by and watch.

“Isn’t the term ‘child’ a bit too hasty?” Earth Ox replied. “Even if ‘Celestial Tiger’ is a naked little kid, he’s been in ‘Peach Blossom Springs’ for decades, just like us. What’s the difference between him and an old monster?”

“The difference is appearance,” Black Goat said. “That’s Pay-to-Lose Tiger’s only weakness. Goat Brother knows how to use people wisely. Even if I can’t decipher many of his strategies, such a reckless plan clearly didn’t come from him. What’s your real goal?”

“It seems you’ve misunderstood me,” Earth Ox shook his head, found a chair, and sat down. “I’m only thinking of everyone. Right now, all arrows are nocked, and only a group of ‘Celestials’ stand in our way. No matter how you look at it, we should eliminate them.”

“I don’t care what you think is ‘right,'” Black Goat said again. “Tell me Goat Brother’s real plan. If you dare use this plan to get Pay-to-Lose Tiger killed, I’ll never let you go for the rest of my life.”

“This is Goat Brother’s plan,” Earth Ox insisted. “Believe it or not, it’s up to you.”

“I’ll give you one more chance…” Black Goat’s expression grew colder. “If you dare lie to me again with this ‘counterpart elimination’ nonsense, be prepared for a fight.”

As he spoke, Black Goat unbuttoned his suit sleeves, rolled them up, and loosened the tie around his neck.

“Is this plan really so unreasonable?” Earth Ox frowned. “You should be glad I freed you. After all, you don’t have to kill ‘Celestial Goat,’ so you’re relatively safe in this plan. I, on the other hand, still have ‘Celestial Ox’ to deal with.”

Black Goat smiled faintly. “I’m weak and powerless, so there’s not much I can do. But right now, I can help Goat Brother pluck out a rusty ‘thorn.'”

As soon as he finished speaking, Black Goat vanished from his spot. Before the air around them could react, his figure shot forward violently.

But Earth Ox was clearly no ordinary opponent. In the next second, he also disappeared from his chair. Their bodies collided with a deafening crash.

“Hey!” Earth Chicken took a nervous step forward. “Black Goat… I know you have many questions. Shouldn’t we clarify the whole story first?”

“Earth Chicken, I know you’re not involved in this,” Black Goat said. “If you really want to understand the whole story, let this fight decide the outcome first. On this ‘train,’ if you trust everyone, you’ll only suffer.”

Earth Ox snorted coldly, pushed Black Goat away, and said softly, “Black Goat, don’t think you can gain the upper hand in a fight. I heard you used to paint fans, but I’m an athlete.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Black Goat replied. “On this ‘train,’ no ‘goat’ is easy to mess with. Not only are you trying to get Pay-to-Lose Tiger killed, but you’re also fabricating a flimsy plan to insult Goat Brother. This infuriates me. Even if I can’t kill you today, I won’t let you off easy.”

Ignoring Earth Chicken’s pleas, the two turned and engaged in combat again.

This brawl was clearly different from the usual fights in Earth Tiger’s room. Both seemed intent on killing each other, their fists and feet colliding with explosive force. The wooden floor and door nearly shattered from the impact.

“Annoying…” Earth Chicken frowned and muttered under her breath. “What do we do now? You suddenly changed your story and came up with this plan… Now we’re in trouble…”

Earth Chicken could only position herself by the door, hoping the others had grown accustomed to such fights lately. If they alerted “Earth Dragon,” things would get much worse.

…

Earth Rat dragged Slacking Dog back to his room. First, he peeked outside to ensure no one was following, then waved for his students to leave the room.

“What’s really going on…?” Slacking Dog asked cautiously once Earth Rat’s students were gone. “Is there something wrong with that Earth Ox?”

“Dog Leader…” Earth Rat closed the door and whispered, “Did you eat shit or something? Were you really about to admit you have ‘Echo’ on you?”

“I…” Slacking Dog found a sofa in Earth Rat’s room and settled into a comfortable position. “What’s wrong with that? We’re at such a critical moment. What’s the point of hiding it now?”

“We just met that Ox Leader for the first time,” Earth Rat said cautiously. “You recklessly revealed everything to her. Do you really think this ‘counterpart elimination’ plan is feasible?”

“Is there a better way?” Earth Dog asked, puzzled. “You and I are here to kill our superiors, aren’t we? Only when they die can you and I become ‘Celestials.'”

“That’s exactly the problem. That ox is exploiting this very point…” Earth Rat pulled up a chair. “If ‘counterpart elimination’ could succeed… would we need to go through all the trouble of joining Goat Brother’s cause? Celestial Snake can read your thoughts, Celestial Dog can hear your movements, Celestial Rat can smell your killing intent. Each of them has incredibly powerful self-preservation abilities… How are we supposed to defeat these monsters with just our fists and feet?”

“So you’re saying…” Slacking Dog narrowed his eyes. “That Earth Ox is lying?”

“Exactly,” Earth Rat said. “Dog Leader, please eat something nutritious to take care of your brain. You brought me onto this ship, and saving your life once makes us even. Don’t be so foolish in the future.”

“But I don’t understand…” Slacking Dog said again. “What’s her purpose in lying? If she’s on ‘Celestial Dragon’s’ side, having evidence of our rebellion is enough to get us killed a hundred times over. Why would she tell such a lie to send us to our deaths?”

“I’m not particularly talented, but I have a bold idea,” Earth Rat turned to Slacking Dog. “Dog Leader, that ox probably isn’t on ‘Celestial Dragon’s’ side, but she has her own agenda.”

“What…?”

“Goat Brother’s plan should already be underway,” Earth Rat continued. “Don’t trust anyone present, including me. Earth Ox is causing chaos among everyone precisely to carry out her own plan in the confusion.”

“So you’re saying…” Slacker Dog narrowed his eyes. “That Earth Ox is lying?”

“Exactly,” Earth Rat said. “Dog Leader, do your brain a favor and eat something nutritious. You dragged me onto this ship—saving your life makes us even. Don’t be this stupid again.”

“But I don’t get it…” Slacker Dog muttered. “Why would she lie? If she’s with 「Heavenly Dragon」, she already has enough evidence to execute us a hundred times over. Why feed us a lie to make us walk into death?”

“I might have a wild theory…” Earth Rat leaned in. “Dog Leader, Ox isn’t with 「Heavenly Dragon」—but she’s got her own agenda.”

“What…?”

“Sheep Brother’s plan is already in motion,” Earth Rat continued. “From now on, don’t trust anyone here—not even me. Earth Ox is stirring chaos so she can execute her own scheme in the confusion.”