Chapter 518

Chapter 518 Fraudster

Qi Xia, Chen Junnan, and Qiao Jiajin once again headed toward the edge of the city beneath the afternoon sun.

Chen Junnan glanced at the men before him, feeling that this was likely the first time, in Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin’s memories, that the three of them had acted together. Little did they know that the three of them had already walked down this very street dozens of times.

The withered plants, cracked earth, ruined houses, creaking signboards, and the stench of decay carried by the passing breeze had never once felt so familiar to Chen Junnan.

“Ole Qi, Ole Qiao,” Chen Junnan said with a grin, looking up at the sun overhead. “You know…this young master here cut a dashing figure today.”

Qiao Jiajin’s interest was instantly piqued. “Oh? Junnan lad, what did you do?”

“Today, this young master toyed with a rabbit until it was completely dizzy,” Chen Junnan laughed on. “Even I thought I was done for…but somehow, I lived.”

Qi Xia frowned and said coolly, “Don’t talk like that.”

“Ole Qi, you don’t get it…” Chen Junnan shook his head. “Every time, this young master wants to tell you about how impressive I was in the game. But whenever I actually see you punk, I realize you’re far more capable than I am.”

Qi Xia and Qiao Jiajin walked together to the middle of the street, moved aside a rusted streetlamp that had fallen across the road, then turned back to look at Chen Junnan.

“What are you trying to say?”

“Compared to monsters like you two, this young master really has to throw everything he’s got into it just to barely keep pace,” Chen Junnan said, his hearty laugh carrying a trace of melancholy. “Say… you’re not going to leave me behind one day, are you? It’s not that this young master wants to make it out, but I can’t be kicked out of the team either. You two should at least understand that difference.”

Chen Junnan’s words made Qi Xia feel faintly uncomfortable.

“Chen Junnan…” Qi Xia began, frowning. “You’re so obsessed with going head-on against the {Earthly Branches}...is it because you want to prove that you’re standing on the same ground as us?”

“Then what else would it be?” Chen Junnan shifted his gaze away from the sun overhead and lowered his head to look at Qi Xia. His tousled bangs partially shadowed his eyes, making his expression hard to read. “One of you breaks through all obstacles with intellect, the other smashes every power with your fists. As things stand, with me among you all, do you know what this young master has been reduced to?”

Neither of them spoke. They simply regarded him in silence.

“I look like a kid trying to get your attention,” Chen Junnan said, baring his teeth in a grin. “I keep hoping I can do something impressive enough to make you look at me differently. With a body that isn’t particularly strong, a mind that isn’t especially sharp—and then relying on my {Penalty Proxy}…Time after time, this young master puts my life on the line, simply to show that I can do it too.”

“Ah, Junnan lad, you…” Qiao Jiajin looked toward Chen Junnan with faint compassion. “Truth be told, you don’t look that weak. If it really came to a fight…”

“Yeah, this young master knows,” Chen Junnan nodded. “I could probably take down one of you if there were seven or eight of me.”

“Don’t compare yourself to me…” Qiao Jiajin attempted to console Chen Junnan, yet words failed him. After thinking for a long while, he finally managed, “May–Maybe five or six would be enough?”

Chen Junnan chuckled and let out a sigh. “See what I mean? Ole Qi, Ole Qiao, if one day I really can’t keep up with this team anymore, then you can just…”

Seeing that Chen Junnan was on the verge of talking himself into tears, Qi Xia could only furrow his brow and say, “Stop being melodramatic.”

“Huh?” Chen Junnan was choked by the remark, the words he hadn’t finished lodging in his throat.

“What you’ve done before never looked like the actions of a child,” Qi Xia shook his head. “But what you’re saying now does.”

“What do you mean by that, Ole Qi?” Chen Junnan shoved him impatiently. “This young master only gets sentimental once in a lifetime, and you had to ruin the moment?”

“There’s no need.” Qi Xia remarked calmly. “If you truly understand me, you should know what kind of person I am. I’ve never cared whether the people around me are {qualified to stand beside me}. I only care about how much sincerity they bring with them. When I act, I rarely rely on anyone else’s strength.”

“You—”

“Even if the one standing next to me were an old man, a child, or even an {Unfortunate One} with no {Reverberation} at all, I wouldn’t be so cold-blooded as to abandon them at a moment’s notice.” Qi Xia turned away, his icy voice carrying back once more. “Much less you.”

“Well well!” Chen Junnan instantly broke into a grin. “Since when did you get so slick-tongued, Ole Qi? You’ve learned quite a bit from this young master, huh?”

“You overestimate me.” Qi Xia kept walking forward, his voice drifting back, flat and unhurried. “I can’t learn how a grown man stands in the middle of the road and gets sentimental.”

“You punk—” Chen Junnan wanted to cuss him out, yet found himself not knowing where to begin.

“With that spare energy, you might as well tell me,” Qi Xia shifted the topic. “That Wei Yang…what kind of person is he, exactly?”

“Ole Wei, huh…” Chen Junnan walked on as he searched his memory. “I’ve only dealt with him a handful of times. Anyway, he’s a fierce, gruff da ge type. Hard to get close to, and frankly, no need to. He used to be one of your top men, but he wasn’t very honest. You kicked him out of the team a long time ago.”

“I kicked him out?” Qi Xia asked, seeking confirmation.

“That’s right.” Chen Junnan nodded. “Ole Wei has a nasty temper and never tells the truth. Before he entered {End Point}, he was already a notorious fraudster.”

“Wait.” Qi Xia paused. “Another fraudster?”

“Yeah…” Chen Junnan was about to continue when he caught the strangeness in Qi Xia’s phrasing. “Hold on… Ole Qi, what do you mean by {another fraudster}? Are fraudsters really that common here?”

“Hm?” Qi Xia found Chen Junnan’s question just as strange.

“Fraudster?” Qiao Jiajin chuckled at the word. “Damn, isn’t that a coincidence? Wasn’t Swindler lad a fraudster before he came here? What’s going on with this place; why is it full of fraudsters?”

Qiao Jiajin rambled on to the side, but Qi Xia’s gaze never left Chen Junnan. Watching the hesitation flicker across the latter’s face, Qi Xia seemed to grasp something deeply unsettling.

Chen Junnan turned to him, regarding Qi Xia with grave seriousness, as if trying to confirm whether the man before him was truly the Qi Xia he knew. A doubt he could not suppress welled up in his eyes, as though even his own memories had begun to fracture.

After holding it in for a long while, he finally spoke, slowly and heavily, “Ole Qi… when the hell did you become a fraudster?”

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TL Note: Rant goes here ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)