A bizarre and terrifying experience; I messed up the dungeon world.

Zhou Lang nodded and continued, "And then?"

"He needs servants," the man said. "Living servants."

Why?

"Because living people have life force," the man said. "Ghosts need life force to keep this world running."

"So all the servants will die?" Zhou Lang asked.

"Yes," the man said, "their life force will be drained away little by little until they die."

Zhou Lang remained silent for a while.

This explains why the wages at the manor are so high.

Because the price of this job is your life.

"Is there any way to survive?" he asked.

"Yes," the man said, "to become a ghost."

"What do you mean?"

"If you can become a ghost before your life force runs out, you can stay in the manor and become the master's servant," the man said. "That's how I survived."

Zhou Lang looked at the man in the oil painting.

"Are you the former housekeeper?" he asked.

"Yes," the man said. "My name is Zhang Liang, and I am the first steward of this manor."

"What about that butler who killed the housekeeper?" Zhou Lang asked.

"This is the tenth steward," Zhang Liang said. "Each steward is chosen from among the servants."

Zhou Lang understood.

The manor operates on a simple model: hire living servants, absorb their life force, and when the servants are about to die, select suitable individuals to become ghosts and become new stewards or other positions.

Back and forth.

"And where is the master?" Zhou Lang asked. "Where is he?"

"He's deep inside the manor," Zhang Liang said, "but you won't see him."

Why?

"Because only the dead can see him," Zhang Liang said. "A living person who sees him will die instantly."

Zhou Lang stroked his chin.

So, to clear this dungeon, you must find the master and kill him.

But the master is in the deepest part of the manor; anyone who goes there will die.

"It's a bit of a hassle," he said.

"It's more than just troublesome," Zhang Liang said. "This is an impossible task."

Zhou Lang didn't respond.

He didn't think it was impossible.

Since it's a game instance, there must be a way to clear it.

It's just that we haven't found it yet.

"What is your purpose in telling me all this?" he asked Zhang Liang.

"I'd like to ask you for a favor," Zhang Liang said.

"What kind of help?"

"Take me away from here," Zhang Liang said. "I've been trapped in this painting for a hundred years."

Zhou Lang looked at the oil painting and asked, "How should I bring it?"

"Burn this painting," Zhang Liang said, "but burn it outside the manor, not inside."

Why?

"Because even if the manor burns down, I'll still be caught and brought back by the master," Zhang Liang said. "Only if the manor burns down outside will I be truly free."

Zhou Lang thought for a moment.

"What benefits can you offer me?" he asked.

Zhang Liang smiled.

"I can tell you how to kill your master," he said.

Zhou Lang's eyes lit up.

"Deal," he said.

Zhang Liang's voice echoed in the room.

"To kill your master, you must first find his weakness," he said.

"What weakness?" Zhou Lang asked.

"His heart," Zhang Liang said, "is not inside the master's body, but hidden somewhere in the manor."

Zhou Lang frowned.

This setup sounds familiar.

"So if we find the heart and destroy it, the owner will die?" he asked.

"Yes," Zhang Liang said, "but the heart is very difficult to find."

"Any clues?"

"Yes," Zhang Liang said, "the heart is hidden in what the master cherishes most."

Zhou Lang waited a few seconds and realized that Zhang Liang was not going to say anything more.

"That's it?" he asked.

"That's all," Zhang Liang said. "That's all I know."

Zhou Lang was somewhat dissatisfied.

The clues are too vague.

The manor is so big, the owner probably cherishes many things. Searching for them one by one, who knows how long it would take.

"You've been here for a hundred years, haven't you discovered anything else?" he asked.

"I've been trapped inside the painting, so my knowledge is limited," Zhang Liang said. "But I can give you a suggestion."

"explain."

"Go find the master's room," Zhang Liang said. "There must be clues in his room."

"Where is the master's room?"

"The innermost room on the third floor of the manor," Zhang Liang said, "but it's very dangerous there; many ghosts guard it."

Zhou Lang nodded.

He had already been to the third floor and knew that it was indeed full of ghosts.

"Is there anything else I should be aware of?" he asked.

"Yes," Zhang Liang said. "Never stay in the corridor after midnight."

Why?

"Because midnight is when the owner patrols the manor," Zhang Liang said. "He'll walk around the manor, checking every room. If he finds anyone wandering around outside..."

He paused.

"You will die a horrible death."

Zhou Lang glanced at his watch.

It's 10:30 PM now.

There's still an hour and a half left.

"That's enough," he said.

He walked up to the oil painting and reached out to tear it apart.

"Wait!" Zhang Liang exclaimed anxiously, "What are you doing?"

"I'll take you away," Zhou Lang said. "Weren't we going to take the painting out of here?"

"Yes, but not now!" Zhang Liang said. "If you tear it off now, the ghosts in the manor will find out."

Zhou Lang stopped what he was doing.

"When?"

"Once you find the heart and kill the master," Zhang Liang said, "the manor's power will weaken, and I'll be able to leave safely."

Zhou Lang thought about it and felt it made sense.

"Okay," he said. "Then I'll head back now."

"Wait a minute," Zhang Liang called out to him, "There's something else I need to remind you of."

"What?"

"The butler is monitoring you," Zhang Liang said. "He's noticed you're acting strangely."

Zhou Lang raised an eyebrow.

"so what?"

"So you have to be careful," Zhang Liang said. "The butler is the master's most trusted subordinate. If he finds out you're investigating the manor's secrets, he'll kill you on the spot."

"Can he kill me?" Zhou Lang asked.

Zhang Liang remained silent for a while.

"I don't know," he said, "but I advise you not to try."

Zhou Lang didn't say anything more and turned to walk out.

Zhao Qiang and Han Yingying followed closely behind him.

The three left the room and returned the way they came.

On the way, Zhao Qiang whispered, "Brother, are you really going to kill that master?"

"Otherwise what?" Zhou Lang said, "You have to clear the dungeon eventually."

"But..." Zhao Qiang said with some worry, "It sounds like it's very dangerous."

"It is indeed dangerous," Zhou Lang said, "but there's no other way."

He thought for a moment and then said, "But it's not entirely without a chance."

"What opportunity?"

"I now have the abilities of the Bandaged Ghost," Zhou Lang said. "Although I don't know if I can deal with my master, I can at least give it a try."

Zhao Qiang listened and then remained silent.

He knew Zhou Lang's personality.

Once a decision is made, it will not be changed.

The three returned to the lobby on the first floor.

The hall was still empty, but Zhou Lang could sense that many ghosts were watching them.

"Go back to your room," he said.

The three of them returned to their respective rooms.

Zhou Lang closed the door and sat on the bed.