Chapter 36 Elevator (13) [Turns out it's a powerful alliance]...
The Black Goat family is hiding their whereabouts, but the young master of a collateral branch is flaunting his lineage. Although he appears to be the youngest son of a jewelry tycoon, those with a discerning eye can easily guess that he comes from the Black Goat family, even though the family doesn't value him at all.
Those in the know thought it was just a low-class joke and laughed it off, but little did they know that they had actually caught the black goat's trail.
It seems that the Black Goat family had more secret interactions because of this incident, which led to their discovery.
Just for some clueless idiot? Impossible.
Xi and Rui went straight back to Di University after getting off the high-speed train to confirm the situation.
There was no trace of any special power involved, so the goat diagram ritual must have failed. In fact, the diagram itself might not have even been successful; it was just something the young master made up based on his self-proclaimed "talent."
The young master's original target escaped unscathed; it was that classmate named Sun Enze. He was quite interested in him and even extended a club invitation to Sun Enze's bubble clone.
He knew that this clone had been accepted by the original body, sharing the same vision and memories.
I tried to get information out of them, but they remained silent throughout and didn't reveal any details.
Looking back now, it seems more like they were hiding who played a role in this matter.
Fortunately, Di Da was basically under his control, and he still found out that the young master had been used as a tool to kill, becoming the last piece of the puzzle.
The Black Goat's actions couldn't have been due to a useless ritual, and the young master was a traitor to the family; it must have been because of the person who disrupted the ritual.
Xie Tan.
What was destroyed was the goat picture that the young master wanted to piece together. Who says that the goat picture that Xie Tan used against him was unsuccessful?
The deputy leader said, "A prophecy is circulating within the Black Goat community, which is the reason they lie in the shadows."
Xi Rui continued, "Now there is movement again because this matter has either fulfilled or broken the prophecy. Xie Tan knew about the prophecy and used it. He was fishing from the beginning, trying to lure the hidden family to the surface."
He said that Xie Tan gently pushed things along, and that he really just disliked the Black Goat, so he didn't mind exterminating even the slightest bit of his collateral relatives?
It turns out they were playing a long game, luring the snake out of its hole!
The vice leader must have known about it, which is why Xi Rui rushed back that night and reported to his superiors. Only then did the vice leader say that there was no need to worry about it.
Even though he had already returned, he still went to see it.
The Order also wanted to know the whereabouts of the Black Goat. In a sense, the two forces could indeed be considered enemies, or rather, they naturally looked down on each other.
Could it be that the Vice Leader had already taken notice of Xie Tan? That's why he sent Zhu Fengliang to test him.
"The Vice Master is wise. I will stay at Dida and take good care of Diqiu City."
The order will send its main followers to search for the Black Goat's trail and find out the Black Goat family's purpose. He should also keep a close eye on the situation in the city.
The vice-leader, however, said, "No, you go and investigate as well."
Xi Jinping's actions were unexpected.
The vice-leader said, "That boy will go."
Xi Rui understood. That's right, Xie Tan had gone to great lengths to catch such a big fish, so he would definitely go there in person.
Several locations have been discovered where the Black Goat Clan has been spotted, and the one Xie Tan personally visits if he takes action is the most crucial one.
Xi Rui recalled Xie Tan's ambiguous behavior, which seemed to be helping him to wake up his friend, like doing him a favor, which was also a relatively friendly signal.
So he reciprocated by giving up the Joker.
They were both students at Di University, and Xie Tan was also his future club member. He was able to use his shamelessness to extract information and conduct in-depth investigations into the Black Goat's purpose, Xie Tan's purpose, and their entanglement. He could also accompany them to monitor them.
He would be very disappointed if Xie Tan meant that they had a chance to cooperate, rather than become enemies.
However, whether an enemy is a friend or foe must be tested, especially regarding that prophecy. The Black Goat family will undoubtedly be extremely vigilant, but Xie Tan is an excellent point of entry.
Xi Rui once again wondered if Xie Tan was truly just an enemy of the Black Goat, given that Xie Tan disliked the Black Goat yet possessed the family prophecy.
Is it possible that he is a member of the Black Goat family?
These are all things he needs to verify.
Xi Rui was determined; this was a matter of great importance. If future members did not cooperate, he would obtain the prophecy even if it meant using unpleasant methods.
He thought about it in a divergent way, and it was also possible that Xie Tan didn't know about the prophecy and just stumbled upon it by accident, and it had nothing to do with the Black Goat... but the probability was too small.
"I understand, I won't let you down."
Xie Tan was in the library, scrolling through his phone to read the latest chapter.
Chang Mingai's bubble clone, remembering his casual remark, realized the truth and awakened the real Chang Mingai. As a result, the fairyland, defined as "Alice's dream," began to collapse.
They tacitly dismissed Lu Jinzhao and began their final confrontation.
Xi Rui: "None of them are important, so why help them?"
Xie Tan's answer surprised him, sounding almost like a joke: "Because you really want to survive?"
But at the same time, Xi Jinping made a decision.
As Xie Tan had expected, Xi Rui had taken the playing card beforehand. The card was now in his hand, and the face of the card had changed back to the Joker, which was proof of their agreement.
As he stood up to extend an invitation to Xie Tan, he secretly tossed the card into the dressing mirror.
Xie Tan was surprised; he thought Xi Rui would take away the ghost he had his eye on.
Immediately afterwards, he understood why Xi Rui did this. In the comic, he was blocked by Zhu Fengliang when he went downstairs and trapped in the fairyland. Then the camera turned to Lu Jinzhao's side.
Lu Jinzhao hadn't left yet. Hearing the sound, he returned to the tea party and ran into the clown switching the mirror and the overturned chair. Just as he knocked, the real Cheshire Cat smashed the mirror.
The perspective follows the Cheshire Cat as it flees downwards, revealing the strange phenomena of Wonderland, including the abyss-like bottom of Wonderland, where a boy stands in the midst of the commotion, coldly looking upwards.
The Cheshire Cat disappears, the golden pocket watch falls to the ground, and the clown, arriving a moment too late, picks it up for the boy.
He opened the pocket watch; the dial had changed. Xie Tan walked step by step toward the elevator and put the watch over the Mad Hatter's corpse.
Faced with Zhu Fengliang's hysterical questioning, the boy simply looked at him indifferently.
It was as if he hadn't killed an enemy who wanted him dead, but was instead watching flowers, clouds, the lively celebrations, and the tragic tragedies. None of those intense emotions affected him at all; he remained completely unaffected.
This stands in stark contrast to the crazed, dying individuals.
Then, he smiled slightly, and in the black firelight, his face appeared even more striking.
"Because crows resemble writing desks?"
Like telling a lame joke.
Only after Xie Tan had gone far away did Zhu Fengliang regain some of his strength from his fear and try to pry open his bound arms. He had hidden a small piece of mirror shard in the flesh of his left arm for his own survival.
When he joined the cult, he also used this fragment representing power to add another symmetrical scar to his face, symbolizing his rebirth.
He brought death to many people, taking pleasure in their ugliness and despair, enjoying the thrill of controlling their lives. However, when he was casually pushed to the end of his life and faced the precipice of death, he did not know what kind of anxiety it was.
Suddenly, he sensed someone behind him. He turned around abruptly, but the firelight blurred her figure. How could he not know who she was!
His eyes were bloodshot: "The fire has spread this far, are you going to die with me?! You're wasting your precious time!"
However, his mind, overwhelmed by the impending death crisis, failed to register that Chang Mingai's true form was at home, while the bubble clone that had entered the fairy realm had already ruptured.
These weren't the two Alices he thought they were.
She is a part of Chang Ming'ai, but she originally came from the Fairy Realm and is not afraid of perishing with the Fairy Realm.
All she needs to do is report back.
Zhu Fengliang watched as the curly-haired girl raised her axe high, and a silvery laugh came from behind the fire.
"If you understood time as well as I do, you wouldn't call it 'precious time,' but 'old friend.'"
Zhu Fengliang froze abruptly.
This is a line from the Mad Hatter.
This is the Mad Hatter's reply after Alice said, "It's a waste of precious time," when he asked, "Why does the raven look like a writing desk?"
This sentence is so fitting for Chang Mingai, who is asleep in time, and it also seems to echo Xie Tan's last sentence.
Zhu Fengliang finally realized that this was a toy doll that had eaten the enlargement cookie, and the person who left her behind was... Xie Tan.
The axe swept down amidst the black flames, head fell to the ground, and the flames engulfed the last vestiges of paradise, including the shards of mirror within his corpse.
[My goodness, so this Xiao Ai is also a clone?]
Xiao Ai recalled Ah Tan's words, "Then wake up quickly," and I, like her, was both shocked and suddenly realized what was happening.
No wonder Scarface agreed; Xiao Ai's words, "I don't want to be a copy" and "the most special one," sounded like a clone of Bubble speaking, and he thought he had it in the bag.
[We knew Scarface was up to something, but Ah Tan was even more cunning.]
When Scarface blocked people, he said a lot, but Ah Tan only said one sentence: "You think you can leave?" He really couldn't leave.
Isn't Atan the Cheshire Cat?
[It's a collaboration between A-Tan and Rui-Rui, check out the analysis next door!]
Xie Tan saw a familiar character analysis post and bumped it up.
[Ah Tan, don't push my cabinet: I've figured out who invited Ah Tan. It seems to be Scarface, but it's actually Rui Rui.]
Just like this magical game, it seems that two cult members are openly and covertly targeting the enemy, but in reality, Ah Tan and Rui Rui have secretly reached a cooperation agreement.
[Ah Tan, don't push my cabinet: Let's review the situation. First, from the few words the two people exchanged before Ah Tan entered the tea party and the appearance of the real Cheshire Cat later, we can infer that the cat was accidentally locked in the mirror, and Scarface invited Ah Tan to the tea party, which conveniently separated him from Xiao Ai.]
However, one detail, revealed by Scarface's complaint, suggests that Xi Rui found the mirror, implying that Rui Rui may have deliberately locked up the Cheshire Cat.
[Ah Tan, don't push my cabinet: The black flames were started by the rabbit eye mask, so it was Rui Rui who set the fire. But Rui Rui threw the clown into the mirror beforehand to leave Ah Tan a way out.]
The clown skipped work and upset Rui Rui, who wasn't exactly mild-mannered. But since the clown had become A Tan's property, he had even greater value, so he voluntarily gave up the contract and did A Tan a favor.
There are also grand adventures and golden pocket watches—these are the most direct proof.
[Ah Tan, don't push my cabinet: After looking at the undercurrents at their tea party, it's easy to understand.]
Rui Rui knew the flute very well and noticed Atan.
Rui Rui borrows Scarface's Wonderland to find a way to awaken Xiao Ai's true form.
Rui Rui tampered with the mirror, trapping the Cheshire Cat, which allowed Scarface to conveniently lure Ah Tan over.
When asked to test her on whether to choose the original body or the clone, Atan, fully aware of Rui Rui's thoughts, answered, "There's no difference, they can both survive."
But Rui Rui might not have fully understood, and only thought that Atan was saying, "It doesn't matter, it will be the result you want anyway."
A grand adventure, a partnership between two.
Having successfully awakened Xiao Ai, Atan kept his promise, so Rui Rui left the clown to break the mirror and thwart Scarface's plan.
[I knew these two were suspicious! Turns out they'd teamed up; Scarface got completely outmaneuvered.]
So Rui Rui wasn't trying to harm Xiao Ai. The pocket watch was in his possession, so why didn't he just turn it?
[I've pushed the cult to the shore: Rui's speculation is that in the animated film, Alice escapes at the end and sees herself sleeping in the fairy realm through the keyhole of the original door, which corresponds to the ending of the comic.]
Xiao Ai's true form is at home, not in the Fairy Realm, and Rui Rui wouldn't take that risk.
Therefore, only Xiao Ai herself can reach Xiao Ai's true form in the fairyland, which is consistent with the script.
Ah Tan also realized this, and "none of it matters" also implies "There's nothing you can do about it, is there?"
Did Rui Rui really approach A Tan first? I feel like it's more like A Tan is trying to get Rui Rui's attention, or more accurately, the cult's attention.
Judging from the vice-leader and Rui Rui's words, A-Tan isn't a member of the cult and dislikes the Black Goat. Perhaps it really is a "cooperation" invitation to deal with the Black Goat together?
[It must be something big. Ah Tan turned back at the last moment; he must have been looking at Rui Rui, who hadn't left yet, right?]
[Scarface was kept completely in the dark, and nobody cared...]
[I didn't really notice, Ah Tan's last line was so cool, it was absolutely killer!]
[Ah Tan took Xiao Xiao Ai away, mainly for the final blow, right? The homework team turned the tables on the bull!]
[It's not like he's always jumping around; Atan was just using the bubble drawing in his hand to fish for the sheep at first, and then the old sheep took the bait!]
Xie Tan slides to the end, and the final perspective shifts to the president. Did he not leave after all?
As expected of a religious order, they are terrifyingly treacherous.
The president's performance review in the mirror wasn't very long, but Xie Tan didn't understand how it turned into him fishing. What chessboard, what fishing, what prophecy?
He doesn't know.
Xie Tan had a headache, so he gave up thinking for the time being and just read the comic. At the end, amidst complaints about how hot it was in the apartment, Lu Jinzhao walked out of the apartment with a smile, and the darkness and the entire high-rise building seemed to converge behind him.
Just as he unknowingly barged in and unknowingly left, no matter how much danger occurred, it had nothing to do with him; he was merely passing by.
[hot] Solar Power
So, the power the mirror is drawing back is "solar power," does that mean the mirror believes in the sun god?
[So these ghosts are all powered by solar energy? Suddenly a new energy source, hahaha!]
What exactly does "recycling" mean? I don't understand what the believers are doing, and what is the black mist?
[Is the black mist just the solar energy from the mirror? Giving the mirror to ghosts amplifies their power, making them cause trouble, then recycling it?]
[It's becoming more like a new energy source]
[Shocking! The Evil Miller Cult is actually an environmental organization!]
Xie Tan was also pondering what the cult was doing when a view of the first floor caught his eye, making him raise an eyebrow.
[Doesn't anyone think it's a coincidence that Lu Lu returned to the tea party? Shouldn't he have left long ago? And the mirror shattered as soon as he tapped it. Lu Lu is also very familiar with Rui Rui. Could he be a member of the cult as well?]
[Furthermore, Lu Lu's online name includes "Sun," and Xiao Ai has become Alice; perhaps this is a hint.]
Xie Tan continued to think, and for some reason, putting "Lu Jinzhao" and "Mirror Cult" together felt very incongruous, as if they were from different worlds.
It's more accurate to say that Lu Jinzhao is incongruous when placed alongside all evil and conspiracies.
Sure enough, the forum was full of "hahaha" and memes.
Why is everyone laughing? Lu Lu has appeared at the broken part of the mirror several times, hasn't she?
[Haha, are you a newbie? It's okay, we understand. Every newbie goes through this.]
[You'll get used to it. Lulu was one of the earliest and most recurring characters in the first series of Kitan. He's always been like this. There are so many coincidences that seem "off." Who remembers that back then the homepage was full of conspiracy theories about Lulu?]
[I remember that as the world-building gradually unfolded, every new element that appeared led to new readers guessing that it was related to Lu Lu. Some guessed he was a member of the Black Goat Clan, and everyone in the cult, from the lowest to the highest levels, from the vice-leader to the leader, and even the god the cult believed in, was guessed to be involved. But he just happened to be sunny and cheerful every day, passing by all the ghost stories and helping people save them along the way...]
LuLu is just an optimistic rescue dog.
When I first got into this fandom, I actually guessed that Lu Lu was the leader of the cult, and I even guessed that he was the head of the Black Goat family. But six series have passed, and all he's ever done is change his workplace from KFC to McDonald's.
I give up.
The consensus among everyone is that Lu Lu's true identity is—the man who saved the God of Swords in his past life.
If it turns out that Lu Lu is the hidden boss in the end... honestly, I'm impressed that he could pretend for so long and do so many good deeds.
The odds of winning are much higher if you buy a lottery ticket.
Xie Tan was amused. Cat No. 7 nudged his way over, curiously looking at what he was laughing at. He put away his phone first, feeling that he was trying to cover something up, so he seriously squeezed the cat's big paw: "I'm thinking about what the prophecy is, and where the black goat is active, to make the next step of our grand plan."
The cat nodded blankly, "Meow."
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