Chapter 643: No Taboo! A Kitchen Full of Evil!

Li Zhenhua was startled, casting an apologetic glance, "Sorry, I'm not good at speaking, please forgive me."

"It's fine, I've gotten used to it long ago."

"And every player is in a Death Game, having seen so much death, their hearts have become still as water," Su Yang said lightly.

Li Zhenhua hesitated, then curiously asked, "May I be bold and ask, do you have an irreconcilable grudge with that man named Tang Youning…?"

"It started as his one‑sided hatred of me, but now…" Su Yang trailed off.

"Understood." Li Zhenhua nodded, making no further mention of it.

"Watch at your leisure, I'm leaving." Su Yang waved his hand.

When Su Yang departed, Li Zhenhua's eyes flashed with a strange hue.

…

The Ancient Castle kitchen is located in the Southern Direction, at a certain distance from the dining hall.

Along the way one can see many hand‑carts, making it clear that the Cook prepares the dishes and then the Maid pushes them to the dining hall.

The old Nobility placed great emphasis on dining etiquette; they liked a quiet atmosphere and disliked the smell of oil smoke.

Therefore, within the Nobility's domain, the kitchen is generally placed in the farthest corner of the layout.

The Maid's quarters are situated near the kitchen.

Su Yang walked through the long corridor, where windows made of colored glass hung on the walls; amid flashes of lightning, the kaleidoscopic colors reflected on his face.

Walking through this ancient building late at night, a few odd feelings arose in his heart.

He could not call it fear, but there was a slight palpitations.

Especially the closer he got to the kitchen, the stronger the feeling became.

Dong dong!

The sound of a heartbeat rang clearly in his ears; Su Yang stopped, inhaled twice deeply to curb the turmoil within.

No Taboo!

He muttered it a few times in his mind, and his figure gradually merged into the darkness.

Upon entering the kitchen, Su Yang smelled a strong scent of firewood.

The air was also tinged with a hint of pine resin, giving an inexplicable dizzy sensation.

The kitchen was very dark, his hand could not see his fingers; Su Yang found the window and pushed it open with force.

"What are you doing?"

The sudden voice made Su Yang pause.

Turning his head, he saw a woman squatting by the Fire Pit, a ponytail tied on her head, her large eyes fixed straight at Su Yang.

Her gaze carried a touch of displeasure and vigilance.

Su Yang glanced at her chest and saw the words 'Maid'.

"Open the window for ventilation, and also borrow some light from the moon," Su Yang explained.

The Maid with the ponytail said nothing, only slowly standing, she took a matchbox from the table, struck a match, and immediately lit the Oil Lamp.

As the flame rose, the Radiance illuminated the dim, desolate, empty space.

"Now it's bright enough, close the window," the Maid said.

"Are you afraid of thunder?" Su Yang asked while tightening the window.

She looked up at Su Yang, a hint of speechlessness in her eyes, "I am a sound, healthy person; don't lump me together with the women of your stereotypes."

"Then why stay here without lighting a lamp, yet you can see clearly?" Su Yang asked.

"Sometimes a dim environment lets you see things you normally overlook," she explained.

"What did you discover?" Su Yang crouched forward to look into the Fire Pit.

"Wood ash."

"What?"

"There's too little wood ash, and the space inside still bears damp traces, indicating that fire is rarely burned here."

"The theme is to hunt the murderer, which means someone died; isn't it abnormal to suspend kitchen use in a murder‑filled Ancient Castle?"

"That's a conclusion you Reasoned from your own situation, but the game is a game; Divinity won't arbitrarily set obstacles for you."

"So you mean… the Cook hasn't fulfilled his duties?"

"The word cooking is directly linked to Fire; you should know that in this era without appliances, it's impossible to cook food out of thin air."

Upon hearing that, Su Yang also sensed a clue.

As she said, the Cook oversees such a large kitchen, yet the Fire Pit is seldom used.

Even someone who loves sashimi can't eat raw meat every day.

Moreover, the Count is keen on hunting, and the game he brings cannot all be eaten raw.

At this moment, Su Yang noticed raw meat hanging from a Hook on the wall.

He lifted the Oil Lamp a few inches closer and found the meat chunk still very fresh, even with blood stains.

"The kitchen is used frequently; this meat isn't stored provisions," Su Yang said.

"Maid" glanced and said, "The kitchen has many contradictory points, and you are the Cook; if you overlook these details, it will be very detrimental to you."

Su Yang lowered his gaze to the Identity Badge hanging at his Waist and frowned.

"The pantry contains many loaves of bread and jars of jam, but most have become moldy," the Maid added.

Su Yang, hearing that, opened the pantry and saw that the situation was exactly as she described.

Blueberry and strawberry jam were especially abundant, but most were covered with mold.

The bread was the same, a gray‑white layer of mold covering the surface.

"The meat is fresh, yet this staple bread is moldy?" Su Yang's brow furrowed even more.

He looked around, fixing his gaze on the corner box.

He opened it and found it filled with many brand‑new kitchen tools, pots, bowls, ladles—everything complete.

After a brief shuffle and inspection, he discovered… almost no signs of use.

"Strange, strange—does the Cook have it that easy? Or does this family survive just by breathing air?" Su Yang thought silently.

If that's the case, then why hire a Cook at all?

Could it be that they saw the Count commit murder?

Hire a freeloader to eat for free?

Thinking this, Su Yang checked every corner and found the kitchen's layout surprisingly tidy.

Orderly, clean and neat.

"Li Zhenhua was right; the kitchen truly has a strong evil aura," Su Yang recalled the look in his eyes.

"What is this?" Maid held a handful of white powder and brought it close to sniff.

"Let me see." Su Yang fanned it lightly with his hand, and a sharp bitter‑almond scent pierced his nasal cavity.

In an instant, a wave of dizziness struck him.

"Cyanide?!" Su Yang's pupils suddenly contracted.

This is a deadly poison!

The kitchen actually contains Poison?

"Where did you find it?" Su Yang hurriedly asked.

"In the corner jar." Maid pointed with her finger.

Su Yang looked in that direction and saw several clay jars of various sizes placed beside the Fire Pit.

And the Maid simply opened one of them and saw a considerable amount of Poison.

Su Yang's gaze grew solemn as he opened another clay jar, discovering a pile of bluish‑green meat chunks inside.

The rot stench was unbearable, nearly bringing tears to his eyes.

Su Yang's stomach churned violently; he forced down the nausea, quickly slammed the lid back, and immediately opened another.

Same scene: all rotten meat.

The decay was slightly milder, but the smell was even more foul.

"Why is it all this?" Su Yang's gaze remained solemn.

When he opened the last clay jar, he was suddenly stunned.

"This is…"

Inside lay a pale arm, still, and in the firelight its fur was clearly visible.

Su Yang's pupils jolted dramatically, "A hand?!"