Brother Yang had already been gone for several days.

Just as I had expected, after that time, I never saw him again.

The entire “Paradise Bank” became empty overnight, leaving only some broken statues.

Jiang Ruoxue and I spent several days searching the entire city for traces of Brother Yang, but we had no idea what he would look like.

Would he become more like a “sheep,” or more like a “human”?

If a sheep, then what breed of sheep? If human, what would he look like?

Finding Baiyang was truly not a simple task. Jiang Ruoxue and I were like two headless flies bumping around the city. Our mood also changed from initially holding some expectation to eventually becoming lifeless.

The freshness brought by the “next step of the plan” lasted only a few days before we returned to our previous state.

We lived numbly, and the road ahead gradually became filled with fog.

We even traversed small alleys we had never entered before, finding various “Zodiacs” hidden in corners, yet we never saw Baiyang.

“Zhichun… don’t you think it’s too quiet?” Jiang Ruoxue asked me with her head hanging down.

We were resting in a narrow alley, with a Human-level “Zodiac” standing not far from us.

“Quiet…?” I looked left and right at the street. “You mean here? There really aren’t many people.”

“No.” Jiang Ruoxue shook her head. “Zhichun, ever since Baiyang left, everything here has been too quiet…”

As soon as she finished speaking, the “Zodiac” a few steps away suddenly began soliciting business. He cleared his throat and said to us, “Would you two like to participate in my game?”

Jiang Ruoxue looked at me again, her expression grave as she said, “Zhichun, don’t you find the current atmosphere somewhat strange…? The ‘upper level’ is quiet, the ‘Zodiacs’ are quiet, even the ‘Participants’ are quiet… It seems no one is making any big moves. Are they waiting for something, or guarding against something?”

I felt Jiang Ruoxue was right. Ever since Brother Yang disappeared, everything seemed to have quieted down. Even those previously most powerful “Participants” had significantly reduced their activities.

“Heaven’s Gate,” which had always been challenging “Zodiacs,” recently stopped gambling their lives with “Zodiacs” and instead seemed to be conserving their strength.

What was everyone doing? Why was the atmosphere here different from before?

“I really feel something’s not right…” Jiang Ruoxue said to me with a frown. “Zhichun… the current situation is like the calm before the storm. It seems some huge karmic consequence is about to be born… This place will be turned upside down…”

Yes… This was originally Brother Yang’s plan. He would one day return here and turn this place upside down.

But where was he now?

I sighed and turned my face, my gaze happening to meet the Man-Monkey a few steps away.

He had been watching Jiang Ruoxue and me all along.

His mask was somewhat strange. Although called “Man-Monkey,” it was actually a rotting baboon face.

“Would you two like to participate in my game?” he asked again.

“We won’t participate.” Jiang Ruoxue said. “Don’t waste your effort. We’re not here to find ‘Dao.’ Save your breath.”

I frowned slightly, as if thinking of something.

“You two, if you participate… I’ll give you a plastic fake flower.” The Man-Monkey said again. “Really won’t give it a try?”

“A plastic fake flower…?” Jiang Ruoxue slowly raised her head, and together with me, stared at the Man-Monkey before us.

His figure overlapped with someone from our memories.

“You… you are…” Jiang Ruoxue was about to speak when I quickly held her back.

“Ruoxue, we can’t call out names.” I reminded her.

The Man-Monkey had never called out our names, probably also afraid we would suddenly recognize him.

He had indeed come here and become a Man-Monkey in “Dao City.”

This meant he had gambled to death the previous Man-Monkey, and also meant “Jade City” had completely failed.

Even if Guyu brought back everything he learned from “Dao City” and “Vortex City” to reshuffle that place, he still couldn’t cure the gravely ill city.

But how long had Guyu been here? After all, it had been many years since we last met. His appearance in this dark alley—had he just arrived… or had he been here for many years?

Seeing the complex expressions on Jiang Ruoxue’s and my faces, he knew we had recognized him.

“It’s fine if you don’t participate in the game.” He said again. “But I still want to give you the flower.”

He took out that familiar black stick from his pocket and handed it to me.

“Man-Monkey… didn’t you say you’d give us a flower?” I said, holding that black rod. “We’re not magicians. We can’t use this prop.”

“Let it bloom.” The Man-Monkey said with a choked voice. “If possible, please help me…”

“Help you…?”

“The flower can’t bloom… Xizhou’s iron wall is too hard…” The Man-Monkey said. “I’ve never been able to break through this solid iron wall, but inside there’s a very beautiful flower… If you can’t bring the ‘flower’ out, can you find a way to bring out the ‘seed’… That’s the seed of ‘hope’… I’m begging you. If you can truly take away hope… I’ll definitely find a way to repay you.”

Jiang Ruoxue and I weren’t fools. We understood the meaning of these words perfectly clearly.

“You shouldn’t be joking, right?” I sighed and said. “That’s not our ‘flower,’ nor our ‘seed.’ This iron rod has been with you all along, and even you couldn’t make the flower bloom. Why would you expect that after giving it to outsiders, others would do it for you?”

“I’ve tried every method…” The Man-Monkey lowered his head. “But both the flower and seed are stuck tight… This hard black iron wall is contracting inward. Sooner or later, it will crush the flower flat, then crush the seed. My thinking has stalled, but perhaps others will think of things I can’t think of…”

“But the iron wall is too hard.” I said. “Jiang Ruoxue and I are just two ordinary people. Our fingernails will break against the iron wall. So I won’t take risks, nor will I let Ruoxue take risks. We’ve done enough for a magician.”

After hearing this, Guyu’s eyes seemed to die, then he slowly lowered his head.

He should also know how unreasonable his request was. Regardless of who else hadn’t escaped from “Jade City,” they were people completely unrelated to us.

We had already told Guyu much knowledge about the “Land of the End” and “Zodiacs,” and personally led him down this path that could both escape and was relatively safe. Now he still wanted us to take risks in “Jade City.” This time, I absolutely wouldn’t agree no matter what.

“I’m sorry.” The Man-Monkey lowered his head with some disappointment. “I was being unrealistic… Thank you both.”

“What does the flower think?” Jiang Ruoxue suddenly asked from the side.

“The flower?” The Man-Monkey looked at her.

“Does the flower want to bloom?” Jiang Ruoxue asked again. “Does she want to bloom herself, or does she hope someone will take the seed away?”

“Ruoxue…” I reached out to tug at her. “What are you going to do?”

“Zhichun, everything is ’cause and effect.'” Jiang Ruoxue said to me. “What we’re encountering now was already destined long ago.”

The Man-Monkey sighed deeply and said, “I don’t know if the flower wants to ‘bloom,’ but she definitely hopes someone will take the seed away.”