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

Chapter 542 The Secret of the Wolf
When Tang Yin returned to the village entrance carrying Gao Mei, Qin Ming immediately rushed over, his face filled with anxiety. His white shirt was soaked with sweat, and it was obvious that he had been searching everywhere.

"Xiaomei, that's great, I'm glad you're okay!" Qin Ming breathed a sigh of relief, his voice still trembling.

Tong Xiaoliang shook his head, a serious expression on his thin face: "It's not that I'm fine, Brother Gang, go find Granny Rong quickly, Xiaomei is injured."

"Okay." Zhao Gang immediately turned around and ran towards the center of the village. His strong figure quickly disappeared in the thick fog.

The entire Kirigakure Village was now in turmoil. Unnoticed, it was already afternoon, the gloomy sky making it impossible to tell the exact time. Gao Mei's failed escape attempt had completely disrupted everyone's rhythm, and they still hadn't been able to resolve the current predicament.

Tang Yin stood at the entrance of the village, looking at the villagers who gradually gathered. Their faces were filled with fear and anxiety. After all, the news of Gao Zhijie being brutally killed by wolves was still fresh in their minds, and Qin Yi had suddenly passed away due to pollution.

Although Qin Yi's death was heartbreaking for everyone, Tang Yin knew that such a meaningless death would only make the banquet increasingly unfavorable to the human camp. He secretly clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.

There's no guarantee the executed individuals were wolves. In such cases, the possibility of accidentally killing an innocent companion is high. Worst case scenario, the wolves might have manipulated the entire feast, deliberately misleading the humans into killing each other.

Tang Yin closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind. The wolf would definitely assert his innocence while constantly pointing out the suspicious qualities of others, attempting to use them as sacrifices. This was a perfectly obvious strategy.

Based on the available intelligence, Tang Yin came to a conclusion: To achieve victory, the human camp must discern the wolves' intentions and uncover their true identities. This was an unavoidable and necessary step.

If Gao Mei were human, she would have disappeared or been presumed dead. Tang Yin's brow furrowed. For wolves, the death of a human who broke the rules was undoubtedly welcome news.

A terrible thought suddenly flashed through his mind: Could it be that the wolves were secretly encouraging them to break the rules? If so, it meant that the wolves had fully grasped the full picture of the rules and were coldly advancing their plan of blood sacrifice for humans.

Tang Yin recalled the situation he'd feared most yesterday, and it had finally happened—the wolf had killed the person most crucial to the progress of the banquet. This wasn't a random choice, nor was it simply based on personal preference. The situation he was in was even more dangerous than he'd imagined.

Worse still, Qin Yi's death had completely devastated Madam Chen Xiang. The woman who had been responsible for the village's meals could no longer support them, leaving the entire Wuyin Village without a guaranteed three meals a day. Watching the wisps of smoke rising from the distant kitchen gradually dissipate, Tang Yin's heart sank to the bottom.

The villagers' restless whispers echoed in my ears, and the thick fog seemed to grow even more eerie. How long would this banquet of life and death last?
The fog outside the window seemed to take on a physical presence, oppressing everyone's nerves. Mrs. Chen Xiang slowly approached from the kitchen, holding a stained copper tray in her hands. Her once plump and graceful figure was now hunched, as if she had aged ten years overnight.

"Everyone, everyone, thank you for your hard work, that..." Her voice was fragmented, as if torn apart by some invisible force. Several cups of steaming tea sat on the tray, making subtle clinking sounds as she trembled uncontrollably.

Mrs. Chen Xiang's face took on a sickly gray hue, her thin lips bloodless. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably, like a dead leaf poised to fall, a heartbreaking sight. Her once gentle eyes were now bloodshot, their sockets sunken, like a soulless corpse.

Tang Yin watched the usually smiling hostess, now forcing herself to appear elegant, and a pang of pain pierced her heart. The death of her husband, Qin Yi, had dealt her such a heavy blow that the heart-wrenching pain seemed to overflow from every pore.

At this moment, Zhao Gang, who should have stood up to comfort her, just lowered his head, frowning. His angular face was full of worries, and his rough fingers kept stroking the edge of the teacup, as if there was some answer hidden there.

Finally, Wang Lina couldn't bear it anymore. The young female teacher gently put her arm around Mrs. Chen Xiang's hunched shoulders and gently but firmly helped her toward the stairs. "Madam, please go and rest first." Mrs. Chen Xiang nodded woodenly and let Wang Lina lead her back to her bedroom on the second floor.

A heavy atmosphere spread throughout the living room. Qian Jin suddenly broke the dead silence, a hint of impatience on his angular face: "Is it about time for today's banquet to begin?"

This suggestion completely ignored the sad atmosphere in the room. Zhao Gang frowned and said in a low voice: "..There is no time for that now, right?"

Qian Jin sneered, a hint of sarcasm appearing on his thin face. "Do you want today to end like this? The wolves will show no mercy to us. This is the situation now." His eyes swept over everyone present, and his voice became sharper. "We are helpless here, isn't this playing into the wolves' hands? One of them must be hanged today. Am I right, Gangzi?"

Zhao Gang was silent for a long time. Finally, he raised his head, a trace of fatigue in his eyes. "I understand. Qin Ming, call the people upstairs down."

Upstairs, besides the injured Gao Mei and Granny Rong who was taking care of her, there were also Chen Xiang and Wang Lina. Tong Xiaoliang immediately stood up from the sofa: "Ah, I'll go."

"I'll go, Xiaoliang." Qin Ming also said, his tall figure blocking the stairs.

"I'll go," Tong Xiaoliang repeated stubbornly. Tang Yin keenly noticed that Xiaoliang glanced at him meaningfully, a look that seemed to hold some kind of hint.

"Not so fast~" Tong Xiaoliang's tone suddenly became frivolous, with an inexplicable smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.

Zhao Gang coughed lightly. "Well, it's nothing, but we have to call everyone down."

Hua Lu, who was standing by the window, took a step forward. Her slender figure looked particularly thin in the dim light. "I'll go get ready."

"Please." Qian Jin nodded, but his eyes always stayed on a certain corner.

"Ah, wait." Xiao Mee suddenly spoke, and a strange look flashed across her round face.

Tang Yin's heart suddenly tightened—the opportunity had finally arrived. He could sense that the unease in the air had solidified into something substantial, and this was the perfect moment to break the deadlock.

The opportunity had finally arrived. Tang Yin narrowed his eyes and, taking advantage of the chaos, turned to the taciturn Qin Ming. In the dim living room, Qin Ming's tall figure leaned against the mahogany stair railing, shrouded in shadow.

"Qin Ming, is it convenient now?" Tang Yin deliberately lowered his voice, as if it was a casual chat.

Qin Ming was slightly startled and turned around. A trace of confusion flashed across his well-defined face: "Hey, what's wrong?"

"My condolences to you for the loss of Qin Yi." Tang Yin's gaze fell on Qin Ming's slightly tired face. In the dim light, the dark circles under the young man's eyes were particularly noticeable.

"Well, thank you for your concern. I hope this comforts his soul." Qin Ming's tone was calm and restrained, as if he were talking about a deceased person he didn't know well. Tang Yin looked at him thoughtfully. "Your way of speaking is very mature."

Qin Ming suddenly revealed a somewhat forced smile, and his tone became more relaxed: "Ahaha, it really is better to be direct, right?"

Tang Yin secretly memorized this standard social etiquette. He continued to probe, "It seems like the relationship between you brothers isn't very good?"

Qin Ming's expression froze for a moment, then returned to normal: "No such thing, it's just that we haven't communicated much recently. In fact, he is a very kind person." As he said this, his fingers unconsciously stroked the stair railing, as if looking for some support.

"I think so too. He is not a bad boy at heart. How is his relationship with his mother?" Tang Yin's eyes never left Qin Ming's face.

"Although his attitude is bad, Qin Yi actually likes mom very much. Mom also likes Qin Yi more than me." There was a barely perceptible bitterness in Qin Ming's voice.

Realizing that he might have touched a sore spot, Tang Yin quickly waved his hand: "Ah, that, I didn't mean to pry into your privacy. Sorry, sorry."

There are no uncomplicated interpersonal relationships. In short, the deeper you get into them, the more dangerous they become. Tang Yin warned himself in his heart.

"Sorry, what you want to ask is..." Qin Ming hesitated to speak.

"There are many questions, especially the legends here." Tang Yin changed the subject at the right time.

Qin Ming breathed a sigh of relief: "If that's the case, Granny Rong would understand better, right?"

"I like to communicate with reasonable people." Tang Yin took a step forward and lowered his voice. "First question, why do wolves kill people?"

".Because of the hatred for being murdered by humans in the past." Qin Ming's answer was a bit mechanical.

Tang Yin's eyes suddenly became sharp. "Let me put it this way, why can the person playing the wolf decisively kill his companions and family?"

".Hey?" Qin Ming's pupils suddenly contracted.

".Um, hey. That." His voice began to tremble.

Suddenly, Qin Ming seemed to have thought of something, and his tone became alert: "Are you doubting me or Xiaomei?"

"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean that," Tang Yin quickly tried to appease him. "As far as common sense is concerned, if someone tells you that you are a wolf, would you be determined to kill someone?"

Qin Ming took a half step back, his face pale. "How is that possible?" His voice was filled with disbelief, as if he was frightened by this assumption. The moonlight from the window shone through the glass onto him, stretching his shadow very long, like a crack across the floor.

Moonlight flowed like water across the worn wooden floorboards of the Hidden Mist Village. Wind chimes on the eaves swayed gently in the night breeze, emitting crisp sounds. Tang Yin leaned against the window, gazing at the thick night outside. His bony fingers gently tapped the mottled paint on the windowsill. He spoke slowly, "Well, how could it be possible? Most people have consciences and fears. How could they so easily decide to kill someone?"

His voice was soft, but remarkably clear in the silent room. Qin Ming stood there, his hands unconsciously clenching and unclenching, his pale knuckles tinged with bluish-white. The cold sweat on his forehead shimmered faintly in the light of the wall lamp.

Tang Yin turned, the night breeze lifting the hem of his dark coat. His gaze fell on the yellowed landscape painting on the opposite wall, as if pondering something. "Through my interactions with Xiaoliang, I've discovered something: Although people here are very afraid of certain concepts, this isn't absolute."

The wall lamp cast a flickering shadow on the wall, and Tang Yin's eyes grew deep. He took a step forward, his voice filled with a certain certainty: "To protect the one I love, I will not hesitate, even if it means facing pollution or wolves."

"Well, Xiaoliang is different from us. He's a genius." Qin Ming lowered his head, a hint of mixed emotion in his voice. His fingers unconsciously twisted the corner of his clothes, as if trying to calm his inner uneasiness.

"Genius?" Tang Yin raised his eyebrows, a hint of inquiry flashing in his eyes.

Qin Ming raised his head, a strange glint in his eyes. His voice suddenly grew firm. "Yes, he can calmly make predictions and decisions that ordinary people can't. And, for him, it doesn't matter if he gives up everything except the most important things."

At this point, Qin Ming's tone suddenly softened, and a faint smile even appeared at the corner of his mouth: "Most people think he has a problem with his brain, but I think he is a true genius."

"Is that so? I feel the same way." Tang Yin nodded thoughtfully, then changed the subject, his eyes becoming sharper. "But, what I mean is, would you really become murderers for something as magical as pollution?"

The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment. The old wooden floorboards creaked softly, like a sigh of relief. Tang Yin continued, "Of course, if it weren't for murder, it would be contaminated, so most people would hesitate and commit murder.

He stared directly at Qin Ming, as if trying to see through his heart: "But this time, Wolf's killing method was without hesitation."

Qin Ming subconsciously took a half step back and leaned against the wall. The dim light cast a shadow on his face, making it difficult to see his expression. His Adam's apple rolled slightly. "I don't know what you mean, but this kind of thing is ultimately related to the wolf's personality and qualities, right?"

His voice gradually regained its composure, yet with a barely perceptible tremor: "If the other party had no objection to killing, this problem wouldn't exist."

"There are two wolves, right?" Tang Yin suddenly asked. The cry of an unknown bird outside the window pierced the silence of the night, making the question seem particularly harsh.

"Well, you're right." Qin Ming's voice was very soft, like a feather falling to the ground. His eyes drifted out the window, as if he wanted to avoid the topic.

Tang Yin's gaze grew sharper, as if he could see through the truth in the darkness. "So, in this small village of Kirigakure, there are at least two people who possess the qualities of a murderer?"

(End of this chapter)