Accompanying a Monarch is Like Accompanying a Tiger

"Could you give me a moment, please?" Ning Zhe looked up and smiled at Feng Yushu. "I need to be alone to clear my head, to properly think about what just happened and what we should do next."

"I'll listen to you..." Feng Yushu walked out of the Ancestral Hall, half-doubting, and sat on the threshold of the main entrance, pulling her skirt around her. From time to time, she would look back with concern at Ning Zhe, who was leaning against a pillar, lost in thought.

Not long after, a buzzing vibration suddenly came from her thigh. It was her phone, but not a call—it was a text message.

Feng Yushu unlocked the screen and saw the sender: Zhang Yangxu.

"Huh?"

Meanwhile, inside the Ancestral Hall, Ning Zhe sat before the Snake God and re-examined everything he had done that morning.

The logic behind Ning Zhe eating the Snake God's Offerings was actually quite simple; it could be summarized in a single sentence:

[When someone mistakes me for the Snake God, I truly become it.]

This was a rule, a rule that even gods had to obey.

When the traces Ning Zhe intentionally left behind while stealing the Offerings were discovered, as long as even one villager thought, "The Snake God ate this," the rule would be triggered. Using the mistaken perception of the Snake God's believers as a medium, he could steal a portion of the Snake God's "identity" through this rule.

Judging by the reaction from the Snake God, Ning Zhe knew he had succeeded.

"At least one person has mistaken me for the Snake God. As time passes and more traces of the eaten Offerings are discovered, that number is likely to keep growing."

Ning Zhe quickly confirmed his current state. "As of now, I have at least stolen the identity of the Snake God from the perception of one believer. Combining this with the fact that my vision suddenly went black earlier, those hallucinations I saw might be an added byproduct of obtaining the Snake God's identity."

So, that hallucination from earlier—the woman without facial features and the song she hummed... were they all memories of the Snake God?

Is that how it is?

Ning Zhe couldn't be sure; everything would have to be proven by time. "Now, I just have to wait and see if more people mistake me for the Snake God, allowing me to steal even more of its identity."

The success of his attempt didn't bring Ning Zhe much surprise, because figuring out this rule and successfully stealing the Snake God's identity was not the end of this Weird Event.

On the contrary, this was merely the first step in Ning Zhe's attempt to crack the rules governing this world.

"With the Snake God's identity, I can finally loosen the reins a bit and get some things done."

After clarifying the situation, Ning Zhe stood up straight and walked out of the Ancestral Hall. He still didn't understand what the hallucination represented, nor did he know the meaning of that sorrowful tune, but that didn't stop him from knowing exactly what he had to do.

Just as he stepped out of the Ancestral Hall, Ning Zhe saw Feng Yushu sitting on the threshold, staring blankly at her phone.

"What are you looking at?"

"Ah! Ning Zhe... no, nothing." Feng Yushu shook her head repeatedly, shoved the phone into her pocket, and stood up. "I was just wondering, can we really solve the mystery and leave He Family Village like this?"

"I'm not sure, but do you have a better option than trusting me?" Ning Zhe countered.

"I suppose you're right." Feng Yushu shook her head, casting aside her chaotic thoughts. After hesitating for a long time, she took the phone she had just pocketed back out, unlocked the screen, and handed it to Ning Zhe. "Here."

Ning Zhe took the phone and saw a chat interface displayed on the screen. The other party was: Zhang Yangxu.

"Zhang Yangxu just sent me a text," Feng Yushu said. "See for yourself."

Ning Zhe gave a faint grunt of acknowledgment. He sat down on the threshold of the Ancestral Hall next to Feng Yushu, and the two of them read the chat history between Zhang Yangxu and Feng Yushu together:

Zhang Yangxu:

[Ye Miaozhu is dead.]

[She ran into the He Manor alone and was killed by a Ghost.]

[If it weren't for Ning Zhe intentionally provoking her emotions, Ye Miaozhu would never have been alone, and she wouldn't have died.]

[Ning Zhe did it on purpose.]

[He likely already figured out some of the special rules in He Family Village. He intentionally provoked Ye Miaozhu just to make her wander off alone so she would be targeted by the Ghost.]

[This man is a lunatic. He doesn't care about anyone else's life at all.]

[Are you sure you still want to stay by his side?]

[Ning Zhe was able to use Ye Miaozhu's life to test his theories before; he can just as easily use your life to achieve his other goals later.]

[He doesn't care about the lives of others in the slightest. You aren't special in his eyes.]

Feng Yushu:

[I know what you're implying, but I don't know who you are.]

[Are you Zhang Yangxu? Or a Ghost?]

Zhang Yangxu:

[You can ask me some questions to test if I am truly Zhang Yangxu.]

[Or we could meet in person.]

Feng Yushu:

[I don't know you well enough to know what questions would distinguish you from a Ghost.]

[Also, why are you texting me?]

Zhang Yangxu:

[What do you mean by that?]

Feng Yushu:

[I'm asking, why did you choose to text me instead of calling?]

[This kind of thing would clearly be better discussed over the phone.]

[You knew Ning Zhe was right next to me, so you didn't dare to call, right?]

Zhang Yangxu:

[Isn't that obvious? You are always with him.]

Feng Yushu:

[No, if that were truly the case, you wouldn't have even sent a text.]

The conversation between the two ended there; "Zhang Yangxu" did not send any more messages.

After reading the chat history, Ning Zhe returned the phone to Feng Yushu: "How did you know he was the Ghost?"

Feng Yushu took the phone and said: "Because you are a very sharp and sensitive person. Zhang Yangxu knows you well; he knows what kind of person you are."

"During the time I stayed by your side, he never dared to make a move because you were coiled around me like a tiger guarding its prey. Any slight disturbance would have been detected. In that situation, let alone making a call, even sending a text would have been noticed."

"But that short moment just now was different."

Feng Yushu continued: "Your state of mind was poor just now. Although we hadn't separated, I was sitting outside the door while you were inside the Ancestral Hall thinking by yourself. In that situation, a phone call would have been heard by you, but a text message would not."

Ning Zhe thought for a moment and smiled: "Aunt has become smart."

"I learned it from you," Feng Yushu said softly.

"But why compare yourself to prey? Do you trust me that little?" Ning Zhe asked.

Feng Yushu nodded: "Actually, the Ghost was right. You don't care about anyone's life or death. You are cold and heartless, perhaps even more terrifying than the Ghost."

"Then why do you still follow me?" Ning Zhe chuckled.

"Because this is my only path to survival." Feng Yushu looked up, her slightly unfocused eyes meeting Ning Zhe's: "If you are a dangerous tiger, then that Ghost is a deadly viper hidden in the darkness, waiting to strike. It hungers to devour both me and you."

A strange metaphor...

"But you wouldn't hand your prey over to it, would you?" Feng Yushu asked.

"Who knows?" Ning Zhe did not answer her question.

The only thing certain now is that Zhang Yangxu is likely already dead.