After hearing this, Zhang Chenze slowly furrowed her brows. Chu Tianqiu’s answer was not much different from Yun Yao’s initial speculation, but she had no way to judge its authenticity.

“It’s very hard to believe…” Zhang Chenze sighed. “I’m sorry, though I don’t want to say this, but judging from your behavior… it’s very difficult for me to believe what you’re saying.”

“Yes.” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “Even I myself can’t believe it.”

The expression gradually disappeared from his face, making everything seem even more inscrutable.

“Even I don’t believe that after regaining so many memories, I would go mad in such a short time.” Chu Tianqiu extended his pale finger and pointed toward the door. “The meaning of ‘Heaven’s Gate’s’ existence is to give these ‘Echo’ holders a home where they can find shelter, yet I came to regard their lives as worthless as grass overnight… To the current me, all these people deserve to die.”

After hearing this, Zhang Chenze tried to think from Chu Tianqiu’s perspective and felt this wasn’t really something difficult to understand.

“Then… what’s going on with Xu Liunian?” Zhang Chenze asked once more. “I heard this girl once became a native… but then turned back into a participant… Do you have any leads on this matter?”

When Chu Tianqiu heard the three words “Xu Liunian,” he slowly raised his eyes and looked at Zhang Chenze with an extremely cold gaze, then revealed a smile tinged with madness.

“Xu Liunian’s situation is far too complex…” Chu Tianqiu smiled. “I can reveal all matters concerning myself to you, but if I were to disclose Xu Liunian’s identity to you… I would definitely be erased from this world.”

“Oh…?” Zhang Chenze felt she had grasped some key points from Chu Tianqiu’s words. “So you’re saying… Xu Liunian’s identity is very special, to the point where even you don’t dare judge it?”

“That’s right.” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “What I can reveal to you is extremely limited. I can only say… Xu Liunian and I have a cooperative relationship.”

“Cooperative…?”

“Correct. Xu Liunian’s identity has led to her uniqueness… She belongs neither to the ‘participants’ here nor to the ‘administrators’ here… She is a ‘third-party force.'”

Zhang Chenze only felt that she understood less and less of what Chu Tianqiu was saying. She could only shake her head and pick a question she could understand to ask.

“Then how did she turn back into a ‘participant’?”

“Because she is a ‘third-party force’…?”

“Yes.”

After hearing this, Zhang Chenze slowly widened her eyes: “You mean… there’s no one here who can change from a ‘native’ back to a ‘participant’?”

“That’s right.” Chu Tianqiu nodded. “I can’t think of any way to reclaim these people’s sanity from Zhu Que’s hands… Zhu Que also couldn’t possibly agree to such an absurd thing.”

“So… that’s how it is?”

“Let me tell you one more thing.” Chu Tianqiu said again. “Xu Liunian becoming a ‘native’ was also one of the countermeasures she and I discussed.”

The despondent look in Zhang Chenze’s eyes suddenly rekindled with light upon hearing this statement: “What…?”

“I only recalled the details of this matter not long ago.” Chu Tianqiu said. “It’s precisely because all ‘paths’ have been tried by someone, except the path of the ‘natives’ has been tried by no one… After much thought, only Xu Liunian could be qualified for this task.”

“Ah…?”

“In the Earth-Horse racing game back then, I deliberately gave the wrong answer, causing Xu Liunian to die miserably in that car. It was from that time that she lived in the ‘Land of Finality’ with the identity of a native, only waiting for the day she could meet with me.”

“This is too crazy…” Zhang Chenze said. “You didn’t even know if the two of you could meet…”

“No, it’s not crazy.” Chu Tianqiu shook his head. “Everyone has overlooked one thing… wanting to escape from here is not a plan that can be completed within ten days. We need to look further ahead—three years, five years, ten years. I also clearly knew that one day I would be able to meet with Xu Liunian, and at that time she could tell me all the feelings of becoming a ‘native.'”

After hearing this, Zhang Chenze fell completely silent. She clearly knew there was still a considerable gap between herself and people like Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu.

“If even becoming a ‘Heavenly’ zodiac can’t get you out… then becoming a ‘native’… wouldn’t that make one even more able to perceive the End’s will?” Chu Tianqiu became more and more frenzied as he spoke, even his expression becoming somewhat twisted. “Everything is just as I thought! How utterly despairing! Xu Liunian believed that during the two years she was a ‘native,’ she had returned to a normal life… everything she saw appeared normal!”

Hearing Chu Tianqiu’s words, Zhang Chenze slowly stood up. She felt the person before her was somewhat dangerous.

“How despairing!” Before Zhang Chenze could retreat, Chu Tianqiu immediately stepped forward and grabbed her arm. “We can return to the real world once every ten days… but how do we confirm that is the real world?!”

“You, you calm down…” Zhang Chenze tried to break free from Chu Tianqiu’s hand, only to discover his strength was far greater than hers. “I know what you mean, but don’t get excited first.”

“What kind of ‘real world’ would always stop on a certain day waiting for us to return?! Could it be that we’ve never actually gotten out?!” Chu Tianqiu continued shouting. “Could it all be a deception?! As long as we all become mindless natives on the tenth day together, we all become madmen together, we think we’ve gotten out!!”

“Chu, Chu Tianqiu… you…”

“How despairing!” Chu Tianqiu’s hands trembled constantly as he gripped Zhang Chenze, looking utterly desperate. “How absurd!!”

“Don’t lose your rationality…” Zhang Chenze spoke in a small voice. “Don’t you still have your own path to walk?”

Chu Tianqiu paused, suddenly released Zhang Chenze’s hand, and retreated two steps. The expression on his entire face gradually disappeared.

Zhang Chenze also collapsed against the wall behind her after losing strength.

Chu Tianqiu gave a cold laugh with a face full of despair, then said in a low voice: “No one should bother with me anymore… just let me walk my own path. I won’t obstruct any of you.”

Zhang Chenze reached out to rub her wrist, then swallowed: “But your current state is very wrong…”

“I must wash away the memories of everyone in ‘Heaven’s Gate.'” Chu Tianqiu said in a low voice. “This place doesn’t need to exist anymore. They don’t need to harbor hope either. If everyone knew the true face of this place… they would all go mad, they would all become ‘natives.’ If there must be resentment… then let them resent me alone, that will suffice.”

Zhang Chenze clearly felt an irrepressible sadness from Chu Tianqiu, but she had no idea how to persuade him. What the two of them pursued was vastly different.

“Yun Yao has also left… I have no more attachments.” Chu Tianqiu walked to Zhang Chenze’s side and reached out to pull open the door. “You all just help me take good care of Qiaoyun.”