Ten Day Ultimatum

Chapter 208 Impersonation

Vermilion Bird had vanished.

Through this encounter, Qi Xia had gained a clearer understanding of the overarching forces at play in the {End Point}. However, now was not the time to piece everything together—the immediate priority was rescuing Yun Yao.

Zhang Shan was still ramming the door with all his might. The iron door was far sturdier than anticipated, and the water flooding the room had created an immense resistance, making it nearly impossible to break through.

The group peered through the glass window on the door and saw that the water had already risen above Yun Yao’s forehead. She was straining to tilt her head back, gasping for air.

Without hesitation, Zhang Shan swung his fist at the glass window, but the glass in this cursed place seemed to be custom-made, unnaturally tough and unyielding.

"Zhang Shan," Qi Xia called out, "stop pushing inward. Pull outward."

"Pull outward?" Zhang Shan paused, confused. "But this door opens inward…"

"You can’t overcome the force of the water inside, so work with it instead," Qi Xia explained. "Pull outward and dismantle it."

Now, as if standing on the wall, he used both his legs and arms to pull the iron door outward. The veins in his arms bulged, and his face flushed red from the strain.

"I… f*ck…"

Qi Xia and Ole Lu quickly moved to assist, grabbing onto Zhang Shan’s arms to add their strength.

{Creak—}

With a deafening groan, the iron door began to warp under the pressure.

"You two, get back!" Zhang Shan shouted. "It’s too dangerous!"

Ole Lu quickly nodded and tugged at Qi Xia. "Punk Qi, get back!"

Qi Xia swiftly moved aside, but as he did, he noticed someone was missing from the group. He glanced around and saw that Doctor Zhao had already retreated more than ten meters away.

{Crash—}

"Yun Yao! Hold onto the handcuffs!!" Qi Xia shouted into the room.

Zhang Shan’s formidable strength had torn a gap in the iron door. At the next moment, the torrent of water inside the room surged out, widening the gap into a colossal breach in an instant.

The iron door, unable to withstand the force, was ripped free and sent flying along with Zhang Shan.

Inside the room, Yun Yao was grateful that someone had shouted for her to {hold onto the handcuffs}. Otherwise, the sheer force of the rushing water might have dislocated her wrist.

She clung tightly to the handcuffs, letting the powerful current wash over her. Within moments, the pressure on her body began to ease.

At least now she could breathe normally.

Once the water flow subsided, the group hurried over to help Zhang Shan to his feet, then made their way into the room.

Yun Yao looked visibly drained. The prolonged mental strain had left her physically and emotionally exhausted.

"Well…" Yun Yao forced a weak smile. "What’s with all the fuss…?"

"Yun girly! You almost died!" Ole Lu exclaimed. "That damn rabbit f*cking cheated! She nearly took your life!"

"How could that be…? I’ve always had great luck…" Yun Yao coughed a few times. "I already got you out of here. How could I die in a place like this?"

Qi Xia knew she was putting on a brave face.

Ole Lu mentioned that Yun Yao had {tossed the wooden stick at the fish tank several times, and each time, the stick would bounce right back into her hands}. It sounded like a gamble, and fortunately, she had won.

But how could she have such luck without {Reverberation}?

Zhang Shan stepped forward to inspect Yun Yao’s handcuffs. They were standard police-issue cuffs, impossible to open without a key. So, how could they free her?

But Zhang Shan, being Zhang Shan, quickly came up with a solution.

If the handcuffs couldn’t be opened, why not break the iron pipe they were chained to?

He extended his muscular arms once more, gripping the iron pipe firmly. Gritting his teeth, his veins bulged as he exerted his strength. In the blink of an eye, he bent the iron pipe.

Under the astonished gazes of the group, Zhang Shan began to twist the pipe back and forth, creating a deafening metallic screech.

In a matter of moments, cracks appeared in the pipe, and with a few more forceful bends, it snapped cleanly in two.

The handcuffs slid free from the broken section of the pipe. Yun Yao glanced at the cuffs still dangling from her wrist and, without a second thought, wore them like a bracelet.

"Pretty, isn’t it?" Yun Yao shook her arm playfully.

"How are you feeling? Can you walk?" Zhang Shan supported Yun Yao to her feet.

"I’m fine…" She nodded. "I need to get back and change… otherwise, I’ll catch a cold."

Ole Lu took off his jacket and draped it over Yun Yao’s shoulders.

"Thanks," Yun Yao said with a faint smile. "Where’s that Mortal Rabbit?"

"Don’t mention that Mortal Rabbit," Ole Lu shook his head. "It was just some girly brat pretending to be one. She really had some nerve, trying to use this method to get {Dào}. Pretty clever at the critical moment…"

"Pretending…?" Yun Yao actually seemed relieved when she heard this. "Thankfully it’s just an impersonation… was it Xiao Ran?"

Qi Xia suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Yun Yao.

She thought the {Earthly Branch} was an imposter, so the plan of {Passage to Heaven}’s life-staking gamble against all the {Earthly Branches} could still proceed. But what would she think if she found out about the {Earthly Branches Ascension Wagering Contract} in his pocket?

The {Earthly Branches} here are endless.

Even someone like Xiao Ran, an ordinary person, could become the true {Mortal Rabbit} as long as she voluntarily put on the mask and acted within the rules.

In other words, if {Passage to Heaven} continued to lead participants to stake their lives against the {Earthly Branches}…

The number of participants in the {End Point} would dwindle, while the {indigenous inhabitants} and those who vanished would grow.

Eventually, only the {Earthly Branches} and {indigenous inhabitants} would remain. When that day arrives, no one would be able to gather three thousand six hundred {Dào}, and no one would escape. That would be the true {End}.

Yun Yao wiped the water from her ears and asked, "What about Chu Tianqiu? Why didn’t that scheming man come to save me?"

"Ugh, don’t even mention him! That punk Chu told me he’d do {everything in his power}, but he didn’t even show up!" Ole Lu grumbled. "What kind of person does that? I thought I was f*cking selfish enough…"

"Ole Lu, don’t sow discord," Qi Xia said expressionlessly. "I suspect Chu Tianqiu had his reasons for acting this way."