Wen Renxi sensed a weird disturbance.

Given her excellent eyesight, and knowing Zaoya would escape from Han Jiao, the escape itself wasn’t a surprise. But it was fast.

Zaoya, a village girl used to hard labor, should be quick, but this was a blink-and-she’s-gone kind of fast.

Wen Renxi thought of something else.

Han Jiao and the others feared Shangyang. What was the danger? Did it take Zaoya?

Wen Renxi only saw a white blur. No one else saw clearly either. The difference was, the players were prepared, while the villagers were genuinely shocked.

Hu and his wife were livid.

A bride escaping on her wedding night was bad luck. Their carefully chosen time was wasted. Zaoya rejected their son. What if it ruined his next life?

Worse, Zaoya had knocked over Hu’s coffin. Now it lay on its side, Hu Jizu spilled out.

“Pfft!”

Wen Renxi heard a stifled laugh. It was Han Jiao, feigning innocence.

Next to her, Lu Lu, the “corporate” woman, also smiled. She nodded at Wen Renxi, then returned to her stoic demeanor.

…While disrespecting the dead was wrong, so was what Hu’s family was doing.

“Hey, why’re you holding a knife?” Qiu Ping, the older woman, noticed the butcher knife in Wen Renxi’s hand.

Wen Renxi held up the knife and her free hand. “Filing my nails. Didn’t have a file, and they’re too long.”

What was the problem?

Players: “…”

They all knew Wen Renxi was trying to get the drop on them.

Qin Guoan eyed Hu Jizu’s corpse, sensing a chill. He grew wary.

The villagers’ reaction was huge, even fearful.

“Find Zaoya! Don’t keep Mr. Hu waiting!”

“Bitch! You’re lucky he wanted her. If my son suffers, you’ll pay!”

“Please, we’ll bring her back!”

Chaos erupted. Professor Huang, worried, addressed his “students.”

“The bride’s gone. Stay inside tonight. They’ll find her. Don’t let them mistake you for her.”

They knew what happened to a “bride.” She’d be taken to Hu Jizu’s coffin.

They’d planned to search tonight. Now, they were on edge.

They didn’t know the dungeon’s horrors. The few survivors didn’t either.

“Professor, come on. They wouldn’t mistake us, would they?” Huang Pingyu, one of the older men, asked, fishing for intel.

Women couldn’t go out, but what about men? They’d have an advantage.

Qiu Ping and the other women frowned.

Huang scoffed. “In the dark? Who can tell? If you want to be mistaken for a bride, be my guest.”

Huang Pingyu: “…”

“Professor, do you have something against me?”

“You’ve been held back forever. I’m cursed with this class!” Huang declared.

Huang Pingyu: “…”

He couldn’t argue. He was playing a student.

He didn’t need the professor’s approval.

Sadly, the professor gave no useful intel. Men were as vulnerable as women.

And who knew what monsters roamed at night?

This was a death trap.

Wen Renxi filed her nails, then casually sheathed the knife.

The players were searching. Zaoya was well-hidden.

Patience.

Killing was illegal. Best avoid it. If not… plan the cover-up.

Still, Wen Renxi worried for Zaoya. The forest was dangerous at night.

The players had three days.

Han Jiao’s tracking caught Wen Renxi’s attention, but she didn’t act. She’d use Han Jiao to find Zaoya.

Night fell.

No one went out. Were they biding their time? Wen Renxi couldn’t tell.

As Hu’s guest, Professor Huang offered to help search. Hu accepted.

“You outsiders are smart. Find my disobedient daughter-in-law.”

“We’ll find her,” Huang promised.

That night, Han Jiao couldn’t sleep, and spoke to Wen Renxi.

“How’re you going to find her?”

“First, tell me how you’re going to find her,” Wen Renxi countered.

Han Jiao pursed her lips.

Wen Renxi was deceptive. They hadn’t suspected her.

A master actor.

“You know, whoever finds Zaoya lives. Want to team up? Find her, then compete for the reward.”

Han Jiao wasn’t skilled, but she had items, including life-savers. She had leverage.

She wanted to go out tonight.

It was risky, but necessary.

Others couldn’t get ahead.

Rather risk death together, she figured. She had experience at level 60.

Han Jiao’s offer suited Wen Renxi.

She could find Zaoya, but the players were faster. A partner was useful.

They’d turn on each other later.

But she played hard to get.

She baited Han Jiao.

For negotiation, they needed equal info.

Wen Renxi made up a backstory and fooled Han Jiao.

“I know where Zaoya is. I marked her. But others can do that too. We need to hurry.”

“Right, we need to hurry.”

“Tonight.”

“Deal!”

Han Jiao: She’s an actor, and dangerous. I’ll use her as a bodyguard, then ditch her.

Wen Renxi: She can find Zaoya easily. I’ll take Zaoya and hide. She’s planning to betray me too.

They smiled at each other.