Chapter 2292: New Clues

Seeing that Iluna was about to leave, Xia De and Miss Aurora sent her downstairs. When going downstairs, Iluna was still saying:

"The rotten corpses and rotten mermen that appeared on Sunday night were not related to the 【Scarlet Cult】 and the 【Drowned Cult】, they should be controlled by the ring-warlocks in the pirate group. The church believes that the ocean gods still hate that evil god 【Dragon-eating Demon】, so they will not help the cultists who eat dragons."

"But at least most people now believe the news that Moon Bay is about to be destroyed."

Miss Aurora commented:

"I heard Bella say that even the City Council is formulating a plan to deal with the final destruction."

"What plan can there be?"

Xia De asked suspiciously, and the witch said with a smile:

"Of course, it is to pack up the family property and arrange for the young people in the family to move away before the real destruction comes. Moon Bay is big, but it is not as big as the whole Carcenik. The local industry and ancestral home cannot be taken away, but at least it will not cause the bloodline to be cut off because of this."

Iluna soon left the manor, and Xia De left Little Mia in the manor to accompany little Liana, and went to Spider Alley himself.

Although he did not make an appointment with Mr. Bernhardt to meet today in advance, Mr. Bernhardt was also here when he arrived at the morgue this morning.

He was discussing new news about his clansmen with the coroner Mr. Albert, and seeing Xia De come, he also informed him of the news:

"Clansmen have already been taken away by the church for investigation. Now everyone is very worried and doesn't want to contact clansmen easily. Ptolemy and I originally planned to visit clansmen separately this morning to ask for clues, but only received two replies to the visit letters sent out."

"This can also be understood, no one knows whether the clansman they want to visit has already been targeted by the church."

The coroner here was still only Mr. Albert. He was still wearing that brown hooded robe, just without gloves.

"Two gentlemen, I also have good news here. I have already arranged for someone to investigate the bank matter, and the other party promised to tell me the news before the end of this week. I think I should be able to find the account used by the 【Dragon Feast Cult】."

"This can be considered the only good news at present."

Mr. Bernhardt looked even more troubled:

"I am also contacting the cult, hoping to get more help, but I think it is even less likely that the cult can send people to help me in the current situation. Watson, do you have time to go with me for a trip in a while? It really won't work with just me and Ptolemy. I want to visit Miss Angri Rice to see if she can provide us with help.

Last time at the banquet, she was with Her Majesty Margaret, and we didn't have a chance to talk to her in detail. This time it happens to be a good time to ask about the situation."

Miss Angri Rice was the original fourth "suspect", but now she had basically been ruled out of suspicion. She was almost certain to become the next Countess Rice and was very famous among the local blood-sucking species, and could be considered one of the leaders of the blood-sucking species in Moon Bay.

The only shortcoming of this noble lady was that she mixed with girls and was promiscuous. This point was actually quite similar to Xia De... Xia De shook his head and threw this thought away.

"No problem, I will go with you."

However, the coroner called Xia De again:

"Mr. Watson, wait a moment. The data on the number of corpses who died of heart disease recently that you asked me to collect has new results. Yes, the data is abnormally high, and most of them died of sudden heart disease without underlying diseases."

He really wrote an investigation report and handed it to Xia De:

"From my experience, it can basically be determined that someone possesses the means to cause heart disease."

"Curse?"

Mr. Bernhardt asked curiously:

"I know quite a few arcane arts and rituals that can easily cause someone's heart to stop suddenly."

"No traces of elements have been found yet."

The coroner answered cautiously, while Xia De looked at the document in his hand. For some reason, he thought of the target that "Desire" asked him to find.

Miss Angri Rice was in the manor of the Rice family. Only after Mr. Bernhardt's visit letter was accepted by her did he choose to visit on Tuesday with Xia De.

Logically speaking, it would be very strange for two strange men to visit an unmarried girl, but because of this Miss Rice's reputation, people would not think wildly.

The maid led the two to the reception room of the Earl's manor. Miss Rice would meet them there. Only after pushing the door and walking in, besides that noble lady, there was another person here.

"Mrs. Jude?"

Mr. Bernhardt stopped in hesitation. The noble lady who was shaking a feather fan on the sofa at this moment was the wealthy widow who opened the orphanage.

When they met in the alley behind the auction house last time, the three had a very unhappy time. And Mrs. Jude clearly knew that Xia De and Mr. Bernhardt would appear, so she didn't feel surprised at all:

"Good morning, two gentlemen, why do you look at me as if you are looking at an evil spirit?"

"Miss Rice, what do you mean by this?"

Mr. Bernhardt asked with a frown, and the noble girl answered as a matter of course:

"Viscount, I didn't know you and your friend before, so naturally I had to find someone to ask about your situation in advance. Sit down and talk, you didn't come to me to ask something?"

Xia De patted Mr. Bernhardt on the shoulder from behind, and he continued to walk forward.

This was a very formal reception room in this Earl's manor. Because the lights were on, it looked very bright even though it was dark outside. After sitting down, Mr. Bernhardt didn't make much small talk and entered the main topic:

"I won't repeat what happened in the city. Miss Rice, I am now representing the sect of Willondale, requesting assistance in the investigation. Three things in total: First, do you know which local clansmen are suspected of cooperating with cultists? Second, do you know the news about 【Blood Sorrow】? Third, I need your help."

Mr. Bernhardt's expression was very serious, and his tone was also very formal, while the noble girl of the blood-sucking species, who was about the same age as Xia De's body, said with a smile:

"Viscount, I want to know who is cooperating with cultists just as much as you do. Please remember, you are not a local, but I am a local, and all my family members are locals. I hate those who try to destroy my hometown even more than you do."

So the blood-sucking Viscount sat up slightly.

"Regarding 【Blood Sorrow】, I naturally don't know where this sword is."

Xia De was about to drink tea when he heard the next sentence:

"But I have the clues you want in my hand."

"What?"

He looked up, and Miss Rice smiled at him:

"Handsome gentleman, if you were a woman, that would be great, then I could hand the clues directly to you. Look at Viscount Bernhardt's expression, you don't believe me?"

The Viscount mentioned by name had no expression, so Xia De smoothed things over:

"There's no such thing as believing or not believing. May I ask if you want us to do something to give the information, or do you have any requirements? But no matter what, at least you have to prove that you really have information about that holy sword."

The noble girl snapped her fingers. Of course, this was not the behavior of a lady:

"Reasonable request, you are much better at communicating with girls than the Viscount."

Miss Rice said, looked at Mrs. Jude who was sitting on the side sofa, and then got up and left the room temporarily.

Two or three minutes later, she came back and gave a stack of photos in an envelope to the two:

"Take a look."

The two leaned together. The black and white photos in the envelope were all wounds on the human body. Although black and white photos had no color, Xia De could still see the strangeness of those wounds.

This was somewhat like the wounds after his "Red Moon" power corroded flesh and blood, but the appearance of the wounds, besides being corroded, also had dense small holes around the wounds.

Even if Xia De didn't have trypophobia, he still felt very uncomfortable.

There were 23 photos in total, but all photos seemed to be taken on the same person.

Miss Rice explained:

"About 6 years ago, I remember it was the winter of 1848, close to the Year-End Festival. I wasn't very old at the time, and the 'mother' who gave me this noble bloodline..."

This was not referring to her real mother, but the source of her bloodline. Xia De remembered that Mr. Bernhardt had chatted about it. It was Miss Rice's aunt, who was actively requested by Miss Rice because she envied that ability of eternal youth. Don't look at the difference between her current appearance and normal age, but in fact, that was because high-level blood-sucking species could control their appearance.

After all, the shriveled appearance of water loss was their true appearance.

"'Mother' took me to see a distant relative. The other party was seriously injured. If it hadn't been for being saved by 'mother', he would have almost died in the garbage alley. But even so, because the injury was too heavy, he finally passed away half a month later.

The photos you are looking at are the scars on his body at that time. Afterward, 'mother' told me that those were the scars caused by 【Blood Sorrow】, and her 'mother' had described the power of that sword to her."

Miss Rice's words made Xia De and Mr. Bernhardt look at each other:

"What did that person say before he died? Did he say who killed him?"

The noble girl snapped her fingers again. Of course, this was not the behavior of a lady:

"Asked the point, this is the bargaining chip I brought out.

Viscount, I promised you that I would help you investigate the local clansmen who assisted cultists. I still have prestige among the local clansmen, much more useful than a coroner like Albert, but I don't think 【Blood Sorrow】 has anything to do with the clansmen who defected to cultists.

So, if you want news about that holy sword—help me do some things." ===== CHAPTER 2293 =====

"So, if you want news of that holy sword—do something for me."