Chapter 236: Chapter 236: Shadow’s Greeting

Naturally, Shen Yan wanted to be in the same group as Xu Qingsui, but Lu Jingyu called the shots here and certainly wasn’t going to let him get his way. Left with no choice, Shen Yan could only follow the team Lu Jingyu had assigned him to, reluctantly looking back over his shoulder with every step he took.

Watching the various teams disperse, Xu Qingsui’s gaze lingered on the backs of a few specific members, her brow furrowing slightly.

Lu Jingyu noticed her expression. "What’s wrong?" he asked.

Xu Qingsui glanced at him, then looked back in the direction those people had gone, but they had already vanished from sight. Frowning, she slowly shook her head at the empty corridor.

"I don’t know why, but I feel like something is off. I just can’t put my finger on what it is.

"Forget it. Time is tight, so let’s not waste it on things we can’t figure out right now. We should get moving, too!"

Right now, every second counted. With things being so urgent, they really couldn’t afford to delay any longer. Xu Qingsui had no choice but to push her doubts to the back of her mind and focus on the present.

Lu Jingyu nodded and immediately led Xu Qingsui forward.

Admittedly, he had been a bit selfish—their "team" consisted solely of him and Xu Qingsui. The two of them walked all the way to the end of the castle corridor, arriving in a room that resembled a living room. The decor exuded luxury, fully furnished with every kind of piece imaginable. But this only made them more confused. Why was there a castle here in the first place?

It was understandable that the Mermaids had mutated, considering Shen Yan had once used this place as a Mermaid laboratory. But what was the deal with this castle? Could it be that the Spiritual Power of these Mermaids was so strong that they had developed a desire to enjoy life? Or perhaps, just like in a fairy tale, there was a Mermaid Princess living inside?

No one could give them the answers. They could only harbor their suspicions and keep working. Although the living room was large and cluttered with furniture, the field of vision was wide open. A quick glance didn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary. Promptly, the two prepared to head up to the second floor.

As they approached the staircase, Xu Qingsui suddenly stopped in her tracks. She stared down at her feet in silence. Lu Jingyu reached back to help her, only to realize she was standing completely motionless.

"Qing Sui?" Lu Jingyu called out softly, but she didn’t respond.

Lu Jingyu’s heart dropped, and he dashed over in a flash. A Spiritual Attack was different from a physical one—it struck invisibly. He was worried Xu Qingsui had fallen prey to one again.

"Qing Sui, are you..." Rushing to her side, Lu Jingyu pulled her firmly into his arms. The words of concern were on the tip of his tongue, but when he met her clear, lucid gaze, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"I’m fine. I just noticed..." Being suddenly pulled into Lu Jingyu’s arms had given Xu Qingsui quite a fright. But remembering what she had found, she hurriedly pushed him away, wanting to tell him about her discovery. However, when she looked back down at the floor, the strange phenomenon she had just seen was gone.

Seeing this, Xu Qingsui frowned again, unable to hide her disappointment. It was frustrating to finally find a clue only for it to vanish just like that.

Noticing the shift in her expression, Lu Jingyu realized he might have messed up. He couldn’t help but feel guilty. "Did I interrupt you? Is the clue gone?"

When had Lu Jingyu ever shown such guilt in front of anyone else? Taking it in, Xu Qingsui knew he was just worried about her. He meant well, even if he had made a mistake, so she couldn’t bear to blame him.

"Don’t blame yourself. I know you were worried about me. If the clue is gone, we’ll just have to look for it again. It’s no big deal."

Time was of the essence. Having to start over after finally finding a clue was something even Lu Jingyu found hard to accept. But what was done was done, and he couldn’t turn back time, so he simply gave a guilty nod.

"What did you see just now? Maybe we can follow the trail and pick up the clue again," Lu Jingyu said, trying to make amends.

At his question, Xu Qingsui looked down at her feet again, a thoughtful glint in her eyes.

"I accidentally glanced at my feet just now and noticed my shadow looked a bit strange. I stared at it for a moment and realized it was actually moving.

"Do you know what I mean? I was perfectly still, but my shadow was moving. It raised its hand and waved at me, as if it were saying hello!"

Xu Qingsui described the scene, astonishment filling her eyes again as if the moment were replaying right in front of her.

She spoke casually, but her words struck a chord with the listener. Lu Jingyu’s blood ran cold.

"Do you remember the second rule?"

His words hit her like a bolt of lightning. Xu Qingsui shuddered and quickly looked at him with immense gratitude.

"It seems I really ought to thank you. If you hadn’t rushed over just now, I have no idea what might have happened!"

Forgetfulness was a common human flaw. When encountering something bizarre, the brain easily got distracted, making it even more susceptible to forgetting crucial details. She had been so focused on watching her shadow wave at her that she had momentarily forgotten the second rule!

The rule explicitly stated that if someone beneath her feet greeted her, she absolutely must not make eye contact with them!

When she first saw this rule, she hadn’t quite understood it. How could there be someone beneath her feet? But now she finally understood! In a certain sense, wasn’t a person’s shadow considered a person, too? And her shadow waving at her just now was exactly the same as a person beneath her feet greeting her! She had been completely captivated by the sight. Had she looked any longer, she inevitably would have made eye contact with her shadow.

If they had truly locked eyes, she would have violated the instance’s rules. She couldn’t even imagine what would have happened next. Figuring out what she had just narrowly avoided, Xu Qingsui broke out in a cold sweat. Looking at Lu Jingyu again, her eyes held nothing but profound gratitude.

"You really don’t need to feel guilty anymore, because you just saved my life! We can always find more clues, but if I break the instance rules, whatever consequences follow will be entirely out of our hands."

Despite her earlier reassurances, Lu Jingyu had still felt guilty. But knowing that he had inadvertently saved her, the heavy stone pressing down on his heart was finally lifted. Moreover, he didn’t dare imagine what would have happened if she had actually broken the instance rules. According to his past experience, anyone who broke the rules never left an instance alive. Which meant that just moments ago, Xu Qingsui had been teetering on the edge of life and death.

A chill ran down his spine, and the hairs on his arms stood on end. This instance was different from the ones before. Danger lurked in the unseen, and Xu Qingsui had already fallen for its traps time and time again. For a moment, he regretted bringing her into this instance.

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