Chapter 1078: Bearing Half the Burden

Chu Tianqiu stared at the room Chen Junnan had entered. On the door inside was actually written the character “Zi.”

A search-based game.

Was this intentional on Chen Junnan’s part, or just a coincidence? His own “Tian Xing Jian” ability was utterly useless in a “search-based” game. Even if he unleashed his divine power to tear the place apart, it wouldn’t guarantee victory.

If he really stepped into that room, someone as reckless as Chen Junnan would surely find a way to gamble with his life. Even if he couldn’t kill Chu Tianqiu, it would be enough to buy time.

“Come on, little Chu,” Chen Junnan said, swallowing hard. “Didn’t you want to kill me?”

For Chen Junnan, this was also a desperate move. Their team’s display screen had already been destroyed. How could they ensure victory in this game now?

“No… I can’t call it ‘victory.’ I can only figure out how to choose ‘not losing.'”

At that thought, Chen Junnan curled the corner of his mouth slightly. Why not just smash the opponent’s display screen too?

If both sides dragged things out until time ran out, the outcome would be determined by the points accumulated before the screens were destroyed.

Qi Xia had already scored nearly twenty points. Did Chu Tianqiu have that many too?

Once his strategy was set, Chen Junnan turned and ran. But as soon as he opened the door, he found Wen Qiaoyun blocking the room behind her. She didn’t seem interested in advancing further; instead, it looked like she had received orders to stand guard here.

This is bad, he thought, quickly turning to leave the room from the left side. He checked the path ahead, but the room leading to the “River Path” was guarded by Dr. Zhao.

He didn’t even need to guess—he knew that Xu Liunian and Yan Zhichun were likely blocking the other rooms too.

“Dammit… all of you are here?!” Chen Junnan finally realized the other side had launched an all-out attack.

But where were his own people?

Where was Lawyer Zhang? Where was Tian Tian? Where was Zheng Yingxiong?

Most importantly… where was Qi Xia?

A moment later, it dawned on him. In the rooms he couldn’t access, Lawyer Zhang, Qi Xia, and Tian Tian were likely trapped in the game alongside the opponents.

In this game, if even two people were trapped, all four “doors” of the room would lock, making it impossible to even pass through to the “River Path.” It was essentially a “dead end.”

If the opponents really managed to set up such a “defense line” built on “dead ends,” their chances of winning this game would drop to less than one percent.

“Smash our display screen first, then block our people… not bad,” Chen Junnan bluffed. “But haven’t you noticed Old Qi isn’t here? Aren’t you scared?”

“Unfortunately,” Chu Tianqiu replied, “Qi Xia is trapped in a game with Yan Zhichun. He can’t do anything during this time. I’ve won this game.”

“Little Chu… you’re getting cocky,” Chen Junnan said. “If it weren’t for that kid Zhang Shan’s ability protecting you, I’d teach you a lesson.”

Hearing this, Chu Tianqiu reached up and touched the necklace on his chest, then shook the coat draped over his shoulders. Foul-smelling blood began dripping slowly from it.

“Even without ‘Tian Xing Jian,’ what difference does it make? The hundred-plus eyeballs I carry make me invincible. Here, only the ‘madmen’ are closest to being ‘gods,'” Chu Tianqiu stared at Chen Junnan. “How exactly do you, a ‘Scapegoat,’ plan to win against me here?”

Chen Junnan knew Chu Tianqiu wasn’t lying. In terms of “Echo,” he was no match. In terms of “brains,” he might not have the upper hand either. If he wanted to get the “character” from Chu Tianqiu, his only option was to fight with force.

But Chu Tianqiu had activated “Tian Xing Jian,” effectively blocking all paths.

Now, cornered and with no way out, Chen Junnan could only try to solve the immediate problem and stall until Qi Xia returned to handle things.

But what could he do?

“Wait…” Chen Junnan narrowed his eyes, recalling something Qi Xia had said after explaining the situation.

“If this really happens, just do whatever you want.”

“Isn’t this already happening…?” Chen Junnan’s eyes widened. “Old Qi… are you saying…”

He knew Qi Xia understood him. What he wanted to do every day wasn’t “walking through walls” or “picking fights.”

It was being the “Scapegoat.”

“Then I’ll have to pull out a surprise move…” Chen Junnan muttered to himself. “I’ll trust that kid Zheng Yingxiong this once… maybe I’ve already ‘Echoed’?”

Hearing this, Chu Tianqiu narrowed his eyes, unsure how Chen Junnan planned to use “Scapegoat” to resolve the situation.

But the next second, he noticed Chen Junnan’s gaze shift to Qiao Jiajin on the ground.

“Little Chu… watch closely today. My ‘Echo’ is fucking ‘summoning Old Qiao’!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Junnan’s cheek split open, blood spraying everywhere. He grunted in pain, stifling a cry.

“Old Qiao, I’ll take your injuries for you…”

In just a few seconds, wounds and bruises layered across Chen Junnan’s body like fish scales. Soon after, he spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground.

He felt it was a miracle Qiao Jiajin hadn’t been beaten to death. Even without fully taking on all the injuries, he felt like he was about to leave this world.

“Fuck…” Chen Junnan gritted his teeth. “Old Qiao, these injuries… cough…”

Another mouthful of blood hit the ground. Chen Junnan swayed unsteadily, nearly collapsing.

Watching this, Chu Tianqiu couldn’t help but smile. “Chen Junnan… what’s the difference between your ‘Scapegoat’ and ‘suicide’? You’re just saving me the trouble.”

Only then did Chen Junnan realize he had been too reckless. Transferring all of Qiao Jiajin’s injuries to himself would undoubtedly be fatal.

For someone who wasn’t used to being beaten up, the sheer agony alone was enough to knock him out.

His original plan was to have Qiao Jiajin get up and save him, but now he was on the verge of killing himself before Qiao Jiajin even woke up.

He’d already made his move… what could he do now?

“If I’d known you were this badly hurt, I wouldn’t have tried to show off…” Chen Junnan coughed a few times and began considering his next move.

In moments like this, where confusion reigned, Old Qiao had his strategies, and Old Qi had his.

As for Chen Junnan, he quickly settled on his own strategy.

This time, he’d take half. The rest could wait for next time.

“No… I can’t do anymore…” Chen Junnan said. “Let’s just call it here… I feel like I’m about to be beaten to death just standing here… I’ve got a meeting to attend, excuse me for a moment.”

Before he could say anything else, another wave of dizziness hit him, and he slumped to the ground.

Watching Chen Junnan’s effortlessly controlled “Scapegoat,” Chu Tianqiu wasn’t sure how to react. Initially, it was one severely injured Qiao Jiajin and one lively Chen Junnan.

After “Scapegoat” was activated, it became two injured people who couldn’t even stand. How could this ability even be described?

“At least you made things easier for me,” Chu Tianqiu said, pulling a chain from his pocket. He balled it up and hurled it like a meteor toward Chen Junnan.

Sensing danger, Chen Junnan mustered all his strength to roll aside, barely dodging the iron chain.

With a loud crash, the chain embedded itself deep into the ground.

A scavenger hunt game.

Was this deliberate on Chen Junnan’s part, or just a coincidence? His own ability, “Heaven’s Vigor,” was utterly useless in a scavenger hunt. Even if he used his divine power to dismantle the entire venue, victory was far from guaranteed.

If he actually stepped into that room, someone as reckless as Chen Junnan would undoubtedly find a way to force a life-or-death gamble. At the very least, it would buy him enough time to stall.

“Come on, little Chu,” Chen Junnan said, gulping. “Weren’t you going to kill me?”

For Chen Junnan, this was also an all-or-nothing gamble. Their side’s display screen had already been destroyed—how could they even secure victory now?

“No… I can’t call it ‘victory.’ I just have to find a way to ‘not lose.'”

At that thought, Chen Junnan smirked slightly. Why not just smash the opposing display screen himself?

If both sides dragged things out until time ran out, the winner would be determined by the points accumulated before the screens were destroyed.

Qi Xia had already racked up nearly twenty points. Could Chu Tianqiu possibly have that many?

Having settled on his strategy, Chen Junnan turned and ran—only to find Wen Qiaoyun blocking the doorway behind him. She didn’t seem interested in advancing further; instead, she appeared to be stationed there under orders.

*Damn*, he thought, quickly pivoting to exit through the left side of the room. He checked the path forward, but the room leading to the “riverway” was guarded by Dr. Zhao.

He didn’t even need to guess—Xu Liunian and Yan Zhichun were probably blocking the other rooms too.

“Damn it… you all came?!” Only now did Chen Junnan realize the enemy had launched a full-scale assault.

But where were his own people?

Where was Lawyer Zhang? Where was Sweet? Where was Zheng Yingxiong?

Most importantly… where was Qi Xia?

It didn’t take long for Chen Junnan to piece it together. In the rooms he couldn’t access, Lawyer Zhang, Qi Xia, and Sweet were likely trapped in the game alongside the enemy.

In this game, if even two people were trapped in a room, all four “doors” would lock, cutting off any detour to the “riverway.” It was effectively a dead end.

If the enemy had truly established such a “defensive line” of dead ends, their chances of winning this game would plummet to less than one percent.

“Smash our display screen first, then block our people… pretty slick,” Chen Junnan bluffed. “But don’t you think it’s weird that Old Qi isn’t here? Doesn’t that scare you?”

“Too bad,” Chu Tianqiu replied. “Qi Xia is trapped in a game with Yan Zhichun. He can’t do anything at this point. This game is mine.”

“Little Chu… you’re getting cocky,” Chen Junnan sneered. “If it weren’t for that punk Zhang Shan’s ability protecting you, I’d teach you a lesson.”

Chu Tianqiu reached up to touch the necklace around his neck, then shook the coat draped over his shoulders. Foul-smelling blood began to drip steadily.

“What difference does it make even without ‘Heaven’s Vigor’? With over a hundred eyeballs on me, I’m practically invincible. Here, only a ‘Madman’ can come closest to being a ‘god,'” Chu Tianqiu said, locking eyes with Chen Junnan. “How exactly do you, a mere ‘Scapegoat,’ plan to win against me?”

Chen Junnan knew Chu Tianqiu wasn’t lying. In terms of “Echo,” he was no match. In terms of “brains,” he didn’t necessarily have the upper hand either. If he wanted to snatch the “character” from Chu Tianqiu, brute force was his only option.

But Chu Tianqiu had activated “Heaven’s Vigor,” effectively sealing off every possible path.

Now, cornered and desperate, Chen Junnan had no choice but to tackle the immediate problem and stall until Qi Xia returned to handle things.

But what could he do?

“Wait…” Chen Junnan suddenly narrowed his eyes, recalling something Qi Xia had said after explaining the plan:

*”If things really go south, just do whatever you want.”*

“Isn’t this already ‘going south’…?” Chen Junnan’s eyes widened. “Old Qi… you mean…”

He knew Qi Xia understood him. What he wanted to do every day wasn’t “phasing through walls” or “picking fights.”

It was “taking the blame.”

“Guess I’ll have to pull out a wild card…” Chen Junnan muttered. “I’ll trust that kid Zheng Yingxiong once… Maybe I’ve already ‘Echoed’?”

Chu Tianqiu frowned, unsure how Chen Junnan planned to use “Scapegoat” to turn the tables.

But the next second, he noticed Chen Junnan’s gaze shift to Qiao Jiajin, lying wounded on the ground.

“Little Chu… watch closely. My ‘Echo’ is summoning Old Qiao, damn it!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Chen Junnan’s face split open, blood spraying everywhere. He gritted his teeth against the pain, letting out a muffled groan.

“Old Qiao, I’ll bear your wounds for you…”

Within seconds, Chen Junnan’s body was covered in wounds and bruises, layered like fish scales. Moments later, he spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground.

He realized it was a miracle Qiao Jiajin hadn’t been beaten to death—just bearing part of these injuries made him feel like he was already halfway to the afterlife.

“Fuck…” Chen Junnan hissed through clenched teeth. “Old Qiao, these wounds… *cough*—”

Another gush of blood hit the ground. Chen Junnan swayed unsteadily, nearly collapsing.

Chu Tianqiu couldn’t help but smile. “Chen Junnan… how is this ‘Scapegoat’ any different from suicide? You’re just saving me the trouble.”

Only then did Chen Junnan realize he might have acted too rashly. Transferring *all* of Qiao Jiajin’s injuries to himself would undoubtedly be fatal.

For someone who wasn’t used to getting beaten up, the sheer agony alone was enough to knock him out.

His plan had been to get Qiao Jiajin back on his feet to save the day, but now he was on the verge of killing himself before Qiao Jiajin even woke up.

But he’d already made his declaration—what else could he do?

“Had I known your injuries were this bad, I wouldn’t have tried to look cool…” Coughing, Chen Junnan forced himself to strategize.

In moments like these, Old Qiao had his own tactics, and Old Qi had his.

As for Chen Junnan? He quickly settled on his signature move:

Take half now, deal with the rest later.

“Nope… that’s enough,” Chen Junnan gasped. “Let’s call it here… I feel like standing still is enough to kill me now. Got a meeting to attend, so… excuse me.”

Before he could say anything else, another wave of dizziness hit him, and he plopped down onto the ground.

Chu Tianqiu watched Chen Junnan’s half-hearted “Scapegoat” display, unsure how to react. Originally, it had been one critically injured Qiao Jiajin and one perfectly healthy Chen Junnan.

After “Scapegoat,” it was two wounded men who could barely stand. How was this ability even supposed to work?

“Saved me some effort,” Chu Tianqiu remarked, pulling a chain from his pocket. He coiled it into a ball and hurled it at Chen Junnan like a meteor.

Chen Junnan yelped in alarm, mustering every ounce of strength to roll aside—barely dodging the iron chain as it embedded itself deep into the ground with a thunderous crash.