Chapter 126: The Secret Manual Disguised as a Cookbook

“I’m losing my mind—having to think about the game and deal with these card issues all at once.” Chen Fan clutched his hair, his composure shattered, clearly forgetting that his original purpose was to find a bug.

“Tonight, we keep going—no rest until we finish.” The elder didn’t knock this time; he kicked the door open, reeking so badly that even flies dared not come near—a walking biohazard.

“Whoa, where have you been? Don’t tell me it’s... Can you keep your distance? That smell...” Chen Fan instinctively shrank into the corner, nearly wanting to escape through the window.

The elder turned away, a look of grievance on his face. “Blame me? Who knows what I went through yesterday! I woke up tied up, locked inside a steamer, surrounded by my own dark ingredients. Worst of all—my tea egg was shoved right into my mouth!”

“Ha! So that means... Hahaha, I need to steady myself against the wall first. Man, that expression from Brother Xue’s meme really fits! Too bad I didn’t see it with my own eyes, or I’d have taken a photo for keeps.”

“Want to give poor me a hug to feel better?”

“No need, no need. So, what now?” Chen Fan doubled over laughing, clutching his stomach.

“Revenge is a gentleman’s duty. Let’s gear up and settle this.” The elder pulled out a coarse grain pancake from his bag; the smell was even worse than the tea egg from the day before.

Chen Fan pointed at it. “Eating that could kill someone, right?”

The elder took a deep breath. “No need to eat it—just smelling it can cause you to lose control. Here, take it; I’m off to the bathroom.”

“Hey, I don’t want to—” Before Chen Fan could finish, a flying pancake smushed right onto his face.

“You still able to stand? I’ll come back and help you up after I’m done.” The elder glanced back at the collapsed Chen Fan and then strode off toward the bathroom.

“Hah... ha...” The elder exhaled deeply, retied his belt, and returned to Chen Fan’s bedside. “Hey, young man, still got some fight left? Need me to prepare your body?”

“Quick... call an ambulance.”

“There’s no ambulance here. How about you take off your clothes, and I’ll use internal energy to heal you?” the elder suggested.

At that, Chen Fan jumped up, full of energy as if pumped with adrenaline. “Forget internal energy healing—I’m fine! I could take down several Wu Songs!”

“Oh, then let’s go stir up some trouble.” The elder gave him a knowing look, and off they went together.

“Why can everyone else use skills, but my Sunflower Manual and Absorbing Star Technique just won’t work?” Chen Fan spread his hands, confused.

The elder advised, “Ever heard the saying, ‘A useless eunuch is good for nothing’? So, you see, one must be content to find happiness.”

“Is that the exact phrase?” Chen Fan couldn’t recall. Knowing further questioning would be fruitless, he fell silent.

The elder, still upset from being pranked, didn’t bother with any martial etiquette. With a swift light-footed leap, he dashed into the bedroom and unleashed a barrage of flying pancakes without aiming.

“Hey, I threw over a dozen scallion pancakes, but nobody’s here at all.” The elder rose, dusting off his clothes, even more frustrated, with no one to vent his anger on.

“Could he be hiding somewhere?” Chen Fan hurriedly entered, anxiously searching for clues inside.

“A ‘Frozen Dumplings Guide’? I thought this guy was the real Left Alliance Leader, but turns out he’s just another fake cook, just like you.” Chen Fan rummaged through the room and found only this book. He teased, “At least some chefs are legit, unlike you, who specialize in dark cuisine.”

“Wait, do you want your scallion pancakes with mustard or spicy flavor? I’ll double the amount.” The elder winked and raised an eyebrow in a playful threat.

“Haha, come on, we’re close enough for some everyday teasing. Don’t take it to heart. Let’s talk this out.”

Seeing the situation wasn’t good, Chen Fan quickly backed down. But as he flipped through the cookbook, he was stunned.

“This is a martial arts manual disguised as a cookbook! My goodness, so is the old Left Alliance Leader for real or a fraud...” Chen Fan was incredulous. The guide didn’t explain frozen dumplings at all; it was all about the secrets of the Ice Palm technique.

The elder snatched the book, glanced over it, then handed it back. “Ah, whatever. Just keep it safe and study it at your leisure. Maybe if you master it, you can beat this guy. Fight fire with fire—I’ll make him taste the tea egg in his own mouth.”

Chen Fan was puzzled. “By the way, how exactly do you generate internal energy? Why can’t I feel any in myself?”

The elder explained, “First, hypnotize yourself and imagine you have internal energy. Frankly, it’s all in your head. As long as you have a wild imagination, you can beat anyone. Just remember this mantra.”

“Oh, I see.” Chen Fan, half understanding, hid the manual and stepped out. The sky outside was already bright.

The elder waved goodbye. “We’ll just take it one step at a time. That guy’s tough. I’m going to whip up some more dark cuisine today.”

Today, at last, no one died. The witch must have used the antidote, but no one dared reveal it openly. Chen Fan guessed that last night, he was likely the one who got stabbed—after all, a blind gold water victim can’t even fly a police badge.

“Let’s have number four speak first.” Chen Fan figured the order didn’t matter much and didn’t overthink it.

Behind the confused player stood a large pot, its contents still simmering, clearly freshly bought. “This situation looks grim. Three good guys replaced by a wolf. Apart from the witch’s silver water, there’s no clue at all. Witch, decide if you want to reveal yourself. I brought extra pots; if you lose, you can share.”

Number three was confident, showing no trace of discouragement. “Why does number four insist three good guys are dead? Could number eleven have stabbed himself? Could number eight, who was voted out, be a wolf pretending to be a civilian? You didn’t analyze anything and blurted out that three good guys left—how can you be so sure? Only a wolf’s perspective would know that.”

After talking with number three, the confirmed player addressed all the good guys: “This round, I caught a wolf’s tail again. If the witch saved the gold water last night, there’s no need to reveal yourself. You won’t be outed today anyway. Poison’s scattered. Number three has already talked enough. Trust me—he’s right.”

Chen Fan thought it over. Number four’s logic held up, but as sheriff, he had to consider even more.

The question now: is the guard still alive on the field?