“Are you talking about Qi Xia…?” Xu Liunian asked with furrowed brows.

“Who else could it be?” Chu Tianqiu answered. “I saw the answer in his eyes.”

“But even if he knows this truth, it’s useless.” Xu Liunian said. “Just as I said… no one in this place can seize back the ‘train’ and fight against the ‘gods.’ No matter what is done, it’s all futile.”

“Is that so?” Chu Tianqiu nodded noncommittally. “Then we can only wait and see.”

After saying this, he looked at Xu Liunian with meaningful eyes and said, “Xu Liunian, I can casually let people in this place die because I know they can return in the next cycle.”

Xu Liunian looked at Chu Tianqiu, not knowing what he wanted to express.

“So I don’t want you to completely disappear.” Chu Tianqiu said word by word. “For the sake of that so-called ‘superior’ of yours, there’s no need to push yourself to such extremes. You don’t need to completely leave—just stay here.”

Xu Liunian raised her head with slight sorrow, her emotions particularly complex. She didn’t know what meaning there was to Chu Tianqiu doing this, nor did she know whether she should be grateful for his good intentions.

“But Chu Tianqiu…” Xu Liunian said. “You still lied. I heard you killed Wen Qiaoyun.”

“I…” Chu Tianqiu froze, then turned his head to look into the distance.

“You said you kill people because you know they’ll always come back… but when you killed Wen Qiaoyun, you knew she wouldn’t be reborn.” Xu Liunian said. “Each of us living here is in pain. Why are you willing to let Wen Qiaoyun be liberated, but unwilling to let me be liberated?”

“Because you don’t deserve it.” Chu Tianqiu said decisively. “Wen Qiaoyun is a victim here, while you are a perpetrator. Your identities are not equal, so I cannot let you die easily. Even if you die, I will definitely pull you back here.”

After hearing this, Xu Liunian smiled bitterly. “I understand.”

Chu Tianqiu said nothing more, only lowering his head to look at the school entrance, where a small commotion seemed to be occurring.

Zhang Shan and Old Lu were conversing with a young man about something, and from the sound of it, they were about to start arguing.

…

“Damn…” Zhang Shan scratched his head and said, “Young man, we can take you in, but you can’t lie. After all, you weren’t originally a member of ours, and we need to be careful too.”

“I really haven’t lied…” The young man scratched his head with a puzzled expression. “There’s always been a voice in my mind telling me to come here… I don’t even know what’s going on myself… I’m about to be driven crazy.”

While the two were arguing, Chu Tianqiu had already walked over slowly.

On the way, he encountered Doctor Zhao. The two exchanged a few casual words before coming before the young man together.

The young man, just by looking at Chu Tianqiu’s appearance, felt as if he had arrived at an incredible place.

“Hello.” Chu Tianqiu smiled. “I’m the leader here. Who are you looking for?”

The young man looked at most eighteen or nineteen years old, and also wore a puzzled expression. He looked somewhat timidly at the blood-covered Chu Tianqiu, then asked carefully, “May I ask if this place is called ‘Heaven’s Mouth’?”

“More or less.” Chu Tianqiu answered. “Who told you to come?”

“I… I don’t know…” The young man scratched his head, feeling his condition was very strange. “Brother, I opened my eyes and was standing on the street… There’s a voice in my heart telling me I must come to ‘Heaven’s Mouth’…”

“Then what did it tell you to come do?” Chu Tianqiu asked again.

“It told me to come ‘die.'” The young man answered. “I have no idea why it’s like this… but that voice keeps circling in my heart, making me feel like I’m going crazy. I thought only by coming here would things get better.”

“You’re not even afraid of death?” Chu Tianqiu asked again.

“I am afraid…” The young man nodded. “But brother… to be honest, I remember that I’ve already died.”

Chu Tianqiu instantly caught the key point in the other’s words, and the truth of the entire matter began to surface in his mind.

“Oh…? You say you’ve already died, but still followed the voice in your heart to come to ‘Heaven’s Mouth’?”

“I don’t know if you’ll believe me… but that’s how it is…” The young man replied. “I remember I died in a particularly terrifying place…”

“I believe you.” Chu Tianqiu immediately nodded and said. “Incredible things happen here often, so I maintain initial trust in everyone.”

“…Thank you.” The young man nodded. “But brother… you all don’t seem like violent people…”

After hearing this, Chu Tianqiu chuckled lightly. “Don’t worry, trust your subconscious. If your subconscious tells you to die here, then you must have your own way of dying.”

“Ah… no… that’s not what I meant…”

The few people nearby were somewhat confused by what Chu Tianqiu and the young man before them were saying. Old Lu hurriedly stepped forward to mediate and asked, “Young man, what’s your name?”

“I’m called… Cheng Aoyu.” The young man answered.

“Alright, Little Cheng.” Old Lu said. “Come in and rest for a bit first.”

Watching Old Lu about to lead the young man into the teaching building, Chu Tianqiu called them back.

“Wait.”

“Hm…?” Little Cheng turned back to look at Chu Tianqiu.

“What is your ‘Echo’?” Chu Tianqiu asked again.

“I…” After hearing this, Little Cheng showed a slightly embarrassed bitter smile. “My ‘Echo’ isn’t very useful—at most it can let you have a good dream.”

“No need for self-deprecation.” Chu Tianqiu said. “Your ‘Echo’ can’t possibly be more useless than mine.”

“I’m just afraid my ability is too weak and won’t be of much help to you all…”

“Don’t worry.” Chu Tianqiu walked forward and said softly. “If your ability is very useful to us, you might die right now.”

“Ah…?” Little Cheng was startled by Chu Tianqiu. He felt as if he was still dreaming.

Although there weren’t many good people here, it was also rare for someone to display such great hostility upon first meeting.

“Being useless is best.” Chu Tianqiu reached out and patted Little Cheng’s shoulder. “Useless people can live very well here.”

After hearing this, Little Cheng swallowed and slowly said, “Brother… I’m ‘Dream Entry.'”

Upon hearing these two words, Chu Tianqiu’s pupils trembled slightly. He stood stunned for a few seconds before saying, “You call this a useless ‘Echo’?”

“Ah…?”

Chu Tianqiu pondered for a while, then asked again, “You said you remember you’ve already died. Do you still remember where you died?”

After hearing this, Little Cheng said somewhat timidly, “I don’t know if I was dreaming… but I seem to have died in an Earth-Monkey’s venue…”

“Was it ‘Plum Blossom Sword Stakes’ or ‘Gambling Den’?” Chu Tianqiu asked again.

“It was… ‘Gambling Den’…”

After hearing this, Chu Tianqiu nodded. “You’re in luck. You don’t have to die today.”

“What…?”

After saying this, he turned around and said to Doctor Zhao beside him, “I’ll give you a map. Help me bring back his eyes.”