Chapter 74: The Gift

At the border, in a prison.

Ren Ye had once worked in places unfit for humans, doing things unfit for humans.

So, he could say he’d seen a lot in his life…

But when that dish, “Braised Rabbit Head,” was brought to the table by the dwarf, Ren Ye couldn’t hold back anymore and vomited profusely.

The “rabbit head” had been deep-fried in oil and steamed in the bamboo steamer for quite some time. The “meat” was tender and crispy on the outside, but the “rabbit face” still retained its complete contours—nose, eyes, and all.

Garnished with a few green vegetables and chili peppers, the rabbit head was placed in the center of the plate, steaming hot. Those… burnt, glazed-over eyes seemed to stare at everyone in the room.

“Ugh…!”

Player No. 3 Xing Tao, Player No. 6 the coachman, Player No. 7 Guo Cai’er, and others all struggled for a moment before bending over and vomiting as well.

This had nothing to do with courage or mental resilience; it was purely physical revulsion. The remaining players, though able to resist the urge to vomit, had their own reactions—everyone looked visibly unsettled.

But!

That’s when a bold figure stepped forward.

Tang Feng, fighting back the urge to gag, asked the old woman in a trembling voice, “…Can I share Player No. 5’s reward?”

After a brief silence, everyone turned to him with astonished expressions.

A woman, who looked like a beautiful but rural farmwife, actually wanted to share this “reward”? What kind of person was this?! A lunatic?!

“As long as Player No. 5 agrees,” the old woman replied.

Tang Feng turned to Ren Ye and politely asked, “May I… eat it?”

“Go ahead,” Ren Ye replied, understanding what Tang Feng was thinking. Still, he couldn’t openly discourage him or show too much resistance.

Without hesitation, Tang Feng stepped forward, picked up the chopsticks, grabbed a bite, and ate it.

The entire sequence—picking up the chopsticks, taking a piece, and swallowing—was seamless.

He ate a piece of meat about the size of a fingernail.

Without a change in his expression, Tang Feng went for another bite, eating another fingernail-sized piece.

“…!”

After a brief silence, the scholarly and intelligent-looking man suddenly asked Ren Ye, “May I as well?”

“Go ahead…” Ren Ye replied, though inwardly he thought, This person is a formidable opponent.

Tang Feng was a mental health expert, practically a trained professional in this sort of thing. His ability to do this was grounded in his expertise. But this scholar? He only hesitated for a moment before eating two bites of “rabbit meat” as well.

Incredible.

Among the ten remaining players, some had no intention of eating at all; some were deeply resistant and hesitant; while others approached the “rabbit head,” building up their courage countless times, only to ultimately give up.

In the end, only Tang Feng and the scholar ate the rabbit meat. The rest couldn’t overcome their mental barriers.

Truth be told, when Ren Ye saw Tang Feng eating, he felt a mix of discomfort, shock, and even a little gratitude.

Tang Feng had entered this Star Gate partly because he was a Vigil Keeper and partly to help him.

The motive for eating the “rabbit meat” was simple: Tang Feng likely believed that if the Star Gate had prepared this dish, it wasn’t just for intimidation or cruelty. It must be connected to the upcoming challenges.

After eating, the two remained silent, calmly setting down their chopsticks.

“If you’re not planning to eat, then rest early,” the old woman said softly. “Tomorrow, you will proceed to the second level of the Princess’s Tomb, where even more exciting challenges await. May all your wishes come true.”

“Head to the rooms corresponding to your number cards,” the young girl announced in a clear, childish voice.

After hearing this, everyone instinctively glanced at Ren Ye before heading upstairs, each with a different expression.

Ren Ye wiped his mouth, glanced at the old woman, and refrained from asking more about the “gift.” Instead, he ascended to the second floor.

…

Room No. 5.

This was a very ordinary ancient-style guest room, around twenty square meters, furnished with a bed, table, chairs, and other essentials like a copper basin and a spittoon.

The room was impeccably clean, not a speck of dust in sight.

Ren Ye entered, sat at the table, and lit the oil lamp with a fire striker.

After the earlier events, he’d initially planned to approach Li Yan, Tang Feng, and the Princess Consort to reveal their identities to one another. However, the old woman had sent everyone to rest directly, leaving no opportunity for private conversations.

Ren Ye decided to wait until later in the night to visit Tang Feng. He wanted to discuss the next steps and ask him—did the “rabbit meat” taste good? Was it worth it?

This round had made Ren Ye finally understand something Huang Wei had once told him.

The Stellar Scar Gate doesn’t distinguish between good and evil. Or rather… it treats both as objective truths. Here, people really do die, and the deaths have no moral boundaries.

Whether you’re a saintly person or a heinous villain, in the Star Gate, it makes no difference. If it decides to “blow you up,” then that’s that.

Sitting by the lamplight, Ren Ye replayed Player No. 4 Zhang Meixuan’s death in his mind.

If it hadn’t been for Li Yan’s secret letter, which revealed that their target was the one holding the Chronicles of the Thatched Cottage, then in the second challenge, the group wouldn’t have had such a clear objective to unite their votes…

The more he thought about it, the more his scalp tingled. Li Yan truly seemed unfathomable.

…

Room 7.

Guo Cai’er sat in her chair, dazed and expressionless.

She felt like a pawn, manipulated and slaughtered like livestock.

In the first stage, the staunch Court Faction player Liu Ling’er had died and switched sides to join the Prince Huai faction in the second stage.

After exiting the door in the first stage, someone began setting traps, using partially true, partially false information to mislead her into believing the Court Faction’s spy was using a “The Chronicles of Thatched Cottage” as a signal.

And today, both she and Xing Tao had acted on that false information, directly killing another teammate.

The tomb exploration had just begun, and two people on her side were already gone…

Breaking it down carefully, Guo Cai’er estimated that the original number of Court Faction players was around 6–7. But now Liu Ling’er had defected, one had died, and there was still a spy among them.

That left only 3–4 players. Subtracting herself and the Martial Artist, there were at most two remaining teammates.

What to do next?

Guo Cai’er’s mind was a mess. Holding her head in her hands, she thought for a long time before concluding there was only one path left for the Court Faction to take:

They needed to recruit the Opportunists at all costs. If any more members were lost, the Court Faction would have no chance of victory.

And most importantly…

Guo Cai’er didn’t know who had laid the bait for her in the real world, but she was sure of one thing: her passive position had stemmed entirely from the “Sow Banquet.”

The Martial Artist’s meddling had yielded nothing, while the biggest winner was Li Yan. Through that incident, he had gained the trust of the other players.

And the one who initiated the “Sow Banquet” was also Li Yan.

Before that, Imperial Inspector Liu had fled to the Chief Historian’s manor, and the Disc Command had spread the news.

And Li Yan had the Disc Command.

Thinking this far, Guo Cai’er slowly lifted her head. Her mind had locked onto a suspicion: Li Yan was likely No. 5. He was the only one capable of earning the trust of so many players and swaying their votes.

Even if he wasn’t No. 5, he was highly likely to be—the spy within the Court Faction.

So stupid.

I was so stupid.

How could I have assumed from the start that the Chief Historian was on my side before the game even began?

It’s laughable.

After a mix of regret and unease, Guo Cai’er adjusted her mindset and decided to stir up some action in the next stage.

Since the first stage was a battle of wits, the second stage was unlikely to follow the same path. She needed to prepare in advance.

…

Room 10.

As soon as Li Yan returned to his room, he collapsed into bed and fell asleep.

He didn’t care about the unfamiliar environment, nor did he dwell on the grisly events earlier.

All he knew was one thing: the group had only passed the first stage. The road ahead was long. He needed to rest whenever possible and avoid overthinking. Only with a well-rested body could he keep his mind sharp and his thoughts clear.

…

Room 5.

Knock, knock~!

A knock echoed at the door. Ren Ye slowly turned his head. “Who is it?”

Creak!

The door opened, and the old woman entered, carrying a brand-new robe in her right hand. “Sir, here is the gift I’ve prepared for you,” she said, stepping inside.

Ren Ye stood up and glanced at her under the dim light. Pointing at the robe, he asked, “This?”

“See if it fits,” the old woman said, handing the robe over.

Ren Ye took it and found that the robe was made of leather. The stitching was rough, lacking any aesthetic appeal. Its surface was smooth and emitted a faint, bloody smell, as if it had just been freshly crafted from sheepskin.

Examining it closely, Ren Ye frowned. He carefully inspected the robe but found no bloodstains or signs of burnt skin.

This gave him a slight sense of relief.

“…This robe is a bit small, like it’s made for a woman,” Ren Ye muttered as he held it up.

The old woman suddenly remarked with an inexplicable tone, “Sir, from your appearance, it seems you rather enjoy dressing as a woman.”

“Huh?” Ren Ye was stunned.

“Heh, you’ve got a feminine look,” the old woman replied softly. “I won’t disturb your rest further.”

“Don’t bother,” Ren Ye said, nodding.

The old woman bowed her head, turned around, and closed the door behind her.

Ren Ye waited for a moment before quietly stepping out. He gently pulled the door open, wanting to check the situation outside and see if he could meet with Tang Feng.

Creak… creak…

The door groaned faintly as Ren Ye peered out under the faint light.

Thud, thud!

The sound of chopping echoed from downstairs.

Ren Ye turned toward the noise and saw, by the light of an oil lamp, the dwarf swinging a large axe at two leg bones.

Next to him, the girl was holding two pieces of bloodstained leather, threading a needle through them. “No visitors for years, and this is all the material we’ve got left. I’ll sew you a pair of leather boots.”

Seeing this scene, Ren Ye’s skin crawled.

“Someone there?!”

“Hey!”

The dwarf suddenly turned, his movement unnervingly smooth, and flung his arm forward.

Whoosh!

A gleaming axe spun through the air, heading straight for Ren Ye’s face.