NIP #542 - The Secret of the Wolf
#542 - The Secret of the Wolf
When Tang Yin carried Gao Mei back to the village entrance, Qin Ming rushed over, his face filled with anxiety. His white shirt was soaked with sweat, indicating he had been searching everywhere.
"Xiao Mei, great, you're alright!" Qin Ming sighed in relief, his voice still trembling.
Tong Xiaoliang shook his head, his gaunt face serious: "It's not alright, Brother Gang, quickly find Granny Rong, Xiao Mei is injured."
"Okay." Zhao Gang immediately turned and ran towards the center of the village upon hearing this, his sturdy back quickly disappearing into the dense fog.
The entire Fog Hidden Village was in chaos. Unknowingly, time had slipped into the afternoon, the gloomy sky making it hard to tell the exact time. Gao Mei's failed escape had completely disrupted everyone's rhythm, and they still hadn't resolved the current predicament.
Tang Yin stood at the village entrance, watching the villagers gradually gather. Their faces were filled with fear and unease, the news of Gao Zhijie's brutal murder by wolves still fresh in their minds, and Qin Yi's sudden death due to pollution.
Although Qin Yi's death caused heartache for everyone, Tang Yin knew that such a pointless death would only make the development of the banquet increasingly unfavorable for the human camp. He clenched his fist, his fingernails digging deeply into his palm.
No one could guarantee that the executed person was definitely a wolf. In this situation, the possibility of accidentally killing innocent companions was extremely high. The worst part was that the wolves might have already taken control of the entire banquet's rhythm, deliberately misleading humans to kill each other.
Tang Yin closed his eyes, trying to sort out his thoughts. The wolves would definitely try their best to assert their innocence while constantly pointing out the suspiciousness of others, turning them into sacrifices. This was an obvious strategy.
Based on the available information, Tang Yin came to a conclusion: to achieve victory, the human camp must see through the wolves' intentions and identify their true identities. This was an unavoidable path.
If Gao Mei was human, and she just disappeared or was presumed dead... Tang Yin frowned. For the wolves, a human dying by violating the rules was undoubtedly good news.
A terrifying thought suddenly flashed through his mind: could the wolves be secretly encouraging them to violate the rules? If that were the case, it would mean that the wolves had fully grasped the entirety of the rules and were ruthlessly advancing their plan to sacrifice humans.
Tang Yin remembered that the worst-case scenario he had worried about yesterday had happened—the wolves had killed the most crucial figure for advancing the banquet. This was not a random choice, nor was it merely out of personal preference. The current situation was even more dangerous than he had imagined.
Worse still, Qin Yi's death had completely broken down Madam Chen Xiang. The woman who had been in charge of the village's meals could no longer cope, and the entire Fog Hidden Village's three meals a day were no longer guaranteed. Watching the wisps of smoke from the distant kitchen gradually dissipate, Tang Yin's heart sank to the bottom.
The villagers' anxious whispers echoed in his ears, and the thick fog seemed even more sinister and terrifying. How long would this life-or-death banquet last?
The fog outside the window seemed to materialize, pressing on everyone's nerves. Madam Chen Xiang walked slowly from the direction of the kitchen, holding a mottled copper tray in both hands. Her once plump and elegant figure was now hunched over, as if she had aged ten years overnight.
"Everyone, everyone, thank you for your hard work, that..." Her voice was fragmented, as if torn apart by some invisible force. Several cups of steaming tea were placed on the tray, making a slight clinking sound as she trembled uncontrollably.
Madam Chen Xiang's face had a sickly pale gray color, and her thin lips were bloodless. Her whole body was shaking uncontrollably, like a withered leaf that could fall at any moment, making people worry. Her once gentle eyes were now bloodshot, and her eye sockets were sunken, like a shell from which the soul had been extracted.
Tang Yin looked at the normally smiling hostess struggling to maintain her elegance and felt a pang in his heart. Her husband Qin Yi's death had hit her too hard, and the heart-wrenching pain seemed to overflow from every pore.
At this time, Zhao Gang, who should have stood up to comfort her, just lowered his head, his brows furrowed. His angular face was full of worries, and his rough fingers kept stroking the edge of the teacup, as if there was an answer hidden there.
In the end, Wang Lina couldn't stand it any longer. The young female teacher gently hugged Madam Chen Xiang's hunched shoulders, gently but firmly helping her towards the stairs: "Madam, you should go and rest first." Madam Chen Xiang nodded blankly, allowing Wang Lina to take her back to her bedroom on the second floor.
A heavy atmosphere spread throughout the living room. Qian Jin suddenly broke the silence, a hint of impatience on his angular face: "The banquet today should be starting soon, right?"
This proposal completely ignored the sorrowful atmosphere in the room. Zhao Gang frowned, his voice low: "...Isn't now not the time for that?"
Qian Jin sneered, a hint of sarcasm appearing on his gaunt face: "Don't tell me you want today to end like this? The wolves won't show us any mercy. That's the situation we're in now." His gaze swept over everyone present, his voice becoming sharper, "We're at a loss here, isn't that exactly what the wolves want? We have to hang someone today. Am I right, Gangzi?"
Zhao Gang was silent for a long time, finally raising his head, his eyes filled with a hint of fatigue: "...I know, Qin Ming, call the people upstairs down."
Upstairs, besides the injured Gao Mei and Granny Rong taking care of her, there were also Chen Xiang and Wang Lina from just now. Tong Xiaoliang immediately stood up from the sofa: "Ah, I'll go."
"I'll go, Xiaoliang." Qin Ming also said, his tall figure blocking the stairway.
"I'll go." Tong Xiaoliang repeated stubbornly. Tang Yin keenly noticed that Xiaoliang's eyes swept over him meaningfully, as if there was some kind of hint hidden in his eyes.
"Not so fast~" Tong Xiaoliang's tone suddenly became frivolous, a strange smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.
Zhao Gang coughed softly: "...Um, it's nothing, but, we must call everyone down."
Standing by the window, Hua Lu took a step forward, her slender figure appearing particularly thin in the dim light: "I'll go prepare."
"Thank you." Qian Jin nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on a certain corner.
"Ah, wait." Xiao Mian suddenly spoke, a strange look flashing across her round face.
Tang Yin's heart clenched—the opportunity had finally come. He could feel that the unease in the air had solidified into substance, and this was the best time to break the deadlock.
The opportunity had finally come. Tang Yin narrowed his eyes, taking advantage of the chaotic interlude, he turned to Qin Ming, who had been silent all along. In the dim living room, Qin Ming's tall figure leaned against the mahogany stair railing, his entire person shrouded in shadow.
"Qin Ming, is this a good time?" Tang Yin deliberately lowered his voice, as if in casual conversation.
Qin Ming was slightly stunned, turning around. A trace of confusion flashed across his well-defined face: "Huh? What's wrong?"
"About Qin Yi, please accept my condolences." Tang Yin's gaze rested on Qin Ming's slightly tired face. Under the dim light, the dark circles under the young man's eyes were particularly obvious.
"...Um, thank you for your concern, I hope his soul rests in peace." Qin Ming's tone was calm and restrained, as if he were talking about a deceased person he wasn't very familiar with.
Tang Yin sized him up thoughtfully: "Your way of speaking is very mature."
Qin Ming suddenly showed a somewhat forced smile, his tone also becoming lighter: "...Ahahaha, is it better to be more direct after all?"
Standard social etiquette, Tang Yin noted inwardly. He continued to probe: "Your relationship with your brother doesn't seem to be very good?"
Qin Ming's expression instantly stiffened, but then returned to normal: "...It's nothing like that, it's just that we haven't communicated much recently. Actually, he is a very kind person." As he said this, his fingers unconsciously rubbed the stair railing, as if searching for some kind of support.
"That's what I think too, his essence isn't that of a delinquent, right? What is his relationship with his mother?" Tang Yin's gaze never left Qin Ming's face.
"Although his attitude isn't good, Qin Yi really likes Mom, and Mom likes Qin Yi more than me." Qin Ming's voice carried a hint of imperceptible bitterness.
Realizing that he might have touched a sore spot, Tang Yin quickly waved his hand: "Ah, I didn't mean to pry into your privacy, sorry, sorry."
There are no uncomplicated interpersonal relationships, in short, the deeper you go, the more dangerous it is. Tang Yin warned himself inwardly.
"Sorry, what did you want to ask..." Qin Ming hesitated.
"There are many questions, especially about the legends here." Tang Yin changed the subject appropriately.
Qin Ming breathed a slight sigh of relief: "If that's the case, Granny Rong would know more, right?"
"I prefer to communicate with reasonable people." Tang Yin took a step forward, lowering his voice, "First question, why do the wolves kill people?"
"...Because of the hatred for being murdered by humans in the past, right?" Qin Ming's answer was somewhat mechanical.
Tang Yin's eyes suddenly sharpened: "Let me put it this way, why can the person playing the wolf resolutely kill their companions and family members?"
"...Huh?" Qin Ming's pupils contracted sharply.
"...Um, huh...that." His voice began to tremble.
Suddenly, Qin Ming seemed to think of something, his tone becoming wary: "Are you suspecting me or Xiaomei?"
"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean that," Tang Yin quickly reassured him, "Generally speaking, if someone tells you [you are the wolf], will you be determined to kill people?"
Qin Ming took half a step back, his face turning pale: "How could that be..." His voice was full of disbelief, as if he had been frightened by the assumption. The moonlight outside the window shone on him through the glass, making his shadow very long, like a crack across the floor.
The moonlight was like water, flowing on the old wooden floor of Fog Hidden Village. The wind chimes on the eaves swayed gently with the night breeze, making a crisp sound. Tang Yin leaned against the window, looking at the heavy night outside, his bony fingers gently tapping the mottled paint on the windowsill. He slowly opened his mouth: "Um, how could that be. Most people have conscience and fear, how could they so easily be determined to kill people."
His voice was very soft, but it was particularly clear in the silent room. Qin Ming stood still, his hands clenched and released unconsciously, his pale knuckles tinged with bluish-white. The cold sweat on his forehead shimmered in the light of the wall lamp.
Tang Yin turned around, the night wind lifting the corner of his dark coat. His gaze fell on the yellowed landscape painting on the opposite wall, as if thinking about something: "Through getting along with Xiaoliang, I discovered something, although the people here are very afraid of a conceptual existence, this is not absolute."
The wall lamp cast swaying shadows on the wall, and Tang Yin's eyes became deep. He took a step forward, his voice carrying a certain certainty: "To protect the people they like, they will face pollution or wolves without hesitation."
"...That, Xiaoliang is different from us, he is a genius." Qin Ming lowered his head, his voice carrying a complex emotion. His fingers unconsciously twisted the corner of his clothes, as if trying to calm the unease in his heart.
"Genius?" Tang Yin raised his eyebrows, a trace of inquiry flashing in his eyes.
Qin Ming raised his head, a strange light flashing in his eyes. His voice suddenly became firm: "Um, he can make predictions and decisions that ordinary people can't make without batting an eye. And, for him, it doesn't matter if he gives up everything except the most important things."
Speaking of this, Qin Ming's tone suddenly became softer, and a faint smile even appeared on the corner of his mouth: "Most people think there's something wrong with his head, but I think he's a real genius."
"...Is that so, I feel the same way." Tang Yin nodded thoughtfully, then changed the subject, his eyes becoming sharp, "But, what I mean is, would you really become murderers because of pollution, which is like magic?"
The air in the room seemed to freeze for a moment. The old wooden floor made a slight creaking sound, like an overwhelmed sigh. Tang Yin continued: "Of course, if you don't kill, you will be polluted, so while hesitating, you commit the crime of murder, most people might do that."
His gaze stared directly at Qin Ming, as if to see through the other's heart: "But this time, the wolf's killing method was without hesitation."
Qin Ming took a subconscious half step back, leaning against the wall. The dim light cast a shadow on his face, making it impossible to see his expression clearly. His Adam's apple rolled slightly: "I don't know what you want to say, but this kind of thing is ultimately related to the wolf's personality and quality, right?"
His voice gradually returned to calm, but with a trace of imperceptible trembling: "If the other party originally had no resistance to killing, this problem would not exist."
"There are two wolves, right?" Tang Yin suddenly asked. A bird of unknown species chirped outside the window, cutting through the silence of the night, making this question particularly jarring.
"Um, you're right." Qin Ming's voice was very soft, like a feather falling to the ground. His gaze drifted out the window, as if trying to escape the topic.
Tang Yin's gaze became sharp, as if to see through the truth in the darkness: "In other words, in this small village of Fog Hidden Village, at least two people have the qualities of a murderer?"