Chapter 46: The Eerie Stone House (1)

The young guard dropped to his knees with a heavy thud, his entire body trembling violently into a huddled mess, completely unable to utter a single word.

Steward Qin felt a mounting sense of foreboding in his heart and snapped at the guard, "My lord is asking you a question! Out with it already!"

The trembling guard stammered for a long while without managing to string together a complete sentence, bearing no resemblance whatsoever to the person who had been chatting so smoothly with Chang Geyue just moments ago.

Feng Shang let out a cold snort, his eyes brimming with utter impatience. They had searched the entire estate from top to bottom, yet that woman was still nowhere to be found! Could she possibly have flown up to the heavens or burrowed into the earth?

Naturally, Feng Shang did not believe Chang Geyue possessed any such extraordinary abilities; the only explanation was the utter incompetence of this pack of good-for-nothings. "Drag him out, and beat him until he learns how to speak!"

The shadow guards at Feng Shang's side immediately acknowledged the command, hoisting the young guard into the air, and an instant later, heart-rending screams echoed from beyond the courtyard.

Steward Qin felt not a shred of pity for the young guard. When the Prince asked a question, failing to give a clear answer meant that even if this were not the Nine Gardens of Mobei, they still had no use for useless people.

The agonizing wails echoing from outside made the remaining kneeling guards even more terrified. Feng Shang let out a muffled grunt and rose straight to his feet. "Are you certain the entire Nine Gardens has been searched?"

Steward Qin was just about to nod when he suddenly jerked his head up, meeting Feng Shang's deep, gloomy eyes. "There is still..."

Feng Shang sneered. "Have you checked the Stone Garden?" The Stone Garden bore a pleasant name, but it was far from a pleasant place.

To outsiders, the Nine Gardens appeared to be nothing more than the residence of a wealthy merchant family, so naturally, no dungeons could be established here. However, the Stone Garden was a genuine place of imprisonment.

Steward Qin slapped his forehead. "Reporting to my lord, this subordinate was derelict in his duty—the Stone Garden has indeed not been searched."

The Stone Garden was entirely unmanned, yet it possessed unique and intricate formations. Entering was easy, but escaping was difficult. If the petty thief the Prince was hunting had truly entered the Stone Garden, she was simply courting death!

Feng Shang narrowed his eyes slightly, a murky darkness lurking within them. He let out a cold hum. "Let us go."

Qin Qi hesitated for a moment before speaking, "My lord, the ones currently locked inside the Stone Garden are those people... If you go over there now, would it be wise... Furthermore, the sun is about to set, and your condition..."

Qin Qi's words were veiled in secrecy, yet they coincided precisely with what Steward Qin was thinking. Anxious, Steward Qin also chimed in, "My lord, the Stone Garden is a place of no return. If that thief has truly entered it, this subordinate can simply go in and drag her out."

Although Steward Qin was already past forty, his sixty years' worth of martial cultivation was nothing to scoff at.

Feng Shang's stern expression did not soften in the slightest. "The full moon is still a long way off. Even if it truly were the night of the full moon, am I to be confined to the house!" What an absolute joke!

Steward Qin and the others clenched their teeth slightly. The Prince's strength went without saying, but this upcoming full moon was a once-in-a-decade grand convergence!

***

After parting ways with the young guard, Chang Geyue had followed the sounds she heard and casually wandered into a courtyard named the Stone Garden. Yet, the moment she stepped inside, she discovered the eerie and bizarre nature of this place.

From the outside, the Stone Garden appeared to be a massive estate with at least three compounds and multiple courtyards. However, once inside, Chang Geyue made the tragic discovery that there was only one main hall and two wing rooms, and to make matters even worse, she found herself lost!

Lost?!

In a place where she could see from one end to the other at a single glance, she could not find a way out!

Chang Geyue curled her lips in displeasure, yet at this point, she had no choice but to follow the direction of the sounds.

However, after searching the main hall and the wing rooms from top to bottom, she still failed to catch sight of a single person.

Chang Geyue furrowed her brows slightly, carefully scrutinizing every blade of grass and tree in her surroundings.