The many Participants had originally wanted to rely on their numerical advantage to surround and beat to death these few people who were proficient in “Echoes” or skilled in combat.

But they never expected that in just a moment’s time, they themselves would be the ones surrounded.

And what surrounded them was truly bizarre—it wasn’t Participants at all, but natives stretching as far as the eye could see.

These natives, scattered throughout various corners of the city without consciousness or intelligence, had now somehow organized themselves with strict discipline, surrounding this small battlefield so tightly that not even water could leak through.

“What the hell…” Zhang Shan scratched his head. “I must not be thinking straight… What’s going on right now?”

“They really do seem to be natives…” Little Glasses said while covering his arm in thought. “Which side are the natives on…?”

An elderly man with a cunning expression put down the handbell in his hand and slowly walked forward, surveying the current situation.

The Participants vaguely sensed that this elder seemed to be here to help, so they made way for him, allowing him to directly face Chu Tianqiu.

“Ah…” He smiled slightly. “If I hadn’t come… what would you young people have done?”

“You…” Chu Tianqiu furrowed his brow, looking at the person before him. Even after recognizing who it was, he still felt confused. “Wei Yang…?”

“Long time no see.” Wei Yang said with a smile.

Qin Dingdong also emerged from among the natives, cursing as he walked forward: “Damn it, when I found you, you were still calmly and composed gazing at the scenery outside the window, but now you’re acting like a person… I was wondering why I couldn’t find Wei Yang—turns out the bastard was putting on an act.”

“Tch! Who’s putting on an act?” Wei Yang seemed to have absolutely no way of dealing with this disciple of his.

“You…” Chu Tianqiu looked completely puzzled, having no idea what Wei Yang and Qin Dingdong’s stance was. “Just what are you two…”

“What should we call this situation…” Qin Dingdong thought for a few seconds. “You’re the ‘King of Good People,’ so this old bastard Wei Yang should be considered the true ‘King of Mad People,’ right?”

Chu Tianqiu always felt like he could see Chen Junnan’s shadow in Qin Dingdong—both gave him the same sense of inappropriately relaxed ease.

“How could anyone truly achieve something like being the ‘King of Mad People’…” Chu Tianqiu said with furrowed brows. “Those people are extremely difficult to even communicate with. This simply doesn’t make sense.”

Wei Yang let out a cold laugh: “There was once a bastard who didn’t care whether I lived or died who told me, ‘Old Wei, you can read minds, so you’re the only one who can know what the natives are thinking. If you can satisfy the natives’ desires, they might be willing to follow your commands.'”

“What…?” Chu Tianqiu froze, seeming to already know who had said those words.

“He told me to keep this matter secret.” Wei Yang said. “But I never imagined he’d even keep it from himself.”

“So all these years you’ve been capturing many natives to abuse and experiment on, all just to hear the voices in their hearts…?”

“Isn’t that right?” Wei Yang said. “That bastard told me I could domesticate the natives like animals, so I moved my experimental site directly to a farm. In addition, he taught me a trick called ‘Pavlov’s Dog,’ having me use the simplest commands to direct the natives. It turned out to work surprisingly well.”

After hearing this, Chu Tianqiu smiled bitterly: “Ha… How terrifying… Just a short while ago, I fantasized about standing shoulder to shoulder with him, walking together to the peak of this place.”

“Who? With him?” After hearing this, Wei Yang laughed and waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t kid yourself. He doesn’t even think highly of yesterday’s version of himself—how could he possibly think highly of you?”

After saying this, Wei Yang looked toward Ground Rat.

Ground Rat immediately averted his gaze and slightly lowered his head in a bow.

“Pretentious dead rat.” Wei Yang said. “What are you lowering your head for? Raise your head and look at me.”

“Leader, you flatter me. How would I dare look at you?” Ground Rat kept his head lowered, his tone revealing neither joy nor sorrow. “I told you long ago that I’m a fence-sitter. When it’s time to betray you, I absolutely won’t hesitate. This was promised to you from the start—you can’t blame me for this.”

“So I’m supposed to thank you instead?” Wei Yang said. “You were the most obsequious in currying favor, and you also kicked the hardest when I was down.”

“You’re too kind, too kind.” Ground Rat said. “If my honeyed words moved you, that might be because your old eyes grew dim and you don’t know how to judge people. I never expected to see you alive here, which shows that when I kicked you while you were down back then, I was far too soft-hearted. You must have deep feelings about this. Had I known I’d see you alive and kicking, I should have kicked much harder back then.”

“Scram.” Wei Yang said impatiently. “If I hadn’t been stripped of my ‘Brute Strength,’ you’d be the first one I’d hit.”

“Leader, why are you so angry?” Ground Rat smiled and took a step forward. “The biggest reason you were expelled from the ‘Heaven Level’ wasn’t that incident about the ‘Liar’ that I informed on, but because of your own ‘Mind Reading.’ How could they keep someone who knows their true thoughts around them? Don’t you agree?”

Wei Yang said nothing, merely toying with the bell in his hand.

“Everyone in this world has a heart that’s filthy and sordid, unable to withstand scrutiny.” Ground Rat continued. “I am like this, you are like this, and even those who call themselves ‘Gods’ are like this, right?”

“The reason you haven’t died is because you have a silver tongue.” Wei Yang said. “But if you die one day, it will also be because of that silver tongue.”

“You’re too kind, too kind.” Ground Rat nodded again, never once raising his head to look at Wei Yang throughout.

“What do you mean…” Chu Tianqiu immediately caught the key point in this conversation. “You were originally a ‘Heaven’…?”

“What difference does it make?” Wei Yang said. “Whether ‘Heaven’ or ‘Human,’ it’s all the same. Living here, we all live like ‘Ghosts.’ Only the natives don’t suffer.”

Qin Dingdong picked up the bell and looked at Chu Tianqiu, asking: “So what’s the situation now? What do you plan to do?”

Chu Tianqiu came back to his senses and briefly informed the two of what had just happened. Qin Dingdong then nodded.

“In that case… I’m going to haggle.” Qin Dingdong said.

Ground Rat couldn’t help but furrow his brow upon hearing this: “Leader, what are you haggling about? I’m not even doing business with you.”

“Consider it the debt you owe Wei Yang.” Qin Dingdong said. “If Chu Tianqiu can survive, add one more person to board the vehicle. I’m going too. Do you agree?”

Ground Rat thought for a while, then looked at the thousand-plus natives behind the two of them, and could only sigh: “Whether I agree or not, I have to agree.”

After Qin Dingdong nodded, he seemed to think of something else and turned back to look at Wei Yang: “What about you? Are you going back?”

“I’d rather die than go back.” Wei Yang shook his head.

“Good.” Qin Dingdong nodded. “In that case… Chu Tianqiu, you can rest easy. Leave what comes next to the ‘King of Mad People.'”

“When you say ‘King,’ don’t add ‘ba’ after it.” Wei Yang said.