Lin Luo genuinely felt that his trip to Gensokyo had morphed into an RPG. First, the maid leader assigned a quest, then he entered a map to fight a monster (Marisa), won, but accidentally fell for the monster’s trick (the Cursed Box). Now he was seeking help from the village chief (Reimu), who then assigned another quest... Damn it, this plot was so incredibly cliché; he’d played through similar scenarios countless times already.

Complaints aside, heading to the Scarlet Devil Mansion was unavoidable. Although it was earlier than anticipated, given the current situation—never mind Patchouli—it was time to call Lili back. Otherwise, he suspected that infernal curse might actually finish him off.

Reimu had been napping, only to be disturbed sequentially by Lin Luo and Marisa. With her sleepiness still lingering, she could easily snatch another nap. Furthermore, the corridor Lin Luo had trampled needed repairs, so she wasn't going to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Alice, too, excused herself, claiming urgent matters in the Forest of Magic, though whether that excuse was genuine remained questionable.

Lin Luo suspected Alice might be avoiding the Scarlet Devil Mansion due to "rivals meeting with heightened jealousy," but if it was about Marisa, shouldn't she go to the Mansion to keep an eye on things?

In short, a woman’s heart is an inscrutable mystery; Alice’s behavior was utterly baffling.

In the end, only Lin Luo and Marisa headed toward the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Although the curse afflicting Marisa was minor, the matter concerned her, and if possible, she wanted to resolve the sliver of misfortune clinging to her as well.

Thus, the adventure party of Lin Luo and Marisa set off once more. Dungeon Selection—Scarlet Devil Mansion (King difficulty).

...This truly is not an RPG.

The geographical layout of Gensokyo was actually not overly complex, nor were there too many locations. Excluding the places that seemed illusory or ephemeral, the well-known spots could likely be counted on ten fingers: the Hakurei Shrine, the Sea of Mist, the Forest of Magic, the Youkai Mountain, the Bamboo Forest of the Lost, the Misty Lake, the Sun’s Field, and so on. The Scarlet Devil Mansion was situated near the Sea of Mist.

The distance between the Hakurei Shrine and the Scarlet Devil Mansion wasn't far. Riding Marisa’s flying broomstick, the pair soon spotted their destination beside the Sea of Mist... It was a Western-style mansion, featuring a giant clock above the eaves. Because the windows were predominantly red and demons resided within, it was known as the Scarlet Devil Mansion—a very famous mansion of demons in Gensokyo. Since the mansion was magically transported directly from the outside world, the surrounding scenery appeared quite incongruous, lending the whole place an illusory feel.

Lin Luo and Marisa didn't fly straight in. They stopped beside the Sea of Mist first, as their luck was rather poor right now. Who knew what major incident might occur if they barreled straight into the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Though Marisa was reckless, she wasn't an idiot. And though Lin Luo had acquaintances inside, he dared not provoke them carelessly, knowing a truly terrifying Boss resided there.

“It feels rather cold here,” Lin Luo commented as soon as he jumped off the broomstick, noticing the ambient temperature drop sharply, sending a shiver through him.

“Some dummy lives here; perhaps that dummy was just playing around here,” Marisa said, rubbing her arms. While her strength was considerable, her physique was not much different from a human’s. In the cold, she needed to wear more clothes for warmth, which slightly hampered her ability to fight effectively, so she disliked the cold.

“A dummy, eh...” Lin Luo gave a dry chuckle. He naturally knew who Marisa’s “dummy” was. His gaze drifted casually toward the lake, and then he saw it: in the center of the fog-shrouded water, a small, blue figure lay upon the ice, faintly emitting wisps of cold air.

“I’ve actually met the true form of the Nine-Ball,” Lin Luo deadpanned. He truly hadn't expected to encounter the legendary Nine-Ball so easily. Was this luck or misfortune?

Probably misfortune, because the moment he looked, the figure stirred and awoke. As if sensing Lin Luo’s gaze, she turned her head, paused briefly, and then excitedly flew up to Lin Luo, hands on her hips, announcing proudly, “I am the strongest! Want to fight me?”

She was a fairy, clad in a blue and white dress, with six ice wings sprouting from her back. Yet, superficially, she looked like a cute little girl of seven or eight. The arrogance on her face failed to command any authority, instead looking rather comical... This was the most famous dummy in Gensokyo, the ice fairy Cirno, nicknamed Nine-Ball.

“...” Lin Luo was speechless at her words. As legendary, Nine-Ball's desire to fight surpassed anyone in Gensokyo—challenging any stranger she met, always boasting about being the "strongest." Truly a nine-brain moment.

Under normal circumstances, Lin Luo might have been interested in teasing her, but the situation was urgent. He didn't have time to humor this dummy's childish antics. He immediately struck at her weakness, asking, “Cirno, what is one plus one? If you can answer, this ice pop is yours.” With an empty grasp, an ice pop materialized in his hand.

“Huh? What is one plus one?” The hopelessly dense dummy was instantly stumped. Her fighting spirit vanished without a trace. She stared at the ice pop in Lin Luo’s hand, counting on her fingers, her face screwed up in concentration, having encountered a genuine problem.

Seeing this, Marisa was also taken aback. When Cirno first appeared, she had intended to use force to drive her away, but Lin Luo was faster and, moreover, used such a method. She was truly impressed.

“You stay here and calculate slowly. We’re heading to the Scarlet Devil Mansion first. If you can answer correctly by the time we get back, I’ll give you ten more ice pops.” Lin Luo suppressed his laughter, seeing her eyes had already morphed into the shape of a ‘9,’ and threw out a bigger bait.

“What is one plus one? What is one plus one...” Cirno’s head was now swimming with question marks, while Lin Luo and Marisa took the opportunity to walk toward the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

“You really have a knack for dealing with that one,” Marisa commented, clicking her tongue on the way.

“Because she’s a dummy who can’t even manage one plus one,” Lin Luo shrugged, grinning broadly. Cirno’s strength wasn't very high, maybe around Mid-Spirit Tier. That placed her in the low-to-mid spectrum of power in Gensokyo. While engaging her in a straightforward fight wouldn't take too long, Lin Luo found tackling her intellectually more entertaining.

“That... is true,” Marisa instantly fell silent.

“What’s the plan now? Just storm in?” Approaching the vicinity of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, Lin Luo quietly asked Marisa, gesturing toward the main entrance.

There sat a young woman in traditional Chinese attire, leaning against a railing, head drooped onto her shoulder, eyes closed, a thread of drool escaping the corner of her mouth—clearly fast asleep.

Though she appeared to be a young woman, she was actually a youkai skilled in using qi and various magic techniques. Her strength wasn’t very high, perhaps just a notch above Cirno, barely reaching the High-Spirit Tier. However, her skills were well-rounded, making her an all-rounder. Her name was China... oh wait, it was Hong Meiling, known as the Chinese Girl, and her profession was the gate guard of the Scarlet Devil Mansion.

“...Since she’s asleep, let’s not disturb her and sneak in quietly,” Marisa pondered for less than two seconds before proposing this plan. It wasn't a flash of inspiration but rather something she frequently did.

Lin Luo thought this method wasn't ideal. What if the guard woke up halfway through and discovered they were breaking in? Besides, he had acquaintances inside. A quick notification from them wouldn't cause much trouble. But before he could object, Marisa had already dashed in, moving with incredible speed.

With no other choice, Lin Luo followed in her wake. Yet, after only a few steps, his foot suddenly slipped. Although he didn't fall, he made a rather loud noise. Hearing this sound, the sleeping Hong Meiling snapped her eyes open, her gaze instantly locking onto Lin Luo and Marisa.

“Oh, you’re such an idiot, you can’t even walk properly,” Marisa couldn’t help but complain.

What does being clumsy have to do with it? I’m just afflicted by bad luck! Besides, who has more experience breaking into private residences, you or me? Lin Luo wanted to retort, but, predictably, he was met with disappointment. While complaining, Marisa had already ditched him, charging deeper into the Scarlet Devil Mansion alone, taking "carelessness" to the extreme.

More importantly, he was now the target of Hong Meiling's attention.

Marisa had broken into the Scarlet Devil Mansion many times. Although annoying, she was considered an old acquaintance, so Meiling let her run. It was already too late to chase her anyway. But Lin Luo was an unfamiliar face and still within striking range—he couldn't be let off. She instantly adopted a fighting stance, her face growing stern, and warily declared, “Who are you? Why are you forcing your way into the Scarlet Devil Mansion? As the gate guard, I won’t let you pass!”

“This is a misunderstanding...” Lin Luo forced an awkward smile and explained, “I’m not forcing my way in; I’m just looking for someone—China.”

“My name is Hong Meiling, not China!” Lin Luo’s explanation only made her angrier. “No one can remember my name! Unforgivable! I...”

Shwing!

Hong Meiling seemed about to attack, but just then, a throwing knife suddenly appeared beside her, accompanied by a crisp, elegant voice: “China, are you slacking off again? I just spotted a rat sneaking inside.”

“Ah!” Hearing that voice, the young woman startled sharply and immediately turned her gaze toward the source, adopting an obedient demeanor. “Sakuya-nee! I wasn't slacking off! It’s just that the rat was too cunning, and I’ve already caught one! Also... my name is not China, it’s Hong Lingyin, please remember my name!”

The newcomer was Sakuya Izayoi. She had spotted Marisa inside and instantly knew Hong Meiling must have been neglecting her duties by sleeping on the job, so she came over to give her a warning.

Following the direction Meiling pointed, Sakuya saw Lin Luo shrugging sheepishly and couldn't help but be slightly surprised, blurting out, “Why are you here?” She completely ignored the second half of Hong Meiling’s sentence.

“There’s a reason; I ran into a bit of trouble and came to seek help from Patchouli here. Well, let’s not discuss it now; just show me the way inside first,” Lin Luo explained while walking toward her.

Hong Meiling had intended to stop him, but she could tell that the two were indeed old acquaintances, and their relationship seemed rather good. At this point, she dared not act rashly, though her gaze toward Lin Luo and Sakuya was filled with complex curiosity.

“Alright, you go back to your post. Don’t be lazy and sleep again, China,” Sakuya waved, dismissing Hong Meiling. Then she led Lin Luo into the mansion.

On the way, she naturally couldn't refrain from asking questions. Lin Luo showing up at the Scarlet Devil Mansion less than a day after leaving caught her off guard, as she hadn't had time to tell Remilia about everything yet.

Lin Luo briefly recounted the incident with the Cursed Box, and while there was still time, he also inquired about the current state of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Sakuya had been gone for months, and he was very curious about the changes.

Regarding this, Sakuya held nothing back. Through her account, Lin Luo gained some understanding... Since Sakuya’s return a few months prior, it had caused quite a stir. Not only were Remilia and Patchouli overjoyed, but many of the fairy maids were moved to tears, which deeply touched Sakuya.

However, when she learned the reason why the fairy maids cried, she felt mortified. As expected, in the month following her disappearance, the Scarlet Devil Mansion had indeed descended into chaos. Although everyone managed to weather the crisis through their combined efforts, the following period had been miserable for the fairy maids because they suddenly had to take over most of Sakuya’s duties.

Although the position of "maid" didn't bind them—they were free to stay or leave—they had grown accustomed to life in the Scarlet Devil Mansion and truly couldn't adapt if they left. In the end, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and manage, which was a disaster for those incompetent fairy maids. Thus, when Sakuya returned, they knew they could finally shed the heavy burden from their shoulders, which explained why they wept from emotion.

After hearing this, Lin Luo was speechless. Indeed, the most important person in the Scarlet Devil Mansion was the head maid. Her significance to the mansion was comparable to Hakurei Reimu's significance to Gensokyo.

“Oh dear, Big Sister is calling for me again.” Suddenly, Sakuya’s eyes lit up. She summoned a fairy maid to guide Lin Luo and said, “Big Sister has been keeping a very close eye on me recently. I must leave now.” With a brief, apologetic smile, she vanished from Lin Luo's sight. Although he hadn't managed to ask about Lili yet, since he was already here, Lin Luo wasn't overly concerned.

“Oh, excuse me, where is the restroom? I have an urgent need.” After being led by the fairy maid for a short while, Lin Luo suddenly asked.

“Please follow me.” The fairy maid smiled politely and led Lin Luo toward a nearby corridor, pointing to the end. “It’s right there.”

Lin Luo nodded and started walking. Before he reached the end, a nearby door suddenly swung open, revealing a cute little face peering out at him, filled with pure innocence. “Are you a new guest? Are you here to play with me? Wonderful, let’s play together!”

“...”

Lin Luo’s expression changed drastically. That damned misfortune! Isn't she supposed to live in the basement? Please don’t just let her out randomly... Heavens, help me!

This truly isn't King difficulty; this is Nightmare difficulty!

P: Asking for monthly tickets!

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