Ten Day Ultimatum

Chapter 443: Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse

QiaoJiajinledhisteamaroundforquitesometimebeforefinallyfindingtheirseconderrestrialarthlyBranch.

hethreemenandthreewomeninthegrouphadnoideawhatQiaoJiajinwashesitatingabout,butsincenoteventhecombinedforcesofall{Cats}who’dgoneoutbeforehadmanagedtodefeathim,theycouldonlyfollowhisleadwithoutquestion,wanderingaimlesslythroughthestreets.

Atlast,theycaughtsightofaerrestrialorseinthedistance.

hiserrestrialorseappearedtobeawoman,withapurewhitehorse’sheadandamanethatfloweddownlikelonghair.Sheworeawhitetwo-piecesuit,crispjacketandtrouserscomplementedbyaburgundydressshirt,andstoodbeforeanindoorbasketballcourt.

“reetings.”hemomentshesawsomeoneapproaching,errestrialorsecalledouttothemfromafar.

Seeingher,QiaoJiajinscratchedhisheadandwalkedforwardslowly.

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“orse...orse...”QiaoJiajinstammeredforalongwhilebeforeuncertainlyutteringthreesyllables,“orse jiejie?”

“What‘jiejie’...”errestrialorsefrownedatQiaoJiajin.“owrude.Attheveryleast,youshouldaddressmeas{errestrialorse}.”

“Alright,alright...”QiaoJiajinnoddedquickly.“errestrial jiejie,then.”

“owutterlydisrespectful!”errestrialorsesnapped.“owcansomeoneasimpoliteasyouevenexist?!”

“h?”QiaoJiajinfeltwronged.“Whatdisrespectfulthingdidsay?Didn’tyoujustaskmetocallyouerrestrial,ma’am?”

(:Basicallyourboymisheardherandthoughterrestrialorsesaid, ‘Attheveryleast,youshouldaddressmeaserrestrial’ bc‘horse(马)’andtheChinesefinalinterrogativeparticle‘吗’arehomophones.)

“Cutthenonsense.”errestrialorse’stoneturnedsharp,herrefineddemeanorvanishinginthespanofafewwords.“Areyouplayingornot?!”

“Uh...”QiaoJiajinhesitated.“–kay...we’llplay...butcanyouatleasttellmewhatwe’replaying?”

“Alethalshuttlerace.”errestrialorseexplainedimpatiently.“Admissionisfive{Dào}perperson.Survivorsreceiveteneach.urryup.”

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QiaoJiajinglancedbackatthefewpeoplebehindhim,lookingsomewhattroubled.ewhispered,“Diddosomethingtomakeherangry?ArearthlyBranches’surnames{errestrial}or{orse}?”

“don’tthinkit’sabout{surnames}atall...”Baiinecoveredhermouthandgiggled.“heproblemlieswith{jiejie}.”

“{Jiejie}?”QiaoJiajinfurrowedhisbrows,puzzled.“She’salmosttwometerstall.Shouldn’tcallher jiejie?”

“You’rewell-builtyourself.”BaiJiuknockedlightlyon⊛оvеlιght⊛(Readthefullstory)QiaoJiajin’sarm.“would’veneverguessedfromyourslimframethatyou’rethisdense.”

“Sigh...nevermindthat...”QiaoJiajinshookhishead.“Doweevenhaveenough{Dào}?Sevenpeople,fiveeach...thataddsup.”

“Don’tworry.”Baiinerepliedbeforecrouchingdownandpullingoutdozensof{Dào}fromhersmallbackpack,countingthemcarefullywithhernot-so-largehands.Shethenstoodandhandedthemtoerrestrialorse.“Jiejie,pleasedon’tbeangryanymore,okay?ere’sthe{Dào}.”

“oodgirl.”errestrialorsereachedouttopatBaiineontheheadandcollectedallthe{Dào}.

QiaoJiajinscratchedhisheadinconfusion.“stilldon’tgetit...whyisitfinewhenyoucallher‘jiejie’?”

“Qiao ge,pleasedon’tquestionitanymore."BaiineandYunineteenbothforcedawrysmile.“et’sjustgoinside.”

errestrialorseputawaythe{Dào}andnoddedtothegroup,thenturnedtoopenthelargedoorbehindher.

Awaveofcoldairrushedout,asthoughtheroomwererunningahigh-powered,icyairconditioner.

“fanyofyouhavethickclothes,makesuretowearthem,”errestrialorsesaidinagentlevoice,herdignifiedcomposurerestored.“twillbeveryuncomfortableifyoucatchacold.hisway,please.”

hegroupinhaledsharplyatthedoorway,thenbracingagainsttheicyair,slowlysteppedintothebasketballhall.

Fortunately,thecourt’sconstructionwasfairlysimple,andthegroupcouldalmostimmediatelytakeintheentirelayout.

houghtechnicallya{basketballcourt},theplacelookedlikeasmallplazathathadbeenentirelyremodeled.hehoopsonbothendshadbeenremoved,leavingonlyaflatexpanseoffloor.

Acloserlookrevealedthattheflooritselfseemedtamperedwith;athicklayeroficecoveredit.twouldn’tbeunreasonabletomistakethisplaceforanicerinkratherthanabasketballcourt.

Atthecenterofthefloor,numerousshardsofglasswithpointedendswereneatlyarrangedintworows,subtlyformingastraighttrackalongthemiddleoftheice.

Alongsidethetrack,severalwoodenboxesabouthalfaperson’sheightstoodonbothsides,eachfeaturingasmallroundhole,thoughtheirpurposeremainedunclear.

Attheendofthetrack,somethingroughlythesizeofamotorcyclewashiddenbeneathadarkcloth.

“adiesandgentlemen,callthisgame{WoodenxandFlowingorse}.”

“FlooringxFlowingorse?”QiaoJiajinstammered.

“WoodenxandFlowingorse.”

“Woo—WoodenxFloweringorse?”

“Wood...”errestrialorse,whowasgoingtocorrecthimagain,abruptlyturnedherheadawayinirritation.“t’sfineifyoudon’tgetit.Whyaddtrouble?venifaroughfellowlikeyougraspedit,itwouldn’tbeofanyuse!”

QiaoJiajincouldonlyfeelthatthe dajie beforehimwasgenuinelyangry,thoughhehadnoideawhatexactlyhehaddonewrong.

“ow,letmeexplaintherules.Paycloseattention.”errestrialorseslowlysteppedaroundtheiceandwalkedtotheendofthestraighttrack.“Mygameisverystraightforward...Allsevenofyoumustcompleteafulllapofthetrackwithinfifteenminutes.Completingthiscountsasavictory.”

“Afulllap?”QiaoJiajinlookedatthethicklayeroficeformingthetrackandswallowednervously.“Willyouprovideuswithiceskates?”

“ceskates...?”errestrialorsesmiledfaintly,anditwasthenthattheynoticedherdarklipswerecoatedinredlipstick,givingheranodd,almostuncannylook.“cebladesareoutofthequestion,but’llprovideyouwithanotheritem,farmoreformidablethanmereiceskates.”

“Whatisit?”QiaoJiajinlookeddownathiswornleathershoes,feelingthatthistaskwasgoingtobedifficult.

errestrialorsepaused,thenreachedoutandpulledasidethenearbydrapedcloth,revealingawoodenstructurehiddenbeneath:averypeculiarwheelbarrow.

Atfirstglance,thewheelbarrowlookednodifferentfromanordinaryone,butaboveitsplatformsatachair.hechairseemedseamlesslyintegratedwiththecart,asifithadbeenfixedinplacewithmortiseandtenonjointsduringitsconstruction.

QiaoJiajingavethewheelbarrow’swheelalook,andthatbriefglanceunnervedhim.

Althoughthewheelwaspositionedlikethoseonaregularwheelbarrow,atthecenterofthecart,itwasnoordinarywheel.nstead,itwasawoodensphere,carvedsmoothlyandprecisely.

“Damn...”QiaoJiajinmutteredunderhisbreath.“errestrialma’am,you’rekidding,right?Youexpectustopushacartwithasphericalwheelacrossice?”

“Correct,”errestrialorsereplied.“otonlymustyoutraversetheice,butyoualsohavetoreturnbeforethetimerunsout.therwise,everyonedies.”

“Doyouthink’veneverpushedawheelbarrowbefore?”hegameseemedludicroustoQiaoJiajin.“venordinarywheelsmightstruggleonice,letalonespheres...”

“encetheneedforsomeonetopushit,”errestrialorseremarked.“Reasonableenough,don’tyouthink?”