Chapter 1101: How to Win

Only then did everyone realize that Qiao Jiajin’s rhetoric had truly worked.

Xuanwu’s originally rock-solid answer was now beginning to waver.

It was only then that everyone realized Qiao Jiajin’s rhetoric had truly worked.

Xuanwu, who had been utterly certain moments before, was now wavering.

Between “father” and “rice,” which one would be judged as the winning answer for Xuanwu?

Although only one eye was visible through her hair, that eye was filled with profound confusion.

In past games, determining victory or defeat had always been straightforward, but this time, she simply couldn’t reach a conclusion.

Since she was no longer “human,” she naturally couldn’t think from a “human” perspective.

But what should she do now?

“It’s alright,” Qi Xia said to Xuanwu at that moment. “You don’t need to listen to what others say. Just judge based on the answer you believe is correct.”

These brief words were like a lifeline, pulling Xuanwu out of her dilemma.

“The answer I believe is correct…” Xuanwu lowered her head and pondered for a moment.

After a brief pause, she slowly raised her head. “A draw.”

“A draw?” Qinglong frowned. “Are you sure about this?”

Xuanwu nodded slightly, her hair swaying with the motion. “Yes. I can’t make a judgment this round, so both are correct.”

“Whoa~~~~~~~~”

Chen Junnan suddenly spoke up loudly, “Old Qiao, Old Qiao! If I’m not mistaken, a certain ‘little god’ has played two rounds with us and hasn’t scored a single point.”

“Yeah!” Qiao Jiajin nodded. “Looks pretty helpless.”

Hearing this, Qinglong’s expression turned cold. He could no longer tolerate Chen Junnan’s mouth and instantly vanished from his spot.

Noticing this, Xuanwu frowned and also disappeared from where she stood.

In the next second, Qinglong abruptly appeared in front of Chen Junnan, raising his palm to strike. However, Xuanwu instantly materialized beside Qinglong and grabbed his wrist.

Within a second, the two had already taken action, but Xuanwu had saved Chen Junnan’s life at the critical moment.

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin, who were standing nearby, reacted quickly and took a step back, finally grasping the situation before them.

Xuanwu’s intervention seemed to infuriate Qinglong. His wrist remained immobilized, and his expression grew increasingly dark.

A few seconds later, his wrist suddenly shook with force, violently pushing Xuanwu back several steps.

Xuanwu staggered backward but managed to steady herself, then let out a soft cough.

It was unclear how much force Qinglong had used, but anyone could see that Xuanwu was not faring well.

“Xuanwu…” Qinglong laughed in extreme anger, turning to look at her. “Remember this moment. I won’t let you live, nor will I let you die. I will only subject you to deeper torment.”

A flicker of panic appeared in Xuanwu’s eyes, but it quickly subsided. “The game isn’t over yet. Neither side can engage in physical conflict. Victory must be determined solely through ‘Cangjie’s Game.'”

Qinglong snorted coldly, shook his sleeve, and returned to the large display screen.

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances upon seeing his demeanor.

It seemed that no matter how the game progressed, Xuanwu would not escape punishment. If Qinglong won the third round, the game would still end in a draw, likely leading to a fourth-round tiebreaker.

But Qi Xia knew it was impossible for him to drag the game to a fourth round and still secure victory.

Qinglong would soon figure out the trick behind this game. The idea of defeating Qinglong four times in a row through such means was nothing short of a fantasy.

The only reason for his victory was the “soldier” piece.

When Chu Tianqiu conceded defeat outside the “Cangjie’s Game” arena, Qi Xia, to be safe, took the “general” piece from him and the “soldier” piece from Jin Yuanxun.

After some thought, Qi Xia pocketed the “soldier” piece and placed the “general” piece into the pile of “characters.”

Coupled with the “scholar” piece subtly created by Tiantian, the total number of characters in the game remained unchanged.

Thus, Qinglong couldn’t immediately identify which “character” was missing among the numerous disordered radicals.

At this point, Qi Xia had Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin engage in “psychological warfare,” further obscuring the already elusive truth.

However, Qi Xia also knew that Qinglong would eventually realize the issue. To ensure greater safety, he proactively suggested that both sides remove one “character” each without informing the other which one they had removed. He then handed the “scholar” piece crafted by Tiantian to Xuanwu.

This way, even if the other side noticed the “soldier” piece was missing, they would first assume Qi Xia had removed it, never suspecting that there was an almost imperceptible “scholar” piece in the game.

As Qi Xia had previously stated, as long as this “character” wasn’t held and examined closely, it would always be considered real.

Thus, Qi Xia used “eye” and “wood” to form “罒” (net).

Then, he used the “ten” from the “soldier” piece and the “eight” from the “soldier” piece to form a second “wood,” combining them to create “罧” (a type of net).

As Xuanwu had noted, the combination Qi Xia used contained half of a “soldier.”

In the second round, while mentally combining characters, Qi Xia discovered that “ten” could be rotated to form “乂” (a cross). Adding “eight” to it would then form “father.”

However, “ten” and “乂” differed in stroke count; they were only highly similar in shape. The only concern was whether the “Phoenix Scroll Platform” could recognize such an abstract character.

Initially, Qi Xia thought it was impossible to form such a combination, but at a certain moment, he recalled the “屮” (grass) character created by Chen Junnan.

Theoretically, “屮” and “巾” (towel) also differed in strokes but were highly similar in shape. If “屮” could be recognized, then “乂” should also be recognizable.

Soon, he realized his guess was correct—this game undoubtedly had Bai Yang’s interference.

After all, even Qinglong hadn’t noticed “乂,” yet it could be received by the “Phoenix Scroll Platform.”

From this perspective, the questioner and the answerer were evenly matched, with only Qinglong left in the dark.

This was how Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu came to realize the importance of the “soldier” piece. The radicals “ten” and “亠” could form an extensive array of characters. If all available characters could be freely used for combinations, the “soldier” piece would be virtually omnipotent.

But Qinglong was no fool. If the game continued for three rounds, he would inevitably realize that Qi Xia had used a “character” not present in the pile. If Qi Xia didn’t win this round, the “soldier” piece could no longer be used.

This would leave Qi Xia in a completely passive position. Since Qinglong had already considered multiple possibilities in advance, the best outcome Qi Xia could hope for in a scenario where both sides could use the “soldier” piece was a draw, with a higher probability of consecutive losses.

Therefore, the third round had to end in victory, concluding the game here and now.

“Now, draw the rules for the third round.”

Hearing this, Xuanwu paused for a moment before retrieving the final rule for the third round from the box.

Everyone focused their gaze and saw the note read:

“The one with the largest coverage area wins.”

Though only one of her eyes was visible through her hair, that single eye was filled with deep confusion.

In past games, determining a winner had always been easy for her—but this time, she simply couldn’t decide.

Since she was no longer “human,” she naturally couldn’t think from a “human” perspective.

So what should she do now?

“It’s fine,” Qi Xia said to Xuanwu at that moment. “You don’t need to listen to what others say. Just judge based on the answer you believe is correct.”

Those brief words were like a lifeline, pulling Xuanwu out of her dilemma.

“The answer I believe…” Xuanwu lowered her head in thought.

After a moment, she slowly raised her head. “A tie.”

“A tie?” Qinglong frowned. “Are you sure?”

Xuanwu gave a slight nod, her hair swaying with the motion. “Yes. I can’t judge this round, so both are correct.”

“Whoa~~~~~~~~”

Chen Junnan suddenly shouted loudly, “Old Qiao, Old Qiao! Unless I’m mistaken, a certain little god has played two rounds with us and hasn’t scored a single point.”

“Right!” Qiao Jiajin nodded. “Looks pretty helpless, doesn’t she?”

Qinglong’s expression darkened at those words. He could no longer tolerate Chen Junnan’s mouth, and in the next instant, he vanished from his spot.

Xuanwu frowned and also disappeared.

A moment later, Qinglong abruptly reappeared right in front of Chen Junnan and raised his palm to strike—only for Xuanwu to instantly materialize beside him and grab his wrist.

In a single second, they had both acted, but Xuanwu had saved Chen Junnan’s life at the last possible moment.

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin, startled, quickly took a step back, finally grasping the situation before them.

Xuanwu’s intervention clearly infuriated Qinglong. His wrist remained locked in her grip, unmoving, his face darkening with fury.

A few seconds later, he violently twisted his arm, forcefully shaking Xuanwu off and sending her stumbling back several steps.

Xuanwu staggered but managed to steady herself, then let out a faint cough.

No one could tell exactly how much force Qinglong had used, but it was clear Xuanwu wasn’t faring well.

“Xuanwu…” Qinglong’s anger twisted into a cold smile as he turned to her. “Remember this moment. I won’t let you live, nor will I let you die. I’ll only give you deeper torment.”

A flicker of fear flashed in Xuanwu’s eyes, but it quickly subsided. “The game isn’t over yet. No fighting is allowed—only ‘Cangjie Chess’ decides victory.”

Qinglong scoffed, flicked his sleeve, and returned to the massive display screen.

The others exchanged uneasy glances at his demeanor.

No matter how the game progressed, it seemed Xuanwu wouldn’t escape punishment. If Qinglong won the third round, the game would still end in a tie, likely forcing a fourth round.

But Qi Xia knew dragging things to a fourth round without losing was impossible.

Qinglong would soon realize the flaw in the game. Winning four consecutive rounds against him through such means was pure fantasy.

It was only then that everyone realized Qiao Jinyan’s rhetoric had truly worked.

Xuanwu’s originally unwavering certainty now began to waver.

Between “father” and “rice,” which one would be judged as the winning answer for Xuanwu?

Although only one of Xuanwu’s eyes was visible through her hair, that eye was filled with deep confusion.

In previous games, she had easily determined victory or defeat, but this time, she simply couldn’t make a judgment.

Since she was no longer “human,” she naturally couldn’t think from a “human” perspective.

But what should she do now?

“It’s alright,” Qi Xia said to Xuanwu at that moment. “You don’t need to listen to what others say. Just judge based on the answer you believe is correct.”

These brief words were like a lifeline, pulling Xuanwu out of her dilemma.

“The answer I believe…” Xuanwu lowered her head and pondered for a moment.

After a moment, she slowly raised her head. “A draw.”

“A draw…” Qinglong frowned. “Are you sure?”

Xuanwu nodded slightly, causing her hair to sway. “Yes. I can’t make a judgment this round, so both are correct.”

“Whoa~~~~~~~~”

Chen Junnan suddenly spoke up loudly, “Old Qiao, Old Qiao! If I’m not mistaken, a certain ‘little god’ has played two rounds with us and hasn’t scored a single point.”

“Yeah!” Qiao Jinyan nodded. “Looks pretty helpless.”

Upon hearing this, Qinglong’s expression turned cold. He could no longer tolerate Chen Junnan’s mouth and instantly vanished from his spot.

Noticing this, Xuanwu frowned and also disappeared from where she stood.

In the next second, Qinglong abruptly appeared in front of Chen Junnan, raising his palm to strike. However, Xuanwu instantly appeared beside Qinglong and grabbed his wrist.

Within a second, the two had already made their moves, but Xuanwu had saved Chen Junnan’s life at the critical moment.

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jinyan, who were nearby, reacted quickly and stepped back, finally grasping the situation before them.

Xuanwu’s actions seemed to have angered Qinglong greatly. His wrist was gripped tightly, and he remained motionless, his face growing increasingly dark.

A few seconds later, his wrist suddenly shook with force, violently pushing Xuanwu back several steps.

Xuanwu stumbled backward but managed to steady herself, then let out a soft cough.

It was unclear how much force Qinglong had used, but anyone could see that Xuanwu was not faring well.

“Xuanwu…” Qinglong laughed in extreme anger, turning to look at her. “Remember this moment. I won’t let you live, nor will I let you die. I will only subject you to deeper torment.”

A flicker of panic appeared in Xuanwu’s eyes upon hearing this, but it quickly subsided. She said, “The game isn’t over yet. Neither side can engage in physical altercations. Victory must be determined solely through ‘Cangjie’s Game.'”

Qinglong snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and returned to the large display screen.

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances upon seeing his demeanor.

It seemed that no matter how the game progressed, Xuanwu would not escape punishment. If Qinglong won the third round, the game would still end in a draw, likely leading to a fourth-round tiebreaker.

But Qi Xia knew it was impossible for him to drag the game to a fourth round and still secure victory.

Qinglong would soon figure out the trick behind this game. The idea of Qi Xia defeating Qinglong four times in a row through such means was nothing short of a fantasy.

The only reason for his victory was the “pawn.”

When Chu Tianqiu conceded defeat outside the “Cangjie’s Game” arena, Qi Xia, to be safe, took the “general” from him and the “pawn” from Jin Yuanxun.

After some thought, Qi Xia pocketed the “pawn” and placed the “general” into the pile of “characters.”

Along with the “scholar” subtly created by Tiantian, the total number of characters in the game remained unchanged.

Thus, Qinglong couldn’t immediately identify which “character” was missing among the numerous disordered radicals.

At this point, Qi Xia had Chen Junnan and Qiao Jinyan engage in “psychological warfare,” further obscuring the already elusive truth.

This way, even if the other side noticed the “pawn” was missing, they would first assume Qi Xia had removed it, never suspecting that there was an almost imperceptible “scholar” in the game.

As Qi Xia had previously stated, as long as this “character” wasn’t held and examined closely, it would always be real.

Thus, Qi Xia used “eye” and “wood” to form “䍒.”

He then used the “ten” from the “pawn” and the “eight” from the “soldier” to form a second “wood,” combining them to create “罧.”

As Xuanwu had said, the combination Qi Xia used contained half of a “soldier.”

In the second round, while mentally combining characters, Qi Xia discovered that “ten” could be rotated to form “乂.” Adding “eight” to it would then form “father.”

However, “ten” and “乂” had different strokes; they were merely highly similar in shape. The only concern was whether the “Phoenix Scroll Platform” could recognize such an abstract character.

Initially, Qi Xia thought it was impossible to form such a combination, but at a certain moment, he recalled the “屮” created by Chen Junnan.

Theoretically, “屮” and “towel” also had different strokes but were highly similar in shape. If “屮” could be recognized, then “乂” should also be recognizable.

Soon, he realized his guess was correct—this game undoubtedly had Bai Yang’s interference.

After all, even Qinglong hadn’t noticed “乂,” yet it could be received by the “Phoenix Scroll Platform.”

From this perspective, the questioner and the answerer were evenly matched, with only Qinglong left in the dark.

This was how Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu came to realize the importance of the “pawn.” The radicals “ten” and “亠” could form an extensive array of characters. If all available characters could be freely used for combinations, the “pawn” would be virtually omnipotent.

However, Qinglong was no fool. If the game continued for three rounds, he would inevitably notice that Qi Xia had used a “character” not present in the pile. If Qi Xia didn’t win this round, the “pawn” could no longer be used.

This would leave Qi Xia in a completely passive position. Since Qinglong had already considered multiple possibilities in advance, the best outcome Qi Xia could hope for in a scenario where both sides could use the “pawn” was a draw, with a higher probability of consecutive losses.

Therefore, the third round had to end in victory, bringing the game to a close here and now.

“Now, draw the rules for the third round.”

Upon hearing this, Xuanwu paused for a moment before retrieving the final rule for the third round from the box.

Everyone focused their gaze and saw the note read:

“The one with the largest footprint wins.”

It was only then that everyone realized Qiao Jinyan’s rhetoric had truly worked.

Xuanwu, who had been utterly certain moments before, was now wavering.

Between “father” and “rice,” which one would be judged as the winning word for Xuanwu?

Though only one eye was visible through her hair, it was filled with deep confusion.

In previous games, she had easily determined victory or defeat, but this time, she simply couldn’t make a decision.

Since she was no longer “human,” she naturally couldn’t think from a “human” perspective.

But what should she do now?

“It’s alright,” Qi Xia said to Xuanwu at that moment. “You don’t need to listen to what others say. Just judge based on what you believe is the answer.”

These brief words were like a lifeline, pulling Xuanwu out of her dilemma.

“What I believe is the answer…” Xuanwu lowered her head and pondered for a moment.

After a moment, she slowly raised her head. “A draw.”

“A draw?” Qinglong frowned. “Are you sure about this?”

Xuanwu nodded slightly, causing her hair to sway. “Yes. I can’t make a judgment this round, so both are correct.”

“Whoa~~~~~~~~”

Chen Junnan suddenly spoke up loudly, “Old Qiao, Old Qiao! If I’m not mistaken, a certain ‘little god’ has played two rounds with us and hasn’t scored a single point.”

“Yeah!” Qiao Jinyan nodded. “Looks pretty helpless.”

Hearing this, Qinglong’s expression turned cold. He could no longer tolerate Chen Junnan’s mouth and instantly vanished from his spot.

Noticing this, Xuanwu frowned and also disappeared from where she stood.

In the next second, Qinglong abruptly appeared in front of Chen Junnan and raised his palm to strike. However, Xuanwu instantly appeared beside Qinglong and grabbed his wrist.

Within a second, the two had already taken action, but Xuanwu had saved Chen Junnan’s life at the critical moment.

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jinyan, who were standing nearby, reacted quickly and took a step back, finally understanding the situation.

Xuanwu’s actions seemed to have angered Qinglong greatly. His wrist was gripped tightly, and his entire demeanor grew dark and阴沉.

A few seconds later, his wrist suddenly shook with force, violently pushing Xuanwu back several steps.

Xuanwu stumbled backward but managed to steady herself, then let out a light cough.

It was unclear how much force Qinglong had used, but anyone could see that Xuanwu was not faring well.

“Xuanwu…” Qinglong laughed in extreme anger, turning to look at her. “Remember this moment. I won’t let you live, nor will I let you die. I will only subject you to deeper torment.”

A flicker of panic appeared in Xuanwu’s eyes, but it quickly subsided. “The game isn’t over yet. Neither side can engage in physical combat. Victory must be determined solely through ‘Cangjie’s Game.'”

Qinglong snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and returned to the giant display screen.

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances upon seeing his demeanor.

It seemed that no matter how the game progressed, Xuanwu would not escape punishment. If Qinglong won the third round, the game would still end in a draw, likely leading to a fourth-round tiebreaker.

But Qi Xia knew it was impossible for him to drag the game into a fourth round and still secure victory.

Qinglong would soon figure out the trick behind this game. Trying to outsmart Qinglong four times in a row through such means was nothing short of a fantasy.

The only reason Qi Xia had won was because of the “pawn.”

When Chu Tianqiu conceded defeat outside the “Cangjie’s Game” arena, Qi Xia, to be safe, took the “general” from him and the “pawn” from Jin Yuanxun.

After some thought, Qi Xia pocketed the “pawn” and placed the “general” into the pile of “characters.”

Along with the “scholar” subtly created by Tiantian, the total number of characters in the game remained unchanged.

Thus, Qinglong couldn’t immediately identify which “character” was missing among the numerous disordered radicals.

At this point, Qi Xia had Chen Junnan and Qiao Jinyan engage in “psychological warfare,” further obscuring the already hard-to-discern truth.

This way, even if the other side noticed the “pawn” was missing, they would first assume Qi Xia had removed it, never suspecting that there was an almost imperceptible “scholar” in the game.

As Qi Xia had previously stated, as long as this “character” wasn’t held and examined closely, it would always be considered real.

Thus, Qi Xia used “eye” and “wood” to form “罒+木.”

Then, he used the “ten” from the “pawn” and the “eight” from the “soldier” to form a second “wood,” combining them to create “罧.”

As Xuanwu had noted, the combination Qi Xia used contained half of a “soldier.”

In the second round, while mentally combining characters, Qi Xia discovered that “ten” could be rotated to form “乂.” Adding “eight” to it would then form “father.”

However, “ten” and “乂” had different strokes—they were merely highly similar in shape. The only concern was whether the “Phoenix Book Platform” could recognize such an abstract character.

Initially, Qi Xia thought it was impossible to form such a combination, but at a certain moment, he recalled the “屮” created by Chen Junnan.

Theoretically, “屮” and “towel” also had different strokes and were only highly similar in shape. If “屮” could be recognized, then “乂” should also be recognizable.

Soon, he realized his guess was correct—this game undoubtedly had Bai Yang’s interference.

After all, even Qinglong hadn’t noticed “乂,” yet it could be received by the “Phoenix Book Platform.”

From this perspective, the questioner and the answerer were evenly matched, with only Qinglong left in the dark.

This was how Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu came to realize the importance of the “pawn.” The radicals “ten” and “亠” could form an extensive range of characters. If all available characters could be freely used for combinations, the “pawn” would be virtually omnipotent.

This would leave Qi Xia in a completely passive position. Since Qinglong had already considered multiple possibilities in advance, the best outcome Qi Xia could hope for in a scenario where both sides could use the “pawn” was a draw, with a higher probability of consecutive losses.

Therefore, the third round had to end in victory, bringing the game to a close here and now.

“Now, draw the rules for the third round.”

Hearing this, Xuanwu paused for a moment before retrieving the final rule for the third round from the box.

Everyone focused their gaze and saw the note read:

“The one with the largest footprint wins.”

After some thought, Qi Xia had pocketed the “pawn” and placed the “general” back into the character pool.

It was only then that the crowd realized Qiao Jijin’s rhetoric had truly taken effect.

Xuanwu, who had been utterly certain moments before, now began to waver.

Between “father” and “rice,” which would be judged as the winning answer for Xuanwu?

Though only one eye was visible through her hair, it was filled with profound confusion.

In past games, determining victory or defeat had always been straightforward, but this time, she simply couldn’t reach a conclusion.

Since she was no longer “human,” she naturally couldn’t think from a “human” perspective.

But what should she do now?

“It’s alright,” Qi Xia said to Xuanwu at that moment. “You don’t need to listen to what others say. Judge based on what you believe is the answer.”

These brief words were like a lifeline, pulling Xuanwu out of her inner conflict.

“What I believe is the answer…” Xuanwu lowered her head and pondered for a moment.

After a brief pause, she slowly raised her head. “A draw.”

“A draw?” Qinglong frowned. “Are you sure about this?”

Xuanwu nodded slightly, causing her hair to sway. “I’m sure. I can’t make a judgment this round, so both answers are correct.”

“Whoa~~~~~~~~”

Chen Junnan suddenly exclaimed loudly, “Old Qiao, Old Qiao! If I’m not mistaken, a certain ‘little god’ has played two rounds with us and hasn’t scored a single point.”

“Yeah!” Qiao Jijin nodded. “Looks pretty helpless, doesn’t she?”

Hearing this, Qinglong’s expression turned icy. He could no longer tolerate Chen Junnan’s sharp tongue and instantly vanished from where he stood.

Noticing this, Xuanwu frowned and also disappeared from sight.

In the next second, Qinglong abruptly appeared in front of Chen Junnan, raising his palm to strike. However, Xuanwu instantly materialized beside Qinglong and grabbed his wrist.

Within a second, the two had already taken action, but Xuanwu had saved Chen Junnan’s life at the critical moment.

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jijin, who were standing nearby, reacted quickly and took a step back, finally grasping the situation before them.

Xuanwu’s intervention seemed to infuriate Qinglong. His wrist remained immobilized, and his expression grew increasingly dark.

A few seconds later, he violently shook his wrist, forcefully pushing Xuanwu back several steps.

Xuanwu staggered backward but managed to steady herself, then let out a soft cough.

It was unclear how much force Qinglong had used, but anyone could see that Xuanwu was not faring well.

“Xuanwu…” Qinglong laughed in extreme anger, turning to look at her. “Remember this moment. I won’t let you live, nor will I let you die. I will only subject you to deeper torment.”

A flicker of panic appeared in Xuanwu’s eyes, but it quickly subsided. “The game isn’t over yet. Neither side can engage in physical altercations. Victory must be determined solely through ‘Cangjie’s Game.'”

Qinglong snorted coldly, shook his sleeve, and returned to the large display screen.

The others exchanged uneasy glances upon seeing his reaction.

It seemed that no matter how the game progressed, Xuanwu would not escape punishment. If Qinglong won the third round, the game would still end in a draw, likely leading to a fourth-round tiebreaker.

But Qi Xia knew he couldn’t afford to drag the game into a fourth round and still hope to win.

Qinglong would soon figure out the trick behind the game. The idea of defeating Qinglong four times in a row through such means was nothing short of a fantasy.

The only reason for his victory was the “pawn.”

When Chu Tianqiu conceded defeat outside the “Cangjie’s Game” arena, Qi Xia, to be safe, took the “general” from him and the “pawn” from Jin Yuanxun.

After some thought, Qi Xia pocketed the “pawn” and placed the “general” into the pile of “characters.”

Along with the “scholar” subtly created by Tian Tian, the total number of characters in the game remained unchanged.

Thus, Qinglong couldn’t immediately identify which “character” was missing among the chaotic array of radicals.

At this point, Qi Xia had Chen Junnan and Qiao Jijin engage in “psychological warfare,” further obscuring the already elusive truth.

However, Qi Xia also knew that Qinglong would eventually catch on. To ensure greater safety, he proactively suggested that both sides remove one “character” each without disclosing which one they had removed. He then handed the “scholar” crafted by Tian Tian to Xuanwu.

This way, even if the other side noticed the “pawn” was missing, they would first assume Qi Xia had removed it, never suspecting that there was an almost imperceptible “scholar” in the game.

As Qi Xia had previously stated, as long as this “character” wasn’t examined closely in hand, it would always be considered real.

Thus, Qi Xia used “eye” and “wood” to form “䍒.”

He then used the “ten” from the “pawn” and the “eight” from the “soldier” to form a second “wood,” combining them to create “罧.”

As Xuanwu had noted, the combination Qi Xia used contained half of a “soldier.”

In the second round, while mentally combining characters, Qi Xia discovered that “ten” could be rotated to form “乂.” Adding “eight” to it would then create “father.”

However, “ten” and “乂” had different stroke orders; they were merely similar in shape. The only concern was whether the “Phoenix Scroll Platform” could recognize such an abstract character.

Initially, he thought it was impossible, but at a certain moment, Qi Xia recalled the “屮” created by Chen Junnan.

Theoretically, “屮” and “towel” also had different stroke orders and were only similar in shape. If “屮” could be recognized, then “乂” should also be recognizable.

Soon, he realized his assumption was correct—this game undoubtedly had Bai Yang’s interference.

After all, even Qinglong hadn’t noticed “乂,” yet it was accepted by the “Phoenix Scroll Platform.”

From this perspective, the questioner and the answerer were evenly matched, with only Qinglong left in the dark.

But Qinglong was no fool. If the game continued into a third round, he would inevitably notice that Qi Xia had used a “character” not present in the original pile. If Qi Xia didn’t win this round, the “pawn” could no longer be used.

This would leave Qi Xia in a completely passive position. Since Qinglong had already considered multiple possibilities in advance, the best outcome Qi Xia could hope for in a scenario where both sides could use the “pawn” was a draw, with a higher probability of consecutive losses.

Therefore, the third round had to end in victory, concluding the game here and now.

“Now, draw the rules for the third round.”

Hearing this, Xuanwu paused for a moment before retrieving the final rule for the third round from the box.

Everyone focused their gaze and saw the note read:

“The one with the largest footprint wins.”

Thus, Qinglong couldn’t immediately spot which character was missing among the chaotic radicals.

Qi Xia then had Chen Junnan and Qiao Jiajin employ psychological tactics, further obscuring the truth.

But Qi Xia knew Qinglong would eventually catch on. To stay ahead, he proposed that both sides remove one character without revealing their choice—then handed Xuanwu the “scholar” Tian Tian had crafted.

Even if Qinglong noticed the “pawn” was missing, he’d assume Qi Xia had discarded it, never suspecting the existence of the elusive “scholar.”

As Qi Xia had said before: as long as no one examined the character too closely, it remained real.

It was only then that the crowd realized Qiao Jianyong’s rhetoric had truly taken effect.

Xuanwu, who had been utterly certain moments before, now found her conviction wavering.

Between “father” and “rice,” which would Xuanwu judge as the winning word?

Though only one of her eyes was visible through her hair, it was filled with profound confusion.

In past games, determining victory or defeat had always been straightforward, but this time, she simply couldn’t reach a conclusion.

Since she was no longer “human,” she naturally couldn’t think from a “human” perspective.

But what was she to do now?

“It’s alright,” Qi Xia said to Xuanwu at that moment. “You don’t need to listen to anyone else. Judge based on what you believe is the correct answer.”

These brief words were like a lifeline, pulling Xuanwu out of her inner conflict.

“What I believe…” Xuanwu lowered her head in thought.

After a moment, she slowly looked up. “A draw.”

“A draw?” Qinglong frowned. “Are you sure about this?”

Xuanwu nodded slightly, her hair swaying with the motion. “Yes. I cannot make a judgment this round, so both are correct.”

“Whoa~~~~~~~~”

Chen Junnan suddenly exclaimed loudly, “Old Qiao, Old Qiao! If I’m not mistaken, a certain ‘little god’ has played two rounds with us and hasn’t scored a single point.”

“Yeah!” Qiao Jianyong nodded. “Looks pretty helpless, doesn’t she?”

Qinglong’s expression darkened upon hearing this. He could no longer tolerate Chen Junnan’s sharp tongue and instantly vanished from where he stood.

Noticing this, Xuanwu frowned and also disappeared.

In the next second, Qinglong abruptly reappeared in front of Chen Junnan, raising his palm to strike. But Xuanwu instantly materialized beside Qinglong, gripping his wrist.

Within a second, both had acted, yet Xuanwu had saved Chen Junnan’s life at the critical moment.

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jianyong, reacting quickly, stepped back, finally grasping the situation before them.

Xuanwu’s intervention seemed to infuriate Qinglong. His wrist remained immobilized, and his expression grew increasingly sinister.

A few seconds later, his wrist jerked violently, forcefully pushing Xuanwu back several steps.

Xuanwu staggered backward but managed to steady herself, then let out a soft cough.

It was unclear how much force Qinglong had used, but anyone could see that Xuanwu was not faring well.

“Xuanwu…” Qinglong’s anger twisted into a cold smile as he turned to her. “Remember this moment. I won’t let you live, nor will I let you die. I will only subject you to deeper torment.”

A flicker of fear passed through Xuanwu’s eyes, but it quickly subsided. “The game isn’t over yet. No fighting is allowed between players—victory must be decided through ‘Cangjie’s Game.'”

Qinglong snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and returned to the giant display screen.

The others exchanged uneasy glances at his demeanor.

It seemed that no matter how the game progressed, Xuanwu would not escape punishment. If Qinglong won the third round, the game would still end in a draw, likely leading to a fourth-round tiebreaker.

But Qi Xia knew he couldn’t afford to drag the game into a fourth round and still hope to win.

Qinglong would soon uncover the trick behind this game. The idea of defeating Qinglong four times in a row through such means was nothing short of a fantasy.

Qi Xia’s victory hinged on one thing: the “soldier” piece.

When Chu Tianqiu conceded defeat outside the “Cangjie’s Game” arena, Qi Xia, playing it safe, took the “general” piece from him and the “soldier” piece from Jin Yuanxun.

After some thought, Qi Xia pocketed the “soldier” and placed the “general” into the pile of “characters.”

Coupled with the “scholar” piece subtly created by Tiantian, the total number of characters in the game remained unchanged.

Thus, Qinglong couldn’t immediately identify which “character” was missing among the chaotic array of radicals.

To further obscure the already elusive truth, Qi Xia had Chen Junnan and Qiao Jianyong engage in psychological tactics.

But Qi Xia knew Qinglong would eventually catch on. To ensure greater safety, he proposed that both sides remove one “character” each without disclosing which one they had removed. He then handed Tiantian’s crafted “scholar” piece to Xuanwu.

This way, even if the opponent noticed the “soldier” was missing, they would assume Qi Xia had discarded it, never suspecting the presence of an almost imperceptible “scholar” in the game.

As Qi Xia had previously stated, as long as this “character” wasn’t closely examined, it would always be considered real.

Thus, Qi Xia used “eye” and “wood” to form “䍒.”

Then, using the “ten” from “soldier” and the “eight” from “soldier,” he formed a second “wood,” combining them to create “罧.”

As Xuanwu had noted, Qi Xia’s combination included half of a “soldier.”

In the second round, while mentally assembling characters, Qi Xia realized that “ten” could be rotated to form “乂.” Adding “eight” to it would then create “father.”

However, “ten” and “乂” had different stroke orders—they were merely similar in shape. The only concern was whether the “Phoenix Scroll Platform” could recognize such an abstract character.

Initially, Qi Xia thought it impossible, but then he recalled the “屮” character created by Chen Junnan.

Theoretically, “屮” and “towel” also had different stroke orders and were only similar in shape. If “屮” could be recognized, then “乂” should be recognizable as well.

Soon, he confirmed that his guess was correct—this game undoubtedly had Bai Yang’s influence.

After all, even Qinglong hadn’t noticed “乂,” yet the “Phoenix Scroll Platform” could process it.

From this perspective, the questioner and the answerer were evenly matched, with only Qinglong left in the dark.

This was how Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu came to realize the importance of the “soldier” piece. The radicals “ten” and “dot above” could form an extensive range of characters. If all available characters could be freely combined, the “soldier” piece would be virtually omnipotent.

But Qinglong was no fool. If the game continued into a third round, he would inevitably notice that Qi Xia was using a “character” not present in the original pile. If Qi Xia didn’t win this round, the “soldier” piece would become unusable.

This would leave Qi Xia completely vulnerable. Since Qinglong had already contemplated numerous possibilities, the best outcome Qi Xia could hope for in a scenario where both sides could use the “soldier” was a draw, with a higher probability of consecutive losses.

Therefore, the third round had to end in victory, concluding the game here and now.

“Now, draw the rules for the third round.”

Xuanwu paused briefly before retrieving the final rule for the third round from the box.

Everyone focused their gaze and saw the note read:

“The one with the largest占地面积 wins.”

————

It was only then that everyone realized Qiao Jinyan’s rhetoric had truly worked.

Xuanwu, who had been utterly certain moments before, was now wavering.

Between “father” and “rice,” which one would be judged as the winning answer for Xuanwu?

Although only one of Xuanwu’s eyes was visible through her hair, that eye was filled with deep confusion.

In past games, determining victory or defeat had always been straightforward, but this time, she simply couldn’t make a decision.

Since she was no longer “human,” she naturally couldn’t think from a “human” perspective.

But what should she do now?

“It’s alright,” Qi Xia said to Xuanwu at that moment. “You don’t need to listen to what others say. Judge based on the answer you believe is correct.”

These brief words were like a lifeline, pulling Xuanwu out of her inner conflict.

“The answer I believe is correct…” Xuanwu lowered her head and pondered for a moment.

After a short while, she slowly raised her head. “A draw.”

“A draw…” Qinglong frowned. “Are you sure about this?”

Xuanwu nodded slightly, causing her hair to sway. “I’m sure. I can’t make a judgment this round, so both answers are correct.”

“Whoa~~~~~~~~”

Chen Junnan suddenly spoke up loudly, “Old Qiao, Old Qiao! If I’m not mistaken, a certain ‘little god’ has played two rounds with us and hasn’t scored a single point.”

“Yeah!” Qiao Jinyan nodded. “Looks pretty helpless, doesn’t she?”

Hearing this, Qinglong’s expression turned cold. He could no longer tolerate Chen Junnan’s mouth and instantly vanished from his spot.

Noticing this, Xuanwu frowned and also disappeared from where she stood.

In the next second, Qinglong abruptly appeared in front of Chen Junnan, raising his palm to strike. However, Xuanwu instantly appeared beside Qinglong and grabbed his wrist.

Within a second, the two had already taken action, but Xuanwu had saved Chen Junnan’s life at the critical moment.

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jinyan, who were standing nearby, reacted quickly and took a step back, finally understanding what was happening.

Xuanwu’s actions seemed to have angered Qinglong greatly. His wrist was gripped tightly, and he stood completely still, his face darkening with fury.

A few seconds later, he shook his wrist violently, forcefully pushing Xuanwu back several steps.

Xuanwu stumbled backward but managed to steady herself, then let out a soft cough.

It was impossible to tell how much force Qinglong had used, but anyone could see that Xuanwu was not in a good state.

“Xuanwu…” Qinglong laughed in extreme anger, turning to look at her. “Remember this moment. I won’t let you live, nor will I let you die. I will only subject you to deeper torment.”

A flicker of panic appeared in Xuanwu’s eyes upon hearing this, but it quickly subsided. She said, “The game isn’t over yet. Neither side can attack the other. Victory must be decided through ‘Cangjie’s Game.'”

Qinglong snorted coldly, shook his sleeve, and returned to the large display screen.

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances upon seeing his demeanor.

It seemed that no matter how the game progressed, Xuanwu would not escape punishment. If Qinglong won the third round, the game would still end in a draw, likely leading to a fourth-round tiebreaker.

But Qi Xia knew it was impossible for him to drag the game to a fourth round and still secure victory.

Qinglong would soon figure out the trick behind this game. The idea of Qi Xia defeating Qinglong four times in a row through such means was nothing short of a fantasy.

The only reason for his victory was the “soldier” piece.

When Chu Tianqiu conceded defeat outside the “Cangjie’s Game” arena, Qi Xia, to be safe, took the “general” piece from him and the “soldier” piece from Jin Yuanxun.

After some thought, Qi Xia pocketed the “soldier” piece and placed the “general” piece into the pile of “characters.”

Coupled with the “scholar” piece subtly created by Tiantian, the total number of characters in the game remained unchanged.

Thus, Qinglong couldn’t immediately identify which “character” was missing among the numerous disordered radicals.

At this point, Qi Xia had Chen Junnan and Qiao Jinyan engage in “psychological warfare,” further obscuring the already elusive truth.

As Qi Xia had previously stated, as long as this “character” wasn’t held and examined closely, it would always be considered real.

Thus, Qi Xia used “eye” and “wood” to form “罒.”

Then, he used the “ten” from the “soldier” piece and the “eight” from the “soldier” piece to form a second “wood,” combining them to create “罧.”

As Xuanwu had noted, the combination Qi Xia used contained half of a “soldier.”

In the second round, while mentally combining characters, Qi Xia realized that “ten” could be rotated to form “乂.” Adding “eight” to it would then create “father.”

However, “ten” and “乂” had different strokes—they were merely highly similar in shape. The only concern was whether the “Phoenix Scroll Platform” could recognize such an abstract character.

Initially, Qi Xia thought it was impossible to form such a combination, but at a certain moment, he recalled the “屮” character created by Chen Junnan.

Theoretically, “屮” and “towel” also had different strokes and were only highly similar in shape. If “屮” could be recognized, then “乂” should also be recognizable.

Soon, he realized his guess was correct—this game undoubtedly had Bai Yang’s interference.

After all, even Qinglong hadn’t noticed “乂,” yet the “Phoenix Scroll Platform” could receive it.

From this perspective, the questioner and the answerer were evenly matched, with only Qinglong left in the dark.

It was through this that Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu realized the importance of the “soldier” piece. The radicals “ten” and “亠” could form an incredibly wide range of characters. If all available “characters” could be freely used for combinations, the “soldier” piece would be nearly omnipotent.

But Qinglong was no fool. If the game continued into a third round, he would inevitably realize that Qi Xia had used a “character” not present in the original pile. If Qi Xia didn’t win this round, the “soldier” piece could no longer be used.

This would leave Qi Xia in a completely passive position. Since Qinglong had already considered multiple possibilities in advance, even if both sides could use the “soldier” piece, the best outcome Qi Xia could hope for was a draw, with a higher probability of consecutive losses.

Therefore, the third round had to end in victory, bringing the game to a close here and now.

“Now, draw the rules for the third round.”

Hearing this, Xuanwu paused for a moment before retrieving the final rule for the third round from the box.

Everyone focused their gaze and saw the note read:

“The one with the largest footprint wins.”

As Xuanwu had noted, half of Qi Xia’s combination came from “soldier.”

It was only then that everyone realized Qiao Jinyan’s rhetoric had truly worked.

Xuanwu, who had been utterly certain moments before, was now wavering.

Between “father” and “rice,” which one would Xuanwu judge as the winning answer?

Although only one of Xuanwu’s eyes was visible through her hair, that eye was filled with deep confusion.

In past games, judging victory or defeat had always been straightforward, but this time, she simply couldn’t make a decision.

Since she was no longer “human,” she naturally couldn’t think from a “human” perspective.

But what should she do now?

“It’s alright,” Qi Xia said to Xuanwu at that moment. “You don’t need to listen to what others say. Judge based on what you believe is the correct answer.”

These brief words were like a lifeline, pulling Xuanwu out of her dilemma.

“What I believe is the correct answer…” Xuanwu lowered her head and pondered for a moment.

After a short while, she slowly raised her head. “A draw.”

“A draw?” Qinglong frowned. “Are you sure about this?”

Xuanwu nodded slightly, causing her hair to sway. “Yes. I can’t make a judgment this round, so both answers are correct.”

“Whoa~~~~~~~~”

Chen Junnan suddenly spoke up loudly, “Old Qiao, Old Qiao! If I’m not mistaken, a certain ‘little god’ has played two rounds with us and hasn’t scored a single point.”

“Yeah!” Qiao Jinyan nodded. “Looks pretty helpless, doesn’t she?”

Qinglong’s expression turned cold upon hearing this. He could no longer tolerate Chen Junnan’s mouth and instantly vanished from where he stood.

Noticing this, Xuanwu frowned and also disappeared from sight.

In the next second, Qinglong abruptly appeared in front of Chen Junnan, raising his palm to strike. However, Xuanwu instantly materialized beside Qinglong and grabbed his wrist.

Within a second, the two had already taken action, but Xuanwu had saved Chen Junnan’s life at the critical moment.

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jinyan, who were standing nearby, reacted quickly and took a step back, finally understanding what was happening.

Xuanwu’s intervention seemed to infuriate Qinglong. His wrist remained immobilized, and his expression grew increasingly dark.

A few seconds later, he forcefully shook his wrist, sending Xuanwu stumbling backward several steps.

Xuanwu staggered but managed to steady herself, then let out a soft cough.

It was unclear how much force Qinglong had used, but anyone could see that Xuanwu was not faring well.

“Xuanwu…” Qinglong laughed coldly, his anger palpable as he turned to look at her. “Remember this moment. I won’t let you live, nor will I let you die. I will only subject you to deeper torment.”

A flicker of fear appeared in Xuanwu’s eyes, but it quickly faded. “The game isn’t over yet. Neither side can engage in physical conflict. Victory must be decided through ‘Cangjie’s Game.'”

Qinglong snorted coldly, shook his sleeve, and returned to the large display screen.

The others exchanged uneasy glances upon seeing his reaction.

It seemed that no matter how the game progressed, Xuanwu would not escape punishment. If Qinglong won the third round, the game would still end in a draw, likely leading to a fourth-round tiebreaker.

But Qi Xia knew he couldn’t afford to drag the game into a fourth round and still hope to win.

Qinglong would soon figure out the trick behind the game. The idea of defeating Qinglong four times in a row through such means was nothing short of a fantasy.

The only reason Qi Xia had won was because of the “soldier” piece.

When Chu Tianqiu conceded defeat outside the “Cangjie’s Game” arena, Qi Xia, playing it safe, took the “general” piece from him and the “soldier” piece from Jin Yuanxun.

After some thought, Qi Xia pocketed the “soldier” piece and placed the “general” piece back into the pile of characters.

Combined with the subtly created “scholar” piece by Tiantian, the total number of characters in the game remained unchanged.

Thus, Qinglong couldn’t immediately identify which character was missing from the jumble of radicals.

To further obscure the already hard-to-notice truth, Qi Xia had Chen Junnan and Qiao Jinyan engage in psychological tactics.

But Qi Xia also knew that Qinglong would eventually catch on. To ensure greater safety, he proposed that both sides remove one character each without disclosing which one they had removed. He then handed Tiantian’s crafted “scholar” piece to Xuanwu.

This way, even if the other side noticed the “soldier” piece was missing, they would assume Qi Xia had removed it, never suspecting that there was an almost imperceptible “scholar” piece in the game.

As Qi Xia had said earlier, as long as this character wasn’t examined closely, it would always be considered real.

Thus, Qi Xia used “eye” and “wood” to form “罒” (net), and then used the “ten” from “soldier” and the “eight” from “soldier” to form a second “wood,” combining them into “罧” (a type of net).

As Xuanwu had noted, Qi Xia’s combination included half of a “soldier.”

In the second round, while mentally combining characters, Qi Xia realized that “ten” could be rotated to form “乂” (a cross), which, when combined with “eight,” could form “father.”

However, “ten” and “乂” had different stroke orders—they were merely similar in shape. The only concern was whether the “Phoenix Book Platform” could recognize such an abstract character.

Qi Xia initially thought it was impossible, but then he remembered the “屮” (grass) character created by Chen Junnan.

Theoretically, “屮” and “巾” (towel) also had different stroke orders and were only similar in shape. If “屮” could be recognized, then “乂” should also be recognizable.

Soon, he confirmed that his guess was correct—this game undoubtedly had interference from Bai Yang.

After all, even Qinglong hadn’t noticed “乂,” yet the “Phoenix Book Platform” could recognize it.

From this perspective, the questioner and the answerer were evenly matched, with only Qinglong left in the dark.

This was how Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu realized the importance of the “soldier” piece. The radicals “ten” and “亠” could form an extensive range of characters. If all available characters could be freely combined, the “soldier” piece would be virtually omnipotent.

But Qinglong was no fool. If the game continued for three rounds, he would inevitably notice that Qi Xia was using a character not present in the original pile. If Qi Xia didn’t win this round, he would no longer be able to use the “soldier” piece.

This would leave Qi Xia in a completely passive position. Since Qinglong had already considered multiple possibilities, the best outcome Qi Xia could hope for in a scenario where both sides could use the “soldier” piece was a draw, with a higher probability of consecutive losses.

Therefore, the third round had to end in victory, bringing the game to a close here and now.

“Now, draw the rules for the third round.”

Upon hearing this, Xuanwu paused for a moment before retrieving the final rule for the third round from the box.

Everyone focused their attention and saw the note read:

“The one with the largest footprint wins.”

It was only then that everyone realized Qiao Jinyan’s rhetoric had truly worked.

Xuanwu, who had been utterly certain moments before, was now wavering.

Between “father” and “rice,” which one would be judged as the winning answer for Xuanwu?

Although only one eye was visible through her hair, that eye was filled with profound confusion.

In past games, determining victory or defeat had always been straightforward, but this time, she simply couldn’t reach a conclusion.

Since she was no longer “human,” she naturally couldn’t think from a “human” perspective.

But what should she do now?

“It’s alright,” Qi Xia said to Xuanwu at that moment. “You don’t need to listen to what others say. Judge based on the answer you believe is correct.”

These brief words were like a lifeline, pulling Xuanwu out of her conflict.

“The answer I believe is correct…” Xuanwu lowered her head and pondered for a moment.

After a short while, she slowly raised her head. “A draw.”

“A draw?” Qinglong frowned. “Are you sure about this?”

Xuanwu nodded slightly, causing her hair to sway. “I’m sure. I can’t make a judgment this round, so both answers are correct.”

“Whoa~~~~~~~~”

Chen Junnan suddenly spoke up loudly, “Old Qiao, Old Qiao! If I’m not mistaken, a certain ‘little god’ has played two rounds with us and hasn’t scored a single point.”

“Yeah!” Qiao Jinyan nodded. “Looks pretty helpless.”

Hearing this, Qinglong’s expression turned cold. He could no longer tolerate Chen Junnan’s mouth and instantly vanished from where he stood.

Noticing this, Xuanwu frowned and also disappeared from sight.

In the next second, Qinglong abruptly appeared in front of Chen Junnan, raising his palm to strike. However, Xuanwu instantly materialized beside Qinglong and grabbed his wrist.

Within a second, the two had already taken action, but Xuanwu had saved Chen Junnan’s life at the critical moment.

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jinyan, who were standing nearby, reacted quickly and took a step back, finally grasping the situation before them.

Xuanwu’s intervention seemed to infuriate Qinglong. His wrist remained immobilized, and his expression grew increasingly dark.

A few seconds later, he violently shook his wrist, forcefully pushing Xuanwu back several steps.

Xuanwu staggered backward but managed to steady herself, then let out a soft cough.

It was unclear how much force Qinglong had used, but anyone could see that Xuanwu was not faring well.

“Xuanwu…” Qinglong laughed in extreme anger, turning to look at her. “Remember this moment. I won’t let you live, nor will I let you die. I will only subject you to deeper torment.”

Qinglong snorted coldly, shook his sleeve, and returned to the large display screen.

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances upon seeing his demeanor.

It seemed that no matter how the game progressed, Xuanwu would not escape punishment. If Qinglong won the third round, the game would still end in a draw, likely leading to a fourth-round tiebreaker.

But Qi Xia knew he couldn’t drag the game to a fourth round and continue winning.

Qinglong would soon figure out the trick behind this game. The idea of defeating Qinglong four times in a row through such means was nothing short of a fantasy.

The only reason for his victory was the “soldier” piece.

When Chu Tianqiu conceded defeat outside the “Cangjie’s Game” arena, Qi Xia, to be safe, took the “general” piece from him and the “soldier” piece from Jin Yuanxun.

After some thought, Qi Xia pocketed the “soldier” piece and placed the “general” piece back into the pile of characters.

Combined with the “scholar” piece subtly created by Tiantian, the total number of characters in the game remained unchanged.

Thus, Qinglong couldn’t immediately identify which character was missing from the chaotic pile of radicals.

At this point, Qi Xia had Chen Junnan and Qiao Jinyan engage in psychological tactics, further obscuring the already elusive truth.

However, Qi Xia also knew that Qinglong would eventually realize the issue. To ensure greater safety, he proactively suggested that both sides remove one character each without informing the other which one they had removed. He then handed the “scholar” piece crafted by Tiantian to Xuanwu.

As Qi Xia had previously stated, as long as this character wasn’t held and examined closely, it would always be considered real.

Thus, Qi Xia used “eye” and “wood” to form “罒” (a net radical).

Then, he used the “ten” from the “soldier” piece and the “eight” from the “soldier” piece to form a second “wood,” combining them to create “罧” (a fishing net).

As Xuanwu had noted, the combination Qi Xia used contained half of a “soldier.”

In the second round, while mentally combining characters, Qi Xia realized that “ten” could be rotated to form “乂” (a cross). Adding “eight” to it would then form “father.”

Initially, Qi Xia thought it was impossible, but at a certain moment, he recalled the “屮” (sprout) character created by Chen Junnan.

Theoretically, “屮” and “巾” (towel) also had different stroke orders and were only similar in shape. If “屮” could be recognized, then “乂” should also be recognizable.

Soon, he realized his guess was correct—this game undoubtedly had Bai Yang’s interference.

After all, even Qinglong hadn’t noticed “乂,” yet it was accepted by the “Phoenix Scroll Platform.”

From this perspective, the questioner and the answerer were evenly matched, with only Qinglong left in the dark.

This was how Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu came to realize the importance of the “soldier” piece. The radicals “ten” and “亠” (lid) could form an extensive range of characters. If all available characters could be freely combined, the “soldier” piece would be virtually omnipotent.

But Qinglong was no fool. If the game continued for three rounds, he would inevitably notice that Qi Xia had used a character not present in the original pile. If Qi Xia didn’t win this round, the “soldier” piece could no longer be used.

Therefore, the third round had to end in victory, concluding the game here and now.

“Now, draw the rules for the third round.”

Hearing this, Xuanwu paused for a moment before retrieving the final rule for the third round from the box.

Everyone focused their gaze and saw the note read:

“The one with the largest occupied area wins.”

It was only then that everyone realized Qiao Jinyong’s rhetoric had truly worked.

Xuanwu, who had been utterly certain moments before, was now wavering.

Between “father” and “rice,” which one would be judged as the winning answer for Xuanwu?

Although only one of Xuanwu’s eyes was visible through her hair, that eye was filled with deep confusion.

In past games, determining victory or defeat had always been straightforward, but this time, she simply couldn’t make a decision.

Since she was no longer “human,” she naturally couldn’t think from a “human” perspective.

But what should she do now?

“It’s alright,” Qi Xia said to Xuanwu at that moment. “You don’t need to listen to what others say. Judge based on the answer you believe is correct.”

These brief words were like a lifeline, pulling Xuanwu out of her dilemma.

“The answer I believe is correct…” Xuanwu lowered her head and pondered for a moment.

After a moment, she slowly raised her head. “A draw.”

“A draw…” Qinglong frowned. “Are you sure about this?”

Xuanwu nodded slightly, causing her hair to sway. “Yes. I can’t make a judgment this round, so both are correct.”

“Whoa~~~~~~~~”

Chen Junnan suddenly spoke up loudly at that moment. “Old Qiao, Old Qiao! If I’m not mistaken, a certain ‘little god’ has played two rounds with us and hasn’t scored a single point.”

“Yeah!” Qiao Jinyong nodded. “Looks pretty helpless, doesn’t it?”

Qinglong’s expression turned cold upon hearing this. He could no longer tolerate Chen Junnan’s mouth and instantly vanished from his spot.

Seeing this, Xuanwu frowned and also disappeared from where she stood.

In the next second, Qinglong abruptly appeared in front of Chen Junnan and raised his palm to strike. However, Xuanwu instantly appeared beside Qinglong and grabbed his wrist.

Within a second, the two had already taken action, but Xuanwu had saved Chen Junnan’s life at the critical moment.

Chen Junnan and Qiao Jinyong, who were standing nearby, reacted quickly and took a step back, finally understanding what was happening.

Xuanwu’s actions seemed to have angered Qinglong greatly. His wrist was held tightly, and he remained motionless, his face growing increasingly dark.

A few seconds later, his wrist suddenly shook with force, violently pushing Xuanwu back several steps.

Xuanwu staggered backward but managed to steady herself, then let out a light cough.

It was unclear how much force Qinglong had used, but anyone could see that Xuanwu was not faring well.

“Xuanwu…” Qinglong laughed in extreme anger and turned to look at her. “Remember this moment. I won’t let you live, nor will I let you die. I will only subject you to deeper torment.”

A flicker of panic appeared in Xuanwu’s eyes upon hearing this, but it quickly subsided. “The game isn’t over yet. Neither side can engage in physical violence. Victory must be determined through ‘Cangjie’s Game.'”

Qinglong snorted coldly, shook his sleeve, and returned to the giant display screen.

Everyone exchanged uneasy glances upon seeing his demeanor.

It seemed that no matter how the game progressed, Xuanwu would not escape punishment. If Qinglong won the third round, the game would still end in a draw, likely leading to a fourth-round tiebreaker.

But Qi Xia knew it was impossible for him to drag the game to a fourth round and still secure victory.

Qinglong would soon figure out the trick behind this game. The idea of defeating Qinglong four times in a row through such means was nothing short of a fantasy.

The only reason Qi Xia had won was because of the “soldier” piece.

When Chu Tianqiu conceded defeat outside the “Cangjie’s Game” arena, Qi Xia, to be safe, took the “general” piece from him and the “soldier” piece from Jin Yuanxun.

After some thought, Qi Xia pocketed the “soldier” piece and placed the “general” piece into the pile of “characters.”

Coupled with the “scholar” piece subtly created by Tian Tian, the total number of characters in the game remained unchanged.

Thus, Qinglong couldn’t immediately identify which “character” was missing from the chaotic pile of radicals.

At this point, Qi Xia had Chen Junnan and Qiao Jinyong engage in psychological tactics, further obscuring the already hard-to-discern truth.

As Qi Xia had previously stated, as long as this “character” wasn’t held in hand and examined closely, it would always be considered real.

Thus, Qi Xia used “eye” and “wood” to form “罒+木” (a rare character).

Then, he used the “ten” from the “soldier” piece and the “eight” from the “soldier” piece to form a second “wood,” combining them to create “罧” (a net for catching fish).

As Xuanwu had mentioned, the combination Qi Xia used contained half of a “soldier.”

In the second round, while combining characters in his mind, Qi Xia realized that “ten” could be rotated to form “乂” (a cross-shaped radical). Adding “eight” to it would then form “父” (father).

Initially, Qi Xia thought it was impossible to form such a combination, but at a certain moment, he recalled the “屮” (a grass radical) created by Chen Junnan.

Theoretically, “屮” and “巾” (a towel radical) also had different stroke orders and were only similar in shape. If “屮” could be recognized, then “乂” should also be recognizable.

Soon, he realized his guess was correct—this game had undoubtedly been interfered with by Bai Yang.

After all, even Qinglong hadn’t noticed “乂,” yet it could be recognized by the “Phoenix Book Platform.”

From this perspective, the questioner and the answerer were evenly matched, with only Qinglong left in the dark.

This was how Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu came to realize the importance of the “soldier” piece. The radicals “ten” and “亠” (a lid radical) could form an extensive range of characters. If all available characters could be freely used for combinations, the “soldier” piece would be virtually omnipotent.

Therefore, the third round had to end in victory, concluding the game here and now.

“Now, draw the rules for the third round.”

Hearing this, Xuanwu paused for a moment before retrieving the final rule for the third round from the box.

Everyone focused their gaze and saw the note read:

“The one with the largest footprint wins.”

It was only then that the crowd realized Qiao Jinyan’s rhetoric had truly taken effect.

Xuanwu, who had been utterly certain moments before, now began to waver.

Between “father” and “rice,” which one would be judged as the winning answer for Xuanwu?

Though only one eye was visible through her hair, that eye was filled with profound confusion.

In past games, determining victory or defeat had always been straightforward, but this time, she simply couldn’t reach a conclusion.

Since she was no longer “human,” she naturally couldn’t think from a “human” perspective.

But what should she do now?

“It’s alright,” Qi Xia said to Xuanwu at that moment. “You don’t need to listen to what others say. Just judge based on the answer you believe is correct.”

These brief words were like a lifeline, pulling Xuanwu out of her inner conflict.

“The answer I believe is correct…” Xuanwu lowered her head and pondered for a moment.

After a brief pause, she slowly raised her head. “A draw.”

“A draw…” Qinglong frowned. “Are you sure about this?”

Xuanwu nodded slightly, causing her hair to sway. “Yes. I can’t make a judgment this round, so both answers are correct.”

“Whoa~~~~~~~~”

Chen Junnan suddenly exclaimed loudly, “Old Qiao, Old Qiao! If I’m not mistaken, a certain ‘little god’ has played two rounds with us and hasn’t scored a single point.”

“Yeah!” Qiao Jinyan nodded. “Looks pretty helpless, doesn’t she?”

Qinglong’s expression turned icy upon hearing this. He could no longer tolerate Chen Junnan’s mouth and instantly vanished from his spot.