Did Chu Tianqiu really sacrifice the rook to save the king?
But this time, it was a real rook sacrificed for a real king.
No wonder the Chu Tianqiu before me could devise such a meticulous plan… was it the real deal all along?
Yet, Qi Xia still felt somewhat puzzled.
If Chu Tianqiu confidently sent people to find Xu Liunian, it could only mean one thing.
No one would be able to find Xu Liunian—she had already been killed by him.
But why would he make such a decision?
Was it because he and Xu Liunian had proposed collaborating, which then provoked Chu Tianqiu’s murderous intent?
No matter how he thought about it, the situation at hand reeked of something bizarre.
Yun Yao slowly stepped forward and spoke up, “Tianqiu… what kind of joke is this? You said ‘Xu Liunian’?”
“That’s right, her.” Chu Tianqiu nodded.
“How could she have ‘just joined Paradise’?” Yun Yao asked, her face filled with shock. “Xiao Nian is our teammate!”
At this moment, Aunt Tong nearby also wore a puzzled expression—she remembered Xu Liunian as well.
Rumored to be a “participant” from the same room as Chu Tianqiu and Yun Yao, she had simply disappeared long ago.
“Yun Yao, how long has it been since we last saw Xu Liunian?” Chu Tianqiu added some scraps of wood to the bonfire. “Think carefully. Even if we were once teammates, how can you be sure she isn’t part of the ‘Extreme Path’ now?”
“That… that’s impossible…” Yun Yao widened her eyes in disbelief.
Chu Tianqiu ignored her and instead addressed the onlookers, “Everyone, Xu Liunian was indeed our teammate two years ago. Some of you even fought alongside her. But I suspect her identity has changed now—she has returned to ‘Paradise’ and impersonated me.”
The crowd erupted in shock.
“For the past few days, she had me locked in the school’s storage room. Due to the unique trigger of my ‘Echo,’ I dared not defy her and could only comply,” Chu Tianqiu continued. “This led to the loss of many teammates recently. Though it wasn’t my doing, I still owe you all an apology.”
Yun Yao asked, “Then how did you escape?”
“I…” Chu Tianqiu smiled at her. “I don’t know what happened to her today. After bringing me food, she forgot to lock the door, allowing me to escape by chance.”
“So that’s how it was…” Zhang Shan muttered to himself. “So it was all that person named Xu Liunian…?”
Qi Xia slowly furrowed his brows.
Though Chu Tianqiu had handled the situation well, something felt off.
It was like a chess game had just begun—Qi Xia had merely moved a pawn, yet the opponent immediately sacrificed a rook to protect the king.
Wasn’t that reaction a bit too extreme?
“Comrades,” Chu Tianqiu stood up and walked step by step toward the door, “the first thing I did after escaping wasn’t to come to you, but to lock the school gates and bring antibiotics to save lives. Now that the gates are guarded, Xu Liunian should have no way to escape. Tonight is our best chance to catch her. Be warned—her ‘Echo’ is ‘Transformation.’ She can take the form of those she’s familiar with. Given her knowledge of me and Yun Yao, the success rate is high. So Yun Yao and I will act together to prevent any openings. If you see a lone ‘Chu Tianqiu’ or ‘Yun Yao,’ you can apprehend them immediately.”
The crowd nodded in agreement.
“Then let’s all endure a bit tonight and postpone rest,” Chu Tianqiu said. “Capturing Xu Liunian is our top priority.”
He divided everyone into groups and assigned them to search different parts of the school—everyone except Qi Xia.
“What about me?” Qi Xia asked.
“You and Qiao Jiajin stay here to protect the wounded,” Chu Tianqiu replied. “We’ll notify you once we find Xu Liunian.”
Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin exchanged glances but didn’t object.
Soon, the group left the classroom, flashlights in hand, scattering in all directions.
Qi Xia slowly sat down, replaying the entire situation in his mind.
“This is just too strange…” he muttered.
How do you predict the moves of a madman in a chess game?
“Swindler… you alright?” Qiao Jiajin asked beside him.
“I’m fine,” Qi Xia shook his head. “There’s just a lot I can’t figure out.”
As time passed, Qi Xia grew increasingly restless.
He felt like he was overlooking something crucial—but what?
“Here it is again… this feeling of unpredictability…” Qi Xia frowned.
The next moment, a distant bell tolled.
The sound startled the three in the room.
Qi Xia glanced outside. Though he didn’t know the exact time, it was undoubtedly midnight.
No one would be playing games at this hour—so what was that “bell”…?
“Members of the ‘Extreme Path’ are attacking!!” someone shouted outside. “All hands on deck!!”
Instantly, chaos erupted across “Paradise.”
All Qi Xia could hear were frantic footsteps, shouts, and more tolling bells.
“The ‘Extreme Path’ is attacking?” Qi Xia frowned in confusion.
Did that make sense?
Lin Qin had said the “Extreme Path” wasn’t a structured or premeditated organization—so why were they attacking now?
Qi Xia peered out the window and spotted around twenty figures storming through the gates, holding torches and clad in black—clearly an organized force.
Li Xiangling, uneasy, clutched her injured arm and stood up to look outside.
“They’re killing people…”
Though the darkness obscured details, the violence was unmistakable. A young member of “Paradise” who had just reached the gate was suddenly impaled by wooden stakes.
Li Xiangling covered her mouth, then climbed out of bed to search for something to defend herself.
The distant bells continued to ring, mingling with shouts, clashes, explosions, and gunfire—an unsettling cacophony.
“Bloody hell…” Qiao Jiajin glanced outside. “Swindler, what the hell is going on?”
“No idea.”
Qi Xia shook his head, then swiftly extinguished the bonfire.
Chu Tianqiu had personally lit it earlier—likely using the flames as a beacon for their attackers.
After all, theirs was the only room in the school still illuminated, making it suspiciously conspicuous.
“We can’t stay here,” Qi Xia said cautiously. “Fists, take Li Xiangling. We’re moving now.”
“Got it!”
Without question, Qiao Jiajin helped Li Xiangling up, draping her arm over his shoulder. He cracked the door open and peeked outside. “Clear.”
Just as they were about to leave, the roar of a car engine echoed through the air.
They turned in confusion—outside, a battered sedan burst through the school gates and sped away without hesitation, vanishing down the distant road.
“Someone’s making a getaway?” Qiao Jiajin asked.
“Never mind that. Let’s go.”
Under cover of darkness, the three slipped into the hallway. The front entrance and courtyard were swarming with enemies—escape was impossible.
“Swindler, which way?”
“Just get away from the fight first.”
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