SFS Chapter 1198 YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (XXXIII)
Chapter 1198 YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (XXXIII)
1198 YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (XXXIII)
SEATED at their table in the dining hall, Luo Yan idly stirred his tea while Shen Ji Yun watched the room. The clatter of plates and hushed whispers filled the space, but beneath the usual morning routine, an unspoken tension lingered. The passengers ate, but their eyes flickered with unease. Because everyone knew danger still lurked aboard the train.
With the train manager still failing to provide a proper explanation for why they couldn't stop, and a murdered woman discovered barely an hour ago, it was a wonder that anyone had the appetite for breakfast. Still, while some passengers clung to routine, the dining hall was noticeably emptier than the day before—a clear sign that fear and uncertainty were beginning to take hold.
Soon, the breakfast they ordered arrived. Luo Yan wasn't particularly hungry, but he had a role to play, at least in front of the other passengers. Picking up his spoon, he took a sip of his soup, his mind drifting to Holmes. The detective had declined their invitation to breakfast, opting instead to investigate the train for more clues. Before parting, he had instructed them to send a message through the train attendant—who, in this case, was Su Yuqi—should they need to communicate.
Neither he nor Shen Ji Yun was particularly surprised that Holmes had deduced Su Yuqi's involvement. After all, she had been the one to lead him to the observation deck in the first place. They agreed to his suggestion without hesitation—it would be far less suspicious for Holmes to be seen with a train attendant than with a duke or a young girl alone.
"Do you think Holmes told us everything he knows?" Luo Yan asked in a low voice, ensuring only Shen Ji Yun could hear.
Shen Ji Yun shook his head. "Given Sherlock Holmes' nature, I doubt it. Besides, the game likely wouldn't program him to hand us too many clues—it would be unfair, almost like letting him solve the mystery for us."
Luo Yan agreed. The game had to ensure a fair match—if Holmes revealed too much, it would disrupt the balance. Team Fenghuang's goal was to help Jack the Ripper claim his final victim, while their task was to aid Sherlock Holmes in stopping him. Both sides had their roles to play, and the game wouldn't make it easy for either of them.
"I think he caught onto something when I mentioned Mrs. Thompson's reaction to your relationship with Mrs. Winslow," Luo Yan said.
"You said you would help me," the Ripper began, responding to Ning Feng's earlier offer. "So tell me—what exactly does this 'help' entail?"
"We will help you kill your real target on this train," Ning Feng said carefully. "With my assistance, no one will even suspect you. And my colleagues will make sure you can move through the train freely, without interference."
The Ripper studied him, eyes sharp and probing, as if trying to read his intentions. "And why would you and your so-called 'colleagues' do that? The logical response to finding a killer is to turn them over to the authorities. So tell me—why are you doing the exact opposite?"
The Ripper's stare was unnerving. It wasn't just the emptiness in those eyes—it was the eerie stillness, the way they observed Ning Feng without emotion, without blinking, like a predator studying prey. Even though he knew this was just a game, just data stitched together into an NPC, the intensity of that stare made it hard to breathe, as if the Ripper could see straight through him and was merely deciding whether or not he was worth keeping alive.
Ning Feng smirked, projecting an air of confidence. "Let's just say we're far from normal."
The Ripper stared for a moment before a bloodthirsty smile flickered across thin lips. "Good cooperation, then."
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And just like that, the day flashed by and the second night arrived.