Chapter 843: Detour

Qinglong stared into Qi Xia’s eyes for a long time before speaking softly:

“If I had known there was someone like you in the Zhongyan Zhidi, I should have chosen to have Du Xin back then. After all, I really want to know which of your words are true.”

“Probably wouldn’t help much,” Qi Xia said. “Tian She can’t see through me, so even if you had Du Xin, you wouldn’t gain much of an advantage.”

“Du Xin can’t handle you...? How do you manage that?” Qinglong asked.

“It’s simple,” Qi Xia said. “First, you have to be able to think about countless things at the same time. When Tian She reads that flood of information, it has no way to process it, and the mind just freezes up briefly.”

“But even so... if he stays calm, he could still sort through all your thoughts,” Qinglong said. “It wouldn’t matter if you were thinking about a hundred things at once—he could take his time to understand your ideas.”

“But I have a second line of defense,” Qi Xia said. “From the moment I set foot in this land, I’ve been guessing at all the causes and truths. But I have this bad habit.”

“What...?”

“I never draw conclusions,” Qi Xia said. “Every path leads to countless answers, so I always keep every possibility in my mind at the same time. This helps me make more choices and also confuses Tian She’s judgment.”

“Never drawing conclusions...” Qinglong murmured to himself, “So even if Tian She reads your thoughts, he’d just get a bunch of questions and uncertain answers.”

“Yeah... that’s why I wish you had Du Xin,” Qi Xia said. “You could help me think through some problems I can’t solve.”

Qinglong didn’t respond right away. He just stared at Qi Xia for a while before saying, “Qi Xia, no matter what reasons you give, we’ve got a trust issue now.”

“Oh...?” Qi Xia nodded blankly. “I’ve laid it all out like this... and you still don’t believe me?”

“I don’t know if you remember, but we’ve done many deals together, and this time is different,” Qinglong said. “After all, you now have the conditions to become a Long. Even if you say everything perfectly, I can’t fully trust you anymore.”

“What a shame,” Qi Xia said. “Distrust is the biggest enemy of cooperation.”

Qinglong snorted coldly and turned away. “If you don’t want to become a Long, then our deal and plans stay the same. But I have to take full precautions against any sudden betrayal from you.”

“It’s regrettable to hear that,” Qi Xia said. “I’ll just have to prove myself through my actions.”

With a displeased expression, Qinglong flicked his sleeves and vanished into thin air on the rooftop. The aura of Jian Mo that had surrounded them also dissipated.

After Qinglong left, Qi Xia let out a long sigh, composed himself, and headed downstairs.

Having waited on the rooftop for so long, Chen Jun Nan was getting worried and was about to go up to check when he ran into Qi Xia coming down.

“Lao Qi... you’ve been up there forever, chatting with ghosts and spirits?” Chen Jun Nan asked, looking up from the stairs.

“Something like that,” Qi Xia nodded.

“I suggest you hang out with humans more,” Chen Jun Nan said. “Those things are so unpredictable.”

Qi Xia didn’t reply; he just sighed and said, “Where’s the person I want to see?”

“Hey!” Chen Jun Nan perked up at that. “Lao Qi, do you want a wife? That lady seems like a perfect match for you!”

After saying that, Chen Jun Nan paused for a second. He had a vague feeling he’d said something similar before but couldn’t remember when.

“A match...?” Qi Xia frowned. “Don’t joke around. Where is she?”

“Oh! Follow me.”

Chen Jun Nan waved his hand and led Qi Xia to the second floor of the teaching building, then to the room at the end of the hallway. He pushed the door open.

Yan Zhi Chun stood inside, dressed in white, with her back to them as she gazed out the window.

Chen Jun Nan was about to make another quip, but when he saw the serious look in Qi Xia’s eyes as he watched Yan Zhi Chun, he knew better than to speak and quietly closed the door after Qi Xia entered.

Hearing the sound behind her, Yan Zhi Chun turned around and met Qi Xia’s gaze.

After looking into those gray-white eyes, like those of a goat, for a few seconds, her expression changed.

She started with confusion, then surprise, and finally nodded as if realizing something.

“These eyes... it’s really you?” Yan Zhi Chun said. “Yang Ge...?”

“That’s right,” Qi Xia nodded. “When I saw you earlier, I didn’t remember who you were, but it’s different now.”

Yan Zhi Chun pondered for a moment before letting out a relieved sigh. “What on earth... I really thought you were dead.”

“I’m not that easy to kill,” Qi Xia said. “Yan Zhi Chun, you’ve done a great job all these years. It’s time for the final step.”

“How do you know I’ve done well?”

“Because the name Ji Dao is so prominent,” Qi Xia said with a light laugh. “In Ji Dao, there’s a woman named Xiao Xiao. During the time I lost my memory, she left a deep impression on me. She killed Qiao Jia Jing and Tian Tian right in front of me while they were unconscious, making me utterly despise this place and Ji Dao. That despair came at just the right time—it’s the result of your persistent efforts. I’m very pleased.”

Yan Zhi Chun smiled awkwardly. “Yang Ge, you’re giving me too much credit. That ‘despair’ was basically something you sent to yourself after seven years; I was just the middleman.”

Qi Xia nodded. “Also, I really like the name Ji Dao—it’s perfect for a Zhen. But speaking of that... do you have your own Zhen?”

“Yes,” Yan Zhi Chun said seriously. “I’ve learned a lot from you, Yang Ge. Whether it’s Mao or Tian Tang Kou, I’ve had people there all along.”

“Excellent,” Qi Xia nodded. “I’ll be joining the Di Long game early tomorrow morning, and you’ll come with me. Also... get everyone to start moving.”

“Got it,” Yan Zhi Chun nodded. “I’ll arrange it for tonight.”

“These years have been tough on you,” Qi Xia said with a nod. “Let the upheaval begin.”