Chapter 500
Why are you going into other people's private rooms?
Bellingham wanted to explain, but at this point, saying he was helping the Old Man find his wallet was simply untenable.
Anyway, the train security guards can't help, and if I want to survive, I have to find Zhongli. I can't waste time here.
With that thought in mind, Bellingham made a firm decision.
He quickly got up and rushed outside, shoving aside Alty, who was closest to him, and fled!
In Jian's eyes, this behavior was practically tantamount to admitting guilt. This Victoria agent coming to Scherzag must be planning something big.
"Stop!"
Now the scene had changed to Grey Hat running ahead, with five women chasing after him.
Smoking Area on the Snow Mountain Express.
A female tourist stood by the window, gazing at the white expanse outside, and uttered a heartfelt sigh:
"Look at this snow-capped mountain, isn't it the Sacred Mountain of Scherzag? The scenery here is truly breathtaking!"
The male tourist next to me was wearing a coat, but it didn't seem to be very warm. He hugged his arms tightly, and his voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
"Eve, could you please close the window?"
"Huh?"
"It's so cold in this wind, don't you feel it? I've been standing here for a while, and I'm almost frozen."
"It's not that exaggerated. I think this temperature is perfectly bearable. Didn't you see that group of people earlier? They were all wearing short sleeves, which is perfect for summer. It's clearly your own health that's the problem, so stop complaining all the time."
The male tourist was so cold his nose was practically snotting; he covered his mouth and nose with one hand to prevent a sudden sneeze.
"They're Sarkaz, their physical abilities are definitely much better than normal people, how can you compare to them?"
"Okay, okay, those are just excuses. Hurry up and take a picture of me, make sure the snow-capped mountains in the background are in it too. I need to show it to my best friend when we get back to Columbia."
The male tourist shakily raised his camera, then suddenly, as if hearing a strange noise, turned his head to look eastward:
Did you hear anything?
"Ah?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Bellingham abruptly flung open the door to the Smoking Area carriage. To him, it looked like a smoke-filled wonderland. Thankfully, there was a very obvious door at the end, though he wasn't sure if it was real.
Never mind, let's go!
Shortly after Grey Hat passed through, Mace, Alty, and the others entered the carriage. They didn't call out to Grey Hat to stop, as such a shout would be pointless. The five of them quickly ran past to the next carriage.
Watching the graceful figure disappear into the distance, the male tourist realized he was in trouble if he'd been discovered, and tried to cover it up with a witty remark:
"If I remember correctly, you're not supposed to run around on a train, right? Is there some kind of custom in Scherzag where you can run a lap around the train?"
The female tourist's focus was completely different from his; she pointed at Aya's departing figure and exclaimed in surprise:
"What custom? Didn't you see them? They're members of the Sunset Band! Should I go up and ask for their autographs so I can brag to my girlfriends when I get back?"
The male tourist, recalling the woman's curvaceous figure, thought he could accompany her to get her autograph. However, the immediate priority was to take photos first. Once that was done, they could leave, otherwise they'd catch a cold.
Snow Mountain Express, a private compartment.
Shi Lei's Psychic Scan completely covered the entire train. He knew before boarding that the four Great Beasts of the fleeting sunset were also in the compartment. But since they didn't come looking for him, there was no need for him to go looking for them.
I came to Scherzag this time just to say hello to the Doctor and do some sightseeing; I didn't want to get involved in anything too complicated.
Line 3 is a direct train that runs all the way to the terminal station Silverheart Lake. As expected, the members of Sunset Vanish were also going to attend the Inauguration Ceremony for the statue.
It looks like there will be a lot of people there.
Exusiai and Lappland were visiting Scherzag for the first time in their lives, and they were looking out the window at the snow.
Judging from their happy expressions, they do indeed share similar interests in some ways.
Surtr sat dozing next to Lisa, not even glancing at the view outside the window. She had seen far too many similar snow-capped mountains during her travels in Ursus.
Texas was sleeping on Shi Lei's lap, while Mudrock was holding his left arm.
Xi only dared to sit on Shi Lei's lap when no one else was around or Happy Pot. Now, she sat quietly in the corner, trying to minimize her presence.
Shi Lei noticed a man running towards the carriage. Members of Sunset Vanish and an unfamiliar Caprini woman were chasing after him.
His attention wasn't always on what was behind him, so he wasn't quite aware of what was happening.
Shi Lei was preparing to remotely Jade Shield Wall to keep the man inside the carriage where he was currently located.
To everyone's surprise, the other party called out their own code name, sounding utterly desperate.
Shi Lei was puzzled and did not cast any spells remotely. When the other party arrived at the front of the carriage, he suddenly flung open the door.
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Chapter 574 Save me, Mister Zhongli! (4K)
With the five women closing in, Bellingham no longer had time to check each box individually.
He shouted Shi Lei's code name, hoping to get the other party's attention.
There was no way to explain that situation to the train security officer. And if I tried to escape, I would be seen as a fugitive fleeing a crime, leaving me with no choice but to continue down that path.
If he were caught and handed over to those four women, Bellingham would be dead.
Hearing the shouts, Shi Lei abandoned setting up the Jade Shield Wall to block the way. He even had Mudrock, who was closest to the door, open the door to the private room, saying that it was a bit stuffy and he wanted some fresh air.
Bellingham ran down the corridor and spotted his target inside the carriage in the blink of an eye. He quickly turned back and scrambled into the carriage, pleading for help:
"Help me, Mister Zhongli!"
Shortly after he finished speaking, the four members of the Sunset Band and Jian arrived at the carriage door.
Shi Lei did not reveal that he possessed the ability to Psychic Scan. He looked at them and asked:
What's going on here?
Bellingham's voice was almost choked with tears as he pointed a finger at the Green Hair Dan, issuing a warning:
"Mister Zhongli, she's a monster! I saw it with my own eyes—a huge octopus that took up almost half the carriage! It was terrifying!"
Dan certainly wouldn't admit it to Shi Lei's face, but he felt a little guilty about lying to him, so he started to change the subject:
"Nonsense! You clearly opened our private room door without permission. Not only did you barge in, but you also slandered our innocence. You are utterly shameless!"
Shi Lei knew all four Great Beasts and their true forms. This man's behavior of entering without knocking was highly suspicious.
"Since you know my code name, you should know my identity. What I'm curious about is why you barged into someone else's private room. Can you tell me?"
Bellingham was momentarily speechless, some words stuck in his throat. The reason for looking for his wallet was far-fetched, but he had no choice but to continue:
"I was helping a passenger look for their wallet, so I ran over to check..."
Shi Lei seized the opportunity and promptly interrupted, asking in return:
"Wait, I have a question. If a passenger loses their wallet, shouldn't the train staff look for it? Are you a staff member?"
"This..."
Jian had heard the Grey Hat shouting earlier and assumed he had reinforcements on the train. But judging from the man's behavior just now, he didn't seem to recognize him. Or perhaps he was deliberately trying to distance himself.
Upon hearing this, she took the initiative to reveal her identity:
"Hello, I'm the security officer for this train. This man is an intelligence agent sent by Victoria; he's suspected of stealing passengers' belongings. Do you know him?"
Jian isn't actually a train security officer, but rather the head of Enciodis's Head Bodyguard. However, with just a word from the master, she can become the train's security officer.
"Excuse me, Miss. I don't know him, but I might know the Duke above him."
Shi Lei hadn't met Grey Hat before when he was in Londinium. Those who had seen Grey Hat, such as Alda and Shining, weren't in this carriage.
Moreover, the person in the Grey Hat wasn't this one, but rather a person who had just been promoted from intern to full-time Grey Hat.
After explaining the mace, he turned his gaze to Bellingham, a slight smile playing on his lips:
"I just greeted the Dukes of Victoria a few days ago, and now you've sent people to follow me? Tell me, who sent you?"
Oh no, oh no, I've made a huge mess of this.
Bellingham was mortified, feeling like he wanted to die. He had come seeking help, but instead, he had become the subject of interrogation. Given the sensitive nature of his role as an intelligence agent, he was utterly unable to defend himself.
"But... but she really is a monster!"
Seeing that the man in the Grey Hat was avoiding the question and not giving a direct answer, Shi Lei knew he didn't want to say anything more.
As for who's behind it all, it's not that important. A contract has already been signed, and anyone who dares to breach it or try anything funny will face severe consequences.
When the time comes, Shi Lei will indeed keep his promise and force the stone into the Duke's mouth to carry out the Punishment of Eating Rock.
He had a pretty good idea of what had happened. A Duke in Victoria had sent intelligence agents to track them. Presumably, they didn't know their exact location, so they came up with a flimsy excuse to check each of the private rooms. Unfortunately, they opened one of the rooms and found four Great Beasts from the sea.
These Great Beast, creatures that live in legends, have been out of the public eye for over a thousand years.
Modern humans wouldn't associate them with Great Beast, so they could only call them monsters.
Seeing that the man in the Grey Hat's frightened expression didn't seem like acting, and sensing they didn't know each other, he gave the answer to his question:
"This gentleman is a member of the 'Grey Hat' intelligence organization under the Duke Kester."
Bellingham was ashen-faced. Not only was he dead, but he had also dragged the Lord Duke into this mess.
Shi Lei ignored the despairing man in the Grey Hat, turned to Alty and Jian, and said:
"Take him away."
Alte avoided eye contact with him, lowered his head to avoid their gazes, and nodded in response:
"We're sorry to have troubled you, please leave it to us."
At that moment, the instinct for survival drove Bellingham to flee. But before he could rush out of the carriage, he was knocked unconscious by a swift and deadly blow.
As the saying goes, a true expert's skill is immediately apparent upon seeing their work.
Lapland's eyes suddenly lit up, and she instinctively gripped the Rock Constructs Moon Wheel Sword at her waist. Judging from her eager expression, she seemed ready to fight.
Shi Lei saw it all but didn't say anything.
If Lappland starts trouble, I'll just not give her the Jade Shield later.
In this martial world, sparring and fighting are inevitable. Even if she is unfortunately defeated, she can at least have some peace and quiet on the rest of the En route. With me present, no matter how much they fight, no one will die.
Seeing so many people surrounding Shi Lei in the carriage, Jian knew he was no ordinary person. Later, after hearing him admit to negotiating with various Duke, he became even more convinced that Shi Lei's background was extraordinary.
You can't tell his race just by looking at his appearance, but he looks a bit like Yan, not like Victoria's blond hair and blue eyes.
Lord Enciodis didn't give any prior notice, which means the other party is an uninvited guest. We need to inform the lord as soon as we arrive at the final stop at Silverheart Lake.
Seeing that Alty and the others were about to leave, Shi Lei politely invited them to leave.
"It's rare to run into you all here. Would you like to come over and sit for a while after you've finished dealing with his business?"
Alty felt extremely uncomfortable and didn't want to linger there any longer, so she shook her head and politely declined.
"No, we still need to rehearse our pieces. We won't bother you any longer. See you at the Inauguration Ceremony."
"Okay, take care."
Since everyone is on the train, there's no question of seeing people off; we'll all be meeting up soon anyway.
The unconscious man in the Grey Hat was taken away by Alty, and the rest was no longer Shi Lei's concern. However, he held the Duke Kester responsible for this.
Two hours later.
The Snow Mountain Express arrived at its final stop, and passengers filed out with their luggage.
As soon as Shi Lei and his group came down, they saw the Doctor and Amiya waiting below. Beside them stood a woman with Silver Ash hair named Feline.
Upon learning that Doctor Zhongli was coming to Silverheart Lake, the Doctor personally came out to greet him. It would be disrespectful to have one of his Operator do it for him; he had been a great help to Rhodes Island in Chernobyl and Londinium.
"Mister Zhongli, it's been a long time."
"Hehe, it has indeed been more than half a year since we last met."
The Doctor raised his hand and pointed to the man beside him, saying: