Chapter 46

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This time around, Di Qing and Lu Ye reacted much faster.

They gathered everyone in the stadium just half an hour after the hallway was cleaned up.

“This is the third murder in this prison.” Di Qing’s voice was low and steady, “As enforcers, we cannot allow lawless massacre to occur here.”

Bai Zhi’s heart felt like it was being squeezed; she shuddered and looked at Zhao Zixun standing next to her.”

Everything about him was calm and collected. He didn’t appear to be nervous or guilty in any way; he even pretended to scan the crowd of prisoners to look for the perpetrator as if this had nothing to do with him!

“By the end of today, whoever comes forward with the identity of the murderer will be promoted to ‘prison guard’ status for three days.” Di Qing declared. This was his trump card.

Every pair of eyes in the stadium lit up at his words. The tall man with long hair who had been glaring at Bai Zhi and Zhao Zixun, now gazed up towards the high platform. His eyes were filled with greed and excitement.

“Being a prison guard means having the ability to make temporary policies, moving freely in and out of the prison, and understanding the rules governing that role in this game. In fact, if the person meets the prison guard’s victory conditions within those three days, they could very well win the game,” Xiang Chen explained. “They can’t find the perpetrator because the surveillance system had been destroyed. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have offered this opportunity.” He looked at Zhao Zixun with meaning; some of his curly hair fell forward into his eyes.

He must also suspect Zhao Zixun.

Zhao Zixun ignored him. He stroked Bai Zhi’s silky, soft hair and lightly kissed her forehead. “Don’t be rash. You won’t be able to handle both Di Qing and Lu Ye.”

Xiang Chen narrowed his eyes at the implication hidden within Zhao Zixun’s words; his pupils contracted for a split second. Bai Zhi pushed away from Zhao Zixun and frowned.

For a moment, she was also moved: she wanted to escape from her current position where she has to live under the power of others, and she wanted to gain the big picture of the game through the eyes of a prison guard.

But before she had time to weigh her options, a boyish voice cut through the stadium. “I’d like to report Zhao Zixun as the murderer.”

Bai Zhi snapped her head around in surprise. She saw a boy with thin, upturned eyes hidden beneath long bangs. It was Xiao Yang.

Zhao Zixun’s expression remained unperturbed, but Bai Zhi could feel his arm stiffen around her waist.

“Reason?” Di Qing asked.

“It’s simple. The two dead men took Zhao Zixun’s woman during the day and died the following night. If it’s not him, then who else? Plus, Li Xiao, who likes to kill and gut people, was either gone or in the infirmary during the last two murders. There’s no way it could have been him. That’s my reasoning. Arrest him already and make me a prison guard.” The boy spoke very fast; he was obviously driven by the reward.

Bai Zhi’s mind blanked—she felt anxious and confused. Before she had time to think, her arm flew up and she sputtered, “I-I disagree…”

Everyone’s eyes coalesced on her. The sudden attention made her flinch; she stepped back and gripped the hem of Zhao Zixun’s clothes.

Di Qing looked down at Bai Zhi with a slightly surprised expression. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and softly asked, “Do you know what you are doing?”

“I…” She opened her mouth, then glanced at the crowd of people helplessly. She found Li Xiao standing at the opposite perimeter. He was leaning against a transparent barrier. All of the exposed parts of his body were wrapped in bandages. The wounds were from the trial. In just a single day, he went from being carried off the stage to being able to move about freely.

Dark blue veins crawled under his transparent skin. His eyes were intense and direct, and they stared at her with interest.

She closed her eyes and made up her mind.

“The murderer is Li Xiao. The reason… He’s known for killing people in this manner. His rule in the game is to kill. In the days when he went missing, he didn’t escape from the prison, he came to see me… Moreover, his recovery ability is remarkable… The punishment… didn’t… even……” Her voice trailed off as she noticed Li Xiao’s expression darken. The eyes staring at her seemed to want to slice her up alive.

Her teeth chattered, and she began to regret her impulsive words.

“Li Xiao, was it you?” Di Qing turned his attention away from her and asked.

Although Li Xiao was vicious and powerful, the one thing he despised most was lying.

This was common knowledge to everyone in the prison.

“Hmph,” Li Xiao’s expression relaxed. He calmly leaned back against the transparent barrier. In a gruff, thundering voice he said, “So what if it was?”

Bai Zhi looked at him in shock. He sent her a strange, meaningful smile from afar—it was a big grin as if he had just won some sort of conquest.

Zhao Zixun stepped between them and quietly pulled Bai Zhi into his arms.

The long-haired man sent a menacing glare at Li Xiao. Their gazes met—the murderous tension between the two could send sparks flying.

Xiao Yang sighed regretfully.

“Very well, for the next three days, Bai Zhi will be our new prison guard. This time, Li Xiao’s punishment will be carried out by her.” Di Qing announced. There was a note of playfulness in his tone.

Bai Zhi was so taken aback that she almost bit her tongue.

Without waiting for her to mull it over, the surrounding barriers began to drop. A ladder going up to the platform rose before her eyes.

“… Protect yourself.” Zhao Zixun warned. He gave her a quick peck on the lips and gently pushed her forward.

Other resources: Character List

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