Chapter 81: Protection Fees Aren't Paid for Nothing
Tap… tap-tap-tap…
The rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed from the first floor, instantly capturing the attention of everyone in the dining hall.
The Butler finally appeared, pushing the familiar small dining cart before him. His gaze swept briefly over the corpse on the floor and the fresh bloodstains spattered across the table, dismissing them as if they were nothing more than dust motes.
"I have kept you guests waiting. My deepest apologies."
The words were a hollow courtesy. His tone was flat, cold, and utterly devoid of remorse.
One by one, the Butler placed the so-called "dishes" before each person, uncovering them with a practiced flourish.
There was no need for Kaguya's warning this time, nor did anyone dare to pick up their chopsticks. The "food" lacked even the most basic pretense of disguise; it had been crudely prepared and served as-is.
The chunks of meat on the fine china were hacked into jagged pieces, the parts disturbingly varied—severed fingers, milky eyeballs, and even an entire foot, its skin pale and wrinkled. There was no mistaking what kind of meat it was.
A thick, metallic scent of blood, mingled with a sour, cloying odor, quickly saturated the dining room. The air grew heavy, seeming to freeze in place.
Aside from a select few, the color drained from every face. Stomachs churned violently. Some bowed their heads, refusing to look at the grotesque offerings on the table. A man's body began to tremble, the tremors racking his frame uncontrollably.
The Butler seemed oblivious. He set down the last "dish," stepped back, and plastered a mechanical smile onto his face.
"Please, enjoy your meal."
He did not leave. Instead, he stood quietly to the side, a silent sentinel who seemed intent on watching them eat.
"Dear guest," he began, his voice slicing through the tense silence. "Do today's dishes not suit your palate?"
His words were directed at the tall, thin man sitting next to Zhang Katao.
The man flinched as if struck, not expecting to be singled out. He instinctively shot a desperate glance at Kaguya, who sat across from him, praying she would flip the table without a word, just as she had yesterday.
But Kaguya didn't even spare him a glance. She was too busy whispering casually with Haruto, completely unbothered.
The man's head then snapped toward Zhang Katao, but his supposed ally pointedly looked away, pretending to see nothing.
"Help… help me…" he pleaded in a choked whisper.
No one responded.
A flicker of resentment flashed in the tall, thin man's eyes, but he ultimately didn't dare to refuse the Butler. Trembling, he picked up a piece of meat that still had skin attached—the most tolerable-looking piece he could find.
The moment it touched his tongue, a wave of sour, putrid nausea crashed against the back of his throat. He forced himself to chew twice, swallowing hard, and was just about to squeeze out the words "not bad" for the Butler's benefit—
—but his body's instincts betrayed him.
He clutched his throat, a strangled gasp escaping his lips, but he couldn't stop the violent retching that tore through him. It wasn't just the morsel he had just swallowed; everything he had eaten yesterday and even the day before came spewing out in a foul torrent.
Only when nothing but acidic bile remained did he slump back, exhausted. A sudden, dreadful memory made him whip his head toward the Butler. He saw no anger on the man's face. Instead, a look of something akin to delight had bloomed in his cold eyes.
The tall, thin man felt no relief, only a deeper, more deep terror. That wasn't an expression of tolerance; it was the quiet satisfaction of a butcher watching his next prey walk willingly to the slaughter.
In the next moment, the Butler's pale hand shot out, accurately and swiftly clamping onto the back of the man's head.
The man's eyes widened in extreme terror. A second later, with a sickening crack, his head was slammed into the solid wood of the table. A spray of red and white splattered across the surface, and his body slumped limply to the floor.
The entire process was clean and brutally efficient, lasting no more than three seconds.
The Butler slowly released his grip, his gaze shifting from one player to the next until it finally settled on Zhang Katao.
"It seems this guest truly did not enjoy tonight's dishes."
The Butler took a light step, gliding toward Zhang Katao.
"So… next guest, what about you? Are you satisfied with tonight's meal?"
The hairs on Zhang Katao's neck stood on end. Without a flicker of hesitation, he picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and shoved it into a mouth—not his own, but a ghostly maw that had split open on the right side of his face.
"The taste is excellent," he said, feigning a calm he did not feel. The ghostly mouth chewed and swallowed without complaint.
The Butler stared at him for a long, unnerving moment before finally shifting his gaze. "Since it tastes so good," he said, his smile looking more like a sneer, "please, eat more."
He then turned and stopped directly in front of Tong Yi.
The Butler said nothing, but his intention was clear. He wanted to force every single one of them through this horrifying ritual, to make them consume the flesh of their fallen companions.
Tong Yi gritted her teeth, knowing there was no escape. Just as she shakily picked up her chopsticks, Haruto's voice cut through the air.
"I can only call it disgusting," he said bluntly, his tone casual. "As the butler, shouldn't you already know whether it's good or not?"
Yesterday, Kaguya had flipped the entire table, and the Butler hadn't lost his temper. That told Haruto the creature had its reservations. Besides, Tong Yi had paid her protection fee. He couldn't make guarantees for other instances, but in this one, he wasn't about to let anything happen to her.
A collective, silent sigh of relief swept through the room. This was that familiar, almost comforting vibe again. None of them wanted to eat that meat, and none could be certain they wouldn't vomit from the sheer revulsion. If that happened, they would have no choice but to fight for their lives.
Seeing the Butler remain silent in the face of Haruto's challenge, everyone gained a new appreciation for the youkai's power. It was clear that in the Butler's own calculus, if a conflict were to break out, he would be the one to die.
"I am very sorry," the Butler finally said, inclining his head in a stiff bow.
"I will prepare tonight's dinner with even more care."
After speaking, he bent down, grabbed the tall, thin man's corpse by the ankle, and dragged it away toward the downstairs kitchen. A short while later, he reappeared, heading straight for the third floor.
Having survived the ordeal, Tong Yi let out a long, shuddering breath. She looked at Haruto, her eyes filled with gratitude. Those three items had been worth every bit of their cost. As long as a problem could be solved with money, it wasn't a problem for her.
Of course, she had yet to learn the true meaning of "high quality at a low price." Only if she encountered Haruto in future instances and bought the talismans he sold would she understand what it truly meant to be wealthy and powerful.
With the Butler gone, it was impossible for anyone to remain at the dining table. The lingering smell alone was nauseating, to say nothing of the sight. They all gathered near the first-floor entrance to discuss their next move.
"So, should we do as Brother Haoran said?" Wu Wenwen asked timidly. "Deliberately dirty the Butler's clothes, then block the bathroom door to steal his key?"
Liu Haoran waved a dismissive hand. "Why go through all that trouble? Let's just break the door down. Big shots Haruto and Kaguya are so strong that the Butler didn't even dare to breathe too loudly just now. What's there to be afraid of?"
Several others nodded in agreement.
Xie Lin, however, shook his head. "No. The butler's room is clearly the key to breaking this instance; otherwise, he wouldn't keep it locked so securely. We have no idea if he has other trump cards. His backing down at the dinner table might have just been a temporary measure. I suggest we stick to the original plan first. If that doesn't work, then we can have Haruto and Kaguya step in."
As he spoke, Xie Lin looked toward Haruto and Kaguya for their opinion. The two of them simply shrugged, their indifferent expressions serving as silent consent.
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