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

Chapter 598: The First Protector Reveals His Identity

"Spreading nails?" Qin Ming frowned, his slightly childish face full of confusion.

"There's been no carpentry work lately, right? No one in this poor place has the spare money to buy nails. Someone must have done this on purpose, right?" Qin Yi's eyes flashed dangerously, his voice tinged with sarcasm. His slender fingers tapped lightly on the table, as if keeping a rhythm.

".You mean, it was done by the elder?" Qin Ming's voice trembled slightly, and he was obviously shocked by this speculation.

"Could there be anyone else! They just want to see people die, so they trap outsiders here!" Qin Yi slammed the table hard, making a dull "bang" sound, which made everyone present shudder.

"Ah, there is indeed such a possibility." Zhao Gang nodded thoughtfully, and an expression of sudden enlightenment appeared on his young face.

"Stupid! How could an elder be so boring!" Qian Jin's face flushed with anxiety, and his bloodshot eyes were wide open.

"Young man, was it Qin Zhi who arranged for you to move here?" Gao Zhijie's gaze suddenly locked onto Tang Yin, a sharp glint flashing in his cloudy eyes. Tang Yin's heart sank—things were starting to go wrong.

"Did you hear anything from Qin Zhi?" Gao Zhijie continued to ask. Zhao Gang, Qin Yi, and Xia Hui all turned their gazes to Tang Yin, as if they wanted to see through his soul.

Gao Zhijie narrowed his eyes slightly. The idea of ​​planting a spy in the village the day before the banquet to assist in expanding the scope of the destruction was indeed convincing.

Even worse, the van's flat tire was actually Tang Yin's fault. Cold sweat began to seep from Tang Yin's forehead.

"Stop talking! After hearing this, it's all just speculation!" Wang Lina suddenly spoke up, her pretty face filled with anxiety. "What if it's all a misunderstanding? Will Shan ever forgive us?"

"No need to worry about forgiveness. We must hang the wolf and protect the Hidden Mist Village." Gao Zhijie's voice was low and firm. His tall figure seemed even taller in the dim light. "Forget it, I won't ask about Tang Yin's matter. The same goes for the female reporter. I won't target you."

"However, there will be no progress without executing one person. But if I hang a woman or a child, my conscience will be uneasy." Gao Zhijie frowned, his tone revealing a hint of helplessness. "That's all I ask."

"Then hang me."

This sudden remark was like a stone dropped into a calm lake, sending ripples flying. Everyone's eyes instantly focused on the speaker—Wang Lina, her expression calm. Her delicate face betrayed no trace of fear, only a look of determination. Her hands were tightly clenched around the corners of her clothes, her knuckles turning slightly white from the strain, the only sign of her inner unrest.

The thick fog outside the window seemed to grow even thicker at that moment, shrouding the entire assembly hall in an eerie atmosphere. The flames of the oil lamps flickered gently in the sudden silence, casting dancing shadows on the walls. A suffocating sense of oppression permeated the air, as if even time had stood still.

"What I hate most is the atmosphere in the Hidden Mist Village. Do you want to murder a newly arrived neighbor in such a cowardly way?" Wang Lina's voice was resounding, her bright eyes gleaming with determination. Under the dim light, her profile looked particularly resolute.

"If someone has to die anyway, just execute me. I've caused everyone so much trouble, so let this be my way of repaying you all." Her tone was startlingly calm, as if she was talking about a trivial matter that had nothing to do with her.

"Sister Lina, what are you talking about!" Qin Ming stood up suddenly, his childish face full of panic. The chair made a harsh friction sound under his sudden movement.

"Qin Ming, just now, I was wondering which of us would be most suitable to die." Wang Lina lowered her head slightly, a hint of self-blame in her voice. Her slender fingers unconsciously twisted together, revealing her inner restlessness.

"When Elder Gao Zhijie suggested sacrificing Tang Yin, I honestly thought about it. It might not be a bad idea." Her voice grew softer, but still audible in the silent assembly hall. "Although it was only a fleeting thought, I still can't forgive myself for being like this as a member of the Hidden Mist Village."

"So, if you have to execute someone, execute me, Uncle Gao." She raised her head and looked directly at Gao Zhijie's wrinkled face.

"Sister Lina, don't be like this~" Tong Xiaoliang was so anxious that he almost cried, and tears were already welling up behind his thick glasses.

"Yes! That is, even if Sister Lina is not allowed to die, that is..." Gao Mei stuttered, her little hands tightly clutching the corner of her clothes, her big eyes full of worry.

Gao Zhijie remained silent. His weathered face was expressionless, but the slightly furrowed brow betrayed his inner displeasure. The flame of the oil lamp danced behind him, casting his shadow on the wall, making it appear particularly large and eerie.

"Lina's right," Hualu suddenly spoke, her lively eyes gleaming with a strange light. "Demanding a guest's death for no reason would be difficult for us to deny, even if Xia Hui suspected us."

"Then come and die in his place, elder!" Qin Yi said with a sneer, his young face full of sarcasm.

Hua Lu was silent, and no emotion could be seen on her pale face.

"I don't care." Gao Zhijie's voice was low and calm, as if he was discussing a trivial matter.

"You, what nonsense are you talking about!? She is the descendant of the Hua family who protects the dream world, right? How could you do this!" Qian Jin suddenly stood up excitedly, his dark face flushed red with anger.

"Shut up, bitter face!" Qin Yi shouted sternly, with unquestionable majesty in his voice.

"Indeed, I'm not a Protector, and I might even cause trouble for everyone," Hualu whispered, a hint of sadness flashing in her clear, watery eyes. Under the dim light, her pale face looked even more fragile.

"It's just that I'm very worried about this child." She gently stroked Xiaome's hair beside her, and the gentle movement seemed to soothe a frightened little bird.

"Mee" Xiao Mee called out timidly and held on to the corner of Hualu's clothes tightly.

"Using a child to beg for mercy?" Qin Yi sneered, a hint of sarcasm flashing in his eyes. His young face was full of disdain, as if he was watching a clumsy play.

"Qin Yi, keep your mouth shut," Qin Ming warned, frowning, his voice brimming with undeniable authority. "Stop pretending to be a good kid, big brother! It's all because of them, Mom!" Qin Yi abruptly stood up, pushing his chair with a harsh clatter. His bloodshot eyes gleamed with anger.

"Those things have nothing to do with Hualu! Don't cause trouble for mom!" Qin Ming also stood up, and the two brothers confronted each other tensely.

"Qin Ming, Qin Yi. Woo." Chen Xiang sobbed, her wrinkled face full of pain.

The situation had reached its limit. Tang Yin silently observed the situation, frowning deeply. Gao Zhijie's reasoning wasn't entirely unreasonable, but just like Zhao Gang and Qin Yi's aversion to elders, he probably harbored some unspoken thoughts deep within his heart. If these emotions were allowed to dominate the situation, the entire banquet would spiral out of control.

Tang Yin was well aware that the distribution of wolves had nothing to do with personal grudges. Therefore, he absolutely could not allow these external factors to influence the outcome of the banquet. Of course, as a prerequisite, he would never easily accept the fate of death.

Let a volunteer die in his place? No, that's totally unacceptable.

"That." Tang Yin was about to speak, but was interrupted by a sudden declaration.

"I am a monkey!" Qin Ming's voice exploded in the silent assembly hall.

Only then did Tang Yin realize that he had greatly underestimated the complexity of the Huangquan Banquet. This was not a situation that could be easily controlled. Everyone had their own calculations, and all intentions were intricately intertwined. He silently glanced at Qin Ming's profile, where determination was written across that young face.

"Qin Ming, you..." Chen Xiang covered her mouth in surprise, tears streaming down her face.

"I am the protector of the monkey, and this is the protection I hate the most. What does Shan want me to do, mother?" Qin Ming's voice was choked with sobs.

"Really, brother?" Qin Yi's anger disappeared in an instant, replaced by deep confusion.

"It's true, Uncle Qin Yi Gao, I also believe that wolves must be ruled out." Qin Ming took a deep breath and continued, "However, choosing someone to be hanged based on something unrelated to the banquet will only sow the seeds of conflict."

Gao Zhijie remained silent, a complex expression flickering in his cloudy eyes. The thick fog outside the window seemed to grow even thicker at that moment, swallowing up all the light. The flame of the oil lamp flickered gently in the oppressive atmosphere, casting a flickering shadow.

"Compared to this, there are other things we can do." Qin Ming's voice was calm and firm, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his young face. The light of the oil lamp danced on his face, adding a bit of mystery to him.

"I am ape. Another ape, please reveal your identity." His eyes swept over everyone present, as if looking for some clues.

"Wait, wait, Qin Ming, a Protector can't just casually reveal their identity, right?" Granny Rong abruptly stood up, panic written all over her weathered face. Her trembling hands tightly grasped the edge of her apron, revealing her inner uneasiness.

"No, Granny Rong, only the monkey's blessing has the meaning of being revealed actively. Xiaomei, do you understand what I mean?" Qin Ming turned to Gao Mei with a hint of temptation in his eyes.

"Sorry, I don't understand." Gao Mei lowered her head and whispered back. Her young face flushed slightly with nervousness.

"There are two apes, but they don't have any special abilities; they simply possess the identity of apes. Therefore, they can hardly pose much of a threat to the wolves," Qin Ming continued, his voice filled with undeniable logic. "Revealing their identities would eliminate two suspects, making it easier to choose the wolves."

"Really? He's just an ordinary person, but he's quite safe." Gao Mei nodded thoughtfully, with a glimmer of sudden enlightenment in her big eyes.

"Okay, introduce yourself!" Qin Ming's voice echoed in the assembly hall.

Tang Yin's eyes narrowed slightly - this was clearly a trap carefully set by Qin Ming.

The monkeys already knew each other's identities, so if they really wanted one to reveal their identity, they could just name it. But Qin Ming didn't do that. Instead, he deliberately emphasized the advantage of revealing his identity in order to clear his suspicion.

He was fishing, trying to lure out the wolf who didn't fully understand the situation!
Tang Yin's gaze roamed the dimly lit assembly hall, silently analyzing Qin Ming's move. If there truly were a wolf foolish enough to call itself a monkey, Qin Ming could easily identify this greedy wolf by simply confronting another real ape and disproving their claim. The flame of the oil lamp flickered gently as he pondered, casting mottled shadows on the wall.

Even if the wolf didn't take the bait, according to Qin Ming, the monkey's proactive exposure of his identity would effectively narrow down the suspect pool, which was indeed a wise move. A little thought would make sense of this characteristic of the monkey's protection, but at the moment, it seemed that the wolf might actually take the bait due to the tempting benefits.

Jiang Taigong was fishing, and those willing to take the bait.

Although this move seemed simple and unpretentious, it carried almost no risk. More importantly, since Qin Ming had already revealed his identity as an ape, he must be in the human camp.

This realization made Tang Yin feel more at ease than anyone else present. It was this man who had led the wolves to defeat the humans last time. Being able to stand on the same front with him now was undoubtedly a rare blessing.

However, just as Tang Yin was secretly rejoicing about this discovery, his cognition was completely overturned by a sudden scene.

"Qin Ming, don't act on your own." Gao Zhijie's voice suddenly rang out in the silent space, his wrinkled face full of displeasure.

"Acting on your own initiative?" Qin Ming frowned slightly, and a hint of confusion flashed in his clear eyes.

"Let the monkey reveal its identity? Is there anyone who understands Qin Ming's opinion now?" Gao Zhijie looked around, and there was a hint of majesty in his old voice.

Only a few people raised their hands - Tong Xiaoliang raised his hand timidly, his thick glasses reflecting a faint light under the light; Qian Jin also raised his hand, his dark face full of determination; Wang Lina and Xia Hui raised their hands almost at the same time, and the two exchanged a knowing look; finally, it was Gao Mei who was hesitant, her young face slightly flushed with nervousness.

Including Qin Ming himself, there were only six people in total. There were fifteen people present. Tang Yin's heart sank suddenly at this ratio. This turned out to be a minority?
(End of this chapter)