“Huh…?” Han Yimo was slightly taken aback.
Was the trigger for the plot not quite right here?
But no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out what he had said wrong just now.
“Wait… Qi Xia, did you not hear me clearly just now?” Han Yimo continued. “I’ve already found Wen Qiaoyun’s weakness. If I gamble with her one more time, I’m sure I can win!”
“Found Wen Qiaoyun’s weakness?” Qi Xia glanced at him calmly. “Tell me, what kind of weakness would she reveal in front of you?”
“Uh, well…” Han Yimo blinked and stammered in response. “I can’t say it now… but I’m really confident I can beat her…”
“It’s fine, no need.” Qi Xia said. “Just rest.”
Now Han Yimo was in a bind. He had clearly promised to bring the second “character” over… but now he didn’t have one on him, which meant he couldn’t leave the “preparation zone.”
Wait… Why had Qi Xia just asked him if he’d been to the “river”?
Although the area where he and Wen Qiaoyun were competing was close to the “river,” there was no reason for him to take a detour just to check it out.
Considering everything… something must have happened at the “river.”
Qi Xia didn’t want him to go there.
But why? Han Yimo couldn’t stop wondering. Qi Xia didn’t know about his undercover identity, so the only reason he’d stop him now was if there was danger there.
Qi Xia wanted to protect him from harm.
Despite his ambition, there was still a hint of a “savior” in him.
But Han Yimo couldn’t just let himself be controlled. This small act of kindness might just be a trap to lull him into complacency. He had greater things to do.
“So how long am I supposed to rest here?”
“Help me take care of Qiao Jiajin for now.” Qi Xia replied. “I’m tied up with other matters.”
“Take care of… Qiao Jiajin?” Han Yimo glanced at the unconscious man lying on the ground. Someone who looked half-dead… was there even any point in taking care of him?
Wouldn’t it be better to just let him die and wait for him to be reborn in the next cycle?
“Fine…”
Unable to find an excuse to refuse, Han Yimo walked over and slowly sat down beside Qiao Jiajin. He examined the injuries on his body and found them somewhat horrifying.
Though he had written many fight scenes, this was the first time he truly understood what “flesh torn open” looked like.
The skin on his face, torso, and arms was split open in places, and though much of the blood had already begun to clot, it still looked excruciatingly painful.
But there were no “weapons” in this game—what could have possibly injured Qiao Jiajin this badly?
Fists?
Han Yimo chuckled wryly and shook his head, feeling like he was losing his mind. How could someone’s skin be broken by mere fists?
As he zoned out, his hand accidentally brushed against Qiao Jiajin’s pants pocket—inside, there seemed to be a “character.”
Wait… Had he been thinking about this the wrong way all along? Why did he have to wait for Qi Xia to give him a “character”? Couldn’t he just steal one…?
“Think carefully before you act.” Qi Xia didn’t even turn his head, his voice low as he stared at the words on the wall.
“Huh…?” Han Yimo froze.
“Give yourself a chance. Don’t seek death.” Qi Xia added flatly.
Han Yimo didn’t fully understand what Qi Xia meant, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being threatened.
What a strange sensation.
After that, neither of them spoke. They simply stayed in the “preparation zone” in silence.
—
“Huh…?” Han Yimo was slightly taken aback.
Was this situation… not triggering the plot correctly?
But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t figure out which of his words had been wrong just now.
“Wait… Qixia, did you not hear me clearly?” Han Yimo spoke again. “I’ve already found Wen Qiaoyun’s weakness. If I face her in another bet, I’m sure I can win!”
“Found Wen Qiaoyun’s weakness?” Qixia glanced at Han Yimo with a calm expression. “Tell me, what weakness would she reveal in front of you?”
“Uh, well…” Han Yimo blinked and stammered in response. “I can’t say right now… but I’m really confident I can defeat her…”
“It’s fine, no need.” Qixia said. “Rest.”
Now Han Yimo was in a dilemma. He had clearly promised to bring the second “character” over… but now, without any “characters” on him, he couldn’t even leave the “preparation area.”
Wait… why had Qixia asked him earlier if he had been to the “river”?
Although the game area with Wen Qiaoyun was right next to the “river,” there was no reason for him to take a detour just to glance at it.
Considering everything… something must have happened at the “river.”
Qixia didn’t want him to go over.
But why? Han Yimo’s mind raced with doubts. Qixia didn’t know about his undercover identity, so preventing him from going could only mean something dangerous was happening there.
Qixia wanted to protect him from harm.
Despite his ambitious nature, he still had a bit of a “savior” quality in him.
But Han Yimo couldn’t just let himself be manipulated. This act of kindness might very well be a trap to lull him into complacency. He had greater things to accomplish.
“So how long am I supposed to rest here?”
“First, help me take care of Qiao Jiajin,” Qixia said. “I’m tied up for now and have other matters to attend to.”
“Take care of… Qiao Jiajin?” Han Yimo turned to look at Qiao Jiajin lying on the ground. A man who looked like he was on the verge of death… was there even any point in taking care of him?
Wouldn’t it be better to just let him die and wait for him to revive in the next cycle?
“Alright then…”
Han Yimo couldn’t find a reason to refuse, so he walked over and slowly sat down beside Qiao Jiajin. He examined the injuries on Qiao Jiajin’s body and found them somewhat horrifying.
Although he had written many fight scenes, only now did he truly understand what it meant for flesh to be torn open.
The skin on his cheeks, torso, and arms was split in places, and much of the blood had already begun to coagulate, but it still looked extremely painful.
But there were no “weapons” in this game. What could have injured Qiao Jiajin like this?
Fists?
Han Yimo shook his head with a bitter smile, feeling like he was losing his mind. How could someone’s skin be broken by fists?
As he was lost in thought, his hand accidentally brushed against Qiao Jiajin’s pants pocket, where he seemed to feel “characters.”
Wait… had he fallen into another misconception? Why did he have to wait for Qixia to give him the “characters”? Couldn’t he just steal one…?
“Think carefully before you act.” Qixia didn’t even turn around, his voice低沉 as he stared at the characters on the wall.
“Huh…?” Han Yimo was stunned.
“Give yourself a chance. Don’t seek death.” Qixia said calmly once again.
Although Han Yimo didn’t fully understand Qixia’s words, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being threatened.
What a strange sensation.
After that, neither of them spoke another word, simply staying quietly in the “preparation area.”
…
In a room marked with the character “巳,” four people stood together, the atmosphere reaching an eerie extreme.
These four were Dr. Zhao, Kim Won-hoon, Chen Junnan, and Chen Junnan.
“Wait… I really am Xu Liunian!!!” one Chen Junnan almost hoarsely exclaimed. “I’ve been saying it for so long, why won’t you believe me?!”
Let’s call him Chen Junnan A.
“Don’t listen to his nonsense!” another Chen Junnan’s voice was even hoarser than the first. “I’m even willing to die to prove my innocence. Let me see Tianqiu! He’ll definitely be able to tell who’s real!!”
Let’s call this one Chen Junnan B.
“Have you had enough?!” Chen Junnan A snapped viciously at Chen Junnan B. “Do you think putting on an act can fool everyone? No matter how well you imitate, you’re still a fake!”
“Fake?!” Chen Junnan B was baffled. “I already said we can let Chu Tianqiu verify who’s real and who’s not. Why are you afraid to go?!”
Dr. Zhao and Kim Won-hoon stood there in stunned silence. The situation was truly bizarre.
Both of them claimed to be “Xu Liunian” and accused the other of being “Chen Junnan.”
But did they not realize they both had Chen Junnan’s face?
So, who was the fake now?
The two of them even wanted to seek Chu Tianqiu’s judgment to determine the truth. Were they treating Chu Tianqiu like the Buddha?
“I…” Dr. Zhao forced a bitter smile. “I have a small, perhaps naive suggestion… It doesn’t really matter who’s fake and who’s real… Can the real Xu Liunian just change back?”
“I wish I could!” both Chen Junnans said almost simultaneously.
“Huh?” Dr. Zhao was now even more troubled.
Chen Junnan B: “Earlier, I wanted to return to the ‘preparation area’ immediately to find Tianqiu, but the problem is I didn’t want to go back looking like this disgusting appearance. So, I tried to control my conviction in this room, but no matter what, I couldn’t change back…”
Chen Junnan A: “Don’t listen to his nonsense! It’s because the power of ‘echoing’ here is too weak. You can’t change back even if you want to! Both of you, step aside and let us go find Tianqiu!”
Dr. Zhao and Kim Won-hoon exchanged glances.
If they let both of them into the “preparation area,” there was a hundred percent chance that Chen Junnan would also get in.
But if they didn’t let the two of them see Chu Tianqiu… how could they tell who was real and who was fake?
After a moment of thought, Kim Won-hoon said, “How about this… Sister Xu Liunian, the doctor and I will leave first, and the two of you can trigger the game here.”
Dr. Zhao quickly nodded upon hearing this, feeling it was probably the best idea.
“No!” both Chen Junnans shouted at once.
Dr. Zhao was taken aback. “Why not…?”
Chen Junnan A: “Have you lost your minds?! He’s Chen Junnan! He can even imitate my appearance to deceive you. Isn’t that ‘cunning’ enough? How could I possibly win against him in this ‘巳蛇’ game?”
Chen Junnan B: “You stole my words again! Dr. Zhao, Kim Won-hoon, let me ask you this… Even if the two of us compete in the game arena… even if only one of us can walk out of this door, will you be able to tell who’s real and who’s fake?”
Dr. Zhao and Kim Won-hoon scratched their heads simultaneously, feeling that they were in big trouble.
The four were Dr. Zhao, Jin Yuanxun, Chen Junnan—and Chen Junnan.
“Listen, I’m really Xu Liunian!!!” One of the Chen Junnans nearly shouted himself hoarse. “I’ve been saying it for so long—why won’t you believe me?!”
Let’s call him Chen Junnan A.
“Don’t listen to his nonsense!” The other Chen Junnan’s voice was even hoarser. “I’m willing to die to prove my innocence! Just let me see Tian Qiu—he’ll definitely know who’s the real one!”
This one will be Chen Junnan B.
“Enough of your act!!” Chen Junnan A snarled at Chen Junnan B. “You think pretending like this will fool everyone? No matter how well you imitate me, you’re still fake!”
“Fake?!” Chen Junnan B was baffled. “I already said we can let Chu Tianqiu verify who’s real—why are you so afraid to go?!”
Dr. Zhao and Jin Yuanxun stood there in stunned silence. The situation was beyond bizarre.
Both of them claimed to be “Xu Liunian” and accused the other of being “Chen Junnan.”
But had they not noticed they were both wearing Chen Junnan’s face?
So who was the fake one here?
And now they wanted Chu Tianqiu to judge who was real—were they treating him like the Buddha himself?
“I…” Dr. Zhao forced a bitter smile. “I have a small suggestion… It doesn’t matter who’s fake or real… The real Xu Liunian can just change back, can’t she?”
“I wish!” Both Chen Junnans said simultaneously.
“Ah?” Dr. Zhao was at a loss.
Chen Junnan B: “Earlier, I wanted to return to the ‘preparation zone’ to find Tianqiu, but I didn’t want to go back looking like this disgusting version of myself. So I tried to control my conviction in this room, but no matter what, I couldn’t change back…”
Chen Junnan A: “Don’t listen to his nonsense! It’s because the ‘echo’ here is too weak—you can’t change back! You two, stop blocking the way—just let us go see Tianqiu!”
Dr. Zhao and Jin Yuanxun exchanged glances.
If they let both of them into the “preparation zone,” there was no doubt they’d be letting Chen Junnan in as well.
But if they didn’t let them see Chu Tianqiu… how else could they tell who was real?
After a moment of thought, Jin Yuanxun said, “How about this… Sister Xu Liunian, Dr. Zhao and I will leave first, and you two can trigger the game here.”
Dr. Zhao quickly nodded in agreement—this seemed like the best solution.
“No!” Both Chen Junnans shouted at once.
Dr. Zhao was stunned. “Why not…?”
“Huh…?” Han Yimo was slightly taken aback.
Was this situation… not triggering the plot correctly?
But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t figure out which of his words had been wrong just now.
“Wait… Qixia, did you not hear me clearly?” Han Yimo spoke again. “I’ve already found Wen Qiaoyun’s weakness. If I gamble against her one more time, I’m sure to win!”
“Found Wen Qiaoyun’s weakness?” Qixia glanced at Han Yimo with an indifferent expression. “Tell me, what weakness would she reveal in front of you?”
“Uh, well…” Han Yimo blinked and stammered in response. “I can’t say right now… but I’m really confident I can defeat her…”
“It’s fine, no need.” Qixia said. “Rest.”
Now Han Yimo was in a difficult position. He had clearly promised to bring the second “character” over… but now, without any “character” on him, he couldn’t even leave the “preparation area.”
Wait… why had Qixia asked him earlier if he had been to the “river”?
Although his game with Wen Qiaoyun was close to the “river,” there was no reason for him to detour and take a look at the “river.”
Considering everything… something must have happened at the “river.”
Qixia didn’t want him to go over.
But why? Han Yimo’s mind raced. Qixia didn’t know about his undercover identity, so if he wasn’t allowing him to go over now, it could only mean something dangerous was happening there.
Qixia wanted to protect him from harm.
Despite his ambitious nature, he still had some qualities of a “savior” about him.
But he couldn’t just let Qixia control him. This act of kindness might very well be a trap to lull him into complacency. He had greater things to accomplish.
“Then how long am I supposed to rest here?”
“First, help me take care of Qiao Jiajin,” Qixia said. “I’m tied up for now and have other things to attend to.”
“Take care of… Qiao Jiajin?” Han Yimo turned to look at Qiao Jiajin lying on the ground. A man who looked like he was on the verge of death… was there even any point in taking care of him?
Wouldn’t it be better to just let him die and wait for him to revive in the next cycle?
“Alright then…”
Han Yimo couldn’t find a reason to refuse, so he walked over and slowly sat down beside Qiao Jiajin. He examined the injuries on Qiao Jiajin’s body and found them somewhat horrifying.
Although he had written many fight scenes, only now did he truly understand what it meant to be “beaten to a pulp.”
The skin on his cheeks, torso, and arms was split open in places, and much of the blood had already begun to coagulate, but it still looked excruciatingly painful.
But there were no “weapons” in this game. What could have injured Qiao Jiajin like this?
Fists?
Han Yimo shook his head with a bitter smile, feeling like he was losing his mind. How could someone’s skin be broken by fists?
As he was lost in thought, his hand accidentally brushed against Qiao Jiajin’s pants pocket, where he seemed to feel a “character.”
Wait… he seemed to have fallen into another misconception. Why did he have to wait for Qixia to give him a “character”? Couldn’t he just steal one…?
“Think carefully before you act.” Qixia didn’t even turn his head, his voice低沉 as he stared at the characters on the wall.
“Huh…?” Han Yimo was stunned.
“Give yourself a chance. Don’t seek your own death.” Qixia spoke again, his tone still calm.
Although Han Yimo didn’t fully understand Qixia’s words, he felt threatened.
What a strange feeling.
For the rest of the time, neither of them spoke, simply staying quietly in the “preparation area.”
…
In a room marked with the character “巳,” four people stood together, the atmosphere extremely eerie.
These four were Dr. Zhao, Kim Woonsung, Chen Junnan, and Chen Junnan.
“No… I really am Xu Liunian!!!” one Chen Junnan almost hoarsely exclaimed. “I’ve been saying it for so long, why won’t you believe me?!”
Let’s call him Chen Junnan A.
“Don’t listen to his nonsense!” another Chen Junnan’s voice was even hoarser than the first. “I’m even willing to die to prove my innocence. Let me see Chu Tianqiu! He’ll definitely be able to tell who’s real!!”
Let’s call this one Chen Junnan B.
“Have you had enough?!” Chen Junnan A snapped viciously at Chen Junnan B. “Do you think putting on an act can fool everyone? No matter how well you imitate, you’re still a fake!”
“Fake?!” Chen Junnan B was baffled. “I already said we can let Chu Tianqiu verify who’s real and who’s not. Why are you afraid to go?!”
Dr. Zhao and Kim Woonsung stood there in stunned silence. The situation was truly bizarre.
Both of them claimed to be “Xu Liunian” and insisted the other was “Chen Junnan.”
But had they not noticed they both had Chen Junnan’s face?
So, who was the fake now?
They even wanted to go to Chu Tianqiu to judge who was real and who was fake. Did they think Chu Tianqiu was some kind of Buddha?
“I…” Dr. Zhao forced a bitter smile. “I have a small, perhaps naive suggestion… It doesn’t really matter who’s fake and who’s real… The real Xu Liunian can just change back, right?”
“I want to!” both Chen Junnans said almost simultaneously.
“Huh?” Dr. Zhao was now even more troubled.
Chen Junnan B: “Earlier, I wanted to return to the ‘preparation area’ immediately to find Tianqiu, but the problem is I didn’t want to go back looking like this disgusting appearance. So, I tried to control my conviction in this room, but no matter what, I couldn’t change back…”
Chen Junnan A: “Don’t listen to his nonsense! It’s because the power of ‘echo’ here is too weak. You can’t change back even if you want to! Both of you, step aside and let us go find Tianqiu!”
Dr. Zhao and Kim Woonsung exchanged glances.
If they let both of them into the “preparation area,” there was a hundred percent chance that Chen Junnan would also get in.
But if they didn’t let the two of them see Chu Tianqiu… how could they tell who was real and who was fake?
Kim Woonsung thought for a moment and said, “How about this… Sister Xu Liunian, the doctor and I will leave first, and the two of you can trigger the game here.”
Dr. Zhao quickly nodded upon hearing this, feeling it was probably the best idea.
“No!” both Chen Junnans shouted at once.
Dr. Zhao was stunned: “Why not…?”
Chen Junnan A: “Have you lost your minds?! He’s Chen Junnan! He can even imitate my appearance to deceive you. Isn’t that ‘cunning’ enough? How could I possibly win against him in this ‘巳蛇’ game?”
Chen Junnan B: “You stole my words again! Dr. Zhao, Kim Woonsung, let me ask you… even if the two of us compete in the game arena… even if only one of us can walk out of this door, will you be able to tell who’s real and who’s fake?”
Dr. Zhao and Kim Woonsung both scratched their heads, feeling that they were in big trouble.
Chen Junnan B: “You stole my words again! Dr. Zhao, Jin Yuanxun, let me ask you this… Even if we compete in the game and only one of us walks out of this room, how would you know who’s real and who’s fake?”
Dr. Zhao and Jin Yuanxun both scratched their heads—this was getting way too complicated.
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