Qi Xia cradled his head, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.
Lin Qin stood beside him, a look of concern etched on her face. Though she had witnessed similar scenes before, Qi Xia's distress was always unsettling.
He knelt on the ground, wailing, as the overwhelming agony in his mind far eclipsed the knife wound on his shoulder.
Noticing this, Jiang Ruoxue tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and remarked, "Your leader seems rather odd. Is he always ?"
"It seems that every time someone dies, he experiences these headaches."
"Then why doesn’t he feel pain when he kills?" Jiang Ruoxue inquired.
"That’s..." Lin Qin was at a loss regarding the cause of Qi Xia's headaches, but she recalled that he indeed experienced them every time someone perished.
Upon hearing this, Lin Qin's eyes widened as if struck by a revelation. "Hypnosis?!"
"Oh? You understand hypnosis?" Jiang Ruoxue turned to gaze at Lin Qin.
Lin Qin did not respond immediately, instead lost in thought. "It makes sense... If it's hypnosis, it could indeed produce such an effect... But that would require not only extremely advanced hypnotic techniques but also Qi Xia's full and willing cooperation. Someone with such a caliber of skill likely doesn’t exist within the country..."
As she finished speaking, Lin Qin felt even more perplexed.
If no one in the country could achieve this, then it was even less likely for an international hypnotist to do so.
Hypnosis differs from other psychological counseling methods; if the language used is not the subject's mother tongue, it becomes exceedingly difficult for a person to relax their mental defenses, let alone enter an unconscious state.
"So you’re a psychologist?" Jiang Ruoxue inquired.
"I’m a counseling psychologist," Lin Qin replied. "Jiang Ruoxue, do you have a good understanding of hypnosis?"
"Not really," Jiang Ruoxue shook her head. "But I have been hypnotized before. The hypnotist gave me a similar example, saying that under certain conditions, a person can {seal away} their emotions through hypnosis. Qi Xia seems to be in that kind of situation."
"Indeed... Such techniques exist only in theory; in reality, it's almost impossible for anyone to achieve that..."
As the two continued their conversation, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed—Terrestrial Dog finally appeared.
"Oh dear... Look at the mess you've made..." He glanced at the lifeless bodies of the bald man, the blonde hoodlum, and Ole Lu, a pained expression crossing his face. "You contestants really don’t hold back when you fight..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Terrestrial Dog approached the barely conscious A’Mu and ruthlessly stomped on his head, crushing it with his right foot.
Bright red brain matter, accompanied by strands of vibrant green hair, splattered across the ground like a firework display.
Zhang Chenze and Lin Qin turned their faces away. Despite having witnessed countless scenes of death, they still could not stomach the sight of humans being slaughtered like livestock.
"I suppose it’s time for me to go." Jiang Ruoxue said with a faint smile, glancing at the two of them as Terrestrial Dog approached slowly. "If there’s nothing else, I’ll be on my way. Let’s catch up another day."
Terrestrial Dog seemed to grasp her intentions and, sensing her willingness to meet her fate, wasted no time. He reached out, hand poised to grasp Jiang Ruoxue’s neck.
"Wait..." Qi Xia slowly stood up, his expression now free of the earlier pain.
"What do you want?" Terrestrial Dog turned to face him.
"This {Infiltrator} has been accepted," Qi Xia said, pressing his hand against his shoulder. "From this moment on, she’s a member of our team; you cannot kill her."
Everyone present paused in shock, including Jiang Ruoxue, who was momentarily speechless.
"What are you doing…? I haven’t helped you at all," she protested.
"That’s irrelevant. This doesn’t violate the rules, does it?" Qi Xia asked Terrestrial Dog with a solemn expression.
Terrestrial Dog pondered for a moment before responding, "Indeed, as long as you abandon your own {Infiltrator}, you’re free to accept a new one."
With that, he slowly retracted his hand and pulled out a grimy cloth bag from his pocket. "Here are twenty {Dào}, along with all the bodies on the ground. They are now your rewards." Terrestrial Dog tossed the {Dào} onto the ground and turned to leave.
"{Corpses} are considered rewards…" Qi Xia's gaze gradually dimmed. "I’m starting to loathe this cursed place."
"You simply don’t recognize their value," Jiang Ruoxue replied. "{Corpses} are precious; many survivors rely on eating them to stay alive."
"Eating corpses…?" Lin Qin exclaimed, taken aback. "Is that really true?"
"What else would you find to eat in this place besides {corpses}?" Jiang Ruoxue retorted.
Before Lin Qin could respond, Lawyer Zhang suddenly interjected, "{Criminal Law} Article 302: Desecration of a human corpse. Those who steal, disrespect, or intentionally destroy a dead body, remains, or ashes shall be sentenced to a maximum of three years of imprisonment, criminal detention, or police supervision."
"Are you alright?" Jiang Ruoxue looked at Lawyer Zhang, bewildered. "Do the laws still apply here?"
Lawyer Zhang appeared somewhat dazed as she stared at her bloodied hands, continuing, "Article 232 of the {Criminal Law} states that those who commit intentional homicide shall face the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for a minimum of ten years…"
Jiang Ruoxue and Lin Qin exchanged glances, both shaking their heads.
"You were merely acting in self-defense," Qi Xia reassured her. "I saw that man throw himself against the glass; it had nothing to do with you."
It was only then that Zhang Chenze snapped back to reality, her expression filled with concern as she approached Qi Xia to examine his injury. The sight of his wound triggered memories of Han Yimo.
After sustaining an injury to his left shoulder, Han Yimo had quickly succumbed. Would fate repeat itself with Qi Xia?
"Everyone, take these twenty {Dào} and the items on the {corpses}… and divide them among yourselves," Qi Xia said, pushing the fabric pouch forward.
"Divide it amongst ourselves? What about you?" Lawyer Zhang asked.
"I can’t stop the bleeding from my wound," Qi Xia replied quietly, lowering his gaze. "Even if I manage to successfully bandage it, the injury will leave me immobile for the next few days. I’ve lost this game."
"What are you saying…" Lin Qin’s voice trembled in panic. "If you give up now, what was all our effort for?"
"Exactly! It’s not the time to give up… Let’s go back and find Doctor Zhao," Lawyer Zhang added, her tone laced with desperation.
"It won’t help," Qi Xia shook his head. "Even if Doctor Zhao is willing to assist me, he can only bandage my wound. He won’t be able to alleviate my injuries in the coming days."
Gritting his teeth, Qi Xia rose to his feet, glancing at the two with an expression of profound despondency. "I never intended to give up. My wife has been waiting for me at home… but I can’t do this anymore. The rest will have to be left to you," Qi Xia reflected for a moment before continuing. "If you two choose not to participate in the games anymore, I won’t object. After all, each life belongs to its own holder."
Jiang Ruoxue crossed her arms and replied with an air of indifference, "Qi Xia, are you trying to deceive me with this performance?"