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墨書 Inktalez
I hurried to catch up, noticing that behind Mona, she was carrying something that looked like a Flying Claw. Could this woman be a flying thief?
I speculated in my mind as I followed her down a path.
Once we reached the path, the woman's speed slowed. She pulled out the Flying Claw from behind her and tossed it into the air, where it caught onto a high branch of a French Sycamore tree.
She tugged on the Flying Claw, stepping on the trunk a few times before climbing up to the branch. Then, she lowered the Flying Claw again.
I grabbed the rope, wanting to mimic her and climb up as well, but she effortlessly pulled me up!
I felt crushed inside. Did she really see me as a frail Taoist? I had trained too, you know! I could climb trees!
The woman pulled me up and had me sit beside her, reminding me, "Don't fall down."
I rolled my eyes.
Mona looked at me and asked, "Why did you go to Old Peter's house?"
I waved my hand dismissively. "You go first. Why were you at Old Peter's house? And what’s this competition about a million?"
Mona nodded. "Alright, I'll go first. Recently, there was a tragedy at Avery Manor. The newly engaged Viscount Fendi and Lady Alice both died tragically. When the police investigated, they found many suspicious points. Initially, it seemed like just a murder case, but as the investigation deepened, the officers who took on the case began to die mysteriously. To make matters worse, there were consecutive fatalities at the manor. There were originally over ten Servants, but eventually only four remained, and those four dared not enter the manor again."
I listened carefully and intently to Mona's account. I had to remind her twice to slow down and use simpler words.
As I absorbed what Mona was saying, I realized that the curse of the Sky's Scar Diamond Ring was no trivial matter! The case behind it was far more significant than I had imagined!
Mona continued, "You know, the British police are at a loss with this case. They can't leave it unresolved, so they sealed off the estate. Then the British Royal Police issued a bounty: anyone who participates in and solves this case can receive a reward of one million pounds..."
After listening to Mona, I finally understood how the bounty came about. One million! That's nearly nine million yuan!
I rubbed my hands together and said, "So that's how it is. How do I sign up?"
Mona glanced at me. "Registration has already closed. Ten teams have entered the estate, and no one else is allowed in."
"Why not?" I asked.
Mona replied, "Well, obviously the police are afraid of more deaths. In fact, out of the ten teams, eight people have already died in Avery Manor. I think it's too dangerous inside, so I'm planning to break through from the outside. I intend to start by talking to those who used to work in the manor to see if they have any information that might lead to clues."
"Smart!" I nodded; it was indeed a good approach.
Mona shook her head. "They're all dead. Only four servants managed to escape, along with one old butler, but now they're all gone. Even the old butler has turned into a monster. If I hadn't run into you, I probably would have died in that house too."
I thought for a moment. "Looks like we still need to get into Avery Manor."
Mona looked at me, her eyes narrowing into a smile as she said, "You won't have a chance to go in. The ten of us signed a death agreement before entering; we take full responsibility for our lives, with Interpol as witnesses. After entering, two teams—eight people—lost their lives overnight. The police are now planning to cancel this competition since too many people have died; it's not good for their image. So you won't have another chance to participate; they won't allow any unrelated personnel inside."
"What? Does that mean I won't have a chance to make money?" I felt a bit regretful.
Mona pointed at her own nose and said, "Join me instead. I really need this money for specific reasons I can't share with you. But I'm not an ungrateful person; if we can get that bonus, I'll use it and pay you back slowly afterward. You have to trust me, Chinese Taoist."
I smiled and replied, "Sure, I believe you. It's just that I..."
I still wanted to speak, but Mona reached out and covered my mouth with her hand.
Her hand was indeed quite smooth, but it definitely didn't smell nice, as she had touched garbage while we were escaping earlier.
I quickly tried to break free, my elbow digging into her chest. It was soft, and I hesitated to struggle further.
"Don't talk, the police are coming," Mona whispered urgently. "Damn it, they even brought a dog."
It was only then that I realized what was happening. I looked down and saw a team of police officers searching their way toward us. However, their combat effectiveness seemed lower than that of the Chinese Armed Police; they searched casually, even the two police dogs appeared indifferent.
The police walked past us.
Both Mona and I let out a sigh of relief.
Mona released her hand and said, "Alright, Taoist, take your elbow away. Have you never experienced this kind of feeling?"
"Huh?" I quickly raised my hand; it turned out Mona was aware of everything.
Mona laughed. "I heard that Taoists in China don't get married. Taoist, have you never been with a woman?"
I shot her a glare. "Shut up. This is serious. I came here following a ring, which used to be Void's Trace. Clearly, this ring is cursed, and the source of the curse is at Avery Manor."
"Huh?" Mona was taken aback. "Explain in detail."
So I told her everything about the ring.
Once she heard it, Mona finally understood why I had sneaked into Old Peter's house. She said, "It seems this manor is indeed very dangerous. Are you still going in?"
I said, "Of course I have to go in. If I don't resolve the curse of this ring, my two patients won't be able to recover, and that can't happen."
Mona laughed, "So it seems we're on the same side, Chinese Taoist. Let's make a deal: we'll cooperate, and after we get the bonus, we'll split it fifty-fifty. However, I'll hold onto your share of the bonus for now. I really need it; without that bonus, things will get complicated for me. I hope you can understand. But I promise I'll pay you back later. As you can see, I'm quite capable. If I take on a few assassination missions, I should be able to earn back fifty thousand pounds to repay you."
I waved my hand dismissively. "Fine, you can keep the bonus. I'm just here to lift the curse anyway. Besides, you helped me out at the start; if you hadn't scared off those thugs, I'd probably be locked up in a police station by now."
Honestly, I wasn't too concerned about money at the moment. My priority was going out with Su Mingyue soon; whether I would survive was still uncertain. If I did manage to survive, earning money in the future wouldn't be too difficult for me.
Mona stared at me and tilted her head slightly. Occasionally revealing a feminine side, it became clear that deep down she was quite charming; she just appeared a bit tough on the surface.
Mona nodded. "Alright, Chinese Taoist, you're generous. I will definitely repay you later. For now, let's wait until nightfall before heading into Avery Manor."
"Why at night?" I asked in surprise. "The eerie energy is too strong at night. What if something dangerous really shows up? I'm fine with it, but what if you end up dead?"
"Don't worry; I trust you, Taoist," Mona replied.
I sighed. "First of all, I'm not a Taoist. Secondly, could you please use a different title?"
"I think 'Taoist' sounds nice," Mona said as she leaned against the tree trunk. "We can only rest here for now; I've already visited four servants' homes and an old butler's place. The police probably think I'm the murderer by now. I don't have time to explain anything to them; it's better to keep a low profile."
I didn't argue.
We rested under the tree for about two hours, exchanging occasional words that were mostly trivial chatter. We didn't inquire about each other's backgrounds, but I sensed that Mona's past was somewhat mysterious.
It grew dark.
"Let's go," Mona said.
We descended the large tree using a rope, and then Mona led me into a roadside pizza shop. After dinner, we ran together toward Avery Manor.
Avery Manor was located in a corner of Tata Town, surrounded by darkness without any streetlights.
The manor was cordoned off with caution tape, and security guards were stationed every hundred meters. It was clearly a complete lockdown, preventing anyone from entering. The number of deaths related to the incident at Avery Manor must have been too high for the police to allow access.
Taking advantage of the darkness, Mona and I sneaked inside.
"I can't do it!" I said. "There are too many guards; we can't get in."
Mona thought for a moment and whispered a few words in my ear.
I nodded in agreement.
Mona stood up and ran toward the manor.
"Hey!" one of the guards spotted her. In fact, there were so many guards that sneaking in was nearly impossible. "Stop!"
Mona ignored him and continued running deeper inside.
Several guards rushed over and surrounded her.
Seizing the opportunity, I dashed past the caution tape and hid behind a Stone Pillar. Then I jumped into the garden and made my way toward the manor.
Before long, Mona returned. As a participant, she had credentials, which meant she was qualified to enter the manor.
Our plan was simple: Mona would run over to distract the guards while I slipped inside.
As we stood at the entrance, Mona said, "Let's go." She took out a card and opened the gate to Avery Manor. Once we stepped inside, the gate locked behind us again.
I looked around at the tall iron fences. "What's going on? Did this estate always have these fences?"
Mona shook her head. "Not really. It's mainly to keep the Loss inside. In fact, there really are Losses here. A while back, one of them was blown up by us contestants with a grenade, but three contestants died in the process. Overall, it feels like nothing is happening when you first enter this manor, but at night, it becomes very dangerous. However, I think it's only at night that we can find better clues."
I sighed. "You're quite bold. You should know that no matter how skilled you are, even if you can outrun those Losses, you can't see ghosts or spirits. They could take your life at any moment."
Mona scoffed. "I used to not believe in any of that. Besides, I even got a cross soaked in Holy Water from a priest at the church, but it turned out to be useless."
As we continued walking into the manor, we remained alert.
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