Bro, Stop Acting

"……"

Zhong Yi felt his head buzzing.

In this world, there were two people whose skulls he had always wanted to pry open just to see what was inside.

One was Lu Ze, who was full of wild ideas.

The other was Mu Yawen, whose straightforwardness bordered on the abnormal.

"Ahem, Number Two… stop joking around, you…"

Zhong Yi was so shocked he started babbling nonsense.

The other three players behind him were already casting suspicious glances their way.

"Huh? Really! I really am a Demon Path cultivator!"

Mu Yawen looked utterly innocent.

He carefully recalled all the details Zhong Yi had taught him and compared them to his own behavior…

Nothing seemed wrong!

Hadn’t he been told not to reveal his true identity?

He couldn’t understand why Zhong Yi was acting so strangely.

"Hah, I get it. You’re doing this because I told you to lie, so you…"

Before Zhong Yi could finish, a golden light flashed.

Someone had lit incense in the ancestral hall, and everyone was teleported inside.

"It’s over…"

Zhong Yi helplessly covered his forehead, shaking his head repeatedly.

This junior brother of his, Mu Yawen, was truly beyond saving…

Just as he expected, the one who had lit the incense was one of the three players who had been behind them earlier—the same player from the Tianxuan Sect.

Number Nine, [Tianxuan Sect Gatekeeper], chuckled and began speaking:

"Haha, Numbers One and Two are really something. Last round, they were both Demon Path, and now they’re at it again…"

"Number Two outright shouted ‘I’m a Demon Path.’ Given his personality, you all can probably guess what’s going on, right?"

"If we vote Number Two out right away, us good guys will have a huge advantage from the start!"

When it was Zhong Yi’s turn to speak, he felt like there was no way to defend himself.

If it had been anyone else, it might have been easier to explain, but everyone already knew Mu Yawen’s personality from the last round.

No matter how absurd or impossible his words sounded, someone would believe him.

Mu Yawen was beyond saving, so Zhong Yi decided to focus on protecting himself.

"Number Two and I ‘don’t know each other’ in this illusion. I have no idea what his identity is or whether he’s a Demon Path cultivator, but I’m definitely a solid good guy."

Zhong Yi adjusted his tone and spoke without batting an eye.

"I came from the kitchen, while Number Two came from the study… With such little time, there’s no way we could’ve met beforehand and planned this, right?"

This clear analysis made several people nod subtly.

"I don’t know about Number Two’s identity, but based on my understanding of him, he’s probably not a Demon Path cultivator…"

"The reason he said he was a Demon Path is probably because I just taught him not to reveal his true identity."

"As for my identity, it’s a bit special, and my abilities are quite strong… I’ll explain to someone privately later."

With this smooth-talking, Zhong Yi managed to reduce most of the suspicion on himself.

Then came the moment for Mu Yawen, the center of attention, to speak.

"Um…"

Seeing Zhong Yi frantically signaling him with his eyes, Mu Yawen finally realized that maybe he shouldn’t have claimed to be a Demon Path.

"Then… I guess I’m a good guy?"

"……"

Zhong Yi covered his eyes in despair.

Just as he expected, no one believed Mu Yawen’s words.

Even Zhong Yi, who had tried to defend him, was now under suspicion as a potential Demon Path cultivator.

Unsurprisingly, Mu Yawen received nearly all the votes.

[Player Number Two, "Exercise Brings Progress," has been exiled!]

Just as everyone prepared to move on to the next phase, something unexpected happened—the game abruptly entered the victory screen.

["Dumb Owl" has achieved victory!]

Teleported back to the waiting plaza, the players were momentarily stunned.

"What just happened?? How did it end so fast??"

"Holy crap! [Dumb Owl] is a demonic beast! Getting voted out means they win!!!"

"Wait, so Number Two did that on purpose??"

"Damn… First claiming to be a Demon Path to trick us into suspecting him, then pretending to backtrack at the last second…"

"Is he… a genius?"

"Absolute legend! I bow down!"

……

Every player present looked at Mu Yawen with awe.

Only Zhong Yi shook his head, torn between laughter and tears.

He knew full well that Mu Yawen wasn’t scheming—he was just being overly obedient…

"Heh, Senior Brother… looks like you really can’t tell the truth in this illusion!"

Mu Yawen, experiencing this kind of thrill for the first time in the illusion, grinned happily.

This round had taught everyone a new lesson.

For example, if someone seemed desperate to get voted out, they might actually be a [Dumb Owl].

Eager for more, the group immediately started another round.

Zhong Yi spawned in the dungeon.

After checking his identity, his eyes gleamed with excitement.

He had gotten the Demon Path role again!

This time, he was a [Death Curse Master], capable of writing down a player’s number and profession during the voting phase.

If he guessed the target’s profession correctly, they would drop dead instantly.

If he was wrong… he’d be the one to die!

It was practically a death note!

A highly strategic role—Zhong Yi was thrilled.

His mind was already racing with flawless assassination plans!

As he neared the dungeon exit, he spotted a lone player in the distance.

"Hahaha…"

"Hidden spawn point, no Mu Yawen as a teammate, and a lone good guy in sight…"

"This time, victory is mine!!"

Zhong Yi burst into laughter and sprinted toward the unsuspecting player.

After confirming no one else was around, he approached with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

"I am—"

Snap!

Poor Player Number Seven didn’t even get to finish speaking before Zhong Yi slit his throat.

"Now I just need to figure out how to cover my tracks and make sure no one knows I was here… Huh??"

Zhong Yi froze.

Because suddenly, he and the other players were teleported to the ancestral hall.

They had entered the discussion and voting phase already?

And he was the first to speak??

Zhong Yi was stunned.

He almost blurted out, "Who lit the incense?"

But a quick glance at the system message revealed that he had been the one to report the body.

The air was dead silent.

Zhong Yi’s mind raced.

Though he had no idea what was happening, his expression shifted dramatically into one of grief:

"Who… WHO KILLED PLAYER SEVEN???"

He shook his head in feigned anguish.

"I spawned in the dungeon. The whole way, I didn’t see a single player—I was terrified of running into a Demon Path cultivator!"

"Just as I was about to reach the exit, I saw Player Seven and thought, ‘Finally, the group!’ I was so relieved!"

"But then—BAM! Someone murdered him right at the entrance!!!"

"AHHH!!! I’m useless, no special skills… all I could do was ring the death bell for him!"

Clenching his fists in "rage," Zhong Yi continued:

"That’s what happened… If anyone saw someone near the dungeon, speak up—they’re probably the killer!"

Satisfied with his flawless performance, Zhong Yi wrapped up his speech.

Mu Yawen gave some meaningless input, and soon it was Player Three’s turn.

"Pfft—"

Number Three couldn’t hold back his laughter.

"Bro, quit the act..."

"Number Seven and I already shared our roles—he’s the [Scout]. Kill him, and you’ll automatically trigger the alarm... HAHAHA!!!"