Ranobes » Ten Day Ultimatum » Chapter 347

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    Mistmage
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    Chapter 347 Impersonated?



    Yun Yao hadn’t expected Chu Tianqiu to voice her exact thoughts, leaving her momentarily speechless as she stared at him.



    "How wonderful it is to be able to win in a life-staking battle against {Terrestrial-grades}…" Chu Tianqiu gazed meaningfully at Chen Junnan. "If all of us at {End Point} were like him, wouldn’t that be something?"



    Yun Yao sensed a stark change in Chu Tianqiu; he seemed even more unhinged than when they first met.



    "Chu Tianqiu… are you truly willing to relinquish the position of leader?" Yun Yao asked.



    "Is being the {leader} really that important?" Chu Tianqiu smiled wryly. "Every time, I risk danger to gather you all together, provide for your needs, and coordinate each of your actions… Do you think it’s easy for me?"



    "You—"



    Chu Tianqiu’s expression darkened gradually as he swept his gaze across the collective. "How amusing… you bring the head of a Terrestrial Snake to me, gather here in numbers, and plan to depose me?"



    "Though it sounds unfair to you, that is the truth," Yun Yao said decisively. "We’re not here for long-term living, nor to establish a hierarchy. We follow you because you promised to lead us out. If you cannot do that, why gather us here and waste our time?"



    "Then you’re free to form another organization," Chu Tianqiu chuckled. "Anyone here who wants to follow you can go ahead."



    "That approach is too slow," Yun Yao shook her head. "The quickest solution isn’t to swap every member, but to replace the leader."



    "Have you always been this selfish?" Chu Tianqiu’s tone gradually softened. "Because building your own organization takes too long, you plan to seize control of {Passage to Heaven} outright?"



    After saying this, he glanced at Auntie Tong. "Auntie Tong, you’re a founding member too. Do you share this view?"



    "Xiao Chu…" Auntie Tong had only learned of Yun Yao’s plan a few minutes ago; she hadn’t prepared any response. Wearing a wry smile, she said to Chu Tianqiu, "I don’t think Yun Yao is acting recklessly. Why don’t you two have a proper talk?"



    Hearing this, Yun Yao sensed Auntie Tong’s stance and pressed her advantage. "Even if we set aside the matter of the Terrestrial-grade {Earthly Branches}… last time you hired {Cats} to massacre {Passage to Heaven}, it didn’t look like you considered us allies, did it?"



    "Oh?" Chu Tianqiu raised an eyebrow. "A massacre of {Passage to Heaven}…"



    "Am I mistaken?" Yun Yao asked.



    "No," Chu Tianqiu shook his head. "That was indeed my doing."



    Those words stunned the {Passage to Heaven} members present.



    "But what if I told you I did it to find a way out… would you believe me?" Chu Tianqiu scanned the room, his eyes wild with madness.



    "You…" Yun Yao took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright, you say you were searching for a way out. Then what did you discover through slaughtering our comrades—something previously unseen?"



    For a moment, the room fell into an eerie silence, broken only by the crisp {click-click} of Doctor Zhao’s stapler.



    Chu Tianqiu glanced at Doctor Zhao, then curled the corner of his lips into a chilling smile.



    "Yun Yao ah… I really did find a way." He pulled a chunk of red flesh from his pocket and tossed it into his mouth. After chewing casually, he swallowed, revealing bloodstained teeth as he grinned at everyone.



    Yun Yao involuntarily stepped back, unsettled by Chu Tianqiu’s grotesque demeanor.



    "Doctor Zhao, you don’t need to save him anymore," Chu Tianqiu said with a smile. "That piece of flesh you’re stitching up isn’t Chen Junnan."



    "What?" Doctor Zhao froze, and Chen Junnan mirrored his surprise.



    Chen Junnan weakly turned his head, feeling as if he might have misheard something.



    "This young master isn’t Chen Junnan…?" Chen Junnan let out a bitter laugh. "I guess I look like Daniel Wu... right before I kick the bucket?"

    (TLN: Daniel Wu Neh-Tsu (吳彥祖) is an American actor. Since his film debut in 1998, he has been featured in over 60 films. A three-time Golden Horse Award winner, he also starred in the AMC martial arts drama series Into the Badlands and the Disney+ wuxia action comedy American Born Chinese.)Movies

    "He’s an impostor," Chu Tianqiu declared. "The real Chen Junnan went with Kim Wonhun to retrieve something for me. He’ll be here soon."

    "Wh—" Chen Junnan finally grasped Chu Tianqiu’s meaning and tried to struggle upright, only to feel as if his whole body was pinned by countless nails—any movement sent sharp pain shooting through him. "Damnnit… Doctor Zhao, why are you acting like Wet-Nurse Rong[1]…"

    (TLN: Wet-Nurse Rong was the main antagonist from the television series ‘My Fair Princess’. There was a scene where she stabbed a girl in the back with iron nails. More on her in footnote[1].)

    "D–Don’t move…" Doctor Zhao said anxiously. "You have to lie still until the blood clots…"

    "‘Lie still’ my ass…" Chen Junnan gasped, forcing himself upright. Many wounds split open again, blood gushing out instantly. "Xiao Chu… what nonsense… Open your damn… damn eyes… and take a good look… who this young master really is…"

    Chen Junnan tried to stand but found himself utterly immobilized. This was the first time he’d suffered such grievous injuries without managing to end his own life; his mind was filled only with thoughts of how to die.

    "I see clearly—you’re nothing more than a fake," Chu Tianqiu remarked with a smile, stepping closer to Chen Junnan. "Who exactly are you? Disguised like this to infiltrate {Passage to Heaven}… and for what purpose?"

    "Punk… you really have crossed the line…" Chen Junnan slowly stretched out a hand and grabbed Chu Tianqiu’s clothes. "I’ve already triggered my {Reverberation}… is it really wise of you… to mess with me like this…?"

    "What do you mean?" Chu Tianqiu laughed, pushing Chen Junnan’s hand away. "I just ruffled the feathers of an imposter."

    Yun Yao glanced between Chu Tianqiu and Chen Junnan, confused, as her thoughts began to blur.

    "Chu Tianqiu, don’t continue spreading lies to confuse everyone," She said angrily. "Since I left {Passage to Heaven}, I’ve been with Chen Junnan. After he was injured, I carried him the entire way without leaving his side. On what basis do you claim he’s an impostor?"

    "What if..." Chu Tianqiu bared his bloodstained teeth as he spoke, fixing his gaze on Yun Yao, "he was already an impostor the moment you met him today?"

    "How absurd!" Yun Yao cut in sharply. "Even if he is a fake, even if someone is impersonating him… then how could they also imitate Chen Junnan’s {Reverberation}? Chu Tianqiu, are you just making this up as you go?"

    "{Reverberation}?" Chu Tianqiu paused. "Who saw it?"

    "I did," Yun Yao said, then glanced at Xu Qian and Yan Zhichun. "The three of us witnessed it."

    Right after she finished, a flicker of doubt crossed Yun Yao’s mind; she hadn’t actually seen Chen Junnan activate {Reverberation} with her own eyes.

    But if he truly were a fake, why would he dare challenge a Terrestrial-grade to a {life-staking wager}?

    Before she could sort her thoughts, the classroom door was pushed open once more. Two figures stepped in—Kim Wonhun, and right behind him, Chen Junnan.

    TL Note: wtfff


    Footnote:

    [1] My Fair Princess, also known as Return of the Pearl Princess (還珠格格), is a period drama set in the 18th-century Qing dynasty. It follows tomboyish and innocent Xiaoyanzi, who after befriending the emperor's illegitimate daughter Xia Ziwei, becomes a princess in place of her by accident. Wet-Nurse Rong was the main antagonist of the show. She is a cruel and manipulative old woman who serves as a main antagonist in the series, often acting as a henchwoman to the Empress. She really likes to use needles and nails to torture people.
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