Chapter 76: I Want Your Robe

In the desolate wilderness…

Ren Ye’s face was streaked with phlegm as he glanced at Player No. 11 and walked over. “What do you mean by this?”

Around them, the other players had varied expressions. Some looked expectant, others frowned deeply, lost in thought. Among them, the clever scholar quietly observed everyone’s reactions.

Player No. 11 kept his playful smirk as Ren Ye approached. “It wasn’t intentional, haha, my bad!”

Although he claimed it was unintentional, his smug and provocative grin told another story.

Beneath the tree, sparks flew as the two locked eyes.

In the crowd, someone silently urged, Come on, fight already! Let me see what kind of cards these remaining ten players are holding.

“What are you staring at?!” Player No. 11 stepped forward until he was less than half a meter away from Ren Ye.

“I’m looking at you…!”

Just as it seemed a confrontation was about to break out, Imperial Inspector Liu, suddenly returned, hoisting up his pants. “What the hell is wrong with you two?! There’s still a ton of competitive events ahead—what’s the rush?”

Everyone turned to see Player No. 1, Inspector Liu, yelling brazenly, “Are you coming or not?”

After a brief silence, Tang Feng quickly approached Player No. 11, tugging lightly on his arm. “Come on, it’s too early in the morning for such a temper. We don’t even know what the second challenge is yet. Let’s all calm down.”

Then, turning to Ren Ye, Tang Feng slyly said, “Maybe he was trying to give you a signal, wanting to have a little chat with you. He just missed his aim, that’s all.”

Hearing this, the group chuckled.

“Oh, so he wanted to have a chat with me, huh?” Ren Ye thought for a moment, then bent down, picked up two leaves, and wiped the phlegm off his face. “Alright, we’ll talk later when there’s a chance.”

“Heh!” Player No. 11 let out a cold laugh.

Ren Ye seized the opportunity to let it slide and didn’t pursue the matter further. Maintaining his composure, he picked up his fur robe and suggested, “How about we address each other by our table numbers? Let’s move on.”

“Let’s go!”

“Yeah, let’s move…”

Some players chimed in and began following Ren Ye toward Qingliang Mountain.

Meanwhile, Tang Feng clung to Player No. 11’s arm and cheekily said, “Big bro, you look like a tough guy. You better take care of me later, alright?”

“Heh, sure,” Player No. 11 grinned, then shamelessly patted Tang Feng’s round backside and gave it a squeeze. “Front, back, I can take care of it all…”

“You naughty thing!” Tang Feng playfully smacked him.

…

The path leading up the mountain tomb was a single trail, neither too long nor too short.

During the journey, most players kept to themselves, refraining from unnecessary conversation. However, Tang Feng was an exception. Relying on her good looks, she wandered through the group, chatting with almost everyone.

Just before reaching the entrance to the tomb, Tang Feng caught up to Ren Ye, who was walking ahead. “Hey, handsome…!”

“What?” Ren Ye turned back with a smile, shielding himself from the harsh sunlight.

Tang Feng naturally looped her arm around his and, with her back to the others, whispered, “Shoulder-length hair, knee-high socks, the kind that just screams ‘top-tier.'”

Ren Ye replied quietly, “Got it, Poet Tang. I’m the thigh-high sock guy. But tone it down; you’re being too conspicuous.”

“You don’t get it.” Tang Feng muttered, “I’m setting up a socialite persona for myself. This isn’t unusual behavior.”

“Someone’s watching me. Don’t get too close to me,” Ren Ye warned.

“I just wanted to tell you that Player No. 11 is acting suspicious. He might target you,” Tang Feng said while theatrically teasing him, her tone quick and serious. “Should we inform Li Yan if…?”

“No. Remember this,” Ren Ye interrupted. “If something happens later, you three mustn’t…!”

Their conversation lasted only a few seconds, but Ren Ye clearly conveyed his intentions to Tang Feng.

…

At the back of the group…

Player No. 11, noticing they were nearing the tomb entrance, deliberately fell behind and loosened his belt.

Standing by the roadside, he began to relieve himself.

Nearby, the scholar also stopped, unfastened his pants, and walked over. “This guy’s a real turtle ninja. You spit on him, and he doesn’t even react.”

Player No. 11 kept his gaze forward and replied casually, “Do we really need to act now? He has teammates in the shadows. If we take the lead, we might suffer for it.”

“Player No. 5 has exceptional vote-manipulation skills, and he can coordinate his teammates with precision,” the scholar said in a low voice. “I suspect he’s already identified his allies. Or maybe their signals are so well-concealed that they can communicate and share information at any time. The first round’s barely over, and they’ve already grouped up. Meanwhile, we’re still fumbling around like fools, testing each other out. It’s a losing game.”

The burly man nodded unconsciously, finding some truth in his words.

“If any conflict or disagreement arises later, and they stick together while the rest of us act individually, the rhythm will fall apart. They’ll be able to take out anyone they want,” the scholar continued with a frown. “We have to rally the other players. I’ve noticed they’re all pretty cautious—if we don’t take the lead, no one will step forward.”

“So, you mean…?”

“Trust me—we have to act,” the scholar paused, then added, “Stir things up. Let’s see how many allies Player No. 5 has, and show everyone else where we stand.”

“Fine!”

No. 11 fastened his pants and took the first step, leaving.

…

About a quarter of an hour later, the ten people slowly arrived at the entrance of the tomb passage.

Before them stood two bronze doors nearly ten meters tall, showing the marks of rust and the passage of time.

Everyone looked up but saw no inscription tablets, nor did they notice any plaques or sealing stones hanging above the doors.

“Boom, rumble!”

A dull sound echoed, and it seemed like a mechanism inside the tomb door was operating, followed by the squeaking of gears.

“Creek, creek…”

The tomb doors slowly creaked open, and a cold wind brushed their faces.

Everyone involuntarily shuddered, exchanged glances, and then looked at Ren Ye.

“We’ve come all this way. Can we really go back?” Ren Ye scratched his nose. “Let’s go!”

With that, he was the first to step into the tomb, his leather robe still draped over his left shoulder.

The others paused briefly before following suit.

“Creek, creek…”

When the last person entered the tomb, the doors suddenly slammed shut, plunging the damp and cold passage into complete darkness.

“Shit, the door closed by itself!”

“Don’t shout, don’t panic!”

“Who touched me?!”

Tang Feng yelled, “Don’t… stop pinching me!”

“Everyone, don’t panic,” Li Yan shouted. “There are torches on both sides of the passage. Let’s light them for illumination.”

As everyone was shouting, Ren Ye pulled a sharp branch from his robe. It was something he had picked up while hurrying earlier—about the length of two adult fingers and fairly thick, looking like a large Marco Polo ham sausage.

Ren Ye tucked the branch into his belt and then reached for a torch.

“Bang!”

Before long, the torch flared to life, and the passage lit up again.

Ren Ye held the torch and glanced around. Seeing that no one was missing, he asked, “So, what’s the plan? Do we split up, or go together?”

As soon as he finished speaking, No. 11, holding a torch, turned to him and said, “What the hell? You think you’re the leader now?”

As soon as those words were spoken, the tomb passage, which had been a little noisy, instantly fell silent.

Ren Ye pretended to be stunned and replied meekly, “Well, since no one else is saying anything… someone has to speak up, right? I’m just asking for everyone’s opinion!”

“Who needs your opinion?” No. 11 made no attempt to hide his hostility.

“Fine, if you don’t want to hear it, I won’t say anything,” Ren Ye replied, leaning against the wall, choosing to avoid the confrontation.

With just a few words, Ren Ye didn’t retort or get angry, and No. 11 felt like he was hitting cotton with a punch.

“Alright, enough fighting,” the horsekeeper interjected, “No. 5 is well-liked, many people listen to him, so let’s follow him.”

“If you want to listen, go ahead,” No. 11 replied coldly, taking a step toward Ren Ye and speaking briefly, “It’s a bit chilly in here, give me your robe.”

“Why?” Ren Ye leaned against the cold tomb wall, fear flashing in his eyes. “I’m cold too, and I’ll wear it later.”

“Dammit!” No. 11 cursed, “Did you not hear me? I told you to give me your robe!”

If before, No. 11 had only been testing and provoking, now it was outright robbery, giving Ren Ye no chance to back down.

Among the crowd, the princess, hearing those words, flashed a look of confusion in her eyes, but she could probably guess they weren’t good words.

At this moment, the scholar, still observing everyone’s expressions, was watching to see who would be the first to show concern or move toward Ren Ye.

But unfortunately, everyone was just watching the drama, and no one moved or tried to intervene.

“I said give it to me!” No. 11 took another step forward.

“What are you doing?” Ren Ye dodged to the side, clearly afraid of the other person.

“Whoosh!”

Suddenly, No. 11 threw the torch at Ren Ye’s head.

“Bang!”

The flames exploded on Ren Ye’s head, and No. 11 kicked him in the waist, shouting, “I just don’t like you!”

“Thud!”

Ren Ye was kicked to the ground, bending in half.

“Bang! Bang!”

The torch swayed and repeatedly slammed into Ren Ye’s back, dimming the light.

No. 11 stepped forward, swinging the torch, his gaze fierce. “You think you’re popular? How come no one is helping you?! Huh?!”

Seeing no one move, No. 11 grew even more vicious, aiming the torch at Ren Ye’s face.

No. 11 bent down, his chest and face just a few inches away from Ren Ye.

“Slap!”

Just as Ren Ye, who had been taking the blows, saw the other person close in, he suddenly sprang into action.

The torch swayed, and the surrounding light grew dim. Everyone saw Ren Ye stand up, but didn’t notice the sharp branch in his right hand.

“Heh, you want to test me, huh? But can you handle it?!”

“Thud!”

Ren Ye blocked No. 11’s neck with his left arm and stabbed the sharp branch into his Adam’s apple with his right hand.

The branch tore through the skin, piercing the flesh, and blood gushed out.

“You want my robe?! Fine, I’ll skin you and make you a new one right here.”

“Thud!”

“Thud!”

“Thud!”

“…!”

Taking advantage of No. 11’s moment of disorientation, Ren Ye’s right arm moved mechanically, furiously stabbing the branch into the other’s face, chest, and neck.

“Drip, drip!”

No. 11 struggled desperately, his body curling, and the blood pouring from his wounds dripped steadily onto the ground.

“Swish!”

Not far away, the clever scholar also moved.