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

Chapter 607 The True Face of the Raccoon Dog

A rare smile appeared on Granny Rong's face: "Well-cooked pickled animal meat is delicious." Her withered fingers tapped lightly on her crutch, as if she was savoring something.

Tang Yin's mind flashed back to the animal meat dishes he'd eaten, wondering if any of them were considered good. Under the dim light, his expression was thoughtful. "So what this means is that at some point, a raccoon dog will come and run away with the pickled animal meat, right?"

"That's right." Grandma Rong nodded, and a deep light flashed in her turbid eyes.

Tang Yin frowned, his voice filled with confusion. "Well, I've never seen a raccoon dog before." He glanced at everyone present. "Whether it was at Baifeng Manor or at the Huangquan Ji Banquet."

An eerie silence suddenly fell over the cafeteria. Outside the window, the chirping of insects was audible, and the night breeze gently swayed the branches, casting dappled shadows on the floor. I had expected an immediate answer, but the reactions of these people were unexpected.

Tang Yin coughed lightly, breaking the suffocating silence. "...Hey, I guess I'm not mistaken. The four guardian beasts correspond to the four elder families, but the truth about the raccoon dog remains unknown." His fingers tapped unconsciously on the table. "I once suspected the raccoon dog might be a wolf, but no matter how you look at it, it seems too far-fetched."

Seeing that everyone was still silent, he couldn't help but lower his voice a bit: "...Is there some secret that is inconvenient to disclose?"

Wang Lina turned to Hualu, who had remained silent: "Hualu, do you know something?" There was anticipation in her voice.

Hualu lowered her eyes and twisted her slender fingers together: "Not really..."

Zhao Gang looked at Qian Jin impatiently: "Qian Jin, people are asking questions."

Qian Jin pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a faint light: "I'm not an expert in this area."

Just when Tang Yin was sighing inwardly that no one knew the truth, Granny Rong suddenly spoke up: "I have some impression." Her old voice broke the suffocating atmosphere.

Qian Jin immediately became interested: "Is this the legend of the Hidden Mist Village?"

"Well, but hardly anyone mentions it." Granny Rong's voice was low and hoarse. "I heard that the Wolf God is the master of the hunting grounds, and the Raccoon Dog is a servant who helps the Wolf God hunt."

Tang Yin's pupils shrank slightly: "Is there only one raccoon dog?"

A hint of surprise flashed across Granny Rong's cloudy eyes: "...One? What do you mean?"

Tang Yin took a deep breath, his eyes becoming extremely sharp: "I heard that there are actually three Wolf Gods."

As soon as he finished speaking, the air in the cafeteria seemed to freeze. The night wind outside suddenly grew harsher, rattling the windows. Everyone's expression grew subtle, as if this simple question touched upon a secret that should never be revealed. The lights flickered, casting swaying shadows on the walls, as if silently revealing the truth buried deep within this ancient village.

Granny Rong sat up tremblingly, her old face looking particularly profound under the light: "Ah, yes, there are three wolf statues in the Qianming Shrine in Baifeng Village." Her gaze seemed to travel through time and space, looking into the distant past.

She leaned forward slightly, her hunched body tinged with reminiscence as she spoke, "...There are two monkey statues, but only one of each of the other guardian beasts..."

Hualu's eyes suddenly lit up: "...So that's it." Her slender fingers unconsciously clenched the corner of her clothes.

Qian Jin pushed his glasses, the lenses reflecting the dim light: "I remember now, Hualu, there is indeed such a statue." There was a hint of sudden realization in his voice.

Tang Yin's body leaned forward involuntarily: "What do you mean? The statue of the raccoon dog?" He keenly caught the subtle changes in other people's expressions.

Chen Xiang rubbed her arms, as if she felt a chill. "...I have some impression too. When I first visited, there was indeed a dog-like statue mixed in with the others." Her voice trembled slightly. "I thought it was the wolf god who hadn't stood up..."

Tang Yin's eyes flickered, his thoughts racing. It seemed the raccoon dog wasn't a werewolf; the mystery seemed to be starting to unravel.

Granny Rong's fingers unconsciously stroked her cane. "...Yes, the old man mentioned that before he died." She took a deep breath. "The raccoon dog has been waiting for the return of the Wolf God."

"It's really chilling." Chen Xiang subconsciously wrapped her coat tightly, with a hint of trembling in her voice.

Tang Yin narrowed his eyes slightly, and the clues in his mind gradually became clear. The sound of the wind outside the window suddenly became shrill, and the shadows of the trees cast strange spots of light on the floor.

Qin Ming noticed Tang Yin's thoughtful expression: "Did you find anything?"

Tang Yin took a deep breath and scanned the audience. "Although it's just a guess, I think it's very likely that He is also a Protector." He paused, his voice becoming more resolute. "No, to be more precise, it should be that among the participants of the Huangquan Feast, there is someone who has been assigned the identity of He."

This sentence was like a bombshell, and the air in the cafeteria froze instantly. Everyone's expression changed slightly. Some turned pale, some took a half step back, and some's fingers began to tremble unconsciously.

Xia Hui's voice broke the suffocating silence: "What do you mean?"

Tang Yin's eyes became extremely sharp: "Maybe there is a human who is a companion of the wolf."

As soon as he finished speaking, his mind involuntarily flashed back to Gao Mei's unusual behavior in his previous reincarnation. Back then, her behavior was erratic, her eyes were erratic, as if she had become a completely different person. This thought sent a slight chill down Tang Yin's spine. The lights in the cafeteria flickered, as if in response to this strange discovery. Everyone's shadow was stretched out, twisting into strange shapes on the wall, like a silent pantomime, unfolding the village's deepest secrets.

Tang Yin's gaze was particularly profound in the dim light, and his voice was low and calm. "...As for the reason, I don't know. It could be supernatural phenomena, or it could be panic caused by fear of the legend." The night wind outside the window whimpered, as if accompanying his words. His fingers tapped lightly on the table as he continued, "Even if none of these are correct, there are other possibilities. For example, someone discovered that someone close to them was a wolf and decided to help them..." At this point, he noticed that several people's expressions had become noticeably unnatural.

Tang Yin's voice grew deeper and deeper: "Or, he has acquired the same will and motivation to kill as a wolf." The temperature in the cafeteria seemed to drop suddenly. "I'm willing to kill and sacrifice myself just to be with the wolves..." Every word he said was like a heavy hammer hitting the hearts of everyone present.

He paused, his eyes sweeping over the pale faces of the crowd: "Is there such a possibility?"

Wang Lina pretended to be calm and forced a smile: "...Ahaha, what are you talking about, Tang Yin, this is just speculation...right?" There was an obvious tremor in her voice.

Tang Yin's eyes grew sharper. "It's certainly speculation, but I think it's highly likely." He turned to Granny Rong. "Besides, the elderly man who recently passed away also mentioned the raccoon dog."

His voice suddenly rose a few degrees: "--He must have participated in the Huangquan Ji Banquet, so he knew about the existence of the raccoon dog, right?"

Qian Jin pushed his glasses, and the lenses reflected a strange light: "You're getting more and more exaggerated..." There was a hint of uneasiness in his tone.

Zhao Gang waved his hand, trying to break the heavy atmosphere: "Well...are you thinking too much?"

Tang Yin's heart was remarkably certain, for he had personally confirmed the existence of the raccoon dog. Damn it, he cursed inwardly. This unspoken truth was truly irritating. Without stronger evidence, he couldn't offer a more convincing argument.

Taking a deep breath, Tang Yin changed his words to a more euphemistic one: "...Well, it's just speculation. But it's better to be prepared." His eyes suddenly locked onto Zhao Gang. "Zhao Gang, you said you don't believe in the existence of monsters, right?"

Zhao Gang's body visibly stiffened: "...Is there any problem?"

Tang Yin slowly stood up, his shadow stretching long across the wall. "Let's put it this way. It's foggy now, and we're having a banquet here..." His voice was especially clear in the silent cafeteria. "Every time it fogs, there's a banquet, and every time it fogs, people die. You admit that these two things are inseparable, right?"

Zhao Gang opened his mouth, but no sound came out. This silence was undoubtedly the best form of acquiescence. The fog outside the window seemed to grow thicker, and the hazy moonlight shone through the glass, weaving an eerie play of light and shadow on the floor. The air in the cafeteria was so thick that it was almost suffocating, and everyone could hear their own rapid heartbeats. This night, it seemed, contained more hidden truths waiting to be uncovered.

Tang Yin's gaze was as sharp as a knife, and his voice echoed in the silent cafeteria: "In other words, there is a force that has turned the villagers who have lived together in the Hidden Mist Village into murderous ghosts. Do you agree with this fact?"

Zhao Gang stood up suddenly, and the chair made a harsh sound on the floor: "Wait, wait! I didn't say there are bad people among us! Maybe the murderer is from Baifengzhuang!" There was a bit of panic in his voice.

Tang Yin looked at Zhao Gang's panic and thought to himself, "How long do you want to be so naive?" The fog outside the window grew thicker, as if it was about to swallow up the entire world.

He sighed softly. "Don't be nervous. This is just a hypothesis. However, if that kind of power really exists, it wouldn't be impossible for humans to become companions of wolves, right?" His voice slowed down. "Besides, perhaps that person hasn't appeared among us yet."

Tang Yin tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "The raccoon dog carries the beast meat, looking east and west... Maybe this means that the raccoon dog was late for the banquet, so it showed up with an apology."

Xia Hui rubbed her temples and said tiredly, "If it weren't for the current situation, I would really be interested in your speculation."

Zhao Gang's face was filled with dissatisfaction. "Honestly, your alarmist rhetoric is making everyone feel insecure. Isn't that totally inappropriate?"

Qin Ming hesitated to speak: "...No, but that...um..." His eyes flickered.

Wang Lina nervously grasped the edge of her clothes: "...I hope I'm just overthinking it."

Tang Yin's heart was heavy, for this was an unchangeable fact. His mind flashed back to Gao Mei from his previous reincarnation. Back then, on the second night the wolves appeared, some mysterious force had tried to sway her to the wolves' side. Ultimately, her defenses crumbled, and as a human, she engaged in numerous actions that benefited the wolves.

Moonlight filtered through the mist, casting dappled shadows on the cafeteria floor. An indescribable sense of oppression hung in the air, as if everyone in this eerie atmosphere was confronting their deepest fears.

Tang Yin leaned against the window, gazing at the distant village shrouded in twilight, his thoughts gradually sinking into the depths of his memory. The previous owner of the cottage he lived in had recently passed away. This meant that the old man had experienced the thick fog eight years ago and had likely attended that strange banquet with Uncle Gao and Master Wolf.

The shadows of the trees outside the window swayed in the breeze, and Tang Yin's eyes gradually deepened. Since the survivors knew about the existence of the raccoon dog, then the winners of the banquet eight years ago were most likely wolves. This thought made him shudder - if that was the case, could Old Man Gao, who also survived, have been a member of the wolf group at that time?
If knowing the truth about the Huangquan Ji Feast could cause a drastic change in a person's personality, wouldn't this terrifying transformation happen to Old Man Gao? Tang Yin's fingers tapped unconsciously on the windowsill. The relationship between wolves and raccoon dogs was clearly far more complicated than it appeared.

He smiled wryly and shook his head. Perhaps only by becoming a raccoon dog or a wolf could he uncover the truth behind these mysteries. But there was no point in dwelling on it now; he should focus on the crisis at hand.

The sun set, and dusk deepened. Everyone chatted idly until Old Man Gao returned with a stern look on his face. Then they sat down to enjoy dinner. Today's main course was a pickled animal stew, its rich aroma filling the dining hall.

Tang Yin picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, chewing it carefully. The taste was not as strong as the first time, probably because it had fermented for a shorter time. Perhaps he had become accustomed to this unique taste, so he could now swallow it like ordinary meat, although this did not mean that he truly liked this dish.

However, being able to eat such special pickled animal meat at this time, to some extent, also shows that even this banquet full of dangers is regarded as a solemn ceremony.

Suddenly, Xia Hui leaned close to Tang Yin's ear and whispered, "...I heard that the Aztecs would spend a whole year entertaining those who became sacrifices."

Her tone was tinged with self-mockery, clearly implying, "At least we don't have to endure that long." This dark humor left Tang Yin speechless, unsure how to respond. The atmosphere at the table grew subdued, with only the clink of chopsticks echoing in the silent dining room. Outside the window, the last ray of sunlight was swallowed by the thick twilight, and night fell quietly.

(End of this chapter)