“What…?” The Earth Rabbit looked at Chen Junnan with interest, “Trying to bluff me again? You clearly get lost, yet you lied to me when you entered the game area… Planning to use the same trick twice?”
“I almost forgot until you mentioned it.” Chen Junnan smiled. “Lemme apologize, kid… I don’t actually like lying… But a friend of mine taught me a bunch of little tricks, and I just end up using them without thinking.”
“Won’t work on me,” the Earth Rabbit said coldly. “I just want you to realize you’re a self-righteous fool. Every single one of your schemes has been under my control since the moment you stepped into this room.”
“Oh, really?” Chen Junnan nodded. “But I still wanna tell you… If you don’t agree to rebel, I’ll bet with you right here…”
He left the last word unspoken, exaggerating the movement of his lips as he silently mouthed the word “life.”
“You…” The Earth Rabbit’s crimson eyes narrowed sharply at his words, then he stiffly adjusted the sleeves of his shirt. “You’re saying you want a fight to the death…?”
·
“Yeah, isn’t that a funny coincidence?” Chen Junnan grinned. “You want our lives, and we want yours.”
Cold sweat still trickled down Chen Junnan’s face. This time, he had no confidence at all that he could kill the hulking man before him. After all, engaging in close combat with a “Zodiac” was far too dangerous.
The Earth Rabbit caught the subtle shift in Chen Junnan’s expression, but he knew this man was far from honest. There was no way to tell if he was acting or not.
“But if I kill you now… you’ll just come back to life later. But if you choose to ‘bet,’ the nature of this changes.” The Earth Rabbit’s tone softened slightly, though his stance remained firm. “Are you so sure you can kill me here?”
He glanced back at Jiang Shi, who could no longer move, then at Chen Junnan and the others farther away—Cui Shisi and the rest. “You’re really willing to gamble your lives on your ‘Echoes’?”
After a pause, he frowned. “Wait… A lot of you don’t even seem to *have* ‘Echoes.’ So where does your confidence come from?”
“Me? I’ve got no confidence at all.” Chen Junnan scratched his head, subtly wiping away the sweat on his forehead. “I’m just the type who likes to talk big first. After all, I only find the motivation to move forward when I’m backed into a corner. They say ‘the cart will find its way around the hill,’ but if I realize the road ahead is a tightrope, then I’ll just have to sharpen my driving skills and put on a show—balancing on one wheel in the face of doom.”
“So can I take that as you just bluffing?” The Earth Rabbit chuckled. “I really don’t believe you have the guts… If you were capable of killing me, you wouldn’t have needed to send a kid as a punching bag, nor would you need to ‘bet’ with me. After all, in this game, you can kill me without betting.”
“You think you’re real clever, huh?” Chen Junnan scoffed. “Instead of analyzing all that, why don’t you just say what’s on your mind? My brain’s about to short-circuit from all the twists.”
“Heh…” The Earth Rabbit stretched lazily, cracking his knuckles. “What I’m saying is… you don’t dare.”
“I don’t dare…? Reverse psychology won’t work on me.” Chen Junnan shook his head. “Since this is a negotiation, I’ve got to offer you something tempting. How about we change the stakes?”
“Go on.” The Earth Rabbit smirked, watching Chen Junnan with amusement. To him, this man was already backing down.
“If I win your game… you grant me one request. I won’t take any of the game’s rewards.” Chen Junnan said. “But if I lose and you kill all of us, then at the very last moment, I’ll declare a fight to the death with you… That way, not only do you get to kill me, but you’ll also get rid of me *permanently*.”
His words left the Earth Rabbit baffled. He took a moment to digest the implications.
Within seconds, both the “Cat” team members behind Chen Junnan and the Earth Rabbit froze in place.
When no one responded, Chen Junnan added, “Earth Rabbit, you *do* understand what I’m saying, right?”
The Earth Rabbit understood—but he couldn’t *comprehend* it.
“You’re saying… if you’re about to lose, you’ll declare a fight to the death, and then… become a permanent resident?”
“Yep.” Chen Junnan nodded firmly. “I don’t fully get how you Zodiacs operate, but winning in a life-or-death gamble is a good deal for you, isn’t it?”
“But isn’t that just absurd?” the Earth Rabbit shot back. “You’d willingly hand over your life like that? What’s the point?”
“The point is getting you to agree to my request…” Chen Junnan grinned. “If you dare accept, I’ll dare to bet. Only a high-stakes gamble leads to a big win.”
“I… You…” The Earth Rabbit gulped, genuinely struggling to process the situation. *Why is this man so confident?*
*Is he really that strong?*
But from another angle, this wager was risk-free for him. Even if Chen Junnan somehow won, the Earth Rabbit wouldn’t die—but one misstep from Chen Junnan would doom him forever.
“Mr. Rabbit Bastard.” Chen Junnan stepped back to the center of the room. “If you can push me into a corner… then my life is yours. But if you can’t even kill a regular participant like me, then you’ll just have to humbly grant me one request… You in?”
“Dammit…” The Earth Rabbit trembled with rage, the white fur on his face bristling. “Fine… Just you wait…”
He reached for the bamboo-shaped remote hanging around his neck, pressed a button, then looked up at the ceiling corner. After a few seconds, a broadcast echoed through the room.
**”The Zodiac’s turn has ended. Participants, you may now act.”**
Without hesitation, Chen Junnan slammed the door shut and locked it.
“Leader!” The others rushed forward, their faces uneasy. “What are you doing?!”
“Didn’t I just say? I’ve always wanted to gamble with an Earth-level Zodiac. That way, I can brag to Lao Qi when I get back.” Chen Junnan grinned. “After finally rejoining his team, I gotta bring him a proper welcome gift.”
Cui Shisi hesitated. “But… are you sure about this? This doesn’t sound like a gamble—more like you’re *using* ‘gambling your life’ as the *stake*…”
“I’m *not* sure at all.” Chen Junnan admitted. “But remember—if I fail, make sure to tell Lao Qi how damn cool I was.”
Cui Shisi, Ma Shier, and Wu Shisan exchanged nervous glances. It had been years since they’d last participated in a game, let alone one involving life-or-death stakes.
Was it really necessary to bet *this* much?
“So what do we do now…?” Cui Shisi asked. “Leader, how can we help you?”
“Don’t. Just stick to the original plan.” Chen Junnan fell silent for a moment. “Go find the last ‘artifact.’ Once you get it, head for the exit. I’ll figure out a way for you to secure the last two. Whether I win or lose, I’ll make sure you all get out.”
“You don’t have to worry about us *that* much…” Cui Shisi said quietly. “Leader, *you’re* the one in danger now, yet you’re still trying to protect us…”
“Protect my ass.” Chen Junnan snorted. “If you all die here, how’s Lao Qi supposed to know how goddamn cool I was?”
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