Chapter 504: The Beating Brain

“Hmm…” Chen Junnan’s words were cut off mid-sentence as his brows gradually furrowed.

At this point, it seemed that “rebellion” was a major taboo among the “Zodiacs.” If they agreed outright, they would surely be monitored. So, they needed a more subtle way to convey their stance.

But what subtle method could he think of?

Then, a cold, composed voice echoed faintly in Chen Junnan’s ears: *”I suspect I’ve planted a ‘needle’ among the ‘Zodiacs.'”*

Right. Old Qi had already laid the groundwork. Now, all they had to do was go with the flow.

“I need you to find the ‘needle,'” Chen Junnan said.

“The ‘needle’…?”

“Yeah.” Chen Junnan nodded thoughtfully. “Tonight, go back and rest to heal your injuries, but help me investigate if there’s any unusual activity among the other ‘Zodiacs.’ Then infiltrate and gather intel.”

Chen Junnan knew that besides his own team, others were also strategizing ways to deal with the “Zodiacs.” Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin’s abilities, displayed during the games, were no weaker than his—if not stronger. So, they must have already secured one of the “Zodiacs.”

In that case, there was no need to confront this fat rabbit directly. They just had to let him drift along with the current.

“Other ‘Zodiacs’…?” The Earth Rabbit caught the crucial detail in his words. “What kind of organization are you? Are you inciting others besides me?”

Chen Junnan chuckled and shook his head. “Brother Rabbit, don’t ask too much. The more you know, the sooner you die. Just do as I say. We won’t take your ‘Dao’ this time—keep it for yourself.”

Turning around, Chen Junnan waved at the group, then hoisted Little Jiang Shi onto his back.

Cui Shisi cradled Jiang Shi’s head, while Ma Shier and Wu Shisan supported Song Qi. Without another word, they pushed open the door and left the Earth Rabbit’s game arena completely.

The Earth Rabbit stood silently for a long time before finally lifting his head to glance at the corner of the ceiling. His brows slowly knitted together, deep in thought.

—

Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin’s teams had been waiting outside the building for a while now. But something was off about the game Qian Wu had entered.

After the group went inside, the door locked behind them and hadn’t opened since. Not only could they offer no assistance, but they also couldn’t see what was happening inside. All they could do was hope Qian Wu would finish soon and come out to treat the injured.

“What’s taking so long…?” Qi Xia frowned at the towering structure. He didn’t even know which “Zodiac” Qian Wu had encountered, let alone strategize for him.

Still, the sound of bells had been intermittently echoing from inside. On second thought, someone capable of leading the entire “Cat Team” was no ordinary figure—just a glance at the state of its members made that clear.

“By the way…” Bai Jiu, a petite girl with twin braids, glanced curiously at Qi Xia’s team. “You really completed a ‘Land’-level game without a single injury?”

“Luck,” Qi Xia replied. “Our game didn’t require fighting—just thinking.”

“Just luck…?” Bai Jiu gave a bitter smile. “It’s incredibly rare for a ‘Land’-level game to end with everyone alive… Hard to believe it was just chance.”

Qi Xia looked at the slender girl expressionlessly and said softly, “Don’t lose heart. If I’d led the team into ‘Wooden Oxen and Gliding Horses,’ our casualties would’ve been about the same as yours.”

“About the same…?”

Bai Jiu shook her head, glancing first at the heavily injured Qiao Jiajin, then at the rest of the wounded. Their team had entered the game with seven people—one dead, five injured. It couldn’t have gone much worse.

If Qi Xia hadn’t arrived midway, the team might have been completely annihilated by that ruthless Earth Horse.

She wondered—what kind of outcome had Chen Junnan’s team faced?

Would they have escaped unscathed, or would they all be wounded?

Noticing Bai Jiu’s distraction, Qi Xia asked quietly, “Who’s in Qian Wu’s team?”

“Oh…” Bai Jiu turned to him with a sweet smile. “Brother Wu’s team includes Officer Li—the newly promoted ‘Fourth Brother’—and a few trainees.”

“Trainees?” Qi Xia blinked. “You have trainees?”

“Of course.” Bai Jiu nodded. “If a senior member vouches for someone, they don’t need training. But we also scout talent from all over ‘Terminus.’ Some lack conviction, others struggle to ‘Echo.’ Since we can’t be sure they’ll stay long-term, they’re not officially inducted yet. There are four in total.”

“So Qian Wu’s team also has six people.” Qi Xia thought for a moment. “Is Qian Wu experienced in games?”

“At least more than us.” Bai Jiu giggled. “We haven’t played in ages. And when we do, we don’t focus on winning—we pick low-risk games, trigger our ‘Echo,’ and quit early.”

Uninterested in the “Cat Team’s” routine, Qi Xia walked over to the unconscious Qiao Jiajin and examined his injuries with a frown.

At this point, Qiao Jiajin’s life hung by a thread. The shards from the exploding ice spheres had embedded deep into his body, but now that they’d melted, it was impossible to tell where he’d been wounded.

Suddenly, Qi Xia’s head throbbed violently. Tiny fragments of memory flickered briefly in his mind.

He felt like he’d seen this before—teammates injured, critically wounded, near death, or already gone.

But the moment he tried to grasp those fleeting images, his head exploded with pain, blocking his thoughts.

“What in the world…” Qi Xia gritted his teeth against the agony, cautiously probing the fragmented memories.

Yet the more he struggled to recall, the more his mind emptied—like throwing a punch into thin air. It was futile. As if all his bones had been removed, leaving only an overwhelming sense of despair.

Though he remembered nothing, his mind was drowning in hopelessness.

“What happened…?” Qi Xia massaged his temples, sensing something deeply wrong with his brain.

Like a lucid machine, his mind raced effortlessly when analyzing problems. But the moment he tried to recall past events or teammates, it shut down completely—as if someone had erased his memories.

Qi Xia’s left hand rose slowly, fingers threading through his hair to press against the throbbing pain on the left side of his skull. He could even feel his brain pulsating beneath his fingertips.

Had his brain always pulsed like this?

It beat like a powerful pulse, violently disrupting his thoughts whenever he pondered certain questions.

For instance—who was he, really?

Or—where was Yu Nian’an?

Qi Xia stroked his head, feeling as if something alive was writhing inside his skull.

He had the distinct impression that something was growing in his brain.