Dima felt that the few people in uniform before her seemed different from the usual participants.
“You… are some kind of organization?” Dima slowly pushed Bai Jiu’s hand away and scanned the group. “Are you here specifically to conquer the game?”
“Not at all.” Bai Jiu shook her head, her twin ponytails swaying with the motion. “It’s good you don’t recognize us. If one day we *do* show up here with a purpose… well, things would be pretty bad.”
“Playing mysterious, huh?” Dima took a step to the side, stretched out her left hand, and effortlessly dragged the wooden ox-cart forward, step by step, until it was right in front of the group.
“Eh?” Qiao Jiajin was first startled by her strength, but quickly realized something was off. “*Dang it!* You want us to try it *here*? Not on the ice?”
“Got a problem with that?” Dima set the cart down with a thud. “This is *my* game, and *I* make the rules. You try it where I say.”
“But there’s no ice here,” Qiao Jiajin protested. “Big Horse Lady, aren’t you being a bit unreasonable?”
“Forget it, Qiao-ge…” Bai Jiu tugged at his sleeve. “This is a free opportunity handed to us. Let’s just make the most of it.”
“*Sigh…*” Qiao Jiajin nodded helplessly. “Fine, whatever.”
“Who’s going to sit?” Bai Jiu asked.
“No need to sit.” Qiao Jiajin walked over, picked up a decent-sized discarded rock, and effortlessly placed it on the seat. “Our main goal isn’t practicing *riding* the cart—it’s practicing *pushing* it.”
“Wow…” Bai Jiu stared at the rock, which weighed about as much as a person, in surprise. “Qiao-ge, you look so lean, but you’re this strong?”
“Yeah, I’ve got skills.” Qiao Jiajin nodded. “Let’s treat this rock as a person and practice pushing in teams of six. This basketball court is about twenty meters long—we’ll take about twenty steps and see how it goes.”
“Got it, Qiao-ge.”
The group agreed and began testing the strange cart on flat ground.
Soon, they let out a collective sigh of relief. Despite being made entirely of wood, the cart’s mortise-and-tenon joints were incredibly sturdy. It had just the right weight and excellent balance.
Even better were the wheels at the bottom.
Instead of ordinary wheels, it had spherical casters that allowed it to roll freely in any direction—forward, backward, even sideways. As long as they maintained stability, the cart could shift at any angle without tipping.
After setting the cart down, they discussed tactics, though Qiao Jiajin mostly listened without contributing much.
“We need to transport seven people in seven rounds…” Bai Jiu said. “So naturally, the weakest should go first.”
“Oh?” Qiao Jiajin thought for a moment and nodded. “So I’d be last?”
“Right, Qiao-ge.” Bai Jiu nodded. “We’ve fought you before—over a dozen of us couldn’t take you down. Your stamina and combat skills are top-tier.”
“Ah… you mean that *Heaven’s Gate Annihilation* thing…” Qiao Jiajin scratched his head sheepishly. “Honestly, it wasn’t just me—Trickster helped too.”
“Here’s my plan,” Bai Jiu continued, ignoring him. “Since we’ll be on ice soon, the first few rounds will be the hardest to adjust to. We should have the physically strongest pushing first to find the right technique. Then, with each round, one person rides while the rest push, ensuring that at least five of the six pushers have experience from the previous round.”
“Veterans guiding rookies.” Chou Ershi lazily nodded. “Makes sense. No objections here, Jiu-jie.”
Qiao Jiajin stroked his chin, imitating Qi Xia’s thoughtful gesture—something the man always did when pondering deeply.
And indeed, he had a realization.
Chins were weird. Just three or four days without shaving, and his felt rough to the touch.
“Qiao-ge, what do you think?”
“I…” He snapped back to attention and frowned. “Honestly, I’m not as sharp as you guys. My concerns might not even be valid, so don’t laugh, okay?”
“Go ahead.”
“What if someone dies?” Qiao Jiajin blinked.
“What?”
He lowered his head, organizing his thoughts before asking seriously, “You said the game will take seven rounds… but what if it doesn’t last that long?”
The group immediately grasped his meaning.
“If one person dies… we’d finish in six rounds. If two die…” Realizing he might be undermining morale, he quickly corrected himself. “I’ve played Earth-level games before, and Trickster’s told me stories. These Zodiac *rotten sausages* don’t play fair. The rules say *the seated player is eliminated if hit by a ball*—but what if she never targets the seated player at all?”
“Huh?” Bai Jiu froze. “You… you mean…”
“What if she *only* kills the pushers?” Qiao Jiajin sighed. “What do we do then?”
Silence fell over the group. Their entire strategy had been built on the rules as written.
But who said the rules reflected the Zodiac’s *true* goal?
Their goal has always been killing.
Meaning Dima could collect lives in two ways:
1. Continuously attack the seated player, forcing failed transports until all seven rounds end in mass punishment.
2. The simpler method—smash all the pushers with iron balls, rendering the seated players helpless.
“I get your concern, Qiao-ge.” Bai Jiu nodded. “But she wouldn’t just slaughter us outright. Fifth Brother once said every game has a *way out*—*the Land of Finality* doesn’t have *inescapable* games.”
“If that’s the case…” Qiao Jiajin nodded. “She’d probably mix both methods. So your strategy should still work.”
“Right.” Bai Jiu said. “We don’t have a better option now.”
Nearby, Dima watched them with growing impatience.
“Ready yet?”
“Almost.” Qiao Jiajin turned to her. “Horse Lady, just to confirm—if I *catch* those balls… we *really* get a reward?”
“Yes.” Dima nodded. “We *Horses* can’t lie in our rules. Every word I’ve said is true.”
“Do *all* the balls have rewards?”
“Sadly, no.” Dima smirked. “Not every ball is marked. You might break bones catching them for nothing. Only a few carry rewards.”
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