Chapter 1251: Worst-Case Scenario

The air thickened with tension. Many of them shared the sentiment, but they never addressed it. Now, Adept Horse put it into words.

“Adept Horse, listen to yourself...” Liao Liao smiled habitually to cover the uncertainty in her voice. “Of course Captain Dragon is human.”

“What about him is human?” Adept Horse pressed.

“He...he...” Liao Liao didn’t have an answer.

“If he’s not human, is he...monster?” Sun Hu said timidly.

“No.” Vermilion Bird shook her head.

“What? If he’s not a human nor a monster, is he God?” Old Seven said flippantly.

“A goddamn psycho is more like it,” Zhang Wei grumbled.

Adept Horse scanned the room. “I mean that we don’t know what Dragon is thinking or planning at all. We don’t know if he truly stands with humanity.”

“Dragon should be on our side,” Chen Ying said, but her tone lacked conviction. “Or he could’ve just killed all of us that night rather than waiting until now.”

“Not necessarily.” Gregor smiled bitterly. “I share Adept Horse's feeling. There has always been a distinctly inhuman side to Dragon, and he thinks differently than we do. The fact that he didn’t kill us that night doesn’t mean anything.”

“True.” Dr. Jia agreed. “A lamb may think of its master as a friend until New Year.”

One Stone hissed and put her arms around herself. “Dr. Jia, how could such chilling words come from a warm mouth?”

“It’s just one possibility.” Dr. Jia shrugged.

Hong Xiaoxiao hesitated. “Could we be...overthinking this? Dragon doesn’t feel like a villain.”

“Don’t trust your feelings, Hong Xiaoxiao. Look at the facts!” Zhang Wei said. “Dragon obviously parted ways with us that night. Who knows what he’s thinking? Not even a ghost would know.”

He turned to White Dew. “Not talking about you here.”

White Dew suppressed an eyeroll and didn’t deem that a response.

“Dragon’s goal is the Gates of Closure. That is one thing we know,” Adept Horse said. “But we don’t even know if the Gates exist.”

Vermilion Bird nodded. “Qilin believed there was no door. Dragon believes there is. But he never explains to us and keeps secrets. That is suspicious.”

“Can it be that...” Xiao Xin, who had been more of a prop than a participant of the meeting, said anxiously, “Dragon can’t accept the fact that there is no Gates, so he fools himself and loses his sanity, leading to him planning a terrible deed? For example, creating a doorway even if he has to bury the world?”

“Huh?” Liao Liao found that difficult to believe. “Aren’t you leaning too far into a conspiracy theory?”

“It’s difficult to say.” One Stone sighed. “Dragon is pure, alone, and mysterious. Were he a character in my fic, he would very likely go down the path of madness and destruction.”

Tang Xiaocong imagined it. “So he’d be...a

homme fatale

?”

“You get me, Congcong!” One Stone looked like she had found her soulmate.

Wang Zikai crossed her arms and legs, getting drowsy from all the talking. “Don’t worry. I’ll take matters into my hands.”

Nainai jumped. Her line got hijacked! She hurriedly said, “Hmph! This Empress will take matters into

my

hands!”

Qing Ling ignored the two idiots and summarized, “So, Dragon’s our enemy?”

“Don’t just jump to conclusions!” Liao Liao whined. “I think we should all sit down and have a good chat. What can’t be solved by talking it out?”

“Liao Liao!” Zhang Wei said exasperatedly. “It’s not that we don’t want a chat. Dragon was the one who ran off with the Miracle Rune Circuit. Did he talk to us about that?”

Liao Liao shut her mouth.

“Oh.” Zhang Wei suddenly remembered something. He turned to Tang Xiaocong. “President Cong, why don’t you play Dragon? Show us what’s wrong with him.”

Tang Xiaocong laughed awkwardly. “I tried.”

“Huh?”

“It was my idea.” Vermilion Bird shook her head with disappointment. “We tried several times, but failed.”

Zhang Wei deflated, but it made sense.

They reached no conclusion. In the end, they turned to the silent Gao Yang.

Gao Yang met their eyes.

“The year when Dragon was nowhere to be found, you’ve already considered the worst-case scenario, haven’t you?”

“None of you went complacent. You’ve been putting in the work to search the world and improve yourselves. Because you have a feeling that the Battle of the Curtain Call isn’t the fight to end all fights, that humanity still has an enemy.”

“I share that feeling.”

“I don’t know if Dragon is friend or foe. I once thought I knew him, but it was just an illusion. No one other than Dragon understands himself.”

“I never wish to be enemies with Dragon, but I have to consider the worst. Three days later, I’ll meet him. If he is an enemy, I’ll fight him.”

“That is my personal decision.” Gao Yang got to his feet. “You should make your own.”

Qing Ling was the first to stand up. She didn’t have to speak. Her answer was clear enough.

Vermilion Bird followed suit. “I concur.”

Raven Shark stood up after Vermilion Bird without hesitation.

“Of course I won’t stay out of this!” Zhang Wei slammed the table and shot to his feet. “Bring me, Brother Yang!”

Old Seven stood up, too. “And me!”

White Dew, Adept Horse, Hong Xiaoxiao, Chen Ying, and One Stone rose from their seats one after another to express their stance. After a moment of struggle, Heavenly Dog and Lovely Lamb joined them.

“I’m going too, Gao Yang!” Dr. Jia’s surprising bravery stemmed from his desire to get his hands on Dragon’s vital energy. He had completely ignored the possibility that the man might not give it to him.

Gregor sighed softly. “Then we all go together.”

Quiet Book, Tang Xiaocong, Sun Hu, and Xiao Xin made up their minds, too. They stood up.

Wang Zikai had remained seated. He considered himself a package deal with Gao Yang. Standing up and making a declaration now would only undermine his best friend status.

“Alright.” Gao Yang looked around the room. “We consider the worst-case scenario. Tomorrow night, we’ll hold a meeting to strategize. You’re dismissed.”

“Hmph! This Empress...”

Nainai had finally come up with a proper, verbose speech, but when she looked up, everyone was already filing out of the meeting room. No one cared that she hadn’t had her say.

“This Empress...” Nainai didn’t know if she should say the words.

“What’s up with this and that? Just say whatever you wanna say...” Wang Zikai yawned. He was the only one still sitting here. His eyes became misty with drowsiness.

“I’m not saying it!”

Nainai stalked off petulantly, leaving Wang Zikai flabbergasted.