In a corner of Lord Zhao's estate, nestled in a garden right beside the servants' quarters, stood a stylishly furnished, five-story Western-style building.
Built in a hollow square around a spacious central courtyard, it was bordered on the outside by a lush green lawn. Many people lived here.
Though not quite as grand as the main mansion, it was still one of the few luxurious places in the entire settlement.
Everyone on the estate called it the "Annex."
Those who lived here were distinguished guests of the master's household. Unless one was a trusted confidant, a family member of a confidant, or a servant assigned specifically to attend to them, no one was permitted anywhere near the place.
Because of this, even though the Annex sat in a secluded corner far from the main mansion, a large flock of servants was still on hand to wait on their every beck and call.
Yang Xiaoyang had lived here since the day she was born.
The people here were all very warm toward her, especially after her grandfather, grandmother, and mother passed away from illness. That warmth had even risen to enthusiasm—and eventually to fawning attentiveness.
Lord Zhao in particular treated her like his own daughter. In addition to showering her with meticulous care, he allowed her to study and play with the young mistress, and to wear dresses just as pretty as hers.
More than that, he even granted her a "privilege" none of the other children enjoyed—permission to leave the Annex freely.
As long as she remained within the estate, she could go wherever she pleased.
Whereas any other child, upon so much as stepping into the garden outside the Annex, would be escorted right back by the first servant who spotted them.
Of course, as the price of her freedom, there were always one or two silent men trailing behind her no matter where she went.
They would even stand guard outside the door when she went to the restroom.
Her best friend, Yinyin—Lord Zhao's youngest daughter—had thrown a tantrum at her father over this, hoping to chase away those obnoxious "stalkers."
Yet Lord Zhao, who normally doted on his youngest daughter in every way, refused to budge on this matter alone, even flying into a rage and locking his daughter in the dark room.
Xiaoyang had never seen the master so furious before and had hurried to persuade Yinyin that she didn't actually mind being followed.
For she had noticed that during the few days her best friend was locked away, two more pairs of eyes had joined those tailing her, making the uneasy feeling of being watched all the more suffocating.
Perhaps the master suspected something.
Suspecting that she was egging on his daughter to help her escape.
In short, she had walked on eggshells during those days, intentionally acting clumsy and helpless, as though she couldn't survive without someone looking after her. She clung every day to the auntie who cared for her, putting on an act for quite a while before finally dispelling the master's suspicions.
Though only six years old, she was far more precocious than other children her age, having grown up alone under someone else's roof.
Even though no one ever told her about such complicated things, she could still catch glimpses of the carefully veiled intentions hidden in people's eyes.
Those men followed her not for her safety, but purely out of fear that she would run away from the estate.
Lord Zhao's affection for her was not because she was pitiful or adorable, let alone for any of the reasons he claimed—it was purely because of her father.
And the relationship between Lord Zhao and her father was not a heartfelt friendship like hers with Yinyin; it was merely cold, mutual exploitation between adults.
Adults always liked to come up with high-sounding pretexts for what they did, concealing their ugly motives.
She didn't quite understand what a merchant did, but she had overheard people say her father helped the master sell goods from the farm to the outside world, making a fortune.
Her father had placed her, her mother, and her grandparents here in exchange for the master's peace of mind and ongoing support, while the master used her—her father's sole surviving kin in this world—to keep him on a leash.
That was also why the master had Yinyin's tutor teach her to read and write.
It wasn't so that she could gain knowledge, nor was it to give Yinyin a playmate of similar age and learning; it was solely so she could exchange letters with her father.
Perhaps the letters her father wrote to her were also merely to reassure the master. After all, if she were truly so important to him, why wouldn't he come back to see her?
He hadn't returned in a very long time. He had been away even when her mother passed away. Sometimes she couldn't help wondering if he already had another family out there, and the only reason he kept up this father-daughter bond was to retain the master's trust, not out of any real concern for her.
It wasn't impossible.
She had heard that before her father, there was another merchant who worked for the master. One day, he vanished without a trace, whether dead or gone of his own accord, no one knew.
In any case, the family that merchant had left in the Annex was never seen on the estate again.
Maybe one day in the future, she would meet the same fate.
Even so, she didn't hate her father.
In fact, having figured all this out, she felt much more at peace with it.
There was nothing good on the wasteland anyway, so why not stay here?
At least life here was good—at least for now—and she had her best friend. As for the future, she could worry about that later; there was nothing she could do right now anyway.
If there was one most important person in her life, it was undoubtedly Yinyin.
That little girl was the true young mistress of the estate, two years older than her. Unlike everyone else here, she genuinely treated Xiaoyang as her best friend, caring for her from the bottom of her heart, getting angry at the unfair treatment Xiaoyang received, and even standing up for her... Even though that overly naive older girl often botched things with good intentions and sometimes got Xiaoyang dragged into trouble, Xiaoyang never blamed her.
Whenever they finished their lessons, they would play happily together.
Sometimes they caught crickets, sometimes they played house with ragdolls, and sometimes they dragged the other children from the Annex along to play hide-and-seek.
Hide-and-seek was their favorite game, because it let them vanish from the adults' sight for a brief while, and whenever Xiaoyang went missing, everyone panicked.
Watching those people panic was something they never tired of.
Because of that, the objective of their hide-and-seek would sometimes shift from finding each other to helping Xiaoyang hide, and then watching the servants turn the estate upside down.
Xiaoyang knew full well, however, that this joke could only be played once in a while and couldn't be taken too far. Whenever she sensed they were on the verge of panicking for real, she would intentionally give herself away so the servants could find her.
Yinyin often grumbled that she was clumsy because of this.
The young mistress had no idea it was entirely intentional.
Because if she didn't, things would get completely out of hand...
"Darn it... Just a little more and we would've made that guy cry!"
Perched on the edge of the fountain in the garden before the Annex, dangling her little legs, Yinyin let out a dejected sigh. She propped her elbows on her knees and rested her cheeks heavily in her palms.
Just like always, they had run amok across the estate all afternoon, giving the servants quite a scare.
Unlike usual, however, her father hadn't stepped in today—he hadn't even shown his face. He had merely instructed the old butler to escort Xiaoyang back to the Annex.
And the old butler hadn't lingered at the Annex either.
Distinguished guests seemed to have arrived at the estate; he hadn't even scolded the two girls before hurrying off, leaving Yinyin feeling rather bored.
So her dad hadn't been worried at all this time?
Didn't that mean their whole afternoon had been for nothing?
"It was such a great hiding spot, a place they couldn't have thought of in a million years... You too, Xiaoyang! If only you were a little sharper!"
Hearing the young mistress's complaints, Xiaoyang, seated beside her, gave an innocent smile and said meekly, "I'm sorry, Big Sister Yinyin... Xiaoyang is too clumsy."
"Don't apologize! The ones who should apologize are those ill-mannered tagalongs! Honestly, don't those guys have anything better to do? Trailing behind young ladies all day long, what's that about..."
Looking earnestly at Xiaoyang, Yinyin continued with all seriousness, "Besides, we played hide-and-seek in the first place just so you could have a little time to yourself in peace! If it only makes you feel worse, wouldn't that defeat the whole point?"
"Yinyin..." Xiaoyang looked at her with gratitude, her eyes welling with moisture.
She hadn't told her best friend that.
She didn't actually yearn for freedom that much, nor did she feel all that bothered by being followed. Having lived here since birth, she had long grown used to it.
She didn't believe escaping or hiding away would change anything about her situation.
Even if she did run away, that rarely seen father of hers would probably just bring her right back, just like he had sent her mother and grandparents here in the first place.
Still... being cared for felt truly wonderful.
"D-Don't look at me like that! You're making me blush."
Caught in the gaze of those watery, wide eyes, Yinyin felt embarrassed and averted her glance, scratching her cheek where the evening sun made it itch.
Just then, her eyes fell upon the Annex close by, and they instantly lit up.
She remembered a rumor she had heard long ago—the Annex had originally been the estate's main mansion. Her family had lived there in the beginning, only moving out when the new house was built, which turned the old mansion into the Annex.
In the deepest part of the Annex's basement, there was a door leading to an underground world, a door that had been there since her great-great-grandfather's time.
She didn't know what kind of place it was. But she knew that no one would ever think to look there!
"I know!" Clasping Xiaoyang's hands, Yinyin looked at her with excitement. "I just thought of an amazing place! There's no way anyone could ever find it! Come with me!"
Seeing her confident expression, Xiaoyang felt a faint pang of unease. Besides, they had already played a trick on the adults once today; pulling the same joke twice in one day wouldn't be funny.
Pulled down from the edge of the fountain by Yinyin, Xiaoyang looked at her anxiously and said, "Wait, Yinyin... Maybe we should go tomorrow. People are definitely watching us right now. If we go now, won't we just give away that amazing spot?"
"Don't worry, they won't," Yinyin whispered conspiratorially, leaning in close to her ear. "The place is right inside the Annex... Nobody follows you inside the Annex, right?"
Xiaoyang hesitated, then slowly nodded.
If it was inside the Annex... Lord Zhao probably wouldn't get angry.
Seeing her timid best friend finally muster up the courage, Yinyin curled her lips into a delighted smile.
"Follow me!" With that, she took Xiaoyang by the hand and dashed toward the Annex.
Following nervously behind the young mistress, Xiaoyang watched as Yinyin led her to the North Wing of the Annex, through a pitch-black stairwell, and down into the basement level.
Xiaoyang had heard of this place before. It was the Annex's storeroom, but because hauling things up and down was inconvenient and the Annex had little that needed storing, no one had used it in ages.
Usually, if there was anything that needed temporary storage, people simply dumped it into the open courtyard.
Despite having lived here for so long, this was her first time down here.
The basement was pitch-black with no electric lights; the only source of illumination was the flashlight Yinyin had swiped on her way out. The eerie chill that melted into the darkness made Xiaoyang's calves tremble uncontrollably.
Yinyin beside her was no different. Holding the flashlight, she stood frozen in place. Clearly, she hadn't expected the Annex's basement to be so cavernous. It was practically a labyrinth!
"Where... should we go?" Xiaoyang cast a timid glance at Yinyin, hoping she would back down and give up on exploring the basement.
Yet she had ultimately underestimated her best friend's determination to give her freedom.
Yinyin, who had still been wavering, lost every trace of hesitation the moment she met Xiaoyang's timid gaze.
She had promised she would give Xiaoyang freedom. Even if only for a single second, she wanted her to live freely without having to endure those prying eyes.
There was no better place than this. It was a bit dark, but from another perspective, wasn't darkness the best camouflage? In this forgotten maze, even when they weren't playing hide-and-seek, Xiaoyang could hide here for a while to enjoy moments free from spying eyes.
And of course, she could come here when she was unhappy too. A smile tugged at the corners of Yinyin's mouth. Thinking of it that way, this place was like their secret castle.
Perhaps her prayers were answered, for out of the void, she heard a faint sound.
The voice seemed to be calling out something... What was it saying? She pointed the flashlight in its direction at once.
"This way!" Seeing Yinyin suddenly march forward, Xiaoyang scrambled after her.
"Yinyin... Maybe we should head back."
"Wait! It's right up ahead, we're almost there!"
Following the source of the sound, Yinyin walked onward in high spirits. She had gradually forgotten whether she was pressing on to find an amazing hiding place for her best friend, or simply to hear what the voice was saying. Perhaps it was both.
Xiaoyang watched her back with trepidation, feeling that things were drifting off track, though she couldn't put her finger on what was wrong.
Yinyin seemed so familiar with this place. Had she been here before? Xiaoyang herself had never set foot down here. They really should go back soon... If it were just her missing, that was one thing, but if both of them disappeared at the same time, the master would be furious.
After walking through the pitch-black basement for a while, the two came to a room piled high with clutter.
Behind a heap of discarded wooden crates, a rust-mottled iron door stood right there. Without looking closely, one wouldn't even notice it. At first glance, Xiaoyang had mistaken it for junk leaning against the wall.
"This is..." Xiaoyang began.
Yinyin stared intently at the door. "I don't know, but this must be it."
Xiaoyang finally couldn't hold back her question. "Big Sister Yinyin... how did you find this place?"
Yinyin gave her a strange look. "Didn't you hear it?"
Xiaoyang froze. "...Hear what?" Weren't there only the two of them here? Could there be someone else...? Her little face grew pale.
"Yeah!" Yinyin nodded vigorously, saying excitedly, "Right when I was praying in my heart that it'd be great if we could find that door, I heard that voice! I couldn't make out what it was saying, but I could feel it was saying so much, inviting us over!"
"Heard it..." What on earth did she hear?
Xiaoyang looked at Yinyin blankly. Just as she was about to ask, she saw Yinyin step up eagerly, grip the rusty door handle with both hands, and pull back with all her might.
"...Xiaoyang! Give me a hand!"
Looking at the unyielding iron door, Xiaoyang said helplessly, "Wait, Big Sister Yinyin, we don't have a key. If we just pull on it like that..."
"What are you talking about! There isn't even a keyhole on this door, it should pull straight open... Ah! I think it moved! Hurry and help me—"
Before she could finish, her movements abruptly ceased, and the light vanished from her eyes.
Before Xiaoyang could process what was happening, she watched Yinyin's hands slip from the handle as her body slumped limp to the floor.
"Yinyin—!"
An electric shock? Or... poison gas?
Xiaoyang's face went white, but she didn't turn and run. Gritting her teeth, she dashed over, scooped up the limp Yinyin with both hands, and dragged her away from the door.
Yet even away from the door, Yinyin showed no sign of waking. If not for her breathing, she looked practically dead.
"What... what happened?"
Looking at the unbudging iron door, Xiaoyang's eyes filled with terror. Not daring to linger a moment longer, she dragged the unconscious Yinyin back toward the basement entrance, then rushed up the stairs to call for help.
Outside, darkness had fallen. It hadn't felt like much time had passed, yet the sky was completely dark.
Standing at the entrance of the North Wing, Xiaoyang looked around, finding it utterly empty. There was not a soul in sight.
How strange... Even if they were inside the Annex, they had been missing for nearly half an hour. Yet no one had come looking for them, as if everyone had forgotten about them entirely.
All these strange signs made unease well up in her eyes, but out of worry for Yinyin, she gathered her courage and cried out, "The young mistress has fainted! Is anyone here... Somebody come quickly—"
Before she could finish, a dull, guttural growl cut her short.
"Urrgh..."
A woman with slumping shoulders and a lolling head stood in the hallway near the stairwell, her neck tilted at an awkward angle, gazing straight at her with hollow, lifeless eyes. The sight was unspeakably bizarre. The stare carried a chill that seeped deep into the bone.
Watching the woman limp toward her, Xiaoyang swallowed hard and took a terrified step back.
"D-Don't come any closer."
She didn't know why she was running, but her legs moved on instinct, dragging her stiff body as she sprinted desperately back toward the stairwell. Intuition told her that if she was caught, it would be the end.
The instant she dashed into the stairwell, the woman quickened her stumbling pace and charged at her with a low growl.
Not daring to look back, Xiaoyang rushed into the basement, threw all her weight into slamming the basement door shut, and grabbed a steel bar lying on the floor, jamming it through the door handle.
Almost at the exact same moment, a loud clang echoed from outside, followed by a violent shudder of the door panel as something slammed into it.
"Eek!" Xiaoyang shrieked and staggered two steps back, staring at the rattling door in pure terror.
She didn't know what was wrong with that woman. She had no idea what was happening outside. Everyone was usually so kind and treated her so warmly—why had they suddenly turned into that?!
The banging on the door suddenly ceased. Whoever was outside seemed to have given up.
Crouched in the dark, Xiaoyang held her breath, staring fixedly at the shut door, not daring to make the slightest sound.
She was certain that person hadn't left. That heavy, raspy breathing was right against the door!
She was sure the person was waiting right outside, waiting for her to crack the door open to check, only to burst in and tear her to shreds. But why? What on earth had happened to everyone?!
Shivering in the darkness, she had no idea how much time had passed. Just as her eyelids were growing heavy, a faint rustle came from the shadows behind her.
At first, the sound made her hair stand on end—until she heard her own name.
"Xiaoyang..."
That voice was like a candle lit in the darkness. Hearing that weak call, Xiaoyang scrambled over and knelt by Yinyin's side, tears filling her eyes as she took her limp, soft hand.
"Yinyin!"
"I'm sorry..."
"It's okay! It's okay, you're awake!"
"No, that's not it..." Yinyin shook her head in agony, clutching her head in her hands, muttering to herself, "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have thought I was being clever and gone looking for it... It got angry. It must be angry because of me..."
"...Angry?" Xiaoyang looked at her in confusion.
Intuition told her that what Yinyin was saying was connected to what was happening outside. Could it be... that voice?!
Yet Yinyin showed no intention of explaining, merely holding her head and repeating the same words over and over.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."
"Yinyin! Calm down—" Xiaoyang grabbed her shoulders, trying to soothe her, but Yinyin, clutching her head in self-reproach, suddenly grabbed Xiaoyang's hand.
"Xiaoyang... help me..."
Xiaoyang looked at her earnestly. "What do you need me to do? I'll definitely help you!"
A faint, relieved smile broke across Yinyin's pained face. "Tie me... tie me up."
"T-Tie you up?!"
"Yes!" Yinyin grimaced, beads of sweat breaking out across her forehead as she urged urgently, "Hurry... quickly!"
Seeing her endure something with every ounce of her strength, Xiaoyang suddenly recalled the woman outside, and her limbs went ice-cold. Could she also be...?
"...There won't be time."
Her endurance seemed to have reached its limit. Despair flooded Yinyin's face, and her crumbling consciousness began to blur along with her glazed, hollow eyes.
"It's all right..." For some reason, Xiaoyang suddenly didn't feel as scared anymore. Tightening her grip on Yinyin's hand, she whispered softly, "I'll stay with you..."
A sheep in a pen would eventually be eaten, no matter how fond it was of the shepherd's family. If one asked why, it was because that fate had been decided the very moment it was born.
She never wondered what the future held, because she had always known her end.
Rather than tormenting herself over a predetermined outcome, it was better to live each happy day to the fullest, at least making the most of the joy and happiness of the present.
She got along well with the shepherd's family, and she was especially fond of their youngest daughter. She could feel that in this estate, Yinyin was the only one who was good to her unconditionally and from the bottom of her heart.
She would be eaten in the end anyway. If it was Yinyin, it wouldn't be so bad...
Just then, a few sharp gunshots rang out outside the door, followed by guttural roars, frantic scrambling footsteps, and the dull thuds of metal cleaving into bone.
"Fuck—will you ever quit?!"
Faintly, Xiaoyang heard someone speaking, though she couldn't understand what he was saying.
After a brief clatter, something splattered against the door.
As the person wrenched something free, he muttered relentlessly, "Damn it, this dog-shit quest only pays a hundred grand, I'm getting ripped off to hell and back! Wait, I don't even have any money... Fuck!"
The moment his voice fell, a resounding boom echoed as the battered door was kicked open, crashing down onto the floor.
Xiaoyang stared blankly at the doorway.
A figure clad in pitch-black armor stood there. A helmet covered the person's entire face, completely concealing his expression.
An assault rifle was tucked under his right arm, and in his left hand he held a combat knife. Covered in blood from head to toe, with shredded bits of flesh clinging to him, he looked utterly terrifying.
"Your name?"
This sentence she understood. Even though she didn't know who this person was, she answered trembling, "Xiao... yang."
The person exhaled a sigh of relief and dropped a baffling remark:
"Quest complete..."
"Remember to leave a good review."
Chapter 577