Chapter 2146: Co-opting, Being Attacked

A temporary residence by the Kalim sea.

After receiving the news, Xia Duo prepared to go to the Mairide Oasis first to confirm those two individuals whose behavioral traits seemed inconsistent before and after, but before he could even leave, he received another message from Jiabulile—

"Those two people suddenly committed suicide!"

"Committed suicide? They blew themselves up, didn't they!"

Although disappointed that the Calimshan side failed to keep the situation under control, these two suddenly popped-up cases of suicide clearly indicated a certain problem.

【To be honest, I've been using Wild Fruit Reading to catch up on books lately. The source switching is fast, and there are many reading voices. Both Android and Apple are supported.】

Afterwards, he immediately asked the other party: "Is there any news from the Elf side?"

"No news yet, but based on our understanding of Kaitemier, I'm afraid there won't be any results there either!"

Jiabulile's tone carried an inexplicable sense of relief, and even a hint of schadenfreude, perhaps feeling that this counted as clearing the Calimshan side of suspicion.

But Xia Duo was not so optimistic; a prince of a nation, and a prince who was highly likely to be the heir, had died—it would not be resolved so easily.

If inferred from a profit-oriented perspective, the one with the greatest suspicion now was Zhamu Dasi, but once Kaitemier and Zhamu Dasi went to war, swearing to take revenge, Calimshan might become the biggest beneficiary.

In short, suspicion is something that can shift back and forth; without clear evidence, Xia Duo would not assert any definitive conclusion.

……

After about half a day, the news from Kaitemier also reached Xia Duo, saying that those few Elves he had previously asked them to help confirm had all committed suicide, and they had annihilated their Soul right under everyone's eyes.

Only the bodies were preserved; after inspection, there were no problems with the bodies of those few Elves; it was possible that only their Soul had been tampered with.

The situation on the Calimshan side was actually about the same, except that they were still inspecting the bodies left behind by the two who committed suicide, and there were no results yet.

Shortly after Xia Duo received the news, Scholar Bolin of Calimshan and Mage Aisite of Kaitemier came to visit together.

Because the matter was becoming increasingly thorny, the three parties automatically skipped unnecessary pleasantries and got straight to the point. Mage Aisite asked first:

"Lord Xia Duo, what should we do next? Should our screening over there continue?"

Bolin also asked: "Lord Xia Duo, would you like to come and see the bodies left behind by those two who committed suicide? Perhaps you can find some new clues."

"The screening must definitely continue. Not only can it not stop, but the scope must also be expanded. It would be even better if more infiltrators who have been tampered with could be exposed."

After saying this, Xia Duo emphatically suggested to Aisite: "Since Kaitemier possesses Prophecy, no matter the cost, now is the time to use it. Based on those infiltrators, we should be able to find new clues."

"Here, I hope Kaitemier can communicate and interact more with Calimshan. Many times, misunderstandings are caused by untimely or incomplete communication and interaction."

"Scholar Bolin, what do you think?"

The last sentence was addressed to Bolin. Although Xia Duo did not think it very likely that all of this was self-directed by Calimshan, as long as they interacted more, if there really were any flaws, they would be easier to reveal.

Regarding this suggestion, Aisite agreed on the spot. Bolin, however, demurred, saying he needed to report to the Grand Archon and had not yet agreed, though he also mentioned that if nothing unexpected happened, the Grand Archon should not refuse.

After all, the current situation really looked like a third party was plotting against their two nations; more interaction had only benefits and no drawbacks.

……

"Besides these? Does Lord Xia Duo have any other suggestions?" Aisite asked again.

"What else—"

Xia Duo pondered for a moment. In fact, with things having developed to this point, many things could no longer be judged by common sense, and it was certainly not something he, an outsider, could control.

After thinking about it, he only mentioned one point: "I don't have any better suggestions. I just hope that both of you will be as rational as possible when making major decisions."

Just as Xia Duo finished speaking, Aisite could not help but show a look of disappointment. Originally, this matter had gradually slid to the edge of war, and it was Xia Duo who came over and discovered the anomaly, causing the two nations of Kaitemier and Calimshan to turn their gaze toward a third party outside the two nations.

Although the current situation was still shrouded in Mist, these two nations basically would not fight, unless it was discovered later that Calimshan was the mastermind behind all this, though the possibility was slim.

Aisite could be considered an Elf of Kaitemier who knew Calimshan quite well, otherwise, he would not have been sent to Calimshan to assist Asite in handling the prince's assassination.

But merely discovering a suspected third party could not satisfy the domestic side of Kaitemier; what the country needed was a clear result, not various confusing accidents like the current ones.

Now hearing Xia Duo's obvious intention to withdraw, how could Aisite not be disappointed? Although it was difficult for many Elves to accept placing hope in a human, the latest news the country received from Cormanthor indicated that this Lord Xia Duo was not just a simple human, but also involved the future fate of the Elf race, and was trustworthy.

……

Aisite's thoughts were almost written on his face, but Xia Duo was now determined to leave.

He had come out to travel in the first place, and now that there was no longer any place here that absolutely required his help, it was time to continue the travel plan that had been interrupted.

After seeing off Aisite and Bolin, Xia Duo first summoned Talafu and expressed his intention to leave soon. Talafu was greatly shocked by this:

"Lord Xia Duo, won't you stay a while longer? The Mairide Family hasn't properly entertained you yet!"

"There's no need this time. We will have many opportunities to meet again in the future; just don't pretend you don't know me when that time comes."

"I wouldn't, I wouldn't."

Talafu denied it repeatedly, and then said with full gratitude: "If it weren't for you, Lord Xia Duo, this time, the best ending for the Mairide Family might have been to be torn apart."

"My grandfather is currently at Yungong undergoing final review, and he will be able to get away and come to see you in a few days. Is Lord Xia Duo really not staying for a few more days?"

"I was just about to ask about your grandfather's situation. Now that I hear he is about to be cleared, I can leave with peace of mind. Next time I come to Calimshan, I will definitely pay a visit."

Xia Duo really did not expect that as soon as the result of Talibu being controlled came out, the Calimshan side would prepare to release the Mairide Family. Before everything was settled, even putting on a show would have been better, just like before.

Operating like this now gave people the feeling that they were a bit too eager; even he, an outsider, felt it was somewhat inappropriate, and he did not know what the attitude of the Kaitemier side would be.

And this made his intention to leave even more firm; he had done what he should have done and did not want to wade into these muddy waters anymore. If Kaitemier and Calimshan could not even grasp this kind of opportunity, there was not much point in him staying.