Chapter 996: Cangjie Chess

"There's no need to beat around the bush," Qi Xia said. "Just say what's on your mind."

"Ha..." Qing Long chuckled after hearing this and replied, "You are quite straightforward. When the sun rose today, I suddenly had a new idea—that 'people' and 'pigs' are fundamentally the same."

Qi Xia let out a cold laugh upon hearing this, as if he already knew what Qing Long was getting at.

Chen Jun Nan quickly shook his head and said, "That can't be right? We don't all think that way—only you do. That just goes to show you're no different from a pig, while the rest of us are a little different."

"...?"

The people in the vicinity were all stunned; they never expected someone to talk back to Qing Long with words like that.

Qing Long had never anticipated someone approaching it from that angle and was momentarily speechless.

"Then..." Qing Long paused before continuing, "Do you know how to write the character 'jia' for 'home'?"

"I do!" Qiao Jia Jin suddenly chimed in. "It's in my name, after all. Even though I didn't get much schooling, I can still write my own name."

With that, he eagerly stepped forward and patted Qing Long on the shoulder without a care.

"You green-haired guy, if you want to learn how to write it, just say so," Qiao Jia Jin laughed. "All that buildup made me think you were here to cause trouble. Come on, come on, give me your hand, and I'll write it for you."

Once again, everyone in the area stared with their mouths wide open, while Qi Xia just shook his head helplessly, completely bewildered by these two.

Qing Long slowly furrowed his brow upon hearing this. Although he always looked down on the "participants," these two had certainly left an impression. If they weren't in the middle of "Cang Jie Qi," he would have beaten them to a pulp.

Seeing no reaction from Qing Long, Qiao Jia Jin boldly grabbed his arm, flipped his palm upward, and prepared to write the character.

But after a few seconds, he hesitated and turned back with an uncertain expression, asking, "Hey, tricky one... Does the character 'jia' have a simplified form? I only know how to write the traditional one."

Qi Xia finally couldn't hold back and stared at Qing Long with an extremely odd smile.

"Qing Long... With the three of us here, no one will be swayed by your theories," Qi Xia said coldly. "Not a single person standing here will be influenced by you. We know what 'home' means, and we know who we are. Instead of wasting your breath to attack our beliefs, you should be on your guard against us."

"On guard...?"

"Isn't it necessary? Qing Long..." Qi Xia said, "You've actually created a game using the 'men.' Should I say you're overconfident, or just underestimating us?"

Qing Long was incredulous upon hearing this: "When did you find out...?"

"Earlier than you think," Qi Xia replied. "Qing Long, I'll give you one chance—kill me right now, or go find a way to kill Tian Long. Otherwise, in this contest, you'll be the first to fail."

Qing Long fell silent, sensing that today was unusually off.

Whether it was the "tian ji" or the "participants," none of them were making him laugh.

What was this strange sense of unease?

Seeing Qing Long at a loss for words, Qi Xia turned to Di Long and said, "Now that the observers are here, we can start, right?"

Di Long glanced at Qing Long, as if seeking his approval, and Qing Long pondered for a moment before nodding.

At that point, he had no interest in thinking about "Cang Jie Qi" and was only mulling over what Qi Xia had said.

"Alright... The 'bo yi stage' is now officially beginning," Di Long announced. "Please have both teams follow me."

Everyone lined up into two groups and followed Di Long to the base of a distant high wall.

There, several black-painted doors were visible on the wall, one every three or four meters from left to right, totaling seven doors.

"Please remember the black doors," Di Long said. "When the game starts, you can only enter the red doors, because these black ones lead outside the area. Entering them counts as 'leaving the game area,' which means you're out of the game."

Qi Xia and Chu Tian Qiu nodded after hearing this, suspecting it was a trap.

That meant the game area likely had many rooms and doors.

Under normal circumstances, no one would choose to escape, but in a life-or-death situation, a black door leading out could spark a flicker of hope, making "escape" the only thought in people's minds.

However, refusing during the "dian jiang" led to punishment, and fleeing on the battlefield wouldn't be forgiven either.

Although both of them thought of this, some of the more timid people in the team started getting ideas.

"Next, please have both sides choose the door for your first entry," Di Long continued. "The leftmost and rightmost are your respective 'starting points.'"

Qi Xia nodded and said to Chu Tian Qiu, "You go first."

"Again, me...?" Chu Tian Qiu smiled lightly. "I chose first for 'dian jiang,' and now for left and right too?"

"I don't want any advantages," Qi Xia said.

"Alright..." Chu Tian Qiu turned to Di Long and asked, "Is there a difference between left and right?"

"Yes, and it's significant," she replied seriously. "Though it's impossible to say which side makes victory easier, the strategies for winning on the left and right will differ slightly."

"In that case..." Chu Tian Qiu glanced at the left side. "People's instincts usually think the left is safer, so you might have set something up there. I'll choose the rightmost door."

"Very well," Di Long said. "'Main general' Chu Tian Qiu, please lead your team to the rightmost door. 'Main general' Qi Xia, please lead your team to the leftmost door. The next rules will be relayed to you via broadcasts in the rooms."

"Broadcasts...?" Chu Tian Qiu frowned at this, feeling something was off. "Wait a minute..."

"What is it?" Di Long asked.

"From now on... We'll only hear your voice through the broadcasts?"

"Yes."

"And we won't be able to talk to you?"

At that moment, Wen Qiao Yun also realized something and quickly turned to look at Di Long.

This question was crucial; if Di Long couldn't hear her from now on, how could she "gamble her life" with the other side?

Di Long was about to answer "no," but Qing Long suddenly spoke up from the back of the group: "You can talk."

"Wha..." Di Long paused and turned to him.

"I'll set up a 'platform' in the sky," Qing Long said. "Then, Di Long and I will observe from up there. If you have any questions, you can communicate with us right away."

Di Long furrowed her brow, completely puzzled by Qing Long's intentions.

After all, before taking over this game, Qing Long had never mentioned any "platform."

But since he was Qing Long, she had no choice but to go along with it, nodding hesitantly.

"If you two understand, please lead your teams to their areas."

With that, she pulled a walkie-talkie from her waist and added, "I'll announce the next precautions to both of you at the same time."