Chapter 11 (Peachland)

Chapter 11

Some people, curious about the scene, came closer and quickly felt sick. The thought that the fish they had eaten for a midnight snack last night might have come from this river only made their fear worse.

"I never want to eat fish again," someone said, shuddering.

Nearby, several tourists who had stayed at the same B&B as the deceased, along with the B&B owner, stood together, looking very worried. The person they had shared a meal with just yesterday was now dead.

"I saw Deng Lan last night; how could this happen?" Zhou Yun said, trembling.

"Boss, did Deng Lan leave the B&B last night?" someone asked.

The B&B was small, run by the owner herself, with no other staff except for a cleaning lady. The owner usually stayed at the front desk until locking up for the night before going to bed.

The owner, looking pale and nervous, hesitated before answering, "I—I don't know. I didn’t pay much attention."

The owner knew Deng Lan went upstairs after dinner and hadn’t seen her come down by noon. She thought Deng Lan was still asleep, not realizing something terrible had happened.

She locked the doors at 10:00 p.m. each night. If someone wanted to leave afterward, they had to ask for the key. No one asked for it last night, and the lock showed no signs of tampering.

If Deng Lan hadn’t left, the incident must have happened in the B&B.

If a guest died in her B&B, how could she keep her business running? She also worried that the murderer might be among her guests. Since she couldn't report the case, she was afraid to tell the truth.

"You were staying right across from her. Did you notice anything unusual last night?" the question was directed at Ding Qi.

Ding Qi shook his head, fear visible on his face. "No, I slept soundly last night."

Ye Nianchu, standing silently in the crowd, saw that the deceased was the female player she had seen at the restaurant on the first day of the game.

The time of death was estimated to be between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. last night.

The cause of death was unknown.

Ye Nianchu then looked at Ding Qi, who had been with Deng Lan at the restaurant. Even though Ding Qi showed fear, something about his behavior seemed suspicious.

Ding Qi, who stayed in the room opposite Deng Lan's, was the closest person to the deceased. His lack of concern for the strange and tragic death of his companion seemed odd.

Either Ding Qi was very skilled and could handle the game easily, or Deng Lan’s death was somehow connected to him.

Either way, Ding Qi was clearly not a new player.

He seemed to be pretending to be weak while hiding his true skills.

The system’s advantages for new players might also be a "death token."

Meanwhile, Ding Qi chatted with others, glancing occasionally at the corpse by the river with a hint of disdain.

"Deng Lan was unlucky, but she was foolish. In the end, it benefits me."

He was grateful to Deng Lan for accidentally providing the best life-saving item of this round and for showing him a way to finish the game early, which secured his place in the game.

Some players here were so foolish that they openly revealed their identities, saving him time.

Stupid players don’t deserve to pass.

In Ding Qi’s mind, the 100 points for this round were already his.

Previous: Chapter 10 | Next: Chapter 12