TDU Chapter 111: Ten People

Chapter 111 Ten People

"Charade…?" Chu Tianqiu forced a smile, "You think this is all a charade?"

"I care not whether you are the leader of {Passage to Heaven} or some deity who reigns over this realm," Qi Xia said, his voice icy. "What is your reason for provoking me?"

"I..." Chu Tianqiu's expression showed clear signs of confusion. He couldn't fathom that Qi Xia would have such a personality. "How...have I provoked you?"

Qi Xia's eyes narrowed, his voice steady but carrying a trace of cold frustration. "The last time I sought you out, you squandered a precious half hour of my time with empty talk. Do you understand the value of that half hour to me? Couldn't you have simply said what needed to be said?"

His gaze shifted briefly, his hand scooping up a stone the size of a brick, the weight of his actions palpable. "This time, I placed my trust in you—brought my team here—and yet, you chose to tie up one of my comrades without so much as a word of explanation. So tell me, Chu Tianqiu, why are you provoking me?"

Qi Xia weighed the stone in his hand, his gaze sharpening as he assessed its heft. It felt heavy enough to shatter a skull, a thought that lingered ominously in his mind.

"You—hold on!" Chu Tianqiu stammered, his voice faltering as fear seeped into his tone. He raised a hand in a futile attempt to stall, his face a mixture of concern and desperation. "Listen to me, there’s a reason for everything I’ve done!"

Qi Xia's gaze remained cold and unwavering as he leveled his response, his voice devoid of any trace of empathy. "Too bad you didn’t offer that explanation earlier." He took a slow, deliberate step forward, his grip tightening around the stone. "What I despise most in life is when things don’t go as expected. You may think your little theatrics make you seem important, but to me, it’s nothing but childish posturing. Whatever truth you’re about to unveil, just know—I've already made up my mind to smash your skull wide open."

"Qi—Qi Xia… wait!" Yun Yao rushed forward, grasping Qi Xia's arm with a trembling hand. "What are you doing!? You can’t kill Chu Tianqiu here!"

"Then {where} should I kill him?" Qi Xia asked. "Should I move him to the corridor for your convenience?"

Yun Yao’s face drained of color, panic flickering in her eyes. "You…" She hesitated as she quickly tried to reason with him. "I’m sorry, I apologize on behalf of Chu Tianqiu… but if you kill him now, we’ll have no chance of escaping!"

"It doesn’t matter; we’re bound to revive after death," Qi Xia sneered. "This time, I'll smash your head in, teach you a lesson, and maybe in your {next life}, you'll remember not to provoke me again."

"Don't..." Chu Tianqiu's eyes widened in fear. "I can’t die yet…"

Qi Xia's gaze was as cold as ice; there was no hint of bluffing in his demeanor.

As Chu Tianqiu and Yun Yao looked on, panic written all over their faces, Qi Xia raised the rock high and brought it down with ruthless force.

A deafening crash reverberated through the air, scattering dust in all directions.

Yun Yao instinctively shut her eyes and turned away, bracing herself for the gruesome aftermath, but to her surprise, the stone slammed into the ground next to Chu Tianqiu, not his head.

Qi Xia’s gaze remained fixed on Chu Tianqiu, his expression impassive as he asked slowly, “Have you remembered what I told you?”

"I—I remembered…" Chu Tianqiu stammered in response.

"What do you remember?"

"Th—that I shouldn’t provoke you…"

"Well done," Qi Xia remarked coldly, dusting off his hands as he stood up and casually took a seat in a nearby chair. His voice, though calm, carried a sharp edge. "Now, answer me—why did you kidnap Qiao Jiajin?"

Yun Yao, still visibly rattled, quickly moved to assist Chu Tianqiu, helping him back to his feet. 

Chu Tianqiu gave an awkward smile, his hand fumbling as he retrieved his glasses, which had been knocked off during the earlier scuffle. The moment he settled them back into place, his gaze flickered uneasily toward Qi Xia.

"You truly are a formidable individual…" Chu Tianqiu forced a bitter smile. "I had intended to {crack the whip} today, but it seems I almost ended up under your hoof instead."

"Chu Tianqiu, if you want me to be a reliable teammate, then put away your {tricks} and exchange sincerity for sincerity with me," Qi Xia retorted, his voice ice-cold. "I am no mere pawn; persist with your schemes, and you will only incur my wrath."

"Indeed, I’ve come to understand that deeply," Chu Tianqiu spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, then found a seat and sat down. His demeanor had noticeably shifted, becoming far more subdued. "From the look in your eyes earlier, I truly thought you might kill me..."

"But I’m a swindler," Qi Xia said flatly. "You should only believe half of what I say."

The three of them took their seats in different directions, the atmosphere thick with tension.

"You still haven’t answered me," Qi Xia pressed. "Why did you kidnap Qiao Jiajin?  Where are the others?" 

Chu Tianqiu steadied himself, lifting his gaze to meet Qi Xia’s. "Qi Xia, your situation is far more perilous than you realize. There’s a serious issue within your team."

"Serious issue?" Qi Xia frowned. "In what regards?"

"The numbers don’t add up," Chu Tianqiu said matter-of-factly. "The male-to-female ratio of those who left your room is off."

"Oh?" Qi Xia raised an eyebrow, studying the composed man before him. "The male-to-female ratio is off?"

"Precisely," Chu Tianqiu affirmed, nodding with grave certainty. "In truth, there should be {six men and three women}, but instead, {five men and four women} have come out of your room."

"Mn." Qi Xia nodded in acknowledgment. "I understand. And what of it?"

"What of it?" Chu Tianqiu blinked, momentarily thrown off guard. "Qi Xia, can’t you see the implication? It’s highly likely that an {Adherent of Judgment’s Domain} has infiltrated your team. I’m unsure of how many intruders there are, which is why I had to take the precaution of restraining everyone."

"I said I understand." Qi Xia interjected. "Is there any other reason?"

"I…" Chu Tianqiu was caught off guard by Qi Xia’s nonchalance. His eyes then widened, realization dawning. "I see... You're truly terrifying... Were you already aware of this fact?"

Qi Xia silently nodded. "Chu Tianqiu, I’m starting to have my doubts."

"Doubt?" 

"Such a commotion for something so trivial—does this behavior reflect your supposed wisdom?" Qi Xia slowly rose to his feet, his inscrutable gaze fixed on Chu Tianqiu. "If you discovered that there’s an {Adherent} among my team, shouldn’t you quietly remove this thorn? Instead, you’ve made a spectacle of it, possibly already alarming the enemy. That hardly seems like the action of a wise person."

"You..." Chu Tianqiu shot Qi Xia a meaningful glance. "I admit, I misjudged the situation. I didn’t anticipate that you were already aware of this."

"I suspected there was a high probability of an {Adherent} in my team, but this person is quite strange," Qi Xia replied. "I’ve teamed up with most of them and revealed my guard down in front of many, yet no one has harmed me or attempted to seize my {Dào}. So, I've been deliberating whether I should spend a few days resolving this issue."

Qi Xia was acutely aware that the only woman in the entire team he had never teamed up with was Xiao Ran. 

But could she be from {Judgment's Domain}?

Her behavior, her every action, seemed to scream {suspicion}. Yet, would {Judgment’s Domain} really deploy someone so reckless to infiltrate their ranks? It didn’t add up.

"Since no one seems to have any ulterior motives, how can you be certain that someone from {Judgment's Domain} is in the team?" Yun Yao asked.

"It’s both simple and oddly compelling," Qi Xia replied. "If I’m not mistaken, your probation room originally had {nine people}, correct?"

"Yes," Yun Yao nodded. "Don’t we all start with {nine people}?"

"No, our room had {ten people}."

His words struck like a thunderclap, causing both of them to freeze in astonishment.

"Ten people?!"