Chapter 618: Secret Code

    I-I have to warn him in advance!

    Gu Luoxin felt panic and guilt arising in his chest. How could he let such an important thing slip from his mind? How could he allow himself to be distracted... just by the notion of Noir marrying another, when the man’s life was clearly on the line?!

    Sure, Noir was a powerful player, but Master Grinu was also a strong NPC who was callous enough to beat his son half to death! Not to mention, the enemies were acting in the dark, while Noir was completely exposed to them! What if he failed to shield himself from the secret ambush in time?

    This time, there was no longer a novice tutorial which could save them from potential danger!

    The mere thought that Noir could get hurt due to his own carelessness drained all colors from Gu Luoxin’s face.

    "What’s wrong?" The servant asked, as Gu Luoxin’s startled gasp was loud enough to alert them.

    "I-I..." Gu Luoxin’s lips trembled as he blurted out the first excuse that came to mind, his voice tinged with urgency, "My stomach feels a little uncomfortable. Can I excuse myself to the bathroom for a while?"

    The other two keenly noticed Gu Luoxin’s pale complexion and the cold sweat running down his temples. This newbie must have let the nerves get to him, they clicked their tongues inwardly.

    With a helpless sigh, they waved in a dismissive manner, "Go, quickly go. But make sure you return in time for the young master’s ceremony, got it?"

    Gu Luoxin hurriedly nodded before sprinting down the hallway. His destination was clear—it was the direction where he had seen Noir disappear to.

    For some reason, the corridors before him seemed to stretch endlessly and Gu Luoxin found his chest heaving from exertion after running for a while. Of course, he was aware that it wasn’t due to exhaustion at all, but his heavy heart which was pounding in an ominous, erratic rhythm, making the oxygen around him grow thinner with each passing second.

    Gu Luoxin keenly noted that he still had fifteen minutes tops before he had to return. Fifteen minutes—he had to leave Noir a warning somehow!

    Upon turning a few corners, Gu Luoxin noticed that he had reached the end of the hallway and before him was a tall iron door leading to somewhere unknown. A few people stood guard in front of the door, chatting leisurely, and the absence of wings behind their backs indicated that they were humans.

    Gu Luoxin’s eyes lit up at once. This must be it—he had come to the right place!

    Taking a deep breath, he braced himself and approached with steady steps, trying to show that he had not been running desperately until now. The guards promptly sensed his presence, and their eyes immediately sharpened with vigilance, especially when they took in the sight of his fake wings.

    "What’s a garuda doing here?" One of them asked in a gruff voice.

    "I-I am Young Master Ares’ servant," Gu Luoxin almost bit his tongue as he started. Get yourself together, Xinxin! Straightening up, he looked the guards right in the eye and conveyed his request with a sincere manner, "Is it possible to request an audience with your Eldest Young Master? Just five—no, three minutes is fine!" A hint of desperation slipped into Gu Luoxin’s tone in the end, but what he received in return was a mocking laughter.

    "Do you think our young master is someone you can ask to meet whenever you please? Scram," the guard snarled. "Whatever it is, just wait until the banquet starts."

    Then it will be too late! Gu Luoxin screamed inwardly. But he was also aware that asking to meet Noir with his current identity was nothing but an impossible dream. And thus he settled for the second best option, "Then can you relay my message? Please, this is very important!" he emphasized with urgency. "Young Master Ares has repeatedly told me not to return until I complete this task!"

    Gu Luoxin mentally apologized for borrowing Ares’ name, but it was clear that his method worked this time around.

    The guards’ stance shifted, and he could see them exchanging hesitant glances. He was a servant so it was understandable that they looked down on him, but Young Master Ares was their Eldest Young Master’s fiance? and also their future master. Gu Luoxin did not believe that they dared to take it lightly.

    As expected, they eventually complied, albeit begrudgingly. "Okay, fine. What’s the message?"

    Gu Luoxin visibly breathed a sigh of relief. Licking his dry lips, he said, "...the fireworks from the sky were beautiful. Young Master Ares said he would like to see it again with your young master."

    This was, of course, a cryptic message Gu Luoxin had carefully contemplated. He could not directly give his name just in case, and so, he could only bring up something only the two of them knew, making it into a sort of secret code. During the new year’s countdown, Noir had brought him flying to one of the highest buildings in the world, and the two of them had even witnessed the spectacular fireworks show together.

    However, Young Master Ares had no such connection with Noir.

    With how keen and intelligent the man was, Gu Luoxin believed he could immediately deduce the one looking for him was Gu Luoxin!

    The guards showed an expression of disbelief as though saying, ’That’s it?’ also a hint of bewilderment, ’Wait, has the Eldest Young Master met his fiance? early on? Is this their way of flirting?’

    Not giving them a chance to second guess, Gu Luoxin bowed deeply and beseeched, "Please... just relay this message is fine!"

    "O-Okay." Still in a state of shock, the guard put a hand to his earpiece and passed on the message. Only then did Gu Luoxin’s tense shoulders slightly relaxed. Now all he had to do was wait.

    However, he received yet another piece of bad news.

    "Eldest Young Master is currently occupied and can’t receive your message at the moment."

    By then, the time Gu Luoxin allocated to himself had almost run out. He had to return now if he didn’t want to attract suspicion. Biting his lips, he could only suppress his anxiety and comply for the time being, "Okay, thank you very much for your help. Please make sure this message reaches your young master," he added with more emphasis. "You must!"

    Once he finished what he had to do, Gu Luoxin wasted no more time and dashed back to the lounge, making full use of his enhanced physique as an Elite player. He made it just in time, panting lightly—yet he found no one standing outside the door.

    Oh no, had the other two entered ahead of time? Calming his uneven breaths, Gu Luoxin quickly tidied up his messy hair and straightened his clothes before knocking, "Young Master, it’s me. Sorry for being late..."

    However, when he pushed the door open by a crack, he was surprised to find no one but Young Master Ares sitting inside, unmoved from the position where Gu Luoxin had remembered him in. Where had the other two servants gone?

    "Young Master...?" He pushed the door open wider, slipped inside before closing it softly behind him. Let alone turning, Young Master Ares did not even speak, showing no inclination that he acknowledged Gu Luoxin’s presence.

    Finding it odd, Gu Luoxin crossed the room in large strides and reached him swiftly, "Young Mas—ah!" his hands instinctively flew to cover his mouth, stifling the horrified scream that almost slipped out.

    He stood petrified on spot, his eyes widening in sheer terror and disbelief.

    Young Master Ares, who was still well and alive half an hour ago, was now sitting stiffly with his vacant eyes open, blood and foam trickling out of the corner of his lips.