# Chapter 351: Player Disappearance
Upon hearing this, Xu Huo realized these two must have already met He Pu.
His mention that the person who attacked him last night was likely the butler, Mr. Dong, was also meant to have them help test He Pu.
Without saying anything more, he directly closed the door.
Only after the sound of footsteps faded away did Xu Huo turn back to speak with the Chen brothers.
Chen Tu explained how the Substitute Mirror worked.
The operation was simple. You just needed to have the mirror reflect your own image in advance, then flip the mirror up and down before reflecting it onto the target person. Once the target's image appeared in the mirror, the preparation was complete.
The mirror could protect up to three people, and the damage transfer target was also limited to three. It was worth noting that after the mirror took effect, both the protected person and the damage transfer target had to be in the same space, with a distance no greater than fifty meters.
However, there was a critical restriction: the mirror could not be stored in the item slot while in use, otherwise all previous work would be invalidated. It could only take effect once per person. If a single person suffered multiple types of damage simultaneously, the mirror would only transfer the most severe one. Additionally, the tool causing the injury had clear limitations—it had to be a metal cold weapon.
Furthermore, the mirror was easily damaged. Each time it broke, it was equivalent to losing one life, up to the maximum limit.
The usage conditions and restrictions were quite harsh, but the effect was also very powerful. It could transfer fatal injuries while simultaneously inflicting one-third of that damage on the opponent. This gave an extra life while making the opponent cautious, and could even produce unexpected results.
"This item is our brother's life-saving tool." Chen Tu studied Xu Huo's expression.
"You think you can just let that stab from earlier slide?" Xu Huo countered.
"Since the number of non-task players in the castle is unknown, you also need allies." Chen Tu tried to negotiate. "Besides, we know some information you don't. We can exchange."
"Forget about negotiating terms, unless you can tell me the location of the disappeared guests right now." Xu Huo said directly.
"The disappeared guests are definitely still in the castle. As long as we search, we'll find them." Chen Nan said.
"How can you guarantee that you won't become a 'disappeared guest' yourself while searching?" Xu Huo countered. "Any leads on the second task?"
"If I let you off the hook, you need to show sincerity too."
"I can't give you the Substitute Mirror. If you can lead us through this instance, you can pick any two items from the rewards we brothers obtain this time." Chen Tu reluctantly offered.
"No. The Substitute Mirror stays with me as collateral. If we clear the instance and I get satisfactory items, I'll return the mirror. Otherwise, it's mine." Xu Huo said bluntly, cutting off Chen Nan's objection in advance. "A loser has no right to negotiate terms."
The Chen brothers suddenly felt an unprecedented pressure, their backs gradually becoming damp, but the man sitting across from them had merely made a gesture of resting his elbows on his knees with his hands crossed under his chin.
In the end, Chen Tu still handed over the Substitute Mirror.
"Who have you shown your invitation to?" Xu Huo asked Chen Nan after receiving the mirror.
"Mr. Dong. He asked to see the invitation when we entered. No one else." Chen Nan replied.
Xu Huo tapped his fingers on the sofa and said, "That's enough. Go do whatever you need to do."
"Just like that?" Chen Nan found it hard to believe. Weren't they allies? Shouldn't they discuss a plan?
But Xu Huo had no intention of saying more. He put away the mirror and asked them to leave.
As allies, Chen Tu still shared the information he knew. Li Chao had gone to the servant quarters on the first floor last night, and Liu Zhengping and You Qiwen seemed to have already formed an alliance.
After the two brothers left, Xu Huo went to the study and stayed there until noon.
He had lunch sent to his room by the servants and didn't go downstairs to eat. It wasn't until the afternoon that he learned about Yu Shuai's disappearance.
Yu Shuai had told the servants early in the morning to just leave lunch in his room and not to collect the dishes, so no one noticed he wasn't in his room. The other players were busy inspecting the castle everywhere, so not running into him didn't seem strange. If He Pu hadn't sent the servants to tell them they could visit the third floor to view the collection, no one would have discovered his disappearance.
"How could such a big living person just disappear?" Liu Zhengping didn't believe it.
"The servants have searched the entire castle, even the annex behind the maze. No sign of him." You Qiwen's expression was grim.
They had thought danger wouldn't come until at least nighttime. Who knew that being alone during the day was just as dangerous? This meant they didn't even have time to catch their breath.
"Maybe he's just hiding somewhere." Mrs. Ma admired her manicure.
"Where could he hide here..." Liu Zhengping stopped mid-sentence. They had checked most of the castle's other areas, except for the third floor of the main building.
"Maybe he left without saying goodbye, just like Miss Fang last night." The maid Hu Shan said from behind them.
"Yesterday it was reported as a missing person case, but before the police even arrived, it turned into 'leaving without saying goodbye.' Did she tell you before she left?" Chen Nan stared at her displeasedly.
Hu Shan's expression was gloomy. "That's not strange. People can come and go freely in the castle."
"Since the master is unavailable to accompany you, I'll show you around."
With the chance to openly go to the third floor, the players naturally stopped dwelling on Yu Shuai's disappearance.
After passing through the first room, which was thick with the smell of paint, Hu Shan directly led them to the central collection room.
"These three rooms contain famous paintings, sculptures, and artworks made by masters. All are extremely valuable. Although the master is generous, please don't touch anything carelessly. If something gets damaged, you'll have to pay the market price."
Hu Shan's gaze, as if watching thieves, made the players uncomfortable. Liu Zhengping wanted to say something but was stopped by You Qiwen. Under her guidance, they toured one by one.
The room of famous paintings wasn't much to see. Though called famous paintings, the ones displayed and hung looked more like beginner doodles, though they were well-preserved.
When they reached the second room for viewing sculptures, You Qiwen and Fleur found an excuse to step out.
Hu Shan stared coldly at their retreating figures but didn't stop them.
With the two of them gone, the remaining players had to stall for time to prevent Hu Shan from leaving. Hu Shan was also patient enough to waste time with them.
A few minutes later, the two returned with calm expressions.
The Chen brothers looked anxious and also wanted to use the restroom as an excuse to slip out.
"Are there any works by Mr. He here?" Xu Huo suddenly asked.
A trace of a smile appeared on Hu Shan's face as she pointed to the marble sculpture placed in the most prominent position. "This is the master's work."
Xu Huo looked at the sculpture. "I thought Mr. He was only talented in music. I didn't expect him to be so skilled in sculpture. To reach this level, he must have practiced for many years."
Hu Shan smiled and said, "This is the master's work from five years ago. After he fell ill, he rarely made such time-consuming and labor-intensive sculptures. Now the master prefers music."