Chapter 358

Hearing the marquis's astonishing remark, Ji Ming's first thought that sprang to mind was——"While I was off to the toilet, you all already ate your fill?"

However, he definitely couldn't say that out loud, so after savoring the plate of spare ribs he hadn't finished eating, Ji Ming, feeling that he might never be able to attend a complete banquet in his life, could only nod.

"Since Marquis, you indeed have urgent matters, I'll accompany you for a bit, though I'm lacking in knowledge and talent, so I may not be able to be of much help."

"Of course! This is definitely possible!"

Unfortunately, the marquis didn't hear the second half of what he said; having heard only half, he was overjoyed and quickly brought him to the office on the third floor of the villa.

But as soon as Ji Ming followed him into the space, he sensed a strange feeling; after careful observation, he finally discovered the problem.

According to general design principles, since this is a residential building rather than an office area, this space called an office but actually a study should not have an overly stern design language,

Moreover, given the Wind Shadow Marquis's reputation as a "good husband and good father," having a young child who still needs care at home, it's quite normal to have some food and toys in the office.

At the very least, as a noble, he could afford to put a family photo frame in the glass display cabinet behind the office desk's bookshelf, but now there's only a bunch of brand-new thick books there, purely as background.

So this office doesn't have the heavy feel that old leaders like; it looks more like a hotel room—dignified and tidy, as if it had never been used.

……Could it be that the marquis, like everyone else, prefers to keep work to office hours and, after returning to the villa, neither wants nor will handle any official duties?

Doubts are everywhere, yet nowhere are they doubts; the groom's information, though plentiful, is limited to that mantis, so what's the deal with this leaf?

Information insufficient, unable to reason, Ji Ming could only choose to sit down.

Fortunately, since little is used, as part of the villa, the maids obviously still clean this place, so it won't get dusty just from a casual touch.

Moreover, they soon brought over two cups of hot coffee, using their rich aroma to dispel the chill and lack of liveliness in the room.

Gesture to the maid to close the door when leaving, the marquis lifted his coffee, blew on the rising steam, and after taking a sip, let out a very deliberate sigh.

Ji Ming understood his hint, but didn't rush to respond; instead, he also lifted his cup and took a sip.

"Hey, there's no need for this between us, Marquis; if you have anything you want to ask, just speak plainly."

The marquis nodded, then let out another extremely mournful sigh.

"You've already noticed, haven't you? My wife and kids seem a bit strange."

"No, I think you're the strange one."

"Hmm, they indeed seem somewhat… ill at ease, but I think this is understandable; your wife might not be used to this environment, and as for the kid, when I was his age I certainly wouldn't want to come to such an occasion."

But this high-EQ remark didn't earn the marquis's approval; instead, it made him interrupt immediately.

"No no no, you still don't understand; I… I know this might sound strange, but… say it and don't be afraid!"

……

Ji Ming almost burst out laughing, but hastily suppressed his voice.

"Don't worry! I'm the Holy Light's Chosen, protected by divine grace—I won't be afraid."

"Alright then, I'll go ahead and say it!"

The marquis's breathing grew increasingly ragged; he covered his head, his face turned pallid.

"I think… they've been possessed by an anomaly!"

He probably knows that just that sentence alone lacks persuasiveness, so without waiting for Ji Ming's reaction, he immediately continued.

"When I first decided to marry Helinuo, everyone thought I was crazy! They even thought I'd been cursed, that she was an utterly wicked witch who bewitched me! I know that's not true—I'm perfectly lucid!"

"But lately I've felt that she… including my children, have become increasingly unfamiliar; although their attitude toward me hasn't changed, their daily activities haven't changed, their preferences haven't changed either, yet I keep feeling they're not the people I remember; they…… do you understand?"

Ji Ming really wanted to say, "What the hell are you spouting?" but he instead grasped the main point, and while nodding, he countered.

"Then, if it's just you suspecting those two, could it be that you're the one possessed by an anomaly?"

That soul-searching question left the marquis speechless; he stared, eyes wide, and was utterly stunned for three full seconds before regaining his ability to speak.

"That's impossible! But… I… I feel everyone else is quite normal! Only those two are off! You should know I'm also a professional! I'm a mage! I'm highly sensitive to this!"

Busy trying to prove himself, the marquis's speech sped up faster and faster, his eyes turned red, his beard trembled, and his last words even carried a hint of hysteria.

"Alright alright, calm down; I'm merely putting forward some bold hypotheses as a researcher of anomalies—believe it or not, don't get anxious, okay?"

After a brief reassurance, Ji Ming then asked.

"Since you think they're possessed by an anomaly, I'll just help you examine them later; solving this with Holy Light is extremely simple and quick—let me know when you have time, and as a doctor I'm available anytime."

Clearly the matter was settled, but upon hearing it the marquis's face immediately showed resistance, and he hastily spoke.

"Use Holy Light? No, they're not professionals; if the anomaly inside them were to be irradiated by Holy Light together, it would surely cause problems—what if the anomaly took their lives with it when it left?"

Seeing the Wind Shadow Marquis's attitude grow ever more agitated, he was about to discard noble etiquette, slamming the table as he spoke.

To avoid further escalating his emotions, Ji Ming could only choose to comply once more.

"Then let's try another method; I have a very special magic scroll whose name is a talisman scroll—just affix it to your wife and child, observe the talisman's reaction, and we can detect whether they're possessed by an anomaly."

But even after external semi-physical treatment, the Wind Shadow Marquis still shook his head, and his opposition grew even more intense.

"I've never even heard of such a magic scroll!"

But after blurting that out he immediately regretted it, and hastily softened his voice to make amends.

"Sorry, just as I said, I'm also a mage, so while I trust you, I can't believe in something I know nothing about, and I still need to apply it to my most important family members."

"……So do you have any other diagnostic methods?"

"……"

If an ordinary person said such nonsense in front of Ji Ming, he'd slap them twice—are you letting yourself go crazy?

But when the compensation is sufficient, Ji Ming is actually quite a dedicated person.

Since his diagnosis has already begun, he will possess nearly infinite patience.

Besides Holy Light and the talisman scroll, he indeed has a third way to detect anomalies, but he's already used that method just now.

Exactly, it's the rejuvenation liquid.

As a potion that releases massive life force for rapid treatment, to the vast majority of anomalies it's practically a poison.

This is also why Ji Ming didn't directly take out the spirit-gathering liquid, but instead used the rejuvenation liquid IV as the fundamental reason.

——SpiritGathering Liquid "toxicity" too fierce, he feared that on the spot he would cause the count's household register to randomly lose one or two pages, and by then wanting to ask the truth would have no one speak up.

But after taking those two doses of Return Spring Night, the one who felt unwell was not his wife and children, but the Fengying Earl himself.

Firstly, a gentleman judges by deeds, not intentions; the front line is more reliable than the battle report.

Considering that the Earl gave up much of his family's future in order to marry the young lady named Helena, Ji Ming felt that at least the persona of a 'good husband' was not fake.

So, combining his current apparent concern, he is actually splashing sewage hard onto his wife and children, and even fears the doctor going to test them, lest he lose his say—this shameless act.

The truth of the matter has only one possibility, namely……

"Alright, since you think it's inappropriate for me to directly test your wife and children, you must have come up with a more suitable method—could you tell me?"

"As Ji Ming expected, the Earl's expression eased considerably."

"Oh, thank you for understanding, thank you, really many thanks!"

"Actually, the reason I suspected them is not only because of these oddities, but also because I previously unintentionally received a secret report from a maid, who said she saw the lady go alone to a place in the city, even though that day she clearly said she would accompany the child to piano lessons."

"I then went to ask Xiao Ansen—oh, that's my child—where Mom went during yesterday afternoon's piano lesson? Of course! I asked indirectly! I couldn't ask directly! But his answer was that Mom had been in the piano lesson the whole time, never leaving."

Having said that, the incoherent Earl fell back into that previous somewhat neurotic anxiety.

If it weren't for a trace of sanity remaining, Ji Ming estimated he would start gnawing his fingers.

"Uh… ah! I get it—you want me to go with you to investigate there?"

Upon hearing this, the Earl unexpectedly became excited and directly clapped, then raised his thumb.

"Right!"

Then he went on and on.

"I didn't dare to startle the snake, for I feared that acting rashly might cause problems; now that you've finally come, God's Chosen, I especially trust you—I heard you saved Sunlight City, so I beg you, I beg you to settle this matter—I truly can't hold on any longer……"

"Stop!"

Ji Ming saw he was about to start performing a rap, hurriedly shouted stop, stood up, and reached his right hand toward the door.

"Clear the way!"

Since it was a covert outing, the Earl didn't even bring a carriage, let alone half a servant; he led two horses from the stable and set off with Ji Ming.

But that's fine; after nodding to the groom, Ji Ming likewise disguised himself, and together with the Earl they mounted up and rode toward the darkness outside the castle.

But the horses' stamina is also limited, and galloping through the city streets at night would be too conspicuous.

Thus their horse speed wasn't particularly fast, at least still allowing a brief conversation.

Therefore, upon seeing this young man from a foreign land ride so smoothly and skillfully—even more so than this old‑line noble who'd trained since age eight—the Earl, perhaps still worrying that his earlier overreaction might affect the upcoming action, chose to first offer a compliment to ease things slightly.

"God's Chosen, sir, your horsemanship is really that good?"

If one had to assign Ji Ming a role, even if not a magician, he'd have to be a spearman—there's no way he could be a knight.

After all, although he really wanted to try piloting a mecha once, aside from Ke Li Si Ting's horseback, the only vehicle Ji Ming has ever ridden in this world is someone else's carriage—and that requires nothing but money.

So how can Ji Ming, who has never ridden a horse before, be so skilled at horseback riding?

——Of course it's because of hypnosis technique—what else could it be?

So his answer was just a single simple sentence.

"Haha, yeah."

Fengying City isn't all that large, so they reached their destination after just ten‑odd minutes of traveling in the evening breeze.

"It's just nearby; the road here is narrow, so let's walk slowly!"

Upon hearing the Earl's words, Ji Ming also looked around.

Although for the castle's safety the buildings in the surrounding districts all have strict height limits, those there are still far more luxurious than the rundown tenements here.

It's obvious this is the Lower City District he knows all too well; he can even feel gazes coming from the dark alleys.

But seeing the Earl still wanting to plow ahead with his head down, Ji Ming called out to stop him.

"Do you have any people nearby? We'd better dismount and walk on foot—it's safer."

"Ah?"

After walking several steps, the Earl turned his head in confusion, paused a moment, then reacted.

"Ah, yes, you're right! I recall I have a guard living nearby—we can go to his place!"

And after entrusting his mount to that middle‑aged man who was flattered to have received two gold coins from the Earl, Ji Ming noticed another suspicious point.

According to the Earl's account, he learned from the maid that the lady had come here, and to avoid startling the snake he hadn't even mentioned it to anyone.

So how could he lead the way without hesitation, despite never having scouted the place himself?

Ji Ming followed him in silence, gradually approaching the truth, and finally stopped before a large door.

The Earl turned his head back, his expression inexplicably somewhat blurred.

"God's Chosen, this is the place!"

And Ji Ming lifted his head, looking at the building ahead that was even overly dark at night, and suddenly broke into a grin.

"Well, well, whose little den is this?"