Chapter 62: A Life-or-Death Question?

“Walk out openly…?” Qi Xia showed a pensive expression, seemingly deep in thought.

“I’ve already made my distribution. It’s your turn now.” The Human Pig pushed the two bowls forward. “Choose. Decide which one of us gets to live.”

Lin Qin and Old Lü frowned at the sight.

The Human Pig evenly mixed all the pieces, leaving each bowl with a half-and-half mix of black and white.

From this point on, everything truly depended on “luck.”

Qi Xia didn’t move at all. Instead, he tilted his ear slightly, as if trying to discern the color of the pieces by sound.

After a while, Qi Xia spoke up: “Human Pig, you choose for me.”

“Wh—what?” The Human Pig was stunned. “What did you say?”

“I said, you choose for me.” Qi Xia said seriously. “Pick two for me, and then I’ll choose one from them.”

“Qi Xia, this is a ‘gamble for your life.’ Aren’t you going to take control of your own fate?”

“It’s fine.” Qi Xia didn’t seem concerned. “You said you wanted to participate in this ‘gamble for life’ to feel like you’ve ‘lived’ before. But if you think about it, this whole game has been me playing while you’ve just been observing. You haven’t truly participated.”

The Human Pig fell silent. It was true.

“So I’m giving you the chance to ‘join in.'” Qi Xia pointed at the bowls in front of them. “This is a game between you and me, so I really want to know how you’d choose.”

The Human Pig slowly raised a hand and stroked his chin.

Unshaven pig bristles grew there, so as he rubbed them, it looked as if he were stroking a beard, giving him an eerie air of wisdom.

He pondered for a long time but still couldn’t decipher Qi Xia’s motive.

This was originally a game with a fifty-fifty chance of winning or losing. But if he were the one choosing the pieces, the outcome would become even more unpredictable for Qi Xia.

At such a tense, life-or-death moment, this man was entrusting his fate entirely to his enemy…

Had he given up? Or was he trying to be clever?

“Don’t hesitate, Human Pig. Once you’ve chosen, it’ll be easier for me to decide, won’t it?” Qi Xia said.

“Once I’ve chosen… it’ll be easier for you?”

After a pause, the Human Pig finally nodded. “I see. Then let me send you on your way.”

Qi Xia nodded and said nothing more.

The Human Pig reached out toward the bowls on the table and decisively picked up two white pieces.

For Qi Xia, these two white pieces were tickets straight to hell. No matter how he questioned them later, white could never turn black.

Just as he was about to hand the two white pieces to Qi Xia, something suddenly flashed through his mind.

The Human Pig abruptly raised his head and thought to himself, “Wait… no.”

Could it be that Qi Xia hadn’t anticipated him picking two white pieces?

This was a “gambling duel”—a match where if his opponent won, he would die. Why would Qi Xia so confidently let him choose?

“Ah…” The Human Pig had an epiphany and slowly withdrew his hand. “He’s bluffing…”

What did he mean by “Once you’ve chosen, it’ll be easier for me to decide”?

The Human Pig’s thoughts suddenly became clear.

If he handed these two white pieces to Qi Xia, Qi Xia would immediately renege. He’d set the two white pieces aside and then pick again from the remaining bowl.

That small action would disrupt the balance in the bowl, leaving forty-eight white pieces and fifty black ones.

Qi Xia’s odds of winning would instantly improve.

After all, Qi Xia wasn’t a “Zodiac.” His words in the game weren’t “rules”—they were just his own suggestions.

Since they weren’t “rules,” Qi Xia himself didn’t have to follow them.

So “reneging” was entirely possible.

“You’re quite the schemer…” The Human Pig felt a chill down his spine—he had nearly fallen into Qi Xia’s trap. After some thought, he instead took out two black pieces.

But then he hesitated again.

Handing two black pieces to his opponent would be even more dangerous.

If Qi Xia had predicted his prediction, wouldn’t that mean an instant victory for him?

The Human Pig lowered his head and looked at the pieces in his hands—two white in his left, two black in his right.

He realized that no matter which choice he made, it would somehow increase Qi Xia’s chances of winning. The situation was absurd.

Had Qi Xia calculated all of this in advance?

“Should I still give him two white pieces…?” He narrowed his eyes and thought again. At least with white, Qi Xia’s odds would only slightly improve, whereas black would drastically increase them…

No, that wasn’t right.

The Human Pig shook his head again.

Neither two black nor two white would work—he had no idea what Qi Xia’s strategy was.

Forced to adjust his approach, the Human Pig abandoned the two-black-two-white tactic and instead picked one black and one white.

At this point, he had only one thought—if he couldn’t lower his opponent’s odds, he’d keep them the same.

Returning to a fifty-fifty state would make things far more difficult for Qi Xia.

“Yes… this is it…” The Human Pig nodded and placed one black and one white piece into Qi Xia’s hand.

“Qi Xia, I’ve made my choice.” The Human Pig said. “This life-or-death question is back in your hands now.”

“A life-or-death question…” Qi Xia rubbed the two pieces in his hand, his expression complicated.

The Human Pig finally let out a sigh of relief. At this stage, he had made the optimal move.

For Qi Xia, one black and one white was the hardest scenario to handle. He had to pick one and ask the two human pieces about its color.

He wouldn’t know which color he had picked, nor would he know whether the person he asked would tell the truth or lie.

Under this double layer of uncertainty, Qi Xia’s chances of winning would drop infinitely.

Old Lü and Lin Qin, seeing the one black and one white in Qi Xia’s hand, broke out in cold sweat.

Neither of them was a fool—they understood the stakes.

It seemed all of Qi Xia’s earlier strategies had failed. Everything had returned to square one.

Now, the pieces were still one black and one white, and the two of them were still one truth-teller and one liar.

Without incredible “luck,” how could anyone survive this?

Old Lü pursed his lips, wiped the fine sweat from his brow, and felt his hands grow icy from tension.

“Qi Xia, who will you ask?” The Human Pig inquired.

Qi Xia turned his head toward Old Lü, then toward Lin Qin, his expression grave as he deliberated.

Who was the one telling the truth?

After about thirty seconds, Qi Xia finally made his choice: “I’ll ask Lin Qin…”

Lin Qin shuddered as if startled.

“Good.” The Human Pig turned to Lin Qin and waved. “Come here, little girl. Remember the rules—you can only answer ‘black’ or ‘white.’ If you say anything else or give any hint, you’ll die instantly.”

Lin Qin nodded, her face pale.

The Human Pig turned back to Qi Xia. “Begin, Qi Xia. You only have one question. Whether you live or die depends on this.”