Chapter 344: The Players' Banquet
Mrs. Ma wasn't angry either; she blew him a kiss before swaying her hips away.
Back in the room, she eagerly told Mr. Ma about it, then added, "That Xu guy is definitely a cannibal player, no doubt about it. The question is whether He Pu sent out the invitations. If he did, he should be on our side."
Mr. Ma shook his head, however. "Not necessarily. If he had sent the invitations, he wouldn't have said nothing when he saw us yesterday."
"Could it be the butler?" Mrs. Ma speculated. "That mute seems pretty formidable. If he's setting a trap for us, that would be bad."
"He's just the butler. If he disagreed with He Pu and was strong enough to kill off invited guests without the master being able to stop him, then he should be the master here. Would He Pu still be alive?" Mr. Ma said.
"So are they working together or doing their own thing?" Mrs. Ma was confused. "When we bought the invitation, it said there would be good things here. Now it doesn't look like it at all. Maybe we should leave and find a ticket some other way?"
Mr. Ma's face darkened. "We've already missed one instance. If we don't get a ticket, the danger level of the forced teleportation instance in two months will only get higher. How is that any different from walking to our deaths? Compared to those high-risk instances, this is just a D-rank instance. It's nothing!"
"Besides, entering any instance carries risk. Even if everyone in the castle is a cannibal, that doesn't mean they'll help us. In short, don't trust anyone. Play it by ear."
The Ma couple's sense of crisis had been greatly heightened by Xu Huo's ambiguous hint. They didn't show their faces all afternoon. Xu Huo also shut himself in his room, thoroughly checking every corner.
There were no secret passages, surveillance cameras, or hidden walls, but the electrical wiring was severely aged, with many signs of repair. However, all the furnishings and decorations were spotlessly clean, showing obvious care.
Although the castle was large, there weren't many places suitable for hiding bodies.
The garden was cleaned daily. This morning, a servant had contacted a gardener to come trim the flower branches in a week. Since outsiders often came, this wouldn't be a place to hide bodies.
The same logic applied to the botanical garden.
What remained were the third floor and above of the main castle building, the garden maze, and the detached villa behind the maze.
Of these three places, the third floor was occupied by He Pu. According to the servants, only Mr. Dong currently had access to the maze and the castle ruins.
The servant said the butler couldn't overstep the master and send out invitations. This information couldn't be confirmed for now, because the invitations came in two formats. On the surface, the butler couldn't send invitations, but privately, it wasn't necessarily the case. The butler was the one who received the guests and also the one who saw the invitations.
Of course, this didn't mean He Pu was above suspicion. Whether he had met with the Ma couple separately to send the invitation or to deliberately cause trouble for the players, this person clearly took an active role in the instance.
Thinking of the eyes that had secretly watched him through the window last night, Xu Huo picked up the Umbrella of Justice and released the body of the woman in the cheongsam. He tore off half the skin she was wearing and casually stuffed it into a cabinet.
"Mr. Xu," the servant knocked on the door at that moment. "Mr. Dong asked me to deliver your evening banquet attire."
Xu Huo opened the door. Wei Landeng from the next room was also collecting her attire. He smiled and nodded at her. Wei Landeng's face was pale, looking listless. She gave a perfunctory greeting before returning to her room.
The banquet began soon after. Xu Huo changed into his formal wear, picked up his umbrella, and went to the first-floor dining room. The other players had also arrived, all dressed in appropriate attire—men in suits, women in long gowns.
He took the first seat on the right. To his right was the long-haired woman Wei Landeng, and across from him were the Ma couple. The four of them were closest to the empty seat at the head of the table.
To Wei Landeng's right were, in order, the dark-faced man You Qiwen, the handsome young man Liu Zhengping, the twin brothers Chen Tu and Chen Nan. To Mrs. Ma's left were, in order, the baby-faced Yu Shuai, the burly man Li Chao, the scholarly-looking female player Fang Min, and the tall, thin middle-aged man Frye.
"Having to bathe and change clothes just for a meal, like we're going to a funeral," Liu Zhengping said impatiently, tugging at his bow tie, his behavior at odds with his looks.
"Liu Zhengping, have you ever watched a TV drama? Someone like you wouldn't survive the second episode," Fang Min joked.
"Mind your own damn business!" Liu Zhengping was in a bad mood.
"It's just a meal, everyone, don't be so tense," Yu Shuai said with a baby-faced smile. "I've never had an authentic European-style dinner before."
"Just hope you can stomach it," Liu Zhengping said coldly.
The others, smelling the rich aroma of meat, had their expressions change slightly, losing the interest they'd had moments before.
"But I guess some people will be very happy to eat," Fang Min said, glancing at Xu Huo and the Ma couple.
Mrs. Ma and Mr. Ma had completely lost their relaxed demeanor from breakfast. They gave her a cold glare. Xu Huo, however, wasn't looking at her; he was watching Mr. Dong, who was scolding a servant.
The servant had broken a water glass.
Although Mr. Dong's voice wasn't loud, it was audible from the dining table. The players, who had been sitting in silence, soon turned their attention there. Li Chao, who never let go of his drink, slammed his glass down on the table with a *smack*. "It's just a cup, what's the big deal?"
Mr. Dong looked at him expressionlessly. "Please do not damage the castle's property."
"You're not going to make me pay for it, are you?" Li Chao sneered.
"*Hiss!*" The lights on the wall flickered and a few suddenly went out, plunging the dining room into dimness. Mr. Dong stood before one of the extinguished lamps, slowly opening his mouth... but at that moment, a cough interrupted him, coming from the direction of the stairs.
Mr. Dong immediately directed the servants to check the wiring and replace the bulbs. The servants moved quickly. By the time the dining room was bright again, the castle's master, He Pu, finally descended from the third floor, supported by the female servant Hu Shan.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting. Please, sit down." He Pu looked older and thinner than in the portraits in the hallway. His speech was punctuated by heavy breaths. After seating the guests, he paused for a moment before continuing, "In recent years, my health has been poor, and I rarely go out. Thank you all for making the long journey to come here."
Frye exchanged a few pleasantries before saying, "I heard Mr. He has a collection of rare and exotic items. Would it be possible for us to have a look?"
He Pu smiled. "Of course. Besides inviting everyone to the concert, I also wanted to show you a recent acquisition of mine."
"However, the third floor has just been painted, and the smell of paint hasn't dissipated yet. You can all take a look at the castle's scenery first, and it won't be too late to see it tomorrow."
The players were somewhat surprised by He Pu's candid attitude, but it was even better to be able to go up to the third floor openly.
The banquet officially began. After He Pu gave a toast, everyone sat down to eat.
Everyone was on high alert for this dinner. Apart from He Pu occasionally commenting on the taste of the dishes, almost no one spoke.
"*Bang!*" Xu Huo suddenly knocked over his crystal wine glass. The cup rolled all the way down the table and shattered.