Ancient Castle

[He's streaming again]

[I have to say, the Calamity Crossing Squad is really hardworking. I'll be taking a month off before my next Instance, and I need to be mentally prepared before I dare to go.]

[During this period, various Family Clans and local Authorities have started livestreaming, and the prices of Weird Object sold through these livestreams have increased. Even though they're all random livestreams, I've watched several. Why were there so few livestreams before, and now they're all happening?]

[I suspect they're trying to replicate the organization's success? The organization is currently generating far more buzz than many other Family Clans that boast about their top experts.]

[You're overthinking it. Some of those Purgers from certain Family Clan are truly clueless. They can't even run Instance, their words are sarcastic, they're incompetent, they lack strength, and they're ugly on the side.]

[The last sentence is true.]

I really can't stand seeing a bunch of people arrogantly boasting about their achievements over the years.

What's attractive about these organizations is their capabilities, not their looks!

[Sorry... I might just be a fan of good looks.]

[I'm getting off-topic. What Instance is this? I don't think I've seen it before?]

Looking Sheng Qingqiao, it seems like a medieval Instance? Are there werewolves?

[No, although that Instance is S-Rank, the map is a small town, which is clearly not it.]

I wonder if anyone from the organization will come this time. I'm exhausted after watching the last Instance for two months.

While the chat was going on, Sheng Qingqiao had already spotted Qin Rang and Bai Ao not far away.

Qin Rang had already woken up, but slapping the Bai Ao several times didn't wake it.

Upon meeting, the two decided to split up to find their other teammates. Before leaving, Qin Rang went to his carriage and took away all the valuables that looked like gems and gold coins, stuffing them away.

Having learned his lesson, Sheng Qingqiao hurried back and thoroughly cleaned up her own carriage. Besides that, there was an unexpected surprise.

Inside the carriage's hidden compartment was a black and gold box containing an exquisite invitation.

[To the esteemed Mr. Sheng Qingqiao Dune, I extend my sincerest greetings.]

We cordially invite you to a banquet to be held at sunset on the full moon day of this month in the main hall of Earl of Ravenhall Castle. The banquet will include a dinner and harp music.

Sincerely

Count of Ravenhall

Sheng Qingqiao looked at the invitation from all angles and came to the conclusion. "This invitation is really beautiful!"

Qin Rang also found the invitation in his carriage. Upon hearing this, he said helplessly, "Keep it safe. Let's find the person first."

After wandering around for more than half an hour, they finally found all their teammates.

Everyone was disoriented on the same road, so it wasn't hard to find. Surprisingly, Tao Yuan's carriage wasn't broken, so everyone squeezed into it. Luckily, the carriage was spacious enough.

Bai Ao and Sheng Qingqiao both knew how to ride horses, so the two happily acquired a "double room".

Sheng Qingqiao did not treat her wound, fearing it would affect her status. The arrow wound caused pain in her buttocks, which was exacerbated by the jolting motion of the horse.

The Bai Ao also had a terrible headache and a strange pain in its face. The two of them remained silent the whole way, one covering its rear end and the other its face.

The carriage continued along the road, the withered branches and twigs along the way looking strange, only the moon in the distance growing larger and larger, as if they were traveling towards the moon.

"Meow."

Suddenly, a cat's meow flew past her ear, Sheng Qingqiao turned around almost instantly, alert. In the distance, she saw a pair of blue pupils in the tree.

"Team leader--"

"I saw it."

Inside the carriage, Qin Rang had already lifted the curtain. His gaze met the Black Cat in the tree, and in just one glance, he was certain. "It's that cat."

"Are the organization's people here too? Or is it the work of the Worship God?" Wang Ding asked. "But my Weird Object tells me there are no other players' presence here. This doesn't seem to be a large- Instance."

"It might be a single-player Instance, where players can't meet in person. But if the organization wants to see us, they should have many ways to do so."

The carriage drove by until the Black Cat was out of sight, and then Tao Yuan's gaze fell on the invitations that each of them had.

"The Ravenhall mentioned in this invitation should be the Count we heard about before entering the Instance. From this invitation, we can see that our names all belong to a family called the Dune Family Clan."

Qin Rang said, "There was a letter from my father in my carriage. Much of the information on the letter was damaged, but it showed that Ravenhall had not only invited our Family Clan to the banquet, but all nine of us should be children of the Du'en Family."

"Let me see that letter of yours," Tao Yuan said.

Qin Rang took out the damaged letter and carefully compared it with the invitation Tao Yuan had received.

Qin Rang continued to tell his teammates, "As far as I know, nobles at this time often have many children, Illegitimate Son children are common, and relationships are often complicated. It's not uncommon for the Family Clan to have more than ten children, and many Illegitimate Son don't even know who their mother or father is."

"Won't there be a storyline where the siblings fall in love?" Luo Jiayu asked.

Tang Pin awkwardly touched her Juanjuan hair and the small hat on her head, and said, "Not only are there scenes like this, but there are even more exciting ones."

Luo Jiayu was curious, Tang Pin whispered something in her ear, making Luo Jiayu's eyes widen as if she had heard some news that would reshape her worldview.

"Don't corrupt her," Mi Chuchu said.

"I understand! Look."

Tao Yuan's voice drew everyone's attention back.

She unfolded the two letters. Her invitation was intact and had a faint fragrance. Qin Rang's letter was damaged and the handwriting was illegible, but the Family Clan crest could be seen on both letters.

Although one is an invitation and the other is a letter, their formats are not too different.

The emblems on the letter paper were printed on, but at the end of the letter, Qin Rang's letter had a bright red seal, while Tao Yuan's invitation did not.

"It seems this invitation may not have been sent by the Count," An Ying said.

"Yes, could it have been posted by that Young Master on his behalf?"

Just then, Sheng Qingqiao's voice came from outside the carriage.

"I saw an Ancient Castle!"

Everyone craned their necks to look outside.

Under the bright moonlight, a magnificent Castle appeared.

The pointed spire cast a long, slender shadow in the moonlight, which stretched across the ground like a withered branch. Scattered torches hung on the walls of the corridor, their faint orange flames tearing through the thick darkness.

This is it.

The carriage stopped in front of the Castle, and the group got off one after another. Looking up, they saw the Rivenhall Family coat of arms carved on the stone pillars and confirmed that they had come to the right place.

"Why is it so quiet..." Luo Jiayu gripped Mi Chuchu's clothes tightly, looking around, her voice extremely soft, "Such a large Ancient Castle, isn't there anyone guarding it outside?"

Qin Rang took the lead and walked forward. The carved stone corridor outside the Castle exuded a heavy historical atmosphere, and thick, old velvet tapestries hung on the walls, their gold threads shimmering with a fine luster, indicating their considerable value.