Chapter 585: Severance

“Tiger.” Qi Xia called out, “As we agreed… I’ve come back for you.”

“Goat—”

Just as Earth Tiger was about to speak, Qi Xia raised a hand to stop him. “Qi Xia,” he corrected.

“Oh… right, Qi Xia.” Earth Tiger nodded. “So, now…?”

“Today, there shouldn’t be any other ‘participants’ coming for your game, right? I need a place to talk.” Qi Xia gave Earth Tiger a meaningful look before glancing at the building behind him.

“Got it.” Earth Tiger thought for a moment and nodded. Just as he was about to speak, Xu Liunian stepped out of the taxi as well.

“Goat— uh, Brother Qi…” Earth Tiger called out.

“Qi Xia,” Qi Xia corrected again.

“Right, right, Qi Xia…” Earth Tiger scratched his head. “And who’s this?”

“Consider her a temporary ally,” Qi Xia said. “Let her come in too.”

Xu Liunian glanced between Earth Tiger and Qi Xia, feeling like things had already spiraled far beyond her expectations.

Why would an “Earth-level” being be so deferential to a mere “participant”?

“Understood. Let me tidy up!” Earth Tiger respectfully turned and opened the door, leading the two inside.

This time, instead of heading straight for the elevator, he pulled out a key and unlocked a wooden door beside it. A downward staircase unfolded before them.

Supporting his injured leg, he limped ahead, guiding them down to the game’s “hidden zone”—the pitch-black space where all who fell from the balance beam would land.

Traces of the last battle, fought by Qiao Jiajin and Luo Shiyi, still lingered in the arena. Though Earth Tiger had cleaned up, the scars left by numerous “Echoers” were unmistakable.

A square table stood at the center, a single candle flickering atop it.

Earth Tiger retrieved a few chairs from a hidden spot and placed them around the table, gesturing for them to sit.

“Qi Xia, I don’t have much in the way of seating here,” Earth Tiger said, scratching his head. “But it’s relatively quiet. I’ll close shop for today. Whatever you need, just say the word.”

“Don’t call it an order,” Qi Xia replied. “I just need your help.”

“Sure! No problem at all. Whatever it is, leave it to me!” Earth Tiger boomed, then absentmindedly scratched a fresh wound on his face.

The injury looked recent, the blood now clotted and tangled in his thick fur.

“Are you really okay?”

Qi Xia frowned, studying Earth Tiger under the candlelight. He realized the tiger was seriously hurt—his massive face was battered, and his legs seemed unsteady.

“What’s there to worry about?!”

Earth Tiger slammed the table, his expression fierce, but his body betrayed his weakness. He stifled a cough, gritting his teeth to hold it back.

“Then explain first,” Qi Xia said, leaning back in his chair and lightly tapping the table. “How did you end up like this? What happened?”

“I…” Earth Tiger’s gaze flickered, hesitating. “Qi Xia… we’re just going to talk here?”

Xu Liunian, watching them, spoke softly, “I agree—should we really be discussing this so openly?”

“Hah…” Qi Xia smirked coldly. “We never hid anything before. There’s no need to start now. Whoever’s listening is most likely ‘Qinglong.’ If anything were going to go wrong, it already would have. Right now, he needs me—he won’t let anything happen to me.”

“Qinglong…?” Earth Tiger stiffened.

“But ‘Spirit Hearing’ might not be the only one listening!” Xu Liunian whispered, glancing between Qi Xia and Earth Tiger. “The ‘Zodiacs’ would know better than me…”

“It’s the Dog,” Earth Tiger confirmed. “The slacker dog’s superior—the ears of the entire ‘Celestial-level.'”

“So we shouldn’t hold back?” Xu Liunian asked.

“Probably not,” Qi Xia said. “We can say everything outright.”

“What…?” Xu Liunian and Earth Tiger exchanged glances. “You think… the ‘Dog’ is on our side?”

“How would I know?” Qi Xia shrugged. “Whether he’s an ally or not doesn’t concern me.”

“But—”

Xu Liunian and Earth Tiger still looked baffled. “If he’s not, shouldn’t we be more careful…?”

“I’ve already said,” Qi Xia explained. “Right now, Qinglong needs me to do something for him. Even if ‘Celestial Dog’ hears us, any fallout is Qinglong’s problem—not mine.”

Xu Liunian felt a chill down her spine. After a pause, she asked, “Qi Xia, you’re already manipulating Qinglong from the first meeting?”

“Qinglong anticipated this,” Qi Xia said. “If he dared show himself to me, he knew this would happen. When you wield a weapon of mass destruction, you must also accept its side effects.”

“But aren’t you afraid Qinglong might suddenly change his mind…?” Xu Liunian pressed. “If he grows tired of you as a ‘pawn,’ couldn’t he just discard you?”

“He has no choice,” Qi Xia replied coldly. “There’s no substitute for me. After all, only I am ‘Endless Rebirth.'”

“‘Endless Rebirth’…?” Earth Tiger frowned. “What’s that…?”

“My ‘Echo,'” Qi Xia said. “I suspect I’m walking the path I once laid out. Halfway there now… The rest depends on you.”

“So you *do* have an ‘Echo’?” Earth Tiger looked stunned. “Four characters? You’re not messing with me?”

Qi Xia turned to him. “Earth Tiger, let me guess—when you knew me before, I was an ‘Unfortunate One,’ wasn’t I?”

Earth Tiger froze. “You… remember?”

“No,” Qi Xia shook his head. “Logically, the only reason I’d become a ‘Zodiac’ was because I couldn’t ‘Echo.’ Back then, it was my only path forward.”

Xu Liunian’s brow furrowed. “But Qinglong said you were ‘Spirit Hearing’…”

“If I had to guess… I severed the ‘trigger’ for ‘Spirit Hearing,'” Qi Xia stated bluntly. “Its awakening condition is ‘grief.'”

“Severed…?” Xu Liunian narrowed her eyes, pondering the implications. “How could you possibly sever ‘grief’…?”

“I can’t confirm the exact method yet—either through unscientific means, like asking ‘Forgetful’ to tamper with my mind back then…” Qi Xia tapped his temple. “…or scientifically, like implanting a tumor in my frontal lobe to disrupt emotions.”