“No… no way?” Rabbit was taken aback. “What do you mean it’s just the two of us left… That sounds downright creepy.”
“I said *if*!” Pig retorted. “Before, we could always find ways to confirm their identities, but right now is really not the best time…”
“I’d still choose to trust them,” Rabbit said firmly. “We’ve been in the same room for so long. Sure, everyone has their flaws… but at heart, they’re good people. I believe they’ll pull through.”
“And what if it’s not *death*… but *betrayal*?” Pig pressed. “Big guy… think about it. Even someone like me, who values *promises* so much, could still betray them…”
“You… you…” Rabbit faltered for a moment. “Little Pig, you’re still young. If you betrayed them after going through all this before your mind was fully matured, even Qi Xia wouldn’t blame you.”
“What kind of nonsense is that…” Pig frowned. “Big guy, the reason *you* all are more likely to betray is precisely because you’ve lived longer, seen more, and have more thoughts in critical moments.”
“This…”
“There aren’t many people I can trust right now,” Pig added. “Big guy, you’ve always been a good person, so I’m willing to trust you unconditionally. But those two sisters… even if they really are our old comrades, I can’t guarantee they’d stay true to themselves now.”
“Little Pig… how can you think of them like that…”
“It’s not that I *want* to think the worst of them,” Pig shook his head. “Big guy, the temptations after becoming a *Zodiac* are just too many… comfortable beds, delicious food, immense power, and a crowd of students who worship us… Haven’t you ever thought about it? Being a *Zodiac* is so much better than risking your life for Brother Xia…”
Rabbit stiffened slightly, his long ears twitching. He couldn’t find the words to refute that.
Because he *had* hesitated—for a long time. Back then, when Sister Zhuang stood in the hallway, shouting for her teammates to show themselves, even if it meant death…
Even with her words ringing in his ears, Rabbit never stepped out.
They were only separated by a wooden door as he listened to Qinglong shatter every bone in her body.
In moments like that… who could stay resolute on their chosen path?
“It’s *because* you adults have seen enough pros and cons that you’re more likely to *betray*. But for me, none of these temptations can outweigh a single *promise*,” Pig looked up. “Big guy, all I know is that we’re men of our word. We *have* to keep our promises.”
Rabbit never imagined that the reason Pig held on all these years could be so simple—so simple it shamed him as an adult.
“You’re right…” Rabbit murmured after a pause. “The fact that Qi Xia is causing such a stir now proves he still remembers the promise he made with us. So we shouldn’t hesitate.”
“Exactly, big guy,” Pig nodded. “Think back—did Brother Xia ever say we needed to reveal ourselves on the *train*?”
“Well…” Rabbit exhaled. “No, he didn’t.”
“Then that settles it.” Pig stood on his tiptoes to pat the rabbit’s shoulder. “Big guy, let’s keep waiting. There’s no harm in reuniting *after* the plan succeeds.”
“Alright…” Rabbit fell silent for a moment, then looked at Pig. “Little Pig, are you really going through with *counterpart assassination*?”
“Yes. The whole reason I explored the *Zodiac Path* for Brother Xia was for this day,” Pig replied. “No matter what others do, I *will* face *Heavenly Pig*.”
“In that case, I’ll join you,” Rabbit said.
“Good!” Pig raised his tiny fist. “Big guy, this is our *promise*. To fulfill it, we’ll drink ourselves silly if we have to!”
Rabbit chuckled wryly and bumped his large fist against Pig’s. “Kid, *drink ourselves silly* doesn’t mean what you think it does.”
After their fist bump, they quickly realized a glaring problem.
One that might not be common among other *Zodiacs*, but for them, it was an awkward coincidence.
“Little Pig… have you ever *seen* Heavenly Pig?” Rabbit asked. “In all my years here, I’ve never once seen him show himself.”
“I report directly to Earth Dragon,” Pig answered. “I’ve never met Heavenly Pig either, but from the hints Earth Dragon’s dropped, I know he’s still around. No clue what he’s busy with every day, but he’s definitely in one of the *train*’s rooms…”
“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen *Heavenly Rabbit* either,” Rabbit mused. “The one managing me isn’t Earth Dragon or Heavenly Rabbit—it’s *Heavenly Horse*…”
“Heavenly Horse…?” Pig blinked. “You’re under *him*… Shouldn’t you go after *him* first?”
“Shouldn’t *Heavenly Horse* be *Earth Horse*’s target?” Rabbit countered. “If it’s *counterpart assassination*, then everyone has their own role.”
“Fair point…”
Pig pondered for a moment, still sensing something off. While *counterpart assassination* sounded orderly, many *Earth-level* Zodiacs weren’t directly managed by their *Heavenly-level* counterparts. In other words, they held no deep grudges against those *Heavenly* targets, making it hard to fight with desperate resolve.
Not to mention… The two exchanged a silent glance. Neither of them even knew what *Heavenly Pig* or *Heavenly Rabbit* looked like—whether they were old or young, male or female, or what their personalities were like. Charging blindly into their rooms to kill them…
“It’s like we’re the *invaders* here…” Rabbit muttered.
“Big guy! What are you saying?” Pig quickly cut in. “No matter who they are, they’re still *Heavenly Dragon*’s people! Even if you don’t hate *them*, you should still hate *Heavenly Dragon*, right?”
“Right.” Rabbit nodded. “In that case… whoever *Heavenly Rabbit* is… I’m taking him down. We’ll stick to Earth Ox’s plan as discussed today.”
“Same here, big guy,” Pig said firmly. “Whoever *Heavenly Pig* is, I’ll have to apologize this time. He’s just a stumbling block in the promise I made with Brother Xia.”
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