Volume One, Chapter 96: Winning the Prize

Jin Feng blew warm breath into his hands, squared his shoulders, and went to register his information. Then he stepped onto the stage, gripped the handle of the prize wheel with both hands, and gave it two hard turns. The little balls inside began rattling and rolling about.

Soon, one ball fell out. Jin Feng picked it up at once. Unlike the person before him, he did not jump around in excitement or start pleading with heaven and earth. He simply twisted the ball open.

Congratulations, you have won a prize!

Jin Feng had won.

A chorus of groans rose from the surrounding tourists. Someone had won, which meant the rest of them no longer had any chance.

“If I had known, I would have gone up and drawn earlier. I stood here hesitating for so long—what was I even hesitating for? The chance is gone just like that.”

“Forget it. The tickets here are cheap enough anyway. I’ll come back when I have time.”

“Exactly. It’s only a meal, isn’t it? It’s not as if I can’t afford to eat it myself.”

“That’s hard to say. Everyone who has eaten there later said the banquet was very expensive, and they really couldn’t bear to pay for it themselves.”

Listening to the chatter around her, Chi Xingwan found herself growing more and more interested in this amusement park.

Over there, Jin Feng had already come back with the prize voucher.

“I asked about it. They said it can only be used at noon. The amusement park doesn’t open at night.”

Xue Cheng said, “That’s right. That’s one of this amusement park’s special features too. It doesn’t stay open at night.”

“Why not?” Chu Fangfei asked. “Most amusement parks would love to stay open all night. Throw in a light show after dark, and it would be even more attractive than during the day.”

“I thought so too, but later I heard it’s because this place takes a horror route. It’s already scary enough in broad daylight. If they stayed open at night too, something might happen.”

“I see,” Chu Fangfei said.

But Jin Feng disagreed. “How scary can it be? This boss really doesn’t know how to make money. Put up a few more high-powered lights, and everything terrifying will vanish before the light.”

“Senior Brother, you talk as if you’re so good at making money. You’re only a courier, so stop criticizing a big boss.”

Hearing that, Xue Cheng sighed. “So Fellow Daoist Jin works as a courier. To be honest, I’ve recently been thinking about changing jobs too. I’m more interested in food delivery. It’s freer. Unlike now, when I still have to ask the company for leave whenever I get a task, and I even get docked pay.”

Jin Feng was inspired. “Why didn’t I think of that? Delivering takeout is much freer than delivering packages. Lately I’ve been taking on so many tasks that my senior brothers and sisters in the sect who cover for me are all seething with resentment.”

The four of them chatted idly, and at last noon arrived.

When they returned to the castle, Jin Feng took the prize voucher to claim the reward. Very soon, someone came out to lead them inside.

Chi Xingwan lowered her voice. “Conceal the spiritual energy on your bodies. Make yourselves ordinary people.”

The three of them immediately did as she said, while their nerves tightened. Since Chi Xingwan had said so, there was surely something wrong with this castle.

The dining area was in the restaurant on the first floor of the castle. As the online reviews had described, the decor was in a European style, very much like a medieval nobleman’s castle.

The four of them were seated at a long table. As the winner, Jin Feng sat in the middle, with Xue Cheng to his left and Chi Xingwan and Chu Fangfei to his right.

Servants brought out dish after dish. A middle-aged man dressed as a butler stood beside Jin Feng introducing the courses, calling him young master at every turn. Even though Jin Feng knew there was something wrong here, he still found it almost unbearable. As for the other prize winners, it was easy to imagine how they felt.

Once the food had been served, no one picked up their utensils. They were all secretly watching Chi Xingwan.

The butler asked, “Young masters and young ladies, what is the matter? Are the dishes not to your liking? We can have the kitchen prepare something else.”

Chi Xingwan picked up her knife and fork, cut a piece from the steak, and put it into her mouth. Only after swallowing did she say, “No. It suits our tastes very well.”

That meant the food was fine. Jin Feng and the other two finally picked up their knives and forks and began eating as well.

It had to be said that the food here was truly delicious, and the service was genuinely excellent. No wonder people found it so hard to leave.

After the meal, Chi Xingwan asked, “May we take a look around the castle?”

The butler smiled. “Of course. However, only the first floor is open to guests. The floors above are the owner’s private living quarters, and outsiders may not enter.”

Chi Xingwan still smiled. “What about the basement? May we go there?”

The butler’s expression changed, then quickly returned to normal. “Miss, you must be joking. We do not have a basement.”

Chi Xingwan shrugged. “Oh, so there isn’t one. I thought European castles all had basements. I assumed yours would too.”

The butler visibly relaxed. Once again wearing his professional smile, he said, “We are merely modeled after a European castle. There is no basement, but there are many places worth seeing on the first floor.”

The first floor of the old castle had an art studio, an exhibition hall, and a huge sunroom filled with all kinds of rare and precious flowers. Just walking through it once was enough to make anyone feel they had seen something extraordinary.

As the four of them wandered about with the butler, on the top floor of the castle a man stood before a small fountain. In the basin of water, the four guests on the first floor were displayed as if reflected there.

The man had been watching for quite some time and still had not received any instructions. Seeing that the four guests had already completed a circuit of the sunroom and were about to leave, he could not help asking, “My lord, is there anyone among these people whom you favor?”

After a while, he finally heard an answer.

A voice, neither clearly male nor female, descended from above and said, “All of them.”

The man felt somewhat surprised, not only because it was rare for every guest to be chosen, but also because he had actually heard a trace of hesitation in that lordly voice.

But that was not his concern. He only needed to carry out the order properly.

He picked up his phone and called the butler.

The butler hung up and said to the four of them, “Everyone, today’s reward event has officially come to an end. Please wait in the hall for a moment. Our boss still has one more gift to present to you all.”

He led the four of them to the hall and said, “I am very sorry, but this gift requires some time to prepare. Please wait a little longer.”

Then he left, and in the vast hall, only the four of them remained.

Chu Fangfei yawned. “So sleepy.”

Jin Feng yawned as well. “Who told you to go to bed so late last night?”

“I was keeping Lele company. She couldn’t really sleep.”

Watching the two of them yawn in turns, Xue Cheng also began to feel a little sleepy. How strange. He was usually full of energy. Could it be that he really was getting old?

“Why isn’t it here yet?” Chu Fangfei was drowsy with sleep.

Jin Feng said, “Maybe we should forget about the gift and leave.”

Though he said that, he remained sunk into the sofa without moving at all, looking thoroughly exhausted.

Xue Cheng was the same. His head kept drooping, and his eyelids were nearly too heavy to open.

Chi Xingwan glanced left and right. Watching the three of them gradually fall unconscious, she felt she ought to faint as well.

So she tilted her head, closed her eyes, and lay down.