The masquerade ball was held inside the manor's pseudo-European castle hall.
Crystal chandeliers scattered blinding light across polished marble floors. The air was thick with champagne bubbles, frosted desserts… and aggressively cheap perfume.
Everyone had changed into "luxurious" costumes prepared by the production team.
Including the pets.
Lin Wan stared at her upgraded "Eastern Beast Tamer" outfit.
Sequined. Glittering. Suspiciously similar to something bulk-ordered from a discount cosplay store labeled Exotic Desert Princess.
There was even a plastic whip clipped dramatically at her waist.
She could survive that.
What she could not survive—
Was what they had done to Er'gou.
The production team, in their infinite creative cruelty, had decided to emphasize the contrast between "Divine Beast" and "Tamer."
So Er'gou had been dressed as—
A baby qilin.
Golden.
Sparkling.
With tiny wings.
And small decorative horns.
The gilded headpiece swallowed half his face, leaving only his blue eyes visible through narrow gaps.
Those eyes clearly read:
I have seen the abyss. It is this costume.
The gold "scale" vest clung tightly to his torso. The decorative wings drooped pitifully with every breath.
He stood perfectly still.
A volcano wearing children's party decor.
Lin Wan swore she could hear his teeth grinding.
The livestream chat detonated instantly.
[HAHAHAHAHAHA QILIN??][Er'gou: End me now.][That's the exact look I have at company annual dinners.][Sacred Beast dignity: deleted.]
Lin Wan crouched, whispering urgently.
"Just endure it. After this, I'll give you three cans tonight."
Through the horned headpiece, Er'gou turned slowly.
His stare was lethal.
Translation:
Six. Or I shred these wings and feed them to you.
"…Six it is."
The other guests were equally spectacular.
Jenny and her corgi: Pirate & Parrot (the corgi wore feather headgear).
Ah Huang and his orange cat: King & Jester (complete with ridiculous cone hat).
The elderly couple and their golden retriever: Sherlock & Watson (deerstalker hat included).
Su Xiao and Pudding: Moon Goddess & Spirit Cat.
Pudding wore a silver crown and a thin shimmering veil.
Still elegant.
Still pristine.
Still photogenic.
Su Xiao herself was radiant tonight.
White gown. Crystal accents. Perfect makeup.
But her gaze—
Kept drifting.
Toward the corner.
Toward the golden baby qilin radiating suppressed homicide.
The director raised his mic dramatically.
"Welcome to the Manor Mystery Masquerade Ball! Tonight, through a series of interactive games, we'll uncover the truth behind the stolen jewel!"
Applause.
Music swelled.
"And now—our first game: 'Truth Beneath the Mask!'"
The hosts were instructed to step away from the dance floor and into a partitioned lounge area.
They could see the center stage through narrow slits.
But the pets could not see them.
Lin Wan's stomach tightened.
Leave Er'gou alone?
Now?
In a complex environment?
With Chen Lin's warning about induced instability?
With Su Xiao under suspicion?
She looked at him.
Through the horned mask, Er'gou's eyes met hers.
Calm.
Measured.
He gave the smallest nod.
Translation:
Stay steady. I can still act.
The owners exited.
The center floor was left with:
A pirate corgi.
A jester cat.
A detective retriever.
A moonlight ragdoll.
And one golden, deeply offended qilin.
Standing before them—
A figure in a black robe.
Wearing a long-beaked plague doctor mask.
The "Pet Behavior Observer."
Voice distorted through a modulator.
Hollow. Artificial.
The observer began testing reactions.
A squeaking squirrel toy for the golden retriever.
Tail wag. Mild curiosity. No leap.
Recorded.
A colorful rolling ball for the corgi.
Excited sprint—tripped over pirate cape.
Laughter.
Recorded.
A feather for the ragdoll cat.
One lazy glance.
Back to grooming.
Recorded.
Then—
The masked observer turned.
Toward the brightest, stillest presence in the room.
The golden qilin.
Er'gou.
The observer did not present a toy immediately.
Instead—
He began circling.
Slowly.
Black robes brushing across the marble floor.
Measuring.
Watching.
Testing.
Er'gou did not move.
The horned head turned slightly as the figure passed behind him.
Blue eyes tracked every step.
Every shift of fabric.
Every breath pattern.
His posture was relaxed—
But coiled.
"Hmm…" the distorted voice echoed.
"A silent Divine Beast."
The observer stopped in front of him.
"Let us see…"
"In the absence of your master…"
"What form your 'true nature' takes."
Behind the screen, Lin Wan's fingers tightened into fists.
Music softened.
Lights dimmed slightly.
The air changed.
Subtle.
Intentional.
Controlled.
Er'gou felt it.
A faint shift in scent.
A note beneath the champagne and sugar.
Something metallic.
Something familiar.
Something from—
Starlight.
Manor.
The trap.
His pupils narrowed.
Just slightly.
The game had begun.
And someone—
Was trying to push the Sacred Beast—
Toward "loss of control."