Inside a tavern at Golden Palm Port that catered to the masses.
The custors had long since fled in panic, and the owner’s face was ashen.
Only a core group of Black Sail mbers surrounded two corpses on the floor, their expressions blank, as if they were reviewing A4 pages of background materials for a murder-mystery script.
"I get it now, this is a locked-room murder case."
Archer began to play the know-it-all.
"Goddamn locked room, can you stop showing off your limited vocabulary already?"
Shadi’s mind was reeling. Black Sail Trading Company might sound good on paper, but in truth, the thousand or so people they brought over were all 3D individuals—low in IQ, low in inco, low in quality. Having stayed in the chaotic Narrow Sea for over half a month, and in the turmoil of Mulong Duchy at that, it was no surprise that sothing had happened.
But he hadn’t expected Morison to initiate it. This was an ominous sign. With the team expanded, high-level figures acted as symbols; their actions would trickle down, making the group even harder to manage in the future.
"Then it must be Stormy Mountain Villa!"
Archer spoke with certainty.
Upon hearing the news, the most reliable person in the managent, second to none, Ghost Eye Mad Blade Saleret, was dumbfounded. This chef, he did not rule out the possibility of an intellectual disability.
"Let’s talk about these two dead guys instead, how did it happen?"
Shadi pondered. Currently, in the territory of the Rebellious Marquis at Golden Palm Port, they were under Black Sail’s protection. Making a ss like this was the sa as slapping the Rebellious Marquis in the face.
"Wasn’t it said that only one person died?"
Archer ca with Shadi to check out the commotion, thinking it was just a drunken brawl that led to a death—nothing serious. In their line of work, they didn’t need to answer to anyone. Even if officials ca knocking, they would show Brother Li so respect threefold.
He wasn’t squeamish either, starting to search the bodies proficiently. He only found a few vials, a dagger, and several dozen silver coins, which he unapologetically pocketed. Score for the brothers, he thought. Hidden in the clothing was Chain Armor, definitely not a man of the Rebellious Marquis of Golden Palm Port—probably a spy from Aran.
"The plan was to kill just one person, but then a coolie jumped out."
Morison was cleaning the blood off his dagger, speaking nonchalantly.
"What’s a coolie?"
Saleret didn’t understand.
"A chestnut ball, 300 attack strength, 200 defense strength. When an opposing monster declares an attack, you can send this card from your hand to the graveyard to activate it, and that attacking monster switches to defense position."
Rein answered.
"Who asked you?"
Shadi was beside himself. People are dead, you idiots, and if it turns out they killed two civilians from Golden Palm Port, the impact would be extrely negative. And there they were, desecrating the dead, joking about Yu-Gi-Oh, have so decency, would you?
But he had probably figured out what happened. Brother Sha was only ant to slaughter one person, but the victim’s companion rushed out to protect him, and as a result, both of them ended up dead.
"Damn it, the chestnut ball gets sent to the graveyard, and you don’t even switch to defense position."
Shadi also squatted down to examine the corpses more closely. Archer had only pocketed the money; the dagger and vials were still there, which was odd. The Chain Armor was an official issuance, beyond the skill of civilian blacksmiths. And carrying poison didn’t fit the profile of a regular citizen.
"There are two possibilities: either it’s already the second turn, and we’ve switched to attack position, or because... Morison, you’re actually a hidden cyborg assassin materialist."
Rein put it in such a way.
Ben narrowed his eyes slightly. This bunch of caven, he thought, could argue for ten minutes and still not co to any conclusion.
"I noticed that these two guys were acting sneaky and looked unfamiliar, mingling with our troops, claiming to be from Black Sail. But you can’t mistake the training evidence—the signs on the knuckles and fingertips from practicing climbing and Stealth make it easy to identify them as people from the Thieves’ Guild."
Ben extended his hand, and also had Tiger-man Swan show his palm. Tiger-man’s hand had plenty of hair on the back, but on his palm one could see the training marks Ben was talking about.
"The Thieves’ Guild warrants vigilance. Although I’ve never t Diaz himself, I know he’s a bona fide creep, killing pregnant won and the disabled. Blowing winds in the desolate valley, with the sound of the Chunqiu Cicada’s cry..."
Before Ben could finish.
"How dare you! Occupying a prominent seat amidst the crowd. You watch out for our Fang Yuan. Last ti I was on the public bench reading the ’Ancestral Pass,’ two creeps passed by , whispering sothing about another Gu critic. I smacked one right in the face without giving him a chance to explain. I just hit him because I didn’t like his face, he pissed off."
Ignoring the stares of everyone around him, Rein added, "That’s nothing, I rember as a kid going back to my hotown over the New Year. There was a nuclear bomb that I thought was a firecracker, so I set it off along with the big red ones. Luckily, I was an athlete, stayed in the hospital for a few days and was fine; it was just a little windburn."
Then there was a long string of caven in the modern city, two-dinsional skyscrapers, Van Gogh and Camus on the ultimate aning of life, the true calm, and the embodint of a miracle.
Ben was stunned for a while as if the sky without thunder, like an endless night.
Nobody cared about the dead man anymore, they just wanted to beat Rein to a pulp.
"Anyway, Diaz is full of tricks," Ben hesitated over his choice of words, "When I was first... ’hired’ by you, the situation wasn’t big, and you could keep an eye on everything. But now, infiltration is easy."
Ben made a decision against his ancestors’ wishes and kicked the dead man on the ground. He had sharp observation and had sensed sothing off about Celeste back in Heaven Port, "I asked him to take off his gloves and let see, and these two noticed as well. Brother Sha took care of it on the side, that’s all there was to it. These two people... are from the Thief Guild."
Shadi also examined the palms of the corpse and indeed, it was as suspected. Liszt’s appreciation for talent had co into play. It was essential to have a true thief expert to watch over things; otherwise, one could die without even knowing how.
Swan was silent, knowing the truth of the matter.
Rein discreetly lit a cigarette and started smoking. It had been a long ti without a reply; Liszt was surely in trouble by now. Liszt is now an impostor, but it couldn’t be made public.
This was Fake Liszt solidifying his power, drawing people in.
Rein was unsettled. Soone had already gone to inform Liszt, and he was quickly on his way.
The stability of Black Sail was Rein’s responsibility, or perhaps the ethics of having mingled in the East Sea for so many years. He had to choose between one or the other.
If he were to choose the latter, now was the best ti to expose the impostor since everyone was present.
Seeing Black Sail fall apart in a Foreign Country was to take advantage swiftly, but also a matter of pride.
Rein had made his decision, too—if nothing unexpected happened shortly, he would continue to uphold Fake Liszt’s identity.
"The Thief Guild..."
Chuan Che, who was a Hall-level adventurer just like Saleret, stroked his chin, finding it eerie. Diaz, you know who, Voldemort was called "Little Diaz"; facing soone like that was not good.
"Um... these drinks have been paid for, right?"
Archer’s lack of class was evident in various ways. Seeing the two dead, the beer remained on the table next to them. He asked the owner.
The owner, who had been driven crazy by these desperados, nodded again and again.
Archer didn’t hesitate. What’s given for free is better than what’s bought, and what’s picked up beats what’s given. He helped himself to the drinks already paid for by the deceased and started chugging on and on.
His mind was a ss, but after getting drunk, he ca up with a very constructive suggestion.
"I get it, Swan is damned good at disguises, right? Other thieves might be too. Is it possible we have so imposters among us?"
Enlightened, Archer scanned everyone sharply.
"Shadi might be a disguise! No real person can be that handso! He’s a thief!"
Archer shouted.
"Damn it!"
Shadi was dumbfounded.
"Wait... what Archer said makes sense, since everyone is here, why not screen through once, eliminate any undercover agents, and see if any thieves have infiltrated the high ranks?"
Saleret suggested as such, rembering the promise Liszt had kept, providing her sister with the most favorable conditions, as well as an Upper House mber and top intellectuals from the Tower Alliance to teach her, he owed her that, and he would fulfill it.
Rein squinted his eyes, this werewolf kill... wasn’t for fun.
At the sa ti.
Celeste represented Lostra, brought in by the Rebellious Marquis of Golden Palm Port. She was to account for Black Sail’s actions. Hearing the news, she imdiately led "Liszt" to the scene.
Kai Deng and Celeste arrived, saw the bodies on the ground, and the many core mbers of Black Sail ready for action.
Swan’s eyelid twitched; the situation had escalated.
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