Chapter 3: Silencing and Acting
Su Xiao stood up from the leather seat. Bubu Wang, Amu, and Beini were all in the capital, Zul City. The farthest from Su Xiao was Amu, about 10 kilometers away.
A name quickly surfaced in Su Xiao's mind as he recalled the details: Jane Vera. Both her parents had died of illness. She appeared to be a pure girl, but in reality, she wasn't as unsullied as she seemed. Becoming the fiancée of a royal descendant as a commoner required not only a beautiful appearance but also sufficient intelligence.
When disposing of that royal descendant's corpse, the girl was initially terrified but grew increasingly proactive afterward. This was also the main reason she hadn't been silenced.
If Su Xiao remembered correctly, she lived on the east side of Zul City, where there was a large forested area with beautiful scenery.
Su Xiao didn't care whether that girl was guilty—or rather, there were no innocent people in this matter. If she didn't die, his own death wouldn't be far off. This wasn't about whether she would betray him; Su Xiao didn't believe a young girl could withstand the interrogation of the royal hounds for long.
Su Xiao pulled open the heavy curtains. Beyond the grid-patterned glass window, it was pitch black. Judging by the height, this was the third or fourth floor. Considering each floor of this building was quite tall, it was likely the third floor.
Time: 10:46 PM (information obtained from a pocket watch). Location: an office on the third floor. The front faced the main street, and the back led to a courtyard. Beyond the courtyard was a small path, but one had to be careful of the hotel opposite. Although it was the hotel's back entrance, it was still a place where all sorts of people gathered.
Zzz, zzz, zzz...
Su Xiao pulled over a dozen metal wires at the door and stuck three alchemy bombs on the doorframe. Anyone who tried to pick the lock and enter would be blown away. Moreover, Jane Vera's residence wasn't too far from here, so Su Xiao would definitely hear the explosion.
With a tearing sound, Su Xiao cut a wound on his palm, and blood dripped rapidly from his fingertips.
Sss~
A mist of water vapor sprayed out. Su Xiao was masking the smell of blood. As for why he left bloodstains, it was to leave a backup plan. If someone really broke in, the bombs and bloodstains could be interpreted as Su Xiao having met with misfortune, not necessarily that he had set the bombs. Whether others believed it or not didn't matter, as long as they couldn't draw a conclusion quickly.
This time, Su Xiao left the Execution Agency headquarters without anyone knowing. He was going to silence someone, to clean up the mess left by that vice-legion commander. This was also something Su Xiao had to do to obtain the vice-legion commander position.
Silently pushing open the window, it was closed again in less than two seconds, and Su Xiao was already standing on the roof of the Execution Agency headquarters.
Looking down at the city from a high vantage point, rows of aged high-rise buildings stood tall. Of course, given the technological level of this world, building seven to eight stories was the limit; anything higher might collapse.
A night breeze blew gently. Su Xiao walked slowly along the edge of the rooftop, and the next moment, he vanished as if he had never been there.
At night, Zul City was still quite lively. The streetlights cast a dim yellow glow, and a few scattered pedestrians could be seen on the streets, mostly with black or brown hair, occasionally blond or red. There was no racial distinction in this world; they were all called humans. The ghostly beings were the enemy, at least that's what most people believed.
Ten minutes later, Su Xiao crouched on the roof of a two-story building, eyes closed as he sensed the situation inside. There were two men and one woman, seemingly discussing something.
Buzz~
A metal bee flew into the two-story building. Su Xiao, crouching on the roof, held a joystick remote control, with a yellow lens over his left eye.
"Miss Vera, I deeply sympathize with your situation, but there are some things that must be clarified. A life was taken. No one can ignore the empire's laws. No one, including Legion Commander Kukulin. Do you understand?"
A man in black attire with leather gloves spoke. He sat on the sofa, looking as if he were in his own home.
"I've said it many times. I really don't know anything. How many times do you need to ask? Do you suspect I'm the murderer?"
A slightly weary female voice came through. Through the metal bee, Su Xiao saw a girl in a beige long dress. Indeed, she had a beautiful appearance.
A peculiarly shaped metal ball appeared in Su Xiao's hand. He placed it on the roof of the two-story building and pressed a mechanism on top. After doing this, he leaped several times to reach a taller building.
Inside the two-story building, the lights flickered slightly, as if the current was being interfered with by something.
"That possibility isn't ruled out. But for now, Mr. Kukulin is the prime suspect. Miss Jane Vera, I don't know what reason you have to shield him."
"I don't."
"You do."
The man in black spoke with certainty, a smile on his face. A clever commoner like Jane Vera didn't interest him at all.
"I. Do. Not."
Jane Vera spoke word by word, as if humiliated. Her breathing was slightly erratic, a normal physiological reaction.
"Under normal circumstances, people have subtle facial changes when lying. Just now, you..."
The man in black spoke casually. This matter was basically over. What he needed to do next was simply seal off the information to avoid provoking someone.
Boom!
An explosion echoed through the night sky, shattering the tranquility of the eastern district. Large chunks of burning wood splattered, and concrete debris scattered like a heavenly maiden scattering flowers, falling within a half-kilometer radius.
Two mutilated bodies lay among the wreckage. Not far away, a man with a severed right arm and a fractured half-skull struggled to his feet.
"Cough, cough..."
The man coughed dryly. His brain felt like it was being stabbed by countless needles, but with sheer willpower, he crawled to a piece of rubble and wrote on it with bloodied fingers.
'2..4de9 (Legion, Murder, Night—these three words meant something simple: Vice-Legion Commander Kukulin Bai Ye murdered a royal descendant).'
Buzz~
A metal bee flew in front of the man in black. Its compound eyes glowed green, and its abdomen had a fluorescent green fiber tube.
The man in black looked up at the metal bee. Whether by coincidence or not, he also saw a man standing on a distant rooftop. At that moment, he was stunned, filled with disbelief.
How could the other party be so bold? Wasn't he afraid of exposure? Which link had gone wrong?
"Kukulin Bai..."
Boom!
A second explosion came. This time, it wasn't as loud, but a fluorescent green strong acid splattered, corroding everything within the blast radius.
Su Xiao tossed the joystick remote control toward the wreckage. As it flew through the air, the remote control flashed red and emitted a crisp electronic sound that grew increasingly urgent.
...
Half an hour later, in the vice-legion commander's office at the Execution Agency headquarters.
Various documents were piled on the desk. The room was filled with smoke, and the cross-section of a half-eaten apple had started to turn yellow.
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock came at the door. Su Xiao, dozing in the leather chair, opened his eyes. Outside the door stood a woman in a black gauze dress with a thin veil. She wasn't exceptionally beautiful, but she possessed something called temperament, which not everyone had. Facing this woman, who appeared to be around thirty, most men would feel a sense of unease—a feeling of knowing they weren't worthy of her yet still harboring improper thoughts.
The woman was named Nancy, a direct royal descendant. Many called her Lady Nancy. This didn't mean she was married; it was for another reason. She was the nominal legion commander and supreme leader of the Execution Agency. Don't mistake her for a figurehead. She simply lacked combat ability. The previous two vice-legion commanders who underestimated her had met grim fates.
Lady Nancy raised one hand, and her slightly bent index finger gradually straightened. Several pairs of eyes opened in the darkness of the corridor.
"Come in."
Hearing the voice from inside the room, Lady Nancy waved her hand, signaling those people not to act rashly. She pushed open the door and was about to step inside when the thick smoke wafting toward her made her cough repeatedly.
In the darkness of the corridor, Bubu Wang yawned and cast a contemptuous glance at the six men in the shadows, as if to say, "You guys squatting there with your butts in the air—are you about to have a race?"