“A rather peculiar way of counting votes,” Qinglong shook his head. “It looks like Tianlong got two votes, but you didn’t consider who Tianlong wants to kill.”
“A man who’s been asleep all this time—who he wants to kill isn’t our concern,” Qixia replied. “If you’ve made your decision, then follow the list. I need these people’s memories to be relatively clean. Anyone they’re familiar with or close to must be dealt with, one by one. I need them to believe I’m their only ally.”
“That’s quite the ambitious plan,” Qinglong remarked. “For safety’s sake, I need to know why these people are being brought into the room.”
“Must we always doubt each other like this?” Qixia countered. “I’ve already promised you I’d act against Tianlong—isn’t that enough?”
“This isn’t mutual suspicion—it’s mutual honesty,” Qinglong replied. “Understanding your plan will only make me trust you more.”
“Fine,” Qixia nodded, then pointed at two names on the list: “Qiaojiajin” and “Chenjunnan.” “These two are the result of my long-term observation. The first ensures my chances of survival increase, the second ensures my chances of death decrease.”
Qinglong silently examined the names before looking back at Qixia. “Two ‘shields,’ is that it?”
“Yes,” Qixia affirmed. “I’ll find a way to earn their trust, then have them use their lives to help me survive till the end. That’s their only purpose.”
“I feel like you’re also starting to transcend the realm of ordinary men,” Qinglong chuckled. “Two people willing to die for you—could you really let them go without a second thought?”
“My target is Tianlong. Whether these two live or die… what does it matter to me?” Qixia’s icy gaze left no room for doubt. “They’ll be discarded the moment they’re no longer useful. Everyone is just a pawn.”
“Good. I admire that about you,” Qinglong nodded. “What about the others?”
After a brief pause, Qixia pointed to “Li Shangwu” and “Zhao Haibo.” “The first can reliably take lives, the second can reliably dismantle traps. Their presence ensures I remain unstoppable in the games, always surviving.”
Qinglong’s lips curled slightly. “Qixia… I take back what I said earlier. You’re still just an ordinary man.”
“How so?”
“Eight people in a room, and four of them exist solely to protect your life…” Qinglong shook his head. “That’s not the choice of a ‘god.’”
“I just don’t want to fail,” Qixia said. “You know if I fail, I might even lose my memories. It’s not worth it for me. These four aren’t just to ensure my success—they’ll ensure yours too.”
“Fine,” Qinglong nodded again. “And the rest?”
Qixia hesitated briefly before pointing at “Han Yimo.” “This is my versatile agent in the room, capable of offense and defense. I’ll deploy him based on the situation.”
Qinglong leaned back, sitting upright. “Strange. The people you’re describing sound formidable, yet I’ve barely heard of any of these five in ‘Taoyuan.’”
“‘Famous’ people aren’t part of my considerations,” Qixia explained. “Their memories are rarely ‘relatively clean.’ Even if they don’t remember others, others might remember them—that could interfere with my plans.”
“So you avoid the ‘famous’ and go for the ‘relatively mediocre’ instead…” Qinglong raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure that’s a sound strategy?”
“‘Relatively mediocre’?” Qixia shook his head. “No, I never said they were mediocre. In my hands, they might just be the strongest team.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because each of them carries a burden—a shackle weighing them down. And perhaps only I can remove it,” Qixia answered. “Once freed, they’ll leap from what you call ‘mediocrity’ to become legends.”
Skeptical, Qinglong glanced back at the list. “Eight future legends…?”
“Oh, no, not all of them,” Qixia corrected. “The others have their own reasons.”
He pointed at “Zhang Lijuan.” “She’s a master of ‘ingenious devices.’ I need to get close to her to find a way to counter Tianlong’s ‘devices.’ Plus, her skills can help the team overcome many obstacles.”
Qinglong sensed more holes in Qixia’s logic. Even if Tianlong had “ingenious devices,” why would they need to counter them just to kill someone who’s asleep?
Before Qinglong could dwell on it, Qixia pointed at “Zhang Chenshe.” “I owe this woman a debt. She helped me greatly, and I promised to bring her into the team. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement she proposed, so I included her.”
Qinglong remained silent, waiting for the last name.
“As for her…” Qixia’s finger hovered over “Xiao Ran.” After a pause, he said, “No one else fit. She’s just filler.”
“You think I’d believe that?” Qinglong frowned. “You wrote these eight names yourself and handed them to me. You really expect me to buy that one of them is just filler?”
“Couldn’t fool you, huh…?” Qixia conceded. “Fine, she’s not filler. I’m just… a little embarrassed to explain.”
“Even *you* feel embarrassed?” Qinglong smirked. “Now I’m even more curious.”
“Some people need her to trigger their ‘echoes,’” Qixia admitted. “So I had no choice but to bring her in.”
“Ah… mortal vulgarities don’t interest me,” Qinglong waved a hand dismissively. He tapped the paper thoughtfully. “But I think I understand. You need someone who can help the others activate their ‘divine techniques.’ How about this? I’ll help you find that person—consider it my contribution to the plan.”
Qixia burst out laughing. “You, finding someone to help us trigger ‘echoes’? Then I wouldn’t be able to trust *anyone* in that room.”
“Still so distrustful?” Qinglong sighed. “I just want to help. Maybe I happen to have the perfect candidate for the job.”
“Planting a spy beside me isn’t wise,” Qixia warned. “No ‘spy’ can hide from me. I might even uncover *your* plans through them. Think carefully.”
Qinglong’s eyes shifted subtly, as if undeterred—perhaps even contemplating something deeper.
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