# Chapter 358: The Raging Maid
(To be revised later) The second task of the instance was to uncover the truth. While the reason for the disappeared guests certainly involved the key figures in the ancient castle, the truth itself was something deeper. The information Xu Huo had gathered so far pointed to what should be closest to the actual truth.
Although he had a good grasp of the truth, He Pu would certainly not let players clear the instance easily. And while Mr. Dong bore no ill will toward players, that didn't mean he would show them mercy either. Getting him to reveal the truth about the "disappeared guests" would be difficult.
But luck was on Xu Huo's side—he had discovered someone hidden in the castle.
Three players were confirmed dead, but the two who had gone missing weren't necessarily so.
If one of those two was still alive, then the energy he had sensed inside the wall of He Pu's room during dinner was very likely a player.
There was no need to go to the third floor, nor to Hu Shan's or Mr. Dong's rooms. If the person hiding in the wall was really a player, they definitely wouldn't dare approach when those three were in their rooms.
Using the Silent Figure to conceal his own sounds, Xu Huo found You Qiwen in his room without much trouble.
That guy had discovered him, but perhaps thinking he hadn't been exposed, he stayed hidden inside the wall instead of leaving.
Xu Huo didn't even look in his direction. As he flipped open the adult fairy tale book, his flying sword stabbed toward the wall!
A trail of blood dripped down the blade. He strode over and pulled the sword out, dragging a human-shaped object from the wall. The brick-and-stone patterns covering it peeled away like leeches—a person clutching the sword knelt on the ground.
[Congratulations to player Passerby A for finding the "disappeared guest." Would you like to submit the truth of the guest's disappearance?]
"It's you." Xu Huo didn't rush to submit the truth. Instead, he pushed the sword forward, lifting the half-kneeling person and pinning them to the wall. Smiling, he said, "I was wondering why you disappeared in broad daylight. So you hid yourself away."
Yu Shuai's face twisted in pain, but he couldn't break free. He had to say, "I found the disappeared guests. Let me go, and I'll tell you!"
"Lying?" Xu Huo lifted the sword higher.
Yu Shuai quickly pressed down on the blade, speaking hastily, "I'm not lying! I've already completed Task One!"
"Why didn't I get a notification?" Xu Huo didn't ease his grip.
Yu Shuai's baby face scrunched up like a wrinkled steamed bun. "Not every player who clears a task notifies everyone in the same instance. It's normal not to get a prompt. Don't... don't cause trouble!"
Xu Huo reluctantly believed him. "Where are the disappeared guests?"
"Most of them became bones in the pool, but a few bodies are well-preserved. They're in He Pu's bedroom wardrobe—he turned them into puppets." Yu Shuai said, "You can go see for yourself if you don't believe me!"
"Do you think I'm stupid? Going to find He Pu now would be suicide." Xu Huo sneered. "Didn't you clear the task? Why are you still here?"
"I didn't pass Task Two!" Yu Shuai had known something was wrong with this instance's boss the moment he entered He Pu's bedroom. "Of course I want to finish the task and leave as soon as possible, but no matter how many times I submitted, it didn't work."
"What's your truth?" Xu Huo asked.
Yu Shuai didn't hide anything on this point. He told Xu Huo everything, because hiding it was useless—it clearly wasn't the real answer to Task Two.
"What's wrong with 'Castle owner He Pu kills players, butler Mr. Dong and maid Hu Shan are complicit'?"
"Maybe they're not in collusion," Xu Huo said.
"I've tried every possible combination." Yu Shuai had found the bodies in the wardrobe the day before yesterday. How could he have wasted two days? He had tried every possibility, even the inconspicuous servants, but none worked.
"Maybe those corpses weren't killed by the people in the castle at all. Maybe He Pu just uses them to toy with players..." Yu Shuai gasped for breath. "If you're not going to kill me, can you at least pull out the sword first?"
Xu Huo ignored him and asked instead, "In the two days you've been hiding in the wall, besides the Ma couple, have any other players gone to find He Pu?"
"No." Yu Shuai said immediately, "I've been on the second floor most of the time. No one escapes my eyes."
Xu Huo stared at him for a long moment before finally pulling out the sword.
Yu Shuai gasped and lunged forward, his hand reaching out slightly, but he pulled it back when he heard Xu Huo speak.
"I think I know what the truth is," Xu Huo said.
"You know?" Yu Shuai took out a curved needle and stabbed it into his wound. The needle automatically stitched along the wound, and when he pulled the thread, the bleeding stopped immediately.
Seeing Xu Huo watching him, he explained, "It's just a temporary hemostatic tool, a hemostatic tool. The wound isn't healed."
Xu Huo nodded. "Can you still hide in the wall?"
"Of course." Yu Shuai's expression was wary. He asked again, "You say you know the real truth. What conditions do you want to tell me?"
Xu Huo now believed that players didn't notify each other when they cleared tasks.
"Steal a corpse," he said. "After dinner tomorrow, all the players will go to the music room for the appreciation session. Bring a corpse there then. Once you clear Task One, I'll reveal the truth."
Yu Shuai was half-convinced. "Are you that sure?"
"Do you have any other choice?" Xu Huo countered. "Tomorrow's concert is clearly He Pu's final deadline. If we can't clear the instance before he makes his move, do you think we'll survive until the instance time limit the day after?"
"You don't think he hasn't noticed you, do you?"
Yu Shuai's face showed shock, but then he darkened.
The first time he entered He Pu's room, He Pu hadn't played that drum music with mental suppression. But afterward, whether he was in the room or not, He Pu used a blocking tool, a blocking tool and started playing the drum music. It couldn't be heard from outside, but getting close, even inside the wall, was agonizing.
"You'll know if I'm right tomorrow night. Since you have no other way, try what I said." Xu Huo paused, then added, "And don't count on the other players. They're worse off than you—they're currently hunting Mr. Dong. Also, I should mention that there are non-task players in the instance. The others may not be trustworthy."
Yu Shuai hesitated briefly before agreeing.
"Someone's coming." Xu Huo signaled him to leave.
After Yu Shuai entered the wall, the door was knocked on. After two rhythmic knocks, Hu Shan's voice came from outside. "Mr. Xu, are you in there?"
Xu Huo raised an eyebrow in the darkness. He had entered You Qiwen's room.
"Mr. Xu, I'm coming in." The other party clearly had no intention of waiting for him and directly twisted the door handle—literally twisted it, pulling the entire handle off.
Hu Shan walked in and casually tossed the metal handle aside. Standing in the shadows, she said, "You guests are far too unruly. Wandering around in the middle of the night, disturbing the master's rest."
"You're not much better," Xu Huo said flatly. "Aren't you also wandering around instead of sleeping? Instead of helping your own companion, you're picking a fight with a passerby like me. I'm a pacifist—I don't cause trouble for anyone."
Hu Shan's figure was slowly growing taller and more muscular. A massive square hammer appeared in her hand.