Ten Day Ultimatum

Lin Qin was startled by Qi Xia's sudden outburst and quickly moved forward to restrain him. "Qi Xia… please, calm down…"

She couldn’t comprehend how someone usually so composed could become this agitated.
Despite her intervention, Qi Xia refused to let go. His grip on Doctor Zhao's collar tightened as he spoke, his voice low and seething with anger. "How am I supposed to calm down? Do you know how many people I’ve watched die right in front of me today?!"
At those words, Lin Qin bowed her head in silent acknowledgment.

Indeed, from their encounter with {Mortal Mouse} to the tragic ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) deaths of Qiao Jiajin and Tian Tian, they had faced too many brushes with death in a single day.
“No wonder…” Qi Xia continued, his voice heavy with bitterness. “No wonder the moment you heard someone entering, your first instinct was to attack with a wooden board… You knew, didn’t you? You knew Officer Li and Lawyer Zhang were never coming back.”
A flicker of panic crossed Doctor Zhao’s face. “No… Qi Xia, listen to me… I was just as helpless. They were throwing their lives away…”

“Throwing their lives away?” Qi Xia scoffed. “You haven’t even stepped out of this room. You have no idea what’s really happening out there. Officer Li must have spoken to that ox-headed figure across the street and learned that the games here won’t kill you—they might even grant more {Dào}. That’s why he took Lawyer Zhang with him.”
“Huh?” Doctor Zhao’s face twisted with confusion, as if hearing this revelation for the first time. “Won’t kill? How—how can that be?”
At that moment, Xiao Ran, who had just gotten up from the floor, angrily wiped the black filth from her face. She spun around, her expression dark with fury. “Zhao Haibo (赵海博)! Why are you just standing there? They’re bullying us!”

“But—I…” Doctor Zhao’s face paled, his discomfort impossible to hide.
“Useless!” Xiao Ran snapped, frustration in every word. “You’re completely useless!”
Qi Xia glanced between Xiao Ran and Doctor Zhao, a wave of discouragement washing over him. Was it really worth arguing with these two? He silently released his grip on Doctor Zhao’s collar, his mind swirling with uncertainty.

He was completely at a loss.
Where could Officer Li and Lawyer Zhang have gone?
Had they run into any of the {Earthly Branches} whose titles began with {Terrestrial}?

Had they risked their lives in some game?
Creak creak chirp chirp— Creak creak chirp chirp—
The constant chorus of insects outside seemed to grow louder, as if a cricket perched right outside, its endless chirping gnawing at Qi Xia’s focus. The already oppressive atmosphere became even harder to bear.

"Qi Xia, what now?" Lin Qin's voice trembled slightly, her expression heavy with worry.
Qi Xia lifted his head, his gaze sharpening as he addressed Doctor Zhao. "Did they say anything about where they were headed?"
His words hung in the air—a final flicker of hope beneath his otherwise calm exterior. He knew Officer Li was a cautious man. If Li had gone somewhere far, he would have left some trace, some clue to their whereabouts.
"No…" Doctor Zhao shook his head, uncertain. "But I did see them turn right after finishing the game with the ox-headed figure across the street…"

"Right?" Qi Xia echoed, his gaze drifting towards the pitch-black sky outside as he mulled over the possibilities.
It seemed unlikely Officer Li had gone far. More likely, he just wanted to distance himself from these two. After all, Li had said he wanted to regroup to share information.
With that in mind, it was reasonable to assume he was still nearby. Apart from the restaurant across the street, the most logical destination would be the nearest {game venue}.

Piecing together the clues, Qi Xia began to form a rough plan.
Despite the deepening darkness, Qi Xia had no desire to remain in the company of Doctor Zhao and Xiao Ran. He picked up a wooden stick from the room and approached Han Yimo's lifeless body, whispering softly, "Xiōngdì[1], even in death, you find no peace… We’ve wronged you."
Xiao Ran, her voice laced with irritation, asked, "What are you planning now?"

Qi Xia ignored her. Instead, he tore a strip of cloth from Han Yimo’s clothing and wrapped it tightly around one end of the wooden stick. He then rubbed the same end on the ground, letting it pick up a layer of dry excrement.
Once done, Qi Xia moved to the fire and ignited the cloth-wrapped end. The flame caught quickly, casting flickering light as a crude torch came to life.
"Lin Qin, I’m going to search for them outside," Qi Xia said. "I can’t predict the dangers, but I refuse to stay here. You can wait until dawn if you prefer. Whether I find them or not, I’ll come back for you."

Lin Qin glanced at Xiao Ran and Doctor Zhao, then shook her head. "No, I’ll go with you."
With that, she grabbed the pot of bear meat and stood beside Qi Xia.
"What is that…" Doctor Zhao’s gaze fixed on the worn aluminum pot, his eyes lighting up with oppressive interest.

"This is…" Lin Qin hesitated, then shook her head. "Nothing."
"Is it food?!" Doctor Zhao stepped forward eagerly. "Did you find something to eat?"
Xiao Ran's expression shifted as she noticed the pot. "Food?"

Their eyes gleamed with a feral hunger. Qi Xia stepped in front of Lin Qin, shielding her, and said calmly, "This isn’t for either of you."
"Qi—Qi Xia…" Doctor Zhao stammered, "No, Xia ge[2]… We were out of line earlier. Please don’t hold it against us."
"Yeah…" Xiao Ran squeezed out a forced smile. "Who doesn’t quarrel once in a while? Besides, as a grown man, are you really going to stay mad at a woman like me? I was only messing with you…"

"Exactly! Exactly!..." Doctor Zhao chimed in quickly. "There’s quite a bit of food in that pot. We’ll just take a small portion, it’s not like we’ll eat it all…"
Qi Xia’s face darkened again. "The food in this pot cost Qiao Jiajin his life. If you want some, ask him yourself. If he agrees, I have no objections."
Xiao Ran’s demeanor changed instantly, and she lunged toward the pot.

Anticipating this, Qi Xia sighed in resignation and reached out to stop her.
"What, done {swindling} and moved on to {robbery}?" Qi Xia said, voice laced with sarcasm. "There’s no place in this world {above the law}. Your team {used to} have a police officer, remember?"
"You—"

Qi Xia let out a derisive snort, pushed Xiao Ran aside, and with torch in hand, stepped out the door, Lin Qin following close behind.
At that moment, Xiao Ran and Doctor Zhao finally understood the bitterness of watching something {slip right through their fingers}. The pot, carrying a tantalizing aroma, was right there—yet out of reach.
"You can’t leave!" Xiao Ran shouted, charging after Qi Xia.

The outside world was cloaked in darkness, save for the faint glow of firelight and the endless chirping of insects.
To Xiao Ran’s surprise, Qi Xia and Lin Qin stood motionless just a few steps from the door, their backs turned toward her.
"Hmm?"

Then, almost in unison, Qi Xia and Lin Qin took a slow, deliberate step back.
"Hey, what’s wrong with you two?" Xiao Ran asked irritably.
Lin Qin turned slowly, her movements stiff, her eyes wide with fear. She raised a trembling finger to her lips, signaling for silence.

"Have you lost your minds?" Xiao Ran snapped. "Fine! Go, just leave the pot!"
But as the words left her mouth, an unsettling feeling crept over her. Something was terribly wrong.
The torch in Qi Xia's hand cast faint light, revealing movement just beyond the firelight's edge.

In the next instant, Xiao Ran’s eyes widened in horror as she finally saw what lurked in the shadows.
There, crouched before Qi Xia, was a figure that barely resembled a man. His emaciated body was ghostly pale, crawling on the ground with grotesque, jerking motions, as if each movement defied his own limbs.
A nightmare of a face confronted them—shrivelled and hollow, with empty eye sockets where eyes should have been. His thin, pursed lips emitted an eerie, unnatural sound:

Creak creak chirp chirp—
Creak creak chirp chirp—