Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin, carrying two massive sacks, stepped out into the night.
Along the way, Qiao Jiajin acted like he was on a leisurely trip, humming a Cantonese song as he walked.
Meanwhile, Qi Xia remained intensely vigilant, scanning their surroundings.
The sheer quantity of 2,900 “Dao” was staggering, but fortunately, it was Day Zero—no one could have anticipated that such a massive haul would be transported by just two men under the cover of night.
As for Chu Tianqiu…
Qi Xia was certain he wouldn’t send anyone to steal the “Dao.” Doing so would destroy the only bargaining chip between them.
Upon reflection, Chu Tianqiu hadn’t hesitated when handing over the “Dao,” which suggested his ultimate goal wasn’t “collecting Dao” but rather what he called “ascension to godhood.”
“Oi, Liar, where exactly are we going?” Qiao Jiajin glanced around. With dusk settling in, the path ahead was growing harder to see.
“Just follow me, Fist,” Qi Xia mused for a moment. “There’s a place that should be safe, but I’m not sure if my plan will work.”
Qiao Jiajin nodded and fell silent, trailing behind Qi Xia without another word.
After walking for a while, Qi Xia suddenly thought of something and turned his head. “Fist, did you make it to the last day?”
“Me?” Qiao Jiajin considered the question. “You mean last time?”
“Yeah.”
“I did,” Qiao Jiajin nodded. “Kung Fu Girl and I left ‘Paradise Port’ and stayed until the very end.”
“What was ‘Terminus’ like?” Qi Xia asked, then immediately felt ridiculous.
He had been in the “Terminal Land” for so long, yet he could only learn about “Terminus” from someone else.
“That day…” Qiao Jiajin’s expression darkened. “I found a few cans of beans in a ruined house and was about to start a fire to heat them up for Kung Fu Girl when I watched her body begin to… dissolve.”
“Dissolve?”
“Yeah…” Qiao Jiajin nodded. “It was terrifying. She looked at me in panic as her hands turned into dark red dust, floating away. Then her arms, shoulders… and finally her head.”
Qi Xia could almost picture it.
Just as Chu Tianqiu had said—when “Terminus” arrived, all “Participants” would disintegrate into dark red powder. Not even “Endless Life” could reverse it.
“Liar, you know what? I couldn’t hold onto her…” For the first time, Qiao Jiajin wore an expression of deep sorrow. “She was everywhere around me—scattered in the air. I could still feel her frightened gaze, but there was nothing I could do to save her…”
“And then?”
“Then it was my turn…” Qiao Jiajin lifted his hand and studied it. “I started dissolving too. It was a strange feeling—no pain, no itch—but I could clearly feel myself turning into dust. I could sense every particle of myself in the air, but I couldn’t stop it.”
Qi Xia lowered his head in silence.
“I became dust floating in the sky until I lost all consciousness. The next thing I knew, I was standing outside a prison.”
“Prison?” Qi Xia paused.
“Yeah… the same place I was at before coming here.” Qiao Jiajin let out a bitter chuckle. “Pathetic, isn’t it? Even if I return to the real world, nothing changes. Some things, if you don’t do them when you should, you’ll never do them at all.”
Qi Xia gave him a sympathetic look. Whatever had hurt Qiao Jiajin this deeply must have been devastating.
And wasn’t he the same?
Once, he had believed he could manipulate everything—only to realize he had been played over and over again.
As the night deepened and the chirping of insects filled the air, the two arrived at their destination.
It was a five- or six-story building, and in front of it sat a strange creature with the body of a man and the head of a tiger.
Hearing their approaching footsteps, Earth Tiger lifted his gaze.
“Yo…” His eyes lingered on Qi Xia for a few seconds. “We’re closed for the day. Come back tomorrow.”
With that, he stood up and began walking into the darkness.
“Wait,” Qi Xia called out. “Earth Tiger, you can’t clock out yet. I need to talk to you.”
“Piss off,” Earth Tiger growled coldly and kept walking.
After a moment’s hesitation, Qi Xia strode forward and grabbed him.
“Earth Tiger, I have a deal for you.”
“A deal?” Earth Tiger turned his head, his snow-white fur reflecting faint light in the dark. “What makes you think you’re qualified to bargain with me? Get lost.”
Qi Xia had no choice but to gamble.
He threw the sack he was carrying at Earth Tiger’s feet and tore open the seal. The staggering number of “Dao” inside emitted a foul stench while also illuminating the surrounding area.
“Earth Tiger, I have 2,900 ‘Dao’ here. I want you to take them.”
Earth Tiger, who had been intent on leaving, froze at those words and glanced down at the sack.
“2,900?”
“That’s right,” Qi Xia nodded. “I need you to keep them safe for me.”
Earth Tiger thought for a few seconds, his whiskers twitching before he sneered.
“Keep them safe? Why don’t you take a piss and see what you really are?” His tiger-like paw resealed the sack, dimming the glow around them. “Why the hell should I help you?”
“Because I’ll find ‘Sky Sheep’ and bring her to you.”
“…What?” Earth Tiger stiffened. “Sky Sheep?”
“Earth Tiger, you want to see her, don’t you?” Qi Xia swallowed and spoke slowly. “So do I. And unlike you, I have more ways to find her. You know I can die over and over—it doesn’t matter to me. That makes it easier for me to locate her.”
For the first time, the tiger-headed man seemed moved.
Earth Tiger pondered for a moment before turning away. “Kid, you don’t get it… I don’t care about ‘Sky Sheep.’ I don’t care if she’s Sky, Earth, or Human Sheep now. I just want answers.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a faint ring of light appeared in the distance. Qi Xia squinted—it looked like the same glowing door they had first arrived through.
Earth Tiger glanced at it. “Kid, my shift’s over.”
Qi Xia frowned. This was the first time he’d realized that “Zodiacs” actually had working hours.
“I get it. You want to see ‘that person.’ I’ll do everything I can to help you.”
“If you want me to believe you…” Earth Tiger said, “you’ll have to do something for me first.”
“What?”
Earth Tiger pulled out a crumpled bag of puffed snacks from his pocket and shoved it into Qi Xia’s hands. Then he slowly pointed in a direction.
“If you go that way, you’ll reach ‘The Clock’ in about an hour. To its right is a narrow path leading to ‘Human Rat’s’ game site.” Earth Tiger’s voice was low. “I can’t leave this place. Take these snacks to her for me.”
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