In the southern outskirts of Huai Shan City, green hills rolled endlessly like a thick green carpet spread across the land. Sparse yellow and white dots adorned one of the slopes, revealing single and double-story buildings made of pale yellow, almost white, stones.
Green vines climbed everywhere, around the doors and buildings, some even blooming with white and yellow flowers. Beneath one two-story building, two arched doorways led to a semi-open area for enjoying the cool air, where two tables were set. Four people sat at the table on the left, enjoying tea and rest. Two middle-aged men, each accompanied by a young woman, faced each other.
The older man, sporting a neat little mustache and dressed in a sleek black suit, held a brown wooden cane, looking to be in his forties. He took a sip from his wooden tea cup.
"Mr. Kelly's enthusiasm to discuss the collection of cursed antiques is indeed rare," he remarked, his gaze landing on the face of the man sitting opposite him.
The other man, with a pale complexion and light golden curls, had a small golden mustache and wore a crisp white suit, exuding an air of elegance and ease, appearing much younger, likely in his thirties. Most striking were his eyes, clear and sparkling like the finest rubies.
"Mr. Mercury's passion astonishes me, not just for your extensive collection of cursed antiques and jewels but also for tracing their origins," he sighed.
"All of us collectors are intrigued by these items, aren't we? We dream of coming home to mysterious artifacts with enigmatic histories. It's as if..."
"As if our very homes and lives become shrouded in mystery, filled with unknown powers," Tarry Mercury added with a smile.
"Exactly! That's the feeling!" The blond man nodded. "Life is so dull! We seek to fill our lives and those of our possessions with mystery and excitement. Perhaps that's the greatest joy in collecting cursed antiques."
"Well said!" Tarry Mercury nodded thoughtfully, his gaze inadvertently drifting to the other man's wrist. "I started collecting by accident while working on a case and got hooked. Before I knew it, years had passed, and I've amassed hundreds of items, genuine and fake. Time flies..."
"Hundreds of items!" The blond man's eyes lit up. "That's impressive! Only a renowned detective like Tarry Mercury could achieve such a feat. So, your visit here, is it related to cursed antiques?"
"Not entirely," Tarry Mercury shook his head, accepting a pipe from Miss Silan and taking a puff. "I came chasing an old adversary involved in a serial murder and robbery case. Now that it's somewhat concluded, I had some time to investigate here."
"Could it be the infamous Gold Ring thief?" the blond man pondered, rubbing his mustache. Upon seeing the detective nod, he continued, "The Gold Ring thief has been notorious for dozens of crimes across the federation. Besides you, only one other famous detective has ever had direct contact with him. Could you share more about Gold Ring?"
"Sorry, I can't discuss it due to confidentiality agreements with the police department," Tarry Mercury shrugged. "Anyway, I plan to visit Silver Veil Castle this afternoon. Mr. Kelly, would you care to join?"
"Silver Veil Castle? I've heard about that rundown castle, inherited by an officer, now too costly to maintain, with most of its contents sold off," Kelly whispered. "I heard it was for sale but too dilapidated and remote for anyone interested in buying. You're not planning to purchase it, are you?"
"Just visiting, not buying," Tarry Mercury smiled. After a quiet word with Miss Silan, she nodded and headed towards another building, disappearing into the dense greenery.
"The vegetation here is lush, even in autumn. If it weren't so far from home, I'd consider moving here," Tarry Mercury commented, blowing a smoke ring.
"I felt the same and ended up staying," Kelly responded, also speaking with the platinum blonde woman by his side, who then headed towards a black car parked on the path outside the building.
"Traveling to Silver Veil Castle takes two hours by car, and it's already late afternoon. If we go now, it'll be night by the time we return. Or, Mr. Mercury, are you planning to stay overnight?"
"I occasionally do stay overnight there; it's not unusual. I've arranged with the castle's owner, Nasvus, to rent the castle for two months. Since it's empty, he's not worried about theft," Tarry Mercury stood up. "No need to bring your car; there's nowhere nearby to refuel. A horse-drawn carriage would be better."
"That makes sense. I guess I'll be imposing on you for a day or two."
"Not at all, we share common interests. It's rare to find a friend who shares my hobby. My circle often criticizes it. Let's not delay; I'll go get the carriage."
"See you in a bit."
Kelly watched Tarry Mercury navigate through the bushes towards a black horse-drawn carriage approaching on the path. Miss Silan, in a white coat, was already waiting by the carriage.
The winding path stretched into the distance, like a grey serpent extending far away. Further down the road, two ox-carts slowly carried golden wheat.
A warm breeze lifted Kelly's suit hem, filling the air with a leisurely, comfortable pace of life.
He touched his chin. "This beard is quite convincing."
"Of course," the platinum blonde woman returned, "The journey to Silver Veil Castle involves at least two hours by carriage, followed by a walk on a remote mountain path. We'll likely have to spend the night."
"Mr. Mercury assured me we could stay in the castle," Kelly smiled. "Let's not keep the great detective waiting."
The woman watched Kelly's retreating figure, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. Despite knowing it was a disguised appearance, Kelly seemed much more mature and authentic than Galon in every aspect, not at all like a teenager.
It was as if Galon was the disguise of Kelly, and becoming Kelly revealed his true nature.
Shaking her head slightly, she stopped pondering and hurried to catch up, the two of them walking towards the carriage waiting in the distance.
Before getting on, Galon casually plucked a purple-red flower from the grass beside him, sniffing it lightly, only to see many tiny black insects crawling around the pistil, similar to ants, and the flower itself had no fragrance.
The four boarded the double-row carriage, with the Tarrys sitting in the front row and Galon and Grace in the back.
The coachman lightly whipped the air, and two strong yellow horses slowly pulled the carriage forward, their neck bells jingling.
Seeing the purple-red flower in Galon's hand, Tarry Mercury commented with a smile,
"These flowers here have no fragrance, but strangely attract many insects. I wonder why."
Galon extended his index finger, allowing a small black bug to crawl from the petal onto his fingertip, tickling him. The bug resembled a much smaller black ladybug, its hemispherical wings occasionally opening and closing for balance.
"It's normal for the area around the origin of cursed antiques to exhibit various strange phenomena," he replied with a smile, "If it were like any other place, it wouldn't have attracted us specifically to come here. It's a pity you didn't bring your other antiques; otherwise, I might have had the fortune to feast my eyes."
Tarry Mercury laughed,
"I originally thought you were just a bluffer, but you identified the few imitation cursed antiques I casually brought. I didn't expect to meet someone like you here who also enjoys studying cursed antiques."
"Likewise," Galon flicked a petal out of the carriage, joining in the laughter, "But what exactly at Silver Veil Castle caught your attention? I've lived here so long and still don't quite understand."
Tarry Mercury handed the reins to Silan to drive and took out a stack of white papers from his bag, handing them over, "Here are some documents I've collected. Take a look."
Galon took them, glancing at the title of the first page: The Unexpected Sudden Death of the Castle's Owner. Below was an extensive report on the discovery of the death.
Turning to the second page, the title was similar.
The third page also, but it included a photo, precisely of Silver Veil Castle.
Three consecutive castle owners died unnaturally, with the murderer unknown, all peacefully in their beds without any signs, as if their lives had simply faded away like the elderly. What was eerie was that all three owners were young and strong middle-aged officers.