“Brother Goat, your appearance today has almost cut off all my paths.”
“Earth Dog said, ‘Before, Money-Losing Tiger also told me that this place has no way out, or that it’s impossible for this place to become ‘Heaven.’ But I never believed him.’
‘So, do you believe me?’
‘Yes,’ Earth Dog nodded. ‘Your words are different from Money-Losing Tiger’s—they carry a power that convinces me.’
‘In that case, has your thinking not changed at all?’ Qi Xia looked at him with a hint of pity. ‘Boiling a frog in warm water—are you just waiting here to die?’
‘What else can I do?’ Earth Dog said. ‘Over the years… I might be the most conflicted among all the ‘Zodiacs.’
‘How so?’
‘I didn’t want to become ‘Earth,’ but I gained the favor of the ‘Teacher’ and inherited her game arena. Among all the ‘disciples,’ I became the one with the highest expectations placed on me.’ Earth Dog shook his head with a bitter smile. ‘Later, I wanted to slack off and spend the rest of my life like that, but I accidentally gathered a large group of hardworking ‘disciples.’ So every day, I’m torn between whether to slack off, whether to repay kindness, whether to leave, whether to keep living… I feel like I’m about to split apart.’
‘Do you believe you became an ‘Earth-level’ because of your strong abilities?’ Qi Xia abruptly changed the subject.
‘I don’t believe it,’ Earth Dog answered decisively. ‘I could have been promoted for any reason, but never because I was strong.’
‘Exactly,’ Qi Xia said. ‘Use your brain and tell me—why did your ‘Teacher’ choose you out of all her disciples?’
‘What…?’ Earth Dog froze, feeling as though Qi Xia had raised a question he’d never considered before.
‘Seeking benefit and avoiding harm is human nature,’ Qi Xia frowned. ‘Usually, when someone makes a choice, they try to benefit themselves in some way. If your abilities weren’t outstanding, yet you were still chosen by the ‘Teacher,’ then you should think about why she abandoned others and picked you.’
‘If you put it that way…’ Earth Dog felt this was a rather tragic question. ‘Brother Goat, to be honest, I’ve never had any outstanding qualities since I was young. I’m no different from millions of people in this world.’
‘It doesn’t have to be a ‘strength,” Qi Xia shook his head. ‘Maybe it’s just a trait that appears in you but not in others.’
Hearing this, Earth Dog felt his mind opening up slightly.
‘Damn…’ He paused. ‘Now that you mention it, I do remember… The ‘Teacher’ used to say I was the laziest among all her students…’
‘Lazy…’
Qi Xia stroked his chin—it seemed the answer was already clear.
‘So that’s it,’ Qi Xia said. ‘Your ‘Teacher’ knew that if she passed this position to you, you’d keep slacking off and never become ‘Heaven.’
‘Huh…?’
‘And then she told you, ‘You must become Heaven.” Qi Xia nodded. ‘That way, you’d have a bit of motivation but still choose to slack off, achieving a delicate balance.’
‘Brother Goat, I still don’t fully understand,’ Earth Dog said. ‘Is my ‘slacking off’ really the reason the ‘Teacher’ chose me? Isn’t that a bit too harsh…’
‘No,’ Qi Xia cut in. ‘Maybe you don’t realize how lucky you were to choose ‘Dog.’
‘What’s so good about being a ‘Dog’?’
‘In the ‘Land of the End,’ the ‘Dog’s’ game is very special because it represents ‘cooperation,” Qi Xia explained. ‘In this godforsaken place, even people from the same interview room can’t trust each other 100%. How could they possibly win a life-or-death game that requires teamwork? That’s why ‘Dog’-type games have a very stable kill rate—even higher than ‘Sheep.’ Often, a simple rule is enough to make inherently suspicious players turn on each other.’
Earth Dog suddenly understood. ‘Brother Goat… I think I get it now.’
‘Exactly,’ Qi Xia agreed. ‘Your ‘Teacher’ passed this position to you because only by giving it to you would she ensure it wouldn’t advance too quickly.’
Earth Dog’s mind cleared in an instant, though he couldn’t shake the feeling this wasn’t exactly good news.
‘Because you don’t like working,’ Qi Xia added. ‘The coin in your pocket is worn smooth. From what little I know of you, even if four ‘participants’ really showed up, you’d probably suggest flipping a coin first. If they agreed, you’d just give them one ‘Dao’ and send them on their way, right?’
‘You… you even know that…’ Earth Dog scratched his head sheepishly. ‘I do that a lot…’
‘That’s why you’re unique among Earth-level ‘Zodiacs.’ Your tendency to slack off means you often refuse to kill. That must be the answer your ‘Teacher’ arrived at after careful consideration.’ Qi Xia’s gray eyes studied Earth Dog intently. ‘She knew that if you advanced too quickly, you’d likely be erased—just like she was. So she had to leave someone here to wait for me.’
The countless questions swirling in Earth Dog’s mind slowly unraveled before Qi Xia.
What was even more terrifying was that Qi Xia seemed to have no memory of who his teacher was or what had happened between them—yet he’d pieced together the entire truth from mere fragments.
‘So the reason the ‘Teacher’ chose me… was because I was the most useless among all her disciples.’ Earth Dog let out a bitter laugh, then shook his head as if he’d come to terms with something.
‘No,’ Qi Xia chuckled lightly. ‘Don’t sell yourself short. There are plenty of useless people in this world. If she just wanted to pick a loser, it might not have been you.’
‘Huh?’
‘Your nature is to remain silent until you strike with shocking force.’ Qi Xia said. ‘I’m starting to understand your ‘Teacher’s’ thinking more and more. Though you slack off most of the time, once you get serious, you’re incredibly capable. You were the perfect choice.’
Earth Dog fell silent, lost in thought for a long moment before finally speaking. ‘So whether it’s you or the ‘Teacher,’ it’s all the same… Both of you, trapped in hopeless situations, yet still trying to change this place…’
‘You’re wrong,’ Qi Xia said. ‘There are no hopeless situations—only people who despair over their situations.’
‘What…?’
‘So think it over yourself.’ Qi Xia pushed the door open. ‘If your mind changes, you don’t need to tell me. Just let Earth Tiger know.’
Without waiting for Earth Dog’s response, Qi Xia strode out the door, leaving the stunned Earth Dog behind.
Qi Xia knew this lazy Earth Dog had already been recruited under his command.
After three steps, Qi Xia stopped and turned back to look at Earth Dog.
‘What…?’ Earth Dog was puzzled.
‘The cupcakes and fruit.’ Qi Xia said. ‘Can I take them with me?’
‘Huh?’ Earth Dog quickly stepped out of the glass room. ‘Of course, of course… I brought them over yesterday since I didn’t know when you’d arrive. Wait a moment—I’ll get them for you.’
‘Alright.'”
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