Chapter 19: A Precious Gift! The Excited Old Steward!

It was unmistakably a strange hand!

Upon seeing this, everyone’s expressions shifted slightly. Except for Chen Mu, it was their first time encountering something so bizarre.

As the large door swung wide open, the owner of that arm appeared—

An elderly man with graying hair, dressed neatly in a butler’s uniform, yet exuding an uncanny aura.

This eerie old man was the duke’s butler.

“More guests have arrived. Please, come in,” he said.

Though his tone was cordial, his face remained calm and impassive, showing no genuine enthusiasm, as if following routine.

It was clear the old butler’s hospitality toward these new guests was merely perfunctory.

Chen Mu understood the reason well.

Simply put, there were just too many visitors!

Since this place transformed into a realm of peculiarity, over the past two weeks, two or three dozen groups of guests had arrived.

Having hosted so many, the butler’s initial warmth had long since given way to numbness.

Moreover, the butler held a poor opinion of these visitors.

It is said that one should never visit empty-handed—basic courtesy and respect—even in the strange realm, this was no exception.

Yet, without fail, every single one of the past two or three dozen guests arrived empty-handed!

They showed no regard for manners or respect!

In truth, the butler misunderstood them.

These visitors were all here on eerie missions, struggling on the edge of death—how could they possibly bring gifts?

Bringing a few knives for self-defense was already a sign of respect toward the strange realm!

The butler recalled the days when the duke was still powerful: every visitor came bearing abundant gifts.

Even he, the butler, could share in the spoils, receiving hundreds of spirit coins as presents.

How the mighty had fallen—since the duke’s decline and retirement, guests had become so rude.

Green Hair, Yellow Hair, Wang Dafu, and Xiao San entered the gate one after another.

Since the butler himself was an eerie being, the four kept their distance, heads bowed in apprehension, unwilling to meet his gaze.

This only deepened the butler’s sense of alienation and disdain from them.

Once again, a group of impolite guests...

The old butler shook his head helplessly and prepared to close the door.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed one more guest hadn’t entered—

Chen Mu stood outside the gate, smiling gently at him.

“Why aren’t you coming in? If you don’t enter now, I’ll close the door and you’ll never get in again,” the butler said sternly, frowning.

Failing to enter meant failing the eerie mission—and death was inevitable.

It was obvious the butler held a poor impression of Chen Mu as well, despite them being part of the same group of guests.

“Please don’t be angry, old butler. I’m coming in now,” Chen Mu chuckled, stepping forward two paces and entering through the gate, standing before the butler with a bright smile.

“Then hurry inside and take a seat in the hall. Why stand there blocking me? Don’t hinder me from closing the door.”

“Heh, please don’t be impatient, old butler. This is my first time here, so I hope you’ll forgive my boldness.

Here’s a small token from me, please accept it as a gesture of apology.”

Chen Mu spoke flawlessly while producing a small box from his spatial ring, smiling as he handed it to the butler.

A spatial ring? The butler immediately recognized its value. Anyone possessing such a ring was no ordinary person—they must have significant connections.

Seeing Chen Mu’s thoughtful gesture upon arrival, the butler’s brow unfurled, his impression of Chen Mu improving considerably.

This young man was impressive—well-connected and courteous.

“Oh no, no trouble at all, you’re too polite,” the butler said with a benevolent smile, accepting the small box and carefully opening it.

What he saw startled him!

Inside the exquisite, luxurious box lay an exquisitely crafted watch.

A Gua Da Cui Fei!

One of the top luxury brands in the eerie realm!

Having seen many things before, the butler immediately recognized it as a high-end model, worth no less than a hundred thousand spirit coins.

At this moment, the butler’s astonishment defied description.

During the duke’s peak, the gifts from visitors to him were rarely worth more than a few hundred spirit coins.

Only once had he seen a gift reach a thousand.

A high-end watch worth a hundred thousand spirit coins—such a gift could only be bestowed upon the duke himself at his zenith!

And now, the duke had long since lost power, and here stood this young man, gifting such an expensive item to the butler?

This young man’s generosity was extraordinary.

Wait—could it be a mistake? Perhaps this gift was meant for the duke?

The butler hastily closed the box and returned it to Chen Mu.

“Esteemed guest, I believe you’ve made a mistake. This should be a gift for the duke. I’m merely a butler—I cannot accept something so precious.”

Unexpectedly, Chen Mu smiled and placed the gift back into the butler’s hands.

“No mistake. This gift is indeed for you, the butler. You’ve served the duke with loyalty and toil for most of your life. I deeply respect you. This modest gift is a token of my appreciation.”

Hearing that the gift was truly for him, and being praised by Chen Mu, the butler felt a surge of warmth and regarded Chen Mu even more favorably.

“Mr. Chen, rest assured. Though I’m just a butler, I hold a certain influence in the duke’s household.

You are our guest. I guarantee you will leave the Mist Museum alive.

If you suffer even the slightest injury, it will be my failure in hospitality.”

The butler spoke with solemn assurance, vouching for Chen Mu’s safety in this eerie realm.

Chen Mu trusted the butler’s words. The man did hold some standing—after all, even if Chen Mu had slapped the duke himself, the butler could still ensure his survival.

“By the way, Mr. Chen, are those others with you? If so, I can look after them as well.”

“They were just strangers I happened to meet. I don’t know them,” Chen Mu replied.

Chen Mu was no saint; those others clearly disliked him. How could he use his connections to help them?

In other words, by refusing to let the butler trouble them, Chen Mu was already a great benefactor in this eerie mission.

Upon hearing this, the butler understood perfectly.

Since those people were strangers to Chen Mu, he need not concern himself with them.

Carefully tucking away the watch, the butler gestured warmly for Chen Mu to follow.

“Mr. Chen, please come this way. Those others are already seated in the hall.

The duke’s banquet will start shortly, but before then, there will be a small game to help guests pass the time.”