Chapter 130: Fist
"Witness the end…"
So that was it. The trigger for Chu Tianqiu's "Echo" was both demanding and stable.
First, he had to be extremely patient, avoiding participation in any games for ten days, waiting until the "Day of Finality" arrived. During this time, no matter how many of his companions died, he could only turn a blind eye.
At the same time, he had to evade the pursuit of the "Extreme Path" and do everything in his power to stay alive.
Finally, he would witness the destruction of everything and disappear along with the end.
"You really scared me to death yesterday," Yun Yao said. "If you'd actually swung that brick, you would have practically crushed any hope of escape for all the good people in the 'End Place.'"
"Is that so…" Qi Xia was still puzzled.
If Chu Tianqiu was truly as Yun Yao described, then he was definitely a formidable figure. Having been here for two years—seven hundred and thirty days—he had experienced at least seventy-three cycles.
He survived every single time and retained his memories.
With such cunning and skill, why had he exposed such a huge flaw yesterday?
If Qi Xia had been one of the Extreme Path, Chu Tianqiu would already be dead.
"I underestimated you…" Qi Xia muttered to himself.
The group rested by the roadside for a moment before heading to the next game venue.
"Uh… can I go to the bathroom?" Qiao Jiajin asked. "I've been holding it in for a while…"
"Uh…" Qi Xia turned to look at him, a bit awkward. "Find another spot. There are girls here."
"Of course, of course."
Qiao Jiajin nodded and quickly ducked into a nearby alley, leaving the other three waiting where they were.
It was strange how the mind worked.
Just as Qi Xia was calculating how to perfectly replicate the previous cycle to regain his own "Echo," he saw them.
The green-haired man, the blonde, and the bald one.
Of course, Jiang Ruoxue wasn't with them—God knew what role she was playing elsewhere.
The moment those three walked toward them, Qi Xia's expression changed.
The sight of the bald man's face sent Qi Xia right back to the moment Old Lü and he had been killed. The wounds on his body ached faintly.
His shoulder, his heart, his head.
This man had not only ruthlessly killed Old Lü, but had also gravely wounded him.
Yun Yao noticed Qi Xia's shift in mood and asked, "What's wrong? Do you know those people?"
"I…"
The bald man nudged the green-haired man with his elbow from not too far away. "A Mu, we've got people."
A Mu smirked and walked straight up to them. "Friends! Friends!"
"Friends?" Yun Yao asked with a smile. "Who are you?"
"I'm just a poor wanderer." A Mu shook his head helplessly. "Sorry to bother you, but do you have any 'Tao'? We accidentally lost all of ours earlier…"
While they were talking, Qi Xia discreetly scanned the surroundings.
Unfortunately, the area was too open.
There were no weapons within reach, no tools he could use. So how was he supposed to take down these three?
This truly was a case of "a dragon fighting in the wild, its path exhausted."
"Don't be nervous. We're not bad people," A Mu said. "You two ladies are very pretty. How about we sit down and chat? Our base is really close by."
He stepped forward, one step at a time, and grabbed Yun Yao's soft hand. "Beautiful lady, I, A Mu, am known for being devoted. If you don't mind, we could get to know each other."
Meanwhile, the bald man reached out and touched Tian Tian's arm.
Tian Tian, used to this kind of thing, didn't even flinch.
"Sure, I can lend you a few 'Tao,'" Yun Yao said, pulling her hand back. She nodded and turned to rummage through her backpack. "It's hard enough for us to survive in a place like this. We should help each other."
Tian Tian was confused and stared at Yun Yao in surprise.
Just as Qi Xia was wondering what she was doing, he saw her pull out a bottle of pepper spray from her bag and spray it directly into A Mu's face.
"AHHHHHH!"
A Mu never expected this sweet-looking girl to suddenly strike. He accidentally inhaled the pungent mist, and his nasal cavity felt like it was on fire. Tears and sneezes erupted uncontrollably.
"You think I'm a three-year-old?!" Yun Yao swung her backpack, smacking it into his head, then followed up with a kick. "You lost your own 'Tao'—why the hell should I pay for it?! And you have the nerve to say you want to get to know me? Do you know who I am?!"
Tian Tian gaped at the scene, momentarily frozen.
Qi Xia acted immediately. He kicked A Mu hard, sending him sprawling, then grabbed Yun Yao and Tian Tian. "Don't get tangled up! Let's go!"
He knew the others were carrying knives. If it came to a real fight, they'd get hurt.
"Where do you think you're going?!" The blonde snapped out of his shock and pulled a folding knife from his pocket.
The bald man took a step forward, blocking their escape route.
Qi Xia stretched out his arm to shield Yun Yao and Tian Tian, glancing at the two men out of the corner of his eye.
Tian Tian had indeed seen this kind of thing before. Though she was nervous, she still bent down and picked up a small rock, gripping it tightly in her hand.
The worst part was that they couldn't afford to get injured. If they did, they wouldn't be able to treat the wound, and they'd just be waiting to die in the days to come.
"Do you have anything sharp in your bag?" Qi Xia whispered to Yun Yao.
"No, just an ear pick and a nail clipper…" Yun Yao said. "Will those work?"
"An ear pick will do," Qi Xia said. "Enough to take out an eye."
Yun Yao nodded and quickly handed him a small metal rod from behind her back.
She seemed a little flustered. She hadn't expected that the people she'd provoked were cold-blooded killers.
After taking the ear pick, Qi Xia felt he might have been a bit too optimistic.
Taking out an eye wasn't hard, but the ear pick's effective range was extremely short. By the time he could stab it into the other's eye, the guy would already have driven his knife into Qi Xia's body.
"Fist… Did you get lost, dammit?!" Qi Xia growled through clenched teeth.
"Cripple them first, then take the 'Tao'!" A Mu yelled, covering his eyes. "Cut their tendons and let them bleed out on their own!"
He opened his red, swollen eyes and wobbled as he pulled out his own folding knife.
But just as he was about to lunge forward, a hand covered in tattooed arms gently grabbed his wrist.
"Kid, hold on, hold on," the owner of the tattooed arm said. "Listen to me first."
Startled, A Mu whipped his head around. "Who the hell are you?!"
"Don't be nervous. Relax. I'm just a 'little fist,'" the man said with a smile. He looked up at the other two and waved. "Put the knives down. Listen to me first."
A Mu felt a chill run down his spine. He could clearly sense an aura of absolute terror hidden beneath that smile.