Qi Xia glanced at the digital clock on the wall—the game had been running for fifty-seven minutes.
In three minutes, the second “supply” would arrive.
But the current situation was precarious. If Qi Xia’s guess was correct, none of the remaining participants would be able to produce even a single “Dao.” So how would the next “supply” be carried out?
During this time, four more teams had escaped. Qi Xia did the math—thirty-two people remained in the game.
Theoretically, there should be a maximum of twenty-two “Sorrow” fans left.
“No…”
A faint smirk curled on Qi Xia’s lips. The square-faced man from earlier had been deceived by him and had foolishly fed two “Sorrow” fans into the machine in a row.
The “market” now held only twenty “Sorrow” fans.
As the clock struck sixty minutes, Earth Goat lowered his head and rummaged through his belongings once more.
This time, he didn’t pull out a large duffel bag. Instead, he retrieved a small pouch.
From it, he drew four folded fans, one by one, and laid them out on the table after opening them.
One each of “Joy,” “Anger,” “Sorrow,” and “Pleasure.”
Just as the crowd began to murmur in confusion, he picked up the small blackboard, wiped away the previous writing with a handkerchief, and meticulously wrote a new sentence with chalk from his breast pocket before tossing the chalk onto the table.
The crowd read the words:
“Two-fold exchange for one fan.”
The phrasing was awkward, but everyone understood the meaning.
Trade two fans… for one on the table?
Qi Xia realized this rule was tailored for participants like him—those who had started with three identical fans. Otherwise, no one would willingly trade two for one.
He shook his head and was about to walk away when a sudden thought struck him.
“Wait…” He turned back, studying the bizarre scene before him.
The small blackboard, the table, the folded fans, Earth Goat.
Earth Goat was supposed to be a participant… yet here he was, boldly running a business?
What right did he have to “supply” fans to the others?
“So that’s how it is…?”
Qi Xia made a bold assumption.
Whether it was the initial fifty-two fans or the current four, they were likely meant to be free.
The small blackboard was a scam. If this were truly a “rule,” it shouldn’t be scribbled on a hand-held board—clearly, it was improvised for flexibility.
Since Earth Goat had initially appeared as a referee, no one dared to defy him. Whether it was three “Dao” for one fan or two for one, all of it would end up in Earth Goat’s pocket.
This was his deception within the game.
Qi Xia took a deep breath and slowly approached the table.
Earth Goat noticed his approach and gave him an indifferent glance before uttering, “Take your pick.”
Qi Xia nodded but didn’t reach for the fans on the table. Instead, he picked up the discarded chalk.
Earth Goat frowned slightly. “What are you doing?”
“The same as you,” Qi Xia replied.
The response made Earth Goat narrow his eyes.
Qi Xia gripped the chalk and walked to the opposite side of the room, away from Earth Goat. Then, he crouched and wrote on the floor:
“One for one.”
Next, he unfolded four of his own fans—excluding “Sorrow”—and tossed them onto the ground. After a moment’s thought, he pulled out his dagger and stabbed it into the floor in front of him.
His strange actions quickly drew attention.
“Hey! That guy’s offering one-for-one!”
“He’s cheaper than Earth Goat!”
A crowd soon gathered around Qi Xia, noticing the four fans laid out before him.
Joy, Anger, Anger, Pleasure.
Every type except “Sorrow.”
The dagger planted in front of him made it clear he wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
A middle-aged woman eyed him suspiciously. “Can I trade anything?”
“Of course,” Qi Xia nodded. “Any fan.”
“Can I trade my ‘Joy’ for your ‘Anger’?” she pressed.
“Absolutely.” Qi Xia picked up one of his “Anger” fans and held it out. “Here.”
Still hesitant, the woman handed over her “Joy,” and the exchange was made.
Qi Xia nodded and placed the newly acquired “Joy” on the ground.
“Listen up,” he announced. “This exchange will last thirty minutes. Once time’s up—or if I decide to stop—this stall closes.”
Earth Goat, witnessing this, slowly stepped away from his table and approached Qi Xia’s makeshift stand.
The crowd parted as he strode forward.
Qi Xia rose to his feet, locking eyes with him.
“You have a death wish?” Earth Goat asked coldly.
“I had my funeral arrangements ready before coming here,” Qi Xia replied. “You think threats scare me?”
A flicker of murderous intent flashed in Earth Goat’s usually indifferent gaze. He knew this man had seen through the game.
The two stood barely half a meter apart, the air thick with tension.
Earth Goat exhaled sharply. “Shut this down, or I won’t be polite.”
“Polite?” Qi Xia’s eyes mirrored the same lethal glint. “You think I’m being polite to *you*?”
“What?”
“Others want ‘Dao,’ but I want something else.” Qi Xia smirked. “That pelt of yours. With it, I can meet the person I need to see.”
Earth Goat’s instincts screamed danger as Qi Xia’s lips parted again.
“Earth Goat, I challenge you to a gamble—”
Before he could finish, Earth Goat’s fur-covered hand clamped over his mouth, fingers digging into his jaw, cutting off his air.
“Kid… are you insane?!” Earth Goat growled. “Do you even know my rank?”
Qi Xia couldn’t speak, but the mocking glint in his eyes unsettled Earth Goat to his core.
*What kind of look is that?*
His grip tightened—this man needed to die. Now.
Slowly, Qi Xia reached into his pocket and pulled out a fan.
With a sharp flick, he unfolded it right in Earth Goat’s face.
A single, bold character glared back:
**”Sorrow.”**
The sheer audacity made Earth Goat’s vision redden with fury.
“Who *are* you?” he hissed, leaning in. “A nobody without even a ‘Resonance’ dares gamble with me? How?”
Qi Xia jerked his head free, coughing before lifting his gaze with a chilling smile.
“‘Resonance’? I walk the ‘Land of Finality’ without needing such things. They only cloud my mind.”
Earth Goat hesitated, studying him.
There was something terrifyingly familiar about this man.
Cold. Dangerous. Unhinged.
The feeling was… unsettlingly nostalgic.
“You…” Earth Goat finally managed, “Do you even know how perilous the path you’ve chosen is?”
“Of course I do!” Qi Xia snapped. “There are countless roads in this world—each person has their own!”
Earth Goat’s eyes widened. He seized Qi Xia’s collar. “Who taught you that?!”
“Oh?” Qi Xia’s grin sharpened. “If you want answers… why not face me in a fair duel?”
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