COZMART: Corner Shop of Visiting Gods

Back in the arena, the audience stared at the holographic big screen as the White Tiger turned on his heel, parting from the conversation with Ao Bing. They gasped collectively as realization struck at once.

[@TeaMaster1]: Wait—WHAT DID HE JUST DO??

[@TeaMaster2]: BAI HU, YOU ABSOLUTE VIPER!

[@AoBingSupport]: JUSTICE FOR BING! JUSTICE FOR BING!

In the commentator's booth, Yverie leapt to her feet. "Betrayal! Intrigue! My subscriber count is skyrocketing as we speak!"

"Precision and cunning in perfect harmony." Brother Woo shook his head, voice solemn yet tinged with admiration. "Truly, the White Tiger is the master of this hunt."

In a separate part of the Xuan Residences, the corridor stretched out, lanterns casting shifting patterns across the carved walls. The regality felt suddenly oppressive, a quiet, mocking audience to the thick atmosphere.

Li Wei paced, his boots tapping a restless rhythm against the jaded floor. "Ao Bing and Wen are both alone with White right now," he muttered. "This feels less like caution and more like waiting politely for disaster."

The more he thought about it, the more unsettling it was. First Great Peng, then Foxfire, there seemed to be an invisible hand manipulating fate in the shadows. And speaking of manipulation, it was only reasonable that a certain white-haired man naturally came to mind.

Lady Meng moved closer, her presence a soothing contrast to Li Wei's agitation. Gently, almost motherly, she tugged upon Li Wei's sleeve. "Patience, Captain. Rashness often breeds oversight."

Her tranquility seemed to soothe the edges of Li Wei's anxiety, the creases in his brow smoothing only briefly. Erlang Shen stood apart from them, his arms crossed loosely before his chest.

"Unchecked caution quickly becomes complicity, Stewardess Meng." His voice cut through the gentle reassurance. "We're not merely dealing with a strategist; the White Tiger specializes in maneuvers hidden in plain sight. Patience might not serve us now."

Lady Meng turned her head, the candlelight catching the silver bells woven through her hair. Her eyes narrowed fractionally, not in irritation, but in thoughtful consideration. "I concede, General Erlang," she murmured, the picture of careful diplomacy.

Erlang Shen's frown deepened slightly, doubt momentarily clouding his expression. "Stewardess, forgive my insistence—but I must revisit your alibi from earlier," he said carefully. "You claimed to be with Lady Foxfire at the Imperial Garden when she was attacked?"

Lady Meng inclined her head in acknowledgment. "Indeed. All three of us were, until we became momentarily separated in the labyrinths. Lady Foxfire herself had only been left alone for a few minutes…" Her voice trailed off, a shadow of regret crossing her face. "Before she was silenced."

Seeing her subdued demeanour, Erlang Shen's resolve faltered, clearly reluctant to distrust Meng Po's usually impeccable conduct. After a pause, he gave a curt nod, still guarded but noticeably less hostile. "My apologies, Stewardess."

Lady Meng shook her head. "No need. In such troubling times, caution becomes necessary."

The conversation faded into thoughtful silence.

Meanwhile, Li Wei had already advanced briskly toward the Grand Hall. A sigh of visible relief escaped him when he spotted Ao Bing and Wen present, now absorbed in examining the fallen jade guardian.

Ao Bing caught Li Wei's gaze, offering him a cool, perfunctory nod before turning on his heel, exiting the hall with Wen trailing behind.

Li Wei's relief, however, rapidly gave way to guarded tension upon noticing a certain white-haired man emerging right after them. Taeril lounged nearby, eyes fixed on a jade ornament on the wall. He closed the distance between them.

"Strange coincidence, isn't it," Li Wei remarked, eyes narrowing slightly, "how those who linger alone in your company have been meeting untimely ends?"

Taeril raised a single eyebrow, the faintest hint of amusement playing across his lips. "Accusations without evidence, Captain Li? I thought you above such impulsiveness."

Li Wei's eyes flashed dangerously. Taeril's calm, detached demeanor only deepened his unease.

The White Tiger, noting Li Wei's visible hesitation, offered a slight shrug. "Still, if suspicion must fall somewhere," he mused, his voice dipping into the space between them, "perhaps Stewardess Meng warrants consideration."

Li Wei's attention snapped back to Taeril. His eyes narrowed. "Meng Po, you say? She's always quiet, composed—that doesn't necessarily mean anything."

"Precisely my point," Taeril replied, eyes glinting in the lantern's glow. "Such calm control can easily conceal deeper intentions, no? Think carefully—her controlled responses during Lady Foxfire's elimination were impeccable. Suspiciously so."

Li Wei hesitated further, brows furrowing in thought. But after a moment's reflection, he shook his head, cautious defiance flickering behind his eyes. "Meng's always been steady under pressure. This isn't new behaviour."

As if expecting such a response, Taeril inclined his head in acknowledgment.

"Perhaps you're right. Then again, flawless composure is often a mask—particularly effective in times like these." His voice dropped again, a silken undertone weaving through his words, "But, of course, Captain Li, I'm merely observing. I wouldn't dare openly accuse Lady Meng. Perhaps it's nothing. Perhaps her quietness truly is harmless."

Li Wei's expression faltered, seeds of doubt twisting beneath the surface. Without another word, he turned away, frustration threading his movements.

Taeril watched him go, the faintest smile playing at his lips—unseen by the Captain, yet perfectly captured by RealmNet cameras as viewers furiously debated the White Tiger's intentions.

[@DeceptionFan]: Anyone going to talk about how the White Tiger just spews things out of his ass?

[@MengPoSimp]: So is he clearing Meng Po or implicating her?? I'm losing my mind here!

In the subdued lighting of the Grand Hall, Taeril casually shifted from his spot, the candle flames behind him danced and twisted like mischievous spectators. Without missing a beat, the White Tiger casually turned, his robes whispering as he approached Wen. The latter stood in quiet concentration, scribbling notes on a pristine marble podium.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

RealmNet viewers leaned forward collectively, speculation peaking as Taeril brushed past Wen with idle grace.

Before anyone could properly react, a sharp, unmistakable chime echoed throughout the Grand Hall:

[PLAYER STATUS UPDATED]:

Ao Bing (Seat 006) — Imperial Physician — has been killed!

[PLAYER IDENTITY]:

Loyal.

"Forty-five-minute search period concluded. Return immediately for the final deliberation."

Li Wei spun sharply, eyes widening in disbelief as his gaze immediately sought Taeril across the chamber. The White Tiger's expression remained perfectly neutral and relaxed—innocent, even—save for a subtle gleam in his eyes.

"Another unfortunate coincidence, Captain." Taeril murmured gently, spreading his hands open in mild apology. "Will you believe me?"

He smiled.

"Or will you not?"

***

Back at the round table, silence descended like thick fog. Of the nine commanders, only Meng Po, Erlang Shen, Wen, Li Wei, and the White Tiger remained. The eliminated commanders sat in their greyed-out seats. Great Peng was still sighing nonstop as he pretended to scroll through an invisible RealmNet feed; Lady Foxfire shook her head mournfully at being excluded from the theatrics.

Ao Bing now joined them at the sidelines, greyed out but features grimmer than ink.

"Final Official Deliberation Round—begin. You have thirty minutes."

[TIME REMAINING]:

00:29:59

Immediately, Li Wei surged to his feet, chair scraping against the floor. "Inquisitor White is toying with us. The Physician's death proves it—vote him out, immediately."

Erlang Shen echoed the mortal commander's sentiments with a crisp, icy certainty. "It's time to end your games, White. Your deception stops here."

Taeril leaned back languidly in his chair. A wounded sigh escaped his lips. "Your accusations cut deep, truly. Have I not cooperated faithfully at every turn?"

Erlang Shen narrowed his gaze, unmoved. "Your cooperative facade is precisely why we've hesitated so long."

Taeril shrugged, yet his gaze had flickered pointedly toward Wen, the ever-silent Court Archivist seated across. "Before you toss accusations, perhaps consider those quieter than I. Silence isn't always virtue—sometimes it conceals intentions better than words."

Wen raised his gaze slightly, eyes unreadable beneath his quiet demeanor.

Li Wei frowned. "You're trying to distract us again—"

"What's the hurry? We still have plenty of time. If anything, you're always welcomed to vote me out later if unsatisfied." But Taeril ignored him, attention fixed calmly on Wen. "So, Archivist Wen, would you enlighten us? Right before the first deliberation, where exactly were you?"

All eyes shifted toward the quiet archivist, who calmly folded his notebook before speaking. "Examining scrolls in the residence archives."

"Alone?"

Wen hesitated slightly, eyes narrowing, then finally replied, "With Elder Peng."

At that, the commanders fell silent. Great Peng raised a spectral eyebrow, clearly annoyed at being drawn back into drama he'd been excluded from since the beginning.

"Interesting." Taeril's expression turned carefully neutral, yet his eyes sharpened, glancing toward the remaining commanders. "And before this current deliberation—when Physician Ao was removed—weren't you also with him and myself in the treasury?" His gaze flicked meaningfully around the table. "Suspicious, no?"

The silence tightened uncomfortably. Meng Po exchanged a cautious glance with Erlang Shen, who frowned deeply. Even Li Wei hesitated briefly, clearly disliking the new implications that surfaced.

Wen's calm exterior remained intact, though his gaze hardened slightly, visibly uncomfortable under Taeril's scrutiny.

Suspicion began to shift once again, and Wen raised a finger slowly, drawing everyone's attention. His lips parted, about to speak—when suddenly, his image flickered violently.

The next second, the colours on the archivist swiftly bled into a lifeless grey, and a [NULL] sign floated above his figure.

[PLAYER STATUS UPDATED]:

Wen (Seat 009) — Court Archivist — has been killed!

[PLAYER IDENTITY]:

Loyal.

A collective gasp surged from the audience like a whirlwind storm. RealmNet exploded almost instantaneously:

[@ArchivistStan]: WAIT NO NOT WEN TOO!

[@WhysEveryoneSus]: omg this timing… another talisman?!

From the commentary booth, Yverie nearly tumbled out of her seat, eyes wide in shock. "Wen—gone?! But when? How?!"

Brother Woo, eternally calm, sipped his tea. "Seems like these eliminations are orchestrated far too precisely."

Li Wei visibly snapped, fury blazing openly as the realization dawned. He turned towards the remaining commanders. "Enough! Every deliberation, the White Tiger redirects suspicion to stall us—we have to vote him out, now."

Erlang Shen nodded while Lady Meng inclined her head, the tone of her voice neutral yet decisive. "Indeed. It seems the safest course."

The vote was swift, decisive—three votes against one.

Taeril barely flinched as his image began dissolving into grey. This entire time, his expression remained unchanged, exuding serenity as the Ledger coldly intoned:

[COMMANDER STATUS UPDATED]:

Bai Hu (Seat 001) — Exiled Inquisitor — has been killed!

[COMMANDER IDENTITY]:

Disloyal.

[KILLER STATUS]:

Confirmed.

Li Wei slumped back into his chair with audible relief, shoulders dropping as he exhaled a shuddering breath.

"Finally," he muttered, relief so tangible it practically seeped through the screen to the anxious audience.

But before the relief fully settled, the Cloud-Jade Ledger flashed a second message, its voice resonating through the hall:

"The Final Deliberation Resumes."

Li Wei's head snapped up, eyes widening in horror. The Game did not end, which meant there was another killer among them that had yet to be found.

At that moment, a thousand thoughts raced through his mind. Li Wei cursed inwardly. He'd been so preoccupied by the White Tiger's suspicious actions that he'd forgotten the possibility of there being two assigned killers. He replayed the past events rapidly, his internal monologue sharpened by years of strategic discipline. His gaze was fixed ahead, but the memories of Taeril's earlier words haunted the edges of his consciousness.

Lady Meng's composure. Lady Meng's silence. Lady Meng's lack of reaction.

Those insinuations now glowed with suspicious clarity in hindsight. Yet Li Wei couldn't help but hesitate. It had been too easy, too neat—like a trail of breadcrumbs deliberately laid out to lure him into pinning the guilty.

He had spent enough time around Taeril White to know that nothing out of the White Tiger's mouth could ever be trusted at face value. Every word, every subtle hint, was a weapon crafted with deadly precision—carefully chosen to deceive, to mislead.

Think, Li Wei commanded himself. If Meng Po was genuinely the second traitor, would the White Tiger truly risk exposing her so openly, so easily, with just enough suggestion to arouse suspicion?

No, impossible.

He felt cold sweat trace a thin path down the back of his neck as his thoughts crystallized. Taeril was never careless. He was never obvious. He was never sincere without layers of deceit beneath.

But what if he was?

What if he'd name-dropped Meng Po on purpose, knowing that Li Wei would doubt his every word and turn his gaze elsewhere?

The White Tiger's layers of intentions tugged at his internal logic. Li Wei shook his head, which was beginning to throb with subtle irritation.

He didn't think Taeril would take such a risk. The man could have named-dropped Erlang Shen, Ao Bing, Wen—anyone but the killer themselves. He had no reason to give him the true one if he was looking for a distraction.

Which meant that Lady Meng wasn't the real threat. She was merely a decoy, a carefully crafted mirage designed by Taeril to misdirect him at the critical moment. She was a red herring that the White Tiger had masterfully dangled before him to draw suspicion away from someone else.

But then—if it wasn't Lady Meng, who else remained?

The countdown flickered above them all, a constant reminder of the imminent end.

Li Wei drew a tense breath, his logic tightening like a drawn bowstring. The more he thought, the clearer the suspicion became—sharp, logical, inevitable.

The Hall of Supreme Harmony fell into silence, all eyes shifting rapidly between the remaining players. RealmNet exploded, speculation pouring into streams of chaotic commentary.

And in that taut silence, Li Wei turned sharply. His voice echoed in the chamber, the decision cast like a stone thrown into still water.

"It was you."

Faced with the sudden accusation, Erlang Shen's face blanked momentarily.

Then, slowly, he stared back, a rare incredulity rippling across his face.