TDU Chapter 261
Chapter 261 Stall Business
Terrestrial Goat paused for a long moment before releasing his grip on Qi Xia’s collar. He straightened his suit, his gaze fixed on Qi Xia, before speaking, "Tell me… what does an {upright and frank deal} mean to you?"
Qi Xia pointed to his temple. "You spare my life, and use this to decide our fates."
Terrestrial Goat studied him intently, then spoke with a low voice, "You should’ve guessed by now—this game allows for murder. I don’t need to think twice to make you lose at any moment."
Qi Xia nodded slowly. "True, but is that really interesting?"
"Interesting…?" Terrestrial Goat raised an eyebrow.
"You had the chance to kill everyone here immediately, yet you chose to participate in the game," Qi Xia murmured. "Is it out of fear of boredom, or perhaps you're afraid of descending into madness?"
"I……" Terrestrial Goat's voice faltered for a moment.
“So, you don't want to test your strength against me?”
Terrestrial Goat realised he had fallen right into a trap.
That earlier declaration of {staking one’s life} was clearly just a bluff—and now he was getting exactly what he wanted—a confrontation.
"You punk… I am a {Goat}, and yet you dare attempt to deceive me?”
"Oh?" Qi Xia raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp and confident. "You think I’m deceiving you?"
Terrestrial Goat’s expression darkened, and his pitch-black fur seemed to shudder with barely restrained fury. “What makes you think that after staking your life, I wouldn't strike you down at the first opportunity?”
Qi Xia’s expression, too, turned icy, but rather than retreat, he pressed forward. "And what makes you think I wouldn’t dare to risk it all, to face you head-on?"
Terrestrial Goat quickly seized Qi Xia’s collar once more. He slowly swallowed, his mind racing as he found himself unable to see through this man before him.
Could it be that {staking one’s life} was not a mere strategy, but his true intent?
How could anyone in this cursed place truly dare to wager their life against a {Terrestrial-grade}?
Did this man possess some hidden {trump card}?
Or perhaps… did he have some powerful {backing}?
A shiver of unease passed through Terrestrial Goat as he glanced at Qi Xia. The position he had fought for, painstakingly and relentlessly, had taken him a full thirteen years—thirteen long years!
He could not afford any unexpected variables.
"You punk, we’ll do it your way," Terrestrial Goat growled through gritted teeth. "I’ll spare your life, but you are never to utter those words again."
The corner of Qi Xia's mouth lifted as he waved the {Sorrow} fan, causing a soft gust of wind to blow.
Terrestrial Goat could hardly restrain his urge to sever this arrogant man’s head from his shoulders, yet every time he caught his gaze, something held him back.
He could only shake off his troubling thoughts and turn back to the long table.
He had intended to adjust the writing on the blackboard, but if he truly followed Qi Xia’s {one for one} approach, he would walk away with nothing.
From his perspective, he still had no idea what Qi Xia was truly thinking.
As Terrestrial Goat moved farther away, the crowd gradually began to edge closer to Qi Xia’s ‘stall’.
Given that this man had direct access to negotiate with the {umpire}, the crowd’s tone had become noticeably more respectful.
Soon, many began to pull out their fans, eager to exchange them with Qi Xia.
Each time Qi Xia received a fan in exchange, he placed it down untouched, awaiting the next {customer}.
Rather than merely exchanging fans with others, Qi Xia had essentially transformed into a completely fair and open {fan trading platform}. Anyone could come to him to swap for the fan they desired, all under the watchful eyes of the crowd and the sharp gaze of a pointed blade, ensuring that no one had to worry about being deceived.
"Young man…" An elderly man hobbled over, trembling, and pulled a {Sorrow} fan from his pocket. "I wish to exchange it for a {Joy}…"
"Not a problem!" Qi Xia nodded, taking the {Sorrow} fan and promptly handing the man a {Joy} in return.
Upon seeing the {Sorrow} fan, many of the onlookers seemed to change their expressions. They hurriedly pulled out their own fans, but before anyone could speak, Qi Xia swiftly slipped the {Sorrow} fan into his pocket.
Now, only three fans remained available for exchange.
After countless rounds of reshuffling, the remaining fans were {Happiness}, {Happiness}, and {Joy}.
"Eh…?" A young man asked, puzzled, "Was that {Sorrow} not available for exchange?"
"Apologies," Qi Xia said with a smile. "I happened to be missing that one. Please, take a look at the others."
Upon hearing this, many in the crowd revealed disappointed expressions, yet they did not leave, as if waiting for the next opportunity. After all, the stall owner had already acquired the {Sorrow} he was lacking, meaning the next {Sorrow} would remain unclaimed. That would be their chance.
The frequency of exchanges noticeably slowed.
And Qi Xia’s objective was nearly complete.
Judging by the three fans left on the stall, the most abundant now were {Happiness}, followed by {Joy}. {Anger} and {Sorrow} appeared to be in short supply.
After all, {Happiness} and {Joy} had been on display for so long without being taken, while everyone seemed to be waiting for {Anger} and {Sorrow}.
It could be inferred that those who had left had unknowingly taken a considerable amount of {Anger} and {Sorrow}.
Since the fan faces were concealed, no one knew exactly how many were in circulation.
So… was someone trying to monopolize {Anger}?
A slight smirk tugged at Qi Xia’s lips, but he remained indifferent.
It didn’t matter who was attempting to monopolize—it was ultimately the most foolish move in this game.
After a brief wait, a thin man approached cautiously, holding a tattered fan in his hands. "Xiōngdì… do you remember me?" he asked warily.
Qi Xia looked up and recognized the man immediately—he was the one who had lost two fans and had another torn to pieces.
Qi Xia nodded slightly and replied, "I do. What is it?"
"C—Can I exchange this fan for one of yours?"
Qi Xia knew exactly what the man was thinking. He took a careful glance at the man’s pocket and noted that, aside from the fan he held in his hands, he also had another tucked away.
It seemed that during the last round, he had spent three {Dào} to purchase it.
"Xiōngdi, there’s a problem with this fan," Qi Xia said coolly. "Though I’m here doing business, I’m not in the habit of making a loss."
The onlookers, of course, remembered the thin man well. It was clear that the fan he held was in tatters.
"Xiōngdì ah…" the man said, his face filled with embarrassment. "Just exchange with me, will you? You have so many fans, you’re not missing one. I don’t even know if this fan will make it out of here…"
Qi Xia couldn’t help but find the man’s words almost absurdly amusing.
"Indeed, young man!" an older woman suddenly spoke up. "You have so many fans, why not do a good deed and help this child? He had his fans stolen, it’s not easy for him."
"Yes, yes! We should help each other out if we want to get out of here!"
To Qi Xia’s surprise, a number of people in the crowd began to echo her sentiment. It was already amusing enough when one person told a joke, but now it seemed like an entire performance was unfolding.
Before long, the atmosphere in the crowd grew increasingly noisy.
Among them were not only a {goody two shoes}, but also a group of petty individuals eager to stir up trouble.
"Alright!" Qi Xia suddenly shouted, his voice ringing out sharply, and the crowd fell into immediate silence. "Everyone's right! We really should help each other out."
"Exactly, exactly!" The thin man, hearing this, broke into a wide grin, eagerly pushing his fan forward. "Xiōngdì, just trade with me!"
"Of course," Qi Xia nodded. "Not only will I trade for this fan, but I also want the one in your pocket."
With that, he picked up the two {Happiness} fans from the ground and, with a casual air, added, "You can either trade both of them, or not trade any at all."
