Welcome to the World of the Strong [Unlimited Flow] 36p2

Chapter 36 p2: The Ancient Castle

When Jiang Yu was first choosing an organization, she had seen many such examples on the forums. Some organizations with bad intentions would deliberately cheat newcomers of their points.

They were willing to provide protection to newcomers, but the prerequisite was that the newcomers had to provide their own points to “buy” this service.

This was still on the good side. There were also bad ones… even if players could not harm each other on the Transit Island, as long as they wanted to, they could always think of some dirty tricks.

If there were no surprises, then Shen Liang should be one of these examples.

It was no wonder that he was taciturn and always looked timid and cowardly.

On the one hand, it was because of his personality. On the other hand, he really did not have the ability to challenge Zhou Dayong.

Because he had been carried through the first three instances by others. Because he had no points to save his life, he did not dare to offend anyone.

In fact, in this instance, he might even have to rely on Zhou Dayong.

Soon, the others also figured this out.

After all, this kind of thing was not a secret on the forums. As long as you wanted to know, you could always find out.

Hearing this, Zhou Dayong smiled disdainfully, looking down on Shen Liang even more.

Shen Liang buried his head even lower, his face pale.

He did not want this matter to be exposed.

Once it was exposed that he had no ability to protect himself, then anyone in the instance could step on him. Even more so… they could directly use him as a stone to scout the way.

Shen Liang clenched his fists tightly, but he did not dare to say anything.

Xiao Man’s gaze fell on him. “If you don’t have any life-saving means, then in the fourth instance…”

You might die.

If it was a non-supernatural instance, you might still be able to fight for it. But if it was a supernatural instance, then it would purely depend on your own ability.

If your ability was good enough, you might still be able to live. But if your ability was not good enough, you might lose your life.

But it was obvious that Shen Liang was not the former.

Shen Liang bit his lip.

He knew all of this, but he had no choice.

Not long after, the maid had already made the congee and brought it out.

The bowl was steaming, and it was obviously freshly made.

The maid placed the bowl in front of Shi Jun. “Please enjoy.”

The congee was ordinary white congee, but in the white congee, there were some pink meat and some green chopped vegetables for decoration.

It was indeed a bowl of white congee.

Jiang Yu frowned slightly. “What kind of meat is it?”

A smile was on Shi Jun’s lips, but she did not answer.

She reached out and held the spoon, slowly scooping the white congee in the bowl.

The aroma mixed with the heat came over, and it was surprisingly tempting.

Jiang Yu reached out and covered her nose.

It was not that it smelled bad, but that it smelled too good. It could almost be called a delicacy.

But the better it smelled, the more vigilant Jiang Yu became.

She would not forget what this place was.

Seeing that Zhong Yu was still slowly stirring the spoon, Jiang Yu asked softly, “Are you going to eat it?”

Shi Jun raised an eyebrow slightly, then glanced at the maid, her gaze sizing her up from head to toe. “What kind of meat is this?”

The maid’s lips curved upwards, and her red lips did not seem to be so gorgeous anymore.

“It is definitely the meat you requested, and it is a delicacy you have never tasted before.”

Shi Jun let out a light scoff, then threw the spoon away. “What should I do? I’m not hungry anymore.”

The moment her words fell, the atmosphere seemed to have changed.

The smile on the maid’s face faded for a moment.

The change in her face was very fast. One moment, she was still maintaining a professional smile of dedication, and the next moment, she was expressionless, staring straight at people. The rapid change was shocking.

And it was precisely because of the contrast that it was even more chilling. It felt as if she was about to go berserk in the next moment.

Zhou Dayong could not help but click his tongue.

“You asked her to make the congee, and then you don’t want to drink it. Aren’t you afraid that she’ll get angry with you?”

But Shi Jun did not bother with him. She just pushed the congee forward, then rubbed her scalded fingers.

Then, Shi Jun pointed to the congee. “Why don’t you… drink it for me?”

The maid looked at Shi Jun with a blank expression, her face as stiff as a freshly made mask, without a trace of life.

Only after a moment did she return to normal, as if she had put on the mask that had just fallen off.

“No, this is for the guest. How can I drink it on my own?”

Shi Jun raised her chin slightly. “Now the guest is giving it to you.”

The maid did not reply.

Shi Jun slowly stood up, a smile on her face. She reached out and picked up the bowl of congee.

Although this bowl of white congee was almost full, it was held very steadily in Shi Jun’s hand, and the surface barely spilled.

Jiang Yu glanced at her, her gaze falling on the other party’s wrist.

Her wrist was very thin, and some of the fine bones were exposed, but it was not ugly. On the contrary, it was like a flower branch, with a fragile beauty.

The blue veins on her wrist were prominent, very obvious on her pale skin, and it brought a beautiful feeling.

Her hand was not even trembling.

This thought flashed through Jiang Yu’s mind inappropriately.

Shi Jun walked to the maid. “The guest is ordering you to drink it. Are you going to drink it or not?”

The others did not speak, almost holding their breath as they watched the conversation and confrontation between Shi Jun and the maid.

Jiang Yu was a little worried, but she did not interrupt.

She thought that Zhong Yu must have her own ideas for doing this.

The maid’s face seemed to be as stiff as if it were made of plasticine. She did not answer, but stared at Shi Jun.

Shi Jun did not dodge, and smiled back at her.

She repeated, “Now the guest is asking you to help drink it. Are you going to drink it or not?”

The maid was in a stalemate for a few seconds, then slowly extended her hand.

Her joints were like a rusty machine, stiffly extending forward, as if her elbows could not bend.

Shi Jun smiled and placed the congee in her hand, then glanced down.

The maid’s stiffly straightened arm sank slightly due to the weight of the congee.

At the same time, it also revealed the side of her waist that had been covered by her arms.

On the side of her waist that was hidden from everyone’s sight, there was a slight wet mark. But because she was wearing a black maid’s uniform, this mark was very slight. If you did not look carefully, it was impossible to notice.

In addition, she always kept her arms down, covering her waist, so it was even more hidden.

Although there was almost no smell in the air, and the only smell was covered by the aroma of the meat congee, Shi Jun could still smell it very clearly.

The faint, wispy smell of blood that lingered in the air.

She looked at the maid with a smile and slowly withdrew her hand.

Then, under the watchful eyes of the others, the maid, regardless of the steaming bowl, tilted her head back and drank the congee without spilling any.

For a moment, in the quiet atmosphere, only the sound of the maid drinking the congee could be heard.

She drank in large gulps, and very quickly, so that even though she was just drinking congee, it sounded like she was drinking water.

Her cheeks were puffed up, and with every large gulp, she swallowed heavily, like a hungry wolf.

It gave people a strange feeling, but it was also like a mukbang, making people have a strange appetite for this bowl of meat congee.

Gu Dong looked at the maid and could not help but swallow.

How strange. That bowl of congee clearly looks very strange. Why does he feel that it’s very delicious when he watches the maid drink it now?

He was not the only one who had the same thought. But no one showed it, and this thought was controllable.

After the maid finished drinking, Shi Jun rested her cheek on her hand and asked, “Was it delicious?”

The maid looked at her. “Delicious. Of course it was delicious.”

Shi Jun smiled.

Breakfast ended just like that. Besides the interlude, it seemed that nothing else had happened.

Zhou Dayong glanced at Shi Jun, then mocked her, “You’ve made so many tricks and deliberately targeted the NPC. Hehe, I’ll be waiting to collect your corpse tonight.”

Liu Ling also pretended to persuade her, “Yes, Zhong Yu. You’re too impulsive. Even if you have a bad temper, you can’t take it out on the NPC. We’re in an instance, not on the Transit Island, let alone in the real world. Even if you want to act like a young lady, you don’t have to do it here, right?”

She picked at her nails. “And what if you implicate us?”

Shi Jun stood up and glanced at her lazily.

“Don’t worry. You should believe that the speed at which the two of you court death will definitely be faster than the speed at which I implicate you.”

She smiled, her eyes curving, and her voice was unusually soft.

Liu Ling was a little anxious. “What did you say?”

Shi Jun spread her hands. “I’m just telling the truth.”

Zhou Dayong was also a little angry. He slammed the table and stood up. “What did you say, you bitch? Say it again if you have the guts.”

Gu Dong was scared and tried to smooth things over, “Don’t argue, don’t argue. We still have to clear the instance together. It’s only the first day. Let’s not make things unpleasant.”

Zhou Dayong’s face was dark. “She’s the one who started it, isn’t she? And who said I’m going to clear the instance with you?”

He pointed at Zhong Yu. “At least, I definitely won’t take this woman. Hmph, I’ll just wait and see her suffer the consequences. She likes to cause trouble so much? A C-70% instance. How long do you think you can cause trouble for?”

Shi Jun yawned. “Not long. Just a little longer than you.”

Jiang Yu pulled Shi Jun and led her slowly away from the dining room. “It’s daytime now. Everyone should find clues as soon as possible.”

Then, she pulled Shi Jun out.

Shi Jun did not struggle and let her pull her. A smile was even on her face as she observed Jiang Yu’s expression.

“What, you don’t want to hear him continue?”

Jiang Yu: “I’m afraid you won’t be able to take a punch from him.”

Shi Jun smiled with interest. “So you’re worried about me?”

Jiang Yu sighed helplessly. “Yes.”

But she could also understand the unhappiness in Zhong Yu’s heart. After all, when you met someone like Zhou Dayong, it was rare for someone not to react to his attitude. Liu Ling was a rare exception.

Therefore, when Zhong Yu was arguing with Zhou Dayong, Jiang Yu did not show any expression. Once Zhou Dayong’s temper flared up and he showed signs of anger and rage, Jiang Yu immediately pulled Zhong Yu out.

She was still worried about Zhong Yu’s small body.

Shi Jun’s eyes curved in a smile. “Don’t worry. He can’t beat me.”

Jiang Yu raised an eyebrow slightly and looked over.

The two of them were now walking toward the door. Shi Jun rubbed her chin. “Why don’t you arm wrestle with me?”

Jiang Yu was not sure how her various physical stats had changed after she had strengthened her body, but from the surface, she should be a little better than Zhong Yu.

Thinking of the other party’s wrist that she had glanced at before, Jiang Yu said, “I’m afraid I’ll break your wrist.”

Shi Jun: “Why don’t we try?”

Jiang Yu: “…Aren’t we looking for clues?”

Shi Jun: “Then we’ll try again at night.”

“Cough.”

After the two of them walked out, Jiang Yu asked, “Why did you…?”

Jiang Yu stopped halfway through her question, because she was thinking, should she continue to think on her own? Would it be bad to ask for the answer so quickly?

Jiang Yu had not figured out what Zhong Yu wanted to do just now. She could not understand the other party’s behavior.

Shi Jun and Jiang Yu walked toward the lawn and garden next to the ancient castle. Her gaze fell on a spot on the lawn.

There, it was exactly where she had thrown the meat yesterday. But now, the meat was gone, completely disappeared. And the patch of grass was very messy, as if it had been repeatedly trampled on.

The others naturally could not observe the other situations here, but Shi Jun could.

The lawn was covered with the same footprints as the first floor of the living room.

She had dripped her own blood on the meat yesterday, not only to make the effect of the potion appear and to let her see the footprints today, but also to attract ghosts.

That lump of meat was already strange, and now it was stained with the blood of a living person. It was like a wounded person swimming in the deep sea. The attraction to sharks was the same as the attraction to ghosts.

As expected, something had been lured out yesterday.

Some of them had eaten the meat and returned to the first floor of the living room, while one had returned to where it should have been.

Shi Jun held out her hand to Jiang Yu. “Come.”

Jiang Yu looked down at it and did not refuse.

Shi Jun led Jiang Yu slowly along the footprints, and then they came to a garden.

The footprints stopped here.

It was not quite right to say that they had stopped. To be more precise, the footprints were hidden in the flowers.

In front of them was a large patch of blooming roses, delicate and beautiful, as red as blood, competing with each other in beauty.

Jiang Yu asked, “Is there something wrong here?”

Shi Jun touched her lower lip, a smile hidden in her eyes. “Interesting.”

Jiang Yu looked at her.

Shi Jun asked, “Are you interested in digging up a grave?”

Jiang Yu: …?

Then, she asked, “Is there a corpse hidden in here?”

Jiang Yu’s mind spun. “Is it… related to the piece of meat you threw down yesterday?” She frowned slightly, trying to use her logic to think.

Yesterday, Zhong Yu had wanted to use that piece of meat to test where the ghosts were. And today, the meat was gone. It was obvious that it had been eaten.

Zhong Yu did not make a big deal out of it in the house. Instead, she led her out and stopped at the garden.

In other words, the ghost, or rather, the master of the castle, was actually outside the ancient castle?

His corpse was buried in the garden?

This could also explain why Zhong Yu had asked that question just now.

Shi Jun slowly nodded. She looked at the garden, but she was thinking about what method to use to dig up the grave.

Or should she just find a way to destroy it?

But the instance should not allow her to destroy it.

After all, besides the fact that the threat of ghosts to people was relatively small in the first few days, the fatal damage of people to ghosts would not be too great.

The instance would intentionally control the strength of both sides. A behavior like Shi Jun’s, finding the other party’s lair and trying to take it down in one go, was not allowed in the instance.

At this thought, Shi Jun felt that it was a bit troublesome.

This protection mechanism was actually to prevent veterans from carrying newcomers to clear the instance.

After all, although the instance level would intelligently increase with the arrival of veterans, as long as the veterans were skilled enough, like Shi Jun, then the instance would be very simple to clear, and that would lose the meaning of the World of Strength.

Therefore, it was right to say that it was an artificial weakening. In short, this kind of cheating behavior was not allowed.

She still had to monitor it first.

Shi Jun touched her lips, then casually picked a rose and put it in her pocket.

Then, she took out a blank talisman with no runes on it, then cut her index finger and drew a talisman on it.

Then, she walked toward the center of the flowers.

Although Jiang Yu could not understand what Zhong Yu wanted to do at the moment, she did not rush to ask. Instead, she quietly stood on the side, waiting for Zhong Yu to finish her business.

But she guessed that the reason the other party had taken out the talisman now was probably to achieve some purpose.

Analyzing it based on her words just now, this talisman was either for digging up a grave, or it was related to suppression?

Jiang Yu’s guess was actually about right. The talisman in Shi Jun’s hand was a positioning and tracking talisman that she had drawn herself.

Because the ghost had eaten the meat stained with her blood yesterday, it was twice as effective to track it.

Digging up a grave was not urgent, and the power of suppression would lose its effect under the mechanism of the instance. So, tracking was the most reliable.

And it was easy.

And just as Shi Jun was walking toward the center of the flowers, the ground suddenly caved in.

Jiang Yu’s pupils shrank slightly. Her body ran over before she could react and grabbed the other party’s hand.