After giving himself a reassuring thought, the Earth Serpent raised his head and looked toward the “Black Tortoise.”
“I… which room should I join now?”
“Two have already died…” The Black Tortoise glanced around and said, “Pick one of the deceased’s rooms.”
After speaking, she lightly waved her hand again, and Xu Qian’s room door closed.
At this moment, Xu Qian finally slumped to the ground.
It was terrifying—someone of the Black Tortoise’s level had just appeared mere steps away from her, emanating an unmistakably dangerous aura.
This was also the first time she had been dragged into a life-or-death wager involving an “Earth-level” participant.
“Qian-jie, are you alright?” Chen Junnan asked.
“I-I’m fine…” Xu Qian exhaled. “I think you’re really out of your mind… Do you honestly think the situation isn’t dangerous enough already?”
“Dangerous?” Chen Junnan responded vaguely. “I think this game has been dangerous from start to finish.”
“Then why did you pull the ‘Earth Serpent’ in as a participant?!” Xu Qian snapped. “He knows the rules of this game inside out—how are we supposed to compete with him?”
“Hey, we’re just getting started,” Chen Junnan chuckled. “Don’t forget, I’m the one who declared the life-or-death wager. If we lose, I’m the only one who’ll face the penalty.”
“This…”
“Don’t hesitate—help me see which room the Earth Serpent entered,” Chen Junnan said seriously. “The Black Tortoise told that old lecher to pick a dead person’s room… One corpse is ‘behind’ me, and the other is ‘in front’ of me. His choice will affect my next move.”
“I can’t even look now…” Xu Qian sighed. “They closed my door.”
“Oh…?” Chen Junnan paused. “That fast…?”
Aside from Chen Junnan and Xu Qian, the other participants in the room also began murmuring.
At this stage of the game, it seemed like the first “halftime break” had occurred.
The “question” wasn’t being passed along, and no one’s phone rang. Thanks to the excellent soundproofing, their rooms were eerily quiet, making everyone slightly uneasy.
During this time, Yun Yao even tried calling Chen Junnan a few times, but strangely, the line was always busy.
What on earth was happening?
Why was there such a long pause after the second death?
After waiting a few more minutes, Yun Yao’s phone suddenly rang.
*Ring-ring—!!*
“Hello…?”
“Ah!” a girl’s voice cried out. “I was going crazy! I—I finally got the question!”
Yun Yao nodded. “Why did it take so long? Do you know what happened?”
“I don’t know… I waited forever for this call.”
“Then… what’s the question?”
“Well…” The anxious girl thought for a moment and said, “The guy in front of me—the one with the muffled voice—told me this. He relayed it clearly… but it still sounds bizarre.”
“Go ahead and say it.”
“Listen carefully…” The girl recalled and recited, “*I, orange, murderer, on Mount Taihang, fruit uneaten.*”
“Huh…?” Yun Yao had never expected the question to sound like a line of code. “That’s exactly what the person before you said?”
“Yes. The guy said he has a great memory and only needed a few seconds to memorize these words, but he didn’t know what they meant. So he made sure to teach them to me, hoping someone down the line could crack it.”
“Can… can you repeat it for me?”
The girl repeated it, and Yun Yao noted the words down.
She still didn’t understand—what did these words have to do with a true-or-false question?
It sounded more like a child randomly typing nouns on a keyboard.
Yun Yao could only select “False” for now and then called Chen Junnan.
She relayed the words to him exactly as she had heard them.
“Pfft…” Chen Junnan suddenly burst out laughing.
“Chen Junnan…” Yun Yao sighed. “Could you take this seriously? The game paused for so long—something might have changed. These words might be hiding…”
“Big star, don’t overthink it,” Chen Junnan interrupted. “The real game is just starting now.”
“What…?”
“I just pulled off something huge,” Chen Junnan said with a laugh. “Let me ask you—since the founding of ‘Paradise Port,’ how many Earth-level ‘Zodiacs’ have you guys taken down?”
“Well…” Yun Yao fell silent for a moment before sighing. “None. We tried once, but the consequences were too brutal. Since then, the plan’s been shelved. We’ve only dared to gamble against Human-level ‘Zodiacs.'”
“None? That’s ridiculous. So, are you interested in helping me take down an Earth-level?”
“Huh?”
Yun Yao’s eyes widened slowly before she lowered her voice and whispered into the phone, “Chen Junnan… did you—did you bet your life against the Earth Serpent?”
“Yep.”
“That’s way too dangerous!” Yun Yao said. “Unless you’re absolutely certain, wagering against an ‘Earth-level’ is insane! If you lose, you’ll turn into a native!”
Chen Junnan let out a dry laugh. “Big star, do you know what ‘gambling’ means? There’s no such thing as a ‘100% guaranteed’ bet—not even Old Qi could pull that off.”
“This…”
Chen Junnan’s words struck a chord with Yun Yao.
“Big star, if you’re waiting for a ‘100%’ chance, I suggest you find another path. Otherwise, you’ll never get out—not even in a hundred years.”
“I guess you’re right,” Yun Yao admitted with a bitter smile. “I’ve been too timid…”
“So, have you figured it out?” Chen Junnan asked. “Ready to help me take him down?”
“Yeah,” Yun Yao agreed with a nod. “Whatever you need… just say the word.”
Seeing how readily Yun Yao agreed, Chen Junnan grinned. “There is one thing I need your help with.”
“What is it?”
“If I die, don’t forget to tell Old Qi about today. Preferably with some embellishment—let him know I’m no ordinary guy.”
“What are you talking about?” Yun Yao was instantly confused. “You just declared a life-or-death wager with the Earth Serpent, and now you’re already giving last words?”
“What? Not allowed?”
“I won’t pass them on,” Yun Yao said firmly. “If you have something to say, say it yourself.”
“Tch, I might not live long enough for that.”
Yun Yao grew more uneasy. “Chen Junnan… what exactly do you mean? You decided to ‘bet your life’ against the Earth Serpent, but it seems like you have zero confidence… Can you really pull this off?”
“Like I said,” Chen Junnan chuckled, “I’m purely ‘gambling.’ My odds of winning are, at best, 30%.”
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