Yan Zhi Chun looked up at Black Sheep.
Though she couldn’t read any “sheep’s” expression, she had to admit that every sheep she’d met had a meticulous mind. Working with them often required little overthinking—there was an inexplicable sense of security.
“I understand what you mean, but I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Yan Zhi Chun shook her head. “Staying here will only cause trouble for me.”
“Why not?” Black Sheep asked.
“Everyone knows the two of us are the last ones left. If only you show up downstairs, no matter what you say, Jiang Ruoxue and Zhou Mo won’t believe you,” Yan Zhi Chun replied. “Besides, many people gathered here because of my summons. If I don’t show up, the problem will become even worse.”
“Interesting.” Black Sheep nodded. “Just now, you called them an ‘isolated organization,’ but it seems they have an unshakable leader?”
“‘Unshakable’ is too strong a word—it’s hard to describe,” Yan Zhi Chun sighed. “I don’t feel like a true leader in the conventional sense. Right now, I’m more like a ‘spirit.’ They gathered here because of ‘faith,’ and at this moment, I’m the embodiment of that faith.”
“I think I get it,” Black Sheep mused. “They’ve projected their ‘faith’ onto you. If you don’t appear, it would mean ‘the collapse of faith.’”
“Yes, that’s it. So what do we do now…?” Yan Zhi Chun frowned. “Should I arrange for someone else to stay here?”
“I already said I don’t trust anyone else.” Black Sheep lowered his head, running a hand along his horns. “So…”
He couldn’t help but feel awkward. This predicament wasn’t Yan Zhi Chun’s fault—it was his own.
He knew that while he, like White Sheep, had taken on only a handful of students, he had never bothered to build any real connection with them. Now, he didn’t have a single person he could rely on.
Aside from White Sheep, Money-Losing Tiger, Human Snake, and Human Rat, Black Sheep found it nearly impossible to trust strangers. Offering kindness to someone unfamiliar was an excruciatingly slow and painful process for him.
Rather than wasting effort on something he wasn’t good at, he preferred to sharpen his skills in the games—killing more people or earning more “Dao.” In this world, trusting others was never as reliable as trusting himself.
But now, the simplest backlash had stumped him.
Was there really no one on this entire “train” that he trusted enough to help him now…?
If Sheep Brother were here, he’d have sent people immediately, right…?
“Teacher Black Sheep.”
A faint voice reached his ears. Black Sheep and Yan Zhi Chun turned to see a group of odd figures approaching. Leading them was a young woman he’d never met before. Behind her, some wore masks—clearly “Human-Level Zodiacs”—while others simply wore suits, their faces bare like strange “participants.”
Though puzzled, Black Sheep found the voice calling him “Teacher” eerily familiar.
“I’m Human Monkey,” the figure said, handing over a mask. “My mask was torn off in the chaos earlier, so I brought it to prove my identity. Everyone behind me is a student of Teacher Tiger—they can vouch for me.”
The concise, logical explanation gradually dispelled Black Sheep’s doubts.
This wasn’t some ordinary “Human-Level” member—these were Money-Losing Tiger’s fiercely loyal students.
“You…” Black Sheep hesitated, feeling as though some strange causality had been triggered. Had his mere thoughts summoned help?
“Teacher Tiger told us to come find you. We don’t know what we can do, but we came as soon as we could,” Human Monkey said. “Teacher Black Sheep, just tell us what you need.”
Yan Zhi Chun glanced at Black Sheep and whispered, “Trustworthy?”
“To me, they’re more trustworthy than you,” Black Sheep answered.
“Well, thank you for your honesty.”
Through their conversation, Yan Zhi Chun realized that this man wasn’t entirely the ruthless figure White Sheep had described. He might be cutthroat, but deep down, he still longed for like-minded allies.
Black Sheep locked eyes with Human Monkey. “There’s something I need trustworthy people for.”
“Just give the order, Teacher Black Sheep.”
“We’re about to enter the ‘cargo hold’ to fight Heavenly Ox. I need you to guard this door,” Black Sheep said, pointing at the old iron door. “No one is allowed to close it or enter—under any circumstances.”
Human Monkey studied the door, his expression solemn for a brief moment before nodding. “Understood.”
“It’s a dangerous task,” Black Sheep said gravely. “The nearest room holds Qinglong, and beyond that are ‘Heavenly-Level’ beings… Anyone who comes here won’t be easy to handle. But I have no one else to turn to.”
Human Monkey chuckled dryly and shook his head. “It’s fine, Teacher Black Sheep. We were prepared for this.”
“Prepared…?” Black Sheep studied him. “You’re calmer than I expected. How did Money-Losing Tiger convince you to throw your lives away so willingly? You’ve only known him a short time.”
“Honestly… because in my memory, he’s always been shouting about rebellion,” Human Monkey admitted sheepishly. “He made such a huge scene that everyone knows about it. As ‘rebels,’ we were doomed anyway. Instead of living in constant fear, we figured we might as well go all in and help him.”
A Human Dog behind him sighed. “Yeah, we couldn’t beat him, so we just went along with it. Our teacher’s… unique. If we don’t keep an eye on him, he’d probably end up dead in a ditch somewhere. As his students, we have to take responsibility.”
“Fools have all the luck…” Black Sheep shook his head. “I never imagined a ‘Earth-Level’ could have this kind of relationship with their students.”
“We didn’t have a choice—we got stuck with him,” Human Monkey said. “But in the end, we’re still doing what we want.”
“That idiot tiger is lucky to have you,” Black Sheep muttered before asking, “Where is he now?”
Human Monkey exchanged glances with the others, hesitation flickering across his face.
Black Sheep’s brow furrowed. Their expressions told him enough.
“Teacher Black Sheep…” Human Monkey finally said, “I don’t know what Teacher Tiger is doing. He just told us to tell you… ‘Don’t rush.’”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage