TEFSCBSS Chapter 81

Chapter 81: Review Concluded, Everyone Returns Home

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines as they saw Jiang Liang being carried out, clearly unconscious. Was this script really that terrifying? It had managed to scare a burly man like him into such a state?

Su Li stepped forward with a hint of regret. “Everyone, it’s not what you think. This guy came to cause trouble—he even tried to set the script shop on fire.”

“To avoid disrupting your game, I had him knocked out. I was just about to send him to the authorities.”

Suddenly, a voice rang out from the crowd. “Boss, don’t worry—I’m here!”

The owner of the voice pushed his way through the onlookers, calling out, “Make way! Step aside!”

It was none other than Song Dadou, the constable they hadn’t seen in a while, along with his two less-than-competent sworn brothers.

“Boss, rest assured, I’ll make sure this guy ends up behind bars. A heartless scoundrel like this? No way I’d let him off easy!”

“With Constable Song handling it, I have nothing to worry about,” Su Li said with a nod.

She waved her hand, signaling for Jiang Liang to be handed over to Song Dadou. It wasn’t hard for her to guess who was behind this trouble. If it wasn’t Prime Minister Su, then it was Su Yao. After all, in the entire royal city, those were the only two people she had ever crossed.

Originally, she had considered dumping the guy at the Prime Minister’s estate entrance, but if she outright accused Su Prime Minister of causing trouble, it wouldn’t matter if others believed it or not. The real issue was that her dear customers might become too afraid of Su Prime Minister’s power to keep coming to play. And if that happened, how was she supposed to run her business?

So, the best course of action was to handle it fairly—send him to the authorities. It was the most reasonable approach.

Su Li glanced out the window at the darkening sky, then turned to the crowd. “It’s getting late. If you’re still playing, keep at it. If you need to head home, don’t stay out too long—don’t keep your wives and kids waiting! And next time, bring your family and friends along!”

The crowd responded enthusiastically before gradually dispersing.

She then turned to the remaining five players. “Come on, let’s sit in the quiet room. I’ll go over the game with you and reveal some hidden details.”

Exhausted but intrigued, the group eagerly followed her into the quiet room. Once inside, they were pleasantly surprised to find comfortable loungers covered in soft fabric.

“Wow,” someone muttered, “I didn’t expect Su Li to take such good care of her guests. This experience was worth it.”

As they nibbled on the snacks Su Li had prepared, she began her analysis.

“You all did a great job piecing together the story and character backgrounds, but there are still some unanswered questions.”

“For example, who was the one who killed Wu Zhen in the first round?”

Everyone exchanged uncertain glances.

Zhao Wen hesitated for a moment before suggesting, “Was it Li Tiezhu?”

“Exactly!”

Wang Bokao was stunned. “Zhao Xiaogou, how did you figure that out?”

Zhao Wen explained his reasoning, his voice growing more excited as he finished. Then he looked at Su Li, eager to see if he had gotten it right.

She nodded. “Yes, just as Zhao Wen deduced. Li Tiezhu wanted to destroy the altar, so he poisoned Wu Zhen. He used a silver needle coated with lethal poison and, under the cover of darkness, managed to get close enough to successfully assassinate him.”

“And what about the second time?” someone asked.

“Ah, the second time was, indeed, caused by a mechanism,” Su Li replied. “And the culprit… was Zhao Wen.”

She smirked playfully. “I should tell you about the ending you all achieved.”

“Congratulations! You unlocked the ‘Ghosts Unleashed Upon the World’ ending!”

Wang Bokao rubbed his chin. “That doesn’t sound like a good ending…”

Su Li chuckled, glancing at Zhao Wen and Li Tiezhu. “Well, that’s because you guys released the ghosts!”

“You’re all familiar with the soul-switching technique, but do you know why the script kept looping over and over again?”

The room fell silent as everyone pondered the question.

After a moment, Zhao Wen cleared his throat. “Ahem… actually…”

He went on to explain how the female ghost had reshaped Shanshi Village and how, once the soul-switching ritual succeeded, he and Li Tiezhu would forever retain the villagers’ memories.

He even admitted to eating dirt and bones as part of a quest for immortality.

Wang Bokao stared at him in disbelief, then threw an arm around Zhao Wen’s shoulder, his tone half-joking, half-exasperated. “So all along, you were just acting in front of us? That’s why you were so eager to take charge and control the situation?”

“So basically, we were all just your pawns?”

“No, no, of course not!” Zhao Wen protested, struggling to escape Wang Bokao’s grip.

“Then explain why you killed Wu Zhen!”

“Uh… If these outsiders are allowed to leave, they’ll inevitably spread the truth about Shanshi Village. Immortality… well, that’s not something the whole world needs to know about.”

There was one thing he didn’t say out loud—according to the script, if everyone became immortal, then immortality would lose its meaning. His character in the story wanted to protect his privilege, so of course, he wouldn’t let anyone who knew the truth live.

That included Wang Bokao and the other three players. In the script, his final mission was to eliminate them as soon as they left Shanshi Village, ensuring the secret remained buried forever.

Su Li picked up where he had left off. “So, one of you was a ghost. A ghost followed you out into the real world, and more importantly, there was a special entity among you—Li Tiezhu. The spirit possessing him was none other than Cui Yixue.”

“If they were allowed to escape the village, it would be a catastrophe for the entire human world.”

She clapped her hands. “Alright, that about wraps up the main story. Now for some Easter eggs.”

Su Li went on to explain why the concept of immortality existed in the script, the details of the soul-switching ritual, and the folk ghost stories she had woven into the narrative. By the time she finished, her throat was dry from talking.

Finally, she announced, “And with that, The Phantom of the Mountain Village comes to an end. Thank you all for experiencing our story.”

“Ghosts themselves aren’t frightening. What’s truly terrifying… is the human heart.”

“That was my original intention when writing this script. I hope to see you all again next time!”

As the crescent moon climbed higher, the script shop hung a “Closed” sign on its door, and the players gradually departed in small groups.

On the way home, Zhao Wen found himself sharing a carriage with Wang Bokao purely because they were heading in the same direction. He sat stiffly by the door, looking as if he was ready to bolt at any moment.

Wang Bokao raised an eyebrow. “…You seem nervous around me?”

Had he bullied him that much?

Zhao Wen wiped away nonexistent sweat from his forehead. After deceiving Wang Bokao so thoroughly in the game, there was no way he’d let it slide. He was plotting something!

Sure enough, Wang Bokao suddenly smacked his forehead. “Ah, my bad—I almost forgot! Didn’t you bring your old man’s secret weapon? Let me take a look.”

“Uh, no need. The game’s over.”

“I’m just curious. Just a quick look, I promise.”

Yeah, like hell he’d trust that! But no matter how much Zhao Wen internally cursed, he still had no choice but to hand over the so-called “weapon.”

“Huh? This is what it is?” Wang Bokao clicked his tongue in surprise, examining the item in his hands. “Damn, your father is ruthless. With this thing, no criminal could hold out under interrogation. Tsk tsk.”

Just then, the driver, Er Tong, called out from outside. “Young masters, we’ve arrived.”

Relief washed over Zhao Wen. Finally home. Finally safe.

He reached out to take back his “weapon,” but before he could react, Wang Bokao kicked him straight out of the carriage.

With an infuriatingly cheerful tone, Wang Bokao even added, “Zhao Xiaogou, it’s late—be careful getting off the carriage! Look at you, all weak and wobbly, falling flat on your face like that! Hahaha!”

“Er Tong, let’s go home!”

Without sparing Zhao Wen another glance, Wang Bokao hopped off the carriage, stuffed the “weapon” into his robes, and strolled into the Wang estate while humming a tune. The grand red doors shut behind him with a resounding thud, leaving Zhao Wen staring at the cold, unyielding entrance.

“WANG BOKAO!”

“GIVE ME BACK MY STUFF!”

Reality finally set in—he had lost it. Zhao Wen rushed up to the gates, pounding on them with both hands. The noise startled the neighborhood dogs, setting off a chorus of barking, but no one inside came to open the door.

“Ugh…”

Zhao Wen crouched down, clutching his head. I’m doomed. I lost it. If my father finds out, I’ll be a dead man by morning!

What to do?

What to do?!

He glanced around, eyes darting between the pitch-black alley and his own home, where a far greater threat awaited him.

Su Li’s words echoed in his mind—Ghosts aren’t scary. What’s truly terrifying is the human heart.

He never expected to experience the truth of that statement so soon.

There was no way he could go home. But staying here was just as dangerous.

Taking a deep breath, he turned on his heel and sprinted into the dark alleys, disappearing into the shadows.