A "Conspirer" Died by Conspiracy

As dusk fell, Hugh, having met with the last informant who had agreed to help, left the bar, ravenously hungry, and let out a long sigh.

"The other sellers are safe for now... which means that person's death was likely an accident, but more likely a deliberate murder..."

"But the question is, who would have the time or inclination to murder a Vagrant?"

"Is Beyonder of evil nature performing a Sacrifice ritual to please some being? Or are there other Vagrant who know he has suddenly received a sum of money?"

"Or is someone deliberately causing trouble, targeting that guy?"

Several guesses surfaced in her mind as she walked through the crowded streets, her mind heavy with worry, when she suddenly sensed something was amiss.

Someone is watching me!

And it wasn't an unintentional glance!

Xiu's heart skipped a beat; this was an ability he had gained from his Advancement "Sheriff," possessing a keen intuition in surveillance and counter-surveillance.

Her thoughts raced, and she calmly walked towards the fish cake cart by the roadside:

"Five cod-flavored ones."

As he spoke, Hugh pulled ten coins from his pocket and, while making way for the pedestrians behind him, quickly glanced in the direction where he felt the gaze.

She pretended nothing was wrong and continued to move her gaze, finally slowly withdrawing it.

"It's delicious, I'll come again next time." The middle-aged stall owner said enthusiastically, packing the cod cakes the customer ordered into a paper bag, and smilingly reminded him:

"Don't tie the bag too tightly, otherwise the taste will be slightly different."

Hugh nodded, took the paper bag and carried it in his hand, pretending that he hadn't noticed anything, and walked nonchalantly toward the intersection ahead.

But her mood at that moment was far from as relaxed as she appeared.

Someone is following me! I saw that short-haired man this morning! On the street not far from the dead Vagrant!

This is yet another skill of the "Sheriff"!

Having seen a real person, a photograph, or a sketch, one can firmly remember what the target looks like and gain additional, extraordinary insights.

"In that case, we can rule out other possibilities... The person who murdered the Vagrant man was deliberately causing trouble, targeting that guy..."

"No, I need to find a way to tell that guy about this, to prevent him from being ambushed without knowing anything!"

The thought flashed through his mind, and Xiu immediately made up his mind:

Get rid of the pursuers as quickly as possible and return to your rented room in the Cherwood Borough. Fors knows how to summon that guy's "Messenger"!

Lost in thought, she walked across an Crossroads and saw dozens of men dressed as porters walking towards her, causing a brief traffic jam at the corner. She immediately realized that this was a perfect opportunity to shake off her pursuers, so she took out a handful of coins from her pocket and threw them into the air.

My money!

"Don't push, don't grab!"

Hugh deliberately shouted in a panic.

As her voice rang out, the previously noisy surroundings instantly fell silent. Everyone heard the pleasant clinking sound of coins rolling to the ground and almost without hesitation, they all made the same movement.

Crouch down and pick up the nearest coin!

The scene immediately descended into chaos.

"Let go! I saw it first!"

"I got it first!"

"..."

Similar conversations are commonplace.

uuɡu. First update, no typos. You won't see the pinyin suffix in the address input. You can then access the first update site.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xiu ran across the street without looking back.

"Get out of my way!" The short-haired youth was completely unprepared for his target to use such a tactic, and he chased after him without bothering to conceal himself.

But he clearly underestimated the allure of money.

Pushing one person aside, before you can even move your foot, another person will take your place, like an endless tide, wave after wave.

"Grass!"

Seeing the target about to disappear, the short-haired youth's expression changed drastically. He couldn't help but curse and chose to avoid him, taking a longer route.

Hoping they hadn't been left behind... he thought, and sprinted over.

Hugh plunged into the dark alleyways, nimbly weaving through them. Relying on his familiarity with the terrain, he quickly appeared in another neighborhood after several twists and turns.

She glanced back warily, and when she made sure no one was behind her, she breathed a sigh of relief and prepared to use the same trick to leave the East Borough through the alley.

Suddenly, a sharp sound rang out rapidly from the darkness ahead.

Hugh reacted quickly, tilting his head to the side and, with the help of the Crimson Moon's light, seeing something resembling a blowgun graze his hair and disappear into the wall.

Not good!

The stalker had accomplices!

With the number of enemies ahead unknown and her pursuers possibly closing in at any moment, she had no intention of fighting to the death and turned into a nearby alley without hesitation.

However, enemies still lurked here.

Xiu had barely stepped halfway in when he heard the same sharp sound again.

"There are some here too..." Just as this thought flashed through her mind, she heard heavy footsteps behind her and sensed something in her heart.

The stalker I just shook off is coming back!

Seeing that they were surrounded, Hugh no longer hesitated, quickly pulled a Black Ring from his pocket, put it on his thumb, and uttered a Hermes word:

"Shadow!"

Her figure vanished instantly, blending into the shadows cast by the walls on either side.

A dozen seconds later, the short-haired youth arrived late and looked at his companion:

Where is the woman?

"..." The other two looked at each other, neither of them speaking, their faces bearing the same blank expression as the short-haired youth.

As the three looked at each other in bewilderment, a sneer suddenly rang out from a dozen meters away, and countless Flames Crows circled around, bursting forth with bright flames.

The shadows dissipated, revealing a slender figure.

At the same time, a figure slowly walked towards the source of the sneer.

Gallows Sauron!

Surprised?

Wearing black trousers and a flamboyant shirt, he grinned, his right hand, adorned with numerous rings, toying with a Golden Shell Pocket Watch.

As he approached the short-haired youth and the others, whose faces still showed astonishment, and the terrified Hugh, he kept opening and closing the Pocket Watch case.

"Snap! Tap! Snap! Tap!"

Amidst these sounds, Gallows Sauron gradually approached the four:

Let's go.

Upon hearing this, the short-haired youth and the others were even more astonished:

Walk?

"Are we just going to ignore her?" the short-haired youth couldn't help but ask, and the other two, though silent, clearly shared the same thought.

Gallows Sauron chuckled and turned to look at Hugh by the wall:

"You'll obediently come back with me, right?"

Hugh nodded blankly.

"Yes."

"See, she said she'd obediently come back with us." Gallows Sauron shrugged and smiled, repeating again, "Let's go."

One hour later.

Inside Detached House converted from an abandoned warehouse on the edge of the East Borough.

The elderly man in the tuxedo looked at Gallows Sauron, who was sitting calmly at the table, sipping a cocktail, and couldn't help but ask:

"As you instructed, everyone has been evacuated."

"What's next? Should we use this woman to threaten Fors Wall? Or should we interrogate her first and find out if the Little Pickpocket is still alive?"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone turned to look at the dining table.

"No need to ask." Gallows Sauron slowly shook his head, a slight smile playing on his lips amidst countless bewildered gazes.

"I can tell you the answer with absolute certainty: he is still alive."

"And right before your eyes."