Ten Day Ultimatum

"Kings' paths never cross?" Yun Yao found the expression intriguing. "Are you saying this Qi Xia person is... as powerful as you?"
"No. He is far stronger than I am," Chu Tianqiu replied, setting aside the chalk and settling into a chair. "He has yet to endure the necessary trials. If we hope to utilize his strength, we must wait for the right opportunity."
…

After Kim Wonhun stepped outside, he glanced at Qi Xia, who was silently waiting by the door, his expression somewhat awkward.
"Will he be coming to see me?" Qi Xia asked.
"No..." Kim Wonhun shook his head. "Chu ge wants me to ask you a question."

"A question?" Qi Xia paused, then nodded. "Cautious. Sensible. What does he want to know?"
"Which day did you arrive here?"
Qi Xia's brow furrowed, struck by the oddity of the question. There were countless things to ask—yet Chu Tianqiu focused solely on this?

"I arrived here three days ago."
"Three days ago..." Kim Wonhun nodded. "Ge, wait a moment. I’ll go tell him."
Qi Xia nodded with a somber expression, though he was already struggling to remain standing.

…
"Three days ago?" Chu Tianqiu chuckled. "Is that what he said?"
"Yes," Kim Wonhun confirmed. "Yah, ge, we all arrived three days ago, so it’s not strange, nayang... Do you need anything else?"

"No need to engage him further," Chu Tianqiu replied. "He answered incorrectly. There's no need to give him another chance."
"Huh?" Kim Wonhun was taken aback. "But, ge... he looks seriously injured, nayang. If we ignore him, he might..."
"Then let him die."

"Uh..." Kim Wonhun hesitated. "Ge, but you said—"
"It’s not the right time yet." Chu Tianqiu glanced at Yun Yao. "Yun Yao, could you see him off?"
"Sure, understood." Yun Yao stretched lazily, then made her way out.
"Ah shi—ge, if we want to escape, shouldn’t we borrow strength from powerful people, nayang?" Kim Wonhun asked, still puzzled. "If that man is really formidable, why not let him join us?"

"He does need to join us. But not yet," Chu Tianqiu said with a faint smile. "Right now, Qi Xia resembles a wounded snake. He harbors animosity toward everything here. Though he desires survival and escape, he can’t integrate into Passage to Heaven in his current state. Nor can we regard him as a true teammate."
Kim Wonhun nodded, still a bit confused.
…

As Yun Yao stepped outside, her gaze was drawn to Qi Xia standing in the courtyard, one side of his clothing soaked in blood—a sight that was nothing short of shocking.
"Qi Xia?" she asked.
"Yes," he nodded.

"I have a question for you. If the first part of a seven-character password is YMWDH, what should the last two characters be?"
"MS," Qi Xia answered without hesitation. "Is this what people at Passage to Heaven find entertaining?"
"Wow!" Yun Yao was taken aback. "You got that in just a second?"
"Considering English terms for time durations arranged from longest to shortest—year, month, week, day, hour—the last two must be minutes and seconds," Qi Xia explained. "Is this some kind of interview for Passage to Heaven?"

"Not quite. Just a personal test of mine," Yun Yao replied with a charming smile. "I’m particularly attracted to intelligent people. We lost a teammate trying to crack that password."
"That just shows Passage to Heaven isn’t all that impressive," Qi Xia responded.
"Not really. It's just that my skills are lacking," Yun Yao said, shaking her head. "If it were Chu Tianqiu, he could probably solve it in a second."

"So when can I meet Chu Tianqiu?" Qi Xia asked. "He's already kept me waiting twenty minutes."
"You won’t be seeing him," Yun Yao replied with a smile as lovely as a blooming garden, her eyes narrowing playfully. "You didn’t pass the interview, so Passage to Heaven has no intention of welcoming you."
A trace of disbelief crossed Qi Xia’s face.

"So the first question was the interview," he said, staring at Yun Yao. "Was my answer incorrect?"
"I can’t say for sure," Yun Yao pouted. "If Chu Tianqiu says you were wrong, then you were wrong."
"I see," Qi Xia nodded, turning to leave.

"Hey!" Yun Yao called out. "Even if Passage to Heaven won’t take you, I like you! I enjoy helping handsome men in distress. How about staying on as my rumored boyfriend? I’m sure Chu Tianqiu wouldn’t mind."
Qi Xia turned back and glanced at Yun Yao, a hint of mockery in his expression. "I appreciate your kindness."
"You’re so cold," Yun Yao replied, scratching her head before pulling out a water bottle from behind her. "Here, take this. Let’s be friends?"

Seeing the plastic bottle, Qi Xia swallowed hard. It had been nearly a day since he last drank.
"I shall consider myself in your debt for this bottle," Qi Xia said, reaching for it. He twisted off the cap, closed his eyes, and downed the water in one go. Given his injuries, even if it were poisoned, he had nothing to fear.
"So sweet..." he exhaled. "Seems I’ve gone too long without water."

"The reason it’s sweet is that I took a sip from that bottle," Yun Yao said, flashing a suggestive smile. "So now we’ve had what you might call an indirect kiss, right?"
"Thanks for the water. I’ll repay you when I get the chance." Qi Xia casually tossed the empty bottle to the ground and turned to leave.
As she watched him walk away, Yun Yao felt a twinge of irritation. "How audacious of him to dismiss the goodwill of an idol of my standing!"

"Has he left?" Chu Tianqiu’s voice came from behind.
"Yes."
"Has he given up?"

"His expression didn’t look like surrender. If anything, he seemed... resolved." Yun Yao shook her head. "He’s really impressive. I think I’m falling in love."
"Oh? Just a couple ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) days ago, you said you liked me—and now you’ve moved on?" Chu Tianqiu smiled wryly. "I really can’t figure you out."
"Don’t try to guess a celebrity’s mind," Yun Yao shrugged. "I’m just looking forward to the next time I meet Qi Xia."

The two of them walked out through the main entrance, and the dilapidated campus fell silent once more. Meanwhile, the adolescent named Kim Wonhun resumed his post at the gate, cautiously scanning the surroundings as if nothing had happened.
…
Qi Xia found a broken wall, sat down to rest for half an hour, then got up and continued along the road.

After this indirect exchange with Chu Tianqiu, he had gained a clearer understanding of the rules governing this nightmarish realm. The situation was likely far more intricate than he had initially thought.
One thought now lingered in his mind: to reach the city’s border and uncover what lay beyond. If there were any way to escape this dreadful place, it would surely be found at the edges.