Qi Xia’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly before he flashed an unusually reassuring smile.
“I think the idea of becoming a ‘Dragon’ is absurd,” he said calmly. “After all, turning into a ‘Dragon’ means becoming someone like you—which doesn’t make sense to me.”
“You’re still pretending…” Qinglong’s expression gradually twisted. “I should have realized it sooner—the moment the name ‘Yu Nian’an’ appeared, I should have known. You’re standing here in this bizarre state, clearly prepared.”
“You might not understand, Qinglong,” Qi Xia countered. “Yu Nian’an is my wife. She exists in the real world and in my heart, and has nothing to do with me becoming a ‘Dragon.'”
“Don’t you realize it yourself? You’ve gathered both ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’ within you… How audacious.” Qinglong’s eyes burned with rising fury. “Are you really that greedy? If I hadn’t exposed you here, were you planning to single-handedly replace both me and Tianlong, becoming the supreme ruler of this place?”
“You’ve misunderstood.” Qi Xia maintained his composed tone, guiding the conversation. “Think about it—what practical purpose would it serve for me to become a ‘Dragon’ or the ‘Zodiac Leader’? I have no attachment to this land, so the goal lacks any real motivation.”
“But your demeanor has changed,” Qinglong pressed. “Qi Xia, you’re deliberately suppressing all emotion to make your words sound smooth and controlled, but that only makes you more suspicious. The way you’re speaking now is nothing like your usual self.”
“Then how do I usually speak?” Qi Xia asked.
“Like this.” Qinglong pointed at Qi Xia’s mouth. “Throwing out a question to stump me—that’s your style. In my memory, every word you say carries aggression, mostly in the form of rhetorical questions. So why have you suddenly switched to declarative sentences? What are you hiding?”
“You’re right.” Qi Xia nodded. “Seems you understand negotiation tactics well, so I have to be even more careful with my wording. I just want you to believe what I’m saying, so I’m using straightforward statements—no aggression, making it easier for you to trust me.”
“But I can’t trust you at all anymore, Qi Xia. As you said, you *would* kill Tianlong—but you’re also plotting to kill me.” Qinglong’s voice turned icy. “I can’t take that risk, nor will I let anyone replace me. I’ll turn you into a resident now, then erase you completely.”
“Wait a second.” Qi Xia frowned. “Qinglong… have you lost your mind? At this critical moment, you’re suddenly ready to turn against me?”
“Because I see through you.” Qinglong sneered. “You think you’re so cunning, scheming to outmaneuver both me and Tianlong at once. This is the fate you deserve.”
“No.” Qi Xia shook his head, and the aggression returned to his voice. “How weak must you be to fear the wife in my heart? Just because I miss her, does that threaten your position?”
“Of course it does.” Qinglong snapped. “The balance of Yin and Yang on you is growing stronger—not just a sign of a ‘Dragon,’ but also your death sentence.”
“Ah…” Qi Xia sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. “Qinglong… have you ever asked yourself one question… *Can* I really kill you?”
“What?”
“I can kill Tianlong because he’s in deep slumber… but how could I possibly kill *you*?” Qi Xia asked. “Why do you have so little faith in your own strength?”
Qinglong narrowed his eyes, realizing Qi Xia had a point.
“The arrow’s already nocked, yet you’re about to cut the string—what a waste.” Qi Xia pressed further. “At the very least, let me try. What if I actually succeed in killing Tianlong?”
“Qi Xia… you’re truly dangerous.” Qinglong muttered. “If you didn’t want to become a ‘Dragon,’ why would you carry this eerie aura? You must have been planning this for ages—deceiving everyone, preparing to ascend as a ‘Dragon’ and rule this place outright.”
“No wonder you’d think that.” Qi Xia nodded. “Because I hold Yu Nian’an in my heart, you assume I’ve unified ‘Yin and Yang’—sounds logical enough.”
“It *is* logical.” Qinglong said coldly. “How else do you explain it?”
“This isn’t an explanation—I’m just helping you recall the answer.” Qi Xia replied. “Rest assured, it’s definitely a misunderstanding.”
Qinglong only snorted in response, falling silent.
“Qinglong…” Qi Xia suddenly looked up, as if remembering something. “If I recall correctly… you’ve preserved *all* the memories of the ‘Land of Finality’ since its creation, haven’t you?”
“What are you getting at?” Qinglong frowned.
“I just want you to think carefully.” Qi Xia said slowly. “Other than yesterday, when we stood here… when have you *ever* told me that becoming a ‘Dragon’ requires both ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang’?”
Qinglong stiffened, then rapidly sifted through his memories.
The situation was exactly as Qi Xia described—there had never been two ‘Yang’ entities standing at such heights before, nor had he ever spoken of the theory of ‘Yin’ and ‘Yang.’
The only ones who knew this were himself and Tianlong.
Tianlong spent his days in slumber, and Qi Xia, to avoid meeting him, hadn’t lain down for seven years. So how could he have possibly learned it?
“So think carefully. If I didn’t even know the ‘prerequisite,’ how could I have made the ‘necessary decision’?” Qi Xia’s voice darkened. “Right now, I’m on the verge of putting a blade to Tianlong’s throat. If you kill me here just because I miss my wife… I can’t even begin to guess which of us would lose more.”
Qinglong hesitated, sensing something amiss.
Indeed, based on everything he’d heard, seen, and remembered, Qi Xia *shouldn’t* know the conditions for becoming a ‘Dragon.’
This knowledge was exclusive to him and Tianlong in the entire ‘Land of Finality.’ If he hadn’t told Qi Xia, then only Tianlong could have revealed it.
But disclosing this would be akin to exposing a fatal weakness. Why would Tianlong go to such lengths? If he truly wanted someone to replace him, suicide would be far simpler.
“Qinglong, I suspect this is Tianlong’s scheme to drive a wedge between us,” Qi Xia said.
“What?”
“Think about it—I had no idea about the conditions for becoming a ‘Dragon,’ yet here I stand before you as a vessel of ‘Yin and Yang,’ successfully provoking you…” Qi Xia’s voice lowered. “That was close. We almost fell for his trick.”
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