Chapter 254 The Death of the Duke, True and False Substitutes
"Da Da——"
The night was like silk, and a carriage passed by on the Lundu Bridge under the stars.
The Lundu Pagoda stands on the arch bridge. When the guards at the checkpoint saw the family crest on the carriage, they couldn't help but look a little more serious.
Yeats of the Berlandi family won the crown at the Poetry Festival.
Even the guards in humble positions heard about it.
A big shot like this must be careful even when talking to the driver, let alone stepping forward to investigate.
The captain of the guard smiled at the steward who was driving.
"Security in the south is not the responsibility of little people. Your Lord, the Baron, is going to the south coast, so you must be more cautious."
The butler nodded silently, drove away from the checkpoint, and headed towards the white oak of the Duke of Suffolk. Heading to the manor.
The chirping of cicadas on the summer night drifted into the car window with the evening breeze.
Yeats sat in a carriage covered with soft cushions, closing his eyes and experiencing the elements and magic flowing in the [Creative Field].
Due to the growth of the soul, these elements and magic seem to be a little afraid of Yeats.
Yeats doesn't even need to call them, he can devour them with just a thought, and then perform combat skills or spells.
Yeats understood the difference between the fifth ring and the fourth ring:
The fourth ring can activate the power of nature; the fifth ring can turn it into one's own use.
Also.
The characteristic of the five-ring hero [will to power] can directly suppress the soul realm of those with low levels, causing them to decline in status, lose their fighting spirit, and feel awe.
This is somewhat similar to the deterrent effect of high-level monsters on lower-level monsters.
For example, a five-ring emperor-level monster can make a four-ring king-level monster succumb just by the sense of oppression.
‘Snow owls and snow leopards are still far from being emperor-level monsters. However, I can cultivate them by hunting emperor-level monsters and cooking them into food. '
Yeats thought secretly:
'It's a pity that there are very few emperor-level monsters in the Golden Lion Kingdom, and even low-level monsters are hard to find around the city... Wait until I leave Lun. After the capital, you can pay attention to it. ’
At this time.
Yeats sensed a wave of mana coming from the realm of creation.
It's a text messaging technique from June.
"I have arrived at White Oak Manor, Elsa is with me."
"I will be there soon."
Yeats replied: "This The Duke of Suffolk should also be present at the dinner. Remember to pay attention to see if it matches your impression of the Duke of Suffolk."
"Are you suspecting that the Duke of Suffolk has been replaced? ”
"After all, he used leprosy as an excuse and kept his true face hidden under the mask. Isn't there a strong suspicion that he is the Blood Spider?"
"I have similar speculations to you, but I am more convinced. Suspecting the Duke of Alba," June said solemnly:
"The Blood Spider Lord has been lurking for several years, and even the royal family has not caught him. How cunning, so a most unlikely person. The answer is most likely to be close to the truth."
Yeats heard an important piece of information from June's words and said:
"The royal family is also pursuing the Blood Spider Lord?"
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"That's natural. After all, you and Thomas both know that Lord Blood Spider is lurking among the six dukes. How could Lionheart not know?" June sighed, "But once this matter becomes public, let's not talk about the royal family. Authority will be questioned, even one of the six Dukes They will also criticize each other, and the Blood Spider Lord is likely to reap the benefits, so the royal family can only investigate secretly."
June paused and said: "Based on my guess, the Lionheart King sent out to track down the Blood Spider Lord. The person is probably the 'Hand of the King' Ke Lin. "
Colin... The giant man-like figure flashed in Yeats's mind, and he muttered:
"In this way, as long as we can eradicate the Blood Spider Lord, it will be equal to Your Majesty has got rid of one of his worries, and is it a sure thing that he will be awarded a title? "
"For you, it's like this." Jun said calmly, "If you can really get rid of the Blood Spider Lord, it will be equivalent to dismantling the Scarlet Society's conspiracy. Based on this achievement, His Majesty will seal you. It’s not surprising that he is a Duke!”
Yeats's heart moved.
Having the title of duke is equivalent to having the right to establish a principality, and the increase in reputation is huge. Many extraordinary people will voluntarily defect to the duke -
This is the appeal of a famous family!
The Earl's influence may only be limited to the country, but once he becomes a Duke, his words and deeds may affect other kingdoms, and he is already at the top of the aristocratic power in the Midgard Continent!
The Duke symbolizes the feudal royal power and shares weal and woe, while the Holy See represents the divine power. To become a duke, Yeats would face much less pressure from the Holy See.
"Where are you?" Yeats was concerned about June's income.
Investigating the Blood Spider is full of dangers. June is willing to help, which allows Yeats to expand his intelligence network. Yeats is very grateful for this.
"Me? I am repaying your favor. You saved me at Jianhe University." Jun said, "I must explain that I did not use Lannister's spy in this operation, and The family has nothing to do with it."
"So loyal!"
"Oh, Lannister, you must pay your debts."
"I know your family's family motto is very domineering, but you don't need to mention it all the time."
"Tsk, do you want to take care of it?"
Yeats discussed the plan with June again and decided Use the elimination method to investigate suspicious persons one by one.
Tonight's dinner at the Duke of Suffolk's house at White Oak Manor is a good opportunity to investigate.
"There are some advices between friends, Yeats, are you willing to listen?" June suddenly became serious.
"What advice?"
June was silent for a moment and said, "That Mrs. Lee Matilda has a bad reputation. Some of her invitations... you'd better not agree."
Yeats raised his eyebrows.
Poor reviews? Let me see what's going on!
*
On the south bank of London, White Oak Manor.
The starry sky sheds silver moonlight, illuminating the elegant garden, and the nightingale sings gracefully.
This dinner organized by the Duchess invited the bards who performed outstandingly at this poetry festival. The guests present were either artists or nobles, and the setting was luxurious and unconventional.
The banquet was actually held in the open air. The bright candlesticks enveloped the garden in a magnificent halo. Through the dim light, everything became particularly beautiful.
One white candle in the candlestick can cover the monthly expenses of a family of three; the silver tableware on the dining table is staggeringly expensive; the beautiful maids with almost the same height and figure are holding a gold basin , the hand water is dripping with traces of magic.
Crane held a pipe and stood beside the amber champagne tower. He looked at Perun beside him and said:
"Are you leaving?"
Jianhe University met several times, which made him Crane and Perron were also familiar with each other, and they started chatting with each other before Yeats arrived.
“It’s really boring here.”
Perun’s penetrating eyes inspected the well-dressed nobles and said meaningfully:
"Gold is lost every year...The lost gold turns into sand and dust, drifts in the wind, and is sucked into people's souls, making the rich arrogant and the poor cruel."
"At the rich man's dinner party My soul will only become numb." Perun shrugged and spread his hands, "It's better to go into the dust and save those girls who have lost their feet."
"Speak like a human being."
"There is a Moulin Rouge nearby. I plan to go there and have a look. Do you want to come with me?" Perron sincerely invited.
"Moulin Rouge..." Crane mused. There were many missing cases on the South Bank, and many of them were dancers and prostitutes from the Moulin Rouge. Even if these people disappeared, no one would care about them.
Crane's brows furrowed slightly. Those missing poor people were probably reduced to blood food.
Perun looked fascinated: "It's the song and dance hall. The dancers are showing their tails and snake letters to the enthusiastic music..."
"Wait a minute." Crane stretched out his hand to interrupt, "Of course I know about Moulin Rouge, but why do dancers have snake letters?"
Perun said proudly: "Who do you think I am? The author of "Interracial Guide"! There is an interracial Moulin Rouge on the south bank, come here I have already investigated it clearly before!"
Klan looked complicated and said: "As expected of you..."
Perun said mysteriously: "Actually, I prefer pure-blood snake people to snake-scale people. My twenty-seventh girlfriend is a pure-blood snake person. She will use her tail to strangle my neck tightly... "
Klan sighed: "I really admire you for remembering the numbers of your ex-girlfriends."
"Because I gave my sincerity to each one." Lun said seriously.
"I still remember that some of their fathers were fond of gambling, some of their mothers were sick, and some of their families were broken..."
Perun seemed to be lost in memories, his eyes flashed slightly, and he looked up at the night sky. , said softly:
"I can't tell whether it's vulgar or elegant. I only know that the moon is full. If I don't go there, I'd be confused."
Klan: "..."
Crane: "If I get news about the Cupid Trial, I will be the first to inform you."
At this time, a carriage decorated with the Brondi family crest drove into the manor.
All eyes suddenly gathered and fell on the arriving Yeats Brondi.
Many nobles saw the rumored Yeats for the first time, and their eyes were filled with astonishment; the poets who had participated in the poetry festival all looked at the divinely chosen poet with respect.
Richard, Lilgo, and Calvin came over to greet Yeats.
"Baron Yeats, congratulations on winning the crown!" Calvin said sincerely.
Yeats smiled slightly, but heard Calvin secretly message:
"My father, the investigation in recent days has already yielded some clues... After the dinner is over, I will come to you Talk in detail in the manor! ”
Thomas was so efficient that he found the clues so quickly... Now was indeed not the time to talk. Yeats and Calvin deliberately chatted about irrelevant topics, and saw that the Duke of Suffolk had already arrived in the garden.
He stood in the shadow of the corridor, holding a cane in one hand, wearing chain mail and a hood that isolated him from the outside world, and an iron mask. The gaze projected from the gap in the mask fell on Yeats.
Soon, the Duke of Suffolk nodded slightly.
Yeats also nodded in greeting.
Yeats had heard that the leprosy suffered by the Duke of Suffolk was a disease curse from a wizard. He was also very famous when he was young, but after contracting leprosy, he retired and lived in seclusion behind the scenes.
His wife, Lee Matilda, came from an ancient family in the Divine Court Empire, and her marriage to the Duke of Suffolk was a political marriage. This woman is sophisticated and has managed the entire family's property in an orderly manner by herself. Although there are repeated negative rumors, no one has ever produced any concrete evidence.
At this moment, Lee Matilda took the Duke of Suffolk's arm and helped her husband down the steps. She was wearing a fiery red dress and her friendly smile was enough to make every guest not feel left out.
Time has made her appearance more charming, and even the fine lines at the corners of her eyes when she smiles are like ripples.
The two walked towards Yeats.
A few steps away from Yeats, Suffolk stopped and spoke in a dull, hoarse voice from under his mask:
"I have read your poems, Lord Yeats...it is an excellent poem and has given me great encouragement."
"This is my honor." Yeats said neither humble nor arrogant.
"I hope you can enjoy this dinner." Suffolk paused and said, "Please forgive me, my body does not allow me to linger for a long time. Please allow me to go back to my room to rest."
"Of course, please do as you please." Yeats said.
"My dear, do you want me to help you back to your room?" Mrs. Lee Matilda said gently.
"No need, I'm not at the point where I can't walk yet."
The Duke of Suffolk's tone was a little stiff. He leaned on a cane and staggered, disappearing around the corner of the corridor.
Yeats looked away, and found that the Duchess also looked back, and their eyes coincided with each other. The Duchess was startled, smiled, and then said:
"He is a stubborn person who has been fighting leprosy."
Yeats nodded and said: "It is admirable. .”
"I also admire Your Excellency. You are so young, but you have become the most famous bard in the entire Golden Lion." The Duchess pursed her lips and smiled, "I don't know your preferences yet, and I don't know if these arrangements are in line with your wishes... I hope this dinner will satisfy you."
Yeats inspected the venue and said politely: "You can see the elegant taste and artistic influence of the host."
The Duchess smiled slightly, looked up and down her eyes, lowered her eyes, and said:
"To be honest, I invited you to come because I have something to ask of you..."
"Excuse me, what is it?" "You are the chosen one by the Goddess of Youth and the most favored by the God of Art in the entire atrium. I believe you must also have profound insights into painting."
Mrs. Lee Matilda sighed, with a slightly sentimental tone, and said:
"In a few days, it will be my birthday... Before that, I want to Please draw a portrait for me."
She raised her green eyes and stared at Yeats, seeming to murmur to herself:
"In this way, even if the years pass by, Youth can also be preserved in the frame. ”
Yeats said: "But I am not a professional painter."
"No matter how professional a painter is, how can he be compared to the artistic god?"
The corners of the eyes of this noble lady who still have the charm. Showing a hint of exhaustion, he sighed softly.
“I am already old. If I don’t leave anything behind, my years will be like sand swallowed up by the waves... Therefore, I often meet with painters and novelists, hoping that they can use my name to , leaving biographies or portraits, and I am responsible for sponsoring them. In this way, I can at least leave some traces." "But" Lee Matilda shook her head, "those works cannot. To my satisfaction.”
"You said that you can't choose humility when you can make progress." The Duchess stared at Yeats and said gently, "So, I seek your opinion and implore you to draw a portrait of me. The works chosen by the Art God will surely be spread among the people. Later generations, so I will use the high-ring potion as a thank you.”
The high-ring potion means a four-ring start, which is extremely precious even for Yeats!
If it were normal times, Yeats would have already accepted this deal, but Cran mentioned that he suspected that Lord Blood Spider might be the person who 'acted for the duke's authority'. In other words, the duchess and the uncle of the Duke of Cornwall are both very suspicious.
At this point in time, Yeats could not help but be more cautious.
"I have to concentrate on preparing for the athletic competition recently, and I have no time to paint your portrait, madam. I hope you can forgive me, madam." Yeats declined politely.
"But haven't you already won the crown?" Lee Matilda was a little surprised.
“I also signed up for the following dueling and riding events, hoping to get a good ranking.” Yeats said.
"So that's it." The Duchess sighed softly, her tone already becoming a little cold, "I can understand your choice... If you change your mind, you must tell me."
Yeats nodded and said: "I will."
As the hostess of the dinner, the Duchess went to entertain other distinguished guests.
Yeats walked to the champagne tower, looked at Crane who was smoking his pipe, and called: "Have you found anything?"
Crane shook his head, and then said: "I still want to ask you, you What did you talk about for so long with that lady?"
"She asked me to paint a portrait for her," Yeats frowned.
Klan looked at Yeats: "Do you think it's suspicious?"
"Suspicious." Yeats thought of the Duchess's words, "But I can understand it."
Crane was silent for a moment and sighed: "It seems that we still haven't found any clues tonight -"
At this moment, panicked screams broke the silence of the dinner.
A maid stumbled out.
Under the gaze of all the distinguished guests, her face was as pale as paper, and her whole body was shaking with fear.
"My lord the Duke! My lord the Duke of Suffolk, he is dead!"
The banquet venue fell into an uproar, and the venue suddenly became chaotic.
Klan quickly observed everyone's reactions.
But Mrs. Matilda was stunned on the spot, as if she couldn't believe her ears, and everyone looked surprised and unbelievable.
Perun’s figure disappeared into the manor early.
The Duke of Suffolk is dead? !
Yeats was shocked and looked at Crane.
Klan's eyes were solemn, he slowly exhaled a puff of smoke and said:
"Now we have a clue."
*
South Bank of Lundu, Red mill.
Beside the winding cobblestone road, dancers wearing complicated lace dresses stood with heavy makeup and posing. A red windmill-shaped song and dance hall stands, from which gaudy dance music flows.
Perun's appearance quickly attracted the attention and conversation of the dancers along the street, but he was ignored by Perun. He went straight to a dance hall deep in the alley.
The hostess is a vigorous Argonian, and the theme of the dance hall is also related to alien races. The reason why it can continue to be opened is because there are many nobles with unique tastes.
It’s hard to tell the taste of rich people·Jpg
Perun is obviously a frequent visitor here. He greeted the Argonian familiarly, and the Argonian gave him a sweet slap. The elf's chest said:
"Why do you have time to come to the South Bank today?"
Perun smiled softly: "Compared to the aristocratic dinner, this place is more relaxing for me... Where is Anna."
Anna, An extremely ordinary name would be instantly lost when thrown into the sea of people, but Perun could remember the differences and hobbies of every Anna.
As Perron himself said, he was sincere to every girlfriend, it was just a matter of how long.
“Are you talking about Anna from the Snake Tribe or Anna from the Centaur Tribe?”
"Uh...it's a hybrid snake man." Perun said.
Hearing this, a trace of sadness flashed in the Aragonian's eyes: "She is gone."
"Gone?"
"To be precise, she disappeared. ." The Yaronian smiled bitterly, "Our industry is like dandelions, which will be blown away by the wind one day without leaving even a trace."
Perun frowned: " But she promised me that she would tell me before she left, so she must have had an accident."
"Accidents..." The Yalong man said with his eyes full of thought, "Speaking of accidents, many girls have disappeared on the South Bank in recent days, some of them are dancers in our profession, and some are children from poor families. A conservative estimate is that dozens of people are missing. "
Perun was startled and said: "Dozens of people? Dozens of lives, why is no one investigating?"
"The South Bank is different from the North Bank. If it were on the North Bank, the city hall would be there earlier. Let's just issue a reward order. But this is the south coast. These people are swept away by the waves like waves. Who would spend that effort?"
The Argonian shook his head and said, "Don't talk about that. I have another Anna here, do you want to meet her?"
"No." Perun said with stern eyes, "Whether she is alive or dead, I will find out Anna's whereabouts. ”
The Argonian was startled.
“The snake people are all good at witchcraft and alchemy. My ex-girlfriend told me that there is a witchcraft that uses the blood of girls of the right age to keep their appearance youthful.”
Perun said solemnly: "Now, with so many girls missing on the South Bank, I'm afraid something unexpected has happened... And I, hereby swear, I will definitely find out these cases. The real murderer behind the scenes."
The Yaronian's eyes flashed and he persuaded: "What are you doing? You are such a noble elf, and you are different from the humble us. There is no need to take risks. It's mixed in."
"Some people's souls are tempered with iron and fire, and some people's souls adhere to justice and creed."
Perun looked deeply and said: "And my soul is made of all kinds of women and love. This sounds very obscene, but this great love is my creed!"
The Argonians were shocked by the faith shown by the elves and remained silent for a long time. At this time, a harsh cry for help sounded from the back alley of the dance hall.
"Someone is coming!"
The Yaronian's face suddenly turned pale and he said, "Could it be that...the rumored murderer on the south bank!"
Pei Lun had already rushed out first.
In the dim alley, a figure stood in the shadows, and a confused dancer sat against the wall.
Perun felt vaguely that this figure looked familiar.
The moment the man heard the sound, he turned his head.
Perun's eyes widened for a moment and he lost his voice:
"The Duke of Suffolk?!"
The cold moonlight illuminated the iron mask, and the deep gaze shot out from the mask stared at Perun coldly.
Suddenly, his figure flew up and disappeared under the uneven tiled eaves.
Perun wanted to catch up, but his body was trembling involuntarily. In the realm of his soul, the tree of life kept swaying as if being blown by a strong wind, and was almost broken at the waist!
This is exactly the sense of oppression coming from the five-ring hero [Will to Power]!
Perun stood there blankly, the cold night wind blowing across his body, and a chill spread from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
‘Since he has the level of the fifth ring, why didn’t he attack me directly instead of turning around and running away? ’
‘Did someone deliberately frame the Duke of Suffolk, or was it a coincidence that his crime was discovered by me? ’
There were countless speculations in Perun’s mind, and his heart had become cold.
‘If the man just now is really the Duke of Suffolk, who is the man in the manor? ! ’
At this time, a burst of noisy footsteps came. Perun turned around and saw a group of guards holding torches, rushing toward the alley!
"Quick, move faster!"
"We received a report that there is a vampire causing trouble here, and all irrelevant people are closed!"
Perun frowned and glanced at the corner of the wall. The pale dancer said: "You will testify for me later that I saved you!"
However.
The dancer suddenly screamed: "Help, I'm here!"
Perun just realized his situation.
He unintentionally stepped into a trap that had been set long ago and became the scapegoat!
Escape now will only make you unable to explain, but even if you accuse the Duke of Suffolk as the murderer, who will believe it?
Soon, the guards held torches and surrounded Perun. Their cold, contemptuous, and hostile eyes hurt Perun deeply.
“Hmph, the vampire in the rumors is actually an elf!
"Dozens of murder cases, now we finally caught you!"
"Take him away and seal his soul realm with magic-forbidden shackles!"
Perun sighed, He allowed the guards to put shackles on himself, and used the last bit of magic to send a message to the famous detective Mr. Crane:
"I broke through the murder scene of the Man in the Iron Mask, and now I am arrested."
"The man in the iron mask looks exactly like Suffolk. He is a five-ring hero."
"The Duke of Suffolk is extremely suspicious of the murder on the South Bank!"
In the chaotic manor.
The news of the unexplained death of the Duke of Suffolk was like a bombshell, causing all the guests to feel shocked and uneasy.
The Duchess politely asked all the guests to stay at the manor, but her tough attitude was self-evident.
Clan volunteered to investigate the scene of the Duke of Suffolk's crime.
Because of Crane's reputation as a "detective" within the Golden Lion Kingdom, the Duchess agreed to his request.
Yeats walked with him from the garden to the hall, and saw the Duke of Suffolk lying on his back at the foot of the stairs. There was no obvious trauma. It seemed that he died suddenly while climbing the stairs.
At this time, Crane suddenly stopped.
Yeats cast his gaze and saw that Crane's expression became quite complicated, so he couldn't help but ask:
"Did you find anything?"
Crane frowned and spoke slowly, saying:
"Is there a spell in this world that summons a clone, which can be controlled thousands of meters away like an arm and a finger?"
"No, the casting distance of several thousand meters is far beyond the limit of the mirror image technique, unless it is the simulacra technique, but that is already the realm of the Seven Rings Holy Realm." Ye Zhi said, "But even ordinary people can find a substitute...Why do you ask?"
Klan sighed and sent a message: "Did you find out? Perun is not in this manor. "
Yeats was stunned and replied: "If he leaves at this time, isn't he asking for doubt?"
"No, he left a long time ago." Crane briefly summarized the news sent back by Perun and said expressionlessly, "Now, he is being arrested as a vampire."
Yeats: "... It’s broken, Perun has become a substitute!”
(End of this chapter)