Ten Day Ultimatum

Chapter 447: War Conqueror

Qiao Jiajin carefully weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

Should he try catching those {balls}, or avoid them as much as possible?

Would the rewards truly help them survive the game more easily?

“Alright, I get it.” Qiao Jiajin nodded. “Let’s get started.”

“Okay.” Terrestrial Horse gave them a look. “With so many present, I’ll have to trouble you to push the {Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse} over here.”

At her words, everyone helped lift the wheelbarrow and slowly pushed it to the starting line of the track.

Terrestrial Horse then took a flare gun from her pocket and addressed them. “Once the gun fires, the countdown begins. You must move continuously back and forth. If the {rider} is eliminated during transport, you’ll need to return to the starting point and replace them with another {rider}.”

“Understood.”

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“Now, would the first person please board,” Terrestrial Horse continued.

The group exchanged glances before Qiao Jiajin spoke up. “Leng-mui, you go first.”

“Me?” Bai Nine blinked in surprise.

“How many pounds do you weigh?” Qiao Jiajin asked.

“Pounds? I’m not sure in pounds... but I am eighty-six catties,” Bai Nine replied.

(TLN: 斤 (jīn) - catty; weight equal to 0.5 kg)

“Catties? I don’t know how much that is, but whatever, you’re up,” Qiao Jiajin said. “We’ll be testing the waters this round. You’re light, so it’ll be easier for us to control the wheelbarrow. And with your smaller build, you’re less likely to get hit by the incoming {balls}.”

“Qiao ge, I understand the advantage of being light,” Bai Nine remarked with a wry smile, “but those {balls}...none of us even know where they’ll—”

“I’ll protect you,” Qiao Jiajin said. “I don’t have many merits, but I’ve always been a man of my word.”

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“Pro–Protect me?”

“Yes.” Qiao Jiajin looked at her with unwavering seriousness. “No matter where the {balls} come from, if you can’t dodge them, I’ll block them for you.”

Though his promise was one she believed beyond reach, Bai Nine nonetheless felt a quiet assurance stir within her.

“Then... you be careful too, Qiao ge,” she said, stammering slightly.

“I will. Get on.”

Yun Nineteen and Qiu Twenty each reached out a hand to help her up onto the {Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse}.

Weighing just over eighty-five catties, she was so light that the sturdy wheelbarrow didn’t even sway.

Once Bai Nine was seated, everyone spread out along the sides of the wheelbarrow and placed their hands on it for support.

Though they had already practiced earlier, facing the thick sheet of ice before them still made everyone tense.

“Remember just one thing,” Qiao Jiajin reminded them softly.

“What is it?”

“The sides of the track are lined with sharp glass,” Qiao Jiajin said. “If you get injured in a place like this, it’s as good as a death sentence. So if you ever find yourself about to fall, curl your body in, push off with your legs, and use a forward roll to throw yourself clear.”

At his words, everyone turned to glance at the straight track. The glass jutting out along the edges looked razor-sharp, though fortunately there were only two rows of it.

“Forward roll, huh... that’s a rather difficult maneuver." Qiu Twenty remarked with a troubled expression. “If we were that agile, we’d probably qualify for the combat teams already.”

“I don’t expect you to pull it off perfectly,” Qiao Jiajin replied. “But if, in a life-or-death moment, you remember what I said, it might just save your life.”

Everyone nodded silently in acknowledgment.

“The game is set to begin.” Terrestrial Horse pulled out a stopwatch, then slowly raised the flare gun in her hand. A digital clock blinked to life across the gym wall—fifteen minutes, fixed and waiting.

Qiao Jiajin slowly bent forward, gripping the wheelbarrow. Fortunately, it was built solidly, with a horizontal bar on each side to hold onto.

Among them, the most nervous of all was Bai Nine, who perched high up on the wheelbarrow. Though the others surrounded her protectively in the center, the truth was that, in extreme danger, anyone else could abandon the wheelbarrow and run—she alone could not.

She felt akin to a living target, sitting exposed at the highest point, waiting for whatever might strike.

“Ready...” declared Terrestrial Horse, and then she pulled the trigger.

A puff of smoke burst out, and the sharp crack of the flare gun echoed through the basketball court. At once, everyone sprang into motion.

In the next second, a wooden box at the far end of the court slowly rose. The words {War Conqueror} were written across its surface, and a deep mechanical rumble sounded from within.

“Stay alert,” Qiao Jiajin warned. “Survival comes first.”

“Understood!”

Together they pushed the cart forward, treading carefully upon the icy expanse—yet within moments, unease rippled through the group.

The wooden sphere at the base of the {Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse} was far too smooth. The instant they touched the ice, the entire wheelbarrow seemed to lose its weight altogether.

Their hands went slack from the sudden loss of resistance, and they had to tighten their grips on the handle, moving with painstaking care. The wheelbarrow looked as though it would bolt forward at the slightest push.

“We still have plenty of time,” Qiao Jiajin said. “Fifteen minutes, seven laps—each lap’s about fifty yards. Two minutes per lap... that’s enough. Take it slow.”

Just as everyone was about to relax, the distant rumbling of the mechanism abruptly stopped. In the next instant, with a thunderous {boom}, a white sphere shot out from the opening of the wooden box—hurtling straight toward Bai Nine on the {Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse} at blinding speed.

In the split second when everyone else froze, Qiao Jiajin pushed off the ground with explosive force. The moment he gauged the ball’s trajectory, he swung his leg up, driving from thigh to calf, and delivered a flying kick midair.

{Crack!}

A sharp sound split the air as the white sphere burst into countless fragments. A chill swept over everyone’s bodies.

Qiao Jiajin somersaulted in midair before landing, but he had forgotten that the entire floor was ice. The instant his heels touched down, they slipped, sending him sprawling backward uncontrollably.

“Damn!” His waist snapped in a quick, trained motion; Qiao Jiajin flipped around and landed half-kneeling, hands pressed flat to the ground to steady himself.

“That was close...” he muttered with a frown, pushing himself up and shifting his footing carefully.

Though it had seemed like he’d merely moved a little, that fluid sequence of reactions left everyone else staring in stunned silence.

“Qiao... Qiao ge, just now—”

From her perch atop the {Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse}, Bai Nine had seen everything clearly. Qiao Jiajin’s movements were far too nimble, almost inhuman.

Qiao Jiajin didn’t pay much mind. He simply ran a hand through his hair, frowning slightly. “It seemed to be an ice ball.”

“Ice ball?” Everyone finally processed what had happened. When the sphere had shattered, that sudden chill washing over them must have been shards of ice scattering across their bodies.

At that moment, a young woman standing behind Qiao Jiajin—one who had yet to speak a single word—slowly extended her hand. She pressed her thumb against her middle and ring fingers, as if making some silent calculation.

“{War Conqueror}... ice ball?”