Zhu Yu stood aside, waiting for the few young servants to swiftly and woodenly place the bowls and plates from the food box onto the table, then rustle as they prepared to leave.
Seizing the opportunity, she swiftly moved forward, blocking the path of the last young servant.
The young servant had a faint, ambiguous smile on his face and showed no reaction. He simply made a sideways move to continue leaving when blocked.
Zhu Yu grabbed him, mustering her courage, and reached out directly to lift the young servant’s eyelids.
The young servant was held by Zhu Yu, unable to move. Even though she pried open his eyelids, there was almost no change in his expression, nor any extra resistance.
Zhu Yu closely inspected his eyes before releasing his eyelids. She then grabbed his arm, placing her fingers on his wrist to feel his pulse.
The strange sensation was not obvious when lifting his eyelids, but when she touched his wrist, Zhu Yu clearly felt the young servant’s body temperature was indeed quite low, and his pulse was so weak it was almost imperceptible.
"Yan Daoxin!" Zhu Yu heard movent behind her and turned to see Yan Daoxin coming down the stairs. She quickly called out, "Help listen to this person’s heartbeat!"
"Sure." Yan Daoxin knew Zhu Yu wanted to be cautious, so he agreed readily. He strode forward, grabbing the young servant, loosening the front of his shirt a bit, and leaned close to listen to his chest. After a mont, he released the young servant’s shirt casually, signaling Zhu Yu to release him as well.
Zhu Yu let go of the young servant. He calmly walked out as if nothing had happened.
The other companions who had co to deliver the food did not wait for him and had long disappeared without a trace.
"Is there a heartbeat?" Zhu Yu asked Yan Daoxin.
Yan Daoxin waved his hand: "Can’t say there isn’t, but it’s not really there either, very faint.
Considering how weak and slow his heartbeat is, let alone working, he shouldn’t even be able to crawl, he should be lying in bed waiting for his last breath."
"I felt the sa when I checked their pulse, it’s as if they aren’t alive, more like the walking dead." Zhu Yu felt puzzled, "These servants can’t even speak. When we talk to them, they can’t hear us.
But the farrs we saw in the fields outside, although they didn’t look quite normal either, they could still talk to us, answer our questions, they felt a bit more human than these servants."
"That’s true, those people did seem more lively, although I wouldn’t say they were entirely clear-headed, at least they were alive." Yan Daoxin sighed, "Whoever is behind this, they’re committing real atrocities!
It’s hard to say about the farrs outside, but at least these servants, with their current pulse and almost imperceptible heartbeat, I don’t see them lasting much longer."
Zhu Yu asked Fu Lu to go upstairs to wake the others for lunch. Just after they finished, the young servants returned to clear the table.
This ti, the old steward accompanied them, following closely behind, with a slightly off-color complexion, discreetly observing them, but still maintaining a facade of cordiality.
"Gentlen, I wonder if the food in our fortress suits your taste?" He held his fake smile and said to those in the dining hall, "We’re in the countryside here, not like the Capital, our servants are dull and unrefined. If they have offended our esteed guests, I hope you will forgive them."
"What are you saying, steward? We’re doing nothing here, having food prepared by the fortress for us, we’re the ones who feel guilty." Lu Qing followed up, "May I ask when your Fortress Lord will return?
We’ve been confined to this small courtyard for the past two days, and it’s becoming quite dull.
If the Fortress Lord will take so ti to return, perhaps we could explore the surroundings of Immortal Castle and return to wait? What do you think, steward?"
This request was reasonable enough, but the old steward’s face changed upon hearing it, as if Lu Qing had breached so rule.
"Gentlen, it seems we have failed to cater to you at Immortal Castle!" He said sowhat sarcastically, "This is how it is here.
If you wish to et our Fortress Lord for business, just wait here calmly. We will serve you well, ensuring your comfort.
If you can’t endure the stay, it shows your sincerity is lacking, or perhaps our fate to conduct business is not t. I can then arrange for our Protector to escort you out, and you need not seek our Fortress Lord again.
Whether to stay or leave is entirely up to you, but while you’re here, you must adhere to our regulations.
Follow our rules, and everything will be fine. Our top-quality materials will ensure you make a fortune in the Capital.
However, break our rules, and don’t bla us for not accommodating you, we won’t do business with you.
Honestly, even the top textile workshops in the Capital have to abide by our rules to negotiate, or even the Heavenly King himself could not succeed."
Zhu Yu and the others looked at each other, shocked by the steward’s harsh words over a simple question.
Lu Qing also appeared helpless, but fearing the loss of business, didn’t dare argue with the steward, reluctantly nodding, expressing their desire for the high-quality silk and dye, agreeing to wait for the Fortress Lord’s return.
Seeing their agreeable response, the steward’s deanor softened, smoothing his beard as he smiled, then inquired if they seed exhausted or unwell.
Lu Qing replied it was nothing serious, probably just tired from the journey, feeling continually drowsy and lethargic for the past two days.
The steward nodded, changed to a more amicable expression, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then departed with the others.
After the steward left, the group exchanged looks.
Although they all agreed sothing was amiss at Immortal Castle, they didn’t expect the steward to be so domineering, uncertain of his confidence’s origin.
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