Chapter 71: Ordering Dishes

Inside the brightly lit inn, there were eleven tables, coinciding with the eleven guests.

Ren Ye sat near the entrance, his eyes scanning the room. Including himself, there were seven men and four women in total.

That’s right, the eleven players in the Qingliang Prefecture Star Gate had all arrived.

Based on what the scarred man said earlier, it seemed he hadn’t planned to stay at the inn. Instead, he chose to climb the mountain alone but failed to reach the tomb entrance, only to encounter a group of headless people…

This meant that all the players had no choice but to stay overnight at the inn tonight, unable to act alone.

“Clang, clang…”

As Ren Ye pondered, a commotion sounded outside the inn. A diminutive dwarf, barely 1.3 meters tall, entered first, carrying a large pot on his head.

Following him were a teenage boy and girl, each hauling a massive steaming basket and some firewood.

Ren Ye turned toward the noise, and when he saw the pair with their unnaturally rosy cheeks, he felt a sudden chill down his neck.

In the light of the lanterns, their clothes were unnervingly vibrant, their pale faces and bright red cheeks resembling ceremonial offerings for the dead. They looked anything but normal.

The trio crossed the front hall of the inn and entered the kitchen, separated only by a curtain. Before long, the sound of clanging and the crackle of firewood echoed—it seemed they were beginning to cook.

In the front hall, the eleven people sat at their respective tables, none speaking first. Everyone was cautious.

“Whoosh!”

A gust of cold wind blew through as the elderly woman at the door personally closed the inn’s main entrance. She turned with a smile and said, “Honored guests, I am the proprietor of this inn. You may call me Madam Xu.”

Everyone glanced at her but remained silent.

Madam Xu, with her silver hair and hunched figure, walked to the center of the hall with her hands clasped behind her back. Speaking slowly, she said, “All humans are driven by greed. I know why you’re here and what you seek in the tomb of the Eternal Peace Princess. But life is fleeting—ordinary people toil for food and shelter, merchants risk all for riches… Nothing in this world is free. If you wish to gain, you must be prepared to pay. Since you’ve come this far, your fate is now sealed.”

Her ominous words cast a shadow over the group, making everyone visibly uneasy.

Under the flickering lantern light, Madam Xu turned slowly, her wrinkled face softening into a faint smile. “When I was young, I had the fortune to hear an anecdote about the Eternal Peace Princess. In the thirty-fifth year of Emperor Jingling’s reign, the emperor toured Sichuan Prefecture, accompanied by his beloved daughter, the Eternal Peace Princess.

One day, after a heavy rain, the imperial procession stopped in a place called Qinglian Village. The spirited princess, feeling bored, heard of a poetry and lantern festival being held in the area. Disguising herself, she snuck out with her maid to join the festivities.

Sichuan Prefecture is a land rich with talent, and the vibrant lanterns made Qinglian Village look like a celestial paradise.

The bustling market was filled with people and scholars, lively and full of cheer.

The princess, well-versed in the arts and skilled in archery and horseback riding, possessed a rare combination of grace and intelligence. Walking from the north end of the market to the long street, she solved twelve lantern riddles in a row and composed a poem, earning admiration from the gathered scholars and applause from the locals.

As she basked in the joy and pride of her achievements, she saw a scholar in white robes, with a face like jade, sword-like eyebrows, and a three-foot-long sword in hand. Entering the street from the south, he solved eighteen riddles in succession and composed three poems, claiming the night’s top prize.

The man in white, his attire as pure as snow, scattered the prize money he received from Qinglian Village into the air and departed after drinking a single pot of strong wine.

She came from the north; he headed north.

As they passed each other, their gazes met for just a moment, but it was enough for the princess to fall in love with the scholar at first sight.

Later, she learned the man’s name was Li Mu. Born into humble beginnings, he possessed remarkable talent and unparalleled swordsmanship, earning the title of Number One Sword of Sichuan.

From that moment, the fifteen-year-old Eternal Peace Princess, experiencing the first stirrings of love, became deeply enamored…

She admired Li Mu’s free-spirited nature, his intellect, and the brilliance that set him apart from others.”

Madam Xu recounted the story fluently, her eyes brimming with expectation as she looked at the crowd, as if hoping they would glean some insight.

“What a cliché story!” scoffed the scar-faced man sitting on the south side of the hall. “Rich princess falls for poor scholar—these kinds of plots aren’t even used in cheap dramas anymore. This Star Gate clearly has low standards.”

Madam Xu’s pupils contracted slightly as she glanced at him but said nothing.

At this moment, a man dressed as a scholar chuckled and said, “Heh, I don’t think the Star Gate would tell such a story without a reason. It’s probably related to the next task or… a hint for the tomb’s challenges.”

Hearing this, several people in the hall nodded in agreement.

“That scholar makes sense. I also think… the princess admired cleverness.” Ren Ye murmured to himself, “This trial is likely related to that…”

“Now, about the Eternal Peace Princess,” Madam Xu interrupted, “that’s all for the story. Before tonight’s meal, I will pose a question for each of you: Order a dish for the person you care about most.”

Upon hearing this, everyone looked up in unison.

“I will now distribute numbered plaques, labeled from 1 to 11. Each of these plaques corresponds to the room number you’ll be staying in tonight. After receiving your plaque, you will need to write down the number of the person you admire most on a slip of paper,” the elderly woman said with a slight glimmer of excitement in her eyes. “However, there’s one rule: from this moment on, none of you may speak or leave your seats. The person who receives the most votes will be deemed the winner and receive a special gift prepared by me.”

“You have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Within this time, you must choose the person you admire most,” she added, narrowing her eyes with a sly smile.

Hearing this rule, the players exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of wariness and disbelief.

Ren Ye stared intently at the elderly woman, his first thought being that this round relied heavily on teamwork.

The premise was simple: setting aside the matter of admiration, the game was a voting exercise. Among the eleven players, the one who received the most votes would win the round and obtain the old woman’s reward.

Ren Ye quickly calculated his potential votes.

Li Yan, Tang Feng, the Princess Consort, and Imperial Inspector Liu—ideally, each would give him one vote.

In the best-case scenario, he could secure four votes. But the problem was that the rules prohibited speaking or leaving one’s seat. Furthermore, everyone had disguised themselves, making it impossible to recognize teammates at a glance.

Even if he wanted to coordinate votes, it would be unfeasible!

How could he signal Tang Feng, Li Yan, and the others to identify him? A move that was too conspicuous could expose him to his opponents, while one too subtle might not provide clear enough information, leading to confusion.

Just then, the scholarly man who appeared particularly intelligent suddenly tapped the table heavily.

The elderly woman turned toward him, her eyes questioning.

The scholar cautiously refrained from speaking and instead pointed to his mouth with a desperate expression.

The old woman shook her head immediately. “Sir, you’re not allowed to speak, but I understand your intent. You may also vote for yourself.”

“Phew!”

This confirmed a crucial piece of information for everyone: you could vote for yourself.

The room fell silent as people mulled over their strategies, scanning their surroundings to identify potential allies.

Ren Ye lowered his head, deep in thought. If self-voting was allowed, he could secure a maximum of five votes. However, this wouldn’t guarantee victory.

There were eleven people in the room, so the maximum possible vote count was eleven.

But such a scenario was highly unlikely. Since everyone had disguised themselves and entered the inn separately, there was no way to identify teammates or coordinate votes. Without prior communication, the only way to convey intent was through body language or subtle gestures.

If communication failed, it might lead to someone winning with just two votes.

This rule leveled the playing field for all players.

As Ren Ye deliberated, the young servant girl emerged from the kitchen, carrying eleven plaques with traditional characters written on them, which she randomly placed before each person.

The plaques were large, almost the size of ancestral nameplates, making each person’s number visible to all.

Ren Ye glanced at his own plaque—it bore the number five.

The elderly woman walked over to the counter, lit an incense stick, and smiled warmly. “You may begin now.”

Silence.

For a moment, the room was completely quiet.

Then, the scholarly man made the first move. He picked up a pair of chopsticks from the bamboo container and began rhythmically tapping the table.

Not far away, a woman raised her arm and retrieved a book titled Heavenly Yin Women’s Sword Formation from her chest, placing it in the top-right corner of her table.

Diagonally across from her, a grotesque and obese man pulled a copy of The Three Character Classic from his sleeve and placed it in the center of his table.

Clap, clap!

Next, another woman stood up and stretched her arms lazily.

Observing these actions, Ren Ye quickly realized that everyone was using subtle signals to communicate with their teammates.

But he didn’t rush. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on the incense stick, carefully estimating how much time remained.

There was no doubt in his mind—Ren Ye wanted to win. The reasoning was simple: this Star Gate game restricted the use of supernatural abilities within the tomb. Whatever reward the old woman had prepared was likely to provide a significant advantage. Securing it would bolster his faction’s chances.

But how could he notify his teammates?

To win, he needed to ensure the majority of votes went to him. However, with no verbal communication allowed, how could he accomplish this?

Using body language, he would have to devise a gesture that his teammates could understand, but one that wouldn’t tip off the opposing players.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Ren Ye was already sweating.

Suddenly, a woman seated in the farthest corner leisurely retrieved a book from her chest, only after observing everyone else’s movements. She placed it lightly on her table.

Under the lamplight, the book’s title was clearly visible—The Chronicles of the Thatched Cottage.

Everyone glanced briefly at the book, then silently withdrew their gazes.

Time ticked by, and the elderly woman softly reminded them, “There’s not much time left, dear guests.”

Whoosh!

As soon as she spoke, Ren Ye suddenly removed his boot and the stinky sock inside. Then, he calmly reached out with his right hand and touched the sole of his foot.

This bizarre action stunned everyone in the room. Some stared at him in confusion, while others, observing his movements closely, had a glimmer of realization flash in their eyes.