The thin man hesitated slightly, as if trying to decipher Qi Xia’s motives.
Qi Xia had been holding his two “Joy” fans in the air for a while now. With a hint of impatience, he said, “What’s the hold-up? I’m offering two for your one and a half. How long do you need to think?”
The thin man was indeed in a dilemma.
After all, Qi Xia was offering two identical fans, which wouldn’t help him escape at all.
“Could you… could you swap one of them?” the thin man asked hesitantly, pointing at the “Happiness” fan on the ground. “One ‘Joy’ and one ‘Happiness’—would that work?”
“Of course not,” Qi Xia replied without hesitation. “My trade, my rules. Take it or leave it.”
“Huh?”
Qi Xia knew this man was indecisive by nature. To force a decision, he couldn’t give him time to think.
“Not trading? Fine.” Qi Xia nodded and was about to put the fans away when the thin man grabbed his arm.
Having interacted with Qi Xia once before, the thin man knew he was a man of his word. He had to make a decision now.
“I’ll trade… I’ll trade…”
With visible reluctance, he pulled out another fan from his pocket and handed it to Qi Xia, along with the tattered one he had been holding.
Without another word, Qi Xia passed him the two “Joy” fans.
After receiving them, the thin man nodded gratefully and turned to the crowd. “Does anyone want to trade one ‘Joy’ with me? Any fan will do.”
“Hey!” Qi Xia immediately snapped at him.
“Huh?”
“Take your business elsewhere,” Qi Xia waved dismissively. “Not here.”
“But… but there are more people here.”
Qi Xia nodded, pulling the dagger from the ground. “Got it. I’ll send you on your way then.”
“No, wait—” The thin man panicked. Knowing this man could speak to the “referee,” he wasn’t someone to mess with. He quickly scurried away.
Watching him leave, Qi Xia exhaled in relief.
After all, no one here would trade a “Joy” with that man. He’d figure it out eventually.
With the onlookers silent, Qi Xia tucked the tattered fan into his pocket and inspected the other one.
Though surrounded by spectators, Qi Xia only opened the fan a sliver before snapping it shut.
Was it “Luck”?
No—it was a trick.
Another “Sorrow.”
To everyone else, each fan was worth five “Paths.” But in Qi Xia’s eyes, they held different values.
The tattered fan from the thin man was a rare “Rage” in the “market.” Now, the second fan was a “Sorrow.” The man had no idea he was sitting on a hidden fortune.
Trading two “Joy” fans for one “Sorrow” and one “Rage”? An absolute windfall.
The man’s fans matched Qi Xia’s predictions perfectly. The reason he had shamelessly come to trade was because he was on the verge of escaping.
Thus, the remaining fan in his possession couldn’t be “Joy” or “Happiness”—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to leave even after trading.
Since he had offered a “Rage,” the second one had to be “Sorrow.”
Qi Xia pocketed the “Sorrow” and placed the tattered fan on the ground.
The crowd, seeing him display a tattered fan, looked puzzled.
“Young man, why are you putting out a broken fan?” an older woman asked. “What was the other fan? Show us.”
“Yeah, show us!” a few others chimed in.
“Do I owe you an explanation?” Qi Xia replied coldly. “These are the only two I have now. Take it or leave it.”
The crowd glanced down—one tattered fan, one “Happiness”—and hesitated.
Unfazed, Qi Xia took out a piece of chalk and added another line to his sign:
“Tattered fan: Two fans for one.”
Seeing this, the onlookers thought Qi Xia had lost his mind.
Who would trade two fans for one? That was no different from Di Yang’s deal—except Di Yang’s fans were intact.
Gradually, the crowd dispersed. Seizing the moment, Qi Xia took a headcount.
Only twenty-two people remained. Surprisingly, ten had escaped while he was running his stall.
And he had played no small part in that.
Without his stall, those people might have taken another half-hour to get out.
Those players had exhausted five “Sorrow” fans. At most, fifteen remained in the “market.”
During his time here, Qi Xia had acquired two “Sorrow” fans. Once in his hands, they wouldn’t re-enter circulation. So, at most, thirteen remained.
Judging by the trading activity, the actual number was likely far fewer—otherwise, someone would have offered a “Sorrow” for another fan.
After all, escaping now was the best option for everyone.
Both Di Yang and Qi Xia required two fans per trade. Waiting longer served no purpose.
So why weren’t more people escaping?
Where were they stuck?
Qi Xia wasn’t in a hurry. He simply sat and waited.
The remaining twenty players began talking amongst themselves, but one by one, their attempts to form teams failed. The situation was clearly turning dire.
A man in a leather jacket approached Qi Xia’s stall and glanced down. “Hey, buddy, what’s written on this tattered fan?”
Qi Xia carefully opened it—a torn “Rage.”
The man raised an eyebrow and lowered his voice. “Mind making a deal?”
“Oh?” Qi Xia eyed him. “What kind of deal?”
“I’ll trade you two fans. But after the game, you give me five ‘Paths’ back.”
Qi Xia stroked his chin. The offer wasn’t unreasonable—it was a form of cooperation.
“Two questions,” Qi Xia said. “First, if you’re offering two fans either way, why not trade with Di Yang?”
“Because he’d never return the ‘Paths,'” the man replied. “Plus, I suspect you’ve been playing some tricks in this game. Right now, you probably need fans more than ‘Paths.’ So I’m proposing a partnership.”
Qi Xia nodded. “Second—how do you know I’ll actually give you the ‘Paths’ afterward?”
“Because I’m Song Qi.”
“Song Qi?” The name meant nothing to Qi Xia. “What’s so special about that?”
“My reputation ensures fair deals in the ‘Land of Finality.'”
Qi Xia understood the dual meaning—a hint of threat, but also a promise of fairness.
The man didn’t sound like he was lying. He might be a well-known figure in the “Land of Finality,” much like Lin Qin.
“Fine, Song Qi. Deal.” Qi Xia extended his hand. “If you’re telling the truth, this ‘Rage’ is yours.”
“Straight to the point.” Song Qi nodded. As he reached for his fans, he paused. “Any specific fan you want in return?”
“Of course,” Qi Xia replied. “I want ‘Sorrow.'”
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