Chapter 294: The Unfortunate One
"Chen Junnan." Qi Xia called out as he walked over and sat down between him and Qin Dingdong.
Qin Dingdong didn't seem very happy, and it was unclear what the two had been discussing earlier.
"Old Qi... is there something you want to ask me?" Chen Junnan asked. "Little Master is in a good mood today, ask anything you like."
Qi Xia didn't stand on ceremony either. He nodded and said, "Chen Junnan, have you ever seen a 'Heavenly-level'?"
"Of course." Chen Junnan nodded. "Not just me—you, Sister Dong next to you, Old Qiao—we've all seen them."
As soon as the words "Heavenly-level" left his mouth, Qin Dingdong beside them seemed to recall an extremely terrifying image, and her face instantly turned cold.
"But I don't remember." Qi Xia said. "If only I could remember... at least I'd know how to deal with them."
Qin Dingdong sighed. "Qi Xia, of course you don't remember."
"Eh...?" Qi Xia frowned and looked at this woman.
"One of the things I look forward to most... is that every time I show up, I get to tease you." Qin Dingdong gave a bitter smile. "Qi Xia, we've encountered each other dozens of times, and your reaction is always adorable."
Qi Xia felt that Qin Dingdong's words carried an unsettling implication.
"Encountered each other dozens of times...?" Qi Xia turned his head to look at Chen Junnan again. "What does that mean?"
Chen Junnan let out a slight sigh and said, "Old Qi, you used to be the 'Unfortunate One' every time. We had to reintroduce ourselves to you each time."
"Eh...?" Qi Xia was taken aback. "'Unfortunate One'...?"
Qin Dingdong explained from the side, "Someone who can never 'Echo'—there's no shortage of such people in the 'Land of the End.'"
"But this time, your behavior seems really strange..." Chen Junnan and Qin Dingdong both looked at him. "I'd like to ask you, Old Qi... have you actually Echoed?"
"Yes." Qi Xia replied.
Just one word, but it made both of them frown.
"You actually Echoed?!" Chen Junnan stood up, asking incredulously. "No wonder I've been feeling something off... Old Qi, what is your Echo?"
"It might be called 'Endless Life.'" Qi Xia nodded.
Chen Junnan and Qin Dingdong exchanged a dark look.
"What did you say?" Chen Junnan used his pinky to dig at his ear. "I think earwax was blocking my ear just now. Say that again."
"'Endless Life.'" Qi Xia repeated.
"You're lying to me, aren't you?" Chen Junnan sighed and sat down again. "Endless Life... you can't even make up a believable one?"
"What?" Qi Xia looked at the two with confusion. "What's wrong with 'Endless Life'?"
"No one's Echo can be a four-character idiom." Chen Junnan shook his head. "That's too absurd. Four characters? That would probably break even glass..."
Before he could finish, both of their expressions changed.
The people Tianma and Tianhu were looking for... had been found.
"Old Qi... you're that 'massive Echo'..." Chen Junnan stared at him in disbelief. "You said you are... 'Endless Life'...? What is the ability of those four characters?"
Qi Xia recalled what Chu Tianqiu had said and replied, "I don't fully understand it, since I lost consciousness when I Echoed. But from what Chu Tianqiu implied... it seems I can make people 'live.'"
"Make people... live?" Chen Junnan thought for a moment. "You mean, turn someone into an immortal?"
"No..." Qi Xia shook his head. "From what I gather, 'live' here is literal. Even if they're dead, they still have to live."
Chen Junnan and Qin Dingdong both looked toward the playground upon hearing this.
There, a dark mountain of corpses. Over thirty of them belonged to Qiao Jiajin and Li Xiangling.
"Even if they're dead... they still have to live..." Chen Junnan swallowed, then revealed a bitter smile. "Old Qi, with an ability like that... it seems you no longer need me."
Before Qi Xia could respond, a sharp pain struck his head. After a few seconds, he gradually adapted.
"Chen Junnan... there's something I want to ask you, too." Qi Xia said, holding his forehead. "What exactly is your divine ability? What is your 'Scapegoat'?"
Chen Junnan smiled faintly upon hearing this. "Isn't that simple, Old Qi? Within my field of vision, whenever I want, the one who takes the fall is Little Master himself."
"That doesn't sound like a useful Echo." Qi Xia said. "You made it this far relying on that Echo?"
"I... useless?" A trace of disappointment flashed across Chen Junnan's face. "If you really are 'Endless Life,' then I guess I really am useless..."
"Qi Xia..." Qin Dingdong interjected. "Although this bastard Chen Junnan is a piece of shit, you are the one person who can't say he's useless."
"Hmm?" Qi Xia turned to look at Qin Dingdong. "So you also know a lot about what happened before?"
"That's right." Qin Dingdong said. "This fool has been dying for you and A Jin time and again. So anyone in this world can say he's useless—except you two."
"Is that so..." Qi Xia nodded slightly, as if he'd found a clue to why his head hurt. But he quickly cut off that line of thought and turned to Chen Junnan. "Chen Junnan, I want to know what your level is like."
"Level...?" Chen Junnan was stunned.
"I want to know how you perform in games." Qi Xia added. "And I want to know how much I can trust you going forward."
This question seemed to stump Chen Junnan.
Hearing this, Qin Dingdong smiled slightly. "Let me put it this way, Qi Xia. This bastard isn't as smart as you, and he's not as strong as A Jin either."
As soon as these words left her mouth, Chen Junnan clearly wasn't happy.
"Sister Dong, that's too harsh."
"Am I wrong?"
"Let me rephrase that for you." Chen Junnan turned to Qi Xia. "Old Qi, let's put it this way—I'm stronger than you, and smarter than Old Qiao."
Qin Dingdong rolled her eyes so hard her pupils nearly hit her skull.
"Oh...?" Qi Xia smiled faintly. "Is that so?"
"Yeah, Little Master's got some skill." Chen Junnan nodded. "You don't believe me?"
"I do." Qi Xia said. "But I need you to prove it."
"Fine. Tell me how." Chen Junnan nodded.
Qi Xia recalled what Dihu had said earlier that day and then slowly spoke. "Chen Junnan, come with me tomorrow. I need you to join a game with me."
"Join a game together?" Chen Junnan thought for a moment, then finally shook his head. "Old Qi, no need. I'll go alone."
"You... go alone?"
Qin Dingdong felt something was off. "Hey! Bastard, you haven't forgotten the 'real business,' have you? Those two Heav—"
"Sister Dong, now's not the time." Chen Junnan smiled, cutting her off. "I'm letting Old Qi get to know me again. Whatever it is, we'll talk after I get back from Di Snake's venue."
"Di Snake...?" Qin Dingdong was startled at once. "I told you... Di Snake is not worth—"
"No, he dared to mess with you. He messed with the wrong person."
Qi Xia nodded and said, "Chen Junnan, are you sure you don't want any teammates?"
"Old Qi, let me reintroduce myself." Chen Junnan thought for a moment and let out a bitter laugh. "For me, teaming up with others is extremely dangerous. Little Master has way too much sympathy; I could be killed by an idiot at any moment. If I don't want others to die, then I die."
Qi Xia nodded after hearing this. "So... you're sure you want to go alone?"
"That's right." Chen Junnan nodded. "Old Qi, try not to move around alone tomorrow. I'll head out in the morning by myself to look for Di Snake."
Having said that, he gave Qi Xia a meaningful look.
Chen Junnan never imagined that in this godforsaken place, something like 'Endless Life' could exist. If that's the case... the entire 'Land of the End' was about to change.