I Am the Demonic Path

"Senior Brother, why did everyone still figure it out even though I did exactly as you said..."

Floating above the map as a spirit, Mu Yawen looked puzzledly at Zhong Yi beside him.

Zhong Yi's lips twitched slightly. "Take a guess!"

During the first round of discussions, Zhong Yi had already turned the tide and convinced everyone.

But then Mu Yawen ruined it all with just one sentence, making everyone suspect they were the Demon Faction...

Naturally, Mu Yawen was unanimously voted out.

"Senior Brother, why did you die? Can they kill too? Does that mean we’re just fighting each other now?"

At the mention of fighting, Mu Yawen suddenly perked up.

From above, he had watched Zhong Yi sneak around corners, ambushing lone members of the Good Faction.

Only to be counter-killed by a single slash, joining him in spirit form.

"Some roles in the Good Faction can attack," Zhong Yi explained.

The one who killed him was the [Constable].

Zhong Yi pulled up the role panel to check the skills.

The [Constable] could also kill, but if they struck the wrong target, they would die as well.

Besides that, there was another Good Faction role called the [Swordsman], who could also attack.

"Then why did you die instead of him?"

Mu Yawen muttered to himself before answering his own question:

"Oh right, in this illusion, Senior Brother Zhong is what Junior Brother Lu called... 'handicapped.'"

"...Don’t listen to Junior Brother Lu’s nonsense."

Zhong Yi clenched his fists tightly.

After death, players became invisible spirits, hovering above the map to observe the entire game.

By now, Zhong Yi had grasped the basics of Demon Slayer.

Each of the three factions had its own objectives.

Take the Good Faction, for example.

Completing tasks was nearly impossible—their main goal was to root out the hidden Demon Faction and the Monstrous Beasts.

Only a few Good Faction roles could attack, so the public voting phase in the ancestral hall was their main battlefield!

As for the Demon Faction, their goal was the simplest of the three.

Just kill.

Of course, they had to avoid detection, using lies and information gaps to conceal their identities and survive the voting phase.

At first, Zhong Yi didn’t understand the purpose of the Monstrous Beasts. But after observing a few rounds and studying the role templates, he figured it out.

The Monstrous Beasts were a neutral faction.

Unlike the Good and Demon Factions, which operated as groups, the Monstrous Beasts were lone wolves—each monster fought independently!

For instance, after Zhong Yi and Mu Yawen died, the remaining Monstrous Beast on the field was the [Glutton].

Its skill allowed it to devour others into its stomach.

Its victory condition was either to eat everyone or survive until the final [Glutton Time].

Zhong Yi skimmed through the other Monstrous Beast roles and found many interesting mechanics.

Like the [Dodo Owl].

Its win condition? Getting voted out during the voting phase.

Or the [Rotting Fiend].

Like the [Dodo Owl], it couldn’t kill, but similar to Zhong Yi’s [Corpse Devourer], it could consume corpses—except it could keep eating indefinitely.

Its victory condition was to devour a set number of corpses.

The more Zhong Yi studied, the more fascinated he became.

Just as Lu Ze’s promotional tagline claimed, this was a battle of truth and lies!

Not only did the Demon Faction and Monstrous Beasts have to lie—even the Good Faction had to deceive.

Revealing everything about your identity only helped your enemies!

Lies, deduction, strategy, improvisation…

Every faction needed to master them all.

"Junior Brother Mu, this illusion might actually help you."

Zhong Yi watched with amusement as the [Glutton] below entered [Glutton Time], desperately evading the [Constable]’s pursuit.

As the game neared its end, Zhong Yi spoke earnestly to Mu Yawen:

"As the saying goes, 'Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.'

Junior Brother Mu, you’re too straightforward—everything’s written on your face. Learning to lie isn’t a bad thing. At the very least, it’ll help you recognize when others are lying to you.

In this illusion, remember: no matter who you’re talking to, never reveal the full truth!"

After hearing Zhong Yi’s advice, Mu Yawen frowned in distress.

"Does that mean… I can’t even tell you the truth, Senior Brother?"

"No. Not even me."

Zhong Yi nodded solemnly.

"In this illusion, there are no senior or junior brothers. Until identities are confirmed, even with me, you must hold back!"

"Alright, I understand."

Mu Yawen nodded thoughtfully, murmuring to himself:

"Don’t tell the truth, don’t tell the truth…"

Soon, the first round ended.

Unsurprisingly, the [Glutton] of the Monstrous Beasts claimed victory.

Though the Good Faction lost, the righteous cultivators weren’t discouraged—if anything, they were even more fired up.

"Again! I’ve figured out how this illusion works!"

"Dammit, I ran straight into a dead end earlier… this map is designed to mess with us!"

"That [Glutton] is way too overpowered! It ate everyone!"

"Don’t remind me—my stomach was so noisy earlier…"

"Start the next round already! I’m ready to deduce!"

"Deduce? More like deceive!"

Amid the lively chatter about their first-round experiences, the second game began.

"Ah, I’m not the Demon Faction this time…"

Zhong Yi sighed regretfully as he checked his identity.

Though he was a righteous cultivator through and through—the esteemed head disciple of the Lingxiao Sect—

in Demon Slayer, the more scheming Demon Faction or Monstrous Beasts were simply more fun.

This round, Zhong Yi’s role was a Good Faction member called the [Saint].

The unique trait of this role was that upon his death, all Good Faction players would receive a notification: [The Saint Has Fallen].

"So, I’m bait."

Zhong Yi smirked, quickly analyzing the role’s purpose.

If he died, anyone without that information was either Demon Faction or Monstrous Beasts.

Assuming, of course, the other players knew the [Saint]’s ability and could use it properly.

At that thought, Zhong Yi scoffed.

Given the current skill level of the players, someone would probably blurt out, "What’s going on? Why did the Saint die?" the moment it happened.

"I’ll need to find reliable allies first, then plan accordingly…"

After some deliberation, Zhong Yi decided on his strategy—

Find trustworthy teammates, then go solo as bait.

His death could expose the enemies’ identities.

Leaving the kitchen, he began searching for potential allies.

Three players had already gathered in the hallway outside.

As Zhong Yi observed them, weighing his options, a familiar voice called out from behind.

"Senior Brother Zhong!"

Turning, he saw Mu Yawen.

Following Zhong Yi’s earlier instructions, Mu Yawen wore a stiff, expressionless face.

"I told you, in the illusion, call me by my number…"

Zhong Yi gave a helpless smile and pointed to the number "One" on his forehead.

"Alright, alright. Number One, what's your identity?"

Mu Yawen strained his brain to the limit, asking the question exactly as Zhong Yi had instructed.

"A good guy, of course. And you?"

Zhong Yi struggled to hold back his laughter.

Watching his straightforward junior brother Mu trying so hard to adapt, he knew he had to play along.

With a wide grin, Mu Yawen flashed his pearly white teeth and declared:

"Ha! Me? I’m a demonic cultivator!"