"Return a favor...?" Old Lv clearly didn't understand.

Qi Xia shook his head helplessly.

The middle-aged man in front of him was timid, greedy, a liar, impulsive, and easily influenced, almost embodying all the flaws, yet Qi Xia couldn't bring himself to dislike him.

Qi Xia could only stop discussing the matter with him and walked straight to Zhang Shan.

These people seemed to have never made a move against him, and the situation was somewhat strange.

"Why did you tie up my teammate?" Qi Xia asked.

Zhang Shan moved his sore back and said, "Didn't I say it? This is Chu Tianqiu's idea. You were quite ruthless just now, and yet Chu Tianqiu didn't ask me to tie you up..."

"If Chu Tianqiu can't give a valid reason, my actions will be even more ruthless." Qi Xia's tone was serious, not at all like bluffing.

"Can't you have a decent conversation? But it doesn't matter, Chu Tianqiu originally wanted to see you." Zhang Shan waved to someone not far away, and Little Glasses ran over. Qi Xia once again saw the familiar face.

"Zhang Shan, are you okay?" Little Glasses asked.

"I'm fine. Take this person to see Chu Tianqiu." Zhang Shan waved his hand and then moved his sore back, helping up the young man who had been knocked down by Qi Xia, and left with Qiao Jiajin.

Little Glasses looked at Qi Xia and said, "Mr. Qi, please follow me."

Qi Xia nodded cautiously and followed.

The two of them walked through the corridor and arrived at the door of a classroom at the southernmost end.

Little Glasses gently knocked on the door, "Mr. Chu, Miss Yun, I've brought the person."

"Let him in." A man inside the room said.

Without waiting for Little Glasses to speak, Qi Xia pushed the door and walked into the classroom.

Yun Yao was sitting in front of a desk, painting her nails, while a refined stranger seemed to be writing something on the blackboard.

When the two saw Qi Xia, they both turned to look at him.

"Wow! Handsome and down-and-out!" Yun Yao pointed at Qi Xia and called out happily, "Have you agreed to be my 'rumored boyfriend'?"

Qi Xia ignored Yun Yao and instead stared at the unfamiliar man.

"Qi Xia?" The unfamiliar man smiled, placed the chalk in the groove of the blackboard, and then clapped the dust off his hands. "I've heard of you. I'm Chu Tianqiu."

Qi Xia nodded and walked up. Little Glasses, who was behind him, tactfully closed the door.

Yun Yao stood up and walked towards Qi Xia, exuding a refreshing fragrance. "Qi Xia, it's great that you're here!"

Chu Tianqiu also walked towards Qi Xia, with a gentle smile on his face. "I apologize for meeting you in this way. I hope you can forgive me."

"Chu Tianqiu, tell me your reason for doing this." Qi Xia cut to the chase.

"You mean... controlling your teammate?" Chu Tianqiu smiled, "How should I put it? This is our territory after all. I don't really need to explain to you."

"Let me confirm with you..." Qi Xia frowned slightly, "You deceived us into coming here, then controlled my teammate, and you're not planning to explain the reason to me?"

"And what if I don't?" Chu Tianqiu pushed up his glasses, "Qi Xia, this is your first time at the 'Gateway to Heaven,' maybe you don't know the rules here."

"So, what are the rules here?" Qi Xia asked.

"I am the rule." Chu Tianqiu smiled again, making Qi Xia very uncomfortable. "As long as everyone listens to me, I will eventually lead everyone out."

Qi Xia looked at Chu Tianqiu coldly, calculating something in his mind, and an unusual atmosphere filled the air.

"Hey... what are you two talking about?" Yun Yao stepped forward to defuse the tension. "It's our first meeting, why so serious? We're going to be teammates in the future."

Seeing that neither of them responded, Yun Yao remembered Chu Tianqiu's previous "kings don't meet," perhaps these two were indeed not suitable as teammates. However, both of them were indispensable and intelligent, and losing either of them would be a huge loss for the 'Gateway to Heaven.'

"Can you give me some face?" Yun Yao smiled and took Qi Xia's hand, then took Chu Tianqiu's hand. "Shake hands in front of me, and from now on, everyone will be good friends."

"No need." Qi Xia pulled back his hand.

"Right." Chu Tianqiu also retracted his hand. "Yun Yao, don't worry. Qi Xia is a smart person. It seems he understands the 'rules' of this place."

"Let me confirm with you one last time." Qi Xia frowned slightly. "You see yourself as an 'emperor,' so everyone who joins the 'Gateway to Heaven' must unconditionally obey your orders, without questioning, right?"

"Although it's a bit biased, the general idea is about right." Chu Tianqiu pushed up his glasses. "Of course, I'm not a 'tyrant,' just the leader of this place. You also know that if there's no leader, so many people will be like scattered sand, and no one will be able to leave in the end."

Yun Yao shook her head helplessly. "Qi Xia, don't take offense. Although Chu Tianqiu is our leader, his goal is to lead us out. After all, we are still 'teammates.'"

Qi Xia nodded again, looked at the two people in front of him, and suddenly turned to Yun Yao and said, "Can you step back a bit?"

"Step back?" Yun Yao was puzzled, then smiled and asked, "Why? Is my scent unpleasant?"

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"No, it's very pleasant," Qi Xia said, "but I want you to step back."

Yun Yao thought for a moment, nodded, and took two steps back. "I understand. Are you trying to size up my figure?"

After saying that, Yun Yao turned around on her own.

"No, I just don't want to hurt you," Qi Xia said.

"Hurt me?"Before Yun Yao and Chu Tianqiu could react, Qi Xia suddenly stepped forward. Mimicking the way Qiao Jiajin had struck the black bear in his memory, he moved his shoulder in sync with his waist, and his right arm whipped out like a rope, his fist rotating 180 degrees in the air before striking.

His intended target was Chu Tianqiu's chin, but the punch flew to his mouth instead. It seemed his own combat skills needed much more practice.

"Thud!"

Chu Tianqiu had no time to react and took the punch squarely, letting out a wail before falling to the ground stiffly, like a felled tree.

Yun Yao, frightened, covered her mouth with both hands, not understanding how things had escalated to this point.

Qi Xia shook his slightly swollen and aching right hand and approached Chu Tianqiu once more.

Chu Tianqiu's mouth was bloody from Qi Xia's punch, and he lay on the ground, a pained expression on his face.

Qi Xia slowly squatted beside him, staring into his eyes as he asked, word by word:

"Chu Tianqiu, what exactly are you pretending with me?"