Chapter 5

Chapter 4: Changming Town 4

After reading the details of the love curse, Shi Zong’s confusion deepened.

—If the Zhang family wanted to use Jiang Wan’er and trick her into a ghost marriage, they should have made her take medicine containing Zhang Ye’s hair, so she would willingly sacrifice herself.

But why was it Zhang Ye who took the medicine instead?

Zhang Ye, Jiang Wan’er’s “licking dog,” was actually under a love curse?

Then what about the other three men who were willing to die for Jiang Wan’er?

With his doubts, Shi Zong continued exploring.

Soon, he found another medicine record—

【Medicine Name: Fake High Fever Medicine】

【Recipient: Zhang Ye, male, 32 years old】

【Required Ingredients: Frog skin, fly legs…】

【Preparation Method: …】

【Administration: Oral; immediately induces high fever, body weakness, chills, but causes no real physical harm】

【Last Administration: July 7】

Interesting.

Shi Zong raised an eyebrow—

So, the so-called story of Zhang Ye kneeling in the rain for three days, causing a high fever and coma…

Was actually a fake induced by medicine?

Just as Shi Zong was about to search for more clues, footsteps came from outside the cabin.

He immediately turned off his flashlight and quietly moved to the door.

Then he heard a slightly childish female voice speaking to Zuo Sanqiu.

“Ahem… this is… ahem, isn’t this the Li Family’s Fourth Young Miss? You should go to the hall, that’s where the wedding is, with lots of snacks. This isn’t where you should be.”

“I saw you came with my sister-in-law, so I came to check. Found any clues? I found some too, how about we exchange?”

Zuo Sanqiu was stunned. “Ah… let me think about it…”

Hearing this, Shi Zong shook his head.

Li Fourth Young Miss hadn’t necessarily really seen him; her words were probably just a test.

Zuo Sanqiu’s hesitation inadvertently admitted he really was in the cabin.

At this point, to avoid drawing attention from others, Shi Zong hid all the medicine records, then stepped forward, opened the door, and called both of them in.

A moment later, inside the medicine room.

Shi Zong pretended to search for clues while Zuo Sanqiu kept an eye on the window and observed Li Fourth Young Miss.

Li Fourth Young Miss was carefully searching for clues.

The little girl had big watery eyes, an oval face, a pointed chin—a standard cute, moe-girl appearance.

But her gaze and expression were rather cold, giving her the aura of a bossy, arrogant little adult.

After a while, Zuo Sanqiu whispered to Shi Zong, “She’s so cute. But I don’t know her actual age. Could she be a beautiful girl around my age?”

Shi Zong said lightly, “What if she’s a big, scruffy guy?”

Zuo Sanqiu frowned, mumbling, “This game can’t be that cruel… all trap characters?”

During their conversation, Li Fourth Young Miss, having searched the medicine room, slowly walked up to Shi Zong.

“There’s a Huarong path mechanism at the door. It must be a perk for new players. There should be important clues here, but I found nothing after coming in. Did you hide all the clues?”

Tsk, this cute girl seemed sharp.

Zuo Sanqiu muttered in his mind, feeling the atmosphere in the room tense.

Suddenly, a gust of wind outside made the tree shadows sway. Startled, he thought someone had arrived and jumped.

A bit uneasy, Zuo Sanqiu ran outside to scout, hiding near the door to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Li Fourth Young Miss said, “It’s fine if you’re hiding it from me. I could guess. These clues—do they point to the ‘love curse’? I’ve seen this in the Li family pharmacy. So I suspect…

“I suspect you cast this curse on the men. Otherwise, why would they all fall in love with you?”

“The logic doesn’t fit.”

Shi Zong calmly replied, “You said you found the ‘love curse’ in the Li family pharmacy. Is their pharmacy similar to this one?”

Li Fourth Young Miss nodded, “Similar. The Li family is big, so they set up a pharmacy. That way, anyone with a headache or fever can get treated promptly.”

“Then fine, if I were the one giving your brother and Zhang Ye the medicine, would I openly make it in both families’ pharmacies? Normally, I’d find my own place, secretly prepare it, then distribute it to these men.”

Shi Zong looked at Li Fourth Young Miss and said, “I didn’t give the medicine. I really thought your brother and I were true love. Didn’t expect he also took medicine.”

Li Fourth Young Miss smiled.

She immediately asked, “I have two older brothers. Which one was true love with you? Or… both?”

Hearing this, Shi Zong looked thoughtfully at Li Fourth Young Miss, then said, “These aren’t the only clues. Otherwise, both pharmacies’ clues would be redundant. What did you find? Tell me, we’ll exchange.”

“Fine. From my story, this clue doesn’t show any problems. I was going to tell you to seek answers anyway. This trade isn’t a loss.”

Without hesitation, Li Fourth Young Miss said, “Near the north gate, I found a tool room. There’s a strange device inside called the Rain Artifact.”

【Item Name: Rain Artifact】

【Effect: Artificial rainfall device, suitable for irrigation in drought; can also deceive the poor into thinking the three major families can summon rain…】

After hearing Li Fourth Young Miss’s description, Shi Zong immediately thought of the heavy rain that changed Zhang Ye’s parents’ attitude, making them agree to him marrying Jiang Wan’er.

So… the heavy rain was fake, the fever was fake.

Zuo Sanqiu probably had no idea.

That meant Zhang Ye’s parents staged it with Jiang Wan’er.

Why?

Shi Zong recalled carefully.

The heavy rain not only changed the Zhang family parents’ attitude toward the wedding, it also changed one person’s feelings—

To others, Jiang Wan’er had consecutively caused the deaths of three men. Now she was despised by all; the Li and Wang families wouldn’t let her go.

At the critical moment, Zhang Ye saved her.

Zhang Ye said he would marry her; only then did the other two families let her go.

Thus, Jiang Wan’er stayed temporarily in the Zhang household out of circumstance. She only needed Zhang Ye’s protection, without truly being moved by him. Until the heavy rain.

Because of that rain, Jiang Wan’er felt touched.

Her desire for marriage combined with that touch, and she truly developed feelings for Zhang Ye.

If all of this was designed by Zhang Ye’s parents…

Then their change of attitude due to the rain was fake, a show.

Only Jiang Wan’er’s feelings after the rain were real.

So… could it be Zhang Ye’s parents put the love curse on their own son to make him fall for Jiang Wan’er?

As for the act of opposing marriage by parents and everyone in the world—it was all acting?

The more they opposed, the more precious Zhang Ye’s insistence on marrying Jiang Wan’er seemed, and she would be more easily moved, more willing to give her heart.

Love curse, fake high fever medicine, Rain Artifact…

This series of manipulations by the Zhang family—was it all to gain Jiang Wan’er’s true heart?

To Shi Zong, true heart was the hardest thing to obtain.

It couldn’t be bought; the three major families had to deceive to get it.

But, can a love curse work on a ghost?

The medicine record didn’t say.

In any case, tonight’s “ghost marriage” had to be special. Jiang Wan’er probably needed to truly care for Zhang Ye for the ritual to work.

“So, what other clues did you find?”

Li Fourth Young Miss spoke again, breaking Shi Zong’s thoughts.

Shi Zong asked, “How old are your two older brothers?”

Li Fourth Young Miss furrowed her brows, seeming surprised by the question.

She answered, “The eldest is 24, the second is 23.”

Shi Zong asked again, “From your perspective, are they really dead?”

Li Fourth Young Miss nodded.

Thinking of something, Shi Zong asked, “You wouldn’t have intentions to kill me, right? You’re close to your brothers; you might think I harmed them and want revenge.”

Li Fourth Young Miss nodded again. “Exactly.”

Shi Zong’s suspicion was slowly confirmed.

Most players and NPCs had intentions to kill Jiang Wan’er.

Once Jiang Wan’er died, this murder-mystery game would officially begin. The other five players would explore, discuss, and logically analyze her death, trying to find the true killer.

But none of this would involve Shi Zong anymore.

The moment Jiang Wan’er died, he would also die permanently.

Looking at Li Fourth Young Miss, Shi Zong said, “I can tell you all the extra clues in this room and my guesses about the story, helping you restore the whole plot. But you have to make a deal with me—

“Fourth Young Miss, cooperate with me in a little performance. At the wedding, use

“Is this the reason you want me to ruin the wedding?”

“Yes. So, are you willing?”

“No.”

Li Fourth Young Miss answered very decisively.

Tonight, the sparse stars and faint moon, broken clouds passing by, the hazy moonlight shone into the medicine room, but Li Fourth Young Miss’s face remained hidden in shadow, indistinct.

Hearing this, Shi Zong raised an eyebrow.

He had considered that Li Fourth Young Miss might refuse, but he truly didn’t expect her to refuse so decisively, without even a moment to think.

Yet beyond that, Shi Zong’s face showed no other expression.

His gaze was as clear as the moonlight outside, yet, like the moonlight, seemingly elusive.

Breaking the tense atmosphere in the room was a quick, light knock at the door.

After a few soft knocks, Zuo Sanqiu pushed the door open and whispered to Shi Zong, “Hurry, many people are coming. They must have noticed we’re missing!”