Chapter 351: Player Missing

Upon hearing this, Xu Huo knew these two had likely seen He Pu.By stating that the person who ambushed him last night should be the butler Mr. Dong, he also had the intention of letting them help test He Pu.

Without saying anything more, he directly closed the door.

Only after the footsteps outside faded away did Xu Huo turn back to speak with the Chen brothers.

Chen Tu explained the usage method of the Substitute Mirror.

The operation was quite simple. One only needed to let the mirror reflect their own figure in advance, then flip the mirror vertically before reflecting the target person. Once the target's figure appeared in the mirror, the preparation work was considered complete.

The maximum number of people the mirror could protect was three, and the number of targets for damage transfer was also three. It was worth mentioning that for this mirror to take effect, both the protected person and the damage transfer target needed to be within the same space, and the distance could not exceed fifty meters.

However, there was a crucial limitation: during the mirror's use, it could not be stored in an item slot;otherwise, the prior setup would be void. The effective frequency was once per person. If a person suffered multiple injuries simultaneously, the mirror would only transfer the most severe one. Furthermore, there was a clear restriction on the tool causing the injury: cold metal weapons.

Additionally, the mirror was easily damaged. Breaking once was equivalent to losing one life, up to its limit.

The usage conditions and limitation scope could be considered harsh, but the effect was also very powerful. It could transfer fatal damage while simultaneously inflicting one-third of that damage on the opponent. Gaining an extra life while making the opponent wary could even achieve unexpected results.

"This item is something our brothers use to preserve our lives," Chen Tu said, scrutinizing Xu Huo's expression.

"And you think stabbing me with a sword earlier can just be settled like that?" Xu Huo retorted.

"Since the number of non-mission players in the ancient castle is unclear, you also need allies," Chen Tu attempted to negotiate. "Moreover, we also know some information you don't, we can exchange."

"Forget about negotiating terms, unless you can tell me the location of the vanished guest right now," Xu Huo said directly.

"The vanished guest is definitely somewhere in the ancient castle, we can definitely find them if we look," Chen Nan said.

"How can you guarantee you won't become a 'vanished guest' yourself during the search?" Xu Huo countered. "Any leads on the second task?"

"I'm letting you off the hook, but you still need to show some sincerity."

"We can't give you the Substitute Mirror. If you can help us clear the stage, you can pick any two items our brothers obtain this time," Chen Tu offered, his expression pained.

"No deal. The Substitute Mirror stays with me as collateral. If we clear the stage and I get a satisfactory item, I'll return the mirror to you. Otherwise, the mirror is mine," Xu Huo stated bluntly, preemptively cutting off Chen Nan's protest. "The defeated have no right to set conditions."

The Chen brothers suddenly felt an unprecedented pressure, their backs gradually dampening with sweat, yet the man sitting opposite them merely assumed a posture with his elbows resting on his knees, his hands crossed and propped against his chin.

In the end, Chen Tu still handed the Substitute Mirror to him.

"Who have you shown your invitation to?" Xu Huo asked Chen Nan as soon as he received the mirror.

"Mr. Dong. He demanded to see the invitation when we entered. No one else," Chen Nan answered.

Xu Huo tapped a finger on the sofa and said, "That's all for now. You should go do whatever you need to do."

"That's it?" Chen Nan was incredulous. Weren't they allies? Shouldn't they discuss a plan?

However, Xu Huo had no intention of saying more. He put away the mirror and asked them to leave.

As allies, Chen Tu still shared the information he knew: Li Chao went to the servants' quarters on the first floor last night, and Liu Zhengping and You Qiwen seemed to have already formed an alliance.

After the two brothers left, Xu Huo went to the study again and stayed there until noon.

He had the maid bring lunch to his room and did not go downstairs to eat. It wasn't until the afternoon that he learned about Yu Shuai's disappearance.

Yu Shuai had told the maid before noon to simply leave lunch in his room and not to collect the dishes, so his absence from the room didn't raise any alarm among the others.

The other players were busy inspecting various parts of the ancient castle, so not running into him didn't seem strange. If He Pu hadn't sent the maid to inform them they could visit the collection on the third floor, no one would have noticed he was missing.

"How could such a grown man just disappear?" Liu Zhengping didn't believe it.

"The maids have searched the entire ancient castle, even the annex behind the maze. They didn't find anyone," You Qiwen said, his expression grim.

They thought danger would at least come at night. Who knew being alone during broad daylight was just as risky? This meant they didn't even have time to catch their breath.

"Maybe he's hiding," Mrs. Ma said, admiring her manicure.

"Where around here looks like it could hide someone..." Liu Zhengping started to say but then stopped himself. They had pretty much checked everywhere else in the ancient castle;only the third floor of the castle's main building remained unvisited.

"Perhaps he left without saying goodbye, just like Miss Fang last night," the maid Hu Shan said, standing behind them.

"Yesterday it was a missing persons report, and before the police even arrived, it became 'leaving without saying goodbye.' Did she tell you before she left?" Chen Nan glared at her unhappily.

Hu Shan's face darkened. "It's not strange. Coming and going from the castle is free."

"Sir is not well enough to accompany you. I will show you around."

Being able to go to the third floor openly, the players naturally stopped dwelling on Yu Shuai's disappearance.

Passing by the first room with a strong smell of paint, Hu Shan directly led them to the middle collection room.

"These three rooms contain famous paintings, sculptures, and artworks made by masters, all extremely valuable. Although Sir is very generous, please do not touch anything carelessly. If you damage anything, you must compensate according to the market price."

Hu Shan's look, as if she were eyeing thieves, made the players uncomfortable. Liu Zhengping wanted to say something but was restrained by You Qiwen. The group followed her lead on the tour.

The famous painting room wasn't much to look at. Though called famous paintings, the ones displayed and hung looked more like beginner's scribbles, though they were well-preserved.

When they reached the second room for sculptures, You Qiwen and Fleischer found an excuse to leave.

Hu Shan stared coldly at their retreating backs but did not stop them.

With those two gone, the remaining players had to stall to prevent Hu Shan from leaving, and Hu Shan patiently waited them out.

After a few minutes, the two returned looking perfectly normal.

The Chen brothers seemed a bit anxious and also wanted to use a bathroom break as an excuse to slip out.

"Are there any of Mr. He's works here?" Xu Huo suddenly asked.

A hint of a smile appeared on Hu Shan's face as she pointed to the marble sculpture placed in the most prominent spot. "This is Sir's work."

Xu Huo glanced at the sculpture. "I thought Mr. He only had talent in music. I didn't expect his sculpture to be this good too. To reach this level, he must have practiced for many years."

Hu Shan, however, smiled and said, "This is Sir's work from five years ago. Sir has rarely done such time and effort-consuming sculptures since he fell ill. Now, Sir prefers music."