Chapter 176 Yun Yao's Suspicions
After Chu Tianqiu selected the participating candidates, Qiao Jiajin, Lin Qin, and Han Yimo pushed the door open and entered, only to be taken aback by the sight of more than ten people already seated in the room.
"What’s going on here?" Qiao Jiajin scanned the room, his gaze landing on Qi Xia. Without missing a beat, he hurried over and asked, "Swindler lad, did you hear it just now? Three consecutive bells!"
"Yes, I heard it." Qi Xia nodded, his expression calm. "We’ve gathered because of it."
"Qiao Jiajin, is it?" Zhang Shan approached slowly, Li Xiangling by his side. "Tomorrow, we’ll form a team of three and compete in a {close quarters fighting} game."
"What’s going on here?" Qiao Jiajin was momentarily puzzled, his brow furrowing as he glanced around. "Why can't I bring my {brain} out again? It'll be very dangerous..."
"Brain?" Zhang Shan looked equally baffled. "Who is your {brain}?"
Qiao Jiajin gestured toward Qi Xia with a thumb. "I work with Swindler lad. He’s my {brain}."
"Interesting." Zhang Shan chuckled, nodding in amusement. "If he’s the {brain}, then what does that make you?"
"Alright." Zhang Shan nodded, "Your {brain} is now in danger. Whether this situation can be resolved... well, that depends on how hard you swing your {fists}."
"Huh?" Qiao Jiajin turned, his gaze shifting to Qi Xia. "Swindler lad, are you being belittled by someone?"
"The circumstances are far more complicated," Qi Xia said, his voice steady. "Tomorrow's game involves me, but I’m unable to participate directly, so it will be up to you to handle it."
"Help you? That’s easy." Qiao Jiajin stretched lazily, a confident smile tugging at his lips. "The {close quarters fighting}... that means our opponent is {human}, right?"
"Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered."
At this, Chu Tianqiu nodded approvingly. "Since the selection is complete and with Qiao Jiajin now back, we can move on..."
"Wait a minute..." Yun Yao slowly raised her hand.
"What is it?" Chu Tianqiu asked, turning his attention to her.
"It may be a bit presumptuous of me to ask, but which of these three possesses {Reverberation}?"
The three exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions slightly off.
"Chu Tianqiu..." Yun Yao’s tone hinted at unease as she assessed the team, "None of them have {Reverberation}." She turned her gaze toward Chu Tianqiu, a suspicious look crossing her face. "What kind of arrangement is this?" She couldn’t help but voice her doubts, "I told you... our opponent is {Judgment's Domain}, all of them are seasoned {Reverberatees}."
"Well..." Chu Tianqiu hesitated briefly, his expression faltering, "It’ll be alright, I believe in them."
"Be—Believe?!" Yun Yao blinked, as if unable to process his words. "Tianqiu... what are you saying? You chose these three... just because you believe in them? Is there no deeper reason?"
Zhang Shan sensed the awkwardness in the air and, trying to ease the tension, gave Yun Yao a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "It's fine. I’m sure Chu Tianqiu has his own plans. Besides, combat and close-quarter fighting games are nothing difficult for me."
Seeing someone speak in his defense, Chu Tianqiu’s tense expression softened. "In that case, let’s adjourn for now. You three should take this time to get to know each other. After all, you’ll be teammates tomorrow."
"You three, don’t leave just yet." Qi Xia’s voice was soft as he addressed Yun Yao, Zhang Shan, and Li Xiangling. "There’s something I need to tell you all first."
The three nodded slightly, acknowledging his words.
As the others trickled out of the room, Yun Yao could no longer hold her frustration in check.
"Zhang Shan, don’t you think Chu Tianqiu’s acting strange?!" Her voice was tinged with anger. "Yesterday, his orders led to the deaths of Kim Wonhun and Specs, and today he’s set the three of you up to face {Reverberatees}... No, not just these two things, he was off during the last cycle too!"
Zhang Shan gave a wry smile and said, "Yun Yao, have you forgotten? I didn’t gain my {Reverberation} last time, and I can’t remember what Chu Tianqiu was like anymore."
"That..." Yun Yao glanced around, suddenly realizing that she seemed to be the only one who still remembered the original Chu Tianqiu among those present. A rush of thoughts swirled in her mind, but none of them found their way out, leaving her feeling suffocated.
In her memory, Chu Tianqiu’s strategies had always been centered on {stability}, never once involving such reckless or impulsive plans.
The reason so many people had lost their memories in this round of {Passage to Heaven} was because, in the last cycle, Chu Tianqiu had arranged for everyone to participate in the game in a manner that bordered on the suicidal during the final days.
In Yun Yao’s recollection, whenever participants adhered to Chu Tianqiu’s meticulously crafted plan, eight out of ten individuals in {Passage to Heaven} would unfailingly receive their {Reverberation}. After all, Chu Tianqiu possessed an intimate understanding of each member’s unique trigger for their {Reverberation}.
Yet, what had transpired in the last cycle remained an enigma. Why had Chu Tianqiu suddenly changed his approach? Could there have been some shift, some unseen development, that she wasn’t aware of?
‘Wait a moment…’ Yun Yao slowly turned her head, her gaze settling on Qi Xia.
Come to think of it, Qi Xia had been the biggest change in the last cycle. He had come to visit Chu Tianqiu, but Chu Tianqiu had refused to see him. The very next day, Chu Tianqiu seemed to have transformed into a completely different person.
‘What exactly is going on...?’ Yun Yao felt as though she had stumbled upon something deeply unsettling, yet the answers eluded her, just out of reach.
No one seemed to notice Yun Yao's inner turmoil. Instead, the group continued with a casual, half-hearted conversation.
Zhang Shan crossed his arms and broke the silence, "Let’s introduce ourselves. What are you two good at?" He gave Qiao Jiajin a pointed look, sizing him up. "You’re trained in martial arts, right, punk?"
Qiao Jiajin nodded with a grin and said, "Buff lou, not only have I trained, but I’m quite skilled."
"Oh?" Zhang Shan’s interest piqued immediately. "I’ve practiced a bit of Sanda[1] myself. What do you specialize in?"
Qiao Jiajin stretched out his hand, counting off on his fingers. "Boxing, Sanda, wrestling, judo, Wing Chun[2], Muay Thai[3], Qin Na[4], Tai Chi[5], Jeet Kune Do[6], Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[7]..."
"Stop, stop, stop..." Zhang Shan held up a hand to interrupt, "Who asked you about all the different styles? Lǎozǐ asked which one you’ve mastered?"
"All of them." Qiao Jiajin answered confidently.
"All..." Zhang Shan was left speechless, his eyes wide with disbelief. "F*ck— punk, there’s a limit to bragging, you know? You’re not that old—how could you possibly have mastered so many different styles?"
Qi Xia scratched his head, exchanging a knowing glance with Lin Qin. Only the two of them truly understood how absurd the situation was. What Qiao Jiajin had said wasn’t exaggeration; it was the truth. His expression was completely sincere—there was no hint of pretense.
"I’ve trained for more than ten years." Qiao Jiajin replied calmly. "Though, I’ve only just scratched the surface."
"You..." Zhang Shan was once again at a loss for words. No wonder he had nearly come to a bad end when he tried to tie this guy up earlier. "How long do you practice every day?"
"Since I was eleven years old, from dawn to dusk. As long as I can move a hand, I’ll be practicing."
Zhang Shan swallowed his saliva slightly and continued to ask, "Have you ever been in actual combat?"
"Before coming here, I was in actual combat every day, never missing a single one." Qiao Jiajin replied matter-of-factly, his expression unchanged.