TDU Chapter 424
Chapter 424 Team of Concord
“I’m expected to calm you down…?”
Qi Xia felt absurdly like a babysitter. Not only was he to lead these four troublesome members into danger, he was expected to manage each of their temperaments. If not for the need to harness {Cats}’ power, he would never have undertaken such an unrewarding task.
“If I don’t calm down, I die,” Qiu Sixteen repeated. “If yours and Five ge’s aim is to {temper the troops}, I’ll do my best to rein in my {Reverberation}. You may lack the right to be our commander, but I have to give Five ge face.”
Qi Xia gave a small nod. “That’s true in principle, but I won’t guarantee absolute success. My objective is merely to get you your {Reverberation}. Even if you burn to death the moment you obtain it, my duty will be fulfilled.”
“Hah.” Qiu Sixteen snorted, a vein already standing out on her forehead. “I knew you weren’t that charitable, punk…Five ge’s must have been momentarily blind, else how could he have made you our captain?”
Qi Xia’s expression chilled. He stepped forward two paces and halted before her, fixing her with a cold stare. In a low voice he said, “If you have any objections, you are free to leave.”
“You…” Qiu Sixteen ground her teeth and looked him over, unnerved by the intensity in his eyes. “Why would I leave?”
“Then show some respect,” Qi Xia replied. “If you rile me, I have countless ways to see you meet a helpless, miserable end.”
Qiu Sixteen prided herself on having witnessed countless dangers within {End Point}, yet none had ever chilled her as those eyes did.
“What exactly was your previous occupation…?” she asked, brow still furrowed but her voice softened a fraction.
“I’m a swindler who’s caused the deaths of countless people,” Qi Xia replied. “Anyone who tries to play me for a fool won’t end up well.”
“A swindler…?” Qiu Sixteen knit her brows, pondering. “How am I to know which of your words are true?”
“Any of them might be lies,” Qi Xia said. “But I have no reason to send any of you to your death right now. In the games, you all will follow my plan. I’m helping you solely because of Qian Five—don’t imagine you’re particularly indispensable to me.”
“You—”
“Heh heh heh heh!” Wang Eight swaggered over and slapped Qiu Sixteen’s rear with a hearty thwack. “Sixteen! We’re comrades this time, so cooperate!”
Startled, Qiu Sixteen reacted instantly, kicking out and sending him sprawling to the ground.
“You—” she spat, fury blazing. “Are you f*cking crazy?!”
“Oh~ My bad, my bad…” Wang Eight rose, wearing an exaggerated look of injury. “I almost forgot! Sixteen, you’re way too manly—I kept thinking you were a guy. Sorry, sorry! Heh heh!”
Qiu Sixteen’s face shifted through several shades of expression; she seemed poised to scold him, yet lacked a solid pretext.
Zhou Six snatched up her iron bat and rested it slowly across Wang Eight’s shoulder, voice cold. “Tsk. If you pull another stunt, I’ll make sure you come back without a single tooth.”
“Heh! Got it, got it!”
Qi Xia paid the others no mind and instead studied Qiu Sixteen. So she was a woman?
Her hair was cropped short and neat; her face was sharply angled, her skin dark and a little rough—features that certainly read more masculine at first glance.
“No worries… Six jie.” Qiu Sixteen said. “If he pulls that again I’ll break his fingers myself.”
“Heh heh… you want to hold my little hand…?” Wang Eight offered, extending a pudgy palm. “If it’s Sixteen, I’ll let you break them right now.”
“You motherfu…!”
Qi Xia felt a headache coming on as he looked at the squat, pudgy man.
His {Reverberation} trigger was {Humiliation}—but if a man’s skin is that thick, by what means could he be shamed? No doubt Qian Five had given him the code name {Eight} partly to needle him into {Reverberation}, yet the man proved singularly resistant. He seemed completely unaffected.
“Enough bickering,” Qi Xia said in a low voice. “We’re pressed for time. We must partake in as many games as we can today.”
The others fell silent and turned to him.
After a long pause, Luo Eleven stepped forward. “What kind of games are we actually supposed to join?”
Qi Xia glanced down the street, raised a finger, and pointed to the road’s end. “We’ll follow this road straight ahead. The first {Terrestrial-grade} Earthly Branch we encounter will be our target. Any objections?”
The four studied the path before them. Having spent their days near the prison, they were familiar with the area; if they walked on, they would soon come upon a {Mouse}.
“Tsk, {concealing or seeking} category…fine.” Zhou Six nodded. “Qi Xia, Five ge claims you’re very smart. Now’s the perfect opportunity to find out.”
“Are you all familiar with that game?” Qi Xia asked.
“We’ve seen that {Mouse}, but never participated in his game,” Luo Eleven said. “Do you have confidence that all of us can survive that game?”
“No,” Qi Xia replied decisively. “Do you really expect me to handle this alone?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be the captain?” Luo Eleven said mockingly.
“Oh?” Qi Xia turned to him. “I may be the captain, but there are five of us. Even trading your life didn’t let you win a {Terrestrial Tiger} game. How can I succeed with a teammate like you?”
“You—!” Luo Eleven hadn’t interacted much with Qi Xia before. His mind was still on that sleeve-tattooed man who could dispel his {Affliction Dismissal}, yet now it seemed this Qi Xia was just as difficult to deal with.
He was impervious to both pressure and persuasion, and maintained a strong sense of his own views.
“Qi Xia, right?” Luo Eleven said. “The reason we have such strong opinions about you is that I heard you only retained the memories of two cycles. Do you know how long we’ve retained ours?”
“I know,” Qi Xia replied.
“The fact that we can form a squad and act alongside you is already showing Five ge enough face,” Luo Eleven continued. “Five ge has lived and died alongside us for years. You, with only twenty days of memory, can’t compare. No matter how strong you are, don’t expect me to look at you differently after just a single day.”
“That was never my intention," Qi Xia remarked. “I’m assisting with your {Reverberations} merely as a favor returned to Qian Five.”
“Good to know,” Luo Eleven nodded. “Your team is strong, but to us, you’re still outsiders.”
Qi Xia nodded in acknowledgement. “To me, you’re outsiders as well.”
The group fell silent for a moment, then without a word, they all headed down the road.
TL Note: Rant goes here ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)
