# Chapter 62: Ancient Castle Expedition (Complete)
Si Mao, standing opposite Qi An, suddenly changed his expression and turned his gaze toward a particular direction. Qi An followed his line of sight and saw that it was Gao Lijun's room—a simple, crude door completely blocking their view of what lay within.
Si Mao's expression paled. He quickly pulled out a purple gem from his怀里.
The gem was extremely beautiful, clearly something of great value. More importantly, it was emanating a noble purple glow from within, and Qi An could sense a strange energy fluctuation from it.
"Something's wrong." The moment he took it out, with just a light touch, the purple gem dissolved like foam. Si Mao's expression instantly became grave.
Almost the very next second, he appeared before Gao Lijun's door and delivered a fierce kick.
The door shattered on impact, broken wooden boards scattering across the floor. Si Mao's eyes squinted against the dust that rose with the force. When he could see clearly again, he was unexpectedly met with Gao Lijun sitting safely inside the room.
"Are you alright?" Si Mao's tone wasn't particularly warm, and there was even some impatience in his eyes. This was completely at odds with the urgency he'd displayed—he didn't seem to like Gao Lijun at all, yet for some reason, he didn't want her to come to harm.
"Si Mao?" Gao Lijun seemed momentarily stunned by his sudden appearance, murmuring his name, then shook her head with a smile. "I'm fine. I just encountered a ghost, but that thing protected me. Nothing happened."
The girl's expression was gentle now, despite her ragged clothing and the grotesque scars on her face. She seemed completely unconcerned, even somewhat pleased, and her overall mental state was remarkably good.
Si Mao watched her strange behavior with a peculiar gaze. As someone from the same organization as Gao Lijun, he naturally knew how crazy and broken she'd been after being the only one disfigured among them. After the group disbanded, Gao Lijun had immediately gone to the system store to exchange for numerous scar-removal remedies.
Unfortunately, none of them had worked.
"...Qi... An." The girl casually shifted her gaze away from Si Mao, preparing to bend down and deal with the wooden boards on the floor. As she picked up a piece of debris, another pair of shoes caught her eye nearby. Gao Lijun's eyelashes fluttered.
"You... this dress does look good on you." When she raised her head and Qi An's gaze fell upon her, undisguised admiration appeared in Gao Lijun's eyes. She seemed struck by the dress, taking several steps forward until she was very close to Qi An. Then she raised her dust-covered hand, wanting to touch the wedding dress's fabric.
But just as her hand was about to make contact, it hovered in mid-air and withdrew. "My hands are too dirty. I can't touch it."
Qi An watched her with a slight smile, his eyes casually surveying the room, which appeared to have undergone no changes at all.
He had heard it...
The word Gao Lijun had just used was—果然 (as expected).
This word revealed two things: Gao Lijun had seen this wedding dress before, and she had imagined herself wearing it.
"Since you're unharmed, we'll take our leave now." Si Mao's expression had returned to its usual cold detachment, though even his tone had grown more distant.
"Alright." The girl nodded. "I'll clean this up myself."
She bent down again to pick up the scattered wooden boards. As she did, a splinter on one of the boards pierced the girl's wrist, and a large amount of blood immediately gushed forth. Crimson liquid instantly flowed across the floor. But neither Qi An nor Si Mao, who had already turned away, saw this scene of blood pooling everywhere.
The artery in the wrist is a critical area, yet even as the girl's face turned deathly pale from blood loss, she still wore a faint smile. Trembling, she raised her hand and brought her lips to the wound, her throat working.
"No, it's too dirty. I can't touch it now." The girl licked her lips. "Wait a little longer, just wait. Only after Cinderella becomes a princess can she be worthy of... her prince."
"Maintain some distance from Gao Lijun from now on." Walking down the corridor, Si Mao's voice carried a hint of complexity.
Qi An's walking pace slowed a beat, seemingly confused. "Why?"
"Something's off about her." Si Mao said flatly.
"Huh? Off where?" Qi An startled, his forward momentum faltering, as if wanting to turn his head to look at Gao Lijun.
"Don't turn around." Si Mao stopped Qi An's action in time. His voice line inexplicably became especially low and cold. "She's changed a lot, like she's become a completely different person. But..."
"As long as she hasn't sustained any physical injury, it's none of my concern..." Si Mao's voice paused for a moment. "You shouldn't get involved either. Pretend you didn't notice."
It seemed Si Mao was compelled by some reason to protect Gao Lijun.
Qi An下意识 made this deduction from Si Mao's words.
"Qi An." Walking quietly through the corridor, Si Mao suddenly called Qi An's name. The striking young man turned his head to look at him.
Eyes clear enough that nothing could be hidden, Qi An possessed a purity and vulnerability that most trial-takers did not. Even his body seemed like a withered leaf, as if even a slightly stronger gust of wind could cause him to drift helplessly in all directions. He appeared extremely fragile.
However, it was only now that Si Mao realized—
Qi An's appearance matched exactly the facial features of the ghost's lover he had found in the previous world.
Just... the personality was different.
"Do you have any brothers?" After a moment of silence, Si Mao asked.
Seeing Qi An shake his head, great uncertainty arose in Si Mao's heart. In the previous world, he alone had survived. Their method of departure was mandatory exit—the same as Qi An's. Si Mao had also received a message.
There was some kind of connection between this world and the previous one.
He had been wanting to understand what this connection was since arriving in this world, but the two worlds he had experienced had absolutely no similarities, and nothing that had happened bore any connection to each other.
Except... Qi An.
Moreover, the person painted at the very center of the mural was also him.
But...
Anguished contemplation leaked from Si Mao's eyes. Seeing this, Qi An lowered his gaze, appearing bewildered as he said, "Why do you ask? Mu Gangnong asked me this question before too."
"Is that so?" Si Mao愣了一下, then nodded. "Right, he asked you about it when you first arrived at the villa."
Under the gaze of those inky-black eyes, Si Mao felt extremely uneasy. "...That's all I wanted to tell you. I'll take my leave now."
With that, Si Mao turned his head away. Qi An watched him walk indeed toward Mu Gangnong's room. Slightly raising an eyebrow, Qi An stood there looking down to the first floor, just in time to see Zhang Zhaoqi sweeping the floor.
The moment Qi An spotted Zhang Zhaoqi, the expressionless young man looked up and returned his gaze.
There were very few people on this floor. After the boy was thrown into the mural, everyone in the corridor had returned to their own rooms.
"You've put on this wedding dress." Walking halfway back to his room, the butler's voice suddenly drifted to Qi An's ears. Then the butler grasped Qi An's hand with his wrinkled palm. The butler's palm was very cold, and very stiff.
"What exquisite fabric, what magnificent gemstones—this wedding dress is probably one of a kind in this world." The butler's gaze gradually shifted to the garment, his gaze like a physical thing, half seeming like genuine admiration, half seeming like hatred. "Only such a wedding dress is worthy of... the lady. The only flaw is that this dress was actually made by that wretched master himself, every thread sewn by his own hand..."
"I wanted to help him, but he wouldn't allow it." Anger appeared in the butler's tone. "Why wouldn't he allow it? That wretched man, his intense possessiveness would only frighten the lady!"
Seemingly due to anger, his grip on Qi An's hand suddenly tightened. Qi An's hand immediately turned red, and he flinched, retreating a step as if startled, putting force into his arm as he tried to break free from the man's grasp.
But this bit of strength was insignificant to the butler. The butler seemed to grow even angrier at Qi An's retreat, his strength increasing further. But when Qi An looked at him timidly with those dark eyes, the force immediately released. "...I was just too angry. I didn't mean to hurt you."
While apologizing, he non-negotiably used his other hand to stroke the red fabric. "I'm so distressed, truly so distressed. I really didn't do it on purpose. You believe me, don't you?"
By the end, his voice was no longer that of an elderly person at all, but rather the clear, melodious voice characteristic of a young man.
[An'an, why did he suddenly change like this?] The system used its non-existent eyes to observe the butler. [He's completely different from the calm, composed manner he showed before.]
[Perhaps he received some kind of stimulation.] Qi An's entire being was like a startled small animal, his gaze constantly glancing backward, seemingly wanting to leave this place. But his hand was firmly held by the butler, leaving him frozen in place, at a loss.
His answer to the system was as cool and detached as always. Qi An gradually lowered his head helplessly, as if not daring to look at the butler's increasingly twisted expression.
Received stimulation.
What could possibly cause the butler to become so emotionally unstable?
It wasn't just the butler, but also Gao Lijun from earlier.
Qi An frowned slightly. There had been nothing unusual about them this morning. It had only taken him time to change clothes, and something had occurred that unsettled the ghosts in this villa.
Not just the butler, but all the ghosts in the villa.
Suddenly, Qi An thought of something. When he was changing clothes, the person in the photograph had clearly become much more active, completely unlike someone in a deep slumber.
"The servants of the castle have always been secretly in love with the lord's wife.
...
But because of the tyrannical lord, no one could approach him.
...Until the lord fell into slumber."
This was the tune Qin Ge had hummed in that strange tone earlier.
"I really didn't do it on purpose, I was just too angry." The young man's exquisite face vanished from view, and the butler's tone immediately became careful, as if he'd been completely unaware his voice had changed. "...If it weren't for the master... it's all his fault! If not for him, how could I have become so angry, how could I have accidentally hurt you!"
"This wedding dress... if this wedding dress were made by me, it would be even more beautiful! It... would be the most beautiful wedding dress in the world. You... the lady would definitely be even happier, and would definitely praise me, wouldn't you?" The butler murmured, asking, "Qi An?"
Qi An had no choice but to look up at the butler. The other's expression had become extremely twisted. Qi An lowered his gaze to look at the hand gripping his own. He could be certain that if he didn't go along with the butler's words now, the butler would definitely do something crazy.
After asking, the butler waited for Qi An's response. The other party hadn't spoken for a long time, seemingly thinking or hesitating. So the butler's foot began to tap the floor unconsciously.
[An'an, why aren't you answering him?] The butler seemed extremely anxious, the madness and struggle in his expression becoming increasingly apparent. Because of the great force he'd used earlier, his grip on Qi An's hand was now very gentle. But the system could see that the other was restraining himself, and it was certain its host had noticed this too. [Let's go along with him first. Otherwise... he might hurt you.]
[I know.] There was a hint of something else in Qi An's voice. [Wait a bit longer.]
[Wait for what?]
[The greater a person's emotional fluctuation, the easier it is for them to expose things.] The moment Qi An's answer to the system fell, before the system could understand why its host had said this, it saw Qi An raise his head and look directly at the butler opposite him.
"This wedding dress is very beautiful. The person who sewed it must have put great care into it. If the butler were to make one, it would certainly be beautiful too..." Qi An's voice was soft and weak, his breathless tone had no攻击力 whatsoever, but the distortion on the butler's face grew increasingly severe. "However..."
Qi An seemed hesitant, but he continued anyway. "Wouldn't it touch the lady more deeply if the wedding dress were sewn by someone she loves?"
"Love? How could the lady possibly love that wretched man!" The butler's hand gripped Qi An's once more, tightly. "Why, why? He will never fall in love with that person! I won't allow it."
"Although I've already prepared myself mentally so many times, this wedding dress is too an eyesore. Even modifying it based on this one won't work. I want to see you in a wedding dress, but... this one absolutely won't do! What if we throw it away?" The butler's speech accelerated. "Even if other wedding dresses aren't worthy of you, they'd be better than this one."
"What if we go change into another wedding dress?"
As he spoke, he reached out to tear at Qi An's clothes. His strength was not that of an ordinary person, exceptionally powerful. The moment his palm touched the wedding dress, the madness in the butler's eyes gradually faded, replaced by excitement and exhilaration.
However, that wonderful tearing sound ultimately never came. A hand as unyielding as iron pliers grabbed the butler's wrist and forcefully pushed him back several steps, creating a considerable distance between him and Qi An.
It was Zhang Zhaoqi.
"Oh, it's you?" The butler's eyes showed wariness. After his expression flickered for a moment, he took a deep breath and勉强 managed to steady his emotions. "I acted rashly just now."
"But..." The butler's voice paused. "Qi An, do you remember what Qin Ge told you last time?"
"En." Qi An looked at him, still shaken.
"As long as you agree, we will definitely honor the agreement." The butler deeply gazed at Qi An. "Tonight, you must give me your answer. If you agree, not a single person in this villa will be harmed. If you disagree... they will..."
"I'm sure you can make the right choice." The butler压抑 his voice, his tone having returned to its aged quality. "...Time is running out."
Zhang Zhaoqi frowned deeply for the first time.
"May I ask you a question?" Qi An didn't continue the topic, merely steering the conversation in another direction.
"You may." The butler nodded.
"Qin Ge told me before that the place you want me to go is somewhere your master cannot enter. Is that true?" The moment Qi An's words fell, Zhang Zhaoqi's expression became even more unpleasant. If it weren't for his constant silent, unearthly presence, such an obvious change would definitely have caught Qi An's attention.
"Of course it's true." The butler's eyes unexpectedly emitted an unusual gleam.
"Why?" Qi An suddenly gave the butler a faint smile. "Since he's the master of the entire villa, why is there somewhere he cannot go?"
It was the first time Qi An had shown him a smile. Complex emotions instantly vanished from the butler's face, replaced only by enchantment. Almost instinctively, he spoke. "Have you heard of split personality disorder? When the two personalities of one person merge together, do you think he's still the same person from before? Although they are essentially the same person, they've changed. Since they've changed..."
"He will no longer enter his former dreams."
---
There was a sudden knock at the door.
Lying on the bed, Mu Gangnong startled, then still got up to answer the door. But when he saw who stood outside, his expression became even stranger, almost coldly saying, "Why would you come to me?"
It was no wonder Mu Gangnong was so unwelcoming—it was because they belonged to two different factions. Since many people from the Fast Travel Bureau transferred to the Traverse Bureau, the Traverse Bureau had become extremely turbulent.
Whether it was to establish authority or not, those senior members who transferred from the Fast Travel Bureau didn't look highly upon those ranked high in the Traverse Bureau. Whenever the two sides met, they would clash, and the worlds they occupied would become chaotic.
Subtly, two different factions had emerged.
One was led by the strong ones from the Fast Travel Bureau, the other by the strong ones native to the Traverse Bureau. Among them, the two most powerful organizations were Wu Yi Alliance and Ling Dui. Mu Gangnong's Wu Yi Alliance belonged to the first faction, while Si Mao's Ling Dui belonged to the second.
After arriving in this world, neither side had paid any attention to the other. Being able to avoid letting the conflicts between the two organizations interfere with completing missions was already a significant concession from both sides.
Mu Gangnong never expected Si Mao to actually come to him actively.
"I want to know about Qi An." Si Mao got straight to the point.
"Qi An? Why would I know anything about him?" Mu Gangnong's voice was completely steady, even somewhat impatient. But Si Mao saw the other man's fingertips tremble slightly.
"When you first arrived, didn't you ask him if he had any brothers?" Si Mao's tone showed no change, as if he was merely stating a fact. He could clearly sense Mu Gangnong's expression shift. So he used a商量般的语气. "Substitute Talisman. I'll exchange this for information about him."
"Substitute Talisman? People from Ling Dui really are generous." Mu Gangnong嘲讽一笑, then fell silent again. "I really don't know anything about Qi An's affairs. However..."
"He seems to resemble someone from our Fast Travel Bureau. When I was looking for our alliance leader before, I saw a portrait on his desk of someone who looked very much like Qi An, though their dispositions were completely different. That person's temperament was cold, like ice and snow, seemingly indifferent to everything, yet appearing more unbreakable than anyone."
"However, even with his expressionless face, he was merely a painted portrait, yet he remained stunningly beautiful upon it. So I made some inquiries about him within our organization."
"They told me he's a very powerful person in the Fast Travel Bureau, but later he left the Fast Travel Bureau, and nobody knows where he went."
"Where he went?" Si Mao repeated, his eyes flashing with deep thought.
"Right, nobody knows where he went." Mu Gangnong肯定地 nodded. "Moreover... there's a rumor within our organization that the alliance leader transferred to the Traverse Bureau and brought a large group of people with him, precisely because... of him."
"Transferred to the Traverse Bureau... He's currently in the Traverse Bureau, also a traverser?" Si Mao asked urgently.
"No... I said, nobody knows where he went." Mu Gangnong shook his head. "But some unofficial information from who knows where says he came here."
"And Qi An?" Si Mao continued.
"Impossible. Qi An cannot be him. Although they look very similar, a person's appearance can change, but a person's temperament will definitely not change. The temperament between these two people... couldn't be more different." Mu Gangnong shook his head with a complex expression. "Besides, do you think someone as fragile and不懂得如何伪装 as Qi An could possibly survive in the Fast Travel world? The missions in the Fast Travel world are all solo missions. If Zhang Zhaoqi hadn't been protecting him, he really... would be easily killed."
"Furthermore, I've checked his background. He's merely a newcomer who just entered his fourth world. And... in every world, Zhang Zhaoqi has been present." Mu Gangnong's voice lowered. "The two of them should be doing a team mission."
"Is that so?" Si Mao frowned, but still took out the promised Substitute Talisman and handed it to Mu Gangnong, murmuring quietly, "Could it really just be a coincidence?"
The personality of the person Mu Gangnong described was exactly the same as the personality traits Si Mao had discovered in the previous world. In the previous world, the ghost loved that person, and in this world, the ghosts also showed particular fondness for those feelings.
Could it be that because Qi An resembled that person, they were showing him special treatment?
"What coincidence?" Mu Gangnong startled.
"Nothing." Si Mao shook his head and slowly left Mu Gangnong's room.
Although such an incident had occurred in the morning, this day's noon and afternoon were very peaceful. No one was injured, and no more supernatural events were witnessed. The butler hadn't appeared again, and on the first floor, an extremely lavish lunch had been prepared.
Completely unlike the nauseating meals they had eaten on previous occasions.
However, even so, their expressions didn't relax. They maintained vigilance throughout.
Now, it was like the calm before a storm. Full of latent crises and unstable factors.
Shortly after the butler vanished, Qi An bid Zhang Zhaoqi farewell and returned to his own room. Inside, everything was still a sea of red. The intoxicating fragrance of roses immediately invaded Qi An's nose the moment the door opened.
Qi An noticed that the clothes he had been wearing before, which he'd placed in the wardrobe, were gone.
Looking around, there was absolutely no trace of his old clothes. In other words, he could only wear this wedding dress he had on.
"..."
When someone heard Qi An enter, they quietly manipulated the photograph and swiftly turned it around, allowing the front of the photo to face Qi An.
Qi An glanced at it coolly, then walked toward the row of rooms inside. He bypassed all the rooms in front and went straight toward the last room.
However, the door was still locked.
Qi An immediately turned to look at that photograph. It seemed unhappy at Qi An's disregard, and the entire photo turned toward another direction. But the groom's eyeballs kept glancing toward Qi An.
Like someone pouting and turning their head away, using rich body language to express: I'm very angry now, you better come and coax me.
"..."
Qi An walked over, raised his hand, and gently touched the photograph, seemingly preparing to set it right. Just as someone decided he would be a magnanimous husband and forgive his unreasonable little wife—
Qi An withdrew his hand, as if completely unaffected and showing no guilt whatsoever about wounding his husband's pride. He turned and lay down on the bed, closing his eyes to rest.
"Weiweiwei." After waiting for a long time with no response, the photograph quietly shifted back. Still no response. Shifted a little more.
In the end, the photograph still ended up in the state it was in every time Qi An woke up—tilting the entire photo so the groom's eyes could look directly at the young man lying on the bed.
Breathing inside the room grew increasingly steady. The groom gazed pitifully at the young man who had fallen into a deep sleep, seemingly sleeping quite well. The控诉般 meaning in his eyes was extremely strong.
---
Darkness silently covered the entire land. The lights inside the villa turned on as scheduled. For some unknown reason, the light bulbs that were usually very bright were unusually dim today, allowing people to only vaguely make out the faces of those around them.
Time passed quickly. The appointed time for gathering on the first floor had arrived. No one dared be late, and everyone arrived early. When Qi An arrived, he found the butler already standing there, watching him descend with an indescribable gaze.
Moreover, everyone else's eyes were on him, the emotions contained within extraordinarily complex.
The moment he came downstairs, someone knelt before him and spoke with a crying tone: "Qi An, please, save us."
Once this person spoke, most of the others also knelt down. Their movements were largely reluctant. Qi An could see the hatred and humiliation in this person's eyes before him, yet he still kowtowed while pleading. "Just make that deal with the butler and the others, Qi An. Only you can save us now, please..."
Qi An maintained his startled expression, but his eyes looked toward the butler standing in the center, who was watching him with a smile. The other's demeanor was very从容, every movement revealing elegance and leisure, forming a stark contrast with the tragic scene of everyone around him weeping.
—The butler had told these people about the deal he intended to make with Qi An.
He wanted to use the pressure of public opinion to coerce Qi An secretly.
Qi An inconspicuously surveyed his surroundings, discovering that neither Zhang Zhaoqi nor Qin Ge were among the crowd. And Si Mao, with whom he'd had a conversation not long ago, was gazing at him with an ambiguous expression.
"Just have you help with one small matter, please, Qi An." More people joined the persuasion. Qi An was surrounded by more and more people, tears flowing down their faces, causing the dust on them to streak into dark patches.
"I..." Qi An seemed at a loss, looking to others for help with pleading eyes. But no one dared look at him directly.
Everyone ignored how helpless the young man being begged looked, merely crying about their own difficulties and fears. The young man seemed to want to speak, but the loud crying around him quickly drowned out his voice.
Si Mao watched this scene, frowning lightly.
He felt an inexplicable stirring in his heart, wanting to help the surrounded young man. But he still said nothing.
He wanted to see whether this young man was truly as fragile and submissive as he appeared.
He... wanted to see whether his previous speculation was correct or incorrect.
"Please, otherwise more people will die! You could save us, so why won't you? If others die because of you, you... you are a murderer!" The complaints among the people grew louder, faintly forming the logic that if Qi An didn't complete this deal, he would be a murderer.
Humiliation was now joined by accusation.
[An'an, what do we do?] Urgency appeared in the system's voice. [The butler's deal can't possibly be as simple as he claims. And these people—An'an, you don't need to save them at all!]
[Don't panic.] Qi An's voice was calm, without any fluctuation, yet it was precisely this that calmed the system's heart.
"Qi An, have you thought it over?" The butler's voice carried obvious smiles. He walked slowly from the center of the first floor toward Qi An, who was cornered. The kneeling crowd immediately made way for the butler. "Are you willing to make this deal with us?"
"Just nod, help us with a small favor. After you complete our wish, everyone here can leave safely." The butler extended his hand before Qi An. "And you—I guarantee no one can harm you. You will... be very happy, and we will be very happy too."
"This benefits everyone, doesn't it?"
And so, the butler's hand remained suspended in mid-air.
"Qi An, save us! Save us, please, please save us..."
Countless pleas and cries rang in his ears. Qi An maintained his bewildered appearance, but in his mind he rapidly connected the information he'd gathered since arriving in this world. Thinking of the photograph and Zhang Zhaoqi, a hint of complexity flickered in Qi An's eyes.
The young man's hand ultimately rose slowly.
With this movement, the first floor fell silent. They watched the young man's hand rest atop the butler's, then heard him softly utter a "Good."
[An'an, how could you!]
The butler smiled, then led Qi An's hand up the stairs to the second floor. The people who had been kneeling immediately stood up, hastily wiping their tears with their sleeves while cursing and massaging their aching knees. The pitiful look in their eyes vanished without a trace.
Si Mao stood where he was, watching the young man's retreating back, frowning lightly. He had just felt it... guilt.
Although he had experienced so many things, encountered similar situations countless times, he had never felt like this before... regretful.
Just an illusion.
Si Mao shook his head, coldly watching the young people who had just been expressing such sorrow now displaying cold sneers. A mocking smile appeared on his lips.
As expected, it wasn't beyond Qi An's expectations. The butler brought him before the mural on the second floor, then said in a gentle tone, "It's right here. As long as you touch it lightly, you can go to another dimension. Stay there, and then I'll tell you what to do."
Looking at the increasingly gentle smile on the butler's face, Qi An placed his palm on the mural as requested.
The moment Qi An's figure vanished, the light bulbs in the villa instantly dimmed then blazed bright. The butler's expression changed. He immediately placed his hand on the door, but it was completely useless. A drop of blood dripped unconsciously from his mouth. "You really have awakened. But what's the use of you appearing now... he's already gone in. You not letting me in just means neither of us can have him..."
"You should know what's inside. This is your dream, and your thoughts are so filthy. If I don't go in either, who can protect him?" The butler smiled more and more brilliantly, then suddenly vomited a large mouthful of blood.
"That's not your concern." A cold voice sounded. "I will protect him, of course."
The man placed his hand on the mural. Just as the butler had said, unlike others, whose bodies gradually sank in, he stood there as if blocked by something.
The butler laughed wildly, mocking-like. But the next second, his smile froze. The man's hand began to sink into the wall. "You... you actually..."
The man glanced at him indifferently. His entire body sank completely inside. The moment he vanished, all the lights in the villa dimmed. The people of the Spirit Society who remained suddenly felt intense unease.
Indeed, it was so. Because the very next second, beast-like roars erupted within the room. Black shadows with glowing eyes stared at them in the darkness, then pounced with force.
Two people died on the spot.
"The butler... the butler deceived us!" Someone howled in despair. "Why, why? Weren't there supposed to be no more than one death per day?"
The people who had been chatting leisurely just moments ago instantly became like a hornet's nest, fleeing chaotically outside. But their speed was no match for the beasts'. Countless people perished under the claws.
"The rules can only be broken by those who make them." An old man in the crowd cackled. "You've angered the master. You must face his revenge."
---
After the darkness, there was a world. This world was very familiar to Qi An—it was the beastmen world he had experienced in the previous world. However, this world was also, as Si Mao had said, collapsing.
Composed of fragments.
Like glass, it had cracked into pieces from heavy impacts.
Moreover, from the moment Qi An entered. All the beastmen around turned to look at him—not with the warm, doting gaze as before, but with endless greed and desire.
These beastmen instantly transformed into their beast forms, then rushed toward Qi An at their fastest speed. Qi An's eyes narrowed slightly. He surveyed his surroundings, finding nothing but dense beastmen, without a single gap between them.
Qi An's expression cooled. These beastmen were very fast. Almost instantly, someone had reached Qi An.
But just as the beast was about to pounce on Qi An, another man appeared beside him—a man who looked exactly like the groom in the photograph.
"An'an." The man stood there. All the beastmen stopped their original actions, frozen in place as if paralyzed. "We finally meet for real."
"I really like this place." The man's voice continued, seemingly lost in thought. "Because only here do you show that you like me. Even if... you were pretending."
Evan?
Their faces were completely different, yet Qi An sensed Evan's presence in this man.
Qi An's expression shifted.
"Goodbye, An'an. You know... I've always liked you."
This is... Moore?
**[Main Quest: Kill the Castle Lord (Completed)**
**Traverser Count: Unknown**
**Exit World?**
---
Lying weakly against the mural, the butler's lips moved weakly. "It's clearly already exhausting enough for two personalities to fight for control of the body, for them to have fallen into slumber. They好不容易 merged the personalities together, yet they actually split the personality apart again. Wouldn't that cause a mental breakdown..."
"Because all of this was willingly given." Just as the butler said this, Zhang Zhaoqi walked to stand before him, gazing indifferently at the mural.
"Are you... the master?" The butler's voice changed. "Didn't you die?"
"How could I let myself... die first, when I need to protect him?"