Chapter 60: New Golden Talent
Chu Ge, widely regarded as the strategy master for this game, was quick to share his opinion.
"I agree with the idea of finding the traitor, but I believe an even more urgent task is to identify which character in this scenario has been altered. After all, with thousands of people in the county, searching for a traitor without any clues is like finding a needle in a haystack.
"In contrast, there are only a few key characters in this game. If we can quickly pinpoint the altered character, it might make everything else fall into place.
"So far, the most likely candidate for alteration seems to be Wang Jinghui. According to historical records, he was an honorable patriotic poet. However, his portrayal in the trial makes him appear quite disgraceful.
"I wouldn't say he's made of steel; it seems he's shattered at the first blow.
"This makes a stark contrast with the heroic portrayal of Yang Yan in the earlier Scholar Trial.
"According to historical records, the militiamen ultimately fought valiantly, while Su Xianjun and his companions' names didn't make it into the history books. This could mean that Su Xianjun's plan to burn down the theater succeeded, leading to a noble sacrifice.
"And Wang Jinghui was likely the one to carry out the plan to burn the theater. With Su Xianjun and the remaining performers holding off the Eastern bandits, Wang Jinghui would be the only one left to execute the fire plan.
"However, in the trial, Wang Jinghui ended up abandoning Su Xianjun. If this theory holds, then all we need to do is unlock Wang Jinghui's role, correct his character, and the theater-burning plan should go off smoothly, allowing us to clear the trial."
Chu Ge's analysis garnered a lot of support, but there were also plenty of dissenting voices.
One of the dissenting players, also a Scholar, argued, "I actually think Wang Jinghui is just a coward, maybe even a traitor. There are no significant historical records about him, and people only call him a patriotic poet because of a single poem that survived.
"History has plenty of examples of people who were brave in poetry but ran when things got tough. From what I saw in the trial, he seemed to be acting his true nature.
"Besides, if Wang Jinghui really is the key, wouldn't that make this trial too easy? We could just cross-reference the historical record and find the answer. I doubt it would be that simple.
"Also, being 'altered' doesn't necessarily mean turning a good person into a bad one. It could mean changing a brave person into a coward or weakening someone's strength in combat.
"Take Gao Ze, the militiaman, for example. If the militia really did finish off these bandits in the end, then Gao Ze would have had to play a big role. But in the current storyline, Gao Ze just vanishes after fighting with the magistrate, as if he didn't exist. I think he could be the key to the plot as well."
His viewpoint quickly gained traction.
"Yeah, I also think Wang Jinghui wasn't altered — he's just a traitor. Remember the name of this trial? 'The Truth Awaits the Final Verdict,' suggesting that the real story might only be known after death. Maybe the title hints that Wang Jinghui was a fraud all along?"
"I agree. Wang Jinghui seems too obvious a choice, which is exactly why we should rule him out first. He might even be the traitor. We should investigate him thoroughly!"
However, Chu Ge's supporters fired back.
"Don't forget, the theater-burning plan likely needs to succeed for us to clear the trial. If we consider the historical narrative without any player intervention, the only person capable of executing this plan would be Wang Jinghui. If he's just a coward, how could the theater-burning plan have succeeded? It doesn't make sense."
The dissenters weren't deterred, though, and they put forth new theories.
"He wasn't the only one who left the theater. And the idea of burning down the theater didn't have to come from Su Xianjun alone, right? Maybe someone else came up with the same plan?"
"Yes, and people seem to overlook Yang Xinyan. He might not be a prominent character, but he could also be an altered role."
"We can't always think like we're in a game, novel, or movie. Real life doesn't follow perfect logic. If this trial is truly based on a realistic historical reconstruction, then it might just be as illogical as real life."
"Su Xianjun could also be an altered character. Maybe he was just an ordinary performer, a minor player in the grand scheme, but was altered by the demons to appear important, misleading us. If we stay focused on Su Xianjun and the theater, we might miss clues outside. After all, historical records suggest that the militia eventually took down the bandits."
The discussion heated up, resembling the debates over suspects in a popular detective show. Every named character, and even some unnamed ones, came under scrutiny. Everyone except Magistrate Tang was suspect, given that his early death matched the historical record, leaving no grounds for suspicion.
Zhao Haiping couldn't help but marvel at the game. Although it was currently a single-player experience with no multiplayer option, its interactivity felt more engaging than many online games.
The reason was simple: the difficulty spiked significantly if you didn't consult other players' discussions online!
Relying on oneself meant scouring historical records, investigating each character, and testing countless theories, a workload unimaginable for most.
While a few expert players might manage it all on their own, the average player wouldn't stand a chance.
Judging by current trends, the game's developers likely encouraged players to help each other and collaborate to solve the trials, perhaps in preparation for future multiplayer features.
After a day of intense discussion, players were eager to jump back into the trial to test their theories.
…
At 10 PM, Chu Ge re-entered the "Final Verdict" trial.
"If I could play Wang Jinghui directly, I could test my theory immediately.
"Unfortunately, his character role hasn't been unlocked yet. I'm not sure what conditions I need to meet.
"Based on how Su Xianjun's role was unlocked, it might require experiencing a key event tied to the target character.
"Tonight, I'll start by playing Su Xianjun and see if I can unlock Wang Jinghui's character along the way."
Chu Ge checked his identity points: 51, just enough to play Su Xianjun.
His progress in the game was similar to Zhao Haiping's, but instead of repeatedly battling the bandits, he had quickly deduced that the magistrate's fate was predetermined after two failed attempts to help him. He switched to exploring the theater troupe's storyline and, like Zhao Haiping, unlocked the ability to play as Su Xianjun.
As for identity points, Scholars didn't have direct combat abilities, but his "Righteous Aura" boosted soldiers' morale and earned him points from their kills. Though slightly fewer than Zhao Haiping's, it was still enough to play a special character.
He spent his points, choosing the special role: Su Xianjun.
Then, three talent cards appeared before him.
[Gui·Theater Expertise (Blue): Your knowledge of theater and singing skills are enhanced.]
[Ren·Keen Observation (Blue): Your attention to detail and memory improve.]
[Ren·Eloquent Persuasion (Blue): Your words become more compelling and persuasive, enhancing the effects of Righteous Aura.]
Chu Ge hesitated. He didn't want to give up any of these talents, as each had its uses.
He was especially reluctant to lose Theater Expertise, which he had previously encountered in white quality but now appeared in blue.
Ultimately, he reluctantly swiped over "Eloquent Persuasion."
Since the trial was still in the puzzle-solving phase, Theater Expertise and Keen Observation would be more helpful. Eloquent Persuasion would only be useful in the battle preparation phase.
If the new skill turned out to be less useful, he could always fall back on one of the other two.
As he flipped the card, a golden glow flashed!
[Ren·Memory Fragments (Gold): Exclusive talent for special roles. When conversing with other characters, you have a chance to recall memory fragments related to them, and these fragments cannot be altered.]
Chu Ge felt a surge of excitement.
A new golden legendary talent!