Qi Xia took the five “Tao” given by Qiao Jiazheng and officially headed to the game site of the Earth Goat.
Qiao Jiazheng insisted on seeing Qi Xia part of the way, refusing to take no for an answer.
Though Earth-level games were notoriously dangerous, Qi Xia knew his odds of death were low.
Even if he couldn’t win the game, he should at least be able to survive.
But in case of an unforeseen accident…
“Fists…” Qi Xia turned his head and said, “If I forget everything next time, remember to tell me ‘Yu Nian’an says *dong dong dong*’… That way, I’ll believe whatever you say.”
“Don’t be so pessimistic, Liar.” Qiao Jiazheng patted Qi Xia’s back. “If you dare forget me, I’ll give you a full restraining package—beat you awake if I have to.”
“Uh…” Qi Xia shook his head helplessly. “Without my memories, if you suddenly attack me, I might just fight you to the death…”
“Let’s skip the death part.” Qiao Jiazheng stretched lazily. “Fine, I’ll just follow your instructions. What was it again? Yu… Dongdong something?”
“Yu Dongdong…?”
It took Qi Xia three attempts to drill the simple phrase into Qiao Jiazheng’s memory, but he still found it unreliable.
At least Qiao Jiazheng was trustworthy—even if he lost his memories, they could always start fresh.
After walking for about half an hour, they finally spotted the bar mentioned by the Earth Tiger.
A black-horned goat-headed man stood at the entrance, surrounded by a dozen or so people—clearly, this was a large-scale game.
“Liar… Are you sure you don’t want me with you?” Qiao Jiazheng eyed the distant crowd. “All those people are joining.”
“Fists, ‘Goat’ represents deception.” Qi Xia turned to him. “If we end up on the same team, fine. But if it’s an individual battle… I don’t want to deceive you.”
“I wouldn’t mind if you did,” Qiao Jiazheng said with naive sincerity.
“What kind of logic is that?” Qi Xia frowned. “If I can choose not to deceive you, why would you insist on entering just to be tricked?”
“Oh. Right.” Qiao Jiazheng nodded reluctantly. “So, are you confident?”
“I probably won’t die.” Qi Xia replied. “But winning all of the Earth Goat’s ‘Tao’ will depend on the rules.”
“Then… be careful.”
Qiao Jiazheng glanced uneasily at the distant crowd. Even in a one-on-one deception game, he wasn’t sure he could win. A game with a dozen people lying to each other? The thought alone was terrifying.
This wasn’t the kind of game for him.
“You should head back first.” Qi Xia said. “I’ll find you at ‘Paradise Port’ when it’s over.”
After bidding farewell to Qiao Jiazheng, Qi Xia slowly approached the crowd.
The Earth Goat’s sleek black fur shimmered under the sunlight as he sniffed and turned his gaze toward Qi Xia.
“What’s the entry fee?” Qi Xia asked.
“Five.” The Earth Goat replied.
“Five…?” Qi Xia gave a slight nod. Most Earth-level games had this requirement—Qiao Jiazheng had done him a huge favor.
He tossed all five of his “Tao” to the Earth Goat.
“How many more people do you need?” Qi Xia scanned the dozen or so men and women nearby. “When can we start?”
“The game requires fifty participants.” The Earth Goat’s voice was flat, devoid of emotion. “We’re still far short.”
“What?” Qi Xia froze. “Fifty people?!”
The staggering number unsettled him.
“What are we playing?” he pressed.
“Full attendance, then rules.”
Hearing this, Qi Xia could only step back into the crowd. No wonder everyone looked so tense—the weight of the unknown loomed over them.
A fifty-person deception game.
No matter the rules, the difficulty was beyond excessive.
Worse yet… the “Goat” would start lying the moment he explained the rules. Could these people even break through?
Qi Xia found a spot by the roadside and sat down, waiting for more participants.
Fifty was an enormous number. From morning until noon, Qi Xia and the others waited, yet only about thirty had gathered.
The previous “Earth Ox” game had required just twenty. But the “Earth Goat” demanded fifty…
Could this game really be managed at such a scale?
“Hey…” A middle-aged man in a suit spoke up. “What happens if we don’t get enough people?”
The Earth Goat turned calmly. “Then the game is canceled.”
“Canceled?!” The man was furious. “Are you joking?! We already paid!”
“And what do you intend to do about it?” The Earth Goat’s voice remained flat, almost robotic. “Make trouble here?”
The man lowered his head and fell silent.
Qi Xia observed the crowd. Most wore calm expressions—likely many had already awakened their “Echoes.”
Those daring to join an Earth-level game on the first day were either “Echo-bearers” or reckless newcomers. Either way, the game was bound to be brutal.
The thirty-plus participants drew considerable attention on the street, attracting curious onlookers. Some backed out, while others joined.
Qi Xia found it odd that about four or five people carried small handbags, resembling mobsters in a deal scene from a movie.
After two more hours of waiting—long enough for Qi Xia to grow parched and hungry—the final participant finally paid the fee.
The street now teemed with players.
Qi Xia surveyed the crowd—men and women, young and old. It was his first time seeing elders in a game. A few faces looked familiar, likely members of “Paradise Port,” though he had no ties to them.
Clearly, the streets were crawling with “participants” every day.
“Good. Thank you for your patience. Follow me.” The Earth Goat turned and opened the bar door, leading the group inside.
The bar was completely derelict, chairs and tables strewn about.
Without pause, he walked straight to the counter, pushed open a small side door, and revealed a descending staircase.
“Watch your step. Wouldn’t want you to fall to your death,” the Earth Goat murmured before heading down.
The line stretched long, and Qi Xia, positioned toward the middle-rear, shuffled forward with the bustling crowd.
“Hey, buddy.” A square-faced man tapped him from behind.
“Yeah?” Qi Xia glanced back.
“No idea what we’re playing, but wanna team up later?”
“Oh?” Qi Xia studied the man, intrigued. “You want to partner with me?”
“Yeah.” The man nodded. “Goat games are about deception, right? If we plan ahead and trick others together, we’ll have the upper hand!”
“Sure.” Qi Xia nodded. “Let’s cooperate.”
He watched the man with amusement. Seeking collaboration in a den of deceit—was this guy a clown… or a master?
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