You said you were going to make games, how did you become the richest man without doing anything?

Chapter 526 Who should be executed?
Moonlight streamed down like water, casting a shadow over the mist-shrouded village. Zhao Gang stood before the cage, his face visibly restless, his eyes flickering between Tang Yin and the distant assembly hall. His fingers tapped unconsciously on his thigh, as if to hasten the passage of time.

Tang Yin keenly sensed Zhao Gang's anomaly and pondered secretly. He took a deep breath and decided to comply with Zhao Gang's instructions. After all, in this village full of unknowns, a little caution meant a little more chance of survival.

"Can I sleep here? I want to take a rest." Tang Yin asked casually, but his eyes were looking carefully at the inside of the cage.

The sight inside the cage made him frown. The gravel on the ground was mixed with straw and garbage, and the air was filled with an undeniable smell of wild animals. This smell irritated his nostrils, reminding him of the ferocious beasts in the zoo.

Zhao Gang smiled sarcastically when he heard Tang Yin's words: "You really have a big heart."

Tang Yin smiled bitterly and shook his head, with a hint of self-mockery in his tone: "I'm just a coward. I don't want to die yet."

As soon as these words came out, Tang Yin's mind suddenly flashed back to the faces of the two dead reporters—Xia Hui and photographer Zhou Zhengxiong. Their terrified eyes, their desperate cries, seemed to be right before his eyes. A chill ran up his spine, and Tang Yin shuddered unconsciously.

It was precisely because he had witnessed their tragic fate that Tang Yin chose not to help them. This decision was like a heavy stone weighing on his heart, causing him to feel suffocated and painful every time he thought about it.

Zhao Gang didn't seem to notice Tang Yin's abnormality. He quickly locked the cage and left without looking back. His back looked particularly lonely in the moonlight, as if he was carrying something heavy.

Tang Yin watched Zhao Gang leave until he completely disappeared into the night. Then, he slowly lay down and closed his eyes. The hard ground made him uncomfortable, and the pungent fishy smell made it difficult for him to fall asleep.

—Ah, the ground is hard and smelly. But at least it's better than last night.

Tang Yin thought to himself with self-mockery. He knew that the most important thing at this moment was to organize his thoughts, sort out the conversations of the Kirigakure villagers, think about that strange memory, and most importantly, find a way to leave this strange village as soon as possible.

However, whenever he began to think about it, the scene of him not helping the dying person would come to his mind. Regret, self-blame, guilt, all kinds of emotions surged over him like a tide, almost drowning him.

...So I'm so kind?

Tang Yin asked himself with a wry smile.

In this dangerous village, kindness seemed to be a luxury. But he also had a vague feeling that this time he might just be a spectator. This premonition made him feel a sense of security, but also filled with fear of the unknown.

……

At this moment, the game screen suddenly switched to the village's assembly hall.

All the villagers of Kirigakure sat in a circle in the assembly hall. The flickering candlelight cast flickering shadows on everyone's faces, creating a solemn and mysterious atmosphere.

Granny Rong's wrinkled face looked particularly solemn in the candlelight. She glanced around, confirming that everyone was present, and then said, "—Is everyone here? Then... let's begin the [Yellow Spring Banquet], Lady Hualu, please."

Hualu stood up, her lively eyes sparkling mysteriously in the candlelight.

She held an ancient wine glass in her hand and said in a clear and pleasant voice: "This is the sacred wine dedicated to Qianming God. Let's drink it in order of age from youngest to oldest."

As Hualu finished speaking, everyone began passing the wine glass around. First came the youngest, Xiaome. She stared at the glass, her eyes filled with curiosity and confusion: "Wine..."

Hualu smiled gently and soothed him, "You are a child, just lick it."

Wang Lina frowned and reminded, "By the way, minors present here are not allowed to drink."

Qin Yi said disapprovingly: "It's just one cup, what's the big deal..."

Chen Xiang stopped him immediately: "You can't drink, Xiaoyi...Qin Ming, you are his brother, you should talk to him too."

Qin Ming looked at his brother and said calmly, "Xiaoyi, this is just a formality."

Qin Yi curled his lips and replied reluctantly: "Tsk, so annoying. I get it, big brother..."

When it was Gao Mei's turn, she showed a look of disgust: "...I don't want to drink this."

Tong Xiaoliang smiled and comforted her: "Xiaomei, just give me a kiss and I'll be fine too."

At this moment, everyone suddenly noticed that Tong Xiaoliang was wearing women's clothing. This discovery made the atmosphere at the scene a little tense, but no one commented on it.

Qin Ming took the wine glass and took a sip: "I'm fine too, Sister Lina."

Wang Lina took the wine glass and said cheerfully, "It's the adults' turn now. I won't be polite." She tilted her head back and took a big sip.

Chen Xiang carefully took the wine glass: "I'll just take a sip..."

After tasting it, Qian Jin showed a surprised expression on his face: "It tastes unexpectedly good. Here you go, Gangzi."

Zhao Gang took the wine glass and said with emotion, "Only during the [banquet] can we have the opportunity to drink during the day. Here, Uncle Gao."

Gao Zhijie took the wine glass, took a sip, and then handed it to Grandma Rong: "Hmm... Grandma Rong, be careful."

Granny Rong took it with a smile: "Okay, okay, I'm welcome... Master Wolf, is that okay?"

Master Wolf took the wine glass and said in a hoarse voice, "Wine, wine, wine... Um, cough, cough." After taking a sip, he started coughing violently.

Gao Zhijie saw this and immediately said, "Okay, everyone has had a drink, Granny Rong, let's start."

As Gao Zhijie finished speaking, the entire auditorium fell into a strange silence. The candlelight flickered on everyone's face, illuminating their complex expressions: anticipation, worry, tension, and a hint of indescribable fear.

……

Granny Rong slowly stood up. Her weathered eyes scanned everyone present, as if to see through their souls. She took a deep breath and spoke:

"...Everyone knows that story, right? The story of the Wolf God and the Dusk Mist returning from the underworld to seek revenge on humanity."

Although Granny Rong's voice was old, it was still clear and powerful. As soon as she finished speaking, the atmosphere in the entire assembly hall suddenly became tense.

"This time, the stone statues in the village show that there are two marks of the [Yellow Spring Wolf], which means that there are two [Wolf Gods] this time." There was an imperceptible tremor in Grandma Rong's voice.

She continued, "We must follow the instructions of the Thousand Bright Gods and, with the blessing of the guardian beasts, execute the Wolf God through a banquet."

Granny Rong's gaze grew sharper. "If you disobey Qian Ming Shen's instructions, you will be [contaminated] and your body will be torn to pieces..."

These words hit everyone's heart like a heavy hammer, and a suffocating fear filled the air.

"If you don't want to be contaminated, you must execute the Wolf God through the [Banquet]. This is the mission of the people of the Hidden Mist Village..." Granny Rong's voice was low and firm.

At this moment, Xiao Mei's innocent voice broke the heavy atmosphere. She pulled Hua Lu's sleeve and asked softly, "Sister, what does execution mean?"

A hint of hesitation flashed across Hualu's beautiful eyes, but she still replied softly, "It means hanging." Xiaome's face turned pale instantly, and her voice trembled, "How terrible..."

Hualu looked at Xiaome's frightened expression and couldn't bear it. She hugged her gently and comforted her softly, "...Don't worry, I will protect you."

Hualu raised her head and said to Granny Rong, "I'm so sorry to interrupt you, Granny Rong."

Granny Rong shook her head, a wry smile on her face: "...It's nothing, she's still a child. However, everyone is a suspect, even this child..."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the entire assembly hall instantly became tense.

Qian Jin couldn't help but sarcastically said, "Oh my, you're talking nonsense again."

Qin Yi was furious when he heard this. He stood up, pointed at Qian Jin and shouted, "Hey, uncle, if you think this is nonsense, just leave here and die from the pollution!"

Seeing this, Chen Xiang quickly stopped her son: "Xiaoyi, stop talking nonsense!"

Qian Jin sneered, a trace of contempt flashing in his eyes: "How rude, Madam Chen Xiang, is this how you educate your son?"

Qin Yi was completely enraged by this. He roared, "This is my own business! What does this old woman have to do with it?"

Seeing the situation gradually getting out of control, Zhao Gang immediately spoke up to stop it: "Xiaoyi, shut up, or I'll do it."

Qin Yi looked at Zhao Gang in disbelief: "Huh!? Brother Gang, even you said that!"

Zhao Gang's expression turned serious: "Don't force me to do it. Both of you should stop talking."

Qian Jin curled his lips in disdain: "Humph, do you have the guts?"

Qin Yi glared at Qian Jin with gritted teeth: "...you."

Zhao Gang took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart: "Adults will not be provoked so easily. Besides, I can't accept what Grandma Rong said."

He stood up, looked around, and said slowly, "We've heard this story since we were little, but there's one part I just can't understand."

Zhao Gang's gaze swept over everyone present, his voice tinged with confusion and uneasiness. "We're all from the same hometown, living here together. Except for Xiaome, we all know each other... Could one of us be the Wolf God in disguise? How could that be possible? Everyone's acting normal, right?"

"Gangzi, you are too naive." Although Gao Zhijie's voice was low, it was like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart.

Zhao Gang frowned, a trace of confusion and uneasiness flashing in his eyes. "What do you mean, Uncle Gao? Are you saying that one of us is a suspect?"

Gao Zhijie looked around with a sharp gaze, "Everyone is a suspect."

This sentence was like a bomb, instantly igniting the tense atmosphere in the assembly hall. Gao Mei looked at her grandfather, her eyes filled with worry, and called softly, "...Grandpa."

Gao Zhijie turned to his granddaughter, his tone filled with warning, "Xiaomei, be careful. Even wild animals can disguise themselves, let alone humans. There are people among us who can lie without batting an eyelid."

Wang Lina crossed her arms and stared at Gao Zhijie sharply, "Why are you so sure?"

Gao Zhijie took a deep breath, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes: "...That story is true."

After hearing this, Wang Lina curled her lips and said, "...Forget it, just say whatever you want."

At this moment, Tong Xiaoliang couldn't help but interrupt and said, "I wonder which idiot from the Hidden Mist Village made up this story." His tone was full of sarcasm and disdain.

Zhao Gang immediately stopped him and said, "Xiao Liang."

When Granny Rong heard this conversation, she immediately became furious. "You're talking nonsense again!"

Her voice was sharp and piercing.

Seeing this, Qin Ming quickly spoke to comfort him: "Xiaoliang, don't say anymore... I'm sorry, what should we do now?"

Zhao Gang thought for a moment and suggested, "Let's discuss it first and then decide."

Qin Ming's face turned pale instantly when he heard this. "...discuss...in other words, are we going to discuss which one of us should be executed?" There was a slight tremor in his voice.

Zhao Gang tried to calm everyone down: "Everyone can express their own ideas, and then we can reach a consensus."

Qin Ming turned to Wang Lina with a hint of expectation in his eyes: "Sister Lina, what do you think?"

Wang Lina pondered for a moment and spoke slowly, "Some people think [no one is suspected], while others think [everyone is suspected]. In this situation, it's hard to reach a consensus."

"A discussion without a conclusion is like mental torture. At that time, everyone will definitely hope that there is an opinion leader who can make a decision on their behalf." Wang Lina continued to analyze.

Gao Zhijie heard the deep meaning in Wang Lina's words, frowned and asked: "Lina, what do you want to say?"

Zhao Gang tried to ease the tense atmosphere: "Lina, don't worry. We are from the same village and there is nothing we can't solve."

Wang Lina shook her head slightly. "...Brother Gang, I know you care about everyone, but...we must choose one person from among the villagers to execute."

Her words were like a sharp knife, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

Zhao Gang was speechless when he heard this.

Wang Lina continued, her voice calm but sharp. "There's another question. If you don't want to choose someone close, just choose someone you're not close to, like someone you don't like, or someone who just arrived here. If you can't choose rationally, you're bound to make serious mistakes."

As soon as she finished speaking, the entire auditorium fell into a dead silence. Everyone lowered their heads, seemingly lost in thought. An eerie atmosphere hung in the air, as if something invisible was flowing among them.

Zhao Gang took a deep breath, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes: "So I said from the beginning that we can't kill people. Let's continue the discussion in this direction!"

However, at this moment, Granny Rong suddenly stood up. Her weathered eyes looked directly at Zhao Gang, her tone filled with warning and reproach: "Gangzi, you are wrong! If all this is fake, how do you explain the tragic death of the reporter and the symbol on the statue at the village entrance?"

Granny Rong's words were like a hammer, instantly shattering Zhao Gang's illusions. The entire assembly hall fell silent again, and everyone's face was filled with complex emotions.

Hualu hugged Xiaome tightly, a trace of worry in her eyes. Qin Yi clenched his fists and bit his lips, as if he was holding back something. Qian Jin leaned against the wall, his eyes wandering, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

The fate of the Hidden Mist Village seems to be hanging by a thread. And this banquet full of contradictions and suspicions may just be the beginning of a larger conspiracy.

Everyone is pondering what role they should play in this life-or-death "Yellow Spring Banquet." Will they become the victim or the murderer? Will they choose to believe or doubt?
(End of this chapter)