Yun Yao hadn’t expected Chu Tianqiu to immediately throw out what she wanted to say first, and could only stare at him speechlessly for a moment.

“How wonderful, to actually be able to gamble an ‘Earth-level’ to death…” Chu Tianqiu looked at Chen Junnan meaningfully. “If everyone in our ‘Land of the End’ were like this, how great would that be, right?”

Yun Yao felt Chu Tianqiu had changed quite a bit—he was even crazier than when they first met.

“Chu Tianqiu… are you really willing to give up the leader’s position?” Yun Yao asked.

“Is this ‘leader’ position so important?” Chu Tianqiu smiled. “Every time I have to risk danger to gather you all together, manage your food and drink, and arrange everyone’s actions… do you think it’s easy for me?”

“You…”

Chu Tianqiu’s expression gradually darkened as he turned to scan everyone present. “How interesting… holding an Earth-Snake’s skull, you come before me, gathering a large group of people here to remove me from power?”

“Although it sounds unfair to you, that’s the reality.” Yun Yao said decisively. “We gathered here not to live permanently, much less to establish some class system. We’re following you to get out. If you can’t lead us out, why gather us here to waste our time?”

“Then you’re perfectly free to establish a second organization.” Chu Tianqiu smiled. “Every single person here can go with you if they want.”

“That would be too slow.” Yun Yao shook her head. “The fastest method isn’t to replace all the members, but to replace one leader.”

“So you’ve always been this selfish?” Chu Tianqiu’s tone gradually calmed down. “Because establishing your own organization would be slower, you’re planning to directly seize ‘Heaven’s Gate’?”

After finishing, he looked at Aunt Tong. “Aunt Tong, you’re a veteran too. Do you think the same way?”

“Xiao Chu…” Aunt Tong had only learned of Yun Yao’s plan a few minutes ago—how could she possibly have prepared what to say in advance? She could only smile bitterly at Chu Tianqiu. “I don’t think Yun Yao is an unreasonable child. Why don’t you two talk it over properly?”

Hearing these words, Yun Yao roughly understood Aunt Tong’s position, so she struck while the iron was hot. “Even setting aside the Earth-level ‘Zodiac’ matter… last time you hired ‘Cat’ to massacre ‘Heaven’s Gate,’ you didn’t seem to treat us as teammates, did you?”

“Oh?” Chu Tianqiu raised his eyebrows. “Massacre Heaven’s Gate…”

“Did I remember wrong?” Yun Yao asked.

“No.” Chu Tianqiu shook his head. “I did indeed do that.”

As soon as these words left his mouth, the several “Heaven’s Gate” members present were stunned.

“But if I said I did this to explore a path to get out… would you believe it or not?” Chu Tianqiu swept his gaze over everyone in the room, his eyes exceptionally crazed.

“You…” Yun Yao took a breath and nodded. “Fine. You say you were exploring a way out. Then through slaughtering our teammates, what did you discover that you hadn’t discovered before?”

The atmosphere in the room became extraordinarily quiet for a moment—all that could be heard was the crisp “click-click” sound of the stapler in Doctor Zhao’s hands.

Chu Tianqiu looked at Doctor Zhao, then the corners of his mouth revealed an extremely terrifying smile.

“Yun Yao… I really did find a path.”

Chu Tianqiu pulled a piece of red, bloody flesh from his pocket, pinched it between two fingers and tossed it into his mouth, chewed a few times casually, swallowed what was in his mouth, then revealed his blood-stained teeth and smiled at everyone.

Seeing Chu Tianqiu like this, Yun Yao uncontrollably retreated half a step.

“Doctor Zhao, you don’t need to save him.” Chu Tianqiu smiled. “The flesh and blood you’re stitching up isn’t Chen Junnan at all.”

“What?” Doctor Zhao froze, and Chen Junnan froze as well.

Chen Junnan weakly turned his head—he felt like he might be experiencing auditory hallucinations.

“This young master isn’t Chen Junnan…?” Chen Junnan smiled bitterly. “Does my dying face resemble Wu Yanzu…?”

“He’s an imposter.” Chu Tianqiu said. “The real Chen Junnan went with Jin Yuanxun to help me get something. He’ll be here soon.”

“What…” Chen Junnan finally understood what Chu Tianqiu meant and tried to struggle to sit up, but felt his entire body was filled with staples—any movement caused stabbing pain. “Damn it… Doctor Zhao, why are you like Rong Momo…”

“You, you better not move around…” Doctor Zhao said worriedly. “You at least need to lie down until the blood coagulates…”

“Like hell I’m going to keep lying down…” Chen Junnan sat up panting heavily. Many wounds burst open again, instantly bleeding profusely. “Xiao Chu… what nonsense were you just… spouting… Open your dead… dead man’s eyes… and look carefully… who the hell this young master is…”

Chen Junnan wanted to stand up but couldn’t move no matter what. This was the first time he’d been this severely injured yet failed to commit suicide—his entire mind was filled with thoughts of how to die.

“I’ve seen clearly. You’re an imposter.” Chu Tianqiu stood before Chen Junnan with a smile on his face. “Just who are you? Disguising yourself like this to infiltrate ‘Heaven’s Gate’… what’s your purpose?”

“Kid… you’ve really gone too far…” Chen Junnan slowly extended a hand and grabbed Chu Tianqiu’s clothes. “I’ve achieved ‘Echo’… Are you sure it’s wise to provoke me like this?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Chu Tianqiu smiled and pushed away Chen Junnan’s hand. “I’m only provoking an imposter.”

Yun Yao looked at Chu Tianqiu and Chen Junnan with some confusion, feeling her own thoughts becoming somewhat muddled as well.

“Chu Tianqiu, stop trying to confuse the issue.” Yun Yao said angrily. “I’ve been with Chen Junnan ever since we left ‘Heaven’s Gate.’ After he was injured, I carried him all the way here, never leaving his side. What basis do you have to say he’s an imposter?”

“Is it possible…” Chu Tianqiu revealed his blood-stained teeth again, staring at Yun Yao. “That from the first time you met him today, he was already an imposter?”

“Absurd!” Yun Yao interrupted. “Even if he’s an imposter, even if he’s being played by someone… then why can he also perform Chen Junnan’s ‘Echo’? Chu Tianqiu, are you not even drafting your lies anymore?”

“‘Echo’?” Chu Tianqiu paused. “Who saw it?”

“I did.” After Yun Yao finished speaking, she turned back to point at Xu Qian and Yan Zhichun. “All three of us saw it.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Yun Yao felt somewhat guilty. In all honesty, she truly hadn’t personally witnessed Chen Junnan activate his “Echo.”

But if he was impersonating, why would he go gamble his life against an Earth-level “Zodiac”?

Before she could figure it out, the classroom door was pushed open and two people walked in.

One was Jin Yuanxun, and the other was Chen Junnan.