novelaction Chapter 216 My chapter is an order!
Chapter 216 My chapter is an order!
Xu San frowned, thinking to himself, "Li Qiankun, what exactly are you planning? Why do I feel like every move you make is filled with deep meaning?"
He recalled the various rumors circulating in the village recently, about Li Qiankun's various mysterious behaviors, and his frequent contacts with unknown external forces. All of this made Xu San suspicious, and he decided to go out in person, observe secretly, and uncover Li Qiankun's true face.
Meanwhile, in another room, Qu Yin sat quietly by the window, the moonlight casting a shadow of sadness on her face. Her thoughts drifted back to her distant childhood, the years when she was strictly controlled by her mother-in-law.
"Every day, I practiced my fists until they were covered in scars and the pain was unbearable." Qu Yin whispered to herself, a trace of pain in her eyes. "Grandma, why did you do this to me? Why did you give those enemies a chance? If you had taken action back then, how could Li Qiankun and the others still be standing here?"
Qu Yin's tone was full of confusion and anger. She didn't understand her mother-in-law's intentions, and she didn't understand why her mother-in-law was always so mysterious, as if everything was under her control.
At this moment, the door was gently opened, and Duanmu Ying walked in. She was holding an ancient photo album in her hand, with a solemn look on her face.
"Qu Yin, take a look at these photos." Duanmu Ying handed the album to Qu Yin and pointed at one of the photos. "This is Li Qiankun. He's crucial to the success of our plan."
Qu Yin took the photo album and carefully examined the photo of Li Qiankun, feeling a surge of mixed emotions. She hated him, yet was also filled with curiosity about him.
"But, mother-in-law, why can't we just do it directly?" Qu Yin asked unwillingly.
"Things are far from as simple as you think." Duanmu Ying sighed and explained, "Li Qiankun has a huge force behind him. If we act rashly, we will only alert the enemy. Besides, my mother-in-law has her reasons for doing this. We just need to wait patiently, and everything will fall into place naturally."
Although Qu Yin still felt unwilling, she knew that Duanmu Ying's words made sense. She took a deep breath, closed the album, and nodded in acceptance.
At this moment, there was a burst of hurried footsteps outside the house, and then Xiaohong pushed the door open and walked in. As soon as she entered the room, she saw the serious faces of Qu Yin and Duanmu Ying, and her heart couldn't help but tighten.
"Kneel down!" Qu Yin suddenly shouted, her voice cold and stern.
Xiaohong was startled, her knees gave way, and she fell to the ground. She didn't understand why Qu Yin suddenly got angry at her, and her heart was filled with fear and confusion.
"In Biyou Village, my words are orders!" Qu Yin continued, without a trace of mercy in her tone.
Xiaohong lowered her head, her body trembling slightly, not daring to make a sound. In this unfamiliar place, she could only obey Qu Yin's orders, not daring to resist in the slightest.
Duanmu Ying looked at Xiaohong's humble situation and couldn't help but feel pity in her heart. She had saved the girl's life before, and now seeing her kneeling on the ground in such a humble manner, she felt even more sorry.
"Quyin, forget it." Duanmu Ying advised, "She's just a little girl, there's no need to be so harsh."
Qu Yin frowned upon hearing this and was about to retort when Duanmu Ying winked at her. Although she felt unwilling, she had no choice but to give up for the time being.
"Get up," Duanmu Ying said to Xiaohong, his tone filled with tenderness and compassion. "I'm keeping you here because you'll be of great use to me. You must guard Biyou Village well. If anything goes wrong, I won't let you go."
Xiaohong felt as if she had been granted amnesty when she heard this. She quickly stood up and looked at Duanmu Ying with gratitude. She knew that in this place, she could only rely on Duanmu Ying's protection to survive.
Meanwhile, at the competition venue, Zhang Chulan and Zhuge Qing were standing in the crowd, watching the intense competition on stage. However, their faces showed no trace of excitement or anticipation, but instead were filled with exhaustion and helplessness.
"What's the point of a competition like this?" Zhang Chulan couldn't help but complain, "It's just a bunch of soulless puppets fighting each other."
Zhuge Qing nodded in agreement. His brow furrowed as he looked at the contestants on the stage, who were willing to do anything to win, his heart filled with disappointment and anger.
"Or, let's just withdraw from the competition." Zhuge Qing suggested.
"Withdraw? Great idea!" Zhang Chulan's eyes lit up, and he turned to everyone and said, "Everyone, listen up! We've decided to withdraw from this competition!"
As soon as these words came out, there was an uproar. The audience looked at them in surprise and talked about them.
"What happened to them? Why are they suddenly withdrawing from the competition?"
"Did you find something wrong?"
"That's great! Without these powerful enemies, our chances of advancing are even greater!"
Zhang Chulan and the others ignored the surrounding discussions and resolutely left the competition venue. Their backs appeared particularly firm and resolute in the afterglow of the setting sun.
In a corner of the venue, Li Qiankun looked at the backs of Zhang Chulan and the others, a meaningful smile on his face. He seemed to have anticipated all this and was secretly pleased with himself.
Xu San stood not far away, shaking his head and sighing. He looked at the direction Zhang Chulan and the others left, feeling both regret and emotion. He knew that this competition had lost its original meaning and had become a pure struggle for power and exchange of interests.
After leaving Lvjia Village, Zhang Chulan, Zhuge Qing, and Wang Ye didn't rush on. Instead, they quietly turned back and chose a secluded woodland in the back mountains as their temporary base. Here, towering ancient trees and dense foliage shielded them from the outside world's noise and prying eyes.
"We can't just let the game go on like this." Zhang Chulan's voice sounded particularly heavy in the quiet forest. He frowned and his eyes were firm.
Zhuge Qing gently stroked the fan in his hand, his eyes gleaming with thought: "Indeed, there seems to be an unknown secret behind this game."
Wang Ye had a calm expression on his face, with his arms folded across his chest, as if waiting for further analysis from the two.
"I think we should first go to Li Qiankun and the others to find out the situation." Wang Ye made a pertinent suggestion. Although his tone was calm, his eyes revealed an unquestionable determination.
Zhang Chulan and Zhuge Qing exchanged glances, each seeing approval. Thus, the three decided to once again enter the mysterious competition venue.
When they appeared at the entrance of the venue, Li Qiankun was standing on a high platform, scanning the surroundings with sharp eyes. Seeing Zhang Chulan and the others return, a subtle smile appeared on his lips, as if everything was under control.
"You're back? I knew you wouldn't give up so easily." Li Qiankun's voice was gentle and powerful, as if it could penetrate people's hearts.
Zhang Chulan didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "Qian Kun, we want to know what exactly happened in this game?"
Li Qiankun sighed softly, his eyes becoming profound. "Actually, there's a huge conspiracy hidden behind this competition. Someone has used a mysterious power to manipulate the contestants' minds, turning them into puppets who only know how to kill each other."
Zhang Chulan and the others were shocked after hearing this. They never expected that this seemingly ordinary game would hide such a terrible truth.
"We must join forces to fight this conspiracy, find out who is behind it, and restore justice to the competition!" Zhang Chulan's voice was firm and powerful, and the fire of justice burned in his eyes.
Zhuge Qing and Wang Ye also expressed their agreement. They decided to fight side by side with Zhang Chulan to uncover the conspiracy together.
As night fell, Zhang Chulan and the others gathered in a simple hut. Under the dim light, their figures looked particularly lonely.
Zhang Chulan looked at the silent Li Qiankun, his worries flooding his heart like a tide: "Qiankun, are we really going to just let it go like this? What if things get worse, won't we become accomplices?"
Li Qiankun sighed softly, his eyes deep and complex. "Chu Lan, human greed is unchangeable. All we can do is try our best. Moreover, the power behind this conspiracy is far beyond our imagination. If we are not careful, we may be doomed."
Wang Ye stood aside, his arms folded across his chest. His tone was calm, yet revealed an undeniable determination: "Let's wait and see what happens. The universe will handle it all. We don't need to interfere too much, lest we disrupt his plans."
Zhang Chulan shook his head helplessly upon hearing this. He knew that everyone had their own considerations and plans, and although he was unwilling to accept it, he could only accept reality.
At the same time, in the distant 24-section valley, a burly monkey was staring with wide eyes at the man in front of him whom he had not seen for many years - Wu Gensheng.
"Fourth brother, you are finally here!" The big monkey's voice was filled with excitement and emotion, as if he had been waiting for this moment for countless days and nights.
Wu Gensheng smiled and patted the big monkey on the shoulder: "Monkey, after all these years, you are still so energetic."
The two smiled at each other, as if they were back in the days when they had been roaming the world together. Memories of friendship and faith flooded back to their hearts like a tide.
"Fourth brother, do you still remember the 36 of us? At that time, we only wanted to join that group for the justice and ideals in our hearts." The big monkey's voice was full of nostalgia and emotion.
Wu Gensheng nodded, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes: "Yes, we were really full of enthusiasm and faith back then. Unfortunately, that group eventually became our shame."
The big monkey's heart sank when he heard this. He understood that the shame Wu Gensheng was talking about was the very group that had once filled them with hope but ultimately disappointed them.
"I've been waiting for you, Fourth Brother. I know you have your difficulties, but I always believe that you are not the kind of person who would betray us." The big monkey's voice was firm and powerful, and his eyes were full of trust and dependence on Wu Gensheng.
Wu Gensheng was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "Monkey, some things are not as simple as you think."
At this moment, the big monkey suddenly changed the subject and asked, "Fourth brother, do you know anything about the leak of that list?"