Chapter 97: A Dire Situation

About half an hour later, a group of black-clad figures silently infiltrated the manor, only to find it brightly lit yet eerily empty. They searched the rooms thoroughly but found no one. Frustrated, they noticed a line of writing on the white wall in the main hall: "I appreciate your kindness in visiting so late, but as propriety dictates, men and women should avoid contact, so it’s best we don’t meet."

Just then, another figure leapt in, throwing a corpse dressed in black onto the ground.

"This damn fool ruined everything!" one of the black-clad men snarled, raising his blade and hacking at the body. "Because of this fool's blunder, our presence has been exposed, and even the servants have fled. But the only path down the mountain is the one we came up, and we didn’t notice any movement along the way. They must have fled towards the summit."

"Good, then we’ll continue the pursuit," another replied.

The leader nodded. "Everyone, spread out and surround the area. If you spot the targe