Chapter 1217: Don't Die
Qian Wu and Qiao Jiajin greeted the few of them before slowly walking off in the direction opposite to the "Jidao".
Chen Junnan felt that this parting was a bit too hasty, but he didn't know what to say to Qiao Jiajin at this final moment.
"Old Qi..." Chen Junnan called out hesitantly, "Is there anything else you need me to do?"
"Nothing that must be done," Qi Xia replied.
"For example, using 'Scapegoat' to protect you or something..."
"You don't need to see yourself as a 'shield' anymore," Qi Xia said. "Initially, gathering you and Fist by my side was indeed to ensure my own safety. But that idea gradually changed as I spent time with you."
"Isn't that even sadder?" Chen Junnan said with a bitter smile. "After you no longer need us to take bullets for you, you're ready to go die yourself, and we've lost our original purpose."
"Objectively speaking, that is the case," Qi Xia said. "You don't need to die for me, so you're no longer useful."
"Whether it's you dying yourself, or us being useless..." Chen Junnan shook his head, "Both of those statements sound fucking sad to me."
"Then let me put it another way," Qi Xia changed his words. "You're useless as 'shields' now. You can be 'friends' and do whatever you want."
After hearing this, the bitter smile on Chen Junnan's face gradually faded, replaced by a sly grin.
"Old Qi, you little shit, are you finally admitting that I'm a dashing and brilliant secret weapon?"
"I didn't say that."
"Well then, little master here is going to go wander around." Chen Junnan walked over and put his hand on Qi Xia's shoulder. "You already gave Old Qiao his tactical briefing. Can't you give me one too? Got some kind of 'two-word motto' or something?"
"No."
"Come on, why the hell are you so cold and heartless?" Chen Junnan said. "No instructions at all?"
"Don't die," Qi Xia said.
"Uh..." Chen Junnan scratched his head. "Old Qi, saying it like that is way too scary. That's not how good buddies talk to each other. How about I teach you?"
Qi Xia looked at Chen Junnan with a helpless expression.
"Come on, come on, repeat after me." Chen Junnan said nonchalantly, enunciating each word clearly: "—Who·ever·dies·is·a·fool."
Qi Xia's face was written with the desire to ignore Chen Junnan, but Chen Junnan seemed to be the only one among them who couldn't read that expression.
"Say it, Old Qi!" Chen Junnan patted Qi Xia's shoulder. "What if little master dies? If I die, wouldn't this become my final wish?"
"Die? Do you want to take a look at what you just said?" Qi Xia retorted. "What do you become if you die?"
Chen Junnan suddenly realized he had dug a hole for himself—if he died after saying that, he really would be a fool.
"This... damn it, am I here for you to find logical loopholes?" Chen Junnan said. "Is there really nothing you want to say to me?"
"There is."
"What is it?"
"Don't die."
This time, it was Chen Junnan's turn to look helpless.
"Alright... Old Qi, I fucking give up with you." He shook his head and turned around. "Anyway, I don't care. If I die, I need you all to remember how dashing I was. If you die, I'll curse you as a fool for the rest of your life. Got it?"
"Fine." Qi Xia nodded.
Watching Chen Junnan also leave from the spot, Yun Yao, Tian Tian, and Zhang Chenze behind him exchanged glances, not knowing where to go in such a chaotic situation.
This "train" had probably never seen so many "participants" and "Zodiacs" walking in the corridor at the same time. Looking into the distance, small-scale conflicts had already begun, mostly between ordinary "participants" and "Human-level" Zodiacs. Neither side seemed to have "Resonance"; they were basically just brawling.
The "Earth-level" and "Resonance users" seemed to have more to consider. They were still watching and waiting.
The central door of the "train" continued to let "participants" pour in, but those entering consciously split into two groups, leaving the middle path clear.
Qi Xia turned his head and looked at Tian Tian. "Tian Tian, I need you to help me with something."
"Help... okay." Tian Tian nodded. "What can I do?"
"Do the same thing you did in the 'Cangjie Chess'," Qi Xia said.
"You mean... replicate a 'door'?" Tian Tian asked.
"Yes," Qi Xia said. "Everything used in the 'Cangjie Chess' will be used again here. First, you need to obtain 'Resonance', and second, I need a 'door'."
Upon hearing this, Yun Yao paused briefly, since she had never participated in the "Cangjie Chess".
"Okay... no problem." Tian Tian nodded.
She felt she had a general understanding of this strange "door", and building another one shouldn't be too difficult.
"Which 'door' do you want replicated?"
"I want the door that leads to Tianlong's room," Qi Xia replied.
"Ah?"
Zhang Chenze also felt this was a bit tricky after hearing it. "That 'door'... where is it?"
"At the end of the corridor," Qi Xia said. "Walking there, you'll first see the 'Heaven-level Room'. Inside the 'Heaven-level Room', there is a 'door' that can barely be opened. It leads to Tianlong. I need you to touch it, observe it, and replicate it."
"In other words, that 'door'... is right in front of the 'Heaven-level Zodiacs'...?" Tian Tian asked incredulously.
Yun Yao frowned and looked at Qi Xia. "Aren't you sending Tian Tian to her death...?"
"Not entirely," Qi Xia said. "I hope you three can form a team and be responsible for ensuring the mission goes safely. In no time, the 'Heaven-level' room will be empty. All the 'Earth-level' will do everything they can to lure them out and kill them."
"But no matter how you look at it... this mission is a bit too..." Yun Yao still thought it was dangerous, after all, "Heaven-level Zodiacs" were no saints.
"It's not mandatory," Qi Xia said. "It's fine if you refuse. I just wanted to further guarantee the success rate of this plan."
"So what do you think..." Zhang Chenze asked calmly, "Can the three of us do it?"
"Yes," Qi Xia said. "I believe there are only three factors for something to succeed. They are..."
He then looked at Tian Tian.
"Excellent skill..."
Qi Xia then looked at Zhang Chenze.
"A calm mind..."
Finally, he looked at Yun Yao.
"And extremely strong luck."
Qi Xia swept his gaze across the three of them and added, "If you three, possessing these three factors, still cannot complete the mission, it can only mean the mission was destined to fail—something not even fate could influence."