Chapter 397: The Sun King: God’s Choice of Art, I’m So Happy! (7K)

The room fell into dead silence.

Ye Zhi looked at the only remaining parchment slip in the empty glass cabinet and remained silent.

The diamond was stolen, but clues were deliberately left behind, which was undoubtedly a great provocation to the Sun King.

Given Louis' arrogant personality, he must have been furious at this moment, but he was just trying hard to hold back.

But...what did he mean by calling me here? Ye Zhi's thoughts raced.

Did he suspect me? Or did he intend to let me find the murderer? Or did he simply treat me as a friend and believe that I was trustworthy?

Yeats kept silent about it and secretly observed the expression of the Sun King. He saw that there was no expression on his handsome face, but there was a cold frost in his eyes.

The dark mark of the key on the parchment was so dazzling that it was imprinted in the eyes of Sun King Louis. His nails dug into his palms, and a low pressure enveloped everyone's heads.

"The mark of the Thieves Guild..." Louis smiled and said, "Well done..."

Ye Zhi's eyes moved slightly, and he couldn't help but think of the origin of this key mark.

The Thieves Guild, the Assassins' League, and the Night Cloak were all part of the same family hundreds of years ago, all of which were forces under the camp of the Night Goddess. Later, a human demigod thief named Nightingale stole the artifact "Skull Key" hidden inside the "Tower of Night", and split off a part of the forces from the Cult of Night to form the Brotherhood of Thieves.

The artifact [Skull Key] is a lock picking tool that can pick all locks in the world, including conceptual "locks" such as barriers, doors, windows and passages. According to legend, the "Nightingale" used the Skull Key to sneak into the real tomb of the Lorraine Emperor and stole the priceless burial objects.

This key later became the symbol of the Brotherhood of Thieves.

Members of the Brotherhood of Thieves are generally atheists, which may be related to the fact that their founder once betrayed the Goddess of Darkness. From smuggling illegal drugs to stealing, kidnapping, and trafficking, they are only interested in profit and have a much worse reputation than the Assassin's League.

Probably in recent decades, Ms. Black Rose emerged, reorganized the Brotherhood of Thieves into the "Thieves Guild", vigorously banned drugs, integrated businesses, formulated treaties, and declared this a "revival."

According to the "Three Taboos", members of the Thieves Guild are not allowed to steal from their fellows, not allowed to steal from the poor, and not allowed to kill others unless necessary.

The Thieves Guild enjoys a good reputation among the people, and Ms. Black Rose even has the demeanor of the "Godfather of the Roland Gang."

"Could it be that Ms. Black Rose stole the diamond herself?"

Ye Zhi thought to herself, "With the artifact [Skull Key] in her hand, it would be easy for her to take the diamond without destroying the glass cabinet!"

The female knight Violet looked serious. She knelt on one knee, bowed her head deeply, and said, "Your Majesty, do you need me to seal off the mansion?"

Louis raised his palm, signaling Violet not to alarm the guests, and said coldly:

"It's just a small matter. I can find out the real culprit quickly without mobilizing a large force... I just feel guilty."

Louis turned and looked deeply at Yeats.

"I promised you that I would show you my collection, which I am proud of. But as you can see, an unexpected event occurred that I did not expect..."

Louis' eyes were full of sincerity. He sighed softly and said, "The reason why I called you here is that I hope you will not doubt my sincerity... I have always held high respect for art and will never deceive you!"

Why does this line smell so much like male ketones?

Ye Zhi coughed lightly and said, "If you need my help, Your Majesty King Roland, just let me know. I have some experience in solving cases!"

Hearing this, Lewis' eyes moved slightly, and he pondered:

"I have heard of your deeds. When the Lionheart King eradicated the Scarlet Society, you made great contributions to him. You are worthy of being a hero of the Golden Lion Kingdom."

"However, you are a foreign envoy after all. Roland's omissions should be resolved by the Roland people themselves."

Louis paused, the dark clouds in his eyes quietly dissipated, he smiled at Ye Zhi and said, "Your Excellency, please continue the dance."

After saying this, Louis looked at the glass cabinet, no longer paying attention to Yeats, his eyes focused, as if he was thinking about how the murderer took away the diamond without alerting anyone.

Violet remained kneeling on the ground... Seeing this, Yezhi understood that Louis was planning to entrust the important task of investigating the murderer to Violet, the leader of the Dragon Eagle Knights.

Based on this inference, this female knight Violet should be Louis' confidant, otherwise she would not know Louis's life experience and habits so well.

Yeats was about to leave, but Mammon stopped him.

"The aura that remains here... is left by a diamond called 'Morning Star'."

Mammon's sensation came from the golden ring, and there was a deep desire in the words, and his breathing seemed a little short.

"The Morning Star symbolizes the predecessor of the Devil Lord Lucifer, the Morning Star Lucifer!"

Ye Zhi wanted to say, calm down, the diamond has been stolen and its whereabouts are unknown. Maybe the leader of the Thieves' Guild did it himself.

But Mammon had obviously gone too far and for the first time revealed his uncontrollable greed in front of Yeats.

"We must get that diamond at all costs, Yeats!"

Mammon spoke faster.

"That diamond is a treasure beyond your imagination. It is also the most shining gem on the Ring of the Nibelung!"

"Even if I get it, it's my gem. What does it have to do with you?" Yeats emphasized the priority.

"My original body has never tasted Lucifer's diamond, so it's enough for me to play with the "Morning Star"!"

The vision of a black cat appeared before his eyes. Mammon licked the cat's paw pad and said greedily, "I am 1,200 years old and have earned thousands of gems. This is the one I must have!"

The fanatical greed and desire even disturbed Ye Zhi's mind. He was slightly dazed for a moment, but quickly recovered and said, "Just be quiet!"

The voice in the ring quieted down, but the magic power derived from the golden rule was still surging in Yeats' soul, as if pestering him and asking him to make a decision as soon as possible.

If the spiritual attack had not been ineffective against Ye Zhi, it would have been easy for this familiar to turn the tables and become a slave of the god of greed.

Ye Zhi secretly raised his guard against Mammon again... Although he looks cute, he is still the incarnation of the devil after all!

"Diamonds, diamonds, diamonds, my diamonds!" Mammon muttered madly.

"I understand!" Ye Zhi's ears were buzzing and his forehead was throbbing. "I'll find a way to deal with this matter!"

Louis opened the glass cabinet and held the piece of paper with the key mark in his palm. Then he looked back at Yeats, as if wondering why Yeats didn't leave.

Ye Zhi pondered and said, "Your Majesty King Roland, I thought of something related to the Thieves Guild, and I think it is necessary to report it to you."

"Thieves Guild?" Louis clenched his palm holding the note and whispered, "Speak!"

Ye Zhi briefly summarized the incident in which he encountered an airship robbery on his way to the Kingdom of Roland, and said that the "Madam Black Rose" of the Thieves Guild was behind the incident.

"I have heard of the name of this 'Lady Black Rose' in the Kingdom of Golden Lion."

Ye Zhi said: "There are rumors that she is not a real person, but just a code name circulated in the Thieves Guild. There are both men and women in the 'Black Rose'..."

"Your Majesty... In my opinion, Madam Black Rose does exist." Violet, the leader of the Dragon Eagle Knights, stood up and said, "She is the leader of the Thieves Guild. I have arrested many thieves, and many of them mentioned Madam Black Rose in their confessions."

Violet paused and said, "However, even the top leaders of the union don't know who Ms. Black Rose's true identity is... She has always relied on messengers or substitutes to convey orders and information, and has never actually appeared."

Louis narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at Ye Zhi, and said, "So, you think... the diamond was stolen by Ms. Black Rose herself?"

Ye Zhi did not comment, and said: "I just think that only the leader of the Thieves Guild who has never shown his face can have such superb stealing skills, and can steal diamonds in front of so many Six Ring Masters without being noticed."

Violet frowned slightly and said, "But why would the Thieves Guild deliberately leave clues? This note is like a clear invitation for people to investigate the Thieves Guild."

"There are two possibilities. The first is a frame-up. The one who stole the diamonds was not the Thieves Guild, but some other force."

Yeats deduced, "Another possibility is that the Thieves Guild wanted to convey some kind of message by leaving a note."

"What information?" Louis asked.

Ye Zhi shook his head and said, "I can't deduce more, but this is the only clue after all. I think we will gain something by investigating the Thieves Guild in Paris."

Louis was thoughtful, with a slight smile on his face, and praised:

"It is said that the Duke of Honeysuckle is good at speaking and making decisions. His reputation is well-deserved."

"Your Majesty, you are too kind." Ye Zhi first said politely, and then threw out the words he had prepared.

"also."

Ye Zhi's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Regardless of whether it was done by the Thieves Guild or not, the fact that the thieves were able to sneak into the mansion means there is most likely a hidden danger inside the palace!"

The shocking words made Violet's eyes widen and she was speechless: "This..."

Louis's eyes suddenly changed, and a chilling coldness enveloped Ye Zhi.

Outsiders' arbitrary judgments on King Roland's court are undoubtedly a provocation to King Roland's authority!

However, as a young British leader, Louis soon realized that Yeats's inference was not groundless...

Indeed, it is possible that the diamond disappeared with the help of a spy.

If there is a traitor inside the palace, investigating this case will be twice as difficult, after all, the possibility of the traitor leaking the news cannot be ruled out! Unless...

Unless we find a third party force other than the Roland Royal Family and the Thieves Guild to investigate the case.

Thinking of this, Louis's gaze fixed on Yeats, his eyes flickering slightly.

But... is this person really trustworthy? The room fell silent again.

Louis frowned slightly and paced back and forth in the room. The passionate violin sound outside sounded particularly harsh, causing his shoulders to tremble slightly.

After taking a few deep breaths, Louis made up his mind, looked at Ye Zhi, smiled gently, and said slowly:

"Duke Honeysuckle has come from afar, and I should have entertained him well, but the theft of his treasure has made me unable to sleep or eat... I have a request, and I hope Your Excellency can listen to it."

Ye Zhi's heart moved, thinking that his trick was worth it, King Roland really took the bait!

Since he was a foreign envoy, even if he wanted to investigate the case of the stolen diamonds, he could not recommend himself. It had to be proposed by King Roland himself.

And Yeats's previous remarks as a spy were precisely intended to make King Roland choose an outsider to investigate the case.

But King Roland was a young hero after all, and there was no guarantee that his thoughts would not be seen through by the other party, so Yeats became more cautious.

"Your Majesty, do you want me to investigate the case of the stolen diamonds?" Yeats asked back.

Louis nodded, secretly observing Ye Zhi's reaction, and said, "If you can find the stolen diamond, the Roland royal family will reward you handsomely!"

Ye Zhi shook his head and declined, "I am here to participate in the duel tournament. I don't have the energy to deal with other matters. Your Majesty, please don't blame me."

Hearing this.

Louis's guard was lowered a little.

Yeats's sly remarks just now made Louis somewhat suspicious, as if Yeats was deliberately recommending himself.

But now he refused again, which made Louis feel more at ease.

As the king of a country, Louis could not really hand over the affairs of his country to a foreign envoy. Wouldn't this undermine the prestige of the noble Sun King?

As arrogant as Louis is, he would never do such a stupid thing! After some probing by both sides, Louis became more friendly to Yeats and smiled:

"That's as it should be! Your Excellency should focus on preparing for the Duel Tournament! I will discuss the person to investigate this case..."

A glimmer flashed in Ye Zhi's eyes, and he said with a smile: "If your Majesty does not mind, I have a candidate who can be recommended to your Majesty."

"Who?" Louis asked.

"Captain of the Dragon Eagle Knights, Violet." Ye Zhi said calmly.

Violet raised her violet eyes and looked at Yeats in surprise.

Louis' eyes lit up slightly. The candidate Yeats suggested just hit the nail on the head. He said calmly, "Oh? Why do you recommend her?"

Ye Zhi smiled and said, "I won't hide it from your Majesty. I feel very uncomfortable when you let Violet follow me. If she goes to investigate this case, I can have some peace..."

Violet had a blank expression on her face, but she felt embarrassed in her heart, as if her identity as an undercover agent had been exposed.

Violet, the Duke's daughter, has three generations of dragon hawk knights. Normally, there is no need for her to be polite to others. It is too difficult for her to hide her feelings.

Louis chose Violet to be his confidant because she was simple-minded.

A shrewd fox, of course, hopes that the people around him are as pure as possible.

"What's more, Knight Commander Violet is extremely powerful, and his subordinates are well aware of the underground gang forces in Roland. He is the best person to investigate this case." Ye Zhi said.

There was a brief silence in the room.

Suddenly, Louis burst into laughter.

Smart people do smart things, and the Chosen Ones of Art have neither overstepped their boundaries nor have their ideas differed from those of the Sun King's heroes.

I am so happy that Art God has chosen me! Louis smiled and said, “Okay, I will give the new task to Violet and won’t let her bother you anymore!”

"Speaking of which, the opening ceremony of the duel tournament will be held in two days, and you will have your first duel on the day of the ceremony."

Louis patted Ye Zhi on the shoulder and said affectionately: "When the time comes, I will be there in person to cheer you on! I look forward to the performance of the Duke of Honeysuckle... Your Excellency, don't let me down!"

Walking out of the room, Mammon's complaining voice was heard.

"He asked you to investigate the case of the stolen diamonds. Why didn't you take it? Wouldn't it be possible for you to embezzle the diamonds openly?"

"You and I can think of this, but that arrogant Louis can't?"

Ye Zhi said: "If I agree to his request, it will arouse his suspicion and make him think that I, a foreigner, am overstepping my authority! I will be restricted everywhere in the Roland Kingdom in the future. How can I collect other magic god ritual objects?"

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

Mammon was startled, and felt that what Ye Zhi said unexpectedly made sense, and muttered:

"The cat's brain is really not as good as its body... Now its brain is not as fast as Ye Zhi's."

"You are not as smart as me." Ye Zhi said.

"Nonsense! I just want to save money and don't want to consume too much brain power!" Mammon said.

The survival of the familiar Mammon is mainly maintained by krypton gold. Compared with the original body of the great demon Mammon, the intelligence of this consciousness has dropped significantly, which also gives Ye Zhi the confidence to fool it.

If the real body of Mammon, the god of greed, was following him, Ye Zhi would not be able to eat. After all, even Diao Ya could not subdue Mammon, and Daisy, who was on the same level as Mammon, was a mysterious person who was hard to find.

Compared to this, the cat version of Mammon the Familiar looks much cuter!

"Don't worry, someone will get the [Morning Star] for us." Ye Zhi already had a specific plan in mind, and said calmly, "The key is to find out the true identity of Ms. Black Rose... Let others do it for us!"

To be honest, Ye Zhi was very interested in the artifact [Skull Key] in Ms. Black Rose's hand.

That was originally the treasure of the Dark Night Cult, hidden in the Dark Night Tower, and later stolen by the first leader of the Brotherhood of Thieves...

As the Chosen One of Dark Night, you should return this treasure to its original place!

Mammon suddenly realized, "I understand! The reason you recommended that female knight to investigate this case is because you wanted to use her as your pawn!"

Ye Zhi said: "What the chess piece said is very unpleasant. We are mutually beneficial. She dug out the truth and I got the diamond. It's a win-win situation!"

Diamond grumbled, "You won twice, so it's a win-win situation, right?"

Black Cat couldn't help but feel a strong sense of fear... I also have to be careful of Ye Zhi. This guy is too calculating, and sometimes he is even more greedy than me!

It's late at night.

The lights flowing from the mansion are still bright.

The dance at the ball lasted until the last song, and the drunken guests dispersed in twos and threes, returning to the manor in carriages, or simply falling asleep in the guest rooms of the mansion.

Violet, who took over the investigation of the diamond theft case, was still a little dazed. She took Yeats' arm and left the mansion in a tangled manner.

The cold wind at night blew, causing a slight shudder on Violet's snow-white neck at the off-shoulder neckline. She came to her senses, raised her violet eyes and looked at Yeats, asking for help:

"Your Excellency the Duke... I have no idea how to investigate this case! Please give me some advice!"

Violet listened to Yeats' analysis and was convinced by him.

Faced with this distinguished guest who was appreciated by His Majesty, Violet instinctively developed trust in him and began to seek his off-field assistance.

King Roland would never have thought that the confidant he sent to follow Yeats would trust the target so quickly... and this was actually due to Yeats using King Roland's name as a banner and claiming that he was King Roland's friend!

Ye Zhi said calmly: "There are too many people here, it's not suitable for discussion... You can come to the palace to find me tomorrow afternoon, I will think of a solution for you."

Violet's eyes were filled with gratitude. She bowed deeply and said, "Thank you, Your Excellency the Duke!"

Ye Zhi took a quick glance and was slightly startled.

Why didn't you tell me earlier about such a big thing? The two of them said goodbye at the fork in the road. The street lamps were shining with orange light. She summoned the Dragon Eagle King from the magical pet plane and disappeared into the night with the evening breeze.

As soon as Ye Zhi turned around, he felt a tentative breath coming towards him. This breath was not hostile, as if it was just very curious about Ye Zhi's strength and kept probing him for a long time.

"Sir, what does this mean?" Ye Zhi frowned slightly.

A silver-haired Corinna, wearing black armor and an eye patch, who looked very similar to 2B, walked out from behind the tree. She seemed to be able to see Ye Zhi clearly through the eye patch. She looked him up and down and whispered, "Golden Lion Man?"

"So what?"

"Do me a favor."

"No help."

"I have money." Corinna thought for a moment, "A lot."

Ye Zhi almost laughed out of anger. In a traffic jam in the middle of the night, he started talking about some nonsensical things. Could this guy be an idiot?

Seeing that the other party had no hostility, Ye Zhi dissipated the flash magic brewing in his palm and cleared his throat:

"What favor? Tell me first, and I'll see if I can help!"

"There is a duke in Golden Lion named Hudson. Do you know him?" asked Collina softly.

Duke of Hudson? This name is so familiar... Yeats pondered for a long time before he suddenly realized it.

This is the former Duke who lost to Thomas in the battle for Wick Harbor and retired in disgrace in the power struggle!

"The Duke of Hudson of the Northern Province?" Yeats said, "He was stripped of his title... Now his son, Hudson Jr., is the earl of the family."

Corinna tilted her head and asked suddenly, "You are the Duke, right?"

Yeats nodded.

Gloria said, "Where is the honeysuckle in the golden lion?"

Ye Zhi was helpless, and said patiently in a coaxing tone, "Honeysuckle is not a place name, it is a title. My territory is in the Morning Frost Ridge in the north of Golden Lion... It is rich in whiskey."

Gloria frowned slightly and said, "Whiskey tastes bad."

Ye Zhi: “…”

There was silence between the two of them, and the awkward silence continued to spread.

Golina said, "Do me a favor."

This is the same thing again! Ye Zhi couldn't hold it in any longer and said, "What kind of help do you need? Tell me now!"

Gloria took a half step back, as if she was shrinking back, then she felt in her bosom and took out a purse.

"This, I'll give it to you first."

Gloria threw the purse to Yeats, who took it quickly and found it was very light, making a jingling sound like jade colliding.

When Ye Zhi opened it, he was shocked. The purse was filled with crystal clear gems, red agate, sapphire, green jade... exuding a strong elemental aura, each of which was worth a fortune! Just throw a bag of gems to me?

Yeats looked at Collina in shock and confusion.

Is this some lucky NPC that pops up on the roadside? He gives me tens of thousands of gold coins for no reason?

Gloria said, "Use this money to redeem something from Hudson for me..."

Ye Zhi was surprised and asked, "What is that?"

Golina did not answer, but looked up at the night sky.

Yeats also looked up. The moonlight was exceptionally bright. The silver full moon hung high in the sky. The rich divinity of the moonlight made Yeats particularly enjoy it.

When he lowered his head again, Collina had disappeared.

Shaking the purse in his hand, Ye Zhi looked confused.

No... a nice guy just disappeared in the middle of a conversation? Mammon said with emotion: "The [Fortune] brought by the ring has taken effect! This time, I actually gave you a bag of gems directly!"

Ye Zhi said in a vicious voice: "Don't think I don't know! While the ring brings wealth, it also brings a lot of troubles!"

"Who cares!" Mammon thought to himself, it's Yezhi's trouble anyway, none of my business meow~ The evening breeze blew, Yezhi calmed down, looked at the purse in his hand, and fell into deep thought.

That Collina was halfway through her words...she said that she wanted me to take the money and go to Hudson to redeem something...

What is so expensive that Master Liuhuan needs to entrust someone else to do it? Why would she come to me?

Could it be that he was impressed by my status in Golden Lion?

Ye Zhi was confused, but then his brows gradually relaxed, his eyes flickered, and a guess came to his mind.

Corinna's ancestors once followed Joan of Arc to fight on the battlefield. Could it be that she wants me to redeem her...

"This woman is so elusive." Ye Zhi shook his head and muttered to himself, "I remember she is also going to participate in the duel conference. I'll talk to her when we meet at the venue."

The next day.

As agreed, Violet paid a visit.

Ye Zhi asked her to sit down in the study, and told the dial robot to bring tea and dessert, saying:

"I have prepared afternoon tea myself, and you can enjoy it with me."

A duke can actually prepare tea for himself?

Violet was a little surprised. Her violet eyes were full of restraint. She stood straight with her hands on her knees and said:

"I don't dare to do anything rash... I just want to ask you for advice on how to deal with the stolen diamonds."

Yeats personally made a cup of black tea for Violet: "You're welcome."

Steam rose, and Violet said in shock: "A treat?!"

"The Thieves Guild is, after all, just a gang force under Roland. There must be many members who are dissatisfied with Ms. Black Rose."

Ye Zhi lowered his eyes, brewed hot tea, and said:

"Since you are the special envoy of King Roland, you have the privilege of life and death over the Thieves Guild. It is better for you to win over some people and divide others, stir up conflicts within the guild, and watch the guild collapse from within... At this time, the Thieves Guild must have a person to stabilize the situation, and Ms. Black Rose will naturally surface."

"Either treat me to a meal, or behead me, or keep me as a dog." Ye Zhi smiled and said, "Let's start with treating me to a meal."

Violet's pupils contracted. She stretched out her trembling hands and held up the hot teacup. Her heart was filled with fear and awe. She swallowed her saliva dryly and said in a trembling voice, "I, I am taught... Your Excellency the Duke!"

He is about the same age as Your Majesty, and his mind is just as complicated.

Violet was convinced...they were indeed friends who appreciated each other! Yeats thought to himself.

Of course, the Ms. Black Rose who appears at that time may not necessarily be the real Black Rose.

She could easily pick a scapegoat, sacrifice that chess piece, and escape herself.

When that stage comes, it will be her turn to compete with the real Black Rose... Whether the Dawn Star diamond is in her hands or not, and what kind of extraordinary effect this arrogant demon god's gift has, will only be known when she unveils it! Suddenly, Violet put down her fork with a clang, covered her mouth with one hand, and a stunning glimmer appeared in her eyes.

"What's the matter?" Yeats asked.

Violet blushed and exclaimed softly:

“The cake you made is...so delicious!”

Ye Zhi: “…”

Spices, I spiced it up!

(End of this chapter)