Chapter 246 Game of Deceit
Qi Xia, now in possession of the five {Dào}, proceeded toward Terrestrial Goat’s game arena.
Qiao Jiajin insisted on accompanying Qi Xia for part of the journey, adamant and unwilling to listen.
Though Terrestrial-grade games posed significant risks, Qi Xia was confident that his chances of death were minimal.
Even if victory proved elusive, survival should be within reach.
But if an accident were to occur...
"Fists..." Qi Xia turned his head and remarked, "If I forget everything in the next cycle, remember to tell me {Yu Nian'An says 'knock knock knock'}... that way, I shall believe the words you speak."
"Don’t be so pessimistic, Swindler lad." Qiao Jiajin patted Qi Xia’s back, "If you dare forget me, I’ll give you a full Qin Na set—and make sure to beat those memories back into you."
"This…" Qi Xia shook his head helplessly, "Should you attack while my memories are absent, I might mistake you for an enemy and fight until one of us falls..."
It took Qi Xia three attempts to drill this simple sentence into Qiao Jiajin’s mind, but even then, he remained deeply skeptical of its retention. Fortunately, Qiao Jiajin had a decent character— even if he were to lose his memories, they would likely cross paths and become acquainted once more.
The two walked for about half an hour and soon arrived at the bar that Terrestrial Tiger had mentioned.
At the entrance stood a man with a black goat's head, surrounded by a group of more than a dozen people—clearly, this was a large-scale game.
"Swindler lad... are you sure you don’t need me to join you?" Qiao Jiajin looked at the group of people in the distance and asked, "Are all of them participating?"
"Fists, {Goat} represents deception." Qi Xia turned his head and responded, "If we end up in the same group, that’s one thing… but if it's {every man for himself}, I don’t wish to swindle you."
"It’s fine if you swindle me." Qiao Jiajin said, his face brimming with earnestness.
"How does that even make sense?" Qi Xia knit his brows. "I have the choice not to deceive you, yet you insist on setting yourself up to be fooled?"
"Oh, that’s true." Qiao Jiajin nodded in resignation. "So, do you have a solid plan?"
"I’m highly unlikely to die," Qi Xia replied, "But if I’m to win all of {Terrestrial Goat}'s {Dào}, it depends on what the rules are."
"Then... you be careful," Qiao Jiajin glanced at the group of more than a dozen people in the distance. Winning against a single opponent in a game of deception was difficult enough—if the game turned into a tangled web of lies between over ten participants, it would be pure chaos.
This game wasn’t suited for him.
"Go ahead and return first," Qi Xia said decisively. "Once everything is resolved, I'll come find you at {Passage to Heaven}."
After bidding farewell to Qiao Jiajin, Qi Xia slowly made his way toward the crowd.
The black, sleek fur of Terrestrial Goat shimmered under the sunlight as he shook his nose and glanced at Qi Xia.
"How much for admission?" Qi Xia inquired.
"Five {Dào}," Terrestrial Goat replied.
Qi Xia nodded slightly. Most of the time, {Terrestrial-grade} tickets were of that number; Qiao Jiajin had indeed been a great help this time.
He took out all five of his {Dào} and tossed them to Terrestrial Goat.
"How many more people are needed?" Qi Xia looked around at the group of men and women standing nearby and asked, "When can we begin?"
"The game requires fifty participants," Terrestrial Goat’s voice was calm and flat, without a hint of emotion. "We are far from the required number."
"What?" Qi Xia paused, his expression stiffening. "Fifty?!" The overwhelming number of participants filled him with unease.
"What game are we playing?" Qi Xia continued to inquire.
"Once the number is met, the rules will be revealed," Terrestrial Goat answered.
Upon hearing this, Qi Xia could only slowly step into the crowd. No wonder everyone’s expressions seemed so tense; they were all shrouded by this looming sense of fear of the unknown.
A game of deception with fifty participants.
No matter what the rules were, the difficulty was bound to be overwhelming.
To make matters worse... {Goat} would begin lying during the explanation of the rules—could they even find a way to break through?
Qi Xia found a spot by the roadside and sat down slowly, waiting for the remaining participants to arrive.
The sheer scale of fifty participants was overwhelming. Qi Xia and the others beside him waited from morning until well into the afternoon, and only then had around thirty people gathered.
The {Terrestrial Ox} game they participated in before required only twenty players, yet {Terrestrial Goat} insisted on fifty...
Could he really manage such a large-scale game?
"Hey..." a middle-aged man in a suit asked, "What happens if we don’t reach the required number?"
Without changing his demeanor, Terrestrial Goat looked back and said, "Then the game is considered null."
"Null?!" The middle-aged man couldn’t contain his frustration, "Are you serious?! We’ve all paid!"
"And what do you intend to do about it?" "What do you intend to do?" Terrestrial Goat’s voice remained neutral, sounding like someone devoid of any emotion. "Are you trying to stir up trouble here?"
The middle-aged man, after hearing this, slowly lowered his head and fell silent.
Qi Xia observed the crowd around him and noticed that most of their expressions were composed. It seemed that many had already acquired their {Reverberation} from prior rounds.
Those who participated in a Terrestrial-grade game on the first day were either {Reverberatees} or complete novices. This might escalate the game’s intensity.
With more than thirty participants standing on the street, they quickly became the center of attention, attracting many who came to ask questions. Some abandoned the idea halfway, while others decided to join.
What caught Qi Xia's attention was that five individuals in the crowd were carrying small briefcases, resembling the shady figures from a crime film.
After waiting for another couple of hours, just when Qi Xia felt parched and hungry, the last person finally paid for their ticket.
Now, the bustling street was filled with the shadows of participants.
Qi Xia looked around, noticing a diverse group of participants—men and women, young and old. This was the first time he’d seen elderly people in the game. Among them, about two or three individuals looked somewhat familiar; they were likely members of {Passage to Heaven}, but Qi Xia had no personal connection with them.
It seemed that the number of {participants} wandering around here every day was immense.
"Alright, thank you for your patience. Please follow me," Terrestrial Goat said, turning and opening the door to the bar, leading the group inside.
The bar was completely abandoned, with chairs and tables scattered haphazardly around the room.
Without pausing, Terrestrial Goat walked straight toward the bar, then pushed open a small door beside it, revealing a staircase leading downward.
"Watch your step, be careful not to fall to your death," Terrestrial Goat said softly, leading the way down the stairs.
The line was lengthy, and Qi Xia, positioned towards the back, slowly shuffled forward with the throng.
"Aye mate," a man with a square face patted Qi Xia on the shoulder.
"What is it?" Qi Xia turned and asked.