Sixteenth day (3) Suspicion is rife

  Hou Mingyu died, but it seems like nobody is shocked.

  It's actually normal for everyone to be abnormal at this moment, and everyone has started to numbly accept all of this.

  So many frightening things have happened in this inn for so many days, and another death is actually within expectation. However, as usual, after the dead person, all the living people must be present, we formed a circle, looking at each other, and everyone had their own psychological activities.

  I don't know about others, but I know about myself.

  At this moment, I have completely found the murderer, no, found a combination of murderers. This is a killer group composed of college students, with Xiao Bin as the leader. They first killed Da Peng, then Sun Fangfang, and finally Ai Ya and Hou Mingyu, a couple. At least three boys in this combination participated, whether there were any female accomplices or not, I am not clear.

  It can't be that all six remaining people are, right?

  What's the motive? I don't know, of course. Now whether we know the motive or not doesn't make much difference. Even if they were killing for justice, from this secretive method, none of us can escape.

  This killer combination also had external reinforcements, blasting the cave and blocking our way out of the mountain, turning us into birds in a cage to be killed one by one. We wanted to stand up and accuse Xiao Bin, but we weren't sure how many people were involved or what equipment they had. If there really was someone who escaped with a handgun, then everyone would have died here today. But if you say we tied up several students? Then wouldn't we be the robbers?

  What does this have to do with us?

  You university students want to kill people, then go ahead and kill, why did you have to kill Xiaobudian?

  This time the dead person was different from the previous ones. Everyone was really calm, no one panicked, and no one was afraid. The only difference was that another person was carried out of the hotel, and there was an additional corpse outside.

  After we carried Hou Mingyu out, Ma Tiancheng stood at the front desk of the inn and said to everyone, "Little ancestors, who is it after all? Let's discuss it and stop here. There have been enough deaths. I've never seen so many people die in my life. What's going on? Can't we talk about it?

  The dwarf stared at us and then said, "Otherwise, you all go out. The inn is closed and no longer accepts guests."

  Ma Tiancheng nodded and said, "Alright, all of you get out, go quickly, go quickly."

  Xiao Bin said, "You want us to leave? How far can I walk with this leg of mine? Won't we end up dying outside?"

  Ma Tiancheng said, "What's it to me? Hurry up and get out, we're not receiving guests here. I think if things go on like this, both of us will be in danger."

  Jin Sanpang said, I'm not leaving. If it's a mountain-climbing day and it doesn't rain, that's fine. But if it rains, we'll have to die outside. Whoever wants to leave can leave, but I'm not going anywhere.

  I saw Feng Yue glance at me, I shifted my eyes elsewhere. Honestly, now I suspect every single person in the student group, including Feng Yue.

  A person's life is most important; although women are also very important, when it comes to matters of life and death, they should take a back seat.

  The two donkeys said, "Big Brother, won't you let us go too?"

  Ma Tiancheng said, "No, no."

  The dwarf said, "How can you not? You all have to leave, hurry up and leave, I'll give you half an hour to pack your things. Hurry up."

  Ma Tiancheng said, "This is my brother. You see, we've been together since childhood. If I let him go out now, he'd be a dead man. Either you stay behind and the others leave, or..."

  The two donkeys were stunned for a moment, then one of them said, "Big Brother, if you're going to drive them away, I'll have to leave too. You made us climb the mountain today, isn't that trying to kill us?"

  Ma Tiancheng looked at the dwarf, then didn't make a sound, apparently he was no longer in charge. The dwarf said, "Everyone has to leave, hurry up and pack your things."

  Jin Sanpang said, I won't leave, what can you do with us?

  Feng Yue heard Jin San's unpleasant tone and hastily interjected, "Teacher Zhang, please let us hide for a few more days. When someone comes in, we'll leave. Looking at the desolate mountains and wild ridges, it's really scary to have us girls running around. Please."

  The dwarf grunted and Ma Tiancheng hastily said, "You can stay if you want, but this matter must be clarified today. How did this person really die?"

  Ma Tiancheng said this, obviously to help us out of the situation. It can be seen that his relationship with Er Duzi is quite good. The dwarf glared at him, but didn't insist, probably also being moved by the charming attitude just now.

  Fengyue said, "This... we really didn't know. We didn't expect him to be so bold, daring to kill someone in broad daylight."

  Ma Tiancheng said that's because there was no opportunity at night, right. Just now it was said to wait until Hou Mingyu wakes up and then interrogate him, want to find out his accomplices, apparently that person is afraid. Is that right, little brother?

  The two donkeys said, right, right. It must be guilty conscience.

  The Second Donkey deliberately took a look at Xiao Bin, because we were afraid that Xiao Bin's killer group would be exposed and we couldn't handle it, so the Second Donkey didn't dare to confront Xiao Bin about going to Hou Mingyu's room.

  Xiao Bin obviously saw Er Lu Zi looking at him and said, "What are you looking at me for? What's your relationship with me?"

  Two donkeys said, "Can't you even look at me?" Not allowed to look.

  Xiao Bin said, you say that a thief is always nervous, why are you looking at me?

  Xiao Bin's words were spoken in a hurry, which made me feel that something was not quite right. The mastermind behind the scenes I analyzed was a huge spider, a calm hunter, quietly waiting for prey to come to its door in the dark.

  Ke Xiao Bin's tone and demeanor clearly showed that he was indeed in a guilty state of mind, he wasn't calm, eager to clear himself, but didn't know that his actions had already raised suspicions.

  Ma Tiancheng took a look at Xiao Bin and said, "Why are you so flustered? Have you been to Hou Mingyu's room?"

  Xiao Bin said, no.

  Fengyue said, "No way! You've been to his room, I saw you coming out of it."

  Xiao Bin suddenly enlightened and said, "Ah, I went, I went once."

  Ma Tiancheng said, "Why did you go to Hou Mingyu's room?"

  Xiao Bin said, I used to see if he was awake or not, then he said he was thirsty, so I poured him some water.

  This is a good opportunity for me to intervene, I interjected, isn't Hou Mingyu's mouth shut? I specifically sealed it for him this morning. How did he tell you that he was thirsty?

  Xiao Bin hesitated for half a day before saying, "I let him go."

  Ma Tiancheng nodded to the two donkeys, and the two brothers really had a tacit understanding. They walked to Xiao Bin's side, one on the left and one on the right. Ma Tiancheng said, "Why did you let go of his mouth?"

  Xiao Bin saw people gathering around, took a few steps back, Ma Tiancheng and Er Duzi simultaneously grabbed his arm, the two men moved quickly, in an instant pulled Xiao Bin to our side, making him leave the student team.

  At that time, I was very nervous, my eyes kept turning around, staring at the remaining two men in case they suddenly attacked. But Jin San Pao and Zhang Da Zhuang were also at a loss, standing there without any movement. I looked at the three girls again, and the three girls were also bewildered.

  Xiao Bin said, I'll talk to him and see if I can get anything out of him. What are you guys trying to do? You're not saying I'm a murderer, are you? Do you have any evidence?

  Ma Tiancheng said, "What more evidence do you need? You're the mastermind behind this!"

  Xiao Bin spat, then said: "You guys previously said Ai Ya was a murderer, then said Hou Mingyu was the mastermind behind the scenes. Now that everyone is dead, I've become the mastermind? Are you planning to kill us off one by one? What are you all staring at? If I were to follow in Hou Mingyu's footsteps, the next ones to die would be you guys. Help!"

  Jin Sanpang and Zhang Dazhuang took two steps forward, Ma Tiancheng waved his hand and said, "Are you looking to die?"

  Jin San said that something is not right, it's very clear that someone is slowly trying to kill us. Right? Not right.

  I gave him a look and thought, can your bloody murder gang handle it? Now you're starting to protect Xiao Bin.

  Of course I don't dare say this, catching them one by one can avoid enraging them and let them fight to the death.

  Honestly, I don't know what their motive for murder is, whether it's to erase the past or to reenact Meixue's affair from back then.

  Thinking of this, I took a look at Fengyue, she was very pretty, Meixue was also very pretty, these bastards wouldn't be having ideas about her, would they?

  Fengyue spoke up, saying that although she did see Xiaobin go to Hou Mingyu's room, this didn't necessarily mean anything and they couldn't just conjure up another murder suspect out of thin air. Right? I also think things are suspicious, someone is trying to drive a wedge between us, planning to take us down one by one. Until there's new evidence, I'm reserving my opinion.

  Si Yao and Shen Po obviously at this moment have already regarded Feng Yue as their leader, they said, we also disagree to treat Xiao Bin as a murderer like that.

  Ma Tiancheng looked at him a few times, then let go of Xiao Bin's arm. It was too difficult to gain everyone's trust now. The four of us exchanged glances and whispered a few words, we all agreed that Xiao Bin was the murderer.

  The reason is simple, it's a matter of time.

  We found that Xiao Bin went in and came out, which was enough to wipe a person's neck for this time. After that, we discussed it in the room and then went downstairs, inside and outside, it took about twenty minutes.

  If Xiao Bin is not the murderer, then Hou Mingyu died within these twenty minutes.

  Of course, this time is enough for several people to wipe their necks, but it's not necessarily so coincidental that there is only one person who kills Hou Mingyu at this time, because in between, we have to exclude the time when Xiaobin said he went up and down the stairs with hot water.

  I took a glance at Xiao Bin's leg and said, "You just said you were going to open the water for Hou Mingyu, did you end up hitting him?"

  Xiao Bin was taken aback, hesitated for a moment and then said, "My leg hurts, I gave up when I reached the stairs and went back to my room."

  Ma Tiancheng said, "You say that you went to Hou Mingyu's room, but it wasn't actually to show concern for him, right? If you weren't there to kill and silence him, then what did the two of you talk about?"

  Xiao Bin waved his hand and said, "No, I didn't say anything. I was worried about him, but later my legs hurt, so I gave up. I thought you all came back at noon."

  Ma Tiancheng clapped his hands and said, "I think he's the murderer. However, if you student party insists on covering for him, then I want the three of you to promise me that from today onwards, you three boys will not leave each other's side even an inch, and cannot give him any more opportunities to be alone."

  I think these three people are a killer group, they must have fabricated evidence for each other perfectly, what to do then?

  The two donkeys clearly had the same idea as me. He said, "How about this? This brother will stay in a room with us two, and we'll be inseparable. But before that, I want to search his body." His luggage wasn't allowed to come over either, who knows what he's hiding.

  Jin San Pao and Zhang Da Zhuang were still hesitating, but as soon as they heard Er Lüzi say that, Jin San Pao immediately said, "Alright, this way is fine. Anyway, you guys don't believe us either, so it's best if we all mix together."

  I don't entirely agree with Erzi's proposal. Originally, I thought Xiaobin and his gang were premeditated murderers, and since they had a plan, they must have had a target. They didn't know us at all, so it was unlikely that we were their target. Xiao Dian's death should be an accident, as he stumbled upon their conspiracy and got killed.

  At this moment, putting Xiao Bin into our team obviously adds a few points to our danger.

  Xiao Bin opened his arms and said, "Search us then."

  The two donkeys didn't stand on ceremony, and went up to start slapping him. They slapped for half a day but nothing came of it. At this point, Feng Yue said, "Everyone doesn't have to just stand downstairs. Let's all go up and take a look. Who knows if we can find any clues?"

  Fengyue's proposal was always on the spot, and our group rushed upstairs again. Hou Mingyu's room had nothing but a floor of bloodstains and a few flies.

  The smell inside the house was really too bad, we all retreated and covered our noses.

  Ma Tiancheng said, "In a moment, bring some water up for me to collect quickly, otherwise tomorrow will be stinky to death."

  Feng Yue covered her nose and turned back to take a look, pointing to the room opposite Hou Mingyu's and said, "This room isn't occupied by anyone, is it?"

  Ma Tiancheng said, "There's nothing, just a bed frame."

  Fengyue hummed a sound, opened the door, and then furrowed her brow saying, "No one lives here, why is the window open?"

  We were all stunned, the windows of this room are the same as those in other rooms, all tied up with iron wire inside, not even a latch. Today we climbed the ladder, and Erzi opened the window with one hand, and when we left, no one noticed this point.

  Ma Tiancheng said, this broken inn has nothing good, blown open by the wind, who cares?

  Fengyue walked a few steps inside and said, "No, if the window had been open all along, then with these past few days of rain, there must have been quite a bit of water seepage. There isn't any here, and look, you see, there's a footprint here."

  We all went over and indeed there was a half footprint on the ground, but I don't know who left it. The room is not very dusty, but the dust is unevenly distributed, and this half footprint is on the thick dust.

  Feng Yue looked at the half footprint for a long time, then walked to the window and took a look outside. The ladder was withdrawn by us, of course.

  Feng Yue said, "I suspect that someone is hiding in this room and then killed Hou Mingyu. Look at the door, it's broken like this, you can observe the outside situation at any time. I think if we find the owner of these footprints, we'll also find the murderer. Moreover, if Xiao Bin just saw Hou Mingyu alive half an hour ago, no matter whether Xiao Bin is the murderer or not, at least we can confirm that there's only half an hour's time difference. I estimate there's no time to change shoes."

  Ma Tiancheng shouted and said, "Everyone take off your shoes. From the footprints, find this person, I'll beat him to death today."