“You mean…” Tian She’s expression flickered with panic before he frowned, “That old hag actually dared to trick me…?”
Seeing his reaction, Qi Xia silently breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
Even if they were part of the “Heaven,” they still had their weaknesses.
The difference between them and the “participants” wasn’t that great.
Before meeting these “Celestials,” Qi Xia’s biggest concern was that they might be united in purpose—making it impossible for him to deal with such an indomitable force.
But now, it seemed each “Celestial” had their own independent thoughts, and their relationships weren’t harmonious.
This was incredibly good news.
“But somehow…” Tian She slowly furrowed his brow, “What you just said sounds so familiar…? As if… someone else once told me the same thing…”
He stepped closer to Qi Xia, his cunning eyes behind thick glasses searching intently for Qi Xia’s pupils.
“You’re quite shrewd…” Tian She muttered, “Have we… met before?”
“We…” Qi Xia took a deep breath and suddenly locked eyes with Tian She, his gaze clashing violently with his, “Probably… haven’t, right?”
The moment their pupils met, an overwhelming surge of information exploded in Tian She’s mind like a bomb, forcing him to shut his eyes instantly.
“What… what was that…?” Tian She staggered back two steps, clutching his eyes with a pained frown, “Such chaotic thoughts… Just how many things are you thinking about?”
“I’m just an ordinary participant…” Qi Xia exhaled deeply, shifting his gaze away before fixing it back on Tian She’s nose, “Every thought I have is about surviving. It’s just that this place is driving me mad.”
“An ordinary participant…?” Tian She lifted his eyes to study Qi Xia. In that brief moment, those pupils had delivered an explosion of information—yet, like scattered threads in the wind, he hadn’t managed to grasp a single strand. “I… I don’t believe an ordinary participant could have thoughts like that…”
“Maybe… I’ve just read a bit more than others?” Qi Xia suggested.
“Read more…?” The words seemed to ignite a strange competitive fire in Tian She, “Are you that well-read?”
“That depends on who you compare me to,” Qi Xia replied.
“What about compared to me?”
“I can’t say for sure,” Qi Xia shook his head, “Without knowing the extent of your knowledge, I can’t make a judgment.”
“Then it’s simple…” Tian She grinned, “Listen closely.”
“Hey!” Qian Wu stepped forward, reaching out to grab Tian She, who deftly dodged, “Who said you could quiz my people? Did I give you permission?”
“Heh…” Tian She chuckled, “Just a friendly exchange of knowledge, that’s all!”
“A quiz…?” Qi Xia found it amusing, “What’s the question?”
Tian She sidestepped Qian Wu and turned his gaze back to Qi Xia: “Explain the ‘Bamboo Principle.'”
Hearing the question, Qi Xia slowly smirked. So this was the “Snake,” so fond of questions and answers?
“What are we betting?” Qi Xia asked.
“What…?”
This time, it was Qi Xia who took a step forward: “Your little quiz seems like a ‘game.’ And since it’s a ‘game,’ why not make it interesting? If I answer correctly, what price are you willing to pay?”
“A price…?”
The simple question made Tian She frown immediately.
This man was different from the others.
Every time he posed a question, the usual “participants” would scramble for an answer in panic. Yet, this man’s first thought was about the stakes?
“What do you want to bet…?” Tian She probed cautiously.
“If I answer correctly, you die. How about that?” Qi Xia proposed.
Tian She slowly grinned: “Heh, hehe… What are you thinking? This isn’t the ‘Tian She Moment’—it’s just a small test for ‘recruitment,’ a privilege granted to me by ‘Tian Long.’ Did you really think I’d start a game that easily?”
“Then what’s the point?” Qi Xia countered, “If I answer such a simple question, what do I gain?”
“So you’re confident in your knowledge…?” Tian She chuckled, “How about becoming my assistant? Together, we could master the most cutting-edge technology in the ‘Land of Finality’…”
“Not interested,” Qi Xia replied, “Here’s a counteroffer: If I answer correctly, you tell me that method you mentioned earlier—the one to make ‘Natives’ awaken their ‘Echoes.’ How about it?”
“Hiss…” Tian She’s eyes darted as he stroked his chin, pondering for a moment before saying, “That’s too generous. Three questions. If you answer all three, I’ll share the method with you.”
Qi Xia smiled faintly: “Then let’s be clear upfront—the questions you ask must have answers.”
“Don’t worry… I’m not the type to cheat…”
“Good.”
The moment Qi Xia uttered those words, Tian She felt a twinge of underestimation. But in a world full of deceivers, perhaps this man was just bluffing.
“And if you fail to answer all three…”
“I die,” Qi Xia stated.
Tian She nodded expressionlessly.
Qi Xia thought for a second before answering: “The Bamboo Principle states that bamboo spends four years growing only three centimeters. But from the fifth year onward, it grows thirty centimeters daily. Within six weeks, it can reach fifteen meters in height. This is because, in those first four years, its roots were spreading hundreds of square meters underground. It’s often used to encourage patience and perseverance.”
“You…” Tian She wanted to say something but suppressed it with a deep breath, “Second question.”
“Go ahead.”
“The ‘Ogilvy Law’…?”
“‘If you surround yourself with people stronger than you, your team will become unstoppable,'” Qi Xia answered without hesitation, “That’s the Ogilvy Law.”
With two questions answered flawlessly, Tian She’s expression visibly darkened.
Despite having lived far longer than others, the knowledge he’d painstakingly gathered from books was being dismantled in seconds—something he’d never encountered in the “Land of Finality.”
“Ask the third one,” Qi Xia commanded, “The outcome is about to be decided. Don’t waste time.”
“I…” Tian She frowned. Though he admired the learned, he loved winning more.
In all his time in the “Land of Finality,” he’d never met anyone as erudite as this man.
Amid his turmoil, the image of Zhang Chenze surfaced in his mind.
Just like now, three questions—yet that woman had beaten him at the last moment?
“Right… I shouldn’t be predictable…” Tian She slowly smiled, “This question… will ensure you die with clarity.”
“Go on.”
“When I was still in the real world… Every morning before work, I’d visit a breakfast stall downstairs for my favorite meal. No matter the season, I loved it… because it was so convenient for me. What was I eating…?”
Hearing the question, Qi Xia’s expression twisted with disdain.
“Tian She… You’ve lost my respect,” Qi Xia said coldly, “Pulling a question like this—does it really prove you’re smarter than me?”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage