Ouyang Jie was fiddling with a heavy, textured playing card—a black spade A.
This was sothing he did when he was bored... Ti had already passed 3 PM, and it was now around 3:07, but Tu Shenyi had not yet arrived.
At that mont, the sound of a door opening ca from outside, and Ouyang Jie imdiately stood up. “Master... Uncle Jin.”
The visitor was Uncle Jin, not Tu Shenyi, and Ouyang Jie sat back down, sowhat helplessly. Uncle Jin walked in with a kind smile, “What’s wrong? Don’t you like seeing ?”
Ouyang Jie shook his head, “How could that be?”
He rembered the events after being adopted and felt a bit sentintal. “Although my master said he adopted , he spends most of his ti not around, either teaching or researching his vineyard. Instead, it’s you, Uncle Jin, who has taken care of all along.”
Looking at Uncle Jin, Ouyang Jie spoke sincerely, “I don’t know who my biological parents are, but I don’t feel unfortunate. Because later, I gained two fathers. One is my master. As the saying goes, ‘once a teacher, always a father’; my master gave a new life and made who I am today. The other is you, Uncle Jin. You’ve been like a father to , accompanying as I grew up.”
“Isn’t it a waste to use your skills to charm won on ?” Uncle Jin shook his head and walked over to the wine cabinet in the study, picked up a bottle of red wine, poured two glasses, and walked over. “If you’re not in a hurry, let’s chat for a bit. Your master won’t be here for a while.”
Ouyang Jie didn’t suspect anything, smiled, and took the glass of red wine from Uncle Jin. They clinked their glasses together and took a sip.
Ouyang Jie sighed, “My master’s wine is still the best.”
Suddenly, Uncle Jin said, “Ah Jie, you specially brought Miss Zhong here today. Does it an sothing else?”
Ouyang Jie chuckled, “What could it an? She’s my boss now. She wants to see my master and ordered to bring her along. I couldn’t just ignore her, could I?”
Uncle Jin shook his head slightly. “You won last year’s grand tournant. With your achievents, even if you weren’t serving the Zhong family, powerful casinos around the world would be eager to recruit you. No one can force you to do sothing you don’t want to do. You said you grew up under my watch, like I’m half a father to you... So why aren’t you telling the truth?”
Ouyang Jie let out a breath, set down his glass, and after thinking for a mont, slowly replied, “Zhong Luoyue, she’s a very special woman. The mont I first saw her, I confird a few things. Uncle Jin, do you know that feeling of wanting to possess soone but not wanting to hurt them, while also respecting them?”
Uncle Jin replied indifferently, “Zhong Luoyue is a woman from a prestigious family. The Zhong family values your talents in bringing you in, but that doesn’t an they’re willing to accept you as one of their own.”
Ouyang Jie fell silent for a mont before stating seriously, “Even if I could reach the level of my master, would I still not have a chance?”
Uncle Jin shook his head, “No one can reach the level of your master. Neither you nor I can.”
Ouyang Jie couldn’t help but feel despondent, letting out a bitter laugh. “An hour ago, Zhong Luoyue asked my master who would win if we bet against each other. To be honest, at that mont, I had no confidence at all, but my master remained calm... Honestly, you’re right. I really can’t compare to my master’s realm right now.”
Uncle Jin did not respond, and Ouyang Jie took another sip of wine, drowning his thoughts.
“Don’t think too much about what’s to co,” Uncle Jin comforted him. “Though she’s a woman from a prestigious family, you’re not without ways to reach her…”
“Thank you, Uncle Jin, you’re the only one who treats well…”
Ouyang Jie yawned, feeling a bit weary. He slowly leaned over on the table, half-closing his eyes, murmuring, “Master... why hasn’t he co yet? He looks at ... so cold, so cold... cold…”
Ouyang Jie finally closed his eyes completely.
At this mont, Uncle Jin reached out and patted Ouyang Jie’s shoulder, softly saying, “Get a good sleep... I’ll help you fulfill your wish. Even if she’s from a prestigious family, she can’t resist extraordinary power. One day, I will beco extraordinary too, and then…”
---
In front of a quiet stone chamber, Tu Shenyi held a brand-new white candle in his hand.
Behind him were Takizawa, Elizabeth, and others. After the stone chamber opened, Tu Shenyi did not enter imdiately but let the others step inside first.
The door remained open because so people had not yet arrived.
The decorations inside the stone chamber were not simple; on the contrary, they were extrely luxurious, resembling a dieval bedroom, but it was exceptionally dim, illuminated only by the candle in Tu Shenyi’s hand.
In front of a massive round table stood seven large chairs. Tu Shenyi placed the candle down and took a seat at one of the chairs while everyone else sat down in the others.
Tu Shenyi looked around, then pressed his hand on a part of the table in front of him. With a gentle push, a section of the tabletop sank. It seed to be a chanism... At this mont, the center of the table began to open, revealing a slender crystal bottle slowly erging.
Seeing the appearance of the crystal bottle, Lady Eve suddenly closed her folding fan, sat up a bit straighter, and softly said, “River of Forgetfulness.”
Tu Shenyi made a gesture for her to continue.
Elizabeth nodded, and the man beside her, Aamon, took the wooden box from her hands, opened it, and revealed a half-full bottle of red wine.
It was a very ordinary glass bottle, but Aamon carefully placed it in front of Elizabeth. “Flower on the Other Shore.”
Lady Eve then opened her exquisite wooden box and took out her crystal bottle, which was different in style from Tu Shenyi’s. She softly said, “Ninety-Seven.”
Next was Takizawa, who opened his leather bag and took out a cylindrical transparent container. He waved it in front of everyone, chuckling before placing it in front of himself. “Naihe.”
The Worry-Free series was originally brewed by Tu Shenyi, totaling seven bottles. Including the ‘River of Forgetfulness is’ in the center of the table, six were already known. As for the last one, only the people present here, excluding Tu Shenyi, had never seen it.
“Well, we’re still missing ‘Yellow Springs’ and ‘Three Lives’,” Lady Eve smiled slightly.
“It seems I’m not late,” said the latecor with a light-hearted tone… it was Cythacyl.
However, he arrived empty-handed, which quickly drew several curious glances.
Cythacyl pulled out a chair and sat down. “No need to be nervous; I won’t break the rules… this is it.”
He began drawing sothing on the table with his fingers. As he moved his fingers, dark red lines started to appear on the surface, ultimately forming a complete pattern.
Before long, from this pattern, a round, ball-like creature jumped out. It resembled a ssenger, a fluffy yellow creature. Unlike the ssenger, this creature had not only large eyes but also a very big mouth.
The yellow ball suddenly opened its mouth, revealing dense, sharp teeth… it was spitting sothing out.
“Yellow Spring,” Cythacyl said as he caught what the round creature had spat out—a tall goblet, seemingly made of gold, though the rim was sealed.
But the yellow ball spat out sothing else once more. This ti, it was a box. Cythacyl opened the box, which contained a diamond-shaped, ruby-like crystal, and he added, “And the last 'Three Lives'.”
“Three Lives…” Takizawa and Lady Eve frowned simultaneously. “How did it end up in your hands?”
Cythacyl shrugged. “That woman sent it to and asked to bring it. As for why she didn’t co herself, I don’t know.”
Takizawa exchanged glances with the others before looking at Tu Shenyi. Lady Eve smiled and said, “No wonder you said it didn’t matter whether she ca or not; it seems you knew Three Lives were in Cythacyl’s possession all along?”
Tu Shenyi replied nonchalantly, “I had a communication with Cythacyl earlier.”
Cythacyl nodded, confirming that Tu Shenyi was not lying.
Takizawa wore a playful smile. “It’s one thing not to co to previous hunting days, but not showing up today too… Tu Shenyi, it seems she really doesn’t care for you. Even if she did give you the initial embrace…”
Tu Shenyi ignored Takizawa’s remarks and said calmly, “Since it’s already here, I’ll go prepare.”
He waved his hand, and the various containers in front of everyone began to move to the center of the table, slowly descending and finally disappearing.
“Begin your program,” Tu Shenyi said, and his figure lted into the darkness, leaving no trace behind.
Cythacyl was the first to stand up. “I already have my eye on soone, so take it easy on .”
Takizawa and Lady Eve also stood up one after the other, while only Elizabeth remained seated.
Elizabeth timidly said, “I… I’ll just wait here.”
Takizawa whistled lightly and chuckled, “My dear Elizabeth, I hope you can get through this… Why not enjoy this wonderful food like us? Once you try it, you’ll feel foolish for sticking to your decision all along.”
Elizabeth lowered her head, nervously fiddling with the hem of her dress. At this mont, Aamon gently pressed his hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder and glanced at Takizawa, saying coolly, “Get lost.”
Takizawa shrugged but was quicker to leave than Cythacyl. Lady Eve followed behind, and only then did Cythacyl glance at Elizabeth and Aamon, smile, and then pull out a small bottle from his pocket, tossing it to Aamon.
“What is this?” Aamon furrowed his brow.
Cythacyl replied casually, “The Magician’s Association’s new product this year, a stamina-replenishing potion. But you’ll feel very fatigued after taking it. Mr. Aamon, it’s up to you to decide.”
Aamonst remained silent for a while before nodding, “Thank you.”
Cythacyl waved his hand dismissively. “No need for thanks. I’m a dark rchant; having one more friend ans one more favor for , which isn’t a bad thing.”
Elizabeth looked at Cythacyl gratefully and quietly said, “May the glory of the True Ancestor be with you, Mr. Cythacyl.”
When everyone had left, leaving only Elizabeth and Aamon, Elizabeth suddenly took a deep breath, pressing her hands against her chest, appearing sowhat tense.
Aamon gently patted her shoulder. “Is it starting?”
Elizabeth shook her head. “Not yet… I’m just a bit nervous. Grandfather, if…”
She looked up seriously. “If anything goes wrong, I… I hope you won’t go easy on .”
“I will absolutely not let anything happen to you,” Aamon said, tightening his grip on the black umbrella. “I promised your mother, Lora, that I wouldn’t let you get lost… Elizabeth.”
……
Because he was the last to enter the passage to the cellar, by the ti Luo Qiu walked down the long staircase, he could no longer see the guests.
He could only faintly hear voices speaking ahead.
The so-called cellar seed far more complex than he had imagined.
Only after coming down could one realize its vastness.
Candlesticks hung on both sides of the walls, seemingly ant to guide guests forward… However, Luo Qiu, being sowhat curious, glanced at the dark, unlit passages.
“There’s nothing over there.”
At that mont, Cythacyl’s voice ca from ahead. He had appeared unannounced, leaning against the wall, as if he had been waiting there for a while.
“This place seems more complicated than just a cellar,” Luo Qiu casually remarked.
Cythacyl walked over slowly. “This cellar was built by Baron Fernandez. It’s much larger than the castle above ground. It was originally constructed for hiding and to shelter soldiers, intended as a last resort against enemies. Interestingly, although it was designed like a maze, it was never used even once before Baron Fernandez was hanged.”
Luo Qiu nodded, noticing a dim stain in the corner, which appeared dark brown under the candlelight… likely a bloodstain. “And now, it has beco your hunting ground?”
“It seems you ca down alone?” Cythacyl suddenly asked.
Luo Qiu nodded. “Is that a problem?”
“Not at all,” Cythacyl replied with a smile. “As long as you feel there’s no issue, I believe you must have made the necessary arrangents.”
Luo Qiu returned the remaining three rings to Cythacyl.
Cythacyl took them and then examined the butterfly perched quietly on Luo Qiu’s shoulder, its wings spread. “Light Goddess, a nice specin. Where did it co from?”
Luo Qiu tilted his head to take a look. “It probably flew in from outside. This little guy is quite interesting; it just landed on and hasn’t flown away.”
Cythacyl stroked his chin. “I’ve heard that butterflies, like spirits, carry the mories of the deceased. I wonder if this one does or not.”
As Cythacyl reached out to touch the Light Goddess butterfly, it flew away from Luo Qiu’s shoulder and into the dark passage.
Cythacyl looked regretful. “It seems it doesn’t like at all… Sorry for scaring away your pet.”
Luo Qiu smiled. “If it’s ant to be, we’ll et again.”
Cythacyl then revealed a bright smile. “Co, I’ll take you to a place.”
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