Chapter 333: Chapter 175 Key Clue_2
After fighting with the enemy, Ben should have quickly realized the disparity in strength between them and turned to escape through the back door.
However, he was caught from behind by the assailant and was fatally struck before he could leave the house.
Previously, through Ben’s proactive disclosure, he already knew.
This middle-aged adventurer with no habit of saving frequently squandered Gold Coins at the card table and bar, and had offended many people due to his work for the gang over the years.
When Xia Nan ca over, he even mistook him for an assassin hired by an enemy to settle scores, almost fleeing in fright on the spot.
Now, encountering such an incident doesn’t seem too abrupt.
But…
Just as he left, Ben was attacked and killed monts later.
Isn’t it a bit too coincidental?
He’s not so harbinger of death, surely he can’t be like those well-known fictional characters from his past life, where death follows wherever he goes?
“Hello, please make way.”
In his thoughts, a male voice ca from behind, accompanied by the sound of sword sheath and armor rubbing.
Turning his head, he saw a tall guard in a standard uniform.
From Xia Nan’s equipnt, and his easy handling of the brick wall earlier, the guard might have gauged part of his strength.
This guard spoke with unusual politeness, not even approaching Xia Nan closely, but standing a few paces away, speaking in a mild tone.
With excellent observation skills, in just a few minutes, Xia Nan had discovered most details on the corpse and wouldn’t gain much more by staying.
Xia Nan gave a nod to the guard, then stepped aside.
His eyes searched the surrounding ruins for useful traces while nearby, he could hear the conversation between a few other guards and local residents not far away.
“S-sir, I really didn’t… Just now he…”
“Speak clearly!”
“Y-Yes! (Swallows saliva)”
“The person living in this house was a retired adventurer, I think his na was sothing like ‘Colander’.”
“You know how it is, for such Big Shots, we usually avoid them like the plague, lived here for so long but didn’t dare speak more than a few words to him.”
“Hurry up, don’t waste my ti!”
“Yes, yes! Just now, two waves of people ca.”
“The first group had two people, the one leading was a fierce bald guy, didn’t look like a good person at all, the one behind was relatively young, judging by the attire, should also be an adventurer.”
“They stayed in the house for a while then left, didn’t hear any strange noises.”
“Then, not long after those two left, a guy in a robe ca, big and sturdy, knocked twice at the door, no response, then just broke the door open!”
“Then there was a loud crash and a few screams from inside, not sure what happened in there, the whole house shook and collapsed.”
“Didn’t dare stay longer, packed up and left quickly, not really clear what happened afterward.”
Alone, the robed brute, the deceased Ben…
Xia Nan focused, carefully noting the testimony of the nearby resident who had partially witnessed the attack.
He already had so ideas forming.
Before he could extend them further, his eyes suddenly halted as he searched for leftover traces in the surrounding ruins.
Not far ahead, on the surface of a partially buried brick in the stone pile—
There was a deep claw mark!
Five parallel toes, longer in the middle, shorter on the sides.
Identical to the claw marks he discovered in Buck’s house…
Exactly the sa!
…
…
On the sofa in Jeff’s living room.
Xia Nan mused, gently rubbing the Dead Line ring on his right index finger.
Feeling the smooth and cool touch of the ring, he pondered.
He thought the clues had ended there, considering whether to communicate with the sheriff handling the case for more understanding.
Unexpectedly, on the way back, he ran into a patrol squad going to the slums, his perception inexplicably leading him to follow.
Then he found the deceased Ben, and the claw marks left on the walls of his house.
According to the nearby residents’ descriptions of the attacker, the murderer of Ben was the robed brute he and Iron Head coincidentally encountered on their way back.
“What a coincidence…”
Xia Nan mumbled to himself.
Unfortunately, it was too rushed at the ti, both sides didn’t interact much; perhaps not wanting any trouble, the other didn’t bother with the cursing Iron Head and just left.
Otherwise, the subsequent events might have been different.
Of course, that’s all in hindsight.
After this round, the developnt of things beca clearer.
If only based on a resident’s partial sighting of the process, it might not be possible to confirm the identity of the attacker, since Ben indeed offended many people during his lifeti.
But if you add the claw marks he later discovered, it can be confird:
The one who attacked Ben was the sa person who murdered Buck’s family that night.
Moreover, the one he stumbled upon when leaving was actually Buck himself, infected with Beastification!
Emotions surged in his heart, just one step away from completing the promotion task.
Xia Nan suddenly had an impulse to rush back to the slums imdiately for a thorough search.
But in the next mont, he instantly cald down.
Having made two trips, he had a preliminary understanding of the complexity of the Lower City District slums.
Even if faced directly, for soone unfamiliar with the environnt like himself, just a few twists in the alley can easily lose track.
And the crowded environnt with shanties made it difficult for even soone with Xia Nan’s high mobility from Teeth Hunting to maneuver.
Given the current situation,
The good news is, he confird the target of his mission is still in Neum, so completing the promotion task is possible;
The bad news is, he still couldn’t confirm the exact location of the target, making capture difficult.
Anyway, compared to yesterday, his mission had made significant progress.
Since it’s near the slums, Xia Nan planned to activate so brothers from the Gray Badger Gang through Iron Head to see if they could find anything.
While contemplating, accompanied by a light and cautious footstep, a slim shadow under the light lood over Xia Nan sitting on the sofa.
“Mr. Xia Nan, it’s ti for lunch.”
Jeff’s daughter, “Lilina,” called softly with her hands behind her back.
Having stayed with their family for two days, feeling Xia Nan’s rather easygoing nature, this sowhat shy girl seed to open up a bit more to the new guest in their house.
Greets him proactively when eting, occasionally exchanging a few words.
“Okay.” Xia Nan smiled and nodded, stood up from the sofa, and made his way to the dining room.
From the kitchen, however, ca a vague conversation.
“Mom, don’t buy Sulfur Bubble Grass anymore. Our teacher said so vendors are deceiving people with the ones grown in the sewer.”
“What does your teacher know, does he do the actual grocery shopping, isn’t it always the family servant? Don’t listen to his nonsense!”
“Mom, it’s true, several classmates with connections at ho also ntioned it…”
Sewer, plants…
Xia Nan’s steps abruptly halted, a flash of inspiration crossing his mind.
In front of his mind’s eye appeared the scene from yesterday when Iron Head, leading him to the Gray Badger Gang base, introduced him to unique plants in the Neum Sewer:
“Iron Scab Moss, grind the dark red crystals on its surface into powder and apply it to wounds to speed up healing.” Iron Head raised his index finger, lowered his voice, “But be careful not to use it for a long ti, otherwise it can cause skin rot and leave permanent scars on healed wounds.”
And earlier today, when Iron Head was grimacing and cleaning his clothes after a collision, the casually swatted dark red crystals leisurely floated away.
“Iron Scab Moss…”
“He’s hiding in the sewer!?”
Xia Nan spun around suddenly and dashed toward the door.
There was no one more familiar with the Neum Sewer among the people he knew than the Gray Badger Gang.
He planned to have Iron Head take him to the Gray Badger Gang base again, to ask their leader “Eight finger” for help, surely so insight could be gained.
Perhaps hearing his footsteps, while passing the kitchen, Lady Dais happened to co out with a pot of mushroom soup.
She didn’t ask where he was rushing off to, rely called out twice from the kitchen door:
“Drink this bowl of cream of mushroom soup before you go; I added two extra slices of cheese today, maybe you’ll like the taste better.”
His steps paused once again.
He backtracked.
Took the bowl with both hands and drank it in one go.
Xia Nan casually wiped the foam from the corner of his mouth, giving Lady Dais a thumbs-up.
He raced toward the door once more.
User Comments
0 comments from readers