"It’s not me, I already told you! I wouldn’t kill a teammate just because I don’t have an alibi—that’d be digging my own grave!" he shouted, his face flushed, voice almost cracking as he struggled to defend himself.

But the doubt in everyone’s eyes only grew deeper.

"Unforgivable," Li Duo said, clenching his fists.

"But… wasn’t the Tribute forced into killing?" Meng Qiyan looked over at Bai Li, worry in her voice. "If we vote the Tribute out… aren’t we basically half-murderers ourselves?"

"How can you even say that?" Rong Rong replied, aghast, her tear-streaked face full of disbelief. "A life for a life, that’s only fair."

Facing Rong Rong’s swollen, tear-filled eyes, Meng Qiyan panicked and quickly apologized, "I’m sorry, I wasn’t considering it from your perspective."

"Let’s vote," Lu Wanting said, taking a deep breath. "It’s pretty clear now."

"Vote my ass! Are you all out of your minds?" Bai Li yelled, fighting to the end. "Isn’t it possible the Tribute didn’t kill at all? That this damned carpenter set it all up just to make us turn on each other!"

"My dear guest," the carpenter said from the side, his eyes rolling with a faint glimmer as he interrupted, "don’t make me sound so vile."

In the hall, someone slowly raised a hand, pointing at Bai Li. The voting results seemed to be taking shape.

Something was off.

Fang Chen felt an intense discomfort. He had noticed something odd about someone, even found indirect evidence, but without concrete proof, he couldn’t speak decisively. If he missed his chance and let the Tribute talk their way out, they’d be back to square one.

Now, though, he had no choice but to share his findings.

Just as Fang Chen hesitated and opened his mouth, Yan Xuan spoke first. "There are eleven axes."

"What?!"

The hall erupted. Fang Chen snapped his head up, staring hard at Yan Xuan.

There it was—the crucial evidence he’d been wrestling with!

But, if there was one axe per person, why would there be an extra?

In this strange space, the carpenter could walk and talk, so he could arguably be considered a "person."

Then, who owned the other axe? The woman who’d hung herself?

No, she should have already been dead when they arrived.

Fang Chen had a hunch that this eleventh axe was not only the key to identifying the Tribute but also to dispersing the fog.

It was like there was a slippery eel in his mind. He knew it was there but just couldn’t grasp it.

Resigned, Fang Chen refocused on the present.

Amid the murmurs of surprise, Yan Xuan calmly began to recount his reasoning.

"I was the first one to arrive here," Yan Xuan began calmly. "When I didn’t see anyone else, I decided to take a walk around. I clearly remember that, in the tool shed, there were eleven axes."

"But the next day, when the carpenter led us to cut wood, only ten remained."

No wonder Yan Xuan had looked confused in the tool shed earlier.

"So, someone snuck in that night and stole one? And that thief is the Tribute!" Lu Wanting quickly realized.

That would mean all previous deductions needed to be overturned.

"Why didn’t you say this earlier?!" Bai Li snapped, both frustrated and immensely relieved at the same time.

Yan Xuan ignored his complaints and cast a deep look at Fang Chen, as if to say, “Well done.”

"I get it now; the mystery of the weapon is solved! The axe Rong Rong found at 3 o'clock wasn’t the one that killed Zhang Bin!" Meng Qiyan said, clapping her forehead in excitement.

"The Tribute used misdirection to make us think Zhang Bin died before three!"

"His actual time of death was likely between three and four!"

"But after three, everyone was scattered, so any one of us could’ve done it. That makes it harder to find out," Meng Qiyan's initial excitement dwindled, "And if Zhang Bin was alive at three, why didn’t he show up for the gathering?"

Seeing Meng Qiyan’s growing enthusiasm, Fang Chen felt a budding sense of appreciation for her grasp of logic.

He leaned back in his chair. "If we can’t find an alibi for after three, why don’t we think about where that other axe might be hidden?"

Then, gesturing to Li Duo, he said, "Coach Li, could you give me a hand for a moment?"

Looking confused, Li Duo walked over, and after a brief whispered exchange, he nodded and left.

"What’s that about?" Lu Wanting asked, looking puzzled.

"Let’s try reasoning backward," Fang Chen said, settling back.

Since reasoning forward wasn’t giving them clear answers, they’d eliminate all the wrong options and see what was left.

Everyone began chiming in with their thoughts.

Liu Mang picked up the thread, "Zhang Bin was pretty big, so if someone killed him and moved the body, they’d risk being seen. So the woods must be the primary crime scene."

Calm now, Bai Li joined in, "And carrying around an axe would be too conspicuous. So the Tribute must’ve hidden it back in the woods after killing Zhang Bin. But where’s the safest place to hide it?"

"Bury it," Yan Xuan replied succinctly.

"Exactly," Fang Chen said coolly. "The Tribute would’ve had to bury the axe bare-handed, so they’d be covered in dirt, maybe even all over."

"And without a water source nearby, they’d need a good excuse if someone saw them looking so messy on the way back."

Hearing this, Rong Rong’s face turned ashen.

Fang Chen sat up straight, subtly moving closer.

"That’s why she made a scene of tripping in front of me, clinging to the bloody axe and covering herself from head to toe in blood and dirt," he said.

Everyone’s gaze fell on one person.

"Enough!" Rong Rong screamed, clutching her head and swaying unsteadily. "You’re accusing me? Me, of killing Ah Bin? That’s absurd!"

Then, she turned to Lu Wanting beside her, "Sister Wanting..."

Lu Wanting looked conflicted. "But these are just theories. It’s not fair to accuse her without evidence."

"And besides, she couldn’t even hold an axe properly yesterday when we were chopping wood."

"I have proof." Fang Chen rose and strode over to Rong Rong.

The intensity of his approach created a chilling pressure, as if a cold wind swept through the room.

She looked up at him, trembling. Fang Chen stood there, backlit, his face obscured in shadow, making his expression unreadable.

It was both intimidating and a silent threat.

"This afternoon, I noticed you were stumbling as you walked. At first, I thought it was just worry about Zhang Bin, but it seemed…off."

"Faking a death with an axe would’ve taken a lot of blood. A wound that deep would hurt, wouldn’t it? Could you show us your left leg?"

Rong Rong’s face darkened as she clutched her skirt tightly, refusing to move.

Fang Chen glanced at Meng Qiyan…