Chapter 611: Snooping Around

    With the guidance from the novice tutorial, Gu Luoxin successfully left the servants quarter and made his way around the dark courtyard, sticking himself to the wall and holding his breath sharply whenever he heard footsteps around.

    At night, the huge mansion lost its grandiose and awe-inspiring aura.

    Coupled with the fact that only lanterns and candelabras were used as the source of lighting, the atmosphere seemed to be shrouded in a gloomy and oppressive aura, making the tall buildings appear like giant monsters crouching in the dark, their eyes flickering with cold malice.

    Despite his frantic heartbeat, Gu Luoxin tried to steady his breathing and lower his sense of presence as much as possible as he followed the direction pointed out by the novice tutorial. Sneaking around at night in a high-level Cycle was extremely thrilling, and combined with how he had to be extra vigilant about his surroundings, it didn’t take long for the back of Gu Luoxin’s shirt to be drenched in hot sweat.

    If only they were allowed to use their props... he couldn’t help but lament. It would all be so breezy— he could simply take out the invisibility cloak and cover himself with it!

    Alas, as things stood, he could only stick to the wall and creep forward bit by bit like a gecko.

    Before long, Gu Luoxin found himself in an area he had never visited before.

    Due to the lack of information, he could not discern where he was right now. But one thing for sure, he noticed how deserted his surroundings were. He could no longer find any patrolling servants around, plus most of the lanterns were not lit, leaving the whole courtyard steeped in pitch-black darkness. The corridor seemed to have transformed into the maw of a beast, just waiting for him to send himself in.

    Surrounded by nothing but silence, all he could hear was the sound of his own breathing and heartbeat.

    Even the softest breeze brushing against the back of his neck was enough to make him flinch like a startled mouse.

    Help! Why was this getting more and more creepy?!

    Gu Luoxin wanted to cry but had no tears. His knees trembled just imagining the unknown he would have to face. If it was the past him, he would have turned tail and returned to where he had come from—no, he wouldn’t have stepped out of his room in the first place! He would have closed his eyes and ears and pretended nothing happened, desperately hoping for the next day to come sooner. But now... he shouldn’t run away. He didn’t want to! No matter what, he was determined to discover more intel about the garuda territory!

    Steeling himself, Gu Luoxin slowly inched forward while reciting in his heart, "Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmo—"

    BAM!

    "...!" The sudden loud sound nearly startled Gu Luoxin’s soul out of his body.

    He was so shocked that the hair on his body stood on the end, and the scream was stifled on his throat. He completely went still, his heart hammering as an unfamiliar voice echoed through the silent corridor, tinged with palpable fear and terror,

    "I-I’m so sorry, My Lord! Please forgive this lowly one’s incompetence...!"

    W-W-Where did that come from?! Gu Luoxin looked around frantically, and only then did he notice the wooden lattice window not far ahead, the panels slightly ajar. Not only that, his guide had also stopped here! Did it mean he had reached his destination?

    Sweeping his gaze around vigilantly, Gu Luoxin confirmed there was nary a soul in sight before he dropped onto all fours, crawled forward, and slowly... very very slowly... raised his head to peek into the room.

    What welcomed his sight was a row of tall shelves full of books. And through the gap between the shelves, he could faintly make out a large wooden table with a lit candelabra on top of it, casting a faint glow over his surroundings.

    A tall and built man stood with his back to him, and Gu Luoxin easily identified him as the very person who had forced such an inhuman treatment to Young Master Ares—Master of the Sky, Grinu.

    Gu Luoxin’s heart abruptly tensed. Truth to be told, he had developed a mild psychological fear toward this callous man who could be so cruel even to his own son, but he swallowed hard and told himself not to chicken out now. It wasn’t easy for him to find his way here, and since the novice tutorial guided him here, there must be something important here. Maybe it might even have something to do with the main storyline!

    It was unfortunate that Gu Luoxin didn’t catch sight of the person speaking since their body was covered by the bookshelf, but he could hear them pleading for mercy over and over again,

    "Please forgive me, My Lord! My family, they—"

    BAM!

    Master Grinu swung the giant wooden rod in his hand, producing the exact same sound Gu Luoxin had heard earlier, though this time it was followed by a muffled groan of pain and harsh breathing. "M-My Lord..."

    BAM!

    BAM!

    BAM!

    Blood slowly traveled across the floor, causing Gu Luoxin’s eyes to widen in horror. The man’s desperate pleas grew weaker and weaker until it all faded into silence, and only then did Master Grinu stop his assault.

    "I have told you from the very start..." he spoke heavily. "Failure is not an option, and now you have to bear the consequences of your inadequacy."

    Thick stench of blood permeated the room as the crimson liquid slowly seeped into the cracks of floor tiles.

    Gu Luoxin clamped a hand over his mouth, suppressing the urge to retch. All of a sudden, he recalled what the servant had told him before—"Master is very strict. He demands nothing less than perfection..."

    Damn, he’s a madman! He should have been the one to receive ’treatment’ from that psychopath doctor instead of Young Master Ares!

    Speak of the devil— a soft sigh sounded inside the room, and the doctor spoke helplessly, "You have done it again, Master Grinu. Now that one more servant has disappeared from the residence, people are going to talk again."

    "Let them talk, then," Master Grinu replied coldly.

    Gu Luoxin watched with bated breath as the doctor appeared in his line of sight, still clad in a white lab coat. He stepped across the puddle of blood on the floor, his shoes creating wet and squelching sounds that gave the eavesdropping young man another wave of nausea. "Assassinating the Eldest Young Master of the Land is no easy feat. That person is no longer human. It’s understandable that there will be failures. That being said," he let out a low chuckle, "Rather than throwing this body into the incinerator, why don’t you hand it over to me? At least, he will be useful in death."

    Master Grinu waved his hand offhandedly, causing the doctor’s smile to widen. "Thank you for your generosity, Master Grinu." He offered a mock bow before uttering in a playful tone,

    "Don’t worry, you will have a lot of opportunities at the betrothal banquet tomorrow."

    Sick... the two of them are sick! No wonder they work so well together! Gu Luoxin couldn’t resist cursing inside his heart as he crouched beneath the window. They even plotted to assassinate the Eldest Young Master of the Land during the betrothal banquet tomorrow!

    There was no mistaking it; this must be part of the main storyline!

    Counting the time, Gu Luoxin noticed that the one hour’s time was almost up, and the novice tutorial was going to expire soon. Better safe than sorry, he should return to his room soon. But what about the servant who snuck out of the room earlier than him, and the shadowy figure he had seen earlier? Why hadn’t he seen either of them?

    Just as this thought crossed Gu Luoxin’s mind, he suddenly noticed a subtle movement on the edge of his vision.

    He gave it a cursory glance, only to cease breathing in the very next second.

    His shadow... was moving...

    No, it wasn’t his shadow at all—but the elusive figure he had been looking for! Since when was it sticking to him?!!

    At the same time, he heard the doctor chuckle eerily inside the room. "Oh? It seems like there’s a little mouse snooping around."

    Gu Luoxin’s scalp exploded as his body reacted entirely out of reflex—RUN!