Chapter 1787: I'll Build You a Statue
Although these things were not valuable, they effectively calmed the people of Zone 019. As individuals who had passively borne a portion of the guilt, besides their sympathy and remorse for the victims, under the "everyone is guilty" atmosphere, they were more inclined to rally around Master Solan. Repenting the past was for a better tomorrow. Regardless of right or wrong, everyone's pursuit was the same—to make Zone 019 better. And Master Solan's century-long life had been steeped in his vision for Zone 019, so they too should turn their hearts toward the light.
Since their hearts were turned toward the light, their perception of Xu Huo was different. They saw him more as someone of the same caliber as Master Solan, and also as the inheritor of Master Solan's spirit. Therefore, they expressed great goodwill toward him. If the government could provide things for free, they could too. Not only free, but they also inscribed the player nickname "Passerby A" into the annals of Zone 019's major events.
They called this event the "Century of Rebirth," and since "Passerby A" was the crucial revealer, in the future, outside the publicly funded collective cemetery for "historical heroes," they would erect a statue of him.
That's right, the internal handling within the district government was not yet complete, and the storm on the Message Collection Terminal had not yet subsided, but the civilians of Zone 019 were already soliciting designs and masters for the statue.
In this matter, the Mining Group underwent a major overhaul, and the district government was left disgraced, having no choice but to express support. However, the Son of Solan publicly donating the "Ember Maiden" to the district government salvaged some face for them. The district government hung this painting in the main hall of the government building as a warning and a call for self-reflection. Because the "Ember Maiden" was Xixi Duolaiti, it undoubtedly nailed the Duolaiti family to the mining disaster. After various rounds of negotiation and tug-of-war, this family completely withdrew from the political core.
Xu Huo also gained a bit of fame on the Under Dimension. After all, both the SSS clearance and the solo confrontation with the district government were things ordinary players couldn't even imagine. Of course, more people wanted to study his clearance principles. Since surviving as a player was already difficult enough, how could Xu Huo take such a huge risk without being certain of a high-rated clearance?
For a time, Xu Huo's account received many clearance invitations and challenge invitations.
Xu Huo didn't pay much attention to them. He settled down in the Rose Castle to recuperate from his injuries. He told outsiders that he had contracted a strange bacteria in the outer zone and couldn't attend banquets or receive visitors. As for some important charity galas, he would support them through online channels.
One afternoon, Angelique, led by Mr. Dong, came up to the third floor.
"Something wrong?" Xu Huo met her in the study, flipping through a pharmacology book.
Angelique hesitated for a moment before saying, "Those guests staying in the castle, I feel something is off. Sometimes I see them asking Xiao Yuan and Xiao Qi about the castle during their breaks, and they also peek into secluded areas..."
Xu Huo nodded slightly. "What do you think they are?"
"I'm not sure," Angelique paused, then gathered her courage and said, "But I've heard that some old castles with few heirs and little contact with the outside world are sometimes taken over by squatters."
"Those people often move in early, get familiar with the castle's servants, and when guests visit, they pretend to be relatives or heirs of the castle's owner. When the time is right, they find a way to kill the owner, forge inheritance documents, and openly occupy the castle."
"For castles with few people, if they rarely interact with outsiders, it's hard for the outside world to know what's happening inside. They can even disguise their appearance, replace the owner by claiming they 'died of illness,' or slowly replace the servants. After a while, they become the true owners."
Xu Huo was somewhat surprised. In the technologically advanced Zone 011, such low-level murder and home invasion could still occur. But thinking about the many players with no fixed abode, it wasn't strange that they would seek such a convenient and quick way to settle down.
"I understand," he said. "Thank you for telling me. I'll look into it. Just come on time to teach Xiao Yuan and the others."
Angelique breathed a sigh of relief and left the castle with her gifts.
"The three guests have asked to see you again," Mr. Dong said.
"Make a few extra dishes tonight. I'll come downstairs for dinner." Xu Huo felt it was time to send them off.
Before dark, all the lights inside and outside the Rose Castle were turned on. Unlike the deliberately created eerie atmosphere during the instance period, Xu Huo had specifically asked Mr. Dong to add more lights during the subsequent repairs, making the castle look brighter.
Usually, when Xu Huo wasn't home, the Painting Woman and the others mostly stayed in the garden, dining room, and bedrooms. At night, the castle wouldn't have all the lights on. But after Xu Huo returned, Mr. Dong led the team to open and clean every room, and of course, all the lights had to be turned on to show that the master was back.
Normally, the Painting Woman and the others didn't care about the number of lights, but they also enjoyed this atmosphere after Xu Huo came back. Before dinner, they would even help pick some flowers for the table.
The three people staying at the Rose Castle were not artists on a sketching trip at all. They were three disguised players. Mr. Dong and the Painting Woman couldn't speak and didn't like to communicate. Dr. Deng and Meng Cun rarely showed themselves. Their main targets were the two children, but since both children had lived poorly before, regardless of who they were, they certainly wouldn't reveal much about the castle's situation.
As time dragged on, the three had no choice but to ask Mr. Dong again to see Xu Huo.
"After all, he's been sick for so long. We have to meet him at least once." The three, carrying their art supplies, restlessly lingered in the garden. One of them, a man with black-rimmed glasses, scribbled randomly on his canvas while glancing toward the third-floor terrace.
The other two exchanged glances. The shorter one said, "He hasn't come downstairs for so many days. I thought he was dying."
The glasses man signaled him with his eyes not to speak carelessly. "The castle owner is also a player. Be careful."
"We're using silencing items. Who can hear us..." The third, a tall man, was in the middle of speaking when he suddenly saw Tan Qi emerge from the flowering trees. Tan Qi said with a dark face, "What are you doing squatting here?"
"I'm looking for Xiao Yuan. Have you seen her?" Tan Qi asked.
The glasses man let out an "ah" and pointed toward the maze, saying, "I saw her heading over there earlier. Said something about picking flowers."
Tan Qi stood there staring at them for two seconds before slowly walking toward the maze garden, but he was called away by Mr. Dong halfway.
The short man looked disappointed. "That kid is sinister. Who knows what he's thinking. Once we deal with the player inside, we'll throw him out."
"Kill the young and the old, but leave the woman," the tall man chuckled lewdly. "That woman is fair and tender, with a sharp temper. She'll definitely be fun!"
"Be careful. After it's done, you can do whatever you want." The glasses man threw down his brush, stretched his arms, and smiled as he gazed toward the main hall of the castle. "The food smells really good. We should head back."
(Chapter End)