“What do you mean?”
Upon hearing her words, the villagers erupted in fury, quickly shifting their attention from the other players to Jiang Xiuxiu.
However, upon seeing Jiang Xiuxiu clearly, they were taken aback, their expressions changing significantly.
The reason was simple they recognized Jiang Xiuxiu.
Jiang Xiuxiu, the predetermined "bride" of the river god, had managed to escape the sacrificial rites for three consecutive nights through various means.
If any other player had spoken like this, the villagers would have rebuked them. But it was Jiang Xiuxiu who spoke.
“Grab her!” someone shouted immediately upon recognizing her. “We can’t let her escape again!”
Jiang Xiuxiu had anticipated this situation and quickly hid behind the other players.
While hiding, she continued to persuade the villagers, “You all see it, don’t you? The river god hasn’t protected you at all. Your houses are burned, you’re left homeless, and he does nothing.”
Her words were blunt and struck directly at the villagers' most sensitive points.
Before she could say much more, someone shouted angrily, “Shut up!”
“Do you have any concrete proof that the river god exists?” Jiang Xiuxiu wasn’t afraid of them. “You believe in this god just because of dreams? Can you communicate with the river god outside of dreams? Can you guarantee he really exists?”
“The village chief can communicate with the river god,” someone retorted. “His prophecies have never been wrong.”
From the moment Jiang Xiuxiu appeared, the other players had surrounded her, making it difficult for the villagers to take action immediately.
Some villagers, offended by Jiang Xiuxiu’s remarks, glared at her angrily. But a few, after hearing her, showed signs of hesitation and their gazes began to waver.
“Those prophecies are just tricks,” Jiang Xiuxiu countered. “I want to ask you all, have you ever seen any miracles? Have you witnessed God's presence with your own eyes?”
As she spoke, she smiled mysteriously. “Moreover, would you really trust a god that demands human sacrifices?”
“Exactly!”
Sensing Jiang Xiuxiu’s intent, the other players began to chime in. “There’s a saying about making a deal with the devil. This river god is clearly a malevolent deity. Do you really think he’ll protect you and not kill you all once he regains his power?”
“Your houses are gone, and he did nothing. Does he really care about your lives?”
On their own, these arguments weren't very persuasive. But on that very day, three families had found their homes destroyed, their savings gone. At that moment, they were already struggling to keep their composure.
This was the time they were most shaken, most vulnerable.
They would naturally hate the players, but what good would that do?
Would it bring back their lost possessions? No.
Would killing the players restore their houses and wealth? Clearly not.
These particular villagers had lost everything compared to others.
The root of their losses was their belief in the black-robed elder’s words and their subsequent actions against the players, which provoked the players’ retaliation.
Jiang Xiuxiu remembered a line from Wang Xiaoyue’s grandfather’s diary:
“It’s been three years. Every year, just before harvest, the river rises, then torrential rains follow, ruining the crops.”
“And every time it rains, we have the same strange dream.”
This was why they started to worship the river god again.
All they wanted was a normal harvest.
But now, not only did they not get a harvest, but their houses were also burned down, what a huge loss.
Especially when compared to other villagers whose homes were intact, the mindset of these three families was bound to be problematic.
However, this didn’t mean the villagers would side with the players because of Jiang Xiuxiu’s words.
There was a flaw in her argument the black-robed elder. If he was deceiving them, what was his motive?
They had known each other for so long, and he had always been able to get along with most people in the village. Why would he do such a thing?
On one side were fellow villagers he had lived with for most of their lives, and on the other were the few remaining players. Even if the villagers felt hurt, they were more likely to side against the players.
Thus, Jiang Xiuxiu needed to instill doubt and suspicion before they regained their composure.
“If you read more books, you’d know what it means to think about something day and night, and then dream about it,” Jiang Xiuxiu added. “Sometimes, when you think about something a lot during the day, you dream about it at night.”
This was a common experience. Before her college entrance exams, Jiang Xiuxiu often dreamt about taking the exams.
Many fraudulent mediums loved to explain scientific phenomena with supernatural reasons, so she could naturally do the opposite—use science to explain the supernatural.
The only person who could communicate with the river god was the black-robed elder.
The other villagers followed his instructions based on a common dream, forming the most stubborn faction.
When this common foundation was questioned, they would fall into infinite doubt.
“At that time, we were all worried about the crops.”
After hearing Jiang Xiuxiu’s words, a woman couldn’t help but mutter.
Although she stopped halfway due to others' gazes, her expression showed she was beginning to doubt.
Seeing this, Jiang Xiuxiu pretended not to notice and showed no sign of joy.
She knew she needed one final push.
Currently, the villagers were merely suspicious, merely shaken.
To fully sway them, she needed to strike one more blow.
“Something happened!”
At that moment, a villager’s panicked voice came from the direction of the village.
His voice trembled with excitement and fear.
“Old Liu’s house is on fire! Someone set it on fire again! Everyone, help! Put out the fire!”
Another house was burning.
The villagers’ faces changed dramatically upon hearing this.
Old Liu was the village chief’s neighbor. His house was just across the lane from the village chief’s. Yet, even so close, the river god didn’t protect him?
The villagers had various expressions in response to this news.
In the distant village, a thick black smoke rose into the sky from a house.
The sound of hurried footsteps, the wailing of women, all drifted faintly through the quiet air.
“Run!”
Without a second thought, Jiang Xiuxiu shouted.
If they didn’t run, the villagers, desperate to save their remaining houses, would certainly attack them.
The other players, instinctively following Jiang Xiuxiu’s lead, immediately scattered and ran towards the mountain.
Jiang Xiuxiu was the fastest, knowing they had to leave once Ye Ming completed his arson task.
Next, they only needed to find an opportunity to kill the black-robed elder.
As she ran, Jiang Xiuxiu recalled everything that had happened since entering the game, her heart pounding faster.
Due to certain limitations, Xu Bai, despite having many followers, could only appear in dreams within this game.
Once she cut off his “arm,” he wouldn’t be able to cause further trouble.
Realizing how quickly Jiang Xiuxiu and the others had escaped, the villagers missed their best chance to attack. After a brief chase, most of them returned to protect their homes, fearing they’d be the next victims.
Jiang Xiuxiu hid in the forest, watching the villagers' movements until they all left. Then, she sighed in relief and headed to her rendezvous point with Ye Ming.
She hoped Ye Ming was safe after setting the fire.
Jiang Xiuxiu thought this as she hurried along.
It was already afternoon, and they needed to deal with the black-robed elder before the day ended.
However, thinking back on the past two days, Jiang Xiuxiu felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
Everything seemed to progress too smoothly, almost like a dream.
From Wang Xiaoyun’s rescue to Ye Ming saving her, and then the timely fire—everything went so well, without any significant danger or injuries.
Most puzzling was Xu Bai’s unusually low presence. He barely appeared, and made few moves.
This wasn’t like him at all.
“I won’t hold back this time,” Jiang Xiuxiu thought, recalling Xu Bai’s words from a dream two days ago. “I look forward to your next resistance.”
She felt uneasy, but couldn’t pinpoint any mistakes in her actions.
She hoped she was overthinking it.
Ye Ming arrived quickly after setting the fire, appearing slightly disheveled as he approached the meeting point.
“How are you?” Jiang Xiuxiu rushed to him. “Are you hurt? Did you encounter anyone?”
Ye Ming’s face was pale, but he smiled softly and shook his head. “I’m fine. No big deal.”
Seeing his pale lips, Jiang Xiuxiu felt a pang of guilt.
This wasn’t the look of someone without issues—Ye Ming was just too kind to complain.
Setting the fire was dangerous, and sending Ye Ming was her mistake.
“Don’t worry,” Ye Ming continued. “If you need anything, just tell me. I’ll be fine soon.”
“How can you treat yourself like this?” Jiang Xiuxiu scolded. “Let’s find a place to rest first. We’ll continue once you’re better.”
The more she thought about it, the more she realized Ye Ming’s kindness and selflessness could easily be exploited.
“Don’t disregard your health,” Jiang Xiuxiu added. “Even though this is a game, don’t make it a habit.”
Ye Ming seemed confused by her anger, blinking in bewilderment before lowering his eyes. “Alright.”
Seeing his confused and slightly hurt expression
, Jiang Xiuxiu’s heart softened. She was too harsh, and he was always considerate of her feelings.
“Don’t misunderstand,” Jiang Xiuxiu said softly. “I’m worried about you. Promise me you won’t risk yourself again.”
Ye Ming’s face reddened, his ears turning pink. “I won’t. I promise.”
After reassuring him, they found a safe place to rest, preparing for their next move against the black-robed elder.