Chapter 602: The Stubborn and the Stubborn

Qi Xia walked to one side and rubbed his temples, feeling that the situation had become quite complicated.

He had originally been driving a shaky car along a muddy road, with no idea what lay ahead, only knowing that the path under his feet was one he had paved himself.

But now, Qing Long had unreasonably climbed into the car, not only giving directions but also trying to take the wheel.

Where did he want to drive the car?

On the surface, he was doing all this just for fun, but Qi Xia didn't believe for a second that Qing Long had no ulterior motives.

After all, while Tian Long was searching for him, Qing Long had intercepted the information and arrived first.

So, to untangle everything, he needed to figure out Qing Long's ultimate goal.

What kind of "scheme" had he set up?

What was he expecting?

There were too many unknowns for Qi Xia right now, but fortunately, Qing Long had left some clues. Qi Xia was already planning to drive along this road, and now with the map Qing Long provided, it was even better.

The worst that could happen was total destruction, with no other way out.

"Di Hu," Qi Xia turned and called out, "I want to rest here tonight."

"No problem at all!" Di Hu replied. "Just wait a minute, I'll go close the door right now, and you can start resting."

"There's no need for that." Qi Xia shook his head helplessly. "Just go back to your regular duties and pretend I'm not here."

"Uh... well..." Di Hu was stunned for a moment and glanced at Xu Liu Nian. "What about her...?"

Xu Liu Nian was also unsure of her position and turned to ask Qi Xia, "Do you still need me?"

Qi Xia looked at her expressionlessly and said, "Xu Liu Nian, the reason I saved you is because you once said, 'I never include myself in any of my schemes,' which suddenly piqued my interest."

"So, what you're saying is..."

"My point is, that doesn't mean I value your abilities or your wisdom that much." Qi Xia looked at her as if she were a complete stranger. "So now, you can choose for yourself. You can stay here with me, or you can find your own way out."

Xu Liu Nian thought for a moment and said, "Qi Xia, you should know my ultimate goal. Right now, I'm not sure if our purposes conflict."

"You want to destroy this place, and I want to escape from it," Qi Xia said. "It doesn't sound like they conflict."

"Though it might sound selfish... still, I..." Xu Liu Nian shook her head with a look of disappointment. "Our goals might not conflict for you, but they do for me."

"Oh...?"

"If you escape from here, how could I possibly destroy it on my own...?"

"That's indeed selfish," Qi Xia said. "I can understand you, but I can't support you. Go ahead and leave."

Xu Liu Nian nodded after hearing this, slowly stood up, glanced at Di Hu, and then at Qi Xia. "I'll find my own way to destroy this place."

"No need to see you off."

Xu Liu Nian walked a few steps toward the stairs, then turned back to Qi Xia and said, "Thank you for giving me this 'identity'."

"Don't think too much about it." Qi Xia replied calmly. "I just felt that keeping your rationality around isn't a bad thing for anyone."

"Is that so..." Xu Liu Nian's expression showed clear disappointment.

"And there's no need to thank me too soon—I have no way to verify if 'Sheng Sheng Bu Xi' really succeeded."

Xu Liu Nian nodded. "At least you tried."

"Yes." Qi Xia nodded as well.

"Then, I'm really leaving."

"You can pass on a message for me: I'll be waiting for him here."

Xu Liu Nian gave a bitter smile and turned to leave.

She walked up the stairs step by step, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Had Qi Xia seen through everything in the end?

Her method to destroy this place was actually simpler than anyone else's; she no longer needed to search for any other ways to break it.

She just needed to find Qiao Jia Jin.

When Qiao Jia Jin, who carried "Po Wan Fa," met Qi Xia, who carried "Sheng Sheng Bu Xi," wouldn't that be the perfect moment for total destruction?

Just one sentence, and the eternal curse started by Qi Xia could be broken.

As long as Qiao Jia Jin was willing to use that ability...

Xu Liu Nian's expression grew even more desolate. She had searched for decades for a way to crack this, only to find the answer was so simple.

In the end, the consequences of "Hui Xiang" could only be broken by "Hui Xiang" itself—that was the most tragic part.

But... Qi Xia had probably thought of it already.

As soon as she left this place, she would try to find Qiao Jia Jin and subtly instill this idea in him.

Why hadn't he stopped her?

Did he already have a countermeasure?

Xu Liu Nian knew she couldn't guess Qi Xia's moves, but she had no better options.

Now, she could only follow her predetermined path, heading into the unknown.

...

Chen Jun Nan and Qiao Jia Jin lay on the street like two dead bodies, neither wanting to move.

"Lao Qiao... get up, come on, the ground's dirty..."

"Jun Nan Zi... you get up first... I don't have time right now..."

"What are you doing that you don't have time for...?"

"Resting..."

The two fell silent after that, just lying on the ground, panting and staring at the sky.

Chen Jun Nan had no idea how others got through "Tian Ma Shi Ke," but he knew that he and Qiao Jia Jin had spent it arguing, yelling, and running like mad. They had exhausted all their energy and had been lying there for nearly an hour.

Finally, Chen Jun Nan felt his legs again. He struggled to turn his head and noticed what seemed to be a playground nearby, where a "Sheng Xiao" was standing at the entrance, watching them.

"Oh no..." Chen Jun Nan frowned and started poking Qiao Jia Jin. "Lao Qiao, quick, quick, get up... We're being laughed at... That guy's been staring for ages..."

"I can't, Jun Nan Zi..." Qiao Jia Jin looked genuinely tired. "This body's just too weak... If you want to get up, go ahead yourself. I don't have time right now..."

"Damn it... Then I definitely have to get up." Chen Jun Nan flipped over, used his hands to push off the dirty ground, and stood up. "I can't let anyone look down on me..."

After standing, Chen Jun Nan dusted off his legs and glanced at the distant "Sheng Xiao," forcing a spirited tone as he said, "Yo, buddy, what a coincidence! You're just hanging out on the street?"

The "Sheng Xiao" wiped his nose and gave a insincere smile. "You're joking, leader. I'm not hanging out—I'm clearly watching you two leaders play dead in broad daylight. You two keep performing, and I'll keep learning."