I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

"How can you have the energy to conduct investigations if you're not well-fed?"

Lu Ban answered as a matter of course.

They ate for a while, when suddenly, a series of hurried and heavy footsteps came from the corridor outside the door.

"I want to leave here! I want to leave!"

Before he even saw the person, Lu Ban heard the rich woman's voice.

bang——

The door was pushed open, and Lu Ban saw Browning's daughter, Emma, ​​barge into the restaurant with her hair disheveled.

Chapter 624 Stormy Manor

Emma's makeup was a bit smudged, making her look very haggard. She stormed into the restaurant in a somewhat hysterical manner, wailing.

"This place is too dangerous, I need to get out of here immediately. There are dead bodies here, oh my god... Uh, what are you doing?"

She noticed the three people eating heartily, and her expression froze.

"Of course we're eating."

Lu Ban answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and pushed the plate next to him away.

Would you like a couple of bites?

"……No."

Emma was momentarily stunned by Lu Ban's matter-of-fact attitude, then asked a question.

"How can you still eat? People are already dying here. There might really be some monster in this house, and you'll be next!"

She looked anxiously at every corner of the room, fearing that some monster might suddenly crawl out from the corner and devour her alive.

"We won't have the strength to investigate cases if we don't eat our fill, and we can't leave now either."

Stone put the cut steak into his mouth and pointed outside the restaurant at the escalating storm.

"The road down the mountain has been washed away by the mudslide, and even the power lines and telephone lines are cut off. Haven't you noticed that there aren't even any lights now, and we can only use candles?"

Reminded by Stone's words, Emma quickly looked out the window.

It was already night, and it was pitch black outside the window. She could only see the swaying trees nearby, and the road that had been washed away by the mudslide in the distance had been hidden in the night. She hadn't seen it with her own eyes and was still a little incredulous. She went to the telephone in the restaurant, picked up the receiver, and waited until there was silence on the other end of the line before Emma finally accepted the fact.

"Are we really stuck?"

Emma asked Stone, and all that remained of his initial aggressive demeanor was weakness, pitifulness, and helplessness.

"Don't worry, Ms. Emma, ​​I have an agreement with Sheriff Holler. If I don't contact him regularly, he will bring his men up the mountain. If all goes well, we should see that respectable and responsible sheriff tomorrow morning."

Stone replied that he had finished eating and was wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"Really? That's great."

Emma suddenly felt relieved. She didn't seem as resistant to the arrival of the police as Rum; on the contrary, she was excited about her impending freedom.

"But with such heavy rain, how will the sheriff and the others get here in time?"

The woman looked out the window with concern and asked.

"Don't worry."

Stone seemed unconcerned about the storm raging outside the window.

Seeing this, Emma didn't ask any further questions. Since everyone seemed calm, wouldn't it be uncultured for her to be the only one here, anxious like an ant on a hot pan?

She didn't see the body with her own eyes, only heard the servant's announcement, so she wasn't as distraught as Rum.

Rum glanced at his sister, feeling that the family could only rely on him. The image of God's corpse was unforgettable; whenever he closed his eyes, the twisted and ferocious expression of God with his abdomen ripped out would appear.

He might even see his stomach being torn apart by that indescribable monster, its yellowed teeth tearing open his abdomen, pulling out his intestines, and devouring them clean.

No, I shouldn't be like this.

Rum felt a little strange.

He was perfectly calm when handling business at his home company, but after seeing Gao De's body, he couldn't calm down at all. He became agitated and did many things he would never have done before.

It's as if you've become a puppet of your emotions, dominated by fear and cowardice, and no longer like yourself.

At that moment, Rum felt as if someone was whispering in his ear. The whisper made him anxious, and his inner fear gradually took over his will, making him impulsive and irritable, lacking calm thinking.

谷赝

"They just want to take your property; those things rightfully belong to you!"

“Look at that detective, he’s after your father’s inheritance, you must get rid of them as soon as possible!”

"That stupid woman, she only gives money to those gigolos, you must kick her out of the house!"

"It would be best if that muscle-bound, simple-minded guy died. He deserved it, he was the one who got what he deserved!"

"You have to find that thing before the police arrive, you have to find that thing before that crazy charlatan comes."

These murmurs echoed in Rum's ears, the voice like his own inner voice, repeating itself over and over, engraved into his mind, as if his spirit would collapse if he didn't.

It felt strange, yet everything seemed perfectly natural.

He could only conclude that his own greedy desires had overwhelmed his reason.

Rum was wary of Stone's pistol, and he didn't know what to do. He couldn't possibly kill them before the police arrived tomorrow, could he?

No, no, no, what am I thinking?

Rum turned his face away; he felt he had become really strange.

Where is Ms. Lily?

Stone suddenly asked.

"She's feeling unwell and is resting in her room. She's being looked after by a maid, so there's no need to worry."

The old butler said.

“It seems that Master Byron won’t be able to come either. We’d better stay in nearby rooms tonight so we can help each other if there are any problems.”

Stone said.

"What's the problem?"

Emma didn't react for a moment.

"It is the murderer, Ms. Emma, ​​who killed Mr. Gao De. Whether it is a human or a monster, it must still be in this manor. No one can guarantee that it came only to kill Mr. Gao De. According to my speculation, its target should be the legacy of the Crane Cry Taoist, because I found that Mr. Gao De possessed books related to the Crane Cry Taoist."

Stone showed off his copy of "Crane's Cry Notes".

"At least Mr. Gao De did not come here simply to commemorate Mr. Browning. He once acted as an intermediary to sell this house to Mr. Browning, and he should also know about the Crane Cry Taoist. This time, he came to Stormy Manor just to get a share of the profits."

"He actually..."

Rum looked incredulous.

Emma, ​​on the other hand, didn't seem to have much of an opinion on what Stone said. She was just a little lost, a little scared and afraid. She sat on the sofa, holding a wine glass in her hand, but didn't drink the red wine in it.

The group stayed in the restaurant until nightfall. Emma was the first to give up. She yawned and was led by the old butler to the next room to rest.

Rum smoked two cigarettes, hesitated for a moment, and eventually left the restaurant.

Apart from the servants, only three chosen ones remained.

The storm outside the window continued to rage. Stone lit the tobacco in his pipe and looked out the window intently. In the forest illuminated by the lightning and thunder, shadows seemed to be stirring.

"Speaking of which, given the current weather conditions, is it really possible for the police to come?"

Lu Ban asked in a low voice, full of curiosity.

"Of course not."

Stone answered matter-of-factly.

"I was lying to them."

Chapter 625 Enlargement

In mystery fiction, "snow-covered mansion" is a term with a specific meaning, usually referring to a case where a snowstorm has blocked transportation and communication, forcing the search for the murderer in a confined environment.

At the same time, in the classic style of the snow-covered mansion case, there will definitely be a murderer, and it will be a serial murder case to put pressure on the detective. The murderer will also inevitably be someone from the mansion rather than an outsider.

At this moment, the condition of Stormy Mountain Villa clearly meets these requirements.

However, Lu Ban and the others' goal was not to find the murderer, but to survive until the end of the night of summoning souls.

“I did mention regular contact to the sheriff, but they want to confirm that I’ve lost contact, at least until tomorrow morning. The storms around Stormy Mountain Villa are extremely strong, and the police cars won’t be able to repair the roads and come to our aid anytime soon. I think that by the time the night of the summoning is over and our mission is complete, even those police officers might not be able to climb up.”

Stone said quietly.

"The efficiency of the police in the ruined capital is too low. It's better to rely on Daoist Heming himself than to rely on them."

"Then what you just said..."

Xia was puzzled. Since the police couldn't arrive by tomorrow morning, Stone's words would only have some effect tonight and would be exposed first thing tomorrow morning. Why did he say that?

"The person who killed Gao De was definitely after He Ming Dao Ren's legacy. But if the police come, his goal will be thwarted. So, knowing that the police will be arriving tomorrow, what will he do?"

A bolt of lightning struck, illuminating Stone's profile with a silvery flash. Half of his face was hidden in darkness, while the other half was illuminated by the lightning, creating a striking contrast.

"You mean the murderer will continue committing crimes, trying to find the Crane Cry Taoist's legacy before the police arrive?"

Sia speculated.

"Yes."

Stone nodded.

"But in that case, the servants or Ms. Lily could very well become the murderer's targets."

Xia felt a vague unease.

That's not the point.

Stone replied.

"The key question is, why did he kill him?"