Chapter 67 Cannot Be Trusted
So that’s how it is. No wonder they could slaughter the residents of the territory without reservation; their patron was the lord of this territory.
Li Wen didn’t ask any further questions and turned to leave.
The mercenaries breathed a collective sigh of relief, thinking they had narrowly escaped death, but they failed to notice the ground beneath them cracking open and delicate vines beginning to sprout.
These wicked scums deserved their deaths. Li Wen had no intention of leaving any survivors, so before entering the camp, he had laid down a ritual formation called “Living Forest” around the area.
This ritual would cause plants to grow wildly and increase their aggression towards living beings. Once entangled by the plants, one would become their nourishment. This ritual was usually used to destroy corpses, but it could also be used to strangle a large number of mortals to death like this.
As Li Wen walked along, he had already confirmed that there were no innocents or prisoners here. The corpses they had slaughtered were estimated to have already been handed over to that Sir’s personnel; Li Wen had not found them.
“You are indeed as I predicted, girl,” the Ghost Fairy in the form of a raven cackled.
“Are you referring to the aspect of killing people without batting an eye? If so, then thank you for the compliment.”
In her past life, she had used such people as sacrifices for rituals many times to replenish her depleted spirituality.
Waste had its value, and scum had its purpose. Rather than letting them continue to do evil, it was better to use them as stepping stones for her to ascend higher.
Martha did not speak but looked at Li Wen meaningfully.
Li Wen, on the other hand, was contemplating his next move.
The mastermind behind the entire massacre was actually the lord of this territory. Did Lord Wilson have the right to life and death over his territory’s subjects? The answer was no. According to the laws of the Kingdom of Arthur, even a lord could only kill their slaves as they pleased without any punishment.
Furthermore, even for killing their own underlings who were slaves, they had to provide compensation.
Moreover, a village massacre was far more than killing an individual. If the kingdom’s leadership knew about this matter, the perpetrators would undoubtedly be considered rebels.
Wilson had acted cautiously, not having his own people carry out the deed but entrusting the notoriously evil mercenaries. But that was all. This lord had not layered his plan sufficiently and was easily exposed. He was either overly confident or simply clueless.
Li Wen decided to go and meet this Sir; his castle was not far from here.
Xu En’s investigation team had just concluded their in-depth investigation of the Ark Town Poorhouse.
The results were also unexpected; the fire at the Poorhouse was not caused by magic, which meant this fire was not committed by the same person as the fire at the Church.
The cause of the Poorhouse fire was an alchemical creation called “Ash Fire,” which had immense power and a simple crafting method. Anyone with a basic understanding of Alchemy and Potionology, even an apprentice, could potentially create it.
Xu En had found eighty-one scorched corpses. According to the old town mayor, the entire Poorhouse, including the administrator, had eighty-two people. Since there were only eighty-one here, the missing person was most likely the arsonist himself.
“The divination result is out,” the astrologer in the team said, removing his gaze from the crystal ball. “The missing one is a Duwei person.”
“Duwei person?”
Xu En frowned. His impression of the Duwei people was composed of swindlers, thieves, human traffickers, and propagators of certain evil doctrines.
The Kingdom’s Disciplinary Bureau apprehended an immeasurable number of Duwei people involved in crimes involving Extraordinary Power every day.
This Duwei arsonist must have an inseparable connection to the church fire incident, but Xu En was still in the dark about the exact nature of that connection.
“He went in the direction of Leicester City. If we depart now, we should be able to catch him before 4 PM tomorrow,” the astrologer added.
Xu En nodded in understanding. He was currently grappling with a question: was this Duwei person the suspect in this entire incident, or was he merely bait thrown out?
“Captain Xu En…”
Xu En turned around and looked at the Old Priest, whose expression was grave.
“Is there something, Pastor Aid?”
The Old Priest shook his head, “I am old, and my energy is no match for you young people. If I don’t rest, my old bones will likely fall apart. So, I’m informing you, Captain Xu En, that I’ll be leaving now.”
“Thank you for your hard work, Pastor Aid,” Xu En said understandingly.
The Old Priest left with unsteady steps, but he did not return to his temporary residence in Ark Town. Instead, he bypassed everyone’s notice and stopped in a deserted corner.
He suddenly knelt down, prostrating himself, and chanted something. It was not praise and prayer to Glor, but an evil and blasphemous incantation.
Darkness, deeper than the pre-dawn night, abruptly descended. The sound of boots stepping on stone slabs suddenly came from behind the Old Priest. The footsteps were slow but firm, like those of an old Gentleman.
When the footsteps reached the Old Priest’s back, they finally stopped.
The Old Priest pressed his head tightly against the cold floor, too afraid to look up or open his eyes. He trembled all over, shaking like a condemned man about to be hanged.
“Ah, my great Master, Lord Siswell…” he said loudly, his voice filled with uncontrollable fear, “I have followed your instructions and tampered with the scene before the Disciplinary Bureau. They have been misled by me and will no longer have any possibility of finding the truth…
“Master, Mog is dead. And I swear with my insignificant life that I will keep all your secrets. Any eyes that dare to pry into our great undertaking will be eliminated! I understand that the Disciplinary Bureau’s eyes and ears have already noticed this place. Xu En… those damnable running dogs, they are here for this very reason. The so-called investigation is just a cover-up… But do not worry, I have found a way to deal with them… Wilson, that greedy blood-sucking worm, that filthy pig, he will solve all our problems without getting any dirt on himself.
“The ritual is complete, and our great undertaking will surely be realized! By then, no one will be able to stop us, and the dark dawn will finally stain the sky!”
As he said the last sentence, the Old Priest opened his eyes. Besides fear, his eyes were filled with fanaticism.
The footsteps gradually receded until they faded away with the darkness.
The Old Priest let out a long sigh, and his whole body went limp, collapsing onto the ground. He was drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of water.
Captain Xu En ultimately decided to go after the Duwei person first, rather than the mysterious person who burned down the church and killed the priest.
And when his teammates voiced their doubts, he said coldly, “Pastor Aid and that Nun cannot be trusted.”
