Chapter 229: Advisor

The moment she clearly saw the situation on the second floor, Cheng Shuili realized she had been tricked.

That sound might indeed have come from the second floor, but that thing was definitely not on the second floor. This floor was carpeted with a especially thick kind; even now covered in dust, it still functioned to deaden footsteps.

As if deliberately mocking them, the sound rang out again on the third floor.

"Tap, tap, tap—"

One after another, they hammered at both of their hearts.

Su Rui stood behind Cheng Shuili, furrowing her brow to hide her fear.

Cheng Shuili should have felt scared, but her temper was bad; compared to the emotion of fear, what surged up first was anger.

She was also a cautious person, and now that she was angry, her mind worked well.

Since it liked to toss them around like this, they might as well just wait by the stump for the rabbit.

No, more precisely, it was Cheng Shuili herself who would wait by the stump. Su Rui, that big light bulb with a strong presence, could go back first!

And Cheng Shuili, she had the Concealer's Ring in hand, and could properly meet this ghostly thing!

Unrelated personnel quickly left the scene.

After Cheng Shuili sent the vehicle and Su Rui back, she activated the Concealer's Ring's 【Deep Dive】 state for the first time.

Half an hour was enough for her to make a full circuit of this building!

At the moment of activation, Cheng Shuili's fingertip turned cold, the dark pattern on the ring seeming to come alive, lightly biting into the skin of her finger.

The surrounding sounds suddenly became distant, as if someone had draped a thick blanket over the world.

The still‑circulating footsteps and the rustle of wind‑blurred leaves all blurred together, like standing underwater hearing the movements on shore.

Cheng Shuili lowered her head to look, and saw her hand becoming transparent, like diluted ink, faintly visible.

Her heart gave a sudden jump, and she suddenly realized she could no longer hear her own heartbeat; her breath was still there, but so faint it seemed to have vanished.

This is the effect of 【Deep Dive】.

Cheng Shuili moved slightly, confirming the effect had no impact on her body, and then, as if returning home, she swaggered into the main building.

The first floor was quite normal, just as before.

Cheng Shuili glanced around and then went up the stairs.

The second floor had too many guest rooms; though the doors were open and everything was dilapidated, judging by the cleanliness of the wine cellar on the first floor, that thing would certainly not hide in such a dirty place.

Cheng Shuili continued upward.

This building has only four floors in total; the third floor is also residential, but with fewer rooms than the second floor, clearly the owner's domain.

This place was similarly run‑down...

Going further up......

Cheng Shuili hesitated only a moment, then continued upward.

Between the third and fourth floors an opening was made; looking down from here, it was exactly where she and Su Rui had entered.

In other words, that ghostly shadow they had first seen was standing right here.

Cheng Shuili looked back at the stairs leading to the fourth floor; the lighting here was scarce, and the pitch‑black opening looked especially sinister.

But... Cheng Shuili's current appearance was also frightening.

She curled her lips, then stepped onto the stairs.

She hadn't taken two steps when she suddenly locked eyes with a pair of eyes.

A figure stood at the top of the stairs, wearing a white dress; her skin was eerily white, almost blending with the dress.

Those eyes, which were not quite distinct, seemed to stare at her without blinking.

Cheng Shuili tilted her head, and the figure tilted its head as well.

The scene had an eerie sense of harmony, as if they were old friends exchanging a secret sign only they knew.

But the next moment, Cheng Shuili suddenly gripped a long sword that had appeared from nowhere, stepped over two or three steps, and surged upward at great speed!

This pretentious ghostly nonsense... damn it!

The long sword sliced through the darkness with a piercing hiss, aiming straight for the white‑dressed woman's throat.

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Cheng Shuili's eyes; she had had enough of this ghost's teasing.

However, the blade did not pierce her body, for at the last instant, this supposed ghost suddenly dropped to its knees upright.

At the last moment Cheng Shuili sheathed her sword, barely keeping her stance before it, she furrowed her brow, about to say something, when she saw the ghostly thing bang its head against the floor several times, giving her a solid series of kowtows!

Cheng Shuili instinctively stepped back, but nearly fell because she wasn't steady; she grabbed the nearby railing, her gaze at the white‑dressed woman both shocked and bewildered.

What on earth is going on?

This thing!

What exactly is it?

Is it begging for mercy? What does it mean to kowtow without saying anything?

If this thing is older than Cheng Shuili, she'll have her lifespan shortened!

After steadying herself, she gritted her teeth, but for a moment she couldn't say anything at all.

Or perhaps that thing had grown tired of kowtowing...

Or maybe it was too quiet; the other might have thought Cheng Shuili had left, couldn't resist secretly lifting its head and taking a cautious glance.

Upon meeting Cheng Shuili's gaze, she visibly jumped, then knocked her head against the floor several more times.

This...

Speak up!

"What are you?"

Cheng Shuili admits this remark is impolite, but is constant kowtowing polite?

The other seemed not to understand what Cheng Shuili was saying, blinked her eyes, hesitated a moment, then replied: "I offer my most humble greetings, my esteemed lady; I am the consultant of this manor, here to provide you with the most sincere assistance."

Cheng Shuili finally realized what was off—this advisor spoke with a textbook translation accent, having never actually conversed with a Long Guo person.

But... advisor?

Cheng Shuili let out a cold laugh.

"Sincere help? You're the one playing ghost games—ghostly shadows, footsteps, the slashed paintings in the first-floor hall—you dare say you didn't do those?"

Her words carried oppressive pressure, and the long sword reappeared in her hand.

Now the blade presses against the "advisor's" neck—if their answer shows any flaw, this long sword will fall without mercy.

Meanwhile, the advisor still kneeling on the ground stared at Cheng Shuili with bewildered eyes, and after a moment asked, "Oh my noble miss... please speak slower, I don't understand what you mean."

Cheng Shuili: "......"

After a quarter hour, the two sat at a relatively intact table.

The chair was brought by the advisor from somewhere unknown, while the table was wiped clean by her in front of Cheng Shuili.

She even produced, like a conjurer, a steaming teapot and two porcelain cups from nowhere.

The advisor's hospitality certainly beats her clumsy Long Guo speech.

Still, being able to speak is better than not; Cheng Shuili lifted a cup of tea, blew on the rising white steam, but didn't sip, focusing intently as the advisor explained the situation.

In short, after the manor fell into decline, it was handed over to her to manage by something that called itself a "System".