Upon hearing the phrase “herd mentality,” Earth Monkey finally let out a bitter smile.
Indeed, in this game, who wasn’t a “liar”?
“What a fitting ‘herd mentality’…” Earth Monkey’s eyes darkened once more as he turned to Qi Xia and asked slowly, “So, have you told even a single truth in this game?”
“Plenty, actually.”
Qi Xia pressed a hand to his forehead as he replied. Just then, Tian Tian approached and handed him a tissue. After thanking her, Qi Xia wiped the blood from his face.
“Now that the bet is over… I still want to ask…” Earth Monkey frowned. “Qi Xia, do you really want to leave?”
The question made Qi Xia pause in confusion once again.
“Why on earth *wouldn’t* I want to leave…?” He found the question baffling. “Is there really a need to ask twice? If I didn’t want to leave, why would I even be standing here in front of you?”
“So you’re not lying about that.” Earth Monkey seemed slightly reassured. “Qi Xia, you’d better not disappoint me… Otherwise, I swear I’ll drag everyone down with me.”
“Oh…?” Qi Xia’s head was still spinning, and for a moment, he couldn’t grasp Earth Monkey’s meaning.
“Old Qi… Hey, Old Qi, come here for a sec.”
Chen Junnan tapped Qi Xia’s shoulder, then helped him up and guided him to sit beside Zheng Yingxiong.
“What’s up…?”
Chen Junnan had a million things to say, especially after encountering that eerie Earth Rat. His mind was overflowing with questions, but he didn’t know where to start. After a long pause, he finally spoke slowly:
“Old Qi, I think… you’ve gotten caught in some kind of strange vortex.”
“Be more specific.”
Chen Junnan gathered his thoughts before continuing, “Earlier, we followed your lead in provoking the ‘Zodiacs.’ That’s pretty much done, right?”
Qi Xia nodded solemnly.
“Do you really think those people can be trusted?” Chen Junnan pressed.
“What are you getting at…?”
“Remember what I told you before this game started—why I came here.”
“Yeah, you said an ‘Earth Rat’ sent you.”
“But do you know *how* that damn rat phrased it?” Chen Junnan lowered his voice to a whisper. “He told me this Earth Monkey is one of ‘Tianlong’s’ closest confidants…”
His tone was eerily uncertain, as if he himself didn’t know who to believe.
Yet when he glanced at Qi Xia’s expression, there wasn’t even a flicker of surprise.
“Old Qi… don’t tell me you already knew?”
Qi Xia sighed and nodded. The claim matched exactly what ‘Qinglong’ had said.
Back then, ‘Qinglong’ had even produced a map, pointing out eight individuals as ‘Tianlong’s’ inner circle.
Was there some hidden meaning behind the term ‘confidant’?
No matter how he looked at it, Earth Monkey didn’t seem like ‘Tianlong’s’ man. If anything, he seemed more aligned with *their* side.
After all, when Qi Xia had mentioned ‘Tianlong,’ Earth Monkey hadn’t reacted with the usual defiance or fear typical of the Zodiacs. Instead, he’d immediately told Qi Xia to shut up.
So why did ‘Qinglong’ and ‘Earth Rat’ share the same narrative?
Qi Xia had initially assumed ‘Qinglong’ had access to highly classified information. Yet an ordinary Earth Rat somehow knew the same intel.
Could it be that these eight individuals were common knowledge among the Zodiacs?
“Chen Junnan… what’s your take?” Qi Xia asked. “Do you really think they’re ‘confidants’?”
Chen Junnan lowered his head slowly, Earth Rat’s words echoing in his mind.
*”Chen Junnan, I’m the one who was really on your side in that room.”*
“Old Qi… why do you think there are *eight* of them…?” Chen Junnan looked up, his expression conflicted, as if grappling with countless unspoken thoughts.
“Eight…” Qi Xia narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Do you think these eight… might actually be your…”
“Stop.” Qi Xia cut him off. “That’s far enough.”
He raised a hand to silence Chen Junnan, but the latter knew—given how well he understood Qi Xia—that his friend had already pieced together the rest.
Qi Xia’s gaze flickered rapidly, as though processing the weight of the revelation.
A room where everyone had survived… seven years of hiding…
Eight Zodiacs drifting outside.
Every clue pointed toward an unbelievable conclusion.
But could such an answer ever be spoken aloud?
Qi Xia glanced toward Earth Monkey. All remaining questions now rested with him. They needed answers—immediately—especially with three more Zodiacs waiting to be confronted.
Every minute counted.
He forced himself to stand, determined to speak with Earth Monkey, but suddenly, the world spun violently.
This dizziness was far worse than before. Darkness swallowed his vision, his balance vanished, and the walls seemed to rush toward him from all directions. He didn’t know which way to turn.
Vaguely, he felt someone catch him, but his body still collided with something hard.
Then came the clamor of alarmed voices, swirling around him like distant echoes. Though he could hear them speaking, their words were unintelligible.
Qi Xia only knew he was lying down now, somewhere soft. His veins relaxed, and the vertigo dragged him deeper, pulling him into an endless abyss.
The others quickly helped him onto the couch Zheng Yingxiong had vacated. The boy’s nosebleed had mostly stopped, so they laid Qi Xia down.
“Something’s not right…” Chen Junnan frowned. “Someone help me sit him up.”
“What…?” Xiao Cheng and Tian Tian exchanged confused glances.
“Just do it. He said he *can’t* lie down.”
Chen Junnan hooked one of Qi Xia’s arms over his shoulder while Qiao Jiajin supported the other side. Together, they propped him upright.
Qi Xia’s head lolled forward, as if he were fast asleep.
“What the hell is going on…?” Chen Junnan rubbed his own temple. “He doesn’t even feel feverish…”
Qiao Jiajin pressed a hand to Qi Xia’s forehead, then grabbed an old pencil from the table. He snapped it in half, wrapped a scrap of cloth around Qi Xia’s pinky, and tied it tight—hoping the pain might rouse him.
But Qi Xia remained still, his expression peaceful. Asleep—or worse.
“This…” Xiao Cheng studied Qi Xia’s face before turning to the others. “Um… has he always been like this? Passing out randomly?”
“What do you mean?”
“I just want to confirm if he’s on something, like drugs or—”
“The hell are you talking about?” Chen Junnan scowled. “You ever seen a junkie *this* sharp? He’s just sick today…”
Xiao Cheng exhaled. “Then… where did he sleep last night?”
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