Chapter 198: Digging Your Own Grave

When Qi Xia, Dr. Zhao, Old Lü, and Zhang Shan arrived at the “Human Rabbit’s” venue, the rabbit was pacing outside the door.

She wore an ill-fitting suit and a bloated mask, looking rather bizarre.

Upon seeing all four of them appear at once, she visibly froze for a moment.

“Where’s Yun Yao?” Qi Xia asked.

The rabbit hesitated before replying, “Who’s Yun Yao?”

Her voice was grating—if he wasn’t mistaken, she was deliberately altering her tone to sound like someone else.

Old Lü couldn’t stand it any longer and roared, “Stop playing dumb, damn it! Where’s the girl who came with me?!”

“She hasn’t passed my game yet,” the rabbit said, slowly backing toward the door behind her. “Don’t try anything reckless.”

Qi Xia studied the rabbit from head to toe, a hint of pity flashing across his face.

“You’ve messed up,” Qi Xia said. “Xiao Ran, you’re digging your own grave.”

The rabbit stiffened, stammering, “W-what Xiao Ran? I’m not Xiao Ran…”

The statement left Zhang Shan and Old Lü baffled, but Dr. Zhao’s expression twisted strangely.

“Xiao Ran?!” He scrutinized the rabbit in front of him and realized her height had indeed shrunk—her figure now eerily resembled Xiao Ran’s. “H-how did you get the rabbit mask?!”

“I said I’m not Xiao Ran!!!” the rabbit shrieked. “I… I’m the ‘Human Rabbit’…”

Everyone stared at her as if she were a clown.

“Fine, ‘Human Rabbit,'” Qi Xia nodded. “I want to participate in your game.”

“W-what? Now? No, not now…”

“Move,” Qi Xia said. “You’re already doomed. There’s no need to drag Yun Yao down with you.”

“Ridiculous… I’m doomed?!” The rabbit sneered. “I’m the game referee here now! I’m the rabbit! How could I possibly be doomed?”

Seeing her stubborn refusal to see reason, Qi Xia sighed helplessly.

If this woman had shown even a shred of sincerity during all this time, things wouldn’t have ended like this.

Old Lü, who had been standing silently, finally pieced it together.

“Kid Qi… you’re saying this girl in front of us… is a fake?!” he asked incredulously.

“Exactly,” Qi Xia confirmed. “No need to hold back anymore. Pull her aside—we’re saving Yun Yao.”

Without hesitation, Old Lü lunged forward, grabbing the rabbit’s arm and yanking her away. “What the hell’s wrong with you, girl?!”

“Ah! What are you doing?! Who said you could touch me?!” the rabbit screamed. “Stop messing around!”

Qi Xia took a deep breath and stepped forward to push open the door, but it didn’t budge.

Peering through the glass window on the door, he saw the interior.

The layout matched previous descriptions he’d heard—a shattered fish tank on one side, and Yun Yao, handcuffed to a metal pole on the other, completely immobilized.

What was heartbreaking was that water was still spilling from the broken tank.

The room was completely sealed, and the water level had already risen to Yun Yao’s neck.

Since she was restrained, she couldn’t straighten up—it wouldn’t be long before she drowned.

“Hey!!” The rabbit rushed over, panic in her eyes. “The game isn’t over yet! Are you really going to interfere mid-game?!”

Interfere with the game…?

Qi Xia slowly furrowed his brows.

Even though Xiao Ran was bluffing, she had inadvertently reminded him of something.

With that mask on, did she actually count as a “Zodiac”?

Was the “game” she designed even legitimate?

If simply wearing a mask was enough to become a “Zodiac,” then Qi Xia couldn’t recklessly save Yun Yao.

He’d be breaking the rules, forcibly interrupting the game—and that would draw the attention of higher powers.

But could Yun Yao wait?

Qi Xia studied the rabbit’s eyes for a long moment before finally speaking. “We forfeit.”

“F-forfeit?!” The rabbit seemed caught off guard by his response, momentarily at a loss.

“Yes, we forfeit,” Qi Xia nodded. “Aren’t you the ‘Human Rabbit’? Losing a ‘Human-level’ game costs ‘Dao.’ How many do you want? I’ll pay them now.”

The rabbit thought for a moment before replying, “Aren’t you supposed to be smart? I don’t accept forfeits. Figure out how to save her—if you can’t, she dies.”

Qi Xia glanced at the situation inside again. “Then if you don’t let me in, how am I supposed to save her?”

“What? Someone as brilliant as you can’t save her from the outside? Try harder!” the Human Rabbit mocked.

The group exchanged uneasy glances, each silently brainstorming solutions.

But Qi Xia seemed unfazed. He said to the rabbit, “Actually, I already guessed—the key isn’t inside. It’s outside, isn’t it?”

“Outside…?” The rabbit suppressed a sneer. “Where outside?”

“Simple,” Qi Xia pointed to a withered shrub by the roadside. “It’s in that bush.”

“Pfft—” The rabbit stared at him for a few seconds before bursting into laughter, clutching her stomach. “HAHAHAHAHA! Qi Xia, how pathetic! The way you confidently gave the wrong answer is just… hilarious!”

“Pathetic?” Qi Xia asked expressionlessly. “How so?”

“What ‘key outside,’ what ‘bush’—this is priceless!” She wiped tears from her eyes. “Qi Xia, you’ve finally met your match… I already broke the key and threw it away!! Just watch Yun Yao die!!”

At her words, the others paled—but Qi Xia’s lips curled slightly.

“Xiao Ran, you just broke the rules.”

The moment he spoke, a tall figure materialized mid-air.

Naked, his skin deathly pale, draped in a cloak of feathers.

His sudden appearance startled everyone.

“So…” the figure murmured, his voice slow and deliberate. “You designed a game with no solution?”

Staring at this god-like figure hovering above, Xiao Ran collapsed to the ground with a thud.

His gaze was neither that of a cop nor a thug.

It was the gaze of a deity looking down from above.

“W-who are you?”

“I am ‘Vermilion Bird,'” the man replied, landing gracefully behind Xiao Ran. He helped her up, then gently embraced her from behind. “I’ve been watching you. I thought I’d found a promising rabbit… but how could you leave no way out for the participants?”

Xiao Ran shuddered—the man’s body was ice-cold, reeking of decay.

“If word gets out that your ‘game’ is unwinnable… who would ever play? What happens to the Zodiacs’ reputation?” Vermilion Bird inhaled her scent deeply. “Xiao Ran… you’ve thrown away your chance at godhood. What a shame… truly a shame…”

Slowly, he reached out, plucked the mask from her face, and tossed it aside. Then, standing behind her, he pressed his cheek against hers and addressed the four men before them.

“Go on. Say goodbye to them. This is your last chance.”

Xiao Ran’s face twisted in terror as she turned to look at him, her voice trembling. “B-brother… d-do you need a woman? I-I can do anything…”