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

Chapter 567 A Desperate Escape
No—this thought split Tang Yin’s thoughts like a bolt of lightning.

He keenly realized that he had made a decisive mistake and had completely misjudged a key factor. At this moment, Xiaomei's performance immediately confirmed his premonition.

"—Really…" Gao Mei murmured softly, her voice carrying a strange sweetness. She slowly raised her head, a heart-pounding smile curling up at the corner of her mouth. "So what?"

The sun still shone gently upon her, yet at this moment Gao Mei gave off a chill. A happy smile graced her face, a voluptuous blush on her cheeks, as if she were intoxicated by some indescribable pleasure. Her once clear eyes now gleamed with a maddening light.

"The Yellow Springs people must be executed." Her voice was soft but firm. "We are dirty, ugly, and disgusting."

The air in the assembly hall seemed to freeze. Gao Mei continued, each word tinged with a sickly reverence: "Only the Wolf God's vortex and minions can bring salvation. Everyone knows this."

She turned to look at Qin Ming, her eyes full of admiration: "That's why Brother Qin Ming killed Aunt Chen Xiang with his own hands. He wanted to make his mother happy."

"Yeah." Qin Ming responded calmly, without any fluctuation on his handsome face.

Granny Rong sat on the armchair beside her, a kind smile appearing on her old face: "That's right."

"Hehehe." Gao Mei let out a creepy laugh and approached Qin Ming like a spoiled little girl, "Brother, let Xiaomei be happy too——"

She leaned lightly against Qin Ming, who, expressionless, put his arm around her slender waist. Granny Rong watched the scene, a look of satisfaction in her cloudy eyes, as if she were admiring a couple about to enter marriage.

What's going on? Tang Yin felt his mind go blank. What on earth is going on? What's going on with them? Questions swirled in his mind, but he couldn't find any reasonable explanation.

"——Okay, Sister Lina, have you decided?" Qin Ming suddenly spoke, his eyes turning to Wang Lina, who had been silent the whole time. "Give up, I will redeem you."

Only then did Tang Yin realize that he had underestimated them, underestimated the madness of the Hidden Mist Village. And now, it was too late. The essence of the Huangquan Feast was far more than just a system that forced two devout factions to kill each other.

The sunlight outside the window was still bright, but it couldn't penetrate the darkness within those present. Tang Yin couldn't understand what kind of madness could crush the humanity of the people of Kirigakure to such an extent. They could actually regard death as salvation in the name of canon.

How could they instantly accept this utterly irrational story, resonate with it, and even find peace in it? Qin Ming's icy eyes, Gao Mei's intoxicated expression, Granny Rong's kind smile—everything seemed so absurd and yet so real.

This was the reality Tang Yin faced. The interplay of light and shadow within the assembly hall seemed to silently witness this frenzied feast. Since this was the case, the only option was to find a way to understand them—Tang Yin silently made up his mind.

“…” Wang Lina opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

After all, she was a native of the Hidden Mist Village. Those crazy doctrines and twisted beliefs had seeped into her bones like air since she was a child. At that moment, she felt a chill run down her spine, her legs weakening, and she sat down on the ground in a daze.

Tang Yin watched her distraught state, and a flash of enlightenment suddenly struck him. He should have realized long ago that Wang Lina's deep-seated fear of the gods and the villagers' enthusiastic embrace of so-called salvation were fundamentally similar. They both stemmed from the same soil, both products of the distorted environment of the Hidden Mist Village.

Since the madness of the two had the same origin, it was inevitable that this madness would converge. He had only just now realized this obvious truth.

However, it's not too late. Tang Yin glanced around the assembly hall and suddenly noticed something.

Just as he was about to look away, Qin Ming's usually impassive face suddenly changed. It was a subtle expression—was it dissatisfaction? Or anxiety? In short, it was definitely not the look of a winner.

At this moment, Tang Yin suddenly saw through his true plan. In other words, now was his last chance!

Without hesitation, he reached out and grasped Wang Lina's cold fingers, forcing her to her feet. Using the momentum of this movement, Tang Yin tightened his grip on the stick and charged forward.

The stick sliced ​​through the air, slamming heavily into Qin Ming's shoulder. Without waiting for a reaction, he swung another at Gao Mei's waist. Granny Rong was about to scream when she was struck twice in quick succession, stumbling backward.

"Let's go!" Tang Yin grabbed Wang Lina's wrist with one hand, dragged Xiao Mei with the other, and stumbled out of the assembly hall. The cold wind of early spring blew in their faces, but they no longer cared about that.

I must escape! I must escape immediately! I can't waste his efforts—this thought kept echoing in Tang Yin's mind.

“——Tang, Tang Yin!? What on earth is——!?” Wang Lina was dragged to run, her voice intermittent due to her heavy breathing.

"——Listen to me, Wang Lina!" Tang Yin shouted without turning his head.

"What's wrong!"

"Qin Ming is so smart——!"

"What do you mean!?" Wang Lina's voice was full of confusion and fear.

"Mee, mee!? My hand hurts! I'm about to fall down!!" Little Mee was dragged by the two people and almost tripped.

Tang Yin's heart was beating violently, not because of hunger, but because he finally saw the truth that he had never discovered before - Qin Ming's true intention.

Qin Ming loved Wang Lina; Tang Yin was certain of that. Precisely because of this, he simply didn't want Wang Lina to die at his hands. Even under the influence of his mad faith, Qin Ming still used his last bit of rational thought, believing that while the possibility of rescue was slim, escape was still his only hope.

However, behind this decision lies a greater crisis - if she is allowed to escape, others will be contaminated! This terrible consequence is what Qin Ming least wants to see.

So was this Qin Ming's true plan? Forcing Tang Yin to risk his life and forcibly take Wang Lina away—the thought stabbed Tang Yin's chest like a sharp knife. Damn it! He gritted his teeth and ran in the cold wind.

If Qin Ming truly wanted to stop them from escaping, he wouldn't have put down the rusty sickle. That moment of weakness was clearly a signal to Tang Yin: "This is your chance, attack me!" Was this Qin Ming's intention?

In the end, he was the one who outmaneuvered them, and he became his pawn instead. Tang Yin smiled bitterly, the sweat on his forehead turning icy in the cold wind. However, even so—no, precisely because of this, he was even more determined to get them out of this world.

After all, I am an adult!

Recalling Qin Ming's actions, Tang Yin couldn't help but sigh. Far from relying on adults, the young man had cleverly exploited each of them like a shrewd adult. Qin Ming was indeed a man of such maturity at such a young age.

At this moment, Qin Ming should be cleaning up the mess.

The three of them ran along the muddy field path, crossing a wasteland dotted with mottled stone tombstones. The moss on the tombstones glowed a faint green in the faint moonlight, as if countless pairs of ghostly eyes were watching them. Finally, they reached the edge of a cliff.

Thick fog enveloped the entire cliff, making visibility extremely low. Tang Yin frowned. Climbing the cliff in such inclement weather was tantamount to seeking death. Fortunately, there were no sounds of pursuers behind them, allowing them to slow down slightly and grope forward cautiously.

Wang Lina's face was filled with despair, her once bright eyes now dimmed, as if she had lost all hope. She only discovered the truth at the last moment, completely defeated by her opponent, and forced to flee in such an embarrassing manner without even a chance to say goodbye. Anyone would probably find it hard to smile.

Tang Yin stared at Wang Lina's profile, but ultimately decided not to tell her Qin Ming's true intentions. Since the young man had chosen this way to say goodbye, he certainly didn't want her to be shaken by the truth.

Perhaps this was just his excuse for not wanting to admit defeat to Qin Ming in front of Wang Lina. Forget it, wasn't this level of cowardice the way adults behaved?

"Be careful where you step, the rocks here are a bit loose." Tang Yin supported Wang Lina's arm while reminding Xiao Mei who was walking behind, "Hold on to my clothes, don't fall behind."

He kept talking, both to encourage the two girls and to dispel his inner anxiety. The surroundings were still covered with endless fog, as if it was about to swallow up the whole world.

"Um, Wang Lina." After walking for a long time, Tang Yin suddenly spoke.

"Hmm?" Wang Lina responded weakly.

"Are we considered to have left the Hidden Mist Village now?" There was a hint of anticipation in Tang Yin's voice.

"I think so." Wang Lina answered mechanically, her eyes still looking straight ahead, as if she was looking at something far away.

In the thick fog, three disheveled figures continued to walk forward, their hometown behind them, a place they could never return to. Tang Yin knew that this night was destined to leave an indelible mark in their memories.

"Great, you see, nothing's wrong, right?" Tang Yin feigned composure, but a tremor lingered in his voice. He clenched his fists, trying to calm his inner uneasiness.

Xiao Mee asked timidly, "Really?" Her voice was like a light feather that could be blown away by the weird atmosphere at any time.

"Okay, let's walk back to the city along the stream." Tang Yin tried to comfort with a relaxed tone, but his eyes kept searching around for possible threats.

"...Where is the stream?" Xiao Mee's confused voice came.

All around them was a vast expanse of white, and nothing could be seen. The thick fog oppressed their nerves like a substance. Even the faces of Wang Lina and Xiao Mei, who were so close and holding Tang Yin's hands, were blurred, as if covered by a layer of frosted glass.

They had successfully climbed down the cliff, their feet touching smooth pebbles and the sound of rushing water in their ears. Judging from these details, this should be a shallow beach. But which direction should they go? Everything in the fog had lost its sense of direction.

"Shall we take a break first?" Tang Yin suggested tentatively.

"It's no use." Wang Lina's voice was filled with despair.

"Wang Lina." Tang Yin called her name softly, thinking that this girl was becoming pessimistic again.

"No, no." Wang Lina suddenly raised her voice, as if she wanted to speak before anything else.

"...Did you hear that? Besides the sound of flowing water, there is also..." Her voice stopped abruptly.

Tang Yin held his breath: "...Is there any sound?"

"Woof woof..." Xiao Mee imitated the barking of a dog, with a trembling voice.

"The pursuers are coming." Wang Lina concluded bluntly.

Tang Yin noticed that their expressions were not right, as if they had seen something terrifying. He pricked up his ears again, listening carefully to the movements around him.

……above?
Sure enough, a barely audible sound of wind and grass rustling came from the top of the cliff—

"Hurry up--" Wang Lina suddenly shouted, her voice full of urgency.

"I can't walk anymore!" Xiao Mee cried.

"Tang Yin, carry Xiaome on your back!" Wang Lina's tone was extremely serious.

"!" Tang Yin reacted immediately, quickly squatted down, and carried Xiao Mee on his back.

Although he comforted himself that it was just rumors and there was no need to be so nervous, Tang Yin did feel a sense of unease. After all, they still didn't know the exact location of the monster called "Wolf". And according to legend, this was their base.

Wait, isn’t the other party a good person?

Tang Yin shook his head, shaking off his distracting thoughts. No matter what, this was definitely not a good place, and he had to leave as soon as possible.

However, the reality was even stranger than they had imagined. They couldn't find the stream. It should have been a narrow shallow beach, a few meters away, but after walking for dozens of minutes, they were still going in circles.

This reminded Tang Yin of the term "circular wandering"—a phenomenon that primarily occurs on snowy mountains, where a climbing team that loses its sense of direction will wander in circles and eventually perish. But even if it were nearly impossible to see anything now, it was impossible to get lost in such a narrow shoal, right?

The sound of flowing water grew clearer, yet it felt strangely out of place. In this strange fog, they could only rely on their hearing. However, a terrifying thought suddenly struck Tang Yin: Could his hearing truly be trusted?
The thick fog seemed to be silently mocking their futility, and the faint sound of footsteps in the distance made this foggy day even more chilling.

Tang Yin didn't know either.

In the distance, there were sounds of wind blowing and grass rustling, and the sound of claws rubbing against rocks as they approached. Was all this real?

He slowed down his pace. Although he didn't say anything, Tang Yin knew that they were severely exhausted.

I hadn't eaten for several days, and my clothes were soaked by the thick fog, causing my body temperature to drop continuously.

In silence, they continued walking on the shallows, trying to find a way out.

(End of this chapter)