Nan Yue stood before the stained glass, her height making her look tiny against the massive floor-to-ceiling window.
A blood-red glow filtered through the glass, staining her skin like a crimson veil.
Indeed, it was pitch black outside, with neither moon nor stars.
However, a layer of red light, reminiscent of moonlight, was spreading from the castle toward the western-style building, looking like a red silk ribbon from a distance.
Or perhaps, a river of red.
What was that?
Nan Yue took two steps forward. Through the stained glass window, she could see that the red light was faint in the garden, only barely visible.
But it was definitely spreading from the castle.
Unease surged in Nan Yue's heart. She wondered how Gu Xiang Kai was doing.
...
Two hours ago.
Gu Xiang Kai and his team officially began their patrol at midnight. There were no other scavengers in his group; the other two scavengers assigned to the security group were responsible for the clock tower and the watchtower respectively.
None of them had an easy task.
The captain of Gu Xiang Kai's group was a brawny, taciturn man. The security group was only equipped with an electric baton and a collapsible baton, with no other tools for self-defense.
When Gu Xiang Kai asked if there were any guns, the captain shot him a look. "Servants in Eden Garden are prohibited from carrying high-power lethal weapons."
Gu Xiang Kai understood the message behind those words: the rule against carrying lethal weapons only applied to the servants.
In other words, the two members of the Wen family likely had weapons on them.
As for the things to watch out for during the night patrol, they were also quite strange: do not make too much noise.
The reason was that they must not disturb the young master and young lady's sleep.
Gu Xiang Kai didn't understand. What if they encountered something that required making noise?
The captain's meaning was clear: even if they had to sacrifice their lives, they could not make a sound that would disturb the masters' sleep.
Even worse, even if they were dying, they had to keep their mouths shut.
The few new security guards looked at each other, all appearing somewhat at a loss.
But Gu Xiang Kai knew that this was likely a hidden rule.
Encountering something might be troublesome, but making a sound would likely attract something even more terrifying.
Gu Xiang Kai carried a flashlight, with the collapsible baton tucked into his waist and a stun gun in his hand.
To be honest, he didn't think much of these weapons; if he really had to fight for his life, he wouldn't be using these.
He was a violence-based style scavenger after all. Even though he had awakened a defense-type ability, it was a defensive ability with offensive capabilities.
He had plenty of options, but since he was currently in the role of security, the equipment provided should be enough to handle the current situation.
Since it was only the first day, he shouldn't need to use his ability.
Nan Yue always said that Gu Xiang Kai had a sharp mind behind his rugged exterior and was a natural scavenger, which was actually true.
Gu Xiang Kai walked at the very back of the team as they stepped onto the drawbridge on the west side.
The drawbridge was made of forty oak planks joined together. Weathered by time, the surfaces of the wood showed some signs of wear, but servants oiled the planks every day. Under the flashlight's beam, they still appeared a glossy, dark brown.
The wrought-iron railings on both sides were adorned with statues. At the west entrance hung a pure silver disc engraved with a veiled woman.
The five men stepped onto the drawbridge slowly and lightly, the faint creaking sound particularly prominent in the deep of the night.
Gu Xiang Kai scanned the surroundings. The statues on the right railing were eagles with rubies for eyes, looking like predators watching their prey in the night sky.
The statues on the left were clusters of blooming roses painted with red oil, looking as red as fresh blood.
In the distance, he could see a pure gold disc hanging above the entrance to the East Castle, featuring an unsheathed sword set with rubies.
Gu Xiang Kai mused to himself. If that was the case, the West Castle was likely where Miss Wen lived, and the East Castle was for Master Wen.
His group was required to stay stationed on the drawbridge, as it was the vital link between the two castles.
As Gu Xiang Kai walked, he suddenly heard a sound.
Glug, glug.
Burble, burble.
Gu Xiang Kai observed the others and saw that no one else reacted. His hearing was exceptional, making it easier for him to hear things ordinary people couldn't.
He quieted his breathing and put some distance between himself and the four men in front of him, listening intently to the very faint noise.
Burble.
Gu Xiang Kai frowned, unable to quite identify the sound.
It sounded a bit like... the sound of some liquid flowing.
But not entirely. It didn't sound like a river or a stream, but more like liquid flowing inside a container.
Gu Xiang Kai leaned slightly over the drawbridge, shining his light downward.
The drawbridge was at the level of the third floor. The flashlight illuminated the blood-red roses in the garden.
There was nothing.
Was it the water the gardeners left running to water the flowers?
Gu Xiang Kai caught up with the team. They walked back and forth across the drawbridge once without finding any problems.
The captain made a gesture, assigning them in pairs to guard the entrances where the drawbridge met the two castles, while another person patrolled the bridge itself.
Gu Xiang Kai was paired with the captain, guarding the west entrance.
Gu Xiang Kai's ears twitched. The burbling sound of water seemed a bit louder here.
"Captain, did you hear anything?"
Gu Xiang Kai lowered his voice. The captain glanced at him.
"A sound?"
Gu Xiang Kai put on a hesitant expression. "Like the sound of water."
The captain turned his head back, his expression cold. "No."
"Don't listen to things you shouldn't."
Don't listen to things he shouldn't?
Erring on the side of caution, Gu Xiang Kai stopped trying to trace the source of the noise.
He stood at the junction of the castle and the drawbridge. The drawbridge outside looked slightly reddish in the night. Gu Xiang Kai rubbed his eyes, unsure if his eyes were playing tricks on him.
However, the inside of the castle was extremely dim. Only wall-mounted candle sconces provided light at intervals; outside the range of the candlelight was total darkness.
At night, the candle chandeliers were extinguished. Maidservants only lit them after dusk to illuminate the castle.
"Captain, do the candles in the castle have to be put out every night?"
The captain scratched his ear. "Yeah. Otherwise, there's a fire hazard. Besides, lighting isn't needed."
"The young master and young lady don't come out at night."
If you're so worried about fire, why don't you use electric lights, Gu Xiang Kai grumbled internally.
He had realized that the three hundred-plus people in Eden Garden existed solely to serve the two members of the Wen family. Whether the servants could see or if it was convenient for them didn't matter; if the young master and young lady didn't need it, it wouldn't exist.
"Ah!"
A short scream echoed from the direction of the tower. Gu Xiang Kai's expression changed, and he prepared to rush over.
"Where are you going?"
The captain watched him coldly with arms crossed. Gu Xiang Kai was momentarily unsure of his intent.
He put on a fearful and flustered act. "Some... someone screamed. Could it be an intruder?"
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