Chapter 494: Reattaching Your Head

“Ah…?”

“Don’t worry.” Chen Junnan noticed the lingering concern in their eyes and chuckled. “Even though I locked the door this round, that bastard can’t reach me immediately. After all, he can’t move in the same turn after ‘unlocking’ and ‘opening’ the door.”

“But you’re fighting alone. Even if that rabbit takes a detour, he’ll find you,” said Cui Shisi.

“Ever played Go? A single black stone can’t surround a white one—trust me.” Chen Junnan turned to the group. “No time to waste. Get moving, and remember…”

He gave them a meaningful look, then pulled out a small metal cane resembling a hairpin from his pocket, waving it in front of them. The tip was smeared with black grime.

The group studied the metal rod cautiously before nodding one by one.

They needed to hurry to Room “Fourteen” to retrieve the final “artifact.”

Cui Shisi glanced back at Twelve and Thirteen, signaling them. The three stepped into the distant Room “Fourteen” and closed the door behind them—this time without locking it.

Chen Junnan narrowed his eyes, mentally mapping the others’ movements. Jiang Shi was in the room ahead of him, while Twelve to Fourteen had formed an independent unit and set off.

But… what about Song Qi?

Now that the Earth Rabbit had been released from the “starting point,” and Song Qi clearly knew it had targeted Jiang Shi… where would he move?

Chen Junnan walked to the side, peering into Song Qi’s room, only to find it empty. Song Qi had already begun moving.

But where had he gone?

“Little Song… you probably don’t understand my tactics, do you? Where are you?”

Just then, the broadcast echoed through the room again: The “participant’s” turn had ended. Next was the Earth Rabbit’s turn.

The door in front of Chen Junnan remained locked—meaning the rabbit was taking a detour.

It had left Jiang Shi’s room but hadn’t directly opened Chen Junnan’s door…

Thinking about it, this made sense. With Chen Junnan blocking the door, the Earth Rabbit had no choice but to change direction if it didn’t want a deadlock.

Otherwise, endless cycles of “unlocking” and “locking” would leave it stuck in a standoff with the “gatekeeper.”

“So you’ve moved from Room ‘Five’ to Room ‘Nine,’ or even back to the starting ‘One,’ maybe further…” Chen Junnan scratched his head, feeling his brain cells dwindling. “Planning to flank me?”

When the “Zodiac’s” turn ended, he stepped forward and locked the southern door as well.

Chen Junnan’s room now had four doors, two of them locked—both likely directions the Earth Rabbit would attack from.

But did he really need to escape?

“Participants get two actions for ‘locking’ and ‘moving,’ right…?” Chen Junnan smirked, a devious idea forming.

Logically, the best move now was to flee, making the Earth Rabbit lose track of him.

But if he ran, the rabbit would lack a clear target, putting the entire “Cat” team in danger.

He had already used one “lock” action, leaving him with only one more.

“Fine, let’s confuse you completely. If you chase me, I’ll chase you too.”

Chen Junnan stepped forward and unlocked the door he had locked last turn with a *click*.

“Damn rabbit…” He grinned. “This door’s open now… coming or not? Oh, wait—forgot you’ve already left this room. Can you make it back in time?”

After a pause, the rooms remained silent. Only the raspy broadcast sounded again.

The “participant’s” turn ended once more; the “Zodiac” began its move.

Chen Junnan’s heart raced. This unlock was pure gambling.

If the Earth Rabbit had only moved one space last turn, it could now “move,” “open the door,” and “move” again to reach him—since hunters only used one action for “moving,” while “unlocking” cost two.

That would mean the Earth Rabbit would step right into his room.

But… would it really happen?

Chen Junnan smirked. “How impatient are you…? You’re desperate to kill me. No way you only moved one space last turn.”

After a few minutes, the broadcast announced the “Zodiac’s” turn had ended.

Chen Junnan cautiously opened the door, finding only Jiang Shi—now regaining consciousness—on the floor. The Earth Rabbit was gone.

This meant the rabbit had realized it couldn’t reach Chen Junnan through Jiang Shi’s room and had taken a detour. But it hadn’t expected Chen Junnan to boldly follow its path. Now, whether it doubled back or continued circling, it would waste an extra turn.

“Are you close to Room ‘Fourteen’…?” Chen Junnan mused. “But you wouldn’t go there to kill my teammates, would you? As long as that flute hangs from your neck, you don’t need to intercept us early—just wait for us to come to you…”

With that thought, he stepped into Room “Five,” where a groaning Jiang Shi lay.

“Idiot leader…” Jiang Shi’s head wobbled slightly. “Why’d you come in…? That rabbit’s still nearby. You’re in danger…”

“Danger’s good.” Chen Junnan grinned. “I’ve always been the most dangerous one in this game. Doesn’t matter.”

He helped Jiang Shi sit up, checking his injuries. The only visible damage was a broken right leg; the rest were likely internal, with no outward signs.

“Can you stand?” Chen Junnan asked.

The next moment felt surreal—Jiang Shi’s body didn’t speak. Instead, his detached head replied, “My leg hurts.”

“Jesus—scared the hell out of me…” Chen Junnan propped the body against the wall, then walked over to pick up the head.

This was his first time holding a fully intact, detached head. It was heavier than he’d imagined.

The head looked gruesome—the entire left side of its face had been smashed, yet no blood seeped out. The broken edges were pitch black.

“Kid… I’ll carry your head while we run, okay?” Chen Junnan suggested.

“What’s the point of running now…?” Jiang Shi sighed. “I called you an idiot leader for a reason… What’s your plan here? You’ve already ‘moved,’ so you can’t ‘lock’ the door anymore. If that rabbit comes back, I might survive, but you’re toast.”

“Who’s the real idiot here?” Chen Junnan frowned at the head. “So what if I don’t ‘lock’ the door? That means the rabbit can waltz in?”

“Yeah…”

“But you’re a ‘participant’ too, right?” Chen Junnan raised an eyebrow. “What, just because your head got knocked off, you can’t ‘lock’ the door anymore?”

“Oh… right… I *can* lock it…” Jiang Shi chuckled awkwardly. “I’ve used my ‘Echo’ too much… feeling a bit out of it…”

“Doesn’t matter. We’re winning this game.” Chen Junnan carefully aligned the head with the body. “I’ve got a brilliant plan—let’s reattach your head.”