Chapter 258: Murder Case

The concrete road had turned dirty from prolonged rain. Two gas lamps,

the height of an adult male, along the two sides of the road emitted a

bright but misty light due to the moisture on the glass.

A rental carriage drove through the night as the surrounding pedestrians

either wore hats or carried umbrellas.

Klein leaned against the wall, idly admiring the evening streets of

Backlund.

At that moment, he suddenly felt the temperature inside the carriage

drop significantly. A gloomy and cold wind was swirling about.

Klein jerked his head around and saw that Miss Bodyguard, dressed in a

black Gothic regal dress, was sitting opposite him without him even

realizing it.

Her voice was ethereal and dreamy.

"That Eye of Wisdom sensed my presence."

As expected... Klein nodded, unsurprised. "He has several

mystical items; perhaps he sensed you because of them. I even suspect

that he has an organization behind him."

*Otherwise, it's quite impossible for Eye of Wisdom to collect several

relatively powerful mystical items in thirty years with his power alone.

Previously, Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos only had a single Creeping

Hunger despite being one of the seven great pirate admirals. Of course,

it was possible that the latter had high standards and ordinary mystical

items didn't catch his attention. After all, with Creeping Hunger, he

could be more well-rounded and nearly be without any

weaknesses.*

*Yes, for Eye of Wisdom himself to be rich there has to be a rather good

explanation as well. He's organized so many gatherings, and once he

finds a suitable mystical item, he would spare no expense to get it.

Having a few in his collection isn't that unbelievable... Sigh, it's

like he has a gold mine at home, or he runs a bank...* Klein

lampooned silently.

He didn't mention in detail that he had guessed that Eye of Wisdom was

from the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery, or from the Church of

the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, out of fear that he would expose to

Miss Bodyguard that he wasn't someone who had just become a Beyonder.

The blonde Miss Bodyguard nodded slightly, as though agreeing with

Klein's suspicions.

Suddenly, she frowned and looked at the window opposite her.

"A rich smell of blood."

There's a strong smell of blood... Klein turned his head in

puzzlement and looked out the window.

There was a secluded alley in the sparse drizzle.

Near the mouth of the alley, a woman wearing a gorgeous dress was on the

ground.

At that moment, a pedestrian walked past and on careful inspection, let

out a sudden scream.

The screams startled the horse slightly as the carriage driver quickly

tightened the reins, slowing down the carriage.

Under the light of the gas lamp, Klein saw the pale face of the woman

lying on the ground at the mouth of the alley. There was a deep gash in

her stomach, and her internal organs seemed to have been hollowed out.

The blood on the ground around her was flowing slowly, crimson and

thick.

This... As a qualified former Nighthawk, he quickly thought of

many similar cases.

These were often related to devil worship!

And when it came to devil worship, it was almost always tied to ancient

organizations. It was the Blood Sanctify Sect that first appeared in the

Fourth Epoch!

According to the records, this was a loose alliance formed due to the

worship of devils. It consisted of several so-called devil clans, such

as the Nois, Andariel, and Beria clans. They weren't subordinate to each

other.

In their bid to proselytize faith in the devil, they committed many

murders. Back in Tingen, the accountant for the Nighthawks, Mrs.

Orianna, was one such victim who was thankfully saved.

Of course, not all similar cases were committed by them. Many people

felt that such acts were very cool and began to imitate them.

"It looks like it was done by the Blood Sanctify Sect," Miss Bodyguard

whispered as her figure rapidly turned translucent before vanishing. She

didn't care if Klein understood her or comprehended the situation.

At that moment, the carriage had already passed the scene of the crime.

Klein also noticed that the patrolling police had arrived, so he held

back his idea of getting off the carriage to observe and instead, chose

to act as an ordinary citizen who was passing by.

Yes, Citizen Mr. Moriarty...

*The Blood Sanctify Sect has the Criminal pathway, which is also known

as the Devil pathway. It's said that after Sequence 7, the corresponding

Beyonder would gradually turn demonic. However, they would only reveal

those signs under certain circumstances...*

*Sequence 9 Criminals have strong bodies, keen instincts, and a variety

of criminal abilities, but their conscience isn't gone yet... Sequence

8, known by its ancient name "Coldblooded," has the modern name

"Unwinged Angel." It means that from that moment forth, they lose their

conscience and revel in evil desires, with bodies that look even more

inhuman. They would also obtain some of the magical powers of the devil.

Sequence 7 Serial Killer grasps a good deal of knowledge and rituals

regarding devil worship. They like to please the devil with special

serial murders...*

I don't know the Sequences after that...

The information regarding the Blood Sanctify Sect and the Devil pathway

flashed past Klein's mind. The rain outside seemed to become heavier as

the rain on the windows converged and fell, and the whole world became

quiet and unclear.

*What's the point of thinking so much? Such matters would definitely be

taken over by a Beyonder squad. It might be the Mandated Punishers or

Nighthawks. There's no need for me to worry.* Klein shook his

head with a laugh as he muttered in his mind.

By the time he returned to 15 Minsk Street, he had forgotten about the

murder case. He went next door and knocked on the Sammers' front door,

asking Mrs. Stelyn to tell Mary that she could come for the evidence

tomorrow afternoon. Following that, he washed up and read the

newspapers, learning about the current situation and news in Backlund.

On Saturday morning the next day, Klein enjoyed his breakfast slowly and

went out to pick up the freshly developed photographs. He chose the one

with the best view of Doragu Gale's and Erica Taylor's face, one that

brought out their passion the most.

After putting the photos away, he went to the Rice Police Station before

Mrs. Mary arrived and successfully got the bail money that was worth ten

pounds back.

In the process, he also saw the real Sergeant Faxine and felt a little

uncomfortable.

After withdrawing the remaining 500 pounds in cash from his account,

Klein was finally done with everything after having a busy morning.

Before he prepared lunch, he handed the remaining 600 pounds to Miss

Bodyguard in one go, leaving 146 pounds 8 soli, and 5 pence on him. That

was all his liquid funds.

Other than Miss Justice, I have no other debts... Klein cooked

himself a T-bone steak and sprinkled it with black pepper sauce.

Just as he was enjoying the taste of the medium well steak whilst in a

good mood, the doorbell suddenly rang and resounded through his house.

"Mrs. Mary? Isn't this too early?" Puzzled, Klein put down his fork and

knife, and he walked to the door.

He paused for two seconds as the image of the visitor outside the door

appeared in his mind.

It was an old-fashioned gentleman in a light gray overcoat, a silk top

hat, and he held a black and gold cane. He had sharp blue eyes, and his

temples were streaked with white. His wrinkles were deeply engraved in

his face, causing his facial muscles to seemingly sag.

"May I know who you're looking for?" Klein asked after opening the door.

The old gentleman said in a thick Midseashire accent, "Are you Sherlock,

Detective Moriarty?"

"Do you have something you wish to entrust to me?" Klein nodded and made

way, leading the old gentleman into the living room.

He hesitated for two seconds, then asked, "Would you like coffee or

tea?"

"A cup of hot water, please." The old gentleman had taken off his hat

and sat down.

*Very well, it's very simple... Maybe I should consider getting an

assistant to serve tea and clean the place...* As Klein's mind

wandered, he turned to the kitchen and rinsed a glass.

After placing the hot water in front of the old gentleman, he walked to

the sofa and sat down with his hands folded.

"How may I address you?"

"Millet Carter," the old gentleman answered simply.

"Mr. Carter, what would you like to entrust me with?" Klein asked

directly without bothering to exchange pleasantries.

As he spoke, he quietly activated his Spirit Vision to observe Carter.

*This old gentleman is in quite good health. There are some problems

with the color of the joints of his left leg---probably arthritis... His

emotions are mostly blue from calm thinking, with a hint of

anxiety...* With just a glance, Klein had come to a general

conclusion.

Millet Carter lifted the white porcelain cup and, while rubbing its

surface, said, "The thing is... I've bought a house on Williams Street.

Heh, I come from Midseashire and because of my business, I'll be living

in Backlund permanently."

Williams Street... Where's that? Having been in Backlund for

less than a month, Klein, who had to consult the map or rely on his

intuition, tried his best to appear staid and reliable.

Millet Carter looked at him, and under his gaze, he continued, "Rumor

has it that the house was originally owned by a bankrupt viscount. That

was about two to three decades ago. After a few changes of hands, I

finally bought it.

"I planned on doing some renovations that suited the modern style, but I

discovered a hidden secret door in the basement which leads to a very

large underground structure. Considering that it might not be safe

inside, I temporarily stopped construction, and I prevented the workers

and servants from rashly exploring it. I hope that you can help me

confirm the situation inside the underground structure."

Underground structure... *Ancient ruins? Secret

treasure?* Klein thought and said, "Why didn't you call the

police?

"The resources that the police can mobilize are more than a hundred

times that of a private detective like me can muster. The results of the

exploration will definitely be better and more reliable."

Millet Carter rubbed his nose bridge.

"I don't want too many people to know about this, especially the

government.

"If I confirm that there is no danger within the underground structure,

then I intend to use it as part of the structure and re-purpose it.

"I know that this is a high risk for you, and I'm willing to pay 50

pounds for it. But you can't have more than three assistants, and I can

make up for it later, depending on the circumstances."

*50 pounds, that's quite a high price... If I were an ordinary

detective, that would be equivalent to two or three months of my

income... He's just arrived in Backlund and doesn't know any other

detectives. He could only read the newspapers to look for hires and

ended up coming to me...* Klein hesitated for a few seconds.

"Let me think about it."

He suddenly revealed an apologetic smile, pointed behind him and said,

"I'm need to use the bathroom."

Millet Carter nodded slightly and took a sip of hot water.

After entering the bathroom and closing the wooden door, Klein looked at

the mirror and took out a copper penny.

Because he had Miss Bodyguard with him, he couldn't confirm it above the

gray fog, so he could only rely on his own divination skills.

"I should accept this commission."

Klein chanted seven times and flicked the coin as he watched it tumble

down.

Thud!

The copper coin fell into his palm, and the king's portrait faced up,

indicating a positive response.

Klein slightly nodded, and whispered into the air, "What does your

intuition tell you?"

Miss Bodyguard's figure quickly appeared in the mirror. She replied

expressionlessly, "There's a certain amount of danger, but it's not

great."

Very good... Klein put away the coin, washed his hands, and

walked out of the bathroom and into the living room.

He looked at Millet Carter and said with a smile, "I'll take this

commission."