113 The Richest Man in North City

Upon entering Lin Xiayue's home, I was immediately struck by the sheer scale of the household staff. Two rows of maids in professional uniforms, accompanied by a dashing male butler, stood on either side of the main entrance to greet us. Seeing Lin Xiayue, they all bowed at a ninety-degree angle in unison: "Welcome home, Miss."

This display left us country bumpkins stunned. Lin Xiayue took off her coat and tossed it casually to a maid beside her, saying, "Auntie Wang, these are my friends. Please arrange rooms for them."

The maid called Auntie Wang nodded, then approached us and said softly, "Please follow us." She then summoned a male butler and added, "Gentlemen, please go with Butler Li. Ladies, please come with me." Auntie Wang kept her head bowed throughout, so I never caught a glimpse of her face.

After bidding a brief farewell to Sun Xiaoxiao and Xue Ning, Feng Qian, Chen Hao, and I followed Butler Li to our quarters. It is said that the wealthy think differently; while others might build an imposing skyscraper, they had chosen to construct a building shaped like a mountain, covered in creeping ivy to create the aesthetic of a forest castle. If this weren't Lin Xiayue's home, I wouldn't have wanted to stay in such a place—it was a bit unsettling.

Butler Li did not say a word the entire time, leading us up a spiral staircase for about ten minutes until we reached a spacious terrace that offered a view of most of North City. Opposite the terrace was a door; after Butler Li opened it for us, he withdrew, reminding us to head to the main hall for dinner in half an hour.

I stood on the terrace looking at the scenery of North City while Chen Hao and Feng Qian pushed open the door and collapsed onto the nearest beds. They were likely exhausted, as they fell asleep shortly after. The floor-to-ceiling windows were polished so clear that I could see both of them perfectly from the terrace.

Strangely, while inside Lin Xiayue’s home, my abilities had actually begun to recover. Was this an ability-enhancing field? To figure this out, I walked straight into the room. But as soon as I entered, the sensation vanished. Strange. I returned to the terrace, but could no longer feel that energy.

Half an hour later, we arrived at the main hall for dinner as promised. Per Butler Li’s request, the three of us had changed into formal suits. Xue Ning and Sun Xiaoxiao were dressed exquisitely; Xue Ning, the shy young girl, wore a green dress, while Sun Xiaoxiao sported a large pink gown that seemed completely at odds with her personality.

Shortly after, Lin Xiayue entered through the main door, wearing a pristine white dress that was particularly eye-catching.

"Sister Xiayue, that dress looks so good on you," Xue Ning said sincerely. Sun Xiaoxiao echoed the sentiment, "It really does!"

In contrast, Chen Hao and Feng Qian were staring so hard their eyes were practically glued to her, their mouths nearly watering. None of us expected that our "Big Sister" Lin Xiayue could look so different in a dress.

After we were seated, I noticed two empty chairs and asked, "Xiayue, is there anyone else coming?"

Lin Xiayue cut her steak as she replied, "These are for my parents."

"Are your aunt and uncle not joining us for dinner?" I asked, putting a large spoonful of vegetable salad to my mouth.

"They don't eat with us," Lin Xiayue said coldly. There was a hint of evasion in her voice, but since we were guests under her roof, I didn't press the matter.

After dinner, Xue Ning and Sun Xiaoxiao clamored to see Lin Xiayue’s walk-in closet and left together. Chen Hao, full and sleepy, told us he was heading back to his room. That left only Feng Qian and me at the table, and the atmosphere grew strangely eerie.

The massive dining table was empty, and aside from Feng Qian and me, the butlers and maids had all vanished. I felt a chill, and suddenly, the food on the table seemed to transform into scorpions, rats, snakes, and insects, mixed with scraps of rotting meat and bone fragments. The entire room darkened, strange noises echoed from all sides, and the chair beneath me began to shake violently.

"Boom!" I jumped out of my chair.

Feng Qian looked at me, bewildered. "Brother Jian, what's wrong?"

Seeing Feng Qian still chewing his spaghetti and looking at me like I was a monster, I quickly sat back down. "Nothing, nothing. I was just thinking about something." I made up a random excuse to brush it off. Had I fallen asleep? Was this a nightmare caused by Jiang Linlin? I had told that girl that if she dared to mess with me again, I wouldn't forgive her. Yet, my mind clearly told me I hadn't been asleep.

Who was behind this? There was no one else in the room but us. Was the place haunted? I laughed at myself—when had I become such a jumpy person?

After dinner, Feng Qian and I didn't return to our room immediately, choosing instead to wander around the mountain-shaped structure of the house. The first floor was the main hall and dining area; the second floor held the terrace, our rooms, and other small chambers. The third floor looked exquisitely decorated, likely designated for the girls. The fourth floor was even more luxurious and bore a large "Lin" character; with its pink décor, it was clearly Lin Xiayue’s private quarters, meaning the third floor was likely for Sun Xiaoxiao and Xue Ning.

The fifth floor had a more classical style, presumably for Lin Xiayue’s parents. On the sixth floor, there was a small terrace featuring a strange, small black tower, shackled by numerous chains and impossible to approach.

Just as Feng Qian and I reached out to examine it, we heard Auntie Wang’s voice. "Entry is prohibited." I turned to see she had followed us up to the sixth floor. "Please head back down."

Butler Li, standing beside her, gestured for us to leave. "Above the fourth floor are the private quarters of the Miss and her parents. Guests are not permitted here."

We could only offer an "Oh" and leave, but I felt as though someone was watching us. The sensation vanished in a blink, but in that fleeting moment, I felt my own power reach a peak, as if it were on the verge of awakening. Although it lasted only an instant, it was no illusion.

I had asked Feng Qian, and his abilities were severely restricted here, so this could not be an ability-enhancing field. There was only one thing that could boost a Contractor's power: the necessary catalyst for awakening. For the Spade lineage, that catalyst was an ancient relic.

My ancient mirror was different from others—it wasn't buried underground like the ancient gun, nor split into multiple parts like the ancient scrolls, nor passed down through generations like the ancient jade. The ancient mirror had been shattered throughout the long river of history, its fragments scattered everywhere. The feeling I had just experienced was as if something were calling out to me from the void, like a piece of the ancient mirror.

Why had that feeling suddenly vanished? I couldn't explain it for now. We returned to the second floor, and I let Feng Qian go inside to rest, telling him to draw the curtains.

I stood alone on the terrace, watching the night view of North City. It was so silent that I could hear my own breathing. After ten minutes, I finally couldn't hold back and whispered, "Zhou Tongtong, stop hiding. Come out."

As soon as I said this, the space around me rippled, and Zhou Tongtong’s figure manifested. I had been purely guessing. Among the known Contractors, only the nightmare world of the Nightmare or the reality-warping ability of a Wronged Ghost could induce such hallucinations. I assumed Jiang Linlin wouldn't dare attack me again after last time, so the strange scene during dinner had to be the work of the Ten of Clubs, Zhou Tongtong. Furthermore, the only people capable of tracking me without fear of discovery and possessing high-level concealment were Sun Cheng of the Six of Hearts and Zhou Tongtong.

Zhou Tongtong chuckled twice, seemingly impressed by my intellect.

"Where have all you Awakeners gone? Where are Midnight, Han Xue, and Li Xinxin?"

Zhou Tongtong smiled, using a finger to press against my lips. "You aren't ready to know these things yet. You aren't qualified. Unless you become an Awakener, you will never know your true mission."

Her words left me even more confused, but she clearly had no intention of explaining further. As her finger left my lips, I tasted a lingering sweetness. Zhou Tongtong turned away and whispered, "Lin Xiayue... there is something wrong with her."

With a light leap, she vanished from the terrace.