bullyxtreme Chapter 413 The Truth
Chapter 413 The Truth
"...The ship has dropped anchor, but thankfully the lighthouse is still lit, so at least the return journey is safe..."
The sound of their conversation exploded in my mind like thunder.
The barrier collapsed with a roar, and all the fragmented pieces seemed to connect at that moment, piecing together the original truth.
In other words, that was the real scene of the incident.
What they were talking about was neither Jingfu Port nor merchant ships and goods.
They were using coded language to pass information.
Mu Feng felt his blood flowing backwards throughout his body.
Those seemingly unrelated details were rearranged into a completely different picture in this conversation full of hidden meanings.
Time, and more time, Morse's time of death.
On the eve of the Flower Festival, in the evening, he visited the other party's home.
At that moment, he smelled blood, though it was very faint.
It is likely that Morse had already been murdered by then.
The dead spotted cat was merely a cover for the true source of the bloody smell.
That closed house.
The Ice Element Evil Eye—Mu Feng suddenly remembered this crucial piece of evidence.
Perhaps it wasn't just a simple case of framing someone.
Low temperatures can delay the discovery of a crime scene, making it impossible for them to determine the exact time of the incident.
Mu Feng picked up the photos from the scene on the table.
However, even the wisest person can make a mistake.
Those are newspapers used to seal windows.
The fools used what they had on hand, sealing the doors and windows with the day's newspapers to prevent the smell of blood from escaping and attracting attention.
But what they didn't realize was that the date on the newspaper revealed everything.
This is why, when he arrived at Morse's house, he inadvertently discovered that there was only one letter in the mailbox.
Therefore, Morse's death actually occurred between the time he disappeared from Diona's birthday party the previous night and the time he arrived at her house the following afternoon.
He couldn't possibly be the one to deliver the message the next day.
So, what role did Morse actually play?
Is she merely a scapegoat?
"...Whether it was bad luck or some other reason, every previous application was rejected by the supervisory authority for various reasons. We even thought it was..."
"This time, the application was miraculously approved..."
Mu Feng once again recalled the contents of Diluc's letter.
If Morse is not a carrier of information at all.
His appearance itself is a warning message, isn't it?
A figure suddenly flashed through Mu Feng's mind.
That... vendor in town who sells sunset juice.
A person he subconsciously ignored.
When Morse first appeared, he almost slipped on the spilled juice on the ground, which led to their unexpected encounter.
What if it wasn't an accident at all?
Instead, the vendor received the warning and hurriedly left, completely disregarding his disguise.
Upon reflection, the vendor disappeared after that.
He didn't wait until the peak tourist season of the Feng Hua Festival; instead, he disappeared from the public eye and never set up a stall again.
No one noticed him; in fact, he only remembered the guy because of that overly sour juice.
Perhaps after a while, this inconspicuous little vendor will completely disappear from everyone's memory.
So he transformed himself and disguised himself as a tea drinker.
The warning message was conveyed using coded language.
Thinking of this, Mu Feng's pupils suddenly contracted, and he picked up the review document that had been set aside.
If that's the case, one thing is quite intriguing.
The inspection team denied approving Morse's leave application.
After ruling out Morse as an accomplice, did he have any reason to lie?
If not...
So, the person who most wants to confirm this frame-up is most likely the real mastermind behind all of this.
Mu Feng felt he was very close to the final answer.
The last question is, why would the other party go to such lengths and use such a complicated and cumbersome method to transmit information?
Besides the possibility of single-line contact, if...
Is the other party in a high position and unable to make public appearances?
Grand Master Falgar mobilized the Knights of the Order to impose martial law on Mondstadt under the pretext of maintaining order during the Windflower Festival. If it were an easily recognizable face, the operation would likely have been quite restricted.
Those who are capable of doing these things and meet the above conditions...
A person's face immediately appeared in Mu Feng's mind.
Iloc, the chief inspector of the Knights Inspectorate.
If it were him, then it would make sense.
Mu Feng picked up the book and slowly walked out of the room.
He needed to confirm something immediately.
……
Meanwhile, in the Grand Master's office of the Knights of Favonius.
"...Understood. Please inform Inspector Ilock of the outcome of this matter. I have approved it."
The door closed, and the office returned to silence.
After seeing off the members of the inspection team who came to deliver the message, Falga rubbed his temples wearily and picked up the coffee beside him.
The coffee had gone completely cold, but Falgar didn't care and drank it all in one gulp.
Hmm, I'd rather have a glass of Afternoon Death.
The commander silently commented in his mind, pushed the empty cup aside, and turned his gaze back to the final draft of the proposed solution that he had been delaying.
The incident happened too suddenly, and this is all the time we can buy.
If no further clues emerge, he will have no choice but to rely on the contingency plan provided by the inspection team.
Falgar stared at the signature of the Knights' Inspector General Ilock at the end of the document, stroked his chin, and looked deep in thought.
Rumors were rampant in the city, and the inspection team's deliberate or unintentional pressure added to the situation, all of which suggested a certain "coincidence".
It's as precise as... a human-machined gear.
The commander tapped his knuckles erratically on the table as he pondered the origins of all this.
What is certain is that the real mastermind is someone else.
Moreover, this person is very likely hiding within the Knights.
This is not hard to deduce, because the behavior of the Fools this time was very unusual, and could even be described as somewhat contradictory.
His good apprentice must have figured this out as well.
Words can lie, and actions can be faked.
Only the ultimate goal will not lie.
Many figures flashed through Falgar's mind, and he eventually settled on a few of them.
Currently, there are indeed initial suspects.
As for the lack of further evidence, then...
A series of urgent knocks interrupted Falga's thoughts, followed by the voice of Knight Allen from outside the door.
"Commander, there's a letter from the Church of the West Wind."
Upon hearing this, Falga's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed.
It seems someone has already caught the fox by the tail.
……
As night falls, the Angel's Gift Tavern, a city of poetry and wine, is at its liveliest time of day.
A bard in a turquoise robe strummed his harp, and a melodious tune flowed slowly, traveling upstream from the beginning of time.
The aroma of oak barrels blends with the rich fruitiness of the wine, as if transporting one back to a bygone era.
However, a good bard will not work for nothing.
A bottle of cider is a must after a night of playing.
The bartender sat at the counter wiping bottles and silently calculating the bill, while the black cat lazily purred a long string of purrs and lay down.
Just then, the wind chimes hanging at the door started to ring.
Falgar adjusted his cloak and pushed open the door to enter.
The appearance of the chief did not cause much of a stir among the crowd, or rather, everyone had become accustomed to it.
However, today, Farga did not simply find a seat and order a dandelion drink as usual. Instead, he spoke with the bartender and then went upstairs.
The bard slowed his movements on the lyre, and the music turned low and somber, a tune belonging to a wandering band.
Falga stepped onto the last wooden staircase and pushed open the door.
"Judging from your expression, did you find something?"
"Yes, before we go any further, let me share a little-known fact."
"The lighthouse in Jingfu Port has been abandoned for many years."
……