The once blood-soaked floor was now polished to a gleam, reflecting human figures.
"Wiped so clean, we arrived too late," Yuan Yuan said with some disappointment.
This was also within Ning Wei's calculations. If the ghost were easy to catch, it wouldn't be a fun game.
Most importantly, Wu Qing, knowing there was a ghost, chose to announce the game only after lunch.
The morning had been enough time for the ghost to destroy any evidence detrimental to themselves.
Therefore, Wu Qing was essentially on the ghost's side, and the ghost was a spy sent by the werewolves. This implied a connection between Wu Qing and the werewolves.
Ning Wei boldly speculated that if there were an opportunity during the day, Wu Qing would likely urge the werewolves to storm the castle and eliminate everyone inside.
Unfortunately, the rules suppressed them; the werewolves could only enter the castle after midnight.
This was precisely the purpose of the ghost's existence—an informant planted by the werewolves within the castle.
With the ghost present, everyone here would become prey for the werewolves.
Moving further upstairs, as all the room doors were closed, they had no idea which rooms the extra two people were occupying.
They had already searched the fourth and fifth floors, which were even cleaner than the second and third, as if no one had ever been there.
Finding nothing, they descended the stairs dejectedly.
Sheng Kaiwei's team members appeared from somewhere, now conducting internal screening, seemingly convinced by Ning Wei's words.
"If you're not here to cooperate, then don't eavesdrop on our information!" a subordinate shouted defiantly at Ning Wei's group.
Sheng Kaiwei sat on a stool, hands clasped across his chest, clearly pleased that his subordinate's flattery had hit the mark.
Ning Wei had no patience for such idiots. She walked straight to the sofa and sat down, her teammates following suit.
The group lined up, their expressions exuding an aura of unapproachability, which indeed inspired some apprehension.
"Don't you understand what I'm saying!" The subordinate, seeing his words ignored, slammed his hand on the table.
Tang Tang didn't give such a minor character any heed. "What, is this your territory?"
Everyone's hands instinctively reached for their silver steak knives, their gazes sharp and fixed on the man.
Seeing her teammates ready for action, Ning Wei felt a surge of relief.
She leaned back casually, adopting an expression of detached amusement.
"Since there's no sincerity in cooperation, then you don't need to know who the ghost is," Sheng Kaiwei finally blurted out.
"So, you're certain the ghost is within your team?" Song Zhi quickly interjected, acting as the team's second spokesperson.
Sheng Kaiwei hadn't expected his weakness to be exposed so quickly, and his expression turned grim.
He immediately changed the subject. "Never mind who the ghost is. We're having a team meeting, so leave quickly."
Unable to articulate any grand reasoning, he resorted to outright expulsion.
"We're not leaving. What are you going to do about it?" Zhu Yilian retorted sharply.
Sheng Kaiwei gnashed his teeth in anger. He stood up, intending to grab his stool and charge.
However, Wu Qing suddenly appeared and snatched the stool from his grasp. She wore a smile, but on her face, it was far from pleasant.
"Violence between guests is forbidden in the castle. This is the first and last warning. Any further incidents will result in immediate expulsion to be fed to the werewolves."
Another rule had been triggered: guests were not allowed to engage in violent altercations.
This station was different from others. In previous stations, rules were hidden and only discovered after someone died.
This place was more considerate; at least, there was a chance to survive after a rule was triggered.
Still, Ning Wei was disappointed that she hadn't managed to get rid of Sheng Kaiwei.
With Wu Qing's intervention, Sheng Kaiwei deflated like a wilted eggplant.
"Let's go!" he ordered his teammates, leading them out of the hall.
As Wu Qing put down the stool and prepared to leave, Ning Wei called out to her.
"May I ask if the guests have any requests?" Wu Qing's persona was that of a respectful housekeeper; regardless of the situation, her tone remained patient.
"I'd like to ask, is it only after midnight that one can enter the rooms?" Ning Wei inquired.
Wu Qing nodded. "Rooms exist as safe zones, their purpose becoming effective only when werewolves appear. There are no werewolves during the day, so the room doors are kept shut, and guests cannot enter."
"Thank you for your answer. For tonight's dinner, could you arrange for some handsome and muscular men?"
Wu Qing's expression soured, but her persona wouldn't allow her to snap. "I will try my best."
She then made a swift exit, as if fearing Ning Wei might utter something even more outrageous.
"So easily flustered," Ning Wei remarked, finding Wu Qing's reaction amusingly dramatic.
As a housekeeper, she should have been more accommodating, not fleeing at the mere banter of a guest.
"Getting back to business, Sheng Kaiwei and his people have left. What do we do now?" Song Zhi steered the conversation back on track.
Perhaps it was the departure of Li Ye that had affected Ning Wei, causing her to tease Wu Qing relentlessly.
"Nothing much. Tonight is the first night, so let's observe and wait," Ning Wei replied casually, clearly not taking the ghost as a serious threat.
"Why don't we think of a code word? If the ghost causes trouble tonight, we can distinguish our own people," Wang Jing suggested after much thought, deeming it a viable plan.
This wasn't the first time they had dealt with code words. Song Zhi could still recall Ning Wei singing nursery rhymes.
Since the ghost remained hidden, it would undoubtedly cause trouble tonight; that much was certain. This was a good opportunity to discuss matters while the other team was absent.
"Then you all discuss a code word. As long as it's not some childish or idiotic phrase, I'll accept it," Ning Wei declared first, still slightly embarrassed by the previous incident of singing nursery rhymes.
Song Zhi and Mei Nan exchanged glances, both with smiles.
Everyone offered their suggestions, and finally, a code word was decided upon.
"So, we're just going to ignore it?" Zhu Yilian asked.
"The ghost has already cleaned up all the evidence. Further effort would be futile. It's better to conserve our energy. Something significant is bound to happen tonight, so everyone needs to be well-rested to handle any unexpected events," Tang Tang said.
"Then let's not waste time. Let's get some sleep. I didn't sleep well last night," Zhu Yilian said, hugging a cushion and tilting her head to sleep.
The sofas were apparently spacious enough; they all sprawled out and fell asleep.
When Bai Yang sneaked in, she saw no one awake.
Looking at the relaxed seven people, her eyes were filled with hatred.
Ning Wei's eyes snapped open. She immediately averted her gaze, but it had not escaped Ning Wei's sharp eyes.