The Creatures That We Are

Chapter 749: Where to Go

Zhong He felt a warmth in his chest, but he didn’t let it show through his impassive mask.

“What?” Yellow Lotus smiled. “Am I not good enough for you now that you’ve gotten stronger?”

“Of course you’re not,” Zhong He teased in a purposefully casual tone. “When I only had Keen Hearing, I already looked down on you.”

“Wanna die?!” Yellow Lotus glared at him.

“Actually.” Lying Wood adjusted his glasses, eyes glinting. “I have an immature suggestion. Wanna hear it?”

“Stop being cryptic and talk already.” Yellow Lotus perked up. Their de facto strategist had an idea, it seemed.

“Actually...” Lying Wood looked at them in turn. “Outside of staying and resigning, we have another choice.”

“Don’t tell me it’s the Nine Scions.” Void smiled bitterly. “Members of Team Chen Ying’s bodies are still fresh. If we join them, we won’t fare much better.”

Sunny choked out a pessimistic laugh, too. “That’s how things end for those on the Qilin Guild’s bad side.”

“Oh, no, no.” Lying Wood hurriedly waved a hand. “We can’t go to the Nine Scions. That’s for sure. Set aside if they are the good guys or the bad guys, they are for sure the center of this war. We’ll have to have a death wish to go to them. However, we may latch onto another large tree.”

Click. Muzitu folded his fan and shook his head as he made another poem. “Qilin Guild is tyrannical, and the Hundred Rivers Union feeble. Whether the Nine Scions is good or bad is a mystery. The Zodiacs alone may be our sanctuary.”

“You know me well, Old Tu.” Lying Wood smiled. “Yes, I believe we can consider the Twelve Zodiac Signs an option.”

Zhong He pondered without making a comment.

He had considered the Zodiacs as well, but he knew little about the organization. And he had a prideful side to him, preventing him from begging to join them.

“The Twelve Zodiac Signs.” Yellow Lotus smacked her lips. “The organization is too mysterious. I know almost nothing about them or what they want to do.”

“I only know that Dragon came from the era of the Elusive Sect, and that he’s been sustaining his life with a hibernation chamber.” Void thought for a moment. “Oh, right. Ba Qiuchi belonged to the Twelve Zodiac Signs. Her ex, Dead Pig, is still a member.”

“Little Ba is a good girl. What a shame what happened to her,” Cold Cicada lamented. Among the sixth team, only he knew Ba Qiuchi as a long-time member despite his youthful appearance.

Muzitu waved his paper fan with a curve to his lips. “Ba Qiuchi is a good person, but she divorced Dead Pig and jumped from the Zodiacs to the Union. Doesn’t that mean the Zodiacs isn’t a good place to be?”

“You’re jumping to conclusions, Old Tu,” Lying Wood said deliberately. “We know now that Ba Qiuchi died at Dust’s hands. She might have been sent by the Zodiacs to investigate Dust back then. Perhaps her loyalty always lied with the Zodiacs.”

“Hm, that is a possibility.” Muzitu nodded. “The choice seems attractive now after your analysis.”

“Yeah. Might as well make a gamble.” Deep Earth smiled. “My hunch says that the Zodiacs is a good place to be.”

“That may not be true. Have you forgotten that Gao Yang, Green Snake, and Yellow Ox were all members of the Zodiacs, Brother? Look what the three have done.” Tell Sky smiled. “I bet on the Zodiacs not being a good place to be.”

“Still gonna be better than the Qilin Guild.”

“Quite the opposite. At least I know what the Qilin Guild’s bottom line and goal are, while the Twelve Zodiac Signs is a complete mystery. The unknown is always more terrifying.”

“What’s your reasoning, Lying Wood?” Zhong He chimed in, looking at Lying Wood with a more serious expression. “I want to hear it.”

“Okay...”

“Wait, you’re not using Negotiation Expert,” Yellow Lotus called out.

“Of course.” Lying Wood chuckled. “I’m not gonna pull tricks with something like this.”

“Then go on.”

“I’ve been considering going to the Zodiacs for quite a while, and I talked to White Rabbit and learned about the organizations in other ways.”

“My reasoning can be condensed to three points.”

“First, the Zodiacs remain neutral at the moment. They are capable of staying out of the war. It’s the safest choice to stay with the Zodiacs, at least for now.”

They all nodded in agreement.

“Second, the Zodiacs prioritize peace. That’s the case according to their history, at least. While they are mysterious, they have never once initiated a war. And they follow the strict rules of not hurting their kind or actively attacking wanderers. The two rules alone reflect their humane way of doing things.”

They pondered the point.

“Third, and this is purely my subjective conjecture.” Lying Wood adjusted his glasses with a smile. “Gao Yang started as a member of the Zodiacs. Then he moved to the Qilin Guild. Now, Gao Yang is a bitter enemy of the Guild, but maintains a civil relationship with the Zodiacs.”

Lying Wood fell silent to let the others think.

“Which...means?” Yellow Lotus blinked. She didn’t catch his point.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean much.” Lying Wood smiled. “But I used to work at the HR department, and there’s an unwritten rule when recruiting people: if someone badmouths their previous company or has a falling out with their previous company, they will be on the bottom of our list.”

“Of course, the employee may not be at fault. It can be the company’s fault. At the end of the day, though, they are a potential risk. We won’t consider them first.”

“I get it now.” Void came to a realization. “Between the Qilin Guild and the Zodiacs, one had a falling out with Gao Yang, while the other didn’t. Comparing the two, there’s a greater chance for the Qilin Guild to have a risk factor.”

“Yeah.” Lying Wood nodded. “It’s not based on concrete evidence, so I call it my subjective reason.”

He turned to Zhong He. “Team Leader, I respect your decision to be an unaffiliated member, but for me and the others, I hope that you can offer us some help.”

Zhong He remained silent.

“With you taking us to the Zodiacs, they are likely to accept us. Without you, though, small fries like us may be turned away. Then we’ll have to stay in the Ocean River Union, and it’ll be hell. Yan Liang will be after us for sure.”

“Lying Wood has a point!” Yellow Lotus got worked up. “Why don’t you take us to the Zodiacs, Old Zhong?”

“Haha, I concur!” Deep Earth was excited too.

Zhong He didn’t immediately give an answer. He looked up at the others and sought their opinions.

With the other staying quiet, Void broke the silence first. “Lying Wood has a solid point. I can’t find fault in it. But for some reason, I’m not convinced. My hunch tells me to stay. I believe going to the Zodiacs will be dangerous.”

“I’m staying too,” Tall Sky agreed. “The Qilin Guild is overbearing, everyone, but there’s no need to demonize them. My rational mind tells me that staying here will give me a brighter future.”

“Are you really not leaving with me, Brother?” Deep Earth was a little surprised.

“I’d like to ask you the same thing, Brother. Are you really going to the Zodiacs?”

“If Old Zhong’s willing to take us, I’m going.”

“If you’re dying later, I won’t help you.” Tall Sky spoke like he disapproved vehemently.

“Haha, why don’t we have another bet?” Deep Earth said. “Let’s bet on who has made the right choice.”

“Let’s.” Tall Sky was riled up. “Our odds of winning have always been fifty-fifty. It’s time for us to determine a winner. Yeah, let’s bet on who will get to be the last one laughing after joining different organizations.”

“Wait, you two...” Yellow Lotus gaped. “I’ve always known you’re extreme, but aren’t you veering into the realm of insanity?”