Chapter 540: The Shell

The current situation left Qi Xia in a deep dilemma. In any past circumstances, he would never have willingly put himself into such a dangerous position, but this time was exceptionally unique.

That strange sensation enveloped him, making it impossible to think clearly.

Was Yu Nian'an really existing in "Zhongyan Zhidi," but just with her memories lost?

In this dim alley, not to mention the black lines of that girl in white, even Qi Xia's own black lines were invisible.

"No matter what, I have to resolve this knot in my heart today..." Qi Xia's gaze gradually turned icy as he stepped back into the darkness.

Qi Xia deliberately kept away from his left side, walking forward at a steady pace. This speed should keep him even with the black lines behind him, but he had no idea how far his own black lines were.

Every step he took now was drawing him closer to death. If the path ahead was a dead end, he would have no hope of escaping this alley alive.

That girl had clearly walked into this pitch-black alley, but where was she?

At that moment, a thought flashed through Qi Xia's mind.

Could she... be dead?

If she really was Yu Nian'an, it was entirely possible for her to do something so reckless.

She might have charged in like a headless fly, straight into a dead end, and been cornered by the black lines, dying quietly in a place where no one could see.

Qi Xia's mind was filled with ominous thoughts. If she was truly dead, this path would lead to the worst outcome—he wouldn't even get to see the girl's face and would end up getting entangled himself, dying inexplicably in this place.

After taking a few more steps, Qi Xia noticed that the area ahead had become even darker. He felt something was off; he had been in this dim environment for a while now, so his eyes should have adjusted, but why was it still so black?

He had a nagging feeling that something was in front of him, so he stopped and carefully extended his hand to feel ahead.

He didn't expect to be startled by what he touched.

As soon as Qi Xia raised his hand, he felt a sharp sting at his fingertips—the girl's black line had somehow appeared right in front of him, slicing into his finger.

If he hadn't stopped, his neck would have been severed by now.

After thinking for a moment, he reached out again, carefully avoiding the black line in front of him, and felt further ahead. Suddenly, a chill ran down his back, and his eyes widened.

In the darkness, he had touched a person's shoulder.

That person was standing quietly right in front of him, less than half a meter away.

At that moment, Qi Xia felt as if he were in a completely black universe, with darkness surrounding him on all four sides. And right in front of him stood a silent figure.

The person didn't speak or make any movements, just stood there motionless. Qi Xia's hand on their shoulder didn't know what to do next.

There were deadly black lines on his left and behind him, putting him in danger on three sides—he was inexplicably surrounded.

"You... who are you?" Qi Xia whispered.

But the other person showed no reaction at all.

A sense of unease lingered in Qi Xia's heart. He felt he had never been so troubled in his life. In any other situation, he could discern in advance whether something was a trap, but this time, it made him feel deeply anxious.

Even if this was a trap, he had no choice but to jump into it.

Otherwise, the deepest obsession in his heart would keep aching, and those branching paths would never lead to their end.

"Only the right side is left to go..."

As Qi Xia stared into the darkness on his right, pondering his next move, he vaguely saw something emerge from the blackness and instantly grab his collar.

Qi Xia's eyes widened in shock. Before he could react, he was pulled forward.

"Thud!"

A heavy door slammed shut, bringing a gust of thick wind.

Just as Qi Xia was about to say something, a faint light suddenly appeared before him, as if someone had lit a lighter. Only then did he realize he had been pulled into a small shop.

Three people stood in front of him.

Qi Xia's gaze couldn't leave the girl in white in the middle; he barely noticed the other two.

How strange...

This was too strange.

The girl in front of him wore the exact same white dress as Yu Nian'an, had the same long hair down to a tee, and even the same height and build... but their faces were completely different.

This girl's features were also quite lovely, but at the moment, she had a stern expression, her brows furrowed with a profound depth.

Her lips were pressed tightly in seriousness, and her eyes scanned Qi Xia continuously. From her demeanor alone, she was worlds apart from Yu Nian'an.

Who... was she?

Qi Xia felt his mind in chaos, with countless memory fragments colliding in his head, but he couldn't grasp a single one.

A girl who looked identical to Yu Nian'an except for her face...

"What are you doing?" The girl in white furrowed her brow. "Don't you know the situation right now? Why are you running into a dead end?"

Qi Xia was at a loss for how to respond to that brief statement.

"I... you..." Qi Xia took another step forward, examining the girl in the dim light of the lighter. "Have we met before?"

"Met before?" The girl in white sounded puzzled, then quickly realized something. "You didn't follow me here, did you?"

"Huh?!" The man with a northeastern accent next to her suddenly exclaimed in surprise upon seeing Qi Xia's face. "It's you, kid!"

Qi Xia turned toward the voice. On the girl's right stood a skinny man who looked somewhat familiar.

"Hey! It's me!" The man reached out, and a smooth stone appeared in his palm. "'Yuan Wu'! I'm surnamed Sun!"

Only then did Qi Xia remember this man he had met once before. He had fought alongside Xiaoxiao and Luo Shiyi against Qiao Jiajin, Zhang Shan, and Li Xiangling in Di Hu's log bridge game, and they had lost.

"You're that old Sun who can produce stones..." Qi Xia said, furrowing his brow.

"Hey, you got it!" Old Sun nodded. "I was wondering who was bold enough to charge straight into a dead end like that—turns out it's you, brother!"

Qi Xia frowned again and looked at the other person next to the girl in white. It was a short, plump man with a kind face, who was currently muttering something with his eyes closed. Qi Xia knew he had never seen this man before.

But now, things seemed even stranger. In such an urgent situation, why were these three hiding together in a sealed room?

"Are you all 'Ji Dao'?" Qi Xia quickly deduced.

The girl in white's pupils contracted slightly, and then she smiled. "Oh, looks like you're not just an ordinary 'Canyu Zhe'. You know quite a bit."

Qi Xia found it odd—not just because of these three 'Ji Dao' members, but also because ever since he entered this room, the black lines behind him had stopped moving.