Qingchen fell into deep thought.
Just then, Qing Ji came out of the wilderness: "Just ask, and we'll give you the equipment."
Qing Chen looked up and saw that it was Qing Ji, who had appeared in City 10. The man was dressed in black linen clothes with a white ginkgo leaf tied to his chest, as if he was paying tribute to someone.
But the most crucial question is, how does the other party know that I am here?
Now that they have emerged from the abyss, their whereabouts are absolutely concealed.
But Qingchen wasn't too worried. Shadow had given the Shadow Gate to the other party, and Li Shutong was traveling with this person, so this person was definitely not an enemy.
"Qing Ji!" The Grand Elder jumped up from beside the campfire, looking as if facing a formidable enemy: "What are you doing here?"
Da Yu, Zard, Chen Jiazhang, and Qin Yiyi all stood up.
Qing Ji calmly sat down by the campfire and said, "Don't be so nervous. There are many experts here, so there's no need to be so afraid of me."
Qing Chen glanced at the Grand Elder. This Fire Pit Grand Elder was an A-level figure. Someone who could make him nervous must be extraordinary.
Qing Ji sat by the campfire as if no one else was there, seemingly not taking the A-level experts around him seriously.
He continued, "Although I don't know why you want to build nanorobots, we can give you the technology, the team, the equipment, and even send you the finished product directly."
Qing Chen replied thoughtfully, "Does my words really have that much effect?"
“It works, of course it works,” Qing Ji said, poking at the campfire with a stick and adding more firewood. He looked at Qin Yiyi casually and said, “Little girl, help me cook some porridge. Tear some divine beef into the porridge. No scallions, no cilantro.”
The elder rolled his eyes: "You really don't consider yourself an outsider."
Qing Chen asked, "The Qing family has given so much; what do they want in exchange for me?"
Qing Ji countered, "What do you think you have to offer in exchange?"
Qing Chen was stunned for a moment. When he faced a conglomerate, what he had was actually insignificant, at least to the Qing family.
So when the other party asked, "What do you think you can exchange for?", Qingchen didn't know how to answer for a moment.
Qing Ji continued, "Therefore, you don't need to treat this as a transaction. You are a member of the Qing family, and it is only natural for the Qing family to support you. If you are willing, the debt for supplies owed by City 10 can also be waived for you. Moreover, all supplies in the future can be at cost price, the same price we supply to the various project companies of the Qing family."
Qing Chen calmly said, "What's free is often the most expensive. You should know very well that my relationship with the Qing family isn't that close. City 10 has resumed production and work, and we'll be able to pay back the money for the supplies soon."
Qing Ji said stiffly, "You've killed so many people from Kashima, Kamishiro, and the Chen family. Now, the only ones willing to do business with you in City 10 are the Qing family and the Li family. If the Qing family also sanctions you, then you'll be at the mercy of the Li family. At that point, even if you have money, you might not be able to buy supplies. I believe you also understand that the independent director position has become increasingly delicate since Li Xiurui's passing. No organization would want an outsider sitting in such an important position."
The elder exclaimed, "Why do you speak so stiffly? It sounds like you're reciting lines."
Qing Ji glanced at him and said, "I'm just repeating what others are going to say to him. You might think I'm reciting lines, but that's not wrong."
The elder was taken aback; Qing Ji was still as boring and dull as he remembered.
However, who else could it be but the head of the family on Ginkgo Mountain who could make someone like Qing Ji come over to memorize lines?
Wait a minute, what exactly is Qing Chen's status and position within the Qing Clan? Why did he manage to alarm the Qing Clan Head on Ginkgo Mountain?
The Grand Elder glanced at Qing Chen every now and then, his mind racing with calculations.
What Qingchen was thinking was, how did that person on Ginkgo Mountain know what he was going to ask and prepare all the answers in advance?
But Qingchen pondered for a moment and then asked, "What do you want me to do?"
Qing Ji replied, “Come back to City 5 with me, see the scenery, and then follow our arrangements for fourteen days. Don’t worry, we won’t do anything to endanger your safety. You just need to listen to our instructions.”
Qing Chen was taken aback.
"Is it that simple?" Qing Chen asked.
“It’s that simple,” Qingji paused for a moment and said, “The most important thing is that the Qing clan will deploy anti-missile systems to the south and north of City 10. Only in this way can you continue to develop with peace of mind. Otherwise, you have already driven Kashima and Kamishiro to their wits’ end, and they might just launch missiles at you directly, even if there are still six million civilians in the city. Do you have an anti-missile system? You don’t.”
Qingchen fell into deep thought.
At this moment, Qin Yiyi brought over a small iron pot containing white rice porridge with beef, and sprinkled a handful of celery on top, making it look exceptionally refreshing.
Only at this moment did Qing Ji's expression soften, and he said to Qin Yiyi, "Thank you, the celery is very good, I like it very much."
"Little ancestor, why are you being so nice to him?" the First Elder said irritably.
“He might be Qingchen’s elder,” Qin Yiyi said softly.
The elder sighed helplessly, "You are the goddess of our hearth!"
Qing Chen looked at Qing Ji: "Two weeks, following your arrangements? In my opinion, that's a bit too dangerous."
Qing Ji took a sip of congee and said calmly, "Don't worry, I'm not asking you to go back and inherit the position of family head. You're not ready yet."
The First Elder was immediately alarmed. He had just made a guess about Qing Chen's identity, but he hadn't dared to guess in this direction!
He felt it was bad enough when Qing Chen was just a knight, but now a knight wants to inherit the position of Qing family head. How tragic is that?
The elder said with great distress, "Wait a minute, why are knights associated with the Qing family head? Don't you think it's very incongruous?"
Qing Ji glanced at the Grand Elder: "It's alright, I think it's quite suitable."
After finishing his porridge, Qing Ji looked at Qing Chen and asked, "Have you thought it through?"
Qingchen was still deep in thought.
For City 10 right now, the most important thing is supplies.
Just as Qing Ji said, if the Qing family doesn't provide supplies, then the only family left that can provide supplies to City 10 is the Li family, and their fate is completely in the hands of the Li family.
Secondly, the most important element in Qing Chen's plan to kill Zong Cheng was the nanobot; without it, he would not have been able to kill Zong Cheng.
Therefore, Qing Chen suddenly realized that once he embarked on this path of revenge, and once his fate was tied to those six million people, he had to accept the conditions of the Qing family head.
Moreover, the other party's conditions were not excessive. Although he would lose two weeks of freedom, the prerequisite was that he would not do anything that would harm him.
If everyone else is playing dirty tricks, then the one on Ginkgo Mountain seems to be best at open schemes. When he starts making arrangements for you, it seems like you still have countless choices in life, but in reality, you can only choose one.
Qing Chen looked at Qing Ji: "I accept your conditions."
Qing Ji wiped his mouth with his sleeve, opened the Shadow Gate, and said, "Let's go. City 5 is just ahead. You can go alone."
Qingchen shook his head: "I need to go to another place first."
As he spoke, his wound began to ache again.
Qing Ji asked, "Where to?"
Qingchen said, "The hearth."
Qing Ji asked in confusion, "What are you going to the hearth for? Once you become the head of the Qing family, the entire hearth will be yours."
The First Elder was furious: "Watch your mouth!"
Qing Ji: "What are you doing at the hearth?"
Qing Chen smiled and said, "My journey is not yet over."
There is more than one path of chivalry in this world, and there is more than one Mount Everest.
Qing Chen had already reached the summit of Mount Everest in the real world, but he wasn't there for the life-or-death challenge, and he hadn't even properly experienced the scenery that should accompany him on the path of life and death.
"Are you going to the fire pit to complete a life-or-death ordeal?!" Chen Jiazhang, standing to the side, exclaimed in horror, "Your injuries haven't healed yet. These are all external wounds; muscle and skin tissue have been cut away. Even a shroud can't restore them!"
The elder slowly looked at Qingchen. They all knew how badly Qingchen was injured: "Young man, the Fire Pit Snow Mountain is as high as the sky. You can't climb it in your condition."
Da Yu: "In the real world, you are at the summit, ready to face life and death at any moment. Rest for four more days, and you will be in even better shape then."
Qingchen smiled and shook his head.
Because in this life-or-death situation, the most important thing is... Chen Jiazhang.
He looked at Chen Jiazhang and said, "Uncle-Master, how many years has it been since you faced a life-or-death situation?"
Chen Jiazhang was stunned, and said in a low voice, "Ten years, wasted."
Qing Chen: "How many life-or-death trials do you still have to overcome?"
“Two,” Chen Jiazhang said, “one is the solidified ice, and the other is the creature of the sea. Don’t bother. I know you want to take me back to the path of the knight, but now the Forbidden Sea spans the world. To break the shackles of reverse breathing, you must complete all the life-and-death trials. I no longer have the chance.”
Qing Chen sat by the campfire, the flames flickering on his face. He looked haggard and tired, but his eyes shone brightly: "The true meaning of the path of the knight is not to gain power."
"Hmm?" Chen Jiazhang looked at Qing Chen.
Qing Chen said absentmindedly, "Why did I embark on the path of a knight? Because life-or-death trials can make me stronger. Once I pass a life-or-death trial, I can kill even stronger enemies."
Chen Jiazhang: "Isn't this the meaning of a life-or-death ordeal?"
“No,” Qing Chen looked at Chen Jiazhang seriously and said, “When the founder of the Knights started the Eight Life and Death Challenges, he didn’t know that he could unlock his genetic potential. There was no breathing technique in his time, and no guides told him what use completing the Eight Life and Death Challenges would be. He just wanted to go to the highest point in the world to see the snow-capped mountains, and he just wanted to fly into the sky and break through his own limits.”
Chen Jiazhang was stunned.
Qing Chen continued, "There was a time when I also thought pragmatically that the purpose of the life-and-death trial was to make me stronger, but I don't think that way anymore. Even if the life-and-death trial can't make me stronger, I still want to keep going. Uncle-Master, even if there's nowhere else in this world where you can finish surfing, so what? Have you ever seen the scenery on that snow mountain? If not, come with me."
The ultimate romance of a knight is to do something even when you know it's impossible.
Only faith and the sun and moon are eternal.
Chen Jiazhang said, "But you still have injuries."
Qingchen said thoughtfully, "The Sherpas on Mount Everest once told me: any hardship encountered along the way is just a test. Once you decide to set off, you should persevere regardless of wind or rain. Otherwise, if you blame the weather today and bad luck tomorrow, when will you ever reach your destination?"
Qingchen: "At first, when I was climbing the cliffs of Qingshan, someone shot at me with a crossbow from behind, but I still kept climbing. At that time, I thought to myself, what else do I have to lose? I have nothing to lose.
Qing Chen: "Later, I was no longer that penniless kid. I possessed wealth that many people could only dream of in their entire lives, as well as organizational power that many people could never build in their lifetime. So, I always hoped that my life-or-death challenges could be handled more securely, and that I could take on the challenge in the best possible condition, without any distractions."
Qing Chen smiled and said, "In the end, I realized that I could no longer wait for that opportunity to be single-minded. So, if you ask me when is the best time to complete the life-or-death test, I will answer you, it's now."
Chen Jiazhang stood up.
Qing Chen also stood up and looked at Qing Ji: "Please take us to the fire pit. Also, please fetch two sets of mountaineering equipment for us."
Qing Ji smiled and said, "I'm ready."
As he spoke, he opened the Shadow Gate, behind which was a fire pit.
After Qing Chen and the others went inside, Qing Ji opened the Shadow Gate and retrieved the mountaineering clothes, boots, and trekking poles.
Qin Yiyi said, "You can go to my room to change your clothes."
When Qingchen changed his clothes, he found that the clothes fit him perfectly, as if they were specially made for him.
At this moment, the Huotang army fled into the snowy mountains to escape the pursuit of the Chen family.
Now that the crisis has passed, they are slowly making their way back to the valley.
There weren't many people in the Fire Pit Valley, only some of the divine children who had returned earlier, including the divine child Jiacuo who was always by Qin Yiyi's side.
When Qing Chen stepped out of the wooden house, a dozen or so divine sons were waiting at the door: "We want to have a match with you!"