“No need for beating around the bush,” Qi Xia said bluntly. “Just say what you think directly.”
“Ha…” Qinglong chuckled after hearing this. “You’re really a straightforward person. When the sun rose today, I suddenly had a new thought—that there’s no real difference between ‘humans’ and ‘pigs.'”
Qi Xia sneered coldly, as if he already knew what Qinglong was getting at.
Chen Junnan quickly shook his head in disagreement. “Nah, that’s not right. None of us think that way—only you do. That means you’re the one with no difference from a pig. We’re still a bit different.”
“…?”
Everyone in the arena gaped in shock. They hadn’t expected someone to actually talk back to Qinglong.
Even Qinglong himself was momentarily speechless, caught off guard by this unexpected angle of rebuttal.
“No need for all the roundabout talk,” Qi Xia said. “Just say what you mean directly.”
“Hah…” Qinglong chuckled upon hearing this. “You’re really a straightforward person. When the sun rose today, a new thought suddenly occurred to me: ‘People’ and ‘pigs’ are essentially no different.”
Qi Xia let out a cold laugh, as though he already knew what Qinglong was implying.
Chen Junnan quickly shook his head upon hearing this. “That’s not right, is it? None of us think that way—only you do. That means you’re no different from a pig, but we’re still somewhat different.”
“…?”
Nearly everyone on the field gaped in astonishment. They never expected someone to actually talk back to Qinglong with words.
Qinglong himself had never anticipated someone countering from this angle and was momentarily left speechless.
“Well…” Qinglong paused before speaking again. “Do you know how to write the character for ‘home’ (家)?”
“I know!” Qiao Jiajin suddenly interjected. “It’s in my name! Even though I didn’t study much, I still know how to write my own name.”
With that, he eagerly stepped forward and patted Qinglong on the shoulder without a care.
“Green-Hair, if you want to ask about writing characters, just say so,” Qiao Jiajin said with a laugh. “With all that buildup, I thought you were here to pick a fight. Come on, hold out your hand—I’ll write it for you.”
Once again, everyone on the field stared in shock. Only Qi Xia shook his head helplessly, completely at a loss with these two.
Qinglong slowly furrowed his brows. Although he had always looked down on the “participants,” these two had undoubtedly left a deep impression on him. If it weren’t for the fact that they were currently in the “Cangjie Game,” he would have undoubtedly crushed them into pulp.
Seeing that Qinglong didn’t react, Qiao Jiajin decisively reached out, grabbed his arm, turned Qinglong’s palm upward, and prepared to write.
But after a few seconds, he paused, looking uncertain, and turned back to ask, “Liar… is there a simplified version of the character ‘家’? I only know how to write the traditional one.”
Qi Xia finally couldn’t hold back, staring at Qinglong with an extremely peculiar smile.
“Qinglong… with the three of us here, no one will be swayed by your theories,” Qi Xia said coldly. “None of the people standing here will be influenced by you. We know what ‘home’ is, and we know who we are. Instead of wasting your breath trying to shake our beliefs, you’d better watch out for us.”
“Watch out…?”
“Shouldn’t you be watching out? Qinglong…” Qi Xia said. “You actually used a ‘door’ to create a game… Should I say you’re too arrogant or too careless?”
Qinglong found this somewhat unbelievable. “When did you figure it out…?”
“Earlier than you imagined,” Qi Xia replied. “Qinglong, I’ll give you one chance: kill me now, or find a way to kill Tianlong. Otherwise, in this game, you’ll be the first to fall.”
Qinglong fell into obvious silence. He felt that today was somewhat unusual.
Whether it was the “Celestial-level” beings or the “participants,” none of them were making him feel like laughing.
What was with this strange sense of dissonance?
Seeing Qinglong speechless, Qi Xia turned to Dilong. “Now that the spectators are here, can we begin?”
Dilong glanced at Qinglong, seemingly seeking his opinion. After a moment of contemplation, Qinglong finally nodded.
At this point, he had no mind to think about the “Cangjie Game” and was solely focused on Qi Xia’s words.
“Alright… the ‘Game Phase’ will now officially begin,” Dilong said. “Please follow me, both teams.”
Everyone split into two columns and followed Dilong to a distant high wall.
On the wall were several doors painted black, spaced about three to four meters apart from left to right—seven in total.
“Both sides, please take note of the black doors,” Dilong said. “When the game begins, you may only enter through the red doors. These black doors lead outside the game area. Entering them will be considered ‘leaving the game area’ and equivalent to withdrawing from the game.”
Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu nodded upon hearing this, sensing that this rule was likely a trap.
Given this, the game area probably had many rooms and many doors.
Although under normal circumstances no one would choose to flee, in a life-or-death moment, a black door leading out of the area would spark a final glimmer of hope. At that point, the only choice in people’s minds would be “escape.”
But if refusing during the “Appointment” phase resulted in punishment, how could fleeing in the midst of battle be forgiven?
Although both of them had considered this, there were still some timid individuals in the teams who began to entertain the idea.
“Next, please choose the first ‘door’ you will enter,” Dilong continued. “The far left and far right doors will serve as the ‘starting points’ for your respective teams.”
Qi Xia nodded and said to Chu Tianqiu, “You choose first.”
“Me again…?” Chu Tianqiu chuckled lightly. “I chose first during ‘Appointment,’ and now I choose first for left or right too?”
“I don’t want to take any advantage,” Qi Xia said.
“Alright…” Chu Tianqiu turned to Dilong. “Is there any difference between left and right?”
“Yes, and it’s significant,” she said earnestly. “Although it’s impossible to say which side is easier to win, the strategies for victory will differ slightly between left and right.”
“In that case…” Chu Tianqiu glanced toward the left. “Most people’s subconscious would assume the left is safer, so you might have set something up on that side. I choose the door on the far right.”
“Very well,” Dilong said. “‘Team Leader’ Chu Tianqiu, please lead your team to the far-right door. ‘Team Leader’ Qi Xia, please lead your team to the far-left door. The rules that follow will be relayed to you via the broadcast in your rooms.”
“Broadcast…?” Chu Tianqiu frowned upon hearing this, sensing something amiss. “Wait a moment…”
“What is it?” Dilong asked.
“From now on… we’ll only be able to hear your voice through the broadcast?”
“Yes.”
“And we won’t be able to speak to you?” Chu Tianqiu pressed.
Wen Qiaoyun also realized something at this point and quickly turned to look at Dilong.
This question was critical. If Dilong couldn’t hear her from then on, how would she propose a “life gamble” with her?
Just as Dilong was about to say “no,” Qinglong, at the rear of the group, suddenly spoke up. “You can communicate.”
“Wh—” Dilong paused and looked back at him.
“I will set up a ‘viewing platform’ high above,” Qinglong said. “Dilong and I will be watching everyone from there. If you have any questions, you can communicate with us in real time.”
Dilong frowned deeply, completely unaware of Qinglong’s intentions.
After all, before taking charge of this game, Qinglong had never mentioned any “viewing platform.”
But Qinglong was still Qinglong, and at this point, Dilong had no choice but to comply. She nodded hesitantly.
“If you both understand, please lead your teams to your respective areas.”
With that, she took a walkie-talkie from her waist and added, “I will now announce the following precautions to both of you simultaneously.”
“I do!” Qiao Jiajin suddenly interjected. “It’s in my name! I may not be well-educated, but I can write my own name.”
With that, he eagerly stepped forward and casually patted Qinglong on the shoulder, completely unfazed.
“Green-hair dude, if you wanna ask how to write it, just say so,” Qiao Jiajin said with a grin. “All that buildup earlier made me think you were here to pick a fight. C’mon, hold out your hand—I’ll write it for you.”
Once again, the crowd stood dumbfounded, their jaws dropping. Only Qi Xia shook his head helplessly, utterly resigned to these two.
Qinglong slowly furrowed his brows. Though he had always looked down on “participants,” these two had undoubtedly left a deep impression on him. If not for the current “Cangjie Chess” game, he would’ve already smashed them into pulp.
Seeing Qinglong remain unresponsive, Qiao Jiajin decisively grabbed his arm, flipped his palm upward, and prepared to write.
“No need for all the roundabout talk,” Qi Xia said. “Just say what you mean directly.”
“Ha…” Qinglong chuckled upon hearing this. “You’re really a straightforward person. As the sun rose today, a new thought suddenly struck me: ‘People’ and ‘pigs’ are essentially no different.”
Qi Xia let out a cold laugh, as if he already knew what Qinglong was implying.
Chen Junnan quickly shook his head and retorted, “That’s not right, is it? None of us think that way—only you do. That means you’re no different from a pig, but the rest of us are somewhat different.”
“…?”
Almost everyone on the field gaped in astonishment. They never expected someone to dare talk back to Qinglong with words.
Qinglong himself had never anticipated someone countering from this angle and was momentarily left speechless.
“Well then…” Qinglong paused before speaking again. “Do any of you know how to write the character for ‘home’ (家)?”
“I know!” Qiao Jiajin suddenly interjected. “It’s in my name! I may not have had much schooling, but I can still write my own name.”
With that, he eagerly stepped forward and patted Qinglong on the shoulder without a care.
“Green-Hair, if you want to learn how to write, just say so,” Qiao Jiajin said with a laugh. “All that buildup had me thinking you were here to pick a fight. Come on, hold out your hand—I’ll write it for you.”
Once again, everyone on the field stared in stunned silence. Only Qi Xia shook his head helplessly, completely at a loss with these two.
Qinglong slowly furrowed his brows. Although he had always looked down on the “participants,” these two had undoubtedly left a deep impression on him. If it weren’t for the fact that they were currently in the “Cangjie Game,” he would have undoubtedly crushed them to pulp.
Seeing that Qinglong remained unresponsive, Qiao Jiajin decisively reached out, grabbed his arm, and turned Qinglong’s palm upward, preparing to write.
But after a few seconds, he paused, looking uncertain, and turned back to ask, “Liar… Is there a simplified version of the character ‘家’? I only know how to write the traditional one.”
Qi Xia finally couldn’t hold back and stared at Qinglong with an extremely peculiar smile.
“Qinglong… With the three of us here, none of your theories will sway anyone,” Qi Xia said coldly. “No one standing here will be influenced by you. We know what ‘home’ is, and we know who we are. Instead of wasting your breath trying to break our信念, you’d do better to keep a close eye on us.”
“Keep a close eye…?”
“Shouldn’t you?” Qi Xia replied. “You actually used a ‘door’ to create a game… Should I say you’re too arrogant or too careless?”
Qinglong found this almost unbelievable. “When did you figure it out…?”
“Earlier than you’d expect,” Qi Xia said. “Qinglong, I’ll give you one chance: kill me now, or find a way to kill Tianlong. Otherwise, in this game, you’ll be the first to fall.”
Qinglong fell into obvious silence, sensing that today felt somewhat unusual.
Whether it was the “Celestial-level” beings or the “participants,” none of them were making him feel like laughing.
What was this strange sense of dissonance all about?
Seeing Qinglong rendered speechless, Qi Xia turned to Dilong. “Now that the spectators are here, can we begin?”
Dilong glanced at Qinglong, seemingly seeking his opinion. After a moment of contemplation, Qinglong finally nodded.
At this point, he had no mind left for the “Cangjie Game” and was solely preoccupied with Qi Xia’s words.
“Alright… The ‘Game Phase’ will now officially begin,” Dilong announced. “Please follow me, both teams.”
The group split into two columns and followed Dilong to a distant high wall.
On the wall were several doors painted black, spaced about three to four meters apart from left to right, totaling seven.
“Both sides, take note of the black doors,” Dilong instructed. “When the game begins, you may only enter through the red doors. These black doors lead outside the game area. Entering them will be considered ‘leaving the game area’ and equivalent to withdrawing from the game.”
Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu nodded upon hearing this, sensing that this rule was likely a trap.
Given this, the game area probably had many rooms and many doors.
Although under normal circumstances no one would choose to flee, in a life-or-death moment, a black door offering an escape would spark a final glimmer of hope. At that point, “escape” would be the only option on anyone’s mind.
But if refusing during the “General Selection” already incurred punishment, how could desertion in the heat of battle ever be forgiven?
Although both of them had considered this, there were still some timid individuals in the teams who began to entertain the idea.
“Next, both sides, please choose the first ‘door’ you will enter,” Dilong continued. “The far left and far right doors will serve as the ‘starting points’ for your respective teams.”
Qi Xia nodded and said to Chu Tianqiu, “You choose first.”
“Me again…?” Chu Tianqiu chuckled lightly. “I chose first during the ‘General Selection,’ and now I have to choose left or right first too?”
“I don’t want to take any advantage,” Qi Xia replied.
“Fine…” Chu Tianqiu turned to Dilong. “Is there any difference between left and right?”
“Yes, and it’s significant,” she said earnestly. “Although it’s impossible to say which side offers an easier path to victory, the winning strategies for the left and right sides will differ slightly.”
“In that case…” Chu Tianqiu glanced toward the left. “Most people subconsciously consider the left side safer, so you might have set something up there. I choose the door on the far right.”
“Very well,” Dilong said. “General Chu Tianqiu, please lead your team to the far-right door. General Qi Xia, please lead your team to the far-left door. The rules that follow will be relayed to you via broadcast inside the rooms.”
“Broadcast…?” Chu Tianqiu frowned upon hearing this, sensing something amiss. “Wait a moment…”
“What is it?” Dilong asked.
“From now on… we’ll only be able to hear your voice through the broadcast?”
“Yes.”
“And we won’t be able to speak to you either?” Chu Tianqiu pressed.
Wen Qiaoyun also realized something and quickly turned to look at Dilong.
This question was critical. If Dilong couldn’t hear her from then on, how would she propose a “life gamble” with her?
Just as Dilong was about to say “no,” Qinglong, standing at the rear of the group, suddenly spoke up. “You can communicate.”
“Wha…” Dilong paused and turned to look at him.
“I will set up a ‘viewing platform’ high above,” Qinglong said. “Dilong and I will be watching everyone from there. If you have any questions, you can communicate with us in real time.”
Dilong frowned deeply, completely baffled by Qinglong’s intentions.
After all, before taking charge of this game, Qinglong had never mentioned any “viewing platform.”
But Qinglong was still Qinglong, and at this point, Dilong had no choice but to comply. She nodded hesitantly.
“If you both understand, please lead your teams to your respective areas.”
With that, she took out a walkie-talkie from her waist and added, “I will now announce the next set of instructions to both of you simultaneously.”
Qi Xia finally couldn’t hold back, staring at Qinglong with an eerily strange smile.
“Qinglong… With the three of us here, no one will be swayed by your nonsense,” Qi Xia said coldly. “Everyone standing here knows what ‘home’ is, and we know who we are. Instead of wasting your breath trying to shake our beliefs, you’d better watch out for us.”
“Watch out…?”
“Still not convinced?” Qi Xia continued. “You actually used a ‘door’ to create a game… Should I call you arrogant or just underestimating us?”
Qinglong’s expression shifted slightly in disbelief. “How long have you known…?”
“Longer than you think,” Qi Xia replied. “Qinglong, I’ll give you one chance—kill me right now, or find a way to kill Tianlong. Otherwise, in this game, you’ll be the first to lose.”
Qinglong fell into deep silence, sensing something unusual about today.
Whether it was the “Celestials” or the “participants,” none of them were making him laugh.
What was this strange sense of dissonance?
Seeing Qinglong rendered speechless, Qi Xia turned to Dilong. “Now that the spectators are here, can we start?”
Dilong glanced at Qinglong as if seeking approval. After a moment of contemplation, Qinglong finally nodded.
By now, his mind had drifted far from “Cangjie Chess,” preoccupied instead with Qi Xia’s words.
“Alright… The ‘Game Phase’ will now officially begin,” Dilong announced. “Both teams, follow me.”
The crowd split into two lines and followed Dilong toward a distant high wall.
Seven black-painted doors were embedded in the wall, spaced about three to four meters apart.
“Remember these black doors,” Dilong instructed. “Once the game starts, you can only enter the red ones. These black doors lead outside the game area—stepping through them means you’ve ‘left the game’ and forfeited.”
Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu nodded, sensing a trap in this rule.
It seemed this game would involve many rooms and many doors.
Under normal circumstances, no one would choose to flee. But in a life-or-death moment, the sight of a black exit door might stir a desperate hope, making “escape” the only thought in their minds.
Yet if even refusing during the “Dianjiang” phase carried consequences, how could desertion in battle ever be forgiven?
Though both leaders grasped this, some weaker-willed members of their teams were already entertaining the idea.
“Now, both teams must choose your first door,” Dilong continued. “The far left and far right are your respective starting points.”
Qi Xia nodded at Chu Tianqiu. “You pick first.”
“Again…?” Chu Tianqiu smirked. “I chose first in ‘Dianjiang,’ and now I pick left or right too?”
“I don’t want any unfair advantages,” Qi Xia said.
“Fine…” Chu Tianqiu turned to Dilong. “Is there a difference between left and right?”
“Yes, and it’s significant,” she answered seriously. “Though neither side guarantees an easier victory, the winning strategies will differ slightly.”
“In that case…” Chu Tianqiu glanced at the left. “Most people would instinctively assume the left is safer, so you might’ve rigged it. I’ll take the far right.”
“Understood.” Dilong nodded. “Team leader Chu Tianqiu, lead your team to the far-right door. Team leader Qi Xia, take yours to the far left. Further rules will be relayed via the room’s broadcast system.”
“Broadcast…?” Chu Tianqiu frowned, sensing something amiss. “Wait a second…”
“What is it?” Dilong asked.
“So from now on… we’ll only hear your voice through the broadcast?”
“Correct.”
“And we can’t speak back to you?” Chu Tianqiu pressed.
Wen Qiaoyun also caught on, quickly turning to Dilong.
This was crucial—if Dilong couldn’t hear her, how could she “bet her life” against her?
Just as Dilong was about to say “no,” Qinglong, standing at the rear, suddenly spoke up. “You can.”
“Wh—” Dilong froze, looking back at him in surprise.
“I’ll set up an ‘observation deck’ above,” Qinglong explained. “Dilong and I will oversee the game from there. If you have questions, you can communicate with us.”
Dilong’s brow furrowed. She had no idea why Qinglong was doing this—he’d never mentioned an “observation deck” before handing her the game.
But Qinglong was Qinglong. At this point, she had no choice but to reluctantly nod.
“If you both understand, lead your teams to your starting points now.”
She pulled out a walkie-talkie from her waist and added, “I’ll announce the next instructions to both of you simultaneously.”
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