Chapter 996: Cangjie Chess

“There’s no need for beating around the bush,” Qi Xia said. “Just express your thoughts directly.”

“Haha…” Qing Long chuckled after hearing that, then said, “Truly straightforward. When the sun rose today, I suddenly had a new idea: humans and pigs are essentially no different.”

Qi Xia sneered coldly, seemingly already knowing what Qing Long was trying to express.

Chen Junnan hurriedly shook his head after hearing this and said, “That doesn’t sound right. We don’t think that way, only you do. This indicates that you’re the one with no difference from a pig. We still have some distinction.”

“…?”

Almost everyone standing in the arena opened their mouths in shock. They never expected someone to actually counter Qing Long with words.

Qing Long himself had never anticipated someone approaching the argument from such an angle and was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Well then…” Qing Long paused and continued, “Do you know how to write the Chinese character for ‘home’?”

“I know!” Qiao Jiajin suddenly interrupted, “My name even contains the character for ‘home’. Although I didn’t get much education, I can still write my own name.”

Saying this, he enthusiastically stepped forward and patted Qing Long’s shoulder without hesitation.

“Green-haired guy, if you want to learn how to write characters, just say so directly,” Qiao Jiajin laughed. “With all that buildup, I thought you were here to cause trouble. Come on, stretch out your hand, and I’ll write it for you.”

Once again, everyone in the arena opened their mouths wide in astonishment, while only Qi Xia helplessly shook his head, completely at a loss about what to do with these two individuals.

Qing Long slowly furrowed his brows. Although he always looked down on the “participants,” these two undoubtedly left a deep impression on him. If it weren’t for the current “Cang Jie Chess” game, he would have surely beaten them into pulp.

Seeing Qing Long unresponsive, Qiao Jiajin decisively reached out and grabbed his arm, flipping Qing Long’s palm upwards, ready to write something.

However, after a few seconds, he paused and hesitantly turned his head to ask, “Cheater… does the character for ‘home’ have a simplified version? I only know how to write the traditional one!”

Qi Xia finally couldn’t hold back any longer and fixed Qing Long with an extremely strange smile.

“Qing Long… with the three of us here, no one will ever be swayed by your theories,” Qi Xia coldly said. “None of the people standing here will be influenced by you. We know what ‘home’ means, and we know who we are. Instead of wasting your breath trying to undermine our beliefs, you’d better be wary of us.”

“Wary…?”

“You’re not wary yet? Qing Long…” Qi Xia continued, “You actually used ‘doors’ to create this game… should I say you’re too arrogant, or too dismissive of your opponents?”

Qing Long looked incredulous after hearing this: “When did you figure this out…?”

“Much earlier than you imagined,” Qi Xia replied. “Qing Long, I’m giving you one chance: kill me now, or try to kill Tian Long instead. Otherwise, you will be the first to fail in this game.”

Qing Long clearly fell silent. He felt that something was unusual about today.

Whether it was those “Tian-level” participants or ordinary “participants,” they all failed to amuse him.

What exactly was this strange sense of dissonance?

Seeing Qing Long at a loss for words, Qi Xia turned his head toward Di Long: “Now that the spectators have arrived, can we start?”

After hearing this, Di Long looked at Qing Long, seemingly seeking his approval. Qing Long merely remained in deep thought for a moment before finally nodding.

At this point, he had already lost interest in the “Cang Jie Chess” and was only pondering Qi Xia’s words.

“Alright… the ‘game phase’ will officially begin now,” Di Long said. “Please follow me, both teams.”

Everyone lined up in two rows and followed Di Long to the base of a distant high wall.

There were several black-painted doors on the wall, spaced about three to four meters apart, totaling seven doors from left to right.

“Both teams, remember the black doors,” Di Long said. “When the game begins, you can only enter the red doors. These black doors in front of you all lead outside the game area. Entering one means ‘leaving the game site,’ equivalent to withdrawing from this game.”

Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu nodded, sensing that this rule was likely a trap.

Considering this, the game area probably contained many rooms and numerous doors.

Normally, no one would choose to escape, but in life-or-death situations, the sight of a black door leading to escape might spark a final glimmer of hope in people’s hearts, at which point their only thought would be ‘fleeing.’

However, even refusing during the ‘commander selection’ would result in punishment; how could fleeing during the battlefield possibly be forgiven?

Although both of them simultaneously considered this aspect, some of the more timid individuals in the team still began to entertain thoughts.

“Next, please both teams choose the ‘door’ you will enter first,” Di Long continued. “The far left and far right doors will be the ‘starting points’ for your two teams.”

After hearing this, Qi Xia nodded and said to Chu Tianqiu, “You choose first.”

“Again me…?” Chu Tianqiu smiled lightly. “I picked first during the ‘commander selection,’ and now I’m choosing left or right first too?”

“I don’t want to take any advantage,” Qi Xia replied.

“Alright…” Chu Tianqiu then turned his head to look at Di Long. “Is there any difference between left and right?”

“Yes, and it’s quite significant,” she replied seriously. “Although it’s impossible to determine which side is easier to win from, the winning strategies for the left and right sides will be slightly different.”

“In that case…” Chu Tianqiu glanced at the left side. “Instinctively, most people would consider the left side safer, so you might have set traps on the left. I choose the rightmost door.”

“Alright,” Di Long said. “Commander Chu Tianqiu, please lead your team to the far-right door, and Commander Qi Xia, please lead your team to the far-left door. The next set of rules will be conveyed to you through a broadcast inside the room.”

“Broadcast…?” Chu Tianqiu furrowed his brows upon hearing this, sensing something was wrong. “Wait a minute…”

“What is it?” Di Long asked.

“From now on… we can only hear your voice through the broadcast?” Chu Tianqiu questioned.

“Yes.”

“And we won’t be able to communicate with you at all?” Chu Tianqiu asked again.

At this moment, Wen Qiaoyun also seemed to realize something and quickly turned to look at Di Long.

This was a crucial question. If Di Long couldn’t hear her voice afterward, how could she ‘bet lives’ with the other side?

Just as Di Long was about to answer “No,” Qing Long, at the end of the line, suddenly spoke up: “We can communicate.”

“What…?” Di Long paused, turning her head to look at him.

“I will build a ‘stand’ in the high air,” Qing Long said. “At that time, Di Long and I will be watching everyone from the stand, and you can communicate with us promptly if any issues arise.”

Di Long frowned tightly, completely unaware of Qing Long’s intentions.

After all, before taking over this game, Qing Long had never mentioned anything about a ‘stand.’

However, Qing Long was Qing Long. At this point, Di Long had no way of resisting and could only reluctantly nod with a furrowed brow.

“If both of you understand, please lead your teams to your respective areas.”

Saying this, she took out a walkie-talkie from her waist and continued, “I will now simultaneously inform both of you about the upcoming precautions.”