Chapter 1085: Sense of the Overall Situation

Xu Liunian broke through the subconscious restrictions at the last moment, shedding Chen Junan's appearance and fully embodying Chu Tianqiu. This included replicating his speaking style, facial expressions, and even his thinking patterns to perfection.

Yet, she still lost.

This crushing defeat filled her with an unprecedented sense of despair.

"Truth be told, there weren't any fatal flaws this time," Qi Xia said helplessly. "I couldn't confirm you were Xu Liunian; I just had a feeling you might try something like that, so I bluffed you once."

In an instant, the Chu Tianqiu before him transformed back into Xu Liunian, who could only smile bitterly and lower her head.

What a clever "bluff"—and the fact that it came from Qi Xia made it all the more convincing, as he didn't seem like he was bluffing at all; it felt like he'd truly identified her.

Qi Xia looked at Xu Liunian's complex expression and continued, "If this had been your first attempt to deceive me in this state, there's no way I could've guessed you and Chu Tianqiu were two different people."

Xu Liunian knew Qi Xia was trying to soften his words as much as possible.

"Being bluffed into losing... does that still count as a loss?"

Qi Xia sighed. "Don't be too disheartened. If I had to point out a flaw, it was just one thing: when I casually said that the 'zi' for Jin Yuanxun didn't matter, you immediately agreed with it."

"What...?"

"This goes beyond just 'imitating'—it's a matter of overall strategy, so it's not your fault for not realizing it," Qi Xia explained. "Chu Tianqiu would know how important the 'zi' is, and so do I. With your team missing that 'zi', its appeal to me was halved. When I downplayed it as unimportant, your reaction was even more nonchalant than mine."

"Qi Xia, the irony here is..." Xu Liunian sighed, "The game is about to end, and I still don't understand why the 'zi' is so crucial."

"It's fine; not everyone needs to know that," Qi Xia replied, shaking his head. "Go on, bring Chu Tianqiu to see me."

Xu Liunian murmured a soft acknowledgment and left the room, carrying the pile of "zi" on her.

In the air, Qing Long shook his head repeatedly in resignation, as if he had been hoping to see Chu Tianqiu's schemes play out at the final moment. But Qi Xia had seen through Xu Liunian's disguises multiple times before, and this time, even without any slips, a single bluff from him made her drop her transformation.

"What a shame," Qing Long said. "Chu Tianqiu has no idea what's waiting for him ahead... Truly a shame."

Before long, Qi Xia met Chu Tianqiu in the "Mao" room. As soon as he entered, the door locked behind them, trapping the two inside.

Chu Tianqiu seemed fully prepared, entering without a second's hesitation.

Without a word, Qi Xia took out all the "zi" he had on him and let them drop to the ground, like placing a final bet before the game.

Chu Tianqiu furrowed his brow and pulled out his own "zi," about to toss them down, when he suddenly thought of something and paused.

He bent down to examine the "zi" Qi Xia had dropped, and his expression quickly changed.

"Qi Xia... there's no 'zi' for the 'zhu' here."

That was the first thing Chu Tianqiu said upon entering, cutting straight to the point and making Qi Xia certain that this was the real person.

"Yes, no 'zhu'," Qi Xia confirmed. "The 'zhu' isn't with me."

"So, what did you do with Jin Yuanxun?" Chu Tianqiu asked. "Why did he disappear—person and 'zi' alike? I still can't figure that out."

"I can't tell you that," Qi Xia replied. "It's part of my strategy, so consider it a puzzle I'm leaving you in this game."

Chu Tianqiu stared at Qi Xia with cold eyes, pondering the strange situation.

He had sent Jin Yuanxun to trap the opponent's members, and theoretically, Jin Yuanxun had a good chance of success—at least holding a few of them until after one round of the game, when they'd be freed.

Even if something went wrong and Jin Yuanxun got trapped with the others, he should have reappeared once the game ended. There was no reason for him to vanish completely.

And if the opponent had killed Jin Yuanxun or he died in the "Di Ji You Xi," Qi Xia should have gotten the "zi" from him.

So where was Jin Yuanxun? And his "zi"?

What method had they used to capture Jin Yuanxun, who had already awakened his "Yue Qian"?

"It's certainly a tough puzzle," Chu Tianqiu said. "I've been racking my brain over it."

"So, are you afraid?" Qi Xia asked. "Do you still dare to enter the game arena with me?"

Chu Tianqiu knew the situation was full of unknowns, and the safest move would be not to go through that door. But the game had no timer, and both sides had estimated that they were nearing the end.

If he didn't enter the door voluntarily, and Tian Tian managed to fix the display screen, restoring the scores, he would still lose.

Now, he faced a bizarre gamble: betting on whether Tian Tian could successfully repair it.

If he believed she would fail, he could skip this gamble and just wait for the game to end. But what if she succeeded?

Chu Tianqiu studied Qi Xia and saw the unwavering confidence in his eyes, as if he already held the winning hand.

"I am afraid," Chu Tianqiu admitted. "I'm afraid you'll have set up deadly traps inside for Tian Tian—traps that could even destroy 'zi'—and once I step in, I'll be doomed, becoming the next vanished one like Jin Yuanxun."

"You can relax," Qi Xia said. "That might sound appealing, but it's not my style. I can assure you, there are no deadly traps in the arena, and Tian Tian doesn't have the ability to create something that complex right now."

"She doesn't have the ability to make something complex...?" Chu Tianqiu frowned. "Are you trying to trick me?"

"I'm not tricking you," Qi Xia said. "I can swear to it—Tian Tian only made something very simple in this game. You might even chuckle when I tell you the answer."

Chu Tianqiu found no flaws in Qi Xia's words, and based on what he knew, Tian Tian wasn't an experienced "Hui Xiang Zhe."

This "Qiao Wu" might seem all-powerful, but for a newcomer like Tian Tian, it was still too challenging.

"In that case..." Chu Tianqiu asked, "Which 'zi' are you planning to bring with you into the 'Men'?"