Chapter 20

Chapter 19: Changming Town 19

Central Square. The drifting clouds gradually receded, and the sunlight became increasingly scorching.

Before the system announced the results, it first transmitted the reconstructed plot and details of the murder case into the players’ minds—

Ten years ago. Jiang Wan’er’s mother worked as a maid for the Ye family. When her mother fell ill, Jiang Wan’er would go to the Ye household to help, and it was there that she met Ye Yunfeng.

The two met, got to know each other, and fell in love.

Ye Yunfeng swore to Jiang Wan’er that he would always treat her well in this lifetime, through life and death.

When he said this, many people heard it.

But no one would have thought that his words would come true in the worst way.

Ye’s father fell gravely ill, and all the family business fell onto the young Ye Yunfeng’s shoulders.

One day, while he was away, Zhang Ye and three other men, coveting Jiang Wan’er’s beauty, lured her to a teahouse on the commercial street in Ye Yunfeng’s name and then raped her.

Afterwards, to prevent Ye Yunfeng from seeking revenge, they turned the blame onto Jiang Wan’er, claiming she was immoral, lewd by nature, and had seduced them.

She was branded with the reputation of a “fallen woman,” which in the chastity-valuing Changming Town was considered a crime.

Although Jiang Wan’er had accepted Ye Yunfeng’s token of love, having relations with others compounded the offense.

The ancestors of the four major families had made a pact: any destruction of power was always due to internal strife. Therefore, they demanded that descendants must remain united.

The four families would share prosperity or loss together; externally, they must maintain Changming Town’s wealth, and internally, safeguard their family’s interests and honor, never fighting among themselves.

Thus, the Ye family’s actions were constrained by ancestral rules; they dared not openly clash with other families. Moreover, at that time, the Ye family’s population had dwindled, their power weakened, unable to compete with the others.

Even if the Ye family wanted to uncover the truth, they were powerless, ultimately agreeing to execute Jiang Wan’er.

Ye Yunfeng’s mother did not want him to know the truth, so during the vote and when Jiang Wan’er was to be burned alive, she kept him outside under the pretext of business.

Ten years ago, on that day, Jiang Wan’er was bound in the central square and burned alive in front of the statue of the saint.

Before her body was set ablaze, she looked up at the sky.

At that moment, her expression was one of utter despair.

Everyone saw it.

She had been waiting for Ye Yunfeng.

Three days ago had been the time he was supposed to return.

Yet he never appeared.

The news Jiang Wan’er heard was—

Ye Yunfeng knew she had seduced other men and considered her so filthy he didn’t even want to look at her, so he never came.

The raging fire completely consumed Jiang Wan’er.

From a distance, people seemed to see tears fall from her eyes, but the tears evaporated with the flames as soon as they appeared.

Before her body was completely charred, a curse escaped her lips, and as the flames carried it to the ears of the crowd, it pierced everyone’s hearts like a dagger.

“I, Jiang Wan’er, in exchange for never being reborn, curse this land so that no one shall live past thirty-five!”

She had heard that typically, by the age of thirty-five, the young generation of the four major families would inherit the family businesses, becoming the new heads and continuing to rule Changming Town.

Jiang Wan’er wished that no one in the young generation would live to that day.

She wished for the complete ruin of the four major families along with everyone in Changming Town.

No one, not even Jiang Wan’er herself, expected that her hatred and resentment were so deep that she transformed into a powerful vengeful spirit, fearless even of sunlight.

She could feel temperature, touch objects, and sometimes even felt alive.

That day, Ye Yunfeng finally returned to Changming Town.

Jiang Wan’er angrily confronted him, even thinking of killing him, but unexpectedly, Ye Yunfeng chose to die before her, seeking to atone with his life.

Learning of Jiang Wan’er’s suffering and that even the Ye family had been complicit, Ye Yunfeng was wracked with guilt, feeling it was all his fault for failing to protect her.

He had sworn to follow her through life and death, so he ultimately committed suicide, though rumors claimed Jiang Wan’er had killed him.

As Ye’s father’s illness worsened and their only son was dead, the other three families seized the opportunity to take over the Ye family’s gold mines and killed the rest of the Ye family.

From then on, Changming Town’s four major families became three.

Before dying, Jiang Wan’er had cursed that no one here would live past thirty-five.

Ye Yunfeng’s death seemed to be a premonition.

Gradually, indeed, no one lived past thirty-five. The three families panicked and sought experts to kill Jiang Wan’er, attempting to break the curse.

Finally, they hired Elder Gong, who devised a method for Jiang Wan’er to sequentially fall for the four men and willingly marry them, dissipating her resentment.

Once the resentment was gone, Jiang Wan’er would become an ordinary wandering spirit, easily slain.

Unknown to most, out of guilt and his desire to protect Jiang Wan’er, Ye Yunfeng’s soul lingered in the mortal realm and did not pass on.

Ten years ago, Liu Jinhua gave birth to Li Simei, but she suffered complications during delivery.

Li Simei stopped breathing at birth, and Ye Yunfeng’s soul seized the opportunity to inhabit her body, living through her.

Ye Yunfeng’s action was also out of necessity.

At his death, he had not witnessed the Ye family’s demise and had not developed strong resentment. He remained only to protect Jiang Wan’er, so his spiritual power was weak.

Without strong resentment to sustain him, he was at constant risk of his soul disintegrating, and to prevent misfortune, he could only live by inhabiting another body.

Unable to occupy the body of an adult male, he took the body of a newborn.

When Li Simei reached nine years old, Elder Gong’s plan was set in motion.

Fearing a child’s poor acting, Li Simei, like Zhang Ye and others, had part of her memory altered.

Thus, Ye Yunfeng temporarily forgot his past and truly believed himself to be Li Zhaodi.

Until yesterday, Ye Yunfeng discovered the love spell, and found his brother’s corpse missing from the coffin…all the unusual events made him doubt the story performed by those around him.

The critical turning point was that night at the Zhang family’s wedding hall.

The bride ran away, plunging the scene into chaos.

Seeing all the red silk draped everywhere, Ye Yunfeng realized a fact—

The bride was gone, the wedding could not proceed.

Without the bride, the promised wedding ended in vain.

This thought kept spinning in Ye Yunfeng’s mind.

He vaguely remembered that he too had a wedding that had failed to take place.

But who was he supposed to marry?

Not long after, he finally remembered—

The one he was meant to marry was Jiang Wan’er!

Always was meant to be Jiang Wan’er!

The three families had wronged and humiliated her, and now still wanted to use her?

Anger, regret, grief…all swept through Ye Yunfeng.

Upon regaining his memory, the first thing he wanted to do was set fire to the wedding hall.

He did not want anyone to marry Jiang Wan’er; he had to destroy all the glaring red silk.

Several Zhang family servants had hurriedly left; the front hall cleared out, leaving only a few backstage guards watching Ah Hua.

They suspected Ah Hua of conspiring with Jiang Wan’er and planned to interrogate her later.

Ye Yunfeng lured the servants away, sneaked into the rest area alone, intending to get wine to set the fire, but unexpectedly saw Ah Hua asleep and noticed the water bottle at her waist.

The water bottle was not for her, but for Elder Gong, who often coughed.

Li Simei had seen Elder Gong and Ah Hua a few times with Liu Jinhua, so she naturally knew this.

Ye Yunfeng had prepared hellebore, originally intended to kill Jiang Wan’er during his amnesiac period, which he now used for Elder Gong.

When putting the hellebore into the water bottle, Ye Yunfeng felt a pang of fear—

He almost wronged Wan’er again.

The four men he hated most, and the heads of the three families.

However, Elder Gong was a skilled exorcist; while alive, Jiang Wan’er was in constant danger. If he could eliminate him in the process, it was advantageous.

After poisoning, Ye Yunfeng followed his original plan to set the rest area ablaze, quietly nudging Ah Hua before she woke, then leaving before she opened her eyes.

After leaving the wedding hall, Ye Yunfeng went to the Zhang estate to explore.

He wanted to know what these people had done to Jiang Wan’er.

During this time, he overheard Liu Jinhua’s phone call, learning that the four men and Jiang Wan’er were all at the Eternal Burial Hotel. He then left Zhang estate at 6

Most of the players had also stopped moving.

They stood frozen, digesting the information transmitted by the system.

Shizong, who had long known everything, paid no attention to the text in his mind. He merely squinted slightly and tilted his head, studying the “Li Simei” before him.

Ye Yunfeng, hiding within Li Simei’s body, looked calm.

He raised his head to Shizong and said lightly, “You knew I was the culprit all along.”

Ye Yunfeng was Li Simei.

Actually, the script gave very clear hints.

First, the midwife had mentioned that Li Simei had clearly stopped breathing when born, yet later came back to life.

Li Simei was ten years old this year; Ye Yunfeng had died ten years ago.

Second, on the back of a photo of Ye Yunfeng and Jiang Wan’er was written: “Ascending to the azure sky, descending to the yellow springs.”

This implied that when Jiang Wan’er died, Ye Yunfeng followed her as a ghost and lingered in this world.

Third, the room with the Ye family’s ancestral tablets was full of trapped wandering souls. Yet Shizong could not find Ye Yunfeng among them—not because he hated Jiang Wan’er.

Ye Yunfeng had committed suicide first. With the Ye family leader gone, the other three families took the opportunity to kill the remaining Ye family members and suppress them on the spot.

Thus, Ye Yunfeng’s soul was not suppressed along with them in the old Ye family residence.

Putting all these clues together, it was not hard to deduce that Ye Yunfeng had taken over Li Simei’s body.

Shizong said to Ye Yunfeng: “I threatened everyone in town to tell me stories. The six players were split into three groups and conducted a fairly thorough investigation, but no one else had a motive to kill Elder Gong. Only Ye Yunfeng could have a motive.

“Of course, before discussing with the other players, I could only narrow it down to you based on motive.

“But when Li Ershao mentioned all the clues provided by Ah Hua and that the Zhang family hall caught fire, I understood your process of committing the crime.

“Furthermore, no one else had a reason to burn the hall. Besides, Zhang Ye was with me at the time, and the other three men were on the opposite bank of the river… Only you.

“This is a newbie scenario; in fact, you were very easy to uncover.

“I suppose that’s why the system arranged for you to have an ‘ally.’

“Thanks to me, this ally helped you find a scapegoat in the young master of the Wang family. You should be grateful.

“When we met at the Zhang family pharmacy, you still refused to help me. Now I’ve helped you. Don’t you owe me a favor?”

“Mm.” Ye Yunfeng’s expression remained cold as he looked at Shizong, neither confirming nor denying. “You played very well. When did you realize we were on the same side? Was it after I gave you hints?”

Shizong nodded. “But your hints were very bold. Weren’t you afraid others would notice?”

Ye Yunfeng shook his head. “Even if they noticed something was off with the photo, I could come up with other reasons to cover it. The important thing is that you understood the true meaning of that photo, and that’s enough.”

Players were paired off in twos, watching each other. Ye Yunfeng had little chance to openly reveal to Shizong that they were on the same side and that he needed him to help cover his tracks.

So he came up with the idea of hinting at Shizong through the photo.

Ye Yunfeng hurriedly set up a symbolic grave for Jiang Wan’er, and soon after committed suicide.

In his mind, once he died, if others found the grave and recognized it as Jiang Wan’er’s, they would destroy it.

So he could not put anything in it that revealed Jiang Wan’er’s identity.

The photo of him and Jiang Wan’er had originally been hidden in a compartment in a book in the study.

During the exploration of the Eternal Burial Hotel with Li Dashao, Ye Yunfeng first went to the study. He found the photo and secretly tucked it into his sleeve when Li Dashao wasn’t paying attention.

Later, when he and Li Dashao found the symbolic grave, they dug it up together.

During this, Ye Yunfeng secretly took out the photo, pretending it had been found in the grave.

He did this with intention.

First, to pass information to Shizong, he had to retrieve the photo and give it to him, but he couldn’t do so openly in front of Li Dashao.

There were hundreds of books in the study. How could a ten-year-old girl, who had never been to the Eternal Burial Hotel, accurately find the photo without arousing suspicion?

Otherwise, Li Dashao and the others might realize that Li Simei’s body was inhabited by Ye Yunfeng.

Second, the photo itself, along with the phrase “Ascending to the azure sky, descending to the yellow springs,” would hint to Shizong that Ye Yunfeng’s soul had followed Jiang Wan’er and lingered in the world.

On this basis, if Shizong realized the photo didn’t come from the grave, he would wonder how Li Simei got it.

Since the person was gone, a photo of the two became even more precious, and Ye Yunfeng must have hidden it deeply.

How did Li Simei find it?

And why, in front of Li Dashao, did she pretend to find it in the grave?

The only explanation: she is Ye Yunfeng himself.

Finally, Ye Yunfeng needed this action to signal to Shizong that they were on the same side.

After all, if he openly revealed his identity, he would also reveal his motive, essentially exposing himself as the culprit.

Why would he expose himself?

Shizong had to deduce that a hidden mutual protective relationship existed between them; he had to help Ye Yunfeng conceal the true culprit.

Ye Yunfeng’s subtle scheming went unnoticed, and Li Dashao, who explored with him, was completely used.

At this moment, reviewing Ye Yunfeng’s actions, Shizong’s gaze showed a hint of admiration.

Then he heard Ye Yunfeng speak: “Showing you that photo was indeed risky. After all, I couldn’t be sure of your attitude, had no idea if you would help me.

“The system never clearly tells you that you and I are on the same side.

“Moreover, you weren’t certain whether Jiang Wan’er killed Ye Yunfeng, or if they had turned against each other.

“But now I see your choice. It seems…”

Looking at Shizong, Ye Yunfeng’s expression turned slightly strange. “It seems you chose to trust me. Do you trust me?”

Unexpectedly, Ye Yunfeng asked such a question.

Shizong squinted and smiled. “Trust you? In a game like this, what’s the point of trust?”

Ye Yunfeng said nothing, resuming his expressionless demeanor.

Shizong glanced at him and said, “You’re the type to let me die the moment we met. Why would you think I’d trust you?

“I chose to help you only because I analyzed my hidden mission and guessed the necessary condition for awakening.”

Not long ago, Shizong stood under the banyan tree at the Eternal Burial Hotel, staring at the dug-up symbolic grave, pondering why he had not awakened and what conditions the system required for “Jiang Wan’er awakening.”

Then he realized.

In this murder case, only Ye Yunfeng could have a motive.

His killing of Elder Gong could only have been for Jiang Wan’er.

This meant they had not turned against each other.

Therefore, Jiang Wan’er should not have killed him. She still loved him.

Recalling hatred, pain, and regret, but Jiang Wan’er had not yet recalled “love,” so the awakening was not complete.

Now that Ye Yunfeng had become the culprit, if Jiang Wan’er helped him escape punishment and hid his identity from others, it meant she had recalled the part about love.

This represented true, complete awakening.

Hence, the system set a hidden mission for the player portraying Jiang Wan’er.

If she helped Ye Yunfeng escape during the voting phase, the system would judge her as having truly awakened, achieving the best ending.

On a calm, sunny afternoon, in the frozen plaza.

Shizong and Ye Yunfeng stood, one tall, one short, looking into each other’s eyes at a measured distance.

Without much communication, they had completed an extremely tacit cooperation, flawless in execution.

Yet in their eyes, there was no joy from victory.

Shizong smiled gently on the surface, but the gentleness did not reach his eyes.

Ye Yunfeng remained cold, rigid, and selfless throughout.

Their gaze held a tension, almost like drawn swords at one another.

Nearby, Zuo Sanqiu, having digested all the information, immediately turned and saw the two on the verge of confrontation.

If unaware, one might think they were sworn enemies.

With this thought, Zuo Sanqiu looked at Ye Yunfeng with a mix of regret, hatred, and unresolved feelings, then quickly ran to grab Shizong’s wrist, dragging him aside.

“Damn it, we were all tricked by her! If I’d had a bit more time, I could have figured it out.

“But time was tight, and this game is scary, which

【Jiang Wan’er’s choice proves she has regained all her memories and fulfilled the conditions for awakening】

【Jiang Wan’er, congratulations on completing the hidden mission. You can now choose the ending you want】

【After awakening, you will regain all your abilities. Moreover, discovering the Three Great Families and Elder Gong’s roles afterward, your resentment grows even stronger, your spiritual power surpasses before, granting you immense strength】

【Therefore, you can choose to take revenge on everyone who has harmed you, but this requires using all your strength. Once the revenge is completed, you will vanish from this world forever】

【Of course, you can also choose to leave this land you despise with Ye Yunfeng…】

After the system notification ended, Zuo Sanqiu stood there stunned for three full seconds, staring at Shizong in disbelief, almost gasping, and only after a while did he stammer out:

“You… you… you tricked me again??!!!

“Damn… I just recalled your words during the discussion just now. You’re outrageous!!!

“This time I swear to the heavens, if I trust you again, I’ll livestream standing on my head while eating… ugh!”

Shizong asked in surprise, “Why are you being so hard on yourself?”

Zuo Sanqiu: “…………”

【The system will give Jiang Wan’er time to consider which ending to choose】

【Now the system will announce the points settlement results】

【Voting phase points settlement: Wang Zhien failed to clear his suspicion, losing 100 points】

【Li Zhaodi successfully escaped, gaining 200 points】

【Li Guangtong, Li Guangrong, Zhang Ye, Jiang Wan’er, neither gain nor lose points】

【Script completion settlement: Wang Zhien and Zhang Ye failed to find the true culprit, failing to uncover the story, story completion 50%, each gains 50 points】

【Li Zhaodi completed effective exploration, gaining 100 points】

【Jiang Wan’er story completion 100%, completing the hidden side mission, gaining 200 points】

【Jiang Wan’er changed the death ending, leading the story into a more complete Storyline 2, gaining an additional 100 points】

【In summary, Wang Zhien receives -50 points】

【Li Guangtong, Li Guangrong, Zhang Ye each receive 50 points】

【Li Zhaodi, Jiang Wan’er each receive 300 points】

【Note: players with negative points must work to earn points within a month. If after a month you still owe, the system will claim your life】

【Reward settlement complete】

【Now, Jiang Wan’er, please make your choice】

“Ding-dang, ding-ding-dang……”

The floating clouds resumed movement, and the wind blew again.

Accompanied by the low, slow sound of bells, countless people crowded around a Taoist priest, approaching the central plaza. And in the central plaza, a peerless woman rose into the air, barefoot, long hair flowing, her eyes an eerie red.

Clad entirely in red, she hovered in front of the statue of the saint, looking exactly as she did when burned ten years ago.

Ten years ago, she was burned into a vengeful spirit.

A year ago, her memories had been erased, living in a love game where all townsfolk acted as extras.

Now she had finally awakened, reborn like a phoenix from the flames, radiating a power that could incinerate everything.

Sensing something, a ten-year-old girl stepped forward before her.

Inside this body was Ye Yunfeng’s soul.

Using the girl as a vessel, he looked up at Jiang Wan’er in midair.

“You didn’t kill me, nor did you kill the Ye family. I have not wronged you, nor broken my vow. We have never turned against each other. So now, what choice will you make?

“Do you want to come with me?”

In midair, Jiang Wan’er tilted her head, smiling at him—a gaze both familiar and strange.

“Why come with you? What connection could I have with a little girl?”

Ye Yunfeng’s expression darkened. “If you kill them, you will also turn to ashes.”

“To ashes… hmm, that’s a pity. But some things require a price to be truly let go.”

Jiang Wan’er said, “Repay resentment with resentment, repay hatred with hatred. Ten years ago everyone wanted me dead, so now I will kill them all.

“This land is full of sins. Better to cleanse it with blood and start anew.”

Hearing this, Ye Yunfeng stood in the center of the plaza, motionless like a wooden statue, his eyes clear and serene.

Jiang Wan’er glanced at him one last time, then with her blood-red eyes, emotionless, gazed upon the people and the mountains and rivers of Changming Town.

It was time for a thorough cleansing.

Dressed in red, Jiang Wan’er raised her hand in a spell-casting gesture. With a “ding,” the bell in the Taoist’s hand fell.

Immediately, with a “crack,” the bell shattered into pieces, and the Taoist holding it fell heavily, spitting a mouthful of blood.

“Not good, not good… she knows about the four men who raped her and deceived her heart… she knows all the truth. Her resentment is unprecedentedly strong!

“I can’t handle… you, you did this to me! If I’d known she’d be this strong, I shouldn’t have come… I shouldn’t have come!!!”

The Taoist turned to flee, but it was already too late.

The red figure in midair suddenly became like purgatorial fire, spreading instantly, consuming everything in its path, pulling one person after another into it, the flames growing fiercer and stronger.

In an instant, the fire engulfed all of Changming Town, devouring everyone’s life.

The fire burned for three full days and nights.

The decayed, hidden, little-known Changming Town in the distant mountains was silently consumed by fire.

To Jiang Wan’er, the town in the red flames was the most beautiful she had ever seen it.

All the illusions performed like mirages were revealed in their true form in this fire.

During these three days, she felt a peace and reality she had long not known.

Moments before turning to ashes, she faintly sensed a shadow rushing toward her.

It was the spirit of an adult man, floating from Li Zhaodi’s burnt body.

Ye Yunfeng’s soul was semi-transparent, fragile, seeming ready to vanish in the sunlight.

Yet he rushed forward without hesitation, trying to embrace the woman more radiant than the flames.

His gaze was mournful and sorrowful.

He knew this separation would be forever.

But when he reached out to hold her from behind, she had completely turned to ashes.

The ashes were lifted by the wind, scattering like sparks.

Ye Yunfeng’s embrace caught nothing.

Before their final farewell, she had not even glanced back at him.

Shortly after the fire began, the system removed the players from the game.

At that moment, Shizong’s consciousness left Jiang Wan’er’s body, meeting her gaze in midair.

“Thank you for helping me find the truth, and thank you for making this decision for me.

“Yunfeng treated me well, but being with him, I could never escape Changming Town, nor the memories here.

“I have hated too long, been too tired. It’s time to let everything go…”

Pausing, Jiang Wan’er continued, “My expectations for Ye Yunfeng were perhaps already burned away in that fire. Whatever the reason, I never waited for him to save me.

“The real problem is not me, not him, not even the four men who harmed me…

“It is this town itself, backward, decayed, and closed…

“Destroying it is fine. Otherwise, the tragedy between him and me might repeat endlessly.”

At the end, Jiang Wan’er handed Shizong something.

It was a silver-black badge, about a third the size of a palm.

【Player Shizong completed the side mission, gaining an extra item—Knight Badge】

【Ending choice does not affect points, only the type of Knight Badge】

【You have obtained the Knight Badge of the type: “Night”】

【Please keep the Knight Badge safe】

【Please wait for teleportation…】

As he awaited teleportation out of the game, Shizong inadvertently glanced down and saw Ye Yunfeng.

He was standing beside the statue of the saint, where Jiang Wan’er had been burned alive.

Ye Yunfeng was also looking at Shizong.

His eyes were stained red by the fire, expression inscrutable.

After a moment, a semi-transparent figure separated from his body, vaguely a handsome, resolute-featured, very young man.

But he soon disappeared.

It all felt fleeting, like a hallucination.

Before Shizong could see his face clearly, he returned to reality.

After a brief daze, Shizong realized he was back at the front desk of the Maze Inn.

He still held a rag, apparently having just finished cleaning and ready to go upstairs to sleep.

Remembering something, Shizong checked his phone.

9:17 PM.

When Chen Li came looking for him, it had been 9:15.

After spending so long in the game, only two minutes had passed in the real world.

After all, Chen Li wanted him

Now he had undoubtedly failed.

But where was the other person?

Shizong instinctively looked up toward the door.

Suddenly, the door curtain swayed, and someone walked in.

Shizong watched the entrance expressionlessly, his right hand under the desk quietly gripping a knife.

After a moment, someone entered the hall. He was still a police officer, but his name was Lu Feng, no longer Chen Li.

Showing Shizong his ID, the police officer Lu Feng said seriously, “A violent homicide occurred in the nearby Zhang Family Village. The suspect is still at large. Please pay attention to your safety.

“If you notice any suspicious persons checking in, make sure to call the police immediately. The suspect’s features are…”

The officer gave Shizong many instructions, showed him a sketch of the suspect, and left his phone number.

Shizong noted everything and said he would remind the other guests of the details. When Lu Feng nodded to leave, Shizong called him back.

“Officer Lu, may I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“You’re also a police officer in the Xinbei District?”

“Yes. Huangxia Town falls under Xinbei District.”

“Then… do you have a police officer named Chen Li?”

“Yes. Why? Do you know him?”

“Not exactly. He…”

“Him… sigh, he had a bright future ahead… but we just discovered he had some issues.

“He’s been detained. I can’t tell you the details beyond that.”

Shizong nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, “Can I visit him? It’s like this—he owes me some money. I want to ask him if he has any relatives who could help repay it. We’re actually online friends; we played a game together, and I have some questions about the game I want to ask him.”

Visiting a detainee to ask about a game?

What was up with this attractive inn owner?

Lu Feng sized up Shizong for a moment, then nodded. “You can apply for a visit. I’ll help you with the procedure. Here’s the deal: tomorrow, after the interrogation process ends, I’ll call you.

“But you can’t communicate alone—you need at least two officers present.”

“Understood. Thank you, Officer Lu.”

After politely seeing Lu Feng off, Shizong’s mind shivered—

What if he had died in the game as Jiang Wan’er?

Would he have been treated as the murderer, then executed?

Now he had survived the game.

In the real world, it was Chen Li who ended up in prison.

Their fates seemed completely reversed.

It seemed this game could truly defy destiny.

What kind of power was manipulating the game?

As Shizong pondered, the tassel bell rang again.

It was an angry Zuo Sanqiu running from the back of the inn.

He had rehearsed a tirade, full of curses for Shizong.

Yet when he saw Shizong, all his fury couldn’t even erupt.

—Shizong was at the computer, calm, serene, and focused, typing away as if he hadn’t seen him.

A fist made of steel is useless against cotton.

Zuo Sanqiu was nearly infuriated. “Why are you like this?!”

Shizong kept typing, finally looking up after a while, beckoning at him as if coaxing a child.

“Come over.”

What the heck? You trick me, cheat me, and now just beckon me over and I have to come? How humiliating!

Zuo Sanqiu glared silently.

Then he saw Shizong turn the computer screen toward him. At the top were four large characters: “Employment Contract.”

“W-what do you mean by this?”

“You lost the club bonus, I said I’d compensate you. A promise must be kept.

“I need extra hands anyway; you can come work here when you don’t have classes.”

Shizong looked at Zuo Sanqiu seriously. “I may have tricked you in the game, but there was a reason. First, I had to test Wang Zhien. Something was off about him…”

After explaining Wang Zhien, Shizong continued, “Second, I needed to test the game’s mechanics. Looking now, the side missions might be deeply hidden. To achieve the optimal ending and maximum points, every step must be precise.

“Even during voting, I wasn’t 100% sure. If Ye Yunfeng really thought I killed the Ye family and had turned against me, I wouldn’t have been on his side. I might have been an accomplice only used by him.

“In the end, I risked not earning points like you, and even risked being killed by him. In his eyes, I could have been his greatest enemy.”

Saying this, Shizong’s serious expression carried a trace of fear, as if each step was perilous.

He was testing the game rules regardless of the danger to his life.

Moreover… without him, he might not have found the real culprit in time, given the enormous amount of information and tight deadlines.

Though Zuo Sanqiu was still annoyed at being deceived, in this game, everyone was striving for points. What right did he have to complain?

At least Shizong hadn’t harmed him.

He’d only missed the correct voting points…

Seeing Zuo Sanqiu calm down, Shizong printed two copies of the contract and handed one to him. “If you sign, does that mean you forgive me?”

Zuo Sanqiu: “……”

A minute later, still reluctant but honest, Zuo Sanqiu signed the contract, officially becoming Shizong’s employee.

After putting away the contract, Shizong yawned. “Sleep here tonight. Later, come upstairs and pick any room; it’ll be yours from now on.”

“Fine. But let me emphasize—if I weren’t short on money, I wouldn’t sign this!”

“Oh. Okay.”

“……”

Then Zuo Sanqiu saw Shizong ask for his bank account number and start transferring money.

His phone buzzed.

Zuo Sanqiu realized he’d received 3,000 yuan.

Shizong said, “I remember Wu Gou mentioned the annual bonus was 2,000 yuan. So, here’s an advance on your salary. Enough? If not, ask me for more.”

Zuo Sanqiu blinked. “You’re not asking what I’ll use the money for?”

Shizong said, “What’s that got to do with me?”

Zuo Sanqiu: “……”

“Are you not afraid I’ll use the money for crime?”

“That’s not my responsibility. I’m not your guardian, I don’t need to answer for your actions.”

“…………”

Though 2,000 yuan wasn’t much.

Still, Shizong really was something…

Finally, Zuo Sanqiu honestly explained, “My parents do hard labor, very tiring, leaving early and returning late, can’t care for me.

“For a long time, my meals were handled by the old lady next door. I’m very grateful to her.

“Now she’s sick, I’ve sent her living expenses. I heard her hospital bill is still short 2,000, so I thought…

“Mainly because my parents already work hard to support me in college. I feel embarrassed to ask them. Also, I’m vain; I don’t want to appear weak in front of friends. When paying the club fees, I act generous. I…”

Zuo Sanqiu was moved by his own words.

Then he saw Shizong yawn.

Zuo Sanqiu: “…………”

“Played this game long enough, aren’t you tired? Come on, let’s sleep.”

Shizong locked the front desk drawer and walked up the wooden stairs.

Zuo Sanqiu stood there a moment, then hurriedly followed.

On the way upstairs, he scratched his head and asked curiously,

“Why did you choose… if I were Jiang Wan’er, I would’ve gone with Ye Yunfeng. These two are too tragic. Finally reunited after so long.”

“What’s the point of going with Ye Yunfeng?”

“Ah? What else? Just… staying together.”

“Would that be interesting?”

“Ah… huh??”

“What’s the point of going with a man? Especially a man who’s become a little girl.

“Besides, is romance more fun than revenge?”

“……”

After a while, Zuo Sanqiu realized, hurriedly said, “No, I got twisted around! How would I know if romance is fun? I just wanted to say… not everyone deserves to die, right? Wiping out the whole town is too… besides, then Jiang Wan’er would be completely gone…”

Zuo Sanqiu rambled on until Shizong stopped and leaned on the door, raising an eyebrow slightly.

He showed no impatience, even a faint smile on his face.

But Zuo Sanqiu had already keenly noticed his impatience and so stayed silent.

He only asked, “That Meizhu Mansion, do you want to go? I plan to check it out tomorrow. Why don’t we enter this game together and discuss it a bit?

“What’s the deal with the police officer looking for you? The two times seemed like different people. I-I wasn’t spying on you on purpose, I just… cough, well, when we entered the game, was it related to that white light?

“And… you said Li Simei, or rather Ye Yunfeng’s player, would they go to Meizhu Mansion? I’m really curious. This time, the person playing the murderer—is it a man or woman, what do they look like? Aren’t you curious?”

Shizong thought for a moment, then said, “Not curious. Didn’t Li Ershao say they’d wait for us three days? No rush. Let me think about it. You can go scout ahead if you like.

“All right. Time to rest. You’ll stay in this room.”

The next day at two in the afternoon, Shizong went to the detention center.

At the inn, Shizong usually wore ancient-style clothing.

That was required by the local government. To promote the town’s ancient style, the government standardized shop signs and required all shopkeepers to wear traditional costumes.

The outfits were rented cheaply from the government, like studio costumes.

Shizong managed to pull it off with his face alone.

But he really didn’t want to wear a wig, so he left his hair long.

Now with Zuo Sanqiu as an assistant, Shizong gave him a set of traditional clothes to manage the shop, while he himself changed into a suit to go out.

The tailored suit, long waist-length hair, and an almost perfect face attracted extremely high attention. Even Zuo Sanqiu looked at him a few extra times.

Inside the detention center.

Chen Li’s hair had been shaved extremely short.

He squeezed into a small room with other prisoners, looking dazed and listless, as if utterly hopeless.

When two police officers came to take him and told him someone was visiting, Chen Li’s eyes lit up.

However, upon entering the meeting room and seeing Shizong, the light in his eyes immediately died, and he became listless again, like a lifeless, withered tree.

Shizong precisely caught that shift in emotion.

He narrowed his eyes, scrutinized Chen Li for a long while, and said, “You owe me money. You remember that, right?”

Considering the two officers present, Shizong had to ask his questions indirectly. “The money you borrowed from me, you used it to play a detective online game and got me involved. Correct?”

Chen Li understood the hint and nodded at Shizong.

Shizong asked, “How much do you know about this game?”

Chen Li said nothing.

Shizong asked again, “Then let me ask differently—why did you get me into the game?”

Seeing Chen Li remain silent, Shizong recalled his earlier emotional change and asked, “I’m not the person you expected to see. Then… who did you hope to meet in this room?

“Did they promise you something, that getting me into the game would bring you some benefit? What did they promise you?”

Chen Li still said nothing, but his eyes showed a flicker of surprise, probably curious how Shizong guessed.

His reaction confirmed Shizong had guessed correctly.

Based on current facts, Shizong speculated that Chen Li had used some item to pull him into the game.

This item could assign Shizong to a specific dungeon and role, but using it carried risks—

If Shizong didn’t die in the game, Chen Li would be in big trouble, possibly even dead.

But the key issue: Chen Li had no grudge against Shizong. Why take such a risk?

Could he have been doing it for someone else?

That person probably promised him: “Use this item to pull Shizong into the game, and I’ll fulfill your wish. Yes, I know there’s risk. If Shizong doesn’t die, you’ll go to prison. But don’t worry, I’ll get you out.”

Thus, Chen Li had always hoped that this person would “rescue” him.

When the visitor turned out not to be who he expected, but Shizong, his disappointment was immense.

Shizong leaned slightly toward Chen Li and asked, “Who made you do this? You did this for them—what did you hope to gain?

“I can help you achieve your wish. Just tell me everything you know.”

Chen Li stared at Shizong for a moment, then smiled bitterly. “It’s probably too late. My younger brother has a terminal illness; only he can treat him.”

Shizong squinted. “I cleared one round of the game successfully. I’ve found that it can indeed let players defy fate.

“So why can’t I save your brother? Clearly, the timeline can reset, right?”

In the original timeline, Chen Li went to the Mizang Inn to try to arrest Shizong. But now the timeline had changed—Chen Li ended up a prisoner.

Though it was still unclear how the game affected the real world, the principle was unknown, but the timeline was evidently reset.

Under these circumstances, resurrecting a dead person seemed plausible.

After a long silence, Chen Li said, “Yes, I was entrusted. I used the item to get you into the game, and he saved my brother—that was our deal.

“The item I used is called ‘Deprivation.’”

【Item Name: Deprivation】

【Item Cost: 1200 points】

【Item Effect: Assigns an ordinary person as a game player, specifying dungeon and role. If the role dies, you obtain their identity; if the role survives, you lose your current identity】

【Note: Obtained identity can be used by yourself or gifted to others】

Shizong realized he hadn’t fully guessed the item’s effect.

What did “obtain identity” mean?

In a flash, Shizong remembered the note he wrote: “Run this inn well, be a competent owner, or I will die.”

Shizong quickly asked Chen Li, “You don’t mean… the identity of ‘Mizang Inn Owner’?”

Chen Li nodded. “The person who made me do this is powerful. High status, many people beg him for favors…

“He himself doesn’t need your identity, but one of his subordinates does. He wants his subordinate to become the ‘Mizang Inn Owner.’ So when I petitioned, he had me do this—pull you into the game.

“If you died in the game as Jiang Wan’er, you’d be imprisoned. The next inn owner would be his subordinate, while I’d remain a police officer.

“In that case, you’d lose your ‘identity.’ But now… I’ve lost the ‘identity.’”

Seeing Shizong still seemed to have questions, Chen Li said, “That’s all I can tell you now. Saying more risks being noticed by that powerful person; we might both be in danger.

“So that’s it. Everything else, find out yourself. If you discover important info and the timing is right, come back. I’ll tell you everything I know about that powerful person.

“But if you find nothing… it proves your ability is lacking. No matter how much I tell you, it won’t help.

“Shizong, you want intel from me, proof is needed. When you obtain tangible evidence, come trade with me.”

Chen Li glanced at the two police officers’ expressions, twitched his mouth, then deliberately added, “Hehe, we’re discussing online games so seriously, the police might think we’re addicted.”

Leaving the detention center, Shizong felt he’d gained something—

Chen Li had used [Deprivation] to pull him into the game to obtain the “Mizang Inn Owner” identity.

He didn’t need it himself, but to gift it to a powerful person’s subordinate.

In exchange, the powerful person would save his critically ill brother.

Shizong thought of Zuo Sanqiu.

Initially, he thought Chen Li had used some white-light item to pull him in, and Zuo Sanqiu was accidentally affected.

But now it seemed Zuo Sanqiu’s entry had nothing to do with the white light—he was directly selected by the system.

Simultaneously, the system probably initiated multiple games, all closing at the same time.

The game affects reality; if reality constantly changed due to game results, the timeline would become chaotic.

So Shizong hypothesized the game’s start and end times were fixed.

Assuming the game opens once a week, the world timeline resets weekly.

He guessed the game starts every Saturday at 9:15 PM.

All players enter then.

Regardless of dungeon time, the real-world game ends at 9:17 PM.

So, every Saturday from 9:15–9:17 PM, multiple games run, multiple real-world identity swaps occur, and the system resets the world timeline using the two-minute difference.

In the most recent timeline, Chen Li committed a “crime” and ended up imprisoned.

Shizong didn’t yet know the game’s frequency or how often the world resets.

In any case, multiple dungeons run simultaneously.

It seemed he and Zuo Sanqiu both entered