Chapter 1005: Mistaken?

"Hiss..."

Chen Jun Nan pondered for a long time and glanced at the people behind Wen Qiao Yun. He could sense that Wen Qiao Yun was completely unaffected by his *gong xin*. Thinking about this, he had no choice but to slowly turn around, pull out a chain from his pocket, grip the top end in his hand, and then turn back to say:

"Since that's the case, don't say I'm bullying you."

Though he was putting on a brave front, Chen Jun Nan felt a bit unsure inside. Pure intellectual dueling and *bo yi* weren't really his strengths. If he had to choose, he'd prefer a verbal spar.

"Bullying me? That won't happen." Wen Qiao Yun laughed. "For fairness, could you hold out your hand so I can take a closer look?"

After hearing this, Chen Jun Nan extended the hand holding the chain a bit further. Their fists hung in the air, with the iron chain peeking out between their fingers.

Wen Qiao Yun stared at Chen Jun Nan's fist for a moment and said softly:"Good, one round to decide it all—who guesses first?"

Chen Jun Nan steadied himself and gazed at Wen Qiao Yun's slender fingers. Though her fingers were clenched into a fist, her index and ring fingers were slightly raised. This suggested that the *zi* in her hand was likely wider in the middle and narrower at the ends. Something like *che*, *zu*, or *shi*—these three *zi* would make it feel wide in the middle and narrow at the ends. But would Wen Qiao Yun be that straightforward? In this *bo yi*, where the odds of guessing correctly had jumped from one in seven to one in three, it seemed too easy. If he didn't strike first now, he'd fall into her rhythm.

"I'll guess first," Chen Jun Nan said.

"No problem," Wen Qiao Yun replied. "If you guess right, whatever's in my hand is yours—no take-backs."

"Same here."

Chen Jun Nan furrowed his brow. Staring at her eyes, expression, and hand details to think this through felt more exhausting than yelling at someone on the street.

"Wait..."

Chen Jun Nan had a bad feeling in his heart. He realized he might have already fallen for Wen Qiao Yun's trap. If even he could think of this method, how could she not? Why was she so confidently stepping up for this bet? No matter what *zi* she had, if she became the first to lose one, it would put immense pressure on her team. What's more, as the *zhi jiang* for Chu Tian Qiu's side, losing a *bo yi* to the opponent would turn the team into a disorganized mess. So, for Wen Qiao Yun to initiate this bet now, she must have a way to ensure she couldn't lose. And in this strange contest, there was only one way to guarantee that. In other words, in her hand...

"I guess you have nothing in your hand," Chen Jun Nan said seriously.

"Oh?" Wen Qiao Yun raised an eyebrow without changing her expression. "Are you sure?"

That simple question made Chen Jun Nan hesitate again. He had been fairly certain, but now doubts flooded his mind. The only thought left was—

"I really wish I could borrow Lao Qi's brain for a bit..."

"Ha." Wen Qiao Yun chuckled lightly. "I warned you in advance. Do you want to change your answer now? There are five opponents watching you—if you guess wrong, it'll be embarrassing."

"Embarrassing...?" Chen Jun Nan laughed too. "As long as I don't lose a *zi*, it's fine. There are plenty of things I'm afraid of, but losing face isn't one of them."

"You're quite the odd one," Wen Qiao Yun said.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Chen Jun Nan replied. "Face is just an external thing."

Wen Qiao Yun nodded and said: "I'll give you one last chance. Is 'nothing at all' really the best answer right now? Want to change it?"

"No changes," Chen Jun Nan said. "Because that's the only way you can stay unbeatable. No matter if I guess right or wrong, I can never take your *zi*. So, all you have in your hand is just the chain, no *zi*."

With a smile, Wen Qiao Yun turned her fist toward him, then opened her palm. Sure enough, there was only a bare chain inside—the *zi* had already been removed and was probably still in her pocket.

"You guessed right," she said. "The chain's yours."

"Damn..."

Chen Jun Nan let out a long breath, took the chain, cursed under his breath, and at the same time, silently praised himself for thinking on his feet and actually pulling it off.

But the next problem was trickier. In his own hand, he was holding just a bare chain too. Even if they both guessed right, it would just be swapping chains. On the surface, the bet was even, but his momentum had been suppressed by Wen Qiao Yun. This *gong xin* hadn't achieved the best effect. From her perspective, though, Wen Qiao Yun's move was all gain and no loss. She was betting a chain, with no risk of defeat, and it forcefully disrupted his *gong xin* rhythm.

"So, you're not just betting with me... you're also using this to steady your team's morale?"

Countless thoughts flashed through Chen Jun Nan's mind. With Wen Qiao Yun, Yan Zhi Chun, and Chu Tian Qiu on the other side, could Qi Xia handle them alone?

Just then, Jin Yuan Xun, who had gone to deliver the message, returned. He opened the door and stood behind Wen Qiao Yun, unsure of the situation since everyone was silent, so he just mimicked the others and stood quietly, watching Wen Qiao Yun and Chen Jun Nan.

"Huff..." Chen Jun Nan raised his hand and held it in front of Wen Qiao Yun, shaking his head as he said:"Your turn to guess. Don't waste time. Managing a draw with you is like an even exchange at the limit."

Wen Qiao Yun kept smiling as she looked at Chen Jun Nan's fist. She lowered her head unhurriedly, as if deep in thought.

This action made Chen Jun Nan doubt himself again. It was such an obvious answer, and he'd even said "even exchange at the limit," yet Wen Qiao Yun was still thinking. What could she be pondering?

A few seconds later, Wen Qiao Yun reached out and tapped Chen Jun Nan's fist with her finger, saying softly:"I guess it's *pao*."

"Hmm...?"

Chen Jun Nan was stunned, as if he'd misheard.

"What did you say...?"

"I said it's *pao*."

"It's *pao*...?"

In a daze, Chen Jun Nan felt as if there really was a *pao* in his hand. After all, this was Wen Qiao Yun—the one who had once reached the top among participants with just her *zhi mou*.

Chen Jun Nan froze for a few seconds, then squeezed his fist hard, feeling the emptiness inside, which finally strengthened his resolve.

"How could I have *pao*... Are you serious?" Chen Jun Nan asked.

"Huh...?" Wen Qiao Yun looked disappointed. "Wrong? It's not *pao*?"