They spent the entire morning sleeping, until evening came.
And since it was a night off for them, they decided to meet at the restaurant below the inn.
But this time, they didn't order any wine—there wasn't much left anyway.
They had to save it for the right moments.
Besides, there was an important topic that deserved to be discussed with clear minds.
They sat around a table in front of the place, and the street before them was quiet.
A pitch-black darkness lit with white light gave off a sense of purity and serenity.
Every now and then, a few people would pass through the street.
It was either a patrol passing by or just some people strolling at night to enjoy the calm.
On the table, they placed a square board marked with a grid of squares, and on it lay two dice—one black with white dots, and the other white with black dots.
On one side sat a man with short black hair and a gray robe, his face showing signs of fatigue.
That was Wei Li, Mei Li's partner.
Across from him sat Wei Tong.
And on the other side sat Bai Tong, who was related to Wei Tong.
They weren't exactly sure what kind of relation it was.
It's rare to see two people who aren't siblings sharing the same family name.
What's even stranger is that it's rare to see siblings at all!
And across from Bai Tong sat Jin Chao.
They were all wearing gray robes—it could be considered a sort of uniform for those staying at the inn.
Besides being somewhat comfortable, they wouldn't bother changing it as long as it wasn't damaged.
The board and dice in front of them were part of a game.
Each person had their own unique piece, placed on the first square on their side.
"I've been thinking about it a lot," Wei Li said as he rolled the two dice onto the table.
The white die with black dots showed the number four, and the black die with white dots showed the number two.
Four minus two leaves two, which means Wei Li's piece will move two steps toward the center of the board.
The white die indicates forward movement, while the black die means moving backward.
The two numbers shown are subtracted, and the die with the higher number determines whether to move forward or backward.
"We have to handle this ourselves," Wei Li said, lifting his piece and moving it two squares forward.
"We won't gain anything by complaining to the captain," Jin Chao shook the dice and rolled them onto the table.
The black die showed a three, and the white die showed a two.
"As long as the ruler approved it, nothing will change," Jin Chao sighed and didn't move his piece.
The black die, which indicates moving backward, showed a higher number than the white die. The result of subtracting them is one, but since he didn't move his piece to begin with, it means he won't move backward either.
"If the ruler came to work with us, he'd definitely notice it. The curse has fallen upon them and is seeping down to engulf us all," Wei Li spoke in a sharp tone, his voice low.
The innkeeper is a first-rank individual, and he can surely sense, to some extent, what goes on inside the inn. That doesn't mean he can't hear what happens just outside its walls either.
The innkeeper won't reveal the secrets of his lodgers, as that would indirectly fall under the second sin.
Therefore, as long as it's not something dangerous or malicious, he won't tell anyone about it.
But speaking about the ruler could be seen as an offense, and that's something unacceptable and punishable. The innkeeper would certainly not hesitate to report it.
"And what's worse is that Mei Lan wasn't affected by it," Bai Tong said, shaking the dice and throwing them onto the table.
"As members of the team, it's our duty to put an end to this threat," he moved his piece three squares forward.
"That's exactly what I meant. If we don't expose them, they'll drown the entire city. Everyone knows the war is inevitable—what do you think will happen if we let an internal threat slowly grow?" Wei Li lowered his head slightly toward the table and spoke in a serious tone.
"A sturdy boat can withstand fierce waves, but even the tiniest hole in its hull will make it sink."
Wei Li looked at them with a meaningful gaze.
The external enemy is like the waves—so long as the boat is strong, it will survive.
But even if the sea is calm, a single hole at the bottom will inevitably cause the boat to sink.
Internal threats are deadlier than external ones.
And what if both join forces?
"We know that filing a complaint won't change anything, so what are we going to do?" Wei Tong asked as he moved his piece.
"In fact, filing a complaint could lead to a result—and that's all of us getting killed. Questioning the ruler's decisions isn't exactly a smart move. That's why you need to make sure this idea stays strictly between us," Bai Tong reminded them.
Mei Li and the rest of their partners remained in their rooms at the inn.
But Bai Tong's warning didn't apply to their partners, because they were like one person—harming one would inevitably harm the other.
"I've thought it through. We have a chance to prove they're guilty," Wei Li said.
"How?" they asked, looking at him eagerly, curious to hear an idea that might surprise the ruler and prove his decision was wrong.
Wei Li smiled.
"First-rank residences aren't monitored. That means they can do whatever they want inside the house—as long as there are no outside effects, no one can know what happens inside."
The three of them stared at him, not understanding what he was trying to say.
Noticing the question marks hovering over their heads, he sighed and said,
"Kogan is a man full of energy, living with Mei Lan. I don't think any of you would deny Mei Lan's attractiveness—even while we're working. So imagine at home, where he has the chance to see her in casual clothes that reveal every detail of her body, plus an indoor bath. As a man, he surely wouldn't be able to control himself seeing her come out of the bathroom with wet hair and soft, rosy skin."
"That means he raped her!"
The realization struck Jin Chao—and the others as well—like a bolt of inspiration.
"Right, why didn't that idea occur to me? Kogan came from his own world, so he definitely wouldn't pay attention to a law like that," Bai Tong added.
Wei Li sighed and shook his head.
"You still don't get it. Kogan didn't rape Mei Lan. I've been watching them during the mission. Mei Lan's face isn't the face of someone who's been raped—it's the face of someone who's receiving love to the fullest."
Wei Li moved his piece five squares forward.
"If he had raped her, we couldn't prove it. But if they're doing this with both of their consent, it means they're doing it almost every night. And that gives us a chance. All we need to do is catch them in the act, and it'll be over."
Bai Tong, Wei Tong, and Jin Chao nodded in approval of Wei Li's idea.
They all felt that this idea was truly brilliant.
"And even more than that, we'll become heroes. We'll have saved the city from ruin," Jin Chao smiled.
He felt a sense of heroic triumph and nobility.
Wei Li gave a sneer. Though the idea was his, he didn't mind sharing the glory of the rescue.
In reality, what motivated them wasn't saving the city—that was just an unconscious reason they added to avoid realizing they were nothing more than a bunch of bitter, angry people.
It was all driven by jealousy, and Wei Li was the most resentful and hateful of them all.
Upon realizing that Mei Lan and Kogan were making love without fear or concern, the veins in his head nearly exploded.
While in his room inside the inn, he felt a constant pressure, as if eyes and ears were watching him through the walls.
The innkeeper infused his essence throughout the inn—even if it was at a low level, it was still enough to know what was happening in every room.
"So all we have to do is sneak into their house," Bai Tong moved his piece two squares backward.
Now that they knew the basic idea, they felt a sense of relief. All they had to do was execute it.
"We can't all sneak in. If we're caught, we won't be able to explain ourselves, and it'll be the end of us," Wei Li denied.
"Now we need to decide who's going," Wei Tong looked toward them.
"Why complicate things? Every night, one of us will go and take a look, and whoever catches them in the act will take all the credit for themselves. What do you think?" Bai Tong casually suggested.
He wasn't really expecting them to agree anyway.
"Agreed," Wei Li spoke suddenly, his tone sharp.
They looked at him in surprise.
It was his idea, and now he was allowing them to take the credit randomly.
Wei Li had studied the plan well. Allowing one of them to take the credit for his idea also meant that if one of them were caught spying, they would take the punishment alone without involving the others.
True, it was a gamble, but he had decided to bet on his luck.
He certainly didn't want to lose, but what could be done?
Either you're honored as a hero and your resentment and hatred are satisfied,
Or you end up a slave for life.
It was either all or nothing.
Wei Li smiled and moved his piece three squares forward, placing it in the middle of the board calmly. He had reached the end.
"I've lost," Wei Li let out a long sigh and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes.
This game had several versions, and the rules could vary depending on the number of people playing.
This time, since there were only four of them, they decided to play by the rule that whoever reaches the middle first loses.
By midnight, they returned to their rooms, having made a plan to catch Mei Lan and Kogan in the act.
They also agreed to test their partners.
They would propose a similar idea to their plan, but in a casual way, and observe their partners' responses.
If they showed a positive reaction and agreed to the idea, they would involve them in the plan.
But if they showed hesitation or rejected the idea, they would proceed with it themselves.
Unfortunately, no matter the outcome, their partner would be involved.