Chapter 337: The Deception of the Tao
Upon seeing how warmly Qian Wu was treating Officer Li and Qiao Jiajin, Qi Xia naturally sensed something was off.
"Qian Wu, do you really not know us from before?" Qi Xia asked.
"There's no need for us to discuss this matter right away," Qian Wu said to Qi Xia. "You seem to have leisure time on your hands. Your life is in my hands, and yet you want to know if we're old acquaintances?"
Qi Xia nodded upon hearing this and looked at Qian Wu. "You're right. Whether we're old acquaintances or not isn't important. You said you wanted to see my 'attitude'—how exactly do you plan to do that?"
"In ancient times, Cao Cao and Liu Bei 'discussed heroes over wine.' Today, I, Qian Wu, and you, Qi Xia, will 'determine the end through silence.'"
Qi Xia tapped the table with his finger and said calmly, "So... are you Cao Cao or Liu Bei?"
"I'm the biggest player here, so naturally I'm Cao Cao."
"Interesting." Qi Xia lifted the corner of his mouth. "Cao Cao discussed heroes over wine with Liu Bei to see if Liu Bei had ambitions to conquer the world, but he was fooled by Liu Bei's sweet talk."
Qian Wu didn't speak, just smiled and looked at Qi Xia.
Qi Xia slowly leaned forward, his eyes sharp and piercing as he stared at Qian Wu. "So what do you think... will I be Liu Bei?"
"Qi Xia, you are naturally not Liu Bei," Qian Wu said with a smile. "I also know that you don't want to conquer the world."
"Oh?" Qi Xia leaned back and sat upright. "It seems you understand me. Then how will you determine my attitude?"
"Qi Xia." Qian Wu suddenly changed his expression and said seriously, "I want to know what your 'ultimate plan' is."
"My... ultimate plan..." Qi Xia's eyes turned grave as well as he looked at the other. "What do you think the odds are that I would reveal my plan to you?"
"Is there anyone left you can trust?" Qian Wu asked. "Here... how far can you go relying on yourself?"
Qi Xia glanced imperceptibly at Qiao Jiajin and Li Shangwu beside him, then laughed. "I've never relied on myself."
"Even if you bring all the people you trust, in the end, you'll only fall at the feet of 'Celestial Dragon,'" Qian Wu said with a look of despair. "Haven't there been enough tragedies here...?"
Qi Xia froze for a moment upon hearing this and asked, "Have you seen the Celestial Dragon?"
"More than just me..." Qian Wu's expression gradually dimmed. "Qi Xia, everyone in the 'Land of the End' has seen the Celestial Dragon."
"What...?"
"That year, you led all the surviving 'participants' in the final battle against the Celestial Dragon..." Qian Wu said wistfully. "That was the first time I saw you, and also the first time I saw the 'Celestial Dragon.' Unfortunately, we lost too badly. We had no chance to fight back."
Qi Xia slowly stood up upon hearing this. He had never imagined that Qian Wu had preserved such memories for so long.
"Final battle against the Celestial Dragon...?" Qi Xia's lips moved slightly. "What was the situation at that time? What was the content of the battle?"
"It was an ordinary game," Qian Wu said. "No one expected that the Celestial Dragon would use the simplest 'Balance Game' to make you, us, and all the participants lose completely."
"What...?"
"We cannot provoke that man," Qian Wu said with a frown. "He is neither human nor an 'Echo.' He has magic, like a true god."
"Magic...?" Qi Xia furrowed his brow as well. Although he had seen many 'Echoes' here, hearing that the 'Celestial Dragon' possessed magic was still hard for him to accept.
Qiao Jiajin and Li Shangwu also exchanged glances, seemingly trying to judge the truth of Qian Wu's words.
Qian Wu extended both hands, palms facing up. "Qi Xia, tell me—if we stand on the two sides of a balance, and whoever is heavier wins, which is heavier: ten thousand 'participants,' or the 'Celestial Dragon' and 'Azure Dragon' combined?"
"You mean..."
Qi Xia pondered for half a second and instantly imagined the scene at that time.
Ten thousand people stood on the left side of the balance, while the 'Celestial Dragon' and 'Azure Dragon' stood on the right side—yet the 'participants' lost.
It was that simple game that made everyone lose completely.
"In their hearts resides the 'Tao,' while we are nothing but mortals..." Qian Wu said. "With 'Azure Dragon' guarding him, even if ten thousand people were all 'Echoes,' it would be absolutely impossible to defeat the 'Celestial Dragon,' let alone the fact that we couldn't achieve 'universal Echoing.'"
Qi Xia paused for a long time before asking, "When... did that happen?"
"About ten years ago," Qian Wu replied quietly. "Very few people remember this event. Anyone who retains the memory will be personally executed by Azure Dragon."
"What...?" Qi Xia thought for a moment. "Ten years ago?"
"Currently, perhaps only a very small number of people remember this. But they have all disguised themselves, waiting for the right moment." Qian Wu raised his eyes to look at Qi Xia. "I believe that moment is you."
"Is that so?" Qi Xia still looked at Qian Wu with a skeptical expression. If, as she said, everyone who retained memories had to hide themselves, why would she reveal everything?
"It seems you still don't believe me," Qian Wu shook her head. "Qi Xia, at that time, you gambled with the Celestial Dragon and lost. The 'Echoes' on site each used their abilities to escape. The vast majority didn't survive the massacre, but a few with special abilities managed to escape and survive."
Every word Qian Wu said tightened Qi Xia's heart. He felt that Qian Wu wasn't lying, but what was this sense of absurdity?
The Celestial Dragon and Azure Dragon—one as the leader of all 'Zodiacs,' the other as the chief of the 'Divine Beasts'—actually openly massacred 'participants'?
"If you want me to believe your words... you need to answer one question," Qi Xia said.
"Go ahead."
"When I gambled with the Celestial Dragon, what was the 'stake'?"
Qian Wu silently shook her head upon hearing this. "I don't know."
"Then aren't you lying?" Qi Xia said. "You claim to have participated in this gamble, yet you don't know what the stake was?"
"No, I'm not lying." Qian Wu still spoke seriously. "Qi Xia, as I said, that was the first time I saw you. So you and I weren't familiar. I was just one of many 'participants.' We cheered you on from behind, while you confronted the Celestial Dragon at the front. I didn't know what you said."
Qi Xia felt that Qian Wu's words had no obvious flaws. At least for now, the logic was consistent.
"I want to know more about the Celestial Dragon." Qi Xia changed the subject. "I need to understand my opponent."
"Qi Xia, I know you won't listen to advice, but I have to tell you... we cannot fight that man," Qian Wu said with a frown. "Ordinary people can't even see him, let alone ask him for someone."
"It's very easy to see him." Qi Xia slightly lifted the corner of his mouth. "Once I gather three thousand six hundred 'Tao,' I can immediately see the Celestial Dragon."
"What—"
The expressions of Qian Wu, Zhou Liu, and Song Qi all flickered with panic. Shijiu, standing nearby, also stirred with emotion and almost removed the 'Silence' spell.
"Qi Xia! Absolutely not!" Qian Wu shouted urgently. "Under no circumstances should you collect three thousand six hundred 'Tao'! The 'Tao' is nothing but a huge deception!!"
Qian Wu reached out and grabbed Qi Xia's arm. In the next second, her body rapidly transformed—she changed from a woman to a man. Except for her face, which remained the same, her entire physique was now identical to Qi Xia's.
Zheng Yingxiong, still hidden behind Qi Xia, murmured to himself, "I smell the rich fragrance of the 'Twin Flowers.'"