Chapter 254 The Duke's Death, True and False Substitutes

“Da Da——”

The night was as smooth as silk, and a carriage passed over the London Bridge under the stars.

The Tower of Lundu stood on the arch bridge. When the guards at the checkpoint saw the family emblem on the carriage, their expressions became a little more serious.

Yeats of the Brown family won the championship in the poetry festival.

Even the guards in low positions had heard of it.

For such an important figure, one must be very careful when approaching and checking him, even talking to the driver must be done with extreme caution.

The captain of the guards smiled apologetically to the butler who was driving the car.

"The security of the south is not our responsibility. If you are heading to the south bank, my Lord Baron, please be cautious."

The butler nodded silently, drove out of the checkpoint and headed towards the Duke of Suffolk's White Oak Manor.

The chirping of cicadas on a summer night drifted into the car window with the evening breeze.

Ye Zhi sat in the carriage covered with soft cushions, closed his eyes and felt the elements and magic flowing in the [Realm of Creation].

As his soul grew stronger, these elements and magical powers seemed to be somewhat afraid of Yeats.

Ye Zhi didn't even need to call them, he could devour them with just a thought and then use his combat skills or magic.

Yeats had a better understanding of the difference between the fifth and fourth rings: the fourth ring could mobilize the power of nature; the fifth ring could turn it to its own benefit.

also.

The characteristic of the five-ring hero, [Will of Power], can directly suppress the soul realm of those in the lower rings, causing their condition to decline, their fighting spirit to wane, and their hearts to feel awe.

This is somewhat similar to the deterrent effect of a higher-level monster on a lower-level monster.

For example, a five-ring emperor-level monster can make a four-ring king-level monster surrender just by the sense of oppression.

"The Snow Owl and Snow Leopard are still far from being Emperor-level Magical Beasts, but I can cultivate them by hunting Emperor-level Magical Beasts and cooking them into food."

Ye Zhi thought to himself, "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... I can keep an eye out for them after I leave Lundu."

At this time.

Yeats sensed a wave of magical power coming from the realm of creation.

It's a text message from June.

"I'm already at White Oak Manor, Elsa is with me."

"I'll be there in a minute."

Yeats replied: "The Duke of Suffolk should also be present at this dinner. Remember to pay attention and see if it is consistent with your impression of the Duke of Suffolk."

"Do you suspect that the Duke of Suffolk has been replaced?"

"After all, he used leprosy as an excuse, and his true appearance has been hidden under the mask. Isn't it highly suspected that he is the Blood Spider Lord?"

"I have a similar speculation to you, but I am more suspicious of the Duke of Alba." June said solemnly: "Duke Blood Spider has been lurking for several years, and even the royal family has not caught him. He is so cunning. Therefore, the most unlikely answer is most likely to be close to the truth."

Ye Zhi heard an important piece of information from June's words and asked, "Is the royal family also tracking down Lord Blood Spider?"

"Of course. After all, you and Thomas both know that Lord Blood Spider is hiding among the six dukes. How could the Lionheart not know about this?" June sighed. "But once this matter is made public, not to mention that the authority of the royal family will be questioned, even the six dukes will attack each other. Lord Blood Spider is likely to reap the benefits, so the royal family can only investigate secretly."

June paused for a moment and said, "From my guess, the person King Lionheart sent to track down Lord Blood Spider is most likely Colin, the King's Hand."

Colin...Yeetsy's mind flashed with the image of the giant man, and he pondered:

"So, as long as we can eliminate Lord Blood Spider, it will be like removing a major worry for His Majesty, and a reward and promotion will be a foregone conclusion?"

"For you, it's like this." June said calmly, "If you can really get rid of Lord Blood Spider, it will be equivalent to destroying the Scarlet Society's conspiracy. With this achievement, it's not surprising that His Majesty makes you a Duke!"

Ye Zhi's heart moved.

Possessing the title of Duke is equivalent to having the right to establish a duchy, and it will greatly enhance one's reputation. Many extraordinary people will voluntarily join the Duke.

This is the appeal of a noble family! The influence of an earl may be limited to the country, but once he becomes a duke, his every word and action may affect other kingdoms, and he is already at the top of the noble power of the Central Court! The duke symbolizes the feudal monarchy, sharing honor and disgrace, while the church represents theocracy. If he can become a duke, Yeats will also face a lot less pressure from the church.

"What about you?" Yeats was concerned about June's income.

Investigating the Blood Spider Lord is fraught with dangers, and June is willing to help, allowing Ye Zhi's intelligence network to expand, for which Ye Zhi is very grateful.

"Me? I'm here to repay you for saving me at Cam River University." June said, "I must make it clear that I did not use Lannister's spies in this operation. It has nothing to do with my family."

“So loyal!”

"Oh, Lannister, a debt must be paid."

"I know your family motto is very domineering, but there is no need to mention it all the time."

"Tsk, what do you care?"

Yeats discussed the plan with June again and decided to use the process of elimination to check the suspicious persons one by one.

The Duke of Suffolk's dinner held at White Oak Manor tonight is a good opportunity to investigate.

"There are also some advices between friends, Yeats, are you willing to listen?" June suddenly became serious.

"What advice?"

June was silent for a moment, then said, "That Lady Lee Matilda has a bad reputation. Some of her invitations... you'd better not accept them."

Yeats raised his eyebrows.

Bad reputation? Let me see what's going on!

*White Oak Manor, South Shore, London.

The starry sky casts silver moonlight, illuminating the elegant garden, and the nightingale sings melodiously.

The Duchess organized a dinner party, inviting the poets who performed outstandingly at the poetry festival. The guests were either artists or aristocrats, and the ceremony was luxurious and unconventional.

The banquet was held in the open air. The bright candlesticks enveloped the garden in a magnificent halo of light. Under the dim lights, everything became particularly beautiful.

One white candle in the candlestick could cover the monthly expenses of a family of three; the silver cutlery on the dining table was shockingly expensive; beautiful maids of almost the same height and build held golden basins, and the water for washing hands was dripping with traces of magic.

Clan, holding a pipe, stood beside the amber champagne tower, looked at Perron beside him, and said:

"You're leaving?"

After meeting several times at Cam River University, Cran and Perron became familiar with each other. Before Yeats arrived, the two started chatting with each other.

“It’s really boring here.”

Perun looked at the well-dressed nobles with a deep gaze and said meaningfully: "Gold is lost every year... The lost gold turns into dust, drifts with the wind, and is absorbed into people's souls, making the rich arrogant and the poor vicious."

"At the rich man's dinner party, my soul will only become numb." Perron shrugged and spread his hands, "It's better to go to the dust and save those lost girls."

"Speak human language."

"There's a Moulin Rouge nearby and I'm planning to go over and take a look. Do you want to come with me?" Peren invited sincerely.

"Moulin Rouge..." Cran seemed to be lost in thought. There had been many disappearances on the South Bank, many of which involved dancers and prostitutes from the Moulin Rouge. Even if these people were missing, no one would care.

Clan frowned slightly, those missing poor people might have become blood food.

Perron looked fascinated: "It's the dance hall, the dancers show their tails and tongues to the passionate music..."

"Wait a minute." Cran interrupted, "Of course I know the Moulin Rouge, but why do dancers have snakes?"

Perron said proudly, "Who do you think I am? The author of the Alien Guide! There is an alien red mill on the south bank. I had already investigated it before coming here!"

Kelan had a complicated expression and said, "As expected of you..."

Perun said mysteriously, "In fact, I prefer pure-blooded snake people to snake-scale people. My twenty-seventh girlfriend is a pure-blooded snake person. She would use her tail to strangle my neck tightly..."

Crane sighed and said, "I really admire you for still remembering the numbers of your ex-girlfriends."

"Because I have been sincere to every one of them." Peren said seriously.

"I still remember that some of their fathers were gamblers, some of their mothers were sick, and some of their families were broken..."

Peren seemed to be lost in memories, his eyes flickering slightly, he looked up at the night sky, and whispered:

"Whether it is vulgar or elegant, I can no longer tell. I only know that the moon is full. If I don't go, I will seem unromantic."

Clan: “…”

Crane: "If I get any news about the Trial of the God of Love, I will definitely inform you first."

At this time, a carriage decorated with the Bronty family emblem drove into the manor.

All eyes suddenly gathered and fell on Yeats Browndi who had arrived.

Many nobles saw the legendary Yeats for the first time and were amazed; the poets who had participated in the poetry festival all looked at the God-chosen poet with respect.

Richard, Riorgo, and Calvin all came over to greet Yeats.

"Baron Yeats, congratulations on winning the crown!" Calvin said sincerely.

Yeats smiled slightly, but then heard Calvin secretly send a message:

"My father, the investigation in recent days has yielded some results... I will go to your manor to discuss the details after the dinner is over!"

Thomas was really efficient. He found the clue so quickly... Now was not the right time to talk. Yeats and Calvin deliberately chatted about irrelevant topics. Then they saw the Duke of Suffolk had come to the garden.

He stood in the shadow of the corridor, leaning on a cane in one hand, wearing chain mail and a hood that isolated him from the outside world, and an iron mask. His eyes, projected through the gaps in the mask, fell on Yeats.

Immediately, 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 plague curse from a wizard. He had been very successful in his youth, but after he was infected with leprosy, he lived in seclusion behind the scenes.

His wife, Li Matilda, came from an ancient family in the Divine Empire, and her marriage to the Duke of Suffolk was a political marriage. This woman was sophisticated and managed the family's business in an orderly manner by herself. Although there were many negative rumors, no one had 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 bright red dress and had a friendly smile, enough to make every guest feel that they were not left out.

Time has made her appearance more graceful, and even the fine lines at the corners of her eyes when she smiles seem like ripples.

The two men walked towards Yeats.

A few steps away from Yeats, Suffolk stopped and spoke in a dull and hoarse voice from under the mask: "I have read your poem, Mr. Yeats... It is an excellent poem and has given me great encouragement."

"It's my honor." Ye Zhi said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"I hope you can enjoy this dinner." Suffolk paused and said, "Forgive me, my body won't allow me to stay for too long. Please allow me to go back to my room and rest."

"Of course, please." Yeats said.

"Honey, do you want me to help you back to your room?" Mrs. Lee Matilda said gently.

"No need, I'm not yet at the point where I can't walk."

The Duke of Suffolk spoke in a slightly stiff tone, leaned on his cane, and walked unsteadily, disappearing around the corner of the corridor.

Ye Zhi looked away and found that the Duchess had also looked away. Their eyes met. The Duchess was startled for a moment, then smiled and said, "He is a stubborn man who has been fighting against leprosy."

Ye Zhi nodded and said, "Admirable."

"I admire you, Your Excellency. You are so young, yet you have become the most famous bard in the entire Golden Lion." The Duchess smiled slightly. "I don't know your preferences yet. I don't know if these arrangements are to your liking... I hope this dinner will satisfy you."

Yeats inspected the venue and said politely, "I can see the host's elegant taste and artistic influence. Thank you for your trouble."

The Duchess smiled slightly, looked up and down at Fan Yezhi, lowered her eyes, and said, "To be honest, I invited you here because I have something to ask of you..."

"What is it?"

"You are the chosen one of the goddess of youth, and the one most favored by the god of art in the entire atrium. I believe you must have profound insights into painting."

Mrs. Lee Matilda sighed, her tone a little sad, and said:

"My birthday will be here in a few days... Before that, I would like you to draw a portrait for me."

She raised her green eyes, gazed at Yeats, and seemed to murmur to herself: "In this way, even if the years pass, youth can be preserved in the frame."

Yeats said: "But I am not a professional painter."

“No matter how professional a painter is, how can he compare to the chosen one of art?”

This noble lady, who still had her charm, showed a trace of fatigue in the corners of her eyes and sighed softly.

"I am old now. If I don't leave something behind, my life will be like sand swallowed by the waves... Therefore, I often meet with painters and novelists, hoping that they can leave biographies or portraits in my name, and I will be responsible for funding them. In this way, I can at least leave some traces."

"But." Li Matilda shook her head, "None of those works satisfy me."

"You said that we should not be modest when we can be aggressive." The Duchess stared at Yeats and said gently, "So, I ask for your opinion and beg you to paint a portrait for me. The works chosen by the God of Art will surely be passed down to future generations, so I will use high-ring potions as a thank you."

High-level potions meant starting from the fourth level, which was extremely valuable even for Ye Zhi! If it were normal, Ye Zhi would have already accepted the deal, but Cran mentioned that he suspected that Lord Blood Spider might be the one who "acted on behalf of the Duke's power." In other words, the uncle of the Duchess and the Duke of Cornwall were both highly suspected.

Please...collect 6...9...books...!

It was at this point in time that Yeats had no choice but to be more careful.

"I have to concentrate on preparing for the competition these days and have no time to paint your portrait. I hope you can understand." Ye Zhi declined.

"But haven't you already won the championship?" Li Matilda was a little surprised.

"I have also signed up for the upcoming duel and equestrian events, and I hope I can get a good ranking." Ye Zhi said.

"I see." The Duchess sighed softly, her tone becoming a little cold. "I understand your choice... If you change your mind, be sure to tell me."

Ye Zhi 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 asked, "Did you find anything?"

Cran shook his head and said, "I also want to ask you, what did you talk about with that lady for so long just now?"

"She asked me to paint a portrait of her," Yeats frowned.

Crane looked at Yeats: "You find it suspicious?"

"Suspicious." Yeats remembered the Duchess's words, "but understandable."

Cran was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "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 the distinguished guests, her face turned pale as paper and her whole body trembled with fear.

"The Duke! The Duke of Suffolk, he's dead!"

The banquet venue was thrown into an uproar and became chaotic.

Crane quickly observed everyone's reactions.

But Lady Matilda stood there in a daze, as if she couldn't believe her ears, and everyone else looked surprised and unbelievable.

And Peren's figure disappeared in the manor early.

The Duke of Suffolk is dead?!

Ye Zhi was shocked and looked at Cran.

Crane's eyes were solemn. He slowly exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "Now we have a clue."

*Moulin Rouge, South Bank, London.

Beside the winding cobblestone slope, dancers in long dresses with intricate lace stood, wearing heavy makeup and posing coquettishly. A red windmill-shaped dance hall stood, from which gaudy dance music flowed.

Peren's appearance quickly attracted the attention and conversation of the dancers along the street, but Peren ignored them all and walked straight to a dance hall at the deepest part of the alley.

The poster girl is a lively Asian dragon, and the theme of the dance hall is also related to alien races. The reason why it can continue to operate is that there are many nobles with unique tastes.

It's hard to tell the taste of rich people. Jpg Peren was obviously a frequent visitor here. He gave the Asian dragon man a face-to-face greeting familiarly. The Asian dragon man pounded the elf's chest coquettishly and said:

"How come you have time to come to South Bank today?"

Perron smiled gently and said, "Compared to the nobles' dinner, I feel more relaxed here... Where's Anna?"

Anna, a name that couldn't be more ordinary, would be drowned in an instant if thrown into a crowd of people, but Peren could remember the differences and hobbies of each Anna.

As Perron himself said, he was sincere to every girlfriend, it was just a matter of duration.

"Are you talking about Anna of the Serpent Tribe or Anna of the Centaur Tribe?"

"Uh...it's a hybrid snake man." Peren said.

Hearing this, a trace of sadness flashed in the eyes of the Argonian: "She's gone."

"Gone?"

"To be precise, they disappeared." The Asian dragon man smiled bitterly, "Our group is like dandelions. We never know when they will be blown away by the wind, leaving no trace behind."

Perron frowned, "But she promised me that she would tell me before she left. She didn't, so she must have had an accident."

"An accident..." The Asian dragon man looked thoughtful and said, "Speaking of accidents, many girls have disappeared in the South Bank in recent days. Some are dancers in our industry, and some are children from poor families. Conservative estimates are that dozens of people are missing."

Perron was stunned and asked, "Dozens of people? Dozens of lives, why is no one investigating?"

"The South Shore is different from the North Shore. If it were the North Shore, the City Hall would have issued a bounty long ago. But this is the South Shore. These people are like waves being swept away by the waves. Who would spend that energy?"

The Asian dragon shook his head and said, "Let's not talk about that. I have another Anna here. Do you want to meet her?"

"No." Perron said with a blazing gaze, "I will find out Anna's whereabouts whether she is alive or dead."

The Asian dragon was stunned.

"The snake people are all experts in witchcraft and alchemy. My ex-girlfriend told me that there is a kind of witchcraft that uses the blood of young girls of appropriate age, which can keep one's face young."

Perron said in a deep voice: "Now, so many girls have disappeared in the South Bank. I am afraid that they have met with accidents... and I swear here that I will find out the real culprit behind these cases."

The Asian dragon's eyes flickered, and he advised: "Why are you doing this? You are such a noble elf, different from the lowly us. There is no need for you to risk your life and get involved."

"Some people's souls are tempered by iron and fire, while others' souls stick to justice and creed."

Perron looked deep in his eyes and said, "My soul is made up of all kinds of women and love. This sounds vulgar, but this great love is my creed!"

The Asian dragon was stunned by the faith shown by the elves and remained silent for a long time. At this moment, a shrill cry for help came from the alley behind the dance hall.

"Someone come quickly!"

The Yalong man's face turned pale and he said, "Could it be that... the murderer in the rumors on the South Bank!"

Peren had already rushed out.

In the dim alley, a figure stood in the shadows, and a panic-stricken dancer was sitting against the wall.

Peren felt vaguely that the figure looked familiar.

When that person heard the voice and turned his head.

Perron's eyes widened instantly and he cried out, "Duke of Suffolk?!"

The cold moonlight shone on the iron mask, and the deep gaze from the mask stared coldly at Perun.

Suddenly, his figure rose up and disappeared in the uneven tiled roof in a blink of an eye.

Peren wanted to catch up, but his body trembled uncontrollably. In his soul realm, the Tree of Life was shaking continuously as if blown by a strong wind, and was almost broken in half!

This is exactly the oppressive feeling from the Five Rings Hero [Will of Power]! Perun stood there in a daze, the cold wind at night blowing over his body, and a chill spread from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

'Since he has the fifth ring level, why didn't he just attack me instead of running away?'

'Did someone deliberately frame the Duke of Suffolk, or was it just a coincidence that I caught him committing the crime?'

Countless speculations appeared in Perren's mind, and his heart had turned cold.

'If that man just now was really the Duke of Suffolk, who was the one in the manor? ! '

At this time, a noisy sound of footsteps was heard. Peren turned around and saw a group of guards holding torches, rushing towards the alley!

"Quick, move faster!"

"We have received a report that there are vampires causing trouble here. All those who are not involved are to stay indoors!"

Peren frowned, glanced at the pale dancer in the corner, and said, "You will have to testify for me later. I saved you!"

However.

The dancer suddenly screamed: "Help, I'm here!"

Peren just realized his situation.

He accidentally stepped into a trap that had been set long ago and became a scapegoat!

If he escaped now, he would be unable to defend himself. But even if he pointed out that the Duke of Suffolk was the murderer, who would believe him?

Soon, the guards surrounded Perun with torches in hand. Their cold, contemptuous and hostile eyes deeply hurt Perun.

"Humph, the blood clan in the legend is actually an elf! "Dozens of murders, now we finally caught you!"

"Take him away and seal his soul with magic-forbidden shackles!"

Perron sighed and let the guards put shackles on him. He used the last bit of his magic to send a message to the famous detective Mr. Crane: "I discovered the Iron Mask's crime scene and I'm now caught."

"The Iron Mask looks exactly like Suffolk, a five-ring hero."

"The Duke of Suffolk is a strong suspect in the murder case on the South Bank!"

In the chaotic manor.

The news of the Duke of Suffolk's unexplained death was like a bombshell, shocking and unsettling all the guests.

The Duchess politely asked the guests to stay in the manor, but the firmness in her attitude was self-evident.

Cran volunteered to investigate the scene of the Duke of Suffolk's murder.

Since Cran enjoyed a reputation as a "detective" in the Kingdom of Golden Lion, the Duchess agreed to his request.

Yeats walked with him from the garden to the hall, only to see the Duke of Suffolk lying on his back at the foot of the stairs with no obvious external injuries, as if he had suddenly died while climbing the stairs.

At this moment, Crane suddenly stopped.

Ye Zhi looked over and saw that Crane's expression had become quite complicated, so he couldn't help but ask, "Did you find anything?"

Clan frowned and spoke slowly, "Is there a spell in this world that can summon a clone and control it from thousands of meters away as if it were an arm?"

"No, a casting distance of several thousand meters is far beyond the limit of Mirror Image, unless it is Simulacrum, but that is already the realm of the Seventh Ring Sanctuary." Ye Zhi said, "But even ordinary people can find a substitute... Why are you asking this?"

Crane sighed and sent a message: "Did you find out? Perron is not in this manor."

Ye Zhi was stunned and replied: "If he leaves at this time, isn't he asking for suspicion?"

"No, he left a long time ago." Clan briefly summarized the news that Perron had just sent back, and said expressionlessly, "Now, he is being hunted down as a vampire."

Yeats: "...It's bad, Perron has become a substitute!"

(End of this chapter)