There was no denying it—this assassin player was seriously impressive, and her approach was highly unconventional. While most other players were still stubbornly focused on the theater troupe and the militia, she'd taken an interest in the assassin perched on the theater roof and spent the night locked in a deadly game with him. And she'd actually managed to kill him in the end?
She seemed to be just as ruthless as the previously unnamed assassin veteran—a real pro!
This victory meant that the assassin could indeed be defeated, a revelation that would clearly raise the success rate of the entire mission. But even more important was the loot she obtained: the defense map!
Chu Ge replied, "This defense map is crucial. Its biggest significance isn't about the defense itself but rather the information it holds!
"Access to a defense map isn't something everyone can get. Even if that scholar managed to infiltrate the city, he couldn't have snuck up to the walls under the watchful eyes of so many soldiers just to gather intelligence.
"This defense map was likely obtained by someone high-ranking within the city.
"The fact that the bandits breached the city so quickly suggests that they had prior knowledge of the city walls' weak points from studying this map.
"In other words… the traitor is likely someone in a high-ranking position within the city!"
With this theory, players were once again stunned.
"A happy accident, huh? We suspected so many people, but the real traitor is actually someone with considerable status?"
"Did I just waste all of last night's efforts on the wrong direction?"
"Come to think of it, it makes sense. Not everyone would have access to a defense map, right? Even if Wang Jinghui is a deadweight, he wouldn't be in the right position to act as a spy."
"Could it be… the county magistrate?"
"No way—it can't be the county magistrate; he died in battle."
"Then how about Gao Ze?"
"Doesn't seem likely for Gao Ze, either. Didn't Lord Ho say he died in the final fight at the theater? If he were the traitor, he wouldn't have died for real."
"So, does that mean there's no one left? We can't possibly go through all the soldiers and militia individually, right? Besides, regular soldiers and militia probably wouldn't have access to the defense map."
Players voiced their guesses, but they still found it difficult to pin down the true identity of the traitor.
Regardless, after this second round of discussion, the players seemed to be on the verge of fully unraveling the mystery. They were just one step away from breaking through!
…
10 p.m.
Zhao Haiping re-entered the trial instance.
During the day, he had carefully reviewed all the information on the forum and had a thorough discussion with advanced players like Chu Ge, Ho Yunying, and Xia Ruoling.
Everyone had their own theories about how to finally crack the scenario, but they would have to test them tonight.
"Alright then… time to settle the score!"
Zhao Haiping first selected the character Yang Xinyan and chose the "Mountain of Corpses, Sea of Blood" talent.
His aim was to use Yang Xinyan to carry out the theater-burning plan!
As Chu Ge had deduced earlier, only someone with Yang Xinyan's physical abilities would be able to evade the Eastern assassin's pursuit and successfully relay the plan.
Wasting no time, Zhao Haiping exited the theater through the hidden door and dashed toward Yu Jiang and the others.
Yang Xinyan's physique was among the best in this instance, so his speed was impressive.
Just as expected, the Eastern assassin began chasing him after a while. But with Yu Jiang and the militia providing cover, Zhao Haiping managed to sprint all the way to Gao Ze's location, eventually reaching him successfully.
The assassin, realizing he was outnumbered, retreated into the shadows.
Zhao Haiping had sustained a few injuries, but they were manageable.
He then relayed the theater-burning plan to Gao Ze, who dispatched some militia to retrieve oil, setting the stage for the burning of the theater.
But just before the fire could be lit, the assassin on the roof discovered them, prompting the bandits to surge out, leading to a fierce battle.
Ultimately, Zhao Haiping's portrayal of Yang Xinyan ended in a heroic death, and the mission failed.
Despite this, Zhao Haiping felt no disappointment because he had anticipated that this attempt would likely fail.
After all, only the messaging and theater-burning plans had been executed; the traitor and the lookout assassin were still at large.
Nevertheless, Zhao Haiping didn't leave empty-handed. Just as he died and returned to the initial stage of the trial instance, he saw a prompt he'd never encountered before.
[Key Character Role Corrected!]
[Key Character: Yang Xinyan]
[This character's behavior has been solidified and will continue in the corrected form in future interactions!]
Along with this prompt, a memory fragment appeared in Zhao Haiping's mind.
This wasn't caused by the gold talent that allowed memory retrieval.
It seemed more like a cutscene that automatically played upon correcting a key character's identity.
In the scene, Yang Xinyan exits the theater through the hidden door but hesitates, looking back toward the theater, toward where Su Xianjun is.
Seeing the direction Wang Jinghui had fled in, Yang Xinyan realized he couldn't count on him.
He thought back to the nearly impossible, life-threatening plan Su Xianjun had suggested before they left the theater.
After much hesitation, Yang Xinyan sighed and made his decision, dashing toward the militia's location.
…
As these memory fragments unfolded, Zhao Haiping felt a subtle but distinct change in the trial instance, as if it had shifted slightly.
This was due to Yang Xinyan's corrected, solidified image.
Zhao Haiping was both excited and contemplative.
"So it really was him!
"Damn, this instance is exceptionally deceptive.
"The fragments I saw while playing as Su Xianjun didn't clarify anything—instead, they misled me…
"The game's designers are the real demons here, aren't they?
"They tweaked just a few key moments, and the entire outcome changed completely."
Yang Xinyan had indeed been weak and lacked the courage to become the "King of Chu." He only wanted to live an ordinary life.
He had a family and too much to lose, so he had cowered in fear when the bandits arrived, willing to perform on stage just to survive.
Yet, in the final moment, he made the right choice.
To be a hero or a coward may hinge on a single thought.
What the demon had altered was the pivotal choice Yang Xinyan made, creating a powerful sense of confusion for the players.
"Next… it's time to find the traitor!"
Zhao Haiping chose the laborer role once more, returning to the scene where the county magistrate led his soldiers and militia in a hopeless fight.
It was a doomed battle, but Zhao Haiping's aim in replaying it was clearly to uncover information he had missed before.
"Stand your ground!" Baihu Xu shouted, rallying his soldiers as the situation became dire. Some soldiers, however, ignored his command and fled.
Grinding his teeth in anger, Baihu Xu's momentary lapse in focus led to a blade striking his armor, and he fell.
The county magistrate shouted, "Loyalty and patriotism!" before being killed by the bandits.
Seeing the futility of their resistance, Gao Ze fought his way out, hoping to gather more militia for a comeback.
Zhao Haiping fought alongside Gao Ze until they broke through the encirclement, but instead of following Gao Ze's storyline, he returned to the battlefield after the bandits had left.
He looked to where Baihu Xu had fallen but found no trace of his body.
"Just as I thought!
"The damn traitor!"
Even though this was a game re-creating past events, Zhao Haiping couldn't suppress his anger.
Why had the bandits breached the city so easily? Why did the assassin carry the defense map?
Why was Baihu Xu—who wore armor—taken down with a single strike, while the bandits chased down everyone else ruthlessly?
The answer was simple: he was the traitor they had all been searching for!
His performance was impeccable. In his "heroic" stand against the bandits, Zhao Haiping had never once doubted him during that first encounter.
And with this, another mystery unraveled.
Among the Eastern bandits, one assassin would pursue fleeing individuals like Wang Jinghui, while the other kept watch on the theater roof.
As Xia Ruoling pointed out, this assassin would occasionally leave his post, though his destination was unknown due to his high level of vigilance.
Now Zhao Haiping had a hunch about where he'd gone.
Most likely, he was rendezvousing at a predetermined hideout with Baihu Xu!
The next mission became clear:
Root out the traitor, then annihilate the bandits!