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墨書 Inktalez
Zhang Hui was dead, killed by her own hand.
Xu Nuan knelt beside Zhang Hui's body, her hand still resting on the short knife, maintaining her previous posture.
Accidental killing was still murder.
As she lived with the realization of having taken a life in this game, when the day truly arrived, she was filled with terror and fear.
Becoming a murderer with blood on her hands was a truth Xu Nuan could not accept. The dread from within left her in a state of shock, yet she could hear the sounds around her clearly.
"Ah, Xu Nuan, you killed someone!"
It was Deng Yinyin's distinctive high-pitched voice. The sound echoed in the cave, causing Xu Nuan's head to throb. Reflexively, she glanced up at Deng Yinyin, only to find her looking at her in sheer horror, retreating uncontrollably.
That was the look reserved for a killer.
Strangely, Fan Beibei did not cry or blame Xu Nuan for Zhang Hui's death, nor did she pick up a weapon to attack Xu Nuan at that moment.
However, when Chi Xiaoming's voice rang out, Fan Beibei immediately reacted.
"What happened?"
The cave quickly filled with people. In addition to Chi Xiaoming and Gu Ze, there were two men they had brought back, but those men were no longer the focus of attention.
Fan Beibei, realizing what had transpired, stumbled to Chi Xiaoming's side, clutching his pant leg and looking up at him with a face marred by a deep gash. She choked out, "This woman killed Brother Hui! She also slashed my face and neck; she tried to kill me and us! She's insane; she's the murderer!"
Fan Beibei's sobbing made Xu Nuan frown and brought her to understand what kind of scene this would be: after accidentally taking a life, everyone had gathered together to look at her.
The self-reproach from within threatened to consume her, but she still focused her dazed gaze in Gu Ze's direction. At that moment, all she wanted was to see Gu Ze's expression.
Would Gu Ze condemn her? Would he abandon her because she was a murderer?
Ah, she remembered a time when she suspected Gu Ze of killing Guo Xu. He had said that if he had killed someone, he would not deserve to be embraced. Now, it seemed that it was she who did not deserve to embrace him.
She thought she would see disappointment and fear on Gu Ze's face, but she hoped not to witness such an expression. What she never expected was that Gu Ze looked at her with deep concern, quickly walked over, took off his coat, wrapped it around her, and held her close.
Gu Ze gently released her grip on the dagger and spoke softly to her.
“It’s not your fault.”
What kind of man chooses to believe in her before knowing the whole story?
She felt so relieved, but that still did not change the fact that she had killed Zhang Hui. The body in his embrace trembled uncontrollably; she could feel Gu Ze gently patting her back and hear voices from others around them.
“ Chi Xiaoming, this woman killed Brother Hui! You have to seek justice for Brother Hui!”
Fan Beibei cried out dramatically.
“Get up. We all saw what happened, but you need to explain the details.”
Chi Xiaoming's cold voice was laced with anger.
The others stood by like a backdrop as Fan Beibei sobbed in front of Chi Xiaoming, choking on her words as she recounted the events.
“After Brother Hui and I returned, this woman insisted that Brother Hui was a Secret Missioner and wouldn’t leave us alone. In the end, she insulted us with her words. Brother Hui couldn’t take it anymore and hit her, but then she threatened Brother Hui and ultimately killed him when he wasn’t paying attention.”
Fan Beibei’s words were filled with sorrow. The blood on her neck stained her clothes, and the blood on her face continued to flow, making her account sound very convincing.
“You can’t make a judgment based solely on one person's word.”
Seeing Xie Huai had already given his coat to Deng Yinyin, Xu Hang finally spoke coldly.
“When we entered, there were three of us. Deng Yinyin, what happened?”
In fact, the first thing that caught the attention of those who entered the cave was the disheveled and pale-faced Deng Yinyin. Fan Beibei, Deng Yinyin, and Xu Nuan were all injured, Zhang Hui was dead, and there were signs of a struggle in the cave. Things were certainly not as simple as they appeared.
Deng Yinyin was still in shock from the realization that Xu Nuan had killed someone, terrified to be in the presence of a murderer. She clutched Xie Huai's clothing tightly, trembling all over, looking utterly frightened.
Compared to how pitiful Deng Yinyin appeared to the others, Xu Hang was the one who understood her best among them.
"Deng Yinyin."
Xu Hang approached her and pressed down on her shoulder.
"We need you to tell us the truth. No matter how scared you are, this is your responsibility. Besides, you are the one being protected, aren't you?"
Having witnessed the aftermath, Xu Hang had already pieced together part of what had happened in the cave. He believed Gu Ze had deduced even more, so it was Deng Yinyin's duty to reveal everything.
If Deng Yinyin couldn't bear this responsibility, Xu Hang might truly give up on this immature woman.
"Xu Hang, can't you see how terrified Deng Yinyin is?"
Xie Huai shot Xu Hang a reproachful glare. In truth, he had been startled by the scene as soon as he entered; how much worse must it have been for Deng Yinyin, who had seen everything? Moreover, it was an undeniable fact that Xu Nuan had killed Zhang Hui.
Deng Yinyin trembled even more violently, as if responding to Xie Huai's words.
Xu Hang remained unfazed. While Fan Beibei continued to cry to Chi Xiaoming, he kept his gaze fixed on Deng Yinyin.
"Deng Yinyin, this is your responsibility."
Deng Yinyin's body shook even more intensely.
At that moment, Yu Yu and He Min returned, panting heavily. Upon seeing the scene in the cave, Yu Yu immediately rushed over to protect Fan Beibei and gently asked what had happened. Meanwhile, He Min searched for Xu Nuan's figure within the cave and eventually spotted Gu Ze holding a woman wrapped in clothing.
She wanted to approach but hesitated when she saw Zhang Hui's body on the ground and observed the expressions of those in the cave. She stood there with a complex look on her face.
Fan Beibei cried as she recounted the events once more. Upon hearing this, Yu Yu immediately discarded her polite facade, rising in anger and preparing to rush at Xu Nuan, only to be stopped by Chi Xiaoming.
"What do you mean by that?"
Yu Yu's expression darkened as she faced Chi Xiaoming.
"Are you forgetting your bond with Zhang Hui because of an old acquaintance, or is it that the reality before you still cannot convince you?"
"Calm down," Chi Xiaoming maintained his stoic expression even in such a situation. His sharp gaze swept over the panting Yu Yu. "This is the truth, but we have yet to clarify the circumstances. Don't let me see your foolishness, or are you trying to hide something with your stupidity?"
The atmosphere was tense, hinting at an internal conflict before the matter was resolved. Fan Beibei quickly sided with Chi Xiaoming, accusing him.
"Captain, why are you siding with outsiders? The facts are right in front of us; why won't you admit it?"
Gu Ze tightly held Xu Nuan, ignoring the argument. He didn't want anyone to see Xu Nuan's current expression. If possible, he would prefer to take Xu Nuan away from this place right now. However, he had to wait until everything was clarified while Xu Nuan was present before he could take her away; only then would she not be blamed by others.
He firmly believed that Xu Nuan would not kill without reason. He didn't even think she was someone who would kill without provocation; many possibilities could arise in a narrow cave. If he couldn't clarify the situation, he wouldn't be able to resolve the knot in Xu Nuan's heart.
He trusted that Xu Hang would get Deng Yinyin to speak up, and for now, he could only hold Xu Nuan tighter as she continued to tremble.
Amidst the noise, Xu Hang kept repeating a few phrases to Deng Yinyin; this was his responsibility as captain.
No one knew what Deng Yinyin was thinking deep down—whether she was truly terrified or had ulterior motives—but in the end, she finally spoke up. Her words were fragmented yet surprisingly logical, unlike what one would expect from someone who had been greatly frightened. Xu Hang immediately understood; previously, Deng Yinyin had been unwilling to speak, and his heart sank.
"I'm not quite sure either."
When Fan Beibei heard Deng Yinyin start with those words, she smirked slightly from an angle where others couldn't see. However, Deng Yinyin's subsequent words twisted her expression into one of distress; she buried her face in Yu Yu's embrace, pretending to be very scared.
"I was... with Xu Nuan just fine when Zhang Hui suddenly attacked us with a knife... then I hit my head against the wall and lost consciousness."
Deng Yinyin clutched Xie Huai's clothing, avoiding Xu Hang's gaze as her body trembled and she continued speaking.
"When I woke up, I saw Xu Nuan threatening her with a knife," Deng Yinyin said, trembling as she pointed at Fan Beibei. "Then I realized Zhang Hui was being very rude to me... Both Xu Nuan and I were really angry, and Zhang Hui was still holding the knife, trying to cut me. After that, somehow, Xu Nuan lunged at Zhang Hui, and then Zhang Hui died."
Deng Yinyin only recounted the general sequence of events, and while her explanation was understandable, it couldn't change the outcome. Xu Hang wanted to ask for more details, like whether Xu Nuan had really stabbed Zhang Hui directly, but every time he did, Deng Yinyin would cower in fear towards Xie Huai, acting as if she knew nothing.
Regardless, Deng Yinyin's words held weight; the few who had entered earlier had seen her disheveled state. The question remained: how should they settle this matter?
"Yu, even if that's the case, we must avenge Zhang Hui. This woman is a murderer; we can't let her go. Who knows if she'll kill someone else?"
Deng Yinyin kept murmuring about how terrifying it was that someone had died.
The few people brought back by Xu Hang merely watched the scene with indifference, not participating in the conversation. When others weren't paying attention, they exchanged meaningful glances at Xu Nuan.
The cave was still noisy, chaotic enough to be unsettling.
Gu Ze wrapped his coat around Xu Nuan to shield her from view and helped her up, pulling her close. He cast a cold, threatening glance over everyone present.
"Regardless of how you all perceive this situation, the fault does not lie with Nuan. Now I'm taking her out of here; you can deal with the body as you see fit."
Gu Ze held onto Xu Nuan as they moved toward the exit. She followed him instinctively, her mind blank; it was always harder for those who committed murder to accept their actions than for bystanders.
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