Chapter 491
On the operating table, Lafayette's voice grew weaker, her face twisted in fear as she looked at the man who seemed mad. The granulation tissue at the end of her severed arm writhed, working to close her wound.
“No,” Qiangyin said with a smile, shaking his head. His brows lowered as he looked down at Lafayette, who lay in a pool of blood, and he spoke slowly, “I know everything... You can't hide anything from me...”
“Do you know her?” Qiangyin seemed to have thought of something. He slowly pulled out a half-face, bloodied and matted with hair, from a cloth bag at his waist and held it up in front of Lafayette.
Gasping for breath, Lafayette struggled to recognize the features of the human skin, but her mind offered no clear comparison.
“I don’t know her... Who is she?” Lafayette's tone was tinged with helplessness. “I really don’t know her...”
Qiangyin's expression turned cold, the smile fading from his face. He tossed the bloody piece of flesh onto the operating table and said in a flat voice, “Then think about it yourself.”
With that, Qiangyin turned and left the underground collection room, walking down the dark corridor toward the first floor.
Lafayette seemed genuinely clueless...
Could it be that she was only turned by that “Key Person” later on?
Or perhaps... the person who borrowed the identity of the “Key Person”?
The body of the Key Person handed over by the Dedton Group had been highly corrupted by the potion, so much so that it was unrecognizable. Even if someone from the Joyous Society came, it would be nearly impossible to identify who it was.
Originally, he had no intention of starting his investigation from that fake corpse provided by the Dedton Group. He didn’t want to offend them or challenge their damned luck.
But now the situation had reached a critical point; he had to use every means at his disposal... After three attempts to trace back, he didn’t even know who the other party was... This kind of frustration was unprecedented.
As he reached the hall, a musician in formal attire approached Qiangyin and bowed his head to report, “Your Excellency Qiangyin, I’ve learned from Lucy Xilufa’s subordinates that she has been frequently traveling to and from the Dedton Member Hotel. Her unusual behavior started after returning from Boren City.”
“Prepare the horses.”
Qiangyin’s face remained cold as he strode toward the door.
...
At the Dedton Member Hotel, in a luxurious suite.
Xia'er looked out the window at the cavalry gathering below, forming a line on the street.
A faint buzzing filled her mind, like the heavy notes of a piano. Xia'er turned her head and exchanged a glance with Aivina; they were both familiar with this sound.
It was the resonance probe, a Level 4 “Illusionist.”
It was Qiangyin.
This was only the third attempt to trace back, but Qiangyin's reaction was alarmingly swift... It was only the 17th, and in previous simulations, Qiangyin had done nothing in the first few days.
But this time, Qiangyin had almost found Xia'er within hours, sealing off nearly all her escape routes.
Initially, Xia'er had merely borrowed the Key Person's name to control the chaotic squad, misleading the higher-ups of the Joyous Society into believing that the Key Person was still alive.
Using Lucy had also brought Xia'er considerable convenience, but Lucy's strong connection to the Key Person had, as Xia'er had anticipated, become a breakthrough point.
Qiangyin likely had no evidence, but he didn’t need any. With the ability to trace back, he could, like Xia'er in the simulations, rampage through, using bloody means to force evidence out.
This time, Qiangyin was truly cornered.
Xia'er took a deep breath, quickly drew the curtains, and at her desk, wrote a note with a quill.
【Help me stall Qiangyin, don’t let him find me】
【At least for ten minutes】
Xia'er turned and showed the note to Aivina and Tara.
Stall... Qiangyin?
A Level 4 “Illusionist”?
Though Qiangyin hadn’t appeared yet, and might not even show up in the next ten minutes, just the content of the note was enough to make one feel suffocated.
But Aivina and Tara said nothing, only looking at Xia'er and nodding.
Aivina was also waiting.
As long as Charles could make it, she was confident she could keep Qiangyin occupied for ten minutes... Although she didn’t know what ten minutes would accomplish, Aivina chose to trust Xia'er.
If it came to it, she would fulfill her earlier promise.
Even if it meant turning into a puddle of blood, as long as she could help Xia'er slow down the enemy, she wouldn’t feel guilty about the promise she made to Xia'er to never back down in the face of danger.
Xia'er wasted no time; she raised her hand toward the desk, and with a flash of silver light, the 【Endless Manual of Forgetting】 vanished from the surface.
Meanwhile, Xia'er quickly summoned the system, opened the simulation interface, and selected the past simulation.
She did not choose the “Subverter” save file.
She needed to gain Charles's trust in the simulation. In front of a Level 4, the chances of being exposed as a Level 3 “Subverter” were too high. If Charles realized she was a Level 3 “Subverter,” everything she said would be met with skepticism.
That wouldn’t help in gaining trust.
Similarly, the “Source of Plague,” which could only advance through heinous acts, would also raise Charles's suspicions, so it was not an option for Xia'er.
This plan didn’t require Xia'er’s combat ability; she only needed a certain level of self-preservation and escape skills.
She had only one chance.
This time, Xia'er chose to follow her earlier instinct and selected “Judicator.”
“Past.”
“No.2.”
A silver halo swallowed everything in front of Xia'er, her consciousness swiftly pulled away, and her body, which had been standing, collapsed onto the carpet.
...
“Past”
“Year 741 of the Holy Era, July 16, 18:00”
“Countdown -23:59:59”
Xia'er quickly opened her eyes, immediately accessing the system warehouse, looking at the content of the 【Endless Manual of Forgetting】 in the thumbnail, and memorizing it rapidly.
In front of her, Aivina, holding a soup spoon, stared wide-eyed at Xia'er, momentarily dumbfounded, even failing to notice the thick soup spilling onto the dining table.
Aivina rubbed her eyes, set down the spoon, and blinked at Xia'er, hesitantly saying, “...Xia'er?”
Xia'er took a deep breath; the heaviness in her chest made her increasingly irritable, but with the Level 5 ability of 【Calm Reflection】, she managed to maintain rational thought, and the anger simmering inside her did not cloud her judgment.
“Yeah.” Xia'er nodded slightly, quickly putting down her knife and fork, standing up, and walking to the window, pulling back the curtains to gaze at the throngs of people below.
Now was the liveliest time in the West District, with everyone enjoying the nightlife, especially on this clear, cool night.
The big news on the 15th was the return of the “Public Lover,” Opode, to Ansu.
And the news on the 16th?
It would be the explosion at the Royal Medical Society.
Tonight, the explosion orchestrated by Qiangyin would unfold at the Royal Medical Society, aimed directly at killing Professor Ashford, preventing him from truly developing a cure for the Corruption Plague and allowing North Ansu to regain vitality.
This was the first time Xia'er realized the ruthlessness and ambition behind Qiangyin's actions; for greater power, he wouldn’t care about the loss of any life.
“What happened? Xia'er, and your hair, your clothes—how did it change in the blink of an eye...?” Aivina also stood up from the dining table, walking behind Xia'er, reaching out to touch her shoulder but then pulling back.
It was too strange; in just a blink, Xia'er’s hair had completely transformed, and her aura seemed to have subtly shifted. While she appeared more charming, there was an odd sense of unfamiliarity.
Moreover, Xia'er, who was clearly just an ordinary person, had just revealed a hint of an extraordinary presence...
Aivina's question made Xia'er turn back. She quickly walked up to Aivina, raising her arms to tightly embrace her shoulders.
“Hmm...”
Xia'er’s strength made Aivina, caught off guard by the sudden hug, feel slightly breathless. After a moment of struggling, she heard Xia'er’s voice close to her ear.
“Help me write a letter, and then you personally deliver it to Duke Charles.” Xia'er slowly released her grip, looking at Aivina.
“Charles...” Aivina paused slightly.
“Isn’t Professor Ashford the center of attention? The Joyous Society won’t know about Adele’s situation...”
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