Chapter 350: The Great Detective Leventon

The carriage traveled through Grimlund, and half an hour later, it arrived in front of a three-story building.

41 Saar Street.

This was a very standard middle-class townhouse built of red brick; the first floor, used as a shop, had walls painted a neat, striking white, with a sign containing only text hanging above the door, while the second and third floors served as living quarters.

The sign read:

Leventon Detective Agency.

Wu Chang and Ailin stepped out of the carriage and looked toward 41 Saar Street; the house was pitch black, with no light to be seen.

It seemed that, just as Zhu Li had said, the owner of this building was somewhat difficult to encounter and would require a few more visits.

Wu Chang did not seem to believe it, intending to take Ailin toward the building to see if they had truly made a wasted trip.

But just as he took a step, he suddenly stopped, turned his head to look at the coachman, and asked:

"Are you not coming with us?"

The coachman replied blankly: "I am only responsible for driving the carriage, not for helping to knock on doors."

Wu Chang responded with an equally blank expression:

"But isn't this your home, Mr. Leventon?"

The atmosphere instantly fell silent; after a moment of awkwardness, the coachman frowned and asked in confusion:

"In what way did I not act the part?"

Wu Chang rubbed his chin with his hand and mused:

"There are too many ways; allow me to think carefully."

"First, your uniform; it is one size too small for you. When you sit to drive, it exposes your wrists and ankles. Someone as particular about details as you are should not make such a basic mistake; clearly, it does not belong to you."

The coachman looked at his wrists and said somewhat helplessly:

"I already tried my best to choose a target with a build similar to mine, but unfortunately, his arm span is smaller than mine, and there was no time to make adjustments."

Wu Chang continued:

"Secondly, you talk too much, and the content of our conversation is all things that interest me. But as far as I know, carriage drivers in Grimlund are usually reticent, especially those driving rental carriages for the wealthy."

"One reason is the difference in class—the more one says, the more one errs; the second is that they have an indescribable sense of superiority toward bumpkins from abroad."

The coachman said: "But you paid."

Wu Chang said: "That is the third problem. I gave you paper money, and your gaze lingered on it for too long; I saw no thirst for money in it."

The coachman asked: "Anything else?"

Wu Chang said: "Finally, there is one more point: even in Grimlund, it would not be so extravagant as to hire a powerful transcendent coachman."

"Do you know? Arcane Knights are mutually attracted to one another. The cultivation method of an Arcane Knight involves integrating the origin of mysticism into the flesh; the sources of power are identical, making them very conspicuous in each other's eyes."

"Mr. Leventon, your presence is as obvious as a bonfire in the dark."

"A transcendent who knows my identity, disguises himself to sneakily follow me, and is also a descendant of the Arcane Knights—besides you, Mr. Leventon, I cannot think of anyone else."

Leventon stepped down from the carriage, pouted in defiance, and said:

"You used a special method to see the arcane energy within my body; that is the real reason you discovered me."

Wu Chang smiled and said: "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Leventon the Great Detective."

Leventon had guessed correctly; the reasons he had stated earlier were all anomalies he had deduced after discovering the transcendent energy within Leventon and first determining that he was suspicious.

The ability he gained after changing classes, the Eye of Law-Breaking, possessed the power to see through mysticism; the moment he saw the coachman, he had discovered the coachman's difference.

It was just that he initially thought it was an arrangement by Zhu Li and didn't take it to heart; it was only after seeing Zhu Li and learning about Leventon that he realized the coachman was Leventon.

Leventon took a brass box from his pocket, inside of which was arranged a miniature mystical ritual.

He had to adjust the mystical ritual inside the box to the state corresponding to the door in order to open it.

Simply put, it was a transcendent version of a combination lock.

Many of the cases Leventon usually investigated were top-secret cases of Stilan, involving many social secrets; to protect the data in the detective agency, he had designed the code to be very complex, usually taking over ten seconds to open.

While he was adjusting the door code, he asked:

"You said Arcane Knights are mutually attracted; why can I not see the transcendent power within you at all?"

Wu Chang stepped forward, a mystical rune disk appearing out of thin air in his palm; he reached out and pressed it against the copper door knocker, and accompanied by a crisp metallic click, the barrier on the door opened in response.

He pushed the door open, looked at Leventon, who was still fiddling with the brass box outside, and said:

"That is likely because your cultivation is not yet up to par. Whenever you can get rid of those useless little things, you will be able to see more, just like me."

Leventon sheepishly put away the brass box and said grudgingly:

"Fine, I admit it; you are indeed a bit stronger than me in terms of mysticism, worthy of Zhu Li going out of her way to bring you back."

Wu Chang held Ailin's hand and, as if he were the true owner of the house, looked around at everything.

The first floor was the functional area of the house; the kitchen, laundry room, and storage room were all distributed on the first floor, and when near the building's structure, one could smell the lingering aroma of food.

"I couldn't tell; you actually cook for yourself."

Leventon was somewhat dissatisfied with Wu Chang's casual wandering, but still said:

"Not at all. The landlady comes here to help me finish these things when I am at home. I am very busy and have no time to waste on these trivial matters."

Wu Chang asked in surprise:

"The landlady is also responsible for coming over to do the laundry and cooking?"

Leventon ignored Wu Chang and Ailin, who were still touring the first floor, walked up to the second floor first, and said without looking back:

"In Grimlund, this is very normal. The landlord will simultaneously shoulder the work of cleaning, cooking, tidying, and receiving visitors to increase competitiveness and collect a portion of the service fee."

Wu Chang raised an eyebrow. In the reality he came from, landlords were usually wealthier than tenants; helping with daily maintenance and replacing appliances was already doing their utmost, and they would not go to this extent.

He led Ailin up the stairs to the second floor. Just halfway up, he smelled the scent of printing ink and incense mixed with mystical and alchemical materials, which was distinct from the smell on the first floor.

Arriving on the second floor, he saw Leventon hurriedly tidying up something. Leventon had not stopped Wu Chang and Ailin's exploration, and rushing up to the second floor, it seemed he was trying to cover up certain unspeakable things.

Wu Chang pulled out a notebook from the bookshelf that had clearly just been inserted, his fingers sliding through the pages until he stopped at the page with the largest gap, opening it instantly.

Inside were many clippings; they should have come from newspapers of the New World, because the content inside was all about him.

This included him solving a haunted gold mine case, and Ailin, who also participated in the case, being personally received by the local mayor.

In this plane, when he and Ailin later got married, the mayor even attended in person as a guest.

Wu Chang pointed to the wedding photo of the two on it and said to Ailin:

"Look, the photo turned out quite well."

Ailin looked at herself in the wedding dress in the photo, her face slightly flushed, and nodded: "It is indeed very beautiful."

"Do you want to take a real set after we go back?"

Ailin's face flushed, and she did not speak.

Wu Chang flipped through the clippings further and discovered that the investigations did not only involve him; many descendants of the Arcane Knight Order were in this investigation file.

He flipped through it roughly and saw Dean Randy, saw Zhu Li, and even saw Queen Olivia.

Just as he was preparing to look carefully at the content recorded on it, Leventon had already returned, snatched the notebook away, and closed it.

"Have you never heard that when visiting someone else's home, you should not easily flip through other people's things?"

Wu Chang said righteously: "At least when I investigated these, it was to your face, not by acting behind your back."

Leventon said indifferently: "Detectives are supposed to investigate behind people's backs."

He came to the parlor on the second floor, sat down of his own accord, picked up the pipe by the table and put it in his mouth, and said:

"Zhu Li asked you to come find me; what is the matter?"

Wu Chang sat opposite Leventon and asked in return: "Are you one of Zhu Li's people?"

Leventon said: "You should say that Zhu Li is one of our people."

Wu Chang asked: "Who are you all?"

"Who else could it be? Naturally, the fallen descendants of the Arcane Knight Order," Leventon said in a flat tone.

"Your family's foundation is a bit worse, but you solved the matter of the Moonlight Sanatorium, so you should know many inside stories of the Arcane Knight Order from back then."

"Back then, after the Arcane Knight Order successfully crusaded against the Evil God Laiman and destroyed the Serene Sect, it was disbanded by the King for inexplicable reasons only a few years later."

"Relying on the King's rewards, each family obtained a not-insignificant territory—er, except for certain apprentice Arcane Knights who joined on the eve of the disbandment after the crusade against the Evil God."

"But the descendants of the Arcane Knight Order seem to have been cursed by the Evil God; most are unable to hold onto their wealth, often squandering it all after a few generations."

"The Anderson family you saw in White Stone Town is already considered to be in the best situation."

"And not every descendant of the Arcane Knight Order is like Randy, shouldering the task of suppressing the resurrection of the Evil God. In other families, the cultivation methods of the Arcane Knight Order have not been severed."

Speaking to this point, Wu Chang understood what Leventon meant.

A group of noble descendants who possessed transcendent power and whose ancestors had once been wealthy—how could they be willing to let their families decline like this?

"So, you group of Arcane Knight descendants spontaneously formed an organization, a new Arcane Knight Order not recognized by the King?"

Leventon nodded and said: "That is exactly it. Zhu Li was once one of us."

"Once?" Wu Chang keenly caught Leventon's choice of words.

Leventon smiled self-deprecatingly and said: "Because in these years, she has already stood too high and does not need us to accomplish what she wants to do."

"Especially in the last two years, she has rarely participated in our activities, but when we encounter difficulties, she has never been stingy with help. Perhaps you are right; now we should say we are her people."

Wu Chang was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked:

"Are you secretly in love with Zhu Li?"

Leventon instantly turned red and immediately denied it: "I am not, I did not, don't talk nonsense!"

Wu Chang pouted, no longer entangled in this question, and instead asked:

"How long has this organization of yours lasted?"

Seeing Wu Chang change the subject, Leventon also followed suit and said: "It has been over ten years."

"In other words, you already existed before Olivia ascended the throne?" Wu Chang asked.

Lei Wendun made no attempt to hide this, saying, "You can be more explicit; we were indeed involved in Queen Olivia's successful succession."

Queen Olivia, as the nominal monarch of the most powerful empire in the world, could well be called the most powerful woman on this plane.

Gossip is human nature, and gossip about Olivia is rampant, even in the New World.

In the fictional memories of the True Practitioner, there are quite a few rumors about Olivia.

For instance, after the previous king died, the young Olivia was strictly controlled by her mother and guardians, who tried to treat her like a marionette, forcing her to strictly follow their teachings in every word and action.

Another example is that her uncle, who coveted the throne, tried to seize it many times but failed repeatedly.

Just listening to these rumors makes them seem highly unreal; Olivia seemed to grow up overnight, breaking free from the control and shackles of various parties, and step by step, she arrived at where she is today, becoming a queen in name and in deed.

If the New Arcane Knights were involved in this, then everything would seem perfectly reasonable.

Lei Wendun took two puffs from his pipe and said, "Now it's your turn. Zhu Li sent you to find me; what is it about?"

Wu Chang reached behind his back, took the Holy Sword of Lake Light from his personal space, placed it on the table, and asked, "Do you recognize this sword?"

Lei Wendun’s pupils contracted and he leaned forward, subconsciously wanting to grab the Holy Sword of Lake Light, but just as his hand was about to touch the scabbard, he stopped abruptly and sat back into his soft chair.

"The Holy Sword of Lake Light. Has the Queen finally decided to bring it out?"

Wu Chang said, "It seems you recognize it and know what it represents."

"Just a moment ago, Queen Olivia appointed me as the Commander of the Arcane Knights in the basement of St. George's Cathedral, ordered me to reorganize the Arcane Knights, and granted me the authority to recruit freely."

He drew the Holy Sword of Lake Light, and a half-meter radius of lake-like light lit up, showing it was indeed the real thing.

"Then Zhu Li told me to find you."

Lei Wendun’s expression was complex. He looked out the window and said, "I need to think about it."

Wu Chang sheathed the Holy Sword of Lake Light and said, "I’ll give you ten seconds to think. If you refuse, I’ll go find Zhu Li and tell her you have a crush on her. 10."

Lei Wendun turned red again. "As a commander, is this how you coerce your members?"

Wu Chang: "9, 8, 4..."

Lei Wendun shouted: "Wait, there’s something wrong with how you’re counting seconds!"

Wu Chang did not respond, only looked down at his stopwatch and read: "3, 2..."

"I’ll join!" Lei Wendun compromised.

Wu Chang put the pocket watch back into his pocket, a smile appearing on his face as he said:

"I am very happy to work with you, Sir Knight Lei Wendun. From today on, you and your little group can come see me whenever you wish and return to being true Arcane Knights."

Lei Wendun said stubbornly:

"Although I chose to join the Arcane Knights, I must clarify one thing: I am not joining the Arcane Knights because I fear your threats, but because I see in you the hope of revitalizing the Arcane Knights."

"If you were just like Landi—all brawn and no brains—then no matter how much you said, I would never admit you are qualified to be the commander."

Wu Chang did not argue with Lei Wendun and said, "I understand what you mean."

"By the way, where is Dean Landi now? Zhu Li only said he holds an important position and will soon be able to restore the family glory."

Dean Landi’s talent for the occult is absolutely exaggerated; without any training, and even while not believing in the existence of the occult, his overflowing talent alone could form a spell formation that shrouded the entire Moonlight Sanatorium.

After systematic training, Dean Landi would be terrifyingly strong. If he could be pulled in, he would be even fiercer than a player.

Lei Wendun said, "Landi is very busy right now. I’m afraid you’ll have some trouble finding him."

"The Prime Minister was just assassinated. Whether it’s investigating the murder case or controlling the recently erupted Great Cholera, it’s all the business of the Minister of Internal Affairs. He can be said to be the busiest person in all of Stilan right now."

Wu Chang nodded and said, "Indeed, as the Minister of Internal Affairs, he must be busy out of his mind."

"Wait, what did you just say Landi is?"

He suddenly reacted; Lei Wendun seemed to have said something extraordinary.

Lei Wendun said, "Landi is the Minister of Internal Affairs. Don't you read the news? He just came out yesterday to refute the rumors regarding the Prime Minister's assassination."

Wu Chang was stunned. In Stilan’s political system, the King does not have much real power and is more akin to a spiritual leader.

The power in Stilan is concentrated in the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.

In terms of power, below the Prime Minister are the three great ministers of the Cabinet: the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Minister of Internal Affairs.

Although the Minister of Internal Affairs is ranked last among the three, they are still one of the most powerful people in the country. More importantly, the Minister of Internal Affairs is a strong contender for the position of Prime Minister.

He had been worrying about how, after building his faction, it would be difficult to find a candidate for Prime Minister to support. He didn't expect to find one so quickly, and it was an old acquaintance at that.

"Now I have to go talk to him."

Lei Wendun saw what Wu Chang was thinking and asked, "Do you want Landi to join the Arcane Knights as your backer in the political world?"

Wu Chang did not hide it and said, "Landi’s ancestor was the founder of the Arcane Knights. Wouldn't his entry into the Arcane Knights be as natural as returning home?"

Lei Wendun said, "We joined the Arcane Knights to restore the glory of our ancestors, but Landi doesn't need to."

"The Queen and Zhu Li trust him, and his power is as strong as a monster's. If he wanted to, he could propose the reconstruction of the Arcane Knights to the Queen, and you wouldn't even be in the picture."

"He is the one who rejected the Arcane Knights and chose to become the Minister of Internal Affairs. What can you offer him that would be enough to make him change his mind and rejoin the Arcane Knights?"

Wu Chang frowned. After a moment of contemplation, he reached out to grab the notebook in Lei Wendun’s hand.

Lei Wendun pulled the notebook back and asked, "What are you doing?"

Wu Chang said, "I remember you investigated him. Let me see what dirt he has that I can use when we meet."

Lei Wendun rolled his eyes, almost laughing in anger. He tucked the notebook directly into his back waistband and said:

"Do you think he is as easily threatened as I am?"

"Landi is known as the Iron-Faced Minister, the most upright and toughest Minister of Internal Affairs in the last hundred years. Using coercion or bribery on him won't work."

"However, there is an opportunity right now to get him to join."

Wu Chang asked, "What opportunity?"

Lei Wendun stood up and waved for Wu Chang to follow. He led Wu Chang to his workspace and pulled back the curtain covering the wall.

As the curtain was pulled down, Wu Chang saw an entire wall covered in photos and clippings, pinned to the wall with ribbon-adorned nails.

Related events were connected by ribbons, which crisscrossed to form a large web. At the center of the web, the focal point of all the ribbons, was a single photo.

A photo of Prime Minister Luo En.

Lei Wendun said, "The Prime Minister’s assassination case!"

(End of chapter)