tkworld #597 - The first target is Tang Yin?
#597 - The first target is Tang Yin?
Tang Yin's thoughts revolved around the issue of the blood writing. The consequences of overlooking this method of notifying Guardians were simply unimaginable. He subconsciously touched his abdomen, imagining the scene of the blood writing being discovered by others in his sleep, or the bloodstains being smeared into an unrecognizable mess due to tossing and turning – these were all potentially fatal hidden dangers.
But if, as old man Gao Zhijie said, the blood writing was formed by supernatural power and would not easily disappear or blur, that would make sense. Thinking of this, Tang Yin couldn't help but be grateful for Gao Zhijie's reminder; otherwise, he wouldn't have noticed this detail. Perhaps there were still people who were completely unaware that blood writing had already appeared on their stomachs.
Although he really wanted to find an opportunity to confirm the situation of others, doing so would be tantamount to exposing his Guardian identity to the wolves, which was too risky. In the dim light, Tang Yin's brow furrowed slightly. Unfortunately, there was no time for him to continue thinking about these details.
"Enough, right? We've drunk the wine, listened to the old hag's words, so now we choose someone to execute?" Qin Yi suddenly broke the silence, his young face full of impatience.
"Then how do we choose, huh?" His question was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples.
Tong Xiaoliang pushed up his glasses, his voice trembling slightly: "If that legend is true, then some of us are already dead, and the wolves are pretending, right?"
This terrifying speculation made Gao Mei suddenly raise her head, ".! How is that possible!" Her voice was filled with undisguised fear.
".How could such a thing be possible?" Zhao Gang's calm voice suddenly sounded, as always using reason to cut off these absurd guesses. As expected of Zhao Gang, always able to cut superstition in two with one stroke.
He continued, "It must be the elders' conspiracy. They want to take advantage of the fog to kill some of us, and then force us to submit."
These words immediately drew a rebuttal from Qian Jin, a hint of anger flashing across his dark face: "Zhao Gang, what do you take the elders for?"
Zhao Gang retorted without backing down: "Aren't they just outdated, rotten-minded heretics? Can you deny it, huh?" There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
Qin Ming frowned, thoughtfully interjecting: "However, how could they do it with such a cruel method of killing."
Zhao Gang's momentum suddenly weakened: "This, I don't know."
The air in the assembly hall seemed to freeze, everyone digesting this terrifying speculation. Gao Zhijie's voice suddenly sounded, a trace of solemnity on his wrinkled face: "Zhao Gang, that kind of thing doesn't matter. The most important thing is that if we ignore it, we will be slaughtered by the wolves."
A hint of determination flashed in the old man's eyes, "We must hang the wolves through the banquet. There is no other way."
Zhao Gang was stunned, looking at this usually amiable old man, and for the first time felt an unspeakable sense of oppression: ". Old Man Gao."
Old Man Gao Zhijie's words stirred up a subtle ripple in the dim assembly hall. It was equivalent to hinting to everyone present that he had personally experienced the cruelty of the banquet. But perhaps because of the majesty revealed on his weathered face, or perhaps because of his status in the village, no one questioned it. After all, in the current bizarre situation, it was fortunate for everyone to have someone who had experienced the banquet and survived.
". Gao Zhijie, how do we decide who gets hanged?" Granny Rong's aged voice broke the silence. After she said this, the eyes of the entire room turned to Old Man Gao Zhijie in unison. Everyone present revealed trust in the old man in their eyes, as if he was the only guiding light in this chaos.
"Old Man Gao." Zhao Gang called out softly, his voice tinged with expectation.
"Grandpa..." Gao Mei looked timidly at her grandfather, her small hands clutching the corner of her clothes tightly.
Gao Zhijie slowly scanned the room, finally locking his gaze on one person. "Hey, young man," he suddenly said, his voice steady and powerful.
"Your name is Tang Yin, right?"
"What is it?" Tang Yin subconsciously responded.
"Can you go die?" Gao Zhijie's words were like a sharp sword, directly piercing Tang Yin's heart.
"—Huh?" Tang Yin's brain seemed to stop working for a moment, even his most basic thinking ability temporarily lost. This sudden suggestion left him completely unsure of how to respond.
"Hualu, fill this young man's cup again." Gao Zhijie gestured to the girl beside him.
"Mr. Gao." Hualu hesitated, her delicate face full of hesitation.
"Enough, pour the wine quickly." Gao Zhijie's tone became unquestionable.
"." Hualu silently lowered her head, no longer arguing. Her slender fingers picked up the wine bottle and glass, but her movements were slightly hesitant.
". That, it's better not to drink it." She whispered, her voice so soft it was almost swallowed by the air.
". It's okay, I'll drink it." Tang Yin took the glass, signaling her to fill it. In the light, the wine shimmered with a dark red luster, as if foreshadowing something ominous.
"What do you mean?" Tang Yin stared at the swaying wine in the glass, and asked softly.
As soon as he finished speaking, he tilted his head back and drank the wine in the glass in one gulp. The spicy liquor slid down his throat, igniting a fire in his stomach.
Tang Yin put down the glass, his gaze beginning to sweep across the room. He saw Tong Xiaoliang with his head lowered, Qin Ming turning his face away, the dodging adults, the cowering children, the silent old people... and Wang Lina's face filled with apology.
Apart from Old Man Gao Zhijie's bright eyes, no one dared to meet his gaze. An suffocating sense of heaviness permeated the air, as if even breathing had become difficult.
So that's how it is, Tang Yin finally understood. He curled up a bitter smile at the corner of his mouth, the glass in his hand casting a lonely shadow in the light. The thick fog outside the window seemed to become even denser at this moment, completely isolating the entire world from this space filled with despair.
"First, we must execute someone that everyone can accept. If we don't, the wolves win." Gao Zhijie's voice echoed in the dim assembly hall, each word seeming to carry a thousand pounds of weight. His wrinkled face looked particularly serious in the light of the oil lamp.
"We can't waste a single day, but no one is suspicious yet." The old man's gaze swept over everyone present, finally landing on Tang Yin again.
"One person dies, in exchange for information." These words were like a heavy hammer, knocking on Tang Yin's heart. The thick fog outside the window seemed to become even more sinister and terrifying at this moment.
Tang Yin's brain was running rapidly—so that's how it is, Gao Zhijie wants to force the Crow to show himself as soon as possible, and then use this to identify his identity. This old man is indeed proficient in the strategy of the banquet, and is well-versed in the tactics of promoting the banquet with the Guardian as the core. Not only that, from the perspective of maintaining unity on the scene, the practice of choosing newcomers to sacrifice is perfectly in line with psychological theory.
If the one who dies is himself... Tang Yin thought with a wry smile, judging from the current atmosphere, it doesn't seem unacceptable. But how could he just accept his death so calmly? At this moment, Tang Yin's mind was full of how to survive and how to escape. More importantly, as a Guardian of the Snake, his death would be of no benefit to the human camp.
"Are you here to seek death?" Gao Zhijie's voice interrupted Tang Yin's thoughts, his turbid but sharp eyes staring straight at him.
"Can you die for us?" The old man's tone was tinged with a hint of inducement.
It's so natural... Tang Yin sighed inwardly. If he said "I don't want to die yet," although it wouldn't immediately make him suspected of being a wolf, it would definitely leave a bad impression in everyone's mind. Once labeled as a coward, he would lose his popularity in this village, and then lose his right to speak.
At this moment, it was a matter of life and death for Mist Hidden Village. Old Man Gao Zhijie was obviously trying to seize the leading power and control the current situation. If he lost the right to speak at this juncture, Tang Yin, as an outsider, could be executed at any time.
The only way out is to euphemistically imply that he is someone who shouldn't die—but in this way, the wolves will also realize his danger. The dilemma made Tang Yin's temples ache faintly.
"—Pour him another cup." Gao Zhijie's voice sounded again, his fingers gently tapping the table.
"But..." Hualu hesitated, her delicate face full of worry.
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"I'll drink it." Tang Yin took the glass without the slightest hesitation. Through the amber wine, he seemed to see through Gao Zhijie's intention—setting up such a wine bureau was nothing more than to relieve his worries and reduce the fear of death of the selected person. The old fox is indeed far-sighted.
But the problem is that this amount of wine is not enough to make Tang Yin drunk. He stared at the swaying wine in the glass, his eyes gradually becoming deep. The atmosphere in the assembly hall became more and more solemn, and even the sound of breathing became particularly clear. Everyone present was waiting for his statement, and his every decision could affect the life-and-death situation that followed.
It seems like it's time to be prepared? Tang Yin's fingers tightened involuntarily, his knuckles turning slightly white due to the force. The flame of the oil lamp swayed gently in the breeze, casting mottled shadows on the wall, as if silently witnessing this life-and-death choice.
"That..." Tang Yin was about to speak, but his voice was interrupted by a sharp shout.
"Wait! What do you want to say!?" Xia Hui suddenly stood up from her seat, her bright eyes burning with the flames of anger at this moment. This unexpected interlude made Tang Yin secretly relieved, and he silently waited for her to continue.
"I can't listen anymore, do you really want to do this!? If so, you can play this farce yourselves!" Xia Hui's voice trembled slightly because of her excitement, and her delicate face flushed red because of her anger.
"Xia Hui..." Tang Yin called her name softly, with a complex emotion in his eyes.
"Don't you think it's too strange? The tire just happened to blow out, and this kind of thing happened the next day?" Xia Hui's voice became even sharper, and she looked around at everyone present, her eyes full of doubt.
"I thought this should be the routine of the last era, isn't this the custom of killing and robbing foreigners!?" Her words were like a sharp dagger, directly hitting the most sensitive part of everyone's heart.
"It's not like that!!" Zhao Gang suddenly stood up, his young face twisted with excitement. He walked quickly to Xia Hui and explained eagerly: "I understand what you mean, but this is really a coincidence! Everyone sympathizes with you!"
"The words you are saying to Tang Yin now will be my turn next time!" Xia Hui retorted without showing any weakness, tears flashing in her eyes.
"There is no such thing, sacrificing Tang Yin... is just Old Man Gao's idea." Zhao Gang's tone softened, trying to appease this emotionally agitated girl.
"Zhao Gang!" Gao Zhijie's voice exploded like thunder, shaking the entire assembly hall.
"Old Man Gao, we can't do this! We should discuss together and find the suspicious person." Zhao Gang turned around, looked straight into the old man's eyes, his voice tinged with a hint of pleading.
"Everyone is not suspicious, so to speak, everyone is suspicious." Gao Zhijie's voice was low and calm, but with an undeniable power. "Discussing this kind of thing is meaningless."
". Everyone is suspicious? Including me, Old Man Gao?" Zhao Gang's voice was tinged with disbelief.
"Yes." The old man responded briefly.
". Why?"
"This has nothing to do with the Yellow Springs Feast of Taboos." Gao Zhijie slowly stood up, his tall figure casting a long shadow in the dim light. At that moment, his back did not show any signs of aging, but instead revealed a palpitating majesty.
"The monster is among us, although it seems innocent now, it will kill us nonchalantly at night." His voice echoed in the silent space, each word seeming to carry a thousand pounds of weight. "This is the Yellow Springs Feast of Taboos. You can't win with human feelings."
"Ha, monster? Old thing, are you senile too? Huh?" Qin Yi suddenly let out a sneer, his young face full of disdain.
"Qin Yi, please, don't say it..." Chen Xiang hurriedly grabbed his sleeve, her pale face filled with worry.
"Old woman, do you also believe that there are monsters among us? I don't believe it." Qin Yi shook off Chen Xiang's hand, a dangerous light flashing in his eyes, "However, I am very concerned about who scattered the iron nails near the van."
As soon as his words fell, the entire assembly hall fell into a deathly silence. The thick fog outside the window seemed to become even more sinister and terrifying at this moment, devouring all the light. Everyone's face was shrouded in a shadow, their eyes either fearful, or suspicious, or angry, stirring up invisible undercurrents in this confined space. Tang Yin could feel that the situation was developing in an unpredictable direction.