“I know…” Bai Jiu replied with a furrowed brow, “but isn’t there a possibility… that out of these seven wooden boxes, each containing seven ‘balls,’ only one of the forty-nine balls has a reward?”
Bai Jiu’s train of thought gave Qiao Jiajin pause.
Yes, if there truly was only one ball with a reward, it wouldn’t count as the rules lying—after all, the Earth Horse had mentioned that a “small number” of balls would have rewards.
If there was only one…
“I don’t care,” Qiao Jiajin said. “I’m not as smart as you guys—I’ve always been stubborn. If I say I can catch them, then I can. Even if only one ball has a reward, I’ll take it.”
The others didn’t know how to dissuade him and could only nod in silence.
For the second round, they chose Ning Shiba, who was only slightly taller than Bai Jiu, to ride the “Wooden Ox and Gliding Horse.” Since the first round had gone quickly, they had saved quite a bit of time.
“Brother Qiao, I think your strategy is right,” Bai Jiu said. “Having two people specifically blocking the balls seems like the best option.”
“No…” Qiao Jiajin slowly shook his head. “This time, I have a new plan.”
“A new plan?”
“Astro-girl,” Qiao Jiajin said, “tell me which mechanism is activating this round.”
Ning Shiba, seated on the “Wooden Ox and Gliding Horse,” blinked in surprise before pointing toward the far end of the track. “It’s the farthest one—’Wuqu,’ near ‘Pojun.'”
“Good.” Qiao Jiajin nodded. “This round, Angry Guy can take a break. He’s already caught plenty of ice balls.”
“Me? Take a break?” Chou Ershi was confused. “If I rest, what about you? Are you going to protect the cart alone?”
“No, no, no…” Qiao Jiajin shook his head. “I don’t think guarding the cart is the solution. I’m planning to… challenge Wuqu one-on-one.”
“Oh.” The others nodded at first, then quickly realized how absurd that sounded. “What?!”
One-on-one?!
Ignoring their reactions, Qiao Jiajin strode straight down the track, stepping over shattered glass until he stood face-to-face with “Wuqu.”
“I hear you’re ‘Yin Metal,'” Qiao Jiajin said with a faint smile. “I wonder which of us is tougher?”
“Hey!!” The Earth Horse also sensed something was off. “You can’t damage the game props! If you break them, the ‘rules’ become void—it’ll count as a foul!”
“Damage the props…?” Qiao Jiajin shook his head. “No… that’d be dishonorable. These mechanisms were carefully crafted by you. If they’re to be destroyed, it should be by your hand, not an outsider’s.”
“Huh…? You—you…” The Earth Horse didn’t understand Qiao Jiajin’s intent. If he wasn’t planning to break the mechanism, why was he standing right in front of “Wuqu”?
“A one-on-one is a one-on-one.” Qiao Jiajin stood just a meter away, raising his hands into a defensive stance. “I’ll block every single ‘ball’ right here. No one will get hurt.”
“What?!”
This time, not just the “Cat” team, but even the Earth Horse was stunned.
“N-no… Brother Qiao…” Ning Shiba nearly fell off her seat. “What are you saying?! You’re way too close! This time, it might be ‘iron balls’!”
“I know.” Qiao Jiajin nodded solemnly. “That’s exactly why I have to do it.”
“This—!” Bai Jiu was equally anxious. “This isn’t about difficulty—it’s impossible for anyone to do!”
“Astro-girl!” Qiao Jiajin called out, unfazed. “You can roughly predict when the balls will fire, right?”
“Y-yes.”
“Then give me a heads-up.” Qiao Jiajin adjusted his stance. “I can’t see you all behind me, and I won’t know when the balls launch, so I’ll need your warning.”
Ning Shiba felt even a “warning” was stretching it. Deflecting seven iron balls traveling at 80 km/h, barehanded, from less than a meter away—what kind of feat was that?
At that distance, even blinking could be fatal.
Qiao Jiajin widened his horse stance, positioning his hands in a yin-yang posture, his entire body swaying slightly like flowing water.
“Softness overcomes hardness… four ounces deflects a thousand pounds,” he murmured. “Lord Guan, I hear you descended as Wuqu. I shouldn’t be fighting you… but you once traveled alone to protect those important to you. I’m sure you understand—if I don’t stand here, the youngsters behind me will die.”
The cold wooden mechanism, like “Pojun” before it, rose with mechanical whirring, as if responding to his words.
“They’re here because of me. If even one is hurt, it’s my responsibility.” Qiao Jiajin lowered his stance further, his center of gravity sinking. “This is my ‘righteousness.’ As Wuqu, you must understand.”
Seeing Qiao Jiajin conversing with the wooden box, the “Cat” team knew they couldn’t waste time. Once they steadied their formation, they pushed the cart forward again.
Only a minute had passed—there was still plenty of time.
“Brother Qiao, be careful! We’re moving!” Ning Shiba called from the cart.
“I know…” Qiao Jiajin extended his right hand, palm open, just centimeters from the box’s firing hole. “Wuqu… forgive my offense.”
With that, the group cautiously advanced.
Even though they knew Qiao Jiajin’s body would block every ball this round, they couldn’t shake their nervousness.
This felt even more terrifying than standing before the mechanism themselves.
After estimating the distance, Ning Shiba called out, “Brother Qiao! Now!”
Qiao Jiajin’s gaze sharpened. With a *bang*, a dark mass shot out like a living thing.
In a flash, he adjusted his palm, intercepting the iron ball’s underside. For an instant, the ball rolled along his forearm before he twisted his arm, altering its trajectory. Just as it was about to leave his arm, he jerked his entire body, flinging the heavy iron sphere onto the wooden floor with a deafening—
**BOOM!**
The impact left a small crater in the wood.
The brief spectacle left everyone slack-jawed.
Had they just witnessed something straight out of a movie?
Even the Earth Horse, formidable as she was, was momentarily stunned. Though her enhanced body could withstand a direct hit at that range, she knew she could never redirect an iron ball at point-blank range.
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