Chapter 549: The Whirlpool
I agreed to Chu Tianqiu's request.
When I really thought about it, it was terrifying. On one hand, I was agreeing to Qinglong's demands, while on the other, I was trying to worm my way into the conflict between Chu Tianqiu and Qi Xia. Was the power disparity in our four-person game simply too great?
It was like licking blood from the edge of a knife. Or like charging into the midst of several powerful monsters while wielding nothing but a broken, rusty blade. If they accidentally grazed me while tearing into each other, I would be shattered into pieces in an instant.
In this shapeless whirlpool, how was I supposed to escape unscathed?
Fortunately, it seemed that for now, part of Chu Tianqiu's plan overlapped with Qinglong's.
Qinglong wanted Chu Tianqiu and Qi Xia to fight. And Chu Tianqiu also hoped that I would take the initiative to show Qi Xia an opening.
From this perspective... as long as I did what the two of them expected of me, I should be able to barely maneuver through this.
This feeling truly made my skin crawl.
Whether it was Qi Xia or Qinglong, I couldn't see through either of them.
And now, even Chu Tianqiu's eyes were shrouded in a thin fog.
As I said, from beginning to end, I was just an ordinary person. There was simply no way I could compete with these people who were born monsters. But I would do everything within my power to handle what I could.
Either I would find a way to destroy this place, or this place would destroy me.
In the days that followed, I worked hard to play the role of Chu Tianqiu, while the real Chu Tianqiu went to hide in the shelter he had built in the graveyard.
"Paradise" was different from before, too.
Although the people here still followed my instructions, they seemed to have lost their "souls." The "Paradise" of two years ago was definitely not like this. Back then, everyone had the drive to move forward, and you could see light in their eyes.
Now, that light was gone.
Even Zhang Shan no longer brimmed with the same energy as before.
Although many people didn't remember what had happened, those "feelings of despair" buried deep in their hearts still lingered, clinging to everyone's mind without ever dissipating.
If I had to say who among all the members of "Paradise" still had light in their eyes...
Naturally, it was Yun Yao.
The light in her eyes was stronger than anyone else's. She wanted to get out more than anyone, and her resolve was unwavering.
In the second cycle, following Chu Tianqiu's instructions, I waited at the place where Qi Xia and his group appeared and directly invited them to join "Paradise."
The plan went even more smoothly than I had imagined.
After all, the Chu Tianqiu I was playing was truly flawless. I would use Chu Tianqiu's signature smile, facing everyone with a refined, gentle charisma.
When they arrived at "Paradise," I immediately sent Zhang Shan to control Qiao Jiajin, successfully angering Qi Xia.
But I didn't expect Qi Xia to have changed, too.
The old Qi Xia, although incredibly intelligent, would do his best to help those around him. In my memory, Qi Xia would never knock someone to the ground over a few words.
And this time, he immediately picked up a brick, wanting to kill me—this Chu Tianqiu—completely.
Qi Xia now carried a desperate aura I had never seen before. This aura made him ruthless and merciless. Even just having his eyes fixed on me was enough to make me feel a bone-chilling despair.
What happened to him?
A few days ago, when he was sitting in the taxi covered in blood, he was still asking me, "Are you awake now?"
Qi Xia, who cared so much about a stranger, was now glaring at me with ice-cold eyes, holding a brick while choking my neck.
I had only been gone for two years... why had everyone changed?
What happened to Chu Tianqiu?
What happened to Qi Xia?
Were these two powerhouses so formidable that Qinglong himself had to step in, just to watch them fight?
"Chu Tianqiu, who are you trying to fool?" Qi Xia asked.
"Fool...? You think I'm fooling...?"
I strained to squeeze out a smile, but my heart was pounding with anxiety. Why did he think I was putting on an act?
What was going on with this man? Could he see through me?
He stared at me coldly and continued, "I don't care if you're the leader of 'Paradise' or the god that rules this place. Why are you provoking me?"
"I... how am I provoking you?"
That one short sentence from Qi Xia made every hair on my body stand on end. Did he actually know something... or was he just shooting in the dark?
Why did he suddenly bring up the leader of "Paradise" and the god that rules this place?
I felt my brain getting more and more confused. In this game, it seemed I was the only one kept in the dark.
The three of them were just too powerful. I was completely outmatched. I had a feeling... I had already stepped into someone's "trap"...
But whose trap was it now?
Qi Xia's?
Chu Tianqiu's?
Qinglong's?
He kept weighing that big rock in his hand, his eyes full of murderous intent. I really felt like he was going to kill me.
But I hadn't even met Qinglong yet. If I died this time, I might not be able to revive.
After all, he hadn't promised me the identity of a "participant" for this cycle. If I died, I would truly be dead.
So, what should I do?
Countless thoughts flooded my mind, and a new idea suddenly sparked within me.
Wait... maybe I still had one last path to take.
That was to confess everything to Qi Xia right now.
Since I could no longer stay on the sidelines of their game, I would actively attach myself to one side. If Qi Xia could learn about Chu Tianqiu and Qinglong's plan, given his personality, it would be enough to throw this whole place into chaos!
"You... wait! Listen to me! I have my reasons for doing all this!" I quickly shouted. If Qi Xia showed even a moment of hesitation right then, I would spill everything.
But Qi Xia was Qi Xia after all. What he did always exceeded my expectations.
"Too bad you didn't tell me the reason beforehand." Qi Xia replied decisively. "The thing I hate most in this life is things that go beyond my expectations. No matter how shocking the 'truth' you're about to tell me is, I'm still going to smash your head in."
He really was going to kill me.
Thankfully, Yun Yao quickly grabbed him from the side and earnestly persuaded him with a few words.
And at that moment, I was genuinely terrified by Qi Xia. He wasn't like before...
The old Qi Xia would always have a large group of followers whenever he appeared. But now, his eyes were so sharp, and he only brought Qiao Jiajin with him. His followers had dwindled significantly. Why had he become like this?
I thought Yun Yao had managed to stop Qi Xia, but I never expected him to raise the rock again.
"Anyway, we can come back to life when we die... This time, I'll smash your skull to teach you a lesson. In your 'next life,' don't provoke me again."
"Don't... I can't die yet..."
I really couldn't die. Qi Xia, you can't do this.
Even if the real Chu Tianqiu could die this time, I couldn't!!
I would disappear!!
Just as I was in a state of absolute panic, the rock slammed into the ground right beside my ear, kicking up a cloud of dust.