TEFSCBSS Chapter 67

Chapter 67: A New Scene Unfolds

The village chief and his group walked away into the distance, while Wu Fei, burning with anger, stepped toward the five people. “Speak! Who killed my senior brother?”

The five exchanged glances but remained silent, creating an awkward atmosphere.

Just then, a young, bald boy ran up and tugged at Wu Fei’s sleeve. “Second Senior Brother, let’s bury Senior Brother first… Otherwise, he’s going to start smelling.”

Wu Fei, amid his fury, twitched at the corner of his mouth. Looking down at Wu Ming’s clever little head, he couldn’t help but worry about the boy’s future.

Still, it was about time for them to exit the scene and give Boss Zhao time to set up the next act.

With a dramatic flick of his monk’s robe, Wu Fei scooped up his senior brother in a bridal carry. His face was twisted with anger as he glared at the players. “Stay right where you are! Don’t even think about running. Once you step into Shanshi Village, you’re not leaving. We have plenty of ways to track you down!”

With that, he shot them one last vicious glare before carrying Wu Zhen away. The little bald boy quickly followed behind, while a few younger children, too young to understand this was all an act, sobbed loudly.

As they moved further from the players, Wu Zhen stiffly tried to stretch his limbs. In doing so, he accidentally brushed against his junior brother’s scrawny chest. Feeling a bit awkward, he muttered, “Wu Fei, put me down. They can’t see us anymore.”

Wu Fei remained silent, his expression somber. Even though this was all just an act, seeing his senior brother lying there, pale and lifeless with that ghastly makeup, had genuinely made him feel anger and sorrow.

If he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have agreed to his senior brother’s ridiculous plan. One person earning money outside the temple was already enough. Why couldn’t he just be a proper monk? Why did he have to run off and play an NPC for Boss Zhao? The people in the city were ruthless—what if he got scammed?

Wu Zhen noticed his junior brother’s expression had darkened, almost like an inkstone, and felt puzzled. But seeing their little disciples still sniffling, he had no choice but to grab Wu Fei’s robe and say, “Junior Brother, put me down.”

With a sigh of resignation, Wu Fei finally stopped walking and let Wu Zhen down.

The moment he was free, Wu Zhen gave Wu Fei a light smack on his shiny bald head. “Not listening to your senior brother? When we get back, you’re copying scriptures as punishment.”

Then, turning back to the little monks, he put on a cheerful smile. “Alright, alright, what’s with all the crying? See? Your senior brother is alive and kicking! No more tears~”

“Waahhh! Senior Brother, you’re not dead!”

“You were so scary just now!”

The little bald heads swarmed him, clinging to his legs, crying their hearts out. Wu Zhen, despite being just seventeen or eighteen himself, was already adept at comforting a crowd of children.

Meanwhile, Wu Fei, pushed to the sidelines, rolled his eyes.

…

Elsewhere, the players who had just witnessed Wu Zhen’s “death” received their next script, accurately delivered by Su Li. As they opened the pages, the very first sentence caught their attention:

[Wu Zhen is dead. Determine whether you are the murderer and clear your name.]

…???

The group was dumbfounded. What? They hadn’t done anything! They were just watching the show!

Su Li cleared her throat awkwardly. “Ahem. Earlier, when Wu Zhen was chanting and performing the ritual, it was pitch black. It’s entirely possible that someone took action in the chaos, and no one saw it.”

She continued, “Besides, there was a long period when you all weren’t together. Who knows what each of you was up to?”

That struck a nerve. She was right. Ever since they left the Earth Temple, they hadn’t been in one unified group. Everyone had their own experiences. Who knew if one of them had made a move?

Their gazes turned wary, each person subtly stepping back from the others.

Satisfied with her role as the game master, Su Li quickly slipped away. As she hurried off, she sighed in frustration—if only they had smartphones or tablets in this era! Then, she could have just sent the scripts digitally instead of having to deliver them in person. It broke the immersion!

She made a mental note: she had to find a way to fix this problem in the future.

…

As Su Li disappeared, Wang Bokao was the first to speak. “I’ve played a scenario like this before. Back in Locust Tree Village, there was a similar mechanic—after a certain period, the story progresses.”

“It makes sense that we triggered a new script after witnessing Wu Zhen’s death. If someone did something, the script should mention it.”

“For now, let’s just read through our scripts, then compare notes like before?”

The group agreed. They weren’t too bothered by the chaotic setting—Zhao Wen, for instance, was still sitting on a cushion with hay stuck in his hair. Feeling a mix of nerves and excitement, he finally opened his new script.

[Wu Zhen is dead. Good riddance!]

Zhao Wen’s heart skipped a beat. What the hell? Did he have a grudge against Wu Zhen?

He quickly read further, making sure to shield his script from prying eyes.

[During your travels, you once encountered Wu Zhen and his group—but back then, they weren’t monks. They were bandits, hunting for the lost treasure of the previous dynasty.]

[It’s said that before the fall of the previous dynasty, the emperor entrusted all his wealth to a man named Cui, who hid it deep within a mountain range.]

[The current emperor once ordered a search, but nothing was found, and over time, the matter was abandoned. After all, he had a country to rule, and those riches were a luxury, not a necessity.]

[But others had different motivations. Some sought the treasure, while others pursued Cui, who was rumored to know immortality.]

[Many noble families sent their spies and mercenaries on the hunt.]

[Wu Zhen’s group was among them. They first disguised themselves as bandits, committing countless atrocities in search of the treasure and the secret to eternal life. When that failed, they changed identities—first as refugees, then as Taoists, and now, incredibly, as monks.]

[And now they’ve ended up in Shanshi Village.]

[You never trusted the villagers here, but Wu Zhen’s true goal was wealth and immortality. You couldn’t tell what he was plotting behind his pious facade.]

[While investigating alone, you secretly followed one of the monks and discovered them persuading villagers to participate in a soul-swapping ritual—by stuffing today’s outsiders into coffins.]

[Wu Fei, the sharp-tongued monk, even promised the chosen villagers wealth, status, and the ability to swap bodies at will, if they succeeded.]

[After that, you lost track of events, but one of the villagers involved looked suspiciously like Zhao Si, the man who brought you here.]

[Given all that’s happened, you now have no idea if anyone in your group has already been replaced.]

[Later, when you were with Wan Niang near the altar, you noticed some rustling noises beside her. It seemed like she left her hiding spot briefly, then returned. You have no idea what she did.]

[To summarize: You are not the killer. Though you’re relieved Wu Zhen is dead, you still need to find the true culprit. Otherwise, those vicious bastards might turn on you next.]

Zhao Wen: …

He needed a moment. That was a lot to process.