TDU Chapter 353
Chapter 353 Hidden Expert
Kim Wonhun stretched his limbs, then leapt past Li Xiangling to face Chu Tianqiu behind her.
Chu Tianqiu met Kim Wonhun’s gaze and smiled faintly. “I have no intention of backing down. Keep your guard up, she’s not nearly as simple as you imagine.”
Kim Wonhun pondered for a moment, glanced down at Chen Junnan’s corpse lying on the floor, then looked up and asked, “Ge, even if I die, you’ll save me, right?”
Chu Tianqiu was silent for a moment before grinning and saying, “Kim Wonhun, you can’t rely on me for everything. You have to depend on yourself.”
Kim Wonhun’s expression darkened slightly but he nodded in acknowledgment. “Got it, ge.”
Just as he was about to step forward, Ole Lu finally reached his limit and intervened.
“W–Wait a minute...” Ole Lu scratched the back of his fat head and asked, “What are you guys doing? Two grown men about to grab a little girly?”
“Get lost,” Kim Wonhun replied sharply. “Chu ge wants her to stay.”
“What did you just say? {Get lost}?” Ole Lu was clearly annoyed. “You can’t be more than sixteen, right? How can you talk to your elders like that, punk?”
Auntie Tong, who had been quietly listening, whispered softly, “Ole Lu, maybe we better not interfere...”
“That won’t do!” Ole Lu said firmly, his tone resolute. “I may not make a show of myself, but don’t underestimate Ole Lu. During critical moments, I know where I stand!”
“Mister, I appreciate your good intentions,” Li Xiangling said, her gaze sharply fixed on Kim Wonhun, her expression serious. “He has a unique ability. It’s best if you don’t get involved; be careful not to get hurt.”
“Girly, no need to act tough!” Ole Lu rolled up his sleeves and took a few steps forward. Though he seemed full of bravado, his voice trembled slightly. “I want to see if this punk can really kill us all!”
Kim Wonhun sneered, then closed his eyes and vanished from where he stood.
The next moment, he appeared atop a table next to Ole Lu and extended his leg to deliver a kick aimed at Ole Lu’s head.
Ole Lu’s bulky frame was unable to dodge in time. With a howl, he was sent sprawling to the ground.
But that momentary opening gave Li Xiangling the chance to act.
She reacted swiftly, delivering a whip-like sidekick to the table. As the table toppled, Kim Wonhun leapt into the air, then vanished mid-jump, only to reappear atop another table nearby.
Li Xiangling decisively gave up on defense and charged forward to meet her opponent head-on.
Normally, a human’s lower body is stronger than the upper, and Kim Wonhun clearly knew Li Xiangling wasn’t easy to deal with, so he kept using powerful kicks to test her.
But Li Xiangling was far more agile than anyone expected. She never took his kicks head-on; instead, she dodged and targeted the tables he used as platforms.
In close quarters, few would leap onto high ground. It was risky, as any attack to the footing could destabilize one’s balance. Yet Kim Wonhun didn’t seem to care. Every time the table began to tip, he would vanish in an instant before it could throw him off.
Their clash had lasted more than three minutes, and Li Xiangling was clearly running out of stamina. In contrast, Kim Wonhun appeared untouched; he had been gliding through the air with ease, while she had been left to sprint across the ground in constant pursuit.
“Enough,” Chu Tianqiu said softly. “Take her down.”
Kim Wonhun flashed again, reappearing atop the nearest table just as Li Xiangling paused to catch her breath. He was about to strike when suddenly the table beneath him gave a sharp jolt, without anyone touching it, one of its legs snapped clean off.
He reacted instantly, eyes shutting tight as he teleported to another table mid-fall. But just as he regained his footing, the second table also buckled and collapsed beneath him.
This time, Kim Wonhun couldn’t flash away in time. His body crashed down with the splintering wood, landing hard on the floor with a muffled groan.
The entire room fell silent, the only sound was Li Xiangling’s heavy breathing. She stared in bewilderment. How had the nimble Kim Wonhun, leaping around like a monkey just moments ago, been brought down simply by two collapsing tables?
Chu Tianqiu frowned slightly. He scanned the room, lips moving silently. “A hidden expert…?”
Kim Wonhun slowly pushed himself off the ground, cautiously glancing around the room before shooting a confused look at Chu Tianqiu.
Two table legs breaking in perfect succession? Unless someone’s {Reverberation} was at play, such a coincidence strains belief.
Chu Tianqiu, who knew most of the {Reverberatees} present, quickly eliminated the majority of suspects—leaving only two individuals under suspicion.
Xu Qian and Doctor Zhao.
Xu Qian was someone Chu Tianqiu had never met before, and they hadn’t spoken much. Could she possess some strange {Reverberation}? But if she truly had such a domineering ability, would Chen Junnan have died so miserably?
Which meant…
Chu Tianqiu slowly turned to look at Doctor Zhao.
Ah. Now this was truly intriguing.
In all the materials he had collected before, there had never been any mention of Doctor Zhao’s {Reverberation}. He had always assumed this man was just an {Unfortunate One}.
Doctor Zhao lifted his gaze and unintentionally met Chu Tianqiu’s eyes, but he immediately looked elsewhere, masking his reaction.
Chu Tianqiu’s lips curled upward into a faint smile. He moved his foot and slowly made his way toward Doctor Zhao, murmuring to himself, “Fascinating… you managed to hide for this long?”
Doctor Zhao swallowed hard, his eyes darting nervously. Even Han Yimo beside him sensed something was wrong and quietly shifted a seat away.
Doctor Zhao knew he couldn’t avoid this any longer. With a bitter smile, he raised his head and asked, “What are you trying to say?”
“Doctor…” Chu Tianqiu leaned down, staring straight into his eyes. “Your primary trade is {mending}, but is your side job actually {destroying}?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about… I really don’t understand…”
“There’s no need to understand.” Chu Tianqiu smiled faintly. “I think you’ve misread the situation. Tell me, have you taken a good look at the room? Since this morning until now… how many of Qi Xia’s people are still here?”
Doctor Zhao blinked, slightly stunned. And only then did he realize—something was indeed off.
Qi Xia, Qiao Jiajin, and Li Shangwu had left with {Cats}. Lin Qin, Zhang Chenze, Su Shan, and Qin Dingdong had gone to participate in the game. Just a few minutes ago, Chen Junnan had also walked out.
Soon, Tian Tian would likely leave with Yun Yao.
By then, the only ones left in the room from Qi Xia’s side would be himself and…
Han Yimo?
“W-what are you trying to say?” Doctor Zhao stammered. “Th–They just stepped out for a while. They’ll be back by tonight.”
“Will they?” Chu Tianqiu placed a hand gently on Doctor Zhao’s shoulder. “It’s nearly dusk already. Be honest with yourself, do you truly believe any of them are coming back tonight?”
Doctor Zhao lowered his head, thinking.
And the truth was… he couldn’t say for certain.
No one could say for certain whether they would return. Each of them seemed to have their own clear objective; none would willingly remain here.
“You two have been completely left behind. Qi Xia has abandoned you. Can’t you see that?”
At those words, the expressions of both Doctor Zhao and Han Yimo shifted.
“This isn’t entirely his fault,” Chu Tianqiu went on, watching Doctor Zhao closely, noting the flicker of doubt in his gaze. “After all, abandoning the weak is part of the natural {survival of the fittest} here.”
He paused just long enough for the words to sink in. “So think it through. As long as you're a {Reverberatee}, {Passage to Heaven} will welcome you.”
Before Doctor Zhao could respond, Han Yimo suddenly stood, his expression stricken with horror.
“What the f*ck did you just say…?” His pupils quivered violently, his whole body teetering on the brink of collapse. “You’re saying… Qi Xia abandoned me?!”
From a distance, echoes rippled through the air as the bell tolls descended like a verdict.
Chu Tianqiu furrowed his brow and turned to look at him.
"How can we go on without Qi Xia…?" Han Yimo’s lips trembled, his voice hoarse with panic. "If Qi Xia’s gone… what are the rest of us supposed to do?! What happens to us if we die?!"
TL Note: Lol poor Doctor Zhao, stuck with the mad Han Yimo
PR Note: Nah, Han Yimo about to bring down the world on Chu Tianqiu
