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

Chapter 549 The Edge of Reason
In the dim light of the assembly hall, the figures of five people were clearly visible. Qian Jin sat in the center, his weathered face filled with solemnity.

Chen Xiang sat quietly in a corner, wiping tears from her eyes with a handkerchief. The twin sisters, Xiao Mei and Xiao Mei, cuddled together, their eyes filled with fear.

Granny Rong leaned on a rattan chair by the wall, closing her eyes to rest, but from her slightly furrowed brows it could be seen that she was not as calm as she appeared.

It is almost impossible that these five people are accomplices because they have never left the assembly hall.

Tang Yin stood by the window, the moonlight filtering through the sill casting mottled shadows on his face. He turned to face the others, his eyes sharp. "...Could it be that someone killed two people in the space of a few minutes, then cleaned up the blood, changed clothes, and immediately returned to your group?"

Wang Lina shook her head, her delicate little face looked particularly pale with fear: "It's impossible, this kind of thing." She subconsciously twisted her fingers and trembled slightly all over.

Tang Yin's eyes swept across the faces of everyone present: "Can you see each other when you are searching?"

Hualu lowered her eyes, her white shrine maiden costume standing out in the dim light. "You can't see. We're acting separately..."

"Let's go back to the assembly hall first." Tang Yin said in a deep voice.

The group walked through the moonlit courtyard toward the assembly hall. Qian Jin still stood diligently at the door, his weathered face full of fatigue. According to him, apart from the deceased and the search team, no one had left the assembly hall.

This fact makes the case even more confusing - the murderer must be among Tang Yin and the search team.

Tang Yin insisted that he was in the room at the time. Although others were skeptical, they finally reluctantly accepted his alibi.

Zhao Gang stood in the corner, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Tang Yin. Clearly, Tang Yin's alibi was weak compared to the others. Suspecting him of being the murderer was understandable, but that wasn't the case.

After careful reasoning, Tang Yin came up with the only possible scenario. He took a deep breath and said, "...they died after leaving the assembly hall. Someone else hid the murder weapon."

Zhao Gang sneered, his voice tinged with sarcasm: "You're the only one who can do this, right?"

"Didn't I say he was in the room at that time!" Wang Lina suddenly raised her voice, with a determined light flashing in her almond-shaped eyes.

Tang Yin maintained a calm expression: "I insist that I am innocent. Let's discuss the cause of their death on this premise." His voice was steady and powerful.

Qin Ming pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a bright light. "...You've been very careful with your words since just now, and you didn't use the word 'murder'."

"Did you discover it too?" Tang Yin's lips curled up slightly. "Yes, it seems that it is also possible that he committed suicide, died of illness or was poisoned, and then the body was damaged and the murder weapon was hidden."

Qian Jin stood up abruptly, his massive figure casting a shadow in the light. "What good will this do us?" His eyes were red as he pointed at Tang Yin excitedly. "Besides, if Wang Lina is your accomplice, then this matter would be very simple, right?"

The air seemed to freeze in an instant. Moonlight filtered through the paper windows, casting mottled shadows on the floor. The atmosphere in the assembly hall grew even more solemn, and everyone held their breath.

The air in the assembly hall was stagnant and heavy. Tang Yin slowly raised his head, his gaze sharp as a torch. "What good will this do us?" His voice was calm and composed, like a bottomless pool of stagnant water.

Qian Jin snorted coldly, a sinister look flashing across his wrinkled face: "Hmph, who knows... maybe you two have known each other for a long time."

Wang Lina stood up suddenly, her lavender dress swaying slightly in the dim light: "Uh... don't talk nonsense, and, even if it is, so what?" There was a hint of panic in her voice.

Qian Jin narrowed his eyes, a chilling smile appearing on his face. "Is it possible that he could exploit the villagers' beliefs and pretend to be a monster to kill people for fun?"

"--Don't say anymore, even if it's just speculation, you have to stop!" Qin Ming suddenly interrupted Qian Jin. He pushed the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, and the eyes behind the lenses were full of warning.

Granny Rong stood up tremblingly. Her faded gray gown looked particularly old in the moonlight. "Stop talking, Qian Jin...!!"

Afterward, Granny Rong stumbled out of the assembly hall. Gao Mei, Xiao Mei, and Chen Xiang remained seated inside, their figures looking particularly lonely in the dim light. At this moment, excluding Tang Yin, only nine of the banquet attendees remained.

Granny Rong stood in the moonlight, worry written all over her wrinkled face. "...Whoever killed Xiaoliang and Grandpa broke the rules." Her voice was hoarse and weak. Then, she raised her hands, covered in age spots. "Qian Ming Shen will definitely execute the pollution."

After saying this, she clasped her hands together and bowed deeply toward the summit of Qianming Mountain, facing the opposite side of the Divine River Valley. The night breeze gently brushed against her graying hair, bringing a hint of coolness.

Strangely, this gesture seemed to possess some mysterious power, instantly calming the previously tense atmosphere. Hualu followed suit, clasping her hands together, her pristine white miko costume shimmering softly in the moonlight. Xiaome, who had just emerged, followed suit, imitating the others.

This is the unique solution of this isolated mountain village - to leave all disputes to the judgment of a being beyond mortals.

Zhao Gang frowned, confusion written all over his young face: "...Mother-in-law, what should we do about today's situation?"

"One more person's blood has been shed..." Grandma Rong sighed, "Grandpa is dead too, the banquet is over, let's clean up." Her voice was full of helplessness and fatigue.

"I understand, Qin Ming, come and help." Zhao Gang turned and said to the young man wearing glasses.

Tang Yin took a step forward: "What about me?"

Zhao Gang gave him a cold look and said, "Stay here quietly."

Seeing the worst had already happened and the darkness of the night growing thicker, everyone hurried back to their rooms and began to practice the taboo.

When Tang Yin returned to Room 203, he was shocked by a disturbing discovery—the window had been nailed shut with thick nails. The fresh nail marks on the wooden window still carried a faint smell of sawdust. At that moment, Zhao Gang's words suddenly rang in his ears: "If you're truly not the murderer, even if I lock you up here, things will continue to get worse, right?"

This actually made him feel a little relieved - at least Zhao Gang hadn't completely denied his innocence. The night outside the window deepened, and the shadows of the trees swayed like spirits whispering in the dark.

Perhaps it was because he had already handed this bizarre incident over to the mountain god for judgment that Zhao Gang remained so calm. Or perhaps, he had completely accepted the possibility of supernatural beings. Tang Yin stroked his chin, a thoughtful glint in his eyes.

But one thing is certain: Zhao Gang is slowly giving up independent thinking. This attitude is undoubtedly dangerous.

"Is Master Wolf really a wolf?" Tang Yin muttered to himself. This possibility couldn't be ruled out. His gaze fell on a shadow in the corner of the room, as if it held the answer.

The worst-case scenario was that the Wolf Camp hadn't suffered a single loss so far. Among the nine remaining humans, there were likely two wolves in human skin. Tang Yin closed his eyes and began to sort through the information in his mind.

Excluding Qian Jin, Zhao Gang, and Xiao Mei, whose identities had already been confirmed, the remaining six were all suspects. He recalled that Wang Lina had previously, at his suggestion, let the monkey reveal its identity. Tong Xiaoliang and Xiao Mei were likely the legendary monkey.

Thinking of this, Tang Yin felt a bitterness in his heart. It was a pity that Xiao Liang was already dead. This was not only a great loss for the human camp, but also meant that he had one less person from the Hidden Mist Village to communicate with.

Recalling every detail of Xiao Liang's life, Tang Yin couldn't help but let a wry smile play on his face. In a traditional place like Kirigakure, Xiao Liang was undoubtedly an outlier. It was this very difference that made him so interesting to Tang Yin. He never expected such a vibrant life to vanish in such an unclear manner.

"I must seek justice for you." Tang Yin swore secretly in his heart, his eyes became firm and sharp.

Taking a deep breath, he continued to gather his thoughts. Zhao Gang's target for today's investigation was Xiaomei, whose behavior was suspicious. By tomorrow, there would only be five suspects left. The probability of catching the wolf was two in five, which wasn't bad.

Tang Yin stood up and paced back and forth in the room. A murderer who killed every night couldn't possibly leave no trace. Ordinary people have limited psychological endurance, and flaws are bound to appear. Furthermore, if they could identify the wolf, they might be able to force him to reveal information about his accomplices.

But this was only the most optimistic scenario. If we were to assume the worst, the current situation was dire. According to the normal rules of the Huangquan Feast, one person should die during the day and one at night. But this time, four people died at once, as if things were going into double speed.

Gao Mei had nearly lost her life, and Chen Xiang's mental state was in jeopardy. Worse still, the relationship between the two seemed to be deteriorating. Tang Yin rubbed his temples, thinking of Chen Xiang's frail condition. Due to the chaos of the afternoon, no one had even had a proper meal.

"Hunger will only make the situation worse." Tang Yin looked out the window at the gradually brightening sky and thought to himself, "I must find a way to cook a meal tomorrow no matter what."

"No matter how careful we are, there's no way to guarantee there won't be any accidents," he muttered to himself, his eyes slightly dark. What worried him most was that if someone, desperate and desperate, took the risk of killing the wolf, even at the risk of contamination, the consequences would be disastrous.

If they were unlucky and only humans died while the wolf camp remained unscathed, then by tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, the human camp would be completely wiped out. Thinking of this, Tang Yin's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Suddenly, a bold idea flashed through his mind - escape!

This idea had been brewing in his mind since daytime. Although the mountain road had collapsed, he could still choose to go through the primeval forest. While dangerous there, at least there was no supernatural threat. If he was careful enough, he might actually find a way out.

Tang Yin cast his gaze toward the rolling hills outside the window. There lay another hidden route—the Divine River Valley. Although the villagers were wary of this route, given the current situation, it might actually be the safest option.

He stood up and walked to the window. Climbing down the cliff was indeed dangerous, but the route to the Divine River Valley didn't branch, so there was no need to worry about getting lost. Just be careful not to get swept away by the rushing stream; it was better than just sitting there and waiting to die.

However, a new worry surfaced. Simply suggesting an escape could bring fatal danger. According to Hualu, only those who broke the rules would be contaminated. While suicide could prevent contamination, allowing others to escape might itself be a violation of the rules.

"It is definitely not a wise move to directly suggest running away." Tang Yin frowned, his fingers unconsciously stroking the stubble on his chin.

More importantly, there was something else that kept him awake at night—there was a very real possibility of some kind of monster lurking in this village, a terrifying being that used the Hidden Mist Village as its lair and specialized in brutally killing people.

Qin Yi's tragic death was the best proof; not even a complete body was left. The superstitions circulating here were clearly not groundless, and the hidden dangers must be taken seriously. His own escape plan completely ignored this point.

"How should I respond?" Tang Yin muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on the dim oil lamp in the corner of the room. Perhaps he could only hope that the folklore of Baifeng Village held more useful information, such as the Wolf God's weaknesses, or clues to the truth.

He suddenly remembered the clapping song Wang Lina and the others had sung earlier. The lyrics clearly told the story of the Huangquan Ji Feast. Although he couldn't remember the entire song now, the fragmented lyrics did contain a lot of information.

As the night deepened, the light from the oil lamp flickered on the wall. Tang Yin's eyes grew firmer. Perhaps the key to uncovering the truth behind this banquet lay in the ancient culture and customs of the Hidden Mist Village.

It is indeed necessary to ask Hua Lu about the elders and Baifengzhuang's unique way of praying.

Tang Yin felt that he must obtain new information before noon tomorrow.

Moreover, we must ensure that the banquet goes smoothly, which is the only way to survive.

...As for today's banquet...

The person chosen was Master Wolf. No matter what Tang Yin thought, the reason was that he was the least valuable.

From a rational point of view, excluding people without value is indeed important to a certain extent.
However, six people have already died, and we can no longer kill people based on suspicion.

Even yesterday, there was no execution for such a serious reason.

...Although execution is an unavoidable option, if this trend of killing people based solely on suspicion continues to spread, it will become uncontrollable.

(End of this chapter)