Ten Day Ultimatum

"Huh?" The three stared at Qi Xia in disbelief. Though the plan itself was simple, it sounded exceptionally perilous.

"You intend to repeatedly stake your life against others?!" Lin Qin asked, her voice tinged with concern. "This seems too..."
"This is the most expedient solution available at the moment," Qi Xia responded. "If you all agree, we can commence immediately."
Qiao Jiajin pondered for a moment before asking, "Swindler Lad, are you really unafraid of death?"

"I am afraid," Qi Xia admitted. "But I must escape."
Tian Tian sighed deeply. With a solemn expression, she said, "Qi Xia... You should know I didn’t join this team out of faith in you or a desire to depend on you. I joined because I had no place in that other group."
"I understand," Qi Xia replied calmly.

"So, I find it hard to believe you'll evenly distribute those {Dào} with me in the end. I also don’t think I could beat you in the final moment and be the sole survivor."
"And so?"
"So my cooperation with you is only temporary. If I feel the current situation no longer favors me, I’ll betray you without hesitation." Tian Tian smiled bitterly. "For me, surviving or dying here makes no difference. But if there’s hope, I’ll fight for it. In short, my only reason for being with you three is to secure my share."

Qi Xia showed no peculiar expression upon hearing this, but instead nodded with a reassured look. "That’s very good to know."
"Very good?" Tian Tian blinked. "Isn't what I said clear enough? I'm only here for the sake of {Dào}; you don’t need to trust me too much."
"The most reliable relationship in the world is a contractual one," Qi Xia said. "I have no objections."

At that moment, Qiao Jiajin and Lin Qin exchanged glances. Tian Tian had already said so much... could they really trust her?
"Since we've all reached an agreement, let’s proceed."
Tian Tian was taken aback by Qi Xia’s prompt acceptance, which left her feeling uneasy. Yet after a moment’s reflection, she realized there was little room for deception in their current situation.

The four of them ventured further into the city, each grappling with their own thoughts and intentions.
The quiet city perpetually radiated a sense of danger. Qi Xia observed they appeared to be moving deeper into a more vibrant area.
Vague figures of {indigenous inhabitants} were discernible, wandering aimlessly through the desolate, ruined streets like zombies.

"There seem to be more people here..." Qi Xia murmured to himself.
Not only were there various indigenous inhabitants, but figures wearing animal masks also appeared intermittently near buildings. It seemed the deeper they ventured into the /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ city, the more people they encountered.
As Qi Xia was speaking, he noticed an {indigenous inhabitant} approaching them, clutching a stack of papers. The man’s figure was as gaunt as the female shop assistant’s—almost skeletal.
Qiao Jiajin frowned and took a step forward. Initially, they had anticipated a dangerous encounter, but instead, the man handed a piece of paper to Qiao Jiajin and asked, "Want to learn more about swimming and fitness?"

Before Qiao Jiajin could take it, the man’s hand fell limply, and the handbill dropped to the ground.
Yet he walked away slowly, as if he hadn’t seen anything.
"Gallant Sword God?" Qiao Jiajin blinked in confusion. "What the hell is a Gallant Sword God?"

He picked up the paper and observed that the writing was nearly faded, and the paper appeared very old.
"There are people handing out handbills here?" Tian Tian found it somewhat unbelievable.
"Given that there are shop assistants in convenience stores, it’s not surprising that people are distributing handbills on the street," Qi Xia concluded.

"What are {handbills}?" Lin Qin asked.
This short question left the other three slightly stunned.
"What did you say?" Qi Xia thought he had misheard.

"I said, ‘what are {handbills}’?" Lin Qin repeated clearly.
What are {handbills}?
The three of them exchanged strange glances before turning back to Lin Qin.

Was that a question a normal person would ask?
"You don’t know what a {handbill} is?" Qi Xia asked.
"I really don’t," Lin Qin replied naturally. "Do all of you know?"

None of the three answered, but their confusion deepened.
Lin Qin's behavior had been peculiar from the start. She often covered her mouth and nose, and insisted on sticking close to Qi Xia. Now, she didn’t even know basic common knowledge...
Was she... not human?

Or... was she one of the {organizers}?
This unsettling thought began to linger in Qi Xia’s mind.
If she wasn’t human, then what was her purpose here?

"Lin Qin..." Qi Xia finally spoke up. If he didn’t uncover Lin Qin’s identity, he’d never feel at ease. "Things like {handbills} are common knowledge. How could you not know about them?"
"Common knowledge?" Lin Qin looked visibly puzzled. "Just because you three know about it, that makes it {common knowledge}?"
Qiao Jiajin interrupted, "This isn’t about whether the three of us know or not. Handbills aren’t rare. Everyone should know about them. Why don’t you?"

"Yeah..." Tian Tian nodded in agreement. "Have you really never seen a handbill before?"
"You guys are really weird," Lin Qin said, a bit irritated by the persistent questioning. "So what if I don’t know what a {handbill} is? Are you going to doubt me because of a piece of paper?"
Qi Xia scrutinized the woman before him, perplexed by her behavior.

If she were an {organizer} and had exposed such a conspicuous flaw, she would likely try to cover it up with lies. Yet she neither seemed to be concealing anything nor putting on an act—she seemed genuinely irate.
She appeared to see no issue with her ignorance of {handbills}.
Could she truly be innocent?

But how plausible was it that a normal person would be unfamiliar with {handbills}?
Qi Xia pondered... There was indeed a slim chance someone might never have encountered one. For instance, if Lin Qin were the daughter of an extremely wealthy family, accustomed only to elite environments and driven everywhere by a chauffeur. Or perhaps she had studied abroad and had just recently returned to China.
Yet despite these scenarios, the likelihood remained exceedingly low. Moreover, she was merely a counseling psychologist.

"{Handbills} are advertisements printed on paper," Qiao Jiajin explained to Lin Qin. “You’ve never seen one before?”
"No," Lin Qin replied earnestly, shaking her head.
Qi Xia, at a loss for how to proceed, continued to furrow his brow in deep thought.

"Hey! You guys!"
A sudden shout from across the street startled them. They looked over to see a man in worn-out clothes and glasses beckoning them.
"Over here! You guys!"

The sudden appearance of a seemingly normal person in this surreal environment naturally sparked unease.
Was he a friend or foe?
"Are you calling us?" Qi Xia asked, trying to engage and gauge the man’s intentions.

"Yes, you guys are also {common people}, right?" The man with glasses smiled warmly.
"Common people?"
"Yes, like normal people," the man clarified. "You guys don’t call it that?"

Qi Xia paused before responding, "We don’t look like we’re crazy, do we?"
"Haha! I knew it!" The man with glasses chuckled. "We’ve found a potential game. Are you guys interested in earning some {Dào} together?"
He kept his distance from Qi Xia and the others, a hint of apprehension in his demeanor.

Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin exchanged glances, uncertain whether to trust him. However, considering the rules of this place, which prohibit the outright theft of {Dào}, any ill intentions would likely manifest as mere {swindling}.
When it comes to {swindling}, Qi Xia had never been intimidated by anyone.