Chapter 550: A Wave
Chu Tianqiu asked me to give Qi Xia an appropriate show of force, but the truth is, he and I aren't even on the same level.
I was nearly trampled to death by Qi Xia's horse.
Still, maybe that's for the best. That was already the full extent of what I, as an ordinary person, could do.
I recall Chu Tianqiu telling me to reveal some deliberate flaws to Qi Xia, yet I've now sadly discovered that even if I do nothing at all—just stand before Qi Xia—I'm already riddled with them from head to toe.
The harder I try to play the part of Chu Tianqiu, the more flaws I expose.
After all, Qi Xia has asked me more than once: "Chu Tianqiu, are you really a smart person?"
Every time I heard that question, my "Echo" was nearly broken. Thankfully, I always firmly believed that I was the former Chu Tianqiu. From a certain perspective, Chu Tianqiu and I share the same ultimate goal. Our conviction aligns—I am him, but he is not me.
Back then, Qi Xia also gave me a very strange piece of information, forcing me to re-evaluate the entire situation.
There were ten people in their room.
Every other room here has nine people. After all, even a madman like "Heavenly Dragon" knows that there are nine heavens above and nine underworlds below—"nine" is the supreme number of heaven and earth. Its significance to "Dao magic" goes without saying.
If he truly intended to use all the "participants" as stepping stones on his path to godhood, he would never have arranged a ten-person interview room.
If that's the case… could it be that someone else, like me, made a deal with Azure Dragon and infiltrated Qi Xia's room?
It sounds too absurd. No one in Qi Xia's room became a "Madman." In other words, their room's interviewer would kill any excess person. The risk for an infiltrator is extremely high—basically certain death.
How insane would someone have to be to infiltrate a room that's already at full capacity?
Unfortunately, I'm not Chu Tianqiu. I don't even remember who Qi Xia's original teammates were. Among the eight people who came over with him this time… is there one who's extra?
I suddenly felt a little scared. It turns out I wasn't the only one who thought of infiltrating someone else's room. Others have followed in my footsteps. Everyone is desperately trying to find a way out of this place, while I did nothing for two whole years.
I infiltrated Chu Tianqiu's room to worm my way into his team and thus gain entry to "Heaven's Mouth." So then… the extra person in Qi Xia's room—was he trying to infiltrate Qi Xia's team?
I feel that no one dares to set foot in this "Peach Blossom Land" anymore. The bizarre ecosystem has bred one monster after another.
In the days before, the rumor that "only one person can leave" spread like wildfire, making it impossible for us to trust anyone.
Besides, even the most trusted teammate might suddenly lose all their memories one day, becoming a stranger to us.
That was when Chu Tianqiu stepped up first. Not only did he establish an organization, repeatedly finding ways to preserve everyone's memories, but he also produced a notebook in the midst of everyone's emotional turmoil.
He told the crowd that the notebook recorded something—that more than one person could escape from this place. Because someone had succeeded before. So all "participants" had to unite.
Although Chu Tianqiu never mentioned it, many of us guessed that the notebook was something he made up himself.
But what difference did it make?
He could organize a scattered mess, provide food and shelter, and take responsibility for everyone's "Echo." Chu Tianqiu lived more exhausting days here than anyone else. Who would want to poke a hole through that thin window paper?
No matter what was written in that notebook—even if it was just a blank piece of paper—as long as he held it in his hand, it became the faith of everyone in "Heaven's Mouth." People would charge forward for that illusory piece of paper, dying here one after another.
In a place full of "despair," no one would question the weight of a "hope."
So I took the initiative to find an opportunity. When everyone in Chu Tianqiu's room lost their memories simultaneously, I infiltrated and smoothly became one of them.
If that's the case, what was the purpose of the person who infiltrated Qi Xia's room?
I've met Qi Xia a few times before, but it was so long ago—back before "Heaven's Mouth" was even established.
Qi Xia from seven years ago left a deep impression on me, but he disappeared for so long. I originally thought he had become a "Madman." But thinking about it carefully—aside from me, has anyone here ever regained their sanity from being a "Madman"?
Azure Dragon wouldn't take such a risky move, and Vermilion Bird even less so.
That means Qi Xia has been moving around in this "Peach Blossom Land" all these years. But if he's really such a formidable person, why has he been lying low for so long, never even joining "Heaven's Mouth"?
Even if he has a reclusive personality, Chu Tianqiu would definitely have extended an olive branch to him.
So… could this matter be related to the infiltrator in their room?
Later, I found out that the person who infiltrated their room wasn't an outsider, but an old face.
Let's set that aside for now. At that time, I had only one thought: I need to stabilize Qi Xia first. His upper limits of ability are still to be observed. I have to take this opportunity to fully understand this man.
So I told him about the mechanism of "Echo" and the ultimate goal of "Heaven's Mouth."
We need to rely on one "Echo user" after another to break through all the games.
But I had to do more than that—I also had to tell him about myself. I mean, about "Xu Liunian."
A man this clever shouldn't die an inexplicable death in a game of life-or-death against an "Earth-level" Zodiac. I want him to take Xu Liunian as a warning—to watch his words and actions.
Using Chu Tianqiu's mouth, I vividly told a fabricated story.
After all, I won't be appearing as "Xu Liunian" for a while… The next time I show up should be when I fully ignite the war between Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu.
Now I'm a little curious too… Which of these two will lead everyone to destroy this place?
What surprised me was that Qi Xia actually retained his memories from last time.
He had indeed obtained an "Echo." Azure Dragon's plan had succeeded.
An "unfortunate one" actually got an "Echo"… What exactly is Qi Xia's "Echo"?
I pretended to be surprised and sent Yunyao to look for him. I had already parked my car at the spot where I met Qi Xia last time. Although they wouldn't come up empty, there's absolutely no way they could know that I myself had long since returned to "Heaven's Mouth."
I'm not just here to come back—I'm also here to stir up a wave for Azure Dragon.
If I can ride that wave, maybe I can barely manage to touch the sky.