Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin filled the sacks with “Dos” and then slung them over their shoulders.
“Liar…” Qiao Jiajin asked with some confusion, “Did we gather enough?”
“Hmm…” Qi Xia pondered for a moment before replying, “I didn’t expect things to go this smoothly. But the problem remains troublesome. Unless we find the ‘Heavenly Sheep,’ Earth Tiger won’t return the 2,900 ‘Dos’ to us.”
Qi Xia sighed helplessly. If he hadn’t managed to bluff Earth Sheep this time, he probably would have died here.
But why hadn’t Earth Sheep made a move to kill him in the end?
“Then…” Qiao Jiajin glanced at the black sheep-headed figure not far away. “Liar, you participated in an ‘Earth Sheep’ game—did you find out where the ‘Heavenly Sheep’ is?”
“Quite the opposite…” Qi Xia shook his head. “Now, I have no clue where the ‘Heavenly Sheep’ is at all…”
With mixed emotions, the two of them walked out of Earth Sheep’s game area.
To gather enough participants, Earth Sheep’s game didn’t start until noon. After more than two hours of gameplay, it was already afternoon.
“Liar, where are we hiding these ‘Dos’ this time? Should we find another ‘Zodiac’?”
“Yes, let’s find another ‘Zodiac,'” Qi Xia nodded. “But this time, it’s still Earth Tiger.”
“Baa?” Qiao Jiajin blinked in surprise. “He already has 2,900. Are you planning to give him another thousand-plus?”
“Yeah,” Qi Xia nodded again. “If he doesn’t return those 2,900, we still can’t gather the full 3,600. Might as well give him all the ‘Dos’—it’s safer and more convenient.”
“Oh… I guess that makes sense.”
After walking for about half an hour, they arrived at Earth Tiger’s game area again.
Earth Tiger had just sent off a group of “customers.” The participants were covered in injuries, large and small, and it seemed some might have even died inside.
“Oh…?” Earth Tiger turned and spotted Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin, his eyes immediately locking onto the sacks on their backs.
“I did it,” Qi Xia said. “All of Earth Sheep’s ‘Dos’ are here.”
They threw the sacks in front of Earth Tiger, who looked visibly shocked.
“All of them…?”
“Probably even more than that,” Qi Xia replied. “He brought 1,100 in total, but I won more than that for you.”
“You…” Earth Tiger blinked. “Did you even take the entrance fees from the participants? Kid, you didn’t just steal them, did you?”
“No,” Qi Xia shook his head. “I beat Earth Sheep at his own game. And there’s even more to humiliate him.”
“Oh?” Earth Tiger’s interest was clearly piqued. He swayed his massive head and asked eagerly, “Tell me quick! Did he cry after losing so much?”
“He didn’t cry, but he might come to you for a loan tonight,” Qi Xia said. “He owes all the participants about a thousand ‘Dos,’ meaning this operation cost Earth Sheep roughly 2,400 ‘Dos’ in total.”
The statement left both Qiao Jiajin and Earth Tiger stunned.
Earth Tiger knew about Earth Sheep’s games. Rumor had it that some lucky and skilled opportunists could win dozens of ‘Dos’ in a single game, with the most impressive being someone who once walked away with a hundred.
But their success always came with extreme risk and heavy casualties.
Yet this man before him had gone alone, emerged unscathed, not only taken all of Earth Sheep’s ‘Dos’ but also left him in debt.
Was this real?
Seeing Earth Tiger hesitate, Qi Xia pressed the advantage. “Since I fulfilled my end of the deal and won all of Earth Sheep’s ‘Dos’ for you, shouldn’t you return those 2,900 to us now?”
Earth Tiger snapped out of his daze and nodded slowly. “Right, the 2,900…”
Half a second later, he frowned. “Wait a minute, kid. That’s not right.”
“Hmm?”
“Since when did I say I’d return your ‘Dos’ if you won all of Earth Sheep’s?”
“Didn’t you?” Qi Xia feigned innocence. “Maybe I misremembered.”
“Don’t mess with my memory,” Earth Tiger said coldly. “I said that if you won all of Earth Sheep’s ‘Dos,’ I’d agree to safeguard them for you—that’s it, right?”
“Of course,” Qi Xia nodded. “That was the deal. I must’ve misheard.”
“And I also said… if you can lead me to that person… I’d return all your ‘Dos’ intact.”
“Yes, now I remember,” Qi Xia nodded again.
“So, kid… do you have any leads on that person?” Earth Tiger asked.
“That person…” Qi Xia slowly raised his head. “Earth Tiger, are you absolutely sure the person you’re looking for is the ‘Heavenly Sheep’?”
“I told you,” Earth Tiger shook his head. “I don’t care if he’s ‘Heaven,’ ‘Earth,’ or ‘Human’ Sheep now… I just need to see him. I want to ask why he never kept a single promise he made to me…”
The more Qi Xia listened, the stranger it seemed.
“Hold on…” he interrupted softly. “So… you don’t even know what rank she is?”
“His rank…” Earth Tiger narrowed his eyes. “When I knew him, he was already ‘Earth Sheep.’ And I saw him ascend with my own eyes…”
“She ascended…?” Qi Xia’s eyes widened slightly. “So… there was no ‘Heavenly Sheep’ before?”
“Was I not clear enough…?” Earth Tiger said coldly. “Since he ascended, he’s now the ‘Heavenly Sheep.’ I don’t care how many sheep there were before—I just want him. Even if he fled after becoming a Heavenly, you’d better find a way to drag him back.”
Qi Xia was starting to think Earth Tiger was being unreasonable.
“If the ‘Heavenly Sheep’ you’re talking about really escaped…” Qi Xia took a step forward, his tone firm. “Then I won’t help you find her anymore. She shouldn’t be here—it’s better if she got away.”
“What?!” Earth Tiger’s anger flared. “Kid, all your ‘Dos’ are in my hands, and you dare talk to me like this?”
“Yes. If things are as you say, I don’t need those 4,000-plus ‘Dos’ anymore. I just want her safe.”
“You…”
Earth Tiger never expected this man would willingly give up over four thousand ‘Dos.’
“But what exactly is your relationship with him?” Earth Tiger demanded. “I’ve been by his side for so long—why have I never heard of you?”
“Before I answer, I have a question for you too,” Qi Xia slowly raised his head, a glimmer of hope igniting in his eyes. “Did you see her escape with your own eyes after ascending?”
Earth Tiger sat down heavily and nodded. “Yeah. All four of us saw it. That day, he ascended to ‘Heaven’ and vanished from this world.”
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