Chapter 171: Myotismon's Plan

"Old man, what are you doing here again?"
Thinking of the constant crises they had been facing lately, and the fact that the elderly Gennai provided very little assistance, Tai's tone was less than friendly.
"I have good news and bad news to tell you... Which one would you like to hear first?"
"Let's save the good news for last," Joe said.
"Whenever I hear bad news, it's disappointing. Let's hear the good news first," Matt immediately chimed in.
"..."
Seeing the children divided in their opinions, Gennai could only look somewhat helpless before finally speaking on his own terms: "Fine, fine... Then I'll share the good news first..."
Qin Fei's expression remained calm, devoid of the anticipation shown by the other children. Because he already knew what old Gennai was about to say, and it seemed Kari was about to join their ranks as well.
"..."
"I have found another one of your companions."
As expected, Qin Fei's gaze shifted slightly.
The rest of the group, however, stared in stunned surprise at Gennai's holographic projection.
"A companion? Another Chosen Child?"
Sora asked.
"Yes, in fact, there are supposed to be eight Chosen Children in total..."
Hearing this, the group had a moment of realization, which instantly melted into bewildered expressions.
"What do you mean there are supposed to be only eight...?"
"Yeah, counting yourself, aren't there nine according to what you said before?"
"Old Gennai, are you sure you didn't get it wrong?"
"One, two, three, four... seven, eight!"
Mimi even began counting them off on her fingers. Including Qin Fei, didn't they already have eight? Plus the one Gennai was talking about, wouldn't that make nine?
"That's precisely why I find it rather strange that you seem to have an extra person among you."
With that, Gennai looked directly at Qin Fei with a smile, making no attempt to conceal his suspicion. "Am I right, little one...?"
"!!!"
At this, everyone snapped back to reality, turning anxious and doubtful gazes toward Qin Fei as he came under Gennai's scrutiny.
"So, you're saying... the extra person is Qin Fei? But... why? Hasn't Qin Fei been adventuring with us all this time? How could it be him...?"
"Besides, Qin Fei has a Digivice too."
"Right, he has a Digimon partner just like us."
The group looked back and forth between Qin Fei and Gennai, unsure of who to believe.
"According to the legends, if the eight children are not gathered, it will be impossible to correct the distortion of this world. In other words, there will be no way to save your own world..."
"You managed to gather eight people, which I originally thought was a good thing... But when I discovered that the information of one remaining child still remained in Highton View Terrace, it turned into a bad thing..."
Old Gennai finally withdrew his lingering gaze from Qin Fei and looked back at the rest of the group.
"So, I am both puzzled and deeply unsettled by this extra person among you."
After saying this, Gennai began scanning the children's faces one by one. Having a child of unknown allegiance integrated into their group for so long meant that they...
"I trust Qin Fei!"
Before Gennai could gather his thoughts, Tai stepped forward, looking at Gennai with earnest and unyielding determination. Throughout their journey, the time Qin Fei had spent living and fighting alongside them, supporting one another, was entirely real. There were even a few instances where Qin Fei had risked his own safety to cover their retreats. That alone was more than enough for Tai to put his faith in him.
"I believe in Qin Fei too..."
Mimi followed closely behind, stating that from the bottom of her heart, she was willing to believe Qin Fei was a Chosen Child just like them.
"Me too..."
"I..."
The children naturally gathered around Qin Fei, casting fiercely resolute glances at old Gennai. They were willing to place their trust in the companion who had shared so many trials and triumphs with them over this period—far more trust than they bestowed upon Gennai.
After all, their group had truly walked side by side all the way from the human world.
"..."
"Thank you, everyone..."
Seeing that not a single person cast a doubting glance his way, Qin Fei felt a swell of pride and deep emotion.
"However, old Gennai's suspicion isn't unfounded... I am not a Chosen Child."
"I am somewhat different from you all..."
Qin Fei's sudden declaration caused everyone's expressions to shift, yet not a single person stepped away from his side; they simply waited in silence for him to continue.
"However, it is no lie that I am your companion... your friend. I am not some bizarre entity either. I am simply... a human being who possesses a Digimon and was dragged into this world just like you."
"It's just that the title of 'Chosen Child' doesn't quite apply to me."
"..."
Hearing Qin Fei's concluding words, Tai and the others exchanged glances, their tense expressions gradually softening.
"In that case, you still choose to trust him?"
"..."
Seeing the unwavering conviction in their eyes, old Gennai said no more.
He was not one to deliberately drive a wedge between people. Since the Chosen Children were still willing to trust him, and Qin Fei had not committed any acts to harm them or interfere with the Homeostasis project, he chose to let the matter rest.
After all, further argument was pointless and would only breed resentment among the children.
As their guide, Gennai did not wish to create a deep rift between himself and the kids, as it would hinder the execution of his plans.
He still needed these children to harness the power of their hearts to defeat Apocalymon and resolve the crisis facing the Digital World.
"Never mind, let us return to what I was saying earlier... regarding the other Chosen Child..."
Gennai seemingly let the matter of Qin Fei drop and resumed the briefing he had prepared.
"Then tell us, where is this child now? What is their name?"
That was what Tai wanted to know most of all right now.
"As for their name... well... I don't know."
"..."
Everyone's expressions instantly froze, and they shot him looks of utter contempt. He had been speaking with such profound authority just a moment ago, yet he drew a blank at the simplest question.
"Ahem, apologies. However, I do know where they are. That child is in Highton View Terrace..."
Gennai let out an awkward cough and quickly added, seemingly desperate to salvage his plummeting reputation in the children's eyes.
"Highton View Terrace?"
"That's the place Tai came from," Agumon immediately replied.
"Ah, that's right, Tai and Agumon went there," Koshiro remembered.
"But how are we supposed to find them now? We're all trapped inside the Digital World, while that person is still in Highton View Terrace..."
"There's no need to be so despair-driven..." Gennai said, attempting to boost their morale.
"Then what is the bad news?" Tai pressed on.
Hearing the question, old Gennai sighed and said, "The bad news is... Myotismon already knows about what I just told you."
"He plans to go to Highton View Terrace to find that child and eliminate them, so he's currently gathering his army."
Upon hearing Gennai's piece of bad news, shock and anxiety swept across the faces of every child present, save for Qin Fei.
"Myotismon is going to Highton View Terrace?!"
"How is that possible?"
"Wait, if Myotismon can go to Highton View Terrace, doesn't that mean we can too...?"
The children burst into a cacophony of overlapping voices.
Gennai gave another cough to reclaim the children's attention.
"What you said is correct... The method Myotismon intends to use to reach Highton View Terrace can also send you all back to the human world."
"!!!"
Upon hearing Gennai's subsequent words, all the children instantly lit up with excitement.
The path home, it turned out, was already within arm's reach.