tkworld #589 - Gao Zhijie's gaze
#589 - Gao Zhijie's gaze
Tang Yin pondered the abilities of the Crow's Blessing. If this ability truly applied to all death scenarios, then there should be plenty of opportunities for investigation.
However, perhaps it was precisely because the results of each investigation pointed to the despairing answer of 'human' that the holder of the Crow chose eternal silence. Or perhaps, this mysterious blessed one simply didn't know how to use their ability. The halo of the desk lamp cast swaying shadows on the wall, as if mocking his confusion.
He shook his head, deciding to temporarily exclude Grandpa Gao Zhijie. A list of individuals whose identities he couldn't confirm appeared before him: Qin Yi, Gao Mei, Wang Lina, Hua Lu, Qian Jin, Chen Xiang, and Grandpa Wolf, a total of seven people. Tang Yin closed his eyes and began to analyze them one by one. Scenes from his memories flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern.
If it were Qin Yi, given his impatient personality, he probably would have announced his identity even earlier than Zhao Gang. That man was always straightforward and lacked any cunning. A wry smile appeared on Tang Yin's lips, as if he could see Qin Yi's honest face.
If Qian Jin were the blessed one, with his attention-seeking personality, he would definitely announce his identity triumphantly. After all, the Crow was the guardian beast passed down through generations of the Qian Jin family. Maybe he would even propose some outlandish theories based on his own investigations. Tang Yin suddenly stopped thinking and laughed self-deprecatingly, perhaps he had underestimated him. At least in the time before he was killed by the wolf, he had been ignored by everyone. Perhaps, he was using this overlooked position to conduct his investigation in secret.
Thinking of this, Tang Yin's thoughts suddenly turned to Gao Mei. That woman's betrayal was perplexing; knowing she couldn't be saved, she still firmly chose the wolf's side. Her behavior at the time was clearly tinged with madness. Could it be that the Thousand-Eyed God had revealed some truth to her through the dream pillow? What kind of truth could make a person willing to give up their life? Tang Yin frowned, could there be other mechanisms besides those mentioned by Qin Ming that could induce madness, other ways to induce people to commit crimes of faith?
If such a power really existed and could be used simultaneously with the Blessing… No, Tang Yin shook his head violently; that possibility was too far-fetched.
His thoughts turned to Wang Lina. If she were the Crow's blessed one, given her personality, she should have taken the initiative to discuss it with Tang Yin. Thinking of this, his gaze softened involuntarily.
As for Chen Xiang, Tang Yin knew too 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 she were given the chance, she would probably choose to kill everyone to protect her son. Or, she would silently take on the role of her son's shield, bearing the sin and remaining silent.
Finally, there was Grandpa Wolf, that enigmatic old man. Even if he had accepted the Blessing, in his muddled state, he probably wouldn't know how to use it. Tang Yin sighed as he thought of the old man's cloudy eyes and his constant muttering.
Tang Yin's thoughts ultimately returned to Hua Lu.
Hua Lu was truly difficult to describe in simple terms. As the head of the Hua Lu family, the only descendant of this ancient family, she should know some secrets that only elders would understand. However, recalling her performance today, apart from that sentence about her ominous premonition coming true, she didn't seem to reveal any particularly important information. He recalled Hua Lu's slightly pale face and the hesitant expression she had when she spoke, and couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
It was also difficult for him to accurately judge Hua Lu's intelligence. He originally thought she should be someone with keen insight, but in many ways, she seemed unusually slow. A wise light would occasionally flash in those dark eyes, but at other times, they would reveal an inexplicable confusion.
What was even more puzzling was that last time, she didn't say anything, was inexplicably contaminated, and then simply withdrew from this absurd game. The scene at the time was still vivid in his mind; the desperate yet relieved expression on her face still caused Tang Yin heartache.
Reasoning like this, the Crow's blessed one should be among Madam Chen Xiang, Grandpa Wolf, and Hua Lu.
The most important question is, will the allocation of the Blessing this time remain the same as last time? If it's the same, then he can perfectly攻略this banquet now. For example, he could choose to ambush Qin Ming and Granny Rong, and even if he were contaminated, the human camp could still achieve victory. This thought made his heart beat faster.
Tang Yin stopped and walked to the window, gazing at the increasingly thick fog outside. The fog glowed with an eerie silver-white light under the moonlight, like a giant white silk ribbon floating in the air. Of course, the participants this time are different from last time, and it's reasonable to expect changes in the allocation of the Blessing. But... if the Thousand-Eyed God or some other entity chooses suitable candidates based on some fixed criteria, then even the addition of external players shouldn't affect the allocation of the Blessing. This thought made his eyes light up.
Conversely, if their participation changes the way the Blessing is allocated, wouldn't that prove that the Blessing is randomly allocated, or allocated based on some other rules? In either case, it would at least indicate that the allocation of the Blessing is not designated by some specific will. This discovery made him feel a little excited, but also a little uneasy.
"This is the key to the truth of the Yellow Springs忌之宴," Tang Yin murmured to himself, his voice tinged with relief. If he could unravel the mystery of the Blessing allocation rules, he wouldn't need to conduct those pointless probes anymore and could directly find the core of the problem. This thought made his nerves tighten.
However, a more realistic question immediately surfaced in his mind: Besides him, could anyone else understand the phenomenon of death regression? Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile wryly. He could imagine the incredulous expressions on people's faces if he said to them, "It was like this last time, so you're the wolf!" Without a doubt, this explanation would only make people 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 important information could only be used as reference material and couldn't become conclusive evidence.
The fog billowed outside the window, like a giant white monster wandering outside. Tang Yin sighed deeply, resting his hands on the windowsill, feeling the chill of the night. He realized that although he held a key clue, he still couldn't easily uncover the secrets of this village. The clock ticked relentlessly, the hands moving towards late night, and tomorrow's banquet would be a true life-and-death contest, a game of fate with no turning back.
Tang Yin tossed and turned in bed, his thoughts constantly swirling. He really couldn't sleep. A disturbing thought suddenly flashed through his mind: if he didn't sleep, would he be discovered by some hidden entity and have his life taken silently?
Once this thought surfaced, it was like a sharp thorn stuck in his heart, making him feel like countless eyes were watching him from the surrounding darkness. The old clock on the bedside table ticked, sounding particularly jarring in the silent night.
Speaking of which, in this situation shrouded in thick fog and constantly facing the threat of death, could the people of Foggy Village really sleep peacefully? Even if they had heard similar legends since they were young... Tang Yin's thoughts suddenly stalled, and he frowned.
The people of Foggy Village were indeed strange. Usually, they seemed like ordinary villagers; although somewhat dull, they didn't seem like the blindly confident type on the surface. However, once they encountered specific situations, their attitudes would undergo a dramatic transformation, as if they were being manipulated by some force. For example, their almost pathological fear of the thick fog, their absolute obedience to the so-called canon, and even their lack of resistance when facing the fate of being hanged.
The air in the room seemed to congeal, and Tang Yin felt a sense of suffocation. Could the banquet really completely turn them into different people? If there really was some kind of brainwashing system, how was it working?
"I can't figure it out..." Tang Yin murmured softly, a chill rising in his heart. It was precisely this unknown that made it so terrifying. Did this unknown have any boundaries? No matter where he thought, he seemed to only be able to touch absurdity and confusion. If that was the case, then it was indeed creepy. In this fog, the light of reason seemed to be completely swallowed.
Light gradually penetrated his eyelids, and Tang Yin suddenly realized that it was already dawn. 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 dawn. He didn't expect to fall asleep in this situation.
However, since he had completed the pre-banquet preparations, he should have qualified to attend the banquet, right? This meant that as long as you had a house in Foggy Village, even if you only lived there for one day, you could become a participant in the banquet. The clock pointed to six o'clock, and because he had gone to bed early last night, he was now unusually energetic. Tang Yin stood in front of the door, carefully sensing the movement outside. After confirming that there was no beastly presence, he opened the door without hesitation.
A suffocating thick fog rushed towards him. White mist swirled in front of the door, like an invisible giant python, ready to devour its prey at any time. This eerie white curtain obscured all vision, making it impossible to see even things a few steps away.
Tang Yin took a deep breath, feeling the cool air seeping into his lungs. The banquet was finally about to begin. He stood on the threshold, as if standing at the entrance to hell, and waiting for him would be a thrilling life-and-death game.
In the deep silence, Tang Yin recalled the last time Wang Lina came to find him. It was a little later than now, and he remembered the anxious expression on her face. Now, he stood on the foggy village road, wondering if he should lie low. But soon, a thought flashed through his mind: No, he had to take action, maybe he could find out some important information that he didn't know last time. The cold morning dew soaked his shoes, and the damp touch made him more awake.
The entire Foggy Village was shrouded in a suffocating silence. The heavy white fog obscured vision, and cold moisture crept into clothes and seeped into bone marrow. There was no one around, not even a single shadow, as if the whole world had been swallowed by this eerie fog. Tang Yin couldn't help but think of the last ending - himself forever wandering alone on the endless shoals. A chill crept up his spine.
"No!" He warned himself in his heart. Humans despair in the cold, despair in hunger, despair in loneliness, and despair even more when they lose sight. This is a deeply ingrained instinct in their genes, and it is impossible to suppress it easily. In that case, it's better to find other people to meet up with as soon as possible--
"Who!" A sudden roar interrupted his thoughts. Tang Yin's heart contracted violently, and his whole body tensed instantly. In the thick fog, a burly figure slowly emerged.
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"Oh, it's you, up early." Gao Zhijie's voice was somewhat wary, and the shotgun in his hand gleamed coldly in the fog. His steps were steady and powerful, as if he was used to this fog.
"Good morning." Tang Yin feigned calmness, trying to make his voice sound calm and natural.
"Just got up?" Gao Zhijie's eyes scanned Tang Yin, as if trying to see through something.
"Yeah, nothing special." Tang Yin replied casually, while his mind was racing to figure out the other party's intention.
"Have you checked your belly?" Gao Zhijie asked suddenly, his voice a little anxious.
"Huh?" Tang Yin didn't react for a moment, pretending to be confused.
"The guardian beast's blessing will be written on your belly." Gao Zhijie's words shocked Tang Yin. In an instant, the memory of the last time flooded his mind. Wang Lina did mention something similar, something about writing blood words on the belly, and Xiao Mie couldn't understand it.
"Didn't check? Hurry back and take a look." Gao Zhijie's tone was a little urging.
".? Ah, I see." Tang Yin pretended to be enlightened and turned to walk back. His pace was neither fast nor slow, for fear of showing any abnormality. But in reality, his brain was working at full speed. He almost overlooked the possibility that he might have received the blessing, which was a fatal oversight. Although statistically speaking, this possibility should be very low, it was still necessary to check carefully just in case.
On the way back to the cabin, the fog seemed to become thicker. Tang Yin's footsteps sounded particularly clear in the silence, each step like stepping on cotton, making him feel uneasy. He could feel Gao Zhijie's gaze following him until his figure completely disappeared into the fog.