Chapter 288: The 'Butcher' was created?!

The two stood facing each other, time seemingly frozen.

Upon hearing this, Qin Weiyang was startled at first, then fell into deep thought and calmed down.

If things were as Su Yang said, this game was merely a one-sided fabrication, and Liao Chen was undoubtedly the mastermind behind it.

Judging by the timing and his status, only he could have achieved this.

This couldn't help but remind her of the 'Dream' talent.

Both shared similar characteristics.

However, the only difference was that 'Dream' could only manipulate thoughts by influencing a person's subconscious and writing the direction of the dream.

Liao Chen's methods clearly couldn't achieve that.

At least for now, aside from supernatural events like ghosts and specters, nothing defying common sense had appeared.

Furthermore, he had no way to make hundreds of players participate.

Both men enjoyed pulling strings from behind the scenes, yet Zhuang Weilun's plans had traces to follow.

"Whether you play or not is not up to you," Tang Hui suddenly said.

"Is that so?" Su Yang grabbed a handful of soil and kneaded it into a ball. "Then how about we make a bet?"

"Bet on whether I can still stand here ten minutes from now."

"Why would I bet against a dead man?" Tang Hui shrugged, his attitude one of indifference.

Su Yang tossed the mud ball outside the graveyard and clapped his hands. "Because you need to survive, so you must take my life."

Upon hearing this, Tang Hui's pupils contracted violently, though they returned to normal in an instant.

Such a change in a short span of time naturally could not escape Su Yang's eyes.

"It seems I guessed right. Your resurrection must follow a certain law, and the core of that law is killing to extend your life," Su Yang said slowly.

How did he know?

Tang Hui was incredibly puzzled; could it be that there were other 'resurrected' ones among these treasure hunters?

Thinking of this, he immediately cast that unrealistic thought out of his mind.

He had learned earlier that he was the only exception in the entire prison who had returned from the dead.

Only he...

... was special.

Tang Hui glanced at the figure beside him and said slowly, "I don't understand what you're talking about. If you want to use this method to stall for time, then by all means, try."

"Anyway, the one who suffers won't be me."

Hearing this, Su Yang smiled.

"Let me guess... Lai Siyao and Li Changge aren't dead, are they? You didn't let them die in the checkpoint, but hid them away."

"Hidden... where the treasure is located."

"Wait until the dust settles, then take their lives."

"And if I play this game, I'll end up with the same fate."

Tang Hui shed his arrogant expression and said expressionlessly, "I find that you are not only reckless in speech and have a delusional confidence in yourself, but you also love to fabricate lies."

"If I could hide people near the treasure, why would I need to personally accompany you in this pointless little game?"

"You've hit the nail on the head," Su Yang sat down in the small pit he had just dug, shifting his position to find a more comfortable spot.

"Being outnumbered, yet still showing up in person—calling it 'helping to keep time'—in reality, you want to make all of this appear reasonable."

"Let me think..."

Su Yang rubbed his chin, staring at Liao Chen who remained silent, and pointed at the hourglass. "It is the key, right?"

Liao Chen didn't move. "What's so strange about an hourglass? You don't think it can decide life and death, do you?"

"An hourglass alone certainly cannot, but what if you add 'Earth-Escaping' to it?" Su Yang said slowly.

He then glanced at the dense forest of tombstones and continued, "The activation conditions for all the talents I've seen are related to the user themselves."

"Many players who take things for granted easily overlook this point of 'borrowing strength'."

"And your biggest flaw isn't the hourglass itself, but the ghosts."

Tang Hui and Liao Chen frowned simultaneously.

Qin Weiyang stepped forward and said, "Ghosts have always been synonymous with slaughter and evil, but we have seen their true nature with our own eyes; the facts are not as they seem."

Su Yang added, "When the fire broke out, it was these 'evil' ghosts who rescued the students."

"It's just a pity you weren't at the scene and didn't see that scene."

"Therefore, you assumed that ghosts are not only murderous but also enjoy toying with humans."

"You ignored their essence; that is the biggest loophole."

The ghosts still retained the nature they had while alive.

Perhaps there were mischievous personalities among them, as seen from the ghost that popped out to startle Lai Siyao.

But most of them were pure and kind children.

How could they commit acts of dragging people away?

Finding the tombstone was meant to clear Wei Zeming's name; what reason would these children have to stop them?

And how could they possibly 'punish' those who offered help?

Tang Hui's facial muscles twitched slightly; Su Yang's explanation was not far from the truth.

He never expected that his biggest secret would be exposed so quickly.

Indeed, killing to extend his life was his solo mission.

He had been planning around this point since the first day he arrived.

He had thought through how to play this game from the very first day.

He just didn't expect to meet Qin Weiyang.

This surprise exceeded all previous ones; he wanted revenge.

And to watch her fall into despair with his own eyes!

"Not speaking? Then I'll take that as your admission." Su Yang smiled.

He then stood up and walked toward the tombstones, reaching out to touch one, but pulling his hand back just before contact.

"The point of this checkpoint starting isn't stepping into the graveyard, but when you touch a tombstone."

"I noticed an interesting point: the moment Lai Siyao touched a tombstone, Principal Liao 'thoughtfully' offered the hourglass to time her."

"Li Changge's intervention was the same; this inconspicuous detail perfectly explains that you are borrowing momentum."

"So what?" Liao Chen retorted.

Seeing his plan exposed, Su Yang's smile grew even wider.

"If I were to touch a tombstone just like the previous two, I would fall into the trap you've long since set."

"So I plan to do nothing and see if, after ten minutes, I end up like them—dragged into the ground."

Liao Chen, seeing his plan foiled, was not in a hurry.

Compared to Su Yang's disregard, he was more concerned about Tang Hui's secret at this moment.

Just as the other had said—killing to extend life.

Could it also mean...

... that he was also among them?

"Since the game rules and content can be realized through fabrication, then the previous few checkpoints must also have had elements of fabrication, right?" Su Yang asked.

Tang Hui clenched his fists, but soon relaxed.

He realized he couldn't be led by the nose by Su Yang.

The advantage was his, and the treasure had been hidden; saying so much was nothing more than an attempt to pry the location of the treasure from the two of them.

He just didn't expect that Su Yang could deduce so much simply from the nature of the ghosts.

"From the very beginning, you set your sights on Ruan Ziliang, who was familiar with school urban legends, and used him to spread rumors everywhere."

"By spreading it from person to person, you slowly popularized it."

"After all, if there's a Hundred Ghost Night Parade, what's one more monster?"