"You should already know that I'm a tiger's minion ghost." Qiu Xin sat on the wooden bed, swept her gaze over the group, and spoke calmly.
The old man who managed the lodging came upstairs for a look, then left. Meanwhile, the scholar stood quietly in the hall downstairs, guarding the food box and wine jar.
Qiu Xin only entered the lodging after the old man had left, gathering with the Players in Luo Haihua and her husband's room on the second floor.
She casually shut the door, and the discussion inside could no longer be heard from outside.
Reunited after so long, no one wasted words on pleasantries.
Tang Yu told Qiu Xin everything they knew about the scarecrows, the tiger demon, and the fire, including some of their conclusions about the world and their plans going forward.
Qiu Xin listened quietly, then continued. "I've obtained more information than you have, much of it being clues exclusive to the tiger's minion ghost faction.
"First is the relationship between the 'ghosts,' 'zhans,' and 'Xiyi' mentioned in the preliminary hints. My initial judgment is that Players in the tiger's minion ghost faction are 'zhans,' while Players in the human faction and the townspeople are 'ghosts.' Both can become 'Xiyi' through certain means.
"Ghosts fear zhans, zhans fear Xiyi, just as humans fear ghosts—only more severely. Being startled can make their souls scatter on the spot."
"That doesn't make sense." Tang Yu cut in. "When we see you, we aren't afraid at all. Teacher Luo and the others became Xiyi and are in this very room, yet you haven't shown any reaction either.
"If ghosts, zhans, and Xiyi restrain one another, wouldn't all the townspeople be wiped out the moment you took a stroll down the street?"
"It isn't that simple." Qiu