Chapter 511: True God
"You're comparing Qi Xia... to a machine?" Yun Yao said.
"Yes, and that's also why I want to cooperate with him," Lin Qin said with a smile. "When you know there's such a powerful machine out there, wouldn't you want to take the risk of buying it and making it your own?"
"But you also said... it's dangerous," Yun Yao replied. "Aren't you worried that one day he might hurt you?"
"I can't say for sure... I've been in contact with Qi Xia for a while now..." Lin Qin continued in her gentle voice. "Although he appears cold on the surface, his psychological issues are very serious. He's anxious, sensitive, and paranoid, but deep down, he longs for someone to be by his side. He also often exudes a profound sense of helplessness."
What Lin Qin was saying touched on areas none of the others present had ever explored, so they could only listen to her analysis.
"He's very contradictory, because he often suppresses his own thoughts. To put it another way, Qi Xia is actually very worried about developing deep feelings for us, his so-called 'teammates.' This would have an adverse effect on his plans. But at the same time, he'll save everyone he can within his power."
"That really is contradictory..." Yun Yao said. "One moment you say he's as cold-blooded as a machine, the next you say he actually wants to save everyone... Can someone really have such a psychology?"
"Exactly..." Lin Qin nodded. "From a psychological perspective, this situation can only mean that one of these states is Qi Xia's disguise. So what do you think... which one is the disguise—the 'cold-bloodedness' or the 'kindness'?"
Lin Qin's words had basically revealed the answer. Qi Xia's usual behavior was abnormally cold, yet his actions often contradicted that exterior. This was likely his disguise.
"But I still don't understand... You say he has a disguise, but what about his goal?" Yun Yao asked.
"That, I truly don't know," Lin Qin replied. "I only know one thing—Qi Xia might have actually escaped. If I follow him... there's a good chance I can escape too..."
Seeing the confused looks on everyone's faces, Lin Qin explained the strange old man that existed in her world.
That old man was extremely intelligent, but he was also a madman. No matter how many times she called him "Qi Xia," he showed no reaction. But if she said the three words "Yu Nian'an," he would completely break down and descend into a state of madness.
"You're saying... you've seen Qi Xia in the real world?!" Yun Yao asked incredulously.
"It's not that I saw him with my own eyes." Lin Qin shook her head. "I mentioned this to Qi Xia. I suspect he's at the hospital where my friend works. His situation was something my friend told me about."
Zhang Chenze, who had been listening for a while, finally spoke: "So... did you cooperate with Qi Xia?"
"Yes. Although it's not solid, we have a partnership as thin as a cicada's wing," Lin Qin said. "If I really had to choose... I would choose to help Qi Xia, not someone like Chu Tianqiu or Xu Liunian. I know even less about them."
After hearing this, the group gradually fell into silence. In Zhang Chenze's mind, things felt even more chaotic now.
Everyone here was working hard to escape this place. Compared to them, she had actually done nothing.
"But that's 'Endless Life'..." Yun Yao said wistfully. "When 'Endless Life' descended... I was standing right in front of the display screen. No one could be clearer than me about just how powerful 'Endless Life' is... That enormous bell sound could shatter car windows completely. All the writing on the screen was obscured by 'Endless Life.' If this isn't a 'miracle'... then how should it be understood?"
"So your thoughts are...?"
"My thoughts are straightforward." Yun Yao said. "The potential of 'Endless Life' is too great. If it can truly create a person at will, then I choose to help Xu Liunian."
Yun Yao's view clearly diverged from Lin Qin's, but Lin Qin didn't see anything wrong with that.
At the end of the day, Qi Xia was just a smart person with potential to escape in her mind. If she could find a better method, she could abandon Qi Xia at any time.
Zhang Chenze nodded after hearing this and asked, "Yun Yao, do you think creating a 'Wen Qiaoyun' would provide us with any substantial help?"
Yun Yao lowered her head silently upon hearing this, then reached up to smooth the hair on top of her head. She looked up and said, "Think about it. Qi Xia alone is already this powerful... If, and I mean if... Qi Xia truly believes there is someone far more powerful than himself and creates them, that person would certainly bring earth-shattering changes to the 'Land of Endings.'"
"Far more powerful than Qi Xia..." Lin Qin muttered these words to herself, feeling that this had exceeded the scope of what she could comprehend.
This kind of person... no, they could no longer be called a 'person.' Did such a creature really exist?
She couldn't even begin to guess Qi Xia's thoughts. If a creature far more powerful than Qi Xia were to appear... what would it even think about?
What kind of things would it do?
A terrifying creature that was completely unimaginable and unpredictable—it absolutely could not be called a 'person.' It would be more like a 'god' than Qi Xia. If things really turned out this way, would this 'god' really stand on the side of the 'participants'?
What reason would it have to help the 'participants'?
"I can't... My thoughts are getting a bit jumbled..." Lin Qin said, holding her forehead. "But I still feel like this plan isn't very reliable... I have a very bad feeling about this..."
As she spoke, Lin Qin reached up to cover her mouth and nose, as if trying to avoid some kind of smell.
Yun Yao also knew that this was indeed a risky move, and would be very difficult to execute.
Not only would they need to make Qi Xia obtain the 'Echo' again, they would also have to try to deceive him.
On the land of the 'Land of Endings,' it was easy to deceive a person, but deceiving Qi Xia was as difficult as reaching the heavens. He would probably only need a single clue to see through their carefully crafted lie.
Yun Yao and Lin Qin thought for a moment, then both looked up at Zhang Chenze.
The two had already stated their positions. Only Zhang Chenze had yet to make a choice.
"I..." Zhang Chenze shook her head helplessly. "According to my life principles, I know far too little about these matters. Whether it's Qi Xia or 'Endless Life,' this is my first time having such an in-depth understanding of them. And my life principle has always been just one thing... Without obtaining all the information, I won't rashly make a choice. That wouldn't be fair to anyone."
"Not making a choice...?"
"Right." Zhang Chenze nodded. "I might think the same as Chu Tianqiu. Although we are teammates in the same room as Qi Xia, no one should interfere with his methods. Just let everything take its course. At least for now... let's not make a choice."
The choices of the three people had clearly diverged. But fortunately, there were more than just three people in the room. They all turned their gazes to Li Xiangling and Tiantian, who were on the side.