The Inspector smiled faintly in return. “You are welcome. I only answered the question I was meant to answer.”

It gave a slight bow, still as polite and composed as ever, and said: “Please enjoy your meal.”

The Inspector left the dining room.

When Su Man, Zhu Shu, and Yu Yaqing came in, they had just caught that last exchange, and asked Bai Youwei, “What were you talking about?”

Bai Youwei shook her head slightly. “Nothing much. Just reconfirming something.”

Just now, the Inspector’s answer hadn’t mentioned the key — which meant that clearing the game had nothing to do with the key.

Even if there were some connection, it was absolutely not a necessary connection, because otherwise the Inspector would have had no reason to withhold it from the players.

The Inspector could conceal the process by which the objective was achieved — but it could not conceal the objective itself!

It was like the Inspector being able to tell the players to go and find a key, and then setting layer upon layer of obstacles in the way of finding it — but it couldn’t hide even the fact that finding the key was the task. Because if even the goal itself were hidden, what would be the point of the challenge?

A teacher may give students a test — but cannot hide the exam questions themselves and make the students guess blindly!

That would be unfair.

“The Duke must die.” She finished the rest of her milk, wiped her mouth, and continued, “A women-only game shouldn’t place too high a demand on raw fighting ability, so the Duke must have a weakness. Since night-time makes him invincible to all blades, let’s try the daytime version — Hua Jiang.”

Su Man nodded in agreement. “Yu Yaqing and I will go up through the basement. You and Zhu Shu head directly to the third floor and wait for us — once we arrive, we’ll open the door for you.”

Yu Yaqing furrowed her brow slightly, as if she were about to say something, then thought better of it and closed her mouth.

“What is it?” Su Man gave her an elbow.

Yu Yaqing said, “Hu Ya hasn’t come out.”

“Once we’re out of here, she’ll come around.” Su Man didn’t seem particularly concerned. “A lot of people are like her — when they first enter a game, the shock hits them so hard that their thinking stops working normally.”

Zhu Shu asked, “Shall we go right after breakfast?”

Su Man said, “Maybe we should search the second floor for weapons first. The swords from before were all snapped by him.”

They chatted for a moment, then rose and made ready to head to the third floor.

The moment they turned around, they were surprised to see Hu Ya — who had been shut inside her room all this time — coming toward them.

“I’m sorry for yesterday…” Hu Ya walked up to them and said with an apologetic expression. “I’ve thought it over. I want to work together with all of you against that monster. No amount of reward is worth more than everyone pulling together.”

The shift was so sudden that everyone was left looking at one another in bewilderment.

Yu Yaqing said, “Come with Su Man and me to collect weapons first, then go with Bai Youwei and Zhu Shu to the third floor. Your combat skills are good — you can look after them.”

Bai Youwei gave Hu Ya a light, passing glance and offered no comment on the arrangement.

They split into two groups. One headed to the basement; the other went straight for the third floor. Throughout it all, Hu Ya behaved quite properly and didn’t cause any trouble.

It wasn’t long before Su Man and Yu Yaqing had opened the stone wall.

But both women’s expressions were strangely grim. They stood at the doorway and didn’t immediately let Bai Youwei and the others enter.

“Before you come in, you should prepare yourselves.” Yu Yaqing said with grave solemnity. “Cheng Qian’s body — is inside.”

Bai Youwei felt a flicker of unease. “Only Cheng Qian’s?”

“Mm…” Yu Yaqing frowned and glanced inside. “In any case… once you’re in, you’ll understand.”

A weight settled in Bai Youwei’s chest, and a dim suspicion began to take shape.

She followed Yu Yaqing and Su Man inside the punishment room — and then saw it…

Cheng Qian was seated in the witch’s chair, her body run through by a dense cluster of iron spikes! That white veil she’d been wearing had long since turned a deep, vivid crimson!

Cheng Qian had been subjected to torture!

—