Chapter 127: Chen Fan's Judgment

"The Guard... must be dead, right?" Chen Fan pondered for a moment, deciding it was best to lean toward the most probable outcome. After all, given such a perfect "police badge flow" (investigative sequence) in the early stages, there was no reason for a Guard to recklessly gamble on a "knife" (night kill); it simply didn't make sense logically or strategically.

Chen Fan’s expression gradually relaxed; it seemed he had successfully convinced himself.

"I’ll just assume the Guard is dead then."

"Ahem! My statement is very important, everyone, don't get distracted. Listen closely; this is a very valuable clue." Number 12, Li Tanhua, toyed with a short dagger in his hand, as if scanning for targets in the shadows.

Chen Fan was quite interested. After all, this was a "blind push" game; having someone capable enough to step up and lead was excellent, provided the fellow didn't claim to be the Knight...

Everyone’s attention was drawn to him. Li Peijun took the opportunity to reveal his identity. He tugged at his collar, forcing an air of a dashing, romantic scholar.

"Don't be so tense; we're all on the same side. As for me, I am the Witch. Following the police badge flow, I didn't save the Seer on the second night, and my 'silver water' (cleared player) for the third night is this Number 2. So, regardless, Number 2 is safe until the finals; as for the rest, I’m not sure. Number 4's statement is indeed suspicious; we can vote him out this round."

The situation seemed to be clearing up: Number 6, Chen Fan, was "gold water" (confirmed good); Number 12 was the Witch; Number 2 was "silver water"; and Number 3 was a tentatively good player who had been verified. If three werewolves remained, they were likely in the later positions.

Number 10, Tianshan Tongzi, sat cross-legged, analyzing the field seriously. "The most suspicious person right now is Number 4. There are too many holes in his logic, which others have already mentioned, so I won't repeat them. I am a good player. The worst-case scenario is that three wolves remain, which would mean 7 and 9, who are behind me, are both wolves. I'll listen to their statements before deciding, but I agree that 4 can go this round."

"Why are you all stepping on Number 4? Just because he’s a commoner with no identity? Yes, that’s right, because of his 'I’m just a commoner' attitude, I think he deserves to be voted out. He’s always looking to be the scapegoat without using his brain to think. I hate players like that. I’m a good card too, and I’ll follow your lead this round."

The Shaolin Abbot’s logic was bizarre. Chen Fan barely understood it at first, but after careful consideration, he finally grasped the intent.

"You idiot, if you want to vote someone out with us, just say so instead of beating around the bush," Chen Fan muttered to himself.

The last to speak was Number 7, Dugu Qiubai. By seniority, Chen Fan should have addressed him as "Master." Chen Fan felt a wave of resentment; being a eunuch was bad enough, but to be a crippled one, and now even worse than a "contract brother" (subordinate), was humiliating.

Still, at least it wasn't like having to acknowledge a father or a grandmaster. With a thick enough skin, Chen Fan could handle it.

"Don't be nervous. This game should be stable. Vote out 4 today, and the Witch will poison 9 tonight. I am the Guard. It was indeed my mistake on the second day; I thought I could protect for one more day, but I didn't expect the wolf pack to gamble correctly. That’s on me. I’ll give you the information I have: I believe the wolves are definitely among 4, 9, and 10."

"I guarded empty on the first day, self-guarded on the second, and guarded the 'gold water' on the third. I will self-guard tonight; you can try to attack me if you don't believe it." Number 7, Dugu, finished by explaining his guarding order, which mostly aligned with the facts.

"This guy guarded me on the third night? I don't believe it." Chen Fan’s intuition told him this guy was definitely trouble.

Unfortunately, the Knight card could only activate its skill before the vote. Otherwise, Chen Fan would have preferred to wait for the voting pattern to emerge before deciding. In a crucial round, no step could be taken lightly.

Chen Fan cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound more resonant. "Everyone’s opinion is to vote out 4. This 4, indeed, spoke very poorly, had many flaws, and has no identity. If we can't think of anyone else to vote out today, then we have no choice but to vote for card 4."

Chen Fan spoke slowly. To be honest, he couldn't shake his suspicion of the Guard card, Number 7. But then again, if this Guard card were fake, what would the wolf pack gain by claiming it? In a blind-push game with no clues, they could have stayed hidden as deep-sea wolves; there was no need to play so aggressively.

"Let me think about how to cast the deciding vote. I keep feeling like something is wrong." Chen Fan pinched his fingers into an orchid gesture and fell into deep thought.

Assuming Number 7 was a fake Guard, his aggressive jump in the final position was merely to eliminate Number 4 and seize the initiative of claiming a "god" role. Just like the reasoning back at the Republic-era police station, the opponent's move was to flush out the "gods."

Chen Fan calculated the number of surviving gods and commoners. Either three commoners and two gods, or three gods and two commoners. If they voted for the wrong person today and took another hit at night, there would be no hope of a comeback.

"Oh man, is this Guard real or fake?" Chen Fan rubbed his hidden role card, feeling an urge to flip it over and use his skill.

Chen Fan caught a glimpse of the seat of the Alliance Leader; it was empty. In fact, the guy had been missing for two days, and no one knew where he had gone to "meditate."

"Don't get distracted. Leave the night's work for the night; figuring out who to vote for is the priority." Chen Fan pulled his thoughts back, paused, and decided to go all in.

"If we lose this game, I take full responsibility. If I am sacrificed later, the Witch should poison 4 tonight, and we vote out 9 during the day. If I guess correctly, keep 4 for now. The Witch will likely fall tonight; just use your poison on whoever you don't like." After solemnly making his final arrangements, Chen Fan flipped over his hidden card.

"The Knight activates his skill: judgment on Number 7."

"The Knight has activated his skill. Number 7 is a werewolf. Player Number 7 is dead."

Number 7, Dugu, didn't react for a moment, stunned that the judgment had landed on him. "Eh? How did I, the one claiming to be the Guard, end up as cannon fodder? I don't think my logic was flawed, and my demeanor was spot on. Where did it go wrong? You guys didn't even care that Number 4 spoke so poorly; your thought process is quite unique. Well played."

"Phew, that was close." Hearing the result, Chen Fan breathed a sigh of relief. Even though he had become a "blank slate" (having used his skill), he hadn't made a mistake, which was a relief.

"I'm off to roam the world. This ancestral book, *The Nine Barbecues of Dugu*, is yours as a souvenir." Dugu pulled a printed copy of *The Nine Barbecues of Dugu* from his robe and handed it to Chen Fan.

"Thanks."

Chen Fan took the book and flipped through it with interest. Regrettably, it was an absolute barbecue guide, explaining everything from controlling fire temperatures to roasting the perfect lamb skewer—though it did make Chen Fan’s mouth water.

"Are the engineers who design these martial arts scenarios so overworked that they can't order takeout at night? Why is every secret manual related to recipes?" Chen Fan closed the book and complained.