Chapter 198 Digging One's Own Grave
When Qi Xia, Doctor Zhao, Ole Lu, and Zhang Shan arrived at the {Mortal Rabbit} venue, the rabbit-headed figure was pacing outside the door. She wore an ill-fitting suit and a bloated mask, giving off an odd impression. Upon seeing the four of them appear at once, she froze for a moment.
"Where's Yun Yao?" Qi Xia asked.
The rabbit hesitated, then asked, "Who is Yun Yao?"
Her voice was incredibly unpleasant, and if Qi Xia had to guess, she was deliberately straining her voice to sound like someone else.
Ole Lu could no longer tolerate it. With a shout, he exclaimed, "Stop fucking pretending! Where's the girly who came with me?!"
"She hasn't passed my game yet," the rabbit slowly approached the door behind her, cautioning, "Don't make any rash moves."
Qi Xia scanned the rabbit from top to bottom, a trace of regret crossing his face. "You've messed up," he said, "Xiao Ran, you're digging your own grave."
The rabbit-headed figure froze, her body stiffening as she blurted, "Wh—What Xiao Ran? I'm not Xiao Ran..."
"Xiao Ran?!" He eyed the rabbit from head to toe, noticing that she appeared shorter now, her figure closely resembling Xiao Ran's. "W—Why are you wearing a rabbit mask?!"
"I told you, I'm not Xiao Ran!!!" The rabbit shouted, her voice shrill. "I... I am {Mortal Rabbit}..."
Everyone stared at her, as though observing a clown.
"Alright, Mortal Rabbit," Qi Xia nodded, "I want to participate in your game."
"What...?" The rabbit froze. "Now? It’s not possible right now..."
"Step aside," Qi Xia said calmly, "You won’t survive this, and there’s no need to drag Yun Yao down with you."
"Ridiculous... I won’t survive?!" The rabbit sneered, "I’m the game master here! I’m a rabbit! How could I possibly not survive?"
Seeing her obstinate stance, Qi Xia sighed helplessly. If this woman had shown even the slightest bit of sincerity during all this time, her fate wouldn’t have turned out .
Ole Lu stood off to the side for a while, finally understanding what was going on.
"Punk Qi... You mean the girl in front of us is an imposter?!" he asked incredulously.
"Exactly," Qi Xia nodded, "No need to hesitate. Pull her aside, and let’s rescue Yun Yao."
Without another word, Ole Lu charged forward, grabbing the rabbit by the arm and yanking her aside. "Why must you go down the wrong path, silly little girly?!"
"Ah! What are you doing? Who told you to touch me?!" The rabbit screeched, "Don’t mess around!"
Qi Xia took a deep breath, stepping forward to try pushing open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. He peered through the glass window, the layout of the room looked just like the descriptions he had heard. There was a shattered fish tank, and Yun Yao was shackled to an iron pillar on the other side, unable to move.
What was truly heart-wrenching was that the broken fish tank was still leaking water. This room was completely sealed off, and the water had already filled the entire space, now reaching Yun Yao’s neck.
With her hands bound, Yun Yao couldn’t even straighten her body, and it wouldn’t be long before she would drown.
"Hey!!" The rabbit rushed over, panicking. "The game isn’t over yet! Are you all going to sabotage the game midway?"
Sabotage the game...? Qi Xia slowly furrowed his brows.
Although Xiao Ran was bluffing, she had indeed prompted a reminder.
If she’s wearing this mask, does she truly count as one of the {Earthly Branches}?
And the game she created—does it even qualify as a game?
If simply donning a mask could make someone an {Earthly Branch}, then Qi Xia couldn’t act impulsively to rescue Yun Yao.
He would be violating the rules, forcefully interrupting the game, and attracting the attention of higher-ups.
But could Yun Yao wait?
Qi Xia gazed into the rabbit’s eyes, remaining silent for a long time before speaking. "We concede."
"Concede?" The rabbit seemed surprised by Qi Xia's answer, unsure of what to do next.
"Yes, we concede." Qi Xia nodded. "Aren't you {Mortal Rabbit}? In a {Mortal} game, losing results in the loss of {Dào}, how many {Dào} do you want? I can give them to you now."
The rabbit paused for a moment, then replied, "Aren't you clever? I don’t accept {concessions}. You figure out how to save her. If you can’t, then you’ll just wait for her to die."
Qi Xia glanced at the situation inside the room once more, then turned to ask, "If you won’t let me in, how am I supposed to save her?"
"What, someone as smart as you can’t save her without going inside? Go save her from the outside!" Mortal Rabbit mocked.
Everyone stood there, at a loss, exchanging glances and pondering their next move.
However, Qi Xia appeared calm and composed. He looked at the rabbit and said, "Actually, I’ve already figured it out. The key isn’t inside the room—it’s outside, am I correct?"
"Outside..." The rabbit suppressed a sneer and asked, "Where exactly outside?"
"Simple. There's a withered bush nearby." Qi Xia pointed to the dry bush by the side of the road. "The key is there."
"Pfft..." The rabbit blinked for a few seconds, then broke into laughter, holding her belly as she laughed hysterically, "Hahaha! Qi Xia, that's so pathetic! The way you gave the wrong answer with such certainty is just pathetic!"
"Pathetic?" Qi Xia asked expressionlessly. "What’s pathetic about it?"
"{The key isn’t inside the room}? {Withered bush}? This is just too hilarious!" She held her stomach, still laughing. "Qi Xia, now it's your turn, the tables have turned... I broke the key and threw it away a long time ago!! Just watch as Yun Yao dies!!"
Hearing this, everyone’s expressions turned grim, but Qi Xia’s lips curled into a faint smile.
"Xiao Ran, you {violated the rules}."
As the last syllable left his lips, a tall silhouette materialized in midair. His bare skin, pale as death, was covered only by a cloak crafted from feathers.
The appearance of this figure startled everyone.
"I had my suspicions..." The tall figure’s voice was deliberate, "So, the {game} you designed is unsolvable?"
Staring at the man suspended in the air like a divine being, Xiao Ran collapsed to the ground with a {thud}.
His eyes were not those of a police nor a gangster. It was the look of a god, elevated and untouchable.
"Who... who are you?"
"I am none other than {Vermilion Bird}." The man smiled as he landed softly on the ground behind Xiao Ran, gently helping her to her feet. Then, he slowly wrapped his arms around her from behind. "I’ve been watching you from the start, assuming I've found a worthy rabbit, yet how could you offer no reprieve to the {participants}?"
Xiao Ran felt the man beside her was chilling to the touch, exuding a decaying odor.
"If the word spreads that {the game is death-bound}... who would still take part? What would become of the {Earthly Branches}’ reputation?" Vermilion Bird took a slow breath, savoring the scent of Xiao Ran, before continuing, "Xiao Ran, you’ve missed your chance to {achieve godhood}, how regretful... how truly regretful..."
Vermilion Bird slowly extended his hand, removed Xiao Ran’s mask, and tossed it to the ground. Standing behind her, he leaned in close, his face brushing against hers, and addressed the four men in front of them. "Be a good girl, say your goodbyes to them, or else you won’t have another opportunity."
Xiao Ran suddenly revealed an expression of terror. She turned to the man before her, her voice quivering as she asked, "Ge... do you—do you lack women? I’ll do anything for you..."