Chapter 91: Taking the Baton

On the mountain path, faced with Imperial Inspector Liu’s outburst, Ren Ye and the others didn’t feel much anger. Instead, they felt a tinge of sympathy.

Imperial Inspector Liu was trembling with rage, his lips turning purple. He barely managed to suppress his fury as he questioned Ren Ye, “You… you’re Prince Huai?”

“Yes.”

“Then how did you know the secret code between me and my teammate?” Imperial Inspector Liu couldn’t believe it. “When he saved me, we hid in the flower bed to confirm the code. We spoke so softly that no one else could’ve possibly heard it!”

Damn.

That statement even left Ren Ye momentarily stunned. It took him a while to process what Imperial Inspector Liu meant.

Beside him, Xu Qingzhao—rarely showing visible emotions—turned away and shook her head, her expression one of sheer disbelief. “I’ve never seen someone this foolish before…”

Li Yan crossed his arms, feeling that the conversation was getting too ridiculous to continue.

“What the hell are you even saying? Did you get your head smashed by your own heel?” Tang Feng widened his eyes and jabbed a finger at Ren Ye. “I swear, even the snowflakes around us understand what’s going on, and you still don’t? The person who saved you—it was him! He pretended to rescue you from the prison, pretended to be your teammate, and then confirmed the secret code with you in the flower bed! And you’re proud that you whispered it quietly? You’re like a damn kid…!”

It was only at this moment that Imperial Inspector Liu finally realized the truth. His face went blank as he turned to Li Yan. “No… wait… hold on, let me sort this out. This is a mess.”

The four of them stared at him, unsure how to even respond.

Imperial Inspector Liu clutched his forehead, thinking hard before finally looking at Li Yan. “So what you’re saying is… earlier, you were working with me to take down Prince Huai, but later, you switched sides and betrayed me, right?”

“…Damn, I was working with you? I helped get you thrown in jail, remember?!” Li Yan was speechless. “They literally announced it across the entire game in the Second Act—Prince Huai’s faction had a mole. That was me!”

After a long silence, Imperial Inspector Liu’s expression twisted in disbelief. His mind reeled, feeling as if his intelligence had just been publicly humiliated. “…So basically, since the start of this game, the only two people I’ve interacted with are the top leader and second-in-command of the enemy faction. Is that right?”

The four of them nodded in unison. “Right.”

“This Star Gate game is bullshit,” Imperial Inspector Liu muttered in despair. He turned his gaze toward the snowy mountains, suddenly feeling an overwhelming homesickness.

“Boom!”

Tang Feng, well-versed in psychology, knew that this was the perfect moment to apply pressure. He stepped forward and gave Old Liu a light push. “Whether it’s bullshit or not isn’t the point. You have two choices—either you swear allegiance to Prince Huai, or the four of us kick you to death. And we’ve already decided to start with your head.”

Imperial Inspector Liu stood frozen, his fists clenched tightly, veins bulging on his forehead as he struggled internally.

“What’s with that look? Are you picking the ‘kick to death’ option?!” Tang Feng eyed him warily.

“Get out of my way. You’re blocking my view of Prince Huai.” Imperial Inspector Liu shoved Tang Feng aside and dropped to one knee with a heavy thud. “Your Highness Prince Huai, how should I pledge my loyalty?”

At this moment, Imperial Inspector Liu knew he had no way out. He had already come this far—if he refused to join them, they would be outright enemies. And these four bastards wouldn’t hesitate to kick him to death on the spot.

Faced with the combined humiliation of being outwitted and the threat of physical violence, survival ultimately won out.

He swore his loyalty to Prince Huai while cursing inwardly: Damn you all. You’re ridiculously childish.

“Repeat after me,” Ren Ye instructed without missing a beat. “I, [name], vow to serve Prince Huai with unwavering loyalty. Should I ever betray him, may heaven strike me down, may the earth condemn me, and may my bloodline end forever.”

One minute later, Imperial Inspector Liu completed his oath, forming a subtle connection with Ren Ye. He was now fully part of Prince Huai’s faction, and Ren Ye’s recruitment ability was officially used up.

…

With the faction divisions now set,

The five of them sat down and began discussing their next steps.

“First off, don’t panic—I have a way to clear this stage,” Ren Ye said, his eyes sharp and his voice steady. “But the key is that we must cooperate with the four players on the other side. This stage doesn’t allow for deaths. If we try to force our way through, we’ll just keep looping indefinitely, and in the end, we’ll all be screwed.”

On the snowy mountain path, Tang Feng frowned, puzzled. “Nine people, but only four coffins—how do we get through this?”

He hadn’t experienced last night’s cold wave and couldn’t figure out a solution.

“Heh.”

Ren Ye grinned and turned to Imperial Inspector Liu. “Old Liu, I’m giving you a chance to show off. Want it?”

“How?” Imperial Inspector Liu remained wary. “Explain.”

“Simple. In a bit, you’ll go talk to them…” Ren Ye whispered his plan to Imperial Inspector Liu.

As he listened, Imperial Inspector Liu’s previously sullen expression slowly brightened. “Alright, I’ll take this one.”

…

On the other side of the frozen wasteland…

The Scholar was still mourning the tragic death of No. 11, while the other three had been racking their brains for a way to clear this stage safely.

Just then, a tall and imposing figure appeared in the distance, hands clasped behind his back, striding toward them against the backdrop of the setting sun. He stopped ten meters away, said nothing, and simply let out a cold chuckle.

“Heh.”

“‘Heh’ my ass!” The Horsekeeper instantly snapped. “You dumbass, you got played and even helped count the money while being sold!”

Xing Tao glared at Imperial Inspector Liu. “You’re actually this stupid? Get lost before I beat you to death.”

“Heh.”

Imperial Inspector Liu remained composed, looking at the four of them with an unreadable expression. “Do you know why No. 4 died? Do you know who cast the decisive vote? Do you know why No. 5 and the others agreed to let me take the Heavenly Path? Do you know why I was ‘biding my time’ in prison from the very start?”

The four hesitated, their expressions shifting as they considered his words.

So many coincidences—why did they all revolve around him? And why had he been so quick to join Prince Huai’s faction?

Imperial Inspector Liu pointed to his chest and enunciated clearly, “From the very first act, I was Prince Huai’s man, infiltrating the Opportunist Faction as a sleeper agent. Do you get it now? Who’s really the fool here? Who’s the one looking at everything through a foggy lens, thinking they’re smart? Heh. Laughable.”

That final sneer completely shattered their psychological defenses. The Horsekeeper was stunned, Xing Tao’s face burned with embarrassment, and even Guo Cai’er¹ and the Scholar showed signs of defeat.

“You’ll understand in time,” Imperial Inspector Liu said with an air of superiority before gesturing southward. “Prince Huai has a way to clear this stage. If you want to live, go hear him out.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the four in silence, standing in the cold wind.

The Horsekeeper was the first to sigh. “Damn, I just realized—I’m the real clown here. Those guys… they’re too smart. They’re manipulating the rules like pros.”

Xing Tao, the rugged Martial Artist, muttered, “We underestimated this guy. He acts uncultured, but he’s been hiding his true self all along. He might be their strategist…”

The Horsekeeper glanced at Guo Cai’er and the Scholar. “They claim to have a way to pass. Should we go listen?”

The Scholar wiped his reddened eyes, suppressing his grief and resentment. “No. 5 and that woman survived last night’s cold wave. If they really figured out a way, it’s possible. We’ll go listen, but we won’t step into the mountain path to avoid an ambush. If they attack, we fight; if not, we follow Prince Huai’s plan for now. And in the next stage, we should avoid direct conflict with them.”

“Why?” Xing Tao asked.

“My initial plan was to weaken Prince Huai’s faction in the first two stages,” the Scholar replied flatly. “But looking at things now… we’re already at a disadvantage. We need a new strategy.”

A gleam appeared in Guo Cai’er’s eyes. She bent down and wrote in the snow:

‘We must unite and trust each other. Five against four—they don’t have an absolute advantage, so they likely won’t act rashly.’

The four of them looked at the writing in the snow and slowly nodded.

…

Ten minutes later, the nine of them gathered by the southern mountain path.

“Speak. What exactly do you want?” The Horsekeeper was the first to ask.

“We have nine people, divided into four groups,” Ren Ye said expressionlessly as he gave instructions. “Each group of two will go up the mountain to collect wood. But to avoid conflicts, each group must choose their own teammate.”

Everyone was momentarily stunned. Xing Tao asked, “Each group has two people—that’s eight total. What about the last one?”

Ren Ye looked at him and replied, “I’m not going up. I’ll stay here at the starting point to monitor all four paths and prevent anyone from turning back to cause trouble.”

“Hmph.” Scholar sneered coldly. “You’re staying behind to observe. What if you and your teammates join forces to attack us?”

“Even if the five of us team up to attack you two, are we guaranteed to win?” Ren Ye frowned. “The mountain paths are long, and there’s a suspension bridge in the middle. You only need to run, and we won’t be able to do anything. If time runs out and we don’t bring back the wood, then we all fail. High risk, low reward—what’s the point?”

Imperial Inspector Liu interjected, “No one on our side is that stupid.”

“…!” The Scholar glanced at him. “Then the wood from the Heavenly Path must be collected by our people.”

Ren Ye considered it briefly and unexpectedly agreed outright, “Fine.”

He just wanted to clear this stage quickly and had no interest in further bloodshed. This stage’s mechanics seemed simple, but they were highly unpredictable.

No one knew what the rules would be in the next cycle. If things went wrong, his own faction could end up losing members.

That was the last thing Ren Ye wanted. Even with the newly joined Imperial Inspector Liu, he didn’t want him to die in this Star Gate. Let alone… Tang Feng, Li Yan, and his beloved.

The Heavenly Path wasn’t essential to Ren Ye’s plan, so after a brief consideration, he agreed.

Seeing Ren Ye’s willingness, the Scholar’s suspicion and wariness eased—just a little.

“If there are no issues, we’ll proceed according to my plan after the hour of the Rooster (5-7 PM),” Ren Ye said.

“Once we’ve gathered the wood, how do we survive the cold wave tonight?” The Horsekeeper asked.

Ren Ye shot him a cold look. “Do what you’re supposed to do. I’ll reveal the next step when the time comes. Don’t ask questions. Understand?”

“…!” Horsekeeper was extremely frustrated, but he held back and said nothing.

With the initial plan settled, everyone began to wait.

Soon, the sun was about to disappear over the horizon, and the Star Gate’s announcement rang in their ears.

[The hour of the Rooster has arrived. Please head to the valley and collect wood.]

[A new cycle begins. Face the cold wave with your full strength and in peak condition. Ding~ You have received a Stellar Essence Pill. It can heal your external injuries, revitalize you, and eliminate all fatigue.]

As the two messages sounded, each of the nine players found a brown pill in their hands.

“Hah, this Star Gate is pretending to be a good guy,” Imperial Inspector Liu sneered at the pill. “If we didn’t have a peaceful way to clear this stage… taking this pill would just make the slaughter even more intense.”

The others glanced at him but said nothing. Instead, they simply tossed the pills into their mouths.

The Stellar Essence Pill dissolved instantly, warm and fragrant.

Ren Ye looked down at his skin, watching as his frostbite and external wounds visibly healed. The exhaustion in his body vanished completely.

With his body recovered and energy replenished, Ren Ye called out, “Let’s move.”

The Scholar chose to go down Path Two with the Horsekeeper. Guo Cai’er and Xing Tao took Heavenly Path. Li Yan and Imperial Inspector Liu went down Path Three. Xu Qingzhao and Tang Feng took Path One.

After dividing into teams, they each set off.

Once the others had left, Ren Ye immediately moved away from the central starting point, sprinting to the opposite side of the mountain paths while positioning himself at the farthest distance where he could still observe the situation.

Sure enough, within ten minutes, the Scholar and the Horsekeeper doubled back along their original path. But when they saw that Ren Ye was no longer at the starting point, they froze.

They looked up at Ren Ye, who was hiding at the farthest distance within the mountain path, and felt a wave of frustration and irritation.

From afar, Ren Ye shouted, “Are you trying to capture me to threaten my teammates, or are you planning to kill me?”

The two remained silent.

“Get lost already!” Ren Ye shouted coldly.

The Horsekeeper looked at him and sighed again. “The guy on the other side is too smart.”

Whoosh!

The Scholar said no more, turning away with a cold expression and running back up the mountain path.

The Horsekeeper shook his head, abandoning the plan for a sneak attack. Ren Ye wasn’t at the starting point at all—he was too far away, making it impossible to catch up.

This time, Ren Ye had anticipated the enemy faction’s intentions.

Their plan was simple: if possible, they wanted to circle back and ambush Ren Ye while he was alone. That way, they could not only threaten his teammates but also force him to reveal his method of surviving the cold wave.

If their plan succeeded, the Court Faction’s disadvantage would instantly turn into an advantage. Unfortunately for them, Ren Ye was too cautious and hadn’t given them any opening.

…

After this brief episode, the wood-collecting process proceeded smoothly and required no further elaboration.

Once everyone had returned, they gathered at the center of the starting area and constructed four Snow-Avoiding Coffins, lining them up in a row.

At this point, there was roughly an hour left before the cold wave hit.

Standing around the coffins, the Scholar was the first to ask, “Now can you tell us? There are nine of us and only four coffins—how do we survive?”

“How? We should be thanking you all, actually,” Ren Ye sneered sarcastically.

“Us?” Xing Tao was confused.

Ren Ye pointed at himself. “Do you know why No. 2 and I got frostbite? Do you know why, despite being on different paths, we still managed to reunite?”

Everyone frowned, listening intently.

“After the Princess was attacked last night, she returned to the camp first and found that the coffins couldn’t be opened. So she left and headed into the mountains to find me.” Ren Ye paused before continuing, “She estimated that after the hour of the Pig (9–11 PM), it took her about half an hour to reach me. But that was her limit—by the time she found me, she was already near death.”

At this point, Li Yan, Tang Feng, Guo Cai’er, and the Scholar all had strange expressions—they had already guessed what Ren Ye was about to say.

“The Princess warmed up inside my robe for about ten minutes and recovered significantly.” Ren Ye scanned the group. “Then we took turns wearing the robe and made our way back to camp. I placed five pieces of wood next to No. 11’s coffin—she kept the robe, and I got inside the coffin. Every half an hour, I came out. At first, I was worried something might happen to her, but then I realized…the coffin and the robe serve the same purpose—they both provide warmth, and their effects last about the same duration.”

“I see,” Li Yan nodded, then smirked at Guo Cai’er and the others. “A mental blind spot, huh? We really should thank you guys—if not for you, who would have tested the limits of human endurance?”

“So the way to pass is shift rotations,” Ren Ye frowned and spoke slowly. “Four people enter the coffins while four remain outside. After half an hour, the ones outside switch places with those inside to warm up. By repeating this, we should be able to make it through.”

“But to prevent any accidents—like someone refusing to switch out—we must mix our two factions. Each faction will send two people into the coffins per round.” Ren Ye’s gaze turned sharp. “I won’t be entering a coffin tonight—I’ll stay outside with the fur robe and keep watch all night. If anyone refuses to swap out or tries to stall, I’ll attack their teammates with my own. A three-versus-two fight, and with my fur robe keeping me warm, my condition will be optimal. Heh, the odds will be in our favor.”

“…!”

The Scholar gritted his teeth. “Can we at least decide our own rotation order?”

“You can my ass! Who gave you the right to negotiate?” Imperial Inspector Liu, fully immersed in the Prince Huai faction, suddenly cursed. “I want to be on shift with that quiet woman. If any of you refuse to swap out, I’ll use her to warm up instead.”

The Martial Artist pointed at Imperial Inspector Liu angrily. “Watch your mouth! Stop spewing garbage!”

“Oh, even talking is off-limits now? What are you, the police?!” Imperial Inspector Liu sneered. “The law can’t control me, so who the hell do you think you are?”

Ren Ye frowned and interjected, “If there are no objections, I’ll assign the rotation now.”

…

The Capital.

Ren Daguo had just arrived at the reception hotel. Holding his phone, he spoke as Yan Duoduo watched. “Yeah, I just got here. Sure, I’d love to meet you too…!”