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

Chapter 527 The Four Guardian Powers
Zhao Gang took a deep breath, looked at Grandma Rong with a firm gaze, and spoke in a steady and powerful voice.

"Mrs. Rong, I knew you would say that, so we have to have a good discussion about it, right?"

Granny Rong frowned at Zhao Gang, her eyes revealing a hint of disapproval, but she didn't say anything else. Wang Lina sighed softly, her tone filled with a hint of helplessness: "...Okay, I understand..."

At this moment, Gao Mei timidly raised her hand, her clear eyes flickering with anxiety. Tong Xiaoliang noticed Gao Mei's movements and immediately said, "Okay, be quiet. Xiaomei has something to say."

Everyone's eyes were focused on Gao Mei. She took a deep breath and mustered up her courage to say, "...Um, is it possible that the man Sister Lina brought back killed the reporter..."

As soon as Gao Mei finished speaking, Wang Lina sneered, with a hint of mockery in her eyes: "I knew it..."

Tong Xiaoliang shook his head and said firmly, "I don't think so. It's just my intuition. What do you think?"

Qin Yi looked at Zhao Gang with doubt in his eyes: "...Brother Gang, didn't you say he was suspicious?"

Zhao Gang pondered for a moment and spoke slowly, "...Well, it's indeed quite suspicious. However, Wang Lina is right, this isn't the final word. Besides, while it's suspicious, he probably doesn't have the guts to do something like that."

Wang Lina nodded in agreement: "I agree too. In short, this is our own problem, and we should find a way to solve it ourselves."

At this moment, Qian Jin, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly snorted coldly, his tone filled with sarcasm: "...Humph, isn't it just a choice based on your own likes and dislikes?"

Qin Ming turned to Qian Jin, his eyes filled with curiosity. "So, Mr. Qian Jin, what do you think should be the decision?"

Qian Jin slowly raised his head and scanned everyone present with sharp eyes. "In this situation, there is only one way to make a decision, and that is by voting, Qin Ming."

Wang Lina raised her eyebrows, her tone tinged with sarcasm: "...You mean the minority obeys the majority? This isn't your style, is it?"

Qian Jin sneered, a hint of deep meaning flashing in his eyes: "I just think that apart from this method, there is no other way to reach a consensus."

He paused and continued, "A decision made through voting is the opinion of the majority, right? Besides voting, are there other methods?"

Qian Jin stared at Wang Lina sharply. "Or, as you just said, should we leave the decision-making power to opinion leaders to make their own decisions?"

He looked around, his tone tinged with sarcasm. "As for the opinion leaders of the Hidden Mist Village, aren't they Gao Zhijie and Granny Rong? I'm not from the Hidden Mist Village, so I should be the first one to be voted out, right?"

Qian Jin's words were like a sharp sword, cutting straight to the heart of the matter: "Furthermore, if opinion leaders themselves are wolves, what consequences do you think will arise?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire auditorium fell into a dead silence. Everyone's face was filled with complex emotions. Some lowered their heads in thought, while others stared at each other, their eyes filled with suspicion and uneasiness.

Chen Xiang coughed lightly, breaking the silence. Her bright eyes looked directly at Qian Jin, wanting to say something but stopping herself: "Mr. Qian Jin..."

Qian Jin glanced coldly at everyone present, a hint of wariness and unease in his eyes. His voice was low and firm: "Let me be clear, I don't want to die. Rather than being powerless, I should at least be given the right to vote."

After hearing this, Wang Lina's face darkened. She hesitated to speak, and finally just sighed softly: "..."

Zhao Gang suddenly stood up, his face filled with anger and dissatisfaction. His voice echoed in the assembly hall: "I object! Vote? Even if there is a conclusion, so what? Is that conclusion really okay?" He took a deep breath and continued, "I think we should discuss it first before deciding."

Qin Ming frowned, his eyes full of doubt: "...By the way, what are we going to discuss?"

Wang Lina turned her gaze to Granny Rong, her voice tinged with anticipation: "Granny Rong, I remember the mountain's guardian beast will protect those attending the [banquet], right?"

Granny Rong pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly, "...That's right, the guardian beasts of the [Snake God], [Ape God], [Crow God], and [Spider God] will share their divine power among us."

Wang Lina pressed on: "Can you be more specific?"

At this moment, the silent Master Wolf suddenly spoke, his old voice trembling slightly: "...Snake..."

Qin Yi looked at his grandfather in surprise, with a hint of surprise in his eyes: "Wow!? Grandpa, did you know?"

Mr. Wolf's gaze grew profound, as if he had traveled through time and space, back to the distant past. He spoke slowly, his voice filled with mystery:
"[Snake] can ask the mountain god... who the wolf is."

"Only two of the [Apes]... knew each other's identities."

"[Crow] can ask the mountain god... if the hanged man was a wolf."

"[Spider] can ask the mountain god... to protect someone else for one night."

Granny Rong looked at Grandpa Wolf in surprise, a glint of admiration in her eyes: "You're right, that's what I heard, Grandpa."

Mr. Wolf's eyes suddenly became sharp, as if he saw through something: "The wolf is coming..."

Granny Rong's face showed a complex expression, a mixture of surprise and nostalgia: "I didn't expect you to know this. I thought you had dementia. It seems you haven't forgotten your faith..."

Wang Lina coughed lightly, drawing everyone's attention back to the current topic: "Let's get back to the topic. In other words, has anyone among us gained divine power?"

Doubt and fear flashed across Gao Mei's eyes. She asked in a trembling voice, "What do you mean? Are you saying that gods and guardian beasts really exist?" She paused, her face turning even paler. "But if that story is true, then one of us is the murderer..."

Granny Rong's gaze grew deep. She looked at Gao Mei and said in a firm and mysterious tone, "Xiao Mei, gods really do exist."

The atmosphere in the assembly hall suddenly grew more tense, and everyone's expression grew complicated. The candlelight danced on their faces, casting flickering shadows, as if narrating the strangeness and mystery of this night.

Gao Mei's voice broke the silence, her eyes flashing with anxiety and doubt: "It's just faith!" Her voice trembled slightly, as if she was trying to convince herself.

A hint of displeasure crossed Granny Rong's weathered face. Her gaze, sharp as a torch, fixed Gao Mei directly. "That's not the case. Everyone has probably seen the Thousand Bright Gods." Her tone was firm, as if stating an undeniable fact. Gao Mei was stunned by Granny Rong's words. Her face paled instantly, and her lips trembled slightly. "...That kind of thing...is just..." Her voice trailed off, as if fading into thin air.

Qin Ming noticed Gao Mei's abnormality. He quickly walked to her side and gently patted her shoulder. His voice was gentle and concerned: "...Xiaomei, calm down. Are you okay?"

Gao Mei took a deep breath and forced a smile: "...Well, sorry." Her voice was still a little trembling, but seemed to have calmed down a little.

Seeing this, Qin Ming turned to face the crowd, his eyes gleaming with reason. "Let's not worry about the veracity of that story for now. Let's sort out the information we have. There's no need to make a decision right now." He paused and continued, "For example, the protection of the guardian beast. Can you explain it more simply? That..."

After hearing this, Grandma Rong showed a trace of helplessness and disappointment on her face: "Have the young people nowadays even forgotten the legends of their hometown..." There was a sigh in her voice.

At this moment, Gao Zhijie suddenly spoke, his voice steady and powerful: "Snake is for seeing through, Monkey is for teaming up, Crow is for checking, Spider is for protecting."

Qian Jin took over the conversation and added: "They are the guardian beasts of the four major families." A complex light flashed in his eyes, as if he was recalling something.

Hua Lu nodded gently, her soft voice echoing in the silent assembly hall: "...Well, the totems of the four elder families of Baifeng Manor are the marks of the guardian beasts."

Qin Ming nodded thoughtfully, then asked, "...But how does the protector unleash the power of the protection?"

Granny Rong took a deep breath and began to explain in detail: "All the snake needs to do at night is write the name of another living person and put it under its pillow before sleeping... Qian Mingshen will tell the snake whether the other person is a human or a wolf the next morning." Her voice was low and mysterious, as if she was telling an ancient legend.

"There are two monkeys. When receiving a blessing, the Senmeijin will tell the monkey the other person's name."

"The Thousand Myojin tells the crows every day whether the person hanged the previous day was a human."

"All the spider has to do at night is write the name of another living person and put it under his pillow... and that person won't be attacked by wolves all night long."

Finally, Granny Rong took a deep breath and concluded in a serious tone: "Every day we can use the divine power of the guardian beast to choose one person to hang. If all the wolf gods are hanged, we win. If we are all killed, we lose. Qin Ming, do you understand?"

The atmosphere in the assembly hall instantly grew more solemn. Everyone's expression became complicated: some frowned in thought, some looked terrified, and some remained calm, yet a flicker of anxiety flickered in their eyes.

Qin Ming's brow furrowed, his gaze sweeping across everyone's face, as if weighing their reactions. Gao Mei's face remained pale, her hands gripping the armrests of her chair tightly, as if seeking a sense of security. Qian Jin leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, a hint of wariness in his eyes.

Qin Ming frowned, took a deep breath, and slowly said: "I understand, but..." Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Zhao Gang.

Zhao Gang stared at Granny Rong with his sharp eyes, his voice questioning, "Granny, how did you know this?"

A look of reminiscence emerged on Granny Rong's wrinkled face, and she answered softly, "My grandma told me." Her voice seemed to travel through time and space, carrying a bit of vicissitudes.

Gao Mei's eyes widened, and her voice trembled slightly: "In other words, the Protector is the elder who inherited the bloodline of the Guardian Beast family!?" Her hands clenched into fists unconsciously, and her knuckles turned white from the force.

Hualu shook her head gently, and her soft voice rang out in the silent assembly hall: "I heard... the identity of the Protector is randomly determined by the Guardian Beast." Her eyes swept over everyone present, as if looking for something.

Gao Mei's brows were furrowed, and there was a hint of anxiety in her voice: "...So, who is it?" Her eyes swept across everyone's faces, as if trying to find the answer.

Qin Ming's voice broke the brief silence, with a hint of vigilance in his tone: "If you reveal your identity casually, you might become the target of the Wolf God..." As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Gang took over.

A hint of impatience appeared on Zhao Gang's resolute face, and his voice was a little hurried: "But if you don't say anything, there will be no way to discuss it, right?"

Wang Lina's bright eyes flashed with a hint of cunning, and she asked softly, "Really?"

Zhao Gang seemed irritated by this atmosphere. He stood up abruptly, his voice tinged with anger. "Ah, this is so annoying! How can we even have this discussion in this timid atmosphere? Everyone, listen to me! I'm the protector of the Snake!"

His words exploded in the assembly hall like a bombshell.

Qian Jin and Wang Lina exclaimed at the same time: "Uh-" "Hey-"

Qin Ming's brows furrowed even more tightly, and there was a hint of doubt in his voice: "Brother Gang, is it true? By the way, how did you know..."

At this moment, Granny Rong's voice rang out again, a hint of apology in her tone: "I forgot to tell you, the guardian beast will leave a mark on the chosen person through the dream pillow. When you use the power of the gods, just write down your name at night, and the mark will tell us the answer."

Zhao Gang nodded, a hint of uncertainty in his voice: "Well, there is a mark on my body, and the rest... to be honest, I forgot."

Gao Mei's eyes lit up, and she asked anxiously, "The snake can see through it... So, Brother Gang, do you already know who the wolf is?"

Granny Rong shook her head, a hint of helplessness in her voice: "I just said that you must write down your name at night, and you can only check one person's identity in one night."

Gao Mei's face showed disappointment: "...Hey, so does that mean we won't know until tomorrow morning?"

Granny Rong nodded: "That's right."

At this moment, Qian Jin's steady voice sounded: "Can I ask you a question, Gangzi?" He looked directly at Zhao Gang with a hint of scrutiny in his eyes.

Zhao Gang turned his head and looked at Qian Jin warily: "What's the problem?"

Qian Jin's voice was filled with doubt: "Such important information, why would you disclose it at this time when it has no value..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the entire assembly hall suddenly became tense. Everyone's eyes were focused on Zhao Gang, waiting for his answer.

(End of this chapter)