Chapter 59: The Detective Reasoning Hall (End)

Outside the room, a dense darkness surged, even deeper than the darkness itself. Zhang Yuanqing possessed eyes that could see through the night, but he couldn't see through this terrifying aura. He could only faintly discern the figure dressed in a wedding gown, walking with unhurried steps as she crossed the threshold.

In this moment, Zhang Yuanqing experienced the greatest terror since his birth. This fear was not the thrill of being sucked of yang energy by a "shoulder-riding grudge spirit," nor the panic of being chased by zombies. It was a terror where your emotions exploded, but your body couldn't react in any way.

Unable to resist, unable to defend, an endless despair.

The abilities of the Night Wanderer were utterly useless at this moment; he was completely suppressed. Even the little companion, Xiaodoubi, was too frightened to cry and trembled uncontrollably. Within a few seconds, his useless master trembled alongside him.

The darkness flooded into the room, and the figure in the wedding gown slowly approached, with a thick aura of death enveloping every corner of the room.

At this moment, the Cat King music player that Zhang Yuanqing had in his pocket once again made a sound, completely disregarding the situation:

"She's coming, bringing unparalleled terror... The groom sits by the bedside, seemingly calm but in fact terrified..."

The Cat King music player's voice paused briefly as if being disturbed by something. After a few seconds, the sound returned, but what it said next surprised Zhang Yuanqing:

"The groom appears calm, but in fact, he is filled with boundless joy. It's because the bride is beautiful and graceful, gentle and dignified, a rare and perfect match, yes, just like this..."

With a faint crackling sound, the Cat King music player seemed to be affected by some interference again. The voice continued, but Zhang Yuanqing was stunned by what he had just heard. The music player spoke of a scene completely opposite to what he was experiencing.

In the midst of the overwhelming terror, Zhang Yuanqing's mind raced to analyze the situation. Why did the music player describe the groom as joyous and pleased while he was overwhelmed with fear?

A realization struck him – the music player's voice was being manipulated! Someone or something was trying to deceive him, trying to deceive the ghost bride!

A spark of hope ignited within Zhang Yuanqing. If he was being deceived, it meant there was a chance to resist and fight back. He couldn't allow himself to succumb to this despair. With newfound determination, he focused his mind, trying to break free from the overwhelming fear and regain control of the situation.

The figure in the wedding gown continued to approach, but now Zhang Yuanqing was ready to face her with a clear mind. He would find a way to reveal the deception and uncover the truth behind this twisted game.

And then, there was complete silence. "Overjoyed?" Are you sure that was what you meant to say? This passage is full of flaws, and Zhang Yuanqing didn't know where to start with his criticisms. He kept his head lowered, too afraid to look at the ghost bride.

Sweat beads the size of beans rolled down his forehead, and his body trembled slightly. Then, with his head still down, he saw a pair of red embroidered shoes in front of him.

Time passed minute by minute, and Xie Lingxi sat on the edge of the bed, motionless. Her features were delicate and beautiful, and against the backdrop of the wedding room, at first glance, it seemed like she was the bride.

In the old version's strategy, once chosen by the ghost bride, death was inevitable. This should not change in the new version. Whoever she chose would be doomed... Xie Lingxi swallowed nervously.

She had always known about the strategies for the haunted house, but she chose not to share them. Originally, she planned to use this as leverage once they were inside the haunted house. However, upon discovering that Wang Tai was the Night Wanderer and the mission had changed, adding the engagement gifts and wedding invitations, she knew the old strategy would be useless.

Therefore, she kept it to herself.

Xie Lingxi was very scared. Although she had experienced two single-player spirit realms and two multi-player spirit realms, during which she encountered danger, especially in the single-player realms, they were all of the thrilling type, but not related to "horror."

Jinshui Amusement Park, the first spirit realm she experienced with elements of the supernatural, was terrifying. This kind of terror was not just about the risk of death; ghosts and monsters inherently evoke fear in humans. I'll never watch a horror movie in my life... she silently swore to herself.

In the wedding room, there was no concept of time. In the seemingly endless ordeal, Xie Lingxi suddenly heard the spirit realm notification sound:

【You have completed the Haunted House (Minghun) mission. You are now participating in the "Heart-Pounding" mission series. The entertainment facilities in this series are: Roller Coaster - Underground Parking Lot - Haunted House (Minghun) - Detective Reasoning Hall. Please proceed to the fourth location within half an hour.】

"It's over?" Xie Lingxi was taken aback and then overwhelmed with intense joy, as if she had walked through a long night and now wanted to celebrate.

Finally, it was over. This terrifying supernatural experience had finally come to an end. Then, her second thought arose: Who died?

She hurriedly pushed open the lattice door and stepped outside. Looking around, the night was hazy, lanterns hung from the eaves, and there was no sign of movement.

But soon, footsteps could be heard behind her. Xie Lingxi immediately turned around and saw the red-haired Fire Mage emerging from the wedding room.

The Fire Mage's face was a mixture of joy and expectation. "It seems that either Wang Tai or Qitian Dasheng died."

Xie Lingxi's eyebrows slightly wrinkled at the news of their survival.

The Fire Mage was in high spirits, saying, "The most dangerous part is over. The next Detective Reasoning Hall shouldn't be too difficult. If we manage to get out, we will have completed the S-rank first clear. Ah, I'm already looking forward to the completion rewards, oh, and the strategy too. Just following the strategy can keep me entertained for a long time."

Xie Lingxi glanced at him and said calmly, "We are not very clear about the strategy for the haunted house. Wang Tai is the one who knows it best. The value of the strategy you wrote may be greatly discounted."

The Fire Mage shrugged, "Even so, it's still valuable."

They didn't have to wait long before footsteps could be heard behind them. They turned around and saw Qitian Dasheng.

"Qitian Dasheng?" The Fire Mage's expression flickered slightly but quickly recovered. He smirked, "Looks like Qitian Dasheng will stay here as the groom. This guy is cowardly and timid. It wouldn't be fair if he managed to leave the spirit realm alive."

"Brother Wang Tai!" Xie Lingxi smiled sweetly.

Zhang Yuanqing nodded slightly and looked at the Fire Mage with a serious tone, "Regardless, we are teammates, and there's no need to be cold-hearted."

"Yes, yes, whatever you say is what it is. Let's leave this place quickly. I don't want to stay for another moment. The sooner we leave and finish the mission, the better," the Fire Mage replied with a hint of bitterness in his words.

Under Zhang Yuanqing's leadership, the three of them passed through the inner courtyard, the main hall, and the outer courtyard. They encountered no danger along the way and successfully left the haunted house. They hurriedly left the alley without stopping for a moment, as if they all had developed a psychological shadow of this place.

Ten minutes later, following the signs on the roadside, they found the Detective Reasoning Hall. It was a white building with tall, sturdy pillars supporting a triangular roof in a standard Western style. The iron gate was wide open, and there was a fountain in the front courtyard.

"Do you need to rest?" Zhang Yuanqing stopped outside the iron gate and asked for the opinions of his two teammates.

Xie Lingxi and the Fire Mage shook their heads. The horror of the haunted house took a toll on their minds, but it didn't exhaust their physical strength too much. The ten-minute journey was enough to calm their emotions, and they didn't need to rest further.

Moreover, at this point, they were all eager to end tonight's nightmarish mission as soon as possible.

The three of them entered the gate and walked past the fountain, entering the building that looked like a museum. The hall of the Detective Reasoning Hall had square floor tiles and eight gorgeous crystal chandeliers hanging from the dome, bringing brilliant and bright light.

The display cabinets in the hall showcased various items: pipes and canes, red bowties and footballs, symbols of dancing figurines, and bound volumes of wrongful convictions...

Seeing pipes and canes was normal, but a red bowtie? It felt like the instance was playing with jokes. As a detective enthusiast, Zhang Yuanqing, who aspired to be an outstanding police officer like his grandfather, was not unfamiliar with these objects.

Their gazes quickly moved away from the display cabinets and fell upon the center of the hall, where six sculptures covered in red cloth stood.

The Fire Mage looked at the sculptures covered in red cloth, his gaze flickering as he said, "What is the task for this stage? Riddles? I really dislike using my brain for these tasks."

Xie Lingxi remained silent in contemplation.

Zhang Yuanqing pointed at the six sculptures and smiled, "The question has already been given to us, hasn't it?"

As he finished speaking, Zhang Yuanqing, Xie Lingxi, and the Fire Mage all received a mission prompt in their minds:

【Ding! Welcome to the Detective Reasoning Hall!】

【All unnecessary items have been cleared for you. The Detective Reasoning Hall is a place to test intelligence. Violence is prohibited, and violators will be eliminated. Team captain, please step forward and uncover the red cloth.】

Xie Lingxi and the Fire Mage didn't move, but Zhang Yuanqing took a big step forward and lifted the red cloth covering the sculptures.

The six sculptures were exactly the same, and each of them had a nameplate attached to their chests: Civilian, Neutral, Neutral, Guardian, Traitor, Evil One.

"Do we have an evil one in our team? That explains why the strategy for the roller coaster didn't change, but Hebo died. Wang Tai, you wanted to remind us back then, didn't you?" The Fire Mage suddenly realized and then looked at Zhang Yuanqing with surprise, asking, "You're the team captain?"

Zhang Yuanqing turned back with a smile, "Didn't you already know?"

The Fire Mage fell silent instantly.

At this moment, the instance prompt sounded once again in their ears:

【Ding! Now announcing the captain's mission: Attention, there is a traitor hidden in the team. Please ensure that the number of team members is greater than or equal to 3; otherwise, there will be punishment, and current level experience will be reset to zero. Please hide your role identity properly.】

【Ding! Each person in the team has their own role. The captain must deduce their identities and stick nameplates on them. Sticking the wrong nameplate on anyone will result in the failure of the "Detective Reasoning Hall" mission, and all members of the captain's camp will be eliminated.】

【Each team member has the right to defend themselves.】

【Please complete the reasoning within half an hour. Failure to do so will be considered a mission failure, and all members of the captain's camp will be eliminated.】

【There are two things in the world that should not be stared at directly: the sun and the human heart. Time starts now: 00:30:00】

"I see, that's why the hidden mission requires us not to reveal our identities. The reason lies here..." Zhang Yuanqing muttered to himself, and at the same time, as if sensing something, he noticed that there was an extra item in his inventory.

Opening the item, Zhang Yuanqing saw that the items in the inventory appeared in grey (not usable), but there was one slot with normal colors, which contained a stack of name cards.

He took out the name cards, a total of six, each with the names of their team members written on them.

"Time is limited, so let's start reasoning with the deceased teammate first. Do you two have any objections?" Zhang Yuanqing raised the stack of name cards in his hand and looked at Xie Lingxi and the Fire Mage.

"Sure, it saves time." The Fire Mage agreed with his proposal.

Xie Lingxi nodded.

Zhang Yuanqing spread the name cards out like a fan and glanced at them. He picked out the card labeled "Ashamed as a Father" and said, "Just to be safe, let's start with the most reliable option. Ashamed as a Father is a Neutral. He told me that himself before he died. To be honest, I didn't believe him at the time because he belonged to the Evil class."

It was also at that time that Zhang Yuanqing truly confirmed that everyone in the team had received the hidden mission.

"Evil class?" The Fire Mage was surprised, "Then could he be the Evil One? Come to think of it, since he died, no one in our team has died for no reason."

"The Evil One has a reason for not killing people. I'll explain it later. But Ashamed as a Father is not the Evil One because I secretly asked the Spirit after the Underground Parking Lot mission." Zhang Yuanqing took a step forward and placed the "Ashamed as a Father" name card on one of the two Neutral sculptures.

【Ding, reasoning correct.】

Following that, the three of them saw a message appear above the sculpture with the "Ashamed as a Father" name card:

【Neutral: There is a team captain and an Evil One in the team. You need to choose your camp before the first mission ends. Do not expose your identity.】

This was the hidden task for the "Neutral."

"So, before the first mission ends, choose your camp..." Zhang Yuanqing turned back with a smile, looking at the young girl, "It seems like you are also a Neutral, Lingxi, my dear. Now, you are on my side."

Xie Lingxi smiled brightly, "That's right, Wang Tai, I am."

"Choosing a camp must be cautious. I didn't know who the captain and the Evil One were back then, so choosing the wrong side could lead to death. That's why I suggested playing the roller coaster as the first mission. The roller coaster is the simplest, with no external influence. If its strategy hasn't changed, it would be the best platform for the captain and the Evil One to strategize against each other."

"Then, based on the outcome of the game between the two sides, I'll choose a camp. Wang Tai, you are really smart, coming up with a way to resolve it. So, I chose to join the captain's camp." Xie Lingxi explained.

Zhang Yuanqing chuckled and stuck Xie Lingxi's name card on the sculpture.

This girl had been very well-behaved after the roller coaster, showing him enough goodwill.

The conversation of the "private lesson" was a test from Zhang Yuanqing, and the other party responded positively: "Sure, sure!"

【Ding! Reasoning correct.】

The hidden task for the Neutral appeared again.

Zhang Yuanqing took out Xishi's name card and said, "This woman has been idle the entire time. During the missions, she just kept her eyes open when we played the roller coaster, and she didn't make a move when facing the Autobots. Apart from actively protecting herself, her actions lacked motivation the entire night, so I judge her as a Commoner."

"How do you see it, Fire Mage?" Zhang Yuanqing asked.

The Fire Mage frowned, "It's too arbitrary. The same reason can be used for the Evil One."

Zhang Yuanqing chuckled, "No, it's not arbitrary, but I can't tell you the reason."

He stuck Xishi's name card on the Commoner sculpture.

【Ding! Reasoning correct.】

【Commoner: Your identity is a Commoner. Before the first mission ends, find the team captain and receive his protection. Do not expose your identity.】

Besides the reasons mentioned earlier, Zhang Yuanqing had two more reasons to determine that Xishi was a Commoner:

Firstly, during the regression process that triggered the old illness, he found that Xishi had been testing the identities of others. She first asked Xie Lingxi if she was an official personnel, then during the roller coaster ride, she hesitated between Zhang Yuanqing and the River God. This detail would have been difficult to notice if he couldn't regress. On the other hand, the Evil One, after knowing the existence of the captain, would not make obvious probing actions.

Secondly, it was from the same probing conversation. Xishi's response was, "No need to be respected, be rude and wild." This was actually her hinting at her Commoner identity. Of course, there was also asking the Spirit.

Commoners did not need to be respected and were always treated rudely and wildly.

However, at that time, Zhang Yuanqing thought it was the other party's way of expressing attachment. It was only when he saw the "Commoner" identity just now that he truly understood.

"As the first one to die, let's not worry about him." Zhang Yuanqing smiled and looked at the Fire Mage. "Fire Mage, which one are you, the Traitor or the Evil One?"

The Fire Mage's face immediately turned ugly, and he said in a deep voice, "I am the Guard."

"Bullshit!" Xie Lingxi rolled her eyes, "You, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, look the least like a good person. You've been stirring up trouble from start to finish, ah no... well, you're just a pile of shit."

The Fire Mage was not flustered and gave a reasonable explanation for himself, "Wang Tai, I really am the Guard. In fact, I knew you were the captain a long time ago, I found out during the roller coaster ride. Think about it, if I were the Evil One, I would have killed you like I killed the River God."

【Ding! Reasoning correct.】

【Ding! Correct reasoning.】

【Civilian: Your identity is a civilian. Before the first mission ends, find the captain and obtain their protection. Do not reveal your identity.】

In addition to the reasons mentioned earlier, Zhang Yuanqing had two more reasons to determine that Xishi was a civilian:

First, during the process of tracing back the outbreak of an old illness, he noticed that Xishi had been probing the identities of others. She first asked Xie Lingxi if he was an official person, and during the roller coaster ride, she hesitated between him and Hebo. This detail would be hard to notice without his ability to trace back. An evil person, aware of the captain's existence, would not make such obvious probing moves.

Secondly, during the same probing conversation, Xishi's response was, "No need for respect, be rude and wild."

In fact, Xishi was hinting at her civilian identity. Of course, there's also Wen Ling's question.

Civilian does not require being respected; they are always treated rudely and wildly.

However, at that time, Zhang Yuanqing thought that it was the other party expressing their attachment, until he just saw the identity of "civilian," and only then did he truly understand.

"Let's ignore Hebo, the first one to die," Zhang Yuanqing smiled and looked at Fire Demon, "Brother Fire Demon, are you the traitor or the evil person?"

Fire Demon's face immediately turned ugly, and he said in a deep voice, "I am a guard."

"Nonsense!" Xie Lingxi rolled his eyes, "You, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, look the least like a good person. From start to finish, you've been stirring up trouble, ah, no, well, it's just like a piece of poop."

Fire Demon wasn't panicking and reasoned with confidence, "Brother Wang Tai, I really am a guard. In fact, I've known you're the captain for a long time; I knew it during the roller coaster ride. Think about it, if I were an evildoer, I would have killed you like I killed Hebo."

"Hahaha..."

"What are you laughing at?" Fire Demon frowned.

"I am a master who has experienced countless spiritual realms, a seasoned traveler with abundant experience. Any lies are ineffective against me." Zhang Yuanqing finished laughing and coldly snorted, "I saw your disappointment when I came out of the haunted house just now."

"How could I be disappointed? I'm more than happy," Fire Demon retorted angrily, "If I wanted to kill you, I would have done it a long time ago. You think about that."

Xie Lingxi hesitated to speak. Although she could sense that Fire Demon wasn't a good person, she didn't have much evidence and was afraid of saying the wrong thing, misleading the captain. Making a mistake in accusing someone would lead to the entire captain's team being wiped out, including her. So, at this moment, her heart was already on edge.

"Then explain why, during the roller coaster ride, you misled us by saying that the strategy of closing our eyes had failed? Don't tell me it was just to scare us; none of us are rookies, and you can't scare us with just a severed head," Zhang Yuanqing questioned.

Fire Demon took a deep breath, suppressing his fiery temper, and patiently explained, "I admit that it was a judgment error on my part, and I was impatient. But it was an issue with my ability, not evidence that I wanted to harm everyone. What would I gain from harming everyone? The roller coaster was only the first task; how could I complete the following tasks all by myself?"

"No, no, no!" Zhang Yuanqing shook his finger and smiled, "I never said that your suggestion to open our eyes was to wipe out the team. What evil intentions could you have? You just wanted to find the captain, that's all."

Fire Demon's expression changed, but Xie Lingxi smiled.

"At that time, I advised you all like this: if the strategy for the roller coaster hadn't changed, opening our eyes would result in the team's annihilation. Comparatively, it would be more reasonable to lose one team member each round. But strangely, everyone chose to agree to open their eyes," Zhang Yuanqing sneered, "You all are certainly not that naive; each of you has ulterior motives. Some want to protect themselves, while others want to use the opportunity to find the captain because you know the captain will definitely oppose it."

Fire Demon fell silent.

Xie Lingxi's eyes curved into a crescent moon, "Brother Wang Tai, you're truly amazing." She spoke sincerely.

At the time of the vote, it was her suggestion, and she hadn't chosen a camp herself. She agreed to open her eyes to test the captain's abilities and to avoid fierce opposition that could lead the evildoer to suspect and try to eliminate her. In any case, no matter the voting result, she would still close her eyes. Xishi probably had similar thoughts, feeling guilty for being a father.

What Xie Lingxi didn't expect was that Brother Wang Tai had already seen through their intentions, and this revelation boosted her confidence in the upcoming deductions.

After a moment of silence, Fire Demon repeated his old claim, "I really am a good person, not an evildoer; otherwise, I would have killed you already."

"You wouldn't!" Zhang Yuanqing shook his head, "After the roller coaster, I knew I was exposed. From that moment on, it was like playing with open cards. I had to protect myself, so when we entered the underground parking lot, I repeatedly emphasized that we are all on the same boat and must work together."

"Luckily, the parking lot task required manpower, and I was actually happy about it because I knew that, at least initially, it was safe. Later, when Xie Lingxi got the card allowing the use of props, I immediately volunteered to handle the task against the car person and informed you all about the murderous price of those dancing shoes."

"All of this was to make the killer cautious, to make them feel they could wait and not rush to kill me because I still had value for them. They could take advantage of it," Zhang Yuanqing explained.

Fire Demon's expression shifted, fluctuating between darkness and brightness. His rage seemed difficult to contain as he growled fiercely, "I should have killed you earlier, I should have killed you back in the underground parking lot!!"

Xie Lingxi encouraged, "You can do it now if you want."

Fire Demon looked at her resentfully, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, "Wang Tai, you're formidable, I lost. I admit, I am the evildoer..."

Zhang Yuanqing smirked and took out the "Fire Demon" badge, sticking it onto the traitor. Xie Lingxi's face paled, and she exclaimed, "You..."

But then, she saw Fire Demon's face change drastically, a look of despair and panic flooding his eyes. The previous ferocity and anger seemed like a facade.

This... left Xie Lingxi stunned.

【Ding! Successful reasoning】

【Traitor: Your identity is the traitor. Before the first mission ends, you need to identify the evildoer, assist them in concealing their identity, and eliminate the captain. Once the captain dies, the mission will be completed, and you will receive a reward item.】

"I never said you were the evildoer; you're just a damn traitor. Trying to mislead me and make me fail at reasoning?" Zhang Yuanqing spat.

Fire Demon seemed depleted, his gaze vacant as he muttered, "How did you know..."

"Because you were too obvious in your actions. If I were the evildoer, I would definitely try to disguise myself and avoid attracting anyone's attention, staying low-key would be best," Zhang Yuanqing explained, staring at the traitor's task card and stroking his chin.

"Then it's clear who the evildoer is. My guess was correct; it's Monkey King," he said, eyeing the lost and disoriented Fire Demon with a cold smirk.

"I suspected everyone in the team, testing and investigating one by one. In the end, I was hesitant between you and Monkey King. Even before coming to the 'Detective Reasoning Hall,' I still wasn't sure which of you was the evildoer. It wasn't until I saw the existence of the traitor that it suddenly dawned on me."

"What Xie Lingxi said is true. You behaved just like a troublemaker, acting too much like a wolf. The first one to suggest opening our eyes, sitting behind Hebo, biting on Xie Lingxi, and when I hinted that there might be danger within the team, I talked to you, and you immediately showed goodwill towards me. All of this fits the profile of a guilty killer... I must admit, your disguise was well done."

"Because of this, I couldn't be sure who between you and Monkey King was the killer. But now I know that your series of actions were all aimed at shielding Monkey King and diverting my attention as the captain, making me doubt you voluntarily."

Fear flashed in Fire Demon's eyes. This young man's thoughts were too meticulous.

Zhang Yuanqing glanced at Xie Lingxi and saw the young girl's eyes shining brightly with admiration as she looked at him. He nodded in satisfaction and continued, "When we entered the underground parking lot, you and Monkey King had a disagreement. He wanted to act together, but you insisted on splitting up. That's where your opinions differed."

Fire Demon gritted his teeth and said, "After the roller coaster, you hinted that there was danger within the team, and I knew I was too obvious, which might make you suspect me. The evildoer has the power to kill, and so does the captain."

"I was afraid of being killed by you, so I suggested to Monkey King that he should kill you in the underground parking lot. But he refused. He thought it was not wise to kill you in the underground parking lot as it would pose a threat to his emotions. This bastard completely treated me as a disposable pawn."

"Later, I found out that you didn't kill me after clearing the underground parking lot, and I felt relieved. Then in the haunted house, I also suggested to him to kill you, but he still didn't..."

Zhang Yuanqing chuckled, "Of course, he wouldn't kill me. Do you think I would expose my identity as Night Wanderer for no reason? I was still worried in the underground parking lot, but once we entered the haunted house, I knew I definitely wouldn't die."

"You all need Night Wanderer's protection, and you know... the Ghost Bride will definitely choose me. With me around, you can practically breeze through the haunted house. Killing me would be digging your own grave."

The allure of Night Wanderer to the vengeful spirits was deadly, and it was obvious who the Ghost Bride would choose as her husband.

Fire Demon remembered something and his voice suddenly raised, "Why didn't the Ghost Bride choose you? Why?"

This was the point that had puzzled him, and the reason why he was surprised and disappointed to see Wang Tai come out alive.

Zhang Yuanqing and Xie Lingxi laughed simultaneously. The young girl stood with her hands on her hips, looking triumphant, "Because we found a card in the underground parking lot—the 'Card of Transference of Hatred.'"

She dropped the pretense of acting innocent and weak.

"I chose to divert the Ghost Bride's attention to Monkey King because I felt that he had a higher suspicion than you," Zhang Yuanqing added with a smile.

"You..." Fire Demon felt a chill in his heart. From start to finish, both he and Monkey King were thoroughly manipulated.

This left him feeling desperate.

That selfish fool probably didn't even know how he died.

Zhang Yuanqing didn't pay him any further attention, placing Monkey King's badge on the sculpture of the evildoer.

【Ding, successful reasoning】

【Evildoer: Your identity is the evildoer. Note that there is one captain in the team, and he is your enemy. Find him and eliminate him. Do not reveal your identity.】

　

"We won!" Xie Lingxi jumped up and cheered in excitement.

Fire Demon glared at the two of them with resentment and sneered, "Don't celebrate too soon. I admit you are formidable, and I accept my defeat. But so what? The whole team is now down to just the three of us. The captain's mission is to ensure that the number of people is greater than or equal to three. Do you dare to eliminate me?"

"You are so clever; you should understand the essence of the hidden mission. When the evildoer is exposed, the outcome is elimination. The traitor also faces the risk of being 'mistakenly killed,' so there won't be any other punishment. What punishment could be worse than death?"

"Now, even if you expose my identity as the traitor, I won't face any punishment, because you have already given up your role as the captain. Of course, you still have one last chance, but you can't kill me unless you want to reset your current level of experience."

Once he returns to reality, he will use his connections to investigate the identities of these two individuals and sell their information to the evil profession. In the Spirit Realm, forming enmity is common, and the end of the instance doesn't mean it's over. Fire Demon has killed many enemies he formed in the Spirit Realm and knows how to deal with enemies from the same camp.

Xie Lingxi was stunned, her happy expression freezing on her little face.

Zhang Yuanqing remained silent. After completing the haunted house task, he didn't choose to exercise his captain's authority because of this very reason.

"Don't worry; there is one more person left," Zhang Yuanqing said calmly.

He placed the last badge on the sculpture of the guard.

【Ding, successful reasoning】

【Guard: Your identity is the guard. Please protect the captain in the team and ensure he is not killed by the evildoer. If you are killed by the evildoer (death due to tasks excluded), everything will be paused, and you will be resurrected after the captain's victory. If the captain fails, you won't be resurrected.】

Sure enough!

Zhang Yuanqing looked at the information content, surprised and unsurprised at the same time.

At this point, Zhang Yuanqing could confirm that Hebo was actively competing for control. The motivations of the guard and the traitor were the same – they were both shielding their respective "masters."

In the beginning, during the self-introduction, Hebo exhibited a demeanor that leaned towards coldness and gloominess.

This type of person usually acts independently and is unlikely to actively vie for a leadership position. However, in the later stages, Hebo changed his style and contested for leadership with Zhang Yuanqing. This transformation indicates that there must be a driving force behind it. This reason led the evildoer to suspect that Hebo was the captain and thus chose to kill him first.

On the other hand, Zhang Yuanqing's personality remained consistent before and after everyone received the hidden task. Therefore, his lack of surprise was understandable.

Regarding the hidden task, after all, they were not long-lost brothers, and shielding each other from danger was risky without some guarantee. So, Zhang Yuanqing was not surprised.

For the guard, however, this was still a gamble. The benefit was that "dying" once would guarantee a win, avoiding the subsequent danger of S-level Spirit Realms. The downside was that they might die for real.

But considering the high mortality rate of S-level Spirit Realms, what could be worse than ending up in this place?

Zhang Yuanqing was surprised because he did not expect the Spirit Realm to have a resurrection capability. Perhaps this "revival" ability was limited to within the instance, but it was still impressive.

As the information of "guard" appeared, Fire Demon's face turned pale. His lips trembled, and fear enveloped him intensely.

The instance prompt sounded:

【You have completed the "Detective Detective Hall" task and are now undertaking the "Heart-thumping" task series. This series includes amusement facilities: Roller Coaster - Underground Parking Lot - Haunted House (Spiritual Wedding) - Detective Detective Hall. You have completed this series of tasks.】

Zhang Yuanqing received an additional prompt, unlike Xie Lingxi and Fire Demon:

【Ding, you successfully led the team members to complete a task. You have one opportunity to exercise your captain's authority. Please designate the evildoer hidden among the team members, and the designated person will be eliminated!】

【If no selection is made within thirty seconds, it will be considered as giving up this opportunity.】

Zhang Yuanqing's expression remained unchanged as he calmly said, "Fire Demon."

At that moment, terror exploded in Fire Demon's eyes, "No..."

In a scream, his head separated from his neck, rolling onto the ground, and a geyser of blood spurted from the severed neck, a gruesome and blood-curdling scene.

Fire Demon's decapitated head stared with wide eyes, lips still moving.

【Ding! Congratulations on completing the multiplayer Spirit Realm task - Golden Water Amusement Park, number 6203, difficulty level S. Reward settlement in progress...】