Chapter 291 Speculations About Master Wang

Chapter 291: Speculations about Master Wang

"Indeed, and it sounds like there are serious conflicts between the three villages that supplied the three brides," Sha Linghai said, having shed his arrogant mask and now appearing more reliable than before. "According to the North Courtyard Bride, I believe the villagers from those three villages are still lingering around the mansion, afraid that any of the unwilling brides might escape, causing them to lose the chance at a hefty dowry."

"Then, could those villagers be the killers?" Huang Qi's eyes widened; the more he thought about it, the more logical it seemed. "Even though I didn't fully grasp everything Sister Wen said earlier, aren't the villagers the ones who most want to eliminate the other brides? If the other brides disappear, the bride from their village could... wait, it seems all the brides drowned?"

"Yes, if the villagers were the murderers, at least one bride should have survived," Wen Wen nodded.

"Moreover, our seniors mentioned that Nightmare Games have a clear game setting. The setting for our game this time is this mansion, so the villagers outside probably have little to do with our game," Sha Linghai shared information he'd learned during training.

"I haven't really considered leaving the mansion either," Lin Wenhua glanced toward the front house. "What would happen if we left the mansion?"

Sha Linghai shook his head and said, "You can try it if you get the chance, but according to the seniors, various things will prevent you from leaving the game scene—it could be sealed and unbreakable doors, or a mist that always leads you back to your starting point no matter how far you walk."

"That Master Wang is becoming more and more suspicious," Wen Wen muttered to herself. "At his age, bringing wealth that makes three villages envious to such a remote place to build a mansion—is it to avoid the potentially fatal disaster mentioned in the story's background?"

"He must have done something wrong," Lin Wenhua, who had been rather quiet in the group, suddenly spoke.

"Why do you say that?" Wen Wen asked curiously.

Lin Wenhua seemed surprised by Wen Wen's sudden question, pausing before saying, "Didn't Master Wang seek out a high monk? I've always thought that people only start praying when they've got something to feel guilty about, much like my grandfather who kicked his own daughter out and then became obsessively devout, almost to the point of delusion."

"Done something wrong?" Wen Wen pondered, lowering her head. "I can understand moving to a remote area to avoid disaster after doing something wrong, but why marry a beautiful sixteen-year-old girl? I can even understand marrying a woman born in a specific year, as that's common in superstitious beliefs, but why insist on 'beautiful' women?"

"Disasters, high monks... even marrying to avert calamities—I can believe all that, but the 'beautiful' condition might have been added by Master Wang himself," Sha Linghai stroked the faint stubble on his chin. "Call it a grown man's intuition."

"I can already picture Master Wang in my mind, though it's not a flattering image," Wen Wen frowned.

The others nodded in agreement.

Although it was all speculation, based on the North Courtyard Bride's attitude and the clues they had gradually uncovered, everyone envisioned a rather unseemly old man. He might have committed crimes or offended someone elsewhere, putting his life in danger, which led him to seek help from a high monk.

The high monk might have advised him to leave the troubled area and move far away, or perhaps, based on superstition, recommended he marry a woman born at a specific time to avoid disaster. But Master Wang, possibly driven by personal desire, spent a fortune to marry a beautiful young wife, ultimately triggering conflicts among the three villages and bringing the three brides into the mansion.

"But why has Master Wang disappeared? Could it be that his enemies have caught up to him?" Wen Wen threw out some guesses for a while before shaking her head. "Let's go to the West Courtyard first, to meet the last bride."