While speaking, Yun Yao’s eyes would occasionally glance toward her own lower left, clearly lying.

But Qi Xia was tactful enough not to expose this. He merely asked softly: “You think Chu Tianqiu and I here aren’t enough, so you want to recruit that Wen Qiaoyun?”

Chu Tianqiu, meanwhile, stood to the side with a constantly gloomy expression, his mood extremely complex.

He realized that many people in this place were laying down schemes, and he and Qi Xia were merely two of the players.

Of course, players also had different skill levels. In the eyes of Qi Xia and Chu Tianqiu, the lengthy lies Yun Yao fabricated were clearly from the lowest-level player.

“Qi Xia, I’m not saying you and Chu Tianqiu aren’t capable…” After saying this, Yun Yao glanced at Chu Tianqiu with a complex expression. “Perhaps you two are both very powerful, but in this place, the more powerful people the better, right? Everyone’s enemies are the ‘Zodiacs’ or ‘Divine Beasts,’ so no matter what, we’re all standing on the same front line…”

“That statement is somewhat improper.” Qi Xia said. “On the surface it looks like our enemies are the ‘Zodiacs’ and ‘Divine Beasts,’ but if you think back carefully, you’ll find that the number of Participants killed by other Participants here far exceeds those killed by these enemies. So why would I want to recruit a powerful Participant?”

“This…” After hearing this, Yun Yao hesitated slightly, then said: “Although many Participants kill each other in games, ultimately this is according to the rules set down by those ‘Zodiacs.’ If there were no ‘Zodiacs,’ theoretically Participants wouldn’t…”

Before she could finish speaking, Yun Yao herself choked up.

She knew she seemed to be saying something very naive.

After hearing this, Qi Xia shook his head helplessly: “Yun Yao, without the ‘Zodiacs,’ would Participants stop killing people?”

Zheng Yingxiong on the side, hearing this viewpoint, raised a bitter smile at the corner of his mouth.

If people truly wanted to kill, what did it have to do with the “Zodiacs”?

“Qi Xia… this is my last aspiration.” Yun Yao said. “In this place… I have no other pursuits anymore… I just want to kill all the ‘Zodiacs’…”

“What about the day after you’ve killed them all?” Qi Xia asked again.

“When all the people here with the title of ‘Zodiac’ are dead, what do you plan to do?”

“The ‘Zodiacs’ can’t all die… after all, there’s still ‘Heaven’…”

After hearing this, Qi Xia sighed: “What if even ‘Heaven’ dies?”

“What…”

“If someone really appears who can even kill ‘Heaven,’ what would you do then?” Qi Xia said with a complex expression. “Would we be able to leave at that point?”

Qi Xia’s series of questions left Yun Yao speechless.

People are sometimes like this—clearly knowing the outcome, yet always unwilling to face it.

“Qi Xia… I…” Yun Yao’s head remained lowered, her expression making it seem like she could no longer speak at all.

“Now that I’ve told you the situation, do you still plan to recruit her to ‘join us’?”

Yun Yao lowered her head in thought for a long time, seeming to understand something.

Standing before her was not some mediocre Participant, but Qi Xia.

Now she was preparing to use a scheme she had thought up in a single day to deceive this man.

“Qi Xia…” Yun Yao bit her lip and said: “If we let her ‘join us,’ would it make things difficult for you…?”

“Mm?” Qi Xia looked at Yun Yao coldly.

“I mean… would it disrupt your and Chu Tianqiu’s plans?”

“No.” Qi Xia said.

“Then…”

“Fine.”

Just as Qi Xia was about to speak after listening, Chu Tianqiu placed a hand on Qi Xia’s shoulder from behind.

“Qi Xia.” Chu Tianqiu called out in a low voice.

“What is it?”

“I’ll gouge out both my eyes.” Chu Tianqiu said with a cold expression. “Can you give up on Wen Qiaoyun?”

After hearing this, Qi Xia furrowed his brow slightly, then turned around to stand face to face with Chu Tianqiu.

“Your eyes?” Qi Xia asked. “What use are your eyes to me?”

Chu Tianqiu narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, then said: “Plus my own right hand, or I can agree to other conditions you propose.”

“Chu Tianqiu, I’m very disappointed. This is the first time in my memory I’ve seen you show this kind of appearance.” Qi Xia said with a frown in a low voice. “You killed her with your own hands, yet you’re afraid of her coming back?”

Chu Tianqiu pressed his lips together, unable to give any answer.

“Killing Wen Qiaoyun wasn’t liberating her, but escaping from the responsibility you should face.” Qi Xia said.

“Yes, I am escaping.” Chu Tianqiu answered. “You clearly know I’m escaping, yet you insist on bringing her back?”

“I must bring her back.” Qi Xia shook his head and said. “My memories also need her to restore them. I’m just this one step away now. Chu Tianqiu, face reality. Before long, a brand new ‘Wen Qiaoyun’ will appear before your eyes.”

“Give her a chance.” Chu Tianqiu’s voice was very deep. “I’ve already made the decision to kill her once. If she returns here perfectly fine again… I don’t know what I’ll become.”

“Don’t worry, you’ll just become more insane.” Qi Xia smiled. “For you, it’s all benefits and no harm.”

Chu Tianqiu stared at Qi Xia for a long time, seeming to understand something, and also revealed a trace of mad laughter: “Qi Xia, Earth-Dragon, right?”

“Mm?”

“‘He’ wants us to participate in the ‘Earth-Dragon’ game, and only leave one person remaining, right?”

After hearing this, Qi Xia smiled and nodded: “It sounds like that. What, are you really planning to go on a killing spree against me in that game?”

Chu Tianqiu said: “If Wen Qiaoyun returns, would she help me kill you?”

“She might help you, but she can’t kill me.” Qi Xia answered with an air of nonchalance.

“Have you already figured out how to deal with both of us?” Chu Tianqiu asked again.

“How laughable, Chu Tianqiu. Just now on the rooftop you were saying with such certainty that we two wouldn’t kill each other, yet because Wen Qiaoyun is going to ‘join us,’ you’re now preparing to fight to the death in the Earth-Dragon game?”

After hearing this, Chu Tianqiu nodded: “I just feel that if I have Qiaoyun, I won’t need you anymore. She and I can stand at that peak together, and we are one man and one woman, enough to fulfill all requirements.”

“That would be best.” Qi Xia nodded. “If Wen Qiaoyun ‘joins us’ and you can face me in battle again, I might become even stronger than I am now.”

“Good.” Chu Tianqiu knew he couldn’t interfere with Qi Xia at all, so he simply stopped blocking him and said: “Let me see her.”

“But now is not the time.”

After saying this, Qi Xia turned back to look at Yun Yao: “Yun Yao, I’ve met someone before who closely resembles the Wen Qiaoyun you described.”

“Ah?” Yun Yao was startled, not quite understanding what Qi Xia meant.

“But she’s not here now. She went out earlier with Yan Zhichun. Can you call them both back?”