Death Game: Starting as a fraudster, pretending to be a god.

Chapter 636 The Missing Escort

The furnishings inside the stone fortress were simple. Apart from the talismans on the wall, there were only stone tables, stone chairs and stone beds.

Yue Zhenqiao sat on a stone chair, picked up the water bag to moisten his throat, and then told the story to Lin Yu and Li Nian.

"What you two ladies don't know is that the Chen Family Fort on Shuangsaw Mountain is surrounded by five large Fire Prison towns: Gu Town, Liu Town, Xian Town, Xi Town, and Qi Town. They are practically on the route they must pass through, making them one of the best stops for caravans and escort teams. After all, the nearest village, Wuquan Village, is about half a day's journey away for a normal caravan."

"Even if we don't encounter an accident like we did today, using Chenjiabao as a place to rest for the afternoon is actually a good route arrangement."

"More than ten years ago, when I was still a young and inexperienced escort, my master once said that Chenjiabao was a very busy resting place in its youth. At noon, there would often be three or four caravans and escort teams gathering here at the same time."

"And now that such grand occasions are gone, it's naturally because... since more than ten years ago, Chenjiabao has been a bit 'unlucky'."

Yue Zhenqiao glanced out the window and spoke in a low voice.

"Of the caravans and escort teams that pass through this area, one in ten encounter some kind of mishap at first—a member mysteriously disappears, or cargo is lost. In short, it's rumored that once they enter Chenjiabao, there's a chance that the team will be short on people and cargo."

"But no one can really explain what happened - because those who survived often feel dazed and are more likely to encounter various dangerous accidents during their subsequent journey."

"Later, this ratio could rise to as high as 30% or 40%!"

"This incident even attracted investigations from several major martial arts schools and Taoist temples. However, despite their repeated investigations, the masters and experts couldn't find anything..."

"With fewer teams coming to Chenjiabao, the accident rate seems to have dropped back down to a one in fifteen or sixteen chance—but every once in a while there are still rumors about another team having an accident."

"However, what is certain is that we have all felt clear-minded and lucid up to this point. We haven't felt dazed, and there haven't been any missing people. I guess we weren't so unlucky as to be one in fifteen or sixteen."

Yue Zhenqiao explained and Li Nian nodded.

"So that's how it is... This Chen Family Castle actually has something so strange."

"But escorting is inherently high-risk, and time was tight just now. A 1 in 15 or 1 in 16 chance is definitely worth taking."

Li Nian said, looking out the window: "No matter how strange this Chen Family Castle is, it must be much better than hanging around outside now."

At this moment, the three-day storm had reached its highest and most intense point.

Even through the small window of the stone fortress, one could see the sunlight outside was so bright and dazzling that it almost blinded people. The air above the ground was distorted by the heat wave, and the stones on the outer wall were crackling from the heat.

This is based on the fact that the entire building complex of Chenjiabao is located in the shade of a gentle mountainside with many caves. If it is directly exposed to the sun at a sunny and high point, people will probably become dehydrated and faint in just a few minutes.

Even if you have tools to keep out the heat, it's not easy to get through it.

Fei Dao, who had recovered, also heard the conversation between the few people and nodded in agreement with Li Nian.

"That's right. In the Hellfire, it's best not to hang around outside."

Lin Yu heard the speeches of the other two, but he somewhat disagreed with them.

"The probability is one in fifteen or sixteen..."

Since I am in the team, the probability must be increased to at least 15/16/12/13.

Thinking of this, Lin Yu suddenly recalled Yue Zhenqiao's optimistic words.

"He said that besides the number of people being short, the goods might also be lost. Although three people were sent to guard the goods, how did Yue Zhenqiao know that the three escorts would be okay?"

It is impossible that something "unexpected" will happen when we enter here, and that everyone will feel uncomfortable at the same time.

Even based on this point, Yue Zhenqiao's feeling that he is "not in a trance" and "has a clear mind and clear thinking" may not be reliable!

Lin Yu suddenly felt an inexplicable uneasiness. He looked around and subconsciously began to count the number of bodyguards in the stone fortress.

Including the wounded who are recovering, the total number is...

Twenty-six people.

Including the deputy leader and the two three people who stayed in the carport in the cave to watch over the escort vehicle, there were twenty-nine people in total.

Lin Yu asked in a low voice: "Captain Yue, may I ask how many people are there in your escort team that left Gu Town this time?"

"Thirty-one, what's wrong?"

Yue Zhenqiao said as a matter of course.

Lin Yu let out a breath.

"That's the problem—there are twenty-nine people in the room now."

Yue Zhenqiao's face changed slightly, and he quickly started to count the items.

"one two three four……"

Soon, Yue Zhenqiao counted the number of people in the room with his fingers.

"There really are twenty-nine people?!"

"Including the three people who came to look at the car earlier, there are thirty-two people in total," Yue Zhenqiao said as if he was facing a formidable enemy. "There's one more person among us—what's going on?!"

"A demon has sneaked in, disguised as a bodyguard. Damn it! Quickly identify the people around you. Is there anyone you don't recognize?"

Yue Zhenqiao shouted, and the bodyguards looked at the people around them warily.

But they soon discovered...

"Captain Yue, we all know each other. It seems no one is a stranger!"

Yue Zhenqiao's expression turned extremely bad: "It seems that this demon has begun to disturb our minds..."

Hearing this, Lin Yu finally couldn't help it.

"Yes, this demon has indeed disturbed your minds... but the 'direction of interference' may not be what you imagined!"

"This demon is not among us, interfering with your minds to make you think you know it."

"Captain Yue—didn't you realize that when you were counting just now, you included the three of us who joined later?"

"We are not counted among the original thirty-one people in your team."

As Lin Yu spoke, Yue Zhenqiao reacted.

"Yes... oh, now we actually only have twenty-six plus three, a total of twenty-nine people."

"We actually lost two brothers!"

Yue Zhenqiao pounded his head hard: "Damn it, what the hell is this? It made me so stupid without me even realizing it!"

After a brief moment of self-blame, Yue Zhenqiao gave new instructions to the other escorts.

"Think about it quickly, which two people are missing?"