This is a bizarre rule, isn't it? It's supposed to grant me many children and good fortune

Lin Feng took a deep breath and stepped onto the creaking suspension bridge first.

Behind them, thirty-five Chosen Ones followed one after another.

Park Tae-rang frantically opened and closed his camera, while Mark walked silently at the end of the line.

Kana Kazuko walked in the middle of the crowd, her hands tightly gripping the straps of her cloth bag, her lips pressed together until they turned white.

"Bang—"

The castle gates slammed shut after the last person stepped inside.

Beneath our feet lies a bluestone slab ground worn smooth by the passage of time, with clumps of dark green wild grass sprouting from the cracks in the slabs.

The shrubs along the wall are neglected and their branches stretch outwards unchecked.

In the center of the courtyard stands a marble fountain sculpture, the water in the pool has long since dried up, leaving only a thin layer of dust.

Several tall, somber yew trees stood at the corner of the courtyard, their dense canopies blocking out some of the sunlight, and the leaves rustled in the cold wind.

Passing through the courtyard, the main building of the castle came into complete view for everyone.

The entire building is constructed from large blocks of dark gray rock, with walls covered in lush, dark green vines, and several sharp, towering towers piercing the gloomy clouds overhead.

The long, narrow, towering vertical windows are like dark, shadowy eyes, coldly looking down at the visitors below.

Leng Meng led everyone along the stone path in the center of the courtyard, up several wide stone steps, and arrived at the main gate of the castle.

The heavy, carved wooden doors opened inwards, and a cool, stagnant airflow slowly wafted out from inside the building.

The group stepped across the threshold and entered the main building of the castle.

The long, dark corridor was dimly lit, with a faint candlelight burning from the bronze chandeliers hanging overhead, and the shadows of the people flickered on the rough stone floor.

Passing through a tall, arched stone gate, the magnificent castle hall suddenly appeared before everyone's eyes.

The towering dome hangs high above, supported by thick granite pillars.

On the long stone walls on both sides of the hall, rows of ancient oil paintings with gilded carved frames are hung, all of which are portraits of the ancestors of the castle.

As the candlelight flickers gently, the gaze of the person in the painting seems to follow the passing visitors below.

At the far end of the hall, behind the main seat, on a huge wall, an unprecedentedly magnificent mural occupies the entire wall, depicting the grand scene of a full moon banquet held in the castle many years ago.

A woman in a long dress can be vaguely seen standing in the center of the crowd, but her face in the portrait is covered by a faint shadow, making it difficult to see clearly.

A fireplace sits on the east side of the hall.

The temperature inside the castle was pleasant at this moment, and the dark furnace was quiet and still, with only a thin layer of ash lying at the bottom.

In the center of the hall stood an extremely long oak banquet table, on which were neatly arranged dishes.

Each dish was covered with an inverted silver-white plate lid, completely concealing the food inside.

Polished silver cutlery and stemmed glasses were arranged on either side of the plate, while white candles stood silently on candlesticks, yet to be lit.

In a quiet corner on the far west side of the hall, away from the long dining table, a jet-black grand piano stands quietly.

Just then, footsteps came from the stone steps leading to the second floor inside the hall.

Two figures slowly emerged from the shadows.

The man at the head of the group was tall and imposing, dressed in a luxuriously tailored black velvet suit.

Her short, silver-gray hair was meticulously styled, and her features were deep-set.

His grey-blue eyes carried the unique languor and majesty of the castle's owner.

Lin Feng recognized the woman who was following closely beside him at a glance.

That was Vivian.

She changed into a retro and elegant beige velvet dress, her long golden hair loosely tied up, revealing her beautiful and slender neck, and her eyes and brows were gentle.

She stood quietly beside Victor, her posture serene.

The man led Vivian slowly to the head seat of the long table, raised his hand, and spoke in a deep, resonant voice.

"Welcome, guests who have come from afar. Please make yourselves at home."

Once the thirty-six chosen ones had pulled out their chairs and taken their seats, the man spoke again, his gaze calmly sweeping over the guests at the table.

"My name is Victor Sterling, and I am the master of this Blood Moon Castle."

"The woman next to me is my sister, Vivian Sterling."

Lin Feng nodded slightly.

It turns out that this castle belongs to the Sterling family.

Victor Sterling paused, then continued:

"For the next seven days, you will be guests of the castle."

"I will be hosting this dinner for everyone tonight."

"But starting tomorrow, the castle will no longer provide food free of charge."

"You need to exchange the labor tasks assigned to you for daily rations and survival supplies."

"I hope you all have a pleasant time in the castle."

As Victor spoke, Vivian's gaze slowly swept over the unfamiliar faces.

The moment her gaze unexpectedly met Lin Feng's, she paused, then lowered her head with a hint of shyness.

Leng Meng took half a step forward, her hands still clasped in front of her, the professional smile on her lips remaining unchanged.

"Before we begin our meal, please allow me to read one of the host's rules."

All eyes turned to Leng Meng.

"You must finish your meal within ten minutes."

As she spoke, she placed an alarm clock on the table and continued:

"During the meal, you may experience some...uncomfortable visual sensations."

"This is a normal phenomenon in the castle, there's no need to panic."

"Please remember: 'Don't doubt what you're eating; finish it. Your owner doesn't like waste.'"

After she finished speaking, she took half a step back and pressed the button on the alarm clock.

The timer has started.

"Then, please lift the lid yourselves."

There was a two-second silence in the hall.

Then, a series of metallic scraping sounds rang out—the silver table lids were being lifted by hands.

Lin Feng lifted the lid of the table in front of him.

On the plate is a perfectly seared steak, with beautiful diamond-shaped grill marks on the surface, slightly charred edges, and soaked in dark brown juices.

It was served alongside a few stalks of bright green asparagus and a small mound of golden mashed potatoes, with a small rosemary leaf garnishing the mashed potatoes.

It looks excellent, even exquisite.

His peripheral vision swept over his side—

Evelyn's plate contained a pasta dish with creamy white sauce, topped with shredded cheese and fresh parsley.

On Vassim's plate was a whole fried fish, its skin golden brown and crispy, with half a lemon squeezed beside it, the juice dripping down the fish.

The other people's plates looked much the same, all of them normal, very appetizing meals.

The alarm clock ticked away, and everyone, not daring to delay, buried themselves in their food.

Just then, Victor suddenly spoke up: "Just eating is a bit too bland. Please allow my sister Vivian to perform a piano piece for everyone."

Upon hearing this, Vivian stood up, curtsied slightly to the crowd, and then turned and walked towards the piano...