◇ Chapter 85: Poison
66: "Host, are you going?"
Bai Yu: "Of course I will go."
There is no such thing as escaping without a fight in his dictionary.
But after Bai Yu folded the letter, he thought of something and suddenly raised his hand to pinch his eyebrows and sighed slightly.
66: "Host?"
Bai Yu: "I think Xiaomao definitely doesn't want me to go. It's a bit difficult to convince him."
These days, Imur has been sticking to him very much, like a giant dragon that has caught its only treasure and just wants to hold it tightly and protect it, to the point of almost not wanting Bai Yu to leave his sight.
Sure enough, when he mentioned this to the kitten that night, he was strongly opposed by the Duke.
Imur had been pretending to be calm, elegant, well-educated and extremely concerned about his appearance and manners in front of him these days. But when he heard this, he suddenly put down his knife and fork, frowned, and looked like a ferocious kitten.
The Duke realized that he had lost his composure, and immediately buried his head in picking up food, saying in a sullen tone, "You are not allowed to go."
Bai Yu sighed: "I want to go."
This is a very normal banquet invitation, and Reese has a very high status. If Bai Yu doesn't go now, it means that he feels guilty and will lose the opportunity.
Imur raised his voice: "You are not allowed to go!"
Imur had experienced how cruel Reese's methods were, and he still had a scar on his stomach. The Grand Duke almost lost Bai Yu once, and he didn't want to experience it a second time.
The kitten couldn't help scratching the table top with its claws. Bai Yu saw its visibly anxious appearance. For a moment, he almost hallucinated those kittens in his previous life who had separation anxiety and kept turning around under the surveillance camera after their owners went out.
Bai Yu couldn't help but smile: "Don't worry too much, I'm just going to take a look. Reese wouldn't dare to do anything to me at the banquet."
Imur said nothing, holding the cutlery tightly. The two of them were in a silent stalemate. The poor fork made a cracking sound and was deformed by the force.
Bai Yu then grabbed the Duke's wrist and rescued the cutlery like holding a kitten's paw.
He put his knife and fork aside and tried to reason with him. "Reese is not sure who I am, so he posted a message to test me. If I reject him directly, he will know that there is something fishy about my identity, which will be detrimental to the subsequent work. Besides, the banquet is a public banquet. Not only me, but also other nobles will be there. I have the title of baron. He dare not attack me on the spot, as it will give people an excuse to criticize me."
Holding the wrist and pinching the paw pad is a common way to soothe a kitten. When Bai Yu sat like this before, Imur would quickly calm down, but this time, he pursed his lips and actually pulled his wrist away.
The Duke ignored Bai Yu.
Xiaomao began to sulk by himself. His pretty eyebrows were lowered and his eyelids were half-closed, making him look particularly dark and gloomy. The waiters were so frightened that they even served the dishes more slowly.
But when Bai Yu saw this, he felt that Imur was just like an angry kitten.
The kind that turns its back to you, leaving you with only its round head. If you grab its claws, it will shake them off angrily, but its ears are still erect, slightly facing your direction, as if waiting for you to apologize.
So Bai Yu couldn't help but rub the Duke's head.
Imur's hair is soft and fluffy, and feels as furry as a kitten.
The old butler took a breath of cold air, and the Grand Duke pushed him away with a cold face, as if to say, "If you go, don't talk to me."
Bai Yu sighed: "I have to go."
The doctor had a cold personality but was very firm on matters of principle. For him, attending the banquet was something that would do more good than harm, and would benefit both the Duke and himself, so it was worth taking a little risk. So, even though he had made his own kitten so angry, Bai Yu still took the invitation and attended the banquet.
He still wore the ugly silver mask as he sat at the edge of the banquet, watching others toasting each other with cold eyes. He neither enjoyed the cakes nor spoke a word, only communicating through writing.
Reese moved freely among the crowd until the banquet was about to end, when a waiter invited him to the second floor for a small gathering.
They sat down on either side of a marble table.
In front of outsiders, Reese was an elegant old gentleman with a signature hooked nose. Bai Yu sat down opposite him without revealing his expression. Reese looked him up and down and asked, "Why are you wearing a mask, sir?"
Bai Yu said nothing, only wrote on the paper: "The ugly appearance scares you."
It fits his dumb personality.
The waiter presented the note. After reading it, Reese handed it to an old man who looked like a scholar. The old man took it, unfolded the note in front of Bai Yu, read it carefully, and at the same time spread out another notebook.
It's the original owner's notes.
Reese: "This is a scholar who specializes in traceology."
In Illia, there is already a subject called traceology, and handwriting identification is a common means of criminal investigation. Bai Yu may not show his face or speak, but Reese can still tell whether he is the real person from his handwriting.
For a moment, the atmosphere became cold.
The scholar held the note under the light and compared it carefully, word by word.
Reese smiled and poured tea: "Sir, please don't blame me. There is indeed a rebellious spy in the Grand Duke's Palace. You came at a very good time. We are worried about the safety of Grand Duke Imur, so we have to be on guard."
He pushed the teacup over and looked at Bai Yu without any hesitation, as if he was looking for a flaw in him.
Bai Yu is as calm and composed as an ancient well.
After a moment, the scholar made a cryptic gesture: "No."
Reese's brows jumped, while Bai Yu drank his tea.
The original owner used to work for the Black Robe Society, and his handwriting was sealed in the files, but what does that have to do with Bai Yu?
Bai Yu was originally wearing a book and his growth experience was completely different from the original owner. The original owner grew up in the church of the Black Robe Society, but Bai Yu received nine years of compulsory education. Later, he studied veterinary medicine and wrote in an elegant handwriting, which was nothing like the original owner.
Reese frowned slightly, then quickly relaxed.
He became much warmer to Bai Yu and sighed, "Excuse me, your figure is really similar to that of the spy. When I looked at him, I thought I was dazzled."
Bai Yu remained calm and wrote on the paper: "Who is that Mr. Bai?"
Now, his apparent identity is Bai Yu’s stand-in, and the stand-in is curious about the original owner, which is completely consistent with his character.
As expected, Reese's guard dropped by three points: "I have heard something about that Excellency."
He said vaguely, "Mr. Bai Yu is from the Black Robe Society. He is a spy for the Black Robe Society. As you know, the Black Robe Society is a group of reckless men, most of whom are small leaders of gangs who roam the streets, and some young and beautiful girls. Only Bai Yu is an exception. He did not join the gang, but he studied and got into the best medical school in Ilria. If it weren't for this incident, he would be a good seedling."
In front of outsiders, Reese is the Grand Duke's uncle and has nothing to do with the Black Robe Society. He couldn't go into too much detail, nor could he praise the Black Robe Society. He only talked about things that everyone knew.
These things are a consensus among local residents, but for Bai Yu, it was the first time he heard of them.
Just like water can be drunk but fire cannot be touched, these are too basic things and no one mentioned them to him.
Bai Yu paused for a moment and wrote, "That is to say, not many people in black robes can read?"
In a flash, he seemed to have grasped a clue.
Reese was surprised and said, "Of course, you don't know this either? Strange, where did you come from?"
Bai Yu: “Living in the suburbs, I really don’t know.
Bai Yu does not have the original owner's memory, but from his wife's confession, he learned that the orphans in the church grew up together, and then entered various professions according to their talents, some relying on their beauty, and some relying on their strength.
The church in Illia was not an orphanage or welfare home like in later generations. In fact, for a long time, churches that raised young children were a rather terrifying existence. For example, the infamous Kamloops Church in Canada hid unimaginable sins under its holy appearance. When people opened the foundation of the church, they found the skeletons of 215 children with signs of abuse and torture on their bodies.
The same is true for the church run by the Black Robe Society. The orphans have no parents and are like lambs to be slaughtered. They live in poor conditions and have been brainwashed for a long time, becoming mindless pawns and slaves. Most of the children will die in the screening process. Only those who are as strong as the hammerhead shark or as beautiful as the lady and receive special care can grow up.
When they grow up, most of them like Hammerhead Sharks become leaders of gangs and hooligans. They roam the streets of the city and become the capillaries of the Black Robe Society spreading in the streets, silently controlling an entire area and providing nutrients for the entire organization. A little bit of accumulation makes a big thing, and a little bit of accumulation makes a tower. The combination of these small areas becomes the Black Robe Society's current huge force.
It is actually rare for the original owner to study in such an environment.
“…”
"Heh." In his mind, Bai Yu lowered his voice and sneered softly.
66: "What are you laughing at?"
Bai Yu closed his eyes slightly: "I just thought of a question, 66, who do you think these children will go to for medical treatment when they grow up?"
□□There are often armed fights and it is common to have scrapes and bruises, and the Black Robe Society certainly dare not go to a clinic for treatment. At this time, what if there is a doctor who grew up with them in the church?
He remembered the thick medical records in the original owner's bookcase.
Bai Yu was also puzzled. The doctor's clinic was dirty and dark, and the doctor himself did not even have a business license. But why were there so many medical records in his study, and so many people frequently visited the clinic to see him?
The hammerhead shark and his wife have a one-way connection, and Bai Yu mistakenly thinks that everyone has a one-way connection, but the doctor himself is an exception in the Black Robe Society, because the thick stack of medical records in the original owner's bookcase is the list of members of the Black Robe Society.
This is also why, after his undercover identity was exposed, the Black Robe wanted to kill him.
Bai Yu clenched his fingers silently.
The reason why the Black Robe Society is troublesome is that they are secretive, like a stubborn disease in the dark that is difficult to cure. In terms of apparent strength alone, they cannot compare with the Duke's guards who are armed with guns and cannons. However, when they hide in the streets and alleys and mingle among the crowd, the situation is different.
If there is a list, the situation will be reversed instantly.
Both of them got what they wanted. Reese was sure that the young man in front of him was not Bai Yu. Bai Yu was even more eager to go home, so there was no need to sit here any longer. They waved and bowed and said goodbye.
Reese gestured, "It's a real pleasure chatting with you. I received a few cups of tea a few days ago. It's good oriental tea shipped by sea. I'd like to ask you to do me a favor and try it."
The waiter came forward and placed clear tea in front of him.
66 floated over cautiously: "Host, it's medicine."
It tapped the small screen and said, "It's okay, just drink it. One cup will cure it, two cups will cure it. I can ensure that your life is not in danger, ok?"
Before he finished speaking, Bai Yu had already pushed away the tea and wrote on the paper: "Sir, I'm afraid I'm not worthy of it."
Go ahead and say it. Without considering Reese's face at all, he just stood up and left.
66: "Wait, we're just going to--"
According to the system's assumption, if you don't drink, you should encounter obstacles.
But this time, all the waiters stood respectfully in their places, and Reese smiled, looking calm, and watched him leave indifferently.
After leaving the banquet, 66 looked back, still confused: "Just came out like this?"
Bai Yu shook his head and sighed, and held his forehead with his hand for the naivety of the little system: "66, this is the last test."
The Black Robe Society used addictive poisons, and the characteristic of this type of poison was that they had to drink a cup every certain period of time, otherwise, it would feel like a thousand ants gnawing at their hearts. The joints of their bones were full of pain, but they drank it every month and were fine.
So in Reese's eyes, if he were Bai Yu, seeing this cup of tea, he would drink it without hesitation in order to delay the onset of the poison. But if he was not Bai Yu, he would be concerned about the inexplicable tea and would not dare to touch it.
This was a risky move that went against the grain. Only at this point did they truly dispel Reese's vigilance.
Bai Yu estimated the date in his mind and thought, "No wonder he chose today as the banquet. In two days, it will be time for the attack."
No one can remain calm in the face of the pain of drugs. If Bai Yu was the original owner, he would have used any means to obtain drugs at the banquet, and would have been exposed under Reese's surveillance.
Fortunately, Bai Yu has a system.
He and 66 said: "It can block the poison, right?"
66 nodded: "Yes, the system can remove most of the harmful parts of the body, but..."
It hesitated for a moment: "But you will still feel uncomfortable."
This is also a limitation of the system. Taking medicine is a deviation from the plot. Although the system can protect the host's body from lifelong damage, it is powerless against pain, just like Xie Yu's headache before. In order to prevent deliberate deviation from the plot, although Bai Yu will not become addicted or die from the drug, he will still feel uncomfortable for a while when an attack occurs.
Bai Yu said: "It doesn't matter, it's an insignificant matter."
As long as it doesn't cause lifelong damage and is just a short-term pain, Bai Yu doesn't care.
The banquet trip was fruitful. When Bai Yu returned to the Duke's Mansion, Grand Duke Imur was still angry.
The Grand Duke went around to the back of the study and took a look from afar through the window. After confirming that the doctor was safe, he refused to pay any attention to him anymore. He even moved the small table away for dinner at night, leaving the big table for Bai Yu, and ate alone in the bedroom. He was visibly angry.
Bai Yu burst out laughing.
——The kitten pushed his snack box away.
He hadn't figured out how to appease them yet, so he went to the archives room first to deal with the Black Robe Society's affairs.
66 gestured: "Are you just leaving like this?" This was not the case when its previous hosts were in love.
Bai Yu: "Time is tight."
——The poison will take effect in a few days, and he doesn’t know how long he will feel uncomfortable. He has to finish his important business first.
After the doctor's undercover identity was exposed, all the items in his home were confiscated and archived. They were placed in the archives room.
He dug out the yellowed old medical records, found his wife in the cell, sorted the files into categories, and compared them with the children in the church one by one.
Many people changed their names after adulthood, making comparison difficult. In addition, the doctor's black clinic had been open for nearly ten years, with numerous and complicated cases and a large number of people coming and going. Bai Yu had to work late into the night, day and night to sort out which ones were obviously nearby residents and which ones had questionable identities. It took him three days of non-stop work to compile the first list of more than a hundred people.
In this process that is similar to a reasoning game, the doctor's brain is unprecedentedly active. Clues form a complex logical chain in his mind. He seems to be unraveling the mystery and uprooting the huge underground roots of the Black Robe Society. During this process, Bai Yu does not feel depressed, but instead finds some fun.
Bai Yu handed the first batch of names to his personal guards and asked them to focus on the investigation.
Although the guards were puzzled and somewhat disapproving, they knew that Bai Yu was currently in high favor and it would be difficult to offend him, so they took the list and began to investigate.
This time, I actually found something.
The people on the list are not innocent. They have all been involved in illegal cases, and many of them have even killed people. If we dig deeper, we find that most of them have some dealings with the Black Robe Gang.
The guards were shocked and could not help but stand in awe of the silver-masked male servant in the mansion.
The man sat alone in the study, with the light on all night long, and spread out files and books one by one. He actually sorted out the key information from those long and tedious texts. He was much better than the personal guards.
There aren't many people on the list, but there aren't many middle-level members of the Black Robe Society either. One hundred people are enough to shake their foundation.
So far, only 1/3 of the archives have been sorted out, and 2/3 have not yet been sorted out.
Yimuer was sulking. Bai Yu had ignored him since he returned home and was busy flipping through the medical records, as if the Grand Duke was less important than the cold records. But when the list was handed to him, Yimuer was speechless.
The doctor worked day and night to clear the obstacles for him.
But after several days in a row, even the doctor had dark circles under his eyes and looked much more haggard. His lips were slightly pale and his brows were slightly tired. The Grand Duke angrily kicked open the door of the study and tried to drag the male servant out to sleep. But the doctor was a person who had to finish things. He lost his appetite while handling affairs and had a kind of morbid fanaticism. Otherwise, he would not have been so exhausted that he died suddenly in his previous life.
He was thinking about the list in his mind, as if he was just a tool for handling the case. Sleeping was just a necessary recharge process. When he saw Imur, he calmly put down his pen and even looked at the moon hanging high outside the window: "It's okay, I'll finish it soon, you go to sleep first."
Imur pursed his lips
There are obviously a lot of documents on the doctor's desk.
He sat opposite the doctor and said angrily, "Give me half."
Bai Yu laughed: "Okay."
Grand Duke Imur learned things very quickly, otherwise he would not have been a slave for decades and succeeded the Grand Duke after he was released. Bai Yu told him some details, and he knew roughly how to distinguish between ordinary patients and potential undercover agents. So he moved a table and sat in the corner of the study. He drew the Chu River and Han River boundary with Bai Yu and began to read at his desk.
Documents were handed out from the Duke's Palace one after another, countless guards walked through the streets, and a war without the smoke of gunpowder quietly broke out. In the end, the Black Robe Society, the huge shadow that had been entrenched over Illia, seemed to have dissipated a lot.
Three days later, the sorting work came to an end. The follow-up work needed to wait for the investigation of the personal guards, and finally, only a few thin pieces of paper were left in front of Bai Yu.
He lowered the narrow-rimmed glasses on his nose and took a sip of coffee.
Bai Yu doesn't like the bitter taste of coffee, but he does need coffee to refresh himself when working.
But at this moment, he heard Imur's exclamation.
The Duke suddenly stood up and stretched out his hand towards Bai Yu, his eyes full of worry, as if he had seen something disturbing.
There was a surge of heat in the nasal cavity, and then it fell down.
Bai Yu lowered his head, and blood just dripped onto the desk, like a blooming plum blossom.
The author has something to say:
I went back to my hometown today and spent several hours on the way. It was a bit late. I made up a few hundred words at 1:30. If you haven't seen it, you can refresh it. This world is expected to be completed in one or two chapters. Welcome to point out the extra chapters~
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