"Attention, guests..."
The voice of the Waitress with a piece of her skull missing trailed off at the stairway. After all, the Ghost Creatures were still trapped there by Zhi Yuan's Snake Woman, and the players could not even see the Waitress.
"Xiao Qing."
Zhi Yuan called the Snake Woman's name, and the green snake tail that had been straining to restrain the Ghost Creatures slowly loosened, circled once, then vanished. While trapped, the Ghost Creature "family members" had never stopped spewing venomous words. Tan Ying's "parents" in particular had hurled piercing curses at their "daughter." Only her mental resilience had allowed her to do her best to ignore them.
The little ghost coveting Su Bai's blood also looked full of resentment, while the Ghost Infant Chi Yan had his eye on dropped to the floor with a thud and began bawling. If not for the eerie blood-red strands spreading from its entire body like tentacles, it really would have looked like an ordinary baby abandoned by its father.
But however furious these Ghost Creatures were at losing their chance to seize the "treasures," they were bound by the rules that both players and "family members" had to obey. Rather than charge angrily at the players in the lobby after the game ended, they turned and headed up to the second floor, either seething or brimming with resentment.
"Attention, guests..." Only then did the bell-holding Waitress appear at the stairs. Still expressionless, she said woodenly, "The second floor and all floors above it are Treasure Hiding areas. Therefore, until the afternoon Treasure Hunt Game begins, all guests holding cards must remain on the first floor and refrain from moving about. At lunchtime, all cardholders must also dine separately and must not disturb the 'family members' during their private time."
After