Chapter 125: Do You Want to Become a Frozen Dumpling?

Alliance Leader Zuo’s brow slowly smoothed out, revealing a meaningful smile. He kept his palms forward, saying nothing.

"What exactly is going on? Speak up!" Chen Fan sounded impatient; these old relics always loved to drag out their words, never in a hurry.

"Brother Dongfang, why the rush? The weather is cooling, you should prepare more clothing," Zuo said, unhurried and leisurely, looking up to admire the moon.

"It’s the height of summer, why would I need more clothes? Zuo Lengchan, what kind of game are you playing? Give me a straight answer."

Chen Fan was at his wit's end. After all, he wasn't the real Sect Leader Dongfang, and the Elder wasn't one of the Central Plains' Five Greats, but the man opposite him was the genuine Zuo Lengchan. Even half a move would be enough to determine the victor.

A breeze brushed past. Just as the Alliance Leader had predicted, the temperature plummeted by more than ten degrees. Clad in only a thin shirt, Chen Fan began to shiver, eventually breaking into sneezes.

"My god, are you... or are you not... speaking? If not, I’m going back inside. It’s... it’s freezing." Chen Fan stamped his feet, rubbing his arms for warmth.

Seeing no response from Zuo, Chen Fan signaled the Elder: "Let’s go. Who knows what this guy is up to."

But there was no response. Turning his head, Chen Fan realized the Elder had been frozen into an ice sculpture.

"This is what I wanted to tell you: curiosity is sometimes a dangerous thing." The Alliance Leader sneered, his palms still emitting a biting chill.

"Wow, wow, wow! You're trying to silence me! Fine, I’ll fight you!" Chen Fan protested weakly. He knew he had no hope of winning, but he couldn't afford to lose his nerve.

"I said, fighting isn't a good thing. This is just a lesson for you."

Chen Fan’s heart leaped. Ignoring the Elder's safety, he turned and bolted, but after only two steps, his lower body was immobilized.

"Surrender." Alliance Leader Zuo pressed his palms together, seemingly preparing a final blow.

"Watch my 'Sunflower Manual' and my 'Star-Sucking Great Skill'! Yay, why isn't anything working? Take this handful of sunflower seeds! Sunflower Point-Striking Hand! Help! Mama Mia, am I really going to die here? I..."

After Chen Fan finished spouting a string of useless nonsense, the cold spread rapidly from his feet until it enveloped his entire body. Within half a minute, Chen Fan, like the Elder, had become an ornamental ice sculpture.

"Enjoy the feeling of being a quick-frozen dumpling." The Alliance Leader waved his hand, and the two freshly minted ice sculptures crashed to the ground.

...

"My... my head hurts."

The groggy Chen Fan squinted, rubbing his throbbing temples. He sat up and looked around; he was back in his guest room. He tried to recall the night’s events, but his memory was hazy, stopping right before he turned into ice.

"How am I not dead? That’s strange. That old fox must have been careless. But where did the Elder go?"

Chen Fan had many questions. He pushed open the door, but the sky was still dim; it didn't seem much time had passed. He waited for a while, but the Elder never appeared.

This was a major problem. A peerless master possessed by a card was not like a stubborn college student; Chen Fan was neither a scholar nor a warrior. Worse than the choices were the gaps in skill—Chen Fan couldn't compete with Zuo in strength or wit.

"Next time I need to pick a card that can actually fight. The 'Idiot' card is useless." Chen Fan pondered, thinking that if he could swap in a Rogue or a White Wolf King, he might last a hundred rounds.

As the roosters crowed, Chen Fan stepped into the arena. Looking around, everyone was present; it seemed all was well. Unexpectedly, after he sat in his seat, he discovered that the Seer, Player 5, had died overnight.

"Is Player 5, Feng Qingliang, gone? Or did he just not show up?" Chen Fan asked those nearby, pointing to the empty seat.

"I heard he drank too much at Siguo Cliff last night and fell into the valley. He instructed me to hand the badge to Player 6," a disciple replied, bowing his head before explaining the situation regarding the police badge.

As Chen Fan took the badge, the disciple turned to inform the other survivors. Holding the badge, Chen Fan fell into deep thought.

"Both gods are in play, and the Bodyguard didn't protect the Seer? I don't believe it. There should have been two rounds of investigation. Any Bodyguard with a normal IQ would have guarded Player 5. I just don't get it."

Chen Fan shook his head, his gaze drifting to Player 12, Li Tanhua. Li Peijun, noticing the attention, grinned foolishly at him.

"If this guy is the Bodyguard, then this kind of bizarre play is possible. My god, if I find out later that he was the Bodyguard, I’m going to give him a real piece of my mind."

Chen Fan placed the badge down, suddenly remembering the information from the police badge's trail. Player 5 had said he investigated Player 1 and found him guilty, and since the badge had flown to Chen Fan, it meant Player 1 was the target. At least he didn't have to guess blindly this round.

"Let’s start with Player 4’s statement." Chen Fan’s eyes were sharp, as if he had seen through the heavens.

Dong Meng raised his pot above his head and wore it firmly. "I thought this was a perfect start, but looking at the situation, it’s not optimistic. A 'Cowardly Wolf' and a blind push, three good people gone. I’m just a commoner, so I’ll take the blame for now. You all analyze it."

Player 3, holding his large hammer, laughed. "What’s there to say this round? Vote for 1! The Seer said he investigated 1 and found him guilty, then died and passed the badge to 6. Player 1 is a dead wolf. 1, I want to see how you argue your way out of this. Don't even bother; I won't believe you no matter what god you claim to be. Gods, don't listen to him—voting him out is the right move."

Player 2, the Nine-Bag Elder, scratched his foot and nodded. "Player 3 makes sense. If you’re a real wolf, Player 1, just self-destruct now. Are you trying to help your teammates find the remaining gods? If he claims commoner, vote him out; if he claims god, vote him out. The real gods know what to do; don't counter-claim him."

Player 1, Gu Ke Yu, opened his peach blossom fan and said nonchalantly, "As a prince of Dali, I have walked the world for many years—I keep my word. I killed him, so what? I originally wanted to take out a Knight or a Bodyguard, but I decided against it. You wouldn't believe me anyway. Blame that crazy old man for being jealous of my beauty and putting me in his investigation trail. Tch, bye."

Leaves fell, and he left no footprints on the ground. As his dazzling phantom faded, Gu Ke Yu used his Lingbo Micro-steps to vanish from the peak of Mount Hua.

"Damn it, why can others use their character skills, but I'm just a useless eunuch?" Chen Fan secretly tried to channel the Sunflower Manual’s power, but he couldn't even vibrate the seeds on the table. He couldn't help but sigh at the heavens.