Chapter 603: The Garuda Who Can’t Fly

    The door slammed shut behind him, cutting off Ares’ sharp and despairing cry.

    Gu Luoxin’s breath turned harsh and uneven, his red-rimmed eyes fixated blankly on the door.

    W-What the hell was that?! The doctor... to Ares’ eye...?

    Although it was just a split second glimpse, Gu Luoxin felt like the scene had been seared behind his eyelids, together with the almost inhuman scream Ares released from his throat— like a dying bird with its wings clipped, struggling to make one last sound before death tore it into pieces. Combined with the heavy stench of blood on his body, Gu Luoxin felt like he was going to throw up at any moment.

    He was so distraught that he didn’t even take notice of Master Grinu’s departure, leaving him all alone in the deserted corridor. Swaying on his feet, Gu Luoxin numbly made his way back to the Young Master’s courtyard by tracing the path in his memory.

    And as soon as he stepped through the threshold, it was as if the strings holding him up were severed. He leaned his shoulder against the wall, dry-heaving.

    For God’s sake, this wasn’t even the first time he had come across a grisly incident! Not to mention, he didn’t even get to see anything crucial nor was Ares a player. This couldn’t even hold a candle to the bloody and macabre scene of Jin Jiuchi devouring a living mermaid right in front of him— tail and all!

    So why... why did he still feel this much dread and discomfort?

    Was it because of their similar faces...?

    "Are you okay?" A concerned voice drifted over, and Gu Luoxin sluggishly raised his head, only to find two servants in front of him. He immediately recognized them as the two girls who had spoken to him earlier. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he replied with a hoarse voice, "... I’m fine. Just a little shocked."

    The two of them showed a look of pity and understanding. They offered to accompany Gu Luoxin to the servants quarter to change his clothes, which the latter swiftly agreed. The blood on his body was getting cold and clammy, emitting a sickening rusty smell that made his stomach churn with nausea.

    Upon arrival, they handed a new set of clothes to Gu Luoxin before ushering him into the bathroom.

    After muttering his thanks, Gu Luoxin wasted no time to lock himself inside and discard his bloodied clothes, struggling a little bit when it came to his fake wings.

    "Don’t worry, you will get used to this soon," one of them comforted him, continuing their previous conversation.

    "That’s right..." the other piped in. "Master Grinu is extremely strict because he wishes our Young Master to inherit his position in the future. Our Young Master is his one and only son, and so Master Grinu has high hopes for him. Alas, our Young Master still fails to live up to his expectations. Not to mention his wings..."

    Gu Luoxin paused in the midst of scrubbing the blood off his arms with soap. "What’s wrong with Young Master’s wings, if I may ask...?" he couldn’t resist asking.

    He had been too shocked by Master Grinu’s sudden brutality that he kinda ignored everything else. And if he remembered correctly, didn’t the Master mention something about Ares being unable to fly?

    "Sigh, we have no idea either..." the two servants lamented with a sigh. "Since Young Master Ares’ birth until now, not even once has he managed to fly. This is truly unprecedented among the garudas, even more so with his noble status. When we think about it this way, isn’t it understandable for Master Grinu to treat him so? After all, he’s doing this for the Young Master’s own good..."

    Gu Luoxin could not believe what he had just heard.

    Understandable? Did they just say that it was UNDERSTANDABLE to beat one’s own son half-dead and... and entrusting him to a doctor who behaved like a psychopath?!!

    Why didn’t they consider the reason why Ares couldn’t fly in the first place?! Anyone would develop mental illness if they grew up in such a warped household!

    Gu Luoxin’s expression twisted. He was lucky that a door separated him from the two servants outside, or else they would have noticed the sheer disbelief and incredulity on his face.

    Clenching his jaws, he splashed cold water onto his face while keeping the mask on, fearing that he would unknowingly trigger a death condition.

    No— he must not be impulsive here no matter how indignant he was. He had to remember that Ares was a creature of this world, and his experience was but part of the main storyline. Even if Gu Luoxin felt distressed on his behalf, it’s not like there’s anything he could do to salvage this. If he tried, he would only end up dragging himself into trouble instead!

    He must not stand out and risk himself into a living target!

    After this brief intermezzo, Gu Luoxin and the two servants parted ways, and instead of returning to his assigned room to rest, he headed toward Ares’ bedroom.

    The Doctor had assured the ’treatment’ would only last for two hours at most, so he should be returning soon, right?

    Following the garudas’ proper etiquette, Gu Luoxin kneeled outside the door, and it wasn’t until the sky turned dark that the sound of rolling wheels disrupted the silence.

    Gu Luoxin, who had almost dozed off, abruptly jerked his head up, his eyes widening upon spotting Ares sitting on a wheelchair pushed by a servant, his complexion pale.

    "Y-Young Master!" Gu Luoxin staggered up to his feet, nearly stumbling due to the numb sensation crawling up his calves. But luckily he caught himself on time and trotted forward.

    The servant was evidently relieved to see him and couldn’t wait to toss the hot potato to him. "Take care of the Young Master well. He needs a lot of rest." After leaving that remark, the servant left in a hurry.

    Gu Luoxin eagerly took over the task, pushing Ares into the room. He helped Ares sit on the bed and poured him a glass of water.

    Biting his lip, he hesitated for a second before asking gingerly, "Are you... okay?"

    Gu Luoxin’s gaze was wholly focused on the garuda’s face, yet aside from his slightly off complexion, he did not notice anything amiss. The wounds on Ares’ body had been bandaged nicely, and a faint medicinal aroma wafted from him. Were it not for Gu Luoxin witnessing that horrid scene with his own eyes, he would have been relieved to welcome the other person back.

    Alas, no matter how many times he told himself not to be nosy, he couldn’t pretend that he had not seen anything. It was just too— too inhuman!

    "Of course, I’m fine. What could have happened to me?"

    The moment Ares lifted his head and smiled, Gu Luoxin’s heart abruptly sank.

    The Young Master’s eyes... they were now dull and vacant. Furthermore, the curvature of his lips were perfect, so flawless and precise to the point of being superficial. It was like a programmed smile given by robots— beautiful yet lifeless. A chill crept up from the soles of Gu Luoxin’s feet, turning his scalp numb.

    He couldn’t help but recall the Doctor’s words— I will present the most perfect version of the Young Master tomorrow.

    As he guaranteed, the treatment was a huge success. Ares seemed to have become the ’perfect’ version of himself, although whether he could fly now remained to be seen.

    Yet somewhere along the way, he had also lost his personality.

    The gentle, kind, and soulful young master Gu Luoxin had come to know was... gone.

    Gu Luoxin clenched his fists, his throat tightening as a suffocating weight settled on his chest. All of a sudden, he seemed to understand why this Cycle was named ’House of Evil’. The aura in this house was so heavy, oppressive and depressing— it was as though evil itself was lurking everywhere and seeped into every crevice, every breath, every molecule.

    It weighed down mercilessly on the Young Master’s frail shoulders and in the end... shattered him into pieces.

    Utterly beyond repair.

    Before Gu Luoxin could say anything, however, Ares handed the empty glass back to him and lay down on the bed. "It’s late. We should turn in now lest we oversleep tomorrow. Can you wake me up at 4 AM?"

    In lieu of a confirmation, Gu Luoxin stammered out a question, "What’s going on tomorrow...?"

    Ares gave a shallow smile, his eyes fluttering shut. "My betrothal banquet with the Eldest Young Master of the Land." He then added, "Be prepared, I will bring you along to join the fun."