392. What a Coincidence

Upon seeing a familiar face, Lu Ban immediately flashed a bright smile.

"Hey, Old Cui."

Lu Ban greeted him.

For a moment, everyone in the room looked at Trist.

The private detective, who seemed to always wear a long overcoat, a deerstalker hat, and a briar pipe, and whose attire remained unchanged, paused for a moment before quickly adopting a serious demeanor.

"Arrest this person immediately."

Several funeral home employees immediately grabbed Lu Ban's arms.

Lu Ban saw Trist wink at him and immediately understood what the other meant.

"Hehehe, you'll definitely remember this day in the future, because you almost captured the great Captain Jack Sparrow!"

Lu Ban smiled knowingly, then used Speech Bullet on himself.

Thud—

A large crater suddenly appeared in the wall. Lu Ban had already rushed out of the house and disappeared into the dust in three quick steps.

"?"

Trist didn't know how to explain for a moment. Seeing everyone staring at him, he swallowed and cleared his throat.

"The body must still be here. Let's search for it."

He was very fortunate that the body of the old man who died of lung disease was lying in the autopsy room of the funeral home. When the family found him, several staff members were preparing to put on makeup for the old man.

Trist left the funeral home, casually found an outdoor seat in a teahouse, and ordered a cup of black tea.

Soon, a man sat down in the seat in front of Trist.

"I'd like a glass of milk, if you have any."

Lu Ban said to the waiter, and the two exchanged a glance.

"What I meant was that you should pretend to be arrested. I'll question you, and then we can both leave safely!"

Trist suppressed his dissatisfaction and said.

"Oh my god, I thought you meant for me to pretend to be a notorious thief who likes corpses, and then get caught by you, the famous detective."

Lu Ban said in surprise.

"You've added too many settings."

Trist took a sip of his black tea.

So, where is the other person?

Lu Ban asked, "It's obvious that Xiya also participated in the mission."

"She should be arriving soon."

Trist glanced at the time displayed in the shop.

Immediately, Lu Ban saw Xiya Ya, dressed in heavy armor, standing across the street, seemingly angry as she waited for the vehicles to pass before walking towards him.

"Haven't seen you for a long time."

Lu Ban had just greeted someone when the milk the waiter had just placed down in front of him was pushed by some unseen force, almost falling off the table.

"Don't be naughty."

Lu Ban gave a reminder and picked up the milk.

"?"

Trist looked at Lu Ban as if he were talking to an unseen being, and a question mark appeared above his head again.

"The funeral home was in complete chaos, and our request was delayed until the afternoon."

Xiya sat down and said something aggressively.

What are you doing at the funeral home?

Lu Ban was curious.

What are you doing at the funeral home?

Trist retorted irritably.

"I don't know either, I was already in a coffin when I arrived."

Lu Ban claimed innocence.

"Ah?"

Trist's question mark resurfaced.

"Xiya arrived last night. We thought you had already arrived. We searched for a long time, but we never expected you to be in the coffin."

"So, I might have arrived last night too, but I slept in the coffin without realizing it?"

The flow of time varies greatly in the Silent Land. What Lu Ban perceives as a few seconds might be half a day in the Ruined City.

"In any case, let's go to the funeral home to examine the body this afternoon and then see."

Trist picked up his pipe, lit the tobacco, and took a puff.

"A corpse?"

Lu Ban felt that there might be a time difference between himself and the other two people.

"The doctor's body, Dr. House."

Trist explained.

"We went to the funeral home to investigate his body, hoping to find some clues."

"I see."

Lu Ban nodded, and when he saw the person eating cookies with gusto, his expression softened.

However, the cookies on the plate suddenly seemed to have been stolen by some small animal, and one was missing while Xiya wasn't paying attention.

"Speaking of which, does Xiya have any magic that can make the dead talk, such as reading their memories or summoning spirits?"

Lu Ban asked again.

Although this is theoretically a reasoning-based task, the Silent Land doesn't prohibit cheating. If Xiya could summon the dead directly like those necromancers and make them talk, many problems would be solved.

"Spells aren't that convenient, didn't I tell you that?"

As Xiya answered, she reached for the last cookie, only to find the plate empty. She looked puzzled.

"What about the other two bodies?"

Lu Ban asked again.

"The other two?"

Trist didn't quite understand, but looking at Lu Ban, he quickly grasped the meaning.

"You used [the Madman's Knowledge] again?"

"Yes, there should also be a gang member and a prostitute who were killed in this case. It's a serial murder case."

Lu Ban's words were concise and to the point.

"But there don't seem to be any similar cases lately. I might have to ask the sheriff."

Trist stroked his chin, deep in thought.

"Before we go any further, let me briefly share the intelligence we have so far."

He took out his small notebook and opened it to a page.

"The deceased was named House, a doctor who ran a clinic in Gray Alley. He served patients from the working class and also took on some jobs in the slums, treating minor illnesses for the poor for free. He had a good reputation in the neighborhood and was a well-connected figure in both the underworld and legitimate society."

"He was found dead in his own clinic bed two days ago. The manner of his death was quite bizarre. The police opened a case and asked me to participate in the investigation. As you know, I am a detective, and I have a fairly good reputation in the Ruined City now."

He said this with a hint of pride.

"Oh."

Lu Ban nodded, ignoring Trist's joke.

"Because Dr. House a wide social circle, including Madam Martina of the Catania Family, she privately commissioned me to investigate a medical record of Dr. House's, which, if I'm not mistaken, may be related to her lover."

Trist lowered his voice again.

"So you're still investigating infidelity."

Lu Ban asked subconsciously.

"I had already stopped taking on these commissions, but Madam Martina was offering just too much."

Trist should do so.

"I understand. If a roast chicken were in front of me right now, I would do anything."

Xiya nodded in agreement.

"I also want to eat roast chicken."

Lu Ban echoed.

Trist glanced at his two companions and suddenly had the illusion that the difficulty of this mission's "mutation" stemmed largely from the two of them.

*

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