“You’re right…” Earth-Sheep nodded. “The reason humanity has been able to continuously develop relies on the inheritance of memory.”
“So you see…” Man-Snake patted Earth-Tiger’s back. “Even if he is Brother Sheep, without memories…”
“Damn it! No, that’s not right!!” Earth-Tiger suddenly let out a loud cry, the enormous sound wave directly knocking Man-Snake to the ground. He hastily turned around to help Man-Snake up, carefully looking him over. “Sorry about that… Dead Snake, are you still alive?”
“You really want to kill me, don’t you…?”
“No, no, no, no…” Earth-Tiger vigorously shook his head. “I feel like what you guys are saying isn’t right! I almost got led astray by you!”
Earth-Sheep was slightly stunned: “What do you mean?”
“He… he remembers me!!” Earth-Tiger kept gesturing with both hands. “I, I last met with Brother Sheep ten days ago! After ten days passed, he still remembers me!!”
Earth-Tiger originally thought he had explained clearly enough, and also thought he could use this viewpoint to prove that Qi Xia was capable of destroying this place, but unexpectedly the expressions on Earth-Sheep and Man-Snake’s faces gradually darkened.
“What’s wrong with you two?” Earth-Tiger said. “Isn’t this a good thing?!”
“You foolish tiger…” Man-Snake helplessly shook his head. “If that person remembers you… doesn’t that directly prove he definitely isn’t Brother Sheep?”
“Ah, this…” Earth-Tiger also felt his own reasoning was contradictory.
Back in the day, before the white Earth-Sheep became a “Zodiac,” he was famously known as one who “Never Echoes.” How could he possibly remember him now?
“Could it be… could it be Brother Sheep used some kind of scheme…?” Earth-Tiger pondered for a moment and quickly reached a conclusion. “Could it be that Brother Sheep already knew he couldn’t possibly become ‘Heaven-level,’ and would instead become a ‘Participant,’ so he used a stratagem, and this stratagem resulted in him being able to ‘Echo’?”
Man-Snake and Earth-Sheep looked at each other, feeling this reasoning was a bit too far-fetched.
“Why are you so fixated on believing that person is Brother Sheep?” Earth-Sheep shook his head. “Although they’re very similar… the most direct evidence has already proven he and Brother Sheep aren’t the same person. If he could make himself obtain an ‘Echo,’ he should have taken action before becoming a ‘Sheep.'”
“But… but they really are too similar.” Earth-Tiger stared with wide eyes. “They’re definitely the same person… I… I have a special feeling… When I talk with him, I can often recall what it was like when I first met Brother Sheep…”
“Stop being foolish.” Earth-Sheep let out a sigh. “We should accept the fact that Brother Sheep has already left. He’s no longer in the ‘Land of the End.’ Can you please stop doing these things that are chasing shadows?”
“Dead Old Black… don’t you believe me? I feel he really didn’t become ‘Heavenly-Sheep.'” Earth-Tiger lifted his head with a somewhat uneasy expression. “You know, Old Black… all the things Brother Sheep once promised me he hasn’t done. This is too abnormal. If ‘Heaven-level’ really can freely enter and exit this place, no matter what he should have…”
“Have you ever considered…” Earth-Sheep turned and interrupted. “Exactly how much do you matter in Brother Sheep’s heart? Why should he do those things he promised you?”
“I… but…” Earth-Tiger still shook his head, and the expression on his face actually gradually became aggrieved. “Brother Sheep used to do everything he promised me… Only this time…”
“So I’m telling you to stop being foolish.” Earth-Sheep shouted coldly. “Rather than obsessing over these things, you’d be better off killing three thousand six hundred people as soon as possible and then becoming ‘Heaven.’ As for whether that man called Qi Xia is Brother Sheep or not… I still reserve my opinion.”
“What?” Man-Snake was startled. “What did you just say that man is called?!”
The two Earth-level “Zodiac” members seemed to be at the height of their anger, and neither paid any attention to Man-Snake.
“Dead Old Black… do you think I’m like you…? As soon as Brother Sheep left, you were anxious to climb upward.” Earth-Tiger asked through gritted teeth. “Cold-blooded enough, aren’t you? Now you’re comfortable… the only Earth-Sheep in the entire ‘Land of the End,’ right?”
“What do you mean?” Earth-Sheep slowly turned back around. “You can’t find Brother Sheep yourself, so you’re planning to vent your anger on me?”
“I simply can’t stand the sight of you.” Earth-Tiger said. “When Brother Sheep was here before, there was nothing I could do about you. Later you became ‘Earth-level’ and held rank over me. Now it’s great… We’re on equal footing.”
“So what?”
“So do you want to fight or not?” Earth-Tiger laughed angrily. “Let’s settle all the various grudges from before.”
“Are you sick?” Earth-Sheep furrowed his brow, and his black fur also began trembling at this moment. “What the hell goes through your head all day? You want to fight with me here?”
“What? Don’t dare?” Earth-Tiger took a step forward. “We’re both ‘Earth-level,’ do you think you can beat me or not?”
“Stop fooling around, get out of the way.” Earth-Sheep said while suppressing his anger. “If the two of us fight, one of us will definitely die.”
“If one dies, then one dies. Either way, it won’t be me who dies.”
Man-Snake felt the atmosphere was really getting a bit too tense and hastily stepped forward to stand between the two.
“Hey, you two, that’s enough…” He placed his hands on both their shoulders, feeling the situation was extremely dire.
If these two really started fighting here, it would obviously be an “Earth-level War,” and he would absolutely have no place to be buried.
The three of them had so many years of friendship after all—mutual destruction would absolutely be the worst outcome.
“Give me some face here…” Man-Snake said in a low voice. “I don’t care which of you will die, but if you two fight, I’ll definitely die.”
“Dead Snake, you move aside.” Earth-Tiger said. “This has nothing to do with you. Today I’m going to tear this usurping Old Black to shreds.”
“Usurping?” Earth-Sheep, who had been suppressing his anger all along, instantly became furious. “You say I usurped the position?! Do you think you’re the only fucking person in this world who cares about Brother Sheep?”
“Tiger… Old Sheep… you two calm down first…” Man-Snake kept patting both their shoulders. “I have an idea right now… Do you want to hear it or not?”
“I won’t listen. Today I’m going to beat him to death.” Earth-Tiger said. “Dead Snake, hurry up and run. With you here, I can’t make my move.”
“Right.” Earth-Sheep also nodded. “You leave. You can’t handle today’s matter anymore.”
“At least spare thirty seconds of your time to let me say something.” Man-Snake said. “After I finish speaking, you two can fight however you want. Even if you die, I won’t care anymore.”
The two suppressed their anger and turned to look at him.
“That Qi Xia… I’ve also met him.” Man-Snake said. “Do you still remember I’m currently an ‘Assistant’?”
“Just get to the point.” Earth-Tiger said.
“Fine.” Man-Snake nodded. “Originally I should have directly pulled down the lever to assist the people who passed the interview in my room to survive, but on a whim I asked them several questions… I discovered that person called Qi Xia could correctly answer every difficult problem Brother Sheep left behind…”
“What does that prove?” Earth-Sheep asked.
“If you’re willing to wait… next time I have a foolproof method to test whether Qi Xia is Brother Sheep or not…”
He pulled out from his chest the small notebook he treasured, which still had ninety-six puzzles remaining.
“If he can answer them all correctly in one go, then he must be Brother Sheep.”