Chapter 44: Death Shall Surely Come

Death shall surely come

Insults are one thing, but none here are fools.

They had already figured out what Wei Guan was doing.

He is issuing a challenge to the killer!

The killer strikes on the streets at night, meaning all first-hand traces of the truth are buried in darkness.

Thus, for the players, night is dangerous—but also a better time than day to approach the answer.

But Yongzhan Town is too large; one night is impossible to cover every corner, let alone find the killer.

So Wei Guan used himself as bait, hoping to provoke the killer into revealing himself.

Fang Jue had seen through Wei Guan’s intent long ago; without a single glance exchanged, relying solely on sharp intuition and equally agile thinking, they performed an impromptu act on the spot.

Only when Wei Guan stepped out did the others realize the brilliance of their coordination.

But the “idiot” they spat out was sincere.

Nobody likes show-offs.

That’s the truth.

Do you suddenly understand what Chen Chong was about?

Fang Jue shook his head with a faint smile, then addressed the group:

“We probably won’t sleep tonight. Gather your things and follow me.”

After speaking, he glanced back.

The shadowed corner where a man had stood was now empty—the Ascetic had vanished.

Clearly, he had also seen through the ruse.

Tsk. Not a single fool among them.

Cheng Shi admired silently, adjusted his clothes, and slipped out quietly through the back door.

The full moon hung high; a warm breeze brushed gently. Yongzhan Town’s night was not cool.

As soon as Cheng Shi stepped out, he noticed not all residents obeyed the curfew—some drunkards still wandered the streets.

They staggered while shouting the name of the god [Prosperity], as if their patron would protect them from death.

He smiled at the drunks, then swiftly slipped toward the direction where Wei Guan had disappeared.

Wei Guan was truly a lone wolf.

Even though Fang Jue had cooperated, giving him the pretext to taunt the killer, this man showed not the slightest gratitude.

After stepping out, he left not a single trace.

Minute footprints vanished just beyond the inn, with no further clues to guide direction.

“Fuck. That’s ruthless.”

Cheng Shi stood atop a rooftop, frowning as he searched for any trace.

On a nearby windmill tower, Yun Ni was doing the same.

Everyone had lost their target—no one knew where Wei Guan had gone.

“Does he think he can handle the killer alone?”

On the other side, Du Xiguang finally couldn’t hold back—he adjusted his glasses and snapped bitterly:

“If he finds the real killer first and makes the choice for us, who bears the consequence?”

“The [Foolish] are always so repulsive.”

Yeah, exactly.

Cheng Shi smiled inwardly—[Deception] and [Memory] seemed to have aligned again.

Wei Guan’s methods were clean—he was a hunter, and his trail-cleaning skills were exceptional. The group split into eight directions and searched for an hour, finding nothing.

Only after another half-hour, when everyone’s faces were dark as they regrouped, did the missing Ascetic suddenly reappear before them.

His expression was even darker than Cheng Shi’s.

Fang Jue spotted him immediately and asked in a low voice:

“What did you find?”

The Ascetic said nothing, turned, and walked away.

Everyone’s hearts dropped—they followed at once.

Led by the Ascetic, the group leapt across rooftops, moving swiftly through the night, soon arriving at a spot south of the town.

On a wide street, the players suddenly spotted a corpse.

The corpse wore the white shirt and black vest provided by the inn.

It was Wei Guan!

Wei Guan was dead!

Everyone gasped in shock; Cheng Shi’s pupils shrank sharply.

He couldn’t imagine a 2400-ranked player dying so silently in the trial.

This place was not far from the inn—almost right under the players’ watchful eyes.

If there had been a struggle, surely someone would have heard something.

That meant one thing: either the killer vastly outclassed Wei Guan and killed him instantly, or the killer had a way to muffle sound.

Fang Jue’s face darkened; he swiftly landed beside Wei Guan.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, he declared angrily:

“This place—no lying allowed!”

[Order]’s S-rank Faith Talent: Decree echoes afar!

This was not a unique skill of the Lawgiver—any follower of [Order] could activate their “temporary law” by chanting the corresponding “Hymn of Judgment.”

Only the Lawgiver, as the singer of [Order], could add extra effects when chanting, making this talent especially potent for them.

A golden glow instantly flooded the entire street. Fang Jue looked back at the group and softly chanted:

“Above, the Just Judge, the hour of interrogation has come.

All lies shall be pierced; all answers shall be revealed.

The suspect shall be questioned here, confess past sins, and face inner torment.

Then!

Under the gaze of [Order]...

Cast into the death cell!”

A white light rose from each person. Cheng Shi felt it silently—he was now much weaker, and bore a new status: [Confession].

He frowned, sensing something was wrong.

Was Fang Jue suspecting one of them had secretly struck?

After all, the hour-long search had given ample time to kill.

But why kill one of their own?

Cheng Shi froze—his mind suddenly sharpened:

If he thought again about everyone’s Faith...

“?”

Fuck. Is this aimed at me?

Before Fang Jue could ask, Yun Ni—closest to him—suddenly stepped forward and asked:

“You’re a follower of [Deception], aren’t you?”

!!!

She’s still suspecting me?

Cheng Shi tensed—immense pressure surged in his mind, forcing his lips open to speak truth.

Your motherfucking hell, you can do this?

Riding the coattails, huh?

Cheng Shi glared at Yun Ni, jaw clenched, facial muscles taut, fighting the pressure with all his will.

But after only one second, his mouth broke.

His face twitched twice, then willingly gave the answer:

“No.”

Yun Ni seemed surprised by the answer; she raised an eyebrow and turned to leave.

But Cheng Shi wasn’t one to be easily fooled—he immediately bit his teeth and shouted back:

“Why did you want to kill Wei Guan?”

Yun Ni froze, blurted out:

“Didn’t like him. So I wanted to kill him.”

!

As soon as she spoke, her face changed—while Cheng Shi smiled like a fox.

He had manipulated the question, openly swapping concepts!

“Wanted to kill” and “killed” meant entirely different things in some contexts.

But in others, they were easily confused.

As expected, the moment Yun Ni finished speaking, a [Memory] power sealed the area, trapping her.

Du Qiyu stepped forward to Yun Ni’s side and without a word pressed his index finger to her forehead.

“You’ll see when you look.”