"Is that really the case?" Chen Qiang asked.

Zuo Qing focused her gaze on Chen Qiang's face, and after a moment, she said, "What exactly do you want to say?"

"Scapegoat," Chen Qiang said without hesitation, "newcomers will be used as scapegoats and consumed, just like that Tang Shirou."

Narrowing his eyes, Shi Liaozhi sized up the student-like young man in front of him, and exclaimed, "I didn't realize you were so capable."

"I don't want to die," Chen Qiang said.

"So..." Zuo Qing stared at him.

"We cooperate."

"Cooperation requires bargaining chips," Shi Liaozhi tilted his neck, the knuckles of his outstretched fingers cracking. He raised his chin and sneered, "You're just a newcomer. What makes you think you can cooperate with us?"

"The Peony Pavilion," Chen Qiang said calmly. "I know what this play is about."

Shi Liaozhi was stunned, looking at Chen Qiang as if he were crazy. "What good does it do you to know? Qin Jian made it up to deceive people anyway."

"The opera that Young Master Huang sings is The Peony Pavilion," Chen Qiang said. "Qin Jian didn't deceive you."

Zuo Qing's eyes changed slightly.

"What are you up to, kid?" Shi Liaozhi clenched his fist, somewhat angered. "Didn't you say..."

"I lied to you, and you believed it without a doubt," Chen Qiang raised his head, looking at Shi Liaozhi, and said, "Is this bargaining chip enough?"

"You..."

"It's enough," Zuo Qing suddenly spoke. She first glanced at Shi Liaozhi, and then looked at Chen Qiang. "Cooperation is no problem. Now, tell us what's really going on with The Peony Pavilion."

"Sister Zuo, since it's a cooperation, I also want to see your sincerity," Chen Qiang said, "It's not appropriate for me to be the only one talking."

Shi Liaozhi suddenly realized that he seemed to have been marginalized.

Raising her hand, Zuo Qing pointed in the direction of Jiang Cheng and his group's residence, "That Hao Shuai is not a newcomer. He's an old player pretending to be one."

"Mm," Chen Qiang nodded, "I felt it too. He's very special, and he doesn't seem very good at hiding himself."

"Anything else?" Chen Qiang raised his head and continued to ask, "What else do you know?"

"Those people are on a team," Zuo Qing said slowly, "Hao Shuai, Chen Xiaomeng, Jiang Fugui, the three of them knew each other before entering the instance."

Chen Qiang's eyes widened slightly.

"Alright," Zuo Qing raised her chin and said, "It's your turn."

"Wait," Chen Qiang looked around, and after finding that Shi Liaozhi's face was still so ugly, he asked, "Are you two also here as a team?"

"No," Shi Liaozhi reluctantly replied, "We met temporarily. It's a temporary alliance. Miss Zuo promised me that she wouldn't abandon me unless absolutely necessary, and the same goes for me."

Chen Qiang nodded. "Fair enough."

In a place like this, no one would believe a stranger who promised to risk their life to protect you. A promise like this is much more realistic.

"Then please don't abandon me unless absolutely necessary," Chen Qiang stood up and said, "Of course, the same goes for me."

"Alright, alright, hurry up and tell us what's going on with The Peony Pavilion," Shi Liaozhi said impatiently.

"I did hear a singing voice similar to the characters in The Peony Pavilion last night, but I wasn't sure. It wasn't until someone came out and learned a few lines today that I was certain."

"You Qi?" Zuo Qing asked.

"Yes," Chen Qiang nodded.

At that time, on the way back, You Qi did say something, still muttering and cursing, and it wasn't very specific, just a few scattered words. Even You Qi himself couldn't understand it, and Shi Liaozhi didn't take it to heart at all.

But it just happened to give Chen Qiang confirmation.

Especially after that, Qin Jian even brought the matter out into the open and discussed it with everyone.

"The allusions in The Peony Pavilion are roughly as Qin Jian said, just a pair of infatuated lovers who yearn for each other but cannot be together, but the ending he said is wrong," Chen Qiang's tone turned cold. "He said that the heroine died with resentment, and the hero was willing to guard her spirit for the rest of his life, never marrying, but in the play, both the hero and heroine die."

"They both died?" Shi Liaozhi asked.

"Indeed," Chen Qiang nodded very seriously, "They both died."

"If that's the case, then the allusions in The Peony Pavilion are likely to be extended to our current instance," Shi Liaozhi's face changed slightly, "So...that Young Master Huang is indeed dead. He's a ghost!"

"It's possible," Zuo Qing pursed her lips, "If that's the case, then everything makes sense. Although Qin Jian has not been replaced by a ghost, he must be aware that he is being targeted by a ghost, so he deliberately threw out this bait to lead others astray. A ghost can only kill one person at a time. As long as the mistakes made by others are bigger and more serious than his, the ghost may transfer its target and temporarily let him go."

"A ghost can only kill one person at a time?" Chen Qiang asked.

"Most of the time, yes," Zuo Qing replied, "But not absolutely."

"I see."

Shi Liaozhi stood up, first checked the positions of the doors and windows, and then carefully closed the doors and windows, leaving only a crack.

Light penetrated through the gap, leaving a line of light on the ground.

This way, if someone were to eavesdrop, they might accidentally block the light, which is especially effective for those who are peering through the door crack.

"But do you remember?" After walking around, Shi Liaozhi sat back in his chair and lowered his voice, "When Qin Jian first came downstairs, he was so scared that the color had drained from his face. How did he suddenly have the confidence to speak after walking back this distance, and...and even came up with such an elaborately crafted deception?"

Chen Qiang's gaze towards Shi Liaozhi also changed from before.

After a moment, he turned to the side and poured a cup of tea for himself and his two temporary allies. A few broken tea leaves swirled in the shallow teacups, and finally slowly settled down.

"It's very simple." Zuo Qing picked up the teacup, took a small sip, and said, "Someone gave him this idea."

"That's right." Shi Liaozhi casually flipped a few strands of yellow hair on his forehead. "It's that An Xuan," he said with certainty, "On the way back, the two of them deliberately hung at the back of the group. They should have been planning this, discussing how to transfer the risk to others."

"They...should also be in cahoots," Shi Liaozhi said.

"It seems so." After thinking for a moment, Chen Qiang also nodded. "Although The Peony Pavilion is a famous play, it is still very unfamiliar to most people, especially people around our age."

"They are sure that we can't figure it out, and even if we know a little, it is unlikely that we know it in detail, and he only made some changes to the ending, which makes it even harder to guess."

"He wants us to think that Young Master Huang is still alive," Zuo Qing raised her beautiful eyebrows, "If Young Master Huang is still alive, then the assumption that Qin Jian is being targeted by a ghost does not exist, and we will not be on guard against him."

"It's really...getting more and more lively."