“Who the hell are you…?” Chu Tianqiu frowned as he looked at Chen Junnan.
“Little brat…” Chen Junnan seemed furious. “I should’ve just killed you back then… Seeing your smug face now pisses me off.”
Several “Echoers” nearby began to look puzzled at the man’s tone.
“Hey… handsome…” Qiao Jiajin said.
“Call me Junnan.”
“Handsome man…?” Qiao Jiajin scratched his head in confusion. “What’s the difference between ‘handsome’ and ‘Junnan’?”
“Uh…” Chen Junnan hesitated. “There is a difference, right?”
“So ‘Junnan’ is even more handsome than ‘handsome’?” Qiao Jiajin asked sincerely.
“No… what the hell are you talking about…?” Chen Junnan rubbed his temples. “What does ‘handsome’ have to do with it? My name is literally ‘Junnan’!”
Chen Junnan vaguely remembered having this exact conversation many times before.
“Oh… alright then…” Qiao Jiajin nodded. “So, Junnan… you know Tianqiu here?”
Qi Xia had initially thought Chen Junnan was a deep, serious person, but now he seemed a bit silly—strangely compatible with Qiao Jiajin.
“Of course I know him. Not just me, you all know him too.” Chen Junnan crouched down, staring at Chu Tianqiu with a mocking grin. “Seven years ago, this guy was crying and begging to shine our shoes. Now he’s putting on airs like he’s some big shot.”
“Seven… seven years ago?” Chu Tianqiu was stunned. “What kind of nonsense are you spouting…? How can you possibly remember seven years’ worth of memories?”
“Why?” Chen Junnan reached out and lightly slapped Chu Tianqiu’s face, enunciating each word. “Be. Cause. I. Fucking. Feel. Like. It.”
Qi Xia watched Chen Junnan’s actions with interest.
He was completely different from Qiao Jiajin.
Qiao Jiajin looked rough but was actually righteous. But Chen Junnan? He seemed harmless on the surface, but underneath, he was downright wicked.
Exactly the kind of person Qi Xia needed.
Not long after, Jin Yuanxun returned, panting as he pushed open the door, carrying two enormous sacks on his back.
“Alright, let him go. I brought the stuff.”
“Show me first,” Qi Xia said.
“You let him go first.”
Qi Xia sighed and shook his head before leaning down to whisper, “Chu Tianqiu, your man’s negotiating with me. What should I say?”
Chu Tianqiu thought for a moment before replying, “Jin Yuanxun, give it to him.”
“What? Boss! What if he kills you?”
“If he kills me, he becomes a ‘murderer who steals the path,'” Chu Tianqiu said calmly. “If you don’t give it to him, that’s when I’m really in danger.”
Jin Yuanxun’s expression darkened as he hesitated, but eventually, he placed the two sacks on the ground.
“Fists, check them,” Qi Xia ordered.
“Yeah…” Qiao Jiajin nodded and turned to open one of the sacks.
The next second, a rotting stench so strong it could knock a person out wafted from the sack, forcing everyone in the room to take a step back.
“Ugh!”
Qiao Jiajin, being the closest, took the full brunt of it, gagging uncontrollably.
“Damn… what the hell is this…? It reeks!”
Qi Xia frowned and glanced inside. The sack was indeed glowing faintly—it was filled with “Paths.”
But why did “Paths” smell so foul?
In the past, Qi Xia had only ever held about seventy “Paths” at most. He’d never noticed any odor. Did they naturally reek like this?
Gritting his teeth, Qiao Jiajin reached in and pulled out a few small orbs.
Each orb had a white outer layer and a yellow core, shaped like a 3D fried egg, faintly glowing—definitely “Paths.”
He then opened the second sack, which was also packed to the brim with “Paths,” like a bag of walnuts.
Nobody in the room had ever seen such a massive quantity of “Paths” before. But right now, shock was the last thing on their minds—the smell was unbearable.
“Qi Xia…” Chu Tianqiu chuckled. “Want to count them? No refunds once you take them.”
“No need,” Qi Xia sneered. “If I find even one missing, I’ll make sure you regret it.”
“Haha…” Chu Tianqiu forced a dry laugh. “Alright then… I’ll take my leave?”
“Of course, of course.” Qi Xia nodded, signaling Chen Junnan to lower the dagger at Chu Tianqiu’s throat before politely helping him up. “We’re partners. Why would I actually kill you?”
“Exactly.” Chu Tianqiu slowly stood up. “Qi Xia, I look forward to our future cooperation.”
Jin Yuanxun immediately stepped forward, staying close to Chu Tianqiu.
“Likewise,” Qi Xia replied.
Once the two had left, Qi Xia’s expression darkened.
Qiao Jiajin sealed the sacks, and the smell in the room became slightly more bearable.
“Liar… what now?” Qiao Jiajin asked. “Should we tally them up?”
“No need,” Qi Xia shook his head. “No matter how many there are, getting them is already a win.”
Chen Junnan thought for a moment. “So what’s next, Old Qi? You planning to carry these 2,900 ‘Paths’ around from now on?”
“No…” Qi Xia slowly stood up and addressed the group. “Everyone, do you trust me?”
They exchanged glances. Compared to Chu Tianqiu, Qi Xia was undoubtedly more trustworthy.
“What are you planning?” Lin Qin asked. “You know there are ‘Extremists’ here—some would do anything to destroy your ‘Paths.'”
“Of course I know.” Qi Xia nodded. “If you trust me, I’ll take custody of these ‘Paths.’ Until we gather all 3,600, no one will see them again.”
Silence fell over the group.
They all knew “Paths” were the key to escaping this place. Yet now, Qi Xia wanted to keep them all to himself.
Seeing their hesitation, Qi Xia added, “There’s a second option. Since Sweetie isn’t here, there are nine of us. We can split them equally right now. After that, everyone’s on their own.”
This option sounded fairer, but it only made them more uneasy.
“Let’s vote,” Officer Li suggested. “Majority rules—keep it democratic.”
“Fine.” Qi Xia nodded. “Raise your hand if you want to split them now.”
After a moment of silence, Dr. Zhao and Su Shan raised their hands.
Qi Xia glanced at them, unsurprised by their choice.
“Raise your hand if you agree to let me keep them.”
Qiao Jiajin, Chen Junnan, Officer Li, and Han Yimo raised their hands.
Qi Xia then looked at Lawyer Zhang and Lin Qin, who hadn’t voted yet. “What about you two?”
“I abstain,” Lawyer Zhang shook her head. “I don’t know enough to make a decision.”
Lin Qin’s expression was grim. “I just don’t want you to die because of these ‘Paths.'”
“Understood.” Qi Xia turned back to the group. “Majority rules. I’ll take custody of them.”
With that, he slung one sack over his shoulder and said to Qiao Jiajin, “Fists, grab the other one. Let’s go.”
Before leaving, Qi Xia glanced one last time at Yu Nian’an’s corpse.
He felt sorrow—but not entirely.
“Bury her for me.”
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