TDU Chapter 283
Chapter 283 Moldy Peanuts
In White Goat’s room, the four men sat in heavy silence, their gazes fixed on the crumpled bag of peanuts atop the table. The atmosphere was suffocating.
White Goat remained silent for a long time, feeling a slight headache.
He reached out with his hand, covered in white fur, and massaged his temples before opening the bag of peanuts on the table. He peeled one and found it shriveled and darkened.
He tossed the peanut into his mouth, biting down gently, but the taste of bitterness and mold filled his mouth.
The room was deathly quiet, with only the sound of his chewing filling the silence.
The three {Earthly Branches} watched him emotionlessly as he swallowed the peanut and then reached for a second one.
"Goat ge..." Mortal Tiger couldn’t help but speak up. "What on earth are we doing...? We can't even save a child. If we ever leave this place, will there be any {humanity} left in us...?"
Mortal Snake nodded as well and said, "Goat ge... We know you well. You aren't someone like this. I know you don't want that child to suffer... but if you kick her out, she’ll either be taken by {Terrestrial Dragon} or fall into the hands of the other {Earthly Branches} — and neither will show her any mercy…"
White Goat didn’t respond right away. He simply massaged his aching temples and then turned to look at Black Goat.
Black Goat paused for a moment before speaking. "Goat ge...you arrived after me, yet you reached {Terrestrial-grade} before I did... You're the one I respect the most. So I will follow all your arrangements... even if... even if..."
"Even if what?"
"Even if... you ask me to do something against my conscience..."
"Fine. Go kill her for me," White Goat said coldly.
"What...?" Black Goat froze.
"Didn’t you say you’d follow all my arrangements?" White Goat threw another peanut into his mouth. "Immediately go and kill that child, and bring me her head and mask."
"I..." Black Goat deliberated for a long time before ultimately lowering his head.
The Terrestrial in front of him was always this unpredictable. Black Goat knew he could never truly understand him.
"Truly ridiculous," White Goat remarked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Reduced to this sorry state, and still you wish to pity others? I must have been utterly blind to have gathered three such useless burdens. Other {Terrestrial-grade} Earthly Branches have disciples who heap up {Dào} by the hundreds, thousands even, while I must be content with a paltry thirty..."
"Goat ge... please, quell your anger," Mortal Snake said, lifting his head. "We... we really haven’t made things easy for you..."
"Yes, Goat ge!" Mortal Tiger also added aggressively, "I’ve told you before, Goat ge, if one day you think I’m a burden, I’ll leave immediately!"
White Goat, after hearing this, reached for another peanut and slowly said, "I have spent my life in loneliness, without a single companion until I arrived at {End Point}. I sense that child is much like me, yet there’s something about her that sets us apart."
The three men looked at White Goat, quietly listening as he spoke.
"She appears to have grown up from the {darkness} of this world, yet she lives more like a person than I ever could," White Goat remarked. "The {darkness} has long since corroded me, but it has somehow failed to taint her."
"Goat ge... you mean..."
"I don’t wish for her to become like me," White Goat answered. "If we truly manage to escape with her, she will inevitably blossom into a black flower, tainted by the darkness of this world. Rather than that, it’s better to let her find release now."
The three Mortals lowered their heads silently, none of them saying a word.
They had all come to grasp White Goat’s sentiment.
White Goat, tapping his fingers on the table, spoke slowly, "But as I reconsider... you three have been with me for years, and despite all that's happened, you've remained the same. Maybe there’s still hope..."
"Exactly, Goat ge!" Mortal Snake suddenly stood up, "I think you’re absolutely right!"
"What’s Goat ge on about?" Mortal Tiger asked, confused.
"Don’t interrupt," Black Goat snapped at the two. "Listen to what Goat ge has to say."
White Goat pressed his lips together before changing the subject. "Let me make one thing clear: if we take this child in, trouble will undoubtedly follow... It might even influence your chances of advancement. With that in mind, are you still willing to take her in?"
"Yes!" Mortal Tiger and Mortal Snake said in unison.
"I..." Black Goat narrowed his eyes, glancing at the two of them. "While I do feel sympathy for that child, I cannot allow anyone to hinder my advancement."
"Then you don’t need to worry about it!" Mortal Tiger shouted. "Once the child’s brought back, me and Mortal Snake will take care of her! You can go wherever the hell you want!"
"Then by all means, stay a {Mortal-grade} for life!" Black Goat countered.
"What did you say?!"
"Enough!" White Goat cut them off.
Hearing this, the two closed their mouths in sullen silence.
"There’s another matter I simply cannot tolerate," White Goat sighed, picking up a moldy peanut. "I’ve taken you all in for nearly three years... fed and clothed you well every day, and not once have any of you brought me so much as a bag of peanuts."
"What…?"
"At least my youngest disciple has some sense," White Goat remarked. "On her first day, she already knew to bring me something as a token of respect. Far more capable than you lot. I wonder if she’s done with her walk yet?"
Mortal Snake first was the first to react. He hurriedly stood up and anxiously said, "Goa—Goat ge, we’ll go get your youngest disciple right now."
"Ah, right, right, right!" Mortal Tiger also stood up, "Goat ge, please wait! We’ll bring her home!"
The two swiftly exited the room, leaving White Goat and Black Goat behind.
"What’s the matter?" White Goat fixed his gaze on Black Goat and asked.
"Goat ge...you seem to have changed," Black Goat remarked. "The reason I admire you...is because you’ve always been able to suppress all emotions, truly embodying the way of a god... but today, I feel as though—"
"Goat, my departure is imminent."
"Wh–What?!" Black Goat stood frozen for a moment. He was well aware that the {Dào} they contributed each day was dreadfully insufficient... yet this Terrestrial Goat had somehow used such a paltry amount of {Dào} to meet the murder quota?!
He had enough {Dào} to distribute among the winning participants?
If {Earthly Branches} had the freedom to leave their designated area, he would genuinely want to see what White Goat's game entailed.
White Goat let out a faint smile, "I haven’t yet informed the other two."
"Goat ge... if you leave... what are we going to do?!" Black Goat asked, trembling slightly, "You still have much to teach me."
"After I depart, the study will be in your hands," White Goat said. "All the rules and theorems I’ve collected are stored on the bookshelf. If you wish, you may delve into them—they may assist in your game."
"I... I... understand…" Black Goat nodded, somewhat downcast.
As the two sat in silence, a soft knock suddenly sounded at the door.
"Come in." White Goat said.
Moments later, the door opened a fraction, revealing a somewhat portly figure who leaned in to take a glance.
He was wearing a filthy pig’s head mask.
"Goat ge... may I trouble you for a moment?" Mortal Pig asked.
"Pig?" White Goat pondered momentarily, "Looking for me?"
"Yes...I–I have a matter I would like to trouble you with," Mortal Pig said quietly, "but it may be a bit presumptuous."
TL Note: Rant goes here ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)
