"Repaying the favor…?" Ole Lu clearly didn’t understand his words.
Qi Xia could only shake his head in resignation.
The middle-aged man before him was timid, greedy, prone to lying, impulsive, and easily angered—he seemed to embody all the flaws one could possess. Yet, for some reason, Qi Xia couldn’t bring himself to dislike him.
Deciding to drop the topic, Qi Xia walked directly toward Zhang Shan. It seemed these people had refrained from attacking him, which felt quite strange.
"Why are you tying up my teammate?" Qi Xia asked.
Zhang Shan shifted to ease the pain in his back and replied, "Didn’t lǎozi already say? This is Chu Tianqiu’s orders. You punk were pretty rough earlier; I can’t believe Chu Tianqiu didn’t have me tie you up too…"
"If Chu Tianqiu can’t provide a valid reason, my next move will be even harsher." Qi Xia’s tone was serious, leaving no room for doubt that he wasn’t just bluffing.
"F*ck, can’t you just have a proper conversation? But whatever, Chu Tianqiu has already made up his mind to see you." Zhang Shan waved toward the distance, and Specs hurried over, revealing yet another familiar face to Qi Xia.
"I’m fine. Take this person to see Chu Tianqiu," Zhang Shan replied, waving his hand. He then adjusted his back and helped the young man Qi Xia had knocked down, leading Qiao Jiajin away.
Specs sized up Qi Xia and said, "You must be Mr. Qi, right? Please, follow me."
With a guarded look, Qi Xia nodded and moved to follow. The two proceeded down the corridor until they reached the door of a classroom at the southernmost end.
Specs gently knocked on the door. "Mr. Chu, Miss Yun, I’ve brought him."
"Let him in," a man’s voice responded from inside.
Without waiting for Specs to speak, Qi Xia pushed the door open and entered the classroom.
Yun Yao was sitting at a desk, applying nail polish, while a stranger of cultured demeanor appeared to be writing something on the blackboard with swift strokes.
As soon as Qi Xia entered their view, both of them simultaneously shifted their attention to him.
"Ah! You’re that handsome man in distress!" Yun Yao exclaimed joyfully, pointing at Qi Xia. "Have you decided to become my {rumored boyfriend}?"
Ignoring Yun Yao, Qi Xia focused his gaze on the unfamiliar man.
"Qi Xia?" The stranger smiled, placing the chalk on the ledge of the blackboard and dusting off his hands. "It’s a pleasure to meet you; I’m Chu Tianqiu."
Qi Xia nodded and stepped forward as Specs discreetly closed the door behind him.
Yun Yao stood up and walked toward Qi Xia, a refreshing fragrance wafting from her. "Qi Xia, I’m so glad you’re here!"
Chu Tianqiu also approached Qi Xia, maintaining an amiable smile. "I deeply regret that we must meet under such circumstances, and I trust you will forgive me."
"Chu Tianqiu, tell me your reasons for doing this," Without hesitation, Qi Xia cut to the chase.
"You mean... the fact that I’m holding sway over your comrades?" Chu Tianqiu offered a slight smile. "How should I put this? After all, this is our territory, and frankly, I’m not obligated to explain myself."
"Let me confirm this..." Qi Xia’s voice was calm but stern. "You brought us here under false pretenses, captured my teammates, and still offer no explanation?"
"And what of it?" Chu Tianqiu adjusted his glasses. "Qi Xia, as this is your first time at {Passage to Heaven}, you might not be familiar with the rules."
"And what are those rules?" Qi Xia inquired.
"I am the rule," Chu Tianqiu replied with a smile that made Qi Xia uneasy. "As long as everyone listens to me, I will eventually lead everyone out."
Qi Xia looked at Chu Tianqiu with a cold, unreadable expression, as if silently calculating his next move. A strange, heavy atmosphere settled around them.
"Oh my... What’s all this tension about?" Yun Yao approached with a playful smile, stepping in to lighten the mood. "It's your first meeting, no need to make it so serious. We're all going to be teammates soon."
Noticing that neither man responded, Yun Yao recalled what Chu Tianqiu had previously said about {kings' paths never cross}. Perhaps the two were indeed not suited to be teammates, but both were sharp-minded and indispensable assets; losing either would be a significant loss for {Passage to Heaven}.
"Can you at least give this idol some face?" Yun Yao smiled, pulling Qi Xia's hand and then Chu Tianqiu's. "You two should shake hands in front of me; from now on, we’re all good friends."
"There is no need," Qi Xia withdrew his hand.
"Indeed," Chu Tianqiu also retracted his hand. "Yun Yao, don’t worry; Qi Xia is an intelligent man and seems to understand the {rules} of this place."
"I want to confirm one last thing," Qi Xia said, frowning slightly. "You see yourself as a {local tyrant}, where all those who join {Passage to Heaven} are expected to obey your commands, with no room for dissent, is that how it is?"
"Your description’s a little off, but the essence is there," Chu Tianqiu smiled faintly, pushing his glasses back. "I’m not a {local tyrant}, just the one in charge here. You see, without a {unifying leader}, the group would fall apart, and no one would make it out."
Yun Yao shook her head in exasperation. "Qi Xia, don’t take it the wrong way. Although Chu Tianqiu is our head, his goal is to lead us out of here; after all, we are still {teammates}."
Qi Xia nodded again, glancing at the two before suddenly turning to Yun Yao. "Could you step back a bit?"
"Step back?" Yun Yao was taken aback, then asked playfully, "What’s wrong? Is my scent unpleasant?"
"No, it’s quite nice," Qi Xia replied, "but I’d still prefer if you took a couple steps back."
After pondering for a moment, Yun Yao nodded and took two steps back. "I see, you want to check out my figure, right?" She twirled around with a grin.
"No, I’m just worried about accidentally hurting you," Qi Xia clarified.
Before Yun Yao and Chu Tianqiu could react, Qi Xia suddenly stepped forward, mimicking the way Qiao Jiajin had struck the black bear. He moved his shoulder with his waist, swinging his right arm like a rope, his fist rotating one hundred eighty degrees in the air.
Originally aimed at Chu Tianqiu's chin, the punch ended up landing squarely on his mouth, clearly indicating that Qi Xia's fighting skills needed improvement.
Chu Tianqiu barely had time to react before taking the full brunt of the punch, letting out a howl as he collapsed to the ground like a felled tree.
Yun Yao gasped, covering her mouth with both hands, bewildered by how the situation had escalated so quickly.
Qi Xia shook his slightly sore right hand and approached Chu Tianqiu once more.
Blood poured from Chu Tianqiu's mouth as he lay on the ground, his expression one of pain.
Qi Xia crouched down beside him, staring intently into his eyes as he spoke slowly and deliberately, "Chu Tianqiu, do you truly think I cannot see through your charade?"