The sound of the bell gradually faded away, and the few people standing outside the house were left speechless.
Luo Shiyi, Zhou Liu, Qiu Shiliu, and Wang Ba had gone from being noisy before entering the game to now falling completely silent.
After a long pause, Luo Shiyi finally spoke up, “This… was all part of your plan?”
“No,” Qi Xia replied coldly. “I came up with it on the spot.”
But this time, none of the four believed his words.
The four objectives Qi Xia had mentioned during the game had now all been achieved.
Not only had they won the game, obtained the fruit, all awakened their “Echo,” and recognized Qi Xia’s capability, but even the mole had been intimidated by him.
“You… what exactly are you…?” Wang Ba asked with a hint of reverence. “Were you once a ‘Cat’ too?”
“I don’t know,” Qi Xia answered. “If I remember correctly, I’ve never been a ‘Cat.'”
“Tch!” Zhou Liu suddenly interjected. “Then why does Fifth Brother trust you so much? It looks like he already knew you had something up your sleeve…”
“Perhaps in this world, everyone seeks someone to rely on,” Qi Xia replied. “You found your reliance in Qian Wu, and Qian Wu’s reliance is me.”
Had it not been for this experience, the group would have assumed the man was bluffing. But now, none of them dared to contradict him.
The same thought unconsciously surfaced in their minds—
If they followed this man, maybe they could really destroy this place?
Or… maybe they could even escape?
Without paying them any further attention, Qi Xia strode forward.
“Tch, where are we going now?” Zhou Liu called out from the side.
“I need to know Qiao Jiajin and Chen Junnan’s locations,” Qi Xia said. “I need to track those two down. I’m not sure if they can handle things, so I need to check on them.”
Qiu Shiliu frowned. “Don’t we need to participate in more games?”
“Unnecessary,” Qi Xia replied. “We didn’t come out to earn ‘Tao.’ The objectives we set are already accomplished. Let’s head back.”
……
Meanwhile, Qiao Jiajin walked down the road with six others, scratching his head repeatedly.
Leader?
What a joke.
If he had the skills to lead, why would he have partnered up with Qi Xia in the first place?
“But that’s just how the big shots are,” Qiao Jiajin muttered helplessly, shaking his head. “Even when they don’t think they’re capable, they still have followers…”
“Brother Qiao, what did you say?” Nineteen, who had previously used “Silence,” whispered beside him.
“Ah, nothing…” Qiao Jiajin waved his hand dismissively before turning to glance at his team.
Three men and three women—each of them emaciated, their bones nearly protruding from their skin.
But that wasn’t the worst part. The real problem was Qian Wu’s claim that this team was supposed to participate in games requiring physical strength, combat, and life-or-death struggles.
Was he serious?
“Uh… so…” Qiao Jiajin turned back to say something, only to find the young people standing at attention, waiting respectfully.
Seeing their expressions, Qiao Jiajin tensed up again.
“Hey, relax, we’re all friends here,” he said with an awkward smile. “I just wanted to ask… are there any games around here?”
A girl with twin pigtails slowly raised her hand. “Brother, there’s a ‘Rabbit’ nearby. Should we check it out?”
“Rabbit?” Qiao Jiajin blinked. “What kind of game is that?”
“Escape,” a young man answered.
“Escape?” Qiao Jiajin scratched his head, frowning. If the game was supposed to involve physical strength, combat, and struggle, did “escape” count?
“Should we go, Brother Qiao?” someone asked.
“Uh… sure?” Qiao Jiajin forced a chuckle. “By ‘escape,’ do you mean it’s about who can run the fastest?”
“I guess you could say that…”
“Well, that shouldn’t be too hard, right? Do you guys usually work out?”
“Uh…” The three men and three women exchanged glances. Finally, a tall girl smiled awkwardly and said, “Brother Qiao, we do exercise, but our role in the ‘Cat’ team has always been as strategists and support. We don’t usually take on combat or strength-based missions…”
“Ah, well, that’s fine…” Qiao Jiajin tried to sound encouraging, though his lack of confidence was obvious. “Let’s just check out this ‘Rabbit’ first. If it doesn’t work, we’ll find another one.”
With their direction set, the seven of them began walking toward the “Rabbit” game site.
Halfway there, Qiao Jiajin suddenly realized he knew nothing about his team. He pulled out the list Qian Wu had given him earlier, but a quick glance made him realize just how troublesome the situation was.
Supposedly, the higher-ranked members of the “Cat” team were stronger, but these six weren’t even in the top fifteen, let alone the top ten.
“Shape-shifter… why do you have so much faith in me?”
Lu Shiwu, male, “Energy Storage”—can store food in his body for long periods. “Echo Trigger” is “hunger.”
Feng Shiqi, female, “Flash Burst”—can emit a blinding light from her entire body. “Echo Trigger” is “fear of the dark.”
Ning Shiba, female, “Wild Growth”—can accelerate plant growth upon contact. “Echo Trigger” is “extreme pain.”
Yun Shijiu, male, “Silence”—can mute sound in a space for a limited time. Already awakened.
Chou Ershi, male, “Gale”—can summon strong winds in a limited area. Already awakened.
But the one who caught Qiao Jiajin’s attention was the last name on the list—Bai Jiu.
Bai Jiu, female, “Liquefaction”—can liquefy objects. “Echo Trigger” is “physical and mental exhaustion.”
Holding the note in his hand, Qiao Jiajin turned around and raised his hand politely. “Uh… excuse me.”
“Yes!”
The group stood at attention, waiting for his instructions.
“Guys, relax… I just wanted to ask, which one of you is Bai Jiu?”
The twin-tailed girl blinked and then raised her hand. “That’s me!”
“Oh?” Qiao Jiajin nodded with interest. “You’re ranked ninth?”
“Ah… heh.” Bai Jiu scratched her head. “Maybe because I joined early? Fifth Brother gave me the ninth spot as a favor.”
“So is ‘Liquefaction’ a strong ability?” Qiao Jiajin asked. “What can it do?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure how strong it is…” Bai Jiu shook her head. “I can melt anything I touch.”
“Oh?” Qiao Jiajin pondered for a moment, unable to think of any practical applications, but nodded half-heartedly anyway. “That’s… pretty impressive…”
A quick glance at the others’ abilities gave him a rough idea, so he didn’t ask further. After confirming everyone’s names, he continued forward.
Before long, the group spotted the “Rabbit” at the end of the road.
Contrary to Qiao Jiajin’s expectations, the “Rabbit” was actually an unusually tall man with a gray rabbit’s face.
“Oh…?” The Rabbit nodded slightly upon seeing them. “Here to play? The Rabbit’s game?”
Qiao Jiajin took a deep breath and scratched his head. “I… I’m not sure. Maybe you could explain the rules first?”
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