Chapter 434: The Gopher’s Fear

The four of them once again discussed their tactics and waited for the door to open for the second round.

During this time, Qi Xia and Luo Shiyi each dropped a piece of fruit into their respective holes, restoring their satiation levels to two bars, while the others remained at one.

With a soft *click*, the door unlocked, and the four of them stepped out one after another.

“Saturday, once you enter the room, whether or not you step on a ‘mousetrap,’ remember to immediately send a message to Qiu Shiliu,” Qi Xia instructed. “Luo Shiyi and I will only begin the ‘rescue’ after your signal.”

“Tch, got it.”

Saturday and Wang Ba headed toward the first and second rooms, respectively. Just as they were about to enter, Qi Xia suddenly felt something was off.

“Wait—” He raised a hand to stop them. “Wang Ba, switch rooms.”

“Me…?”

Qi Xia nodded, then pointed at the fifth room with the brown wooden door.

Wang Ba sighed and slowly walked over.

Qi Xia felt that the first and second rooms were simply too close to each other. If the “mole” anticipated his strategy, they might focus their attention on rooms other than the third one.

If the “cat” wasn’t using a “mousetrap” this round but instead “patrolling,” the two of them being so close could easily get caught together—the worst possible scenario in the entire game.

But upon reflection, the “cat” not using a “mousetrap” last round was the right choice, because this round was the perfect time to capture them.

In other words, there was a high probability that any two rooms among the first, second, fourth, and fifth contained “mousetraps,” with each of them having a fifty-fifty chance of stepping on one.

“Be careful,” Qi Xia whispered. “Warm up a bit beforehand so you don’t cramp up later.”

“Huh?” Wang Ba clearly didn’t understand, but seeing that Qi Xia was no longer paying attention, he could only hesitantly push open the door and enter the room.

Meanwhile, Luo Shiyi’s expression as he looked at Qi Xia grew increasingly complicated. He had a strange feeling.

This man in front of him truly didn’t seem ordinary. Like Qian Wu, he carried a unique aura—one that wouldn’t be out of place for a leader.

“Come with me,” Qi Xia said expressionlessly. “Let’s check out the ‘cat room.'”

Luo Shiyi nodded silently and followed Qi Xia forward.

“Hey, you know what? I like capable people,” Luo Shiyi murmured.

“What do you mean?”

“In this world, only the truly impressive can earn my respect,” Luo Shiyi sneered. “I thought only Fifth Brother in this city could keep me in line, but it turns out you’ve got something, too.”

As if completely ignoring Luo Shiyi’s words, Qi Xia approached the “cat room,” where a button was embedded in the wall outside.

Above it, the words read: *Press to initiate rescue.*

“I’m really afraid of failure,” Luo Shiyi continued. “You might not be my age yet, but once a man passes thirty, there’s no time left for mistakes. That’s why it’s crucial to follow the right person…”

“Still no signal?” Qi Xia frowned.

“Hey… are you even listening to me?”

“No signal means something’s holding her up in the room—most likely a ‘mousetrap,'” Qi Xia mused, stroking his chin. “Just as I thought. The ‘mousetrap’ is in Room One. Next…”

“Hey… I said—” Luo Shiyi started to speak, but a sudden chime of a bell cut him off.

*Dong—!!*

The bell tolled without warning, and “Scorching Sun” descended.

Qi Xia’s eyes widened. He immediately slammed the “rescue” button on the wall. At the same moment, a blood-curdling scream erupted from the “cat room.”

“Qi Xia!! You’re dead!!”

Before the voice even faded, Qi Xia kicked the door open.

Qiu Shiliu, who had been roaring with fury, her eyes blazing red, froze at the sight.

The mole nearby seemed equally terrified by her rage, cowering motionless in a corner.

“Huh?” Qiu Shiliu blinked. “Wait… you… what?”

Relieved at her state, Qi Xia exhaled sharply. “False alarm. I’m here to rescue you.”

“You…” Her eyes flickered, the fire in them dimming slightly.

“Rescue…? What… what’s going on?”

“No time to explain. Come with me first,” Qi Xia said. “We’ll head back.”

Luo Shiyi, standing to the side, frowned. “Hold on—what do you mean ‘we’? What about me?”

Without answering, Qi Xia scanned the walls of the room before nodding to himself. “Luo Shiyi, you stay here.”

“What?!”

Seeing Luo Shiyi’s confusion, Qi Xia leaned in and whispered a few words into his ear.

Those words made Luo Shiyi’s expression shift dramatically.

“You… you’re not insane, are you?” Luo Shiyi asked. “Is that even in the rules?”

“It’s not mentioned, but it’s not forbidden either,” Qi Xia replied. “Since it was pre-set, that means it’s possible.”

Still skeptical, Luo Shiyi hesitated—until he noticed the mole’s collar and the pomegranate sitting on the table in the room. His mind snapped into focus.

“Did you plan this all along… or did you just think of it now?” Luo Shiliu asked.

“Why do you think I arranged for myself to be the rescuer?” Qi Xia answered coolly. “I told you I had something to confirm in the ‘cat room.’ Everything’s playing out as I expected.”

Then, he turned to the mole. “Are you sure you won’t reconsider what I said earlier? The three of us are standing together in the ‘cat room’ now—that should prove my words weren’t empty. Why not join the ‘tide’?”

The mole’s pitch-black eyes flickered with complex emotions as he stared at the ground. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking, but Qi Xia knew his “wavering” had likely succeeded.

“Leader… you… you’re joking,” the mole forced a bitter laugh. “I just want you all dead. You’re giving me too much credit—how could I ever do something so rebellious?”

“Is that so?” Qi Xia frowned. “Is the person above you really that terrifying?”

The mole stepped closer, locking eyes with Qi Xia before parting his lips.

“So, Leader… could you kindly stop meddling and just die quietly? I’d much rather grovel and watch your collar explode, splattering your brains, than climb some high branch and get swept up in your ‘tide.’ I’m not worthy.”

The depth of emotion in those eyes was almost beyond Qi Xia’s comprehension.

The mole wanted to die, to escape, to win, to lose, to live.

His disguise had been worn for so long, he no longer knew which of his words were true.

But Qi Xia had met many Earth-level “Zodiacs,” and none had ever been this terrified of “Heavenly Dragon.” Could it be that there was someone else above the mole besides “Heavenly Dragon”?

“If ‘Human Dragon’ is the overseer of all Human-level Zodiacs…” Qi Xia muttered to himself, “then is it ‘Earth Dragon’ you fear?”