Officer Li didn't look at Qiao Jiajin, but instead asked Qi Xia, "I do have something to ask about Han Yimo... Did you have something else to say earlier? What does Han Yimo's death represent? And what does that sword mean?"

Qi Xia narrowed his eyes and carefully looked at Officer Li. "Officer, you specialize in criminal investigation, and I specialize in fraud. Isn't it strange for you to consult me about the case?"

Officer Li lowered his head helplessly and said, "We've already come to this haunted place. How could 'criminal investigation' still be of any use?"

After hearing this, Qi Xia fell silent for a moment and decided to tell him the clues he had thought of. "Officer, all I can say is... Han Yimo might know that sword."

"Know?" Officer Li frowned and then nodded thoughtfully. "Are you saying he has seen that sword before?"

"These are not the questions you should be considering," Qi Xia said. "You should be more concerned about your own situation."

"What do you mean?"

Qi Xia sighed, turned around to leave, but was pulled back by Officer Li.

"Don't go. What exactly is my 'situation'?"

Lin Qin covered her mouth and nose, leaned close to Officer Li's ear, and whispered, "Officer, since Qi Xia doesn't want to say it, I can say it for him. There are two places you need to be careful of."

"Two places?"

"Yes, first, the only person who could easily lift that huge sword is the crazy female shop assistant. She is very strong. In other words, if Han Yimo was really killed by someone, then the female shop assistant is the prime suspect. You should leave this place as soon as possible."

Officer Li nodded with a heavy expression and asked, "What about the second place?"

"The second place is your 'teammates'. They don't seem trustworthy."

Officer Li's lips moved slightly, as if he had thought of something.

Now, on his side, there was the preschool teacher Xiao Ran, who was easily influenced by emotions and didn't seem intelligent; the lawyer Zhang Chenze, who was indifferent to everything except for the pros and cons; and the doctor Zhao, who had once confronted him and was somewhat self-centered.

With this combination of the four of them, could they trust each other when faced with a life-threatening test?

Officer Li struggled with his thoughts for a long time before finally speaking, "Qi Xia, no matter what, I will use the convenience store as my base and explore the nearby areas. If you have any information... you can come to me to exchange."

Qi Xia neither agreed nor refused, gave him a faint glance, and walked away.

The remaining people didn't know what to say and followed him.

Officer Li stared at the backs of the four people for a while, then returned to the convenience store with Dr. Zhao and Xiao Ran.

He also knew that the four people outside were more trustworthy in critical moments, but they were going to collect "Dao". In other words, they were looking for death.

It wasn't safe to follow them either.

Now, if he wanted to survive smoothly, he could only find a base first and then plan for the long term.

...

Qi Xia led the group forward and soon arrived at the square where they had encountered yesterday.

He wanted to come here to confirm one thing.

That was the loud bell he heard in the early morning.

Just like yesterday, there was a huge electronic screen in the center, with a bronze bell hanging above it.

When Han Yimo was killed, the bell rang.

Lin Qin blinked her eyes and said, "I seem to have heard the bell several times..."

"Several times?" Qiao Jiajin paused and asked, "When?"

Lin Qin's pupils flickered slightly as she recalled, "Do you remember... the man whose head was smashed by the 'Goat of Human' when we woke up in the room? It seemed like a bell rang when he died."

Tian Tian seemed to understand something. "Could it be... every time someone dies, the bell rings?"

Everyone nodded, feeling that this speculation was likely correct. The bronze bell in front of them seemed like a funeral bell, announcing the number of deaths to everyone.

"That's not right." Qi Xia shook his head. "In the corridor we experienced, there were at least thousands of rooms. While we were experiencing the 'game', people were dying in each room. If this thing is a funeral bell, we wouldn't have only heard it twice."

"This..." Tian Tian felt that what Qi Xia said made sense, but if that's the case, what were the conditions for the bell to ring?

"Huh?" Lin Qin looked up at the display screen and found that there was nothing on it. "I remember there was a line of words here yesterday."

Everyone looked up and indeed, the words had disappeared.

"It seems... it said something about 'echo'..." Qiao Jiajin rubbed his chin and said, "Did I echo a disaster?"

"I heard the 'echo' of 'disaster'," Qi Xia said.

"Ah, right..." Qiao Jiajin nodded. "What does that mean?"

Qi Xia shook his head.This was not something that could be understood by mere "guessing". Their knowledge of this city was too limited.

What is the disaster? What is the Echo? And who is "I"?

"Forget it, let's look somewhere else."

Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

Qi Xia turned around, about to leave, but suddenly froze.

In front of him was a withered face, wearing a smile.

He had no idea when this face had appeared behind him, but it was now staring straight at him.

Qi Xia's pupils contracted, and he quickly took two steps back.

The remaining three were also startled. In front of them was a withered old man, standing on his tiptoes, his body bent like a dead tree.

"I've thought of it..." The old man gave a slight smile, revealing his only remaining tooth, "The answer to your question, I've thought of it!"

Qi Xia felt a chill down his spine as the old man stared at him, "Are you talking to me?"

The old man moistened his cracked lips, "Young man, I know the answer! It's 'Gamble with one's life'! As long as you bet your life, everything will be easy!"

He reached out his hand with dirty fingernails, trying to grab Qi Xia.

"We're so close to getting out! As long as you're willing to bet your life..."

Qi Xia frowned and took a few more steps back. Although he didn't understand what the old man was saying, the fact that he kept asking for his life was too strange.

"Hey! Old man, who are you?" Qiao Jiajin asked with some suspicion, "Have you met Qi Xia before?"

The old man's expression changed, and he turned to look at Qiao Jiajin.

He opened his mouth with a complex expression, then asked, "Don't you recognize me?"

"Why should I recognize you?"

The atmosphere became silent for a moment. The old man's murky eyes flickered, and after a long time, he finally seemed to remember something, "I see... You... have met the 'Dragon of Heaven'..."

"Dragon of Heaven?" The four of them looked at each other.

"There's no hope..." The old man shook his head, slowly turning away, "We can't fight him... We'll be lost here forever... No wonder the 'Chinese Zodiac' has returned..."

He muttered to himself as he walked away, his figure looking very desolate.