Ten Day Ultimatum

“What did you just say?” Qi Xia’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You’re telling me you’ve seen… people escape from here?”

“Yes,” Zhang Shan confirmed with a nod. “But to be precise… we only found that person’s diary.”
“This…” Qi Xia hesitated, a sense of unease creeping in. “You found their diary, and from that, you concluded they escaped?”
Zhang Shan smiled knowingly. “Let me be clear, if you two decide to join us, we’ll share all the details. But for now… whether you believe it or not, that’s all we’re saying.”

Qi Xia caught the hidden implication behind Zhang Shan’s words, but couldn’t tell if he was being truthful.
Just then, a slightly chubby young woman, who had overheard the conversation, stepped forward. “Sir… is your team still accepting people? I’m willing to do anything…”
Zhang Shan glanced at the woman and smiled. “Young lady, it’s not that I don’t want to accept you, but our goal is to break through every game. Do you have what it takes to face the dangers ahead?”

The slightly chubby woman lowered her head, pondering in silence for a moment before replying, “Yes.”
Zhang Shan chuckled, clearly unconvinced. He slowly walked up to her and said, “Young lady, don’t force yourself to be brave. Just focus on staying alive.”
The woman’s expression darkened, disappointment flickering across her face when she realized she hadn’t persuaded him.

Seeing the room fall into silence, Zhang Shan turned his attention back to Qi Xia. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a scrap of paper. With a quick motion, he dipped his finger into the blood seeping from his wounds and used it as ink to sketch a simple map.
“This is where we are,” Zhang Shan said, handing the blood-stained scrap to Qi Xia. “If you change your mind, you know where to find us.”
Qi Xia accepted the paper, still watching the trio with caution. But Zhang Shan only shrugged off the tension, casually slinging an arm around Specs’s shoulders. He then grabbed the two bear arms from the ground, ready to limp out the door without a second glance.

“Hey,” Qi Xia called out.
“Hm?” Zhang Shan turned around just in time to see something white flying toward his face. Instinctively, he reached out and caught it.
It was a cloth bag.

“I’ve changed my mind,” Qi Xia said calmly. “I’ll only take half. The guy with the glasses isn’t bad; I don’t want his {Dào} anymore.”
Zhang Shan looked at the cloth bag in his hand, stunned for a few seconds before bursting into hearty laughter. “Hahaha! How generous!”
Specs, clearly puzzled, asked, “Ah? Why? I already agreed… You said earlier that—”

“I’m a swindler,” Qi Xia cut in coldly. “Don’t believe a word I say.”
“Bu–But Mr. Swin—”
“My name is Qi Xia,” he corrected. “Don’t call me Mr. Swin. It’s far too unpleasant to hear.”
“Qi Xia…” Zhang Shan echoed, as if savoring the name. “Interesting. I’ll remember you.”

Without warning, he raised one of the black bear’s severed forearms and hurled it toward the group.
“Damn!” Qiao Jiajin was caught off guard but managed to catch the hefty, bloodied limb. Its weight ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) surprised him—it had to be at least ten to fifteen kilograms, fresh blood still dripping from the jagged end.
Zhang Shan, already halfway out the door, called back over his shoulder, “One’s enough for the three of us, and it’s a hassle to carry both. You guys help me get rid of that one.”

“Get rid…?” Qiao Jiajin muttered in disbelief as Zhang Shan waved dismissively and continued on his way.
The room fell silent as Qi Xia and the others stared at the bear’s severed arm, momentarily speechless. They exchanged glances, unsure how to respond, until the sound of Zhang Shan and his companions’ footsteps faded into the distance.
After a moment, Terrestrial Ox approached and handed them four grimy cloth bags.

“Take it,” he said.
Qi Xia and the others snapped back to reality and accepted the bags.
The haul was substantial—a windfall of {Dào} that left them momentarily dazed. Thanks to Zhang Shan, they also had {food}—a rare and welcome provision they hadn’t seen in quite some time.

The slightly chubby young woman lingered at a distance, casting hesitant glances at Qi Xia. Finally, she cautiously approached and asked, “Can I… join you? My teammates all died during {probation}…”
Qi Xia appeared not to hear her. He weighed the bag in his hand and said to his companions, “Let’s go.”
With that, he turned and walked toward the exit, leaving the woman standing there, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Qiao Jiajin shrugged apologetically at the woman. “Don’t take it personally; he’s always like that.”
Seeing that Qiao Jiajin seemed approachable, the young woman grabbed his arm, her face marked with anxiety. “Please… let me join you… I’m so scared…”
“Uhh…” Qiao Jiajin smiled sympathetically. “Alright… Leng-mui, you can come with us for now.”

Just then, Qi Xia called out from a distance, “Qiao Jiajin, let’s move.”
Qiao Jiajin noticed Qi Xia’s slightly furrowed brows and immediately understood the silent warning.
“Oh, okay, I’m coming.” He nodded, then turned to the young woman. “Leng-mui, now’s not a good time. Rain check.”

With that, he followed Qi Xia toward the exit, leaving the young woman behind.
As Qiao Jiajin left, the slightly chubby young woman’s aggrieved expression darkened, gradually shifting into something far more sinister.
At that moment, only the woman and Terrestrial Ox remained in the room; all other participants had already departed.

As Terrestrial Ox methodically repositioned the fallen chairs, he kept a watchful eye on the young woman. After a moment, he asked faintly, “Still up to your shady dealings?”
“Yes,” the woman replied with a slight nod. “Unfortunately, it’s becoming harder and harder.”
“Why can’t you just be normal?” Terrestrial Ox turned to her. “Wouldn’t it be simpler if we all followed their instructions?”

“Haha!” The slightly chubby woman let out an angry laugh at his words. She stepped forward, grabbed Terrestrial Ox’s collar, and asked with a fierce, malicious look, “What right do you have to say that to me?! Normal? Are you {Earthly Branches} any better than us?!”
Terrestrial Ox turned his head away and muttered, “At least we’re working toward the same goal.”
“Then let’s see who’s right in the end.” The woman released her grip, turned on her heel, and headed for the exit. Before leaving, she added with steely resolve, “Zhang Shan can’t stay. And Qi Xia… I’ll deal with him.”

...
“Swindler Lad…” Qiao Jiajin glanced back cautiously after leaving the building and whispered, “What’s going on? Is there something off about that woman?”
“I’m not sure, but it’s highly probable,” Qi Xia replied. “Better to be cautious in places like this.”

“You know physiognomy too?” Qiao Jiajin joked with a smile. “I didn’t see anything off—her demeanor seemed friendly.”
“This has nothing to do with physiognomy,” Qi Xia shook his head. “First, she claimed all her teammates died during {probation}. If that’s true, she either used extreme methods to survive, or she’s far from weak. Second, her ability to survive alone and her intense will to live suggest she’s no ordinary person. I suspect she approached us for our {Dào}.”
Qiao Jiajin nodded, suddenly understanding. “Makes sense… Damn, I was starting to pity her.”

“Of course, my speculations might be wrong,” Qi Xia added. “But I prefer not to trust people easily.”
He then turned to the others and said, “Speaking of which, let me borrow your {Dào} for a moment.”