We agreed to seek enlightenment together, but how did you end up seeking enlightenment for my mother

A sparsely populated noble mansion, the missing countess's daughter, a pig-headed cook who doesn't look like a human, an uncleaned attic room, and an exceptionally extravagant birthday banquet.

These individual issues are not problems in themselves, but when all the details are put together, they reveal an inexplicable and eerie feeling.

Xu Zhou had a persistent feeling that a huge conspiracy was brewing in this mansion, and that everyone was deeply involved in it, completely unaware of the impending danger.

After a moment's thought, he suddenly turned to the chef, who was still groaning and whining, and asked:

"Are you even human?"

Xu Zhou thought that without using the True Word Hair, the other party would no longer answer any questions, but unexpectedly, even though blood was still seeping from its mouth, the pig-headed monster still responded.

"I am... no, I'm... not anymore..."

"How did you become like this?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the chef's breath hitched, and his already swollen face turned bright red, as if all the blood in his body rushed to his head at that moment, and his emotions became inexplicably agitated.

"Madam! Hmph, Madam, I was wrong! No...no!"

He was shouting nonsensical words, his limbs were convulsing wildly, and he fell off the wall.

Wu Lulu took a step in front of Xu Zhou, holding a baguette and remaining on guard.

However, the chef showed no inclination to attack the two. He curled up on the ground, clutching his head, trembling uncontrollably, like a frightened animal.

"I was wrong... Hmph, madam, please forgive me... No, gold, give me gold! Heh heh heh!"

Wu Lulu tentatively poked the other person with her baguette from a distance, but the other person remained unmoved, continuing to repent as if suffering endless psychological torment because of something.

Later on, all he kept saying was his thirst for gold.

"What's wrong with him?" The werewolf girl's ears twitched in confusion.

Xu Zhou thought for a moment, then took out the gold coin the leatherworker had given him from his pocket and flicked it lightly with his thumb.

The gold coin traced a smooth arc before landing on the ground with a tinkling sound, bouncing out a series of crisp rings.

Hearing the noise, the chef suddenly raised his head.

"Gold!"

The next moment, he rushed over without hesitation, clutching the gold coin tightly in his palm, as if the excruciating pain in his head had vanished in that instant.

"It's gold! Hmph!"

The pig-headed monster's eyes, swollen to slits, gleamed, and then it opened its blood-red maw and swallowed the coin whole.

Xu Zhou's face immediately showed undisguised disgust. He clearly remembered where the cobbler had hidden the gold coin.

The chef chewed a few times with satisfaction, swallowed with a gulp, and then stuck out his thick tongue to lick his large nose. At this moment, he seemed to have regained some clarity, and his gaze toward the two was no longer empty and dull.

"Gold, in exchange."

Muttering to himself, he crawled on all fours to an unremarkable locker, pulled a bunch of keys from the blood-stained pocket of his apron, and found one among dozens of keys to open the locker door.

After rummaging through the cabinet for a moment, he took out a square box and handed it to Xu Zhou.

"Here you go."

Wu Lulu took it first, her eyes still warily fixed on the chef.

After doing all this, the chef, with his massive body, knelt on the ground. He looked at the two of them with his back hunched over, and two lines of tears suddenly slid down his cheeks.

"I am a human being, I am a human being, not a monster..."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly stood up and lunged at the bone-chopping knife not far away. Wu Lulu didn't even have time to activate her supernatural powers before she saw him suddenly slash the blade towards her neck.

puff!

Blood splattered, the chef staggered a couple of steps, and a hint of relief seemed to appear on his face as he looked at the two men. He let out two hoarse sounds and then collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Why did he suddenly commit suicide?"

Wu Lulu stared wide-eyed at the scene before her, tilting her head slightly as if she didn't understand what was going on.

The [Destruction-Chaos] path works like this: the owner only needs to enjoy the battle, but the path itself involves many more considerations.

As long as the parties involved don't think about it, they will never be influenced by the means.

"I've been thinking about this for a while now, did you grab the wrong weapon?" Xu Zhou reminded him.

"Ah, it really is." Wu Lulu looked down at the baguette in her hand, weighed it a couple of times with a surprised expression, "It was so easy to handle, I didn't even notice it."

Xu Zhou used the strands of his true words to roll the bone-chopping knife over. Seeing that its attributes were not much different from those of the village good knife, he casually tucked it into his waistband. In case the short knife got dull, at least he would have a tool for emergencies.

Xu Zhou squatted down beside the chef and carefully searched the room but found nothing useful. He then walked to the ravenous corpse of the maid next to him and held his breath as he carefully searched her body.

Wu Lulu stood to the side, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself. Clearly, she was not used to touching corpses, so she simply turned around and searched for props elsewhere.

"what?"

From a hidden pocket close to the maid's body, Xu Zhou actually pulled out a clean little piece of paper. Unfolding it, a line of writing came into view.

—Once you get the gold chain, wait for me in the women's restroom at the far left end of the corridor leading to the old butler's bedroom. I've discovered a secret passage leading directly to the treasure vault. Sisters, we're going to be rich! All the waiting will be worth it!

This statement came out of nowhere, leaving him completely confused, but a vague guess began to form in his mind.

"Let's go find the Countess." Xu Zhou casually put the note into his pocket and headed for the exit.

Wu Lulu didn't find anything of value. She glanced at the already dead chef, then said "Oh" and quickly followed.

Xu Zhou walked ahead, his mind already on the next move.

Since the chef is the boss of the challenge for gourmets, then which NPC is the source of clues for the treasure hunter?

It's definitely not a guard, there's a certain probability it's a maid, and as for the butler... well, that depends on how loyal he is to the Earl.

Perhaps because he didn't outwardly show any sign of thinking, Wu Lulu next to him was like a chattering little sparrow, bombarding him with questions one after another.

"Hey, you little bastard boss, how did you manage to bring the iron golem in here?"

"Hey boss, how did you know you could exchange gold coins for things?"

"Boss, why can't I open this box? I have a feeling there's a relic hidden inside!"

Xu Zhou stopped and resisted the urge to flick her head, then took the box from her.

【Creation: Treasure Blind Boxes】

[Note: These are challenge level mission items; you can unlock them once you meet the requirements.]

"If a single gold coin can be exchanged for a relic, that would be far too easy. We would have to help the chef solve the root cause of his mutation before we could truly receive this reward," Xu Zhou explained.

"Wow, as expected of the boss!"

Wu Lulu leaned forward, sticking out her buttocks, her tail swishing excitedly behind her, looking as if she were worshipping.

The girl before me had clear, bright eyes, a delicate nose, and a pretty face. Her short, light blue hair was tied into a neat side ponytail. She had a slender and graceful figure, and her spirit was palpable. She was full of youthful energy, innocent and carefree, bright and pure, just like an apple blossom in early spring.

She leaned so close that Xu Zhou could clearly smell the faint fruity scent emanating from her, causing his mind to momentarily go blank.

Seeing Xu Zhou suddenly freeze, Wu Lulu subtly twitched her nose, a hint of shyness rising in her eyes. She immediately straightened up, crossed her arms, and glanced at him sideways.

"Hey boss, what kind of crooked scheme are you up to now?"

"You can't hide anything from you." Xu Zhou smiled awkwardly, taking out the captured necklace from his pocket. "Actually, I wanted to ask you for a favor."

His idea was simple: to use the effects of this relic to absorb some mystical energy from Wu Lulu.

After all, he is not a superhuman and cannot recover his energy on his own; he can only rely on external forces.

However, when Xu Zhou explained the full effects of the [Succubus's Command Necklace] and stated his needs, Wu Lulu retreated several steps as if she had been stepped on, pressing herself against the wall behind her, her hands almost leaving afterimages as she shook them.

"No, no, no! Absolutely not!!"

"Huh? I really just want to absorb a little bit of mystical energy, I won't do anything else." Xu Zhou tried to persuade him, softening his tone even more, "Please help me out one more time, Boss Wu Lulu~"

But Wu Lulu's attitude was exceptionally tough. Her cheeks turned bright red, her head kept shaking from side to side, and her tail was tightly tucked between her legs, clearly showing her resistance.

"It has nothing to do with that! No means no!!"