Chapter 416: The Art of Commanding Troops

“What…?”

“I’ve been lying all along.” Chen Junnan’s expression was one of complete relief. “I could never figure this out before, so I kept blaming myself. But ever since I heard you became a ‘Zodiac,’ everything made sense…”

“You’re saying… I was the one who told you to do this?”

“Exactly.” Chen Junnan nodded. “Before you disappeared, you gave me this task personally. You said, ‘Chen Junnan, if one day I fail in a life-or-death gamble with an Earth-level Zodiac, no matter what it takes, you must trap the person in that room. The longer, the better—preferably long enough for all the Zodiacs to cycle through at least once.'”

Hearing this, Qi Xia rubbed his chin.

Now things were getting interesting.

The plan… was coming together, wasn’t it?

Qi Xia slowly raised his head, as if seeing his past self right before his eyes.

That version of him was just like him now—rubbing his chin, staring at the ground, lost in silent contemplation.

“Think about it… you really did a lot, didn’t you?” Qi Xia said to him.

Yu Nian’an, the “needle” among the Zodiacs, the “Cat” team, the room hidden for seven years, and… “Endless Rebirth.”

“What exactly were you trying to make me do…?” Qi Xia frowned at the illusion before him. “Just how desperate was the situation… that you laid out such a long and winding path? Did you realize that escaping in ten days was impossible… or even in ten years?”

“So…” Qian Wu turned to Qi Xia. “What exactly do you plan to do next? Lead us to kill ‘Xuanwu’… or find a way to meet the Earth-level Zodiacs?”

“First, we deal with the Zodiacs,” Qi Xia said. “I’ll move between the game venues and try to unite all the Earth-level Zodiacs.”

“Will it really go that smoothly?”

“It won’t be too hard.” Qi Xia shook his head. “The ‘needle’ I planted should work alongside me. From what I know, all the Zodiacs gather at night. So I’ll handle the daytime, and the ‘needle’ will handle the nights. Progress should be much faster than I expected.”

“But you’ve said it yourself—Earth-level Zodiacs are all cunning. They’ve killed, their hands stained with blood. These aren’t people you can persuade with just a few words.”

“True.” Qi Xia’s voice darkened. “But don’t forget, we’re ‘Participants.’ We have our own methods.”

“What do you mean…?”

“I’ll gamble with them—life or death.” Qi Xia said. “Once we trigger the ‘herd effect,’ if even one dies for refusing to cooperate, the rest will avoid that path. Once at least half the Earth-level Zodiacs join us, this wall will crumble on its own.”

“Life-or-death gambles…?”

Qian Wu’s brow furrowed deeply.

This method wasn’t impossible, but it was far too risky.

“Have you ever gambled with an Earth-level Zodiac before?”

Qi Xia thought for a moment. “Half an experience. I initiated the gamble, but the game ended inconclusively.”

“Then you got lucky,” Qian Wu said.

“Luck…?” Qi Xia nodded. “Maybe.”

“Do you know what happens if you lose a life-or-death gamble?”

“More or less.” Qi Xia nodded again. “You lose your sanity.”

“Right. The rulers here seem to want to punish anyone who thinks they’re too clever…” Qian Wu sighed. “In other words, the more capable someone is at opposing the Zodiacs, the more likely they are to become a resident.”

“But have you ever considered… that these so-called ‘capable people’ lost because they weren’t actually that strong?”

Qian Wu sighed helplessly. “Qi Xia, I believe you have what it takes to beat an Earth-level in a gamble, but have you thought about… how fragile an army built on ‘threats’ would be?”

“Oh?”

“You can threaten them… but so can ‘Tianlong’…” Qian Wu’s expression grew increasingly grim. “If we fight alongside these unstable elements, I can’t even imagine how it’ll end.”

“You’re overthinking it.” Qi Xia said. “Even *The Art of War* says: ‘A skilled commander does not conscript troops twice or transport provisions thrice. He takes supplies from the enemy, ensuring his army is well-fed.'”

“I didn’t read much.” Qian Wu shook his head. “What does that mean?”

“It means war doesn’t require constantly using your own troops and resources. Even if you win, it’ll drain your nation’s strength. Instead, you can seize troops and supplies from the enemy.”

Hearing this, Qian Wu realized just how differently he and this man thought.

“So… you already see this as ‘war’? You plan to recruit troops from the enemy?”

“Yes.” Qi Xia said. “If the Earth-level Zodiacs could actually wage war against ‘Tianlong,’ wouldn’t that be ideal?”

Before Qian Wu could respond, Shijiu, who had been silent nearby, suddenly frowned. He hesitated, then turned and said, “Fifth Brother, Sixth Sister sent word. There’s a situation.”

Qian Wu nodded, then gestured to the others. The “silence” ended, and the conversation abruptly stopped.

“What’s going on…?”

“A ‘big shot’ is here,” Shijiu said.

“A ‘big shot’…?” Qian Wu’s expression turned grave. “Tianma and Tianhu?”

“Not sure. It’s a man,” Shijiu said. “But we don’t know who exactly… Definitely not an ordinary person.”

“I’ll check it out,” Qian Wu said.

“I’ll go too,” Qi Xia added.

Just as he stood, Qian Wu pressed a hand on his shoulder. In an instant, Qian Wu’s form shifted, matching Qi Xia’s appearance.

“Qi Xia… it might be a ‘Celestial.'”

“I know. That’s why I’m going.” Qi Xia nodded. “I’ve never interacted with a ‘Celestial.’ This is a perfect opportunity.”

Qian Wu’s hand remained on Qi Xia’s shoulder, uneasy. “But Qi Xia… you were a ‘Zodiac.’ Aren’t you afraid they’ll recognize you?”

“If I can meet a ‘Celestial’… I must at least be an ‘Earth-level.'” Qi Xia said. “But Earth-levels have animal heads. I doubt a ‘Celestial’ would recognize my original face.”

“But every ‘Celestial’ has their own abilities… You’re taking a huge risk,” Qian Wu said.

“Then let me go too.” Qiao Jiajin stood up, stretching. “You guys keep talking about ‘Celestials’ this and that—I want to see for myself how big the gap really is between them and us.”

Qi Xia glanced at Qiao Jiajin, then thought for a moment.

If the “Divine Beasts” wielded “Echoes,” then what were the abilities of the “Celestials”?

If their powers were all “Echoes,” would “Lawbreaker” still work?

“Fine.” Qi Xia nodded. “Then it’ll be me and ‘Fist’ going. Chen Junnan, you know too many people—stay hidden to avoid unnecessary trouble. Officer Li, you all wait here too. It might be dangerous, but if anything happens, you’ll have room to maneuver.”