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

Chapter 597 The first target is Tang Yin?
Tang Yin's thoughts swirled around the bloody writing. If this method of notifying the protector's identity was overlooked, the consequences would be disastrous. He subconsciously touched his abdomen, imagining the scene of someone discovering the bloody writing in his sleep, or the bloodstains becoming a blur after turning over, making them unrecognizable. These were all potentially fatal risks.

But if, as Gao Zhijie said, the bloody words were formed by a supernatural force and wouldn't easily disappear or blur, then that made sense. Thinking of this, Tang Yin couldn't help but feel thankful for Gao Zhijie's reminder; otherwise, he wouldn't have noticed this detail. Perhaps there were still people who didn't even realize they had bloody words written on their stomachs.

Although he really wanted to find an opportunity to confirm the situation of the others, doing so would be tantamount to exposing his identity as a protector to the wolf, which was too risky. Under the dim light, Tang Yin frowned slightly, but unfortunately, there was no time for him to continue thinking about these details.

"That's enough. We've drunk the wine and listened to the old witch's words. Are you going to choose someone to execute now?" Qin Yi suddenly broke the silence, his young face full of impatience.

"Then how do I choose, huh?" His question was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples.

Tong Xiaoliang pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose, his voice trembling slightly. "If that legend is true, then several of us have actually died a long time ago, and now it's the wolves pretending, right?"

This horrible speculation made Gao Mei raise her head suddenly, ".! How is it possible!" There was an unconcealable fear in her voice.

"How could that be possible?" Zhao Gang's calm voice suddenly rang out. As always, he used reason to cut through these absurd speculations. True to his character, Zhao Gang always managed to cut through superstitions.

He continued, "This must be a conspiracy by the elders. They want to take advantage of the fog to kill a few of us and force us to surrender."

These words immediately drew Qian Jin's rebuttal. A trace of anger flashed across his dark face: "Zhao Gang, who do you think this elder is?"

Zhao Gang fought back without showing any weakness: "Isn't he just an evil heretic who has been eliminated by the times and has a corrupt mind? Can you deny it, huh?" There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Qin Ming frowned and interrupted thoughtfully, "However, how did they kill people in such a cruel way?"

Zhao Gang's momentum suddenly weakened: "I don't know about this either."

The air in the assembly hall seemed to freeze as everyone digested this terrifying speculation. Gao Zhijie's voice suddenly rang out, a solemn expression on his wrinkled face. "Zhao Gang, that matter doesn't matter. The most important thing is that if we ignore it, we will be slaughtered by the wolves."

A look of determination flashed in the old man's eyes. "We must hang the wolf at the banquet. There is no other way."

Zhao Gang was stunned. Looking at this usually amiable old man, he felt an indescribable sense of oppression for the first time: "Uncle Gao."

Elder Gao Zhijie's words stirred a subtle ripple in the dimly lit assembly hall. It hinted to everyone present that he had personally experienced the cruelty of the banquet. But perhaps because of the dignity radiating from his weathered face, or perhaps because of his standing within the village, no one questioned his words. After all, in this strange situation, having someone who had experienced the banquet and survived was a blessing for everyone.

"Gao Zhijie, how do you decide who gets hanged?" Granny Rong's aged voice broke the silence. As soon as she finished speaking, all eyes in the room turned to Elder Gao Zhijie. Everyone present expressed their trust in the elder, as if he were the only guiding light in this chaotic situation.

"Uncle Gao." Zhao Gang called softly, with a hint of expectation in his voice.

"Grandpa." Gao Mei looked at her grandfather timidly, her little hands tightly clutching the corner of his clothes.

Gao Zhijie slowly scanned the area, finally locking his gaze on one person. "Hey, young man," he suddenly said, his voice steady and powerful.

"Your name is Tang Yin, right?"

"What's wrong?" Tang Yin answered subconsciously.

"Can you just die?" Gao Zhijie's words were like a sharp sword, piercing directly into Tang Yin's heart.

"——Huh?" Tang Yin's brain seemed to stop working in an instant, and even the most basic thinking ability was temporarily lost. This sudden proposal made him completely at a loss as to how to respond.

"Hua Lu, fill this young man's cup with another glass." Gao Zhijie gestured to the girl beside him.

"Mr. Gao." Hua Lu hesitated to speak, her pretty face full of hesitation.

"That's enough, pour the wine quickly." Gao Zhijie's tone became unquestionable.

Hualu lowered her head silently, not refuting any more arguments. Her slender fingers picked up the wine bottle and glass, but her movements were slightly hesitant.

"Well, it's better not to drink it." She advised in a low voice, her voice so soft that it was almost swallowed by the air.

"It's okay. I'll drink it." Tang Yin took the glass and gestured for her to fill it up. Under the light, the wine glowed dark red, as if foreshadowing something ominous.

"What do you mean?" Tang Yin stared at the shaking wine in the glass and asked softly.

As soon as he finished speaking, he tilted his head back and drank the wine in the glass. The spicy wine slid down his throat and ignited a fire in his stomach.

Tang Yin put down his wine glass and began to scan the room. He saw Tong Xiaoliang with his head bowed, Qin Ming turned away, the dodging adults, the cowering children, the silent elderly people, and Wang Lina's face, filled with apology.

Aside from Mr. Gao Zhijie's piercing eyes, no one dared to meet his gaze. A suffocating heaviness hung in the air, making even breathing difficult.

So that's how it was. Tang Yin finally understood. A bitter smile curled up at the corner of his mouth, and the wine glass in his hand cast a lonely shadow under the light. The thick fog outside the window seemed to grow even thicker at this moment, completely isolating the entire world from this space filled with despair.

"First, we must execute someone everyone can accept. If we don't, the wolves will win." Gao Zhijie's voice echoed in the dimly lit assembly hall, each word carrying a weighty weight. His wrinkled face, illuminated by the oil lamp, looked particularly solemn.

"We can't waste a single day, but no one seems to be suspecting anything yet." The old man's gaze swept across everyone present, finally landing on Tang Yin. "One person dies, in exchange for information." These words struck Tang Yin's heart like a hammer. The thick fog outside the window seemed to become even more eerie and terrifying at this moment.

Tang Yin's mind raced—so that's what happened. Gao Zhijie was trying to force the crows to reveal themselves as quickly as possible, thereby identifying himself. This old man was truly a master of banquet strategy, well-versed in the tactics of using Protectors as the core. Furthermore, from the perspective of maintaining unity at the scene, choosing newcomers as sacrifices perfectly aligned with psychological theory.

If it were him who died, Tang Yin thought with a wry smile. Judging from the current atmosphere, it didn't seem unacceptable. But how could he possibly accept death so calmly? At this moment, Tang Yin's mind was filled with thoughts of survival and escape. More importantly, as the protector of the snake, his death would be of no benefit to the human camp.

"Are you here to commit suicide?" Gao Zhijie's voice interrupted Tang Yin's thoughts, and his cloudy but sharp eyes looked straight at him.

"Will you die for us?" The old man asked with a hint of inducement in his tone.

It's so natural, Tang Yin sighed inwardly. If he said something like, "I don't want to die yet," he wouldn't be immediately suspected of being a wolf, but it would definitely leave a bad impression on everyone. Once labeled a coward, he would lose his popularity in the village and, in turn, his voice.

At this moment, the survival of the Hidden Mist Village was at stake. Elder Gao Zhijie was clearly attempting to seize control and take control of the situation. If he lost his voice at this critical juncture, Tang Yin, as an outsider, could be executed at any moment.

The only way out was to subtly hint that he was a man who didn't deserve to die, but that would also make the wolf aware of his danger. This dilemma caused Tang Yin's temples to ache.

"--Pour him another glass." Gao Zhijie's voice sounded again, his fingers tapping lightly on the table.

"But." Hua Lu hesitated to speak, her pretty face full of worry.

"I'll drink." Tang Yin took the glass without hesitation. Through the amber liquid, he seemed to see through Gao Zhijie's intentions—he had set up this drinking party, hoping to drown his sorrows and alleviate the chosen one's fear of death. The old fox was indeed far-sighted.

The problem was, this level of alcohol wasn't enough to make Tang Yin drunk. He stared at the swirling liquor in his glass, his gaze growing increasingly penetrating. The atmosphere in the assembly hall grew increasingly solemn, even the sound of breathing becoming distinct. Everyone present was waiting for his response, and his every decision could potentially affect the fate of the situation.

Is it time to be prepared? Tang Yin's fingers unconsciously tightened a little, his knuckles turning slightly white from the exertion. The flame of the oil lamp swayed gently in the breeze, casting mottled shadows on the wall, as if silently witnessing this life-or-death decision.

"That." Tang Yin was about to speak, but his voice was interrupted by a sharp shout.

"Wait! What are you trying to say?!" Xia Hui suddenly stood up from her seat, her bright eyes burning with anger. This unexpected incident made Tang Yin secretly relieved and silently waited for her to continue.

"I can't stand it anymore. Do you really want to do this? If so, you can just play this farce by yourselves!" Xia Hui's voice trembled slightly with excitement, and her delicate little face turned red with anger.

"Xia Hui." Tang Yin called her name softly, with a hint of complicated emotions in his eyes.

"Don't you think it's too strange? It just happened to be a flat tire, and this happened the next day?" Xia Hui's voice became sharper. She looked around at everyone present, her eyes full of doubt.

"I thought this was a routine from the last era. Isn't this the custom of robbing outsiders for money and killing them?" Her words were like a sharp dagger, directly piercing the most sensitive part of everyone's heart.

"That's not true!" Zhao Gang suddenly stood up, his young face twisted with excitement. He quickly walked over to Xia Hui and explained eagerly, "I understand what you mean, but this is really a coincidence! Everyone sympathizes with you!"

"Whatever you say to Tang Yin now, it will be my turn next time!" Xia Hui fought back without showing any weakness, tears flashing in her eyes.

"There's no such thing. Sacrificing Tang Yin is just Mr. Gao's idea." Zhao Gang's tone softened, trying to comfort the emotional girl.

"Zhao Gang!" Gao Zhijie's voice exploded like thunder, shaking the entire assembly hall.

"Uncle Gao, we can't do this! We should discuss it together and find out the suspicious person." Zhao Gang turned around and looked directly into the old man's eyes, with a hint of pleading in his voice.

"No one is suspicious, so everyone is suspicious." Gao Zhijie's voice was low and calm, yet it carried an undeniable power. "There's no point in discussing this."

"Everyone is a suspect? Including me, Uncle Gao?" There was a hint of disbelief in Zhao Gang's voice.

"Yeah." The old man responded briefly.

".Why?"

"This has nothing to do with Huangquan Ji's banquet." Gao Zhijie slowly stood up, his tall figure casting a long shadow in the dim light. At that moment, his back showed no signs of aging, but instead exuded a frightening majesty.

"The monster is among us. Though it may appear innocent now, it will kill us at night without a care in the world." His voice echoed in the silent room, each word carrying a thousand-pound weight. "This is Huangquan's Banquet. You can't win by relying on human feelings."

"Ha, monster? Old man, are you also senile? Huh?" Qin Yi suddenly sneered, his young face full of disdain.

"Qin Yi, please, don't say anymore." Chen Xiang hurriedly grabbed his sleeve, her pale face full of worry.

"Old woman, do you also believe that there are monsters among us? I don't believe it." Qin Yi shook off Chen Xiang's hand, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "However, I do care about who scattered the nails near the van."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire assembly hall fell into a dead silence. The thick fog outside the window seemed to grow even more eerie at that moment, swallowing up all the light. A shadow shrouded everyone's face, their eyes filled with fear, suspicion, and anger. Invisible undercurrents surged in this confined space. Tang Yin could sense that the situation was heading in an unpredictable direction.

(End of this chapter)