No Need for Passengers to Panic

It was clear the Inquisitors of the Grand Inquisition had noticed the Players' existence.

Regardless of their reasons for not pursuing them further, everyone with a shred of self-awareness decisively abandoned their next course of action and returned to their rooms with grim expressions.

Tonight's performance concluded with the price of a second life, ending amidst the survivors' terror.

Fang Jue and Du Xiguang walked into the same room, their messy auras subtly bypassing Cheng Shi.

The current situation was too chaotic, making it difficult not to associate everything with followers of Chaos.

Although Cheng Shi had done nothing, doing nothing made him even more suspicious.

From the start of the trial until now, the group felt like they were being led around by the nose.

Wherever they investigated, death followed.

This was very similar to past trials involving followers of Chaos; the only difference was that the deaths this time were more coincidental and more plausible.

Cheng Shi could see their thoughts, so he didn't try to force his company on them.

He descended the stairs alone, like an ascetic.

However, he didn't return to his own room but went to Yun Ni's room.

Yun Ni's room was very simple, even excessively so.

Not only were there none of her own belongings, but even some of the tables and chairs provided by the inn were gone.

Cheng Shi knew that these items had likely been used by the Assassin to perform an Edict of Passage.

An Edict of Passage from Annihilation was, quite literally, annihilation.

Finding no useful clues, Cheng Shi sighed in frustration.

Perhaps this was the characteristic of Annihilation's followers; when they dedicated themselves to Annihilation, all traces of their existence disappeared.

As if they had never been there.

He lay on Yun Ni's bed, looking sideways at the knife marks she had made on the wooden wall, feeling somewhat dazed.

Although it had only been a little over ten hours since this slit was created, today felt as long as several days.

He suddenly recalled the scene of Yun Ni shaking his hand, the red nail polish on her jade finger still vividly remembered.

Scenes from his memory surged forward, and with each recollection, Cheng Shi's brow furrowed tighter.

He wasn't, of course, reminiscing about these fragmented details.

He was thinking.

Thinking about how this knife mark came to be.

If he remembered correctly, the Assassin could accurately sense Cheng Shi's position through the wall.

This meant she possessed a detection or perception-type talent, and a rather high-level one at that.

If that were the case, why didn't she discover the abnormality in the room before entering it?

Even if the Inquisitors from the Grand Inquisition had various means to conceal themselves, as an Assassin, a profession known for its caution, she shouldn't have been without any danger warnings.

She had clearly alerted Fang Jue and the others the moment she opened the door.

But!

This act of alerting them was even more baffling.

Cheng Shi couldn't help but wonder, if it were him, upon discovering danger in the room, he would either go all out to escape or prepare himself for a direct confrontation. He certainly wouldn't be distracted enough to warn his teammates first.

He had seen firsthand Yun Ni's attitude towards her teammates.

She might care about her so-called fairness, but she certainly wouldn't care about anyone else's life or death.

Even joining forces with Fang Jue and the others to resist immediately would have been more reliable than a simple warning.

So, why was this the case?

Cheng Shi thought for a long time, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation, and could only reluctantly settle on an answer:

She was controlled!

It was likely not a prolonged control, but merely an influence on her mind at that very instant.

And that split-second decision had cost her life.

Someone was hiding in the shadows, capable of controlling people's thoughts!

Was it the murderer, or a Player?

Most likely the murderer.

Of course, the possibility of Fang Jue and Du Xiguang couldn't be ruled out.

Cheng Shi's expression grew increasingly solemn.

It seemed that in this trial, not only was there a perfectly hidden murderer, but someone was also fishing in troubled waters!

Danger surged in the night, and killing intent lurked within the inn.

Fortunately, dawn was not far away.

It wasn't long before the sky began to lighten.

The travelers woke up one by one, and the inn was once again bustling with life.

But the good times didn't last. Just as Fang Jue and Cheng Shi pushed open their doors and appeared in the hallway simultaneously, the inn's front doors were roughly slammed shut by a group of Law Enforcers in uniform.

"Announcing the Law Enforcement Bureau's operational order:

At the request of Grand Inquisition Inquisitor Morkius, all entrances and exits to Everbloom Town are to be sealed, and the Madly Growing Light of Life Inn is to be locked down.

Travelers need not panic. The Inquisitors have the situation under control, and your lives are guaranteed to be safe here.

Please leave your rooms in an orderly fashion and gather on the first floor.

I repeat, please gather on the first floor!"

The Grand Inquisition had made its move!

Their speed was far greater than anticipated!

The entire inn was sealed.

Fang Jue and the others exchanged glances with Cheng Shi and, without a word, headed to the first floor.

Cheng Shi obediently followed.

The Grand Inquisition's target wouldn't be the Players.

Since they had let them go last night, they wouldn't make such a big fuss to bother them again today.

Their target was the murderer.

As the Players made their way downstairs, their minds couldn't help but churn:

If the murderer had truly fallen into the hands of the Grand Inquisition, would the clues be cut off here?

Regardless of whether the final sacrifice was him or not, no one could interrogate a sinner held by the Grand Inquisition.

Let alone an Inquisitor who could instantly kill a Yun Ni.

The travelers were astonished by the Law Enforcement Bureau's announcement, and a sense of chaos spread throughout the inn.

Everyone was in a state of shock and uncertainty, murmuring amongst themselves.

"What's going on? Why are they sealing the inn? Where's the innkeeper? He should protest to the Autonomous Council!"

"Are you out of your mind? This is an order from the Grand Inquisition! Do you even know what the Grand Inquisition is? The Inquisitors, who are so high and mighty, wouldn't seal an inn without evidence."

"Oh my god, the murderer is in the inn? Praise Prosperity, I'm still alive!"

"What? The Inquisitor leading this operation is Morkius? My heavens, I've always wanted to meet him, even just to catch a glimpse."

"Who? The Son of Thunder?"

"That's him! He's a First-Rank Inquisitor of the Grand Inquisition, a student of Grand Executioner Altel, the most talented Elemental Judge in history, and the Child of Order most likely to inherit the title of Grand Inquisitor!

Even if!

Even if I could just see him, tonight would be a dream I'd never forget."

"You look so pathetic, it's terrifying. Maybe for Morkius, seeing you would give him nightmares!"

"Are you looking for a fight?"

"By Prosperity, the Inquisitors have locked onto the murderer. Now, I'm not afraid of you."

"..."

The scene descended into utter chaos. The Players stood apart from the restless crowd, intently observing everything suspicious around them.

Before being judged by the Grand Inquisition, they still wanted to find some clues ahead of time.

But there were too many people, the voices were too noisy. In such a chaotic situation, it was difficult to find anyone "unsuspicious." Many travelers' behaviors became distorted and reactive due to panic.

Cheng Shi sighed softly and began to change his approach.

At the same time, four Inquisitors from the Grand Inquisition quietly appeared in the four corners of the hall, their presence alone encircling and defining the entire inn.

Before long, amidst the anxious and uneasy discussions, an Inquisitor with purple eyes, clad in ceremonial robes, appeared at the inn's entrance.

Morkius!

The Elemental Judge of the Grand Inquisition, the most popular First-Rank Inquisitor in history!

"You know him?"

Du Xiguang asked in a low voice, standing in the crowd.

Fang Jue nodded:

"The Child of Order who died young. I saw his name in the historical records of the Grand Inquisition.

After his death, the Grand Inquisition gradually fell into the quagmire of war and began to weaken."

"Died young... war?"

Du Xiguang was a bit confused but quickly realized.

"Is it currently the middle of the Civilization Era?"

"No, even earlier.

It should be the late early period. At this time, the civil war had just begun, and War had only just started to notice this land, not yet descended. As for Chaos, its divine name hadn't even spread."

"!"

A flash of inspiration struck Du Xiguang's mind. He suddenly understood why, despite a follower of Chaos being outside his door last night, the Inquisitors of the Grand Inquisition hadn't come to apprehend them.

It turned out that this was the early period of the Civilization Era. Thousands of years had passed since the descent of Order and Truth. Their followers had unified almost the entire surface, but War had only just begun to notice the Isle of Hope.

"How did he die?"

"The Grand Inquisition's records are very vague. I didn't join them, so my knowledge is limited."

"What is the Child of Order?" Du Xiguang asked again.

This time, Fang Jue didn't answer him. Instead, he asked back:

"What did you trade your Memory for?"

Du Xiguang's expression tightened, and he pursed his lips, remaining silent.

Fang Jue seemed to guess something and didn't speak further.

This Inquisitor, with purple lightning flashing in his eyes, walked step by step to the front of everyone. He tapped the floor with his scepter, signaling for everyone to be quiet.

Perhaps it was due to the pressure of Order, or perhaps out of respect for the Grand Inquisition, the hall quickly fell silent.

He hadn't spoken yet, merely bowing in the manner of a follower of Order. An intention of "obeying laws and regulations" instantly infected Cheng Shi, giving him an impulse to "surrender himself."

"..."

This was much more impressive than Fang Jue's Confession last night.

Just as everyone was lowering their heads, preparing to "accept judgment," Morkius spoke.