Chapter 755: She Is Coming
As Yun Yao spoke, her eyes kept darting toward her lower left, a clear sign she was lying.
But Qi Xia tactfully chose not to call her out. He merely asked softly, "You think me and Chu Tianqiu here aren't enough? You want to bring that Wen Qiaoyun in?"
Chu Tianqiu, meanwhile, stood off to the side with a grim expression, his mood extremely complicated.
He realized that many people in this place were laying their own schemes, and he and Qi Xia were merely two of the players on the board.
Of course, even among players, there were rankings. The elaborate lies Yun Yao had fabricated were, in the eyes of Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu, clearly the work of the lowest-tier player.
"Qi Xia, I'm not saying you and Chu Tianqiu aren't capable..." Yun Yao glanced at Chu Tianqiu with a complicated expression after speaking. "Maybe both of you are very strong, but the more strong people we have here, the better, isn't that right? Our common enemy is the 'Zodiacs' or the 'Divine Beasts,' so no matter what, we're on the same united front..."
"That argument is a bit flawed," Qi Xia said. "On the surface, it looks like our enemies are the 'Zodiacs' and 'Divine Beasts,' but if you think back carefully, you'll find that the number of participants who have killed other participants here far exceeds those killed by these enemies. So why would I want to recruit a strong participant?"
"This..." Yun Yao hesitated for a moment, then said, "Even though many participants kill each other during the games, it's ultimately because of the rules set by those 'Zodiacs.' If there were no 'Zodiacs,' theoretically the participants wouldn't..."
Before she could finish, Yun Yao choked on her own words.
She realized she seemed to be saying something incredibly naive.
Qi Xia shook his head helplessly upon hearing this. "Yun Yao, without the 'Zodiacs,' would participants stop killing people?"
Zheng Yingxiong, standing nearby, curled his lips into a bitter smile upon hearing this viewpoint.
If people truly want to kill, what does it have to do with the 'Zodiacs'?
"Qi Xia... this is my last hope," Yun Yao said. "I have no other pursuits left in this place... I just want to kill all the 'Zodiacs'..."
"And the day you finish?" Qi Xia asked again.
"Finish..."
"When all the people with the title of 'Zodiac' here are dead, what will you do then?"
"It's impossible for all the 'Zodiacs' to die... after all, there's still 'Heaven'..."
Qi Xia sighed upon hearing this. "What if even 'Heaven' dies?"
"What..."
"If someone actually appears who can kill even 'Heaven,' then what will you do?" Qi Xia said with a complex expression. "Will we be able to leave then?"
Qi Xia's successive questions left Yun Yao speechless.
People are sometimes like that—they clearly know the outcome, yet they still refuse to face it.
"Qi Xia... I..." Yun Yao kept her head lowered, her expression as if she couldn't say another word.
"Now that I've told you the situation, are you still planning to bring her 'into the fold'?"
Yun Yao lowered her head and thought for a long time, as if she finally understood something.
The person standing before her was not an ordinary participant—it was Qi Xia.
And now she was trying to use a scheme she had concocted in a single day to deceive this man.
"Qi Xia..." Yun Yao bit her lip and asked, "If I bring her 'into the fold,' will it make things difficult for you...?"
"Hmm?" Qi Xia looked at Yun Yao coldly.
"I mean... will it disrupt you and Chu Tianqiu's plans?"
"No," Qi Xia said.
"Then..."
"Fine."
Just as Qi Xia was about to speak, Chu Tianqiu reached out from behind and placed a hand on Qi Xia's shoulder.
"Qi Xia," Chu Tianqiu called out in a low voice.
"What is it?"
"I'll gouge out both of my own eyes," Chu Tianqiu said flatly. "Would that make you give up on Wen Qiaoyun?"
Qi Xia frowned slightly upon hearing this, then turned around to face Chu Tianqiu.
"Your eyes?" Qi Xia asked. "What use are your eyes to me?"
Chu Tianqiu narrowed his eyes thoughtfully and added, "Plus my right hand. Or I can agree to any other condition you name."
"Chu Tianqiu, I'm disappointed. This is the first time in my memory I've seen you like this," Qi Xia said with a furrowed brow, his voice low. "You killed her with your own hands, and now you're afraid she'll come back?"
Chu Tianqiu pressed his lips together, unable to give any answer.
"Killing Wen Qiaoyun wasn't about liberating her. You were escaping the responsibility you should have faced," Qi Xia said.
"Yes, I was escaping," Chu Tianqiu replied. "You know I'm escaping, yet you insist on bringing her back?"
"I must bring her back," Qi Xia said, shaking his head. "My memories need her to be restored. I'm only one step away now. Chu Tianqiu, face reality. Before long, a brand new 'Wen Qiaoyun' will appear before you."
"Give her a chance," Chu Tianqiu said, his voice very low. "I already made up my mind to kill her once. If she comes back here safe and sound... I don't know what I'll become."
"Don't worry. You'll only become crazier," Qi Xia laughed. "That's completely beneficial to you, with no drawbacks."
Chu Tianqiu stared at Qi Xia for a long time, as if he had figured something out. A hint of deranged smile appeared on his face. "Qi Xia, the Earth Dragon, right?"
"Hmm?"
"'He' wants us to participate in the 'Earth Dragon' game and leave only one person alive, right?"
Qi Xia smiled and nodded upon hearing this. "Sounds like it. What, are you really planning to slaughter me in that game?"
Chu Tianqiu said, "If Wen Qiaoyun comes back, will she help me kill you?"
"She might help you, but she can't kill me," Qi Xia replied calmly.
"You've already figured out how to deal with both of us?" Chu Tianqiu asked again.
"How ridiculous, Chu Tianqiu. Just a moment ago you were standing on the rooftop declaring with conviction that the two of us wouldn't turn on each other, but now, because Wen Qiaoyun is about to 'join,' you're ready to fight to the death in the Earth Dragon game?"
Chu Tianqiu nodded after hearing this. "I just feel that with Qiaoyun, I won't need you anymore. She and I can reach that summit together. And we're a man and a woman, enough to fulfill all the requirements."
"I hope so," Qi Xia nodded. "If Wen Qiaoyun 'joining in' means you and I get to face off again, it might make me even stronger than I am now."
"Fine." Chu Tianqiu knew he couldn't interfere with Qi Xia anyway, so he stopped resisting. "Let me see her, then."
"But now is not the time."
After saying this, Qi Xia turned back to look at Yun Yao. "Yun Yao, I met someone before who looks a lot like the Wen Qiaoyun you described."
"Ah?" Yun Yao was taken aback, unsure what Qi Xia meant.
"But she's not here right now. She went out with Yan Zhichun earlier. Can you call them both back?"