Xu Family Village stood between the mountains and the sea. It was fairly large, but sparsely populated. Even in broad daylight, there were few people in sight.
Weeds grew more than waist-high across many of the uncultivated plots. Raised strips of bare earth joined into a line that barely qualified as a road.
Qin Ning walked out of the Guesthouse and passed several homes. Only one was occupied.
A little girl lay dozing on a bench in the courtyard.
Qin Ning recognized her. She had been the first to knock on the car window and ask for food yesterday.
These eyeless children looked less terrifying when they slept. Closed eyelids covered their pitch-black eye sockets, and the little girl's face could even be considered sweet and adorable.
But once she opened her eyes, that face would become a nightmare.
Qin Ning did not disturb the girl. She strode onward, surveying the terrain of Xu Family Village.
On the narrow path, the wind swept through the grass and brushed her hair.
Amid the rustling grass, Qin Ning suddenly picked out a different sound.
Someone's footsteps.
Qin Ning stopped abruptly.
She turned around. The path behind her was empty, with no one in sight.
After a moment's thought, Qin Ning changed direction and headed down a secluded path.
Trees and bushes surrounded her, their leaves rustling in the wind.
Yet the footsteps behind her persisted.
When Qin Ning walked, the footsteps moved. When she stopped, they stopped too.
Without betraying anything, Qin Ning slowed her pace and drew a slender Miao Saber from the sheath hanging at the small of her back.
The blade was light and slender as bamboo, but in Qin Ning's hands, it was a weapon that could kill without hesitation.
The footsteps kept drawing closer. Just before Qin Ning was about to slash behind her, the person following her spoke.
"Put the blade down. I mean no harm."
It was Shao Lan.
Qin Ning kept her grip on the saber. Turning around, she held a defensive stance and asked coldly, "If you mean no harm, why are you stalking me?"
"One correction: I was following you, not stalking you."
Shao Lan spread his hands.
"The reason I seemed so sneaky is that I don't want anyone seeing us talk. Although I told them I was coming out to find you, I hope that when we get back, you'll back me up and say we never ran into each other."
In other words, he did not want a third person knowing what they discussed.
"What do you want to say?" Qin Ning asked coolly.
"I want to work together," Shao Lan said.
"Sorry," Qin Ning said without a moment's hesitation. "I don't work with anyone."
She turned and continued forward, determined not to respond again, whether Shao Lan asked her why or kept trying to persuade her.
But Shao Lan only considered it for a moment before quickly asking, "What about a trade, then?"
Qin Ning stopped.
"If working together is off the table, would you consider a trade?" Shao Lan asked.
Qin Ning thought for a moment, then turned back. "What do you want to trade?"
"Information," Shao Lan said. "You're a skilled fighter, and I have valuable information. I'd like to exchange it for one instance of [Combat Support]."
Qin Ning raised an eyebrow. "Support?"
"Yes. If I'm attacked, you help me once, unconditionally," Shao Lan said. "Would that work?"
Qin Ning considered it. Rather than accept or refuse, she asked cautiously, "How do I know your information is worth stepping in for?"
"Simple. I'll tell you half, and you can judge for yourself. If you want to hear the rest, the deal is sealed."
"It seems I have nothing to lose." Qin Ning nodded. "But that puts the risk on you. You have no guarantee I'll keep my word. I could simply cast you aside after hearing your information."
Shao Lan smiled faintly. "You won't."
"You think I'm a good person?" Qin Ning asked coldly.
"No, I think you're smart." Shao Lan gave a slight smile. "Smart people know a steady supply of meals is better than one feast."
"I'm good at analysis. I'll have plenty of chances to provide you with information in the future. If you cheat me this time, you'll lose the opportunity to trade with me forever."
"By comparison, helping me once shouldn't be all that difficult for someone with your skills, should it?"
Qin Ning fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "I accept. You can start talking."
"Xu Jiaojiao and Xu Zijian are in league," Shao Lan said without preamble. "They killed Song Liru together."
Qin Ning lifted her eyes, her gaze changing.
"Go on," she said.
"And our deal?" Shao Lan asked.
"Done."
Shao Lan nodded.
"First, let me explain how I figured it out."
"When we were reconstructing the timeline, Xu Zijian was the first to object. His reason was that players should present a united front against outside threats, rather than suspect one another."
"It sounds reasonable at first, doesn't it? But it doesn't hold up under scrutiny," Shao Lan said. "Imagine you're a [unity advocate] like Xu Zijian, and you don't want everyone suspecting each other. If one member starts suspecting another, would you support everyone speaking openly and clearing things up, or keeping it bottled up?"
"Clearing things up, obviously," Qin Ning answered without hesitation.
Keeping quiet would solve nothing. A suspicious member who received no answers would only grow more suspicious. By contrast, an honest, open discussion would help build mutual trust.
So Xu Zijian's motive for obstructing the reconstruction of the timeline had not been the "unity" he claimed.
It had been a guilty conscience and the fear of being exposed.
"Xu Zijian's behavior afterward made me even more suspicious," Shao Lan said. "After you finished speaking, it should have been Xu Jiaojiao's turn, but he cut in and insisted on going first."
"His explanation was that he had a poor memory. His account seemed to bear that out, too, since he kept stumbling over his words."
"Of course, I can't rule out the possibility that some people are forgetful. But there's clearly another possibility: he was making it up on the spot."
"Of course, up to that point, I only suspected Xu Zijian. I had no evidence that he was actually involved."
"What truly convinced me that he and Xu Jiaojiao were connected to Song Liru's disappearance was what they said in their accounts."
"First, let's make one thing clear: I really dislike Xu Nan, but I never suspected him of attacking Song Liru."
"The reason is simple. Song Liru was a living, breathing person. If she'd been killed inside the building, she couldn't have put up no resistance at all."
"If she screamed, or there were any sounds of a struggle, the people nearby would have heard them easily. I don't think the killer could be that stupid."
"Even if we assume it was poisoning or a sneak attack that made no noise whatsoever, the killer would still have had to carry the body out. You searched the Guesthouse this morning, right? If there had been a body, you couldn't have missed it."
"And Xu Nan stayed in his room the entire time. Even if he could have killed her, he couldn't have moved the body," Shao Lan said. "So the suspects have to be among those who left the Guesthouse last night."
"Only three people left the Guesthouse yesterday: you, Xu Zijian, and Xu Jiaojiao. All three said they were going to get supplies from the cars."
"On the surface, of course, you look the most suspicious. After all, you were alone."
"But here's the problem: to kill Song Liru, someone first had to lure her outside. With your pitiful lack of approachability, I honestly can't imagine what would have convinced Song Liru to go with you."
Qin Ning showed little reaction to that assessment, aside from a slight twitch at the corner of her mouth.
"That makes it quite clear who could have lured Song Liru outside," Shao Lan said quietly. "Of the eight of us, she's the only one who could have done it."
Xu Jiaojiao.
Before you continue