Chapter 771: The Man in the Shadows

As the story goes, Yang Ge…

Di Gou saw that Qi Xia had been silent for a while and spoke up again, "So, what's the ending for 'Di Ji'?"

"Hmm?"

"This question has been weighing on my mind for a long time."

"Why ask me?" Qi Xia countered. "You're the one who's a 'Sheng Xiao' now. You should understand the rules better than I do."

"But you're the living legend of the entire 'Zhong Yan Zhi Di'," Di Gou said with a hint of urgency. "We all saw you disappear from the 'Lie Che' back then, and we learned you became 'Tian Yang'. Yet now, you're just a 'participant'... What on earth happened?"

Qi Xia slowly narrowed his eyes, finally realizing Di Gou's intentions.

"So, you've always wanted to see me..." Qi Xia said, "just to figure out what happened to me?"

"Yes." Di Gou nodded. "Yang Ge, I admit you're my idol—you're much stronger than I am—but I'm also working hard toward my own goals. I just need one answer. If all the 'rules' in this place are lies..."

Qi Xia thought for a few seconds before replying, "This question has two answers. Do you want to know if this place can become 'Tian', or if you can escape from here?"

Di Gou pondered for a moment and said, "I... I want to get out."

The answer was clearly hesitant, and Qi Xia detected a hint of deception.

"Impossible," Qi Xia replied. "No one can get out of this place, not even if you become 'Tian'."

Qi Xia's blunt words hit Di Gou like a thunderous spear, piercing him through and making him tremble slightly.

"So... we've all been lied to?" Di Gou murmured. "All these years... the goal we've been fighting for doesn't even exist?"

"You can put it that way." Qi Xia nodded.

"Heh..." Di Gou let out a bitter laugh, his eyes going lifeless.

Qi Xia stared at Di Gou's expression and stroked his chin.

This situation was strangely odd.

No matter how he looked at it, the Di Gou in front of him was just an ordinary 'Sheng Xiao'. Rather than being on 'Tian Long's side, he seemed to stand with all the 'Di Ji Sheng Xiao'.

He had no idea about the truth of this world and was still striving to advance to 'Tian Ji'.

He was no different from any other 'Sheng Xiao', and Qi Xia's words would have the same effect on any of them.

The only difference might be that they wouldn't believe what he said.

But what was this bizarre situation? Several paths had led Qi Xia to this 'Di Gou', yet his behavior was disappointing—

What was the point of meeting him?

"Then... Yang Ge..." Di Gou fell silent for a moment before asking, "Can this place become 'Tian'?"

Qi Xia gave Di Gou a cold stare for a long time before slowly responding:

"Yes."

"What...?"

"As long as you're lucky enough, you can still become 'Tian'."

This answer seemed to contradict what Di Gou had in mind, leaving him stunned on the spot.

"Yang Ge... are you saying that even though there's no way to escape here, you can still become 'Tian'?"

"That's the idea." Qi Xia said.

"Then... what do you mean by 'lucky enough'?" Di Gou asked.

"You should understand." Qi Xia replied. "Not everyone who meets the requirements can become 'Tian'... or rather, the requirements for becoming 'Tian' aren't just about killing three thousand six hundred people."

"Yes..." Di Gou nodded blankly, his eyes unfocused. "A lot of the current 'Tian' don't seem to have gotten there just by 'killing'..."

"In the end, it's all up to 'Tian Long' and 'Qing Long's whim," Qi Xia said. "If they say you can become 'Tian', then you are 'Tian'. 'Killing' is just the way the many 'Sheng Xiao' show their 'loyalty' to them right now."

Di Gou slowly lifted his eyes and asked, "So... not only do I have to look like a 'dog' on the outside, but I also have to think of myself as their 'dog' from the inside?"

"Of course." Qi Xia said. "If you're a 'dog' that obeys their commands, wags its tail, and is faithfully devoted, your chances of becoming 'Tian' will increase dramatically."

"That's a message I both expected... and one that completely crushes me." Di Gou said.

"You might gain supreme power here, but the price is that you'll never be able to leave. Are you willing?"

"I... I'm not."

"That makes it interesting." Qi Xia knew Di Gou's mindset was wavering, giving him a chance to break through his defenses, so he said firmly, "But from what I see, you actually want to know more about whether this place can become 'Tian', rather than whether you can 'escape'."

"What...?"

"Before you asked about becoming 'Tian', you first brought up escaping. That only shows you're still on guard against me—you can't be sure if I'll tell you the truth—so you're testing the waters with a question you want to know but that isn't as important."

Di Gou thought for a few seconds and then nodded: "Yes, Yang Ge... it's a long story..."

"So both are your goals?" Qi Xia asked.

"Yes." Di Gou nodded. "It's embarrassing to say... I once promised someone I'd become 'Tian', but secretly, I've been plotting how to escape from here. Thinking about it, maybe I'm a 'sheep' too..."

Di Gou's words suddenly cleared up some of Qi Xia's doubts. So, this 'Sheng Xiao' was connected to another person.

"Hold on..." Qi Xia interrupted him with a wave of his hand. "You promised someone you'd become 'Tian'?"

"Yes."

"Who?"

"My teacher." Di Gou replied. "The person who's been guiding me since I became 'Ren Gou'."

Qi Xia nodded: "Where is she now?"

"Yang Ge... she broke the rules." Di Gou said.

The words "she broke the rules" made Qi Xia feel a sharp sting in his forehead, something he hadn't felt in a long time.

"Did she become 'Long Yi'?" Qi Xia asked.

"I'm not sure..." Di Gou shook his head. "She might have been erased outright, or she might have become 'Long Yi'... Maybe, as you said, the fate of us 'Sheng Xiao' here all depends on 'Tian Long' and 'Qing Long's preferences."

Qi Xia slowly reached up to cover his forehead and asked, "What 'Sheng Xiao' was that person...?"

"Like me—she was a 'Di Gou' when I met her."