Bitter Realm: A Happy Person Traveling Across China

Chapter 95 Scripted Werewolf Game

Huangfu Xiaochan sighed slightly, "What an unfortunate situation. I recently gifted Crystal Lake to Ye Jinming, so the property rights no longer belong to me. However, the situation is urgent, and Jinming, knowing this, would certainly not stand idly by. You should go quickly!"

Despite the pain, Tan Wuyu solemnly said, "I will repay the great kindness of Lord Lin."

Huangfu Xiaochan shook his head: "Alas, why should we seek reward for saving lives? Go quickly!"

Su Huanzhen carried Tan Wuyu on his back and sped away in a flash of light, saying, "This inferior one takes his leave!"

Then Huangfu Xiaochan picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of tea, and said, "Huh, where's the cup?"

After drinking the tea, Huangfu Xiaochan suddenly felt a momentary daze.

(Old Silver Coin's scheme to frame someone is about to take effect, and the tea in the prison window has naturally been secretly poisoned by Gui Liang Tianxia with a deadly poison that can drive people insane and plunge them into a mental trial.)

On the shores of Crystal Lake, the waters are vast and misty, filled with a spiritual atmosphere.

Ye Jinming stood with his hands behind his back on a smooth boulder by the lake, gazing at the shimmering surface of the lake, seemingly lost in thought, or perhaps simply absorbing the spiritual essence of the place.

He had just returned from "dealing with business" with Shui Longying, Tianlaiyan, and Furonggu, and was in a good mood, thinking about how to "develop" this newly acquired treasure.

-

Suddenly, he felt something and turned to look in the direction of the lakeside path.

A figure in plain clothes approached from afar at great speed, but landed somewhat hastily; it was Su Huanzhen.

On his back was Tan Wuyu, his eyes closed, his face pale, and his breath faint.

"Jinming! It's so good to see you here!" Su Huanzhen's face immediately lit up with relief upon seeing Ye Jinming. He rushed forward and, without bothering with formalities, quickly explained the situation: "To make a long story short, I heard from Master Lin that only the life force of Crystal Lake can help Tan Wuyu stabilize his injuries. I've heard that the lake now belongs to you, and given the urgency of the situation—Tan Wuyu's life hangs in the balance—I beg you to grant him permission to enter the lake to heal. I would be eternally grateful!"

Ye Jinming's gaze swept over Tan Wuyu, who was carrying Su Huanzhen with a weak breath, and then looked at Su Huanzhen's anxious and pleading eyes.

A thought flashed through his mind, and he roughly understood the cause and effect.

But at this moment, saving lives is the priority.

"Of course!" Ye Jinming nodded immediately without any hesitation, his expression becoming serious. "Old Tan is also my friend, so naturally I won't stand by and watch him die."

He said no more, turned around and led the way, taking Su Huanzhen quickly toward the core area of ​​Crystal Lake where the spiritual energy was most abundant and the water was the clearest, which was the perfect place to heal.

Su Huanzhen carefully placed Tan Wuyu into the warm lake water.

As soon as Tan Wuyu entered the water, the chaotic and rampant aura around him seemed to ease, and his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

Su Huanzhen had been staying by his side the whole time. Seeing that Tan Wuyu's breathing had stabilized and his life was no longer in danger, his tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and he let out a long sigh of relief.

"The lake water can stabilize your injuries, and I will heal your eyes as soon as possible!" Su Huanzhen's voice was gentle, filled with relief and satisfaction, before his tone became firm.

Tan Wuyu shook his head. Although he was blind, his face was turned towards Su Huanzhen. His voice was still weak, but it had regained its usual calmness and rationality, even carrying a hint of urging: "No need. Tan Wuyu isn't dead yet. What you need to focus on now isn't my eyes, but quickly find out where the divine artifact from Xuanyuan Zhiheng is located. That's the most important thing!"

Su Huanzhen looked at his pale yet resolute profile and felt a mix of emotions welling up inside him: guilt, gratitude, and deep emotion.

He was silent for a moment before speaking in a low voice, his tone unusually serious and heavy: "I had no choice at the time. If I had known the consequences would be like this, I would not have let you suffer in my place."

"You're wrong." Tan Wuyu interrupted him, a faint, almost self-deprecating smile even appearing at the corner of his mouth. "You should be glad that if it weren't for me, you would be sitting here right now. So hurry up and get your legs moving; that's the only way you can repay me!"

Su Huanzhen gazed at his dearest friend's stubborn face, even in his blindness, a mixture of warmth and sorrow welling up inside him.

He then nodded emphatically, even though Tan Wuyu couldn't see him: "I understand what you mean."

"It's only right that I understand," Tan Wuyu snorted.

Listening to this seemingly confrontational yet subtly trusting exchange between the two, Ye Jinming felt a surge of intense nausea rising within him.

Seemingly unable to bear their sweet talk, Ye Jinming interrupted, "Hey, hey, stop it—you two—that's enough! Does it have to be so mushy? Anyone who didn't know better would think this was some kind of heart-wrenching farewell scene, or a confession of love. I'm getting goosebumps!"

This blunt teasing instantly shattered the heavy yet somewhat "affectionate" atmosphere by the lake.

Tan Wuyu and Su Huanzhen both paused for a moment, a barely perceptible hint of embarrassment flashing across their faces.

(Although Tan Wuyu is invisible, his facial expressions are still on display.)

Being so bluntly exposed by Ye Jinming, even with their composure, the two of them felt a little embarrassed.

Tan Wuyu coughed lightly, trying to change the subject and cover up his embarrassment: "Haa—Jinming, so you're still here?"

These words sound as if Ye Jinming is in the way.

Ye Jinming raised an eyebrow, his tone even more mocking: "What? From what you're saying, Lao Tan, you think I'm in the way and shouldn't be here? You think I'm too bright a third wheel and disturbing you two? Then how about—I'll make room for you? You can continue?"

"Alright, alright, stop joking." Su Huanzhen quickly smoothed things over, steer the conversation back on track, "What did you see when you opened the treasure box?"

After Tan Wuyu gave a detailed description, he said no more, closed his eyes again, and began to focus on guiding the spiritual energy of the lake water to further heal his internal injuries and restore his vitality.

Seeing that Tan Wuyu had entered a deep healing state, Su Huanzhen and Ye Jinming exchanged a glance, tacitly got up, and quietly left.

At the entrance to Crystal Lake, Su Huanzhen looked at Ye Jinming with a solemn expression, "Jinming, Tan Wuyu's injuries have stabilized, but his eyes have not recovered and he still needs to rest. I'll have to trouble you to take good care of him."

Ye Jinming shook his head, his gaze sweeping over Tan Wuyu, who was sitting quietly in the lake not far away, and then looking at the dense forest around them. "Sage Su, I think it's best if you don't leave now, or at least not immediately."

"Oh?" Su Huanzhen was taken aback, a look of doubt appearing in his eyes. "Why do you say that?"

Ye Jinming did not answer directly. Instead, a meaningful smile, tinged with mystery and coldness, appeared on his lips. His gaze was piercing as he looked at Su Huanzhen: "Because—the wolf is coming."

"A wolf?" Su Huanzhen frowned slightly, his mind racing as he realized, "You mean someone's trying to cause trouble?"

"As expected of Su Xianren, you are indeed clever." Ye Jinming nodded approvingly, then asked with a hint of playfulness, "Then, why don't you guess—who is this wolf?"

Upon hearing this, Su Huanzhen fell silent.

He was not a dull person; having heard Ye Jinming speak so clearly, he instantly connected many ideas.

He raised his eyes, meeting Ye Jinming's all-knowing gaze, and slowly said, "Judging from your expression and tone, Jinming, you seem to—already know who the 'wolf' lurking in the shadows is?"

"—" Ye Jinming raised his black fan and shook it, his smile unchanged, but his eyes were sharp as knives. "I didn't say that, it's just—"

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming low and meaningful: "The matter of Huangfu Xiaochan, the Lord of the Remnant Forest, from the inexplicable recovery of the Blade Plague, to Xifeng Xiaomei being ambushed and severely injured by the 'Five Remnants' technique, to the Lord of the Forest being accused of the murder and forced to imprison himself—aren't these events a bit too coincidental? It's as if an invisible hand is precisely orchestrating everything behind the scenes, pouring buckets of dirty water at the Lord of the Forest, trying to plunge him completely into the abyss."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the tranquil forest with a cold, piercing intensity, as if it could penetrate the dense foliage to see the deepest shadows: "And you and I both know what kind of person the Forest Master is. He may be withdrawn because of his disability, but he is by no means a ruthless killer or a cunning schemer. Since he is not, then the mastermind behind all this must be someone else. Someone capable of 'using the Five Crippled Techniques,' familiar with the Huangfu family's past, and with a deep understanding of the Forest Master."

Su Huanzhen fell into deep thought. After a moment, he spoke, "Since the person behind this wants to frame Master Lin, they certainly won't let go of Tan Wuyu, who just sought Master Lin's help and is now severely injured and healing at Crystal Lake. But that doesn't make sense, isn't Master Lin currently imprisoned?"

Before Ye Jinming could answer, Su Huanzhen panicked, "Master Lin is also in danger!"

Ye Jinming nodded. "That's why I said, 'The wolf is coming.' So, Su Xianren, what do you think you should do?"

Inside Crystal Lake.

Not long after Su Huanzhen and Ye Jinming left, Tan Wuyu was soaking in the Spirit Lake, healing his meridians while sorting out the clues of the five divine artifacts.

Just as he was focused on the deduction—

"boom----"

A vicious, cunning palm strike, imbued with the power of the Five Remnants Yin Force, suddenly burst through the air without warning!

The palm strike was fierce, aimed straight at Tan Wuyu's unsuspecting back!

"Uh..."

Although Tan Wuyu was mentally prepared, in order to make the performance more realistic, he deliberately delayed by half a beat before using his internal energy to protect himself.

With a muffled groan, he was blasted out of the water by the immense force, the blood spurting from his mouth drawing a glaring red line in the air and splashing onto the branches and leaves of the trees on the lakeside.

He fell heavily to the edge of the woods like a kite with a broken string, then, enduring the excruciating pain, staggered and "escaped" into the forest.

Almost simultaneously, a figure dressed in black and masked appeared on the lakeside like a ghost.

He glanced at the fresh bloodstains on the trees, then looked in the direction where Tan Wuyu had fled in a "disgraceful" manner, a cold smile curving his lips beneath his mask.

After confirming that he had "successfully" obtained the item, the masked man did not give chase. With a flicker of his figure, he disappeared from the spot like a wisp of smoke, as if he had never been there at all.

Behind a large rock not far away, Su Huanzhen, who had a clear view of everything, unconsciously clenched his fist.

Even though he knew it was a trap, seeing his best friend cough up blood and fly backward, he couldn't help but take half a step forward, his eyes filled with worry.

Ye Jinming reacted quickly, gently pressing down on his shoulder and whispering, "Relax, Lao Tan is already wearing an inescapable protective shield, his defense is top-notch. This impact will at most hurt him a little, it won't seriously damage him."

Upon hearing this, Su Huanzhen's tense nerves relaxed slightly. Looking at Tan Wuyu's "miserable" escape posture, he couldn't help but sigh, "I have to say, Wuyu's acting skills are indeed superb."

Ye Jinming nodded as well, "Not bad, no trace of acting!"

"Shall we make our move now?" Su Huanzhen looked in the direction where the masked man had disappeared, a cold glint in his eyes.

Ye Jinming shook his head, his gaze deep and thoughtful: "No rush. To strike a snake, you must strike its vital spot. We need to wait until it reveals more of its weaknesses, until it thinks it has succeeded and completely lowers its guard. Now is not the best time."

But speaking of which, this group of six people in the hot pot group really resembles a Werewolf game script. Most people wouldn't know who the werewolves are until the very end!

In order to make the play more realistic, Ye Jinming did not reveal Gui Liangtianxia's werewolf identity in advance.

Inside the woods, Tan Wuyu clutched his chest, his steps unsteady, stumbling and running as he fled.

His face was deathly pale, his breathing was disordered, and he kept looking back, perfectly portraying the fear and despair of a severely injured person whose life was hanging by a thread.

Although the inescapable protective barrier blocked most of the palm strike, it still really hurt.

Su Huanzhen and Ye Jinming are inhuman! They used an old, weak, and disabled person like themselves as bait! Bah!

To make the effect more realistic, he even deliberately allowed a trace of the remaining power of the Five Cripples Technique to penetrate into his body, and at this moment his internal organs were indeed churning with qi and blood.

Then Tan Wuyu's legs went weak, "Ah—uh—"

Just as Tan Wuyu collapsed and couldn't get up, familiar bickering sounds came from afar.

Naohaidian and Jinbaoyin were walking and complaining.

Jin Baoyin scratched his head: "This is really a headache. Those five shooting stars disappeared in a flash. No matter how good my lightness skill is, it's useless. Sigh, it seems I really need to go back and practice more."

His mind was still in a daze, head in the opposite direction. "You're insulting two people at once!"

Jin Baoyin smiled wryly and said, "That's true! Don't be shy. Our martial arts skills are only average. If we can't even escape, then we're really doomed."

Nao Huan nodded, "If you put it backwards, it makes some sense."

As the two were talking, they suddenly caught sight of a black figure lying on the ground ahead.

His mind was still racing, and his eyes were sharp: "Ah! It's Tan Wuyu!"

Jin Baoyin rushed forward, checked the pulse, and his expression changed drastically: "Ah! It's the Five Cripples' move again! The injuries are severe, what happened?"

Still dazed, he helped Tan Wuyu up, carefully examined his injuries, and after confirming that everything was alright, his voice changed: "Why—why is it the Five Cripples' move again? This—"

Tan Wuyu fainted at the opportune moment, letting out a weak groan.

Jin Baoyin made a quick decision: "The situation is critical; this time we really need to use our lightness skills! Let's go!"

Still reeling, he rushed forward to help Tan Wuyu up: "Quickly!"

The two of them, one on each side, lifted Tan Wuyu up, and transformed into two swift gusts of wind, heading straight for the Glazed Wonderland.