Chapter 1094: The Weak and the Small
Yan Zhichun had just stepped out of the venue and stood on the sticky, foul-smelling street when a familiar voice reached her ears.
"Tch."
"Oh?" Yan Zhichun replied softly.
"Tch, 'oh' my ass. You finally got a signal," Zhou Liu said. "I thought you were dead."
Yan Zhichun glanced at the people around her. Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she took a few steps to the side.
Doctor Zhao noticed this and immediately took a stealthy step back, quietly sidling up to Yan Zhichun.
Yan Zhichun was still somewhat wary of Doctor Zhao suddenly approaching her, but after a few seconds, she remembered that Doctor Zhao was now one of "their own," so she ignored him.
She sighed and continued, "Everything going smoothly?"
"Tch, smooth enough," Zhou Liu replied. "So, what's the verdict? Do we go or not? How did your probing go?"
"Everything is in place. Just waiting for me to arrive," Yan Zhichun said.
"Alright." After replying, Zhou Liu fell silent.
Finished speaking, Yan Zhichun turned her head to look at Doctor Zhao. After a few seconds of pause, she asked, "Coming with me?"
"I..." Doctor Zhao's expression showed hesitation as he looked behind Yan Zhichun. "It's not that I don't want to go with you, but my brother..."
Yan Zhichun looked behind her at the empty street, the spot where the others had just materialized out of thin air.
"'Disaster Bringer'?" Yan Zhichun said. "What if your brother can't get out?"
"Can't get out..." Doctor Zhao paused, seeming not to have thought of an answer. "But we agreed yesterday to go together... If he doesn't come out, then I by myself..."
"I understand that feeling," Yan Zhichun said. "It's very rare in this land to meet someone who doesn't harbor ill will and can keep you company. Even though he doesn't have many other merits, he's at least someone you can talk to. But given the current situation, you also need to choose your own path."
Doctor Zhao found it hard to grasp this feeling, and even he himself didn't know why he was so insistent on bringing Han Yimo along.
Was Han Yimo his brother? His friend?
Strictly speaking, he probably didn't qualify as either.
All he knew was that Han Yimo was another person as weak and humble as himself in the "Land of the End." They shared the same circumstances—a checkered past, disliked by most, yet desperately wanting to live.
Here, he couldn't bring himself to dive alone into the plans of a bunch of monsters. He knew he wasn't capable of any earth-shattering feats. At times like this, having a small fry like Han Yimo by his side inexplicably brought him a sense of peace.
"I don't know how to choose my own path," Doctor Zhao replied. "I still want to wait for Han Yimo to come together. To be honest... I'm too scared."
"Scared?" Yan Zhichun was a bit puzzled. "You weren't scared yesterday when you agreed. Now you're scared?"
"I..." Doctor Zhao shook his head. "After seeing the eyes of Xuanwu and Qinglong today... I realized we're not even on the same level. I hold a scalpel; they hold autocannons. I can't kill people, but they can."
"A scalpel has its advantages," Yan Zhichun replied. "If you find the right moment and strike at their vital points, you can win even against an autocannon. My suggestion is that you come with me first. There's still some time on the road, and I'll send someone to pick up Han Yimo later."
Yan Zhichun paused after speaking, then added, "That is, if he can actually walk out of there."
"You..." Doctor Zhao sighed. "...Alright."
Although neither of them said it outright, it was hard to be sure that Han Yimo would really emerge from the "Cangjie Chess."
The "referee" of this game, after all, was Dilong. She was already dead. She had traded her life for the survival of Chu Tianqiu's entire team.
In an environment with no rules and no constraints, the referees in that venue had become Qinglong and Xuanwu.
What kind of brain rot would make anyone believe those two would follow the rules?
...
Qinglong leaped down from the air, landing silently on the ground.
Now, apart from the surrounding walls, the game venue had only a massive wall erected in the center, with a huge display screen mounted on top.
The crowd inside the venue began to slowly gather toward the display screen, their faces filled with hesitation as they looked at the massive device before them.
Since they were using "Cangjie Chess" for a "life-or-death gamble," it naturally meant that the following game rules would be a variant of "Cangjie Chess."
But the giant screen in front of them didn't seem capable of writing, nor was there a "Phoenix Bearing the Book Platform." How could this be considered "Cangjie Chess"?
Qi Xia stood in front of the display screen, looking up, then turned his head toward Qinglong.
"So?" Qi Xia asked.
"Short and quick," Qinglong replied. "You and I will compete for three 'characters.' After three 'characters,' the victor will be decided on the spot."
"Only three 'characters'?" Qi Xia raised an eyebrow. "You seem quite confident."
"How should I put it..." Qinglong shook his head. "I've seen quite a few of Bai Yang's game design ideas. I think I've learned a thing or two."
"Ha, learning from Bai Yang?"
Qi Xia let out a laugh, whether from anger or excitement, it was hard to tell.
"What's wrong?" Qinglong also smiled. "Even though many games are influenced by Bai Yang, 'Cangjie Chess' is not."
"You're not stupid either," Qi Xia said. "Think more carefully. Is it really not?"
Qinglong paused slightly at this, his expression gradually turning cold. Then he said in a low voice, "Even if 'Cangjie Chess' was influenced by Bai Yang's thinking, the variant rules for this 'life-or-death gamble' are not."
"Oh?" Qi Xia nodded. "Qinglong, in that case, there's one more thing I don't understand."
"What?"
"Some people set the puzzles, and others solve them." Qi Xia gently stroked his chin as he asked, "Who do you think is stronger: the one who sets the puzzles or the one who solves them?"
Qinglong thought for a few seconds, then also revealed a smile. "If I'm not mistaken, you're saying, 'I am stronger than Bai Yang.'"
"You heard correctly," Qi Xia said.
"That question is also very interesting," Qinglong said. "If you can solve every puzzle correctly, it only means you understand the puzzle setter's thought process. It doesn't mean you are stronger than the puzzle setter."
"But I can solve 'variant problems,'" Qi Xia said. "Instead of learning from Bai Yang, you should learn from me. I'm about to solve the variant problem you've been studying."
"Let's hope so," Qinglong said. "This is a 'life-or-death gamble.' If you fail to solve it this time, you won't get another chance."