Exposed

The Village Chief stepped into the corridor, walked to the far end, and tugged on the iron door's handle.

It didn't open.

The iron door was locked, and there was no one else in the corridor. It looked as though nothing had happened.

He glanced around and stood there, apparently thinking something over. Just as Zhao Fengyi and the others thought they might get away with it, the Village Chief suddenly turned around.

He went into the Toilet.

The Toilet had four stalls, all with their doors ajar. The Village Chief pushed open the first stall's door.

No one was there.

The second stall.

Completely empty.

When he approached the third stall and had just touched its handle, the sound of flushing suddenly came from inside.

Li Xian emerged from the stall as though nothing had happened and calmly nodded to the Village Chief.

As if this were nothing more than a chance encounter.

The Village Chief eyed Li Xian suspiciously, but still stepped aside to let him pass.

The moment Li Xian left the Toilet, the Village Chief grabbed him.

His hand clamped around Li Xian's wrist like an iron vise, forcing him to turn and face him.

"...Did you touch that iron door?"

Li Xian tensed slightly. "No."

The Village Chief seemed to have expected his denial. Neither angry nor surprised, he said calmly:

"Then turn out your pockets for me."

After delivering this demand, the Village Chief released his grip and fixed his eyes on Li Xian, as though waiting for him to dig his own grave.

Qian Xin and Xu Yao stood nearby, barely daring to breathe. Zhao Fengyi also tried to make himself as inconspicuous as possible, watching silently from the sidelines.

Speaking up for Li Xian now would most likely mean dying with him.

So everyone chose to stay silent.

Li Xian slowly slipped his hands into his trouser pockets and turned them inside out under everyone's gaze.

There was indeed a key inside.

The brass key to his own room.

Nothing else.

The Village Chief moved closer, reaching out with his thin, withered hands to pat Li Xian down.

"...You really don't have it." The Village Chief lowered his hands, but didn't step away. He looked up at Li Xian from just one step away.

Just when everyone thought Li Xian might get away with it, the Village Chief suddenly brought his nose close to the side of Li Xian's neck and sniffed.

"...But where did this smell of liquor on you come from?"

"!!!"

Only then did Li Xian understand why the Village Chief kept so many jars of liquor in his room, every one full, with no sign that any had been used.

The liquor wasn't for drinking or any other practical use. It was there to "mark" anyone who sneaked into his room.

Unfortunately, it was too late to realize that now. The Village Chief gave Li Xian no chance to explain. He roughly grabbed him by the collar, dragged him over to the cabinet in the Living Room, and pulled out the axe inside.

He intended to kill him right then and there!

Li Xian knew he was in trouble. The Village Chief held his collar in a death grip with one hand, while the other had already reached the axe handle. Next would come the swing.

In desperation, Li Xian reached out to fight him for the axe.

The Village Chief hadn't expected him to be so bold, but Li Xian's strength was nowhere near enough to match his. He only knocked the axe slightly off course before the Village Chief pulled it back. During the struggle, its blade sliced through several of Li Xian's buttons.

When he failed to seize the axe, Li Xian made as if to flee. The Village Chief tightened his grip on his collar, and Li Xian used that pull to slip out of his shirt. The Village Chief stumbled, only to see Li Xian run out the door.

Thoroughly enraged by his resistance, the Village Chief stormed out with the axe, veins bulging on the backs of his hands.

Li Xian knew he couldn't get far. Even if the Village Chief couldn't catch him, there were still the villagers. He set his sights on one particular place.

I can only gamble.

He ran to the house next door and pounded on its door.

The Village Chief closed in behind him, the axe gleaming coldly in his hand, but the door still wouldn't open.

Bang, bang, bang!

Li Xian kept pounding. The Village Chief was already right behind him, raising the axe high-

The door suddenly opened.

Li Xian pitched forward. At the sight of the person inside, the Village Chief's axe faltered, striking empty air.

Zhou Shan steadied Li Xian and, seemingly casually, shielded him behind his body. "Dad, what did he do?"

The Village Chief's face was grim. "Something he has to die for."

Seeing his father's ugly expression, Zhou Shan seemed to realize something. But instead of standing aside, he smiled at the Village Chief. "He's going to die either way, so why not leave him to me?"

"You? Haven't you always disliked killing people yourself?" The Village Chief looked suspicious.

Zhou Shan flashed another brilliant smile. "I've come around. Killing people-you get used to it with practice. This guy can't do much anyway. I'll practice on him."

"Him? He's quite capable..." The Village Chief scoffed. After a long pause, he waved a hand. "Fine. If you want him, he's yours. Make it quick."

Struggling to suppress his delight, Zhou Shan reached out to close the door.

"Wait," the Village Chief suddenly said.

Zhou Shan froze.

"Where did you throw the key?"

"I flushed it down the toilet."

At Li Xian's answer, the Village Chief's expression, which had eased a little, darkened again.

Sensing trouble, Zhou Shan quickly shut the door before the Village Chief could change his mind.

He turned around. At the sight of Li Xian's bare upper body, he stopped hiding his hungry gaze, like a starving wolf finally catching sight of meat.

Li Xian took a step back, but Zhou Shan kept advancing and soon cornered him against the wall.

"Looks like good things do happen in this lousy village. I should thank you for having the nerve to cause trouble...and for thinking to knock on my door."

As Zhou Shan spoke meaningfully, he reached out and laid a hand on Li Xian's skin.

[Holy shit, he really is a pervert!]

[Out of the frying pan and into the fire.]

[Honest question: am I allowed to watch what happens next?]

[Yikes...the instance wouldn't let something like that happen...would it...?]

When Zhou Shan saw the marks on Li Xian's neck, his gaze suddenly darkened, and he clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Who did that? What a shame."

"Or is that what you're into?"

Li Xian had broken out in goosebumps the moment Zhou Shan touched his skin. Suppressing his disgust, he asked, "Weren't you married to Shen Xiaomei?"

Zhou Shan paused. "You even know that? Looks like you've found out quite a lot."

"Did you kill her? Because you don't like women?"

Zhou Shan pinched Li Xian's mouth shut, apparently uninterested in the subject. "Who knows?"

Li Xian suddenly leaned close to his ear and whispered something. Zhou Shan's eyes lit up, and he actually answered Li Xian's question.

"I never even touched her. She was the one who wanted to run away. I didn't even stop her."

[What did the streamer say? Why's the instance character suddenly answering his questions so obediently?]

[Look at that perverted expression on Zhou Shan's face. I'm guessing it wouldn't pass content review...]

[Answer me and I'll let you do you-know-what?]

[Enough! Now I've imagined it, and my brain feels dirty...]

"Then who caused her death?"

"...The River God?" Zhou Shan's gaze shifted evasively.

"Was it the Village Chief?"

Zhou Shan raised a finger to his lips.

"Shh-"

"I didn't say that."

Li Xian met Zhou Shan's gaze and understood.

"One last question."

"What's in the Square Well at Riverside?"

Li Xian already had a vague suspicion. If the Village Chief had killed Shen Xiaomei, her body was probably buried beneath the Square Well at Riverside.

But Zhou Shan suddenly laughed at the question.

"What a shame."

"There's nothing there."

Li Xian froze. "Then Shen Xiaomei's bod-mmph!"

Having decided he had answered all of Li Xian's questions, Zhou Shan eagerly pressed himself against him, his eyes filled with barely restrained desire.

Li Xian tried to push him away, but Zhou Shan didn't budge.

He was far stronger than Aunt Wang.

The viewers could have cried.

[It's over. The streamer's really going to get mauled by that dog.]

[As the village's only young, able-bodied man, Zhou Shan is probably a lot stronger than the ordinary villagers. He just never had much presence in previous instances, and wouldn't attack players unprovoked.]

[Tsk. Who knew this pervert hid it so well?]

[But the streamer actually doesn't look that panicked. Does he have another trick up his sleeve?]

[He's probably given up. What else can he do...?]

[The streamer would've been better off letting the Village Chief kill him with the axe. At least it would've been quick. I don't believe Zhou Shan will let him go after he's had his fun.]

[Agreed. He really grasped at straws this time. Even if he pries some clues out of Zhou Shan, he won't live to clear the instance...]

Li Xian had no idea the chat had written him off. When he found he couldn't push Zhou Shan away, he said:

"Wait. Let me close the curtains."

Zhou Shan stopped at those words and glanced back at the window. Apparently finding the request quite reasonable, he released Li Xian.

Li Xian stood up and walked to the window.

But instead of drawing the curtains, he opened the window and shouted outside:

"Village Chief! Your son Zhou Shan is gay-"

Pfft-

Cheng Xin, who had been watching the stream without the slightest change in expression, spat out the water he hadn't yet swallowed.