Chapter 966: Its Name

Gao Yang opened the storage and took out a jammer to prevent eavesdropping, gesturing at the others to follow him. They quickly entered the study. He activated the jammer, filling the room with white noise.

“This place is compromised. Grab everything important and let's go. Adept Horse, Wang Zikai, take care of it.” Gao Yang paused. “Remember Gregor's manuscripts.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Leave it to your bro!”

The two immediately got on with it.

After a few seconds, Gao Yang continued, “Nainai, check if there are any personal belongings left behind. If you find something, give it to One Stone for Tracking.”

“On it!” Nainai strode out of the room.

“Heavenly Dog, contact Nine Frost. Tell him to bring everyone, including Dr. Jia, to our second base.”

“Okay.” Heavenly Dog took out his phone.

“There's another thing,” War Tiger said. “Colorless took her people to surrender to us. As a show of their goodwill, she gave us her life. What do we do with them?”

Gao Yang thought for a moment. “You'll have to take care of it, Uncle Tiger. Keep them under control and hide them away. If something seems wrong, you may abandon them and run. If nothing goes wrong, find out more about them and decide how we should take them in.”

War Tiger nodded. “That's what I thought.”

“Alright.” Gao Yang turned to Heavenly Dog and Nainai. “Once you're done here, Nainai, bring Wang Zikai and Adept Horse to the second base and meet up with Nine Frost.”

“Heavenly Dog, take me and War Tiger to the Xijing District then pick up Gao Xinxin and Gregor at the library. Bring them to the second base, too.”

“Where are you going?” Heavenly Dog asked.

“Drop me at the Spectres' Mansion. I'll pick up Fresh Snow and meet up with you.”

“Okay.”

Gao Yang gave one last warning, “Remember, do not scatter after meeting up and exercise the highest caution. Have Chen Ying, Liao Liao, Nine Frost, and Raven Shark go on patrol twenty-four seven. Qilin now has the Psyche Rune Circuit. His Eidos can reach level 8 at any time. That's a great threat.”

War Tiger scoffed bitterly. “The Ocean River Union's no more after tonight. Our enemies are the two bastards, Qilin and Surnamed Li.”

Gao Yang clenched his fists. “You're dismissed. Go!”

...

Heavenly Dog carried two strands of white cloth from his arms, each held by Gao Yang and War Tiger. They flew toward the forest in the Xijing District. Two minutes to the Spectres' Mansion. Gao Yang would disembark there. Then Heavenly Dog would take War Tiger to the laboratory near the Yuan Yang River to collect those surrendering to them.

Nine Frost had taken Colorless' body away. She wouldn't become Qilin's puppet.

Although Qilin and Surnamed Li were powerful, their movement speed fell far below Fly and Gale. Gao Yang was certain they would arrive sooner.

War Tiger had been deep in thought on their way. Finally, he asked, “Do you think they are still alive, Gao Yang?”

Gao Yang tried his best to be objective and composed. “Zhong He's most likely gone. Hong Xiaoxiao's hairpin meant that he had been attacked.”

“And the others?”

Gao Yang said after five seconds, “I believe they aren't in any danger of dying at the moment.”

War Tiger sighed in relief. He thought the same, and it seemed that it wasn't just his wishful thinking.

Gao Yang calmly broke it down. “Put aside the kind of person Qilin is and purely look at the cost-effectiveness, it'd be foolish for Qilin to kill them and turn them into puppets now.”

“Yes,” War Tiger said. “After the Qingyang Bridge, Qilin got many corpse puppets. Having a few more may be more burdensome than beneficial. And each puppet has a limited use time. It'd cost use time for Qilin to control the puppets to go with him. It's better to leave with living people.”

“That's for one.” Gao Yang's eyes darkened. “Moreover, Qilin's acquired the Psyche Rune Circuit, giving him the absolute advantage to come after us. Having a few more puppets wouldn't give him that much of a boost in power, while—”

Gao Yang trailed off.

War Tiger realized, “But living people? Qilin can use them as hostages!”

Gao Yang nodded. “We can't possibly do nothing when Vermilion Bird, Lovely Lamb, Wang Weiyan, Zhang Wei, Quiet Book, and maybe Zhong He are used as hostages. Remember, Qilin's ultimate goal is to collect all twelve Rune Circuits. If he killed them, we'd be enraged and perhaps go for the extreme. We could hide all the Rune Circuits until the end of time and choose mutual destruction with Qilin.”

War Tiger scoffed. “Well, that's something I might do, yes.”

“If Qilin uses them as hostages and has us exchange each of them with a Rune Circuit,” Gao Yang glanced at War Tiger, “What would you do?”

War Tiger scowled. “My heart says save them, but my head says that we'll still die sooner or later if we let Qilin get what he wants.”

He turned to Gao Yang. “What about you?”

“I try not to think about it,” Gao Yang said. “I may only have an answer when it's really happening.”

War Tiger narrowed his eyes and twisted his lips. “You're right.”

“I'll choose to save them,” Heavenly Dog spoke up. His tone was calm, but his gaze was more determined than ever. “I can't let anything happen to Cute Little Lamb.”

After a pause, Gao Yang and War Tiger exchanged a glance. Their conflict suddenly melted. They had been trying to be objective and calm as leaders should, but the decision had been made long ago in their hearts.

Just like Heavenly Dog and their other companions, they would be listening to the voice in them. It was their only anchor in the Mist World, the dim light in the vast darkness, and the key linking all humans together.

And its name was humanity.

“Here we are,” Heavenly Dog said.

Gao Yang looked down to see the forest. They had concealed the mansion so that it wouldn't be seen from above, but Gao Yang knew where it was.

“Take care. I'll see you later.”

“Same for you,” War Tiger responded.

Gao Yang let go of the white cloth and went into free fall.