TDU Chapter 53: New Objective

Chapter 53 New Objective

Lin Qin was visibly shaken by Qi Xia's words.

"What do you mean by {why am I still alive}?" she asked, her voice trembling as she instinctively stepped back. The growing unease in her eyes revealed that she felt something was terribly wrong. "Wh–What are you going to do?"

Qi Xia observed her reaction carefully, a shadow of realization passing over his face. Without a word, he slowly approached the lifeless bodies of Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian.

Lin Qin's voice quivered as she asked again, "Qi Xia... do you know something? What exactly happened?"

Qi Xia knelt beside the bodies of his two {comrade-in-arms}, his gaze heavy with conflicted emotions. Though he had known them for no longer than two days, their deaths weighed heavily on him. Yet, every time he recalled their time together, a searing pain shot through his skull, as if there was a worm inside his brain trying to claw its way out.

Lin Qin, watching him closely, was on edge. "Say something... you..."

Qi Xia’s voice was low, almost a whisper. "That woman, Xiao Xiao, killed them. I’ll make sure she pays for it with her blood."

"Xiao Xiao?..." Lin Qin echoed in disbelief, blinking as if trying to process the information. "Are you talking about that girl we met before..."

Qi Xia nodded slightly, his fingers lightly brushing over Tian Tian's forehead, where a small, ominous hole remained—the mark left by the nail that had ended her life.

Tian Tian had once mentioned that she was fine with dying here. Yet now, she didn’t even know the cause of her own death.

"But I don't understand," Lin Qin’s voice was tinged with confusion. "Why... why would she kill Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian?"

Qi Xia paused, contemplating. "I am equally eager to find that out, but what puzzles me more is... why didn’t she kill you?"

Lin Qin’s eyes widened slightly as she began to understand Qi Xia’s suspicion. "That’s why you asked me... But I honestly don’t know why I survived. Even if you doubt me, I have no way to prove my innocence."

"I did doubt you when I first woke up," Qi Xia admitted. "But now, I don't have any more misgivings. The fear you showed when you thought I might harm you—it wasn’t the reaction of an accomplice."

He glanced one last time at Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian. Then, slowly, he rose to his feet. "You thought I killed them just now, didn’t you?" he asked, turning to Lin Qin with a steady gaze.

"I..." Lin Qin lowered her head, clearly frustrated. "Yes, I did suspect you. With just the two of us left, it seemed like the only possibility..."

Qi Xia didn’t seem bothered by her admission. "Xiao Xiao ordered me to stop collecting {Dào}, but I have no intention of obeying her."

Lin Qin furrowed her brows, trying to make sense of what he was saying. "She told you to stop collecting {Dào}? But why?"

"I’m not sure," Qi Xia replied, shaking his head. "It seems like they’re part of some organization. If I’m right, they’re actively trying to stop others from gathering {Dào}."

"That’s really strange..." Lin Qin murmured, her hand instinctively reaching for her waist. Suddenly, she froze. "Ah! Where are my {Dào}?"

After Lin Qin spoke, she glanced at Qi Xia’s waist before lowering her gaze to inspect the waists of Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian.

All their {Dào} had vanished.

"This is precisely what I intended to tell you," Qi Xia murmured. "That woman wasn’t accumulating {Dào}; she was destroying it."

He gestured toward the now-extinguished fire nearby and informed Lin Qin, "I witnessed her incinerate our {Dào} with my own eyes."

"But something doesn’t add up..." Lin Qin seemed puzzled. "Didn't you say the {Umpire} wouldn’t allow something like {killing others for Dào} to happen?"

Qi Xia lowered his head in deep contemplation before replying, "That woman, Xiao Xiao, is either extraordinarily shrewd or intimately familiar with the {rules and regulations} of this place. First, as I mentioned, she didn’t {steal any Dào}; she simply destroyed it. Second, when she took and burned the {Dào}, Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian were still alive. From any perspective, she technically didn’t breach the {rules}."

"Then {killing} is permissible, but {stealing Dào} is not..." Lin Qin muttered, her voice tinged with sorrow as she lowered her head. Her expression was one of deep melancholy. She sat down on the ground and looked up at Qi Xia. "Now that we don’t have a single {Dào} left... Even if we wanted to participate in the games, it wouldn’t be possible... right?"

Qi Xia regarded her calmly. "You seem unusually invested in participating in those games. I didn’t sense that you were truly eager to leave this place before."

Lin Qin nodded solemnly. "You’re right. Initially, I had no interest in this place at all, but now... there’s something I have to return and verify."

"Verify?" Qi Xia's curiosity was piqued.

"Yes." Lin Qin’s gaze was intense as she looked at him. "I need to go back to the real world to confirm something."

Qi Xia locked his gaze on Lin Qin’s eyes for three long seconds, scrutinizing her as if trying to discern the truth behind her words.

After a brief pause, he slowly stood up. "Lin Qin, regardless of everything, it’s best if we part ways."

"Part ways?" Lin Qin echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"Yes, part ways." Qi Xia affirmed with a nod. "That woman is targeting me. If you continue to stick with me, you’ll be in serious danger."

Lin Qin rose to her feet, determination hardening her expression. "I can’t leave. I have to stay with you; otherwise, I won’t be able to confirm what I need to when I return to the real world."

Qi Xia hesitated at her words, then asked, "Is this {matter} you need to confirm related to me?"

"Yes."

"So, your interest in me stems from this {matter}?" Qi Xia pressed.

"Yes."

"What exactly is this matter?" Qi Xia asked, his curiosity piqued by the enigma surrounding Lin Qin. It was rare for him to encounter a situation he couldn't unravel, and Lin Qin's presence was proving to be a significant puzzle.

"Sorry, I really can’t disclose it," Lin Qin said, shaking her head. "Just know that we are not enemies."

Qi Xia fell into thoughtful silence, then continued to persuade in earnest, "You might be putting yourself in grave danger by staying with me."

"Mm..." Lin Qin hesitated momentarily before responding with resolve, "I'm ready to take a gamble. Perhaps I won’t die, and there’s still a chance to escape this place."

Seeing Lin Qin's unwavering determination, Qi Xia ceased his attempts to dissuade her. He walked over to the door and gazed at the darkening sky.

"In that case," Qi Xia said, "let’s take a gamble together. We aren’t entirely out of {Dào}. There’s still one being held by an acquaintance."

"You're referring to..." Lin Qin started to realize, "Will Officer Li actually hand over that {Dào}?"

"He will," Qi Xia affirmed. "However, his three teammates may not be as accommodating."

"What should we do then?"

Qi Xia’s gaze shifted to Qiao Jiajin’s lifeless body. Clenching his teeth, he replied, "I'll plead with them. I’m determined to retrieve that {Dào}. As long as we continue participating in these games, Xiao Xiao will inevitably reappear. I refuse to let Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian’s deaths be rendered obscured."

Afterward, he gathered the remaining bear meat and pot, then pushed open the door and stepped out, with Lin Qin trailing closely behind.

"Creak creak, chirp chirp—" 

The sky had begun to darken, and the air was filled with the incessant rustling and chirping of crickets, their sounds echoing throughout the streets.

"We need to make haste," Qi Xia remarked. "I hope they will appreciate this bear meat."

Lin Qin cast another glance at Qi Xia, feeling a void within her.

The man before her appeared to be devoid of emotion, as though utterly indifferent to the deaths around him.