Chapter 22
Chapter 22
Qin Weiyi had been questioning the NPCs, but when he saw Jian Fan approach, he took a step back and handed the task over to Zheng Jueming, turning instead to speak with Jian Fan.
“How are things on your end?” Qin Weiyi asked.
Jian Fan arched an eyebrow. “You aren’t my teammate.”
“Temporary teammates, then?” Qin Weiyi tilted his head, offering a suggestion.
Jian Fan didn’t agree immediately. “Only after I’m certain you aren’t the murderer.”
Qin Weiyi nodded. “I doubt I’d be foolish enough to let myself become the murderer.”
Jian Fan wasn’t surprised by this response.
This world was actually simpler than the previous movie Script world. However, this simplicity only applied to Old Players like them who possessed sufficient intelligence.
Death in the movie world had nothing to do with intelligence and was largely a matter of luck. In this world, however, both he and Qin Weiyi had caught a glimpse of the underlying logic of the rules.
The murderer wasn’t determined at the moment the Identity Cards were drawn. Instead, the murderer would be formed through their actions during the course of the game.
In the rules of a Murder Mystery Game, the Players need to find the murderer. Following that logic, a Player who drew the murderer’s Identity Card would either have to kill the other eleven Players or die themselves. But that didn’t align with the rules of the Realm of Death-no game world would ever set the mandatory sacrifice of a Player as the condition for clearing the stage.
Jian Fan hadn’t shared all of his theories with Qin Nan.
There were two key points to this world.
The first was that the murderer was not fixed at the start; this was what he had cautioned Qin Nan about. The second point was one he hadn’t voiced: it was equally possible for the murderer not to be a Game Player at all.
Whether or not one became the murderer depended entirely on the choices made during the game. As long as they made the right choices, they could avoid becoming the murderer. If no Players killed the victim, then to keep the Script logical, the murderer would likely emerge from among the NPCs.
Of course, not every Player was capable of deducing this layer of reality like he and Qin Weiyi.
In their rush to gather as many clues as possible, most would inevitably take actions that, in the end, only increased the likelihood of them becoming the murderer.
“I haven’t gathered much information yet,” Jian Fan replied. After a moment’s thought, he added to show his sincerity, “I will vouch for my teammates.”
Qin Weiyi glanced toward Qin Nan and Mu Xin. “One, or both?”
Jian Fan’s lips curled into a rare smile. “Both. Consider it my apology for doubting you just now.”
“OK. Likewise, I’ll vouch for my teammate,” Qin Weiyi said, extending his hand toward Jian Fan.
Understanding the gesture, Jian Fan reached out.
Their hands met briefly in mid-air before letting go, sealing their cooperation. Jian Fan hadn’t expected that he would one day collaborate with a mere kid. If he had met Qin Weiyi earlier…
No, Jian Fan quickly dismissed the thought.
Qin Weiyi wouldn’t be content following his lead, and Jian Fan certainly wouldn’t be happy letting Qin Weiyi take control of the group’s voice over him.
They were destined to never be on the same team; it was a case of two tigers on one mountain.
While Zheng Jueming handled the questioning, Lin Junruo had been keeping a close eye on the pair’s conversation. She had listened, but she was completely baffled by their sudden handshake and the way they seemed to have reached an agreement. She had no idea what kind of deal they had just struck.
Unable to figure it out, she simply spoke up with a smile, using a teasing tone. “Are you two having a secret meeting behind our backs? You aren’t the murderer and an accomplice, are you?”
Jian Fan shot a glance at Lin Junruo.
Lin Junruo was genuinely ditzy, but to have made it this far, she clearly had her own unique strengths beyond just Mu Xin pulling the strings behind the scenes. For instance, her intuition right now.
However, he had no interest in responding.
Qin Weiyi tilted his head, using a child’s innocent tone: “What are you talking about, Big Sister? I just think Big Brother is amazing, so I asked him to look after me, that’s all.”
Jian Fan’s lips twitched; his mood was complicated.
If Lin Junruo were dealing with others, she might have actually managed to dig out a few words, but up against Jian Fan and Qin Weiyi, she could only return empty-handed in the end.
An hour later.
The Steward reappeared and led all the servants away. The eleven Players walked together toward the main hall, which was the place designated for their discussion and analysis.
Even in this short walk, the current team distribution was clearly visible by who walked with whom.
Xia Zeqin and the two male members of his team remained at the very front. Following them was Xu Tian, alone; she remained expressionless, seemingly having no intention of grouping up with anyone else. Next were Qin Weiyi and Lu Jing.
Qin Weiyi was explaining something to Lu Jing, who was nodding repeatedly.
Behind them was Mu Xin’s three-person team. Zheng Jueming and Lin Junruo walked in front, while Mu Xin followed behind the two of them, though she maintained some distance.
After her were Jian Fan and Qin Nan. Mu Xin’s distance from them wasn’t particularly far either.
“Qin Weiyi and Lu Jing can be temporarily excluded from suspicion,” Jian Fan said to Qin Nan.
Qin Nan was somewhat surprised. “Did you find some kind of clue?”
Jian Fan shook his head. “I’ve reached a temporary cooperation with him.”
“Are you sure he isn’t the murderer?” Qin Nan was skeptical. When Jian Fan turned his head and looked at him with an unreadable expression, Qin Nan immediately held up a hand. “Fine, shut up. I get it.”
Jian Fan choked on his words. He had just been thinking about how to explain to Qin Nan the possibility that none of the Players were the murderer. Since Qin Nan didn’t want to hear it, Jian Fan didn’t really want to talk that much anyway.
“Qin Weiyi and Lu Jing, you, and me-that’s four excluded. From the clues we can gather so far, there’s a high probability we can exclude Xia Zeqin’s suspicion as well.” Qin Nan shared the results of his inquiries with the NPCs, adding at the end, “Assuming the NPCs were telling the truth.”
Jian Fan didn’t doubt it. “It’s the truth.”
“You’re sure?” Qin Nan was curious.
Jian Fan nodded. “The study door was open, and anyone passing by could see inside. It happened right after the deceased’s servant went to ask for instructions. I’m certain he did that intentionally to prove his innocence.”
“That doesn’t necessarily prove he’s innocent, does it? Ever watch mystery dramas? People manufacture alibis,” Qin Nan countered.
Jian Fan looked at him and asked, “What benefit would he gain from being the murderer?”
“Is that something he gets to choose?” Qin Nan shot back.
Jian Fan paused, then asked, “Did you go to the deceased’s courtyard yesterday?”
Qin Nan instantly caught Jian Fan’s meaning. “You didn’t go?”
Jian Fan gave a small “mm.”
“Okay. I’m the idiot.” Qin Nan didn’t want to continue this topic.
He understood Jian Fan’s point. Xia Zeqin had no intention of getting involved at all, so he indeed had an alibi and couldn’t be the murderer. By the same logic, neither was Jian Fan, as he hadn’t gone to the deceased’s courtyard. Following that line of reasoning, he figured Qin Weiyi probably hadn’t gone to the deceased’s courtyard either.
So, he was the one being stupid.
But-
“If nobody went, then who is the murderer?” Qin Nan asked.
“The world will rationalize it automatically. The case might just end, or perhaps an NPC killed the deceased,” Jian Fan replied. This was what he had wanted to tell Qin Nan earlier.
Qin Nan stopped dead in his tracks, his tone strange. “You guessed this from the very beginning?”
Jian Fan remained silent, suddenly feeling a bit guilty.