Chapter 8

A living person was torn to pieces by the giant snake, and no matter what, they shouldn't have been left discarded in the overgrown grass.

Fang Hao, still holding a sense of responsibility, took the lead in burying He Yingqi's body.

Before the burial, Ren Bo, who had been watching the spectacle all along, interrupted: "Wait, search him for any items?"

"He only had an antidote, and he even gave it to me..." Xiyu forced out a hoarse and unpleasant voice, coughing weakly after speaking.

Although his intention was to remain silent, He Yingqi had saved him, and he couldn’t let his body be treated so carelessly.

Wu Zhi also disagreed, clenching his fist angrily: "Yeah, this brother's had enough misfortune, what’s there to search?"

Fang Hao sighed helplessly: "Just bury him, no more talking."

Tong Leshan, his eyes red, finally shed tears and was the first to place the black earth over He Yingqi's chest.

The other boys followed, quickly covering the dismembered body with the cold earth.

Fang Hao sighed again: "This is definitely just the beginning. From now on, we all need to be more careful."

"I hope you always maintain such high integrity, teacher." Zhu Ge muttered, then turned to pull Sun Xiuyan's arm: "Xiaoya, let's go. You should put some medicine on your injury. I'll accompany you to look for another room."

Sun Xiuyan looked innocent and weakly let herself be pulled away from the crowd.

Although He Yingqi was dead, the outcome of the game was determined by the only condition of killing the opposing general, so was this death truly real?

— Xiyu had this question and hope in his mind as he stood up, clapped his hands, and gave a polite smile to everyone before choosing to leave.

Because, no matter what, the White Princess would go to the shrine to find out the cause of death.

He had to lie in wait first—first to have a chance to learn the identities of his teammates, and second, to protect the white faction.

With this resolve, Xiyu quickened his pace, disappearing into the mist and letting go of the psychological turmoil caused by the tragic event.

After the burial, Wu Zhi, the young guy, also wandered off with the others, scratching his head in confusion. Suddenly, he heard voices near the garden's gravel, quickly hiding in fear.

It was Zhu Ge and Sun Xiuyan, who had left the earliest.

Zhu Ge, a head taller than the girl, was beautiful, commanding, and spoke gently: "Sister, if you don’t take care of your injury soon, it might get infected."Sun Xiuyan, overwhelmed by the attention, said, "I'm really fine, and besides, I'm just grateful to be alive right now."

Zhu Ge lowered her head to examine her, then smiled, "Your injury wasn't caused by the snake. It looks more like scratch marks to me."

Wu Zhi, hiding behind a rockery, was surprised and continued to listen intently.

Sun Xiuyan looked confused. "Zhu Ge, what are you talking about..."

"Actually... I think I figured out how the injury happened." Zhu Ge patted her head. "Don't worry, we're in the same boat. I'll protect you."

"Although I don't understand what you're saying, I won't hurt you." Sun Xiuyan said sincerely and cautiously, suddenly choking up. "I'm scared. I don't want to hurt anyone, and I don't want anyone to get hurt. I want to go home..."

They chatted while supporting each other and left the area.

Wu Zhi peeked out, still not understanding the conversation between the two girls. But because his mind was preoccupied with other matters, he could only leave in a flustered state.

To get from the garden to the shrine, one had to cross the lake. There was no bridge or boat here, and the only way to cross was to do what Hua Sheng and Yao Chenna had done, stepping on the bodies of the dead as stepping stones.

Xiyu carefully approached the lake, making sure no one saw him. After confirming the surroundings were relatively safe, he hurriedly passed while draped in a torn black silk he had found along the way.

His physique was more slender than most men, but his agility and explosive power were surprisingly strong.

He was even surprised by how quickly he crossed over the decaying corpses.

Reaching the other side, he looked down at his feet, clenched his fists tightly, and then gathered his courage to walk into the large shrine before him.

The statues of the divine messengers along the shrine's approach were not a pair, but a cat on the left and a snake on the right, both stained with blood, showing the tragic history of this general's mansion.

Xiyu wiped the blood off his shoes on the overgrown grass, then lightly entered the main hall. Looking up, he found the place where the god's statue should have been was empty. Instead, there was a coffin prominently placed in the center of the hall.

Getting closer to take a look, he saw a white-haired old man in a yin-yang master’s robe lying inside the coffin.

His skin was pale, and it was clear he had been dead for some time.

Xiyu respectfully clasped his hands in prayer, bowed, then checked the surroundings for safety. Afterward, he hid in a narrow corner behind the altar, waiting for the princess to fall into his trap.

In less than a day, so many things had happened in rapid succession, leaving little time for reflection.

But upon further thought, there were many points of suspicion.Unfortunately, just as he was starting to form some vague ideas in his mind, he heard the sound of rapid footsteps approaching.

Xiyu immediately sat up straight.

A bright young voice quickly sounded from nearby: "Grandpa, I finally found it. Can you tell me how Brother He Yingqi died?"

It was him?!

Xiyu couldn't help but widen his eyes.

A moment later, a hoarse and steady voice echoed inside the shrine: "My kind princess, you are always so concerned about those around you. He Yingqi was killed by the Black Prince. I hope you stay safe in this conflict."

The Black Prince... This unexpected answer took Xiyu by surprise, but before he could think it over, he quickly appeared in front of them: "Hey, don't you check your surroundings before doing things?"

Wu Zhi—this unexpectedly reassuring player with the White Princess identity—was stunned and flustered: "You... you... weren't you injured? How are you here?"

Xiyu gave a bitter smile: "That was just an act. I was waiting for you here. I didn't expect you to be so impatient. Luckily, it was me waiting for you."

Wu Zhi still had a flustered look on his face.

Xiyu could tell he was straightforward, so he simply laid everything out: "I'm the White Prince. We're teammates. I found your skill flower card outside and learned about your skill, so I came here looking for you. From now on, we'll help each other."

Wu Zhi paused for a moment, then smiled happily, but soon his little face scrunched up again: "Are you lying? I don't know."

"I'm the least likely to lie." Xiyu said with a bitter expression: "The White Prince's active skill is to inquire about the whereabouts of the skill flower cards from that spirit cat, but my passive skill is to only tell the truth. Otherwise, I wouldn't need to pretend to be poisoned and ruin my voice. However, I burned those flower cards, so if you insist on proof, I can't provide it."

Wu Zhi thought for a moment, then said: "Brother, I believe you. From the first time I saw you, I thought you were a good person. You wouldn't lie to me, and besides, I don't have much value to be deceived."

Xiyu was relieved that his teammate was this adorable child, but he was also full of concern for him: "You're too careless. From now on, you must let me accompany you here. Normally, you don't need to be too close to me, or else it might raise suspicion."

Wu Zhi nodded and then nervously asked: "Why do you have two skills, but I only have one?"

Xiyu blinked: "Did you... sleep right after you found a flower card?"

Wu Zhi scratched his head: "I was just so tired..."

Xiyu was speechless: "I found two. I guess special identities should have two skills, but the passive skill is a disadvantage, so be very careful."

"I understand." Wu Zhi smiled again: "It's great to have a teammate. Facing the game alone is really scary. I even hesitated a lot before coming here."Xiyu also curled the corners of his mouth: "Let's leave here first."

Wu Zhi happily followed behind his long legs: "Brother, guess who the White General is, and who the Black General is?"

"I don't know. If the identity of the generals is revealed, it will surely lead to a death match." Xiyu replied, "It's better that He Yingqi isn't dead. Now that we see someone has died, everyone's eyes are bloodshot."

Wu Zhi was frustrated by this: "But I don't want to kill anyone..."

"Don't worry, I have a feeling." Xiyu stopped and looked at him seriously: "Even if we die now, it's not really death."

"Huh? But He Yingqi was 'torn apart by five horses,' how can this not be real?" Wu Zhi couldn't understand.

Xiyu countered: "Do you still remember the first rule?"

Wu Zhi, though straightforward, had a good memory: "If one side's general dies, the other side's entire team wins?"

"Yes, whether it's a card game or a tabletop game, as long as there are factions, the victory or defeat is determined by the faction." Xiyu said seriously: "Although I can't provide solid evidence, based on this logic, what's important isn't life or death, it's winning or losing."

Wu Zhi was captivated by his expression, then nodded vigorously and smiled: "Brother, no matter what the reason is, I believe whatever you say."

Xiyu didn't know much about himself, but he always felt he should be indifferent in personality. The enthusiasm of this boy was something he didn't quite know how to handle, so he could only smile gently: "Since we're teammates, I won't keep anything from you. If I die, you can inherit my ability to use the demon sword. At that time, make sure to kill the Black General."

Wu Zhi lowered his eyes: "..."

Neither of them had the intent to kill at that moment, which was much better than that Black Prince who killed He Yingqi.

But kindness shouldn't be excessive.

Xiyu didn't pressure Wu Zhi. He walked to the riverbank and gave him the black cloth: "You go ahead first, be careful."

Wu Zhi: "?"

Xiyu explained: "Don't always let people see us together. That way, when others judge our identities, they'll link us together, and that's not good."

Wu Zhi nodded, didn't say much more, and turned to leave, stepping over the floating corpses.

Xiyu turned back and looked at the countless red cloth strips on the withered tree, murmuring to himself: "The Black Prince is Tong Leshan? His bold actions are really those of a reckless person... Having a reckless opponent... isn't so bad..."

Meanwhile, the suspicious Tong Leshan was curled up in his room, not going anywhere.He curled up in the damp blanket, trembling, and mumbled fearfully at the wall: "Yingqi... I'm sorry... I couldn't protect you..."

Tong Leshan closed his eyes, and the recent tragedy that had occurred before him came to mind. His forehead was covered with beads of sweat.

At that moment, his door was suddenly rudely pulled open.

Tong Leshan hurriedly turned his head and saw an unexpected visitor.

The visitor walked into the room, closed the door, and coldly looked at him, saying: "Since you've done something bad, don't hesitate."

Tong Leshan hastily stood up and retorted: "What the hell are you talking about? Who let you in?"

The visitor remained unmoved: "Why don't you go out and look for evidence? The sun is nice this afternoon, and the mist has cleared up a lot."

Tong Leshan: "My classmate is dead. Who has the mood to look for evidence?!"

"You don't need to lie to me. I know everything about you." The visitor crossed his arms and sneered: "I'm the person you need to protect. From today on, all your power will be used for me."

As he spoke, the visitor threw a flower card onto the floor at his feet.

Tong Leshan stared at it blankly before picking it up and then wiping away the hostility on his face, replacing it with a serious expression.

【Moonflower Card / Black Prince's Passive Skill: Darkness—Cannot operate in sunlight, or else will fall into weakness and die rapidly.】

The visitor calmly looked at Tong Leshan: "Fool, you haven't even found your own skill card. You weren't fainting this morning, you were roasted by the sun! If I hadn't wasted the only opportunity to save a comrade, you'd have been in the ground earlier than your good classmate."

Sweat beads the size of beans appeared on Tong Leshan's forehead, and he trembled as he gripped the card, unable to utter a single word.

The visitor crouched in front of him: "Now tell me clearly, what is your active skill? I believe it must be related to snakes, right?"