Chapter 015: Whispers

Du Fan gave Oscar a deep look. What this twin lolicon said did make some sense, but it was absolutely impossible for Du Fan to believe him completely. He could only believe about 50-60% of what he said. As for Oscar’s identity, although Du Fan was curious, he could investigate it later; there was no need to rush it now.

Du Fan nodded indifferently and said, “Since Lord Oscar says so, I, Du Fan, will just believe it. I’m also sorry that Lord Oscar went to such trouble to come and inform me tonight. Then I won’t disturb you anymore. Please go…”

Du Fan waved his hand slightly, his words leaving no doubt: You came to me for no reason, enough nonsense—you can go now, right?

But Oscar seemed unable to grasp the meaning behind Du Fan’s words. He sighed lightly and said, “Since I’m already here, why leave so soon? Those twins can’t run away anyway. I’ll go take care of them when I have time. By the way, Young Master Du Fan, you’ve been in this northern land for so long—have you gotten used to its climate?”

Du Fan inwardly smiled bitterly. This Lord Oscar seemed to be acting foolish on the surface while also pretending to want to have a long conversation. If he insisted on leaving, it might be disrespectful. Plus, he was indeed curious about this mysterious and peculiar bard. So, Du Fan could only respond and start chatting with this twin lolicon.

Oscar seemed extremely bored. At first, he and Du Fan exchanged a fewtesting the watersing words, but gradually their conversation drifted to casual topics like love and romance. As a bard, Oscar was well-versed and experienced, while Du Fan, having lived two lives, also had remarkable knowledge in various areas. Thus, they both couldn’t help but admire each other a bit.

Du Fan was impressed by Oscar’s extraordinary life experiences, while Oscar realized that no matter where he led the conversation, Young Master Du Fan seemed to know quite a bit, not much different from someone who had traveled across the continent for years.

After saying all this, both of them couldn’t help but feel a slight fondness for the other. However, at this moment, Oscar’s behavior was truly peculiar—his role as friend or foe was hard to determine. Naturally, Du Fan wouldn’t show such thoughts and instead handled the situation calmly and unhurriedly.

They chatted for an unknown length of time. As the moonlight grew brighter, Du Fan guessed it must be around midnight—deep night in this world.

Just then, there was a knocking at the small door behind the terrace.

Both of them were sharp-witted, and the knocking interrupted them. They exchanged a tacit glance and fell silent simultaneously.

A moment later, a respectful voice came from outside: “Excuse me, are Lord Oscar and Young Master Du Fan here?”

Oscar replied loudly, “Come in!”

After a short while, the door to the terrace was slowly pushed open. A servant led four guards in, who entered one after another, bowing in unison. The servant whispered, “My lord wishes to invite you two to a small gathering. However, earlier, a reckless man tried to assassinate my lord. He’s already caught and is under interrogation. I was wondering if you two would be interested in joining us?”

Though the servant’s tone was respectful, there was an oddness in his expression, especially the way he looked at Du Fan, which he couldn’t hide. Du Fan and Oscar naturally understood what was going on, but they pretended not to know.

Oscar exclaimed in surprise, “Someone dares to attempt an assassination on Lord Gabriel in such a place—how bold! Just take us there. We want to see who has such audacity.”

The servant nodded and gestured for them to follow.

Du Fan slowly stood up and simply nodded, saying, “Lord Oscar, please go first.”

Oscar didn’t hesitate and stepped forward. Du Fan followed behind with a smile, while the four guards positioned themselves around them, forming a semi-circle.

Although they didn’t know exactly what Oscar’s abilities were, even Du Fan realized those four guards weren’t a match for him. So neither of them was worried and simply walked along, chatting and laughing the whole way.

When they reached the hall, the masquerade party had long dispersed, leaving only scattered remnants of drinks on the floor. Some servants were carefully cleaning up. Upon seeing Du Fan and the others arrive, they knelt on the ground and bowed respectfully.

Walking on, it wasn’t long before they arrived at the entrance of the bell tower in the city lord’s garden. The servant leading the way coughed and turned around, saying, “My lord has instructed me that I can only take you here. From here on, you’ll need to proceed on your own.”

Du Fan smiled slightly and said, “Then thank you…” He glanced at Oscar and added, “Lord Oscar, please go first.”

Oscar gave a wry smile and said, “Young Master Du Fan is really too thoughtful…”

Nevertheless, he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Under the watchful eyes of several guards, Du Fan also slowly entered. Moments later, the door to the bell tower closed again.

Inside was a hall, with guards standing around it. Torches were lit at regular intervals along the walls, but the floor was covered with a bright red carpet, creating an odd contrast.

Du Fan and Oscar were both puzzled, not knowing what to do. Just then, a loud laugh came faintly from somewhere: “It must be Young Master Du Fan and Lord Oscar. I’m currently busy with some matters and can’t go greet you. Please come down by yourselves!”

The voice was extremely muffled. If it weren’t for Du Fan and Oscar’s remarkable abilities, they likely wouldn’t have been able to hear it clearly. Yet it seemed to be coming from deep within the ground.

As Du Fan and Oscar were still puzzled, they suddenly heard a “chirping” sound. With that sound, a crack appeared in the middle of the hall, revealing a pitch-black hole. Although there was a faint light coming from inside, it gave off a sense of coldness.

The two exchanged glances, their expressions turning strange. Du Fan already had his hands behind his back, pulling out several magic scrolls to hold ready to throw them at any sign of danger…

But unexpectedly, after thinking for a moment, Oscar turned his head, smiled suddenly, and said, “This must be the city lord’s dungeon. I never expected it to be in such a place. Young Master Du Fan, your blond beauty is probably suffering greatly right now. You’d better go down quickly—otherwise, it will be a pity if she dies.”

Du Fan hummed in response. From Oscar’s tone, it was clear he would not leave first under any circumstances. With a faint smile, Du Fan said, “Lord Oscar, you’re joking…”
As he spoke, he stepped inside first. Oscar, behind him, showed slight surprise but quickly followed Du Fan’s lead. As soon as he entered the passage, the entrance behind them closed with a clattering sound.
The guards around the hall remained motionless, as if nothing had happened—this situation was truly bizarre.
Du Fan and Oscar walked slowly in the darkness, with the cold wind blowing and a faint foul smell in the air. They moved carefully, but the passage wasn’t very long; it wasn’t long before they reached the end.
Upon reaching the bottom, Du Fan and Oscar exchanged a glance. The area was filled with tunnels leading in all directions, and every so often, there was a dungeon. The stench of rotting bodies and dampness filled the air, causing nausea.
Two guards stood on one side of the passage. Seeing Du Fan and Oscar come down, they halted and raised their spears, saying, “My lords… this way, please…”
The guards moved in unison, with determined expressions, yet their gaze carried a hint of murderous intent. These were by no means comparable to the imperial defense troops of Rui City—undoubtedly seasoned warriors.
Du Fan grew even more puzzled but said nothing. Instead, he followed them. Oscar, unsure of what to do, shook his head slowly before following as well.
A moment later, the two guards led them to the door of a cell. After giving a slight bow, they stepped back.
At that moment, a burst of laughter came from inside the cell: “You two arrived quickly. Come in. This little place isn’t suitable for hosting guests. Please, make yourselves at home.”
Du Fan sighed, grabbed the doorknob, and slowly pushed the door open. He took a quick look inside and couldn’t help but frown.
The cell was roughly half the size of the terrace he had been on earlier. On one side of the cell stood a huge sofa covered in bloodstains. That single sofa occupied about one-third of the entire cell’s space.