Ren Li's face darkened instantly, observing the unfriendly chill in Pei Jingling's eyes.
Pei Jingling, seemingly oblivious, curved his lips into a smile. "I am a purifier. I sense that Brother No. 6 is also a purifier. I don't feel anything from the others, so I want to team up with him for the mission. That's it."
The gazes of everyone oscillated between them. Ren Li's face grew increasingly gloomy, presenting a cold and volatile demeanor.
Although having interacted with this person for a short time, such capricious and thoughtless behavior indicated it wasn't his genuine sentiment.
It was deliberate. But why did he act this way?
To appear foolish and non-threatening? Or to pull him into trouble?
Ren Li stared at Pei Jingling for a while, analyzing his actions on a deeper level. The coldness in his eyes gradually dissipated, and his somber expression slightly eased.
On the other side, Pei Jingling, noticing Ren Li's earlier aggressive aura weakening, smugly sent him a virtual "k."
Then, Pei Jingling successfully observed Ren Li's face growing somber again, his eyes filled with a warning.
Pei Jingling's eyes sparkled, seemingly victorious in his mischief.
"Cough... It's my turn to speak." Player No. 4, a middle-aged man in a suit, interrupted the subtle exchange between the two with a light cough, breaking the awkwardness. "Let me introduce myself first. I'm Zhong Yunyang, also a purifier."
"Firstly, regarding Player No. 3's statement, I personally hope we avoid such remarks. Phrases like 'I feel' and 'I don't feel,' with their strong subjective nature, can easily set the tone and mislead others when used to judge someone's identity. To draw conclusions, we need substantial reasons."
Pei Jingling looked somewhat innocent, shrugged his shoulders, remaining noncommittal to Zhong Yunyang's words.
Pei Jingling maintained a somewhat innocent expression, shrugging his shoulders in response to Zhong Yunyang's words, neither confirming nor denying.
"However, I cannot say that your thoughts lack intelligence," Zhong Yunyang, appearing mature, spoke with a rational tone. "From the words of the old man earlier, we know that if an undercover agent disrupts purification, a corresponding talisman will be deducted. This helps us deduce the number of infiltrators participating in tonight's purification task."
"From this, we can infer that as an undercover agent, one wouldn't voluntarily team up with their allies for the task. Because, in such a scenario, the infiltrator faces a dilemma: whether to sabotage the mission or choose purification to conceal their identity."
"In the first case, choosing sabotage. In this situation, if the ally also opts for sabotage, two talismans will be deducted. If it's a two-person task tonight, both infiltrators will be exposed immediately. Even in subsequent tasks involving more people, though the immediate exposure might not happen, it significantly narrows down the search for the two infiltrators. Undoubtedly, it's highly unfavorable for the infiltrators."
"Now, the second scenario, choosing purification. To conceal their identity, the infiltrator selects purification, hoping their ally will disrupt the mission to avoid losing two talismans. However, the ally may think the same way. If both choose purification simultaneously, they lose the round outright, which isn't advantageous. Therefore, I believe the probability of the infiltrator actively teaming up with their ally for the task is very low."
Zhong Yunyang looked at Pei Jingling.
Pei Jingling smiled faintly. "I don't know if Player No. 3 acted spontaneously or had these considerations in mind, but indeed, because he actively proposed to team up with No. 6 for the task, the likelihood of both being infiltrators has decreased—at least the probability of two infiltrators. Of course, the same reasoning applies to Players No. 1 and 2."
"As for who will undertake the task tonight, let's go with No. 2's suggestion, with Players No. 1 and 2 in order."
"My statement concludes."
Zhong Yunyang, the most talkative so far, spoke with logic and clarity. Coupled with his formal attire and older age, Qin Yiyi couldn't help but admire, exclaiming, "He's impressive."
Even the tough-looking guy, after earnestly listening to Zhong Yunyang and following his line of thought, found it highly reasonable, nodding in agreement.
Ren Li's face had eased a bit earlier because he had considered this aspect.
As for Pei Jingling, he probably aimed to lower the suspicion of being an infiltrator. Since Ren Li was the only person he had interacted with in this game, he brought him into the alliance.
Even though his actions were still off-putting.
Next, No. 5, Qin Yiyi, began to speak. She looked around at everyone, her eyes filled with confusion. Then, in a timid tone, she said, "This is my first time playing such a game. I haven't even played these at home. Also..."
She bit her lip, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I didn't quite understand what the person on the TV said earlier, and I can't figure out who the infiltrators are... I just know the purifiers need to complete the tasks."
"I'm also a purifier. If there's a task, you can bring me along anytime. However, since Sister Nanyuan mentioned she wants to purify with No. 1, I'll go with her. So, it's her and No. 1."
Qin Yiyi frowned, silent for a few seconds, realizing she had nothing else to add. "That's it. I'm done speaking."
Ren Li wasn't surprised by Qin Yiyi's completely indecisive and illogical demeanor. She and Player No. 2 were currently "bound" together, with a much higher level of mutual trust compared to others.
Three players had now suggested that No. 1 and No. 2 undertake the task, and after the analysis by Player No. 4, Zhong Yunyang, the likelihood of No. 1 agreeing to team up with No. 2 for the first round was high.
At this point, everyone claiming to be purifiers and no apparent issues made Ren Li skeptical. He didn't believe purifiers could complete their tasks in just three nights; there was no rush to focus on individual achievements.
Ren Li spoke, "I'm also a purifier. I agree with Player No. 4's statement. I also agree with No. 1 and No. 2 undertaking the task tonight."
Pei Jingling watched him, blinked, pouting as if feeling wronged.
Ren Li's gaze swiftly passed over Pei Jingling, and expressionless, he concluded, "That's it for my statement."
After Ren Li, Player No. 1, also tonight's team leader, began summarizing the discussions.
"There's not much to say. I'm also a purifier. Now that four people have proposed that No. 2 and I undertake the task, I won't be long-winded. So, it's settled for tonight."
"For the night task, I nominate myself and Player No. 2 to undertake it."
"Now, let's start the vote. Those in favor of this arrangement, please raise your hands."
All six people, including Pei Jingling, raised their hands.
The proposal for Player No. 1 and Player No. 2 to perform the purification task tonight passed unanimously.
The tough-looking guy nodded. "Alright, proposal approved."
As soon as he spoke, a golden light emanated around the tough-looking guy and Nanyuan. A few seconds later, suspended talismans appeared at the center of the six people, two talismans, indicating that the purification tonight was not disrupted—mission accomplished.
In the gaze of everyone, the black vortex absorbed the two talismans, gradually vanishing into thin air.
Then everything returned to calm.
"Is... is that it?" Qin Yiyi whispered to Nanyuan, "Is it over?"
Nanyuan visibly relaxed and nodded. "Yes, it should be."
Qin Yiyi's eyes widened, scanning Nanyuan from top to bottom, then curiously asked, like an inquisitive child, "Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Do you have that kind of abundant spiritual power described in novels? Any special experiences?"
"No discomfort, and I haven't felt anything special," Nanyuan patiently answered the curious younger sister.
Their conversation slightly lightened the previously tense atmosphere between the two girls, adding a bit of liveliness.
Ren Li listened to their dialogue while squinting, attempting to view the interface again.
Sure enough, the interface appeared in his mind, and one item had changed: the current round's completion condition for the purifier was to successfully complete three purifications. [13] (Points +1).
The first night's purification was successful, a result everyone could have anticipated. Even if there were infiltrators among No. 1 and No. 2, the likelihood of disruption in the first round was minimal, given the 50-50 chance—much safer than hiding among three or four players.
"The first round is a success. I assume everyone is not as tense now," Zhong Yunyang leaned back on the sofa, loosening his tie, taking a deep breath, and smiling. "I've already introduced myself formally. How about the rest of you introduce yourselves? We can't keep referring to each other as No. 1, No. 2 for the next few days, right?"
Nanyuan, naturally open in character, wasn't hesitant. "Hello, everyone. I'm Nanyuan."
Qin Yiyi, with a favorable impression of Zhong Yunyang, sweetly smiled at him. "I'm Qin Yiyi, just call me Yiyi."
The tough-looking guy, uninterested in this kind of name-sharing activity, said, "Call me Xie Yi, that's enough."
His tone was indifferent, sounding like he randomly combined his surname with a number to create a name.
"Ren Li." Ren Li didn't bother concealing it, and there was no need to. He stated his name in a cold, detached tone.
Pei Jingling's eyes sparkled, a smile playing on his lips. "I'm Pei Jingling."
Xie Yi appeared uncomfortable in this "harmonious" atmosphere. He clicked his tongue and impatiently said, "Tasks for tonight are done, introductions are made. Can we disperse now?"
After saying this, he stood up and left the living room, heading upstairs.
Zhong Yunyang watched Xie Yi's departing figure with some helplessness. "This kid's temper is so bad; he'll suffer sooner or later."
Nanyuan agreed, nodding. "Exactly. Always looking down on others, who would want to cooperate with him in the future?"
"But you just proposed to undertake the task with him," Qin Yiyi smiled, "And the task for tonight passed. If he's a purifier, he's our teammate."
Nanyuan pouted. "It's hard to say if he's a purifier. Who knows if he's pretending? If I were an infiltrator, I wouldn't disrupt the first round; that's too obvious."
"True." Qin Yiyi tilted her head, thought for a moment, then looked at Nanyuan seriously. "Oh well, I don't care. I believe you're a good person!"
Nanyuan grinned, playfully pinching Qin Yiyi's adorable cheek.
Ren Li, uninterested in their "sisterly love," and reminded of the contradiction in the ordinary achievement mentioning the Gu family mansion, stood up, gesturing a simple farewell, and left the living room.
He planned to check his room first.