Death Game: Starting as a Trickster, Pretending to Be a God

After Liu Chengyang and Yue Zhenqiao exchanged the secret signals and confirmed that neither of them was a demon, the group entered the cave to escape the heat.

The deeper part of the cave was several degrees cooler than the area near the entrance. Once inside, even if they removed their talismans and used no other cooling methods, they were no longer unbearably hot.

”Although it’s strange, it’s ultimately good that the escort carts are fine... At least it suggests the entity behind this series of disappearances is likely only interested in living people,” Yue Zhenqiao paused before continuing, ”It probably came specifically for our group of living people... After all, many demons are only interested in living humans as blood sustenance.”

Wu San also chimed in, ”The Dart Head makes a valid point. After all, there have been rumors about all sorts of strange happenings at Chen Family Fort for a long time. Many escort teams and merchant caravans that lost personnel here before, many of them were even empty-handed... Perhaps the fort master of Chen Family Fort and the Chen clan leader really have secretly raised some demon!”

Lin Yu shook his head, interrupting the two, ”No. Perhaps the hidden mastermind is only interested in living people, but definitely not for the reason of ’demons craving blood sustenance’.”

”If that were the case, it should have targeted the contents inside the escort carts instead!”

Because... the things inside were also alive!

Moreover, they held immense attraction for demons. From Sanyang’s reaction and intense craving, Lin Yu could easily deduce it was a natural, instinctive desire for blood sustenance.

Therefore... Yue Zhenqiao’s deduction was precisely the opposite.

”Whether it’s a demon or something else causing this series of disappearances, at the very least, it doesn’t crave blood sustenance. This entity’s motive for creating the disappearances might be something else entirely,” Lin Yu said coldly. ”And if its ultimate goal truly was blood sustenance, the only reason it didn’t touch the goods in the carts is... that mutilated body you’re escorting, it can’t move it for now.”

Although the mastermind behind the numerous dart masters’ disappearances was extremely bizarre, the mutilated remains within the escort carts were equally formidable.

Hearing Lin Yu say this, Yue Zhenqiao did not insist on his own view.

Surviving this long in the Prison Mountain Realm and working as a dart head for so many years, Yue Zhenqiao relied not on his martial arts skills, which were barely considered third-rate, but on his extensive experience, worldly wisdom, and sharp mind.

Right now, this Female Warrior was not just a little bit stronger than him; she was significantly superior. Therefore, her analysis was naturally much more reliable than any conclusion he could draw.

”Female Warrior, in your esteemed opinion... if it’s the former scenario, what should we do? And if it’s the latter, how should we proceed?”

Lin Yu spoke directly, ”It’s the same either way. Although Master Wu San’s earlier analysis was also partly mistaken, at least some of it was correct.”

”Regardless, this place’s strangeness is undeniably linked to Chen Family Fort. We still need to find someone from Chen Family Fort to get a clear explanation.”

Yue Zhenqiao was surprised, ”Wouldn’t that alert the enemy?”

Lin Yu, who had not supported seeking out the residents of Chen Family Fort earlier, now changed his mind for a reason.

Because Old Zheng had located a target.

”Boss, caught the guy who was probing you when you went out earlier. He’s hiding underground in a residential house in the middle of this fort... one of the rare few living people in this fort. Want to go check it out?”

”His spirit is formidable, but his condition is very weak. Probably a skilled expert in poor shape.”

Therefore, Lin Yu confidently answered Yue Zhenqiao.

”It won’t alert the enemy, because I just sensed a specific, unusual qi sense.”

As Lin Yu spoke, Yue Zhenqiao remained cautious.

”Alright, Female Warrior. If you want to go, I, Yue, will naturally accompany you. But could this be a trap? Should we go back and call for more experts?”

Lin Yu shook his head.

”No need,” Lin Yu trusted Old Zheng’s perception and his own strength. ”Calling more people would actually be more likely to alert the enemy.”

After saying this, Lin Yu also paused for a moment before adding.

”Regardless, Dart Head Yue, the escort carts here are temporarily safe and will remain so in the future. I suggest Master Liu and Master Wu also come with us...”

This time, Yue Zhenqiao hesitated somewhat, ”This... Is it okay not to guard the carts?”

”Even though you, Female Warrior, say it’s highly likely nothing will happen, losing the escorted goods is a serious matter. I, Yue, dare not gamble on it.”

Lin Yu looked at him and sighed.

This Dart Head Yue was indeed a seasoned and prudent veteran of the jianghu. But besides his slightly weaker martial prowess, his biggest flaw was being too fixated on that damn cargo he was transporting!

He was even somewhat inflexible.

However, persuading him wasn’t difficult.

”All thirty-one members of your escort team dying here would also count as losing the cargo,” Lin Yu’s tone became firmer. ”If you leave Liu Chengyang and Wu San here, this demon could make both disappear at once... If something really happens, given this demon whose method of attack we still don’t understand, could you stop it?”

As Lin Yu spoke, Yue Zhenqiao finally grasped the priorities.

”The Female Warrior speaks wisely. I, Yue, was being short-sighted... Then we must not delay, let’s set off immediately!”

As Yue Zhenqiao spoke, Lin Yu shook his head again, rejecting Yue Zhenqiao’s suggestion.

”Not so fast. At least let me check if there are any clues left around this cave... Liu Chengyang, where were you sitting when you felt that panic?”

”Probably here.”

Liu Chengyang pointed to a protruding rock at the outer edge of the cave. The rock resembled a naturally formed long stone bench.

Lin Yu walked over and began observing it.

The rock surface and its surroundings weren’t particularly dusty, just accumulated some gravel and sand, with a few tattered, old spiderweb remnants clinging to the rock’s surface.

Upon closer inspection of the piled sand and soil, many fresh traces could be seen.

Although the marks on the ground were somewhat messy, likely because Liu Chengyang had paced back and forth here at the time, upon careful identification, one could still tell that three people had once sat here.

Lin Yu sat in the middle position on it, leaning back slightly against the rocky cave wall.

The stone wall was dry and rough. As Lin Yu gently leaned against it, some sand grains slowly trickled from the cracks, making faint sounds.

Lin Yu exhaled. The earthy smell inside the rock cave was mixed with a faint hint of blood, but it likely wasn’t from a struggle or fight.

There were also no signs of a struggle here... Lin Yu could imagine that at the time, Liu Chengyang and the other two were probably sitting together here, looking out at the scorching daylight outside the cave, keeping watch over the livestock and escort carts to guard against anyone approaching.

Maybe they were chatting, maybe resting in silence. In any case, the three of them were sitting close together...

Then, suddenly, two of them instantly vanished.

Unlike the large group of people in the stone house, here, two out of three people disappeared. Even though his perception was instantly altered, Liu Chengyang still immediately sensed something was wrong and generated a massive amount of fear—these emotional residues remained.

Although Liu Chengyang couldn’t explain how these emotions arose, he had already immediately forgotten the source of his feeling that something was wrong.

But that’s how the emotion of fear is. The more rootless it is, the more it makes people lose control.

In the end, driven by fear... Liu Chengyang fired that signal arrow.