Chapter 59: Detective Reasoning Hall

Chapter 59: Detective Reasoning Hall

Outside, a dense darkness surged, darker than the deepest night.

Zhang Yuanqing possessed eyes that could pierce the darkness, yet he could not see through this terrifying yin energy. He could only vaguely make out the figure in a wedding dress, moving with unhurried steps as it crossed the threshold.

In that moment, Zhang Yuanqing experienced the greatest terror he had felt since birth.

This terror was not the horror of having his yang energy drained by the "Shoulder-Clinging Wraith," nor the panic of being hunted by zombies. It was the terror of having emotions explode within him while his body remained utterly unresponsive.

Unable to resist, unable to defend, only endless despair.

His abilities as a Night Wanderer were useless in that instant. He was completely suppressed.

The little goblin was too frightened even to cry, its chubby body trembling uncontrollably. Seconds later, its useless master began trembling along with it.

The darkness poured into the room. The figure in the wedding dress walked step by step, a thick aura of death shrouding every corner of the space.

Just then, the Cat King speaker in Zhang Yuanqing’s pocket, once again without regard for the occasion, emitted a voice:

"She is coming, with unparalleled terror... The groom sat on the edge of the bed, thinking of his plan, but though he appeared calm, in truth he was terri—"

The Cat King speaker, at this point, was disrupted by some interference, emitting a "zzzzt" of static. Seconds later, the sound resumed, but what it said made Zhang Yuanqing’s heart leap:

"The groom appeared calm, but in truth he was overjoyed, for the bride was beautiful and graceful, gentle and dignified, a rare and perfect match. Yes, that is so... zzzzt..."

Then it fell completely silent.

In truth he was overjoyed?! Are you sure that’s what you originally meant to say? There were too many inconsistencies in that line for Zhang Yuanqing to even begin commenting. He kept his head lowered, not daring to look at the ghost bride.

Sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead, and his body trembled faintly.

Then, with his head still down, he saw a pair of red embroidered shoes stop right in front of him.

...

Time passed second by second. Xie Lingxi sat on the edge of the bed, not daring to move. Her delicate, refined features, set against the backdrop of the bridal chamber, almost made her seem like the bride herself.

In the old version of the guide, those chosen by the ghost bride were doomed to die. That shouldn’t change in the new version. Whoever she chooses is as good as dead... Xie Lingxi quietly swallowed her saliva.

She had always known the guide for the haunted house but hadn’t mentioned it. She had planned to use it as leverage once inside. But after discovering that Wang Tai was a Night Wanderer and that the task had changed—adding the betrothal gifts, wedding invitations, and other elements—she realized the old guide was useless.

So she never brought it up.

Xie Lingxi was terrified. She had experienced two single-player realms and two multiplayer realms, encountering danger along the way, especially in the single-player realms, where all classes faced death-oriented scenarios.

But her class’s single-player realm could only be described as thrilling—not “terrifying.”

Goldwater Amusement Park was the first realm she had experienced with supernatural elements. It was dreadful. This dread wasn’t just the threat of death—ghosts and monsters were inherently able to stir human fear.

I’ll never watch horror movies again... she swore inwardly.

There was no sense of time in the bridal chamber. Amid the seemingly endless torment, Xie Lingxi suddenly heard the realm’s notification:

[You have completed the Haunted House (Ghost Wedding) task. You are currently on the "Heart-Pounding" task series. The entertainment facilities in this series are: Roller Coaster — Underground Parking Lot — Haunted House (Ghost Wedding) — Detective Reasoning Hall. Please proceed to the fourth location within half an hour.]

“It’s over?”

Xie Lingxi froze, then a surge of intense joy washed over her, as if she had traversed an endless night. She felt like cheering with delight.

Finally, it ended. This terrifying supernatural task was finally over.

Then came her second thought: Who died?

She couldn’t wait to push open the latticed door and step outside. She looked around. The night was desolate, lanterns hung high from the eaves, and there was no sign of anything.

But soon, she heard footsteps behind her. Xie Lingxi turned immediately and saw the red-haired Fire Demon emerging from the bridal chamber behind her.

A blend of relief and anticipation gleamed in Fire Demon’s eyes. “Looks like it’s Wang Tai or Qi Tian Da Sheng who died.”

Xie Lingxi frowned almost imperceptibly at seeing him alive.

Fire Demon was in high spirits. “The most dangerous part is over. The next Detective Reasoning Hall shouldn’t be too tough. If we can get out, we’ll have achieved the first S-rank clear. Tsk, I’m already looking forward to the reward. Oh, and the guide—just the guide alone will let me live large for a long time.”

Xie Lingxi glanced at him flatly. “We don’t have a clear guide for the haunted house level. Wang Tai knew it best. The guide you write will probably be far less valuable.”

Fire Demon shrugged. “Even so, it’ll still be precious.”

They didn’t wait long. Soon they heard footsteps behind them again and turned to look.

“You?” Fire Demon’s expression flickered before he recovered, letting out a snicker. “Looks like Qi Tian Da Sheng is staying behind as the groom. That kid is both cowardly and spineless. It wouldn’t be fair if he got out of this realm alive.”

“Brother Wang Tai!” Xie Lingxi beamed a sweet smile.

Zhang Yuanqing nodded slightly, then looked at Fire Demon, his tone low. “Cooperative partners or not, there’s no need for such sour remarks.”

“Sure, sure, say whatever you like. Now let’s get out of here. I don’t want to stay a second longer. The sooner we finish, the sooner we go our separate ways.”

The words “go our separate ways” were spoken with heavy emphasis.

So, led by Zhang Yuanqing, the three crossed the inner courtyard, the main hall, and the outer courtyard. They encountered no danger along the way and left the haunted mansion smoothly.

The three hurried out of the dark alley without pausing, acting in silent accord, as if all had developed a considerable psychological shadow over the place.

Ten minutes later, following the roadside signs, they found the Detective Reasoning Hall.

It was a white building, with tall, thick columns supporting a triangular roof—a standard Western style.

The iron gate stood open, and a fountain pool adorned the front courtyard.

“Need a rest?”

Zhang Yuanqing stopped outside the iron gate, consulting his two teammates.

Xie Lingxi and Fire Demon shook their heads.

The horror of the haunted house had drained them more mentally than physically. The ten-minute walk was enough to calm their nerves; they needed no further rest.

Besides, at this point, they were all eager to end the nightmare of tonight’s task.

The three entered the gate, circled the fountain, and walked into the museum-like building.

The hall of the Reasoning Hall was paved with square tiles. Eight magnificent crystal chandeliers hung from the dome, casting a dazzling, brilliant light.

Display cases lined the hall, showcasing a variety of items: a pipe and a walking cane, a red bow tie and a soccer ball, symbols of dancing men, a thread-bound *Xiyuan Lu*...

A pipe and walking cane were one thing, but a red bow tie? Seemed like copy was messing around with references... As a reasoning enthusiast with aspirations to emulate his grandfather and become an outstanding inspector, Zhang Yuanqing was no stranger to these objects.

The three swept their eyes over the display cases before shifting their focus to the center of the hall, where six statues stood draped in red cloth.

Fire Demon’s gaze flickered as he looked at the covered statues. “What’s the task for this level? Reasoning? I hate brainy tasks like this.”

Xie Lingxi remained silent, deep in thought.

Zhang Yuanqing pointed at the six statues, smiling. “Haven’t they already given us the question?”

As his words fell, Zhang Yuanqing, Xie Lingxi, and Fire Demon all received a task prompt in their minds:

[Ding! Welcome to the Detective Reasoning Hall!]

[Extraneous items have been cleared. The Detective Reasoning Hall is a place that tests wisdom. Physical conflict is prohibited. Violators will be eliminated. Please have the team leader step forward and remove the red cloth.]

Xie Lingxi and the Fire Demon remained completely still, but Zhang Yuanqing strode forward and tore away the crimson cloth draped over the statues.

Before them stood six identical sculptures, each with a name tag affixed to its breast, reading respectively: Civilian, Neutral, Neutral, Guardian, Traitor, and Villain.

"We have a Villain in our midst? That explains why the roller coaster strategy hadn't altered and yet the River God died. Wang Tai, you wanted to warn us even then, didn't you?" Realization washed over the Fire Demon, and he turned to eye Zhang Yuanqing with sheer astonishment, asking,

"Are you the leader?"

Zhang Yuanqing turned back with a faint smile and replied, "Did you two not know that all along?"

The Fire Demon instantly fell silent.

Just then, the system notification echoed once more beside the ears of the three companions:

[Ding! The Captain's Mission is now announced: Warning, a Villain is concealed within your team. Please ensure that the number of remaining team members is greater than or equal to 3; otherwise, a penalty shall be incurred, and your current level experience will be entirely wiped out. Warning, please keep your own role and identity strictly hidden.]

[Ding! Every member of the team possesses their own unique role. The Captain must deduce their true identities and attach the corresponding name tags. Should even a single name tag be placed incorrectly, the 'Detective Deduction Hall' mission will end in failure, and every member of the Captain's faction will be obliterated.]

[Every team member retains the right to defend and argue for themselves.]

[Please complete the deduction within half an hour. Exceeding the time limit will be deemed a mission failure, and all members of the Captain's faction will be obliterated.]

[There are two things in this world that cannot be looked at directly: one is the sun, and the other is the human heart. The countdown begins: 00:30:00.]

So that was why the hidden quest required us not to expose our respective identities; this is the reason... Zhang Yuanqing murmured in his heart, while simultaneously, as if driven by some telepathic resonance, he sensed an addition to his inventory.

Opening it to look, he found that the items in his inventory slots were rendered gray and unusable, save for a single slot that retained its normal color, housing a stack of name tags.

He withdrew the name cards, six in total, each inscribed with the name of a teammate.

"Time is limited, so I shall begin my deductions with our deceased comrades. You two have no objections, I presume?" He raised the cards in his hand, looking toward Xie Lingxi and the Fire Demon beside him.

"That works; it saves time," the Fire Demon agreed with his proposal.

Xie Lingxi nodded in assent.

Zhang Yuanqing fanned out the name cards, cast a sweeping glance over them, and drew the card belonging to "Ashamed to Be a Father," stating,

"To be safe, let us begin with the most certain choice. Ashamed to Be a Father was a Neutral; he confessed this to me with his own lips before he expired. To be perfectly honest, I did not believe him at the time, given that his profession belonged to the evil alignment."

It was also from that very moment that Zhang Yuanqing truly confirmed every single person had received a hidden mission.

"He was of an evil profession?" The Fire Demon was taken aback. "Then could he have been the Villain? Come to think of it, ever since he perished, no one else in our team has died without rhyme or reason."

"There is a reason why the Villain ceased his killings, which I shall explain shortly, but Ashamed to Be a Father was definitely not the Villain, because after the underground parking lot mission concluded, I quietly performed a soul inquiry on him." Zhang Yuanqing stepped forward and attached the card of Ashamed to Be a Father to one of the two Neutral statues.

[Ding! The deduction is correct.]

Following that, the three of them saw a line of text materialize above the statue bearing the name tag of "Ashamed to Be a Father":

[Neutral: There is one Captain and one Villain within the team. You must select your faction before the first mission concludes. Do not expose your identity.]

This was the hidden mission of the "Neutral."

"Choosing a faction before the first mission concludes..." Zhang Yuanqing turned around with a smile, looking at the young girl. "It seems then, Sister Lingxi, that you too are a Neutral. Well, you belong to my side now."

Xie Lingxi offered a brilliant, radiant smile:

"That is correct, Brother Wang Tai.

"One must always be prudent when choosing a faction. At that time, I had no inkling of who the Captain or the Villain was, and making the wrong choice could easily mean death. That was why I proposed playing the roller coaster for our first mission, because the roller coaster is the simplest challenge, devoid of external influences. If its strategy remained unchanged, then it would serve as the finest chessboard for the contest of wits between the Captain and the Villain.

"Thereafter, I could choose my faction based on the outcome of that clash. Brother Wang Tai, you are truly magnificent to have devised a method to neutralize the threat. And so, I chose to align myself with the Captain's faction."

Zhang Yuanqing let out a soft chuckle and pressed Xie Lingxi's card onto the next statue.

This girl had been exceedingly obedient ever since the roller coaster incident, displaying more than enough goodwill toward him.

That conversation during their "private lesson" had been a probe on Zhang Yuanqing's part, and she had responded with positive feedback: Great, great!

[Ding! The deduction is correct.]

Immediately afterward, the hidden mission text for the Neutral emerged once again.

Zhang Yuanqing drew out Xishi's card and said,

"This woman merely drifted through the entire ordeal. During the missions, she seconded the motion to keep eyes open on the roller coaster, and she never once lifted a hand when facing the Transformers. Aside from being rather proactive about her own self-preservation, her actions throughout the entire night lacked any real drive. Therefore, I judge her to be a Civilian.

"Fire Demon, what do you think?"

The Fire Demon frowned and remarked, "That is far too arbitrary. Such justification could just as easily apply to the Villain."

Zhang Yuanqing smiled. "No, it is not arbitrary at all, but I cannot share the reasons with you."

He affixed Xishi's name card to the Civilian statue.

[Ding! The deduction is correct.]

[Civilian: Your identity is a Civilian. Please identify the Captain and secure his protection before the first mission concludes. Do not expose your identity.]

Aside from the reasons he had just stated, Zhang Yuanqing possessed two other grounds for concluding Xishi was a Civilian:

First, during the recollection process triggered by his old ailment, he discovered that Xishi had been continuously probing the identities of the others, first asking Xie Lingxi if she belonged to the official authorities, and later wavering indecisively between himself and the River God during the roller coaster ride.

This particular detail would have been incredibly difficult to detect had he not been capable of retrocognition. A Villain, fully aware of the Captain's existence, would never engage in such blatant, probing maneuvers.

Second, during that same exploratory conversation, Xishi's response had been: No need for respect; be crude, be wild.

This was, in truth, her hinting at her identity as a Civilian. And of course, there was the soul inquiry.

Civilians had no need for respect; they were invariably treated with crudeness and wildness.

At the time, however, Zhang Yuanqing had merely dismissed it as her way of expressing subservience, only truly comprehending its weight upon seeing the "Civilian" role just now.

"The River God was the first to die; we shall set him aside for the moment." Zhang Yuanqing looked at the Fire Demon with a beam on his face. "Brother Fire Demon, between the Traitor and the Villain, which one are you?"

The Fire Demon's countenance instantly turned grim, and he declared in a deep, heavy voice, "I am the Guardian."

"Utter nonsense!" Xie Lingxi rolled her eyes slightly. "You big-featured, honest-looking fellow are the least likely to be a good person. You've been acting like a stick stirring up trouble from beginning to end—ah, no... you're simply a piece of trouble yourself."

The Fire Demon did not panic, defending himself with reasonable and structured arguments:

"Brother Wang Tai, I truly am the Guardian. In fact, I knew you were the Captain long ago; I figured it out during the roller coaster ride. Think about it, if I were the Villain, I would have slain you just as I slew the River God long before now."

"Hahaha..."

"What are you laughing at?" The Fire Demon knit his brows.

"I am a master who has weathered countless spiritual realms, a seasoned traveler of immense experience. No lie can ever hold water before me." Finishing his laugh, Zhang Yuanqing let out a cold snort and continued,

"When you saw me emerge from the haunted house just now, you seemed rather disappointed."

"How could I possibly be disappointed? I was overjoyed beyond measure," the Fire Demon snapped angrily. "If I wanted to kill you, I would have struck long ago. Don't you think that stands to reason?"

Xie Lingxi opened her mouth but hesitated. Although she could tell the Fire Demon was up to no good, she lacked substantial evidence and feared that a misplaced word might mislead the Captain.

Should they misidentify even a single soul, the Captain's entire faction would be annihilated, herself included.

Consequently, at this very moment, Xie Lingxi's heart had risen into her throat.

"Then explain to me, why did you deliberately mislead us during the roller coaster ride, claiming that the strategy of keeping our eyes closed had already lost its efficacy? Do not give me any rubbish about being scared out of your wits. None of us are greenhorns here; could a mere severed head truly scare you senseless?" Zhang Yuanqing cross-examined him.

The Fire Demon took a deep breath to suppress his explosive temper, explaining with forced patience:

"I admit that my judgment was flawed at the time, that I acted in haste, but that is a question of competence, not proof that I wished to bring about everyone's demise. What benefit would I reap from killing everyone? The roller coaster was merely the first mission; how could I possibly survive the subsequent trials entirely on my own?"

"No, no, no!" Zhang Yuanqing wagged his finger and smiled. "I never claimed that your proposal to open our eyes was an attempt to wipe out the team. What malice could you possibly harbor? You merely wished to flush out the Captain."

The Fire Demon's face instantly shifted color.

Xie Lingxi, however, smiled.

“At that time, I advised you like this: if the rollercoaster strategy didn’t change, opening eyes would mean total annihilation. Comparatively, losing one member each round is the more rational choice. But strangely, everyone agreed to open their eyes.” Zhang Yuanqing snorted.

“Of course, you aren’t that foolish. Each of you harbored your own schemes—one side wanted to protect themselves, the other wanted to use the opportunity to find the team leader, because you knew the leader would definitely object.”

Fire Demon was left speechless.

Xie Lingxi’s beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons: “Brother Wang Tai, you’re truly amazing.”

This was her honest opinion.

At that time, she had proposed the vote. She hadn’t chosen a side then; she agreed to open eyes to test the leader’s ability, and also because she feared that vehement opposition would arouse suspicion from the evil one and lead to elimination. Anyway, no matter the outcome of the vote, she would still close her eyes.

Xi Shi and Ashamed to Be a Father most likely thought the same.

What Xie Lingxi hadn’t expected was that Brother Wang Tai had already seen through their intentions. The little girl’s confidence in the upcoming reasoning soared.

Fire Demon was silent for a long moment, then repeated his old tune: “I am truly a good person, not an evil one. Otherwise, I would have killed you long ago.”

“You wouldn’t!” Zhang Yuanqing shook his head.

“After the rollercoaster, I knew I was exposed. From that point on, it was an open game for me. I had to protect myself, so when we entered the underground parking lot, I repeatedly stressed that we were all in the same boat and must work together.

“Fortunately, the parking lot task required manpower. At that time, I was actually quite happy because I knew at least the beginning would be safe. Later, when Xie Lingxi obtained the card that allowed the use of props, I immediately volunteered, took on the task of dealing with the Transformers, and told you about the deadly price of those dance shoes.

“All of this was to make the killer wary, to make him think he could take it slow and not rush to kill me, because I still had value and he could reap the benefits without lifting a finger.”

Fire Demon’s face alternated between light and dark, shifting expressions, as if he could no longer contain his rage. He said viciously:

“I should have killed you earlier, should have killed you in the underground parking lot!”

Xie Lingxi incited, “You can still do it now.”

Fire Demon gave her a venomous look, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath: “Wang Tai, you are strong. I lost. I admit it—I am the evil one…”

Zhang Yuanqing gave a snort, picked out the “Fire Demon” name card, and pasted it onto the traitor statue.

Xie Lingxi’s face paled in fright as she let out a short cry: “You…”

But then she saw Fire Demon’s expression change dramatically, his eyes flooding with despair and panic.

The previous ferocity and anger seemed all an act.

This… Xie Lingxi was stunned.

【Ding! Reasoning successful】

【Traitor: Your identity is the traitor. You must find the evil one before the first task ends, assist him in concealing his identity and eliminating the team leader. The task is completed when the team leader dies. Reward: one prop item.】

“I never said you were the evil one; you’re just a bloody traitor. Trying to mislead me and make me fail the reasoning?” Zhang Yuanqing spat.

Fire Demon looked as if his spirit had been drained, his gaze vacant, muttering: “How… how did you know…”

“Because you acted too obviously. If I were the evil one, I would definitely find ways to disguise myself, not attract anyone’s attention, and stay under the radar.” Zhang Yuanqing stared at the traitor’s mission, stroking his chin.

“Then, who the evil one is becomes very clear. I guessed correctly—it’s the Great Sage Equal to Heaven.”

He scrutinized the disheartened Fire Demon, sneering.

“I suspected every person in the team. I tested and investigated one by one. In the end, I was torn between you and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven. Until we entered the ‘Detective Reasoning Hall’, I still wasn’t sure which of you was the evil one. Only when I saw the existence of the traitor did it dawn on me.

“Xie Lingxi was right. You were like a troublemaker, acting too much like a wolf: the first to suggest opening eyes, sitting behind Hebo, relentlessly attacking Xie Lingxi, and after I hinted there was danger in the team, when I talked to you, you immediately showed goodwill toward me. This fits a guilty killer… I must say, you played your part well.

“That’s precisely why I couldn’t determine whether you or the Great Sage Equal to Heaven was the killer. Now I understand the logic behind your series of actions: they were all a shield for the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, diverting my—the team leader’s—attention and making me suspect you instead.”

A trace of fear appeared in Fire Demon’s eyes. This young man’s mind was too meticulous.

Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Xie Lingxi and saw the little girl’s eyes sparkling with admiration as she looked at him. Satisfied, he nodded and continued.

“When we entered the underground parking lot, you and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven had an argument. He wanted to act together, but you wanted to split up. That’s where your opinions diverged, right?”

Fire Demon ground his teeth.

“After the rollercoaster, you hinted that there was danger in the team. I knew I had acted too obviously and might have aroused your suspicion. The evil one has the power to kill; surely the team leader does too.

“I was afraid you would kill me, so I hinted to the Great Sage Equal to Heaven to kill you in the underground parking lot, but he refused. He thought the underground parking lot was too dangerous and that killing you then was unwise—since he wasn’t the one whose life was threatened. That bastard completely treated me as a disposable pawn.

“Later, after we cleared the underground parking lot and you didn’t kill me, I was relieved. Then in the haunted house, I hinted again for him to kill you, but he still didn’t…”

Zhang Yuanqing laughed.

“Of course he wouldn’t kill me. Why do you think I revealed my identity as a Night Wanderer? In the underground parking lot, I was still on edge, but once we entered the haunted house, I knew I wouldn’t die.

“You needed a Night Wanderer to escort you, and you also knew… the Ghost Bride would definitely choose me. As long as I was there, you could essentially breeze through the haunted house. Killing me would be digging your own grave.”

A Night Wanderer has a fatal attraction to vengeful spirits; anyone could guess who the Ghost Bride would choose as her groom.

Fire Demon remembered something and his voice suddenly rose: “Why didn’t the Ghost Bride choose you? Why?”

That was exactly what puzzled him, and why he was both surprised and disappointed to see Wang Tai come out alive.

Zhang Yuanqing and Xie Lingxi both laughed at the same time.

The little girl put her hands on her hips, triumphant: “Because we found a card in the underground parking lot—a card to transfer hostility.”

She no longer pretended to be a delicate green tea girl.

“I chose to divert the Ghost Bride’s attention to the Great Sage Equal to Heaven because I thought he was more suspicious than you,” Zhang Yuanqing added with a smile.

“You all…” A chill ran through Fire Demon’s heart. From beginning to end, both he and the Great Sage Equal to Heaven had been completely outmaneuvered.

This filled him with despair.

That selfish fool probably didn’t even know how he died.

Zhang Yuanqing didn’t look at him again. He pasted the Great Sage Equal to Heaven’s name card onto the evil one statue.

【Ding, reasoning successful.】

【Evil One: Your identity is the evil one. Note: there is a team leader in the team; he is your enemy. Find him and eliminate him. Do not reveal your identity.】

“We won!” Xie Lingxi hopped once, letting out a small cheer.

Fire Demon stared at them venomously, sneering.

“Don’t be too happy. I admit you’re terrifying, I admit I lost, but so what? The entire team only has the three of us left. The team leader’s task is to ensure the number of members is greater than or equal to three. Do you dare to erase me?

“You’re so smart, you should have understood the essence of the hidden tasks. When the evil one is found, the outcome is elimination; the traitor also faces the risk of being ‘accidentally killed’. So there won’t be any other punishment. What punishment can compare to death?

“Now, even if you’ve exposed my identity as the traitor, I won’t suffer any punishment because you gave up exercising the team leader’s authority. Of course, you still have one last chance, but you can’t kill me unless you want to clear your current level’s experience points.”

Once he returned to reality, he would use his connections to investigate the identities of these two and sell their information to evil professions.

Making enemies in the Spirit Realm was common; the end of a dungeon didn’t mean things were over.

Fire Demon had killed quite a few people he’d crossed in the Spirit Realm; he had plenty of experience dealing with enemies from the same faction.

Xie Lingxi was taken aback, the joy on her face freezing instantly.

Zhang Yuanqing said nothing. After completing the haunted house task, he had chosen not to exercise the team leader’s power for this very reason.

“Don’t rush. There’s still one last person.”

Zhang Yuanqing said calmly.

He pasted the last name card onto the guard statue.

【Ding, reasoning successful.】

[Guard: Your identity is the Guard. Please protect the team leader, ensuring he is not killed by the evil ones. If you are killed by the evil ones (death from the task does not count), everything about you will be suspended. When the leader wins, you will be revived. If the leader fails, you cannot be revived.]

Indeed!

Zhang Yuanqing looked at the information, both surprised and unsurprised.

With things having come this far, Zhang Yuanqing could confirm that He Bo had actively vied for the right to speak. The role dynamic of the Guard and that of the Traitor were the same: both were shielding their respective "masters."

During the initial self-introductions, He Bo's demeanor leaned toward coldness and gloom.

The conduct of such a person was rather solitary; it was unlikely he would actively compete for the leader's position. But later, he changed his style and contended with Zhang Yuanqing for the right to speak.

Behind this transformation, there must have been a motive.

Precisely for this reason, the evil ones suspected the other to be the leader and chose to kill him first.

In contrast, Zhang Yuanqing had always possessed this socially outgoing personality even before everyone received the hidden task, without such a drastic shift in between.

Returning to the matter, hidden tasks were just hidden tasks after all, and they were not long-lost brothers. Who would take such a dangerous role without some guarantee?

Thus, Zhang Yuanqing was not surprised.

However, for the Guard, this was still a high-stakes gamble.

The advantage was that "dying" once would allow him to coast to victory, avoiding the subsequent crises of the S-level Spirit Realm.

The disadvantage was that trying it might result in immediate demise.

But then again, with the high mortality rate of S-level Spirit Realms, what could be worse than having entered here in the first place?

Zhang Yuanqing was surprised because he had not anticipated the Spirit Realm's power to raise the dead. Perhaps this "revival" ability was confined to the instance, yet it remained astonishing.

Looking at the emerging "Guard" information, Fire Demon's face gradually turned pale.

His lips began to tremble, his pupils shook violently, and an intense fear enveloped him.

The instance prompt rang out:

[You have completed the "Detective Reasoning Hall" task. You are currently in the "Heart-Pounding" task series. The amusement facilities in this series are: Roller Coaster – Underground Parking Lot – Haunted House (Ghost Marriage) – Detective Reasoning Hall. You have completed this series of tasks.]

Zhang Yuanqing received a prompt, one more than Xie Lingxi and Fire Demon:

[Ding, you have successfully led your team to complete a task. You have one opportunity to exercise the leader's authority. Please designate the evil one hidden among the team members. The designated will be eliminated!]

[If no choice is made within thirty seconds, this opportunity will be considered forfeited.]

Zhang Yuanqing's expression did not change, and he said calmly:

"Fire Demon!"

At that moment, the fear in Fire Demon's eyes detonated: "No..."

In the midst of the scream, his head left his neck and tumbled to the ground. A fountain of blood spurted two or three meters high from the severed stump, harsh and gory.

Fire Demon's head stared with wide eyes, its lips still opening and closing.

[Ding! Congratulations on completing the multiplayer Spirit Realm task—Jinshui Amusement Park, number 6203, difficulty level S. Rewards are being settled...]

……