Chapter 1073: Guarantee of the Human Rank

Ren She felt that every word Qi Xia said was shattering his previous understanding, and for a moment, he didn't know how to respond.

"Will I kill you...?"

"Isn't that good enough?" Qi Xia said. "Do you have any weapons here for executions?"

"I... uh, yes... I do."

"Kill me," Qi Xia said. "If you're not convinced, I can leave my body here right now."

Ren She paused, looking at Qi Xia with a thoughtful expression.

Now, two paths lay before him. The first was to believe what Qi Xia said—that no Sheng Xiao would die in this game—and quietly wait until the end, then rally the Sheng Xiao to remove their masks at the signal of the bell tolling in the afternoon.

The second was to act decisively, take Qi Xia's head, and claim credit from Qing Long to become a Di Ji.

The first path was too risky, full of uncertainties, while the second seemed too straightforward, almost like a trap.

But Ren She had spent a lot of time with Bai Yang and could generally tell if someone was lying. At that moment, Qi Xia's eyes were completely sincere, not at all deceptive.

A thought arose in Ren She's mind... Was this man really prepared to give up his life right here?

At this critical juncture, when the plan was about to begin?

As if reading Ren She's thoughts, Qi Xia said softly, "I can't afford any mistakes today, so either path works. As long as you fully believe in me, it doesn't matter if I die here."

Ren She was stunned and asked, "If you die... can the plan still go on?"

"Yes," Qi Xia replied. "Whether it's me or Bai Yang, at this final stage, we're both expendable."

The two fell into a brief silence.

Soon after, Ren She slowly stood up and said with a complex expression, "I understand. I believe you."

Upon hearing this, Qi Xia furrowed his brow and stood up as well. "There's no need to force yourself. If you don't believe me, I can leave one of my hands here first."

"No need," Ren She said. "You're not Yang Ge, and Yang Ge isn't you, but you're very similar."

"Is that so?"

"From the days of hardship, the person who pulled me out had a cold, sheep-like face," Ren She said. "I only remember that, so I can't acknowledge you as Yang Ge. But I'll still carry out Yang Ge's plan, as if I'm doing it for him by helping you."

After hearing this, Qi Xia felt his emotions toward Ren She were complicated.

Scenes of time spent with Ren She swirled in his mind, but since he was no longer Bai Yang, how should he treat him?

"Since you believe me, I'll entrust this to you," Qi Xia said. "I guarantee that none of the Ren Ji involved in this will die."

"What...? You guarantee it?"

"That's right," Qi Xia said. "Since you said I'm a lot like Bai Yang, you should also know we wouldn't make empty boasts to deceive our own people."

Ren She looked down at the puzzle book on the table. Bai Yang had deceived him once before, and it was the most devastating time.

"Well, since I've decided to help you... I'll believe you on this too," Ren She said. "I'll handle the Ren Ji Sheng Xiao matter. Even if I can't rally a second person this afternoon, I'll remove my own mask and disrupt Zhu Que's faith."

"Thank you," Qi Xia said.

"What about the second issue that needs handling?" Ren She asked.

"The second problem?" Qi Xia paused. "You mean... the second pair of ears besides Qing Long?"

"Yes," Ren She nodded. "If I survive this game, he might kill me. After all, everything I'm doing is under his watch."

"Tian Gou might not have that kind of nerve," Qi Xia said, looking up at the ceiling. "In this flood of events, he'll have to choose a side. He'll soon realize who's truly in control."

Ren She followed Qi Xia's gaze up to the ceiling.

Qi Xia added after a moment, "Even if he hears this, it doesn't matter. He already knows what I'm doing, and I believe he has his own judgment."

"Alright..." Ren She nodded. "In that case, let's leave it at that."

"Good."

Qi Xia turned and walked to the Men. Just as he was about to open it, he suddenly thought of something and furrowed his brow deeply.

He paused, slowly turned back, and felt he had uncovered a strange problem.

"Chen Jun Nan had Bao and Jin on him..." Qi Xia murmured. "How did he see you?"

"What?"

"Theoretically, those two Zi of his couldn't 'cross the river.' Once they do, opening the Men would lead to a Di Ji Sheng Xiao." Qi Xia frowned and asked, "Is there something I'm missing? Why did he see you?"

"Are you also stuck in a fixed mindset?" Ren She chuckled bitterly. "He couldn't see me after opening the Men, but I was the one who opened it."

"You opened the Men on your own?"

"Yes," Ren She said. "It was a stroke of destined coincidence. I wanted to open the Men and sneak a peek at what was on the other side, and as soon as I did, Chen Jun Nan was standing there."

"I see..." Qi Xia narrowed his eyes, feeling he had gained an important piece of information.

Since Sheng Xiao could open the Men proactively... that meant this Cang Jie Qi had even more possibilities.

For example... what if he didn't open the Men but knocked on it instead?

Or... if a Ren Ji Sheng Xiao and a Di Ji Sheng Xiao opened the same Men, whose Men would lead to the Cang Jie Qi?

"Interesting," Qi Xia said. "It seems the Men is more intriguing than I thought."

"Don't get too 'interested,'" Ren She said. "Since I've agreed to help, don't go dying in the Cang Jie Qi on me now."

"Alright, a Di She said the same thing to me earlier," Qi Xia laughed lightly. "I won't die. Even if I die here... I won't die."

Qi Xia's words left Ren She baffled once more, but it felt just like something Yang Ge would say.

"Farewell."

Qi Xia turned, opened the Men, and stepped out of the room. He hadn't expected that in the few minutes he'd been inside, the three Zi he'd left on the ground were still there. As he bent down to pick them up, the room's Men opened again.

Zhao Yi Sheng stood on the other side, staring at him in terror.

If Zhao Yi Sheng had opened the Men a few seconds earlier, the Zi on the ground would have had a new owner. If he'd been a few seconds later, he wouldn't have seen Qi Xia.

But he opened it right then.

Qi Xia calmly bent down, scooped up all the Zi, and put them in his pocket. Then he coldly eyed Zhao Yi Sheng.

"You... you..." Although Zhao Yi Sheng had opened the Men, he didn't dare step inside, and his speech became stuttered.

"What did you see?" Qi Xia asked.

"I—I didn't see anything..." Zhao Yi Sheng hurriedly said.

"No, you did," Qi Xia replied. "Go tell Chu Tian Qiu."