The first person said that the lord was a brave and skilled warrior, and as far as the eye could see, all the land and slaves belonged to him.

But on his way here, he saw slaves gathered together in the distance, their faces gaunt and their movements suspicious, truly disgracing the lord.

The treasure he offered could make these hateful slaves disappear from the lord's sight.

The second person said that on his way here, he heard many slaves discussing the lord in private, saying some very unpleasant things. Surely, the lord was also deeply troubled by this.

The treasure he offered could spare the lord from the worries of rumors.

The third person shook his head and continued, saying that this was not enough, and even when inside the castle, one could still sense the filthy aura emanating from the slaves.

And the treasure he offered could allow the lord to completely ignore those slaves who reeked of death.

The lord's son was very pleased and kept them by his side.

From then on, the three served as the most loyal guards, forever protecting the lord.

The story ends here.

"That's it?" Gao Yan asked.

"That's it."

The fatty stroked his chin and said, "That's a strange story."

Shen Mengyun hesitated for a moment, her expression odd as she said, "This doesn't seem like a simple story, more like..." She paused, looking as if she was searching for the right adjective in her mind.

"More like a fable," Jiang Cheng said calmly, looking at Shen Mengyun's profile.

Hearing this, a light flashed in Shen Mengyun's eyes, "That's right, that's what I felt too. There aren't any specific people, times, or places in this story."

The current situation was very clear: the way out of the library tonight was hidden in this fable.

If they could decipher it, they would have a chance to survive.

But just as everyone was thinking, suddenly, a crisp click came from the lock on the library door, unusually clear in the silent environment.

The next second, the door actually opened.

Not completely, but just ajar, leaving a gap wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways.

Huai Yi quickly glanced at his phone, then looked up and said, "Exactly 12 o'clock."

Jiang Cheng took a breath and looked at the half-opened library door. The mission had begun...

Entering was smooth, except for the fatty, who had some trouble. He got stuck in the doorway. Huai Yi pushed from the outside, Jiang Cheng pulled from the inside, and they finally got him through.

The fatty rubbed his reddened arm, looking a little embarrassed, and said, "Believe me, when I get back this time, I'll definitely..."

"Shhh—" Shen Mengyun gestured for silence.

They were on the first floor of the library. The feeling they got here was similar to that of the medical building and the abandoned sports field. The entire library was enveloped in a gray, dim atmosphere.

As if a filter had been added.

Although there were no lights, upon closer inspection, they could still see some things.

But further away, there were only blurry outlines.

The fatty had been here with Jiang Cheng during the day, but the night felt completely different from the day.

At night, especially at midnight, the library was empty, and in the distance were black shadows of unknown origin.

Looking at them for too long, it felt like the shadows were alive and could move at any moment.

Gao Yan carefully looked around, then turned his head to look at Jiang Cheng, lowering his voice, "Brother Jiang, what do we do next?"

He was sure that Jiang Cheng hadn't told them everything about the situation, because he wouldn't have done so either if he were in Jiang Cheng's shoes.

"Brother Gao, don't overthink it," Jiang Cheng said, glancing at him calmly. "I know the same information as you."

While dealing with the sly old fox that was Gao Yan, Jiang Cheng also felt an indescribable sense of unease.

He had been here during the day, right on this floor.

He remembered some of the arrangements and didn't notice any changes.

But... why did he feel a sense of unfamiliarity?

He was sure that something had changed nearby, but he hadn't found it yet.

His eyes slowly scanned the surroundings, and a faint light flickered in his eyes. What was different...?

Wang Qi took a few steps in one direction to a table with a black notebook on it. When opened, it revealed a list of blurry names.

It looked like the registration form they had seen before.

But what really attracted everyone's attention was the object placed on the other side of the table.

It was... an hourglass.

A black one.

Slightly larger than the ones they usually saw.

The outer shell looked like wood, but it felt much heavier than expected.

The texture was also strange.

The wooden shell was pitted and uneven, as if it were quite old.

Jiang Cheng took the hourglass and examined it carefully in his hands.

At first glance, the hourglass was unremarkable, but upon closer inspection, one could see that it was exquisitely crafted, with a hollowed-out design on the bottom and silver-wrapped corners.

It had just been heavily worn by the passage of time.

All in all, the hourglass seemed out of place being casually placed here. Given its style, it should be displayed in a museum or something similar.

As he thought of the word "museum," Jiang Cheng's finger felt a prick, and with a slight movement, the hourglass turned over.

Then fine sand began to trickle down through the connecting point in the middle.

Before anyone could react, they heard a strange noise from a distance.

"Creak—"

The next second, everyone looked in the direction of the sound, which was coming from a dark corner where they could vaguely see a door.

A very ordinary door, black, the double-door kind.

Behind it was probably a fire escape or something similar.

"What's that sound?" Shen Mengyun asked, clutching her fingers tightly, feeling somewhat nervous.

At the same time as he heard the sound, a picture suddenly flashed in Jiang Cheng's mind: Yuan Xiaoyi mentioning the borrowing area on the fourth floor of the library.

That sound just now... sounded just like the sound of old chair legs scraping against the floor.

"Thump."

"Thump."

...

Following that was a slow but heavy sound of footsteps.

"Scatter," Jiang Cheng said. "Everyone hide."

Actually, he didn't need to say it. At the same time as they heard the footsteps, Gao Yan and Wang Qi disappeared. Shen Mengyun nodded and ran in another direction.

Although Jiang Cheng, the fatty, and Huai Yi also separated, they didn't go too far and stayed within each other's sight.

Huai Yi hid under a table, and the fatty hid behind a large bookshelf, his beady little eyes peering out through the gaps between the books.

Jiang Cheng hid behind a pillar.

Everyone held their breath, staring intently at the movement outside.

A moment later, the fire escape door opened.

Using the dim light inside the library, they finally saw the guy making the noise.

The fatty's beady little eyes slowly widened, and his breathing quickened.