Ye Chu looked into his eyes. "Then do I count as smart?"
Pei Yanchuan began blinking a little faster. Whether from nerves or something else, his voice was slightly hoarse. "Of course."
Wu You frowned but said nothing, merely watching the two exchange their strange remarks.
Ye Chu gave Pei Yanchuan a long, searching look, speculating about the two people's factions and strategies.
The foul smell filled the air again. Ye Chu knitted his brows, silently muttering, You'd better pick something that smells nicer next time.
As his consciousness faded, he seemed to hear Wu You roar furiously, "I went to all that trouble leaving clues just to listen to you two fuckers talk in riddles in front of me?!! More than half the time's gone, and you haven't said a goddamn thing?!!"
What do you call this... gap appeal? That was Ye Chu's last thought before he passed out.
When he opened his eyes back in the familiar little cabin, Ye Chu noticed almost immediately that the seat beside him was empty.
Number 6 hadn't returned.
[The player killed last night was player 6. Following a random system selection, speeches will now begin from the deceased's left.]
The spotlight fell on player 5, Xie Fei. Looking at the empty seat beside her, she still seemed a little dazed.
"I..." She swallowed, panic in her eyes. "I acted alone last night. I didn't see anyone."
Xie Fei took a deep breath and tried to steady herself, but her trembling voice still betrayed her fear. "I don't really understand why the werewolves killed number 6. Number 6 barely spoke and didn't reveal any information. Why leave both Seers, numbers 1 and 2, alive instead of killing one of them, and kill number 6?"
"Also, number 8 is really strange."
Pei Yanchuan looked up upon hearing his number. When his eyes met Xie Fei's, he smiled, and she shuddered involuntarily.
"Number 8 mentioned numbers 3 and 6 last time. A round and a half later, both of them are dead..." She stopped there, but everyone present knew what she meant.
Everyone's gaze converged on Pei Yanchuan, but he merely shrugged, utterly unbothered.
"That's all. Pass." Xie Fei lowered her head, not daring to look at Pei Yanchuan again.
It was player 4's turn. Yang Shu was considerably calmer than last round. "I acted alone last night too, so I can't clear myself of suspicion. Number 5 suspects number 8 is a wolf, but if he really were, would he announce who he planned to kill right from the start? Wouldn't that be digging his own grave? I'm more inclined to think the werewolves are framing him."
Yang Shu pressed her lips together and continued, "We have two Seers on the board right now. I lean toward voting one of them out this round. Having two Seers makes things confusing. As for which one, that depends on what they say next. Mm, pass."
Ye Chu nodded silently. Under normal Werewolf rules, they should indeed vote out one of the Seers next.
Ye Chu narrowed his eyes. He had a persistent feeling that something was about to happen.
The light fell on number 2, Wu You. "Number 2 speaking. I checked number 4 last night. She's a wolf."
Ye Chu saw number 4's face fill with shock, her eyes widening as she frowned, as though asking Wu You why.
Ye Chu was puzzled too. He remembered number 4 backing number 2 and casting suspicion on number 1 during the first round. Why check number 4?
Without even looking at Yang Shu, Wu You continued, "I was alone during the first part of last night. Later, I ran into numbers 7 and 8."
"Why did I check number 4? Last night, I saw her sneaking along behind number 6. I didn't dare get closer to investigate, in case she was a wolf and killed me instead. Sure enough, when I checked her, she turned out to be a wolf."
Ye Chu examined number 4's expression again. Her initial shock had turned to anger. He saw her look in his direction-no, toward the person beside him, Pei Yanchuan.
Ye Chu turned his head ever so slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pei Yanchuan nod. Then Yang Shu widened her eyes, turned away, and crossed her arms over her chest, sulking by herself.
What did that mean?
What was the relationship between numbers 4 and 8?
Were they both wolves? Why was number 4 angry? Because she'd backed number 2 last round, only for number 2 to check her? Or was it because... one wolf was throwing another under the bus?
"Number 5's reasoning for suspecting number 8 doesn't hold up for me either, so I'm casting a little suspicion on 5 too. And..." Wu You looked at Su Fengzi. "I hope number 1 tells everyone in a moment that he's only pretending to be the Seer. Otherwise, I'm marking you as a definite wolf too. Pass."
When Su Fengzi's turn came, he cleared his throat softly and rested his interlaced fingers on the table, looking casual.
"Number 1 speaking. Let me reiterate: I'm the only real Seer here. I checked number 4 last night. She's a wolf."
The moment he finished, an eerie silence settled over the cabin. Number 4 merely frowned and opened her mouth wide, looking thoroughly bewildered by his words.
Ye Chu traced circles on the table with a finger. Number 4's expression at this moment... was the most reasonable reaction. If she'd looked even slightly off, they could have treated her as a wolf outright. This expression, however, only muddied the situation.
"According to number 2's logic, I'm a wolf, number 3 was a wolf, and number 4 is a wolf too. All the wolves are in the early speaking positions. What, did you land in a wolf den? The chances of that distribution are slim. There must be a wolf among the later speakers. I lean toward number 3 being a Villager. Numbers 2 and 4 are wolves, and there's another among the later speakers. Number 7 checked good, so one of 8 and 9 must be a wolf. Today, we need to vote one of those two out. Witch, use your poison tonight and poison the other..." As he spoke, he looked toward Ye Chu.
Ye Chu raised one eyebrow. What did he mean by that? Was he rallying votes, or... had he figured out I was the Witch?
"That's all. Pass."
The light found Lu Rui. She adjusted the half-rim glasses on her nose. "Now both Seers, numbers 1 and 2, have checked number 4 as a wolf. Whether that's an internal conflict among the wolves, a strategy, or a genuine Seer check, we can basically confirm that number 4 is a wolf.
"Since number 1 spoke after number 2, based on speaking order alone, I'm leaning more toward number 2. Number 5's speech sounded more like a Villager with no inside information..."
Xie Fei visibly relaxed at those words. As long as she wasn't being put in the wolf pool, that was fine. But before she could finish exhaling, Lu Rui's next sentence nearly made her pass out.
"Judging by the wolf team's current style, I think they're trying to wipe out the Villagers. Last round, neither number 3 nor number 6 offered much information. Either they didn't know how to play, or they had a Villager's perspective and had no information to offer..."
Ye Chu looked at number 9. Dressed in a simple suit, Lu Rui looked the most mature of the group. She spoke at an unhurried pace, her reasoning clear. Did she count as one of the smart people Pei Yanchuan had mentioned?
As he thought that, Ye Chu glanced at number 8 again. Sure enough, Pei Yanchuan was watching number 9 and nodding repeatedly.
Ye Chu laughed silently. He was clearly the youngest, so why did he look like a leader?
Noticing his gaze, Pei Yanchuan turned to meet his eyes and smiled, revealing a little canine tooth.
Ye Chu: ...
What was this kid grinning like an idiot about all day?
When it was Pei Yanchuan's turn, he started playing with his number tag again, as though he couldn't speak without holding something.
"Number 8 speaking. I think both Fengzi, number 1, and Wu You, number 2, made pretty good points. I also find it strange that the werewolves didn't kill either of them last night.
"According to Lu Rui, number 9, the wolves are trying to wipe out the Villagers. But the situation isn't clear yet. Numbers 3 and 6 giving poor speeches last round doesn't prove they were Villagers. They could have been the Hunter. Number 9 gives me the impression that she's serving number 5 up to the wolves. Maybe number 9 is a Villager herself and is trying to protect herself this way?
"The Witch hasn't revealed themselves yet, or said who was saved on the first night... their saved player. Maybe they're still lying low, or maybe they're dead. So it's possible one of numbers 3 and 6 was the Witch."
Ye Chu: ... You little brat. What kind of cursed nonsense was that?
"Since both Seers say number 4 is a wolf, let's vote her out during the day. Get one wolf out first... Mm, that's all. Pass."
Ye Chu cleared his throat softly and began slowly, "There's one wolf between 1 and 2. Number 4 is a wolf, and there's one wolf between the later speakers, 8 and 9. I'm leaning toward 2, 4, and 8 as the three wolves."
Several people were surprised that he'd named all three wolves outright. Su Fengzi raised his eyebrows. That was indeed his wolf lineup too. He hadn't expected Ye Chu to agree with him.
"There's no need to explain 1 and 2. With two competing Seer claims, one has to be a wolf. Number 4 needs no explanation either. Both Seers checked her. Whatever their motives, that seals it. As for why number 8?"
He himself had been very hesitant to put number 8 in the wolf pool. After all, number 8 was the person he'd saved on the first night. Would someone really choose to have themselves attacked on the first night?
As he spoke, he turned to Pei Yanchuan and found him staring straight at him, cheeks puffed out, looking terribly wronged.
Yes, he answered himself, because that person was a lunatic to begin with.
"Number 8's speech just now sounded like a wolf coasting along, trying to confuse everyone. And it sounded a lot like he was fishing for power roles, possibly figuring out how to kill the Witch after tonight..."
Ye Chu held nothing back. Pei Yanchuan narrowed his eyes, looking considerably more serious.
"As for whether the wolves are currently trying to wipe out the Villagers or the power roles..." He fell silent for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled. Neither. Pei Yanchuan only wanted to keep the "smart people" alive. Whichever faction had more "smart people" was the one he would keep.
Pei Yanchuan had hinted at his faction right from the start: the one with the greatest flexibility in the game-the wolves.
"We don't know yet," Ye Chu continued. "But today, we're voting out number 4."
Before you continue