The Return of the God Level Assassin Chapter 1197 YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (XXXII)

1197 YUNYUE VS FENGHUANG (XXXII)

SHEN JI YUN waited for Hols to settle into his seat before taking his own. Luo Yan, who glanced between the two, sat down beside Shen Ji Yun. After a mont of silence, Shen Ji Yun spoke. "Mr. Hols, I have always wondered—does a great detective rely more on knowledge or instinct?"

Hols smiled slightly. "A question with an answer that changes depending on whom you ask. If you were to inquire with the police, they would say knowledge is paramount—records, statents, evidence. If you were to ask a gambler, he might say instinct, as deduction is nothing but reading the odds. And if you were to ask —" He paused, considering. "I would say neither."

Luo Yan tilted his head. "Neither?"

Hols gestured vaguely. "Knowledge is essential, yes, but it is useless without context. Instinct may guide you, but alone, it is unreliable. The true answer is observation. One can morize every law book in London, but if he cannot see what is before him, he will never solve a cri. And instinct, however strong, must be refined by what the eyes and mind perceive. The key is in the details—ones that others overlook."

Shen Ji Yun remained impassive, but his mind kept working. The answer had co too quickly, too naturally. An imposter would have hesitated, but this man hadn't. Either he was just that smart, or he truly was Sherlock Hols.

Still, he needed more.

He leaned back slightly, crossing one leg over the other. "I recall hearing about a peculiar case so years ago," he mused. "A man who sought your help over a missing butler. By the ti you arrived at his ho, you inford him there was no case at all."

Hols exhaled a quiet laugh. "Ah. The case of Jas Phillimore."

Luo Yan, who had remained silent, glanced at Shen Ji Yun but said nothing.

Hols tapped a finger idly against the armrest. "Phillimore had rely stepped outside to fetch his umbrella and was never seen again. A most intriguing disappearance, one that, I regret to say, remains unsolved." He tilted his head slightly. "Not one of my triumphs, but a mystery all the sa. It is curious that you would bring it up—few ever do."

Shen Ji Yun watched him closely. This was it. The case of Jas Phillimore was only ever ntioned in passing by Watson, never fully recorded as a complete case. Most people who knew of Hols only from widely published accounts wouldn't recognize the na, let alone recall that it was never solved.

Only a true Sherlockian like himself would have recognized it instantly. Even if, by so chance, the person they were speaking to was a mber of Team Fenghuang and also a devoted fan of Sherlock Hols, there would have been a brief pause—an instant of recall before responding. No human could imdiately retrieve such an obscure detail without a mont of thought. Yet, this man had answered without hesitation, as if the knowledge was ingrained rather than rembered. That could only an one thing—his understanding of Sherlock Hols wasn't learned, but programd. Like an NPC. It seed that they truly found the right person, or rather, the right NPC.

Shen Ji Yun and Luo Yan's eyes t at the sa mont, a silent understanding passing between them. Shen Ji Yun gave a slight nod—his way of confirming that he was certain the man before them was truly Sherlock Hols. Luo Yan, catching the ssage, nodded in return, signaling that he understood. "It seed that you finally have your answer," Hols said with a knowing look, as if he could tell what was happening.

Shen Ji Yun t his gaze evenly, without showing any panic. "We do."

Hols chuckled, seeming pleased with the response. "Then, tell , Your Grace—shall we continue this conversation, or is your curiosity satisfied?"

"I'm more than satisfied. Thank you for humoring , Mr. Hols," Shen Ji Yun said smoothly. "As a gesture of goodwill, allow to share a piece of crucial information—one that may aid in capturing Jack the Ripper."

Hols gave a slight, approving nod, his eyes gleaming with interest. "By all ans."

"We suspect there are people helping the Ripper," Shen Ji Yun said.

Hols arched a brow, unsurprised by the revelation. His response only confird it. "I had my suspicions. A lone man, no matter how cunning, could not have moved so freely—twice—without drawing attention. It presents a curious problem. The train departed from Paris only yesterday, yet he has already secured assistance. That suggests prior acquaintance. And yet… such forethought does not align with the Ripper's known behavior."

Hols tapped his fingers against the armrest, his gaze sharpening as he continued. "The Ripper, as we know him, is not a man of patience. He thrives in chaos, striking swiftly and vanishing before order can reassert itself. His cris, while brutal, are not carefully orchestrated—they are acts of impulse, driven by an urge he cannot suppress. A man like that does not seek alliances. He does not plan ahead. He does not recruit." He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "And yet, here we are. A confined space, limited in variables, and sohow, he has found assistance. That is an anomaly. Either we are dealing with a man who has evolved beyond his known habits, or soone else has taken it upon themselves to aid him for their own reasons." Hols exhaled softly, as if the contradiction both intrigued and irritated him. "But tell , Your Grace—what kind of person would willingly align themselves with a man who butchers without remorse?"

This ti, it was Luo Yan who answered. "Maybe they didn't have a choice." "A man always has a choice," Hols countered.

Well, if you were competing in a match, playing to win ant following the ga's rules—there was no real choice in the matter. But this was sothing Luo Yan couldn't exactly explain to Hols. So instead, he simply smiled.

"Of course, you're right, Mr. Hols," he said. "Now, shall we have breakfast first and continue our discussion later?"