Chapter 350

Rare items, hidden relationship networks, and the current version's gold content so high it's frightening, with both guild and individual versions, whose weight in various third-party information analysis ranking organizations keeps rising—the "Hidden Mission Completion Count Ranking"……

If the main quest that everyone can participate in is staple food, and the frequently appearing reward quests are meat, then the one-of-a-kind, max-difficulty hidden quest is an unparalleled delicacy that no major guild can refuse.

Whether for overt gains, behind-the-scenes benefits, or the childish desire to have it all, guilds that successfully trigger hidden missions place great importance on this, immediately organizing manpower to push forward.

For inexperienced newcomers, even if they can rack their brains and manage to find a few seemingly true or false pieces of information from ordinary matters, they lack the imagination and judgment to distill genuinely useful clues from them.

But for those professionals dispatched by countries worldwide to set up and compete in the game, even if they are just newcomers with no foothold here, based on personal experience, wanting to learn some business secrets that aren't particularly dangerous or hard to uncover is still a breeze.

Thus, those investigating food discovered that in the city there were actually several people who appeared to be merchants but were secretly harboring bandits outside the city to act as their guns.

Besides daily suppression of rivals and industry monopolies, they recently sent their underling bandits to stealthily approach the Black Forest territory, raid villages at night, seize the relief grain they freely distributed in remote areas to boost reputation and righteous energy, and sell it as their own goods.

"Don't eat the pickled radish! Normally we're the ones grabbing people, but now they've grabbed us instead—beat the hell out of them!"

And those investigating the club discovered…… First, the club's business scope is as broad as they had guessed; second, its actual controller turns out to be a knight under the name of the Third Young Master of the Jueque family.

Moreover, they inadvertently discovered that besides the daily high-end service consumption of the city's various social elites, this knight occasionally also personally accompanies an extremely mysterious guest to enjoy the services, doing so with utmost respect.

"Team leader, I want to apply for a work injury; if that's not possible, swap me out for that London kid—he'd probably like to see this."

As for those investigating the Deep Forest people, they discovered that it's far from just this one; the multinational grain merchant Wensute maintains a very close relationship with many Deep Forest folk.

If that were all, it wouldn't matter; after all, they're merchants—maybe even preparing to hang themselves could still net a ticket fee.

But lately, their meeting frequency has been increasing, and the duration of their talks has been growing longer, as if they were secretly laying out plans for something with great urgency.

"I have a feeling it's not just this; if we think harder, otherwise the officials wouldn't have released a hidden mission."

For players, this information, while interesting and somewhat valuable, is not of great importance.

At least it's not worth making one's private investigation public over this.

But for Ji Ming, who already had suspicions and knew all this information, these were like one puzzle piece after another; once assembled, they could reveal who was behind the assassination of Elinor.

Jueqiao Third Young Master – Third Young Master of the Jueqiao Family

For instance, considering the close relationship between the young master Ke Luo and Wensute, that extremely mysterious guest in the club is likely none other than the former, with no other plausible possibility.

For instance, regarding those Deep Forest people, Ji Ming then released another hidden mission requesting an investigation into suspicious figures around Wensute.

Just now, he successfully used the intersection of two pieces of information to nab the assassin's little tail.

Therefore, although this puzzle hasn't been fully collected yet and is still missing many pieces, Ji Ming can already tell which Iron-born it points to.

"Turns out, after the ABCD four major grain companies, the E is here, right? Wensute·Elaine (Elaine)!!"

So, whether to quell the city-wide turmoil or to help the people of the southern border eliminate this scourge, what comes next is simply waiting for the most suitable moment……

That afternoon, the public opinion that had been fermenting for several hours was already bordering on madness.

Some well‑known, influential figures in the city began to rally under the banner "Don't let the hero lose heart," seeking to pressure the Duke of Jueqiao to provide detailed information about the princess's current condition.

In fact, looking at it this way is rather moving: Lord Changge has been dead for many years, yet people still think of him, are willing to risk standing up for him, and care about the fate of a hero's orphan.

—If the biggest instigator among them weren't Wen Si Te himself.

Meanwhile, the major newspapers in the city simultaneously began to side‑support those prominent figures, demanding that the duke's residence clarify everything publicly, lest the people of Jueqiao Pass—and even all of Sheng Guang—be disheartened!

Likewise, what drives them to take such a "righteous" action is not their conscience, but …

"Hey, I'm begging you—what exactly is going on? Can you clear this up? If the report is wrong, someone has to take responsibility!"

The shifting winds back and forth are just a pastime for onlookers; even if they change three times a day, it doesn't matter—it's just entertainment.

Even if the story is dead‑ended, it's just one person—throwing a boomerang can't hurt one's own face—but for the newspapers, it's a different matter.

In the morning, your side reported, "According to sources, the princess is critically ill from an unknown disease, and an urgent dispatch has been sent to the Royal Capital."

At noon, the other side said, "Based on reliable intelligence, the princess's health is not seriously threatened; she is currently convalescing at home."

But when readers read the evening papers after sunset, the townsfolk found that the princess had given up treatment, and even the horse‑riders were beginning to write wills!?"

—

Come on, you few brothers, step up and explain to the public which trench is lying. Whoever's lying gets killed on the spot!

So even if they love to blather and are endlessly charismatic, as public news media they cannot spout nonsense on such a major matter.

If this continues, even if they bask in the hype, their newspapers' credibility will be completely ruined, and how will they ever make people trust them again?

Thus, in private they vented their frustrations, decided to unite and pressure the duke's residence, demanding a clear answer about the princess— they can't hold back any longer!

Consequently, perhaps the public pressure in the city was simply overwhelming, or perhaps the news spurred neighboring fief lords to send frantic inquiries; the Duke of Jueqiao, grilled by the flames, had no choice but to issue a new lord's decree at four p. m.

—Tonight at six o'clock, Princess Ai Li Nuo will deliver a speech on the plaza in front of the duke's residence; all townsfolk are welcome to come and hear the holy words.

"Alright, alright, alright!"

The townspeople rejoiced, celebrating their successful pressure that even made a distinguished noble bow and concede—this is our victory!

Merchants and strongmen hesitated, wondering whether the princess is dead, alive, or somewhere in between—are they trying to debunk rumors of her death, or placing a coffin chair there to signal that she's already dead?

Others focused on that final word, puzzling over why the princess chose to give a speech at all, and why she chose to do it now.

In short, regardless of what exists or not, who can stand and who cannot, a deluge of doubts burst through all anxiety, swirling and soaring over Jueqiao Pass.

In this situation, some naturally tried to inquire through every channel; some, lured by high bounties, took reckless risks; and a few, brazen beyond belief, attempted to break into the reception hall to witness the truth with their own eyes.

But the result was that those with connections hit dead ends, investigators found nothing, and the audacious intruder was seized by tight security, shot dead on the spot, his blood‑soaked corpse riddled with multiple penetrations dragged out and dumped in a mass grave.

Fortunately, the speech would begin at six p. m., and the hour‑plus in between was not particularly arduous.

Or rather, what they should truly worry about now is whether they can squeeze into the duke's plaza, now packed like a can of sardines, to witness this inevitably spectacular drama.

Amid the increasingly bustling crowd, the clock soon approached six, and the plaza's throng simultaneously fell silent, quietly awaiting the major event.

But at that moment, a large group of people in white garments appeared around the plaza; their steps were sharp, perfectly synchronized, of high rank, clearly not ordinary passersby.

After the brief commotion, the public was surprised to discover that these whites were none other than the city's Sheng Guang monks! Each was fully armed, solemn as if preparing for a divine ceremony.

As a southern stronghold of the kingdom, Jueqiao Pass naturally has a Sheng Guang Jiao Tang; under Archbishop Te Ni Si's orders and the Duke of Jueqiao's full cooperation, the Sheng Guang monks unexpectedly replaced the duke's guards, taking full responsibility for the speech's security.

Consequently, the duke's guards on the plaza did not panic; they stepped forward to negotiate, then, as expected, withdrew entirely, handing the plaza over to the monks for protection.

Seeing this, the countless eyes that had been watching this spot and itching to act suddenly became uncertain and suspicious, and many even retracted their malicious intentions.

Understand that provoking the Duke of Jueqiao at worst means being expelled from Jueqiao Pass; as a lone vassal, his power and influence cannot extend beyond the kingdom's southern border, and even if he flees to the eastern lands, a pleased lord there might merely grant him a reward.

But if you provoke the Holy Light Church… even fleeing the entire Hui Guang Kingdom might not guarantee safety; as an ancient organization that cherishes its feathers, its influence is far‑reaching, and who knows whether your neighbor might be a Holy Light believer.

We still need to be cautious; absolutely must not rouse the snakes by trampling the grass…

And as the sun gradually set into gloom, hundreds of Holy Light cultivators performed a rite together; the dazzling light made the plaza, which had already sunk into darkness, as bright as day, and at the far end of the pre‑cleared road the sounds of horse hooves clattering and wheels rolling began to echo.

A luxurious carriage gradually appeared beneath the Holy Light that shrouded the whole arena; the emblem of the Hui Guang royal family gleamed on it, and under the townspeople's gaze it slowly came to the foot of the platform.

Everyone present held their breath and focused, silently wondering whether the one stepping down from the carriage would be the princess herself or someone else; would she merely show her face and leave, or actually deliver a speech to boost her popularity?

Unfortunately, the princess had no intention of keeping the mystery; the next moment she lightly leapt from the carriage, and while walking steadily toward the platform she smiled and waved at the surrounding crowd.

Dead?

Die!

Sick?

Sick? Nonsense!

A wave of panic instantly surged in the people's hearts.

—I knew those damn newspapers couldn't be trusted; could this be someone with a health issue?

—The steps at the duke's mansion, designed so anti‑human, can be sprinted up in a single breath; that proves they are perfectly healthy, with no flaw whatsoever!

Now the onlookers were truly disappointed; the straightforward revelation of the mystery even left them a bit disillusioned, their brains overloaded to the point that the princess was already standing behind the podium, yet the entire plaza remained dead silent.

"Huh?"

Following Ji Ming's script, the protagonist Ai Li Nuo had rehearsed for several days and was mentally prepared for any eventuality, but seeing the surrounding crowd all looking as if they'd seen a ghost, unreactively watching her move forward alone, chilled her to the core.

Is it that the reputation of the Royal Capital's nobles is that poor here, or that my own constant comings and goings have exhausted the last of their patience, or perhaps… the design and arrangement of the divine selection are flawed?

However, most people quickly readjusted their mindset after the brief disappointment, because compared with other royal offspring, Princess Ai Li Nuo's reputation is already like a giant leaping out of a dwarf's nest.

And compared with people from other regions, those who have lived for years on the kingdom's border have witnessed too much chaos, so they clearly understand that good people nurture good treasures, while bad people breed bad offspring.

Leaving the distant ones aside, just think of Jueqiao Pass and Sunshine City; if it weren't for the fact that the dukes' lineage has always produced a few decent heads, occasionally a reviving ruler, what difference could there be between Jueqiao Pass and Sunshine City… I can't say!

Moreover, these past few days of gossip turned into more gossip; to ride the hype, the city's printing presses didn't rest at all, informing everyone of many stories about the princess's past in the Royal Capital and the old Changge Corps, essentially a last‑minute cram of knowledge.

Since the hero has already passed, it would be a real pity if such a good person also died, right? We can't really let a swarm of vermin crawl around the palace chattering away; everyone still hopes she can strike back hard, using the Changge family's blood‑stained spirit to turn the kingdom's upper echelons' decadent atmosphere.

Only those who have lost can cherish; thus, with a shout of "Alright!" the crowd, deciding to vote with action, erupted in a tidal wave of cheers, and the princess hadn't even had a chance to speak before achieving a spectacle that other "brothers and sisters" would have to spend money on hired extras for, and might still not obtain.

Now it was Ai Li Nuo's turn to be dumbfounded.

No, it really can reverse, huh?