Death Will Ultimately Descend

Despite the scolding, no one present was an idiot.

They had already figured out what Wei Guan was doing.

He was inviting the killer out!

The killer committed murders on the streets at night, which meant all firsthand clues to the truth were hidden in the darkness.

So, for the players, while the night was dangerous, it was also a better time to approach the truth than the day.

But Everbloom Town was too large; it was impossible to search every corner in a single night, let alone encounter the killer.

So Wei Guan was using himself as bait, trying to lure the killer out.

Fang Jue had already seen through Wei Guan's intentions. Without exchanging glances, relying solely on sharp intuition and equally agile thinking, the two of them put on a convincing act on the spot.

The moment Wei Guan left, the others understood the brilliant coordination between the two.

But the "idiots" they cursed out were meant sincerely.

No one liked a show-off.

That was a fact.

Suddenly, he understood Chen Chong's situation.

Fang Jue shook his head and chuckled, then said to everyone:

"We might not get any sleep tonight. Everyone, get yourselves ready and follow along."

After speaking, he glanced back.

In the shadowy corner where a man had been standing, the Ascetic had already disappeared.

Clearly, he had also seen through the ruse.

Tsk, not a single idiot among them.

Cheng Shi praised inwardly, then straightened his clothes and quietly slipped out the back door.

The full moon hung high, and a warm breeze caressed the land; the night in Everbloom Town was not cool.

As soon as Cheng Shi stepped out, he noticed that not all residents adhered to the curfew. At least some drunkards were still wandering the streets.

They stumbled along, shouting the divine name of [Prosperity], as if their patron deity would protect them from death.

He smiled at these drunks, then quickly moved in the direction Wei Guan had disappeared.

Wei Guan was truly a lone wolf.

Even though Fang Jue had cooperated with him, giving him an excuse to provoke the killer, this man seemed to have taken no notice.

After leaving, he hadn't left the slightest trace.

Faint footprints simply vanished near the inn, with no clues in the surroundings to indicate his direction.

"Damn, that's brilliant."

Cheng Shi stood on the roof of a civilian house, frowning as he searched for clues.

On the tall windmill not far away, Yun Ni was doing the same thing.

Everyone had lost their target; they didn't know where Wei Guan had gone.

"Does he think he can handle the killer himself?"

On the other side, Du Xiguang finally couldn't hold back. He adjusted his glasses and complained with some indignation, "If he finds the real killer first and makes the choice for us, who will bear the consequences?

People of [Foolishness] are always so disgusting."

Ah, indeed.

Cheng Shi chuckled inwardly. [Deception] and [Memory] seemed to be on the same side again.

Wei Guan's methods were swift, and as a hunter, his skill in covering his tracks was superb. The group split up and searched in eight directions for an hour but couldn't find where he had gone.

After another half hour, when everyone met again with grim expressions, the Ascetic who had disappeared earlier suddenly appeared in their sight.

The moment he appeared, his face was even more troubled than Cheng Shi's.

Fang Jue noticed him first and asked gravely:

"What did you find?"

The Ascetic said nothing, turned, and left.

A jolt went through everyone's hearts, and they immediately followed.

Led by the Ascetic, the group scaled walls and traversed rooftops, moving swiftly through the night. In a short while, they arrived at a location south of the town center.

On a wide street, the players suddenly discovered a dead body.

And the person wearing the white shirt and black vest provided by the inn was...

It was Wei Guan!

Wei Guan was dead!

Everyone's faces drained of color, and Cheng Shi's pupils contracted sharply.

He couldn't imagine a Level 2400 player dying so silently in the trial.

After all, this place wasn't particularly far from the inn, practically right under the noses of the players who had been searching in shifts.

If there had been any sounds of a struggle, at least someone would have heard it.

That meant only one thing: either the killer's strength was so overwhelmingly superior to Wei Guan's that they could kill him instantly, or the killer had a way to mask the sounds.

Fang Jue's expression darkened, and he quickly flew down to Wei Guan's side.

As soon as he landed, he declared angrily:

"Lying is forbidden here!"

The S-rank Faith Talent of Order, "Lawful Proclamation," resonated in the distance!

This wasn't a special skill exclusive to Law Givers; all followers of Order could make their "temporarily issued" laws take effect by reciting the corresponding "Judgment Hymn."

It was just that Law Givers were the Singers of Order, and when they sang, they could also apply additional effects, making this talent especially useful for them.

A golden light instantly spread across the entire street. Fang Jue looked at the crowd behind him and softly chanted:

"Judge above, the time for interrogation has come.

All lies will be exposed, and all truths will be revealed.

The suspect shall be questioned here, confessing past sins and facing inner torment.

And then!

Under the gaze of Order...

Cast into the deepest dungeon!"

A white light rose from everyone. Cheng Shi felt it and discovered that not only was he much weaker, but he also had a status effect called Confession.

He frowned, sensing something was wrong.

Was Fang Jue suspecting that someone among them had secretly attacked?

After all, their split search had lasted a full hour, which was indeed enough time to sneak away and kill someone.

But why kill one of their own?

Cheng Shi paused, a sudden realization striking him:

If he considered everyone's faith...

"?"

Damn it, they're after me?

But before Fang Jue could ask anything, Yun Ni, who was closest, suddenly leaned in and asked:

"You're a follower of Deception, aren't you?"

!!!

She still suspected me?

Cheng Shi tensed up, a tremendous pressure suddenly rising in his consciousness, forcing him to speak the truth.

You've got to be kidding me, it can work like this?

Is she hitching a ride?

Cheng Shi glared fiercely at Yun Ni, his jaw clenched, his facial muscles taut, trying to resist the overwhelming pressure.

But he could only hold on for a second before his mouth was breached.

His face twitched rapidly twice, and he generously gave his answer:

"No."

Yun Ni seemed surprised by this answer. She raised an eyebrow and turned to run.

But Cheng Shi wasn't someone to be bullied so easily. He immediately gritted his teeth and shouted back:

"Why did you want to kill Wei Guan?"

Yun Ni froze and blurted out:

"I didn't like him, so I wanted to kill him."

!

After she finished speaking, her expression changed, while Cheng Shi grinned like a fox.

He had played a trick with his question, openly changing the meaning!

"Want to kill" and "killed" were not the same thing in certain contexts.

But in others, they were easily misunderstood.

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

Du Xiguang took a step forward and stood in front of Yun Ni. Without a word, he pointed his index finger at her forehead.

"We'll know if we look."