Chapter 1217: Don't Die

Chapter 1217: Don't Die

After Qian Wu and Qiao Jiajing greeted a few people, they slowly headed off in the direction opposite to Ji Dao.

Chen Jun Nan felt that this parting was a bit too abrupt, but he didn't know what to say to Qiao Jiajing at the final moment.

"Old Qi..." Chen Jun Nan called out hesitantly, "Is there anything else I need to do?"

"There's nothing that absolutely has to be done," Qi Xia replied.

"For example, using Ti Zui to protect you or something like that..."

"You don't need to think of yourself as a Dun anymore," Qi Xia said. "At first, I kept you and Quan Tou gathered around me to ensure my safety, but that mindset changed as I spent time with you all."

"Isn't that even more heartbreaking?" Chen Jun Nan gave a bitter smile. "Now that you don't need us to take bullets for you, you're ready to go off and die on your own, and we've lost our original purpose."

"Objectively speaking, that's true," Qi Xia said. "You don't have to die for me, so you're no longer useful in that way."

"Whether it's you dying yourself or us being useless..." Chen Jun Nan shook his head, "both ways of putting it sound damn depressing."

"Then let me rephrase it," Qi Xia said. "You're no longer needed as Dun Pai, so now you can be friends and do whatever you want."

After hearing that, the bitter smile on Chen Jun Nan's face gradually faded, turning into a mischievous grin.

"Old Qi, you finally admit I'm a dashing and formidable fighter?"

"I didn't say that."

"Then I'm off to wander around as I please." Chen Jun Nan walked over and slung an arm around Qi Xia's shoulder. "You've already given tactical instructions to Old Qiao, so can't you spare a few for me? Like some 'two-character motto' or something?"

"No."

"Come on, you're so cold-blooded." Chen Jun Nan said, "Not even a single word of advice?"

"Don't die."

"Uh..." Chen Jun Nan scratched his head, "Old Qi, saying it like that is too scary. Guys like us don't talk to each other that way. Let me teach you how."

Qi Xia looked at Chen Jun Nan with a helpless expression.

"Come on, repeat after me." Chen Jun Nan said without a care, enunciating each word, "—Us, two, whoever, dies, is, an, idiot."

Qi Xia's face clearly showed he had no interest in engaging, but it seemed like Chen Jun Nan was the only one who couldn't read that.

"Say it, Old Qi!" Chen Jun Nan patted Qi Xia on the shoulder. "What if I die? Then this would be my dying wish, right?"

"Die? Do you even remember what you just said?" Qi Xia retorted. "What happens if you die?"

Chen Jun Nan suddenly realized he'd dug himself into a hole—if he died, he'd be the idiot.

"This... damn it, are you just here to point out logical flaws in my words?" Chen Jun Nan said. "Really, is there nothing you want to tell me?"

"There is."

"What is it?"

"Don't die."

Now it was Chen Jun Nan's turn to look helpless.

"Fine... Old Qi, I give up." He shook his head and turned away. "Anyway, I don't care—if I die, I need you all to remember how dashing I was. And if you die, I'll curse you as an idiot for the rest of my life. Got it?"

"Understood," Qi Xia nodded.

Watching Chen Jun Nan leave, Yun Yao, Tian Tian, and Zhang Chen Ze exchanged glances, unsure of what to do next in the midst of such chaos.

This Liet Che had probably never seen so many people and Sheng Xiao moving through the corridors at once. From a distance, various small-scale fights had already broken out, mostly between ordinary Can Yu Zhe and Ren Ji Sheng Xiao. Neither side seemed to have Hui Xiang, so it was all hand-to-hand combat.

The Di Ji and Hui Xiang Zhe had more to consider, so they were still observing cautiously.

The doors in the center of the Liet Che continued to draw in Can Yu Zhe, but those entering wisely split into two groups, leaving the middle path clear.

Qi Xia turned around and looked at Tian Tian. "Tian Tian, I need you to do me a favor."

"Help... okay," Tian Tian nodded. "What can I do?"

"Do the same thing as in Cang Jie Qi."

"You're talking about... replicating a Men?" Tian Tian asked.

"Yes," Qi Xia said. "Everything that could be used in Cang Jie Qi will be used here again. First, you all need to gain Hui Xiang, and second, I need a Men."

Yun Yao paused slightly upon hearing this, as she had never been involved in Cang Jie Qi.

"Okay... no problem," Tian Tian nodded.

She felt she generally understood this strange Men and figured replicating one wouldn't be too difficult.

"Which Men do you want replicated?"

"I want the one leading to Tian Long's room," Qi Xia replied.

"Ah?"

Zhang Chen Ze also thought this sounded tricky: "That Men... where is it?"

"At the end of the corridor," Qi Xia said. "You'll first see the Tian Ji Fang Jian. Inside the Tian Ji Fang Jian, there's a Men that's almost impossible to open—it leads to Tian Long. I need you to touch it, observe it, and replicate it."

"So that means the Men... is right in front of the Tian Ji Sheng Xiao...?" Tian Tian asked in disbelief.

Yun Yao frowned at Qi Xia: "You're basically sending Tian Tian to her death..."

"Not entirely," Qi Xia said. "I hope you three can form a team to ensure the task is carried out safely. It won't take long—soon, the Tian Ji Fang Jian will be empty. All the Di Ji will do everything they can to lure them away and take them down."

"But no matter how you look at it... this task seems a bit too..." Yun Yao still felt it was dangerous, especially with Tian Ji Sheng Xiao involved.

"It's not mandatory," Qi Xia said. "If you refuse, that's fine. I'm just trying to improve the success rate of this plan."

"So you think..." Zhang Chen Ze asked calmly, "the three of us can pull this off?"

"Yes," Qi Xia said. "I believe for something to succeed, there are only three factors involved. That is..."

He glanced at Tian Tian.

"Exceptional skill..."

Then he looked at Zhang Chen Ze.

"A calm mind..."

Finally, he turned to Yun Yao.

"And incredible luck."

Qi Xia met their eyes and added, "If you have all three and still can't complete the task, then it was meant to fail—no force, not even fate, could change that."