TDU Chapter 186: The Long-Awaited One
Chapter 186 The Long-Awaited One
Qi Xia continued sitting in the lobby on the first floor, feeling somewhat helpless.
Though he had devised a strategy for the three to seize an early advantage, the subsequent developments were unpredictable. He couldn’t foresee what those madmen might do, nor could he gauge how their {Reverberation} would shape the course of the game.
Qi Xia kept his eyes closed, yet he soon heard the soft shuffle of footsteps outside the door.
He turned his head to look, finding Chu Tianqiu standing outside, faintly smiling at him.
Though Qi Xia felt a twinge of confusion, he said nothing and closed his eyes once more.
Chu Tianqiu entered, dragging a broken wooden box from the side, and took a seat in front of Qi Xia.
Qi Xia didn’t open his eyes, but a frown appeared on his face; he wasn’t fond of someone coming this close without warning.
“What’s the matter?” he inquired.
"Qi Xia, what do {teammates} mean to you?" Chu Tianqiu asked.
Qi Xia opened his eyes slowly in response to the question. "Teammates...?" After a brief pause, he reflected, "They are the companions with whom I share life and death."
"Is that true?" Chu Tianqiu said, his smile faint, "Yun Yao mentioned that you suffer from headaches whenever you lose a teammate. So, does that mean you’re {beside yourself with grief}?"
"What exactly are you trying to imply?" Qi Xia asked.
"I suspect we're the same type of person," Chu Tianqiu said, gently patting the dust off his clothes. "When we lack a clear goal, teammates are everything to us. But once a clear goal is in sight, teammates become mere pawns."
A slow, knowing smile appeared on Qi Xia’s face as he heard the remark. "Chu Tianqiu, you've been an exceedingly elusive one to find..."
"Haha!" Chu Tianqiu chuckled. "Did I cause you trouble? My deepest apologies."
Qi Xia slowly extended a finger, pointing and commenting, "There are three {Judgment’s Domain} here. Do you think they’ll come for your head?"
"Don't be like that." Chu Tianqiu said, waving his hand lightly, as if joking with a friend. "I certainly should not have shown myself, but my desire to meet you was too strong. Given this rare chance to converse, I trust you would not want to invite someone to interrupt?"
"In that case, say what you will. I’m listening," Qi Xia replied.
"We are both cold-blooded, heartless beings, and to us, the lives of those in End Point are but inconsequential, don’t you agree?" Chu Tianqiu asked.
Qi Xia didn’t answer, merely resting his chin in his hand.
"You were well aware that {Mortal Dragon}'s game was nothing but my trap, yet you chose to participate, even willingly sacrificing a teammate in your bid for freedom." Chu Tianqiu nodded with a sense of approval. "You are indeed a worthy adversary."
"You flatter me," Qi Xia replied.
"You fabricated numerous lies to ensure your survival here," Chu Tianqiu said, his tone steady. "You even conspired with that deranged woman, Lin Qin, plotting her demise... Your ruthlessness and cunning far exceed my own."
"So? What of it?" Qi Xia asked flatly, his expression unreadable.
"So...I plan to jump into the fire and cooperate with you." Chu Tianqiu continued, "In the entire {End Point}, the only way to escape is for you and me to work together. You should know, I’m even more deranged than Lin Qin."
Qi Xia was well aware of just how deranged Chu Tianqiu was. To him, human lives were nothing more than mere pawns, easily discarded at any moment.
"I want to see that diary," Qi Xia said.
Upon hearing this, Chu Tianqiu's lips curled into a faint smile as he reached into his pocket, retrieving an old, weathered notebook, which he tossed carelessly to Qi Xia.
"Qi Xia, treat this with the utmost care. This contains the core secrets of {Passage to Heaven}, seen by only a select few. Don’t damage it."
Qi Xia silently took the diary and began reading.
It was a journal written in the first person.
At the beginning of the journal, it stated: ‘{I} had discovered that the items in End Point would not reset. So, as long as {I} write down the notes and place them along a path {I} am bound to cross, {I} will never lose my memory.’
Further into the pages, the contents primarily chronicled {I}’s life stakes against the {Earthly Branches}. Though the specific games were never detailed, every page revealed yet another day where {Earthly Branches} met their demise in {I}’s hands.
At the end of the diary, {I} had won every life-stake against the {Earthly Branches} at {End Point}. A goddess, dressed in splendid robes, descended from the sky and proclaimed that {I} was the strongest being in the entire {End Point}, and was now free to leave this realm.
So, {I} left.
Qi Xia’s face grew somber as he finished reading the diary, the realization settling in that he had been played.
"Chu Tianqiu, this diary was written by you, wasn’t it?" he asked.
"Of course," Chu Tianqiu nodded with a measured seriousness. "Qi Xia, you didn’t truly believe such a formidable predecessor existed—one who, by sheer time and luck, single-handedly triumphed over all of the {Earthly Branches}, did you? This is merely a modest scheme designed to coax the people of {Passage to Heaven} into eagerly marching toward their own demise, hahahaha!"
Qi Xia sighed deeply. He had suspected the notebook’s authenticity from the start, but never thought it would be so blatantly fabricated.
Chu Tianqiu took back the notebook, carefully stowing it in his pocket as if afraid it might be damaged. "Now that you are aware of the core secrets of {Passage to Heaven}, do you still not trust me?"
"Quite amusing," Qi Xia chuckled. "You present a {sham} in exchange for my sincerity. Do you intend to trade it for another {sham}?"
"Oh? Is that not allowed?" Chu Tianqiu feigned a look of regret. "Even if it's a {sham}, it remains a secret of mine."
"Since eliminating all the {Earthly Branches} by staking one’s life is not a feasible option, yet you continue sending the people of {Passage to Heaven} into harm's way, what is your true purpose?" Qi Xia inquired.
"I need corpses," Chu Tianqiu answered, unashamed.
This answer once again exceeded Qi Xia's expectations.
"You... are assembling {corpses}?"
"How should I phrase it... Qi Xia," Chu Tianqiu mused, stroking his chin for a moment. "If I were to divulge this secret, there would be nothing left for me to keep."
"Do you want to tell me?" Qi Xia asked.
"Hehe..." Chu Tianqiu cracked a maniacal smile. "Of course. Otherwise, why would I risk my life coming here?"
"Then speak. I’m listening," Qi Xia nodded.
"Qi Xia..." Chu Tianqiu’s voice barely reached above a whisper. "When the {End Day} comes, all living humans will dissolve into blood-red dust, swept away by the wind."
"Oh? Is that so?" Qi Xia raised an eyebrow, his expression not showing the slightest surprise.
"The sky above, once blue, is now filled with the bodies of those who survived until the tenth day, and even the sky has been stained a dark red by their flesh." Chu Tianqiu gazed at the sky outside as if admiring a beautiful scene, then added, "I don’t know where my own previous bodies drifted off to, but it’s still emitting a foul stench."
"How truly pitiable," Qi Xia responded nonchalantly.
"Unfortunately..." Chu Tianqiu turned his gaze back to Qi Xia. "You see, only the living human turn into dust. Those who died before the tenth day continue to decompose in the open."
Qi Xia furrowed his brow, a disquieting sensation sweeping over him at those words.
"So, the living will face annihilation?" Qi Xia asked.
"Incorrect," Chu Tianqiu shook his head. "The {Participants}, not the {living}, are the ones who will face annihilation."
