Chapter 1084: Their Respective Wins

"It's just like the situation earlier," Qinglong said.

Qinglong continued, "If I had chosen the fourteen people first and then thought of the title, I might have leaned towards 'Xiangqi'. Wouldn't that be just perfect?"

"You call this 'just perfect'...?"

"Though, to be honest..." Qinglong sighed, "Ever since Baiyang came up with that idea, the games have become more and more exciting. The games we used for selecting 'Tianji' back then are completely outdated now. The people we chose back then really aren't up to the task. So, how can I legitimately get rid of them without affecting the 'Dijie' who want to advance?"

"You..." Dilong started to speak but held back, her eyes fixed on him as if he were a mindless beast.

"Oh, I forgot—you're one of the 'Shengxiao' too, so I can't discuss this with you," Qinglong said with a smile. "Though you'll never advance, you're still 'Dijie'. What a shame. In this 'Cangjie Qi', most of the players are so strong. If they could become 'Shen', this land would be truly magnificent..."

Dilong hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "You'll bring heavenly retribution upon yourself."

"I'll bring heavenly retribution?" Qinglong grinned. "Too bad, in this place, I'm greater than 'Tian' itself."

Dilong didn't respond; she just stared grimly at the people moving below.

She knew all too well why this game had assigned "identities" to everyone, from chariots and horses to pawns and generals.

Qinglong had planned for this all along...

But he must also realize that in this game, neither Qixia nor Chutianqiu would agree to the proposal of "becoming Shen together."

"They'll end this ridiculous game soon," Dilong said. "Your so-called 'Cangjie Qi' will vanish completely from the world, and you'll never see such impressive players performing for you again."

"I won't give up," Qinglong replied with a laugh. "This is my designed game. Only when I say 'win' will they truly 'win'."

"You're planning to cheat...?" Dilong asked.

"Of course not." Qinglong shook his head. "I'm preparing to show them a power that transcends the rules."

...

Qixia arrived first at the "River Path" to wait for Chutianqiu, carrying all the "characters" he had won so far.

Those gray-white metal pieces dangled from his hand like a string of bones, making a crisp sound like wind chimes.

A few minutes later, a "door" on the opposite side opened, and Chutianqiu appeared.

Qixia didn't see any "characters" on him and furrowed his brow.

"Qixia," Chutianqiu called out, "I don't understand why you want to gamble with me at the last moment. Do you think you're going to lose?"

"It's hard to say." Qixia shook his head. "I can't judge the outcome of this game, so I have to have one final showdown with you."

"Haven't we been competing all along?" Chutianqiu said. "Every decision in this contest has been a competition between us. It's just that it seems like you've won every step."

"We've each had wins and losses," Qixia replied. "Claiming I lost every step would be too humble."

"Then tell me... where did I win?" Chutianqiu asked.

"Every person in your team is stronger than those on mine," Qixia said. "You didn't even need to give them precise tactics, and they were already winning our 'characters' one after another. If I hadn't had more detailed strategies, this game would have been a definite loss."

"What...?" Chutianqiu gave a bitter smile. "Is that what you call 'winning'?"

"Doesn't that count as winning?" Qixia said. "It's like the 'Mig-25 Effect'—maybe none of my people are as clever as yours, but with just the right performance, the team looks powerful overall."

Chutianqiu nodded after hearing this. "What a clever way to put 'just the right performance'."

"'Tiandao Kou' is the same principle," Qixia added. "You have so many powerful teammates under your command—that in itself is a 'win'."

"But what does that have to do with me?"

"How could it not?" Qixia countered. "They joined your faction, not mine. That means there was something about you that attracted them. Regardless of whether they're still there now, they once fought for 'Tiandao Kou'."

Chutianqiu sighed. "Let's get to the point. So, how do you want to decide the winner?"

"Through the game room here, of course." Qixia pointed behind him. "I've selected a room that feels perfect for the two of us to settle this."

"What 'character' room is it?" Chutianqiu asked.

"It's 'Mao'," Qixia answered honestly. "Interested?"

"If I remember correctly, every time we've clashed, I've been the one to initiate," Chutianqiu said. "It's rare for you to invite me first, so I'll humbly accept."

"Alright." Qixia nodded. "Before that, I need to confirm you have 'characters' on you. Did you bring the ones from your whole team?"

"No." Chutianqiu replied, "Jinyuanxun hasn't returned yet—you should know that—so I didn't bring the 'character' from him."

Qixia naturally knew where Jinyuanxun had gone and where his "character" was.

Chutianqiu took out all the "characters" except the one from Jinyuanxun and displayed them from his coat pocket in front of Qixia.

"Missing one is fine; a 'pawn' isn't important," Qixia said. "Ready to follow me?"

"As long as you don't mind, let's go."

The two walked one after the other toward the "preparation area" of Qixia's faction. Since the "Mao" room was deep inside, Qixia had to enter the room marked "Xu" first, and only after leaving it could Chutianqiu enter.

Just as Chutianqiu was about to leave the "Xu" room and enter the "Mao" room, Qixia reached out and stopped him.

The two stood in different rooms—one representing cooperation with "Xu Dog," the other escape with "Mao Rabbit."

"What is it?" Chutianqiu asked.

"I'm just thinking about something..." Qixia said.

Chutianqiu frowned and carefully scanned their surroundings. "Now that we're at this point... what could possibly disrupt your thoughts?"

"I just want to be cautious," Qixia replied. "If I'm not cautious, all the early setups will be useless."

Seeing that Chutianqiu didn't respond for a while, Qixia added:

"It's like right now... if I let my guard down at the final moment, I'd lose everything."

Chutianqiu frowned and asked, "What do you mean...?"

"It means you don't need to play these tricks anymore. Relay my words to Chutianqiu and have him come out to see me."

Chutianqiu paused, then gave another bitter smile, his expression turning utterly despairing.

"Qixia... why...?" His voice shifted to a female one. "Was there still a flaw in my disguise this time?"