Chapter 1073: Mortal-Level Guarantee

“Am I going to kill you…?”

The Human-Snake hybrid felt that every word from Qi Xia shattered his understanding of the situation. For a moment, he didn’t even know how to respond.

“Am I not qualified?” Qi Xia asked. “Do you have any weapons here for executions?”

“I… uh, yes…”

“Kill me,” Qi Xia said. “If you’re not sure, I can leave my body here right now.”

The Human-Snake paused, gazing at Qi Xia thoughtfully.

Two options lay before him: one was to trust Qi Xia’s words, that no “Zodiac” would die during this game, and to quietly wait until its conclusion. Then, he could rally the “Zodiac” in the afternoon, using the broken bell as a signal to remove their masks together.

The second option was to seize Qi Xia’s head immediately and report to the Azure Dragon, using the opportunity to ascend to the “Earth Rank.”

The first path was too risky, filled with uncertainty, while the second was overly safe, almost like a trap.

However, the Human-Snake had spent a long time with Aries and could generally tell when someone was lying. Qi Xia’s gaze was sincere now, showing no sign of deception.

An idea involuntarily arose in the Human-Snake’s mind… Was this man truly ready to give his life here?

At such a crucial moment in the plan?

Qi Xia seemed to read the Human-Snake’s thoughts again and softly said, “I cannot allow any flaw in what happens today, so either path is acceptable. As long as you can fully believe in me, it’s fine if I die here.”

The Human-Snake was taken aback by this and asked, “If you die… can the plan still continue?”

“Yes,” Qi Xia replied. “Whether it’s me or Aries, we are both expendable at this final moment.”

The two fell into a brief silence once more.

Soon after, the Human-Snake slowly stood up, his expression complex as he said, “I understand. I believe you.”

Upon hearing these words, Qi Xia slightly furrowed his brow and also stood up, saying, “There’s no need to force yourself. If you don’t believe me, I can leave one of my hands here first.”

“There’s no need,” the Human-Snake replied. “Although you’re not Brother Aries, and Aries isn’t you either, you two are quite similar.”

“Is that so?”

“The person who pulled me out of those difficult days had a cold sheep’s face,” the Human-Snake said. “I only remember this, so I cannot acknowledge you as Aries. But I will still carry out Aries’s plan, as if I’m helping you for his sake.”

After hearing this, Qi Xia felt a complex emotion toward the Human-Snake.

Scenes of their time together swirled in his mind. Yet, he was no longer Aries. How should he treat this man now?

“Since you believe me, I will entrust this matter to you,” Qi Xia said. “I promise you… none of the ‘Human Ranks’ involved in this matter will die.”

“What…? You promise?”

“That’s right,” Qi Xia replied. “Since you said I’m similar to Aries, you should know we don’t make grandiose claims to deceive our own people.”

The Human-Snake looked down at the puzzle book on the table. Aries had deceived him once, but that had also been the most fatal betrayal.

“Alright, since I’ve decided to help you… I’ll trust you on this too,” the Human-Snake said. “I’ll handle the matter of the ‘Human Rank Zodiacs.’ Even if I can’t rally a second person this afternoon, I will personally remove my mask and disrupt the Vermilion Bird’s conviction.”

“Thank you,” Qi Xia said.

“What about the second issue we need to address?” the Human-Snake asked.

“The second issue?” Qi Xia hesitated. “You mean… the second ‘ear’ besides the Azure Dragon?”

“Exactly,” the Human-Snake nodded. “If I survive this game, he might still kill me. After all, everything I do is under his surveillance.”

“The Celestial Dog may not have that kind of courage,” Qi Xia replied, looking up at the ceiling. “In this tide, he must also choose a side. He will soon figure out who is destined to prevail.”

The Human-Snake followed Qi Xia’s gaze upward.

After a pause, Qi Xia continued, “Even if he hears this, it doesn’t matter. He has always known what I’m doing. I believe he has his own judgment.”

“Alright…” the Human-Snake nodded. “If that’s the case… then let’s settle it this way.”

“Agreed.”

Qi Xia turned and walked toward the “door.” Just as he was about to open it, he suddenly thought of something, his brows knitting together.

He paused, slowly turning back, sensing that he had discovered a very strange issue.

“Chen Junnan has the ‘Bag’ and the ‘Towel’…” Qi Xia murmured. “How did he manage to see you?”

“What?”

“Theoretically, neither of the ‘characters’ he holds can ‘cross the river.’ Once they ‘cross the river’ and open a ‘door,’ they would encounter the ‘Earth Rank Zodiacs,'” Qi Xia asked, frowning. “Is there something I’ve overlooked? Why did he see you?”

“Have you also fallen into a fixed mindset?” the Human-Snake gave a bitter smile. “After he opened the ‘door,’ he indeed couldn’t see me, but I was the one who opened the ‘door.'”

“You opened the ‘door’ on your own?”

“Yes,” the Human-Snake replied. “It was a coincidental fate. I originally wanted to open the ‘door’ secretly to see what was on the other side, but when I opened it, Chen Junnan was standing there.”

“I see…” Qi Xia narrowed his eyes, feeling that he had gained another important piece of information.

If the “Zodiacs” could open doors on their own… then the “Cangjie Chess” could achieve even more.

For example… what if he didn’t open the “door” himself, but knocked on it instead?

Or… if a “Human Rank Zodiac” and an “Earth Rank Zodiac” opened the same “door” together, whose “door” would lead to the “Cangjie Chess”?

“Fascinating,” Qi Xia said. “It seems the ‘doors’ are even more interesting than I imagined.”

“Stop with the ‘interesting,'” the Human-Snake said. “Now that I’ve agreed to help you, don’t get yourself killed in the ‘Cangjie Chess.'”

“Alright, a ‘Ground Snake’ just told me the same thing earlier,” Qi Xia chuckled. “I won’t die. Even if I die here… I won’t truly die.”

Qi Xia’s words left the Human-Snake puzzled once again, but this feeling reminded him very much of Brother Aries.

“Farewell.”

Qi Xia turned back and opened the “door,” stepping out of the room. He hadn’t expected that within these few minutes, the three “characters” he had left behind were still on the floor. Just as he was about to bend down and pick them up, the room’s “door” suddenly opened.

Dr. Zhao stood at the other side, staring at him in terror.

If Dr. Zhao had opened the “door” just a few seconds earlier, the “characters” on the floor would have had a new owner. If he had opened it a few seconds later, he wouldn’t have seen Qi Xia at all.

Yet, he had opened it precisely at this moment.

Without showing any emotion, Qi Xia bent down, picked up all the “characters,” and put them into his pocket. Then, he coldly looked at Dr. Zhao.

“Y-You…” Although Dr. Zhao had opened the “door,” he still dared not step into the room, his voice stammering.

“What did you see?” Qi Xia asked.

“N-Nothing… I saw nothing…” Dr. Zhao hurriedly replied.

“No, you saw something,” Qi Xia said. “Go tell Chu Tianqiu about it.”