CHAPTER 529: CHAPTER 495: OWED GOLD

Let’s take it from the top and look over it again.

It’s pretty much confirmed that the two shadows were of Fang Tianyu and Yu Fen.

What made them abandon their daughter to fend for herself, while they desperately entangled themselves with the bizarre?

The co-driver’s exact words were that the train suddenly encountered a strange invasion.

Then Fang Tianyu, out of great benevolence, stepped forward and traded his life for a moment of peace.

But this consolation demanded a continuous "sacrifice" of subsequent passengers.

Still not right...

Why on earth would Yu Fen die with Fang Tianyu?

Or rather, what exactly happened that led them to forsake their daughter, who was only a few years old?

The strange phenomena, the Fang couple, Xiao Qi...

Unless?

Jiang Xiao opened his eyes.

That’s it, there was another possibility!

The only thing that could make the elderly couple choose to give up their lives was Xiao Qi!

In other words.

Is it possible that the reason they chose to sacrifice their own lives to counteract the strange forces...

Wasn’t for the passengers on this train journey...

But for their daughter?

Only this explanation makes sense!

Thinking of this connection made Jiang Xiao’s body tremble slightly.

If he wasn’t wrong, then there was only one thing left.

What happened to Xiao Qi that required her parents to die for her?

"Moreover, there’s something off about this little girl."

This was evident from her reluctance to stay in the same carriage where Fang Tianyu and Yu Fen were.

Although she pretended well, and Nagiko and the others all felt that Xiao Qi missed her parents a lot...

At the end of the day, none of these people were married, and they simply couldn’t grasp some of the finer details.

"Forget it, I’ll stop thinking about it and just confront her directly."

Jiang Xiao, holding the box, left the carriage with Scarface and headed towards the carriage where Xiao Qi was.

The scenario he had imagined did not happen.

Jiang Xiao had even prepared for Xiao Qi to become desperate and threaten him with the lives of the passengers.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Qi was just sitting by the window with her hands propping her cheeks, looking dazed.

Her lively eyes seemed to gaze through the window, as if searching for something.

Jiang Xiao cleared his throat to interrupt her reverie.

"Xiao Qi, we need to talk."

Xiao Qi turned her head, her eyes showing a hint of surprise, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Sure, brother, what would you like to know?"

Jiang Xiao did not go straight to the point, but tentatively asked some simple questions, such as her feelings on the train and her memories of her parents.

Xiao Qi answered obediently, but Jiang Xiao could feel a deliberate evasion in her responses.

Finally, Jiang Xiao decided to directly ask the question that weighed on his mind.

"Your father’s name is Fang Tianyu, right? The driver of this train? And your mother is Yu Fen? She brought you here to find your dad."

Xiao Qi was taken aback, not expecting Jiang Xiao to have learned so much detail.

She didn’t deny it, but simply nodded silently.

"Xiao Qi, do you know why your parents stayed in that carriage, entwined with the bizarre?"

Xiao Qi’s eyes suddenly became complex, she lowered her head, fell silent for a while, and then slowly began to speak.

"It’s because of me..."

Indeed!

Jiang Xiao stared intently at Xiao Qi, feeling the gravity of the situation.

At the same time, he had quietly pulled out the clown mask.

If Xiao Qi were really a Kaidan boss of Nine-Star+,

His electromagnetic powers might not kill her...

The simplest and most direct method would be to drag her into the Spirit arena and forcibly solo spiritual power.

"What about you?" Jiang Xiao’s tone was somewhat cold.

Xiao Qi lifted her head, her eyes filled with unspeakable sadness.

"That day, the train encountered a strange occurrence. It said, it said it wanted to take a life in exchange; otherwise, it would destroy the entire train."

"Dad wanted to sacrifice himself, but Mom wouldn’t allow it. In the end, it chose me..."

Jiang Xiao’s heart sank; he could almost guess what was coming next.

"Then your parents chose to replace you?"

Xiao Qi nodded, tears swirling in her eyes.

"Yes, they said as long as I could survive, their deaths wouldn’t be in vain. They wanted me to live, to live stronger than anyone else so that no strange being could ever harm me again."

Jiang Xiao heaved a deep sigh. This girl, her acting was truly remarkable.

"Xiao Qi, Tietie doesn’t want to listen to lies."

"Ah?"

"Ah what? According to what you said, the strange being only wanted one person’s life. Why did your parents have to exchange both of their lives for just yours?"

"Because exchanging one person’s life and letting the strange being actively choose a person’s life come at different costs!"

Xiao Qi seemed to have her explanation prepared.

"Fine, even if what you’re saying is true, why are your parents still struggling with the strange being?"

"Because it’s lied from the beginning to the end. What it really wanted was never each person’s life; it had its sights on my dad from the start because it recognized he was the strongest!"

Xiao Qi cried out, her voice hoarse with exhaustion, quickly attracting Nagiko and the others again.

"Jiang Xiao! What are you doing, why are you bullying Xiao Qi again?"

"What happened?"

"Little brother, what are you up to this time?"

Xiao Qi sniffled, trying to calm her voice.

"In fact, my father never took the conditions stated by the strange being to heart. So even if it hadn’t chosen me, he would have used his own life to entangle the adversary..."

In Xiao Qi’s description,

Her father had planned everything as soon as the strange being appeared.

To be shattered jade, rather than intact pottery!

Because Fang Tianyu understood these strange creatures, none of their words could be trusted.

The choice of Xiao Qi was within Fang Tianyu’s expectations.

Only then could the strange being threaten Fang Tianyu with his daughter’s life, forcing him to surrender and face death willingly.

Her words were moving, especially as Xiao Qi wept bitterly,

Claiming she felt utterly helpless at the time, unable to do anything

But watch her father...

The overwhelming sense of brokenness emanating from Xiao Qi tugged at both Nagiko and Ling Zi’s hearts.

Even the fierce-looking co-driver looked sympathetic.

She was but a five or six-year-old child.

And the biological daughter of his good buddy Fang Tianyu.

"It’s okay, Xiao Qi, don’t cry. Fang Brother made a heroic choice for everyone’s sake. You are a hero’s daughter; wouldn’t you shame your dad if you kept crying? Come on, from now on, if you don’t mind, I can be your dad too."

"Wuu wuu wuu... Uncle, is, is my dad still alive? He’ll come back someday, right?"