Chapter 41.1
(I’ve prepared a small surprise for the men in black)
Inside Xun Feng’s resting lounge.
Truth to be told, Li Xiao Yu had finished the two bottles of c.o.ke inside her own resting lounge, so she came over to steal his c.o.ke.
She sipped on her c.o.ke and asked Xun Feng: “Right, Gu Liang wasn’t privy to the fact that he was the murderer from the start, right? When did he realise it?”
Xun Feng said: “He probably realised it the day where the three of you were eating lunch together and he received a portion of his plot, which required him to go back to his coffin shop, have an individual chat with Beggar Ding, and go to the cellar. He should have been completely certain by then. And later, when he learned about everyone’s respective timelines during the case investigation, he confirmed it.”
Li Xiao Yu queried: “Why is that? From the look of things, Princ.i.p.al Zha bears the possibility too. He has a chance to kill Beggar Ding.”
Xun Feng contemplated it before he said: “That’s not right. From the very beginning, the witchcraft declared that only a ‘suicide’ could break the spell. But it did not say that ‘killing two people can break the closed loop’ since that sentence was something we conceived for the sake of deceiving Liu Ran.”
Xun Feng continued to explain: “The original words in Gu Liang’s letter were, the spell will turn people into violent murderers. Hence, the possibility where one person ends up killing numerous people definitely exists, but it will not lead to the unravelling of the spell.
“After all, the current script difficulty is only one star, which is why I a.s.sumed that one person can only kill one person. The fact that it became a closed loop in the end, was because the scenario intentionally created this coincidence to make it easier for players to make their deductions.
“That afternoon, Gu Liang read the letter and swindled Beggar Ding into committing suicide as the character he was playing. Moreover, he’s also the foremost trigger of the spell. Therefore, he could essentially ascertain his status as the murderer at time.”
Swallowing a mouthful of c.o.ke, Li Xiao Yu pondered for a while before she tossed out another question: “That letter also said that the slaughter might become a closed loop. What if it only raised ‘suicide’ as one of the methods to break the spell, and that another method for breaking the spell existed? Although the killing of two people to break the spell was something you fabricated to deceive Liu Ran, what if the possibility genuinely exists?”
Xun Feng shook his head: “Firstly, we even overturned the gra.s.s patches in the field once, and we didn’t find any other clue on how the cycle of death could be resolved. Secondly, even if such a clue existed, it would not be possible either.”
Li Xiao Yu asked: “Why isn’t it possible for Princ.i.p.al Zha to kill Beggar Ding?”
Xun Feng said: “Because I hold an extremely important action in my timeline, which is that after I killed and dumped the corpse, I was constantly paying attention to your and Princ.i.p.al Zha’s movements.”
Li Xiao Yu blinked her eyes twice as she internalised the fact. “It couldn’t be that after you dumped the corpse, you chanced upon me and Princ.i.p.al Zha hiding the corpse?”
“Precisely. Therefore, I’m supposed to verify Princ.i.p.al Zha’s timeline in actuality. In accordance with this logic, I can testify that he doesn’t have the chance to poison Beggar Ding at all.”
Xun Feng said, “In all honesty, the entire story should be like this—”
Li Xiao Yu held her breath, rapt in attention as she heard Xun Feng slowly narrate: “I killed Gu Liang three times in total. You understand this point, right?”
Li Xiao Yu nodded her head. “I do. Only his latter two deaths were part of our closed loop.”
“The first time I killed him was actually an impulse, it wasn’t premeditated.”
Xun Feng said, “My character likes School Senior Feng as well. And the Boss Meng played by Gu Liang is more loquacious by comparison. After he became aware of the fact that I liked School Senior Feng, he would regularly deride me, saying that I was a toad wanting to eat swan meat. That night, I invited him over for wine and business talk, and our conversation topic s.h.i.+fted towards School Senior Feng, to which he said that I couldn’t even compare to Beggar Ding. Out of a moment of impulse, I strangled him with my tie.
“When I strangled him on the night of August 7, the spell had yet to take effect, so I didn’t have the intention of killing him when I was strangling him; I only wanted to teach him a lesson in my anger. However, I lost control. Upon seeing him pa.s.s out, I panicked, believing that he had died so I wanted to bury him.
“Then I recalled that Shroud w.a.n.g mentioned he went back to his old home to visit relatives, hence I went to Shroud w.a.n.g’s backyard to dig a pit and buried Gu Liang shallowly. I think Gu Liang breathed his last in the soil, which was why his person was already in Shroud w.a.n.g’s backyard when he immediately resurrected. But I had already left by then, and I didn’t know that he had resurrected.
“This should be the timeline of my first day. But the later two days of timeline were different.
“Around 9 o’ clock at night, on the 8th of August, was the second time I killed him. This time around, I wasn’t purely motivated by impulse when I killed him; under the influence of the spell, I had turned into a ruthless murder. After killing him, I went to Shroud w.a.n.g’s shop to dump the corpse, and this timeline route is exactly the same as the first day. But the back changedk2014; because I saw you and Princ.i.p.al Zha.
“When I wound around w.a.n.g Shroud Shop to get to the streets, I saw you and Princ.i.p.al Zha walking in the direction of the residential building from the coffin shop. I’m now cognizant of the fact that you went to the coffin shop to hide the corpse. However, I wasn’t aware of the specific situation back then, and I was afraid you saw me burying the corpse. Thus, I followed the both of you back to the residential building, waited for you to go home, before I hid behind the streetlight opposite of the building to watch your movements in case you went to w.a.n.g Shroud Shop to dig up the corpse or something.
“Not long after you returned home, you went out again. Since you were a girl, it wasn’t plausible that you were going to w.a.n.g Shroud Shop to check for a corpse. Hence, I chose to stay close to the residential building to watch Princ.i.p.al Zha. During that span of time, I saw BBQ Li arriving at the residential building. In retrospect, he was going to blackmail Princ.i.p.al Zha then.
“And Princ.i.p.al Zha didn’t come out during that period of time. When he left his house, it was already 10 o’ clock at night. He didn’t go far either; he was just smoking at the residential building entrance. He had to come out at that point in time because he had released the gas in his home to murder BBQ Li. Once it was 11 o’ clock, he went back.
“In conclusion, he didn’t make any contact with Beggar Ding from the beginning to the end of the entire night. There is no possibility of him killing Beggar Ding.
“Lastly, Beggar Ding told Gu Liang, he went to luthier in the neighbouring town to ask for the price of guitars. Although Beggar Ding’s corpse was in the small alley when he was killed for the time, his person woke up in the neighbouring town. Therefore, the possibility where Princ.i.p.al Zha saw his living person in the day doesn’t really exist.
“After everything has been consolidated, only Gu Liang bears the possibility.”
Resting her chin on her hand, Li Xiao Yu processed it for a long moment before nodding at him. “Okay. I’ve comprehended everything.”
“The third time I killed Gu Liang was on the 9th of August at night. It goes without saying that I didn’t kill him in reality. Yang Ye and I were sent to the small black room. But from the character’s perspective, from the timeline of the character Neighbour Liu, there were some minute discrepancies.
“When the first two murders were accomplished, Shroud w.a.n.g was not around, which was why Neighbour Liu directly abandoned the corpse in the backyard of his house. Since Boss Meng immediately resurrected the first time around, the backyard did not have Boss Meng’s corpse, and thus Neighbour Liu did not discover any oddities the second time he tossed the corpse.
“When Neighbour Liu went to throw the corpse after killing for the third time last night, he saw that w.a.n.g Shroud Shop was lit up, which he found strange— Shroud w.a.n.g was supposed to be at home visiting his relatives, why was he back now? He was incredulous in his heart, but it was not enough for him to carry the corpse and run away. Instead, he could only get rid of the corpse as quickly as possible. Hence, he dug a pit with due haste and buried the corpse.
“At that moment, he should have perceived that someone seemed to be buried in the soil right next to him. However, because he was afraid that Shroud w.a.n.g would enter the backyard at any time, he had to leave quickly. As a result, he didn’t notice any oddities and he did not know about the cycle of death, which means that Neighbour Liu can’t be the murderer either. The entire story is tending towards the complete truth.
“Then during the free exploration and investigation, Gu Liang looked for me first, with Yang Ye joining us later. Once Gu Liang and I compared out timelines, he should have ascertained the fact that he was the murderer.”
“Which is why your timeline is incredibly important,” said Li Xiao Yu.
“Yes. The most important thing in this story is our timelines.”
Xun Feng remarked, “Actually, when you think about it carefully, the most difficult aspect of this script isn’t the setting but the memory loss. However, as long as everyone makes a journal record, carefully inspect everyone’s timeline during the centralised discussion and do a mutual corroboration, the murderer is incredibly easy to find.”
Li Xiao Yu replied, “If everyone’s timeline was mutually corroborated… the real murderer would have a really hard time lying. Thankfully, you’re the source of verification for Princ.i.p.al Zha’s timeline.”
Xun Feng: “Yes.”
Li Xiao Yu put down her c.o.ke and ran to the door of the resting lounge. Pus.h.i.+ng open the door, she looked outside and said: “Huh? Gu Liang just came out of Yang Ye’s room, I wonder how their conversation went. Liu Ran… Liu Ran went to look for Yang Ye. Say, do you think he’ll be persuaded?”
Xun Feng said: “It should be a non-issue. As long as I lie and remain adamant about the fact that I witnessed Princ.i.p.al Zha coming downstairs, bypa.s.sing the alley and seeing Beggar Ding, everything will be fine.
At this juncture, Xun Feng rose to his feet and walked to the resting lounge entrance. He peered outside and then told Li Xiao Yu: “The things I told you before, remember them well.”
Li Xiao Yu gave him an “OK” gesture with her hand. “I remembered them. Pay attention to my gaze and body language, don’t let Gu Liang realise that we’re deceiving him together.”
***
Inside Gu Liang’s resting lounge.
The c.o.ke that he took a few gulps out of was placed on the table. Similarly, the ring tab for the drinking can was not thrown away and left on the table instead.
Taking out his card, Gu Liang scrolled down and saw the help b.u.t.ton on the left corner.
It was similar to a telephone call b.u.t.ton.
Gu Liang pressed down on the b.u.t.ton and very quickly, he heard a voice transmit out from the card: “h.e.l.lo, 0603 at your service, what a.s.sistance do you require?”
Gu Liang: “I’m injured, and it’s quite serious. Help me. I require medical bandages. Right, do you know who I am?”
Card: “Yes. Your card has a record of your serial number, name, your current designated role, and your specific coordinates in the scenario premises. Please wait for a moment, our a.s.signed NPC will a.s.sist you.”
The card call was cut off.
Gu Liang kept his card, picked up the ring tab on the table and cut his finger with it swiftly.
Hence, when the man in black appeared in the resting lounge, what he saw was this— Gu Liang seated on the sofa calmly with a finger raised, which bore a small cut. He asked apathetically, “h.e.l.lo there, do you have a plaster for the wound?”
Man in black: “……”
— You call that “having a very serious injury”?
The man in black put down the first-aid bag. “Please deal with it yourself.”
Gu Liang called him to a stop: “Wait, I want to clarify a matter. The help function started from the second script. At that point in time, the card went through an all-rounded upgrade. But your function has its gaps.”
Since the man in black did not utter a word, Gu Liang continued to say: “When I tapped on the help b.u.t.ton just now to communicate with your customer service, I wasn’t injured, in fact, my finger wasn’t cut yet. However, it didn’t even do a preliminary check before it sent you over directly. What does this prove?
“That during the case investigation and discussion segment, perhaps you might continue to observe the players to evaluate their performance, like how Yang Ye was evaluated for his outstanding performance previously for instance. But the call I made prior to this proves your surveillance of the players in this segment is not as strict as the script enacting segment, right? After all, you don’t need the players to go along with the script now, hence it’s no longer necessary for you to watch us in real time.
“Therefore, I’m guessing you have a way to make our current interaction elude the system’s supervision as well.
“Don’t be in a rush to leave. Are there new players in the Painted Exteriors · Long Lived scenario? I hid something there.”
The man in black faced Gu Liang: “What are you trying to say?”
“I recognise you.” Gu Liang stated, “Although your faces are indiscernible to us, there are still discrepancies in your behaviour and actions. You were the one who made me draw the script both times. The ‘bottom’ that Li Xiao Yu was referring to was also you. Does your ilk follow fixed players?”
Man in black: “……”
Gu Liang continued: “After the previous scenario ended, you gave Li Xiao Yu her book and allowed her to revise for her examinations. That incident gave rise to a conjecture— during our downtime, we should be in a mode where we’re fundamentally and completely unsupervised.
“Frankly speaking, I didn’t expect that I would draw the murderer card so quickly; the reason why I hid a little something in Xiaoyao Sect was simply because I wanted to test the rules. As expected, there wasn’t a single system report that said that I broke the rules.
“Therefore, your workflow should be this, when we’re resting, you’re also allowed a period of rest. And when we leave, you’ll send people to clean up the entire Xiaoyao Sect and restore all the clues and props to their original positions before you welcome the next batch of players. Am I right?”
Man in black: “I don’t understand your meaning.”
Gu Liang: “I know there’s definitely a purpose behind designing this game, like you’re giving a test or something along those lines. Now, given that I’ve hidden a clue in Xiaoyao Sect which directly points at who the murderer is, it’ll definitely affect the results of your test. This would expose… the men in black’s negligence in their jobs, right?”
“If the new players entering ‘Painted Exteriors, Long Lived’ were to find the clue I left behind – which is not directed by the system – what kind of punishment will you suffer?”
Man in black: “If I’m not perceiving this wrongly, you’re threatening me.”
Gu Liang: “Threatening a strong word. If you give me an Amnesty Card, I’ll tell you where I hid the clue.”
Man in black: “You’re thinking too much.”
Gu Liang: “Let’s go in sequence, step by step then.”
Man in black: “……”
Gu Liang: “In the previous script, I triggered a side plot. Side plots can grant reward cards. In this round, I’m guessing that there will be a side task. The main task requires us to find the murderer but there will be a side task to find the deceased. If the side task is completed, there will be a reward card segment, and can you give me an Amnesty Card by sleight of hand then?”
Man in black: “Impossible. There is a strict quota limit for Amnesty Cards. I can tell you that the chance of drawing the Amnesty Card is one in ten thousand. I haven’t seen a player draw the Amnesty Card in years. The control over that card is exceptionally strict.”
“Sure. I’ll ask you another question then. I won’t necessarily die if I’m voted as the murderer, right?”
“I admit that I’m not some kind of good person, but I’m not a criminal guilty of terrible crimes. In the two scripts that I’ve experienced, both the murderer and deceased had committed heavy crimes, but when all is said and done, I’m different from them. I’m very curious, what kind of death penalty will I receive?”
The man in black remained silent.
Gu Liang proceeded to say: “After playing this script, I’ve come to understand one fact: everything I see might not be real, and corpses do not represent death. This game is too skilled at confusing what is real and fake. Although the previous murderers and deceased suffered their punishment right before our eyes, they didn’t truly die, did they? Or perhaps I should say, those that committed great evils might actually die, but what of people like me, who haven’t committed such grave crimes? Is there a way for us to not die?
“If you can’t answer these questions, I’ll change it to another one. How did NPCs like you, Maid Liu and Beggar Ding come about?
“If those that committed grave crimes die without exception, then what about people who didn’t commit heavy crimes? Do we escape being put to our deaths, and become NPCs like those previously mentioned instead? Does this also mean that, even though we’ve failed the game, we can still change to a different role and continue to serve in this game?”
Man in black: “I can’t answer any of these questions. Time is up, I have to leave. What did you hide in Xiaoyao Sect?”
Gu Liang: “That will have to depend on whether you mind this question. So, if my guess is correct, you really have to be punished?”
Man in Black: “I have to give you a word of advice. The majority of your guesses are too naive. The system is omnipresent. I conversed with you not because I have been coerced by you. However, it’s certainly true that new players will be entering Painted Exteriors · Long Lived, and that we’re in the process of restoring the scenario premises of Xiaoyao Sect. If you have hidden something there, just tell me plainly; it’ll lessen my workload by a little.”
Gu Liang: “And if I help you lessen your workload a little, can the aid be exchanged for a certain type of reward card? For example, is there a type of card which allows for a change of ident.i.ty once the voting ends, like… becoming a NPC actor?”
Truth to be told, Gu Liang was exceedingly nervous by this point.
Because he had quickly realised that “word of advice” the man in black gave him was true.
The system was indeed omnipresent.
In the beginning, the man in black pretended to cooperate with Gu Liang to give him the impression that he was really threatened, but when Gu Liang asked him those key questions later, he did not answer a single one. This signified that their interaction was still within the realm of supervision in actuality.
Gu Liang immediately understood that, perhaps the man in black was cooperating with him not because he had found some kind of loophole in the system, but because he was part of the observation system responsible for monitoring the players’ behaviour.
Hence, if this murder mystery game was truly some sort of test, then it did not matter if he “bribed” or “threatened” the men in black. Perhaps, all these were part of the system’s test, or maybe it was more apt to say that it was part and parcel of the game.
When Gu Liang comprehended all these facts, he immediately looked towards the man in black and added a line: “I haven’t committed any grave crimes, I don’t need to be punished. It would be truly meaningless if you killed me directly. My performance thus far has been decent, I would like to think, and there’s still value in continuing my test. Am I right on that count?”