Chapter 341: Qi Xia's Difference

Hearing Qi Xia's words, Qian Wu was taken aback.

"Qi Xia, have you forgotten what I said? If you gather three thousand six hundred 'Dao', then 'Tianlong' and 'Qinglong' will surely appear. They'll start killing without a second thought, and everything will be reset."

"Not even a chance to say a word?" Qi Xia asked.

"Say a word...?" Qian Wu's tone hesitated. "Qi Xia... is this your plan... You madman... You've known from the start that gathering three thousand six hundred 'Dao' won't get you out..."

"Yes, I'm going to try bargaining for my life with 'Tianlong'," Qi Xia said. "Do you think it's feasible?"

"I don't know..." Qian Wu shook his head nervously. "As I said, 'Tianlong's power is beyond human. He could turn you into mincemeat with a wave of his hand. Even if you manage to get the words out at the last second, he might not hold back."

"Is that so...?"

"After all, many 'Shengxiao' can still kill their opponents even in life-or-death games." Qian Wu said with concern, "Ten years ago, you just lost a game, and the consequences were already devastating. If you lose a 'Du Ming' this time..."

"Could it get any worse?" Qi Xia replied. "Like you said, all our other paths are blocked. Betting my life against 'Tianlong' is the last option."

"After losing the game, you might not even remain a 'Yuan Zhumin'... You could be completely erased from existence..."

"I don't think so." Qi Xia shook his head. "I've heard that I have a grudge with 'Tianlong'—he seems to hate me to the bone. But for some reason, I'm still alive and kicking. So I suspect he can't erase me, or maybe... every time he does, I come back after ten days."

"Okay... even if he can't erase you..." Qian Wu still looked worried, "He could still turn you into a 'Yuan Zhumin', and then you'd never be able to return to normal."

Qi Xia had heard this many times, but something about it felt off.

After all, he had once seen someone turn from a 'Yuan Zhumin' back into a 'Can Yu Zhe'. He thought this might not be a rare case, but after wandering in the 'Zhong Yan Zhi Di' for so long, everyone insisted that 'Yuan Zhumin' was irreversible.

"You've never seen a 'Yuan Zhumin' turn back into a 'Can Yu Zhe'?" Qi Xia confirmed.

At this question, Qian Wu fell silent. Song Qi, standing nearby, had to respond: "Qi Xia, to be honest with you... We once had a teammate who went to fight 'Di Ji' over a personal grudge and ended up losing his sanity, becoming a 'Yuan Zhumin'. We found him and tried every method to wake him up, spending a whole year without success."

"Hmm...? That long?" Qi Xia asked casually.

Qian Wu nodded: "After all, the 'sanity' of 'Yuan Zhumin' is taken by 'Zhu Que' himself. Unless you get it back from 'Zhu Que', there's no way to restore it."

Qi Xia suddenly recalled how 'Zhu Que' had once taken Xiao Ran's sanity right in front of him. So, were all 'Yuan Zhumin' created by 'Zhu Que'?

Qian Wu's words gave Qi Xia a new idea. Could it be that Xu Liunian suddenly turned back into a 'Can Yu Zhe' because 'Zhu Que' appeared and returned her 'sanity'?

Was that possible?

He had died in Xu Liunian's taxi— what happened after that?

Besides 'Zhu Que', who else showed up?

Why did Xu Liunian not only become a 'Can Yu Zhe' again but also return to 'Tian Tang Kou' and take on the role of Chu Tianqiu?

What was Chu Tianqiu planning?

"How interesting..." Qi Xia's lips curved into a slight smile. "That's more like it... Your plan is only worthwhile if it's this complex, then it's fit for us to work together."

Qian Wu was about to say more, but Shi Jiu interrupted him.

"Ge Wu, time's probably almost up." Shi Jiu wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Let's pause this meeting for now."

"Alright." Qian Wu nodded, then signaled to the group. "Everyone, watch your words. From now on, anything you say might be heard by 'Tian'."

A few seconds later, the 'Jian Mo' enveloping the room vanished.

The group fell silent, unsure of what to say.

Qian Wu paused for a moment and then spoke: "Everyone... would you like to join 'Mao'?"

Li Jingguan glanced at Qi Xia and Qiao Jijin, playing along as he asked: "What does your 'Mao' do?"

"We're mercenaries—we take money and get the job done."

"So, you earn 'Dao' through your own methods?" Li Jingguan asked.

"No." Qian Wu, clearly having answered this many times before, replied smoothly, "We don't need 'Dao'. We take real money."

"What...?" Li Jingguan was stunned. "How do you take real money?"

"Naturally, we collect it in the real world." Qian Wu laughed. "As long as you transfer the money to us in the real world, we'll work for you in the next cycle."

"Ah?" Li Jingguan was surprised, seeming to have something on his mind. He turned to look at Qi Xia, feeling a bit confused. "I don't quite get it... We're not from the same era, so how can I transfer money to you?"

"Our 'Mao' covers forty years forward and backward." Qian Wu pulled out a cigarette and offered one to Li Shangwu, who took it. "May I ask which year you're from?"

"I come from..." Li Shangwu hesitated slightly, then looked up. "When did I ever say I was an 'officer'?"

Qian Wu reached out, lit the cigarette for Li Shangwu, and then said: "Should I make up an excuse, like 'I just think you look like a policeman'?"

Li Jingguan chuckled at Qian Wu's remark: "So, what's the real reason?"

Qian Wu smiled back: "We're old acquaintances, so I know your background."

Li Jingguan pondered for a moment: "I come from 2010."

"That's perfect." Qian Wu nodded, pointing to the girl beside him. "Zhou Liu is from 2009. Her family can receive your transfer. If you need anything, just find her—she'll work for you."

The woman called Zhou Liu gave Li Shangwu a cursory nod, then went back to chewing her gum absentmindedly.

"You're not lying to me...?" Li Jingguan turned serious, staring at Qian Wu. "If we transfer money to you outside, will you really receive it?"

"What do you mean...?" Qian Wu looked at Li Shangwu in confusion. "Our 'Mao' has been around for nearly seven years now. What's the point of lying?"

"Are you saying..." Li Jingguan glanced at Qi Xia out of the corner of his eye, then asked cautiously, "We can meet outside...?"