TDU Chapter 113: A Courageous Maiden

Chapter 113 A Courageous Maiden

Could it be that a miraculous coincidence had occurred in one of the cycles? Perhaps none of the nine of them had heard the {Reverberation}, resulting in the simultaneous loss of all their memories.

And if that was the case, it meant the other {participants} they had once known hadn’t triggered their {Reverberation} either. This would explain why, no matter where they went, they rarely encountered any {familiar faces}.

While this scenario was possible, it seemed extraordinarily unlikely.

‘Infinite monkey theorem,’ Qi Xia muttered to himself.

If an infinite number of monkeys were given an infinite amount of time to hit keys at random on a typewriter keyboard, one of them would almost surely, at some point, type out all the complete of William Shakespeare’s works, verbatim.

Though the probability was infinitesimally small, it was a conceivable possibility.

At that moment, Qi Xia couldn't help but see the parallel. He was caught in just such a scenario. If they had cycled through enough times, it was almost certain—by the faintest of chances—that the event of {everyone losing their memories} would occur.

This would leave them with no recollection of the past, making them believe they had just arrived in this place.

But if that were the case... was it not terrifying? 

As the {White Tiger} had so grimly stated, they were trapped—life after death, death after life... an unending loop. No one could escape.

"Chu Tianqiu, what is the way out?" Qi Xia asked, his voice tinged with a hint of desperation. "Do the three thousand six hundred {Dào} even mean anything in the end?"

"Qi Xia, I'm glad our conversation has finally reached the crux," Chu Tianqiu said slowly, rising to his feet, his expression equally grim. "What I’m about to tell you is all classified information." He paused, the weight of his words sinking in before he continued, his voice carrying a tone of equal despair. "Three thousand six hundred {Dào}, no matter how you look at it, is an impossible goal. Even if we manage to gather them through countless cycles, {Judgment’s Domain} still exists in this world. They will do everything in their power to stop us. So, while we appear to be collecting the {Dào} on the surface, in reality, we are carrying out our own plan."

"Yes," Yun Yao chimed in, her expression as serious as Chu Tianqiu’s. "We have many enemies."

"So, what exactly is your plan?" Qi Xia pressed. "The people from {Passage to Heaven} keep saying the goal is to {break through all the games}—what does that even mean?"

"Perhaps you’ve already noticed..." Chu Tianqiu murmured, his voice low. "We can reincarnate, but the {Earthly Branches} in the city cannot."

Qi Xia's thoughts immediately flashed to the lifeless form of Mortal Mouse.

"What does that signify?"

Chu Tianqiu adjusted his glasses, his tone serious. "What this means is that, given enough time, we can ultimately stake our lives to eliminate all of the {Earthly Branches}."

"What?" Qi Xia paused, a flicker of realization crossing his face. "I see now... No wonder it's about {breaking through} all the games, not just {clearing} them."

"Exactly," Chu Tianqiu nodded. "If all the {Earthly Branches} in this city die, the {games} and {Dào} would lose their significance. The powers that be, the ones pulling the strings from above, would have no choice but to step forward and confront us. That would be our opportunity to escape."

"So, you're suggesting..." Qi Xia began, his voice tinged with disbelief yet carrying an edge of reluctant intrigue, "that the ultimate goal of {Passage to Heaven} is to directly confront the {Organizers}?"

His mind struggled to grasp the enormity of the plan, which seemed absurd on the surface. Yet, there was a strange conviction in the air, a glimmer of possibility that perhaps—just perhaps—it might work.

"To achieve that goal, we might die many times," Chu Tianqiu continued. "But, as you yourself mentioned with the {infinite monkey theorem}... persistence is the key. If we continue, eventually, we will reach our objective."

Qi Xia nodded slightly, his perception of {Passage to Heaven} shifting a little.

"I am still curious about one thing," Qi Xia said. "I’ve participated in two {Terrestrial}-grade games, but I couldn’t find any opportunity to {stake my life}. In an {Terrestrial}-grade game, death lingers just around the corner—how do you plan to deal with those {Earthly Branches}?"

Chu Tianqiu and Yun Yao both fell silent.

They seemed to know the answer, but from their expressions, it was clear that the words were difficult to utter.

After a long pause, Chu Tianqiu finally broke the silence, his voice carrying a heavy sense of regret. "We only {staked one’s life} in a {Terrestrial}-grade game once. And after that attempt, it was temporarily suspended." He shook his head slightly. "In that game, it was as if death was an absolute certainty. So, for now, we’re not considering staking against {Terrestrial}-grade until we find the correct method."

"Absolute certainty?" Qi Xia’s disbelief was palpable. The notion of a game where death was an {absolute certainty} was almost beyond comprehension. From everything he had seen and experienced, the stakes were always perilous, but there was always a sliver of hope.

"Qi Xia, the {Mortal-grade Earthly Branches} number between nine and twelve representatives per animal, whereas the {Terrestrial-grade Earthly Branches} are far fewer, with only a handful per animal. We have already suffered severe losses in our attempts to contend with the {Mortal-grade} Earthly Branches," Chu Tianqiu's voice deepened with gravity. "We’ve moved from the city center to here, clearing the {Earthly Branches} as we go, but we’ve only managed to eliminate half of the {Mortal-grade} ones. Three months ago, we established ourselves in this school, intending to use it as a base before venturing into the surrounding areas once more."

Upon hearing this, Qi Xia’s expression shifted, as though a realization had dawned on him.

He had visited the city center, where the {Earthly Branches} were indeed a rare sight—only the indigenous inhabitants were commonly seen.

So, this was the work of the {Passage to Heaven}?

Chu Tianqiu noticed the disbelief flicker across Qi Xia’s face and quickly continued, "We once had a teammate who risked her life against a {Terrestrial Horse}..."

"What happened afterward?" Qi Xia asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Afterwards..." Chu Tianqiu’s expression darkened, and his voice grew heavy with sorrow. "She lost. And she never returned."

"Never... returned?" Qi Xia blinked, a chilling thought slowly creeping into his mind. "You mean she..."

"She didn’t revive," Chu Tianqiu murmured. "That one {game} she lost took her from us... forever."

Qi Xia's eyes slowly widened in shock. "You mean... she was truly {eliminated}?"

"Yes," Chu Tianqiu replied in a low voice. "She came from the same room as I did. After losing to that {Terrestrial}-grade, no matter how many cycles passed, her seat remained forever vacant."

At these words, Qi Xia drew in a sharp breath.

It seemed that joining the {Passage to Heaven} had been the right decision after all. Not only had he gained a clearer understanding of this cursed place, but he now also possessed a more defined sense of purpose for the path that lay ahead.

"Could you tell me in detail what happened to her during the game?" Qi Xia asked.

"Of course." Chu Tianqiu nodded, then began to slowly recount the story.

The brave maiden’s name was Xu Liunian.

She, along with Chu Tianqiu, Yun Yao, and Kim Wonhun, had come from the same starting room.

Their {probation games} were orchestrated by the Mortal Pig, Mortal Horse, and Mortal Ox.

The overall difficulty hadn’t been too high, but it wasn’t until the third cycle that they could ensure the survival of at most eight people.

By then, the {Reverberatees}—Chu Tianqiu, Yun Yao, and Xu Liunian—had begun to reveal their exceptional talents, leading the group through the increasingly difficult challenges.

Xu Liunian was, at heart, an ordinary girl, but she nurtured an extraordinary dream—she aspired to become an actress.

To chase this ambition, she moved to Hengdian[1] at the age of sixteen, where she would spend a long period of time. Due to her unremarkable appearance, she was relegated to the most mundane roles, often cast as a corpse.

Her daily wage was a mere forty yuan, and she would spend eight hours lying still each day. If the crew worked overtime, she would earn an additional five yuan per hour.

In those years, Hengdian was far from the bustling hub it is today. Even securing a role as a corpse wasn’t always guaranteed, and Xu Liunian soon found herself grappling with the harsh realities of survival. She only earned a few hundred yuan a month, and even if she lived on instant noodles, it was hardly enough to cover her rent.

In time, she decided to shift her approach. She took up martial arts training online and, on a whim, auditioned for a stunt role. There were few female stunt performers at the time, and whether as a stand-in or part of a crowd scene, the pay was far more generous.

Xu Liunian did manage to earn a modest sum from her stunt work.

She had once hoped to follow in the footsteps of many seasoned veterans in the industry, gradually rising from minor roles to leading parts. But, as is often the case, life had other plans. During one stunt, a scaffolding struck her lower back with force, resulting in a severe injury.

The blow nearly damaged her spine, leaving her teetering on the edge of paralysis.

From that moment, her body could no longer endure the long hours of standing, and her dream of becoming an {actress} was irreparably shattered. Yet, despite everything, she couldn’t bring herself to leave Hengdian. At the age of twenty-four, she used the money she had saved over the years to purchase a taxi and became a driver in the local area.