Chapter 55: Infected with the Plague

Su Mian flipped it over casually to take a look and blinked.

The content on the back was the prayer recited by the priest during the morning purification rite. Although she hadn't noticed, she shrugged her shoulders and spoke calmly.

"I don't know. Father gave it to me."

Actually, she stole it when getting off the carriage, but there wasn't much difference—waste utilization, right?

Charlie stopped speaking, and Duncan finally couldn't hold back. "What is your relationship with the priest?"

Su Mian glanced at him upon hearing the sound. Duncan's heartbeat sped up a bit, and he actually forgot to shift his gaze.

What a pair of cold and glamorous eyes, pupils like those of a feline.

Although players' appearances had changed to some extent due to the instance era, this was the first time he had been shocked by a pair of eyes.

Duncan was stunned and naturally didn't notice that Su Mian hadn't answered his question at all.

"A nun mentioned the legend of the dead infant at the Anvil Fortress before. I think we can investigate from this aspect."

"In addition, players possessed by infants cannot be taken lightly; the Saintess's death is very likely a warning."

Once these words were out, those players panicked.

"Then what should we do? Am I also among them?"

"God... there wouldn't really be a ghost lying on me at that time, right?"

"Yifening, what should we do now?"

After this drawing, all the players looked at her with admiration. Plus Su Mian's relationship with the priest, which invited speculation, the few core figures of the City-State group suddenly lost their right to speak and sat on the side, listening to Su Mian's analysis silently.

"There are so many people; you can't kill them all. Don't be afraid."

For the remaining time, everyone introduced themselves, but most people were immersed in fear and anxiety.

Plus, with the large number of people, useful information was one in ten thousand, and it was hard to distinguish truth from falsehood. The first discussion ended hastily like this.

At night, Adrian found Su Mian and asked if she was going to the City-State with Charlie and the others. Su Mian shook her head, and Adrian breathed a sigh of relief.

"You seem to really not want me to go there?"

Adrian smiled and confessed everything. "I came from the City-State Center."

Su Mian nodded, her eyes not showing a ripple. "Guessed it. That oil lamp is from your family, right?"

"Yes, but my father, Duke Hill, was expelled by the Council. To avoid the limelight, they arranged a new identity for me, so I came here."

"Avoid what limelight?" Su Mian hit the nail on the head.

Adrian froze, then sighed. "You are truly sharp, Yifening. My father has some research on medical skills; he believes that the plague is not God's punishment, but very likely an infection by germs."

"But the Noble Council felt that what he said offended God. Once the news spread, my father became a heretic hated by everyone."

Su Mian nodded and turned her head to look at him. "You told me these things because you feel I am not the murderer and want to win me over, right?"

From the moment Adrian spoke, she knew his purpose.

Eliminate suspicion, seek to win over.

This was also what Adrian admired—possessing social game methods that were not ostentatious and maintaining a completely clear head.

Although she seemed weak and easy to bully, she apparently had a powerful trump card like the priest behind her.

Such a person would definitely be able to find the truth.

But in the end, Adrian just lowered his eyes with a light smile, not intending to explain.

"Yes."

A strange sound came from the bushes. Both looked back vigilantly. Oli walked out with his hands raised, his face full of apology and embarrassment.

"Sorry, did I disturb you..."

He coughed and shifted his gaze between the two. "I just wanted to remind you two not to wash and purify yourselves. The Saintess just died; it will violate the taboo."

Su Mian nodded. Seeing this, Adrian didn't continue chatting, turned his head to look at the silvery-white moon, and murmured.

"Goodnight, Yifening."

––

The next day, everyone woke up to the sound of stomping. The Knights summoned by the Council went to the Anvil Fortress to check the situation first.

They rushed to the village at noon to question everyone one by one, but the whole process was very perfunctory.

It was basically "What did you see?", "What were you doing before the purification rite?", "Have you had contact with the Saintess?"

They didn't care what these players answered, sucking on short, thick cigarettes of black tobacco, the smoke clouds drilling rudely into the crowd's nostrils.

They recorded casually on parchment to have an explanation for those above.

Compared to human harm, they believed more in evil spirit attacks.

The crowd was soon dismissed back to Millford and the City-State Center. Su Mian looked at the gradually receding riverside town, feeling a sense of emptiness in her heart.

The mystery of the Anvil Fortress hadn't been solved yet; when would she return?

Detective work in the game only required switching screens, but after playing the live-action script murder, crossing from one block to another took a full half-day.

The deadline given to them by this instance was unknown, and the rules were also unknown. The huge mystery burned Su Mian's heart.

She always felt that the real murderer wasn't an evil spirit that had been possessed, but something deeper. In short, it hadn't been dug out yet, so she could only take it one step at a time.

【Mian Mian, don't have too much psychological pressure. At worst, you lose 3000 points. You have already successfully cleared two instances. "Consecutive wins" is something many old players can't do!】

Yes, at worst, she loses 3000 points...

What was she anxious about?

The day she met Cecily's gaze, she knew this NPC would become a deceased person, but this deceased person was different from the first two instances.

There was no hatred in her eyes, no distorted desire, and she didn't look like someone who would conflict with anyone.

The perseverance, sorrow, and softness in Cecily's eyes made her feel that this was a living person, making her feel a sense of deep pain and regret in her heart when she saw her being crushed to death.

Her thoughts were interrupted. They had already arrived outside the town of Millford, and the familiar smog shrouded them.

The guard leaned against the wisteria fence. Seeing the carriage drive over, he waved his hand lazily, and two nuns stepped forward holding golden bowls.

"Peace."

"Amy, we're back again. I really don't want to see Miss Anna."

"As if I want to see her! Keep your needle and thread well; if she finds them, be careful she doesn't pierce you!"

The two nuns wiped the holy water from their foreheads and came out of the carriage complaining. When passing by, they bumped into Su Mian, and a scent of lavender drifted into her nostrils.

The carriage came from the City-State Center. A few horses had died a few days ago, so they were escorted in batches. To save time, they didn't send the players into the town; they still had to go back to pick up the people in the City-State.

The players in Millford got off the carriage one after another, lining up for the baptism of holy water, but an accident happened when it was Bruce's turn.

"Holy water! The holy water turned black!"

Someone exclaimed, and the guard immediately pressed down the bewildered Bruce.

He turned his head, wanting to explain something, but his arms were roughly folded behind his back, causing him unbearable pain.

With Bruce as the beginning, the legend of the dead infant at the fortress was completely confirmed.

From Bruce to Adrian, then to Su Mian, Sera, and most of the players in Millford, their foreheads all turned black. ===== CHAPTER 56 =====