In the midst of the great chaos, the “Jidao” members began to infiltrate the crowd smoothly.
The organization, which once numbered in the hundreds, had already lost more than half of its members during the previous mission to destroy the giant bell. Now, most of the remaining members were also injured.
Fortunately, the eight team leaders previously appointed by Yan Zhichun were still alive, and the “Jidao” was divided into eight teams, each moving in a different direction.
Yan Zhichun, still shaken, led the seven or eight people behind her, pretending to be rioters as they walked forward. Finally, just before dusk, they arrived at their destination without further incident.
The place she reached was a bookstore, with a bizarre white snake hanging at the entrance.
The people behind Yan Zhichun frowned at the sight, too frightened to move forward. But Yan Zhichun, without a word, simply walked around the snake and entered the bookstore as if she hadn’t seen anything.
“Mmm… mmm…”
The white snake waved its hands at Yan Zhichun, seemingly trying to stop her. But the noose around its neck made it impossible for it to speak at the moment.
“Everyone, come in and rest for a while!” Yan Zhichun turned back and called to the many “Jidao” members behind her. “We’ve been on the move for so long—we’re finally here.”
Though hesitant at first, the group quickly relaxed upon remembering that Yan Zhichun was the “King of Jidao” and filed into the bookstore to take their seats.
Seeing Yan Zhichun treat the bookstore like her own home, the white snake was far from pleased.
He frantically tried to untie the noose around his neck, but since he had just hanged himself, the rope was still tight. After struggling for a while without success, the group could only watch through the glass as this strange “Zodiac” flailed around, unsure of what he was doing.
“Um…” one of the “Jidao” members spoke up. “Sis… shouldn’t we do something about that ‘Zodiac’? He looks like he’s about to die.”
“No need,” Yan Zhichun shook her head before raising her voice toward the door. “White Snake, don’t rush—take your time hanging. We’re not in a hurry to leave.”
The white snake kicked its legs wildly in the air, clearly in a panic.
“Mmm… mmm…”
Whether the group was in a hurry or not, the bookstore was still the white snake’s own “game venue.” There was no way he could let “participants” just waltz in and sit down as they pleased.
After finally managing to untie the noose, the white snake stumbled to the ground, coughing violently before standing up with a look of disgust and storming into the bookstore.
“What the hell are you doing, you damned brat?” The white snake rubbed his neck and grumbled. “Who barges into someone’s place while they’re hanging themselves? All of you—get out and come back in properly.”
“Ah, sorry, but it’s really dangerous outside,” Yan Zhichun smiled. “We thought it’d be safer to come in early.”
“That’s ridiculous,” the white snake retorted. “This is a legitimate venue, not some shelter. If it were just you, fine—but bringing all these people? No way. I’ll have to charge admission.”
“Admission?” Yan Zhichun paused. “I don’t think that’s necessary, especially at this critical moment.”
“‘This’ critical moment?” The white snake raised an eyebrow. “What ‘critical moment’? You damned brat, don’t try to freeload. Rules are rules—if these people don’t pay, they’ll have to join. I’m short on members anyway.”
Hearing this, Yan Zhichun hesitated slightly. Something about the white snake’s attitude felt off.
It was almost as if… he had no idea about the plan.
“White Snake…” Yan Zhichun slowly stood up and walked over to him, lowering her voice. “You don’t know why we’re here?”
“Why?” The white snake frowned. “Don’t tell me you need another pep talk? Listen, the last one was free. If you want another, you’ll have to join.”
Yan Zhichun furrowed her brows, sensing that something was wrong.
The white snake genuinely didn’t know the current situation?
The plan seemed to have a gap here. While all the “Jidao” members knew they were supposed to retreat to eight “Zodiac” locations after destroying the giant bell, the “Zodiac” in question was completely unaware…
Had the “rebellion plan” never included the white snake in the first place?
A wave of unease crept into Yan Zhichun’s heart. She had a sinking feeling that she might have chosen the “Gate of Death.”
—
“What are you playing dumb for?” Jiang Ruoxue crossed her arms, staring in disbelief at the obese Earth Monkey in front of her.
She had led her group to this casino, expecting shelter, but the Earth Monkey seemed utterly indifferent to their plight—even confused by their arrival.
To make matters worse, Jiang Ruoxue’s team was larger than the others, numbering over a dozen.
“Who’s playing dumb?” The Earth Monkey sat behind the casino counter, feet propped on the table, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he spoke lazily. “I genuinely don’t know why you’re here. If you’re looking to loot or riot, go somewhere else. Trying to rob my casino is a death sentence.”
“You—!” Jiang Ruoxue stepped forward, visibly furious. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but joking around at a time like this is beyond cruel… We risked our lives to get here!”
“Risked your lives?” The Earth Monkey lazily lifted an eyelid. “No offense… but even if you all died, what does that have to do with me, a law-abiding ‘Zodiac’?”
“You’re heartless, you fat old man…” Jiang Ruoxue muttered under her breath.
“Hey…?” The Earth Monkey’s expression darkened. “What’s that supposed to mean? I’m just doing my job—what did I ever do to you?”
Jiang Ruoxue stepped closer and lowered her voice. “These people behind me are ‘one of us.’ There’s no need to keep up the act!”
“What the hell are you talking about…?” The Earth Monkey frowned, flicking his cigarette into a cup of instant noodles. “Who the hell is ‘one of us’ with you? Can’t you see I’m a monkey?”
“This is bad…” Jiang Ruoxue murmured. “What kind of ‘causality’ is this…? Did I end up in the ‘Gate of Death’?”
“You’re seriously weird,” the Earth Monkey slowly stood up. “From the moment you walked in, you’ve been spouting nonsense. If you’re not here to play, don’t waste my time. The casino just opened—entry requires a tea fee. Best of luck, may fortune favor you.”
Jiang Ruoxue’s face turned ashen as she tried to make sense of the situation. But without Zhou Mo contacting her, she couldn’t send a “message” on her own.
—
Old Sun led his five companions to the location marked as “Chenlong” on the map—only to freeze in shock.
The place was just an empty lot. There was no “Zodiac” in sight.
“Old Sun… why did you bring us here?”
Standing in the middle of the barren ground, Old Sun looked around in confusion, realizing that the plan might have gone awry.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage