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

Chapter 541 Tong Xiaoliang's Reasoning Ability
"Uncle Tang!" Tong Xiaoliang's voice trembled slightly, his young face filled with worry. Sunlight filtered through the thick fog, casting a golden glow in his dark brown pupils.

Wang Lina stood aside, twisting her hands nervously together, a helpless look on her delicate little face: "I can't refute what you said!" Her voice was soft, but with a hint of anxiety that was hard to conceal.

Tang Yin looked around at everyone. His deep eyes seemed to be able to see through people's hearts. "Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that she is still in the Hidden Mist Village. Can you continue to look for her in the village?"

Zhao Gang lowered his head slightly, his voice low and hoarse: "...Leave it to me." His weather-beaten face was full of fatigue, but his eyes were still firm.

Wang Lina stepped forward quickly, grabbed Tang Yin's sleeve, and said anxiously: "If there is danger, don't try to be brave." Her fingertips turned white from the force, showing her inner uneasiness.

Tong Xiaoliang suddenly stood up, his thin figure looking particularly frail in the mist. "Uncle Tang, you said that just now, right?"

"Hmm?" Tang Yin raised his eyebrows, motioning him to continue.

"Xiaomei saw something and then she couldn't believe us." Tong Xiaoliang's voice was very soft, but it was particularly clear in the silence.

"Well, what's wrong?" Tang Yin's eyes became deep, as if he was thinking about something.

Tong Xiaoliang bit his lower lip and said, "This must be nonsense, right?"

Tang Yin was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "...Who knows? It's just a possibility. But, maybe this is the truth."

"For example, did you see my or Qin Ming's fangs?" Tong Xiaoliang's words were filled with a hint of self-mockery, and a trace of imperceptible pain flashed in his eyes.

"Well, that's also a possibility." Tang Yin responded calmly.

"Well...how should I put it, it shouldn't be possible, right?" There was a hint of hesitation in Tong Xiaoliang's voice.

"Intuition?" Tang Yin keenly caught the hesitation in the boy's words.

"Hmm...it's just a hunch." Tong Xiaoliang lowered his head, his voice becoming softer and softer. "The rules of the Huangquan Feast seem to prevent the wolf from being discovered."

Tang Yin's pupils suddenly contracted:...Huh?

His voice grew deep and heavy. "Wolves are clearly attacking at night, yet humans can't go out, can't gather in one place to monitor each other, and can't conduct scientific investigations."

"Everything is happening unconsciously in the deep fog." His eyes penetrated the fog, as if looking for something.

"In other words, we can't find enough evidence to prove the identity of [Wolf]—" Tang Yin's words stopped abruptly and he fell into deep thought.

Without any evidence, the basis for players to send others to death, besides the mysterious [protection of the guardian beast], also includes twisted logic, incitement, sophistry, emotional reasoning, interpersonal relationships, popularity... in other words, [communication skills]...

Tong Xiaoliang raised his head, a strange light flashing in his eyes: "I don't know either, it's just a feeling. Actually, this rule is very strict, right?"

There was no definitive evidence, only the silver tongue as a weapon. Mutual suspicion, mutual harm, ugly fratricide, this kind of banquet—if such malicious intent truly existed, then Tong Xiaoliang's [intuition] was not without reason.

The autumn mountain breeze, carrying a damp scent, lingered in the misty mountains. Tang Yin looked at the young man beside him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "I didn't expect you to be a detective type?"

Tong Xiaoliang scratched his head a little embarrassedly when he heard this, a strand of hair falling from his slightly pale forehead: "Hey? Qin Ming is not that type, right? Maybe he has already found a lot of clues."

He silently noted it in his mind: ...I'll find a chance to ask him later.

The group walked along the winding mountain road. The soil under their feet was soft and damp, and the air was filled with the smell of rotting leaves. Gradually, the exit of the Hidden Mist Village came into view.

A massive gray rock proudly stands beside the mountain path, its surface covered with traces of time, moss growing quietly in the cracks. Like a torii gate with its crossbeams missing, it exudes a mysterious and solemn aura in the mist, as if silently speaking of some ancient faith.

Tang Yin stood in front of Li Yan and frowned slightly: "...There shouldn't be a rule that says you're out if you leave here, right?" There was a hint of caution in his voice.

"The rule is that you must attend the banquet." Tong Xiaoliang answered firmly, his voice echoing in the silent valley.

Everyone tacitly reached a consensus - they were just looking for Xiaomei, they didn't break any rules, so it should be safe. But an ominous thought emerged in everyone's mind: if that was the case, Xiaomei was out.

No one wanted to delve into this issue. They chose to suppress this possibility in their hearts, silently crossed the narrow mountain road between the rocks, and left the Hidden Mist Village shrouded in a strange atmosphere.

However, they soon stopped in their tracks. The sight before them made everyone gasp—the mountain road had collapsed.

Tong Xiaoliang squatted down, expertly examining the fractured mountain. He explained that the area was composed of weathered rock, making it prone to collapse, with landslides commonplace. The torrential rainstorm the night before the fog appeared was likely the culprit.

If there was some connection between the heavy rain and the fog, then the simultaneous occurrence of the landslide and the fog seemed no accident. A darker thought surfaced in everyone's minds—could this be man-made? The possibility that the people of Baifeng Village had deliberately destroyed the road leading to Baifeng Village to prevent the invasion of the Huangquan people could not be completely ruled out.

"Uncle Tang?" Tong Xiaoliang's voice suddenly broke the silence of the mountain. His expression was solemn, his body leaning forward slightly, his eyes fixed on a certain spot on the ground.

Tang Yin followed his gaze, his eyes instantly becoming sharp: "What is this...?" He squatted down and carefully touched the ground with his fingers.

On this loose soil, a series of clear footprints are particularly eye-catching.

They were the familiar tracks left by students' leather shoes. The ridges on the soles were clearly visible, even the shoe size could be discerned. Each footprint was like a silent signal, telling them the whereabouts of a missing girl. She was indeed nearby.

Everyone held their breath and followed the footprints. They stretched out all the way, finally coming to an abrupt end in front of a cliff about a meter high.

The cliff wasn't particularly steep, but the surface was slightly damp, the soil soft. Traces of fresh soil remained on the rock face, and scattered plant stems still oozed sap from their broken ends, clearly broken by someone climbing.

The girl chose a more dangerous path and disappeared into the unfathomable forest like a frightened deer.

"Let's go." Tong Xiaoliang's voice was filled with anxiety. He had already started moving his hands and feet, preparing to climb.

"Yeah." Tang Yin responded briefly, with a hint of worry in his eyes.

As a well-informed adult, Tang Yin was well aware that, from an academic perspective, a primeval forest is defined as an area devoid of human presence, preserving a complete natural ecosystem. While the forest before him was heavily planted with fir trees, clearly showing signs of human intervention, everything else remained unchanged from a primeval forest.

Looking out, the ground was covered with ferns, their leaves spreading out in vibrant green, with small saplings growing tenaciously in the cracks. Overhead, a lush, verdant landscape of branches and leaves obscured the sky, leaving only scattered rays of sunlight penetrating this natural barrier. Even more unsettling, the strange fog seemed even thicker here, floating in the air like wisps of cotton wool.

Tang Yin couldn't help but think to himself: Perhaps... this place really isn't for humans to set foot on. However, fate seemed to be playing a cruel joke on them. Fresh footprints were clearly visible on the ferns, and broken twigs lay scattered on the ground, each pointing to the invader's direction.

"Here." Tong Xiaoliang pointed to a particularly obvious mark.

Tang Yin frowned and warned, "Be careful, she might have gotten lost and strayed in."

Tong Xiaoliang ignored the warning and suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs, "Xiaomei!!"

"Um, is it okay to shout so loudly?" Tang Yin was startled by the sudden shout.

"This is common sense in the mountains, to scare away wild animals." Tong Xiaoliang explained while looking around vigilantly.

Tang Yin nodded silently. Indeed, in this environment, the beasts were the most realistic threat. Thinking of this, he also shouted loudly: "Xiao Mei!!!"

"Answer me!!!" Tong Xiaoliang's voice was choked with sobs.

The only responses they received were the echoes of the valley and the cries of unknown birds. Everyone, calling out the missing girl's name, carefully advanced through this eerie forest, taking every step with extreme caution, fearing they would miss any clues.

If she guessed correctly, she wanted to go back to the mountain road, but in order to avoid the cliffs and rocks, she walked further and further away.

Thick fog drifted through the forest, and after about ten minutes, Tang Yin and Tong Xiaoliang had completely lost their sense of direction. The surrounding fir trees all looked identical. Although there were traces of footprints, even the passage of time became blurred in this misty forest.

This place was indeed dangerous. Tang Yin clenched his fists, sweat dripping from his forehead. Where was she? His inner uneasiness grew stronger and stronger. Maybe even if he found her, it would be too late.

The thought of "unexplained death" brought Qin Yi's face to Tang Yin's mind. The image of that young man passing away without warning still haunted him. If another accident happened today, it would be the third person to die. The thought made his heart twitch slightly.

Tang Yin forced himself to calm down and continued to move forward cautiously on the slippery ground. At this moment, a faint sobbing sound suddenly came.

“Wuwuwu…wuwuwuwu…”

"Xiaomei!" Tong Xiaoliang recognized the voice instantly and became tense.

"Xiaoliang? Wuuuu... No, don't come over here..." The girl's voice was filled with panic and pain.

"Are you okay?!" Tang Yin raised his voice.

"...Please...don't chase me..." Xiaomei's voice became weaker and weaker.

Tang Yin felt a sense of foreboding. Had something terrible happened to her? The fear in her voice didn't seem feigned.

"Wait!" Tong Xiaoliang suddenly shouted.

"Hey, hey!" Before Tang Yin could stop him, Tong Xiaoliang had already rushed out decisively. The boy's thin figure instantly disappeared into the dense branches and fog, as if he had been swallowed by this strange forest.

"-Uncle Tang, come and help!" Tong Xiaoliang's voice came from the front, without any hesitation, as if he had already found the target.

Tang Yin didn't have time to think about it and hurriedly followed him. Pushing aside the layers of branches and leaves, the scene before him made him gasp.

"Ouch...it hurts...it hurts, ouch..." Gao Mei fell into a fern, trembling all over.

"Do your feet hurt?" Tong Xiaoliang squatted beside her and said in a gentle voice.

"No, no, it hurts so much!!" Gao Mei curled up in pain.

Her injuries were indeed serious. Blood was gushing out from her feet. A sharp branch had pierced through her leather shoes, piercing deep into her flesh.

"Did you step on a branch... Can you break it?" Tang Yin squatted down and carefully checked the injury.

Tong Xiaoliang shook his head: "No, I have to pull it out."

"It will tear the wound." Tang Yin frowned.

"There are hemostatic herbs and Houttuynia cordata nearby, which can be used for emergency treatment." Tong Xiaoliang said as he began to search quickly among the surrounding plants.

"You can even do this kind of thing?" Tang Yin was a little surprised.

"After all, the Qian family is a pharmacist's family." Tong Xiaoliang answered without raising his head.

Tang Yin had never heard of this before, but now he had no choice but to trust him. Looking at the young man's back as he skillfully gathered herbs, Tang Yin nodded secretly.

Everything that happened next happened quickly. Tang Yin carefully picked up the exhausted Xiaomei and decisively pulled out the branch amid her sobs. Tong Xiaoliang immediately stepped forward, using freshly collected herbs for emergency treatment, then bandaged the wound with a clean handkerchief to stop the bleeding.

"...Let's go back, Uncle Tang, can you carry me?" Tong Xiaoliang raised his head and asked.

"Of course, but aren't you going to carry it yourself?" Tang Yin looked at the thin boy in front of him.

"Well, my physique is very inconvenient, right?" Tong Xiaoliang smiled helplessly.

Looking at the boy's slightly frail figure, Tang Yin sighed silently in his heart: Xiaomei must be hoping that it's you who's carrying her on her back, right? He knew all too well the thoughts of a girl of this age.

Affected by the pain, Xiaomei's consciousness became increasingly blurred, and now she had no time to worry about such things.

Tang Yin: "You lead the way. I don't want to get lost here."

Tong Xiaoliang: "Returning the same way will definitely be no problem... However, if we continue forward, there is no guarantee."

(End of this chapter)