TDU Chapter 401
Chapter 401 Plan
Terrestrial Goat slumped down, a bit dazed.
It was clear now—he had long been caught in White Goat’s layer upon layer of schemes.
“So…” Terrestrial Goat murmured, “Goat ge even anticipated that he wouldn’t ascend to {Celestial}… He knew that if he reverted to being a {participant}, no matter how much time passed, he would inevitably cross paths with either you or me, and that the path he laid out in advance would take effect.”
“You got it,” Terrestrial Tiger nodded. “I always thought you were smarter than me… yet it took you this long to figure it out?”
Terrestrial Goat remained staring blankly at the floor, a strange sensation washed over him. He had kept White Goat’s secret all this time, only to realize he’d been manipulated. The sense of helplessness was overwhelming.
“If his plan is really this far-reaching…” Terrestrial Dog slowly stood up. “Three of us alone won’t be enough.”
“Right,” Terrestrial Tiger nodded. “We need allies… we need more {Earthly Branches}.”
“Give me a break.” Terrestrial Dog cast him a glance, eyelids drooping. “With your terrible reputation, what allies could you possibly muster?”
“If I’m not up to it, what makes you think you are?” Terrestrial Tiger shot back.
“I’m at least better than you,” Terrestrial Dog said, slowly walking toward the door. “After all these years in the workplace, the only thing I’ve really learned is that {maintaining good relations with colleagues is more important than currying favor with your boss}. I know a few solid candidates waiting to be promoted to {Celestial}, yet the {leaders} never transfer positions, so the people below never get a chance.”
“To liken this to a workplace… isn’t that selling the {train} short?” Terrestrial Goat said. “Which {workplace} allows you to kill your own superior?”
“Call it whatever you want; in my eyes, this is a workplace,” Terrestrial Dog turned back to the two of them. “I’ve been patient all this time, pretending to pose no threat to anyone, all to climb upward. If I find no chance for promotion, my true colors will emerge. Give me a few days to rally the other {Endurers}.”
Terrestrial Goat’s expression darkened.
What kind of twisted turn was this? Even if everything was just as Terrestrial Tiger said, if it was all prearranged by White Goat, doesn’t that make it even stranger?
This is unmistakably treating himself and Terrestrial Tiger as {pawns}.
What good could come from rebellion? Once Terrestrial Tiger wreaks havoc, everyone associated with him will face extreme peril. Even if Goat ge’s true {plan} succeeded in the end… the three in this room now are certain to perish.
Terrestrial Goat slowly closed his eyes, realizing this matter required careful consideration. Acting rashly alongside Terrestrial Tiger would inevitably lead them into the abyss.
‘Goat ge, I respect you from the bottom of my heart… don’t disappoint me.’
Terrestrial Dog opened the door and stepped out, while Terrestrial Goat slowly rose to his feet.
“That’s enough for today,” Terrestrial Goat remarked. “I won’t participate in any of your actions for the time being… I need to observe.”
“Do as you please,” Terrestrial Tiger muttered, clearly annoyed. “When you leave, call my disciples back in—they must be starving by now.”
The long night of the third day descended.
Everyone who retained their memories felt the atmosphere grow increasingly strange.
The air thickened with a stench of decay, while creaking and chirping sounds crawled along the walls outside. Occasional night winds stirred the dry, dead trees, causing them to creak and groan, the sound carrying the foul odor as it drifted desperately into the darker distance.
Whether inside the prison, at the school, or forced to stay outside, everyone gazed at the pitch-black scene beyond the windows, a vague sense of impending calamity pressing down on them.
When the sun rose on the fourth day, those who survived painfully pulled themselves up, embracing the sunlight of the new day.
Zhang Chenze hurriedly got to her feet to check on the condition of the people in the room.
After all, besides herself, the other three all bore varying degrees of injuries, and after a night’s rest, their conditions could have worsened.
She walked over to Lin Qin, glancing at her broken leg. The area below the knee had already swollen significantly and would require a splint immediately. Unfortunately, they were in a glass shop with no proper tools.
“Lin Qin, are you alright?” Zhang Chenze reached out to take her hand, only to find it bright red, as if frostbitten.
“I’m okay…” Lin Qin gave a wry smile. “My whole body aches… but nothing life-threatening. You should check on Qin Dingdong first.”
Zhang Chenze nodded, then went over to Qin Dingdong. She hadn’t woken yet, so she reached out to feel her forehead. “Thankfully, no fever…it shouldn’t be anything serious…” She lightly shook her. “Dingdong, are you alright?”
Qin Dingdong slowly opened her eyes, but just as she was about to speak, she coughed violently and spat out a large mouthful of blood-streaked phlegm.
“Shit… I could forgive you for saving me, but waking me up at this hour?!” Qin Dingdong wiped her mouth and looked at Zhang Chenze. “Don’t you know the saying, {Getting up early ruins the whole day}?”
Zhang Chenze forced a small smile. “What kind of saying is that? I’m just worried about you—”
“Sigh… alright, alright. Don’t be too nice to jiejie, this jiejie is too soft-hearted…” Qin Dingdong waved a hand, struggling to sit up, then glanced toward Su Shan. “How’s Xiao Shan doing?”
“I’ll go check.” Zhang Chenze rolled up her sleeves and approached Su Shan, finding her still in a deep sleep.
“Su Shan?” Zhang Chenze gently shook her. She had assumed Su Shan’s condition would be slightly better than the other two, yet even after shaking her for a while, there was no response.
“What’s going on?” Zhang Chenze muttered, giving her another firm shake. “Su Shan, can you hear me?”
Seeing no reaction, Zhang Chenze reached out to feel her forehead—and found it burning hot.
“Is she okay?” Qin Dingdong asked, concern etched on her face.
“I don’t know…” Zhang Chenze frowned. “She’s running a high fever.”
The two women carefully moved closer to Su Shan’s fragile body, noticing that while she had no visible injuries, her cheeks were flushed bright red—clearly the fever was intense.
As they watched anxiously, Su Shan’s eyes slowly began to open.
Her eyes were all blood-red, and her pupils were beginning to cloud over as if she had been dead for a long time.
“Mm…?” She blinked in confusion, turning to look at the others. Her gaze fell on Zhang Chenze, and after a moment, she furrowed her brow. “You—”
“Su Shan, are you alright?” Zhang Chenze asked.
“I…” Su Shan forced a faint smile. “What could be wrong with me?”
Lin Qin, having had little interaction with Su Shan before, had no knowledge of the situation, so she could only look toward Qin Dingdong.
Qin Dingdong sighed, took a step forward, and formed a fist with her hand. “Xiao Shan, how many fingers am I holding up?”
TL Note: Rant goes here ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)
