Wen Qiaoyun and Han Yimo exchanged a glance before walking toward a nearby door.
“Qiaoyun-jie… that’s…”
“It’s fine, let’s go.”
The Human Pig, who had been stunned for a while, finally snapped out of it and called out to them.
“Hey!”
“Hmm?” The two turned to look at him.
“Not that way.” The Human Pig shook his head at the door. “That’s my exit. Your ‘door’ is over here.”
He pointed to a solitary “door” in the dark corner behind him.
“I’m a little curious,” Wen Qiaoyun said, gesturing to the door beside her. “Where does this one lead?”
“Where…?” The Human Pig thought for a few seconds before replying, “Naturally, to ‘exit’—not just from this game, but from your lives altogether.”
“I see…” Wen Qiaoyun nodded. “I won’t leave, but can I open it and take a look?”
The Human Pig paused before answering, “Of course. Whether you leave or not doesn’t concern me.”
He knew that if “participants” escaped through that door, it would be Zhuque or Qinglong who killed them, not him.
A shame, but it wouldn’t count toward his own achievements. So he wasn’t lying—it truly didn’t matter to him which door they chose.
The only reason he warned them was to avoid his room gaining a reputation as a “death trap.” If someone entered and never returned, others would stop coming.
Seizing the rare opportunity before the Human Pig could change his mind, Wen Qiaoyun immediately opened the door. A faintly glowing crimson light seeped in, revealing nothing more than the ordinary streets of the “Land of the End.”
Ordinary streets, scattered small rooms, panicked referees, hastily assembled games.
This was the rest of the “Cangjie Chess” battlefield.
“Just streets?” Wen Qiaoyun murmured. “If we walk out, it counts as ‘escaping’?”
“Yep,” the Human Pig replied, tidying up the table. “You seem smart, so you must know the consequences of fleeing a game, right?”
How could he have guessed that this was Wen Qiaoyun’s first time entering a game in her own memory?
“I have an idea,” she said calmly, gently closing the door.
Han Yimo seemed reluctant to leave whatever lay beyond, but after considering the risk of death, he silently followed Wen Qiaoyun.
“Then we’ll be going,” Wen Qiaoyun said, having gathered enough information. There was no need to linger.
The two stepped through the door they had originally entered—leading them back to the “Cangjie Chess” game area.
Without another word to the Human Pig, they left.
The Human Pig slowly closed the wooden door behind them, hoping he had left a decent impression and that they might bring him more “customers” in the future.
Once outside, Wen Qiaoyun headed straight for Chu Tianqiu’s direction without looking back. Han Yimo hurriedly grabbed her before the surrounding doors unlocked.
“Qiaoyun-jie… don’t forget our deal…”
“The deal…” She paused. “I won’t forget. Don’t worry—as long as you bring me the second ‘character,’ I’ll make sure the whole team accepts you.”
“Good… that’s great…”
As the doors unlocked, they quickly returned to their respective “preparation zones.” Since Wen Qiaoyun was now in enemy territory, she had to be wary of ambushes. But as she reached the “riverbank,” the first thing she saw was Zhang Shan lying motionless on the ground.
She froze for a few seconds before scanning the walls—now heavily splattered with blood.
Zhang Shan had been defeated?
His massive frame lay like a dead tiger. Could an ordinary person really take him down…?
With this much blood, had the enemy ganged up on him?
She wanted to check on him, but she tightened her grip on the two “characters” in her pocket. Now wasn’t the time.
She had exited from the far-right room, but Zhang Shan’s body was too far left.
Though it was only a dozen steps away, anything could happen in those steps. Even if she confirmed whether he was alive or dead, she couldn’t carry him to safety.
Resigning herself, she left Zhang Shan where he was and hurried through the door ahead of her. After confirming it was empty, she rushed back to the “preparation zone.”
On the way, she faintly heard arguing from their own “battle zone,” but the soundproofing was too good—only muffled echoes reached her, making it impossible to pinpoint the source.
…
Han Yimo, panting, arrived at the “preparation zone” to find Qi Xia and Zhang Chenze talking while Qiao Jiajin lay bloodied in the corner.
“Huh…?” He blinked, baffled. Had something big happened in the short time he’d been gone?
Even without the protagonist around, chaos unfolded—was this some side story?
Qi Xia glanced at him, quickly assessing his identity.
“What happened to him…?” Han Yimo pointed at Qiao Jiajin.
Identity confirmed—not Xu Liunian.
“Resting,” Qi Xia replied flatly. “And you? Any results?”
“I…” Han Yimo lowered his head in frustration. “I’m sorry! I lost!”
“Good.” Qi Xia showed no surprise, merely nodding before turning away. “Lawyer Zhang, keep an eye on this room.”
He tapped a spot on the wall map. “Chen Junan is invading alone, but I trust he’ll wreak havoc. Tian Tian and Zheng Yingxiong are holding the flanks, but the center is weak. Stall until Chen Junan returns—if you encounter anyone, retreat fast.”
“Understood.” Zhang Chenze nodded and left.
Han Yimo thought Qi Xia would say something to him after sending Zhang Chenze away, but instead, he went to check Qiao Jiajin’s injuries.
Was he just going to ignore him?
No—Han Yimo sensed something. He wasn’t ignoring him; he was waiting for the protagonist to say something to trigger the next plot point.
“You have no idea how badly I lost!” Han Yimo exclaimed. “That woman was no ordinary opponent—she was like an ancient powerhouse.”
Qi Xia checked Qiao Jiajin’s nostrils to ensure blood clots weren’t blocking his breathing and murmured three words: “Good work.”
“It wasn’t just work!” Han Yimo insisted. “Even though I lost to her, I figured out how to counter her! If I get another chance, I’ll make sure she leaves in defeat.”
Qi Xia turned his cold gaze on him. “Did you go to the ‘riverbank’ earlier?”
“River… bank?” Han Yimo shook his head. “No.”
“Good. Stay in the ‘preparation zone’ from now on.”
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