Chapter 197 A Deathly Resolve
According to Ole Lu, he and Yun Yao had teamed up today to tackle a Mortal-grade game.
When they passed by a {Mortal Rabbit}'s game area, Yun Yao froze in place. She clearly remembered this location—it was said that someone had staked their life and defeated this {Mortal Rabbit} just yesterday.
Yet, the {Earthly Branch} stood at the building's entrance as if nothing had happened.
"What's going on?" Yun Yao muttered in disbelief. "How could an {Earthly Branch} defeated in a life-staking gamble come back to life?"
Ole Lu joined her in approaching Mortal Rabbit to inquire about the game. The Mortal Rabbit's voice was grating and unpleasant.
From Mortal Rabbit's explanation, Yun Yao realized that the game’s rules remained unchanged—everything matched what she'd heard before, except for the inexplicable revival of the {Earthly Branch}.
Ole Lu explained that he couldn’t understand why Yun Yao had been so startled. After all, those were bloodthirsty lunatics, killers beyond count, and whether they lived or died, it was best to stay clear of them. Yet, Yun Yao seemed almost possessed, unwilling to leave.
"What happened next?" Chu Tianqiu questioned.
"What?" Qi Xia frowned. "You mean Yun Yao’s stuck there, on her own?"
"Yes..." Ole Lu nodded, his face filled with unease. "I was trapped in a fish tank, but I managed to escape...but she can’t."
Qi Xia paused for a moment, then asked, "Is one of her hands handcuffed next to a wall?"
"What about the key to the handcuffs?" Qi Xia pressed.
"The problem lies right there!" Ole Lu was on the verge of tears, his frustration palpable. "There wasn’t a key to the handcuffs in the room! Yun Yao got unbelievably lucky, tossing the wooden stick at the fish tank several times, and each time, the stick would bounce right back into her hands. She somehow shattered the tank like that... I managed to escape, but she couldn’t!"
"Mm?" Qi Xia’s brow furrowed into a tight knot, the story growing stranger with each passing moment. "So, that {Earthly Branch} just let you go?"
"Yes!" Ole Lu nodded vigorously. "That {Earthly Branch} said since I had escaped, I could leave... but what about that girly, Yun Yao ah?!"
Qi Xia still had more questions, but Chu Tianqiu suddenly spoke up, his voice firm. "I understand now. You should go rest."
"R—Rest?" Ole Lu froze, confusion clouding his features. "What the heck you mean? Aren’t you going to rescue her?"
"I’ll handle it." Chu Tianqiu placed a reassuring hand on Ole Lu's shoulder. "You go ahead and rest. Leave the rest to me."
Ole Lu gave a suspicious glance at Chu Tianqiu, then at Qi Xia. "Don’t think you can just sit back and do nothing just because you're a little smarter than others."
"Rest assured," Chu Tianqiu smiled calmly. "Yun Yao is one of us. We will do everything in our power."
Ole Lu hesitated, still doubtful, but after a long look at Chu Tianqiu, he finally nodded, then left the classroom.
"Qi Xia..." Chu Tianqiu began, his tone shifting slightly, "Actually, there’s something I’ve been keeping from you."
"Yesterday morning, the {Mortal Rabbit} mask your teammate brought back... it was stolen," Chu Tianqiu said.
Qi Xia’s expression hardened instantly, irritation flashing in his eyes.
"Xu Liunian, you really aren't suited to be a leader," Qi Xia said bluntly, his words sharp. "You keep the important words to yourself, but ramble on about the trivial."
Why was Yun Yao so determined to delve into the {Mortal Rabbit} game?
Why did she seem as though she were possessed?
The answer was clear—she had inherited the false will of {Passage to Heaven}.
She truly wanted to kill all of the {Earthly Branches}, but now that an {Earthly Branch} had resurrected before her eyes, she couldn’t move forward without understanding the reason behind it. If she didn’t, her entire belief would shatter beyond repair.
Without a second thought, Qi Xia turned and reached for the door.
"Where are you going?!" Chu Tianqiu’s voice called out, laced with urgency.
"I'm going to save her."
"No need!" Chu Tianqiu said. "You know as well as I do, that Mortal Rabbit was a false impersonation by our own people. It’s likely someone with a grudge against Yun Yao who resorted to such a tactic. How are you going to resolve this personal vendetta? Even if you brought both of them back, it wouldn’t solve anything."
Qi Xia paused for a moment, then turned back to face him. "Xu Liunian, you don’t want Yun Yao, but I do. Even if lives are mere {pawns}, you can’t just move them carelessly on the board."
With that, he pushed open the door and walked out, leaving Chu Tianqiu standing in solitude.
"Not suited to be a leader…?" Chu Tianqiu's gaze grew distant, a shadow crossing his features. "These orders...they were all Chu Tianqiu's from the start..."
A thought lingered in Xu Liunian's mind, twisting and turning with increasing intensity. Had Chu Tianqiu been wrong?
The disregard for the lives of his comrades... Can they really escape this?
Qi Xia encountered Ole Lu pacing the hallway.
"Ole Lu, come with me," Qi Xia called out.
"Ah?" Ole Lu hastily jogged up to him. "Punk Qi, you guys have a plan?"
"Mhm, you're coming with me to rescue her."
As they spoke, Qi Xia led the way to the designated room for the wounded. He pushed open the door and surveyed the scene. "Doctor Zhao, have you finished treating them?"
"I’m almost done," Doctor Zhao wiped the sweat from his brow. "What's going on?"
"We need to head out for a bit," Qi Xia turned to look at Zhang Shan. "Zhang Shan, you too."
The sound of the conversation caught the attention of Qiao Jiajin, who was lying nearby. Sensing something was off, he immediately sat up and asked, "What's going on, Swindler lad? Something happened?"
"Just focus on your recovery," Qi Xia replied. "It's nothing serious. I'll handle it."
Qi Xia knew he couldn't take Qiao Jiajin along this time; if he did, Qiao Jiajin might try to stop him.
Doctor Zhao and Zhang Shan exchanged a glance, then followed Qi Xia out of the room.
Qi Xia hurriedly guided the three out of the campus.
"What's happening?" Doctor Zhao asked, still confused. "Are we going to partake in a game?"
"No..." Qi Xia shook his head and then inquired, "Doctor Zhao, I’d like to ask you something."
"Be honest, what is Xiao Ran to you?" Qi Xia asked.
This question caught Doctor Zhao off guard. "Why... are you asking this?" he stammered.
"In this cycle, you've been very protective of Xiao Ran from the very beginning," Qi Xia said, his gaze steady. "I want to know why. Do you... like her?"
"I..." Doctor Zhao lowered his head, looking troubled. After a brief silence, he quietly replied, "Qi Xia, I feel indebted to her."
"Indeed..." Doctor Zhao nodded. "Despite your intervention last time, in the days that followed, I still...did {that} with Xiao Ran."
Doctor Zhao's expression darkened significantly. "That feeling… it’s so motherfucking uncomfortable. It’s like I’ve treated Xiao Ran as nothing more than a tool, a stepping stone. I’ve been using her to gain power... Do you understand that feeling?"
Qi Xia thoughtfully rubbed his chin and said, "But Xiao Ran consented, right?"
"Huh?" Doctor Zhao blinked in surprise.
"From the looks of it, she doesn't seem forced. In fact, she seemed to have something to gain as well."
"Yes..." Doctor Zhao nodded. "Xiao Ran once said, {Zhao ge, I've liked neurologists since I was young. If you go out, remember to keep in touch with me}... she did have her own motives, but for me..."
"I understand," Qi Xia sighed. "I just wanted to know where you stand."
"But why ask this all of a sudden?"
Qi Xia stopped in his tracks, turned to look Doctor Zhao in the eyes, and replied, "Xiao Ran can't be left alive. I'm planning to get rid of her."