Chapter 29: Mystery

Officer Li didn't look at Qiao Jiajin. Instead, he turned to Qi Xia and asked, "I do have something on my mind about Han Yimo. Were you about to say something earlier? What does Han Yimo's death signify? And what about that sword?"

Qi Xia narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Officer Li. "Officer, you're an expert in criminal investigation, and I'm an expert in fraud. Isn't it odd for you to be asking me about a case?"

Officer Li lowered his head helplessly and said, "We've ended up in this godforsaken place—how could 'criminal investigation' be of any use now?"

After a moment of silence, Qi Xia decided to share the clues he had in mind. "Officer, all I can say is... Han Yimo might have been familiar with that sword."

"Familiar?" Officer Li furrowed his brow, then nodded thoughtfully. "Are you saying he had seen that sword before?"

"That's not something you need to worry about," Qi Xia replied. "You should focus on your own situation."

"What do you mean?"

Qi Xia sighed and turned to leave, but Officer Li grabbed his arm.

"Don't go—what exactly is my 'situation'?"

Lin Geng covered his mouth and nose as he leaned in close to Officer Li's ear and whispered, "Officer, since Qi Xia won't say it, I will. There are two things you need to be careful about."

"Two?"

"That's right. First, the only person here who could easily lift that massive sword is the deranged female clerk—she's incredibly strong. In other words, if Han Yimo was really murdered, she's the prime suspect. You all should get out of this place as soon as possible."

Officer Li nodded gravely and asked, "And the second?"

"The second is your 'teammates'—they don't seem trustworthy at all."

Officer Li's lips twitched slightly, as if he had just thought of something.

Standing by his side were Xiao Ran, the kindergarten teacher who was easily swayed by emotions and didn't seem very smart; Zhang Chenze, the lawyer who only cared about pros and cons and nothing else; and Zhao Yisheng, the doctor who had once opposed him and was somewhat self-centered.

Could this group of four rely on each other if they faced a life-threatening challenge?

After a long internal struggle, Officer Li finally spoke: "Qi Xia, no matter what, I'll use the convenience store as our base and explore the nearby areas. If you have any information... you can come to me to exchange it."

Qi Xia neither agreed nor refused; he just gave Officer Li a faint glance and walked away.

The others didn't know what to say and followed him.

Officer Li stared at the backs of the four as they left for a moment, then returned to the convenience store with Zhao Yisheng and Xiao Ran.

He knew all too well that those four outside were more reliable in a pinch, but they were out collecting 'Dao'—in other words, they were courting death.

Following them wouldn't be safe either.

For now, the only way to survive was to establish a base and plan for the long term.

...

Qi Xia led the group onward, and before long, they arrived at the square where they had first appeared the day before.

He wanted to verify something here.

It was about the massive bell toll he had heard that morning.

Just like yesterday, the center of the square had a huge electronic screen, and above the screen hung a large bronze bell.

The bell had tolled when Han Yimo was stabbed.

Lin Geng blinked and said, "I think I've heard the bell several times..."

"Several times?" Qiao Jiajin paused and asked, "When?"

Lin Geng's pupils shifted slightly as he recalled, "Do you remember... when we first woke up in the rooms, the man whose skull was smashed by the 'Ren Yang'? It seemed like the bell rang when he died."

Tian Tian seemed to understand. "Does that mean... the bell tolls every time someone dies?"

The group nodded, thinking this guess was probably correct. The bronze bell appeared to be a death knell, announcing the number of deaths to everyone.

"No," Qi Xia shook his head. "That corridor we went through had at least a thousand rooms. While we were playing the 'game,' people were dying in all those rooms. If this thing is a death knell, we couldn't have only heard it twice."

"That..." Tian Tian felt Qi Xia had a point, but if not that, what was the condition for the bell to ring?

"Huh?" Lin Geng looked up at the screen and noticed it was blank. "I remember there was a line of text on it yesterday."

Everyone looked up, and indeed, the text had vanished.

"It was something like... 'echo' or whatever..." Qiao Jiajin stroked his chin and said, "I think it was 'I echo the Zhao Zai'?"

"I heard 'the echo of Zhao Zai,'" Qi Xia said.

"Oh, right..." Qiao Jiajin nodded. "What does that mean?"

Qi Xia shook his head.

This wasn't something they could figure out by guessing. They knew too little about this city.

What was Zhao Zai? What was the echo? And who was "I"?

"Forget it, let's check out somewhere else."

Qi Xia turned to leave, but suddenly froze.

In front of him was a withered, smiling face.

The face had appeared behind him at some point and was now staring straight at him.

Qi Xia's pupils dilated, and he quickly stepped back two paces.

The other three were also startled. Before them stood a withered old man, standing on tiptoes with his body bent like a dead tree.

"I've got it..." The old man smiled faintly, revealing his single remaining tooth. "The question you asked me—I've got the answer!"

Qi Xia felt a chill down his spine as the old man stared at him. "Are you talking to me?"

The old man licked his dry lips. "Young man, I know the answer! It's 'Du Ming'! As long as you gamble your life, everything will be fine!"

He reached out with his dirty, nail-ridden hand toward Qi Xia.

"We're so close to getting out! As long as you're willing to gamble your life..."

Qi Xia frowned and stepped back further. Although he didn't understand what the old man was saying, the constant talk of his life was too eerie.

"Hey! Old man, who are you?" Qiao Jiajin asked suspiciously. "Have you met Qi Xia before?"

The old man's expression shifted, and he turned to look at Qiao Jiajin.

He opened his mouth complexly and asked, "You don't recognize me?"

"Why should I?"

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. The old man's cloudy eyes flickered, and after a long while, he seemed to realize something. "I see... You've already encountered 'Tian Long'..."

"Tian Long?" The four exchanged puzzled glances.

"No hope..." The old man shook his head and slowly turned away. "We can't fight him... We'll be lost here forever... No wonder 'Sheng Xiao' has returned..."

He muttered to himself as he walked off, his back looking utterly desolate.