Mu Xin's identity was that of the Third Young Lady.
Although she was separated from the Third Young Master, they still resided in the same courtyard, making her proximity to the Third Young Master player quite convenient.
Despite her teammates being Zheng Jueming and Lin Junru, Mu Xin was not content with just that, especially since she had begun to suspect Zheng Jueming. Therefore, when the lunch break ended and they were allowed to return to the main hall for the next round of evidence gathering, she decided to wait for the Third Young Master player.
However, she did not wait long.
Seeing that there was no response from him, Mu Xin took the initiative to go to his room. When she knocked and received no answer, she pushed the door open and found the Third Young Master player lying lifeless on the floor.
He was the Third Young Master, and he was also a player.
The character of the Third Young Master in the script was now dead, and the player had been erased from existence at this moment, becoming the second player to die after the Second Young Lady.
Originally, everyone was supposed to gather in the main hall, but due to this unexpected event, they all ended up congregating in the Third Young Master player’s room.
The player's corpse lay on the floor.
"What’s going on?" Xia Zheqin furrowed his brow, an unusual expression for him.
Qin Nan didn’t know what Xia Zheqin had been like before, but he recalled that when he first arrived in this death realm, Xia Zheqin had been embracing a girl, flanked by four lackeys. Now, with his partner erased and only one lackey remaining, the balance of power had shifted.
Originally, Xia Zheqin and Jian Fan had been six against one, but now Xia Zheqin had lost four teammates across two worlds, while Jian Fan had gained Qin Nan, resulting in a 2:2 standoff.
Moreover, if Mu Xin ultimately joined them, they would be a trio. Qin Nan scanned the remaining players; aside from Xu Tian, whom Xia Zheqin could potentially recruit, the others either had no chance or were not worth the effort.
So, such a significant advantage could be completely overturned in just two worlds?
Xia Zheqin was clearly having a streak of bad luck. No wonder he had maintained a relaxed demeanor when he lost his first teammate; now, however, he was genuinely troubled.
Mu Xin had lost her earlier seriousness.
With more people around, she reverted to her previous demeanor, especially since she was the first to discover the player’s corpse. She seemed frightened, her voice almost trembling: "I... I don’t know. I’ve said all I can. It was like this when I got here." By the end, her voice was tinged with tears.
Qin Nan glanced over, noting her red eyes and the tears that seemed to come at will. He felt a strange urge to give her a thumbs-up.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Such talent! It would be a shame not to pursue acting; she must be a drama major in real life.
Qin Weiyi scanned the room and said, "Everyone is busy looking for clues. Besides the murderer, I doubt anyone would be focused on other players at this moment."
This was precisely why they had given the murderer an excellent opportunity to act.
"Then let’s exchange information," Jian Fan suddenly suggested.
Qin Weiyi turned to him, contemplated, and nodded. "That’s a good idea."
If they pieced together all the clues they had, it would undoubtedly aid in deducing the identity of the murderer. The murderer’s clues should relate to him, potentially exposing him as the culprit, depending on how much information was shared.
However, they didn’t have much time.
The Third Young Master player’s death had altered the game dynamics, granting them a bit more time to examine the scene. But this wasn’t a moment for discussion.
The third round of evidence gathering was about to begin.
The butler reappeared to signal this.
Expressing shock at the Third Young Master’s death, the butler revealed some areas they could explore during this search: "I have checked, and the key in the Second Master’s possession is indeed the key to the family vault. Young masters and ladies, would you like to confirm the vault's situation?"
They could use this key to investigate the vault.
"How should we divide into groups this time?" Zheng Jueming asked.
Mu Xin glanced at him, her fearful expression still lingering but seemingly mixed with something else.
There were ten players now.
"Let’s do three groups of three and one of four," Qin Nan suggested.
Everyone agreed, but deciding who would team up was another significant issue.
"We’ll stick to the previous arrangement. Mu Xin, what do you think?" Qin Nan asked her opinion.
Mu Xin cautiously looked at the reactions of the others and nodded slightly.
The three of them formed a team again, leaving the remaining seven to split into two groups. Among them, Qin Weiyi and Xia Zheqin clearly had more experience, so they would each lead a team. This time, Qin Weiyi chose to take Lu Jing with him.
Qin Weiyi, Lu Jing, Lin Junru, and Zheng Jueming formed one team, while Xia Zheqin, Xu Tian, and his remaining lackey formed the other.
Once the teams were set, they divided their investigation tasks.
"I want to check my father’s courtyard again," Qin Nan said. "The corpse was examined by Jian Fan and me, and we want to see if there’s anything we missed. The surrounding situation can be left to the three of us."
Qin Weiyi shrugged. "Sure."
Xia Zheqin cast a side glance at Qin Nan, slightly furrowing his brow but not voicing any objections.
Qin Weiyi chose to investigate the vault since the Second Master, who possessed the vault key, was in Xia Zheqin’s team. Xia Zheqin stayed behind to examine the scene of the Third Young Master’s death.
After the tasks were assigned, Qin Nan immediately led Jian Fan and Mu Xin toward the deceased’s courtyard.
On the way, Qin Nan wasted no time.
"Mu Xin, do you have any information to share?" he asked.
Mu Xin hesitated but didn’t outright refuse.
"I have some clues that you’ll see soon, but I hope we can see a bit of your sincerity as well," Qin Nan stated. Although they were extending an olive branch to Mu Xin, if she was unwilling to show any goodwill, they might consider seeking another teammate.
Mu Xin stopped, her gaze shifting between Qin Nan and Jian Fan several times.
This time, she didn’t adopt a fearful demeanor.
"I am indeed pregnant, and the child is definitely the Third Young Master’s," Mu Xin confessed.
Based on the information they had gathered earlier, many would likely suspect that the Third Young Lady’s pregnancy was suspicious. After some thought, Mu Xin provided this neutral piece of information.
Qin Nan chuckled. "I not only know that the child is the Third Young Master’s, but I also know that he and the Third Young Lady were just pretending to fall out."
Mu Xin was somewhat surprised but quickly regained her composure. After thinking for a moment, she offered a new piece of information: "Well, I have some undisclosed relations with the accountant."
Qin Nan: "???"
Back to the melodrama of family ethics again?