CH 75

Chapter 75: Castle Cry (II)

With a loud bang, the lights turned on, and the whole hall showed its magnificent side under the light. The magnificent chandelier hanging from the domed ceiling gave off dazzling light and dispelled the surrounding darkness.

Just now, the stale smell dissipated with the bell, and the traces of being eroded by fire disappeared around it, leaving a colorful castle with a bright marble floor reflecting the lights, thick carpet on the corners, and delicate decorative patterns on that carpet. At that moment, the whole hall was brand new and shining.

“It seems that this isn’t the old castle that was burned by fire from just now, at least it has electricity.” Qi Leren’s hand was still on the switch on the wall as he spoke to Dr. Lu.

Dr. Lu touched his chin. “Oh, it’s interesting. When we entered here just now, the old castle had been burned down. Now, once the bell tolled, it looks like we entered the old castle before it was burned down.”

“What’s the use of saying this now? Hurry and find a way out! The door is gone, but there are windows!” Luo Xueyi woke up after a brief state of wonder and realized that they were now in strange danger.

Dr. Lu gave her a pitying look: “According to the rules of horror films, I don’t think we can get out through the window.”

The light overhead made the fear dissipate a lot. Luo Xueyi stamped her foot and took her boyfriend Miao Bo’s hand. “I don’t believe it. I’m going to look for it! If you love me, you’ll come with me!”

Dr. Lu took a slap in the mouth and stopped Qi Leren who wanted to stop Luo Xueyi: “If she’s so eager to die, let her go, maybe you can find something.” Of course, it was most likely that they would find two bodies later.

“Why don’t we also…” Xiao Hong hesitated, wanting to follow Luo Xueyi and others, but was pulled by Nan Lu. “Don’t go!”

Xiao Hong, who was forcibly held by his girlfriend, reluctantly glanced at the two people who were leaving, and remained silent.

“What now?” Nan Lu asked with a clouded expression.

Qi Leren glanced at Dr. Lu and saw that he didn’t answer. He said, “I don’t think we can go out through the window. If we want to leave this old castle, we have to solve the mystery of the fire that happened here. If you know anything about the legend of this old castle, you might as well say it. Maybe it’s also a clue.”

Nan Lu thought for a moment. “All I’ve heard is the legend that the mistress of the castle killed everyone because her husband was unfaithful, and then set fire to the castle. Xiao Hong, have you heard anything?”

Xiao Hong was a little distracted, and only after hearing his name did he react: “I… I heard from my parents when I was a child that a servant stole a lot of money with outsiders. In order to cover up his crimes, he went mad and killed people in the castle overnight, then set fire to destroy the evidence and disguised it as an accident.”

“What do you think?” Qi Leren asked Dr. Lu.

“I’m not sure…” Dr. Lu murmured bitterly. “Well, if I insist on saying it, I think the second one is more reliable.”

“Why?” Nan Lu disapprovingly asked.

“It’s very simple. There are at least a dozen servants in an old castle. Can an adult woman kill so many people casually? Killing people is very tiring. Seriously, if you’re an ordinary person and I give you a knife to chop down ten people who are standing still, you’ll be exhausted. Besides, the person she wants revenge against is only her husband, so why kill everyone together? This is revenge on society, which is totally illogical. So I think the second one is more likely. The owner of the castle came from Germany to do business. Instead of living in the city, he built such a castle. He must be very rich. It’s logically possible that someone colluded with the servant to kill for money, but… "Dr. Lu said, spreading his hands.

"But what?” Nan Lu asked.

Qi Leren had a little understanding: “But the theme of killing people for money is not suitable for solving puzzles.”

“As a positive solution, in terms of subject matter, the first story is very suitable. The lady who went crazy because of her love is like a final boss of a horror game.” Dr. Lu rubbed his chin and looked thoughtful.

“It’s meaningless to think about it now. Let’s walk around carefully and see where the bell came from.” Qi Leren said.

The other three people didn’t disagree, so they took to the curved staircase and headed in the direction where the bell had just come from.

At this time, the painting on the wall was intact and hadn’t been destroyed by the fire. They finally got to see this portrait.

On the platform where the left and right curved stairs merged together, facing the door was a huge portrait. The picture showed a young couple, the man looking handsome and elegant in a suit. He gently looked at his wife, a woman in a formal dress with long golden curls winding over her shoulders, which made her beautiful face more beautiful and refined. She was holding a big dog and her face was pulled into a happy smile.

Below the portrait was the floor clock that had just sounded, and the hour hand and minute hand walked at their own rhythm.

Was the man in the portrait the owner of this castle? Qi Leren was lost in thinking about the portrait.

“This should be the master and mistress of the castle? They look very loving.” Nan Lu’s face showed envy.

Xiao Hong also replied: “Yes, she looks really beautiful.”

Nan Lu immediately pinched him and said angrily, “You only know how to look at beautiful women!”

“Don’t look at it that way, you’re the most beautiful!” Xiao Hong quickly picked up his girlfriend

The flirting between lovers made Qi Leren feel uncomfortable. Looking at Dr. Lu, he saw that he was also wearing a long face. The two exchanged helpless eyes and were about to continue to go up. Suddenly there was a sound of heavy objects falling to the ground downstairs, and then Luo Xueyi, who had taken Miao Bo to look for a window before, screamed: “Ahhh!”

The shrill screams plunged into Qi Leren’s heart like a sharp sword, and his originally calm heartbeat suddenly became fierce, and Qi Leren rushed down without thinking.

Outside of the brightly lit hall, the corridor was still dark, and Qi Leren turned on his flashlight and walked forward step by step.

Illuminated by the flashlight, the corridor was filled with dark and dead human sculptures and potted plants, and the shadows moved with Qi Leren’s footsteps, which made him wonder what lay in the distorted shadows.

Through the long corridor, the space in front suddenly became.

There was a crescent moon hanging in the sky outside, and a large patch of moonlight was sprinkled into this room from the window crucified by iron bars, casting shadows and criss-crossed light. In the bright moonlight, floating dust could be faintly seen, looking like plankton floating in the deep sea.

Qi Leren had smelled blood, which had been with him since the day he entered the game. He was already too familiar with it.

The flashlight’s yellowish beam dispelled the deep and remote darkness, but it could not erase the bloody scene.

A suit of armour the size of an adult male was standing in the corner, blood dripping from the sword in its hand, with a small pool of blood on the ground. Twisted into an impressive posture beside the armor was the body of Luo Xueyi’s boyfriend, Miao Bo!

From behind him came Dr. Lu’s trembling voice: “Qi Leren, is everything all right up ahead?”

Qi Leren took a deep breath: “Nothing, come and have a look, can he still be saved?”

Dr. Lu crept up, saw the body and the strange armor, and gasped: “Oh my god, it can move!”

“I don’t feel danger.” Qi Leren touched the card slot on his waist. S/L, Rain-Day Laundry, and Primary Fighting Skills were all inserted in the card slot. In order to prepare for this mission, he went to Chen Baiqi to buy three miniature bombs, and specially bought a rune that could be embedded in weapons which allowed an attack effect on ghosts and other spirits, so as to avoid frequent bloodletting.

Dr. Lu was a little relieved, and carefully walked to Miao Bo’s side. He had fallen to the ground in a strange posture, like he had knelt on the ground after being stabbed and then flopped to the side, forming a very twisted position. Dr. Lu checked his pulse, looked at the wound again, and immediately retired: “It’s hopeless, a sword pierced his heart, even lying in the ICU couldn’t save him let alone this terrible place.”

Nan Lu asked in a panic: “How could he be stabbed by a sword? Will that armor still move?”

“Where’s Luo Xueyi? Will she be all right? ” Xiao Hong also asked.

Qi Leren glanced at the armor again. It stood firmly in the corner, like a special ornament. If it wasn’t for the blood on its sword… But the blood was only on the sword. If that armor hadn’t killed him, could it be Luo Xueyi had killed Miao Bo with this sword and ran away? There was no problem in terms of time, but what was her motive?

Knock knock knock.

There was a gentle knock on a door and the four people jumped in surprise, looking at the direction it had come from.

There was a hidden door deep in the room, which you wouldn’t notice if you didn’t look carefully.

Knock knock knock.

The knock on the door came again, and a soft and strange voice came from the other side: “Is there anyone outside? Can you open the door for me?”