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

Chapter 608: Provocation
After dinner, the cafeteria gradually dispersed. The dim light cast a shadow on the empty tables and chairs, creating an uneasy silence. Tang Yin stood by the sink, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, hands soaked in the icy water, fingertips touching the slippery lather of dishwashing liquid.

"...You've been a real help," Mrs. Chen Xiang suddenly said, her voice low and tired. "If I were to wash the dishes alone at this time, I'd definitely go crazy."

Tang Yin raised his head, and in the dim light, he studied the woman, now over forty. Her hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, a few strands of silver streaking at her temples. Dark shadows fell over her eyes, but her face was expressionless, like a cold, hard sculpture. It was this seemingly fragile body that supported the canteen's operations, and also the hearts and stomachs of the entire village.

"In order to continue washing dishes tomorrow, I have to survive, right?" Tang Yin tried to ease the atmosphere with a half-joking tone.

Mrs. Chen Xiang stopped wiping the dishes, raised her head, and looked at him intently.

"If I am killed by the Wolf God, I'll leave the cafeteria matters to you." Her voice was low and smooth, as if she was stating an indisputable fact.

Tang Yin was stunned for a moment: "No, no, I can't bear this, Madam Chen Xiang, only you can do this... Sorry, I'm a little confused."

Mrs. Chen Xiang lowered her eyes and continued to clean the dishes, her tone filled with a hint of resigned fatigue. "...It's nothing. There's no point in running away now. We must be prepared to face reality."

Her hand paused for a moment, as if she was thinking about something, and then she spoke slowly: "Tomorrow, one of us... will be gone, right?"

Tang Yin's fingertips suddenly froze. The water washed over his skin, but it couldn't wash away the chill within him. He knew what Madam Chen Xiang said was true—the treacherous rules of the Hidden Mist Village never forgive anyone. Every day, someone leaves, forever. And who will be next tomorrow? No one knows. But this very uncertainty is the most deadly fear.

What was even more surprising was that Mrs. Chen Xiang's tone when she said this was so calm. It was as if she had already accepted her fate and didn't even have the energy to struggle.

"Qin Ming..." Mrs. Chen Xiang's voice was filled with complex emotions. "This child is very kind and as smart as his father."

She paused, her eyes fixed on the wall next to the sink, where hung a row of brightly polished knives, their blades gleaming coldly in the light.

"Every time I was about to give up, he would encourage me with a smile and then propose the most suitable solution." The corners of her mouth raised slightly, with a hint of the softness unique to a mother, but soon, the smile disappeared without a trace.

"...But this time, there was confusion on his face." Mrs. Chen Xiang added in a low voice, as if talking to herself, or as if she was confiding in Tang Yin.

Tang Yin listened in silence, his heart tightening. He had never seen Madam Chen Xiang so vulnerable. Although her tone remained calm, even a touch restrained, he could sense the deep weariness and worry hidden within her.

"This is mother and son, right?" Mrs. Chen Xiang responded calmly, with a hint of relief in her voice.

Tang Yin lowered his head to wash the dishes in his hands, and the image of Qin Ming emerged in his mind. He knew that Qin Ming had always felt inferior because of his relationship with his mother - he stubbornly believed that Madam Chen Xiang preferred his brother Qin Yi.

Tang Yin didn't know the truth of the matter, but at least one thing was obvious: as a mother, Mrs. Chen Xiang had a deep love for Qin Ming. This love might not be expressed in words, but it was deeply buried in her eyes and actions.

Just as Tang Yin was lost in thought, he heard the sound of footsteps. He looked up and saw a tall figure walking in from the cafeteria entrance.

It’s Qin Yi.

"Qin Yi? What's wrong? Did you drop something?" Chen Xiang put down the rag and spoke calmly, but her eyes did not leave Qin Yi's face.

Qin Yi stood there, silent for a few seconds, then spoke: "...Why are you, old woman, the only one washing dishes?" His voice was low, but there was a hint of questioning in his tone.

Chen Xiang smiled and said in a relaxed tone: "It's because you don't help."

Qin Yi frowned, but didn't respond. Instead, he walked in, scanning the area as if searching for something. His gaze lingered on Chen Xiang's thin figure for a moment, his brow furrowing even tighter. "...I'm not the only one here! What the hell is Big Brother doing, leaving you in the cafeteria at a time like this? Damn it!"

Chen Xiang sighed softly when she heard this, put the bowl in her hand back on the shelf, and then turned to look at Qin Yi: "It's a good thing to have your own job. Everyone has their own things to do, and you too. Go back quickly."

"Studying?" Qin Yi raised his eyebrows, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Chen Xiang raised her hand and wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand: "Whether it's studying or washing dishes, in short, think about what you should do."

Qin Yi looked at her without saying anything, but the corners of his mouth turned down slightly, showing a bit of dissatisfaction. He stared at the rag in Chen Xiang's hand and suddenly said, "...Give me the rag."

Chen Xiang was stunned. Before she could react, a smiling voice came from the corner: "You really are a very good child. It's just a pity that I have just wiped it all."

Qin Yi turned his head and saw Tang Yin leaning against the wall, his arms folded across his chest, a faint smile on his lips.

Qin Yi glared at him and said in a bad tone: "Then why am I here? Damn it!"

Chen Xiang couldn't help but laugh, a hint of fatigue in her voice. "Ahaha, at least your attitude is worthy of praise. Finish your preparations for the banquet and come help me tomorrow."

Qin Yi sneered and didn't respond. He just lowered his head and put his hands back into his pockets, appearing to be silent in a sullen manner.

Tang Yin clapped his hands and stood up straight: "Okay, then I'll take my leave too."

"Well, good night." Chen Xiang nodded and watched Tang Yin walk out of the cafeteria.

Qin Yi took a few steps, then suddenly stopped and turned his head sharply: "...Wait, you psychopath."

Tang Yin had just left the cafeteria, but as if he had expected Qin Yi to call him, he leisurely walked back out of the mist. He whistled, his usual nonchalant smile on his face: "You've almost remembered my name, right?"

Qin Yi frowned, his tone filled with impatience: "I'm so annoyed, you piss-holding man! You piss-holding man!!"

Tang Yin shrugged and spread his hands: "I give up! I didn't expect you to hold such a grudge."

Qin Yi snorted coldly, turned around and continued walking forward, cursing under his breath: "Psycho."

"Let's go kill the wolf tonight." His voice suddenly became low, but it revealed a firmness that could not be ignored. He stopped and looked back at Tang Yin, his eyes without the slightest hesitation.

"What do you mean..." Tang Yin was slightly stunned, and instinctively felt that some shocking idea had popped up in this middle school student's head.

"I say, go eat shit! What a frivolous banquet! What a frivolous Thousand Bright God! I don't have time to play with them." Qin Yi's tone was filled with a hint of anger, but more of a long-suppressed sense of powerlessness. His eyes swept over everything around him, his expression cold and stubborn.

"Everyone here is a coward." Qin Yi's voice rose slightly, sounding a little excited. "Who cares if he is? Just beat him to death with a stick."

There was no fear or anger in his tone, not even murderous intent. Tang Yin knew, however, that he wasn't joking. Qin Yi harbored a simple and reckless rebellious spirit, like a lone fighter facing an absurd world.

"...Are you scared too? You were just pretending last time, weren't you?" Qin Yi's eyes held a challenge, as if forcing Tang Yin to speak out. Tang Yin fell silent, his mind racing through all the previous scenes. He finally understood. In his last reincarnation, Qin Yi had gone out at night for this very reason, right? He had ended up being contaminated and dying.

Did Qin Yi meet Qin Ming and the others at that time? Tang Yin didn't know, but that kind of fragmented corpse shouldn't have been done by Qin Ming...

Was it that giant wolf monster that did it?
Or is it that god-like being with bandages all over his body?

Oh no, last time Tang Yin thought that the Huangquan Ji Banquet was just an ordinary murder, Tang Yin was really careless.

There are still many unsolved mysteries. If we don’t find the truth, we will definitely lose to fear.

...However, if we work together with him, maybe we can find some clues?
No, even if Tang Yin could go back in time after death, if he attacked rashly like this, he would probably die inexplicably in the darkness and thick fog.

But if she refused him, he would definitely go out alone at night and die outside, and eventually Mrs. Chen Xiang would go crazy.

But how to convince him.

"Say something, hey!" Qin Yi's voice rang out from the depths of the thick fog, tinged with suppressed fury. He stood a few steps away, his outline blurred by the fog, but judging by his voice, he was clearly losing his patience.

Tang Yin raised his eyelids lazily, his voice filled with indifference: "Then go by yourself."

"...Ha!" Qin Yi was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, his laughter a bit arrogant: "I knew it, you're a coward!"

"Well, okay, okay, I'm a coward." Tang Yin shrugged, his tone as casual as if he was chatting, "This way no one will bother me."

"...Ah?" Qin Yi didn't react for a moment, and there was a hint of confusion in his tone.

Tang Yin chuckled softly, looked around, and after confirming that no one else was around, he deliberately lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of meaning: "Finally, I can do whatever I want to Madam Chen Xiang. She's still very young, and you can't tell she's ever had two children."

"...Ha, hey..." Qin Yi's voice suddenly lowered, with a hint of vigilance, even a little panic.

Tang Yin did not stop, but became more and more extreme: "Ah, you will die sooner or later anyway, you might as well die under the peony flowers. Since you are in a hurry to die, then go quickly. I will take good care of your mother - I will love her well." Tang Yin's voice dragged out the last syllable, and the tone was frivolous, as if he was deliberately provoking.

Sure enough, the next second, Qin Yi rushed over with a roar: "Go to hell, you bastard!"

Tang Yin was well prepared. He easily dodged Qin Yi's attack by moving his body to the side. He then took a few steps back and acted as if begging for mercy: "Ah~ Sorry, I lied to you! I lied to you!"

"You!" Qin Yi's face flushed with rage, his fists clenched, his eyes blazing with fury. He made no effort to conceal his murderous intent, staring intently at Tang Yin as if he wanted to tear him apart.

Tang Yin, however, remained calm. He turned and rushed into the depths of the thick fog, his figure quickly disappearing from Qin Yi's sight. Tang Yin's voice drifted out from the fog, with a hint of gloating smile: "Oh, it's quite difficult to fight in this thick fog! This is the first time I want to thank this fog."

“Tang Yin!” Qin Yi stamped his feet, his teeth itching with hatred, “Where are you hiding?!”

"Qin Yi, you can't be so arrogant that you lose sight of the important things." Tang Yin's voice came slowly.

"Ah?" Qin Yi looked around, trying to find the source of the sound.

Tang Yin's voice was sometimes far away and sometimes near: "If you go out tonight, you will definitely die."

"What's the problem again, idiot!" Qin Yi roared, his fists clenched so hard that they made a creaking sound.

"Who will protect Madam Chen Xiang then?" Tang Yin's tone changed with a hint of seriousness.

"...I don't care! We still have Big Brother and Brother Gang here!" Qin Yi retorted impatiently.

"No." Tang Yin's words were more calm. "They are prioritizing the overall interests of the Kirigakure Village. If you want to protect your mother, don't take risks. Find a way to survive."

"...Ah? Who said I will definitely die? Do I have no chance of winning?" Qin Yi heard the hidden meaning in Tang Yin's words, and there was a hint of doubt in his tone.

Tang Yin sighed softly, his tone filled with an indescribable helplessness: "Your method won't work."

"...What on earth do you want to say? What on earth do you know?" Qin Yi's voice was filled with resentment and uneasiness.

"I've tried." Tang Yin's voice lowered, with a hint of indescribable emotion.

"...Huh...?" Qin Yi was stunned and couldn't understand what Tang Yin meant for a moment.

"In short, if you die, I might really take action against Madam Chen Xiang. So, you'd better stay alive." Tang Yin's voice was filled with a bit of cynical ridicule again.

"...Stop talking nonsense! What's going on, hey!" Qin Yi's patience was almost exhausted, and his voice was trembling, as if he was afraid that Tang Yin really knew something.

"Come on, wash the dishes~" Tang Yin said no more, and his voice gradually faded away.

Qin Yi stood there, staring into the depths of the thick fog, gritting his teeth, but never caught up.

Tang Yin walked through the alley toward his little house. He glanced at his watch, thinking to himself, "It's almost time." Just then, he heard hurried footsteps behind him. He stopped, and before he could turn around, he heard a muffled sound, as if someone had fallen.

"...Are you okay, Hualu?" Tang Yin turned around and saw a thin figure lying on the ground, struggling to get up.

"...It hurts..." Hualu raised her head, her face full of pain. Her elbow seemed to have hit the ground, and there was some dirt on her sleeve.

Tang Yin walked over and stretched out his hand to pull her up: "Even if it's grass, you'll get hurt if you fall."

Hua Lu dusted herself off, looked up at Tang Yin, and said with a hint of complaint, "By the way, why are you still out so late... Go back to Wuji."

Tang Yin raised an eyebrow and asked, "This is my line to ask you, Hualu. I just finished washing the dishes, how come you have time to come out?"

(End of this chapter)