Chapter 180: Meeting on a Narrow Path
"Oh, having a chat?"
A familiar voice rang out from behind, pulling Qi Xia's thoughts back.
Xiao Xiao had led her team into the game venue. Behind her were two men.
One of them was Old Sun, who had conjured a stone the day before, and the other was a tall, young man he had never seen before. The young man wore a black leather jacket and gold earrings, looking extremely lazy.
Qi Xia's expression instantly turned stern.
There were more pressing issues to deal with. Without even acknowledging the three people at the door, he walked straight into the building.
Once inside, the space was visible at a glance—nothing more than an elevator and a wooden door.
"A five- or six-story building with an elevator?"
Though a bit confused, Qi Xia went to inspect the wooden door, only to find it locked and unopenable. He had no choice but to step into the elevator.
The elevator panel had only two buttons: first floor and sixth floor.
After a moment's thought, Qi Xia pressed the sixth floor.
The elevator was fast, reaching the rooftop in just a few seconds.
This was the first time Qi Xia had seen an elevator directly leading to a rooftop, and the first time he had seen such a flat rooftop.
Zhang Shan and the other two were already standing there, huddled together in discussion.
Qi Xia stepped off the elevator and walked over to them. "How does it look?"
"You're here?" Li Xiangling said. "We've roughly figured out the game. It's 'Single-Plank Bridge.'"
Qi Xia nodded and surveyed the venue.
The rooftop of this building was completely flat, but the center was hollowed out.
Standing at the edge of the hollow, Qi Xia looked down. Below was a crisscrossing mess of hemp ropes, filling his entire field of vision with no end in sight.
A chill wind rose from below, carrying the scent of rust.
If someone fell, they would either die instantly from the impact or be strangled to death by the ropes.
In the center of the hollow, a long, thin steel beam stretched horizontally. It was about a meter in diameter and spanned at least twenty meters.
Judging by the venue alone, it did look like a game of "Single-Plank Bridge."
Before Dihu and the "Jidao" members came up, Qi Xia decisively stepped onto the beam.
He tested its hardness and the difficulty of walking on it.
"If this really is a single-plank bridge, it's way too simple," Qi Xia muttered, rubbing his chin while standing on the beam.
A meter in diameter wasn't wide, but it was more than enough for a person to walk on. Plus, the steel beam was sturdy and firmly built.
In that case... how would "combat," "teamwork," and "physical strength" come into play?
"I see..." Qi Xia murmured. "There's one set of rules that could satisfy all these conditions."
"Hey, conman, get down from there! It's dangerous," Qiao Jiayin called out.
Qi Xia nodded and stepped off the beam, then said to the three, "I think I've figured out the game rules. Let me brief you on a strategy."
"Game rules?" Zhang Shan blinked. "Isn't it just 'Single-Plank Bridge'? What's there to figure out?"
"No, calling it 'Single-Plank Bridge' isn't quite accurate. It should be called 'Meeting on a Narrow Path.'"
...
After Qi Xia gave a few instructions to the group, Dihu came up with three "Jidao" members.
Oddly enough, none of the six participants looked nervous at all. Their expressions were all relaxed.
Dihu stepped off the elevator, glanced at Qi Xia, and frowned. "Didn't you only pay for three people's tickets? Who let you in?"
"I'm just here to watch," Qi Xia said.
"That's not the rule. Get lost," Dihu snapped coldly.
"I..." Qi Xia was about to say something but sensed a faint murderous intent emanating from Dihu.
"It's fine, Lao Qi. Just go down and wait for us," Zhang Shan said. "I remember everything you said."
"Yeah, conman, don't worry." Qiao Jiayin grinned. "You can take the big guy and the kung fu chick downstairs. Just leave me here."
"What are you talking about, kid?" Zhang Shan said irritably. "Why don't you go down?"
Qiao Jiayin stretched his arms. "Because I've got a trick up my sleeve."
"I'm born with super strength too," Zhang Shan shot back.
Qi Xia looked at the three of them seriously and said, "That's as far as my role goes. The rest is up to you."
"Yeah." Qiao Jiayin nodded.
"Stay alive, got it?" Qi Xia said.
"I know."
With a complicated expression, Qi Xia stepped into the elevator. As the doors closed, he took one last look at his three teammates.
This time, he had to entrust everything to them.
Qi Xia arrived at the first-floor lobby, found a wooden crate to sit on, and leaned against the wall to rest with his eyes closed.
He wasn't participating in the game this time, but he was even more nervous than if he were.
Upstairs, Dihu had already begun explaining the rules.
He walked to one end of the steel beam and planted a red flag there, then went to the other end and planted a blue flag.
"My game is called 'Meeting on a Narrow Path,'" Dihu announced. "At the start, the two teams must stand on the beam from opposite ends. The teams are divided into left and right sides. The winning condition is for all surviving members of one team to reach the opposite side and touch the opponent's flag."
Zhang Shan exchanged a nervous glance with Qiao Jiayin.
This rule was almost exactly what Qi Xia had said earlier.
The only difference was that Qi Xia had added: "Although the rules are roughly like this, there should be hidden rules that we can only discover during the game."
Seeing no one raise questions, Dihu continued, "Now, some points to note. First, to reach the opponent's side, you must cross the beam. Reaching it by any other route is considered a 'violation' and will result in 'sanctions.'"
Li Xiangling looked around the venue and figured this rule was meant to prevent anyone from circling around the rooftop to the opponent's back.
"Second, participants may step off the beam to rest as needed. This will not be considered forfeiting. To re-enter the game, you must start again from your own side."
The six people still said nothing, silently studying the venue and planning their strategies.
"Finally, damaging the venue in any way is prohibited." Dihu said. "Are the rules clear?"
"Clear," Zhang Shan replied.
"Any other questions?" Dihu asked.
Li Xiangling spoke up. "Is there a time limit for this game?"
"No." Dihu shook his head. "The game ends when all surviving members of one team touch the opponent's flag simultaneously. The winners each receive eight 'Dao,' plus all the spoils from the opposing team."
Everyone nodded.
"If there are no more questions, the game will begin in three minutes." Dihu stepped aside. "Please take your positions on opposite ends of the beam."
Qiao Jiayin, Zhang Shan, and Li Xiangling slowly walked to the red flag side, while the three opponents stood far away on the other side.
Both sides' eyes were cold and sharp, as if they had no intention of exchanging a single word.