Chapter 1086: Certain Defeat
"Oh? So you've noticed too?" Qi Xia nodded. "Bringing different 'characters' can lead to different 'doors.'"
"After all, that's what you had Dr. Zhao convey to me," Chu Tianqiu replied.
"Since I chose the room, you pick the 'character,'" Qi Xia answered. "One choice each, otherwise it wouldn't be fair."
Chu Tianqiu began to speculate on Qi Xia's intentions. If he was free to choose whether to enter the "Human-level" or the "Earth-level," it truly suggested that there couldn't be any lethal traps within the game venue.
Otherwise, the safest approach would have been to set up killing weapons in both rooms and also persuade the "Zodiac" in each room to cooperate. That would have been too much work for Tiantian, which was clearly unreasonable.
So what Qi Xia said was most likely true. Tiantian had only created something extremely simple in this game... but Chu Tianqiu couldn't guess what that thing was.
Now, he steadied his mind and began to ponder the situation before him. His opponent was Qi Xia. Which choice offered a higher chance of victory—the "Human-level" or the "Earth-level"?
The simple rules of the "Human-level" meant the two of them would settle the outcome in the shortest time with the crudest strategies. The "Earth-level," with its increased variables, could also lead to a more devastating loss for him.
But time had come down to this... the two of them were likely about to face the final game. Chu Tianqiu had to make an immediate decision. He picked up his own "General" piece from the ground.
Since even the "General" had charged to the enemy's front lines, a simple path was no longer suitable for the current situation. This time, he had to go for the "Earth-level" duel.
Qi Xia also nodded, casually picking up a "Soldier" piece from the ground. Then he signaled with his eyes for Chu Tianqiu to open the "door."
Chu Tianqiu put the "General" character into his pocket, stepped forward, and carefully touched the handle of the "door." The touch was cold, with nothing unusual about it.
So he took a deep breath, reached out, and pushed the door open.
The inside of the "door" was pitch black, the path ahead invisible.
"An 'Earth Rabbit' game...?" Chu Tianqiu murmured. "An 'Escape' game... It feels fitting for our current situation."
"Hopefully," Qi Xia nodded.
Just as Chu Tianqiu was about to step through the door, he thought of something else and turned back to ask, "Qi Xia, one last question."
"Go ahead."
"In this game... who on our side is the mole you sent?"
Qi Xia chuckled lightly upon hearing this. "Unfortunately... I've planted countless 'needles' in the 'Land of the End,' but I never planted a 'needle' in your team."
"None...?" Even though he had heard Qi Xia deny it with his own ears, Chu Tianqiu still found it hard to believe.
This seemed to be something everyone had tacitly understood from the very beginning. If there was none... then who had he been on guard against all along?
"The interesting thing about this is..." Qi Xia said, "Even without planting a 'needle,' the effect is the same as having one in your team. That way, I save effort, and you remain constantly vigilant."
At that moment, Chu Tianqiu suddenly understood. This was a tactic only Qi Xia could devise.
In his team were people like Dr. Zhao, Yan Zhichun, and Xu Liunian, who had deep ties with Qi Xia. Precisely because it would be so easy to plant a 'needle,' it was only natural to assume that he had sent a mole to infiltrate Chu Tianqiu's team.
Qi Xia had played along, using various hints to tacitly confirm the notion that there was a mole in the opposing team.
The brilliance of this strategy lay in the fact that, since there was no actual mole in Chu Tianqiu's team, no one seemed suspicious. This forced Chu Tianqiu to trust no one until he rooted out the supposed mole.
When everyone is unsuspicious, it means everyone is suspicious.
Even a task as dangerous as smashing the display screen—he hadn't dared to entrust it to his teammates but chose to carry it out himself. This triggered a chain reaction and ultimately forced him to stand before this "door."
"How ridiculous..." Chu Tianqiu grinned through clenched teeth. "From start to finish... everyone in my team was loyal to me. Even Han Yimo from your team was on my side. Yet I failed to make good use of them... Just like my entire life."
"You've put the cart before the horse," Qi Xia said. "You believe what I say, but I'm the enemy 'commander.' You don't trust your own teammates, yet you trust the enemy 'commander.' Don't you see where your priorities are wrong?"
"But what choice did I have?" Chu Tianqiu said. "You expect me to trust people whose abilities, intelligence, and even 'Echoes' are inferior to mine? Is that the right thing to do?"
"Your mistake is that you always feel superior to your teammates and are only willing to trust those on equal footing with you," Qi Xia said. "If you can't let go of that mindset... I'm afraid you'll really become the next Qinglong."
"What's so bad about becoming Qinglong? The path you and I chose was different from the start," Chu Tianqiu retorted. "Because no one understands me, I've been alone from beginning to end."
"Don't be ridiculous," Qi Xia said. "Doesn't Wen Qiaoyun understand you?"
"Wen Qiaoyun...?"
"If I'm not mistaken, she's now waiting as a 'backup plan' for the outcome on your end," Qi Xia said. "She doesn't even remember you, yet she's willing to stake her life for you. And you still say 'no one understands me'? It's not that they don't understand you—it's that you don't understand them."
Chu Tianqiu was silent for a moment before replying, "Maybe."
"This is the final stretch," Qi Xia said. "I have one last piece of advice for you."
"Go ahead."
"The moment you step through that 'door,' it's certain defeat," Qi Xia said. "But if you don't go in, there's a small chance you'll win."
Chu Tianqiu's eyes once again looked as lifeless as ever. He turned to face the open, pitch-black "door."
For some reason, Chu Tianqiu also felt that once he entered this "door," the game would be decided. But he couldn't believe that entering would lead to "certain defeat."
That statement was far too absolute. Even if Qi Xia's chances of winning were high, there was no way the situation would guarantee his defeat.
After hesitating repeatedly, he still lifted his foot and stepped through the "door." Since they were at the final moment, it was time to see Qi Xia's true skill.
Qi Xia could only let out a helpless sigh. He was about to say something when he heard a crisp "clatter."
He couldn't help but look down at the "characters" on the ground. If he hadn't misheard... had the "character" just made a sound?
But he waited a few seconds and found no further reaction from the "character." So he turned his gaze back to Chu Tianqiu.
Inside the "door" was an exceptionally pitch-black space, vast and empty all around.
Chu Tianqiu couldn't help but wonder—why did the "Earth Rabbit" game look so unusual?
Unfortunately, out of caution, he had never entered any game venue before. Could it be that every game in this "Cangjie Chess" was this bizarre?
He turned his head to say something to Qi Xia, but what came into his view was a terrifying sight he could never have imagined.
Qi Xia stood inside a black "door" in the middle, staring coldly at him. On the left and right sides were three more black "doors" each.
This was not the "Earth Rabbit" game at all. It was clearly the space outside the game venue of "Cangjie Chess."
And Chu Tianqiu had never actually entered the "Earth Rabbit" venue. The "door" standing in the center of the room, inscribed with the character "卯" (Rabbit), had been a disguised "Escape Door."
"I told you, Tiantian only created the simplest thing in this game," Qi Xia said. "That thing was neither the 'characters' nor the 'display screen'—it was merely the 'door.'"