The restaurant was quite large, with a long table in the very center, so long that people sitting at either end would have to shout to converse. Scattered across the white tablecloth were a few empty plates and forks, as well as three or four toppled candlesticks.

Above the table hung a chandelier, even bigger than the one in the living room, but it was no longer lit. The restaurant's lighting came from sconces on the walls.

The wooden chairs were strewn about haphazardly, a few of them lying sideways on the floor, already draped with cobwebs.

Si Yu Ruo Li only paused slightly when she heard the system prompt, then continued searching, her expression still as cold as ice.

Bei Ling Xiao Gu was the first to speak. "That strong-looking guy just died."

"Strong?" Si Yu Ruo Li asked. "How could you tell?"

"He was a higher level and a professional player," Bei Ling replied.

Si Yu Ruo Li used her sword to lift a corner of the tablecloth, not stopping her search, and casually replied, "Our levels will also increase, and we can also 'call ourselves' professional players."

"Big Sis… you're arguing with me again." Bei Ling narrowed her eyes at Si Yu Ruo Li, muttering, "Now that even the professional player is dead, aren't you worried at all?"

At this moment, Si Yu Ruo Li felt around under the table and pulled out a letter. She said only four words: "Story item."

[Name: Ink-Stained Letter]
[Type: Story-Related]
[Quality: Common]
[Function: Unknown]
[Can Be Taken Out of This Script: No]
[Note: Parts of the letter's contents are obscured by ink stains and cannot be identified.]

She reached out and handed the letter to Bei Ling Xiao Gu, saying at the same time, "This thing couldn't possibly have been under the table to begin with. It must have been reset after that 'Invincible Warrior' died."

Bei Ling took the letter, unfolded it, and glanced at it. Then she put it into the knapsack hanging at her waist and licked her lips. "Well… assuming this letter is one of the clues to solving the main quest, one possibility is that the person carrying this letter will be subjected to a concentrated attack by some unknown force in this house, putting them in an extremely dangerous situation, so…"

"So even a professional player died?" Si Yu picked up.

"Well… but it's very strange," Bei Ling said. "There were four of them. Why did only one die, and the strongest one at that? Could it be…"

"No need to 'could it be'," Feng Bujue's voice suddenly rang out as he walked in from the doorway. "It's obvious that we're splitting up."

Si Yu and Bei Ling both turned to look at him. Feng Bujue continued, "And judging from the fact that he's already dead, that 'strongest' should also be questioned."

"His level is higher than yours, and he's a professional player," Si Yu said to Feng Bujue, repeating the words that Bei Ling had used to persuade her.

"My level will also increase, and I can also 'call myself' a professional player. Does that make me strong?" Feng Bujue casually replied.

Bei Ling covered her mouth and giggled, almost laughing out loud.

Si Yu Ruo Li's expression changed slightly. "How long have you been here?"

"Just arrived, what's wrong?" Feng Bujue said. He hadn't actually heard their previous conversation, only the last sentence from Bei Ling.

Si Yu was silent for two seconds, then said, "Did you discover the Ghost Palace side quest?"

"Yes," Feng Bujue replied. "I found the first and fifth verses. Did you find the other two?"

Bei Ling shook her head in denial. "No, we encountered quite a few traps along the way."

Si Yu asked again, "What exactly is the Ghost Palace? Text? Or an item?"

"It's a poem." Wang Tanzhi also appeared at the restaurant doorway, with Long Aomin beside him.

"Good timing," Feng Bujue said. "Which verse did you find?"

"The good news is… we found two verses," Long Aomin said.

"The bad news is… we can't memorize them." Wang Tanzhi wore an expression that was not ashamed, but rather proud.

"Just repeat a few memorable lines," Feng Bujue said.

The two of them babbled on, saying four or five fragmented lines.

After listening, Feng Bujue said, "It should be the second and third verses…" Then, he did something astonishing. He recited the two verses that Little Tan and Brother Long had found in their entirety, and asked them if he was right.

"Brother Jue… what's going on?" Wang Tanzhi exclaimed. "Were you secretly following us?"

"This room was born from my memories in reality. Actually, I'm a serial killer, and this is one of my hideouts," Feng Bujue said calmly. "The 'Ghost Palace' you saw, I wrote it on the wall when I had nothing better to do."

Wang Tanzhi's jaw dropped as he stared at Feng Bujue, his mind in a complete mess.

Ten seconds later, Feng Bujue said to him, "You're the only one who hasn't realized it's a joke."

"Hahaha…" Long Aomin suddenly burst out laughing. He had quickly understood that Feng Bujue was joking, but he didn't find it funny. However, Wang Tanzhi's reaction of actually believing it was speechless.

"Mr. Crazy, now that the cold jokes are over, can you talk about the actual situation?" Bei Ling said. "You not only know the order of those verses, but you can even recite them, so you must know the source of this 'Ghost Palace' poem, right?"

Feng Bujue said, "This poem comes from Edgar Allan Poe's short story 'The Fall of the House of Usher'. I believe this script is also derived from that story." He pulled up a chair and sat down. "Has anyone read it?"

"No~" Except for Si Yu Ruo Li, the other three replied like elementary school students answering the teacher's question in unison, dragging out the sound.

"It's just as well if you haven't. His novels aren't really anything to write home about," Feng Bujue said. "Poe was just a high-end literary rogue, indulging in gambling and drinking. He chased older women and married a loli. He spent his life writing satires tirelessly. Most of his novels only emphasized atmosphere and neglected plot. Sometimes he would even engage in some opportunistic tricks, such as at the beginning of 'Ligeia', where he fabricated a passage at random and added a dash to say it was a statement by Joseph Glanvill. If there had been a search engine in the nineteenth century, this guy would have been dragged out into the streets by the critics long ago."

"Sounds like you're a die-hard fan…" Si Yu Ruo Li said coldly.

"Sounds like you're just jealous…" Bei Ling Xiao Gu shot her a contemptuous look.

"Sounds more and more like you…" Wang Tanzhi said.

"Brother Feng, have some self-respect…" Long Aomin didn't know what to say, so he could only offer some advice.

Feng Bujue stood up, his face unchanging as he stubbornly persisted: "I just know a little bit, it's nothing much…"

"You can even recite that poem, so stop explaining," Si Yu interrupted.

"This sister…" Feng Bujue said.

"How old are you? Calling me 'sister'."

"This little sister…"

"Try saying that again."

Feng Bujue took a deep breath: "Miss Si… actually, I'm quite knowledgeable and have a good memory…"

"Mr. Crazy, you really don't need to explain it to me," Si Yu Ruo Li's lips revealed a slight, almost imperceptible smile.

Feng Bujue was probably stunned for three seconds, then turned around nonchalantly and said, "The wind is quite boisterous today…"

Long Aomin even felt embarrassed. "Brother Feng, you don't have to take it too seriously even if you've been exposed. Let's continue looking for clues."

Feng Bujue nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood. He thought: You could have just said the second half of that sentence! Was the first half a stab in the back?

"That's right, I was just about to ask you, don't you find it strange?" Feng Bujue said seriously. "How did we all end up in the restaurant? The structure of this house should be changing. Does our concentration in the same place at the same time mean…"

Before he could finish, there was a "bang," and the only door to the restaurant closed by itself.