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

Chapter 557 Graffiti
The setting sun shone through the old window lattices, casting mottled shadows on the floor. Fine dust particles floated in the air. Tang Yin sat on a wooden chair, leaning slightly forward, revealing the concentration characteristic of his contemplation. A glint of wisdom flashed in his eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly. "This is the smartest choice, isn't it?"

Wang Lina gently stroked the red braided bracelet on her wrist, the only memento her mother had left her. Her brow furrowed, her slender fingers unconsciously rubbing the rough knots. "...But why didn't Mr. Gao Zhijie say much at the time? How do you explain this?"

Tang Yin took a deep breath, his demeanor suddenly becoming more solemn. His slender fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop, making a slight rhythmic sound. "From now on, everything I say is speculation."

The sycamore trees outside rustled, and a few golden leaves drifted in through the window. "Mr. Gao remained silent to avoid becoming a target for the wolves, given his leadership abilities." Tang Yin's voice was deep and magnetic, his gaze penetrating, as if he could see through people's hearts.

Outside the window, a robin fluttered its wings and landed on a branch, chirping crisply. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on Tang Yin's handsome profile. He continued his analysis, "Why did he do this? Because he knew he had to survive to protect everyone."

"That is to say..." Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Wang Lina.

"! Could he be a protector as well?" Wang Lina stood up suddenly, clutching the hem of her skirt tightly with both hands. Her fair face flushed with excitement, and her black and white eyes flashed with surprise.

Tang Yin nodded slightly, his eyes sharp: "Yes, and it should be the spider's blessing." There was some certainty in his tone.

Wang Lina sat down again, her hands unconsciously twisted together, her knuckles turning white from the force: "Why do you say that?" Her voice trembled a little, as if she had already anticipated the truth that was about to be revealed.

The air in the room seemed frozen. Tang Yin stood up and walked to the window. The mountains in the distance took on a gorgeous purple-red hue under the setting sun, giving people an unreal feeling. He turned his back to Wang Lina and slowly revealed the truth: "Spider is at the greatest risk after his identity is exposed, because Spider cannot protect himself."

A cool breeze slipped in through the half-open window, carrying the distinctly bleak air of late autumn, ruffling the curtains and the hem of Tang Yin's clothes. He turned, his gaze growing more determined. "On the other hand, as long as his identity remains intact, Spider has the potential to prevent Wolf from killing anyone."

The last rays of sunset faded, and the shadows in the room grew thicker. Wang Lina stared at Tang Yin's profile, suddenly realizing the shocking truth hidden in every word he spoke. She subconsciously bit her lower lip, her mind replaying the unusual events of the past few days.

The chirping of cicadas outside gradually faded. Tang Yin's reasoning, like a sharp knife, peeled back the layers of this strange incident. He walked back to his seat, tapping his fingertips lightly on the armrest as he continued his analysis. "Mr. Gao's silence was wise, but unfortunately... it only alerted the wolf."

Wang Lina unconsciously leaned forward, her heartbeat accelerating with every word Tang Yin spoke. Those beautiful almond-shaped eyes were filled with concentration and thought, as if she was desperately trying to understand this complex puzzle.

Wang Lina suddenly stood up from the wooden chair, her bright eyes filled with disbelief. Her long black hair swayed gently with her excited movements, making her fair face flush. "No, that's impossible!? Her clothes are so complicated! How could she have the time to change!?"

Her voice trembled slightly, and her slender fingers clenched the hem of her clothes tightly. The gorgeous kimono lingered in her mind. "Besides, she has no chance of winning against two men!"

Tang Yin's deep gaze fell on the setting sun in the distance. His slender fingers tapped lightly on the stone table. The setting sun cast a warm glow on his handsome profile. "...What if this is the case? Xiao Liang and Master Wolf killed each other, and when only one person was left, she killed the survivor."

The air in the courtyard seemed to freeze. Tang Yin continued his analysis, "Because she killed a second person, she also meets the conditions for being contaminated." His voice was low and magnetic, and every word seemed to carry a convincing force.

Standing under the sycamore tree, Tang Yin frowned slightly, his gaze gazing towards the distant mountains, as if searching for a clue. "As for her clothes, I don't have any idea either. Perhaps she was wearing an apron or a haori, but that's impossible to verify now."

Wang Lina slowly sat back on the stone bench, her hands unconsciously twisted together: "...But even if there is only one person, the other party is also a man..." There was a hint of hesitation in her voice.

A few golden leaves drifted down in the wind, swirling on the stone floor. Tang Yin turned to face Wang Lina, his eyes sharp as a knife. "One of them is so old that you don't even know his age. Maybe after killing each other, the survivors are already dying."

"Murdering each other..." Wang Lina muttered, her delicate brow furrowed, a flicker of fear in her eyes. After a long pause, she raised her head, her voice trembling slightly, "...Why...why would you think of such a thing..."

A cool breeze blew past, setting the wind chimes in the yard ringing. Tang Yin's voice remained calm, "It's just a guess. Although I don't know the motive, the logic is very coherent."

Wang Lina suddenly raised her voice, her beautiful eyes flashing with anxiety: "What does this speculation have to do with the wolf's conspiracy!?"

Tang Yin was silent for a moment, his gaze growing deeper. "...So, could this so-called motive be a way to get her to kill someone, such as exploiting her weakness to force her into submission?" He paused, his voice deepening. "Or perhaps she herself is a wolf."

These words weighed like a heavy stone, weighing down the atmosphere in the courtyard. Wang Lina fell silent, her fingers unconsciously stroking the hem of her skirt, her eyes revealing deep confusion.

A clear bird song in the distance shattered the afternoon tranquility. Tang Yin walked over to Wang Lina and continued his reasoning, "...it's also possible that one of the wolves sacrificed itself to gain an advantage for the others."

Wang Lina suddenly looked up, a glint of inspiration flashing in her distinct black and white eyes: "No, the fewer wolves there are, the more disadvantageous it is, right?"

The setting sun stretched their shadows. Tang Yin's voice was especially clear in the evening breeze. "Indeed, given the current ratio of people, even a one-for-two exchange wouldn't be worth it for the wolves."

Walking through the stone path in the courtyard, the mountains in the distance were looming, and mist was swirling among them. Tang Yin put his hands in his trouser pockets and looked ahead thoughtfully: "But not everyone is so frugal, right?"

Wang Lina stood beside him, silent. A gentle breeze blew through her long hair, casting a faint luster in the sunlight. A hint of confusion flashed in her clear eyes: "..."

Tang Yin turned around, his eyes fixed on Wang Lina's slightly pale face. His voice remained steady and powerful, "Not everyone acts rationally. Even irrational behavior is normal. However, there's no way to predict this kind of thing, right?"

Wang Lina suddenly covered her ears, her slender body trembling slightly: "Don't...don't say it anymore." There was a hint of pleading in her voice, as if every word tortured her.

Tang Yin took a step forward, his tall figure blocking the sunlight from shining on Wang Lina: "We can't give up like this."

"I don't want to think about it anymore..." Wang Lina lowered her head, her long hair hiding her expression, but her slightly trembling shoulders revealed her inner uneasiness.

A moment of silence stretched between the two. Tang Yin stared at the fragile girl before him, a hint of apology in his eyes: "..."

After a moment, he said softly, "...I'm sorry, I was too impatient."

Wang Lina slowly raised her head and forced a smile: "...It's nothing, I should apologize...But, I feel a little...uncomfortable..." Her voice became softer and softer, as if she was talking to herself.

Tang Yin's eyes became firm: "I don't think you need to continue killing each other. If you want to escape, I will help you."

"...Impossible." Wang Lina shook her head, her eyes suddenly becoming empty. Her voice was strangely calm: "Born in the Hidden Mist Village, die in the Hidden Mist Village, this is our destiny."

"It's just superstition." Tang Yin frowned, with a hint of impatience in his tone.

Wang Lina raised her head, a hint of sarcasm flashing in her eyes: "How can people who can't see God understand us?"

"Well, I don't understand. What should I do?" Tang Yin looked straight into her eyes, with a challenging tone in his voice.

Wang Lina fell silent again, her eyes wandering to avoid Tang Yin's gaze: "..."

Tang Yin stood there, a complex turmoil of emotions swirling within him. If this were an ordinary board game, he would have flipped the table and punched the person. But this was different. This was a game of life and death, not only his own life at stake, but also the lives of many innocent people. The situation before him made him extremely anxious. The situation was already so serious, yet the person involved was still uncooperative. This made him wonder if he had misunderstood the basic rules of this game?

He deeply understood that in order to save her, he had to eliminate the shadow deep in her heart. In other words, he had to find out the truth behind the prison that imprisoned her soul - those supernatural phenomena.

But can such an almost impossible task really be accomplished in just a few days? Even so, we must fight with all our might until the very last moment.

Since he was excluded from the banquet, Tang Yin could only place his hopes on Wang Lina. He quietly watched Wang Lina, who was lost in thought, without disturbing her, because he believed that she would eventually understand his intentions.

Just then, a thick fog quietly rose. They realized that they had unknowingly distanced themselves from Xiaome. Looking back, they saw Xiaome's figure looming, preparing to walk deeper into the unsettling fog.

"Hey!" Tang Yin's voice echoed in the mist. He walked quickly forward, his leather shoes rustling on the fallen leaves.

Hearing his call, Xiao Mei turned around. She was wearing a light pink dress, and beneath her short black hair was an innocent little face. "Mei?" She tilted her head, blinked her big round eyes, and waved her little hand at Tang Yin. This gesture revealed that she had begun to have some feelings for Tang Yin.

Tang Yin squatted down and looked at Xiao Mei at eye level: "What are you drawing?"

"I'm drawing a guardian beast!" Xiaome's voice was clear and melodious, full of a child's unique energy. She was holding a wooden stick in her hand and drawing intently on the ground.

"Guardian beast?" Tang Yin's eyes fell on the crooked circles on the ground. They were filled with chaotic lines, and at first glance, there was no pattern at all.

But these patterns reminded Tang Yin of the ones he had seen in the cafeteria. If he remembered correctly, they were the Qin family crests. He carefully examined the graffiti on the floor; there seemed to be four different patterns. Although the little girl's childish brushstrokes made them appear quite abstract, perhaps only she could fully understand their meaning.

Suddenly, Tang Yin noticed one of the patterns, which was the mark of the Yellow Spring Wolf that once appeared on the standing rock.

"I understand. This is the guardian beast of Qianming God, right? Did your sister teach you this?" Tang Yin asked tentatively.

"Yeah!" Xiao Mee nodded vigorously with a bright smile on her face.

Tang Yin pointed at another pattern: "What about this one? It shouldn't be a guardian beast, right?"

"Livestock!" Xiao Mei's answer left Tang Yin slightly stunned. A child of around four years old could actually use such a technical term.

"Animal?"

"Well, this is a cow!" Xiao Mee introduced her work enthusiastically.

"Uh-huh."

“It’s a donkey!”

"Oh~"

"This is a pig!"

"Ah..." Tang Yin looked at the blurry graffiti on the ground. These creatures, which were drawn in the style of children, had no recognizable features except that they all had four legs.

"What about this?" he continued.

"Me!" Xiao Mei announced proudly. Tang Yin silently looked at the graffiti that also had four legs and decided not to ask any more questions.

"What about this biggest doodle?"

"Wolf..." Xiaome's voice suddenly became low.

A chill ran up Tang Yin's spine. "...Hey, why a wolf?"

"Because the wolf is coming." Xiaomee's tone was innocent and calm.

The wolf is coming? This sentence gave Tang Yin an ominous premonition.

"...The wolf is coming, run away, you must run away." Xiao Mee continued, with a hint of fear in her voice.

"Wait, Xiaome, have you seen a wolf?" Tang Yin asked anxiously.

"No, but it's so scary." Xiao Mee shook her head, a trace of fear flashing in her eyes.

"Are you talking about the wolves here?"

"Mee?" Xiao Mee tilted her head, looking confused.

"What about snakes and monkeys?"

"I don't know~" Xiao Mee shook her head innocently.

There was a strange atmosphere in the air. Tang Yin took a deep breath and asked, "What would a wolf do?"

"Eating livestock..." Xiaome's voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible.

"……eat?"

"Well, the horse has been eaten." Xiao Mei's words carried a heaviness that was unbecoming of her age. Her big, innocent eyes seemed to be hiding some unknown secret.

(End of this chapter)