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

Chapter 589 Gao Zhijie's Gaze
Tang Yin pondered the Crow Protector's ability. If this ability truly applied to all deaths, then there should be plenty of opportunities for investigation.

Yet, perhaps it was precisely because every investigation pointed to the despairing answer of "humanity" that the wielder of the crow chose eternal silence. Or perhaps, this mysterious protector simply didn't know how to use his own abilities. The halo of the lamp cast a swaying shadow on the wall, as if mocking his confusion.

He shook his head, deciding to temporarily exclude Old Man Gao Zhijie. A list of names, whose identities could not be confirmed, appeared before his eyes: Qin Yi, Gao Mei, Wang Lina, Hua Lu, Qianjin, Chen Xiang, and Master Lang—seven people in total. Tang Yin closed his eyes and began to analyze them one by one. Memories flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.

If it was Qin Yi, given his impatience, he would have revealed his identity even earlier than Zhao Gang. That man was always straightforward, without any scheming. A wry smile played at the corner of Tang Yin's mouth, as if he saw Qin Yi's honest face.

If Qian Jin were the Protector, with his showy personality, he would undoubtedly have proudly announced his identity. After all, the crow was the Qian Jin family's guardian beast, passed down through generations. Perhaps he would even propose some fanciful theories based on his findings. Tang Yin suddenly paused in thought and chuckled to himself. Perhaps he had simply assumed him to be too foolish. At least until he was killed by the wolf, he had been ignored. Perhaps he was exploiting this neglect to conduct his investigation in secret.

At this thought, Tang Yin's thoughts suddenly turned to Gao Mei. That woman's betrayal was incomprehensible. She knew she could not be saved, yet she resolutely chose the wolves' side. Her actions at the time were clearly tinged with madness. Could it be that Qian Ming Shen had revealed some truth to her through the dream pillow? What kind of truth could make someone willingly give up their life? Tang Yin's brows furrowed. Could there be other mechanisms that trigger madness besides the ones Qin Ming mentioned, other ways to induce people to commit crimes of faith?

If this kind of power really exists and can work at the same time as the protection... No, Tang Yin shook his head violently, this possibility is too outrageous.

His thoughts turned to Wang Lina. If she was the protector of the crow, based on her personality, she should have taken the initiative to consult Tang Yin. Thinking of this, his eyes softened a little.

As for Chen Xiang, Tang Yin knew very little about her. She was the only one executed according to the rules last time, without even a chance to defend herself. However, even if given the chance, she would probably choose to kill everyone to protect her son. Or, she would silently bear the burden of her son's crime and remain silent.

Finally, there was Mr. Wolf, the enigmatic old man. Even if he had truly received the Divine Protection, given his groggy state, he probably wouldn't have figured out how to use it. Tang Yin couldn't help but sigh, thinking of the old man's cloudy eyes and his constant mumbling.

Tang Yin's thoughts finally returned to Hua Lu.

Hualu is a person who defies simple description. As the head of the Hualu family, the only descendant of this ancient clan, she should know secrets bestowed upon the elders. However, thinking back on her behavior today, aside from that ominous premonition, she didn't seem to have revealed anything special. He recalled Hualu's slightly pale face and the way she hesitated to speak, and he fell into deep thought.

He also struggled to accurately judge Hualu's intelligence. He had assumed she was perceptive, but in many ways, she seemed unusually dull. Her dark eyes sometimes gleamed with wisdom, and other times revealed a perplexing blankness.

What was puzzling was that last time, she hadn't said anything, yet was inexplicably contaminated, and then just quit this absurd game. The scene at that time was still vivid in Tang Yin's mind, and the expression of despair and relief on her face still made him feel heartbroken.

Based on this reasoning, the crow's protector should be among Madam Chen Xiang, Master Wolf and Hua Lu.

The most important question was, would the distribution of Protectors remain the same this time? If so, he could now perfectly plan his strategy for the banquet. For example, he could choose to launch a surprise attack on Qin Ming and Granny Rong. Even if they were contaminated, the human camp would still be victorious. The thought made his heart beat faster.

Tang Yin paused, walked to the window, and gazed out at the growing fog. Under the moonlight, the mist glowed an eerie silvery-white, like a vast white silk thread drifting through the air. Of course, the participants this time were different from last time, so a change in the distribution of protectors was understandable. However, if Qianming Shen, or some other entity, selected qualified individuals based on some fixed criteria, then even if outsiders joined, it wouldn't affect the distribution of protections. This thought sparked a light in his eyes.

On the other hand, if their joining changed the way the Guardians were assigned, would that prove that the Guardians were assigned randomly, or based on some other rule? In either case, it at least showed that the assignment of Guardians wasn't determined by some specific will. This discovery made him feel a little excited, but also a little uneasy.

"This is the key to the truth behind the Huangquan Feast," Tang Yin muttered softly, a hint of relief in his voice. If he could solve the mystery of the rules for assigning protectors, there would be no need for those pointless attempts and he could get straight to the heart of the matter. This thought made his nerves tense.

However, a more practical question immediately surfaced in his mind: Could anyone besides him understand the phenomenon of death replay? He couldn't help but smile wryly at the thought. He could imagine the look of disbelief on someone's face if he told them, "That's how it was last time, so you're a wolf!" Undoubtedly, such an explanation would only make them think he was crazy. The light from the desk lamp cast deep shadows on his face, highlighting the helplessness in his eyes. It seemed that this crucial information could only serve as a reference, not as definitive proof.

Fog swirled outside the window, like a giant white monster lurking outside. Tang Yin sighed deeply, his hands resting on the windowsill, feeling the chill of the night. He realized that even though he held the key clue, he still couldn't easily uncover the village's secrets. The clock ticked, the hands moving relentlessly towards the night. Tomorrow's banquet would be a true life-or-death struggle, a game of fate with no way out.

Tang Yin tossed and turned in bed, his thoughts swirling. As expected, he couldn't fall asleep. A disturbing thought suddenly crossed his mind: If he didn't sleep, would someone in the dark discover him and silently take his life?

Once this thought came to mind, it was like a sharp thorn piercing his heart, making him feel that countless eyes were watching him from the darkness around him. The ticking sound of the old clock by the bed was particularly harsh in the quiet night.

Then again, shrouded in thick fog and facing the threat of death at any moment, could the people of the Hidden Mist Village really sleep peacefully? Even if they had heard similar legends since childhood, Tang Yin's thoughts suddenly froze, and his brows furrowed. The people of the Hidden Mist Village were indeed strange. On weekdays, they looked like ordinary villagers, a little dull, but not the kind of people who were blindly confident. However, once they encountered certain circumstances, their attitudes would change dramatically, as if they were controlled by some force. For example, they had an almost pathological fear of the thick fog, absolute obedience to the so-called canon, and even faced the fate of being hanged without resistance.

The air in the room seemed to freeze, and Tang Yin felt suffocated. Could it be that the banquet could really transform them into completely different people? If some kind of brainwashing system really existed, how did it work?
"I can't figure it out," Tang Yin murmured softly, a chill running through his heart. It was precisely this unknown that was so terrifying. Was there a limit to this unknown? No matter how far he pondered, it seemed he could only reach absurdity and confusion. If that were true, it was truly terrifying. In this fog, the light of reason seemed completely swallowed up.

Light gradually filtered through his eyelids, and Tang Yin suddenly realized that it was already daybreak. Wait, when did he close his eyes? When did he fall asleep? This realization made him jump out of bed, his heart pounding like a drum. The faint light through the window confirmed his judgment—it was indeed daybreak. He didn't expect that he could still fall asleep under such circumstances.

However, since he had completed the pre-banquet preparations, he should have earned the right to attend the banquet, right? This meant that anyone who owned a house in Kirigakure, even if only for a day, could be a participant in the banquet. The clock struck six. Having gone to bed early last night, Tang Yin was surprisingly energetic. He stood at the door, carefully sensing any movement outside. After confirming that there was no sign of wild animals, he opened the door without hesitation.

A suffocating fog enveloped them. The white mist swirled around the door like an invisible python, ready to devour its prey. This eerie white curtain obscured all vision, making even the scenery a few steps away unclear.

Tang Yin took a deep breath, feeling the cool air seep into his lungs. The banquet was finally about to begin. He stood at the threshold, feeling as if he were at the entrance to hell. What awaited him was a thrilling game of life and death.

In the deep silence, Tang Yin recalled the last time Wang Lina came to see him. It was later than now, and in his memory, her face still wore a hint of anxiety. Now, standing on the foggy village road, he considered whether to remain silent. But then, a thought flashed through his mind: No, action must be taken. Perhaps it would reveal crucial information that had escaped him last time. The cold morning dew soaked his shoes, the dampness sharpening his consciousness.

The entire Hidden Mist Village was shrouded in a suffocating silence. Thick white fog obscured vision, and the cold, damp air seeped through every pore of his clothes, seeping into his bones. There was no one around, not even a single figure in sight, as if the entire world had been swallowed by this eerie mist. Tang Yin couldn't help but recall the ending of his last time—that time he wandered alone forever on the endless shallows. A chill ran down his spine.

"No!" He warned himself silently. Humans despair in the cold, in hunger, in loneliness, and even more so when they lose their sight. This is an instinctive reaction deeply ingrained in their genes, and it's impossible to suppress it easily. In that case, it's better to find someone else to join in as soon as possible.

"Who!" A sudden roar interrupted his thoughts. Tang Yin's heart suddenly contracted, and his whole body tensed up. A burly figure slowly emerged from the thick fog.

"So it's you, up early?" Gao Zhijie's voice was filled with caution. The hunting rifle in his hand shone with a cold metallic sheen in the mist. His steps were steady and powerful, as if he was already accustomed to this fog.

"Good morning." Tang Yin pretended to be calm and tried his best to make his voice sound calm and natural.

"Just got up?" Gao Zhijie looked at Tang Yin, as if he wanted to see through something.

"Well, nothing special." Tang Yin answered nonchalantly, but in his mind he was quickly thinking about the other party's intentions.

"Have you checked your stomach?" Gao Zhijie suddenly asked, with a hint of urgency in his voice.

"Huh?" Tang Yin didn't react for a moment and pretended to be confused.

"The guardian beast's blessing is written on the belly." Gao Zhijie's words startled Tang Yin. Suddenly, memories of the previous incident flooded back. Wang Lina had indeed mentioned something similar, something about writing blood on the belly and Xiao Mee not being able to read it.

"Haven't you checked yet? Why don't you go back and take a look?" Gao Zhijie's tone was a little urgent.

".? Ah, I see." Tang Yin pretended to have suddenly understood, turning around and walking back. His pace was unhurried, afraid to show any abnormality. But in reality, his mind was working at full speed. He almost overlooked the possibility that he might be receiving a divine protection, which was a fatal oversight. Although the probability was very low, it was still necessary to check carefully just in case.

On the way back to the cabin, the fog seemed to grow even thicker. Tang Yin's footsteps were particularly clear in the silence, each step like treading on cotton, making him feel uneasy. He could feel Gao Zhijie's eyes following him until his figure completely disappeared into the fog.

(End of this chapter)