“What should I do… Man-Monkey…” Zheng Yingxiong said painfully through two streams of tears. “Did you see? That ‘Dao’ disappeared…”

The Man-Monkey looked toward the direction where the “Dao” had vanished, then gently placed his hand on Zheng Yingxiong’s shoulder, saying in a low voice, “Every ‘Dao’ here is ultimately duckweed adrift in troubled times.” He sighed softly. “The number of ‘Dao’ is fundamentally uncountable, and no one will care about a single disappearing ‘Dao,’ because old ‘Dao’ will be eliminated and new ‘Dao’ will be manufactured again.”

“But… but here!” Zheng Yingxiong reached up to cover his chest, crying in anguish. “It really hurts here…! I often can’t breathe… I’m often so sad…”

After hearing this, the Man-Monkey’s eyes flickered. He couldn’t help but think of that figure too.

Her voice, face, and smile remained fresh in his memory to this day.

The Man-Monkey sighed, then reached out and placed his hand on Zheng Yingxiong’s chest. His cold palm gently covered Zheng Yingxiong’s hand. Even though this child had survived here for over ten years, he still carried the mind of an eight-year-old. Not only had he not received the education he should have received, he had also endured many joys and sorrows that shouldn’t exist at this age.

“You won’t lose it again,” the Man-Monkey said with effort, trying to smile. “The world is so big—each of us will lose our things, but as long as you put it in your heart, it will never be lost.”

“Really…?” Zheng Yingxiong looked up at the Man-Monkey.

“Yes, look.”

The Man-Monkey gently patted Zheng Yingxiong’s chest, then clenched his hand into a fist as if extracting something from within. He slowly moved his hand before Zheng Yingxiong’s eyes, then gently blew on his fist. Turning his hand over to show him, he held a “Dao” radiating brilliant light.

“As long as you always remember her, she’ll always shine brilliantly, always in your heart.”

Zheng Yingxiong reached out and took the “Dao,” nodding thoughtfully. “The things important to us… are always in our hearts.”

“Exactly,” the Man-Monkey nodded. “As long as someone remembers her, she won’t truly disappear.”

“I understand…”

“Let’s continue the game,” the Man-Monkey said. “It’s my turn.”

Zheng Yingxiong cradled the “Dao” in his hands, watching as the Man-Monkey took out the last “Dao” from the box and placed it on the table. Now the box was completely empty.

According to the rules, “whoever gets the last Dao wins.” The current victor was the Man-Monkey.

“You won,” Zheng Yingxiong said.

“Not necessarily,” the Man-Monkey shook his head in denial. “Whether I won should be verified by your own hands.”

“Hm?”

Zheng Yingxiong didn’t understand what the Man-Monkey meant, but watched as the Man-Monkey reached out and gently patted the empty box from which Zheng Yingxiong had just removed the “Dao.”

“Rely on yourself,” the Man-Monkey said.

Zheng Yingxiong seemed to understand. He then extended his hand into the interior of the cardboard box. After just slightly moving his palm, he discovered a paper ball in the corner of the box. His eyes flickered slightly at this moment.

“Whether I won or not isn’t important,” the Man-Monkey said to Zheng Yingxiong. “Someone here will win sooner or later. And as for me… whoever wins is fine.”

Zheng Yingxiong withdrew his hand, gripping the paper ball tightly, then nodded. “I understand.”

“My footsteps may have stopped, but yours won’t,” the Man-Monkey said. “Go. Leave your ‘admission fee’ with me.”

“I won’t stop,” Zheng Yingxiong said. “Even if I lose all my ‘admission fees,’ I won’t stop!”

“Yes.”

“I’ll keep moving forward with ‘Sword’ and ‘Swallow,'” Zheng Yingxiong said, looking at the Man-Monkey through his tear-stained face with incredibly resolute eyes. “Until someone here wins!”

“I believe you.”

……

The three women only waited outside for about ten minutes before seeing Zheng Yingxiong emerge from the room.

He looked like he had cried heavily, but his mood was inexplicably good, as if a huge weight that had been hanging over his heart had finally been lifted.

The Man-Monkey followed him out of the game venue slowly, then stood outside the door again as if nothing had happened.

“Yingxiong, are you alright?” Tiantian looked Zheng Yingxiong over with concern.

“I’m fine, elder sister,” Zheng Yingxiong answered. “Don’t worry.”

Hearing Zheng Yingxiong call Tiantian “elder sister,” the Man-Monkey couldn’t help but glance at Tiantian twice.

She really did resemble someone from the past, except the air she conveyed between her brows and eyes was even more sorrowful.

“But I’m sorry…” Zheng Yingxiong said again. “I lost two ‘Dao.’ Only one remains now.”

He opened his palm, which held a brand new “Dao” radiating brilliant light.

“Keep this one too,” Tiantian said. “Since you participated in a game at the Man-Monkey’s venue with this ‘Dao,’ consider it a keepsake.”

After thinking for a moment, Zheng Yingxiong nodded. “Thank you, elder sister…”

After leaving, neither Zheng Yingxiong nor the Man-Monkey mentioned what had happened. They simply looked at each other once, then averted their gazes.

This was a reunion they had never hoped would occur, and also a parting where they couldn’t call out each other’s names.

“Let’s go, elder sisters,” Zheng Yingxiong said. “Let’s find the person you’re looking for.”

“Alright.” Yun Yao nodded, then casually picked up a small rusted iron rod from the ground and tossed it into the air.

After the iron rod traced a large arc through the air, it landed on one end, standing briefly on the ground before falling straight down in one direction.

“Let’s try our luck,” Yun Yao said. “The first time I tossed the iron rod, we found the person Yingxiong wanted to find. The second time should be our turn.”

The group confirmed the direction and walked toward where the iron rod pointed.

Before walking out of the alley, Zheng Yingxiong turned back once more to look at the Man-Monkey, who simply nodded gently.

Just as he had said, he had stopped here.

The only one who could move forward next was himself.

After leaving the alley, Zheng Yingxiong pulled out the paper ball he had found in the box from his pocket. This should contain the words Gu Yu wanted to say but hadn’t said aloud.

Zheng Yingxiong recalled that before the game started, the Man-Monkey had taken the boxes to the side and busied himself for several minutes. He must have been preparing this note.

He slowly unfolded the note. Inside was written a single sentence:

“Zheng Yingxiong, go find ‘Cause and Effect.’ The path she has chosen is very likely correct. From now on, no matter what happens, absolutely do not choose to become a ‘Zodiac.’ Goodbye.”

After reading it, Zheng Yingxiong gently stroked the two characters “goodbye” with his finger, feeling an indescribable sadness.

He looked up at the three women walking ahead, feeling it was time for him to make a decision.

Although he had sworn never to join any organization again, there were indeed people before him he could trust.

“Elder sisters.”

Zheng Yingxiong slowly raised the note in his hand, calling out to the three of them, then said, “I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”